Very EATalian

Almond Basil Pesto Sauce

June 17, 2015 By very EATalian Leave a Comment

One of the best parts of being back in Italy is having access to my mom’s garden. If only I had her green thumb! I mean, I’m not terrible at nursing indoor plants and potted herbs, but an outdoor garden is a whole different story. A garden requires lots of patience (definitely not my strongest suit) and many, many hours of work. It’s a true labor of love.

This year her garden is more beautiful and rich than ever: she planted tomatoes, carrots, string beans, celery, Swiss chard, zucchini, cucumbers, iceberg lettuce, kale, bell peppers, eggplants, strawberries, parsley,….and lots of basil. So green and so thriving! As soon as I saw it, I thought of making a nice pasta with fresh pesto sauce. After completing my garden shopping by filling my basket with a whole bunch of basil leaves (and other fresh goodies), I trotted my way back to the kitchen where I soon realized I ran out of pine nuts–one of the key ingredients for a traditional pesto sauce! Thankfully, I had some almonds and I promptly switched gear (different kinds of nuts work well with pesto–I’ll definitely try the pistachio version soon!).

When all the ingredients were ready and I was about to pull out the food processor, my mom reminded me of a gorgeous marble mortar that was sitting in the basement, by the fireplace. Over the years it kind of lost its real purpose and became more of a holder for random things – birthday candles, a matchbox, wine corks…just to name few. My initial excitement to feature such a cool utensil in my photos immediately vanished when I found out the pestle was missing. Uh oh. The mortar was too cool to let go of the idea to use it.

“Damn Stubborn” is my middle name. So there I was, trying to miraculously turn all the ingredients into a sauce, by banging the thick end of a wooden spoon against them. Although my pictures may suggest differently, after about 10 minutes of frantic beating , I dumped everything into the food processor bowl. 2 minutes–done.

I love how all the ingredients beautifully come together in this lovely sauce. It’s so flavorful and fresh! Pesto is a perfect summer condiment and it’s quite versatile! I like to use it as a pasta sauce, but it can also be a delicious spread on a hot panini. I recently had a “white” pizza with pesto on top. Lovely.

Now, there’s one important thing you should know about pesto: it easily turns dark unless you follow few basic rules. I’m fascinated with the scientific aspect of cooking and Dario Bressanini‘s blog is a great read for whomever is interested in learning about the science of food. Unfortunately, I think his blog is only available in Italian. However, here are a few things I learned from his interesting article on pesto:

*The ingredients should be processed in such a way not to heat them. Refrigerate the ingredients before using them, and add the cheese at the very end. Placing your food processor blades in the freezer also helps.

*The basil shouldn’t be exposed to oxygen while being processed. Pour the oil on top of the basil leaves and push them down with a spoon until they’re all covered in oil. Using a small food processor (think Magic Bullet) helps minimizing the oxygen exposure. For my pesto, I used a hand-held blender.

Just stick to these rules and your pesto will be bright green!

Almond Pesto Sauce

Prep time

10 mins

Total time

10 mins

Recipe type: Sauce

Serves: 4-5

Ingredients

a handful of almonds, peeled and ground
50 basil leaves, washed with cold water and patted dry
¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil (the best kind you can find)
1 garlic clove, minced
a pinch of coarse salt
50 g (1.7 oz) parmesan cheese
(optional, and only if making pasta) 2-3 Tbsp cooking water

Instructions

Place the basil leaves inside a small and clean food processor and pour the oil on top. Push the basil leaves down with a spoon until they're all covered by oil. Add salt, minced garlic, and ground almonds.
Grind all the ingredients, until you obtain a nice sauce. Pour it in a small bowl and stir in Parmesan cheese. Add more salt, if needed.
Don't worry if the sauce is too thick for your pasta. You can loosen it up by stirring in a couple of spoonfuls of cooking water or adding a bit of oil.

Notes

In order to prevent your pesto from becoming dark, follow these tips:
- Take time to carefully pat your basil dry
- Refrigerate the garlic, the ground almonds, and the extra-virgin olive oil before use.
- Place your food processor blades in the freezer before use.

Did you enjoy this recipe? Please show your love and leave a comment or tag @veryEATalian on Twitter or Instagram! Grazie mille <3

Prosciutto and Burrata Cheese Crostini

June 8, 2015 By very EATalian 3 Comments

Hey guys–I’m back! Moving overseas is NO JOKE. I’ve done it before but this time was definitely more …”intense”. We had to deal with lots of sorting, tossing, packing, cleaning all kinds of stuff and arranging all the details to make this move happen — in a VERY short time. Thankfully, I survived all the craziness and I can formally announce I’m writing you from my favorite place in the world: ITALY. Oh yeah. I wish I could tell you I’m nothing but happy to be here in my homeland, but the truth is a big part of me is sad. It will be a loooong time apart from my husband. *big tear*

OK. Switching back to happier thoughts… how about I give you an easy and quick recipe? What if it was an appetizer that could also become a light dinner? The magic word is CROSTINI! The ones you see in the pictures are very fresh and quite satisfying. I LOVE dining off appetizers–they’re more fun to eat than a regular meal and they’re SO easy to prepare. You’ll only need 5 main ingredients, one non-stick pan and 15-20 minutes of your time.

You already know how much I love prosciutto crudo, but I don’t think I’ve ever told you how much I love burrata cheese. Oh my. It’s creamy cheesy goodness. You absolutely need to try it. Burrata is simply a shell of mozzarella holding a soft, buttery heart of fresh cream, mixed with soft stringy flecks of curd (scraps of mozzarella bits, also called rags). It’s just plain delicious.

The ingredient sequence to prepare these crostini is as follows:

toasted bread + burrata + prosciutto (from San Daniele!!) + seared cherry tomato + basil + balsamic glaze.

How simple is that?? Little effort for a delicious and quick dinner. I love that.

Prosciutto and Burrata Cheese Crostini

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

5 mins

Total time

20 mins

Recipe type: Appetizer

Serves: 3-4

Ingredients

a small ciabatta baguette (about 5 oz)
8 oz burrata cheese, sliced
2-3 oz (about 4-5 slices) San Daniele prosciutto
6 cherry tomatoes, halved
12 basil leaves
balsamic glaze
extra-virgin olive oil
kosher salt

Instructions

Slice ciabatta baguette into 12 slices. Drizzle each slice with extra-virgin olive oil.
Place slices of bread on non-stick pan, over medium-high heat. Toast them on both sides until they reach a golden brown color (don't lose sight of them or they'll burn).
In the same skillet, add another bit of oil over medium high heat. Once the pan is hot, add tomatoes halves cut-side down and sear them for 1 minute, briefly turning them. Sprinkle some salt on top and remove from the heat before they get too soft, placing them on a separate small dish.
Break prosciutto with your hands, in smaller pieces.
Assemble crostini: place a slice of burrata on each crostino, add a piece of prosciutto as a second layer; top with a cherry tomato and a basil leaf.
Drizzle with balsamic glaze and serve.

Baci di Dama – Lady’s Kisses

May 18, 2015 By very EATalian 3 Comments

*SIGH*

We’re in the middle of moving abroad and I’ll let you imagine all the craziness we’re dealing with. Our living situation for the next year won’t be exactly ideal — let’s say we’re going to go back to the long-distance relationship again. Alas, my husband and I have a lot of experience in this. The silver lining is that I get to go back to Italy for a while! I’ll get to see my family, my adorable nephew, my silly dog and cat, and eat lots of great and fresh Italian food…not necessarily cooked by me!

“Si, ciao mamma. Can you please greet me with a huge plate of prosciutto when I get home? I need to catch up for the time I was gone! I’ll have it with some cantaloupe. And a glass of prosecco. Grazie. Ciao.” The truth is, I don’t even need to ask for this. I know it will be there, waiting for me as soon as I step in the kitchen!

I’m looking forward to sharing more recipes and photos of all the places I love and miss so much.

So, while checking off some items from my long pre-departure to-do checklist and getting frustrated at my computer for not keeping up with the speed of my thoughts, I decided to take a break and find relief in the kitchen…baking cookies. It was the exact kind of meticulous work I needed to do to calm down my restless mind.

Baci di Dama are bite-size cookies that melt in your mouth. They look like two lips holding together a chocolate kiss, hence their cute name “Lady’s Kisses”. Their short crust is quite delicate and usually made of almonds or hazelnuts. The hazelnut version is from the city of Cuneo (where Nutella comes from), whereas the almond version is from the town of Tortona — both places are located in the Piedmont region, Northwest Italy.

The original recipe calls for the “tant-pour-tant” ingredient ratio, which means you need to use the same exact amount of each ingredient (butter, flour, sugar, hazelnut or almond). I used a recipe (from a lovely Italian food blog) that is slightly off that ratio but worked perfectly.

I have to be honest…Baci di Dama aren’t super easy to make…but stay with me! In order to achieve the delicate texture and cute dome shape they’re so famous for, you just have to follow a few basic rules:

– Ground the hazelnuts (or almonds) very finely
– Refrigerate the little dough balls for at least 30 minutes
– Bake at a low temperature (285°F/140°C or less, if you have a convection oven)
– Do not over-bake the cookies or they’ll lose their soft and delicate texture
– Do not touch them before they’ve completely cooled off!

That’s it. I added few more notes regarding the chocolate filling in the recipe below. I warn you–these little “kisses” are quite addictive! You’ll want to make them again.

5.0 from 1 reviews

Baci di Dama - Lady's Kisses

Prep time

1 hour 45 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

2 hours 5 mins

Author: Adapted from Pura Passione

Recipe type: Cookies

Serves: 35 cookies

Ingredients

100 g (3.5 oz) hazelnuts, chopped
90 g (3.2 oz) sugar
110 g (3.8 oz) all-purpose flour
20 g (0.7 oz) corn starch
a small pinch of salt
100 g (3.5 oz) unsalted butter, softened
70 g dark chocolate, roughly chopped

Instructions

Toast the hazelnuts in the oven at 360°F/180°C until lightly colored. Remove from the oven and rub them gently with a dish towel to remove their skin. Let them cool off completely.
Using a food processor, grind the toasted hazelnuts with the sugar until you obtain a sand-like consistency.
Pour your ground mixture into a bowl and add the flour, corn starch, and salt to it. Add the softened butter and work quickly with your fingertips to form the dough. Once the dough is smooth and uniform, refrigerate it for 30 minutes.
Line 2 small baking trays (they'll need to fit in the fridge!) with parchment paper. Roll the dough into ¾ inch (2 cm) logs and cut them into small pieces that weigh about 5 or 6 grams each (about the size of a nickel). Roll all pieces into small balls and placed them on the baking tray. Ensure they are spaced well as they will get a little bigger while baking.
Refrigerate again for 30 minutes (this will ensure the cookies will keep their dome shape).
Turn oven to 285°F/140°C. Bake one tray at the time for about 18-20 minutes. The cookie should be lightly colored on the bottom. Remove from the oven and place the baking tray on a cooling rack. DO NOT TOUCH cookies until they have cooled off otherwise they'll break. Once they've reached room temperature, taste-test one to ensure it's cooked through. If not, return to the oven for one or two more minutes.
Melt the chocolate on a double boiler. Once it's almost entirely melted, remove from the heat and let it rest for 5 min. Mix with a spatula to ensure it's all melted and let it cool off a bit until it becomes thicker and forms ribbons. Pair each cookie with another one of the same shape/size. With a teaspoon, drop a bit of chocolate on one half. The chocolate should be cool enough to not fall from one cookie, if you turn it 90 degrees (look at the photos above). Assemble Baci di Dama by placing the other half cookie on top. Twist the top part to make the chocolate spread evenly. Your Baci di Dama are ready!

Notes

The temperature and baking time varies according to the oven (convection or fan oven will require less time!). I suggest to test a small batch, first. The cookie should be lightly colored on the bottom. Do not bake longer than 20 minutes or the cookie will become too hard.

Strawberry Tiramisù

May 8, 2015 By very EATalian Leave a Comment

Today’s post is short and sweet. It’s especially sweet because I made this strawberry tiramisù to celebrate Mother’s Day.

I left Italy almost a year ago and not a day has gone by that my mom and I haven’t talked to each other. She’s the sweetest, wisest, strongest, and most positive person I’ve ever known…and I love her with all my heart.

Ti voglio bene, mamma.

Strawberry Tiramisu

Prep time

40 mins

Total time

40 mins

Recipe type: Dessert

Serves: 2-3 people (three 8 oz-jars or 2 small bowls)

Ingredients

1 egg yolk
2 Tbsp sugar (+ 3 tsp divided)
4 oz mascarpone cheese
½ cup heavy cream
10-12 savoiardi cookies
¾ cup orange juice
3-4 strawberries, juiced
12 small strawberries, halved and stems removed
1 drizzle of balsamic glaze
¼ lemon, juiced

Instructions

In a small bowl, mix together the halved strawberries, the juice of ¼ lemon, 2 tsp of sugar, and a drizzle of balsamic glaze. Mix well until sugar is dissolved. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
In another bowl, beat the egg yolk and 2 Tbsp of sugar with a handheld mixer or with a whisk, until you obtain a thick, smooth cream. Add in the mascarpone cheese and gently mix with a spoon until all lumps disappear.
Whip the heavy cream in a separate container to stiff peaks. Gently fold the whipped cream into the egg/sugar mixture, carefully stirring with a spatula. [Tip: If the cream is too thin, cover it and refrigerate it until it becomes firmer]
In a separate small bowl or deep dish, pour the orange juice, 1 teaspoon of sugar, and the juice of 3 strawberries (you can juice them by pressing them against a strainer). Mix well, until sugar is dissolved.
Break the cookies in small pieces to form a layer that fits inside your jar or bowl. Before forming a layer, dip each piece of cookie in the juice mixture for about 3-4 seconds (smaller pieces will require less time!). The soaked cookie shouldn’t be too dry or too soggy. Form a layer by arranging each piece of cookie side by side, without leaving any gap in between.
Pour a layer of the cream mixture on top, alternating with another layer of cookies dipped in juice. The final layer of the tiramisù should be cream.
Arrange the balsamic-glazed strawberries on top. Cover the tiramisù with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 2-3 hours. Eat within two days.

Notes

If you prefer, you can replace the orange juice with milk.

You can easily double or triple this recipe and use a more traditional baking dish, instead of jars or bowls.

The traditional tiramisù contains raw eggs. Use only fresh and clean eggs with intact shells and avoid any contact between the yolk and the shell.

Cjalsons: Sweet and Savory Dumplings from Friuli

April 30, 2015 By very EATalian 2 Comments

I’m back home! Alabama was nice–but 3 weeks in a hotel room with only a microwave was loooong. Our hotel quality-of-life was definitely improved by the espresso machine we brought from home. Although it’s highly probable the housekeeper thought we were a couple of cuckoos, we felt exceptionally proud of our survival forethought.

YAY for being back at having fun in the kitchen!

There’s nothing better than homemade “ravioli” to start cooking again. Well, these aren’t exactly ravioli per se…but kind of similar. These tasty dumplings are called cjalsons (or cjarsons) and they’re traditionally cooked for festivities in the mountains of Friuli (the most Northeastern Italian region and where I call home).

The dough is usually prepared with water, flour, salt and, sometimes, potatoes. The filling usually features a nice combination of sweet and salty ingredients like mashed potatoes, raisins, smoked ricotta cheese, cinnamon, cookies, herbs or chocolate. Like for many other Italian dishes, there are many versions of cjalsons. Back home, we use this recipe: we jazz up the traditional filling by using apple, pear, pancetta, and amaretti cookies. These ingredients give the filling a nice variety of textures and an intriguing flavor: they’re sweet with a nice kick of saltiness. The best part is the butter/parmesan/cinnamon finish. I used parmesan cheese (Parmigiano Reggiano!) because it’s hard to find smoked ricotta here. If you do find it, use it by all means. Just shave it on top. It’s absolutely the best way to serve this wonderful dish.

Expect more cjalsons recipes in the future. I looooove food from Friuli!

5.0 from 1 reviews

My family's Cjalsons (or Cjarsons)

Prep time

1 hour 15 mins

Cook time

6 mins

Total time

1 hour 21 mins

Recipe type: Entree

Serves: 2

Ingredients

75 g (1/2 cup) all-purpose flour
75 g (1/2 cup) whole wheat flour
40 gr (a bit less than 3 Tbsp) of butter, melted + 1 Tbsp for final seasoning
40 ml (1.3 oz or 2 Tbsp and 2 tsp) of water
1 yolk
55 g (about 2 oz) of pancetta, minced
½ apple
1 small pear
4 regular-sized (or 10 mini) amaretti cookies, crumbled
pepper
sugar
salt
cinnamon

Instructions

Mix flour, water, melted butter and yolk in a bowl. Once the ingredients are combined, transfer onto a clean surface and knead until dough becomes uniform and smooth. Cover with plastic film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Cut the apple and the pear in small cubes (about ¼ inch or 6 mm).
Add minced pancetta to a medium-sized skillet and sauté over medium heat. Once pancetta changes color, add cubed apple and pear. Cook until pear is soft, but not too mushy. Add a sprinkle of sugar, salt, and pepper. Remove skillet from the heat, add crumble amaretti and transfer to a plate.
Take dough out of fridge and roll it with a rolling pin or a pasta machine until it becomes thin (see photos above), adding a bit of flour if necessary (not too much!). Cut rolled dough in 3.5 inch (9 cm) rounds.
With a teaspoon, place a small dose of filling in the center of each round. Brush some water on the outer part of the round. Fold round in half, forming a dumpling and making sure no air is trapped inside. Press the edges together to seal them tightly.
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.
Melt butter in a large skillet and set aside.
Gently place the cjalsons in batches in boiling water. Remove them with a slotted spoon once they come to the surface and transfer them in a skillet with melted butter over low heat. Cook for about 2-3 min, turning them gently. Sprinkle with cinnamon, pepper and parmesan cheese.

Aperol Spritz

April 23, 2015 By very EATalian Leave a Comment

If you’ve ever had the chance to visit Italy and part-take in the Italian social life, then you’ve probably seen or tasted the “orange drink” everybody’s sipping on. It’s Aperol Spritz–a refreshing combination of Prosecco, Aperol, and club soda. It’s low in alcohol, slightly bitter but also sweet, and aromatic with citrus; it’s usually served with potato chips and a big green olive on a stick. Some people like to assemble it at home “by color”, that is, mixing in the Aperol until it achieves the “right” shade of orange. However, if you don’t want to mess it up, just scroll down for the recipe.

In Italian, a drink like Aperol Spritz is called aperitivo–an alcoholic drink you have before a meal…and Spritz does a great job at whetting your appetite. We Italians loooove our aperitivo time to the point where sometimes it becomes “aperi-cena” (aperitivo+dinner): a stretched version of aperitivo where you dine off appetizers or crostini with delicious cheeses or cold cuts (kind of like tapas). Mmmm. So good.

Meeting my friends for a spritz is definitely something I miss about Italy. It’s really nice to get together and catch up over a refreshing and tasty drink, while enjoying the view of the lively piazza. I love it!

Drinking Spritz in Caorle with my friend Angela and our travel buddy, the Clementine.

Aperol Spritz

Prep time

5 mins

Total time

5 mins

Recipe type: Cocktails

Serves: 1

Ingredients

3 parts Prosecco
2 parts Aperol
1 splash club soda or sparkling water
1 orange slice
ice

Instructions

In a tumbler glass or a large wine glass, add a generous amount of ice cubes.
Pour Prosecco, Aperol, and top with club soda. The glass should be halfway to three-quarters full.
Stir well and add an orange slice.

Notes

Spritz is best served with an olive on a cocktail stick and a bowl of potato chips.

Spaghetti with Calamari

April 16, 2015 By very EATalian Leave a Comment

My husband and I love going grocery shopping together. Although I’m sure it may sound boring to most, we have fun looking at products (especially cheeses), being drawn by cool-looking and colorful packaging and getting inspiration for new recipes. We’re like kids in a candy store and I seem to be able to add to the experience by doing strange things that either make him laugh out loud or roll his eyes. In fact, American grocery stores have often offered me opportunities to learn, laugh, and reflect. Here’s a list of things that happened to me while shopping for food:

1) Spending at least 10 minutes looking for disposable gloves to pick my vegetables and then realizing people here pick their veggies with their bare hands.
2) Conversely, wondering why the roll of plastic bags stands right next to the chicken section, while I nonchalantly put a package of chicken breasts straight in the cart.
3) Trying to order prosciutto in hectograms.
4) Entering a cashier lane from the wrong side (it sadly still happens).
5) Being mesmerized by exotic and colorful foods like Doritos, Pop-tarts and Strawberry Marshmallow Fluff….impulsively buying them and, only after the first bite, reading their huge list of artificial ingredients. Yet still chowing down on them while being crushed by guilt.
6) Being puzzled at the idea that people would buy a product that claims to “taste like the real thing”, instead of getting the “real thing”.
7) Missing the European insert-a-coin-to-get-a-cart-and-get-your-coin-back-by-returning-the-cart system when I see shopping carts abandoned in the parking lot and waaaay too close to my car.
8) Lingering in front of the fish department, desperately looking for fish with their heads on.
9) Trying to bag my own groceries (as I would in Italy) and getting weird looks by the person whose job is actually to bag my groceries (oh. I thought he was just standing there!)
10) Whispering to my husband while in line to pay at Trader Joe’s: “is it okay if we use Whole Foods shopping bags here?” (like that would the cashier’s feelings! Total paranoia, I know.)

Although I’ve been in the States for some time now and I’m no longer a “fish out of water”, I seem to still be able to do awkward things that inevitably amuse or embarrass my husband. Just like when he overheard me asking the fish department guy this exact question:

“Do you have tentacles?” [read with cute voice and a light Italian accent]

I’m not sure if it was for my accent or the generic question (I’m pretty sure he thought I was asking if he had tentacles somewhere in his body), but the guy looked at me strangely and it took him awhile to understand I wanted squid “legs” (or arms??). My husband overheard the whole thing and barely kept his composure as he approached me.

Okay. End of my funny grocery shopping stories. The tentacles ended up with a bunch of squid rings in a delicious pasta with calamari –a fresh, simple and flavorful dish. Eating fresh seafood always puts me in a good mood. Eating squid tentacles, in particular, will always put a smile on my face.

SPAGHETTI WITH CALAMARI
Spaghetti con calamari
Servings: 2 | Prep time: 10 min | Cook time: 15 min

INGREDIENTS
190 g (6.7 oz) spaghetti
a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves of garlic
1 cup of strained tomatoes (no salt added, like Pomì)
1/2 lb clean squid tentacles + tubes, sliced in rings
coarse salt
freshly ground black pepper
a handful of parsley, chopped
red pepper flakes, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add spaghetti.
2. In the meantime, heat extra-virgin olive oil in a medium-sized skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and let it sizzle briefly.
3. In the same skillet, add tomato sauce and cook for 6-7 minutes, until sauce becomes thicker. Add squid tentacles and rings and cook for 2-3 minutes, until opaque. Add salt & pepper to taste and then remove pan from heat.
4. When spaghetti are a little firmer than al dente, drain them. Place the skillet with the sauce back on the stove over medium-high heat, adding drained pasta in it.
5. Add chopped parsley, stir and cook for a couple more minutes. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes, to taste. Remove garlic cloves from pan and serve pasta immediately!

Buon appetito!
-Lisa