Pasta with artichokes

My friend had made this pasta and posted on #instagram. It looks so easy and yummy that I asked her if I could use it for my blog. This is how she made it.

What you need: one small shallot; one or two big fresh artichokes or 4 already prefaced and ready to use. 4 slices of prosciutto crudo or ham. Parmigiano cheese.

If  you don’t know how to clean artichokes watch this video. Otherwise, clean your artichokes and slice them very thin. In a skillet with extra virgin olive brown the shallot and when transparent add the artichokes. Cook until soft and gold, but not dry. Add the ham chopped in small dices and let cook for other few minutes.

Cook the pasta according to the directions, drain and place in the skillet with the sauce. Add parmigiano reggiano cheese, salt and pepper and serve.

 

 

Best and easy pizza dough recipe

How many times have you tried to make home made pizza dough and it’s just does not taste like the one you buy at the store or in a pizzeria? I have become obsessed with pizza lately. I had posted previously how to make pizza dough using regular flour or wheat flour (all purpose) and following the typical Italian way of cooking. It was still good, but it was not the soft yet crunchy pizza I eat in Italy. The other day I was watching Test Kitchen and they were making pizza dough. I was skeptical because they did some weird things, but I gave it a try and it turned to be amazing. There are still few things I will change. I will talk about what I loved and hated about this recipe and whether it was easy to make at home.

This is the recipe: I strongly suggest to register for free on their websites because you get access to more details, but you can still watch the videos of the pizza dough. All credits go to America’s Test Kitchen. I will tell you whether I changed something.

Pizza Dough Taken from America’s Test Kitchen 

• 3cups (16 1/2 ounces) bread flour, plus more for work surface (see note)
• 2teaspoons sugar
• 1/2teaspoon instant or rapid-rise yeast
• 1 1/3cups ice water (about 10 1/2 ounces) (see note)
• 1tablespoon vegetable oil, plus more for work surface
• 1 1/2teaspoons table salt

• • 1. FOR THE DOUGH: In food processor fitted with metal blade, process flour, sugar, and yeast until combined, about 2 seconds. (I used the KitchenAid). With machine running, slowly add water through feed tube (I slowly added water); process until dough is just combined and no dry flour remains, about 10 seconds. Let dough stand 10 minutes. (This was weird because my dough did not unified and it was all broken in pieces. I added some more water to fix the problem).

  • 2. Add oil and salt to dough and process until dough forms satiny, sticky ball that clears sides of workbowl, 30 to 60 seconds. Remove dough from bowl and knead briefly on lightly oiled countertop until smooth, about 1 minute. Shape dough into tight ball and place in large, lightly oiled bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 24 hours and up to 3 days. (I used the dough the third day. It looked sticky so I added some flour to work it. I divided the dough into two balls so two pizza. The recipe said to use a pizza stone and heat it up at high temperature. I think 500. Then to cook it at the very top of the oven. I did not have the stone so I used a metal round tray with holes at the bottom. I also could not place the tray at the very top. It was in the middle. My oven just is not that great I guess. The stove was at 500 when I cooked the pizza. Here something else I did differently. I always cook the dough before I top it with everything else. That is because otherwise it does not cook and the pizza gets soggy. I cooked it for 5 minutes but I would push it to 7 or 8. Then I added a full spoon of tomato sauce from a jar -did not have time to make it fresh- and added shredded mozzarella. I cooked it until the cheese melted and the crust was gold/brown. Also my dough when I work it is always thin. I like thin crust. 

    Verdict: the pizza is amazing. It really reminded me of something you buy at a pizzeria. The only critique is that I would not add sugar. The dough was too sweet for me. Very tailored to American taste. Also I thought it was weird to use yeast and ice water because of the process of yeast, but it worked. Another secret was the flour. I always used regular flour but the bread flour is magic because it allows rising of the dough and adds elasticity. I never imagined Americans would teach me how to make Italian thin pizza:) 

    

Minestrone Gin

This is all I had in the fridge:

The only thing I could even imagine to cook was some sort of minestrone, stew, frantoiana. Frantoiana is the best soup you can ever eat. It’s a dense zuppa famous is #Lucca, #Tuscany. It’s made with cabbage, beans and roasted spicy bread. I decided to improvise and make some sort of #zuppa. Let me tell you, at first I was skeptical but it turned out to be delicious.

Minestrone a la Gin

one bag frozen peas and carrots

one bag frozen cauliflowers

half onion (diced)

4 cloves of garlic (chopped)

half lemon

some fennel

one shallot

one large patotoes

one can of tomatoes

one tablespoon of cumin

one tablespoon tandoori spices

one tablespoon oregano

salt and pepper

olive oil

one can organic pinto beans smashed

old bread to toast and make croutons (as well as a variety of dry herbs)

2 cups of water (half liter).

pecorino cheese

the butt of parmigiano reggiano cheese

fresh herbs (oregano, basil, cilantro, thyme, rosemary, etc)

I hope that’s all. I really put everything in here. I wanted to be tasty, so I experimented with a lot of different spices. I met not too long ago a PhD student from Iran and she told me how she use lemon with her stew. It was awesome.

The first thing you want to do is place all the chopped onions, garlic and shallot, fresh herbs in a large pot covered with generous layer of olive oil. Add the oregano, the cumin and the tandoori spices. Add the lemon and the fennel chopped finely as well. Let it cook until it is brown and gold.

Add the frozen veggies and the potato chopped. Salt and pepper and cook on medium/high. Cook at least for 10 minutes. Add a can of tomatoes and the water. Stir and let cook for 15 minutes.

In the meantime smash the beans (one can will be enough). Then prepare the croutons. Cut old bread in cubes. Place in a large bowl with dry herbs and olive oil. Mix well. Then place on a baking sheet and place in the over to toast. Delicious. Set aside.

Taste the soup now. If it tastes like nothing add spices/herbs to it. At this point it should not be as running as early. Add the bean paste. Stir. Cook on low heat for 5-15 minutes. I like mine when it gets a little bit burned on the bottom. It is very dense and not running.

Serve the bread on the bottom (or top). Pour the minestrone. Sprinkle with cheese and olive oil and serve hot.

Tiramisu’ or Tiramisu

There are many versions of this Italian dessert but I am here showing the classic recipe which I like best. The word tiramisu’ means literally pull me up. Because the recipe requires espresso it is a dessert that helps waking you up. It also requires alcohol. In Italy after dinner we usually drink caffe’ corretto, espresso with either #grappa, #rum or some other type of strong alcohol. I used to make this dessert when I was 14 with grappa and my friends and I would get wasted- ahahah

tiramisu
2 large white eggs
2 large yolks
Espresso diluted with water for 4 people
One cup of fine sugar
A tablespoon of orange juice
A pack of savoiardi cookies
225 grams mascarpone (one container)
Dark chocolate for decoration

Rum 😉

Prepare the coffee and set aside to cool off.
Whip the yolk with half the sugar until it gets dense and creamy. Add while whipping some OJ. Add the mascarpone and keep whipping.
Whip the egg white with the remaining sugar until they become fluffy and big.

Now very important add the yolk cream with the egg white with a wood spoon. Flip (not stirring)gently from bottom to top until the mixture is well mixed. You don’t want to lose volume.

Take a glass Pyrex. Take a bowl and place the coffee and some rum in it. Dip briefly the savoiardi on both sides. Make first in the glass Pyrex a layer of cookies, then cover with the cream and so on.

Finish with some dark chocolate and place in the fridge. Consume within 3 days-

Cream with caramelized peach – crema pasticcera con pesche

A tasty dessert for a weekend or special occasion. It makes enough for 4 small bowls. I made it for my friends who came over Saturday night.

Ingredients:

2 peaches cut in half and peel them. Brush them with butter, sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.

5 yolks (organic and fresh)

one cup of organic sugar

a spoon of Brandy, or Marsala or Martini

200 g of heavy cream whipped

Watch the video to see how to caramelize the peaches. You can put them on a grill until they get soft and caramelized. Set on a side.

Place the eggs in a bowl to cook in a double boiler. Add the sugar. Keep whisking the eggs and sugar until it gets somewhat dense and double in size. It will take a while. I mean a while and your arm will be sore. It is like doing push ups. Add some Brandy or whatever you chose to. Add some organic zest. Once it is ready (this is crucial) place the bowl on a bigger bowl full of ice. Set to cool off.

When the cream is cooled off, slowly add the whipped cream. Move without whisking the cream. Place in the refrigerator to cool off.

When you are ready to serve, warm up the peaches in the microwave. Place the cream in the small bowls and the peach on top. Sprinkle grated dark chocolate (90%) and serve.

Please watch the video to see the finishing touch. Enjoy!

Crema alle pesche