L'inverno incontra l'estate!

Even if  it is already winter in Milan, last Saturday I found some fresh figs at Antonio’s stall. Antonio is an old man from South Italy who has a very nice and fresh stall at my local Milan market. Antonio fills in my fridge every Saturday but buying from him is much more, he is so sweet and he really is my Saturday cuddle.
I did not want to have figs as usual I enjoyed to have, namely with some prosciutto di Parma but I wanted to try something I tasted in a restaurant in Milan: figs and anchovies.

4,5 fresh figs

200 gr anchovies

4 potatoes

150 gr buffalo mozzarella

Lemon zest

Ginger

Brown sugar

Steamed the potatoes with the rind, once cooled them peeled them and cut into pieces and put over medium heat with some hot water (I did not use any dairy products such as butter or milk). Mash the potatoes with a fork and let cook till  you get a homogenous cream. Add some nutmeg.

In a very hot pan put the clean figs cut into pieces, add a spoon of brown sugar and cook till the figs are browned.

Clean the anchovies and put a slice of mozzarella (leave the mozzarella one hour on a napkin to dry the milk) between 2 anchovies. Sprinkle with some evo oil, ginger and lemon zest. Cook into the oven at 180°C for 12/15 min.

Plate some potato cream with the anchovies and the caramelized figs.

Les Navettes de Marseille

Few months ago I was in Marseille for a workshop and during the break my attention was caught by some biscuits that looked like mini baguettes. Their fragrance was something very familiar, reminding the long days spent with my grandma when I was a child, because these navettes marseillaises are made with orange blossom water, the same essence used for a typical Neapolitan dessert, called pastiera.

 

They are very crunchy, fragrant and light. I found a recipe on the web and modified a bit.

500 gr flour “0”

80 gr brown sugar

50 gr sugar

4 Tbsp olive oil

4 Tbsp orange blossom water

2 eggs

A pinch of salt and ginger

 

Mix the egg with sugar till you get a creamy texture very airy, add salt, orange blossom water, ginger and olive oil. Fold in the flour little by little. Hand kneading the dough till you get an homogenous ball. Set aside covered for 1 hour.

 

Cut the ball dough into slice and roll each slice for a length of 10 cm. Pinch the extremities and with a knife make a cut lengthwise. Brush with some water and put into a pre heated oven (180°C) for 15/20 min. 

 

Let them cool and keep into a nice box for maximum a month (the pictures are not so nice as the taste of these navettes).

My birthday cake

Yesterday I turned 32 and yes, I baked my own birthday cake, a Caprese! This cake was made for the first time on the island of Capri and it was the result of a mistake because the chef forgot to add flour and so the  recipe is suitable for all gluten free diet followers.

 

200 gr dark chocolate

180 gr butter

200 gr almonds

5 eggs

100 gr sugar

50 gr brown sugar

1 tsp coffee powder

 

Melt dark chocolate and butter and let them cool aside. Roast almonds and mix them roughly.

 

Wisk egg whites till soft. In another bowl mix the yolks and sugar till a soft cream. Add chocolate and butter and the almond afterwards, then add the tsp of coffee powder. Fold the egg whites in gently.

 

Put in a preheated oven to 180° for 35 min.

 

Aggiungi didascalia

                                                    Dust with powdered sugar once the cake is cooled down.

Lisboa, o meu amor!

I travelled a bit around Europe and I went to Lisboa just few months ago. I know, I am so unforgivable but I tried to recover my pity and so I went there twice last few months. I’ms ure that there will be a third time…I need to discover more, especially some nice beaches and its Feiras. I suggest you to stop in Lisboa at least 3 days because it is a city that needs time to be enjoyed as a local.

 

 

Lisboa is tangy, vibrant, fragrant. The river, the light, the colours, the street, the breathtaking miradouros! !People...humble, smiling, happy, respectful, cultivated, polite, generous, polyglot.

 

 

You cannot leave Lisboa without:

 

-        a relaxing walk at Chiado and Barrio Alto. Enjoy the great atmosphere of Largo do Chiado (rest in the small square in front of the Opera Sao Carlo). Through Largo do Camões you arrive at Barrio Alto, an area full of bars and restaurants, especially in Rua Nova do Carvalho  (well known as The Pink Street for its pink painted asphalt). There is also a wonderful area close to Parque Príncipe Real, my favourite,  full of nice shops and inspiring atmosphere, one of my favourite place together with Largo do Carmo: a small square full of jacaranda trees, a timeless and a very charming place.

-        a stroll at Baixa, the tourist area that will leave you breathless especially for the Santa Justa miraduro. The area is delimited by two wonderful squares: Praça dos restauradores and the magnificent Praça do Comércio.

-        a climbing up to Alfama. I love this quartier, because it is so authentic, old and full of life. The voices of fado that you can listen from the streets is moving and touching. There is the nice church of Santo António da Sé and during the Feiras in june, the quartier is a never ending stage for parties and events where grilled sardinas and great wine are the perfect entry for your Lisboan night. Near the top of Alfama, there is the Castelo de São Jorge where the view of Lisboa and Tagus river are amazing.

-        a stop at Apolonia Station an try to look fi Jeremy Irons is still there J.

-        a tour out of Lisboa. I will suggest Cascais, a very nice place on the coast in which you can enjoy long beaches and great seafood (in Guincho, have a lunch at Santa Maria, great arroz de marisco) or Sintra, a UNESCO world heritage site with a special microcliamte (cool and grey), full of wonderful and coloured palacios.

-        a visit to Belem. The Mosteiro dos Jerónimos is a majestic monastery built in the late Gothic style just in front of the famous Belem tower, completely surrounded by water. After your walk you will deserve a delicious pastis de nata at the pasteleria de Belem. Make the line because it’s worth the wait.

-        some shopping at “A vida portugesa” to buy some local products.

 

 

 

Now the most amazing chapter of this post: FOOD in Lisboa!!!

 

I always had very very very very very very good food. Bacalhau is the national dish and they have 365 ways to cook it.  I enjoyed two of those and I loved because I do love bacalhau. Another traditional dish is the Pica pau, a sort of meat stew but Portugal is a fish paradise, try Percebes, Lingueirão, Conquilha, Carabineriros, Polvo..etc you will never disappointed because the ingredients are always very fresh and well cooked with a perfect balanced seasoning.

 

Coffee is so delicious and less expensive than Italy. Wine? Unbelievable, I did not know that Portugal is a so wonderful wine Country. Alentejo and Douro are the best regions that offer great wines, very competitive with Italian and French standard.

 

I will give you some restaurants in which you MUST stop, if you wanna live happy J

-        TASCARDOSO: I never had so delicious food for a so cheap price (at least not in Europe). The place is very cozy an rustic. I had wonderful seabass with veggies;

-        PHARMACIA: the restaurant is very nice and food delicious with outstanding cocktail. I had razor clams risotto (very very good) and a fig and prosciutto salad with pica pau: amazing! In front of the restaurant there is a nice miraduro;

-        BICA DO SAPATO: wonderful and romantic restaurant on the sea. I drank a great wine from Douro region, enjoing a nice octopus salad, cod tartare and a delicious risotto with veggies (Portuguese are very good with risotto dish);

-        SANTO ANTONIO DE ALFAMA, it is a very romantic restaurant that I would choose more for  the atmosphere than for food;

-        CERVEJARIA RAMIRO: fish, fish and fish. Try to be a bit before the opening because there is always a long line since they do not accept reservations. I had percebes, carabinerios and wonderful small clams;

-        BELCANTO and ALMA; Michelin starred restaurants held by two amazing chefs José Avillez and Henrique Sa Pessoa. Pricey restaurant but an experience to make ,especially if you choose to enjoy their tasting menus. Remember to book;

-        MERCADO DA RIBEIRA, a wonderful food market and food court in which you can enjoy every kind of food. Be ready to fight to have a seat, it is always crowded;

 

 

 

 

I lived and travelled in different cities and Countries but Lisboa is a world apart. It is alive! Yes, this is a declaration of love!

 

 

Lisboa, eu te amo!!!

A special thanks go to Marta and Lia Flores da Silva, a part of my family, who always host me in Lisboa.

Singapore

After a long flight of 13 hours from London then I arrived on a land full of green and orchids where people cannot chew gums: welcome to Singapore.

View from LeVel 33

 

 

The first impressions as the last one was not so so good but it depends on the fact that I grow up in Naples, a messy and a very lively place where people shout in the streets, make a lot of noise and invite you to share a coffee to share the beauty of their city…yes, I need this to feel home and comfortable.

 

 

 

Singapore is the perfect place for 24/48 hours more less as a visit to Disneyland (I lived in Paris 2 years and I never been there). Yes, Singapore is a permanent playground. You can enjoy wonderful hotels with their bars or infinity pools, Marina Bay Sand with its hundreds rooms is a city into the city where everything works to perfection. The environment is really multicultural since Singapore is full of expats…yes, it is also a tax heaven. Personally what I most enjoyed there was food. I had a great food experience at Tippling Club, delicious food in a wonderful well decorated restaurant.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I could experienced the most famous Singapore food hall: Maxwell Food Court. Here I had the best Hainanese chicken with rice. I suggest you to pass and stop here to have this simple but full of flavours dish. I would suggest you a visit at Little India and Chinatown that are pretty authentic more than Arab street. Botanic gardens and Gardens by the Bay are a nice half-day excursion. If you wanna enjoy Singapore nightlife, I can suggest more than one rooftop, such as LeVel 33( a brewery with a wonderful view. Yes, beer can be chic. They have a very good list of champagne and wine as well…but food is not so delicious) and Altitude, where I found great music to enjoy with a singer live performance. If you are looking for something less poshy and more “authentic” (if Singapore can be authentic ) go to Clarke Quay! Stop for an aperitivo at Waffles Hotel, their Gazebo bar is very nice.

 

 

 

 

Do not forget to buy tiger balm!!!! And to have your manicure at the Spa in Changi airport.

 

 

 

A special thank you to Claudio and Veronika who hosted me.

Yes, I run at 7 am

You re crazy?! You put your alarm clock at 6h30 am -even if you are 5 minutes walking far from your office-, to run outside? Indeed, You are crazy! You are insane!

I heard these words many times. I will try to explain in 3 points why I run so early in the morning:
1. I run so early in the morning, yes even in the wintertime –when leaving the duvet for the Park is very extreme-, because the colours and the smells of the Park are special. I have not to share it with many people  pick-nicking, squalling, etc, so the Park is mine!!!!
2. I run so early in the morning, because if I have a meeting out of the blue late in the afternoon, I have not lost my run moment.
3. I run so early in the morning, because the wellness feeling that follows me all day long, is extraordinary.

For many of you, my motivations are not enough. It does not matter. Please continue to name me insane that I will always have a thought for you when I’ll spread my raspberry and rhubarb jam after having run my 7 km.

Vellutata di zucca e pistacchi

Yes, I believe in simplicity. Cooking is for me a way to enjoy good food, keeping it more natural I can. Even if I don’t like orange -I could never wear something orange- I do love having it in my plate, especially if it is made with pumpkin. 

350 gr Kabocha pumpkin (serving 2 as main dish or 4 as appetizer) 
120 gr Fresh ricotta or feta cheese 
Salted pistachios 
Fresh ginger 
Red chili 
Evo oil 

Grind some salted pistachios and set aside. 

Steam or boil the pumpkin with the rind. Once cooled down, peel it and put into a food processor with some fresh ginger and a bit of red chili.Pour some water to have the desired texture. 

Warm it up and serve in a bowl with some fresh ricotta quenelle or feta cheese and garnish with the ground pistachios and evo oil. 

Summertime sadness

There are magic places timeless and spaceless! They are not so far away but not for this less interesting! For this reason I would like to tell you about an island, very close to my hometown, in which I need to spend at least some days every year: Sant’Angelo, a little area on the Island of Ischia.

 

A

 

View of Sant’Angelo from Serrara Fontana

 

Fishermen village, popular for a beach tongue between white houses and lots of bougainvillea. The main square, Piazzetta Sant’Angelo, is full of bars, restaurants and nice shops. The reference here is Dal Pescatore. A bar and a restaurant that serves a very good coffee. Paolo welcomes you, telling more about the cakes (around 50), that his mother, Signora Lucia, prepares every day. I love going there for my second breakfast (bad Milanese habit), coffee and croissant, both delicious or in the late afternoon, where the sunset colours reflect into the blue sea and I love drinking their homemade tea with some granita.

 

 

Signora Lucia and her morning sweeties

 

 

On the small port of Sant’Angelo, there are taxi boats to bring you to a wonderful and long beach, Fumarole  and Maronti, with a great view on the island of Capri.

 

View on Capri from Via Sant'Angelo

 

 

There are several beach properties. There is Ferdinando, who cooks a lot of dishes with the Volcanos comingout gas. You can have octopus, squid, rice and even some amazing stuffed figs. There is also Da Emanuela that serves anchovies stuffed with mozzarella. From le Fumarole to i Maronti, at Cavascura, there is a very popular small restaurant, Stalino, a very simple and traditional place. It is very small so you need to book in advance. They offer the most famous and typical dish, coniglio (rabbit)all’ischitana. The recipe is secret but it is not so difficult.The rabbit is marinated, seared and then cooked with tomatoes and spices in a large clay pot for long time.

If you wanna to relax with a massage or some hot springs, stop at Giardini Aphrodite-Apollon.

 

Taverna Pietro Paolo, better known as Stalino

 

 

Around 19 this part of the island gives its best. The sunset, orange, yellow red and the sea, deep blue, light blue, green:this is pure poetry! During this part of the day I love running, feeling completely part of the amazing nature around me.

 

 

 

You might be asking why Sant’Angelo is so special?Sant’Angelo is special because it gives the pleasure that only small things give…Note that cars are forbidden so be ready to look at the most magnificent sky you’ve ever seen.

 

 

Orecchiette improvvisate

Flight booked the day before the departure, luggage prepared few hours before landing…here we are, off to Villasimus. 

This is a magic place in which nature rocks: white beaches, light blue sea, blue sky, flamingos, fluo spider and good food in good company. 

Even in Paradise I can’t not cooking so I prepared this fragrant and quick recipe. 

100 gr broccoli (serving 4)
 70 gr Anchovies fillets preserved in evo oil 

150 gr goat ricotta

A clove of garlic

Fresh red chili

Wash the broccoli and cut them into big pieces. Put a saucepan over high heat with water. When It starts to boil, add the broccoli for 10 min then drain the broccoli and save the water to cook the pasta. 

In the meanwhile in a pan, heat up the oil with a clove of garlic, add the broccoli smashed into small pieces and the anchovies and some raisins you had rinsed before in warm water.

Pour 2,3 spoons of the pasta and broccoli water into ricotta to get a cream.

Once the pasta is cooked, mix with the ricotta cream and then toss with the broccoli sauce into the pan. 

Serve with some fresh red chili flakes.

Paccheri al coccio

Gurnard is a very popular fish in Italy since its firm flesh is well suited to soup and stew.  I wanted to prepare something more springy so I decided for this simple pasta recipe.

300 gr paccheri Gentile (serving 3)
800 gr gurnard (fillets 350/400 gr)
Cherry tomatoes
Fresh parsley
Evo oil
Salt
Red chili flakes


Put some evo oil over medium heat with the fish head after 10 min cover with water and some celery, cooking for 30 min. Then filter water and save it. Fillet the gurnard and set aside.

In a pan put some evo oil and a clove of garlic, add the tomatoes and cook for 8/10 min with some spoon of fishy water afterwards add the gurnard fillets (350/400 gr) and cook for 20/30 min .

Cook the pasta in boiling water adding the fishy water too and when the pasta is very al dente, finish for one minute the cooking into the pan with sauce.



Serve with some fresh parsley and red chili flakes.

Rhubarb jam

If you had asked me 7 years ago, what rhubarb is, I wouldn’t have had an answer.

I discovered rhubarb when I lived in Paris. I was in a bakery shop and  I saw some delicious pinky cakes: the rhubarbe tarte…I could not resist to taste them: fruity tang, sweet, hot, sour…a real explosion in  my mouth.
 
In Italy especially in the South rhubarb is little known and in the North is not so easy to find it and the price…oh my gosh…very high around 10-15 Euros per kilo. When I find it, I prefer to prepare jam rather than cakes so here’s below my special and natural rhubarb jam.

500 gr rhubarb
120 gr brown sugar
80 gr sugar
Lemon zest
Grated ginger

The night before cut into slices the rhubarb and mix with sugar, lemon zest and let it covered.

The morning you will find in your bowl a  lot of water. It is very very good because this liquid will be our jelling agent. Grate the ginger and put on the stove over medium high heat for 10 minutes afterwards cook for 30-40 over low heat. Your jam can need extra time to be ready if it is not so dense as it should be (or as you prefer it is).

 

 

Lost in translation

There is one thing that makes me feel alive more than others: travelling!  When  ! I check new flights and destinations or I start to read about a new trip I feel something that flows in me.  This is definitely a meaning of the of life.

 

This post does not pretend to be a guide but a way to share my experience in Japan with some tips.

Tokyo is surely a city full of contradictions, lights, colors, noises and gadgets.  I am addicted neither to cartoons nor to technological and electronic staff so I was looking for a different Tokyo and I got it.

Tokyo is enormous. There is not just one city center also because the distances are very big. The tube works amazingly and allows around 15 million of people to move from/to Greater Tokyo daily. Do not panic once you see the Tokyo tube map, it seems more difficult than how it is. You just need to pay attention at which kind of tube you want to get on, -there are different colors and letters and mainly two different companies (Toei, JR and Tokyo Metro)-, the final destination and the stops of the train- no all trains serve all stations, and the platform from which your train will leave. Do not take the first train! Never do it!

The Greater Tokyo is made up of different districts. My favorite place was TSUKIJI market, a vibrant place. I had the chance to see the Tuna auction and to visit the market with a local, my dearest friend Emiko. I suggest to go very early in the morning between 2-3 am to get the  number (there are just 120 entries, organized in two groups of 60 people).

GINZA is a district that could be in Tokyo or somewhere else. Full of wonderful buildings and luxury shops. Mitsukoshi is the biggest department store. I just enjoyed their gourmet floors, especially the fresh raw fish  and the patisserie corners. Japanese are keen on bakery, especially French patisserie. They love geometric dessert and fluffy cakes.

ASAKUSA is a really nice and traditional district. Sensoji is the Buddhist temple you must visit and If you love cooking, Kappabashi Dougu street is your place. It is a street with stores, offering Japanese tableware, kitchen tools and utensils, packaging supplies and many wax food samples.

SHIBUYA is very famous for its crossing. The metro station is served by different lines but It is impossible (I am always so optimistic) to get lost because each line has its platform and colors and there are  a lots of exit according to the place you wanna reach. In Shibuya I was at Starbuck at 5 pm, drinking my matcha Frappuccino without whipping cream  to see  many ants crossing the streets. Yes, Japanese, even if they are in hurry in rush hours,  are always in queue, surely a tiny queue. Hachiko statue is on a small square behind the big crossing. Takeshita Dori is full of original shops in which I bought several things and gifts.
YOYOGI park is a calm relief, one part of the park, on Shinjuku side, is quiet and silent where the Meiji Jingu shrine is whilst the other part of park, on Harajuku way, is like a theater where teens come here dressed up, singing, dancing and having picnic. Here I met Gothic Lolitas, many manga and anime characters.
MARUNOCHI is a very modern district where the Imperal palace is. I enjoyed Marunochi street a lot for its cozy coffees and wooded streets.

ROPPONGI is the expat area. I found it not so interesting and a bit dangerous compared to other districts. It’s worth just the astonishing panorama from the Tokyo city view.

AKIHABARA is your place if you love video games, manga, anime, electronic staff and tools indeed not my place!

SHINAGAWA is a nice ward on the Tokyo bay. I spent there a week, waking up with a wonderful view on the sea. If you think that Shibuya is a tough place because overcrowded, you haven’t see Shinagawa station. Here there are also Shinkansen trains platforms so it’s a bit a mess…surely a Japanese mess, so not a mess as we believe. It was so funny to  cross and overtake people …I’m Neapolitan, I’m pretty used to this.

SHIBAMATA is the place in which I stayed for a week at Emiko’s house. Emiko leaves with her two lovely children: Kaoru and Jun. They have a typical Japanese house on 2 floors and I slept on a tatami. Shibamata is a very traditional ward a bit out of the Greater Tokyo. It is well known for the Torasan statue in the main square out of the station. There are wonderful Zen gardens and a magic temple, Taisyakuten. Living with them has been special because It was ages I did not spend time with Emiko chan and with her two amazing children. I prepared pizza with Jun chan. Yes, he likes pizza, pasta and mozzarella more than sushi! I‘m so proud of him.  

KANSAI REGION

Brave of the jetleg two days after my arrival in Tokyo, I left for the Kansai region. From Italy I have bought a Japan Rail Pass, that allows foreigners to travel on Shinkansen, Yamanote and JR train at zero cost for a period of 7, 14 or 21 days.

KYOTO is the old capital and the kingdom of geishas. There are wonderful temples and shrines. I felt in love with Sanjusangendo. It is a Buddhist temple where there are 1,000 standing life size statues. It is a so relaxing place and I felt for a moment out of time. I suggest to visit Funami Inari shrine too. It is  a bit out of Kyoto, but it is served by train  (it is on the JRP). In Kyoto I ate at the Nishiki food market and It was simple delicious, obviously raw fish, onigiri and radish but I must confess I still do not know what exactly I ate.

OSAKA is the most lively city of the Kansai region. There are not a lot of tourist attractions but Osaka people ar every friendly.  The Dotonbori area is really a labyrinth of colors and noises, shops and restaurants everywhere.

NARA is a nice village or more it is a nice Park since I just visited the Park to get lost in its nature and free deer.

KOBE is very nice, with its port and magnificent bridge. It is full of restaurants that offer the very famous beef Kobe. I had a delicious Shabu Shabu, a hot pot fondue.

TOKYO NEIGHBORHOOD

KAMAKURA is a very small city out of Tokyo. There are wonderful shrines: the Sasuke Inari and the Tsurugaoka Hachiman- gu. The city is also very famous for its Amida Buddha statue at Kotoku-in.

YOKOHAMA is really a wonderful city. I really loved it. There is a wonderful walking bridge over the sea…amazing buildings, parks and surely Chinatown. I had lunch in a small place in which two ladies prepared dim sum. I had my portion of shrimp and veggie dim sum and the yummy matcha mooncakes. While I was coming back to Tokyo on my Shinkansen, the old man, sit next to me, just woke me up to show the beauty and the greatness of the Mont Fuji. YES, I saw it.

Japan is not an easy trip since the distances are very big, English is not so spoken and the streets have no name, yes it is a mess unless you find some nice people who will bring you directly to the destination after tons of bows!

I spent my last day in Tokyo before my night flight at Ooedo Onsen Monogatari. It is a hot spring bath park on Odaiba. You choose your Yukata and leave your clothes…yes, because you must be barenaked. There is a women and men area and a mix area in which you could eat or having massages or being out in the nature. There are baths with different temperature. I had my baths, my massage, my shower with the special products they offer. I came in at 10, I left the Onsen at 17. It was my special day, fully immersed in nature no time no space just me.

From this trip, I won’t never forget: the children, always smiling and nice, old people, so kind and really open to the world -because the most of Japanese people are not so open minded – last but not least, FOOD. I tasted everything I could. I ate sushi in the morning, for lunch, for dinner. It was an addiction, especially for the tuna sushi. Sea urchin, scallops, salmon, crabe, Ikura, shrimps…pickled radish, lotus, green tea, umeboshi, yuzu…I never tasted something that was bad, never…I also tasted NATTO (it is ranked as one of the 10 disgusting food in the world) and you know, it was not so bad.

Japan was a little discovery every day. You will feel lost in translation but out of blue you will meet yourself…as when I was coming back from Tsukiji market and walked alone until my apartment in Shinagawa at 5 am.

The far East is amazingly different and fascinating but to me it was more than just this, It was love at first sight with this young boy.