Mr. Tiramisù

I do not know if I am a good lawyer but my tiramisù is definitely a masterpiece!

I want to dedicate this dessert to a very good friend of mine, Antonio, to celebrate his 30th birthday!

400 gr mascarpone

4 yolks

2 egg whites

80 gr sugar

Savoiardi (ladyfingers in English, boudoirs in French)

Coffee (preferably espresso)

Cocoa powder, unsweetened

In a large bowl beat yolks and sugar with electric beaters until pale, foamy and thick. In a different bowl beat the egg whites till soft peak form.

Using a spatula or a big wooden spoon add the mascarpone at room temperature and 2/3 tbs of cold coffee then gently fold the whipped egg whites in.

Dip the ladyfingers into the cold coffee and start the first layer into your serving dish (25x18cm) then add the cream another ladyfingers layer, topping with the cream. Put into the fridge at least 4 hours,  preferably overnight.

Dust generously with cocoa powder just before serving.

  

A special thanks to Veronika Knobova who took the pictures.

Bocconcini di pollo aranciati

Yellow and orange, sunny colors to start the week positevly!

I do not like the red meat too much so I always try to combine new ingredients to cook turkey and chicken.

These chicken chunks are prepared with the last oranges of the season ...summer is coming!

300 gr chicken breast chunks (serving 2 people)

2 oranges (both the juice and the zest)

35 gr butter

Taggiasca olives (they are sweet fruity and mild)

salt

Flour the chunks and shake off  the excess. Set a skillet over medium heat with the butter; once melted, add the chunks with the juice of fresh oranges and salt.

Turn the heat off when the chunks are golden-brown (about 12/15 min) and garnish with orange zest and some smashed Taggisca olives.

Insalata di farro

I am keen on grains! 

Spelt is sweet, fluffy but always nicely al dente. It's high in protein and fiber, a very good alternative to pasta and rice. I usually prepare it in salad with some fresh seasonal veggies or cooked like risotto.

This recipe is perfect to be cooked in advance and stored in the fridge. It could be a good suggestion to serve for a Sunday brunch!

200 gr spelt (serving 2 people)

1 eggplant

10 raw tomatoes (datterino or cherry)

200 gr cottage cheese

evo oil

salt

fresh basil

To cook the grain add a cup of water for every cup of spelt. Drain, add some evo oil and let it cool.

Set a non-stick skillet over high heat, add the eggplant diced. Toss constantly, let it browned then cool down.

In a bowl, slice the tomatoes, mix with the eggplants, the salt and the cottage cheese, fold the spelt in.

Serve with some fresh basil.

 

Pummaroo'&Friend: Paella with Rosana!

This is the first post about a new page, Pummaroò Friend! Here friends share the recipes of their Country, childhood or just their favorite ones.

    

Today with us...Rosana, a smart woman from Andalusia!

    A big thanks to her and to Maribel, her mom.
 

 

Hello everybody!

I am Rosana and I come from Spain. I’m very happy and proud to have been invited by Elvira to share a Spanish recipe with you. I will give you my mom’s recipe (the most delicious ever). It’s juicier than your regular dry paella, and includes a lot of seafood, as is the style in Andalousia.

Quantities are intuitive, unless otherwise indicated. This will serve around 4 hungry people or 6 people who claim to only want a “tapa”:

Ingredients: 

- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 peppers (1 green, 1 red)
- 2-3 tomatoes (depending on their size)
- Peas (to taste)
- Sweet paprika
- Saffran (a few threads)
- Yellow spice/coloring. The only one we have always used (since the times of my grandma) is Aeroplano, which has been around since the 1920's! You can purchase it online here:  http://tienda.realfabrica.com/colorante-alimenticio-el-aeroplano.html
- A bite of white wine
- Green beans
- Artichokes
- Any other veggie you fancy!
- Chicken breast cut into dice
- Prawns, calamari/squid, mussels, and whatever seafood strikes your fancy, to taste (around 500 gr should do. But of course, the more and better seafood you put in, the better your paella will be...this is no rocket science).
- Round rice, NEVER the long grain/basmati type. You should count 1 handful of rice per person, plus a little extra handful.

Preparation

1   El Sofrito, Stir fry (on a mid-heat) with EVO (of course) in this order:
-       First the garlic cloves (peeled and chopped) until they’re golden.
-       Second, the peppers (cut into stripes).
-       Third, when the peppers are barely stiff, add the tomatoes (you have to peel the skin off and take the seeds out).

It is important to follow this order, due to the different cooking time of each ingredient. Softly stir fry them until they caramelise and acquire a sauce-like texture. Take this pan out of the heat, but leave its contents inside.

Now, still out of the heat, add 2/3 teaspoonfuls of sweet paprika. Please, only add this when the veggies are already cooked and out of the heat. If you add the paprika before, it will become bitter!

2   The Chicken

In another pan stir fry the chicken. Leave it quite on the uncooked side, since it will be receiving more heat later and it might go dry if you overcook it now.

3   The Veggies

In a pot boil 750ml of water. When it boils, and only when it boils, add the green beans for 10 minutes and not more. They should be cooked but al dente, and they should be emerald green. Also prepare the peas in the same water (add them before or after the beans, depending on whether the peas are frozen or fresh). Take the veggies out of the pot and cool them down with a splash of cold water so that the cooking process stops, but don't throw the used boiling water away! Like Elvira recommended with the Vellutata, why use plain water when you can use flavoured one which is also full of vitamins and minerals from the veggies?

Of course if you are using other veggies, follow logic and cook them in the most appropriate manner for them. Just remember: leave them slightly undercooked.

4   The Seafood

Boil another 750 ml of water and prepare the seafood as necessary. Again, leave them slightly uncooked, since they will receive more heat later on. Take them out of the water so that the cooking process stops, but don't throw the water away!

5   Boiling

Now take the pan that still has the peppers, etc. inside and add the chicken and about half the boiling water from the veggies and seafood that you had kept aside. If you are using calamari/squid add it now, but do not add the rest of the more tender seafood yet. Make this all boil for around 15 min. Then add the saffron, the wine, a bit of salt to taste. Let it boil (over a high flame) for a few more minutes.

6   The Rice

Add more of the leftover boiling water from the veggies and seafood that you had kept aside, and incorporate the rice and the yellow spice. For the next 15 minutes you will start by boiling on a high flame and then you will gradually reduce the fire, little by little, to a low simmer. All this time make sure to stir up constantly - otherwise the rice will stick to the rest of the pan and burn. Keep on adding leftover boiling water when needed.

Remember the song “Bootylicious”? “Read my lips carefully if you like it juicy…”

7   The Final Touch

After these 15 minutes are over, take the pan out of the fire, add the beans, the peas and the seafood and cover up the pan. Leave it to rest for around 5 minutes.

Eat it now! If you leave it laying around the rice will suck up the water and you will get a mushy, dry paella. Eating it just out of the fire is the best.

Some people ask me whether you need a huge flat pan (“paellera”) to cook this. That would be ideal. However, I have not had any problems cooking paella in an ordinary big frying pan (when I’ve cooked for several people I have used 2 frying pans).

Have fun cooking and let us know how it goes!

Hugs from Málaga, Ciudad del Paraíso.

Rosana

Pesce spada sciué sciué

In Neapolitan Sciué Sciué means easy, fast and quick!

I love cooking fish in a very easy way to keep all juices and nutritional facts intact.

Swordfish is low carb but full of protein with an unmistakable, meaty and firm flavour.

2 slices of swordfish

15 cherry tomatoes

ginger

tabasco

1 garlic clove

olive oil

salt

parsley stalks

Prepare a marinade with olive oil, ginger, the garlic clove chopped and some tabasco drops into a shallow dish and mix well. Add the swordfish, turning to coat, and leave to marinate for 10 min.

Set a skillet on the stove over high medium heat. Drain the swordfish and discard the marinade, when the skillet is very very hot, put the fish into the pan and lower the heat.

Add the cherry tomatoes sliced, the salt and cook for 6, 7 min each side (time needed depends on slice thickness).

Garnish with parsley stalks and olive oil.

Bucatini all'amatriciana

One of the most widely known Italian traditional dish!

Its origins date back to the late 18th century in central Italy, from the town of Amatrice, not far from Rome.

I lived in the Eternal city for a while and every Roman is sure to have the authentic recipe passed on through the generations. I hope that nobody will be unhappy with my list of ingredients for 2.

200 gr bucatini

80 gr cured pork cheek (guanciale)

250 gr peeled canned San Marzano tomatoes

pecorino romano cheese

chili

olive oil

salt

Pan fry the guanciale, cut into strips, over low heat till It renders the fat (if It is not enough, add a tbs of olive oil). It must not be crispy. Turn the heat off and put the strips aside.

 

In the same pan with the pork fat, cook the tomatoes (in advance crushed with a fork) for 10 min with some chili and salt.

 

Drain the pasta and mix with the sauce, adding the guanciale strips and some grated pecorino cheese.

Vellutata verde

Mondays need comfort food!

Green Velvet Soup for 2 to start the week warmly!

4, 5 courgettes

parmesan shavings

red pepper flakes

2 tbs evo oil

salt

Boil the courgettes, not chopped, salt and drain, saving the water.

Blend the vegetables with a food processor or an immersion blender, adding some cooking water (a cup) and 2 tbs of oil.

Serve warm or hotter with parmesan shavings and red pepper flakes.