Every now and then R and I decide to make something a little more gourmet, and this was decidedly the case when we went ahead with this dish. I was a bit concerned because it looks complex (it isn’t) and because R’s mum was coming for lunch. I needn’t have worried, she’s still raving about…
Prawn and Shallot risotto with sundried tomato powder
What do you do with leftovers? This is a question that I admittedly don’t ask myself very often, given that R and I generally tend to clear most of what’s put in front of us. That said, it happens – especially when we have guests. The other day, we had some of R’s family over…
New life, new start.
I’ve not been around much I know… sorry! Many, many things have changed since I last wrote a post on this blog. I changed my life some time ago now, leaving corporate marketing to become an English teacher and freelance translator. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made, and has led…
My Italian herb garden
One of the things I complain about here in Italy is that I don’t have a garden. In fact, I don’t have much of an outside space at all, and although I’m hoping for a terrace when we finally buy our own place, all I have at the moment is a couple of balconies. One…
Limoncello
Limoncello… this quintessentially Italian, sweet, aromatic liqueur is incredibly easy to make at home. Who would have thought? All you need is: 1 liter of food grade alcohol (if you can’t get this then strong vodka like Smirnoff blue label may work but it won’t be the same) 5 or 6 organic lemons (sfusato amalfitano…
Chestnut and Chocolate Calzoncelli
Calzoncelli are traditional Christmas pastries from Southern Italy stuffed with a cream of chestnuts and dark chocolate and fried… Incredibly calorific and incredibly delicious! They tend to be made in batches and fortunately they keep for quite a few days. You will need (makes 50) For the pastry… 1kg of plain flour 300g of caster…
Broccoli rabe and Sausage
Salsicce e friarielli from Naples This is a classic “piatto povero”. A simple dish that was cooked by poor people around the capital of Campania when food was scarce. The dish has remained true to its roots in its simplicity and can be found in restaurants and in pizzerias across the region. It’s simple and…
Roast wild boar in rich red wine gravy
I’m just going to come right out and say it: as a rule the Southern Italians (from this area at least) don’t know how to cook game. The meat ends up strongly gamey, tough and dry. The only exception to this is ragù di cinghiale which is a rich pasta sauce made with tomatoes, herbs…
Ricotta and Pear
Ricotta e pera dalla Costiera Amalfitana Combining creamy ricotta, sweet pears and light fluffy nutty biscuit what could be better than a traditional ricotta and pear cake? A tradition of the Amalfi Coast this sweet delight was made famous by one of Italy’s top pastry chefs Sal de Riso – we visit his café regularly…
A night on the Coast with Bruschetta and too much wine
Well not really too much, but there is no way I would have driven anywhere, lets put it that way. As I’ve mentioned before, the only real way to see the Coast is by Vespa, unless you are rich and have a boat. If you are poor like me, then a Vespa is almost as…
Wordy Wednesday – E is for Esprimerti
Express yourself! This is what esprimerti means and if you have been learning Italian in a classroom you can probably order a meal and get train tickets, ask directions and talk about your family… but can you express your emotions? Can you express how you really feel? By this I also mean… do you know…
5 ways the Italians are exactly the same as the British
We always talk about how different the Italians are to the Brits. I wrote a post about it not so long back. What we don’t so often hear about is how similar the Italians and the British actually are in many ways. Really, we are! Don’t believe me? Read on… 1. We like to complain. A lot….
lovefromitaly 