briciole

žemlovka: budino di pane alle mele / žemlovka: apple bread pudding

[cliccare il link per andare alla versione in italiano]

would you like a slice?

Ever since I could read, I have known about Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, because it is one of the twin cities of Perugia, my home town. But I have never been in that part of Europe, so Bratislava is still a name and a dot on the map.

Recently, I heard on the radio a report on Košice, the capital of East Slovakia, which is the 2013 European Capital of Culture. Hopefully during the year that city and its cultural heritage will become better known to the rest of Europe. 

Browsing the web in search of a Slovak dish that would inspire me, I came across žemlovka, a bread pudding enriched with apples. After reading several recipes for this dessert, I came up with a personalized version, based mostly on the recipe from the BBC site with a couple of elements from the recipe on the Slovak Cooking site. In particular, I cut down the amount of butter substantially and of sugar a bit. I grated the apples left unpeeled and used some of my homemade ricotta instead of farmer's cheese. As a personal touch, I sprinkled the surface with sliced almonds.

I like to identify recipes that are not simply a one-off endeavor, but can become part of my repertoire, and this certainly makes the cut. A light dessert, perfect served by itself or with some of my homemade ice cream, and also nice for a sweet breakfast (colazione) or a brunch.

just out of the oven

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 oz. / 50 g raisins (uvetta)
• 2 medium apples
• Freshly squeezed Meyer lemon (or regular lemon) juice
  
• 1 1/4 cup / 10 fluid oz. / 300 ml non-fat milk
• 1 tablespoon / 14 g browned butter, cut into pieces
• A bit of regular butter for greasing the baking dish
• 2 pastured eggs
• 1/4 cup / 50 g (unrefined) sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (cannella)
• a generous dash of ground nutmeg (noce moscata)
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  
• 2 1/2 oz. / 70 g homemade ricotta
• 6 oz. / 170 g homemade challah, baked two days prior
  
• 1/4 cup / 25 g sliced almonds

The recipe from the BBC site instructs you to soak the raisins in cold tea. I did not have time to comply, so I covered the raisins with warm water. (Next time, I will use cold tea: I am curious to taste what difference it makes.)

Grate the apples using an extra-coarse grater (or shred them in the food processor fitted with the shredding disk). Sprinkle a bit lemon juice and stir. Butter a baking dish and preheat the oven to 350 F / 180 C. I used a 2 qt. pyrex gratin dish (11 x 7 x 1.5").

Warm up the milk in a saucepan, then add the butter and allow it to melt. Let the milk and butter cool.

Put the eggs, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla in a bowl and beat with an electric beater at medium speed until well combined. Add the buttery milk and beat briefly at low speed until combined. Finally, add the ricotta and beat some more at low speed.

Cut the challah into 1/2-inch cubes and make a layer in the baking pan. Strain the raisins, discarding the liquid, and scatter them over the bread. Distribute the apples in an even layer on the bread. Pour the batter slowly over the apples. Sprinkle the sliced almonds on the surface.

Bake for about 30-35 minutes until the pudding has set and its surface is golden.

As I said above, my version of  žemlovka is a lovely dessert, lightly sweet and very satisfying.

This is my contribution to the second installment of the Abbecedario culinario della Comunità Europea (European Community Culinary ABC), an event organized by Trattoria MuVarA that will bring us to visit 26 countries of the EU (all except Italy) using the alphabet as guide. B like bryndzové halušky (Slovakia) is hosted by Terry of Crumpets & Co..

This page contains bryndzové's recipe and the list of contributions to the event.

If you are interested in participating, this post has the complete list of countries, hosts and time frames.

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post:

žemlovka 

or launch the žemlovka: budino di pane alle mele audio file [mp3].

[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]

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bread, apple, egg, ricotta, Slovak recipe

Per i lettori italiani

volete assaggiarne una fetta?

Conosco Bratislava, la capitale della Slovacchia, da quando so leggere, dal momento che è una delle città gemellate con Perugia. Ma non l'ho mai visitata, e quindi Bratislava rimane per me un nome e un punto sulla cartina.

Qualche giorno fa alla radio ho sentito un servizio su Košice, la seconda città della Slovacchia in termini di popolazione, che è Capitale Europea della Cultura del 2013, Questo dovrebbe servire a rendere maggiormente note sia la città che il suo ricco retaggio culturale. 

Girando su internet alla ricerca di un piatto slovacco che mi ispirasse, ho incontrato žemlovka, un budino di pane alle mele. Dopo aver letto un certo numero di ricette, ho preparato una versione personalizzata, basata sulla ricetta sul sito della BBC con alcuni elementi della ricetta sul sito Slovak Cooking (entrambe in inglese). In particolare, ho:

• diminuito drasticamente la quantità di burro
• usato un po' meno zucchero
• grattugiato le mele non sbucciate
• usato un po' della mia ricotta fatta in casa (invece del farmer's cheese)
• aggiunto come tocco personale le fettine di mandorle sulla superficie

Mi piace trovare e provare ricette che non siano solo una tantum, ma che possano diventare parte del mio repertorio e questa certamente rientra nella categoria. Come dessert, l'ho servito da solo e con un po' del mio gelato fatto in casa, ed è anche ottimo per una colazione dolce o un brunch.

just out of the oven

Ingredienti:

• 50 g uvetta
• 2 mele medie
• Succo di limone (io ho usato limone Meyer, che è meno acido)
• 300 ml latte magro
• 14 g burro noisette tagliato a pezzetti
• Un po' di burro per ungere la teglia
• 2 uova codice 0
• 50 g zucchero
• 1 cucchiaino (5 ml) cannella
• Un pizzico generoso di noce moscata
• 3/4 cucchiaino estratto di vaniglia
• 70 g ricotta (nel mio caso, fatta in casa)
  
• 170 g challah, (nel mio caso, fatta in casa) di due giorni
• 25 g mandorle a fettine

La ricetta sul sito della BBC indica di far rinvenire l'uvetta nel tè freddo. Per mancanza di tempo, io ho usato dell'acqua calda, come al solito, ma la prossima volta ci provo: sono curiosa di capire che differenza fa.

Grattugiare le mele grossolanamente (a mano o con l'apposito disco del robot), spruzzarle con del succo di limone e mescolare. Ungere una pirofila bassa da due litri e riscaldare il forno a 180 C.

Scaldare il latte in un pentolino, aggiungere il burro e farlo sciogliere. Far intiepidire.

Mettere uovoa, zucchero, cannelle, noce moscata e vaniglia in una ciotola e sbattere con un frullino elettrico a velocità media fino per incorporare bene gli ingredienti. Versare il latte con burro e mescolare a velocità bassa. Infine, aggiungere la ricotta e mescolare ancora un po' a velocità bassa.

Tagliare la challah a cubetti di 1,25 cm di lato e formarci uno strato nella teglia. Scolare l'uvetta e distribuirla sopra il pane, poi fare uno strato con le mele. Versare il liquido lentamente sopra le mele. Distribuire le mandorle sulla superficie.

Cuocere in forno per circa 30 minuti, fino a quando il pudding ha una superficie dorata.

Come ho detto sopra, la mia version di žemlovka è un ottimo dessert, leggermente dolce e molto soddisfacente.

Questo è il mio contributo alla seconda tappa dell'Abbecedario culinario della Comunità Europea, un evento organizzato dalla Trattoria MuVarA che ci porterà a visitare i 26 paesi della Comunità Europea (eccetto l'Italia) usando le lettere dell'alfabeto come guida. B come bryndzové halušky (Slovacchia) è ospitato da Terry di Crumpets & Co..

Questa pagina contiene la ricetta per bryndzové e l'elenco dei contributi all'evento.

Se siete interessati a partecipare, questo post contiene la lista completa di paesi, blog ospitanti e scadenze.

Related articles

vaniglia pura / pure vanilla

frittata di germogli di cavolo riccio

kale blossom frittata

[cliccare il link per andare alla versione in italiano]

Simona's kitchen wisdom: When in doubt, make a frittata.

I am officially in love with kale blossoms. They are pretty, fun to pick and a pleasure to have in the kitchen. 

ready to be picked

You have already seen this photo of a Red Russian kale blossom in my recent post on barley and borlotti soup.

Here's an image of a younger blossom early in the morning. Kale is good, healthy and photogenic.

Here are a some herbs and edible flowers from my little garden (from top left, going counterclockwise): mint (menta), marjoram (maggiorana), thyme flowers (fiori di timo), winter savory (santoreggia montana), chives (erba cipollina) and borage flowers (fiori di borragine). The garlic head was there for a different reason, that is, dish.

With the ingredients above and pastured eggs (uova) from friends (including some duck eggs), it was easy to decide to prepare a frittata. When you have fresh ingredients from your garden, but maybe not enough to make a side dish; when you need to make something quick that is also nourishing and cheerful; when you feel like mixing and matching a bit of this and a bit of that, frittata is your friend.

Today's frittata is a little symphony of flavors. The palate follows hints that point to one herb or another. And the purple borage flowers are little contrasting dots on the surface.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. (56 g) kale blossoms
• Olive oil
• 6 pastured eggs 
• 3 tablespoons (45 ml) water
• Fine sea salt and freshly milled black pepper
• 2 tablespoons of finely chopped, mixed fresh herbs (dill, marjoram, mint, parsley, thyme, winter savory, etc.)
• 1 tablespoon finely snipped chives
• A handful of small edible flowers, like borage and thyme flowers
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Oil a 10-inch skillet and warm up. Add blossoms and lightly sauté for a few minutes, stirring every now and then.

Break the eggs in a bowl and whisk them lightly until just blended. Add the water, then a couple of pinches of salt a bit of pepper and whisk briefly. Add the herbs and flowers and stir briefly.

Turn on the broiler. (If your oven allows it, choose the "low" setting.)

Pour the eggs slowly into the skillet. With the help of a fork, gently arrange herbs and flowers to ensure an even distribution. Sprinkle cheese on the surface. Cook over low heat until the eggs are set. After the edge is set, run a spatula under it and shake the frittata gently to ensure the bottom does not stick to the pan.

Place the skillet in the oven, leaving the door ajar, for a couple of minutes. The frittata will puff up a bit. Take the skillet out of the oven (don't forget that the handle is hot) and let rest of a couple of minutes, then slide the frittata onto a serving plate. Cut into wedges and serve.

a sunny, cheerful frittata

I ♥ kale blossoms

This is my contribution to edition #339 of Weekend Herb Blogging, an event started by Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen, now organized by Haalo of Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once and hosted this week by Simona of briciole (that's me).

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post:

frittata di germogli di cavolo riccio

or launch the frittata di germogli di cavolo riccio audio file [mp3].

[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]

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egg, kale, frittata

Per i lettori italiani

Sono ufficialmente innamorata dei germogli di cavolo riccio. Sono carinissimi, divertenti da raccogliere ed è un piacere usarli in cucina.

pronti da raccogliere

Avete visto questa foto di un germoglio di cavolo riccio Red Russian nel mio recente post su minestra d'orzo e borlotti.

Questa foto ritrae un germoglio più giovane al mattino presto. Il cavolo riccio è davvero fotogenico.

E queste sono delle erbe e dei fiori commestibilidal mio orticello: menta, maggiorana, fiori di timo, santoreggia montana, erba cipollina e fiori di borragine. (L'aglio in secondo piano è per un altro piatto.)

Con questi ingredienti e uova dalle mie amiche che hanno le galline non è stato difficile decidere di fare una bella frittata. 

La frittata di oggi è una piccola sinfonia di sapori. Il palato segue tracce che portano ad una certa erba aromatica o ad un'altra. E i fiori viola della borragine sono puntini di contrasto sulla superficie.

Ingredienti:

• 56 g germogli di cavolo riccio
• olio d'oliva
• 6 uova codice 0
• 3 cucchiai (45 ml) acqua
• sale fino e pepe nero macinato fresco
• 2 cucchiai di erbe aromatiche tritate (come aneto, maggiorana, menta, prezzemolo, santoreggia, montane, timo)
• 1 cucchiaio erba cipollina sminuzzata (con le forbici)
• una piccola manciata di fiori commestibili, come fiori di borragine e di timo
• 2 cucchiai di Parmigiano-Reggiano grattugiato fresco
  

Oliare bene una padella (25 cm) e scaldarla. Aggiungere i germogli ecuocerli per qualche minuto girandoli di tanto in tanto.

Rompere le uova in una ciotola e sbatterle leggermente. Aggiungere l'acqua e mescolare per incorporare il liquido nelle uova. Aggiungere un paio di pizzichi di sale e un po' di pepe, erbe e fiori e mescolare.

Versare lentamente le uova nella padella e con una forchetta distribuire erbe e fiori in modo uniforme. Spargere il formaggio sulla superficio. Cuocere a fuoco dolce fino a quando le uova sono rapprese. Nel frattempo, accendere la parte alta del forno. (Se il vostro forno lo permette, scegliere l'opzione a calore basso.)

Una volta che il bordo delle frittata si è rappreso, passare una spatolina sotto il bordo e scuotere la padella (delicatamente) per evitare che la frittata si attacchi.

Quando le uova si sono rapprese, mettere la padella nel forno, lasciando lo sportello socchiuso, per un paio di  minuti. (Se avete scelto l'opzione a calore basso, probabilmente ci vorranno 3 minuti.) Tirare fuori la padella (fare attenzione: il manico scotta) e far riposare un paio di minuti, poi mettere la frittata su un piatto, tagliare e servire. Come al solito con la frittata, potete conservare gli avanzi in frigo e mangiarli il giorno dopo a temperatura ambiente.

un'allegra frittata

♥ i germogli di cavolo riccio

Questo post è il mio contributo all'edizione numero 339 di Weekend Herb Blogging, un evento creato da Kalyn di Kalyn's Kitchen, organizzato ora da Haalo di Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once, la cui versione italiana è organizzata da Brii di briggishome, e ospitata questa settimana da Simona di briciole (che poi sono io).

frità an bagna

frittata strips with parsley sauce

[cliccare il link per andare alla versione in italiano]

my "frità an bagna"

Continuing our tour of the 20 regions of Italy organized by Trattoria MuVarA, we arrive in Piemonte (Piedmont), whose capital, Torino (Turin) was also the first capital of the newly united Italian state. It is difficult to do full justice to the many contributions Piemonte has made to Italian gastronomy. A random sample would include gianduia (hazelnut chocolate), Alba truffles (tartufi), several varieties of rice, bagna caoda, cheeses (for example, toma piemontese and bra), grissini (breadsticks) to name just a few highlights. And of course, we cannot forget the wines (Barbaresco, Barolo, Nebbiolo, etc.).

At the Parco del Valentino in Turin

This is a photo from my first visit to Torino, with my parents and brother. It was early December, cold and foggy. It was my first experience of the fog (nebbia) and it made a big impression on me. The city was padded with it: sounds were muffled and objects were faded. I think the photo, shot by my father at the Parco del Valentino, gives an idea of the atmosphere created by the fog. I didn't know at the time that some years later, I would move to Milan and would get very familiar with the thick fog typical of the Po Valley.

A couple of years after that first visit, I was in Torino again with my classmates and had another interesting experience: at the Museo egizio (Egyptian Museum) I saw the face of a mummy, unwrapped. My third and most recent visit was a short one, for a wedding.

None of the visits allowed me time to explore the culinary scene, so once again, for my contribution to the tour, I browsed the recipe section of the Accademia Italiana della Cucina website. Given my partiality for frittata, it is not surprising that I was drawn to a recipe called frità an bagna, which I believe means frittata in sauce in dialect. The English version of the recipe is available in the book by the Academy called La Cucina: The Regional Cooking of Italy. In it, the recipe name is stewed frittata strips, but I made it in a way that it is not really stewed. The book indicates that the recipe is from Vercelli, a city in the heart of rice region.

A sample of my exuberant parsley

Another element of the recipe that appealed to me was the use of a substantial quantity of prezzemolo (parsley). What you see in the photo is only a portion of the parsley I have available in my little herb garden. I planted some seeds and a seedling a few years ago and by letting one plant go to seeds every year, I ensure a constant supply of parsley throughout the year.

I have never eaten frità an bagna in Piemonte, so I don't know how my rendition compares to the traditional dish. However, I can tell you that I liked it and have already made it twice. My rendition differs from the original recipe in various ways: for example, I cooked the onion a bit before adding the parsley, used tapioca starch instead of flour (this makes the recipe gluten free), used water instead of milk in the frittata, and omitted the cooking of the frittata strips in the sauce for 10 minutes before serving. I just could not bring myself to further cook the frittata.

frittata cut into strips

Print-friendly version of briciole's recipe for frità an bagna

Ingredients:

• a medium onion, chopped
• olive oil
• 3 1/2 oz. [100 g] flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• one cup [240 ml] broth (I used my homemade chicken broth)
• 1 tablespoon [15 ml] tapioca starch
• 2 tablespoons [30 ml] tomato purée sauce (I used the tomato sauce described in this post)
• 6 eggs (I use pastured eggs)
• 3 tablespoons [45 ml] water
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
  
• sea salt and freshly milled pepper, to taste

Note on the parsley: my parsley is of the variety gigante d'Italia. The stalks are long and fairly thick. I weighed the parsley after removing the thick main stalk, which I set aside to add to various other ingredients to make chicken stock. With the precious help of my mezzaluna, chopping the parsley (divided into two batches) was a breeze.

mezzaluna at work on half of the parsley

Warm up some olive oil in a saucepan, add the onion, stir to coat and cook on gentle heat for 5-7 minutes, stirring often. Add the chopped parsley and stir. Cook for 2-3 minutes. In the meantime, warm up the broth, add the tapioca starch and stir to dissolve and finally stir in the tomato sauce. Pour the liquid into the saucepan, bring to a simmer and cook until the onion is soft. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

In the meantime, spray a large skillet with olive oil and warm up. I used my largest skillet, whose diameter is 12 inches [30.5 cm]. A slightly wider skillet would have worked as well, since the idea is to make a rather thin frittata. Break the eggs in a bowl and whisk them lightly with a fork until just blended. Add the water, then a few pinches of salt and whisk briefly. Finally, add the cheese and give the eggs a final quick whisk to incorporate it.

Turn on the broiler. (If your oven allows it, choose the "low" setting.) Pour the eggs slowly into the skillet. Cook over low heat until the eggs are set. After the edge is set, run a spatula under it and shake the frittata gently to ensure the bottom does not stick to the pan.

Place the skillet in the oven, leaving the door ajar, for a couple of minutes. The frittata will puff up a bit. Take the skillet out of the oven (don't forget that the handle is hot) and let rest of a couple of minutes, then slide the frittata onto a cutting board. Roll the frittata and slice it into strips no more than 1/2 inch thick. Put the strips in the saucepan with the sauce ans stir delicately. Serve immediately or at room temperature.

This is my submission for the fourth installment of the Abbecedario culinario d'Italia (Italian Culinary ABC), an event organized by Trattoria MuVarA that will bring us to visit all the 20 regions of Italy using the alphabet as guide. D come Domodossola is hosted by Stefania of CookingStefy.

This post contains the list of contributions: a very nice menu!

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post:

frità an bagna

or launch the frità an bagna audio file [mp3].

[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]

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frittata, onion, parsley, Italian recipe

Per i lettori italiani

la mia version della "frità an bagna"

Continuiamo il tour delle 20 regione italiane organizzato da Trattoria MuVarA e arriviamo in Piemonte. Scusate, ma non posso fare a meno di pensare alla pubblicità del Digestivo Antonetto e a Nicola Arigliano che diceva: "Gruppo vacanze Piemonte, si parte!" E noi partiamo.

Al Parco del Valentino (Torino)

Questa è una foto della mia prima visita a Torino, con i miei genitori e mio fratello. Era l'inizio di Dicembre, faceva molto freddo e c'era la nebbia. Per me fu la prima esperienza della nebbia e mi ricordo bene la strana sensazione dei rumori ovattati e di edifici, alberi, semafori appannati. Credo che la foto scattata da mio padre al Parco del Valentino, renda bene l'idea dell'atmosfera. A quel tempo non immaginavo che qualche anno dopo mi sarei trasferita a Milano e di nebbia ne avrei vista tanta.

Un paio d'anni dopo quella prima visita, sono tornata a Milano con la scuola ed ebbi un'altra esperienza particolare: al Museo egizio vidi il viso di una mummia che era stata sbendata. La mia terza visita avvenne in occasione di un matrimonio.

Nessuna delle visite mi lasciarono tempo di esplorare la scena gastronomica e quindi per il mio contributo al tour ancora una volta ho cercato tra le ricette del sito dell'Accademia Italiana della Cucina. Data la mia parzialità per la frittata, non sorprende che sia stata attirata da un piatto che si chiama frità an bagna (credo che significhi frittata in salsa). La raccolta delle ricette del sito tradotte in inglese (La Cucina: The Regional Cooking of Italy) indica che il piatto è tipico di Vercelli.

Un po' del mio prezzemolo "gigante d'Italia"

Un altro elemento della ricetta che mi ha attirato è l'utilizzo in essa di una sostanziale quantità di prezzemolo. Quella che vedete sulla foto è una parte del prezzemolo che cresce nel mio orticello. Qualche anno fa piantai dei semi e una piantina e ogni anno lascio che una pianta fiorisca sparga i semi: in questo modo raccolto il prezzemolo tutto l'anno.

Non ho mai mangiato la frità an bagna in Piemonte, quindi non ho idea di come la mia realizzazione sia a paragone del piatto tradizionale: se qualcuno di voi conosce questo piatto, lasciatemi un commento con le informazioni che avete. Posso comunque dirvi che la frità an bagna mi è piaciuta molto e infatti l'ho preparata due volte nel giro di pochi giorni.

La mia versione differisce da quella originale in alcuni punti. Per esempio, ho cotto la cipolla un po' prima di aggiungere il prezzemolo, ho usato l'amido di tapioca invece della farina (quindi la ricetta è priva di glutine), ho usato l'acqua invece del latte nella preparazione della frittata e non ho cotto le striscie di frittata nella salsa per 10 minuti prima di servirla (perché l'idea di cuocere a lungo la frittata non mi convince).

fettuccine di frittata

Ingredienti:

• una cipolla media tritata
• olio d'oliva
• 100 g prezzemolo tritato
• 240 ml brodo (io ho usato il mio brodo di pollo fatto in casa)
• 1 cucchiaio [15 ml] amido di tapioca
• 30 ml salsa di pomodoro (io ho usato quella descritta in questo post)
• 6 uova codice 0
• 45 ml acqua
• 2 cucchiai Parmigiano-Reggiano macinato fresco
  
• sale fino e pepe nero macinato fresco, q.b.

Il mio prezzemolo è del tipo gigante d'Italia. Gli steli sono  lunghi e piuttosto grossi. Ho pesato il prezzemolo dopo aver rimosso lo stelo centrale, che ho messo da parte per utilizzare, insieme ad altri ingredienti, per fare il brodo di pollo. Con l'aiuto prezioso della mia mezzaluna, tritare il prezzemolo, diviso in due mandate, è stato facile e veloce.

mezzaluna all'opera su meta del prezzemolo

Scaldare un po' d'olio in una pentola, aggiungere la cipolla e mescolare. Cuocere a fuoco leggero per 5-7 minuti, mescolando spesso. Aggiungere il prezzemolo e mescolare. Cuocere per 2-3 minuti. Nel frattempo, scaldare il brodo, sciogliervi l'amido di tapioca e infine aggiungere la salsa di pomodoro. Versare il liquido nella pentola, portare a lieve bollore e cuocere fino a quando la cipolla sia tenera. Aggiustare sale e pepe a seconda del gusto.

Nel frattempo, oliare bene una padella larga (30,5 cm) e scaldarla. Una padella un po' più larga va bene lo stesso, dal momento che l'idea e quella di fare una frittata piuttosto fina. Rompere le uova in una ciotola e sbatterle leggermente. Aggiungere l'acqua e un paio di pizzichi di sale e incorporare. Infine, aggiungere il formaggio e sbattere leggermente per incorporare.

Accendere la parte alta del forno. (Se il vostro forno lo permette, scegliere l'opzione a calore basso.) Versare lentamente le uova nella padella. Cuocere a fuoco dolce fino a quando le uova sono rapprese. Una volta che il bordo delle frittata si è rappreso, passare una spatolina sotto il bordo e scuotere la padella (delicatamente) per evitare che la frittata si attacchi.

Quando le uova si sono rapprese, mettere la padella nel forno, lasciando lo sportello socchiuso, per un paio di  minuti. Tirare fuori la padella (fare attenzione: il manico scotta) e far riposare un paio di minuti, poi far scivolare la frittata su un tagliere, arrotolarla e tagliarla strisce larghe circa 1 cm. Deporre le striscie di frittata nella pentola della salsa e mescolare delicatamente. Servire immediatamente o a temperatura ambiente.

Questo è il mio contributo all'Abbecedario culinario d'Italia, un evento organizzato dalla Trattoria MuVarA che ci porterà a visitare tutte le regioni italiane utilizzando come guida l'alfabeto. D come Domodossola è ospitata da Stefania di CookingStefy.

Questo post contiene la lista dei contributi: che buon menu!

E mando questo piatto ricco di prezzemolo a Brii di briggishome che questa settimana ha ospitato l'edizione numero 328 di Weekend Herb Blogging, un evento creato da Kalyn di Kalyn's Kitchen, organizzato ora da Haalo di Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once, la cui versione italiana è organizzata da Brii stessa.

frittata di pasta

pasta frittata

with pink tagliatelle

My first vacation away from my parents, at age 16, was quite adventurous, food-wise. I spent 10 days or so in the Calabrian city of Rossano, and during that time, I tasted for the first time a whole array of foods that I liked a lot, like caciocavallo silano and swordfish. One day, my host prepared a frittata with leftover spaghetti. It sounds pretty basic, but I had never had anything like that before. My mother always weighed pasta before cooking it, so we never had leftover spaghetti or rigatoni. If we had leftover tagliatelle al ragù, she would warm them up in an oiled frying pan: the result is quite good, just not a frittata.

Unlike my mother, I often turn leftover pasta into a frittata. This is not so much a recipe as a recycling approach. The frittata is a bit different every time, depending on the base pasta and possible additions, usually cheese. I adjust the number of eggs and pan size to the amount of pasta at hand and choose among the cheeses I have available the one that I think pairs better with the pasta.

The spaghetti frittata I tasted many years ago was made with pasta that had been set aside for the purpose right after draining (scondita, i.e., not yet dressed). In my examples here, the leftover pasta had some dressing (condita):

• pasta made with roasted red beets turns a lovely pink color: while farfalle are pretty, they take time to make, so more often I cut the dough into tagliatelle and dress them with burro e parmigiano
• pasta made with borage, on the other hand, turns into a speckled green; if I have some of my homemade ricotta, I use that to dress these tagliatelle, otherwise, good old burro e parmigiano is always a winner
• pasta al pesto (recently featured) appears regularly in my kitchen and leftovers make a tasty frittata

with borage tagliatelle

The cheese on the pink tagliatelle frittata was my homemade robiola. The cheese on the borage tagliatelle was my homemade French Neufchâtel and over the pesto pasta frittata I sprinkled a bit of Parmigiano-Reggiano.

with fusilli al pesto

Print-friendly version of briciole's recipe for frittata di pasta

Ingredients:

• leftover pasta
• olive oil
• eggs of good quality (I used pastured eggs); if you have leftover whites, this is a good place to use one or two
• 1 tablespoon of water for each two eggs
• sea salt, to taste
• cheese of choice, thinly sliced or crumbled or grated, depending on consistency

Spray a skillet with olive oil and warm up. Empty leftover pasta container into the pan. Warm up the pasta and lightly sauté it for a couple of minutes, stirring every now and then.

While the pasta is warming up, break the eggs in a bowl and whisk them lightly with a fork until just blended. Add the water, then a few pinches of salt and whisk briefly. If you are using grated cheese, you can add it to the eggs, if you wish; I like to distribute it on the surface, so I hold on to it until later. Turn on the broiler. (If your oven allows it, choose the "low" setting.)

Pour the eggs slowly into the skillet. With the fork, gently arrange the pasta so it is evenly distributed. Cook over low heat until the eggs are set. After the edge is set, run a spatula under it and shake the frittata gently to ensure the bottom does not stick to the pan.

Evenly distribute chosen cheese on the surface. Place the skillet in the oven, leaving the door ajar, for a couple of minutes. The frittata will puff up a bit. Take the skillet out of the oven (don't forget that the handle is hot) and let rest of a couple of minutes, then slide the frittata onto a serving plate. Cut into wedges and serve.

Final note. Rossano is famous for the Codex Purpureus, an amazing VI century illuminated manuscript of the New Testament written on purple-dyed parchment.

This is my contribution to edition #254 of Presto Pasta Nights. The event was created by Ruth of Once Upon a Feast and is hosted this week by Simona of briciole (that would be me).

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post:

frittata di pasta

or launch the frittata di pasta audio file [mp3].

[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]

frittata, pasta, egg

fare colazione

to have breakfast

Breakfasts of the World Challenge on Very Good Recipes

This month, I have the honor, together with nine other bloggers, of being a judge in a challenge that has a theme suited to the time of the year: If we think about January as the morning of the year, then breakfast is a perfect topic to consider during this month. All the details of the challenge are explained on this page, so I won't repeat them here. You have until Monday, January 30th to submit your entry according to the specifications laid out on the page referenced above. We are looking forward to reading about breakfast traditions from around the world. As a judge, I won't participate, but I am presenting a recipe to go with the announcement. But first a few words about the Italian breakfast par excellence.

Italy has given to the world the best breakfast: cappuccino. In other words, cappuccino makes the best breakfast of the world. I know I am making a rather broad statement, but I stand by it. Un cappuccino prepared come si deve (as it must be prepared) makes a perfect breakfast and does not need any accompaniment. The latter statement is my personal opinion and preference: many people in Italy eat something while sipping their cappuccino, usually a pastry, whose name depends on where you are. For example, cappuccio e brioche in Milan correspond to cappuccino e cornetto in Rome. If I close my eyes I can taste a warm cornetto in Rome, crispy outside, soft inside (but not as buttery as the French croissant). Other pastries are available in the bar (coffee bar), where the breakfast I am describing usually occurs. One can also purchase something for a mid-morning snack at a bakery, like a piece of pizza or focaccia. And if you are like my father, panzanella is your ideal breakfast.

Many Italians like to eat their breakfast after leaving home. As a child, my mother gave us breakfast before we went to school, usually a slice of bread with homemade jam (pane e marmellata), sometimes biscotti (photo above) and always a cup of caffelatte. We never had anything cooked. Having breakfast as a family was a once-a-year event that occurred only on Easter Sunday. That breakfast comprised traditional foods and was a ritual more than a meal. My current breakfast habits are very Italian, in the sense that I cannot eat anything early in the morning and my first meal of the day is actually a mid-morning snack made up of fruit.

Back to Italy, when we settled on the theme for the challenge, I had no doubts about what I would talk about, because there is a breakfast treat from my childhood that I had been wanting to describe for some time: uovo sbattuto (beaten egg). It was my Sunday breakfast when we had fresh eggs from friends or relatives that raised chickens. I am talking about what are now called pastured eggs. (Disclaimer: I am about to describe the use of raw eggs. I am not hereby suggesting or advocating the consumption of raw eggs: such course of action is a choice you may want to make and take responsibility for, or you may prefer to avoid.)

After obtaining permission to make myself a uovo sbattuto for breakfast, the breaking of the egg and separation of yolk and white occurred, first done by my mother, then, when I was a bit older and could be trusted with this potentially disastrous operation, by myself. The big difference between my mother and me was that I had learned to keep a bit of the egg white (albume) together with the yolk (tuorlo) for better result. The rest of the white was set aside for use in frittata.

I had my own mug for caffelatte that had a handle, which made holding the cup while beating the egg more comfortable. To the egg yolk plus a bit of the white I added 2 small spoons of sugar, which correspond roughly to a measured tablespoon. Then, using the same small spoon, I would vigorously mix the egg and sugar until light and bubbly. The vigorous movement amounted to beating even though I did not use an eggbeater. Part of the fascination of this ritual was that my breakfast was slowly taking shape in front of my eyes.

When I was satisfied with the look of the creamy mix, I would eat it by the spoonful, but not the whole of it. I guess I had to have some milk, so half a cup of that ingredient, warmed up, was added after I had eaten half of the cream. The result was a bit foamy, slightly egg-y and sweet: a very nice drink. When I was older, I changed the last part. I cannot remember whether my aunt Lucia had anything to do with me trying to add a splash of coffee instead of milk, but when I did it, it was a revelation and there was no going back to milk. This version was not as liquid as the one with milk so I ate it with the small spoon instead of drinking it.

Discussing breakfast was not common with my friends when I was a child, so I don't know how many of them shared my passion for uovo sbattuto, but a while ago, I read this interesting paragraph in La scienza in cucina e l'arte di mangiare bene (The Science of Cooking and the Art of Eating Well) by Pellegrino Artusi, the seminal Italian cookbook first published in 1891. The book has been translated into English and you can take a look at some of it on google books. Recipe number 719 is called Un uovo per un bambino (an egg for a child):

Non sapete come quietare un bambino che piange perché vorrebbe qualche leccornia per colazione? Se avete un uovo fresco sbattetene bene il torlo in una tazza in forma di ciotola con due o tre cucchiaini di zucchero in polvere, poi montate soda la chiara ed unitela mescolando in modo che non ismonti. Mettete la tazza avanti al bambino con fettine di pane da intingere, colle quali si farà i baffi gialli e lo vedrete contentissimo.
E magari i pasti dei bambini fossero tutti innocui come questo, ché per certo ci sarebbero allora meno isterici e convulsionari nel mondo!

I decided to give the full quote because it is charming, in an old-fashioned Italian that rings sweet to my ears.

You don't know how to quiet a child that is screaming for a morning treat? If you have a fresh egg, beat the yolk in a mug together with two or three teaspoons of powdered sugar, then beat the white until stiff and delicately fold it into the yolk. Put the mug in front of the child together with slices of bread to dunk. He will get himself a yellow moustache and will be in heaven. If only meals for children were as innocent as this, there would certainly fewer hysterical and convulsive children in the world! [source]

Truth be told, Artusi then writes a sentence against coffee, tea, wine and other products, so I doubt he would approve of the variation so close to my heart that involves a splash of coffee, though by the time I started eating it, I was no longer a child.

I had not made myself a uovo sbattuto for decades and had never made one for my husband, so last Saturday, I did it... and the magic was completely gone. I had trouble adjusting my hands to the use of a different mug and spoon and at the end of my beating it, the egg mix did not look like I remember. My husband thought that the egg tasted too sweet and the addition of coffee did not make much of a difference. As you can imagine, I was quite disappointed. I guess that there are certain things that belong only to our childhood and cannot be brought back, even for a noble reason.

Disappointed, though not devastated, I changed the breakfast menu and prepared French toast for my husband. This is a breakfast I learned to make after moving to California and that I prepare often, especially when I have my homemade challah available. But I have made it with other breads and also, last year, with slices of Stollen and of meringue coffee cake (photo below: the cheese is my homemade English-style coulommiers cheese).

For my most recent rendition, I used slices of pane alla zucca (pumpkin bread; see photo below).

The original recipe is in Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. My adaptation follows.

Ingredients for one serving:

• 1 egg, possibly pastured
• 1/2 cup milk of choice
• a splash of orange blossom water or of vanilla extract, optional (if the bread I use does not contain any flavoring)
• slices of bread (when I use my challah, I usually cut three slices)

In a bowl with a flat bottom, beat egg with a fork until yolk and white are blended, then add milk and flavoring (if using). Beat again briefly until mixed. Add the bread and let it soak well (the amount of time depends on the type of bread), turning it after a little bit.

Warm up an oiled skillet and, when it is hot, add the bread and then pour over it the egg remaining in the bow, if anyl. Cook on medium-low heat for a few minutes on both sides, until nicely browned. Serve immediately with fresh fruit or other light accompaniment. Most recently, this role has been played by my roasted applesauce. I'd describe this is French toast with an Italian influence (in the form of my distate for sugary syrup).

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post:

fare colazione

or launch the fare colazione audio file [mp3].

[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]

Breakfasts of the World challenge, bread, egg, usa

Novel Food #14: frittata con pere asiatiche arrosto & crostatine

roasted Asian pear frittata & tartlets

Recently, my husband and I watched on DVD the Maigret movies from the early '90s starring Michael Gambon and enjoyed them a lot. Chief Inspector Maigret is the protagonist of many novels and stories by Belgian-French writer Georges Simenon. When I was a kid, il commissario Maigret was popular in Italy thanks to the TV movies starring Gino Cervi.

I had read only one of the Maigret novels, so during a recent visit to a bookstore, I decided to correct that, but got attracted by one of Simenon's novels without Maigret: La chambre bleue, from 1964 (in Italian La camera azzurra and in English The Blue Room).

Tony and Andrée have had a relation for 11 months, during which they have met eight times in the blue room of the hotel owned by Tony's brother. Tony is married to Gisèle and they have a daughter, Marianne. Andrée is married to Nicolas. The novel opens in the blue room, at the end of what will turn out to be the last meeting of the two lovers. The novel then moves to some time after that event and we understand that Tony is in jail. However, it is not immediately clear of what crime he is accused. As Tony answers questions and remembers past events, the story of the intervening months is revealed.

Tony's story brings the reader into a quiet corner of France, where life goes on fairly steadily, but where nothing goes on unremarked (as Tony will find out). It's difficult for me to say more without spoiling the pleasure of reading the novel. I found every element of it interesting: the story itself, the way it is told, the characters and how they are portrayed, the ending.

One important element of the story is the contrast between Gisèle and Andrée. Tony's life with his wife is quiet and follows a certain routine, partly dictated by their daughter's needs and partly by his work schedule. Here's the sentence that inspired the first dish:

They had sat down to dinner as usual: soup, a ham omelette, salad, a camembert, and, for dessert, apricots.

I wish I could tell you about making camembert at home. I have actually done it earlier this year, and the result was positive, but I have no photographic proof, and for various reasons I have not repeated the experience. Aging requirements would not allow me to have a homemade camembert ready in time, so I focused on the ham omelette: in the Italian version of the book, which is the one I read, it is frittata col prosciutto. This is a dish that would be quite easy to make in Italy, but where I am, it is a different story. Still, I was set on making a frittata, and if this were apricot season I would have tried to make a roasted apricot frttata on the same line of my roasted peach frittata. Alas, summer is over, so there are no fresh apricots (albicocche) around, but there are beautiful local Asian pears and so my inspiration produced a roasted Asian pear frittata.

Print-friendly version of briciole's recipe for frittata con pere asiatiche arrosto ¹

Another passage of the book inspired me to prepare something else. In the story, fruit preserves play an important role. The first mention is not particularly remarkable:

Marianne only liked strawberry jam, whereas her mother, who was allergic to strawberries — even in jam they gave her a rash — preferred plum jelly. In the early days of their marriage, he had teased Gisele about her taste in food, which often made him smile.

But later, Gisèle's preference becomes a pivotal element of the story.

A few days ago, I made a crostata (tart) with a layer of strawberry and rhubarb preserves and over it a layer of fresh apples. Gisèle could not have eaten it, due to her allergy. I did not make any plum preserves last summer, but I still could not let go of the idea of making something related to that sentence, something with fruit preserves.

I had never made tartlets before, so I decided to do that: the filling for the one on the left is my apple and mango preserves and for the one on the right is my Asian pear butter (burro di pere asiatiche) flavored with some fresh ginger (zenzero). After making a somewhat traditional lattice for one crostatina, I decided to hint more directly at the story that had inspired me and reached for the small heart-shaped cookie cutter. I did not glaze the pasta frolla, so the two hearts (cuori) are a bit pale.

Print-friendly version of briciole's recipe for crostatine ¹

Gisèle is the character that interested me the most. Did she know or suspect what was going on between Tony and Andrée? Was she ever worried or afraid? 

Because of her golden hair, her pale skin and oval face, people frequently remarked that she had an angelic look. But she only liked pungent foods: pickled herrings, salads flavored with garlic and liberally dressed with vinegar, and strong cheeses. Often she would be chewing at a large raw onion as she worked in the vegetable garden. On the other hand, she never touched sweets or pastries. He was the one with the sweet tooth. This was not the only anomaly in their domestic life...

Given her preferences, it's unlikely that Gisèle would have tasted my tartlets, though maybe the ginger-flavored pear butter would have convinced her to try. On the other hand, I think that Tony and Andrée would have liked them.

Between the photo at the bottom and the one at the top, my husband's tasting occurred. He liked the crostatina with Asian pear butter better. When I saw the two half crostatine on the plate, I thought they were an apt metaphor for the lonely halves in the story, whose leitmotif is the inability to communicate. This inability, which we see in every character, not just the main ones, has tragic consequences.

¹ To keep the post within a reasonable length, I am making an exception to my usual blog format and give the recipes on a separate page.

This is my second contribution to the 14th edition of Novel Food, the literary/culinary event that Lisa of Champaign Taste and I have started some time ago (this time I am hosting solo as Lisa is taking a break from blogging).

This post contains the roundup of the event.

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post

frittata con pere asiatiche arrosto & crostatine

 

or launch the frittata con pere asiatiche arrosto & crostatine audio file [mp3].

[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]

frittata, pear, dessert

frittata con pesche arrosto e caciotta fatta in casa

frittata with roasted peaches and homemade caciotta

[cliccare il link per andare alla versione in italiano]

After the success of my gelato with roasted peaches, it was natural to try to use the same fruitful concept in a frittata, like I had done with strawberries (fragole). The result was just as excellent.

The first couple of times I made it, I used the same cheese as before, my homemade French Neufchâtel cheese, a bloomy-rind cheese (formaggio a crosta fiorita). But then I tasted my homemade caciotta and I thought it would work great in the frittata: I was right. I am planning to write more about caciotta: for now, suffice it to say that it is a kind of cheese produced in various regions of Italy that comes in many varieties. It is ripened for a brief period, and is soft in texture and mild in flavour. I called caciotta the very first pressed cheese I made.

Print-friendly version of briciole's recipe for frittata con pesche arrosto e caciotta fatta in casa

Ingredients:

• 10-11 oz. ripe, tasty peaches
• olive oil
• 6 pastured eggs (uova)
• sea salt
• 1 oz. wedge of [homemade] caciotta, or similar cheese(e.g., Monterey Jack or Colby, plain)
  

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat that is wider and longer than the sheet. Wash peaches and quarter them. Peel them now or after they are baked. Place peaches on the sheet on a single layer. Put the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Let peaches cool while you prepare the eggs. If not done before, peel the peaches. Cut each quarter in half lengthwise and then slice each piece.

Oil a 10-inch skillet and warm up. Break the eggs in a bowl and whisk them lightly until just blended. Add a couple of pinches of salt and whisk briefly. Add the juice possibly released by the peaches during roasting plus enough water to make 3 tablespoons. Whisk lightly to incorporate.

Pour the eggs slowly into the skillet. Gently slide the peaches into the pan and arrange them so they are evenly distributed. Cook over low heat until the eggs are set. In the meantime, turn on the broiler. (If your oven allows it, choose the "low" setting.)

Cut the wedge of cheese into thin slices. When the edge of the frittata is set, evenly distribute the cheese on the surface. After the edge is well set, run a spatula under it and shake the frittata gently to ensure the bottom does not stick to the pan.

When the eggs are set, place the skillet in the oven for a couple of minutes, leaving the door ajar. Take the skillet out of the oven (don't forget that the handle is hot) and let the frittata rest for of a few minutes, then slide it onto a serving plate. Cut into wedges and serve. As as is usual with frittata, you can store leftovers in the fridge and enjoy them the following day, at room temperature.

This frittata has everything: the sweetness of peaches, the savoriness of cheese, the silkiness of eggs. Given the results of my first two experiments, I am planning to continue exploring the realm of frittata with fruit.

This is my contribution to edition #301 of Weekend Herb Blogging, an event started by Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen, now organized by Haalo of Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once and hosted this week by Graziana of Erbe in cucina (Cooking with Herbs).

This post contains the roundup of the event.

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post:

frittata con pesche arrosto

or launch the frittata con pesche arrosto audio file [mp3].

 [Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]

peach, frittata, egg, cheese

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Per i lettori italiani

 

Dopo il successo del mio gelato con le pesche al forno, c'era da aspettarsi che avrei provato a usarle nella frittata, come avevo fatto in precedenza con le fragole. Il risultato è eccellente. Le prime 2-3 volte che l'ho preparata ho usato lo stesso formaggio, il mio neufchâtel fatto in casa (un formaggio a crosta fiorita). Poi ho tagliato la mia forma di caciotta fatta in casa, l'ho assaggiata e ho deciso di usarla nella frittata: un'ottima scelta.

Ingredienti:

• 280-300 g di pesche mature
  
• olio d'oliva
• 6 uova fresche codice 0
• sale
• 30 g di caciotta [fatta in casa], o formaggio simile

Scaldare il forno a 175 C. Foderare una lastra da forno con un tappetino di silicone per forno che sia più lungo e più largo della lastra. Lavare le pesche e tagliarle in quattro. Sbucciarle ora o dopo averele passate in forno. Disporre le pesche sulla lastra e poi passarle in forno per 20 minuti. (La temperatura in gradi Fahrenheit che uso io, 350, è un po' al di sopra di 175 C e un po' al di sotto di 180 C. Ho deciso di specificare la temperatura più bassa poiché preferisco essere cauta. Potete lasciare le pesche in forno un paio di minuti in più.) Far intiepidire le pesche mentre preparate le uova. Se non lo evete fatto prima, sfilare la buccia dalle pesche, poi tagliate ogni quarto a metà per il lungo e ogni pezzo a fettine.

Oliare bene una padella (25 cm) e scaldarla. Rompere le uova in una ciotola e sbatterle leggermente. Aggiungere un paio di pizzichi di sale e incorporare. Aggiungere il succo emesso dalle pesche durante la cottura in forno, se presente, più abbastanza acqua da arrivare a 45 ml. Mescolare per incorporare il liquido nelle uova.

Versare lentamente le uova nella padella, poi far scivolare le pesche nella padella e distribuirle in modo uniforme. Cuocere a fuoco dolce fino a quando le uova sono rapprese. Nel frattempo, accendere la parte alta del forno. (Se il vostro forno lo permette, scegliere l'opzione a calore basso.)

Tagliare il formaggio a fettine sottili. Una volta che il bordo delle frittata si è rappreso, distribuire il formaggio sulla superficie. Passare una spatolina sotto il bordo e scuotere la padella (delicatamente) per evitare che la frittata si attacchi.

Quando le uova si sono rapprese, mettere la padella nel forno, lasciando lo sportello socchiuso, per un paio di  minuti. (Se avete scelto l'opzione a calore basso, probabilmente ci vorranno 3 minuti.) Tirare fuori la padella (fare attenzione: il manico scotta) e far riposare un paio di minuti, poi mettere la frittata su un piatto, tagliare e servire. Come al solito con la frittata, potete conservare gli avanzi in frigo e mangiarli il giorno dopo a temperatura ambiente.

Questa frittata ha tutto: pesche dolci, formaggio saporito, uova soffici. In base ai risultati positivi dei miei primi due esperimenti, ho in programma di continuare ad esplorare il territorio delle frittate con frutta.

Questo è il mio contributo all'edizione numero 301 di Weekend Herb Blogging, un evento creato da Kalyn di Kalyn's Kitchen, organizzato ora da Haalo di Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once e la cui versione italiana è organizzata da Brii di briggishome, e ospitata questa settimana da Graziana di Erbe in cucina.

Questo post contiene il raccolto dell'evento.

frittata con fragole arrosto e neufchâtel fatto in casa

frittata with roasted strawberries and homemade French Neufchâtel cheese

[cliccare il link per andare alla versione in italiano]

Yes, you read correctly and, yes, it sounds quite strange. It sounded strange to me too, when the idea formed in my mind. In fact, I resisted it: I tried to come up with reasons why it would not work. Then, I yielded: I suspended my disbelief, ready to resume it, if necessary, after tasting the result. You see, after the success of my gelato with roasted strawberries, I became obsessed with the idea of using roasted strawberries in a savory combination. My first attempt (a pairing with roasted new potatoes) was unsuccessful, but the strawberries were not wasted: eating them convinced me even more firmly of their potential as a savory ingredient.

Then, one morning, the thought hit me: frittata — which would allow me to encase the strawberries in a tender matrix and use the juice produced during roasting. The addition of some of my homemade French Neufchâtel cheese, a bloomy-rind cheese (formaggio a crosta fiorita) with the right level of tang, would provide a light contrast to the sweet strawberries.

The strange idea turned into an excellent dish. I offered the second rendition of the recipe to our dinner guests last Sunday evening. Our dear friends Christine of Christine Cooks and her husband are used to being served experiments, so they were fine with trying yet another one — even a really weird-sounding one. After a taste, they were convinced. (The dinner included another new dish: farfalle rosa)

I love this frittata. And so does my husband, head of my Quality Assurance department. From now on, all the strawberries that arrive in my kitchen will get roasted and then used to make either gelato or frittata. 

juicy nuggets

Print-friendly version of briciole's recipe for frittata con fragole arrosto e neufchâtel fatto in casa

Ingredients:

• 10 oz. strawberries
• 1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar (aceto balsamico) of good quality
• olive oil
• 6 pastured eggs (uova)
• sea salt
• 1.5 oz. [homemade] French Neufchâtel cheese (a bloomy-rind cheese), or similar cheese, or Havarti (the latter is an alternative I have tested successfully)
  

Wash strawberries and carve out stem. Place in a bowl, add  balsamic vinegar and toss gently. Heat the oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat that is wider and longer than the sheet, so no juice can escape from any side. Place strawberries on the sheet on a single layer. Put the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Let strawberries cool slightly while you prepare the eggs. Cut them in half lengthwise (quarter the very large ones, if any).

Oil a 10-inch skillet and warm up. Break the eggs in a bowl and whisk them lightly until just blended. Add a couple of pinches of salt and whisk briefly. Add the juice released by the strawberries during roasting: tilt the baking sheet and let the juice flow into the bowl, making sure the strawberries don't go the same way. Whisk lightly to incorporate.

Pour the eggs slowly into the skillet. Gently slide the strawberries in the pan and arrange them so they are evenly distributed. Cook over low heat until the eggs are set. In the meantime, turn on the broiler. (If your oven allows it, choose the "low" setting.)

Cut the cheese into thin slices and then each slice into pieces (1/2 inch or so). When the edge of the frittata is set, evenly distribute the cheese on the surface. Also, after the edge is set, run a spatula under it and shake the frittata gently to ensure the bottom does not stick to the pan.

When the eggs are set, place the skillet in the oven for a couple of minutes, leaving the door ajar. Take the skillet out of the oven (don't forget that the handle is hot) and let the frittata rest for of a few minutes, then slide it onto a serving plate. Cut into wedges and serve. As as is usual with frittata, you can store leftovers in the fridge and enjoy them the following day, at room temperature.

This frittata has everything: the soft juiciness of strawberries, the slight tang of the mold-ripened cheese, the silkiness of eggs diluted with strawberry juice.

This is my contribution to edition #296 of Weekend Herb Blogging, an event started by Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen, now organized by Haalo of Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once and hosted this week by Lynne of Cafe Lynnylu.

This post contains the roundup of the event.

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post:

frittata con fragole arrosto

 or launch the frittata con fragole arrosto audio file [mp3].

[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]

strawberry, frittata, egg, cheese

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Per i lettori italiani

Avete letto giusto e lo so che suona piuttosto strano. Suonava strano anche a me, quando l'idea si è formata nella mia testa. Infatti, ho resistito, ho provato ad elencare i motivi per i quali non avrebbe funzionato. Poi ho ceduto e ho sospeso la mia incredulità, almeno fino al momento di assaggiare il risultato. Dopo il successo del mio gelato di fragole arrosto, ho deciso di provare a usare le fragole in un piatto salato. Il primo tentativo (un accoppiamento con patate novelle arrosto) non è riuscito, ma le fragole non sono andate perse, e infatti mangiarle mi ha convinto del loro potenziale come ingrediente nel salato.

Poi, una mattina, si è accesa la lampadina: una frittata — che mi avrebbe permesso di avere le fragole immerse in una matrice morbida e di utilizzare il succo prodotto durante la cottura in forno. L'aggiunta di un po'  del mio neufchâtel fatto in casa, un formaggio a crosta fiorita offre un leggero contrasto di sapore con le fragole dolci.

La strana idea si è trasformata in un piatto eccellente. Adoro questa frittata. E piace molto anche a mio marito, che è a capo del mio Dipartimento Controllo Qualità. D'ora in poi, tutte le fragole che compro verranno cotte al forno e utilizzate per preparare il gelato o questa frittata.

Ingredienti:

• 280 g di fragole
  
• mezzo cucchiaino (2,5 ml) aceto balsamico
• olio d'oliva
• 6 uova fresche codice 0 
• sale
• 40-45 g di neufchâtel a crosta fiorita [fatto in casa], o formaggio simile, oppure il formaggio danese Havarti (un'alternativa che ho utilizzato con successo)
  

Lavare le fragole e privarle del picciolo. Mettere le fragole in una ciotola e aggiungere l'aceto balsamico. Mescolare con delicatezza. Scaldare il forno a 175 C. Foderare una lastra da forno con un tappetino di silicone che sia più lungo e più largo della lastra, in modo che il succo prodotto durante la cottura in forno non finisca sotto il tappetino.

Mettere in forno e cuocere per 20 minuti. (La temperatura in gradi Fahrenheit che uso io, 350, è un po' al di sopra di 175 C e un po' al di sotto di 180 C. Ho deciso di specificare la temperatura più bassa poiché preferisco essere cauta. Potete lasciare le fragole in forno un paio di minuti in più.) Lasciar intiepidire leggermente le fragole. Tagliarle a metà per lungo (o in quarti, se sono molto grosse).

Oliare bene una padella (25 cm) e scaldare. Rompere le uova in una ciotola e sbatterle leggermente. Aggiungere un paio di pizzichi di sale e incorporare. Aggiungere il succo emesso dalle fragole durante la cottura in forno: inclinare la lastra da forno e far scorrere il succo nella ciotola, facendo attenzione a non far scivolar via le fragole. Mescolare per incorporare il succo nelle uova.

Versare lentamente le uova nella padella, poi far scivolare le fragole nella padella e distribuirle in modo uniforme. Cuocere a fuoco dolce fino a quando le uova sono rapprese. Nel frattempo, accendere la parte alta del forno. (Se il vostro forno lo permette, scegliere l'opzione a calore basso.)

 Tagliare il formaggio a fettine sottili e poi a pezzetti (1-1,5 cm) Una volta che il bordo delle frittata si è rappreso, distribuire il formaggio sulla superficie. Poi, passare una spatolina sotto il bordo e scuotere la padella (delicatamente) per evitare che la frittata si attacchi.

Quando le uova si sono rapprese, mettere la padella nel forno, lasciando lo sportello socchiuso, per un paio minuti. (Se avete scelto l'opzione a calore basso, probabilmente ci vorranno 3 minuti.) Tirare fuori la padella (fare attenzione: il manico scotta) e far riposare un paio di minuti, poi mettere la frittata su un piatto, tagliare e servire. Come al solito con la frittata, potete conservare gli avanzi in frigo e mangiarli il giorno dopo a temperatura ambiente.

Questa frittata ha tutto: la tenera succosità delle fragole, la leggera acidità del formaggio a crosta fiorita, la sofficità delle uova diluite col succo delle fragole.

Questo è il mio contributo all'edizione numero 296 di Weekend Herb Blogging, un evento creato da Kalyn di Kalyn's Kitchen, organizzato ora da Haalo di Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once e la cui versione italiana è organizzata da Brii di briggishome, e ospitata questa settimana dalla stessa Brii.

Questo post contiene il raccolto dell'evento.

torta salata di zucchine e carote

savory zucchini and carrot cake

[cliccare il link per andare alla sezione del post in italiano]

A short (as in: detail-poor) recipe for zucchini and carrot soufflé in an Italian magazine inspired this dish that found a more satisfactory realization as a savory cake, baked in a springform pan. The sketchiness of the recipe (which I believe I still have in the house, though my inability to locate it puts in doubt such believe) left ample room for my experiments. From the very beginning, however, I was clear on one thing: I would use a lot of zucchine for it.

I came up with my idea of how much of each vegetable to use. I also set aside the béchamel sauce in favor of a velouté sauce that uses olive oil for the roux and my homemade stock as liquid. The given number of eggs was not enough to make the base into a "real" soufflé, so I thought of using a springform pan to bake the mixture and was happy with the result, so the soufflé turned into a cake.

The recipe entails preparing the vegetables and the sauce: this can be done separately and in advance, making this dish a nice option for a dinner with guests where you don't want to have a lot to do at the last minute. I make it often for the two of us, since we both like it a lot.

Printer-friendly version of briciole's recipe for torta salata di zucchine e carote

Ingredients:

• 1.5 lbs. zucchini
• 8 oz. carrots
• olive oil
• 2 cups homemade light chicken stock or vegetable stock
• 3.5 tablespoons olive oil (olio d'oliva) of good quality
  
• 3.5 tablespoons all-purpose flour (farina)
• grated nutmeg
  
• 2 eggs (due uova)
  
• 1/4 cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano
• sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Prepare the vegetables:

• scrub carrots, scrape skin off with a knife, then rinse
• steam carrots until tender; when cool, dice them
• wash zucchini and dice them
• cook zucchini in a lightly oiled nonstick skillet, uncovered, until tender, stirring often
• mix the vegetables and season them with salt and pepper to taste

Prepare the velouté sauce:

Use the given quantities of flour, olive oil and stock to prepare the velouté sauce according to Deborah Madison's recipe for béchamel sauce in her "Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone" (one of the variations she lists at the end of the recipe mentions the possibility of making a non-dairy version with olive oil and stock). Most often, I use my homemade light chicken stock, because I have more of that than of vegetable stock in my freezer.

Read carefully the recipe as Madison explains the reason behind the long cooking time. I warm up the stock in the microwave while the roux is cooking. I then pour the hot liquid into the pan all at once, while stirring with a whisk. Note that I don't add the aromatics listed in the recipe to the stock, since it already contains them.

Assemble and bake the cake:

Separate the eggs: add the yolks to the sauce and let the whites come to room temperature in a small bowl. Heat oven to 400 F and place a rack in the middle. Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper and lightly oil the inner surface of the ring. Add the cheese to the sauce and stir to incorporate that and the egg yolks. Add a pinch of salt to the egg whites, then beat them until firm peaks form.

Add the vegetables to the sauce and stir well (be delicate!), then add about 1/3 of the egg whites and fold in using a spatula and a delicate hand. Add the rest of the egg whites and again fold in. Pour into prepared springform pan and place in the oven. Turn down the temperature to 375 F. (This baking mode is the same as for soufflés.)

Bake until the surface is golden. It usually takes me 42 minutes, but as we know, ovens differ. Take out of the oven and let sit for a couple of minutes, then run a thin spatula around the edge and remove the ring. Slice (be careful: the cake is fairly delicate) and serve immediately.

I have not yet tried to use the same base recipe with a different combination of vegetables. When the torta is made with fresh vegetables from the farmers' market, the flavor of zucchini and carrots is really a delicate pleasure for the palate.

This is my submission for the fifth edition of Creative Concoctions, an event created by Ivy of Kopiaste..to Greek Hospitality. The theme of Creative Concoctions #5 is cakes with olive oil.

This post contains the roundup of the event.

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post:

torta salata di zucchine e carote

or launch the torta salata di zucchine e carote audio file [mp3].

[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]

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Per i lettori italiani

Subito dopo aver pubblicato il post, Marta di Mangiare è un po' come viaggiare ha espresso un interesse per la ricetta e gliel'ho tradotta. L'intenzione era quella di aggiungere la traduzione a questo post, ma nel frattempo Marta non solo ha realizzato la ricetta, ma ha anche scritto un post carinissimo sulla sua esperienza e quindi e con grande piacere che vi invito a visitare il suo blog e a leggere i dettagli.

frittata con le zucchine

zucchini frittata

[cliccare il link per andare alla versione in italiano]

Zucchini season has started and here is a second suggestion on how to make use of them (the first being zucchine al pomodoro, published earlier this month). As you can tell, I am excited about seeing fresh zucchini at the farmers' market, in particular zucchini with their blossom (fiore di zucca) still attached.

Frittata con le zucchine has been part of my life for as long as I can remember and up until recently, I had been making it the same way my mother did, using sliced zucchini. Then, a week ago, I decided that I was temporarily bored by the idea of slicing zucchini for a frittata, but still wanted to make a frittata with zucchini. To solve the dilemma, I decided to try grating the zucchine. We liked the result so much that this has become my default way of preparing frittata con le zucchine.

Leftover frittata is great. It can be enjoyed at room temperature and it makes a great stuffing for a panino. For example, a passenger of a recent San Francisco-Boston flight, a.k.a., my husband, took out of his backpack a panino made up of two slices of my homemade Whey bread with butter and honey and a wedge of my frittata con le zucchine, and enjoyed it immensely.

Printer-friendly version of briciole's recipe for frittata con le zucchine

Ingredients:

• olive oil
• 3/4 lb zucchini, grated using the extra-coarse side of your grater
• 2 tablespoons minced shallot (scalogno)
• 5 pastured eggs (uova)
• 2 1/2 tablespoons water
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
•  1 tablespoon mixed minced fresh oregano (origano) and [orange] mint (menta)
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano

Spray a skillet with olive oil and warm up. Add shallot and cook for a few minutes, stirring often. Add zucchini and cook for 5 minutes, stirring several times. Cover and cook until soft, stirring several times.

While the zucchine are cooking, break the eggs in a bowl and whisk them lightly with a fork until just blended. Add the water, then a few pinches of salt and a sprinkling of pepper and whisk briefly. Finally, add the cheese and herbs and again whisk briefly.

Turn on the broiler. Pour the eggs slowly into the skillet. With the fork, gently arrange the zucchini so they are evenly distributed. Cook over low heat until the eggs are set. After the edge is set, run a spatula under it and shake the frittata gently to ensure the bottom does not stick to the pan.

Place the skillet in the oven, leaving the door ajar, for a couple of minutes. The frittata will puff up a bit. Take the skillet out of the oven (don't forget that the handle is hot) and let rest of a couple of minutes, then move the frittata onto a serving plate. Cut into wedges and serve.

Note: the zucchini in the photo are not the same as the ones I used for the frittata, which did not have any blossoms. However, if the zucchini you get are like the ones in the photo and you don't have plans to use the blossoms otherwise, detach them, rinse delicately, remove the pistil and slice thinly lengthwise. Add to the skillet 3 minutes after the zucchini, stir and then proceed as above.

This is my contribution to edition #284 of Weekend Herb Blogging, an event started by Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen, now organized by Haalo of Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once and hosted this week by Lynne of Cafe Lynnylu.

This post contains the roundup of the event.

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post:

frittata con le zucchine

or launch the frittata con le zucchine audio file [mp3].

[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]

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Per i lettori italiani

La frittata con le zucchine fa parte della mia vita da tempo immemore. L'avevo sempre fatta come mia madre, con le zucchine affettate. Poi, una settimana fa, desiderosa di cambiamento, ho deciso di grattugiare le zucchine. Il risultato ci è piaciuto così tanto che questo è diventato il mio metodo preferito per preparare la frittata con le zucchine.

Gli avanzi di frittata sono preziosi: si possono mangiare a temperatura ambiente e sono perfetti per fare un panino. Per esempio, un passeggero su un recente volo San Francisco-Boston, altrimenti noto come mio marito, ha tirato fuori dal suo zaino un panino fatto con due fette di pane di siero di latte con burro e miele fatto in casa e una fetta della mia frittata con le zucchine e se l'è gustato immensamente.

Ingredienti:

• 350 g zucchine grattugiate con il lato o l'elemento con i buchi grossi della grattugia
• 2 cucchiai (30 ml) scalogno tritato
• olio d'oliva
• 5 uova fresche codice 0
• 2,5 cucchiai d'acqua (37,5 ml)
• sale e pepe nero macinato fresco, a piacere
• 1 cucchiaio (15 ml) origano e menta freschi tritati
• 2 cucchiai (30 ml) parmigiano-reggiano grattugiato

Oliare bene una padella e scaldare. Aggiungere lo scalogno e cuocere per alcuni minuti, girando spesso. Aggiungere le zucchine e cuocere per 5 minuti, girando alcune volte. Coprire e cuocere fino a quando non sono tenere, girando alcune volte durante la cottura.

Nel frattempo, rompere le uova in una ciotola e sbatterle leggermente con una forchetta. Aggiungere l'acqua, sale e pepe a piacere e incorporare. Aggiungere formaggio ed erbe aromatiche e mescolare.

Accendere la parte alta del forno. Versare lentamente le uova nella padella e con la forchetta muovere le zucchine per distribuirle in modo uniforme. Cuocere a fuoco dolce fino a quando le uova sono rapprese. Una volta che il bordo si è rappreso, passare una spatolina sotto di esso e scuotere la padella (delicatamente) per evitare che la frittata si attacchi.

Mettere la padella nel forno, lasciando lo sportello socchiuso, per un paio minuti: la frittata si gonfia un  po' in superficie. Tirare fuori la padella (fare attenzione: il manico scotta) e far riposare un paio di minuti, poi mettere la frittata su un piatto, tagliare e servire.

Nota: le zucchine nella foto non sono le stesse che ho usato per la frittata, le quali non avevano il fiore. Se le zucchine che comprate hanno il fiore e non avete altri progetti per l'utilizzo di questi ultimi, staccateli, sciacquateli con delicatezza, togliete il pistillo e tagliateli a filetti per lungo. Aggiungere alla padella 3 minuti dopo le zucchine e procedere come sopra.

Questo è il mio contributo all'edizione numero 284 di Weekend Herb Blogging, un evento creato da Kalyn di Kalyn's Kitchen, organizzato ora da Haalo di Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once e la cui versione italiana è organizzata da Brii di Briggis recept och ideer ed è ospitata questa settimana da Terry di Crumpets & co.

Questo post contiene il riepilogo dell'evento.