Gazpacho!

Tomatoes meet shallots meet garlic meet cold soup. Happiness waits for you right there in your food processor, thanks to bell'alimento. The (perfect) recipe can be found here, no need to change a single bit.

Quasi Apple Clafutis

Turning on the oven this season may lead to quite sweaty baking sessions, it's a fact. But what if your sweet sweet love is back from chicago and you just want to tell him how much you missed him? he's a huge supporter of your cooking experiments, and that's another fact. and he's very handsome, by the way.

Therefore, let's talk about baking apples. How do you describe a clafoutis? Mh, let me see... it's creamy like a pudding, it involves fresh fruit and quite a few eggs. Whether you go the traditional way, cherries and less sugar, or prefer my sweeter version, it's the quality and taste of fruit that comes first and wins you over here. Good luck with your summer baking sessions!

Apple Milk Mattonella

Slice 4 big apples or 3 apples and one banana (yeah, the round darker spots in the picture are bananas, which fit quite well and add some extra creaminess), add some lemon juice and set aside. You can add few drops of vanilla essence, rhum, grappa, whatever you think it will bring up the flavors. Prepare the clafoutis by mixing together 4 eggs, 100gr sugar, 180gr flour, the zest of one lemon, and 500ml of milk. That's it. Now stir the fruit in the mixture and bake in a rectangular pan: one hour 220 degrees.

Pirates on my Sacher

ZucchiniCheese

ehm... sorry for the picture :)
this dish reminds of lasagne for the way it is constructed, but in the end it is just layers of grilled zucchini, scamorza cheese, parmigiano and plain tomato-basil sauce (repeat the layers two-three times and bake until the scamorza starts to melt, 20min). it is best served warm or cold which means it definitely works for the hot weather of these days!

Happy Vegetables :)

and then suddenly, one morning, i entered the grown-ups world. worst part is waking up every morning at 7. best part is i get to drink gooooood expensive wine for lunch. uh, and i get to learn tons of new interesting stuff about finance, of course...
i finish working around 5/6, depending on my boss mood, so i will not take my internship as an excuse for being lazy with the blog. it's just... well, blogging is just not at the top of my priority list at the moment...

Happy (Summer) Vegetables!
step 1: boil potatoes and, once cooled, slice them (how many?... they have to be enough to cover your baking tin)
step 2: grill eggplants, zucchini and peperoni (i slice them and cook them in a griddle)
step 3: boil tomatoes for 3 minutes, just enough to peel them easily. then cut in slices.
step 4: make the seasoning mixing olive oil, salt, mint and abundant garlic (actually, you can go for your favorite herbs).
now place the vegetables: start with boiled potatoes, then grilled eggplants and zucchini. finish with boiled tomatoes.
add the seasoning to breadcrumbs (breadcrumbs have to be enough to cover the vegetable layers).
bake in preheated oven until the breadcrumbs form a nice crust and become golden.

Shortbreads for Dinner

anything better than shortbreads? probably, giant coconut shortbreads... my first recipe from SmittenKitchen blog :)

try them with strawberries and other red fruits macedonia (fruit salad), or just a scoop of ice cream, or... leave them as simple and cozy as they are.

Summer Pasta & Restyling

summer time, when all you need is some pasta salad with fresh fruit. any time, any mood, any weather...
just boil 300gr of pasta (farfalle and orecchiette work best) but make it very, very al dente. let it cool in cold water and season with a mixture of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and orange juice. then add one small melon and one avocado cut in small dice, and 250gr of smoked salmon. makes 4 servings!
next time, i'll add roasted pine nuts.
(source: sale&pepe august 2008)

i'll be back...

... as soon as i can :)
hopefully, i'll bring good news and lots of pictures! BB

Cozy Apples

Upside-down Apple Muffins
(as i feel right now)

cut two apples in little dice and cook them with 40gr of butter, two spoons of brown sugar and the juice of one lemon until the liquid is reduced to a glaze (5 min). divide the apples upon muffin cups (around 10). mix together 3/4cup of flour, 1/2cup of buckwheat (or cornmeal), 1/3cup of caster sugar, baking powder and a pinch of salt. add 50gr of butter, one egg and 3/4cup of milk. whisk until combined. divide the batter among the muffin cups and bake in preheated oven at 180 degrees for 20 min. serve upside-down :)

Il Collezionista di Polpette

io lo conosco. e mi ha anche chiesto delle mie polpette :) onorata, riporto le ricette facili facili di 2 delle mie polpette preferite

Polpette alla Menta

mischiare (a mano, altrimenti non è divertente!): 600gr carne macinata, 2 fette di pane (senza crosta) bagnate nel latte, un uovo, sale, pepe, menta e prezzemolo due belle manciate. aggiungere pangrattato per rendere l'impasto compatto. cuocere sulla piastra antiaderente su entrambi i lati.

Polpette Speziatissime
(dal Cavoletto)

mischiare 500gr di carne macinata, una cipolla, un uovo, del peperoncino (piccante o dolce) in polvere, due cucchiaini di cumino, uno di cannella, uno di noce moscata e due belle manciate di prezzemolo e coriandolo freschi.

ps: nella foto, mini hamburger di polpette speziate su letto di spinaci. x i panini guarda qui, per la salsina degli hamburger ho usato dello yogurt greco con uno spicchio di aglio schiacciato

Blueberries Are A Girl's Best Friend

i had the occasion to show my deep love for fresh blueberries here, with what i still consider The Best Blueberry Cake. on the other hand, i thought these little black pearls deserved to be mentioned once more... and there was no better occasion than this creamy and cinnamony precious blueberry love. it's perfect, i mean it.

the recipe can be found here, even though i made some major modifications such as using half of the butter (for the batter) and 125ml of cream instead of 80gr milk... which do make the difference. and i also used half caster and half white sugar. i'll just write the italian version, ok?

Torta ai Mirtilli

primo step: preparare la crosticina croccante finale, impastando velocemente con le mani 50gr di burro freddo, 40gr di farina, 60gr di zucchero di canna e un cucchiaino abbondante di cannella. il burro non si deve sciogliere completamente e l'impasto deve rimanere bello sabbioso. secondo step: ora preparare l'impasto sbattendo con il mixer 30gr di burro morbido e 100gr di zucchero (io ho fatto metà di canna e metà semolato). quando l'impasto è bello morbido, aggiungere un uovo e i semi di un baccello di vaniglia. ora aggiungere, alternando, 160gr di farina (e una bustina di lievito) e 120ml di panna. continuare con lo sbattitore elettrico fino a che l'impasto non risulta perfettamente amalgamato. terzo step: comporre la torta versando l'impasto in una tortiera. coprire con uno strato di mirtilli freschi (250gr) e concludere con l'impasto di burro e farina. cuocere in forno a 180 gradi per 45 minuti.

Patatine al Salmone

un'altra ricetta al salmone dallo scorso capodanno. mamma mia, ma quanto ho cucinato?
ormai ho imparato che, per fare le patate al forno, mi conviene bollirle prima e passarle in forno giusto qualche minuto per renderle croccanti. stessa cosa per le patate in padella. anche la cottura risulta piu' omogenea, senza il rischio di beccarsi il pezzo di patata crudo vicino a quello bruciacchiato.
the cool thing about baking potatoes is that you can shorten the times by boiling them first and then bake them in oven just to make them golden, right before serving.

Salmon Potatoes

put potatoes (count two medium size per person) in cold water and boil them for 20 minutes. to check if they're ready, just try to stick them with a fork. peel your boiled potatoes and cut them in small pieces. season with olive oil, salt and rosmarin.
now bake in oven until golden. when ready, take them out of the oven and cover with a jummy sauce of greek yogurt, smoked salmon, salt and pepper. let the flavors melt together in the oven for another minute. serve immediately.

Patate al Salmone

quindi, insomma, basta far bollire le patate per poi spelarle e tagliarle, condirle con olio, rosmarino e sale e passarle in forno per una ventina di minuti. quando belle dorate, toglierle dal forno e coprirle con una salsa di yogurt greco, salmone affumicato a fettine, sale e pepe. ripassare in forno un ultimo minuto per amalgamare bene i sapori.

Orange Pork, o Maiale Arancione

c'è stato un momento, piu' o meno dalle 12 del 2 di gennaio alle 20 del 3, in cui ero fermamente convinta che quest'anno avrei mangiato leggero :) e allora mi sono preparata questa bistecca (e mezza!) di maiale alla piastra con una salsina light all'arancia... niente male proprio!

Maiale all'Arancia

mentre la vostra bistecchina sugosa di maiale si cuoce sulla piastra, preparate la salsina mettendo a cuocere il succo e la scorza di un'arancia (io non l'ho filtrato perchè mi piace cosi') e di mezzo limone con un cucchiaio di aceto bianco e del peperoncino. quando bolle aggiungere mezza cipolla tritata e lasciare cuocere per tre minuti, fino a che non si è addensata un pochino. salare a piacere (salsina e bistecca). provare per credere.

Pork with Oranges

while you cook your pork steak, prepare the juicy sauce by mixing the juice and the zest of an orange, the juice of a lemon, one spoon of white vinegar, some hot chili pepper flakes. when the sauce reaches boiling point, cut and add half onion and let cook for another couple of minutes, until the sauce thickens. add salt (to both steak and sauce)

E Allora Ho Pensato...

che, dopo mesi&mesi passati a sbirciare e scopiazzare ricette da goduriosi/lussuriosi/acquolinosi foodblog, fosse decisamente arrivato il mio turno di "uscire allo scoperto" e di iscrivermi al Bloggatore-Cucina, anche detto IlTentatoreAggregatore... e magari perchè no, ricambiare il favore con qualche mia ricettina! niente di pretenzioso, sia chiaro, le mie sono scorciatoie per studenti con pochi soldi e poco tempo, quindi non ci si rivolga a me per la sezione aragoste :)
un saluto a tutti Voi,
BabyBlue

Very Pumpkin Muffins

i still don't know what went wrong and made them turn out so incredibly good! the fact is, they were not supposed to be muffins, since i followed this pumpkin whoopie pies recipe, and they're actually too sugary and buttery to be the kind of muffin i seek for. but definitely sugary and buttery enough to love them, whatever they are :)
i'm just reporting the italian translation of the recipe, identical to the english version link

Muffin Molto alla Zucca

lavorare 220gr di burro con 400gr di zucchero fino a che lo zucchero non inizia a sciogliersi. aggiungere 2 uova (una alla volta), i semi di una stecca di vaniglia e 400gr di purè di zucca. aggiungere gli ingredienti secchi: 380gr di farina, lievito, bicarbonato, zenzero secco, cannella in polvere, chiodi di garofano in polvere, un pizzico di sale. cuocere in forno preriscaldato a 180gradi per 10-12 minuti.

Coconut Treats

a good way to get rid of some egg whites leftovers and remind yourself there is still something good in this universe...

Dolcetti al Cocco

fare fondere 70gr di cioccolato bianco (o nero) e lasciare raffreddare. a parte, montare 2 albumi con 100gr di zucchero e aggiungere 100gr di cocco grattuggiato. unire il cioccolato e passare in forno a 180gradi fino a che non sono belli dorati

Cononut Treats

melt 70gr of (white or dark) chocolate and let cool. whisk 2 egg whites with 100gr of sugar. stir 100gr of coconut and the melted chocolate. bake in preheated oven 180° for around 15 minutes, until golden as in the picture

More Salmon... Lasagne!

... and even more coming next days! i got 500gr of smoked salmon as much appreciated christmas present :) uh, and sorry for the picture... dark ambiances and orange dishes don't go too well together. and btw, my new orange and green dishes are stunningly cool, as well as my new blender in silver :))

Smoked Salmon Lasagne
(small lasagna for two)

melt 250gr of cheese (the kind you use to make grilled cheese, but take the crust away. i used robiola, but i'm sure caprice de dieux which is a quite commercial brand can still do well) with 250ml of milk and 30gr of butter. you will end up having a quite too liquid cream, but do not worry about it. add chives and pepper. and salt if necessary. now, if you use already made lasagne, you're almost done: just make the layers, starting from the cheese cream, then lasagna, then salmon, then cheese etc. finish with a layer of cheese and bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes at 200degrees.

Lasagne al Salmone Affumicato
(per due)

preparare la crema di formaggio sciogliendo 250gr di formaggio-tomino (senza la crosta) in 250ml di robiolalatte e una noce di burro. aggiungere erba cipollina, pepe e sale (se necessario). la crema risulterà molto liquida, ma niente paura :) fare gli strati della lasagna iniziando dalla crema di formaggio, uno strato di lasagna e uno di salmone. finire con la crema di formaggio e cuocere in forno a 200gradi per 30 minuti.

Lazy Holiday Bread

a bread for those cozy days when the last thing you want is taking off your pijama to go out. a bread for those who stay at home to study and couldn't think of a better way to spend their day. baking and studying, happily ever after...

Pane Pigro
(makes around 12 soft breadsticks)

sciogliere una bustina di lievito secco in 200gr di acqua e due cucchiaini di zucchero. aggiungere 400gr di farina e impastare. quando la farina è quasi tutta assorbita aggiungere un cucchiaino di sale. il sale impedisce al lievito di attivarsi, è importante quindi non farli entrare in diretto contatto (MAI aggiungere sale all'acqua dove avete sciolto il lievito!). continuare e impastare fino ad ottenere una palla omogenea e lasciare a riposare per un'ora e mezza. prendere un po' di pasta alla volta e dare al pane la forma di grissini ciccioni. lasciare a riposare su una teglia da forno per un'altra ora. infornare a 220 gradi per 10 minuti, fino a che la superficie inizia a dorarsi.

Lazy Bread

melt 2ogr of dried yeast in 200gr of water and two little spoons of sugar. add 400gr of flour and start kneading. when the water is almost absorbed, add one spoon of salt. since the salt prevents yeast from activating, you should be careful not to put the two in direct contact (do not add the salt directly to the water!). knead until you obtain a elastic and soft dough. let it rest for one hour and a half. now take single pieces of dough (each of them the size of an egg) and make some "fatty" breadsticks. let them rest for another hour on a baking tin and then bake in the oven for 10 minutes (until golden) at 220degrees.

Salmon Mousse

Mousse al Salmone

tritare nel frullatore 200gr di salmone affumicato. aggiungere 100gr di formaggio fresco (philadelphia), 15ml di panna e del prezzemolo fresco. aggiungere sale se necessario. ricoprire delle formine di pellicola trasparente e versare la mousse. far riposare in frigo per almeno quattro ore.

Salmon Mousse

blend 200gr of smoked salmon in a food mixer. add 100gr of fresh cheese (philadelphia), 15ml of cream and persil. add salt if needed. put the mousse in little tins covered of plastic foil and let it cool in the fridge for at least for hours.

Happy New Year Cappuccino Cake

so i'm back! and i have so many many recipes waiting to be told... but let me start from the end, with yesterday's night new-year-cake...

Happy New Year Cappuccino Cake

for the cake: whisk 4 eggs with a mixer long enough to see the volume double. add 20ml of strong espresso (possibly cold), 115gr of caster sugar, vanilla essence and keep on whisking. add 100gr of melted and cooled white chocolate. finally, all 125gr of flour. bake in preheated oven at 180degrees for 25 minutes.

for the filling: mix 250gr of ricotta cheese and 20ml of coffee liquor

for the topping: melt 200gr of white chocolate with 100 gr of butter and let cool. add 80gr of icing sugar and 100ml of whipped heavy cream. let it cool in the fridge for 10 minutes or until the topping is not too liquid to fall from the cake and liquid enough to let you spread it on the cake. don't worry, i messed it up, too. but i'm confident i will be more familiar with icing in a couple of more tries :)

come iniziare al meglio il nuovo anno se non con un cappuccino?? auguri a tutti!!