PAPPA AL POMODORO

PAPPA AL POMODORO

Most of our contryside traditionl recipes were prepared using what farmers used to harvest. They used to go to the market but they could afford very few things. Women had to do the best they can preparing meals for a large family. “Pappa al pomodoro” is said to be born from the need to have a nutritional and easy to chew course for children and old people. My grandmother used to prepare it often, then for a period we have forget it. In the ‘90s some important restaurants in Florence rediscovered it and today it is synonymous of Tuscan cooking.

I usually say the secret for a good “pappa” are the ingredients. I will never cook it during the winter when tomatoes have no taste and basil is not scented.
For 4 people:

gr. 300 stale bread
gr. 500 tomatoes
3 gloves of garlic
1 liter stock
basil
6 spoons of olive oil
salt and pepper

In a saucepan put garlic and olive oil, when they start browning add chopped and peeled tomatoes, salt and pepper. Cook for 15 minutes. Pour the stock and when start boiling add the sliced bread. Cook for half an hour stirring. 10 minutes before remove from the fire add basil. Serve warm not hot with a bit of olive oil on the top. It is great! ask my granddaughter Bianca.

RICE CAKE

RICE CAKE

This is a traditional Tuscan cake, it cames from Massa Carrara so its name is “Carratina”. The number of the eggs can seems to high, but this is the original recipe.

It is also gluten-free because it contains rice and no flour.

For 6 people:

100 gr. rice
7 eggs
1/2 liter milk
300 gr. sugar
grated orange zeist
1 small glass of rhum
vanilla and salt
butter and wheat middlings for the baking tray

Boil the rice, drain and let cool.  Mix eggs with sugar until clear and foamy them add rhum, orange zeist, salt, vanilla and warm milk.

Grease a 25cm baking tray and spread on it the wheat middlings. Pour in the bottom the rice and pour over it the mixture. Bake middle temperature for about an hour.

It is delicious room temperature.

FENNEL AU GRATIN

FENNEL AU GRATIN

I usually prepare fennels salads or “pinzimonio” with good olive oil, salt and pepper. If I have to cook them I can not just boil them because they are not so tasty!

For 4 people:

3 fennels

250gr butter

100gr milk

50gr flour

50gr parmesan cheese

Nutmeg and salt.

Cut the fennels and boil them. In a pan put the butter and 2 gloves of garlic. When the garlic start browning remove it and add floured fennels. Let cook until a bit  tosty then add milk, salt and nutmeg. When the milk dry pour the parmesan cheese and serve warm.

If you want to prepare them in advance, put in a baking tray fennels cook with the milk, add parmisan cheese on the top and bake for 5 minutes.

 

MY OWN BUCK WHEAT “MALTAGLIATI”

MY OWN BUCK WHEAT “MALTAGLIATI”

I have just come back from a travel in North Europe and I admit I was glad to see Italian sun again and the flavours of our food. We landed in Pisa at 12 pm and at 1 pm my husband was happily eating pasta. Italians love pasta, but from my experience at Il Caggio, also the rest of the world.

I like offer my guests the possibility to taste everyday different recipes, so sometimes I test recipes  which resemble traditional ones. So I mixed two different kind of flours to have a rough pasta good for vegetables and cheese. Somebody told me it reminds a recipe from Veneto.

For 6 people:
mix 200gr soft wheat flour and 200gr buck wheat flour then knead with 3 eggs and salt. Let sit then divide the pastry in 4 parts and stretch using a rolling pin. Cut shaping squares and rhombus 4cm side. In the meantime pour 5 spoons of olive oil in a pan. Cut 1 onion, 2 zucchini, 1 aubergine, 1 pepper and put in the pan adding salt and pepper. Cook high fire. 5 minutes before remove from the fire add 5 small tomatoes half chopped. Cook pasta in salted water. When pasta come up drain it and pour on the vegetable.

Mix adding 50gr Emmenthal cheese and 50gr pecorino cheese (chopped). Cook for few minutes. If you prefer having it smoother just add 2 or 3 spoons of cream.

This recipe is quite nutritious so it can be consider a single course. Add a dessert and the dinner is ready!

 

                                      

 

 

                                     

AUBERGINE ROLLS

AUBERGINE ROLLS

Ingredients:

2 aubergines

250 gr. ricotta cheese

70 gr. grated parmesan cheese

50 gr. grated pecorino cheese

1 egg

garlic, salt and pepper, olive oil

Wash and cut the aubergines then bake them for 20 minutes in pre-heaten oven. Pass in the mixer. In a pan pour 2 spoons of olive oil and 2 garlic gloves. When the garlic starts browning remove it and add aubergines. Cook for few minutes stirring. Let cool, then add 50gr parmesan cheese and ricotta cheese, salt and pepper. Make rectangles 10x8cm using phillo partry prepared in advance. Brush olive oil on and place the filling. Roll up and put in the oven. Mix 1 egg, 1 glass of water, 3 spoons of olive oil, salt and 20gr parmesan cheese left. Pour it on the rolls and bake for 15 minutes, 200°. Serve hot.

                            

PHILLO PASTRY

PHILLO PASTRY

From my last trip in Turkey I come back with some new cooking inspiration thinking about who, as all my family, would like to eat light food but without give up the taste. During my previous journeys in Turkey I tried different courses made with phillo pastry but I wasn’t able to understand the way to cook it. This time I was at my friends house so I could find out some secrets of the Turkish tradition. Coming home I tried and my family said the result was pretty good.

Phillo pastry is made just with flour, water and salt. If the ingredients are in the right proportion the pastry should result quite hard and it should sit in a fresh place for about 1 hour. I mix 300gr flour, 140gr water, salt. I can be stretch out using a rolling pin sprinkling with durum wheat flour. However you can use the machine and the result is quite good. Each time you pass the pastry through the machine sprinkle with durum wheat flour.

Once ready the tripes can be keep in the fridge for about a week, but they have to be sprinkle with durum wheat flour and protect with plastc wrap.

Phillo pasta can be used for tart with vegetables o to prepare some rolls fill with cheese or vegetables. If you like you can cook on a hot plate and eat with cheese and cured meat.
















                                    




they are delicious eaten hot

FOCACCIA CON I CICCIOLI (FOCACCIA BREAD WITH PORK MEAT)

FOCACCIA CON I CICCIOLI (FOCACCIA BREAD WITH PORK MEAT)

This focaccia bread came from the inspiration of Tuscan women who used to make bread ones every 8-10 days. It was a hard, long job: in the evening they “mettevano il lievito” which mean preparing the first pastry using “lievito madre” (starter) to add to another pastry for the second rise. Then at dawn they waked up to hot the oven ( using wood)  and knead the pastry…quite a long work. In the middle of the day the pastry was ready to be cooked.

Then to satisfy the children they use to make a sweet version with sugar, for adult during grape harvest they prepared a version using fresh grape then when farmers killed the pork used to make a focaccia bread adding roasted pork meat (“focaccia con I ciccioli”).

Today everything is much more easy, to make a good “focaccia con i ciccioli” you can use 500gr bread pastry (the same you used for pizza), 300gr bacon, salt and pepper.
 Chop the bacon and cook in a small pan until lightly brown. Add salt, pepper and let cool. Take the rised pastry add bacon and lard. Make focaccia as thick as you like and bake 200° until gilded. In the Easter period we use to make small loaf. In this case bake for about 45 minutes and the oven temperature should be lower.

CHEESE PIE

CHEESE PIE

I have memories of this pie my mum used to prepare for Easter. After going to the church all the family ate holy eggs with tuscan cured meats and different kind of pies.

My favorite  were  the cheese one and the one made with “ciccioli di maiale” (a pie with small pieces of roasted pork meat inside). The last one we used to eat during Easter lunch was a sweet pie with mint syrup.

Ingredients:

170 gr milk
80 gr. olive oil
3 yolks
400 gr. flour
100 gr. Parmigiano cheese
100 gr. chopped Emmental cheese
50 gr. grated pecorino cheese
15 gr. yeast
salt and pepper

Make a smooth ball using yeast, 30gr warm milk and the necessary flour. Let rise in a warm place. It will be ready when doubled.

Pour in a bowl the flour left and mix with cheese, 10gr salt and pepper. Make a hole in the middle and pour the left milk, pastry, olive oil and yolks then knead using your hands. Put in an baking tray and let rise again. Bake in pre-heaten oven 180° for about an hour.

FIGS AND HONEY TART

FIGS AND HONEY TART

     
To prepare short crust pastry : mix 300gr flour, 100gr sugar, 120gr butter, 1 egg and 1 yolk, lemon zeist and salt. Let sit the pastry for an hour in the fridge. Stretch out the pastry leaving aside a part for the topping stripes. Cover with figs jam. In the meantime pour 3 spoons of honey and 50gr walnut in a small pan. Cook until honey will be melted, then pour on  the tart and place the stripes of pastry on the cake.

Cook 180° for about 30 minutes.

MILK CARROTS

MILK CARROTS

Today I want to write a very simple recipe thinking about children who don’t like eating vegetables. As all orange vebetables carrots are rich in vitamins, but if you don’t like eating them uncooked we have to cook with steam to keep all the healthy substances. Because I think steam carrots remind hospital food I suggest this recipe:

for 4 people
500 gr. carrots
1/4 liter milk
20 gr. butter
1 lemon
50 gr. parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

clean the carrots and cut thin round, put in a pan with milk and butter. Cook until carrots will be soft and all the milk absorbed. Add salt, pepper, lemon juice and half parmesan cheese. Pour in a tray and sprinkle with the parmesan cheese left before serving.

                                 

CHOCOLATE TART

CHOCOLATE TART

This recipe is one of my best for breakfast. Asking my guests it is their favourite.

Ingredients:

200 gr. dark chocolate

2 cup of the sugar

190 gr. butter

100 gr. walnut

150 gr. flour

Baking powder

Whip egg and sugar then add soft butter and chocolate melted bain marie. The mixture should result foamy then add chopped walnut and baking powder. Pour in a baking tray 28cm diameter. Bake in pre-heaten oven 180° for 30 minutes.

The hot cake will result thick but cooling it will set down with a soft heart inside.



                                     

FRESH FRUIT TART

FRESH FRUIT TART

Following my guest suggestion I write about a tart with fresh fruit. The pastry I use is always the same but I change the fruit depending on the season. In summer everybody appreciate peaches, in springs strawberries and in September figs.

As base you can use short crust pastry and custard. You can buy both of them but I suggest to try to homemade, after the first time it won’t be so difficult and the result is much better!

Short crust pastry
Ingredients:

300 gr. flour

120 gr. sugar

120 gr. melted butter

1 egg ed 1 yolk

Lemon zeist

Mix together flour, sugar and lemon zeist. Make a hole in the middle and fill in with eggs and butter, knead quicky using fingers, make a ball and let sit for half an hour. Stretch the pastry, punch with a fork and bake 15 minutes 180°.

Custard:
Ingredients:

1/2 liter of milk

1/2 lemon zeist

100 gr. sugar

50 gr. flour

2 eggs

Vanilla and salt

Cook milk with hald sugar, lemon zeist, vanilla and salt. Mix in a bowl eggs, flour and the left sugar. Pour the mixture in the boiling milk (out of the fire) stir until smooth. Cook again for just a minute. Let cool.

to prepare the part: put the sort crust pastry on a tray, spread on the custard and then the fresh fruit. Then you can choose to cover with jelly or not. I prefer pass the fruit in water with lemon before using and not adding jelly.

                                

ARTICHOKE SOUP

ARTICHOKE SOUP

Yesterday at the greengrocer I found beautiful artichokes, so I decided to use them for a soup. I usually prefer in season fruit and vegetable but this time I make an exception to the rule. In my opinion artichokes mean spring. They are fabulous fried with lamb cutlet! this used to be the main course for Easter in the countryside.

Ingredients for 4 people:

6 big artichokes

50 gr. flour

50 gr. butter

Half liter stock

4 spoons of cream

1 glass of milk

Garlic and parsley

5 spoons of olive oil

Clean the artichokes, cut in 8 pieces each and put in water with lemon juice. Take a pan and pour olive oil and 3 cloves of garlic, let brown then add artichokes and cook stirring. After about 15 minutes add a bit of stock and continue cooking until soft. In the meantime melt butter in a pot, add flour and let toast, stirring add milk and the stock left. Let boiled for half an hour. Put aside 8 pieces of artichokes and mix the rest, then add the soup and cook for other 10 minutes. Add salt and cream always sterring.

Serve the soup with 2 pieces of artichokes on the top and few parsley.

                               

RICE BOMB

RICE BOMB

Today I would like to write about a recipe almost unknown but which is really appreciated when I prepare it. It comes from Lunigiana area and in the tradition it was a first course, today we can consider it a single course. We can just add in season vegetables as a side.

Ingredients for 6 people:

gr. 500 rice
meat sauce*
3 eggs
1 spoon of capers
1/2 lemon
4 spoons of parmigiano cheese
grated bread
butter
salt

A oven mold for “zuccotto”

Boil half time the rice, let cool then add the liquid part of the meat sauce and mix eggs, cheese, capers and lemon juice. Grease the mold and sprinkle with grated bread. Pour the rice, make a hole and fill with the meat sauce, then cover with the left rice. Top with few butter and grated bread. Bake for half an hour. Seve hot.

*pay attention to the sauce used. We can prepare a quick “ragù” using 400gr meat, 2 sausages and a mix of 2 onions, 3 carrots and 1 celery. Put everything in a pan with half glass of olive oil.

Keep high temperature until the meat starts roasts then pour half glass of wine and low fire. Add 300gr tomatoes. My sauces are never too red or too boiled, let cook for half an hour from the moment you add tomato. A tasty different version is the one using pigion sauce, but you can also prepare a vegetarian version using cheese.

                     

PUMPKIN TART

                               

Ingredients                                    

400 gr. pumpkin

170 gr. flour

170 gr. sugar

1 lemon zeist and half lemon juice

2 eggs

100 gr. butter

Baking powder

Cut the pumpkin and bake 200° for 20 minutes. When is dry remove the peel, pass in the mixer with sugar and lemon zeist. Pour in a bowl and add melted butter, lemon juice, eggs, flour and baking powder in the end. Put the mixture in a baking tray and bake 180° for 40 minutes.