La Cucina Italiana - De Italiaanse Keuken - The Italian Kitchen

Italian tomatoes are integral to the country's cuisine, and different types have different culinary uses. Here is a guide to the most popular ones. [...]

Ingredients for 4 persons:

• 280 gr. of Chestnuts 
• 350 gr. of chicken livers
• 500 ml. of milk
• 1 shallot
• 1 carrot
• 1 stalk of celery
• 1 sprig of rosemary
• 1 bay leaf
• 120 ml. dry white wine
• 1/2 tbsp of orange powder
• salt
• black pepper
• extra virgin olive oil

A traditional Italian starter, the olive ascolane or olive all’ascolana are a relatively simple dish that requires a somewhat careful preparation and, most of all, the right kind of olives. You will need the ascolane tenere variety...

Ingredients

• 100g beef
• 100g pork
• 100g chicken
• 30g soft white bread
• Half white onion
• Nutmeg
• 80g Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
• Half lemon rind, grated
• One third of teaspoon of ground cloves
• 1 small carrot
• 1 small celery stalk
• 1 glass white wine
• 3 egg
• Salt
• White flour
• Breadcrumbs
• 500ml extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

Its Carnival time and that means its the season to indulge in delicious sweets. Forget pancakes this year and why not try one of these five (or every single one) yummy variations from the Italian Carnival gastronomic tradition? Apple, pineapple, raisin there's bound to be one that takes your fancy. [...]

A one-pot dish that makes a perfect first course before a wintery stew or roast, Rice and Lentils is hearty enough to serve as a weeknight dinner.

Ingredients - Serves 4-6

• 250g (8 oz) dried lentils, soaked overnight (see Notes)
• 250g (8 oz) rice (see Notes)
• 75g (3 oz) pancetta, diced
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1-2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 2-3 canned tomatoes, chopped or simply crushed in your hand (optional)
• A small sprig of fresh rosemary (optional)
• Lard or olive oil
• Broth or water, q.b.

For toppings:

• Best-quality olive oil
• Grated pecorino or Parmesan cheese
• Freshly grated black pepper

Directions

This is a traditional Italian Christmastime cake, made with a yellow sponge cake (baked in a shallow Swiss-roll pan) rolled up with a chestnut filling and finished with chocolate buttercream icing so that it resembles a Yule log. [...]

INGREDIENTS
FOR THE PASTRY SYRUP:

• 4 cups (1 liter) of water
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons Strega (an Italian liqueur) or a mandarin-orange liqueur

FOR THE CAKE:

• 6 large eggs, separated (you will use both the yolks and the whites)
• 10 tablespoons (5 1/4 ounces/150 grams) granulated sugar
• 10 tablespoons (6 ounces/170 grams) unbleached, all-purpose flour, sifted
• Pinch of salt

FOR THE FILLING:

• 1 jar of chestnut puree/cream ("crema di marroni" or "confettura di castagne")

FOR THE FROSTING:

• 7 TB (3 1/2 oz/100 g) butter, slightly softened
• 1 2/3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

An impressive recipe of hollowed and stuffed zucchinis. The filling is made up of breadcrumbs, parsley, garlic and cheese. Vegetarians and omnivores will love them.
Ingredients

3 cups (210 g) fresh breadcrumbs (preferably homemade – see Note)2 cups (160 g) grated pecorino or parmigiano1 clove garlic, finely chopped or minced4–5 marjoram leaves4–5 oregano leaves1–2 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzlingsalt flakes and freshly ground black pepper4 zucchini (courgettes)Directions

The linguine is cooked until just al dente — in salty water, of course — then tossed with the clams, broth, and a handful of fresh herbs until it absorbs the sauce. Add a pad of butter or splash of olive oil and flurry of chopped parsley at the very end to make your pasta verdant and shiny, and serve with a cold glass of white wine

Ingredients - Serves 4

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium red onion, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, thinly chopped
• 1/4 tsp red-pepper flakes
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 2 lb small Manila or littleneck clams, soaked and scrubbed
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 12 oz linguine
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, coarsely chopped

Sweet, silky, and absolutely delicious, this breading-free version of eggplant parm made in Italy is well worth trying, especially in late summer when eggplant (and tomatoes!) are at their best.

Ingredients

The great chef and seafood maestro Dave Pasternack, of Esca and Eataly, inspired me to make a shellfish soup after reading in “Food & Wine” that “mussels, scallops, and clams are always eco-friendly choices.” Of course I already knew that, but the reminder got me right out to the local seafood market that afternoon. There I bought assorted shellfish to make a “brodetto” (or fish broth) using shellfish, as does Chef Pasternack, with a few variations. For example, instead of clam juice I used lobster stock for the broth, and I substituted soba noodles for the slice of toasted bread, while adding just a couple of toasted sourdough croutons and, naturally, I increased the amount of hot chiles. The result was delizioso!

Cauliflower is probably the most versatile of winter vegetables. It lends itself to practically every cooking technique you can think of: steaming, braising, boiling, frying, baking, roasting… And its mild flavor lends itself to pairing with all sorts of other foods and sauces. Here is one of my very favorite ways to make cauliflower—simply steamed and napped with a zesty anchovy sauce.
Ingredients - Serves 4 as a side dish or antipasto, 2 as a vegetarian main dish

• 1 head of cauliflower, trimmed and cut into flowerets

For the anchovy sauce:

• 250 ml (1 cup) olive oil
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled and slightly crushed
• 1 peperoncino (dried red pepper) (or a pinch of red pepper flakes)
• 1 small can of anchovy fillets (50g/2 oz)
• A handful of capers, rinsed and squeezed dry
• White wine (or water)
• A few sprigs of parsley, finely chopped

Ingredients

12 ounces fresh mozzarella8 slices soft white bread, crusts removed3 large eggs1/2 cup milkKosher salt and freshly ground black pepper1/2 cup all-purpose flourOlive oil

Directions

Slice the mozzarella and divide among 4 slices of bread. Top with the remaining 4 slices of bread.

Whisk the eggs with the milk in a shallow dish and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Place the flour in another shallow dish. Dust the sandwiches in the flour and then dip into the egg mixture.

Heat about 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet. Add the sandwiches to the pan and fry on both sides until golden and crisp, about 10 minutes.[...]

Farro Salad with Preserved Artichokes, Fava beans & Gremolata dressing

Ingredients

• 150g Farro, possibly unhulled (but pearled is fine)
• a large leek, or 2 if they are small, thinly sliced
• 4 pieces of baby artichokes preserved in olive oil, drained and sliced
• about 8 pods of fava beans
• 2 tsps olive oil
• Salt & pepper
• For the gremolata dressing:
• A small bunch of parsley
• juice of half a small lemon
• A garlic clove
• ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions

Vincisgrassi, a type of baked pasta, comes from the region of Le Marche in Italy. It's attributed to both General Windischgrätz (who fought Napoleon at Ancona), and to princisgrassi (meaning fat for the prince). In either case it’s very rich – some versions being even richer with the addition of sweetbreads and a pasta dough made with vin santo or marsala.

Ingredients

• dried porcini 30g
• double cream 500ml
• chicken stock 500ml
• bay leaf 1
• olive oil
• flat mushrooms 400g, finely chopped
• flat-leaf parsley chopped to make 2 tbsp
• parma ham 300g, shredded
• egg 1
• fresh pasta 6 large sheets or 12 small sheets
• parmesan 150g, grated
• butter 25g, softened

My Family came to Canada in 1913 from the town of Pesaro in the Province of Le Marche, Italy.  Over the years, traditions were lost or no longer practiced as my ancestors blended more into the Canadian fabric.  But,  Crescia has always survive the test of time and it has now been alive and well for 4 generations in our Canadian family.  I’m sure it’s not the same as the one my great-grandmother (Bisnonna Laura) made, but I hope it’s a close resemblance. [...]

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 Cup Warm Water
• 1 Tablespoon  Active Dry Yeast
• 1 Teaspoon Sugar
• 6 Large Eggs (Thank you ladies!)
• 1/2 Cup Olive Oil
• 2 Tablespoons Coarse Black Pepper (Decrease to your palate)
• 1 Tablespoon Salt
• 2 Cups Grated Romano Cheese (Parmesan or Pecorino substitute)
• 8 Cups All Purpose Flour

Fennel in béchamel sauce are a winter rich and flavorful side dish. In the Marche region are mainly consumed raw. 

Ingredients:

• 4 large fennel bulbs,
• 30 g butter,
• 50 g flour,
• 400 ml milk,
• freshly ground nutmeg,
• 30 g grated parmesan cheese,
• salt to taste.

I few days ago I ‘stumbled’ upon a typical Italian cookie: buoni ma brutti (good but ugly). And the recipe is so easy that in a few minutes I got them into the oven and half an hour later they were ready.

Ingredients

• 150 g almond flour
• 100 g hazelnut flour
• 2 egg whites
• 3 tbsp raw honey
• 0.5 tsp cinnamon

Jamie shares a new restaurant and his best recipe for penne arrabita. You don’t need many ingredients, it’s super simple and really packs spice.

Ingredients

• 3 to 4 fresh red chillies, finely chopped
• 6 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 x 400g tins quality chopped tomatoes
• 200ml organic vegetable stock
• 400g penne pasta
• a bunch of fresh basil, leaves picked and torn
• 25g parmesan cheese
• optional: ¼ scotch bonnet chilli, very finely chopped
• extra virgin olive oil
• 50g sourdough or ciabatta breadcrumbs
• ½ a bunch of mixed fresh herbs, leaves picked and chopped
• 1 clove of garlic, peeled and finely chopped

The town of Castellucio is a short drive and is famous for lentils and the view of the Piano Grande (a giant alpine valley with beautiful wildflowers in the late spring). In and around Norcia you can find this famous dish, Pasta alla Norcia. I tried it with several types of sausage and decided to make my own. This was the best outcome of all the attempts. [...]

Ingredients

For the sausage:

• 2 lbs pork butt – sliced into cubes
• 1/4 lb prosciutto – one large piece
• 1/4 oz dried porcini mushrooms
• 1 Tbsp fennel seed
• 1 Tbsp kosher salt
• 1 Tbsp black peppercorns
• 1 Tbsp coriander
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp anise seed
• 1 Tbsp sugar

For the dish (serves 2 main courses, 4 as a first course):

• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 yellow onion – small dice
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 the prepared sausage mixture, use the remaining for another purpose (or double the other amounts to serve 4 main courses)
• 1 cup Italian dry white wine such as a Trebbiano or Verdicchio
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg or to taste (use a microplane grater)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 lb good quality rigatoni mezze or orecchiette
• 1 tsp Summer Black Truffle paste (if available)
• Grated Pecorino cheese

Directions

There’s some debate over Italian tiramisu history, but happily, none over our yummy original Italian tiramisu dessert recipe (with mascarpone, no alcohol). You only need a few ingredients and 15 minutes to prepare this authentic and easy-to-make Italian tiramisu dessert.

Plus, you don’t have to fry or bake anything. Just prepare coffee, mix a few ingredients, and leave the dessert in the fridge for two hours. 

Ingredients (Serves 2):

• 12 finger biscuits
• 125g (4.5oz) mascarpone
• 2 eggs
• 50g (2oz) white sugar
• 1 bowl of coffee
• cocoa powder (for sprinkling on the finished dessert)

Directions

SHE’S got all the ingredients to be Australia’s answer to Nigella Lawson and now, a new cooking show on SBS to showcase her talent.

“Raphael was at daycare and Miro was a really good baby, so I didn’t know what to do with myself. My mum said ‘just do a blog, everybody’s doing blogs.’ She said, if nothing else, just collect all the family recipes and put them in one place where we won’t lose them and really it (started) as simple as that.”

That hugely popular blog turned into a best-selling cookbook, Silvia’s Cucina. Its success led to a second book, Made In Italy With Silvia Colloca, which is also the title of her new TV series. It will premiere on November 27 on SBS ONE, just in time for the book launch.

The 10-part series is a visual feast, with Colloca taking a film crew home to meet her Italian family in Abruzzo, Le Marche and Molise earlier this year — even using her mother’s kitchen as their cooking HQ. [...]

Learn how to make Really tasty antipasti

• Prosciutto crudo – 200g/ 6.7oz thinly sliced.
• Ciauscolo – 200g/ 6.7oz sliced
• Honeydew melon – 1
• Pecorino cheese – one young, one seasoned
• Organic Italian Honey
• Country bread – 8 slices
• Garlic – 1 clove
• Ginger – small lump
• Extra virgin olive oil – to drizzle

Arrange the meats on a platter with slices of melon.

Ingredients filled artichokes:

• Artichokes
• 1 lemon
• bread crumbs
• garlic leaves
• a few mint leaves
• parsley
• olive oil and salt

Directions

The quantity of ingredients needed depends on the size and amount of artichokes necessary.

To begin cutting the artichokes first rub your fingers with lemon. Eliminate the outside leaves of the artichokes and then cut the sharp points off. Then put them in a bowl of lemon juice and let stand for 15 minutes.[...]