Fancy a dessert that contains all the flavor of ripe cherries? If the answer is yes, then you absolutely have to try my vegan cherry jelly recipe. Forget about industrial jellies; here we only use fresh fruit pulp and agar-agar, a vegetable gelling agent, also suitable for those who have a particular diet (gluten intolerant),…
A fresh coffee dessert, ideal for the summer, and which will be appreciated by everyone. We will be able to serve it to all our guests, either the ones who have special dietary requirements and those who will just appreciate a light and fresh treat. If coffee makes us a bit too “nervous” we can…
This Apulian caponata is a version of this one of Sicily’s essential dishes. It is a vegetarian eggplant stew–more like a relish, really–made of eggplant, onions, bell pepper, celery and tomatoes with briny olives and capers. There are variations of this tasty eggplant dish. Most of caponatas are spiked with vinegar or raisins. This version was…
Italian bread is famous for being based exclusively on flour and water, yet this recipe, typical of nothern Italy, includes olive oil in its dough. The presence of fats creates a very soft bread, which is easy to be preserved in the foggy climate of Po valley. Moreover, olive oil can be replaced by butter…
Maltagliati pasta is a very traditional shape in Emilia-Romagna, used for rustic soups like pasta & chickpeas or pasta & beans. Literally, its name means “badly cut”. All good Italian housewives never waste food and this pasta is made from the remnants of dough cut for other shapes. When you roll pasta dough with a…
In the trattorie of Florence I have heard shelled beans cooked in this way called “fagiouli all’uccelletto”. (Pellegrino Artusi, Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well) This recipe is a typical Florentine way to eat their beloved cannellini beans which have replaced meat for centuries. The name originates from the way small…
Green beans are an excellent fresh vegetable, but there are not many variations for their preparation. They are usually boiled and eaten accompanied by simple olive oil. But Italian creativity enriched a dull preparation with a touch of herbs and the beloved tomato, inventing a unique and tasty side dish, a symbol of summer and…
Tangerine gelo. The mere mention of this dessert evokes a sensation of freshness, citrus scents, and summer nights. Tangerine gelo is a typical recipe of the Sicilian tradition. Whereas its origin has been lost over time it likely has its roots in the Arab-Norman domination, so rich in creativity, pervaded by the scent of oriental…
What inspired me to make this tomato jelly was the need to prepare something healthy, with local ingredients, and because of my family’s cholesterol test results. It is ideal for a dinner with a big group because in can be made a day or two in advance, and it can make all our dining companions…
Meat stock or broth (nowadays the distinction is quite blurred) is a very popular dish in Northern Italy. It is not only used for adding juices to roasted meats, stews and meat sauces during prolonged cooking, but it also creates wonderful dishes on its own. Northern Italy offers a wonderful variety of pastas created to…