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…
Tag: olive oil
Sugo d’agnello (Slow-cooked Lamb and Tomato Sauce)
My maternal Nonna wasn’t the most sophisticated cook. She would always make the same two or three dishes, but, to this day, my siblings, my cousins and I are yet to taste anything as comforting and delicious as her sugo di pomodoro, polenta con salsiccia and sugo d’agnello. It was always fascinating to observe her in the kitchen,…
Sausage and Peas Risotto
Combine the creaminess of Carnaroli short grain rice with the perfume of red wine and the savoury deliciuosness of pork and fennel sausages, with stewed sweet leeks and a generous amount of butter and Parmigiano and you have got yourself joy on a plate. Risotto is the ultimate comfort food and it is really quite straight…
Chicken Diavola (Devil’s Chicken)
The Devil’s Chicken. Why, you may wonder? Because it is seriously spicy and devilishly irresistible. Judge for yourselves… INGREDIENTS serves 8 2 organic chickens, spatchcocked (ask your butcher to do so, or follow instructions below) 1/2 cup extra-vrigin olive oil 1/2 cup of dry white wine 5-6 red hot chillies (chilly peppers), cut into chunks Fresh herbs…
Buttermilk Sandwich Bread (Pan Carre’)
Another bread post… I know, I have developed a slight obsession for bread-making, but the truth is there are so many ways to make beautiful breads, and now that I have embarked upon the journey of home-baking, I owe it to myself to search and experiment like there’s no tomorrow. So many breads, so little…
Rigatoni all’ Amatriciana (Pasta Amatriciana)
This post is long over-due…I made Amatriciana for my family about a month ago and the photos had been sitting on my computer since then. It was only after I watched an episode of Australian Masterchef, during which one of the contestants had to replicate Cesare Casella’s Amatriciana, that I felt urged to stand up for the authenticity…
A Mighty Good Winter Stew
Although the sun is shining, the southern cold wind keeps picking up. It’s winter here in Sydney and we should stop pretending we don’t really have a cold season. I still stumble upon guys in shorts and flip-flops as I walk down the streets of Avalon bundled up in leather coat, hat, scarf and boots and…
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…
Nonna’s sauteed potatoes
One of the best things about having started a food blog, is the chance to connect with food lovers world-wide and exchange recipes and culinary traditions and adventures. I recently posted on my Italian blog an article about roast potatoes and one of my readers, Sandro, shared his Nonna’s recipe and I felt compelled to…
Grissini (Italian Breadsticks)
Grissini have become very popular world-wide and there are plenty of varieties offered on the market, but they hardly compare to the fragrant crispness of home-made ones. Their irregular, gnarly shape and sun-burnt colour are the promise of something delicious. They look so inviting, they must be good for you! They are far from complicated…
Silvia Colloca 