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.
The Skordalia recipe made with mashed potatoes is one of my preferred Greek side dishes; it’s so simple to make and flavorful! Traditionally, Skordalia is served along with fried salt cod, but it is delicious also with grilled lamb, fried zucchini and eggplants, or beet salad!
Cuttlefish stew with green peas is a classic Central Italian dish. Lazio and Campania cuisines are fighting the fatherhood of this recipe for centuries, and the question in not resolved yet! The cuttlefish are slow cooked with a tasty tomato sauce. The green peas have to be soft but not mushy. I like serve this cuttlefish stew with bread slices, but it is very delicious served with rice or tossed with pasta as well!
The sausage sauce is a classic peasant recipe. It is prepared with some variations, in many parts of Italy. As I said, there are many versions: with peppers, or mushrooms, or simply tossed with pasta and a few tablespoon of whipping cream! Today I decided to combine this tasty sauce with a simple tomato puree, used to be presented frequently at my family’s table. The preparation is not difficult, but requires a few precautions. The sausages must be cooked until golden brown, then being dipped into the tomato puree. After that, is mandatory to proceed with a very slow cooking until the meat is extremely soft. The best way to taste the sausage sauce is with a kind of pasta of your choice, in particular fresh pasta, rigatoni or shells.
… read more! …
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!