New Year's Eve menu

Cannocchie or cicale di mare
King prawns with courgettes...

Stewed eels.........

Sea-bass with cherry tomatoes, potatoes and black olives.......

Toasted bread with smoked salmon..........

Scallops au gratin..........

Russian salad..................Raw Norway lobsters....................

Dried fruits makeover

Did you receive some hampers for Christmas with lots of dried dates inside? Yes, I did....
..Do you have some left-overs of dark chocolate? Yes, I have.......

..Isn't she cute?!.....please say "yes, she is!"

..Melt in a double saucepan the chocolate.....

..dip the fruits into the chocolate (you can use dried figs, oranges, plums, whatever you want....or you're given! ;-)

..let the fruits cool on to a sheet of wax paper and if you like, decorate them on the top with an almond, or a pine kernel, or nuts, or candied fruits.....

et voilà..............................

Winter vintage cake from my nan's childhood..

I'd like to give you one of my nan's childhood recipes, "Pinza", (not to be mistaken with Pizza!) ,which is an old Venitian winter cake. Once, when Panettone was not so popular and people were not so well-off, Pinza was considered the traditional Christmas cake and this is the simplest and classic recipe....
INGREDIENTS
(12 serves, not sure about quantities, my nan tends to bake at industrial levels..) :
- stale bread
- all purpose flour
- raisin 250 gr
- dried figs 250 gr
- apples (sweet variety) 500 gr
- eggs 2
- caster sugar 200 gr
- a pinch of salt
- milk 0,75 lt
- fennel seeds
- pine kernels
- olive oil
- grappa 1 shot glass
- cognac 1 shot glass

DIRECTIONS :

- Boil the milk- Cut the bread into thin slices - Chop the apples- Chop the dried figs- Sprinkle on the sliced bread the fennel seeds and add the hot milk. Let it soak - Add the apples, dried figs, raisins, pine kernels, sugar, eggs, some flour, some drops of olive oil and a pinch of salt, grappa and cognac- Mix together and lay the mixture into a baking pan (previously basted with olive oil and flour) - Bake until golden brown and serve into slices when it will get cold

Gnocchi recipe

INGREDIENTS (6 serves) :
- 1 kg baking potatoes
- all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs
- a pinch of salt
- grated Parmigiano cheese
- grated nutmeg

DIRECTIONS :
- Scrub potatoes
- Place in a 6-quart pot of salted water and boil until tender, about 30 minutes
- Drain water from potatoes, and then cool in pot
- Peel and mash potatoes. Cool at least 30 minutes

- Add eggs, salt, nutmeg, Parmigiano cheese and all-purpose flour.- Slowly combine the eggs and flour with the potatoes to make dough. Work dough with the palms of your hands. Add remaining flour, only if needed. Dough should be smooth but not sticky. - Make dough into five equal balls. On a floured surface, use your palms to roll each piece into a long tube. - Use a knife to cut each tube into 5 cm long pieces. Dust each gnocchi with flour

- Roll each piece on a grater, pressing with your thumb to give it the classic shape ....et voilà......

- Bring a 5-quart pot of salted water to the boil. Cook gnocchi for 4 to 5 minutes. (Once the gnocchi come to the surface of the water. Let them cook 1 more minute and then remove with a slotted spoon) ...ready to be served with hot Bolognese Sauce! ..and if you don't like Bolognese sauce , you can have them with your favourite pasta sauce or just sautéed with butter and sage.

Apple Strudel

INGREDIENTS :

• 1 sheet store-bought puff pastry
• 4 yellow and sweet apples
• a pinch of cinnamon
• grated lemon zest (1 lemon)
• 70 gr sugar
• 40 gr pine kernels
• 60 gr raisins
• 125 gr apricot jam
• 2 tablespoons breadcrums
• 2 tablespoons Grappa (I think you can use also Brandy)

DIRECTIONS :

Chop finely the apples and combine them into a bowl together with cinnamon, lemon zest, sugar , pine kernels, raisins ,breadcrums and Grappa....

Roll out the puff pastry sheet and spread over the surface the apricot jam... Spread over the apple mixture....Starting on the long side of the dough, lift the cloth and begin rolling the dough to form the strudel. Seal seam and tuck the ends under to seal. Brush it with some milk and sprinkle some sugar on.... Bake at 180°C for 30 minutes or if you use a wood-burning stove until golden brown. Remove from oven, dust with confectioner's sugar if desired, slice diagonally and serve...

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

INGREDIENTS (4 serves):
-chopped smoked bacon
-2 egg yolks
-1 egg white
-250 gr cream
-a pinch of salt
-a pinch of black pepper
-some grated Parmesan cheese
(Shall I write that you need Spaghetti??!)

DIRECTIONS :

-Cook Spaghetti as directed on the package

-Whisk the egg yolks, egg white, cream and bacon into a pre-heated large saucepan and season generously with black pepper.

-Put quickly Spaghetti into the saucepan, stir very thoroughly so everything will get a good coating and sprinkle Parmesan cheese on, mix again and serve immediately your Carbonara!

Quick cold sauce for pasta

You will need just a few ingredients:
- red tomatoes
- black olives
- capers
- fresh basil
- a clove of garlic
- a pinch of salt
- extravirgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS:
- Chop tomatoes and olives and put them into a bowl
- Add capers, basil,a pinch of salt (not too much, capers are very salty!) and a glove of garlic
- Add extravirgin olive oil and mix
- Let this mixture marinade for at least 3 hours
This sauce is perfect on a dish of hot/cold pasta or just on a toasted slice of bread ("Bruschetta")

Mozzarelle in carrozza

A dish of steamy and stringy "Mozzarelle in carrozza" (carrozza=carriage)!

Do you want to give these a go?

INGREDIENTS :

• sliced white bread (crusts removed)
• mozzarella
• some slices of ham
• a can of beer
• all-purpose flour
• a pinch of salt
• a pinch of pepper
• eggs
• sunflower oil or olive oil for frying

DIRECTIONS :

• In a medium bowl whisk together eggs, salt and pepper
• Add the flour and enough beer to make a batter the thickness of single cream
• Cut mozzarella into slices the same thickness as the bread
• Insert ham and two slices of mozzarella between two slices of bread
• Heat a large saucepan filled with oil
• Coat the sandwiches with flour
• Dip them in the mixture and fry them, turning over once, until golden brown, about 5 minutes, then drain on paper towels
• Serve immediately
  

Ricotta truffles

INGREDIENTS:
250 gr ricotta cheese
200 gr coconut flour/dehydrated coconut
40 gr bitter cocoa (powder)
200 gr sugar
Marsala wine


Mix ricotta cheese, sugar, bitter cocoa, 2 tablespoon of Marsala wine, and 3 tablespoon of coconut flour together until creamy and smooth.
Form this mixture into little balls and sprinkle them with coconut flour.
Chill for two hours.

A bouquet of...

....cheerful courgette flowers picked up in the early morning from the kitchen garden!

These courgette flowers will be our appetizer this evening..

INGREDIENTS :

• 12/15 courgette flowers
• a can of beer
• 00 flour
• a pinch of salt
• a pinch of pepper
• eggs
• sunflower oil or olive oil for frying

DIRECTIONS :

• Clean and dry courgette flowers
• In a medium bowl whisk together eggs, salt and pepper
• Add the flour and enough beer to make a batter the thickness of single cream
• Heat a large saucepan filled with oil
• Dip the courgette flowers in the batter then deep-fry for 2-3 minutes or until crisp and golden
• Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper
• Serve seasoned with salt

Tiramisu

Yummmmm..Tiramisu..the cool, refreshing Italian mocha-flavoring dessert..
There are over 80 Tiramisu recipes (please, have a look at http://www.heavenlytiramisu.com/ !)
...I'm going to reveal you my favourite one..my mum's recipe!

Ingredients :

• MASCARPONE CHEESE, 500 gr


• EGGS, 5 separated


• SUGAR, 5 tablespoons


• SALT, pinch, for egg whites


• ESPRESSO COFFEE, 1 pot (approximately 6 cups)


• LADYFINGERS (or Savoiardi), 1 package


• BITTER COCOA POWDER for sifting


• DARK CHOCOLATE CHIPS


• MARSALA WINE, 3 tablespoons

Directions:

• Beat egg yolks with sugar until light and lemon-yellow.


• Beat in the mascarpone cheese, a bit at a time, until creamy and smooth.


• Beat the egg whites, adding a pinch of salt, with a wire whisk until light, fluffy and stiff.

• Blend egg whites into the egg yolk and cheese mixture.


• Pour the marsala wine into the cooled coffee


• Dip one ladyfinger at a time into the bowl of coffee mixture


• Line a pan with the ladyfingers

• Pour in a half of the cheese mixture

• Garnish with dark chocolate chips

• Add another layer of dipped ladyfingers


• Pour another layer of cheese mixture


• Garnish again with dark chocolate chips


• Layer the remaining ladyfingers on top


• Cover with the remaining filling.


• Sift cocoa powder on top


• Chill in the refrigerator