Cooking Method – Cooking Recipe Guide

Cannoli Cooking Recipe, Ingredients, Cooking Method

September 13, 2022 by Mila

Cannoli Cooking Recipe, Ingredients, Cooking Method

Makes 10 cannoli

Preparation time: 1 hour
Resting time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

Dough

1 ¼ cups (4 oz./125 g) cake flour
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
⅔ oz. (20 g) lard
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 tablespoon sweet wine (maraschino, Marsala, muscat, vermouth, etc.)
1 pinch of cinnamon powder
Salt
Sufficient quantity of lard for deep frying
1 egg white

Ricotta cream

1 vanilla bean
1 cup (9 oz./250 g) ricotta
⅓ cup (2 ½ oz./75 g) sugar
2 heaping tablespoons (1 oz./25 g) chocolate chips
Salt

1 tablespoon powdered pistachio
Small piece of candied orange peel
Confectioners’ sugar for decoration

Equipment

10 cannoli cylinders
1 pastry bag
1 plain (smooth) pastry tip

Cooking Method

Prepare the cannoli shells.

Mix all the dough ingredients together well to obtain a smooth dough.
Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 1 hour 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
Separate the dough into ten small balls.
Roll out into oval shapes approximately 1/12 in. (2 mm) thick.
Heat the lard for frying to 350°F/180°C.
Wrap each oval around a cannoli cylinder, sealing the join with the egg white.
Deep-fry until a deep golden brown.
Drain on paper towel and, once cooled, gently pull out the cylinders from the cannoli shells.

Make the ricotta cream.

Slit the vanilla bean in two lengthwise, scrape one half to extract the seeds.
Sieve the ricotta, stir in the vanilla seeds, sugar, chocolate chips, and a small pinch of salt.

Assemble the cannoli.

Fill the cannoli shells just before serving to retain their crispness.
Slice the candied orange peel very finely.
Using a pastry bag and plain (smooth) tip, fill the shells with ricotta cream.
Decorate each end with the candied orange peel and powdered pistachio.
Sprinkle the shells with confectioners’ sugar.

Suggested food/wine match

Miceli, Moscato di Pantelleria, Tanit—Sicily DOC

Chef’s notes

If you want to fill the cannoli in advance, brush the inside of the shells with dark melted chocolate once they have cooled down. This will prevent contact with the ricotta cream and keep them crisp. You can keep the shells (cooked and unfilled) for a few days in an airtight container or in the freezer.

To save time, you can buy the cannoli shells ready-made, as they are becoming more and more widely available.

Caponata Cooking Recipe, Ingredients, Cooking Method

September 13, 2022 by Mila

Caponata Cooking Recipe, Ingredients, Cooking Method

Dating back to the sixteenth century there are now more than thirty versions of this dish.

Serves 4

Resting time: 1 hour
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

2 eggplants
1 tablespoon
kosher salt
¼ cup (1 ½ oz./40 g) capers in salt
1 onion
2 sticks celery
A few fresh basil leaves
⅓ cup (1 ½ oz./40 g) pine nuts
¾ cup (5 oz./150 g) pitted green olives
7 oz. (200 g) tomato sauce
4 tablespoons wine vinegar
1 ⅔ tablespoons (⅔ oz./20 g) sugar
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt, pepper

Cooking Method

Wash the eggplants, and cut into small cubes.
Sprinkle with the kosher salt and leave to drain for 1 hour in a colander.
Rinse the capers. Peel the onion and chop.
Wash and peel the celery, and cut into approximately V2 in. (10 mm) slices. Wash the basil.
Rinse the eggplant cubes, dry thoroughly, then cook them gently in a skillet with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil until they begin to soften.
Cook the chopped onion and the celery in a saucepan with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil.
When they become translucent, add the pine nuts, capers, and olives, then, 1 minute later, the tomato sauce.
Season with salt and pepper and the basil leaves, then cook for 10 minutes.
Mix together the vinegar and sugar and pour into the mixture. Let evaporate.
Finally, add the eggplant, cook for a few more minutes, and then leave to cool.
Serve cold.

Suggested food/wine match

Planeta, Cerasuolo di Vittoria—Sicily DOCG

Pasta with Two Sicilian Pestos Cooking Recipe, Ingredients, Cooking Method

September 13, 2022 by Mila

Pasta with Two Sicilian Pestos Cooking Recipe, Ingredients, Cooking Method

Serves 4

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

Fennel pesto

1 small bunch wild fennel
1 small onion
Scant ½ cup (100 ml) extra virgin olive oil
1 pinch each of salt and sugar

Anchovy pesto

1 clove garlic
1 lemon
1 ⅓ oz. (40 g) anchovies
Candied orange zest (from 1 orange)
1 candied tomato
1 pinch of chili
2 teaspoons (10 g) anchovy extract

11 oz. (320 g) artisanal spaghetti
Toasted bread crumbs

Cooking Method

Make the wild fennel pesto.

Remove the tender sprigs of the fennel and boil them fori minute in salted water.
In a separate saucepan, soften the fennel stalks and the finely sliced onion with the olive oil, salt, and sugar.
Moisten with a little of the cooking water from the fennel sprigs and cook for 10 minutes over low heat.
Add a splash of oil and blend well with a stick blender until a smooth emulsion is obtained.

Make the anchovy pesto.

In a small saucepan, soften the sliced garlic and lemon zest.
Add the anchovies, candied orange zest, candied tomato, chili, and the anchovy extract.
Process everything together in a blender.

Assemble the dish.

Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions and drain.
Heat the cooked pasta with the anchovy and wild fennel pestos.
Decorate with the bread crumbs and serve.

Taralli Cooking Recipe, Ingredients, Cooking Method

September 13, 2022 by Mila

Taralli Cooking Recipe, Ingredients, Cooking Method

Taralli go very well with different antipasti or aperitifs. Originally, they were prepared with the remnants of bread dough. Over time, the recipe has evolved with the addition of olive oil, wine, and flavorings such as fennel seeds, chili, pepper, olives, etc.

Makes 30 taralli

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Resting time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes approximately

Ingredients

2 cups (7 oz./200 g) bread flour
Scant ¼ cup (50 ml) water
Scant ¼ cup (50 ml) olive oil
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
Scant ¼ cup (50 ml) white wine
Salt

Cooking Method

Knead the flour with the other ingredients. Leave the dough to rest for 30 minutes.
Roll the dough under the palms of your hand to form an elongated “snake,” approximately ½ in. (1 cm) in diameter.
Cut into sections of 3 in. (6-7 cm) long. Coil each one round and squeeze the two ends together.
Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Flour a baking sheet.
Bring a saucepan of water to a boil and cook the taralli for 1 minute, drain and leave them to dry a little on a dish towel, then arrange them on the baking sheet and bake until golden brown.

Suggested food/wine match

Rosa del Golfo, Primitivo— Salento IGT

Chef’s note

You can replace the fennel seeds with crushed pepper; with chopped or crum¬bled Thai/bird (bird’s eye) chili, or with pitted, chopped olives etc.

Mini Tagliatelle and Chickpeas Cooking Recipe, Ingredients, Cooking Method

September 13, 2022 by Mila

Mini Tagliatelle and Chickpeas Cooking Recipe, Ingredients, Cooking Method

This is a traditional dish from Salento.

Serves 4

Preparation time: 40 minutes
Soaking time: 8 hours minimum
Cooking time: 2 hours 20 minutes

Ingredients

1 ½ cups (10 oz./300 g) dried chickpeas
1 clove garlic
1 onion
3 cherry tomatoes
2 bay leaves

Pasta dough

2 ½ cups (9 oz./250 g) durum
wheat semolina flour
Salt

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper

Cooking Method

Prepare the chickpeas.

Put the chickpeas in a large container of salted water and leave to soak for at least 8 hours.
Drain them and cook in 4 cups (1 liter) of fresh waterfor 1 hour, then add the finely chopped garlic and onion, the halved cherry tomatoes, and the bay leaves.
Leave the soup to simmer for 1 more hour or until the chickpeas are soft.

Make the pasta.

Meanwhile, mix the flour with half a glass of water and a pinch of salt, and knead until you have an elastic dough.
Spread or roll it out into a thin sheet and cut it into tagliatelle approximately 2 in. (5 to 6 cm) long (tria).
Bring a saucepan of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta, then drain and mix with the cooked chickpeas.
The result will be quite dense.

Assemble the dish.

With a skimmer, remove a portion of pasta and a portion of chickpeas.
Drain well, then fry them in a skillet in 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
Once they are crispy, add them back to the pan of chickpeas and pasta.
Season with salt and pepper and serve with the remaining olive oil.

Penne Alla Puttanesca Cooking Recipe, Ingredients, Cooking Method

September 12, 2022 by Mila

Penne Alla Puttanesca Cooking Recipe, Ingredients, Cooking Method

Puttana is the Italian word for a “lady of the night Alla puttanesca literally means “in the style of a prostitute.”This dish does not seem to have existed before 1950. For some, it originated in what were known as the “Spanish” neighborhoods of Naples, where prostitutes were numerous; for others it was created in Ischia, the whim of a restaurateur in search of a quick meal for clients in a hurry; for yet others, it was a Provenqale with loose morals working in Naples who made the dish, inspired by ingredients native to her country of origin.

Serves 4

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

¼ cup (1 ½ oz./40 g) capers in salt
1 sprig of parsley
2 cloves garlic
½ cup (3 ½ oz./100 g) black olives Chili (to taste)
14 oz. (400 g) canned, peeled tomatoes or
1 lb. 8 oz. (700 g) fresh, ripe tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 fillets anchovies in oil
14-16 oz. (400-500 g) penne
Salt, pepper

Cooking Method

Rinse the salt-preserved capers thoroughly in lukewarm water and drain.
Wash the parsley, remove the stalks, and chop 1 tablespoonful.
Peel the garlic and crush. Remove the pits from the olives. Finely chop the chili.
If necessary, peel the tomatoes (after immersing for a few seconds in boiling water, then in cold water).
Fry the garlic in the olive oil in a skillet.
Add the chili, anchovies, olives, and capers.
Add the tomatoes and half of the parsley; cook for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta (according to the packet instructions).
Check the seasoning and mix the cooked pasta with the sauce and the rest of the chopped parsley.

Suggested food/wine match

Tenuta Vicario—Fiano diAvellino DOCG

Chef’s notes

A very similar recipe, pasta alla Vesuviana is prepared in almost the same way, except the parsley is replaced with oregano, the olives are green, there are no anchovies, and there is much more chili!

You can use capers in vinegar, but the sauce will naturally be more acidic.

Did you know?

Generally, grated Parmesan cheese is not served with this dish.

Rigatoni Timbale Alla Vesuviana Cooking Recipe, Ingredients, Cooking Method

September 12, 2022 by Mila

Rigatoni Timbale Alla Vesuviana Cooking Recipe, Ingredients, Cooking Method

Serves 4

Preparation time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

1 oz. (30 g) bread
¼ cup (60 ml) milk
2 oz. (60 g) ground pork
2 eggs
2-3 (10 g) cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
Scant ¼ cup (50 ml) extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for frying
50 basil leaves
9 oz. (250 g) mozzarella, finely chopped
½ oz. (15 g) onion, peeled and chopped
⅓ cup (2 oz./50 g) peas
9 oz. (260 g) rigatoni
7 oz. (200 g) meat and tomato sauce
Salt, pepper

Cooking Method

Prepare the meatballs.

Soak the bread in 1 ½ tablespoon (20 ml) of the milk; squeeze gently.
Make small meatballs with the ground pork, the milk-soaked bread, one egg, and the chopped garlic.
Season with salt and pepper and fry in a little olive oil.

Prepare the basil sauce.

Blanch 30 of the basil leaves and blend them with the olive oil to make a basil sauce.
Strain and set aside but keep warm.

Prepare the mozzarella sauce.

Warm the remaining 3 tablespoons (40 ml) milk and add ½ cup (2 ½ oz./70 g) of the chopped mozzarella.
Cook together in a bain-marie, then mix well and strain.
Set aside but keep warm.
Brown the chopped onion in a skillet in a little olive oil, then add the peas and saute.
Hard-boil the second egg for 7 minutes in boiling water. Cool and chop finely.
Set aside a few basil leaves for decoration, and then chop the remaining leaves.
Preheat the oven to 340°F (160°C).
Cook the rigatoni for 3 minutes. Heat the meat and tomato sauce.
Mix the rigatoni with half of the meat and tomato sauce and half of the basil sauce.

Assemble the timbales.

In four individual aluminum molds approximately 3 ¼ in. in diameter and 1 ½ in. high (8 cm x 4 cm), lined with plastic wrap, assemble the timbales: first place half of the remaining chopped mozzarella on the base, then line the sides with the rigatoni and fill with the peas, chopped egg, meatballs, and chopped basil. Top with the last of the chopped mozzarella.

Bake for 14 minutes. Turn out on to a pi ate and pour over the three sauces: the remaining meat and tomato sauce, the mozzarella sauce, and the remaining basil sauce.
Decorate with the remaining basil leaves and a drizzle of olive oil.

Bucatini All’Amatriciana Cooking Recipe, Ingredients, Cooking Method

September 12, 2022 by Mila

Bucatini All’Amatriciana Cooking Recipe, Ingredients, Cooking Method

The name of this dish derives from the town of Am at rice, Lazio, northeast of Rome and near the border with the Abruzzo region.

Serves 4

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

1 onion
3 ½ oz. (100 g) pecorino
1 lb. 12 oz. (800 g) ripe tomatoes or 14 oz. (300 g) canned, peeled tomatoes
4 oz. (120 g) guanciale (pork cheek aged with herbs) or pancetta (unsmoked bacon)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 Thai/bird (bird’s eye) chili, or to taste
14-16 oz. (400-500 g) bucatini
Salt

Equipment

1 serrated vegetable peeler

Cooking Method

Peel the onion and chop. Grate the pecorino.
Wash the tomatoes; if necessary, peel them with a serrated vegetable peeler (or after immersing them in boiling water for a few seconds, then in cold water).
Remove the stalk, core, and also seeds if you wish, then chop them.
Dice the guanciale and brown it in olive oil in a skillet.
When it is nicely crisp, add the chopped onion.
As soon as the onion becomes translucent, add the chili pepper and the tomatoes.
Season with salt and cook for 10 minutes.
Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil and cook the bucatini pasta (according to the packet instructions).
Drain and add them to the sauce in the skillet and sprinkle over the pecorino.
Serve immediately.

Suggested food/wine match

Poggio le Volpi, Baccarossa Lazio IGT

Chef’s note

You can replace all or part of the pecorino with Parmesan, and the bucatini with spaghetti or rigatoni.

Lamb Served Four Ways Cooking Recipe, Ingredients, Cooking Method

September 12, 2022 by Mila

Lamb Served Four Ways Cooking Recipe, Ingredients, Cooking Method

Serves 4

Preparation time: 5 hours
Cooking time: 35 minutes
Freezing time: 4 hours

Ingredients

Lamb and artichokes

10 oz. (300 g) best end of lamb
Extra virgin olive oil
1 sprig of fresh thyme
2 lb. (1 kg) purple artichokes
2 sprigs of rosemary
2 cloves garlic, chopped
A few small mint leaves Flour (for coating)
1 egg (for coating)
Bread crumbs (for coating)
5 oz. (150 g) mostaccioli (soft almond and honey cookiesfromAbruzzo)
1 oz. (30 g) grape must (available from specialty stores or online)
2 ¼ cups (550 ml) peanut oil (for frying)
Salt, pepper

Tartare

7 oz. (200 g) boned leg of baby lamb
Juice of ¼ lemon
2 sprigs of fresh thyme, chopped
Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup (50 g) black olives, pitted, to finish

Rack of lamb

2 racks of lamb, each weighing 14 oz. (400 g)
Extra virgin olive oil
2 oz. (60 g) peeled almonds
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 sprigs of rosemary
A few mint leaves
A few marjoram leaves

Lamb sandwich

5 cups (17 ½ oz./500 g) bread flour,
2 tablespoons (¾ oz./25 g) sugar
3 eggs
¾ cake (½ oz./15 g) fresh compressed yeast
Scant ½ cup (100 ml) water
1 ¼ sticks (5 oz./140 g) butter, softened
½ cup (5 ¼ oz./150 g) egg yolks, beaten
⅓ cup (1 ¾ oz./50 g) sesame seeds
2 teaspoons (10 g) butter (for frying)
3 ½ oz. (100 g) ground shoulder of lamb
1 sprig of fresh thyme, chopped

Cooking Method

Prepare the lamb and artichokes.

Remove the bone from the best end of lamb with a boning knife.
Season with salt and pepper and brown in a nonstick skillet in a little olive oil and the thyme for 2 to 3 minutes.
Remove from heat, let cool, then cut the meat into medallions 1 in. (2 cm) thick.
Clean the artichokes, cut into quarters, and cook them until completely tender in a cast-iron casserole with 2 tablespoons of oil, the rosemary, chopped garlic, and mint leaves.
Mix in afood processor, then sieve the mixture to obtain a smooth puree.
Using a pastry bag, pipe a generous layer of it onto the medallions of meat. Place in the freezer.
When the medallions are frozen hard, dip them in flour, then in the beaten egg, and finally in bread crumbs.
Let them thaw in the refrigerator for about 2 hours.
Meanwhile, blend the mostaccioli with the grape must to obtain a mealy consistency.
If necessary, add 1 tablespoon of water.
Deep-fry the medallions of lamb in a pan filled with peanut oil.

Make the lamb tartare.

Select the leanest pieces of the leg of lamb and chop them finely with a knife.
Season them with the lemon juice, chopped thyme, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Prepare the rack of lamb.

Thoroughly clean the cutlets by removing the thin layer of skin on the bones.
Divide the rack into four pairs of cutlets.
Sprinkle with salt, and brown in a little oil until they develop a nice surface crust.
Chop the almonds and the herbs mix them together.
Season with salt and pepper.
Coat the lamb with this mixture and finish cooking in the oven at 350°F (180°C)for 8 minutes.

Make the lamb sandwich.

Mix the flour, sugar, eggs, yeast, water, and a pinch of salt in a large bowl; gradually add the softened butter to the mixture.
When you have a smooth dough, transfer it to a loaf pan and bake at 350°F (180°C) for 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven, leave to cool, and then cut the bread into slices 36 in. (1 cm) thick.
Cut these into rounds 2 in. (5 cm) in diameter with a cookie cutter.
Dip them in the beaten egg yolks, sprinkle them with sesame seeds, and fry them in a preheated nonstick skillet with about 2 teaspoons butter.
Season the ground meat with salt, pepper, and thyme.
Form sandwiches by dividing the meat mixture between half the bread rounds; place the remaining halves on top.
Place the sandwiches in the oven at 340°F (170°C)for 6 minutes.

Assemble the dish.

Place a hot lamb medallion on each plate; arrange a drop of mostaccioli sauce next to each one.
Shape rounds of the tartare using a cookie cutter and place them next to the medallions.
Finely chop the black olives and sprinkle a few over the tartare.
Complete each arrangement with a rack of lamb and a sandwich.
Decorate with a small mint leaf.

Panforte Cooking Recipe, Ingredients, Cooking Method

September 12, 2022 by Mila

Panforte Cooking Recipe, Ingredients, Cooking Method

This is an ancient recipe for a cake from Siena, traditionally prepared for Christmas as an offering to seigneurs and clergy.

Serves 6

Preparation time: 40 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Cooling time: at least 2 hours

Ingredients

Whole spices for the panforte

½ oz. (15 g) piece cinnamon bark
Small piece of mace
½ teaspoon cubeb (tailed) peppercorns
½ teaspoon coriander seeds
½ teaspoon cloves
½ teaspoon nutmeg, grated separately

Panforte

5 oz. (150 g) candied orange
5 oz. (150 g) candied melon
7 oz. (200 g) blanched almonds
¼ cup (1 oz./30 g) cocoa powder
⅓ cup (4 ½ oz./125 g) honey
⅔ cup (4 ½ oz./125 g) granulated sugar

Polverino

1 teaspoon cocoa powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground coriander

Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Equipment

1 mortar or coffee grinder
1 sheet rice paper 9 in. (22 cm) wide
One 8 in. (20 cm) diameter tart ring
1 spatula

Cooking Method

Reduce the whole spices for the panforte to powder in a mortar or coffee grinder.
Add the grated nutmeg.
Cut the candied fruit into small pieces and mix them with the almonds, cocoa, and ground spices.
Mix the polverino ingredients together.
Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C).
Place the tart ring on a sheet of rice paper.
Melt the honey in a saucepan with the sugar and heat to the fondant (softball) stage.
Place a sugar thermometer in the pan and measure 239°F-242°F (115°C-117°C).
Once the desired temperature is reached, stand the pan in cold water to stop the cooking process.
You can recognize the fondant (soft ball) stage by dropping a small spoonful of the syrup into a bowl of very cold water and trying to shape it into a small ball with your fingers in the water; the syrup should easily form a soft ball while in the water but will flatten out once removed.
Stir the fondant into the almond mixture and spread it over the rice paper inside the tart ring.
Smooth the surface with a spatula, sprinkle with the polverino, and bake for 30 minutes.
Leave to cool.
Give the panforte a shake to remove any excess polverino, then sprinkle with plenty of confectioners’ sugar.

Suggested food/wine match

Col d’Orcia, Pascena—Moscadello dt Montalcino DOC

Did you know?

Panforte literally means “strong bread” in Italian, reflecting its spicy and peppery flavors.