Warm bread cream and braised artichokes

This end of the year has been crazy. I had a lot of work and a small health problem so I did not take care of you but 2014 is over so new chances, new adventures and surely new recipes.

I was watching a food TV show and I had the idea of this bread cream. As a first culinary experiment I put together my favourite veggie as Mr. Cheese, parmesan. It could be served as antipasto or as a main course, It depends on the quantity you serve.

1 fresella (for 2 people a antipasto)    

3 artichokes

A clove of garlic      

Black pepper

Parmesan 

Put a pan over high heat when hot, add the artichokes cut into thick slices. Pour in 1-2 spoon of oil and a sprinkle of white wine. Cook for 12-15 min over medium heat. In the same (or if you prefer another) pan, put a spoon of oil and a clove of garlic, add the fresella, before sopped up in warm water, cook for 5 min. Turn the heat off and put the smashed fresella into a blender. Mic with some water until you get a soft and a smooth cream.

Serve in a soup plate the bread cream with the braised artichokes as some fresh grounded black pepper and Parmesan flakes.

Cuore di bue

I know that I have been offline for a while but now it is time to come back stronger than before with my big passione: red and tomato.

2 big oxheart tomatoes

1 buffalo mozzarella

Basil

Oil

 

Slice the tomatoes (quite big slices) and the mozzarella (as thick as the tomatoes).

Preheat the oven to 200°C. In a baking pan lay a mozzarella slice on a tomato slice for 3, 4 layers. Season with oil and salt.

Bake for 15/20 till the mozzarella starts to melt. Serve with fresh basil.

You could also avoid to bake it and serve it as vertical caprese

Insalata di puntarelle

Chicory Sprouts (Puntarelle) are a vegetable from the chicory family. It is traditional dish from Rome, served as antipasto, contorno or salad (mangiare in Italia).

Puntarelle are green and leafy and once pried apart the outer leaves, there is a crunchy center, full of pointy spears. Their taste is delightfully bitter.

First thing to do: clean the Puntarelle! It is a bit laborious and requires time, but in some supermarkets you can find the ready-to-eat version to make life easier!

Rinse under cold running water, pry apart the outer dark green leaves and then cut off each spear from the center that will be cut lengthwise into thin strips. Soak them into a bowl with ice and water for an hour until they curl up and lose part of  their natural bitterness.

250 gr puntarelle

8 anchovy fillets, packed in oil or anchovy paste

200 gr mozzarella di bufala

Evo oil

Balsamic vinegar

In a glass mix the oil with the some drops of balsamic vinegar, do not add salt since the fillets are salty (If you are using the anchovy  paste, just mix the oil with the paste). This is our dressing to pour on the puntarelle.

Once seasoned add the anchovy fillets, some diced mozzarella and enjoy with some warm bread.