an italian cook around the world
I love preparing this buttercup squash “pumpkin” puree for my family and friends for Thanksgiving or Christmas, or New Year’s eve! The mild sweetness of the squash is perfectly balanced by the taste of the blue cheese. I particularly like using Gorgonzola, but any semi-soft blue cheese fits good: the only critical thing is the cheese have to easy to melt along with the milk.
Everyone likes the mashed potatoes! Today I propose a recipe from my family, the Italian mashed potatoes. The main characteristic of this recipe is the total absence of lumps, and Its smooth and creamy taste. To obtain a puree in this way is essential to sift the peeled potatoes throughout a good mill. To make my mashed potatoes even more delicious I added grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and white pepper. If you want, you can replace it with another type of grated cheese, the important thing is that it melts and amalgams easy and fast with the puree.
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Two days ago, I saw with my great pleasure some fantastic beef cheeks exposed on the counter of my butcher. The surprise was huge, given that in two years living in Columbus, I had lost hope to find them! I did not lose more time and I bought them right away, anxious to cook one of the most delicious Italian recipes that I know! I came home with everything I need to prepare a fantastic stew braised in red wine, and I put the meat into the wine and the other ingredients to marinate overnight; You can see the result in the pictures showed below! The braised beef cheeks are tender and tasty. If you’ve never tasted them, overcome any hesitancy; The flavor is the same as a good piece of lean beef, but it is even more tender, because their marbled meat; You will not be disappointed!
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home baking
When I see rack of lamb in plain sight on the butcher’s counter, I simply cannot resist! I love its unique flavor, almost naturally spicy, and its versatility: you can fry, pan-fry, bake, or stew it. My very first memory of lamb goes back to my maternal grandmother’s breaded lamb chops: fried and immediately served in a dish with baked potatoes…yum, sooner or later I’ll make them again! Today we will prepare the rack of lamb simply in the oven, after having briefly pan-fried it. To enhance the flavor of the meat I recommend an intense sage pesto and to finish off, a scented potato purée seasoned with fennel; need I say more? Buon appetito!