ブリックレーンのOld Truman Breweryにあるカジュアル・イタリアン、Al Volo（アル・ヴォロ）。NUDE ESPRESSO CAFEやROSA’Sと同じ通り、Hanbury Street沿いから入ったところにある駐車場にある。明るく暖かみのあるインテリアは、センス良くモダンにまとめられており、居心地もいい。ランチタイムとディナータイムの間もキッチンをクローズしないので、遅いランチや小腹が空いた時にも便利。スタッフの多くはイタリア人で、あまり忙しくない時間だったからか、テーブルで楽しくお喋りしていた。

Al Voloでは、antipasti（前菜）、Bruschette（ブルスケッタ）、Zuppa（スープ）Piadine（ピアディーナ）, Pasta（手作りのフレッシュパスタとDe Cecco乾燥パスタのチョイス）、Secondi（メイン）、Insalata（サラダ）、 Contorni（サイドディッシュ）、Pizze（ピザ）、Dolci（デザート）と、軽食からちゃんとした食事まで、幅広いメニューの中から選べる。秋のシーズンメニューの中から私たちが今日オーダーしたのは、Penne all’arrabbiata（ペンネ・アラビアータ）とTagliatelle al pesto siciliano piccante（プラムトマト、薫製リコッタチーズ、松の実、アーモンド、にんにく、唐辛子、生バジルを使った、スパイシーなシチリア風ペストのタリアテッレ）。クリーミーなタリアテッレのソースは、不味くはないけれど、何とも言えない不思議な味。でも手作りの生タリアテッレは悪くない。アラビアータはパスタの正統派、完熟トマトの自然な甘みが美味しい一品だ。食後のエスプレッソとカプチーノは、イタリア人の店だけあって、上出来だった。

毎日オープンしているが、Sunday UpMarketとThe Backyard Marketが開かれる日曜日は大変混むので、ゆっくり食事したければ、マケーット開催中は避けるのがベター。

Al Volo is a casual Italian restaurant in the Old Truman Brewery in Brick Lane, and it is facing the parking space on Hanbury Street, the same street of NUDE ESPRESSO CAFE and ROSA’S. This airy and cheerful restaurant is decorated modern and in good taste. They don’t close kitchen in between lunch time and dinner time, and it is good place to go for late lunch or snacks. Most of the staffs are Italians, and they enjoyed chatting as it was not a busy time when we went.

Their wide range of menu offers anything you want from Italian restaurant from nibbles to mains – antipasti (appetiszers), Bruschette, Zuppa (soup), Piadine (thin bread sandwich), Pasta (handmade fresh pastas and De Cecco dry pastas), Secondi (mains), Insalata (salads), Contorni (side dishes), Pizze (Pizza) and Dolci (sweets). From their Autumn menu, today we ordered Penne all’arrabbiata and Tagliatelle al pesto Siciliano piccante (spicy pest0 of plum tomatoes, smoked ricotta cheese, pine kernels, almonds, garlic, chilli pepper and fresh basil) – photo. Creamy Sicilian style pesto sauce was not terrible but I don’t know what to think – it is unfamiliar taste for me. However, handmade tagliatelle was not bad. Penne with nice and sweet sauce made of ripen tomatoes was pretty good – we loved it. Their espresso and cappuccino after the meal were very good – we can count on an Italian-operated place!

Al Volo opens everyday but can be very busy when Sunday UpMarket and The Backyard Market are held on Sundays, so better avoid Sunday during the markets, if you want to relax without hassle.

I love traveling, especially travelin to megacities like NYC, Istanbul or Berlin. I really don’t know the reason but I guess I am impressed by these huge buildings, people who are in a rush, cars coming from everywhere and driving hectically….everything is moving so fast. And of course, these metropole cities offer a lot in several aspects. You have an incredible cultural living there because of the residents coming from different corners of this world. These people create a certain diversity in each megacity…this diversity makes each city distinctive and unique…

And above all, I really enjoy eating delicious dishes in very lovely places and listen to great music. For this reason I would like to introduce a very simple dish today, that I ate in Nashville. The restaurant was called The Old Spagetthi Factory in Nashville!

We took a lot of pictures when we ate there almost 8 months ago, but unfortunately I can’t find them!

Anyway, my dish was Tagliatelle with salmon  cream sauce.

Here is the preparation:

Fettuccine al Salmone

You need a thick piece of smoked salmon for this recipe, not thin slices.

Ingredients

• 350g/12oz fresh pasta dough No.4
• 250ml/9 fl oz double cream
• 1 small fresh chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
• a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• some grated lemon zest
• ½ tsp salt, freshly ground black pepper
• 400g/14oz piece of smoked salmon, skinned
• 50g/1¾oz butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh lemon balm

Method

Using a knife or pasta machine, cut fettuccine from the pasta dough, or used dried fettuccine. Put the cream, chilli, nutmeg, lemon zest, salt and pepper in a large saucepan and boil gently to reduce the liquid by one-third (about 10 minutes). In the meantime, cut the salmon into 1cm/⅜in cubes. Cook the fettuccine in boiling salted water until al dente. Add the butter, piece by piece, to the cream sauce and stir in well. Remove the pan from the heat and add the cubed salmon. Drain the pasta and mix thoroughly with the sauce. Spoon on to pre-warmed plates and garnish with finely chopped lemon balm.

Have fun during your preparation and enjoy your dinner! | digispins

Taglierina da banco a 3 tagli lunghi da mm 1,25-6-12, completamente in acciaio inox. Possibilità di tagli a scelta.

Conforme alle normative CE

dimensioni bxpxh mm 340×210x340 h
peso kg 10
tagli lunghi standard mm1,25-6-12
larghezza sfoglia mm 180
potenza KW 0,2
alimentazione volt 230/400-3F

Good eats I’ve recently discovered or made:

Pasta with chicken meatballs: First, I made meatballs by mixing ground chicken, two tablespoons of raisins, parsley, some lemon juice and a chopped garlic clove. These ingredients may sound a bit unusual, but it’s a common combination in Sicily (Italy). I cooked the mixture (formed into little balls) in some olive oil, until they were brown. Then I added about 1/3 cup of hot chicken stock and let this reduce into a sauce for five minutes. In the meanwhile, I cooked some pasta (tagliatelle) and drained it. Then I added the tagliatelle to the skillet with the balls and ’sauce’, mixed well and served this with extra pasrley.

And a real comfort food: tuna potato casserole. I melted some butter (+/- TBSP) in a pan, added an equal amount of flour and wishked this until smooth. Then I added milk until the consistency was nice (like a thicker soup). I took this from the stove and mixed in a can of tuna and some veggies. Then I transfered this mixture to a baking dish. On top of the tuna mixture, I added a layer of mashed potatoes and finished of with grated cheese and bread crumbs. You can make this all to a day in advance!

To finish this dish: you only have to put it in a hot oven for about 25 minutes. Enjoy!

Realisation I’ve recently made:

I do voluntary work in a children’s hospital once a week. I really like doing that; beceause I can help others, sometimes I can put a smile on someone’s face, but also because it gives me some perspective about the real important things in life. When I walk out the hospital in the evenings, I often realise I’m blessed to be able to go home. It’s also a reminder of the importance to take good care of my body.

And a reminder of the fact that life is about love, friends/ family and health. Not about the little things that we often worry about.  What gives you perspective?

Zapiekanka makaronowa z orzeszkami pistacjowymi

Składniki:

pół opakowania makaronu, ja użyłam tagliatelle  ale może być inny

3 pojedyńcze piersi z kurczaka

10 dag sera żółtego

słoiczek pesto roso, 2 łyżki śmietany, 2 łyżki jogurtu naturalnego

3 dag parmezanu (ja używam tylko Parmigiano Reggiano)

5 dag orzchów pistacjowych

oliwa

sól, pieprz

oregano, bazylia, papryka wszystko w proszku

ząbek czosnku

bułka tarta i masło do formy

Sposób przyrządzenia:

Orzechy wyłuskać ze skorupek i namoczyć we wrzątku 15 minut.  Kurczaka umyć, pokroić w kostkę i obsmażyć na patelni z papryką, solą, pieprzem pod koniec smażenia dodać oregano oraz bazylię. Do pesto roso dodać 2 łyżki jogurtu i 2 łyżki śmietany, oraz duży ząbek czosnku.  Ser żółty ztrzeć na tarce o dużych oczkach.  Parmezan także zetrzeć na tarce o małych oczkach. Cebulę pokić w krazki, podsmazyć, podlać wodą i dodać łyżkę cukru pod koniec duszenia. Makaron ugotwać al dente. Wymieszać z kurczakiem, serem żółtym, orzechami, dodąc sos i dokładnie wymieszać, masę przełożyć do wysmarowanej masłem i wyspanej bułką tartą brytfanny, posypać startym parmezanem i mielonymi pistacjami.  Zapiekać w temperaturze 160 stopni C około 20 minut.

Podawać z orzeźwiającą lekką sąłatką.

Receptura własna;-)

Smacznego!

Sausage and mushroom tagliatelle

Today’s lunch: tagliatelle with sausage and mushroom sauce. I used traditional Italian sweet sausage and chopped it up and cooked it stove-top. After having browned a little I added in some mushrooms and a tad of olive oil. You can then add tomato sauce or a cream sauce according to your tastes. In this case I used cream.

Good eats I’ve recently discovered or made:

A really good sandwich I made and wanna share:

First, you need a italian-style bun (big, with a chewy crust…ciabatta works too). Cut it in half and spread both sides with a generous (that’s important!) amount of a mixture of mustard and mayonnaise.

X

X

Then add the toppings: lettuce, chicken (leftovers or grilled chicken breast), roasted bell pepper, red onion and a lot of avocado slices. Easy, fast and so good!

X

X

X

And I made a creamy salmon pasta. All you do is cook some pasta (I like tagliatelle in this dish) until it’s ‘al dente’. Meanwhile, cook a piece of salmon steak in some oil (just a few minutes, you don’t want dry salmon!) and add some asparagus (or other veggies). When the pasta is done, drain it quickly and put it back in the pan. Then you add the cooked and chopped  salmon with veggies and about 1/3 cup of thick yoghurt and 4 tablespoons of cream. Stir until the pasta is covered in the sauce and you’re done! You can finish with some dille or other herbs or lemon juice.

Realisation I’ve recently made:

Someone asked me where I find the recipes I use. Well, where not? Really, I find recipes and inspiration everywhere: I’ve got so many cookbooks and magazines! These days, I don’t always use the complete recipe (some of them are so bad), but take it as an inspiration for a new dish. I often combine several recipes and my own ideas to create something. I love the style of Nigella Lawson, Tessa Kiros and Donna Hay for instance. And I follow a lot of blogs, of course! How do you find your inspiration?

Last night, I finally got a taste of the good life in Milan. In a show of effort to embrace the Milanese lifestyle and culture, I dolled up in a dress and my leather boots for the evening, although I knew I’d never really give the Milano women a run for their money. We braved the tram again to head into the city around dinner time and took a nice stroll around the Duomo and through the shopping district. THIS is where the action is – finally, some actual people watching and things to do and see! The place was full and busy, even in spite of the continued drizzling rain.

The Duomo was lit up with a million lights, and when you get up close, you realize the amount of detail that’s gone into the creation of this spectacular monument. A religious service was going on at the time, but we were still able to take a peek inside at the back of the breathtaking sanctuary. We didn’t stay long, but seriously, you could stand there for an hour just getting lost in one thing after another – gorgeous stained glass windows, murals, the soaring arched ceilings, the incredibly life-like statues. Simply amazing. I’m running out of words to describe it accurately.

In a complete juxtaposition, there is an enormous LED screen situated just next to the Duomo, lighting up the piazza with flashing lights and advertisements. About a million very coddled pigeons make their home in the piazza as well, tame as can be. It seems to be something of a tourist trap enterprise to take pictures of visitors amid the fluttering crowds of the critters. One such gentleman approached us and offered to take a photo of us, all the while tossing out kernels of corn to attract the birds in droves. Thanks, but no thanks. He was pretty pushy and refused to take no for an answer, following us nearly halfway across the piazza before he finally realized we weren’t biting.

The most prestigious shopping area in Milan is called the “Quadrilatero d’Oro,” which I believe translates to the “gold district” or something along those lines. It’s like Beverly Hills, Michigan Avenue and Manhattan, all rolled into one. A huge selection of stores, mainly of the highest high-end variety. The granddaddy original Prada store is here, the first haute couture shop of its kind in Milan, and it’s something like 100 years old. We weren’t able to locate it during our brief walk, but I plan to go back to get a look, even if it’s just at the exterior.

Hubby and his colleague stopped in their tracks at the sight of the Ferrari store. A spin inside was a given, and it was admittedly pretty cool. All manner of racing paraphernalia awaited inside, including a full-size open-wheel race car. Race car noises sounded over a P.A. anytime anyone walked in the door, and a well-dressed gentleman at the entrance handed out Ferrari labeled plastic bags for wet umbrellas. Hubby looked like a kid in a candy store.

After managing to pry hubby away, we decided to find a sidewalk cafe where we could enjoy a drink and feed the toddler. We snagged a table at one of the many such establishments and ordered up. There is a definite price difference between the main tourist area and the outer-lying neighborhood where we are staying. A happy surprise, though — the waiter delivered our drinks and then brought out a very generous array of little nibbles as well. It sort of made up for the inflated price of the wine and beer. We noshed on olives, pickles, slices of proscuitto and salami on fresh bread and potato chips. A thoughtful addition.

The snacks only served to whet our appetites, so we caught the tram back to our neck of the woods for dinner. Hubby’s work buddy suggested we go to a pizzeria down the street, one he’d been to the night before and enjoyed. Why not. This place was about the same as Il Pavone, very simply decorated with a scattering of tables, a large tv mounted on the wall and an impressive wood-fired oven from which delicious-looking pizzas kept emerging. The menu seemed much the same as well, pizzas, pastas, salads and grilled meats/fish.

I ordered some of the house white wine, one of the best deals around in my book. In these small restaurants, you can get 1 liter, ½ liter or ¼ liter of the house red or white on the SUPER cheap. My ¼ liter was enough for two smallish glasses and cost just two euro. SCORE! It’s not the best wine I ever had, but for two euros?? It was a fabulous value.

Foodwise, hubby and I decided to share a Caprese salad; I ordered tagliatelle pasta with porcini mushrooms and he selected the penne arrabiata. The pastas arrived first – mine was a very simple plate of flat noodles with slices of mushroom nested within. A drizzle of olive oil and some parmesan cheese was all it needed. Nothing fancy, but certainly tasty. Hubby’s penne had the thinnest coating of tomato sauce and a nice little kick of spicy heat.

tagliatelle with porcini mushrooms

penne arrabiata

Hubby’s friend put us to shame, ordering a shrimp cocktail starter, spaghetti bolognese AND grilled sea bass. The shrimp cocktail wasn’t like anything I’d ever seen – a small dish of tiny baby shrimp mixed into a mayonnaise/cocktail sauce and eaten with a fork. He said it was good. The fish was delivered whole and the waitress deftly boned it for him at the table. It looked really, really tasty.

A predicament ensued, though. Hubby and I were expecting our Caprese salad to be a simple plate of sliced tomatoes and fresh mozzarella cheese with basil, as advertised in the menu. When the waitress plunked down a huge entree-sized bowl containing a pile of veggies topped with tuna, we were confused. Her English was not very good, but I tried to inquire about the Caprese with helpless gestures. The best I could understand, she insisted that what she’d given us WAS the Caprese. Ok. I may be a naïve American, but I have eaten in a lot of Italian restaurants and I have never seen a Caprese salad that consists of an enormous bed of lettuce topped with corn, tomato bits, tuna, imitation crabmeat rolls and God knows what else.

Hubby hates fish, so he wasn’t having any of it. I did my best to eat a few bites, but all I could taste was tuna. Which was ok, but not what we had wanted at all. I tried my best to fill up on some of the lettuce and just when I’d given up and pushed the bowl away, lo and behold. Here came our waitress again with a plate of sliced tomato and mozzarella. Our Caprese. Only now I was too full to eat it. She set it down on the table and scurried off with no further explanation, leaving us scratching our heads and wondering what the hell just happened. It was like dining in the Twilight Zone. Hubby dutifully ate a few bites, but the toddler was reaching the end of his patience and we were forced to end our meal tout-de-suite. A fine meal, but hubby and I decided we prefer Il Pavone.

A quick walk back to the hotel, where hubby and his friend enjoyed another beer at the bar and I chased the toddler through the lobby and around the fitness center. I’ve been a little worried that I may not last here the whole week, bored with nothing really to do, but tonight gives me hope.

Festlig men lättlagad pasta passar en måndag då helgtempot fortfarande  ligger kvar i lämmarna. Den här pastan går riktigt snabbt att sno ihop om du väljer att använda färdigskalade räkor och kräftstjärtar i buljong (de i rosa plastburkar).

Självklart är de räkor man pillar själv  mycket godare men det de tar betydligt längre tid. Tänk också på att räkor i lösvikt kan vara färgade med AZO-färgämnen  (t.ex E110, E122, E 124, E 127),tillskillnad mot paketerade där det  måste anges på förpackning om de mot förmodan är färgade.

Det här pasta receptet bryter mot en italiensk gyllene regel när gäller matlagning: Blanda inte fisk och skalddjur med mjölkprodukter som grädde, ost osv.  Här bryter jag mot detta men så är jag inte heller italiensk matmor.

Det här behövs till 4 portioner: 4 portioner pasta tex tagliatelle, 1 burk vardera av räkor och kräftstjärtar i buljong (2 x 350 g), 2 dl räkspad, 2 dl mjölk, 2 msk vetemjöl, 1 stor pressad vitlöksklyfta, 2 krm chili falkes, 3 dl djupfrysta gröna ärter, 1,5 dl riven lagrad ost, 1,5 dl hackade persilja, salt, peppar.

• Gör så här: Koka pastan enligt beskrivning på paketet.
• Vispa ihop räkspad, mjölk och vetemjöl. Koka upp, tillsätt pressad vitlök, chili flakes och låt puttra några minuter under omrörning.
• Lägg i de gröna ärterna och skaldjuren. Låt bara bli varmt.
• Rör ned den rivna osten och persiljan. Smaka av med salt och peppar.
• Häll såsen över den färfigkokta pastan.

Tips: Vill du trots allt skala dina egna räkor räkna med att det går åt ungefär 700 g oskalade om du enbart använder räkor och inga kräftstjärtar.

Spaghetti Bolognese gibt es in Italien gar nicht!!! Es gibt die Sauce Bolognese. Diese heisst Ragu Bolognese und wird nie mit Spaghetti gegessen, sondern mit Tagliatelle oder mit Lasagne.

Die klassischen Zutaten vom Ragu Bolognese sind Hackfleisch, etwas Tomatenkonzentrat, Karotten, Zwiebeln und Sellerie. Im Internet habe ich folgendes Originalrezept gefunden. Es sei 1982 von der Italienischen Küchenakademie sozusagen patentiert worden.

Zutaten

• 300 g di polpa di manzo (la cartella che è la parte che divide i polmoni dalle costole)
• 100 g di pancetta di maiale dolce
• mezzo bicchiere di vino rosso (sangiovese secco)
• un bicchiere di brodo di carne
• 5 cucchiai di salsa di pomodoro (triplo o doppio concentrato)
• 1 cipolla, 1 carota gialla ed 1 costa di sedano, (50 g l’uno, interi)
• un cucchiaio di panna da affioramento

Zubereitung

1. Far soffriggere il trito di pancetta e verdure; aggiungere poi la carne di manzo tritata e, dopo una abbondante rosolatura, versare mezzo bicchiere di vino rosso (sangiovese) secco.
2. Ad evaporazione del vino terminata aggiungere la salsa di pomodoro, sale e pepe a piacere, un bicchiere di brodo di carne e continuare la cottura a fuoco basso per un paio d’ore, aggiungendo la panna.

• Variante moderna: sostituire cartella e pancetta, con carne di manzo più magra e di maiale (ad esempio salsiccia fresca), la panna con un paio di cucchiai di latte e soffrigendo carne e verdure in due cucchiai di olio extravergine di oliva.

Ich muss zugeben ich habe das Rezept selber nicht ausprobiert. Würde mich freuen wenn es jemand ausprobiert und ein Feedback schreibt. Wenn jemand die deutsche Uebersetzung im Kommentar hinzufügen kann, wäre es auch toll.

If you must know, my family and I have been eating CENTURY TUNA for decades now. Personally, it’s one of those canned goods I like on my sandwich, or as simple as rice toppings and appreciate it more on some dishes. I like my Century tuna flakes or chunks in brine, oil, water, hot and spicy and their flavored variants of Mechado, Bicol Express and the like. So when this brand came out with their newest innovation, adding to their line of products a few weeks back, I was one of those many who became so curious of how it’s going to taste like.

I love corned beef particularly a local brand and Century tuna a lot like I love eating; and I honestly never thought that these two can make a great fusion and can transform any instant dining into a healthier experience and a little more edgy until they introduced CENTURY CORNED TUNA! 

Saturday, 07 November ‘09  – I went with my wife, Tina and our 5-year-old son, Gabby to THE STOCK MARKET (the restaurant, not the stock market we all know! It’s called as such because it’s where Del Monte showcases its stock of products from salad dressings to fruit juices etc.) at Bonifacio High Street in Fort, Global City in Taguig City for the CENTURY CORNED TUNA BLOGGERS’ COOK OFF.

We were served with these plates and a choice of iced tea or lemonade…The sandwich and the pasta was made better with what else but Century Corned Tuna. 

So did I cook? Did I participate in the ala Iron-Chef-Bloggers’ Cook Off? I was fortunate to be invited via e-mail last week as one of the (self-proclaimed) foodies and food bloggers to this event (Yes, this blog remains to be about my family and our adventures beyond dining!).  My participation was upgraded to the next level when I was asked (via e-mail again) if I can sit as one of the…ehem,  judges.   Who says doctors &/or educators can’t be best food tasters  critics ? We also have our own discriminating palates, LOL!   Needless to say, I obliged. 

The contest was lively hosted by celebrities JM Rodriguez and QTV QUICKFIRE Chef-Mom Rosebud Benitez (my family is a fan of her cooking show).  

Here are the ingredients that the bloggers had to include, but not necessarily all, as they were tasked to prepare an appetizer and an entree per team.

While the food bloggers in Team A and Team B were busy preparing for their dishes… 

my name was called by the hosts as one of the GAME participants!  C’mmon, can you spot me ?   

While I was busy guessing the condiment as we taste it blind-folded, our adorable son, Gabby was busy too posing for the cam   Isn’t he the cutest 5-year-old kid?  You cannot agree less and I cannot blame genetics, hahaha! 

My fellow foodie-bloggers made sure that their pasta was cooked al dente!  I’m no chef but I follow my own rule of  no-cooking-beyond-ten-minutes to make it pasta-perfect!  It usually works.

While waiting for their contest-entries, my co-judge, Ariel was so generous to take our pic with the 2009 Century Tuna Superbod Model Winners…(papasa na din ba kaming Tuna models? hehehe )

On with the judging thing… Team A and their starter…

Team A’s appetizer was canape made of soft white bread topped with Century Corned Tuna on slices of tomato with asparagus.  Their main dish was…Fusilli in olive oil highlighted by the main ingredient plus tomatoes and parmesan.  

On the other table was Team B with their starter…

It was a salsa made of….pears! and pita tortilla with Century Corned Tuna filling ala quesadilla… and their entree was the bomb itself!  

Tagliatelle in olive oil topped with the main ingredient, asparagus and chopped almonds.  Believe it or not,  it was delicious!  Now, can you guess who won?

Judging was damn easy; given a set of criteria and my own gastronomic instincts, I believe I was fair enough for the two teams.   It was a unanimous decision actually. And it was fun doing it

They’ve proved that they’re not only good on food blogging but knows culinary as well.  And they did their best dishes with Century Corned Tuna!

There was a dinner buffet after the contest but we beg off as my family and I were still full. After I was given a token of  box of 6 cans of Century Tuna Bangus Fillet Spanish-Style Gourmet, I thanked the people who invited me and politely exit to Timezone and Starbucks.

Sarap itong Century Bangus fillet! Try it too! I’ve never enjoyed bangus like this before.

 Have you tried CENTURY CORNED TUNA already ?  Grocery shelves are running out of stocks. 

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Thank you to the management of Century Corned Tuna and all the people behind this event particularly Mr. Christopher Santos (not my relative)  for inviting me here. Salamat !

Spinach and ricotta ravioli with sage-butter and Parmesan

Two lessons learned today:
(1) If you want to make your own pasta, invest in a pasta machine (low-end pasta machines can be found for around $20-30, while the higher-end machines run upwards of $60 – click here for listings on Amazon). Hand-rolling can be tedious and it is difficult to roll out the dough thin enough for most pasta (mine was a little too thick and therefore tricky to cook).
(2) Most of the time it is probably wise to buy pre-rolled dough unless you are prepared to invest lots of time (and patience!) into your meal. While in Italy fresh pasta sheets are readily available at most supermarkets you might have to go to a specialty store in the U.S. (I have also read that wonton wrappers work well).

If you choose to make your dough from scratch there is a great visual tutorial here for first-timers. I stuffed my ravioli with spinach and ricotta (always a great combo). Follow this link to a recipe similar to the one I used from Anna Maria Volpi, an Italian chef who gives regular cooking classes at the Williams-Sonoma store in Beverly Hills. Ravioli is an Italian classic and one of the most diverse types of pasta. It can be stuffed with meat, fish, cheese, vegetables – whatever suites your taste! Next up on my list: Chestnut Ravioli with Sage Browned Butter from Epicurious – Yum!

Tagliatelle with mushroom cream sauce

For dinner I had tagliatelle with a simple mushroom cream sauce made up of sliced mushrooms, heavy cream, a tad of tomato paste and garlic.

Un “Dolcepensier0″ piemontese: ieri sera abbiamo mangiato e brindato in pieno clima piemontese con un ottimo barbaresco, con un profumatissimo tartufo bianco d’Alba e un filetto di maiale con dell’ottima birra artigianale anch’essa piemontese. Fin dal settecento, il tartufo viene considerato uno dei più facoltosi prodotti della terra. In particolare il tartufo bianco di Alba e Asti (come quello che abbiamo gustato in questa cena), raccolto nei territori delle Langhe e del Monferrato, viene consideratato in assoluto il più pregiato e nel ‘900 questo tartufo bianco ha acquistato fama mondiale grazie a due facoltosi ristoratori. Se il tartufo non viene consumato subito dopo l’acquisto, potete conservarlo al freddo del vostro frigo avvolto in un panno carta e racchiuso in un vasetto di vetro. Il panno carta è utile cambiarlo tutti i giorni fino al suo uso. Uso che in cucina può fare la differenza, perchè usato come abbinamento d’autore anche a pietanze cucinate nella semplicità più assoluta. Il tartufo è considerato uno dei prodotti del made in Italy, prezioso, a volte viene battuto alle aste a prezzi veramente proibitivi; in commercio ci sono paste aromatizzate con il tartufo come l’olio, il burro, polveri per aromatizzare i risotti e anche se ottimi sostituti al famoso “sassolino”, non sono appaganti quanto “grattare” il tartufo fresco sopra pasta, uova o carni… insomma l’atto di spolverare con petali sottili di tartufo è una mossa veramente appagante. Il Barbaresco 2005 delle cantine Pertinace che abbiamo bevuto durante questa cena, l’ho trovato buonissimo, al palato molto appagante: il vino barbaresco è un vino prodotto nella zone di Cuneo ed è un DOCG, dal colore granato, con un profumo caratteristico di note di pepe verde e mandorla amara, il suo sapore molto elegante, regala sentore di spezie. Il costo a bottiglia si aggira a euro 12.oo (al supermercato).

INGREDIENTI PER SEI PERSONE

PER LE TAGLIATELLE

500 grammi di farina 00

4 uova

1 cucchiaio di olio extravergine

sale

acqua tiepida.

PER IL CONDIMENTO AL TARTUFO BIANCO

1 tartufo bianco

100 grammi di burro

grana grattugiato.

PREPARAZIONE

PER LA PASTA: unire alla farina le uova con un pizzico di sale e un cucchiaio di olio extravergine d’oliva, azionare il robot per impastare aggiungendo acqua tiepida fino a ottenere un impasto liscio ed elastico. Coprire con un canovaccio umido per trenta minuti, poi impastate nuovamente ma a mano e stendere con la macchina le foglie. Lasciatele riposare per circa un quarto d’ora e poi, sempre con la macchinetta, procedere a tagliare le tagliatelle.

Stendetele su un canovaccio, infarinatele leggermente e lasciatele riposare almeno una mezz’oretta prima di farle cuocere in abbondante acqua salata con un goccino di olio per evitare che si attacchino in cottura.

PER IL CONDIMENTO: far fondere il burro a bagnomaria, scolare le tagliatelle e farle saltare con il burro. Impiattare e spolverare le tagliatelle con il tartufo fresco e chi desidera una cucchiaiata di grana grattugiato.

fine prima parte… al prossimo post!!! (filetto di maiale alla birra scura)

H O M E

B L O G

Wczoraj Moi Szanowna Maman świętowała swoje urodziny i na wieczór postanowiła przygotować dyniowe menu. I to JAKIE!

Dynia zamiast kwiatka - od Reginy i Pawła

Na początek – zupa krem z dyni z imbirem i czosnkiem - aksamitny, gęsty, podany z pietruszką i wiórkami parmezanu. Jako danie numer dwa – placuszki z pieczonej dyni serwowane z kwaśną śmietaną i wędzonym łososiem.  jako danie główne – tagliatelle z dynią podduszoną z tymiankiem i czosnkiem, podane z pokruszonym kozim serem. Deser już nie był dyniowy (raz w życiu popełniłam amerykańskie pumpkin pie czyli tartę z nadzieniem dyniowym i do tej pory an tyle pamiętam ten eksperyment, że raczej nieprędko go powtórzę;-) – podano szarlotkę na miodzie z lodami.

Ach, było bardzo dyniowo, bardzo jesiennie, abrdzo pysznie. I co najważniejsze – prosto do przygotowania (zrobienie wszystkich dań, za wyjątkiem ciasta zajęło godzinkę). Przepisy poniżej.

Zupa-krem z dyni

1 kg dyni
1 pęczek włoszczyzny
1,5-cm kawałek świeżego imbiru
sól, pieprz; listek laurowy, tymianek
do podania: świeża pietruszka, wiórki parmezanu
Piekarnik nagrzej do 180 stopni. Kawałek dyni (lub małą dynię pokrojoną na ćwiartki) połóż w naczyniu żaroodpornym i piecz ok. 30 minut, aż stanie się miękka. W międzyczasie na bazie pokrojonej włoszczyzny oraz ziół przygotuj bulion warzywny. Gdy warzywa będą al dente, odcedź bulion. Marchewkę i pietruszkę i pora pokrój na kawałki, dodaj do wywaru (resztę usuń) wraz ze startym imbirem. Dynię oddziel od skorupki, dodaj do bulionu i zmiksuj całość patykiem vel żyrafą vel miskerem ręcznym (ja mam taki i go uwielbiam, na równi z Czarnym Potworem oczywiście . Doprowadź krem do wrzenia, pogotuj 2-3 minuty, rozlej do miseczek. Podawaj z pietruszką oraz wiórami parmezanu.

Placuszki w trakcie robienia (z racji zaaferowania, zdjęcie z komórki, nie aparatu)

Placuszki z dyni
przepis adaptowany z All recipes; (na bardzo dużo placuszków)
1 kg dyni (upieczonej w piekarniku – 30 min w 180 stopniach)
2 szklanki mąki pszennej
1 jajko
1,5 szklanki maślanki (plus dodatkowe 0,5 w odwodzie, gdyby ciasto okazało się zbyt gęste)
2 łyżeczki proszku do pieczenia
sól, pieprz.

Przestudzoną dynię odziel od skorupki. W misce wymieszaj sól z mąką i proszkiem do pieczenia. W miseczce ubij jajko z maślanką, dodaj do miski z dynią i zmiksuj na masę. Dodaj mąkę i miksuj, aż skladniki się połączą, a ciasto ļędzie mieć konsystencję gęstej śmietany (jeśli masa jest zbyt gęsta, dodaj maślanki). Odstaw ciasto na 15 minut. Na patelni rozgrzej nieco oleju, nakładaj chcoelką porcje ciasta (tak, by placuszki miały 8-10 cm średnicy). Gdy brzegi zaczną się rumienić, a na wierzchu ļędą się poajwiać bąbelki, przewróć na driugą stronę i smaż do zrumienienia. Usmażone palcuszki tzrymaj pod przykryciem z folii aluminiowej w piekarniku nastawionym na 80 stopni (bez termoobiegu). Podawaj z kwaśną śmietaną i wędzonym łososiem lub czymś, co lubisz
WARIANT NA SŁODKO: by uzyskać słodkie placuszki, do ciasta dodaj: 4 łyżki cukru brązowego, po 1/4 łyżeczki cynamonu, imbiru i szczyptę gałki muszkatołowej. Podawaj z miodem.

Tagliatelle z dynią
500 g makaronu tagliatelle (lub parpadelle – as You wish;-)
0,5 kg dyni, obranej, pokrojonej w kostkę
3 ząbki czosnku
2-3 łyżki oliwy
150 g sera koziego (dojrzewającego lub bardziej twardego twarożku)
świeży tymianek

Na patelni rozgrzej oliwę, wrzuć czosnek, a po chwili kawałki dyni i tymianek. Przykryj i duś na średnim ogniu, czas od czasu mieszając. W garnku zagotuj wodę, osół, wrzuć makaron i gotuj zgodnie z poleceniem producenta.
Makaron odcedź, przełóż na półmisek. Na wierzch wyłóż podsmażoną dynię (w czasie duszenia na patelni pwostanie aksamitny sosik), z wierzchu posyp pokruszonym serem oraz świeżym tymiankiem, ewentualnie skrop olejem z dyni dla podkręcenia aromatów.

]]> http://latakocken.wordpress.com/2009/10/30/supergod-laxpasta-pa-10-min/ Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:20:09 +0000 rannerboy http://latakocken.wordpress.com/2009/10/30/supergod-laxpasta-pa-10-min/

Mycket enklare att laga en god laxpasta än så här blir det inte! Har man väl varit duktig och inhandlat alla ingredienser tar det inte mer än 10 min innan maten står på bordet. Exakt hur mycket som behövs av varje ingrediens låter jag vara osagt, man får gå lite på känsla helt enkelt. När jag lagar åt mig själv som äter ganska mycket blir det ungefär följande:

• Tagliatelle – ca 8-10 st av Barillas nystan som jag tror är lite mindre än vissa andra märken jag testat.
• Rökt lax – Några skivor. Svårt att säga exakt, beror på om det var en stor lax…
• 1 ägg
• Lite riven parmesan – Gå efter eget tycke hur mycket du vill ha
• Några kvistar dill
• 1/2 citron
• Peppar
• Sockerärtor – En handfull, ca 10 st

Om du är kvick i köket börjar du med att sätta pastan på kokning som tar ca 7 min och fixar i ordning resten under tiden. Är du lite osäker kan du börja med att göra allt annat och sen slänga i pastan men då blir det svårt att klara 10 min!

1. Riv parmesanen
2. Skölj citronen och riv skalet fint utan att få med det vita
3. Hacka dillen
4. Rör ihop ägget med parmesan, dill, citron och lite (gärna mycket) malen peppar. Svart eller vit. Välj själv. Glöm inte att ta bort skalet från ägget först.
5. Skär laxen i lagom stora bitar
6. Skölj sockerärtorna och lägg i dem i pastan när det är ca 1 minut kvar att koka
7. Sila av pastan, häll över äggblandningen och rör ned. Blanda i laxen.
8. Peppra lite mer.
9. Ät!

Tagliatelle with spinach, sweet Italian sausage, ricotta, tomato (and a bit of peperoncino for kick)

I used tagliatelle again for this pasta (one of my favorites). It was quite simple and easy to throw together. Take the casing off of a sausage link and cook in a pan until it begins to brown. Then add the spinach and a small amount of tomato sauce, turn down the heat and cook for a little while longer (you can also add a bit of ground peperoncino or other spice for flavor). After straining the pasta I added the sauce along with a spoonful of ricotta and mixed it all together. Voilà!

Tagliatelle alla carbonara

Today for lunch I had tagliatelle alla carbonara. Tagliatelle is an egg-pasta which hails from Bologna. It is typically prepared with ragù bolognese, a meat-based sauce made by simmering together meat (usually beef), various chopped vegetables, tomato paste, broth and red wine. However, tagliatelle is great with almost any type of sauce. Carbonara is one of my favorites. Carbonara is traditionally made using eggs, Parmesan, black pepper and pancetta (a type of bacon). It can be intimidating to make because it is all about timing. For one serving I usually mix one egg, about a fourth a cup of freshly-grated cheese and a sprinkling of black pepper together in a bowl, cooking the pancetta in a pan while the water for the pasta is boiling. Tagliatelle takes about 5 min. to cook. After it is finished remove the pot from the heat, strain the pasta and return immediately to the pot and add the egg mixture, then the pancetta. It is important that the pasta still be very hot in order to thoroughly cook the egg, however if it is too hot the egg will scramble. Note: If you prefer a creamier sauce it is possible to use only egg-yolks or to add cream.

Vegetarian pizza with red and yellow peppers, onion, zucchini and tomato sauce (fresh mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses)

For dinner I was ambitious and decided to try making my very first pizza (with mixed results). Pizza dough seems quite simple, consisting usually of just about 2 cups of flour, a tablespoon olive oil, two teaspoons sugar, a teaspoon salt and 7g yeast (dissolved in a cup of warm water). However, I quickly discovered it is quite a bit trickier than it appears. First my dough was too sticky, so I kept adding flour (until the dough unstuck from between my fingers!). After it had finally reached the right consistency I kneaded it for a while and formed a ball, then covered it and let it rise for about a half-hour until it had doubled in size. Easy enough. Rolling it out was not so easy. I’m not sure whether I didn’t knead enough or roll enough, but in the end my crust was much more on the thick side than thin. I would also add more salt next time around. However, the fresh vegetables on top were delicious!

Sausage pasta simmering

This is pretty much my all-purpose pasta sauce recipe (the tomato version, anyway – see below for the cheese version). Tonight I’m making it with sausages cos they were on offer in Marksies – got up too late for the market this Saturday. We eat it with turkey quite often too for a good low fat version.

Start by browning the sausages in a wide pan. Once they’ve got some good colour and you’re starting to get some colour in the pan, remove to a plate.

Now fry a diced onion, clove of garlic, chopped courgette and a couple of sliced mushrooms. I’ve used a couple of diced carrots too as they looked a bit sad on their own – I don’t really hold with adding carrots to pasta sauce as a rule though! Peppers would have been good – fresh or charred from a jar.

Once the veg has fried until the onion is translucent, pop a lid on for about five minutes or so to let them sweat – it releases flavour into the pan that should already be mingling with all the juices from the sausages. Pour in a glug of booze to help things along. I’m using a little port as there’s no red open. Any wine works OK.

Stir this about a bit to get all the bits off the bottom of the pan and add a tin of plum tomatoes and about a mugful of stock. Give it a few squirts of tomato puree, bring to a boil then turn down to a simmer. Add a good grind of black pepper and some mixed herbs/herbes de Province. Dried herbs are great in anything that’s going to simmer for a while but I think they’re better if you really grind them up in the palm of your hand before you add them. They sort of dissolve into the sauce for great background flavour then.

I’m not going to bang on about the quality of sausages cos I’ve already done that elsewhere, but tonight’s are M&S organic chipolatas – two packs for £4. Top quality and an absolute bargain.

Anyway, simmer the sauce for about 20-30 minutes until it’s thickened and the veggies are cooked through. Now put the meat back into the pan for a last 10-15  minutes until cooked through – check it’s piping hot throughout. A few fresh herbs like thyme and basil are a good last minute addition if you have them.

While the meat’s cooking you’ve got time to cook a pan of pasta – tagliatelle’s good with this.

If you’ve got a bit more time on your hands, stir through some cooked fusilli or penne, pour into an oven proof dish and spread a torn up ball of mozzarella over the top – bake in a medium oven until the cheese melts and starts to brown. Awesome.

Easy creamy cheese sauce for pasta

This is good with fish or chicken & chorizo. To the fried meat, add a slug of white wine and lemon juice and reduce for a few minutes. Stir in a few tablespoons of creme fraiche and a small handful of strong cheddar or parmesan and warm until the cheese melts. Very easy and tasty.

Ack!  I am late!  I apologise.  I meant to write this up last night and then, after a long day of conferencing and travelling I succombed to the charms of a snuggly, sleep-sweaty little person who was really happy to see me and, after cuddling him back to sleep, passed out myself.

Bologna.  Baloney.  Bologna, Italy is a city famed for its University (the oldest one in the Western world if Wiki is to be believed) and the pasta sauce after which it is named (that would be Bolognese for those not in the know).  None of this has any relation whatsoever to the American Bologna Sausage.  Okay, maybe a little, or a lot – read on fair friends.

Although most of us are familiar with it in the form made by Oscar Meyer, there is maybe more to this sausage than meets the eye.  People who like to make it sound more high-brow, liken it to the Italian Mortadella (a variation on head cheese really – and I’ve never been fond) and, in truth, they are definitely, distantly, related.  However, the American Bologna sausage is just so much more, well, how do I say this … trashy.  In a fabulous kind of a way.

When I was a little person, I lived in a community populated by true hippies (my parents’ friends) and pseudo-hippies (my parents – though, really, I am not convinced that they weren’t actual hippies – this is another discussion about which we have had frequent passionate debates and they will deny their true hippy natures to the bitter end … ).  But I digress – none of this has anything much to do with bologna, except for the fact that I was NOT allowed to eat it as a child.  When we moved from the country (ahem … land of hippie commune), to the “Big City” (Nelson, B.C. a tiny village in the Kootenays), all the kids in my school seemed to have bologna sandwiches packed in their lunches.  Bologna sandwiches that I wasn’t allowed to have.  Bologna sandwiches with fakes cheese slices, white (wonder)bread and yellow mustard.  Oh my.  My lack of bologna sandwich in my lunch bag was just another factor in the long list of things that marked me as “different” from my classmates and made it hard for me to fit in. I craved those sandwiches.  I begged for those sandwiches.  I just knew that if I could have a bologna sandwich, my entire social world would be vastly improved.

Suffice to say, from my jaded perspective, this was grand high cuisine and I was being denied!  In fact, I did not eat a bologna sandwich until I was a teenager.  At which point, I decided it was possibly a better treat than McDonald’s.  This is Very High Praise coming from a 14 year old.

I would be lying if I said that a part of me doesn’t still consider a bologna sandwich Comfort Food along the same lines as Kraft Dinner, or Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Tomato Soup.  But I won’t eat it – not even for this blog.  At least not today.  Didn’t have time to go the grocery store, if I’m being honest.

I will leave you with this, which was my most favorite quote that I could find about Bologna Sausage:

“Bologna sausages labour under the calumnious imputation of being made of asses’ flesh”.  Follow this link to the Old Foodie for more brilliant prose on the topic.

On National Good and Plenty Day – those are the little licorice candies that look a bit like extra long tic tacs.  I hate them.  Won’t eat ‘em.  Can’t make me.  Some people love ‘em. Here’s a picture and words to the theme song.

B.

• 800 g mięsa królika (może być też cielęcina) pokrojonego w kawałki ok 2×1 cm
• 5 dużych szalotek
• 250 ml czerwonego wina
• 150 g masła
• bulion wołowy
• 1 łyżeczka syropu z malin i dzikiej róży (albo creme de cassis)
• 2 kiści czerwonych winogron (najlepiej bez pestek)
• 350 g ugotowanego makaronu tagliatelle
• kilka gałązek pietruszki

Przygotowanie:

1. Mięso dopraw solą i pieprzem.
2. Szalotki pokrój w piórka
3. W dużym garnku do duszenia rozpuść masło. Kiedy się spieni dodaj mięso, smaż aż sie zrumieni ok. 4 minut. Dodaj szalotkę i winogrona z jednej kiści, smaż jeszcze 5-6 minut. Wlej wino i dodaj 1 bulionetkę Knorr. Wymieszaj. Dodaj pół szklanki letniej wody. Przykryj i gotuj 20-30 minut aż mięso będzie miękkie.
4. Mięso cebulę i winogrona wyłów z sosu i przełóż na talerz.
5. Do sosu, który w garnku dodaj syrop, wymieszaj trzepaczką. Dodaj masło pokrojone na mniejsze kawałki i wymieszaj raz jeszcze. Dodaj pozostałą kiść winogron.
6. Posiekaj pietruszkę , dodaj do garnka. Dopraw pieprzem i solą. Delikatnie dodaj z powrotem królika do garnka. Wymieszaj.
7. Makaron ułóż na talerzu, na wierzchu połóż potrawkę z królika. Polej sosem.