What a Mesh!

Crostata di Sfoglia con Pere & Uva Secca

Lattice-Topped, Pear & Raisin Tart

I was excited about breakfast this morning... a little child about to play with a new toy! Who would think that the 2-3 seconds it took to push this groovy pastry-cutter across the wide expanse of maybe 6" of puff-pastry could be so exciting?!? Oh, ok, I am pulling your legs just a little... but it WAS kinda fun!

I picked this little gadget up last week in Rome... I had seen them before in magazines and of course we are all familiar with this style of pie-crust... but I had never seen one on sale before... so it was inevitable that I just HAD to have it!

But of course, I needed an excuse, a reason to need to cut pastry... which meant of course that I had to make a pie. So I decided to make a simple filling out of pear, cinnamon, coriander and raisins... a great combination at any time!

To make it a speedier preparation, I decided to try out a little experiment. Being as the pears needed to be peeled anyway, once I had removed the peel, I simply continued shaving off slice after slice of very moist, soft and delicious fruit. I did this right down to the core- which was very quick and easy and of course with the pear sliced so thinly, the cooking was also quick and easy too!

I was going to make this little pie in my smallest frying pan again, so as to a.) save time and b.) make sure that the crust was nice and crispy from some advance heat from below and pre-baking on the stove-top. This did mean though that the filling needed to cool off a little before being spooned into the pastry- so the first thing to do of course was to pre-cook the pears.

To do this, I put the pear slices into a frying pan with a tiny splash of water- in this case, for a saucer-sized small pie it took 3 pears. As soon as the water began to boil I added a level teaspoon of cinnamon and a half teaspoon of ground coriander seed- freshly pounded in my little mortar and pestle.

I stirred in the spices and let the pear simmer for 2-3 minutes until it was almost soft, then added the raisins and continued  stirring for another 2-3 minutes. I tasted a slice of pear and found it to be wonderfully aromatic and incredibly sweet! I mean, literally on the verge of being TOO sweet! Which was good, because at this point I added a pinch of salt rather than more sugar! Especially with the raisins added... so here I was- sugar-free and carefree!

Whilst the pie filling was cooling, I got busy with my pastry! A simple circle was all I needed to create the base and I popped that into my little frying pan and then got busy with the fun part.

This alternating pattern of cuts into the pastry, allow for it to open and stretch into  a mesh-like pattern which is fun! All I needed to do was to roll it firmly across the surface of the pastry and voila! I used the same dish I had used to cut out the base of pie to cut out the top, so after using the roller, I proceeded to trim it into a circular shape. I also cut a couple of straight strips of pastry to create a nice rim around the pie- I love doing that as it always makes for a much prettier pie!

So, I carefully spooned the pear filling into the base and even more carefully, lifted the pastry lattice top on top of the pie... a little tricky, but pleasantly easier than I expected! And then the two extra strips went around the outer edge, which served to hide any imperfections... cool!

You know how it works by now- 3-4 minutes on the stove top, then a further 10-15 minutes in a pre heated oven, set at 300°F and a final 2-3 minutes under the broiler... it really was that simple!

The result is a very pretty, if somewhat simple one- but come on... it IS fun! Obviously you might not have a gizmo like this, so a regular crust would do the trick... only I preferred this magic trick with the roller more today!

So whether with or without this slightly extravagant lid, this pie can hardly be beat for speed! And the natural flavors of the fruits with a little cinnamon and coriander were all that it took to make a Sunday morning breakfast so exquisite! Give it a try and then you'll know why! Enjoy!

Something Slightly Fishy Going On...

Fiori di Zucca Ripiene con Frumento di Bulgur, Acciughe, Uva Secca, Menta & Ricotta Salata

Zucchini Blossoms stuffed with Bulgur Wheat, Anchovies, Raisins, Mint and Salted Ricotta

Of course you are right... usually flowers don't smell of fish, do they? Well these didn't either really, but indeed, anchovies are in that filling! Which is quite a surprise considering this is a dish that I made and ate myself... oh yes- and enjoyed! In fact, I enjoyed these tremendously!

I have just returned from a wonderful week in sunny, sensational Rome- to a rainy, freezing cold Frankfurt! But amazingly, we had these lovely zucchini blossoms on sale at the market hall and they brought back memories of the incredible anchovy and mozzarella-stuffed ones I ate in Rome last wednesday- which were very simple of course- but totally to die for!

So I decided to do something using anchovies too this evening, but without deep-frying the blossoms in batter, which is without a doubt delicious... but also without a doubt, not very healthy either! Also, I wanted to make a little more out of them than an appetizer, so I decided to try out this lovely, brown, cracked bulgur wheat for the main part of the filling... which I put together like this...

For 8 zucchini blossoms I used 4 tablespoons of bulgur... oh, go on then, maybe 5 ;-) I popped these into a bowl and then added enough boiling water to cover it well. I seasoned with just a little salt as I knew the salted ricotta and the salty anchovies would be added soon enough, stirred it through and then added a handful of finely chopped mint and parsley, a good squeeze of lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil. I topped up the water again as it had all been absorbed by now and then let it sit and cool off whilst I prepared the blossoms.

Before filling the blossoms, of course you have to gently open them and remove the pollen-covered stamen from inside- which would not be fun to eat! As soon as the bulgur was fluffy, cooled-off and almost dried-out, it was time to start flavoring it! I added a good handful of ricotta cheese, a handful of raisins and 3 anchovies which I finely chopped and stirred into the mix.

I added a drizzle of olive oil and a little nutmeg, stirred it in well and as soon as it was cool enough, spooned it into the blossoms, using a teaspoon and then pressing it down firmly with my thumb before squeezing them shut.

Once they were all done, I laid them out in a baking dish and as there was a little of the stuffing left over, spooned this in too- waste not, want not and all of that! I then poured boiling water over each of the zucchinis and blossoms, just enough to get each of them nice and moist, then added a squeeze more lemon juice, covered the dish with foil and then baked it in a pre-heated oven at 300°C for around 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes or so, I fetched out the dish, took off the foil and then drizzled the blossoms and zucchinis lightly with olive oil before returning them to the oven, uncovered, for a further 10 minutes regular baking and 2 minutes with the broiler on... and then dinner was served!

This is a great combination, as this dark bulgur has a slightly bitter taste- which when combined with the sweet raisins and salty ricotta and anchovies, blends together into a lovely and balanced mix. The mint and parsley add freshness and the juicy little baby zucchini just taste wonderful anyway! A last sprinkle of salt on top for the zucchini themselves was all it took to make this meal complete- and can you imagine the look on everyones faces when you serve up these? Yeah... they will love them! Oh, but so will you!!!

A Polentiful Supper!

Polenta al Forno con Verdure Miste, Pancetta, Pomodorini & Mozzarella

Baked Mixed-Vegetable Polenta with Bacon, Tomato & Mozzarella

So, I have finally managed to make it through the week and I am indeed leaving for Rome tomorrow... oh my! And who would have thought, that with my stubbornness to insist on not buying any more groceries and on emptying my fridge before leaving... that I would come up with a truly delicious and comforting meal like this on my last night?!? Not I!!!

I had 2 small carrots, 2 parsnips, 2 potatoes, 2 Spring onions, a generous handful of chopped bacon and a few assorted herbs left over. And obviously the cherry tomatoes, Oh, and a solitary ball of Mozzarella I had somehow overseen using. And a stick of celery ;-) "Add these together with a little polenta and you can make some kind of a meal" I thought... and yes I was right, but I never thought it would be this good!

I started off by dicing all of the vegetables except the potatoes and browning them, together with the bacon in a frying pan. Obviously there was no need for added oil or fat as the bacon brought plenty with it. And in the meantime, I pricked and steamed the 2 potatoes- jabbing them with a fork will let them cook more quickly :-)

As soon as the bacon and vegetables began to brown, I seasoned them with salt, pepper, a little paprika, a pinch of cayenne and a generous grating of fresh nutmeg. I then added enough milk to the pan to cover everything and stirred-up all of the good, rich flavors. As soon as the bottom of the pan was clean and nothing was sticking, I added enough boiling water to cover everything by about an inch and then stirred-in 3 tablespoons of polenta. I checked the seasoning, reduced the heat to a low simmer, and stirring only occasionally, turned my attention to the cherry tomatoes...

The cherry tomatoes needed to be lightly glazed and partially cooked before adding them and so I briefly sautéed them in a little olive oil, with a sprinkle of salt, pepper and sugar. I rolled them back and forth in the hot pan for 3-4 minutes and set them to one side- that was all that it took and at that point I was ready to start assembling the polenta.

By now the potatoes were done, so I quickly mashed them and added them to the polenta, along with half of the mozzarella, which I cut into a rough dice. I then stirred and stirred and stirred, until the mozzarella melted and began to stretch into what looked like a spiders web in the mix... sticky but fun! The cool thing was though, that it didn't stick to the pan and was indeed pretty easy to handle. 

I then added a good handful of chopped parsley, chives and basil, a little more milk, a drizzle of olive oil and then checked the seasoning for salt, pepper and nutmeg... it was just delicious! Of course the bacon and vegetables had added a lot of flavor of their own! 

So, I turned on my oven to get it nice and warm and ready, then lined a baking dish with paper, which I lightly rubbed with a little olive oil. I then poured the mixture into the dish and smoothed it out evenly. Next thing, was to tear-up the remaining mozzarella and press it into the polenta here and there, at nice, regular spaces all around. I then poked little spaces here and there with a teaspoon that I could carefully drop the tomatoes into, then sprinkled a little more pepper and nutmeg on top and kissed my little creation goodbye for 30 minutes at 300°F. I still had my suitcase to pack!

Half an hour later, the polenta was looking pretty spectacular, but an additional 2-3 minutes under the broiler made it look better still! Oh and the smell was terrific too! It was just to HOT! It was almost painful having to wait for it to cool down enough to serve!

I enjoyed mine hot and soft, but I am sure this would be a great treat served up a day later and firm enough to slice. Either way, it is a good, simple, honest Autumn meal and I hope you try it out for yourselves!

I shall catch up with you all in 6 days time! Arrivederci!

Smoke Signals

Couscous con Peperone, Menta, Tahini & Paprika Affumicata

Mint & Pepper Couscous with Tahini & Smoked Paprika

Now, if I could send smoke signals regarding this little meal, they would simply say "come and get it!"- because the smoked pimento paprika I used, along with my favorite Ras el Hanout, just transformed this otherwise simple bowl of couscous into something really delicious!

Things are getting slightly critical now... just one more night (tomorrow), before I leave on vacation- and I want to empty out my fridge as usual before I go- haha! On top of that, I got home rather late and was not really in the mood for a lot of stress or anything too complicated. And there they were, a handful of mini bell peppers in red, orange and yellow.. waiting to meet their doom! But also waiting to be my salvation in this supper!

This was a simple dish to make and I went abut it like this. I cut the peppers in half, removed the seeds and cut them into thin slices. These went into my frying pan with a little sesame oil and about 12 of finely chopped ginger. I sautéed them for 3-4 minutes until they began to brown and then added a tablespoon of Ras el Hanout, a little crushed garlic, a pinch of cayenne and of course salt and pepper. I stirred these in and continued frying for a minute or so, then deglazed the pan with enough water to cover everything.

I let the water boil away for a minute or so, so that all of the flavors from the bottom of the pan began to mingle into the pepper, then sprinkled the pan with couscous, until it was mostly covered. 

Next I added a good handful of finely chopped mint and chives and a teaspoon of the delicious smoked paprika powder, which immediately turned the couscous a lovely deep, yet mild orange color. I adjusted the seasoning, added the juice of 1 lemon, a tablespoon of sesame oil and 2 tablespoons of tahini and stirred everything together again thoroughly. I added a little splash more boiling water, just to keep it moist, a handful of raisins, a handful of basil leaves which I tore into slightly smaller pieces, then put on the lid and allowed it to continue fluffing up in the residual heat.

5 minutes later, it was ready to serve and full of strong, rich flavor- and pretty terrific! Not the most complicated or refined of dishes, but perfect for after work on a weekday night... and even more so for emptying out the fridge in a sensible way! And more than anything, full of a mild but rich and smokey flavor which is pretty out of this world! And one that I hope you will enjoy too!

Sliced & Spiced

Crema di Frumento con Mele Speziate & Bacche di Goji

Cream of Wheat with Spiced Apple & Goji Berries

Sometimes it is the simplest of dishes that give us the most pleasure- good, familiar and comforting flavors that evoke days gone by... Even everyday things invite us to recall fond memories sometimes... and ah- that is what good food is all about!

Something as simple as cream of wheat, boiled up with a little vanilla, is already delicious in itself- and combined with some warm, sweet and spicy apple and goji berries, we have all of the flavors of those good old-time Winter desserts- but with a nice, new twist!

I got home late and was cold and tired... but feeling the need for something warm, soothing... and yes... something sweet! It can also happen to me my friends- you're perfectly right!

I was initially going to make a simple bowl of cream of wheat with cinnamon, which would have also been delicious, but decided to make a fruity topping to go with it and to make it more fun and interesting. The first thing I did was to bring some milk up to the boil and to add the wheat, sprinkling lightly and stirring swiftly until it became a nice thick but soft and smooth consistency. I could say that it should be mixed in a ratio of 2 parts milk to one part powdered wheat, but I think rule of thumb and judging by yourself is the best way to go about it. Pour yourself about as much milk into the saucepan as you want to eat your cream of wheat and then keep stirring until you have what you need!

Once it had come up to the boil, I added a little vanilla pod and reduced the heat to a low simmer. I keep the pods after scraping out the soft pulp inside and store them in a jar of sugar- this flavors the sugar on the one hand, but the pods are fine to use to infuse into other dishes such as this one. Waste not, want not and all that!

Whilst the cream of wheat was gently bubbling away, I got a little water boiling in my frying pan- just enough to cover the base. I then quickly peeled and sliced 2 small apples and added them along with the spices, which were 1 clove, 1 section of a star anise, a half teaspoon of coriander seeds and 1 cardamom pod, which I ground up with the mortar and pestle. I stirred these in and let the apples bubble away until the water had been completely absorbed and had cooked away. I then deglazed the pan with a splash of calvados and added the goji berries, a pat of butter and a little honey. I turned off the heat, gave the apple slices a last toss to make sure all of the berries and all of the flavors were nicely mixed and was then ready to roll!

Obviously, it goes without saying that you can prepare this without alcohol if either you are making this for children or simply prefer to leave it out- and I would go as far as to say, just use water. But only a little! The water is simply there to transfer heat to the apple so that it cooks- the idea is to bring out the apples own flavor and not to add too much of anything else- there are already the complimentary spices in there to do that... keeping it simple is the key!

I spooned the apple slices and berries over the cream of wheat and then popped it into the oven to bring it up to temperature. I know from past experience that the berries tend to be very delicate and to blacken and burn easily, so I had to stop myself from risking the broiler- haha! But letting the apple cook into the wheat and allowing the flavors to mingle is a good thing! Again- simple and scrumptious- and down-to-earth and inexpensive to boot! So what's not to love? :-) Enjoy!

Oh, Grate!

Frittata di Zucca & Pomodoro al Forno

Oven-Baked Pumpkin & Tomato Frittata

Indeed, that was what I did to make this simple but delicious frittata this evening... I grated! And what I grated, was the last of the Hokkaido pumpkin I had left over from the weekend... neither wanting to waste, nor to want this evening, I decided to turn it into a quick supper- and who knew it would taste so good?!!?

My whole motivation behind grating the pumpkin was of course to get it took cook really quickly... as if pumpkin ever takes that long to cook- haha! Ok- the time involved was only part of the deal, the other thing I wanted to do was to cook the pumpkin in such a way that it did not completely disintegrate and become a paste as it usually does in most recipes. And I am glad that I did, because this was a really delicious and different result that you are also bound to love... I hope! ;-)

I started off by coarsely grating the pumpkin and dry-frying it in a pan, without oil, until the color changed from the original vibrant orange color to a slightly paler shade, basically until it was half done. I had about 2 cupfuls of pumpkin in all. At this point, whilst it was hot a slightly moist, I added a little finely grated ginger and garlic (just use the other side of the grater), finely chopped chives, salt, pepper, nutmeg and cayenne. I stirred all of these ingredients together well and then allowed them to cool off whilst I cut 2 tomatoes into a fine dice. The residual heat was enough to partially "cook" the finely grated and finely chopped ingredients. Of course I removed the seeds from the tomatoes before I diced them- important so that things don't become too moist... And then I turned on the oven and began preparing to put my little frittata together.

I beat 3 eggs and seasoned them with salt and pepper- these would go into the frying pan first of course. In the meantime, the pumpkin had cooled down enough for me to add some finely chopped parsley and some grated cheese, as well as the diced tomato. As everything was cool now, it was easy to get a nice mix of all the ingredients without them clumping and sticking together. And now I was ready for action!

I wanted to keep things relatively healthy, so I simply rubbed a little butter onto my cast-iron pan and then popped it onto the stove top. Once it was nice and hot, I poured in the 3 beaten eggs and sprinkled them quickly with a little grated cheese and then the pumpkin-tomato-cheese mix. The cheese I used by the way was Scamorza- but you can use any cheese you might prefer. 

Moving swiftly, I then sprinkled the pumpkin mixture evenly on top, pressing it down slightly with a wooden spoon and seasoned it with salt, pepper and a little more freshly grated nutmeg. One last light sprinkle of cheese and into the oven it went, at 350°F for 5-6 minutes and then a further 2-3 under the broiler until it became golden brown... and very delicious!

I added plenty of basil as a garnish, so that there was at least one to go with each slice- basil is just one of the best things ever to combine with tomatoes! the result was, that this was a very juicy and delicious frittata, where none of the ingredients were cooked to death and each retained their distinct taste and character- so nice rather than everything becoming just one whole new flavor in itself as is sometimes the case. 

So, you see- pumpkin doesn't always have to end up as either pie or soup... there are so many more possibilities out there! And I hope that you enjoy this one as much as I did! Buon Appetito!

Aww, Shucks! It Was Nothing!

Tagliatelle "Udon" con Funghi & Salsa di Ostriche & Peperoncino

Udon Noodles, Mushrooms, Chili & Oyster Sauce

That's right- it WAS nothing... in the work department that is! And there was no "shucking" involved... as there were no oysters involved! Only rich and aromatic oyster sauce- straight from the bottle, straight from the Asian supermarket- and straight to the point in making this into such a tasty dish!

With just a few cremini mushrooms, a little crushed ginger, garlic, Spring onion, oyster sauce and a Phllipino chili sauce, I managed to transform a single-serving pack of "fresh" Udon noodles, into an amazing and satisfying meal! And the whole thing was finished in little more than 10 minutes! Let me tell you how I made it...

The first thing I did, was to cut the mushrooms into nice, thick slices and to pop them into a dry frying pan with a little salt and pepper. No oil or butter... trust me on this! With the heat nice and high, I left them to their own devices, whilst I finely chopped about 1" of ginger and then pounded it down a little with my mortar and pestle, along with a clove of garlic. 

After 2-3 minutes, incredibly, there was the sound of sizzling coming from the frying pan- and this was because the mushrooms had given off their juices and were beginning to "bubble" away... which was a good thing! I flipped them over and let them continue to cook away and become a little brown around the edges.

Once the mushrooms had begun to gain a little color, I added the ground ginger and garlic and a splash of sesame oil... now things could really begin to get flavorful! After 2-3 minutes, I added the contents of 1 packet of Udon noodles- practically packed in single portion, these are great to have at home- lovely and thick and soft and delicious!

I added a splash of water to the pan and popped on the lid for it to steam for a few minutes and for the good flavors from the bottom of the pan to infuse into both the noodles and the mushrooms. I then added 2 tablespoons of oyster sauce and the same of a hot, Philippino "banana" chili sauce- which was smooth and sweet tasting as well as hot... pretty delicious stuff in itself! This was also the time to add the finely sliced Spring onion, which of course would be cooked in next to no time!

I tossed the noodles in the hot, juicy sauces and added some finely chopped cilantro and just a last hint of sesame oil and sesame seeds before serving. The finishing touch was a sprinkle of ground chili pepper and dinner was ready! Oh- and so was I! And the cool thing about it is- that in just 10 minutes or so, so could you be too!