All posts tagged: italian food

A Hunting we will go….

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Times passed, imagine getting dressed up like this to go hunting for Sunday’s dinner! The hunting season here is starting soon, the hunters and their dogs have been looking around our area for any signs of rabbit and hare burrows or the beautiful pheasants that they might catch a glimpse of. I dislike immensely the sounds of guns,whistles and hound dogs on a Sunday morning and with that -No further Comment! Why all this?…To explain the meaning behind the dish Chicken Cacciatore… Chicken cacciatore is one of the dishes I remember when I was little, but I can’t remember anyone mentioning this name. After reading the ingredients of this recipe some time ago and making it more than once, and after tasting the flavorsome sauce it all came back in a flash of tingling taste buds. Cacciatore is Italian for “hunter”, and refers to the heavily flavoured sauce that covers the meat. Cacciatore (the original recipe) composed of onions,mushrooms,herbs and chicken or rabbit  and would have been the main dish of the hunters expedition,maybe a …

Wednesdays Word # 6

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Baci di Dama Delicious little shortbread biscuits. The translation…Ladies Kisses.The original recipe is from Piemont – northern Italy.Known for it’s hazelnuts. Two round hazelnut – almond shortbread biscuits joining by a kiss of chocolate in the centre. These special biscuits are just divine finishing off the evening with an espresso, or liqueur. Have you tried these? Have you made them? They’re crunchy mouth-watering bite size biscuits…Baci di Dama. Have a great coffee break! Yvette …x

Wednesdays Word #3

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STUZZICHINI The term stuzzichini is any type of food which can be served in mignon. Hors d’oeuvres consumed in one mouthful, maximum two bite sizes. Served prior to a buffet,party,dinner,or a happy hour after work. “Stuzzicare” refers to a little snack, when we can hold a glass in one hand, and we’re free to pick up an hors d’oeuvre in the other, usually without using a piece of cutlery. When entering a bar,here in Italy, after a certain hour…ordering a drink, stuzzichini are served free of charge. Capturing those taste buds with mouthwatering bites, however you nearly always go back and purchase another plateful. Usually a small plate with a variety of 3 or 4 stuzzichini. It’s all in the preparation,eye-catching,colourful and always tempting.The variety is unlimited and you can have fun creating your own.Stuffed meat rolls,salmon with cream cheese, stuffed capsicum strips,prosciutto stuffed with asparagus cream,zucchini strips with gorgonzola,devils on horseback,angels on horseback,rice balls,puff pastry swirls. The photo below, basil leaves,julienne carrot and fresh mozzarella… …pastry boats filled with tomato and green olives,with fresh …

Wednesdays Word

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Tramezzini –plural It’s an Italian sandwich. The difference is in the bread. Pre sliced, no crusts.White and plain.But the fillings are way beyond boring. Tramezzini are packed with flavour. The filling combinations are never-ending with new flavours popping up everywhere on bar chalkboard specials. From chic char grilled vegetables, prosciutto,cheese and fig jam to the classics of mozzarella,roast beef and pesto. The fillings are usually an overload on mayonnaise, however making them at home, mayonnaise can easily be substituted with light cream cheese , ricotta or fresh goats cheese.Tramezzini can be found in bars everywhere available for a mid morning snack or lunchtime break. Two of my favourites are bresaola – (dried,salted beef thinly sliced), rocket and parmesan,or prosciutto,goats cheese and cherry tomatoes with freshly ground black pepper. So my friends,this is Wednesdays word,one to remember when in Italy and ordering your lunch. Tramezzini.

Italian Summer Food Fairs

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In our Summer months, there’s always a local sagra –fair to visit. It’s a celebration of food, and family entertainment.If you visit Italy during this time of the year, it’s a great opportunity to support local groups,volunteer “cooks” with a passion for food, eat cheaply, trying traditional dishes and enjoy live entertainment.There’s fairs of food like asparagus, rice, chicken,tripe, and even larger fairs with an event like a music/singing contest,a bicycle race, a water craft boat regatta , country line dance contest and rodeo, to name a few. We had the opportunity to visit the “Festa dea Sardea” meaning Festival of Sardines in Silea,Treviso,Italy. Sardines at this fair are available grilled,crumbed, and traditional venice style with sweet/sour onions. Sardines are rich in numerous nutrients that have been found to support cardiovascular health. An excellent source of Vitamin B12 and concentrated in Vitamin D, packed with protein. Sardines are best eaten fresh,and as I don’t prepare them often at home,we decided to venture out to this fair, with a grand surprise of how many people were …

Pasta Salad

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With the harvesting of wheat at the moment, I should be doing a feature bread section, but my friends , no bread baker challenge for this hot weekend So I turn to Pasta… A great Pasta Salad. Recipe: Pasta Salad – cavatelli with rocket pesto.  Cavatelli is a pasta originally from the region Puglia, Italy.It’s hand made, forming a hollow rod shape about 3cm long with curved edges. This hollow form is great for capturing sauces,it can be purchased fresh or in dry form.As I’ve used for this recipe. Ingredients for 4 serves 350 grams dried form cavatelli pasta 100 grams cherry tomatoes 100 grams smoked ricotta (grated) 100 grams parmesan (grated) 100 grams fresh rocket 3 tablespoons pine nuts 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 garlic clove, (optional) 1 jar pitted kalamata olives Prepare the pasta, as directed on package, this pasta in dry form, usually takes 9 minutes to cook, drain and wash with cold water immediately to stop the cooking process, leave aside. Prepare the tomatoes. Slice long ways,cleaning out the centre,this takes …

Wednesday’s Word

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Introducing Wednesdays Word. I thought it might be interesting to introduce you to some unknown and known words of the Italian language. Words which we may use already without realizing they’re part of the Latin Italian language. In the cooking world of language there are so many universal words coming from different parts, French, German, Italian…and I know you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how many you do know from the Italian language. Today’s Wednesdays Word: Affogato al caffè Why start with this word. Believe me you’ll want to remember it. For all you coffee lovers, this is a caffeine blast. A strong “hot” espresso coffee, with a drowning, floating scoop of vanilla ice-cream. There’s the meaning of the word Affogato – “drowning” You’ll find this coffee based beverage or dessert on every restaurant or bar menu. It’s your choice what you want to put in your espresso. A scoop of vanilla ice-cream.  A white or chocolate “tartufo” which is white or chocolate coated ice-cream. A touch of rum, whiskey or how we like our affocato al caffè with …

Pucker up – Hot Lips

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Spaghetti with Garlic, Oil and Peperoncino* Aglio,Olio e Peperoncino Red Hot Peppers, Hot Lips, Hot mouth, sweating brow, flowing nose and crying eyes. Yes, I think I put  in too much peperoncino.  But I adore this  classic and way too easy pasta dish, and yes, the tri-colori * three colour banner is flying all Italian. This is one of those dishes where the temptation to eat another serving, if your flaming lips can  handle it, you just can’t resist. Each mouthful of spaghetti is like a heat bomb of  taste, a fire cracker of heated sparks of peperoncino, a tingling sensation , feeling like  you’ve just had a quick  silicon lip enhancement. Yet another four ingredient recipe, Spaghetti,garlic, oil and peperoncino. Recipe -2 servings 300 g of spaghetti ( dried pasta, good quality) 4 tablespoons olive oil 2 cloves garlic,  grated 1 tablespoon peperoncino-I use dried red chilli flakes (use less for less heat) Preparation Cook spaghetti as instructions on the box. Boil water before adding the salt, try not to over cook the pasta and save a spoonful of this starchy water for …

Two peas in a pod

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In the region Veneto, we have a large number of recipes with the base ingredient of rice. One of these favourite  well-known recipes is Rice with Peas * i risi e bisi . Taking the opportunity at the fresh growers market I purchased two kilo’s of fresh peas. Having a few recipes in mind, my choice is this one.   I know what you’re thinking, it’s just easier to buy a can of peas, or go to the freezer, but believe me there’s nothing quite like the taste of fresh peas. Let the senses glee with the sound of the crunch of the pea pod, the wonderful rich green colour, the perfume of fresh pearl peas, the taste and the silky glossy feel. I know I always think of my grandmothers shelling peas in the kitchen, but believe me they had it right, the  fresh taste makes all the difference.   This traditional plate is known to have been served to the Duke of Venice on the patron saints day of Saint Marks. The difference with this recipe apart from other risotto recipes is that the broth is added …