Viaggi & Sapori

PINZA di Dignano... della nonna Margherita

2008-05-17T12:34:00.008+02:00

Pinza is a typical sweet bread from Istria and it is often home made al Easter time. There are a lot different variant of the basic recipe and this one is from my grandma Margherita, who is from Dignano d'Istria (today called Vodnjan in Croatian). Istria used to be part of Italy before but after the Second World War returned to Yugoslavia, it was at the time that my grandparents decided to move to Italy and after traveling to different cities all around Italy and several relocations they finally settled in the north part of the country. All these Italians that were moving from Istria to Italy were called "profughi", which means refugees, and settled in different parts of the Italy.

My grandma has been making this cake since I was little... I remember so well the long hours she was working the dough with her hands and let it rise, and work it again and let it rise several times... the smell of the yeast was so intense and nice.

This is the first time I have made Pinza and I am quite satisfied, it came out very good, almost like my grandma Margherita, but I need a lot of practice to obtain her result. Pinza gets better after 2-3 days... it is a quite dry cake and it is perfect with tea or coffee. I like to eat it in the morning for breakfast together with some tea but it can be a very good afternoon snack.

Istria (Istra in Croatian, Istria in Italian), formerly Histria in Latin, is the largest peninsula in the Adriatic Sea. The peninsula is located at the head of the Adriatic between the Gulf of Trieste and the Bay of Kvarner.

After World War I Istria returned to the Italy. After the advent of Fascism, the indigenous Croatian and Slovene population were exposed to a policy of forced Italianization and cultural suppression. They lost their right to education and religious practice in their maternal language.

After the end of World War II, Istria was included into the Social Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, except for a small part in the northwest corner that formed Zone B of the provisionally independent Free Territory of Trieste. In the postwar years fear of communism and strong post-war ethnic tension resulted in almost all Italians leaving Istria. By 1956 the last migrations were coming to an end, Istria had lost a significant segment of its population (80%) and part of its social and cultural identity.

Now Istria is mainly part of Croatia, it is a beautiful place and there together with my family I used to spend summer holidays when I was little. I have so many nice memories but unfortunately it has been a many years now that I have not been there... I will have to go back soon.

Check the Official Web Site for Istria is http://www.istra.hr/

Salsa bolzanina con asparagi

2008-05-12T09:00:00.003+02:00

This is a very easy sauce from the city Bolzano (in the region Trentino Alto Adige), that is why it is called "Bolzanina". I saw the recipe on TV at my favorite cooking program "La prova del cuoco" on the Italian channel RAI 1.

It was one the chef from the beautiful Italian region Trentino Alto Adige (North of Italy, near the border with Austria...Trentino Official Website) that gave this recipe during the cooking competition and showed how to make it, he also said that salsa bolzanina is a perfect accompaniment to asparagus.

Above you can see the beautiful asparagus I found yesterday at the supermarket... I immediately thought about salsa bolzanina because it sounded very interesting and since I saw the program (last week) I wanted to try it. This dish is absolutely delicious!
.

.
BOLZANINA SAUCE WITH ASPARAGUS

(1 person)

Ingredients: 2 eggs, 1/2 tsp mustard, 1/2 lemon, extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper, asparagus.
.

Wash the asparagus and boil them in salted water. Boil the eggs. With an handblender blend mustard, the boiled yolks, salt, pepper and add extra-vingin olive oil a bit at the time (like when you make mayonnaise), add lemon juice and the boiled whites cut in small cubes. Mix well and you this sauce on top of boiled asparagus.

Un fiore per ogni mamma!

2008-05-11T13:46:00.018+02:00

Today in Italy it is Mother's Day (in Sweden Mother's Day is the last Sunday of May)... I send my best wishes to all moms and a different flower to each one of them!

Last week I was in Italy, where it is already middle spring, and I found a lot of flowers everywhere... the one above it is a beautifil black tulip from my parents garden.
. Here below to the left you can see an iris and to the right beautiful calla lilies from our garden.
.

The one down here is a tiny little cactus with a huge flower... I was really chocked when I saw the dimention of that flower.

Last week I also travelled towards South of Italy and found those beautiful wild cyclamen in the wood... you cannot imagine how many there were!
.

And what about a blooming olive tree on the hills in the countryside of region Lazio...
.

Frollini con marmellata di fichi

2008-04-25T19:16:00.009+02:00

In the last few weeks in the morning I got woken up by the birds singing outside my window... and I live in the city centre... incredibly nice. I also get a sun ray coming directly into my face at 5 a.m., the sun is already high in the sky at that time... I am surprised every year when spring comes become the changes are so radical and quick.

Spring has finally arrived in Stockholm and this week has been fabulous, blue sky and sun and 18 degrees. Outside you can begin to see green colors on the trees and flowers are coming out.

.
These cookies are really simple and quick to make... very fresh and lemony taste.

The jam I used is figs jam that my parents made last summer with the white figs from the plants in our garden, it is really good and sweet... natural sweet. It finished really fast but I got just in time to save one jar... it is so delicious!

Intaglio di frutta e verdura dalla Tailandia - Thai fruit and vegetable carving

2008-04-21T20:55:00.015+02:00

.
Here is what I did during the weekend... a fruit and vegetable carving course. It was great, I had a lot of fun and you can see the result in the picture above... The teacher was a lady from Thailand that learnt this art from her mom, who learnt it from her mom and her mom...
.
Fruit and vegetable carving comes from Thailand, where it is a traditional and highly cultivated art. Not only is the taste and aroma of a dish important but also its visual appeal. In Thailand food presentation has been elevated to the status of an art, which can require years of study and practice.

The picture above shows the two roses made from an orange and a tomato skin... this was the first thing we learnt to do.

In the picture below you can see some carrots that have become beautiful leaves... our first carving job. Then you can see a flower made of cucumber and tomatoes and my favorite... a flower made out of a pepper.
.

Pumpkins, melons, pineapples, and papayas are carved into traditional Thai designs and hallowed out to become containers for fruit salads, hot dishes and sauces. Thais artfully fold banana leaves into baskets, cups and platters. Vegetables are carved into flowers, leaves and even fish and crab shapes and eaten both raw and cooked.
.
The carving of fruits and vegetables was originally for the exclusive enjoyment of the Siamese King's court. The Thai people are very artistic and have a deep appreciation for beauty and ornamentation as evidenced by the elaborate costumes of classical Thai dancers and the intricate adornment of Thai temples (wats).
.
Today the Royal Thai cuisine has become world famous. Traditional Thai society highly valued the art of food presentation and the mastering of it was considered to be the mark of a true aristocratic lady in ancient times. The Siamese Grand Palace was a sort of finishing school for well-born women teaching classical cooking, flower arranging, making fresh flower garlands, banana leave folding, classical dancing, dress making, perfume brewing, betal chew arrangement, cigarette rolling and fruit carving. Carving reached its zenith during the Bangkok reign of King Rama II (1809 - 1824).
.
The highest of these palatial arts and crafts was considered to be the carving of fruits and vegetables, where ordinary produce such as cucumbers, pumpkins, watermelons, tomatoes and onions were transformed into miniature animals, birds, life-size flowers and serving containers. Traditional Thai boats, classical figures from Thai mythology, heroic statuary from the Ramayana epic are inspiration for carving not only with fruits and vegetables but also in ice and butter. Carvings like this can still be seen at four star hotels and carving competitions in Thailand.
.
Fortunately for mere mortals, after the 1931 political revolution in Thailand, all the arts and sciences of royal cuisine were passed onto commoners through the school system.

I will continue to discover this beautiful art and take more courses next autumn.

Spaghetti con le vongole "in bianco"

2008-04-09T21:04:00.023+02:00

This afternoon I received an sms from a friend, it was saying: "They are selling vongole at the supermarket down at the central station". Very seldom you can find vongole in Stockholm so I asked: "Are they fresh vongole?", I immediately knew what I was going to make for dinner... my favorite pasta dish... spaghetti with vongole in white version.

There are 3 different types of vongole: vongole veraci, vongole comuni and breeding of vongole (these come from outside Italy). The best ones are the vongole veraci, they are more tasty.

The vongole I bought where coming directly from Italy and they were vongole veraci.

Spaghetti with vongole (more known in Naples as vermicelli with vongole) are one of the delights of the Gulf of Naples cuisine. You definitely have to try this dish when you are Naples, even better if tasted at the seaside and accompanied by one of optimal white wines from that region.

In Naples there are two ways of cooking spaghetti with vongole (actually three ways), there are very strong supporters of one version or the other. Cause of the dispute is the tomato, does it go into this dish or not? Some prefer spaghetti con le vongole in bianco (white version), others spaghetti con le vongole al pomodoro (red version with tomato sauce). There are also other supporters that just like spaghetti with vongole and cherry tomatoes.

P.S. It is snowing a lot outside... just when nobody was expecting it after no snow during the whole winter. I like snow!!!

Tortiglioni con crema di ceci

2008-03-13T23:59:00.008+01:00

I suggest you this very quick pasta dish... just delicious!

I came back late from work few days and did not have much at home... just a can of chickpeas (pre-boiled chickpeas) that I bought long time ago, just for emergency situations. I put the chickpeas in boiling water for 15 minutes with a garlic clove, while I was cooking my "tortiglioni". I also put some bacon in the oven, just to make it crispy. Then with a blender I blended the chickpeas with some salt, pepper and GOOD extra-virgin olive oil. The sauce was then ready to be mixed with pasta cooked "al dente" and bacon on top.

Isn't this easy?

Polpette di carne

2008-03-08T16:34:00.010+01:00

After few days in Helsinki where it was snowing a lot... the first real snow of the winter for me, since in Stockholm there not been any snow, I am back in Sweden. I did expect the snow since here in Stockholm the temperature is quite high (+6 degrees) and I have got a cold...

I got back home and I did not have much in my fridge... some mortadella that was getting too old and old bread. The first thing that came to my mind was "polpette", Italian meatballs. There are many recipes but this one is one of the basic and the one my mom and my grandma always use. When I make polpette I usually make a lot so that I can put some in the frizer for next time... when I come home late and do not have time to cook, I can just take them out and warm them up in the oven.

Polpette in Italy are usually eaten with vegetables or a salad, yesterday I decided to eat them accompanied with carrots salad. Clean and wash the carrots, peel them and cut them in small pieces with a grated (use the large holes), them dress with salt, vinegar (or lemon) and extra-virgin olive oil.

You can cook polpette in a large pan with some extra-virgin olive oil or cook them in a good tomato sauce (in this case it is better the polpette are in smaller size), they will be perfect for spaghetti.

Biscotti alle nocciole

2008-02-29T22:15:00.010+01:00

These cookies are very easy and quick to make... it takes more time to shell the hazelnuts and toast them in the oven. I had a lot of hazelnuts let over after Christmas, I like them a lot but I had so many and did not know what to do with them... until I came across this recipe on the Internet and found it really good.

I took my cookies to work and someone just could not stop eating them... they were very successful.

Here is the recipe:

Potatisgratäng - Patate gratinate "alla svedese"

2008-02-17T21:26:00.007+01:00

This is my favorite Swedish dish, since the first time I tried it I just love it... it is so creamy and with a little bit of garlic taste, which is perfect. This is actually coming from France originally but here is I have learnt to make here from some Swedish friends of mine.

This is a perfect side dish for a big steak.

Wok di tacchino... per il capodanno cinese

2008-02-10T21:50:00.001+01:00

This a dish I made up with few leftovers... things I had in my fridge. It is Asian style even if I do not thing Chinese people usually eat turkey. Anyway, it was quite good and I am proposing it here.

First of all... HAPPY NEW YEAR 2008! This is the year of the RAT...

The celebrations for the Chinese New Year usually go on for 1 week (until next Wednesday). Yesterday even here in Stockholm there were fireworks for the Chinese New Year... very beautiful and big... I could see them from my window.

To prepare this dish you first have to cut the turkey in small cubes and marinate them with some soy sauce. Let it rest in the marinade for about 20 minutes.

You can also begin cooking the rice... and I have my precious rice cooker to do that so the rice will be cooked perfectly and I can keep it warm until the wok is ready.

Then you have to prepare all the vegetables, clean and wash them and cut them in small pieces. I used shallots (finely chopped), garlic (finely chopped), ginger (finely chopped), baby sweet corns, flat green beans, green beans crops oil and soy sauce. When all this is done the final step is to put everything together... it goes very fast...

You take a pan and put it on high heat. You first put some oil, garlic and ginger, cook for 2 minutes, add some soy sauce and challots. Let cook for 2 minutes then add the turkey with its marinate. Cook until the meat is almost ready and then add the flat green beans. At last add the baby sweetcorn, the green beans crops and some mushroom soy sauce. Stir and cook for few minutes, until the meat is well done.

Serve with boiled rice.

Xiaolongbao a Shanghai

2008-02-09T15:12:00.000+01:00

Few months ago I was in China with my job, it was a very interesting trip and my first time in Shanghai. I took the chance and stayed in Shanghai for a whole weekend… there was not much time to see everything I wanted to but I could not miss to taste my favorite Chinese dish… small steamed buns (in Chinese “xiaolongbao”) filled with meat or seafood or vegetables. My favorite ones are Nanxiang Xiaolongbao (small steamed meat buns), the buns are filled with meat and its juice, they are absolutely delicious!

.
The main characteristics of Nanxiang xiaolongbao are thin, wrapped and pulpy, if you nibble at one bun, the toothsome fillings will bring you a mouthful aroma and give you a special feel. These buns are usually eaten dipped into a shredded ginger sauce with the seasoned vinegar.

The best place in the city where you can taste xiaolongbao is the restaurant in Yu Garden. Here it is not possible to book, the place is always crowded so if you go there you have to be prepared to queue for a LONG time. We went there on a Saturday for lunch and queued for about 2 hours… it was worth it! The best lunch I had in China.

In this restaurant there is a big window from where you can see how the chefs make the xiaolongbao… they were very good and so quick! It was very interesting for me, I was studying their movements to try making my xialongbao at home later. I made xiaolongbao once… they came out really good but the shape of the buns and the thickness was not really perfect… never mind… I will try again.

Yu Garden is located in the old town of Shanghai and it was laid out in 1559 AD by a powerful Ming official, Yu Garden recreates a beautiful landscape of pagodas, pavilions, rockeries, fountains, ancient trees and precious flowers.

Orecchiette

2008-02-03T11:00:00.000+01:00

This is the first time I make my own Orecchiette by scratch... in Italy you can buy them everywhere, both dry and fresh, but of course when you make them yourself they taste so much better. The recipe is very simple and you need only 3 ingredients... semolina, salt and water. It takes quite a long time to make Orecchiette... if it is your first time.

This is a typical Sunday lunch dish....
.

ORECCHIETTE

(for 2 people)

Ingredients: 200 g durum wheat semolina (in Italian "semola"), pinch of salt, lukewarm water (as much as needed).

Combine the semolina, unbleached flour and salt, and mound it on a large work surface. Make a well in the center with your finger and pour in 3-4Tbsp. water. Begin pulling the flour from the inner wall of the well into the liquid. Add more water and continue forming a paste until the flour has absorbed as much water as possible with becoming hard or dry. Knead vigorously on a lightly floured board until the dough is smooth and elastic. This may take 20 minutes or so. Form the dough into a ball and cover (to avoid it dries up).

.Pull off a scant handful of the dough (keep the rest of the dough covered). On a lightly floured board, roll the dough into a rope about 1 cm in diameter. Cut the rope into slices 1 cm thick. Put the knife on your slice of dough, push and "drad" it until the dough bends on itself and gets the shape of a shell. At this point take the dough, put it on your inch and turn it upside down... here you have your orecchietta (little ear).

It is more difficult to explain than to do it... you should just try it, it is not that difficult but it might take a long time the first time you do it.

You cook orecchiette in salted boiling water for about 1-2 minutes. Orecchiette are small and they cook very quickly. Here is a sauce you can make for orecchiette, one of the typical dishes of Puglia.

Info&Research: ORECCHIETTE.

Orecchiette are a type of pasta native to region Puglia (South of Italy), whose shape resembles a small ear (in Italian, "orecchio" means "ear" and "orecchietta" means "small ear"). An orecchietta looks like a small white dome with a thinner center than edge and a rough surface.

Orecchiatte are the most authentic symbol of the gastronomy from Puglia and the typical regional recipe combines orecchiette with turnip heads. The classic Italian cookbook "Il cucchiaio d'argento" ("The silver spoon") suggests that orecchiette are ideal for vegetable sauces. Another very famous recipe in Puglia is orecchiette with tomato sauce and cacioricotta.

Torta di noci soffice

2008-01-20T13:38:00.001+01:00

This is one of my favorite cake, it is fluffy and has a rich taste of walnuts. It is perfect with a cup of tea as afternoon snack but it works well for breakfast too. My aunt made this cake first and them passed it to everyone in our family.

Well, I had a lot of walnuts left from Christmas time but I knew immediately what cake I could do with them.

Minestra di topinambur

2008-01-17T21:34:00.001+01:00

This week has been very windy and rainy and when the weather is like this I just want a nice warm minestra... I discovered topinambur last winter and like it a lot, it slightly reminds the taste of artichoke but it looks more like ginger root.

Info&Research: TOPINAMBUR.

The Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus), also called the sunroot or sunchoke or topinambur, is a species of sunflower native to eastern North America, from Maine west to North Dakota, and south to northern Florida and Texas. It is also cultivated widely across the temperate world for its tuber, which is used as a root vegetable.
It is a herbaceous perennial plant growing to 1.5–3 m tall. the leaves are opposite on the lower part of the stem, alternate higher up; the larger leaves on the lower stem are broad ovoid-acute and can be up to 30 cm long, the higher leaves smaller and narrower; they have a rough, hairy texture. The flowers are yellow, produced in flowerheads 5–10 cm diameter, with 10–20 ray florets. The tubers are gnarly and uneven, typically 7.5–10 cm long and 3–5 cm thick, and vaguely resembling ginger root, with a crisp texture when raw; they vary in color from pale brown to white, red or purple.

Dessert allo yogurt... dal Marocco

2008-01-12T12:11:00.000+01:00

This is actually a Moroccan dessert but I decided to prepare it for breakfast and it was perfect... rich and healthy... and really good! The yoghurt is dense and smooth and then you have the different seeds that give it crunchiness and the pomegranate... so colorful and juicy.

Here is how you prepare it:

Few months ago I participated at a Moroccan cooking course, it was real fun and we got to cook really interesting and delicious dishes. The course was organized in 3 hours cooking and then sitting all together at the table, taste the food with some wine. It was a very nice evening and the food was absolutely delicious!

Here are some photos of that evening and what we made:

In the photo above on the background you can see a typical Moroccan salad made with oranges, Roman salad and harissa, very fresh and juicy. In the foreground you can see a delicious dish... saffron chicken with apricots.

Above there is a plate with really good meat balls made of lamb meat and accompanied by a fresh mint-yoghurt sauce.

Here above is my favorite of all dishes that we made... saffron rice with cinnamon, cumin, lemon, pine nuts and raisins. This was so good that I could not stop eating it...
.

All this food was accompanied by hummus and a carrot salad dressed with cinnamon and lemon.

And at the end we had the yoghurt dessert with apple, pomegranate and the different seeds... the one that I reproduced for my breakfast.

Pipe rigate con cavolo verde

2008-01-05T00:18:00.000+01:00

I just discovered this delicious vegetable... kale. It is really good and you can use it in many different dishes. It is a typical vegetable of this season, winter, and it is so cheap.

This special variant of kale is from Sweden and in Swedish is called "grönkål", which means "green cabbage". In Italy we also have other variants... one of them is "cavolo nero", which means "black cabbage" and it is also very good.
.

Info&Research: KALE.

Kale or Borecole is a form of cabbage (Brassica oleracea Acephala Group), green in color, in which the central leaves do not form a head. It is considered to be closer to wild cabbage than most domesticated forms. The species Brassica oleracea contains a wide array of vegetables, including broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts.

The most important growing areas lie in central and northern Europe and North America. Kale grows more rarely in tropical areas as it prefers cooler climates. Kale is the most robust cabbage type - indeed the hardiness of kale is unmatched by any other vegetable. Kale will also tolerate nearly all soils provided that drainage is satisfactory. Another advantage is that kale rarely suffers from pests and diseases of other members of the cabbage family.

Kale is considered to be one of the most highly nutritious vegetables, with powerful antioxidant properties and is anti-inflammatory. Kale is very high in beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C, lutein and zeaxanthin and reasonably rich in calcium.

Latte appena munto...

2008-01-04T13:30:00.000+01:00

First of all... Happy New Year to everybody!

I was at home in Italy for Christmas and came back only few days ago. While I was there I went to a place I used to go very often when I was a child... a farm just outside the city I come from.

This particular farm has 400 cows, sell milk and produces many different kinds of cheese. How nice it is to go there, walking around and buy milk just milked few hours before... of course you need to boil it before drinking it. We used to drink fresh milk much more often when I was little but now with the supermarkets it is very seldom you drive all way down here.
.

In this farm they have two different kinds of cows, the black and white ones that are Italian and the brown once that are from Holland. In the first picture above you can see some cows in their stall, where they go and sleep.
....And here a sweet cow that was so interested in my mobile phone and me taking photos.

Ravioli con ripieno di zucca - MENU FOR HOPE

2007-12-15T23:05:00.000+01:00

Before continuing my post and talking about pumpkin ravioli I want to remind you about this very important event: Menu for Hope. Many people need you help...

Every year, Food Bloggers from all over the world join together for a fundraising campaign. This year Menu for Hope 4 again raises funds to support the WFP. Specifically, the amount we raise will go to support the school lunch program in Lesotho, Africa. With this donation you will help to feed the kids (which keep them in school) and support their parents and community farming.

Here at Chez Pim you can find more information about it. To donate Click here.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The ravioli with pumpkin filling are one of the typical dishes of the region Emilia Romagna and sure one of the most known dishes in Italy, also because they are connected to the Christmas tradition. Pumpkin ravioli are in fact a typical first dish to have at the Christmas Eve dinner in this region.
.
Ravioli can be prepared in advanced and freezed in when they are still uncooked, in this way you can take them out of the freezer when you are in a hurry... they will be ready in few minutes.

These ravioli are very delicate and you should use a very simple sauce... the perfect one is to melt butter in a pan with fresh sage leaves and a lot of grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

Lussekatter - brioches svedesi allo zafferano per S. Lucia

2007-12-13T08:00:00.000+01:00

Saffron Buns are an old Swedish tradition and are commonly eaten on December 13, Saint Lucia Day and all the time up until Christmas. On this day Swedes celebrate the Italian Saint Lucia with a remarkable enthusiasm. St. Lucia's day actually marks the opening of the Christmas season in Sweden.

There are a number of traditional shapes for Lucia buns, “lussekatt” is the most famous one… it is an “S” shape to represent a cat (the name “Lussekatt” actually means “Lucia’s cat”).

The legend of Santa Lucia.
Saint Lucy of Syracuse in Sicily (Siracusa, 283 c.a - 304 c.a), called Santa Lucia da Siracusa in Italian, was a rich young Christian martyr who is venerated as a Saint by Catholic and Orthodox Christians. Her feast day in the West is December 13, by the unreformed Julian calendar the longest night of the year. Santa Lucia is the patron saint of blindness and is always represented with her eyes on a plate.

There are several cities in Italy where Santa Lucia is celebrated (with presents to the children) but is mostly celebrated in the South part of Italy, specially Sicily where she was from. Saint Lucy is also one of the very few saints celebrated in Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark with many midwinter light festivals..

The legend says that Lucia (whose name means "light") was a Christian while Diocletian was persecuting and martyring Christians. She consecrated her virginity to God, refused to marry a pagan and had her dowry distributed to the poor. Her
would-be husband denounced her as a Christian to the governor of Syracuse. The Christian tradition states that when the guards came to take her away they found her so filled with the Holy Spirit that she was stiff and heavy as a mountain; they could not move her even when they hitched her to a team of oxen. Even with a dagger through her throat she prophesied against her persecutor. As final torture, her eyes were gouged out. She was miraculously still able to see without her eyes..
.

I got this recipe from a fiend of mine, a Swedish girl, who taught me how to make saffron buns for Saint Lucia day few years ago. The trick to make lussekatt very soft is to use heavy cream (in Sweden you use a cram called “Kesella”) together with butter.

..
As you can see from my pictures I did not use any raisins, the reason is that I did not have any at home… I forgot I finished them last week when I baked an apple strudel.
.

Muffin allo sciroppo d'acero & noci

2007-12-04T17:49:00.000+01:00

I had some maple syrup to use and walnuts... This is the period of walnuts, that I like a lot, so here is what I have made.

Maple syrup & Walnut Muffins

(21 pieces)

Ingredients: 300 g white whole wheat, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 egg, 3.5 dl pure maple syrup, 4 tsp peanuts oil, 300 g plain yoghurt, 75 g chopped walnuts.
.

Combined all dry ingredients. Beat together egg, maple syrup, oil and yoghurt. Stir in the dry ingredients, just enough to moisten. Fold in nuts and spoon into well greased muffin tins, filling 2/3 full. Bake in 200C oven for 30 minutes or until browned.

FASE 2 - La frangitura

2007-12-02T13:48:00.000+01:00

Foto 1

Novembre 2007

Dopo la raccolta ed un breve stoccaggio, entro le 24-36 ore successive vengono frante. Il frantoio del quale ci serviamo è un impianto che lavora a freddo , e dalle foto possiamo vederne alcune parti, la zona di carico delle olive (foto3) appena arrivate al frantoio, che tramite un trasportatore arrivano alla stazione di lavaggio (foto1), la prima e seconda gramolatura (foto2), ed infine l’uscita dell’olio extra vergine di oliva (foto4).

Foto 2

L’acqua e la sansa (la parte solida che rimane dalla macinazione) vengono separati con apposite centrifughe. A questo punto l’olio viene riportato in azienda e stoccato nel miglior modo possibile in attesa di essere imbottigliato.
.

Fabrizio, www.poggiocappiano.it

Foto 3

--------------------------------------------------

STEP 2 - The olives have to be pressed

Foto 4

November 2007

After harvesting and a brief storage period, the olives are pressed within 24-36 hours. The olives are cold-pressed at the local mill, which is partly shown in the pictures: loading area of the olives once they reach the mill; the olives are conveyed to the washing station; first and second kneading process; the extra virgin olive oil finally flows out. The water and the olive pulp (which is the solid olive residue after grinding) are separated by centrifugal machines. At this point the oil is brought back to the company and stored in the best possible way until bottling.
.
Fabrizio, www.poggiocappiano.it

Pizzoccheri della Valtellina

2007-11-22T22:17:00.000+01:00

The name “Pizzoccheri” refers both to the Pizzoccheri pasta and to the Pizzoccheri dish. Pizzoccheri are a specialty of Valtellina.

Valtellina or the Valtelline valley is a valley in region Lombardia (Lombardy region) and bordering Switzerland. Valtellina is known for its skiing, its hot spring spas, its cheeses (in particular Bitto, named after the torrent Bitto) and its wines. In past centuries it was a key alpine pass between northern Italy and Germany and control of the Valtellina was much sought after, particularly during the Thirty Years' War.

For making the Pizzoccheri dish you have to use Pizzoccheri pasta, which is made of buckwheat flour (2/3), durum wheat flour (1/3), salt and water. Pizzoccheri have the same shape as fettuccine, width 1 cm and thin 1mm, but length 5 cm. In Italy you can find Pizzoccheri pasta in any supermarket.

The Pizzoccheri dish from Valtellina is a local legend, it was once considered a "piatto povero" or "poor-man’s dish" because of it’s basic ingredients... a heavy dish like this would probably be enough calories and fats to work in harsh winter conditions day after day.