Morbidosi al cioccolato fondente e cocco You might be wondering what I did with the leftover spongecake after making my Valentine’s day cupcakes… I hope that if you made them you didn’t throw the sponge out because in this recipe I use it to make soft chocolatey bites – I really hate to waste food,…
Tag: Food
Valentine’s day cupcakes
Pasticcini di San Valentino I’m not a huge fan of Valentine’s day. Don’t get me wrong, I like the sentiment, the meaning behind it and all of that, but I hate how commercial it has become – it takes away from the spirit of the thing. For me, Valentine’s day is about spending time with…
The world’s easiest cake
Torta allo yogurt The Italian boy went to the supermarket for me on Sunday because I hadn’t been feeling well and had no food in the house. Naturally, I gave him a shopping list. Equally naturally he… embellished it. Chocolate biscuits for example, were added. This didn’t surprise me, but I was surprised to see…
Cuttlefish stuffed with broccoli
Seppie ripiene con broccoli e gamberetti from Campania I’ll be honest, this isn’t so much a traditional recipe as a twist on something I tried in a restaurant and liked. It is a winter version of something of a summer classic, as cuttlefish, although available all year round in Southern Italy, is mainly eaten, lightly…
Mandarinetto liqueur
Mandarinetto from Campania Most people have heard of limoncello, that sweet, tangy oh-so-mediterranean liqueur from the Amalfi Coast which just screams of summer, sun and after dinner drinks on a balcony surrounded by the scent of the sea. Yes, limoncello is deservedly famous. And easy to make… but that’s for another post. How many of…
Baked Mediterranean Swordfish
Pesce Spada alla Livornese from Tuscany I remember the first time I tried swordfish, on holiday in Spain with my parents. I was very young, and the idea of a fish with a “sword” attached to its face was fascinating to me, and I spent the rest of the holiday trying to catch a glimpse…
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…
lovefromitaly 