This is not the first recipe I’ve posted for eggplant and mozzarella, and it probably won’t be the last because they work really well together. What makes this version special is that the eggplant is smoked. I served this as … Continue reading Smoked Eggplant with Mozzarella (Involtini di Melanzana Affumicata)
Another recipe with green beans. I haven’t posted a Biba Caggiano recipe in a while; she’s my favorite Italian cookbook author from the time before I could read Italian cookbooks myself. This is perfect for the summer and excellent to … Continue reading Green Beans, Potato, and Pancetta Salad (Insalata di fagiolini, patate e pancetta)
One of my main sources of inspiration for new dishes to try and recipes to discover is other food blogs. One of my favorite recent additions is My Slice of Mexico by Irene, who was born in Mexico and now … Continue reading Mexican Green Beans with Chipotle and Cream
Sometimes the inspiration for a dish comes from a wine that I wanted to drink with it. Sometimes it comes from what is in season. Sometimes it comes from what I see at the market (which is often the same … Continue reading Duck Breast with Garden Peas, Chanterelle Mushrooms, and a Red Wine Sauce
Although I have been to Sicily a number of times and I have tasted local dishes there like caponata, pasta con le sarde, arancini, and busiate, I had never heard of melanzane abbottonate until I read about them on Stefano’s blog. … Continue reading Sicilian Stuffed Eggplant (Melanzane abbottonate)
Still more recipes to go from the memories of our trip to Southern Italy last year. We had dinner at Già sotto l’arco* in Puglia and the dish I remember the best was squid ink tortelli filled with tuna and … Continue reading Tuna Ravioli (Ravioli al Tonno)
I had some leftover mussels and leftover wheat tortillas, and decided to make some mussel tacos or burritos. The main difference between a taco and burrito is the size: a taco is a snack, whereas a burrito is a full … Continue reading Mussel Taco or Burrito
One of my favorite dishes at Aqua*** was “squid cut into the shape of tagliatelle and cooked in a stock of smoked sturgeon with Beluga lentils, imperial caviar, sauce of smoked sturgeon and samphire”. I really liked the combination of … Continue reading Squid, Caviar, and Lentils
This is hardly a recipe, but it is very good and so I wanted to share it with you anyway. In Italy this is called a “salad” of strawberries and parmigiano. To make this work, you will need high quality ingredients: … Continue reading Strawberries with Parmesan and Balsamic Vinegar (Insalata di Fragole e Parmigiano)
Radicchio di Treviso is an Italian type of chicory from an area near Venice. It is related to what is known as witlof in the Netherlands. I had cut some heads of radicchio into quarters and brushed them with olive … Continue reading Pasta al Radicchio
Iberico is a breed of pork from Spain that is known for the cured ham, jamón iberico. Like wagyu cattle, Iberico pigs have more intramuscular fat (marbling) than regular pigs. Now of course there is more meat on a pig … Continue reading Iberico Spare Ribs Sous-Vide
My favorite way of preparing cauliflower is slow roasting it. This gives the cauliflower great depth of flavor that is so much more tasty than steamed or boiled cauliflower. Cauliflower can be roasted quickly in half an hour at 225C/440F. … Continue reading Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower (Pasta e Cavolfiore)
This splendid method for preparing parsnips was shared recently on Oven-Dried Tomatoes. I turns humble parsnips into something that looks and tastes great. The caramelization brings out the sweetness of the parsnips. He also showed a different method to produce … Continue reading Parsnip Planks
It is fun and very tasty to make your own beef burgers from scratch. All you need is a meat grinder. You will need beef with a lot of marbling, like chuck (as I used here) or shortribs. Without fat, … Continue reading Beef Burgers Sous-Vide
Outside of Italy, most people consider “Italian food” as one cuisine. In fact, the Italian cuisine is very local, and even the next village over may prepare a dish differently. During our vacation to Southern Italy last year, we enjoyed … Continue reading Mackerel ‘in Carpione’ with Spaghetti Aglio-Olio-Peperoncino
In sous-vide forums and Facebook groups there are often debates about adding stuff to the bag when cooking meat sous-vide. Someone posts a photo of a piece of meat sealed with a lot of stuff in the bag, and someone … Continue reading Does it make sense to add stuff to the bag when cooking meat sous-vide?
At seafood restaurant Angiolina in Pisciotta, south of Naples, I enjoyed a wonderful seafood and vegetable soup. Back home I made my own version. You can easily adapt it to what is available and seasonal, in terms of both seafood … Continue reading Seafood and Vegetable Soup (Zuppa Mediterranea)
Tarte Tatin is a famous French tart that is often prepared with puff pastry, but the original is made with more of a shortcrust kind of pastry. In this variation I used pears instead of apple, and I used a … Continue reading Tarte Tatin aux Poires (Pear Tarte Tatin)
Last September I enjoyed a wonderful plate of ravioli at ristorante Vecchia Vieste in the town of Vieste in the South-Italian region of Puglia. The ravioli were stuffed with cernia (grouper) and pistachios, and served with a ragù of cicale di … Continue reading Sea Bass and Pistachio Ravioli with Scampi Ragù
Aqua is the restaurant of chef Sven Elverfeld and host and sommelier Marcel Runge that is located in the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Wolfsburg, about an hour West of Berlin in Germany. Michelin’s definition of a three star restaurant states that … Continue reading Dining in Germany: Aqua*** (2019)
At Angiolina, a bit South of Naples, I enjoyed fish fillet pan fried in batter with sage. I liked this somewhat unusual combination of fish and sage very much, and so decided to prepare something similar at home. According to … Continue reading Fish with Sage and Runner Beans (Filetto di Pesce alla Salvia)
Oxtail is one of those meats that can be prepared sous-vide in a way that it could never be without sous-vide. By cooking it a whopping 4 days (96 hours, give or take) at 60C/140F, the meat becomes as tender … Continue reading Oxtail Sous-Vide Served In A Portobello Mushroom With Stir-Fried Spinach
Lamb and asparagus are very seasonal, but what is really the star of this dish is the goat cheese sauce. I used a French artisan raw milk goat cheese, a Selles sur Cher appellation d’origine protegée. I used neck of … Continue reading Lamb with Asparagus and Goat Cheese Sauce
If you go to a trattoria in Rome, chances are that you will find carciofi alla romana on the menu. This way of preparing artichokes is quite simple, but very good. The mint and garlic add a nice fragrance to … Continue reading Artichokes alla Romana (Carciofi alla Romana)
This is a nice example how you can make a great looking and delicious appetizer with only a few ingredients and little time. The combination of sea scallops and parsnip works very well. The hardest part by far of this … Continue reading Sea Scallops with Parnsip Puree
Cooking sous-vide can be confusing, as recommendations for time and temperature can vary considerably. Personal preference plays a role in this, as well as misconceptions about food safety (i.e. using higher temperatures than necessary). For pork belly I’ve seen recommendations … Continue reading Pork Belly Sous-Vide Time and Temperature Experiment
These hare and savoy cabbage ravioli are similar to agnolotti from Piemonte, which are also stuffed with a mixture of braised meat and greens. I had some left over hare, which had already been cooked sous-vide (2 hours at 60C/140F). … Continue reading Hare and Savoy Cabbage Ravioli (Ravioli di Lepre e Verza)
This asparagus salad can be made with either white, green, or a combination of white and green asparagus. I made a Dutch-Italian version using a vinaigrette and lightly toasted pine nuts, combined with hard-boiled egg and boiled ham. The flavor … Continue reading Asparagus Salad (Insalata di Asparagi)
If you like dark chocolate, you will love this dark chocolate crème brûlée. Compared to regular crème brûlée the flavors are hefty and although the chocolate version has the same contrast between the creamy custard and the crispy caramel, there … Continue reading Chocolate Crème Brûlée
The season for asparagus has started, and so it is time for a nice risotto. The delicate taste of asparagus calls for a recipe with few ingredients, which does not even include pepper. Parmigiano reggiano should be used with restraint. … Continue reading Asparagus Risotto (Risotto agli Asparagi)
