♥ a food, travel and lifestyle blog ♥
In Liber de Coquina, an Italian recipe book from the 1300s, there is a recipe for a dish made with pasta and Parmesan. I made sure to use Parmesan for my loaded macaroni cheese to pay homage to my love of Italy, and the amazing meals we have had there. Head straight on to the … Continue reading Loaded Macaroni Cheese
Frandura Di Montalto is a simple peasant dish to be enjoyed warm straight from the oven. Or possible served cold on a picnic. I can well imagine it being taken into the hills of the region to serve as a decent and hearty lunch time meal. Head straight on to the Recipe For ♥ Frandura … Continue reading Frandura Di Montalto
I made my scialatielli using a pasta roller, but this is not necessary. The pasta can be served as I have shown here, with a fresh tomato sauce. Or, if you want something simple, just add butter and a good grating of Parmigiano Reggiano. Head straight on to the Recipe For ♥ Scialatielli ♥ Scialatielli … Continue reading Scialatielli
The next recipe I will be sharing with you is for scialatielli. This fresh pasta needs a fresh tomato sauce to make it the perfect meal. However, as this sauce is so versatile I thought I would do a stand alone recipe for those of you who do not want to use it as a … Continue reading Fresh Tomato Sauce
These pistachio cantuccini are similar to biscotti in shape and method. But not the same as they use pistachios instead of almonds. I went for a Mediterranean feel using rose water and mixed peel. Head straight on to the Recipe For ♥ Pistachio Cantuccini ♥ Confusion around the word biscotti In English, biscotti is used … Continue reading Pistachio Cantuccini
Stufato Di Melanzane is an eggplant stew using what I would consider traditional Sicilian ingredients. I would usually steer away from recipes that have cooked sulatanas in them but I love using aubergines in different ways. This made a generous portion which was used not only for lunch, but with pasta for supper. Head straight … Continue reading Stufato Di Melanzane
When I saw the recipe for Parmigiana Bianca Di Zucchini on Frank's blog I knew I had to make it. Frank said to cut the zucchini into 2-3cm thick slices in his original post (it has since been changed), but I ignored that and used his words very thinly to guide what I did. Head … Continue reading Parmigiana Bianca Di Zucchini
My heart longs to live on a small island off the coast of Sicily. Ortigia reminds me of Venice, without the canals. The streets are narrow, the atmosphere in the piazza amazing, and it is beautiful. Every morning we walked to the market, and bought fresh produce for that day. You buy what you need, … Continue reading Melanzane Alla Siciliana
Linguine Alla Vongole has to be one of Dave's favourite pasta dishes. I have never made this for him because I am not a huge fan. I love clams, and I love pasta, but, the dish is too finicky for me. Well, that is what I thought until I made this at home. There were … Continue reading Linguine Alla Vongole
You may have realized I was working my way towards this recipe for Agnolotti Ripieni Di Ragù? I made so much of the pork neck ragu that it seemed the logical place to use half of the batch was in a filled pasta. And as I had promised to do so when I made the … Continue reading Agnolotti Ripieni Di Ragù
I so enjoyed how the pork neck came out when I made melanzane that I decided to make a large batch of pork neck ragu. Some was enjoyed with hand cut pasta, and the rest was used to make agnolotti. Head straight on to the Recipe For ♥ Pork Neck Ragu ♥ When I booked … Continue reading Pork Neck Ragu
I love having a few bottles of Salsa Di Pomodoro in my fridge. It means when I don't have time I have pasta sauce ready to go. And it can be used for making casseroles or adding to a curry in a hurry. Head straight on to the Recipe For ♥ Salsa Di Pomodoro ♥ … Continue reading Salsa Di Pomodoro
It is a bit strange to use a French cheese in an Italian dish. But it works so well that I really encourage you to make this brie and tomato pasta. It is simple to prepare and the only thing that takes time is marinating the tomatoes and cheese. Head straight on to the Recipe … Continue reading Brie And Tomato Pasta
If making agnolotti, one would shape them into a square of anywhere between 2.5cm to 5cm. I made agnolotti al plin, which are rectangular in shape. You use your thumb and index finger to pinch the filling closed to seal the pasta. They are traditionally filled with meat but I decided on my first go … Continue reading Agnolotti Al Plin
Using the humble (and cheap) pork neck you can make this really scrumptious pork neck melanzane. This recipe uses traditional Sicilian flavours. But you could change it up by using peppers in place of the aubergines, tequila for the balsamic, and a Mexican cheese. Head straight on to the Recipe For ♥ Pork Neck Melanzane … Continue reading Pork Neck Melanzane
I like the idea of making calzone when it is just Dave and I for supper. I can fit two of them onto my pizza stone. And we can then choose our own fillings. Head straight on to the Recipe For ♥ Calzone ♥ Last month Dave and I had a very traumatic week. It … Continue reading Calzone
To get this recipe for Chicken and Chorizo Pasta perfect, you will have to make a red pepper purée. It sounds like quite a mission, but the effort is certainly worth it. Head straight on to the Recipe For ♥ Chicken And Chorizo Pasta ♥ I have a method of packing that I have stuck … Continue reading Chicken And Chorizo Pasta
Whereas chicken soup might be Jewish penicillin, to me minestrone is medicine for the soul. I am longing for Italy and am cooking as much Italian food as I can right now. Head straight on to the Recipe For ♥ Minestrone ♥ Did you know that bees produce propolis to build their hives? It is … Continue reading Minestrone
My copy of The Pasta Man is covered in beet juice from working on this recipe. I made Mateo's vegan beetroot dough which resulted in a lot of waste. But I loved the colour so used it as inspiration to make my own beetroot pasta. It will turn pink once cooked which could make for … Continue reading Beetroot Pasta
Pre Covid one could not get beef cheeks for love nor money. Restaurant chefs grabbed them and they became a luxury item. But now, there seems to be easier availability. And the price is budget friendly. I made a beef cheek ragu reminiscent of what we have had in Italy. Head straight on to the … Continue reading Beef Cheek Ragu