Aria fritta literally means “fried air”. This is what chef Peppe Guida called the deep fried pizza that he served as an appetizer at his agriturismo Villa Rosa (read about my visit here). It is also simply called pizza fritta. … Continue reading Aria Fritta (Deep Fried Pizza)
Pasta with meat ragù is one of the best known Italian dishes around the world. Each region in Italy has its own version. The most famous is Tagliatelle alla Bolognese. It is so famous in fact, that outside of Italy, … Continue reading Rigatoni Strascicati col Ragù (Pasta with Florentine Meat Ragù)
Chef Mimi is my oldest blogging friend (oldest as in for the longest time). We’ve followed each other’s blogs since 2012, and we’ve had the pleasure to meet in person in 2014 when we were both visiting our mutual friend … Continue reading Thai Squid Salad
I created this dish to use up what was in my fridge — so I could also call it pasta svuotafrigo. I had some leeks, left over prosciutto, and left over ricotta that all needed to be used up. I … Continue reading Pasta with Leeks, Prosciutto, and Ricotta (Trofie ai Porri, Crudo e Ricotta)
Ricotta and spinach are a classic combination in Italian cooking, especially as a stuffing for ravioli. It also works great with a ‘pink’ tomato sauce, which means a tomato sauce that is mixed with either cream or white sauce (besciamella). … Continue reading Spinach, Ricotta, and Tomato Lasagna (Lasagne di Magro)
For Easter dinner I wanted to enjoy a nice bottle of Barolo from the 2006 vintage, that I had acquired at the winery in 2010 and had been aging in my wine fridge ever since. It was easy to select … Continue reading Fresh Pasta with Beef and Porcini Mushroom Ragù (Tajarin al Ragù di Manzo en Funghi Porcini)
My friend Melvin had enjoyed Spaghetti V.G.P. at a restaurant in Sicily, and suggested we make prepare this. Pasta with vongole, gamberi (shrimp) and pistachios is quite common in Sicilian restaurants; it uses local ingredients and is a great flavor … Continue reading Spaghetti V.G.P. (Spaghetti with Vongole, Shrimp, and Pistachios)
Since I really liked the flavor profile of a Portuguese dish I made of rice with lobster and clams (Arroz de lagosta), I thought it would be nice to turn it into a risotto. The Portugese arroz is much more … Continue reading Risotto Astice e Vongole (Lobster and Clam Risotto)
Coda alla Vaccinara is a classic dish from Rome that is oxtail stewed in tomato sauce with lardo, wine, garlic, and the holy trinity of Italian stews (onion, carrot, celery). Some recipes include more ‘exotic’ ingredients like raisins, pine nuts, … Continue reading Ravioli di Coda alla Vaccinara (Oxtail Ravioli)
This is what we had as secondo piatto for our Christmas dinner this year. This dish is very suitable for a special occasion, as you can prepare almost everything beforehand and to serve you only need to quickly brown the … Continue reading Venison Rolls Stuffed With Porcini Mushrooms and Red Wine Sauce
This is the appetizer I prepared for Christmas dinner this year. It was very loosely inspired by a dish I enjoyed at Michelin-starred Bistro de la Mer in Amsterdam. The flavor combination is quite unique but works very well. The … Continue reading Shrimp and Celery with XO Shiitake Mushrooms
Did you know macadamia nuts are produced in Tasmania? I didn’t, but I found out when I visted Tasmania and had blue eye trevalla (a local fish) with macadamia butter and broccolini at restaurant Aløft. I really liked the combination, … Continue reading Cod with Macadamia, Lemon, and Broccolini
Italy has an almost endless supply of authentic regional recipes. I love making ravioli and there are already many recipes on this blog, both traditional and of my own invention. After the recent joy of making Tordelli alla Lucchese (from … Continue reading Casoncelli della Bergamasca (typical ravioli from Bergamo)
My friend Mark made some very nice chicken with shiso and umeboshi skewers for lunch when I visited him in Adelaide recently. He did this poolside, over charcoal on an authentic looking Japanese grill. I really liked this and decided … Continue reading Chicken Skewers with Shiso and Umeboshi
Biba Caggiano was an Italian-American cookbook author, television chef, and restaurateur. It was through her books that I mastered the basics of Italian cooking about twenty years ago, before I learned the language and increased my knowledge of Italian cuisine by … Continue reading Calamari in Inzimino (Braised Squid with Swiss Chard in a Spicy Tomato Sauce)
Italian cuisine is very regional. Italy has 20 regions that are further subdivided into 107 provinces. The provinces are usually named after the main city or town. Each province is proud of its culinary tradition and has its own piatti … Continue reading Tordelli al Ragù (Ravioli from Lucca)
Thanks to my blogging friend Mimi I discovered that there is not only Peking Duck, but also Peking Lamb (or Mutton). The lamb is slow-roasted with 5 spice and then served as wraps with Hoisin, cucumber, and spring onions. (Peking … Continue reading Peking Lamb Sous Vide
Ceviche was often on the menu in restaurants during my trip to Yucatán, Mexico. Ceviche is raw seafood that is ‘cooked’ by marinating it in citrus juice. What surprised me most when I ordered it in Yucatán, was that it … Continue reading Black Ceviche
Four years ago I performed an experiment in which I compared 8 different time and temperature combinations for cooking pork belly sous vide. The result was that my preferred options were 48 hours at 57C/135F and 24 hours at 74C/165F. … Continue reading Pork Belly Sous Vide Time and Temperature Experiment, the Sequel
Birria is a popular dish from the Mexican region of Jalisco. The taco version, also known as quesabirrias, has become popular in the US, which was probably why quesabirrias were on the menu in Cozumel (Yucatán). A lot of American … Continue reading Birria Tacos (Quesabirrias)
The combination of mussels and potatoes is a classic one. For instance in Belgium as moules et frites (mussels with fries). In the Bistrot in Maddalena, Sardegna, Italy, we enjoyed a potato velouté with mussels. My version was inspired by … Continue reading Potato Velouté With Mussels (Vellutata di Patate con Cozze)
Sometimes I get the inspiration for a new dish from something I’ve enjoyed in a restaurant. Very seldomly I try to copy a dish exactly, but I do use the combinations of ingredients or preparations. At two Michelin star restaurant … Continue reading Grouper Sous Vide with Vanilla and Lemon Zest
Brisket is a big deal in Texas. There are brisket smoking competitions. It takes hours to smoke a perfect brisket, tending the fire to keep the temperature just right, and spraying the brisket with liquid (such as apple juice) to … Continue reading Smoked Brisket Sous Vide
A classic and delicious dish from Venice is pesce in saôr, which does not mean ‘sour’ fish but ‘flavored’ fish (saôr comes from ‘sapore’). The recipe was invented in Venice as a way to preserve fish, and even though we have … Continue reading Mackerel ‘in Saor’ (Sgombro in Saor)
This is a dish that I’ve enjoyed a lot on holiday in France. Strip steak is not as tender as ribeye and can be a bit tough. But since I like it on the rare side of medium rare, cooking … Continue reading Faux Filet Grillé aux Herbes de Provence (Grilled Strip Steak with Provençal Herbs)
This dish was inspired by the ravioli we had at Lo Stuzzichino during our latest vacation to Italy: ravioli filled with ricotta perfumed with lemon zest, served with vongole. Although making your own ravioli from scratch requires some practice, this … Continue reading Lemon Ricotta Ravioli with Clams (Ravioli al profumo di limone con vongole)
Monkfish wrapped with prosciutto is a classic combination. By dry brining the fish first and then cooking it sous vide, the fish will be tender and juicy. It is important to remove the membrane of the monkfish, as it contracts … Continue reading Monkfish With Prosciutto Sous Vide
This is a very simple recipe that I found in the Italian book “Le ricette di Osterie d’Italia”. The zucchini are boiled in the marinade and then left to cool. It can served as part of a spread of antipasti, … Continue reading Marinated Zucchini (Zucchine marinate)
When I make ravioli, usually I put most of the ingredients in the filling and serve them with a simple sauce. But when I had ravioli stuffed with ricotta and seafood ragù at Pepe Nero, I realized that the other … Continue reading Ravioli di Ricotta al Ragù ai Frutti di Mare
Last fall we had a wonderful evening with Bea at Antica Trattoria Galleria in Milano, where we enjoyed a risotto that was listed on the menu as Risotto all Longobarda. It contained porcini mushrooms, taleggio cheese, and saffron. Here is … Continue reading Risotto alla Longobarda (Risotto with Dried Porcini Mushrooms, Taleggio, and Saffron)
Stefan's Gourmet Blog 