an italian cook around the world
Fried sage is an appetizer I particularly love: easy, quick, and tasty! The batter I use is a classic Italian plus a few spices to improve flavor and color. I listed below my favorite spices, but feel free to experiment your favorite seasoning. The only rule is: once ready serve as soon as possible!
Gnudi is a classic Tuscan recipe, simple and delicious! The particularity of these Italian dumpling is the smoothness of the dough and the intense flavor thanks to the spinach Ricotta, and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Commonly, Gnudi are tossed with butter and sage and often paired with a simple, fresh tomato sauce. Try them on and let me know: they’re an authentic bite of Tuscany!
Veal scaloppini with prosciutto (Italian ham) and sage leaves, sauteed into butter are named “saltimbocca alla romana” in Rome. It’s a must to try! Thin veal steaks are flavored with sage and black pepper, then dressed up with Italian prosciutto, and finally sauteed into the butter. A thin layer of cornstarch combined with white wine creates a creamy sauce, very tasty!
I love a good veal stew so much! If you desire a good stew out from the winter, this is your recipe! The veal meat is more delicate than beef, and it pairs perfectly with asparagus and mushrooms. A good white wine and fresh sage donate a tasty sour flavor. A suggestion: avoid cheap wine otherwise the sauce will be too acid!
Spatzle are a particular kind of fresh pasta typical in Northern Italy, Switzerland, Austria and Bavaria. Spatzle dough is prepared with egg, flour and water or milk. Depending the quantity of liquid in to the dought the Spatzle shape is long like big noodles or short like little gnocchi. With the help of the special tool (the Spätzelhober
) making Spatzle is very easy! I love make them for special dinner. If you prefer (I prefer!) it is possible cook the Spatzle a few time before serving, seasoning with the sauce. In this case is best pre-seasoning with a little bit of melted butter or olive oil to prevent sticking. Often Spatzle are presented as a side dish or seasoned as a pasta Today I propose them with a sauteed fillet of char, topped with mushrooms and asparagus.
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!