As much as it is true that one should not judge a book by its cover, you can safely go about life judging a good Ciabatta by the holes in its crumb! And this is one particular instance when size does matter: the bigger the holes, the better the loaf…The secret to a perfect Ciabatta is…
Tag: Italy
Easy Home-Made Tomato Passata
Have you ever been tempted to make your own tomato pasta sauce, but got put off by the daunting thought that this is a complicated job, best left to the expert, wrinkled hands of a good-old Italian Nonna? Think again! Home-made passata is within everybody’s reach. All you need is a food miller, some empty glass jars and, naturally, the…
Pizza! Home-made and utterly delicious (and healthy too!)
Very few things speak of Italy to me than a perfectly baked Pizza. The thought of a wonderfully crispy and thin crust, so masterfully stretched and folded to create the perfect base for our favorite mediterranean combination of fresh tomatoes, mozzarella and a few other usual suspect, topped by a drizzle of top-notch quality extra-virgin…
Bretzels
If you have travelled around those magnificent lands in the north of Italy, right on the border with Switzerland and Austria, you may have wondered if all of a sudden you had crossed the frontier! Fair enough, the first language spoken in Trentino Alto Adige is German and the culinary traditions of the area borrow…
Rigatoni with Ocean Trout, Broad beans and Mint
Whoever said that pasta is fattening ought to look at this and think again… This dish could not be healthier if it tried… concentrated onto one plate you have the goodness of vibrant green broad beans, the Omega 3 provided by a flaky, succulent ocean trout fillet, the zing of lemon zest, the fragrance of…
Italian Apple and Cinammon cake
My two months in Italy already seem so far away in the past. It has only been two weeks since I’ve been back, but, as it always is, all the things you put on hold and stop worrying about when you are on holiday, come back to haunt you and to kick you in the rear…
Panzanella (A Tuscan Bread Salad)
Panzanella is another great example of how well Italians do it the kitchen when fridge and pantry look desolate and empty. This has so much value in the Italian culinary tradition of Cucina Povera. It is very easy to create a good meal out of sophisticated and extravagant ingredients. It requires a lot more skill…
Authentic Italian Focaccia
I feel the need to specify authentic because I am afraid l there is an overall misconception about what focaccia is and should be. Focaccia should not be thick or doughy. I have encountered so many of this kind, such disappointing, heavy-as lead thick breads so wrongly called Focaccia, that I am now compelled to…
Torta Gianduia (Hazelnut and Dark Chocolate flourless cake)
Rain, rain and more rain! Sydney has been wet and cold for days now. As happens every winter, everybody is talking about the ‘wettest and coldest winter of the last 50 years’… Nevermind that, I know just what will turn this cold, wet long week-end into a warm, indulging, chocolate cuddle: A Piemontese chocolate and hazelnut Torta. Piemonte is a region in the…
Carbonara (Egg and Bacon Pasta, Carbonara Style)
Carbonara is told to have been created by the Carbonari, groups of secret revolutionary societies founded in early 19th-century who sought the creation of a liberal, unified Italy. Members of the Carbonari, and those influenced by them took part in crucial events in the Italian Risorgimento. Others say that it was first invented by some Italian…
Silvia Colloca 