Chilies are everywhere at the moment…sweet,hot,and fiery, couldn’t resist making a sweet chili sauce…not too hot, with just enough kick to spice things up… I used both red and orange hot peppers, so the sauce wasn’t a rich red colour,however tastes delicious just the same…
Why is it called a pound cake, well…originally all the ingredients were equal parts,a pound of butter,a pound of sugar,a pound of eggs and a pound of flour. These days although the same ingredients are used, we’ve diversified the quantities and added a few more. Today’s pound cakes are still buttery, rich and moist with a golden crust. In Italy this cake is called Bussolano or Ciambella Mantovana – Mantovana Ring cake. It’s usually made plain or chocolate flavour and served in the morning for dunking into coffee or hot milk.I found this recipe with it’s twist of using seasonal grapes both white and red and adding a glass of sweet white wine to the mixture. It has a delicate taste, nothing sweet at all to it, moist with the golden buttery crunchy crust. You’ll love it! Read on for the recipe…
The perfume of mushrooms open the Autumn season, as does the season for mushroom hunting through the forest. Rising early morning, with a slight chill in the air, old jeans and long sleeve shirt, boots and double socks, walking stick and woolen cap, ready are those who go on Sunday’s morning stroll in search of mushrooms. Dampness, moss, old leaves and abandoned tree trunks, the perfect undergrowth of the forests environment to find these wonders. Italians call Porcini mushrooms “un trionfo di bosco” meaning the triumph of the forest. Porcini mushrooms fresh with their flavour, perfume and meat-like texture are just an exquisite and overwhelming flavorsome mushroom. These large capped mushrooms are also easily found in dried form available in supermarkets. Dried Porcini with their concentrated flavour and aroma can be added to risotto, sauces and soups. A few facts about Porcini mushrooms.How do know the best of the best for their freshness? Signs of aging are if the undersides of the caps have a yellowish-brown tinge, the mushrooms are over-ripe. Best those ones leave …
So an Italian without polenta in their pantry, not likely! Polenta is the name given to both cornmeal and the dish made from it. This recipe is all yellow my friends, cornmeal, lemons and eggs. I was a bit skeptical about the amount of eggs in this recipe there’s eight…but in the end all turned out fine, and one single piece left for the photo and the rest is crumbs! Polenta is a major Italian staple dish. Dry polenta ( a coarsely ground cornmeal) is added to boiling salted water or stock and stirred using a wooden spoon, until it’s thick and creamy. These days a one minute wonder polenta can be purchased, so it’s cooked in a flash, otherwise the normal grounded polenta can take up to twenty minutes. Read on for the recipe…
This is my favourite of Autumn soups, warming the soul, soothing the chill in the air and giving a wonderful perfume to the kitchen. Capturing the midday sunrays, enhancing the warming colours of this plate,I served it with petite cheese sandwiches… A light creamy texture with a dollop of natural yoghurt and a sprig of thyme…read on for the recipe…
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 …
Baked pumpkin has always been a favourite of mine. Combined with chickpeas and a creamy yogurt dressing sets of a perfect combination for this warm salad. The hint of fresh mint gives it a some real freshness. A winning all round taste blaster…read on for the recipe…
What’s more appealing than a little chocolate and a love message. All over the world Baci chocolates are given as tokens of love. A whole hazelnut covered with granules of hazelnut and dark chocolate with a magical message of affection. My childhood memories are vivid of these “special” chocolates, everyone opening these petite chocolates and one by one reading the message…nothings really changed in my adult years. I came across this recipe and just couldn’t resist the indulgence! Figs dipped in chocolate and hazelnuts. Divine!
So what’s Sgroppino? Is it ice-cream or sorbet? Sgroppino is served between courses or at the end, even as dessert. It’s original to the Veneto region of Italy. An alternative to lemon sorbet, and it’s delicious! An Italian milkshake with a little kick! At special occasions, a family dinner or with friends, a glass of Sgroppino is a smooth, creamy drink, icy cold and a sharp lemon taste, that I know will send everyones taste buds tingling. There are a few variations on the flavour, liquorices,coffee but my preference is stick to the original lemon flavour. Easy to make, try this one at your next gathering of friends.
With friends visiting from Australia, this week has been a buzz, I’ve changed hats so many times this week. I’ve enjoyed their visit immensely and I’m sorry the week has flown so fast…wanting to make something sweet for an afternoon coffee, one of my never fail quick apple cakes is this one. I can’t tell you where the original recipe has come from…it’s one of those family ones where I think everyone has a copy! Believe me you can rely on this one, it’s a sure thing!
Yvette's Twistedvines 