Filetto – pizza with fresh tomatoes
Makes1 Pizza INGREDIENTS 1 loaf of pizza dough (see recipes)extra virgin olive oil, as needed1 large, or 2 medium fresh tomatoes, ripe, drained of liquid, and thinly sliced50 g fior…
Pizza Margherita
Makes1 Pizza INGREDIENTS 1 loaf of pizza dough (see recipes)extra virgin olive oil, as needed80 g canned whole peeled tomatoes or pureed tomatoes (passata)50 g fior di latte cheese, in…
Gnocchi
Recipe Of The Month - May
A perfect vegetarian dish that is delicate for summers when it’s better to avoid anything too spicy.
The word Gnocchi translates as “lumps” for their shape. And while there are many types of gnocchi, some based on vegetables such as the famous potato gnocchi, or pumpkin gnocchi, others made with ricotta cheese, these are made only with the purest of flours, along with water and a little salt and pepper.
Try serving them with a little butter or a splash of cream and a grating of cheese, luscious, rich, and yet simple.
Piadine
Recipe Of The Month - July
The flat griddle-cooked, flour and water (with a little bit of olive oil) flatbreads known as piadine make a delightful change from bread rolls, especially for sandwiches as they are thin and light, perfect for summer eating. Fill them with paneer cheese and chutney or chicken tikka and raita, fold or roll up, and your lunch is ready.
They are at their best freshly made and hot, though they may be successfully frozen and reheated (individually is best, over high heat for just a few moments) as needed and desired.
Piadina is so easy to prepare—simply combine the ingredients into a dough, let it rest, knead only a tiny amount, roll out, and cook only minutes in a hot pan or griddle. Fresh from the stove, they are tender yet chewy. Make them once and you might find yourself whipping them up often—and who would blame you?
Crespelle filled with melted chocolate
Such a simple little recipe, once you've mastered the thin pancakes: hot off the pan, sprinkled with chocolate bits, which melt in the heat of the pancake. If you like, a cloud of whipped cream makes it even more luxurious. If you prefer, you may make the pancakes ahead of time and reheat them all together in the microwave, which does the best job of melting.
Crespelle filled with ricotta and baked with tomatoes, olive oil and basil
Tender crespelle, filled with creamy ricotta, and baked under a blanket of rich tomato sauce. So simple and so exquisite!
Italian Sandwich Bread For Tramezzini
Recipe Of The Month - November
The world is full of delicious sandwiches, filled with local specialities such as cheese or cured meat or fish, even a simple omelette or hard boiled egg, and sometimes a tuft of arugula or leaf of basil. The breads are all delicious whether thick slabs of rustic breads, bread rolls, or squares of focaccia.
Then there are tramezzini: delicate sandwiches said to have originated in Venice, based on this fragrant, soft, tender-crumbed bread. Sliced thin, crusts cut off, sliced into triangle halves, tramezzini are the most elegant of Italian sandwiches.
They are perfect for picnics: filled with chicken salad mixed with homemade mayonnaise (why not make a Coronation chicken filling, with curry spices and dried fruit?). Tuna with olives; sliced cucumbers, cream cheese and fresh herbs? Or a Bombay Sandwich: the buttered slices spread with chutney and filled with sliced cucumber, tomatoes, beetroot, raw onions, and/or potatoes.
Classic Italian Loaf
This loaf is kneaded in the evening and left to rise overnight, then shaped and baked in the morning. Wake up to the tempting smell of freshly baking bread!
