Category: Recipes

Biscotti di mandorle al vino (almond, white whine and olive oil biscotti)

~ stefano arturi ~ 6 Comments
Vegan olive oil almond biscotti
Vegan olive oil almond biscotti

Out of curiosity, I have been experimenting with vegan baking lately. Most efforts went into the bin, lacking any real good flavour and/or texture.  I then had a eureka moment when I remembered the traditional ciambelline al vino from Rome. They are sweet, crunchy, little pastry rings, made with whine (red or white, it does not matter), olive oil and anicini (aniseed  seeds) – here a good version I tried. They are really moorish and una tira l’altra, as we say:  you cannot stop eating them. I decided to play around that theme, Continue reading “Biscotti di mandorle al vino (almond, white whine and olive oil biscotti)” →

Grano al sugo di pomodorini (wheat berries with cherry tomato sauce from Apulia)

~ stefano arturi ~ 7 Comments
wheat berries with tomatoes
wheat berries with tomatoes

A simple and tasty recipe from Puglia, the heel of Italy: wheat berries boiled till al dente and then simmered in a cherry tomato sauce, with garlic, chilly pepper and parsley. Straightforward and delicious. I prefer using semi-polished berries here, the ones that have had the outer, inedible husk removed but with some of the bran still attached. I also tried cooking with whole grain berries in the past I have always found them boring and far too chewy. If you soak the berries the night before, the cooking time will be very short indeed. Continue reading “Grano al sugo di pomodorini (wheat berries with cherry tomato sauce from Apulia)” →

Peperoni in agrodolce + insalata di rinforzo – sour sweet peppers and a Neapolitan cauliflower salad

~ stefano arturi ~ 5 Comments

I am a sucker for sottolii and sottaceto, i.e. all things (generally vegetarian ) preserved in vinegar or oil :  with a hunk of bread & some cheese  I could easily lunch on them every day.
These sour sweet peppers are amongst my favourites: quick and easy, not too sharp, excellent to eat and beautiful to look at. Continue reading “Peperoni in agrodolce + insalata di rinforzo – sour sweet peppers and a Neapolitan cauliflower salad” →

Frittelle veneziane – Venetian Carnival fritters

~ stefano arturi ~ 10 Comments

 

Frittelle is the generic name for “fritters”, however for most Italians frittelle (pronounced frihttehlleh) is synonymous with Carnival. Frittelle are deep fried pastries, generally made with an enriched bread dough or a choux dough, often containing sultanas, citrus zest and pine nuts. When well made, they are light and hollow inside, not at all doughy. They can be either plain or filled with creme patisserie, which is perhaps gilding the lily. In Venice there is a cult for Carnival fritters, no surprisingly perhaps, considering how deeply felt  Carnival is  up there – it is an important part of the city’s history and cultural identity. Personally, I prefer the other, plainer Carnival pastries, chiacchiere, but I would never say no to a warm frittella (which is the singular for the plural frittellE) Continue reading “Frittelle veneziane – Venetian Carnival fritters” →

La sfoglia con 40 tuorli – 40 yolk pasta dough (Piedmontese cooking)

~ stefano arturi ~ 14 Comments

IMG_4551_opt

When making fresh egg pasta, the most common ratio is 1 egg for every 100 g flour. However,  the sfoglia (that is the name of the pasta dough in Italian) can be  as rich/lean as the cook wants. I was recently reminded of this whilst browsing a little book about traditional Piedmontese cooking , Ricette di Osterie di Langa,  published by Slowfood few years ago. Continue reading “La sfoglia con 40 tuorli – 40 yolk pasta dough (Piedmontese cooking)” →