Involtini di maiale con provola e salame from Campania There’s something about cheese which just makes it more decadent when it’s melted. Especially when it’s wrapped in something and it ooozes out as you cut into it…. You can make this recipe with other lean meats too, but I used pork medallions because I think…
Month: December 2011
Italian birthday party
Happy birthday Domenico! Domenico is one of my oldest friends in Italy. He was the first of my boyfriend’s group who I met when I first went to Milan to look for a flat for my stint at the University there, and he took us round the city on our search for somewhere for me…
Coffee liqueur
Italians like their liqueurs… and so do I. For the Italians, liqueurs are made to be sipped out of small glasses after dinner as a digestivo, ie. to help their food go down. You can get liqueurs made out of almost anything, but probably the easiest to make at home is liquore al caffé,…
Wine tasting – Primitivo di Manduria
Mmmmmm…. Red wine…. I love wine. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not an alcoholic or anything (honest!) I just really enjoy a glass of wine, with a predilection for anything red and full bodied, in particular in the winter. So yesterday, with the wind and the rain howling outside of the bar, Primitivo di Manduria…
Spicy bean and endive soup
Minestra di scarole e fagioli from Campania It’s cold. It’s wet. It’s miserable and dark. Yes, even in Southern Italy, it is December after all! All of this means only one thing… Soup! When you come home on one of those horrid winter nights after a long day at work there’s nothing better than a…
Anyone for an Aperitivo?
Today I’m feeling a little bit sad because one of my very best friends in Salerno is going back to New Zealand and it will be some time before I get the chance to see her again. To say goodbye though, we went for one of my favourite Italian rituals – the aperitivo! The aperitivo…
Roast potatoes with parmesan and rosemary
Patate al forno con parmigiano e rosmarino from Emilia-Romagna Roast potatoes. There really is nothing better… Soft, fluffy and light on the inside and perfectly golden and crunchy on the outside. This recipe from Emilia-Romagna, home of such delights as parmesan cheese, parma ham and mortadella (bologna sausage), adds a twist to this classic dish…
Veal and red wine hotpot
Spezzatino di vitello con vino rosso from Veneto I remember the first time I had this, just outside Venice in February. I was living in Milan at the time as a student, and some friends and I had decided to go to Venice carnival for the day – it was beautiful, full of swirling colours,…
Artichokes with lemon and black peppercorns
Carciofi al limone e pepe nero, Campania I love vegetables. I especially love to eat vegetables in season – they are cheaper, tastier and even better for you than their out-of-season counterparts. One of the great things about Italy is that people still remember when things are in season, and the greengrocers pretty much only…
Spicy Pumpkin Risotto
Risotto alla Zucca from Lombardy Tonight I went to my friend Isabel’s house for dinner and she made me a delicious plate of risotto with squash: This is true comfort food, straight from the cool (relatively) climes of Lombardy in the North of Italy, and with its deep, warm colour and slightly spicy sweetness it…
Italian Coffee Part 1: The Killer Espresso
Expresso, or more correctly espresso, is to other kinds of coffee as rocket fuel is to coal. Or vodka to beer. A Ferrari to a Morris Minor. It is powerful stuff, designed to really give you a caffeine kick and wake you up in the morning. It might look and sound like it should be…
Italy is…
As a foodie, Italy to me always meant something special. It evokes thoughts of vineyards producing delicious wines, hearty bowls of pasta consumed in front of a roaring fire in a chalet in the mountains, freshly caught tuna griddled on the spot and eaten on the boat with a squeeze of lemon, sun warmed tomatoes…
lovefromitaly 