Chicken Soup

Ingredients

• Chicken or hen 1 kg.
• Water 2 l.
• Celery 80 gr.
• Carrots 120 gr.
• Golden onions 120 gr.
• Garlic 2 cloves
• Laurel 2 leaves
• Parsley 1 tuft
• Mixed pepper in grains j.e.
• Fine salt j.e.

Quantity: 1,5 l

Preparation

To prepare the chicken (or chicken) broth, start by removing any remaining feathers that have been attacked and flaming the others to eliminate them permanently (you can use a torch or pass the chicken on the gas flame). Then rinse thoroughly and dab with kitchen paper, then keep aside.

Dedicate yourself now to the cleaning of the vegetables, then peel the carrots and cut them into pieces. Take the celery steaks off the edges and cut this too, and finally take care of the onion, mopping it and cutting it in half, then remove the central part.

To enhance the taste of the onion, place it in a non-stick pan and let it toast over a high heat for 4 minutes, turning it occasionally. At this point, then you are ready to cook the stock. In a large saucepan pour the chicken, or chicken, and add the celery, carrot and the scalded onion.

Add the parsley, garlic and bay leaf and pepper, then pour the water and cover with a lid, letting it simmer for 50 minutes. It is preferable during cooking, to froth the broth to eliminate impurities and excess fat.

The chicken broth, at this point will be ready, add salt and let it cool in the pot. At this point you can keep the meat aside and drain the vegetables and filter the broth to use it in your preparations. If, on the other hand, you want to cook the pasta, simply boil the broth and then cook it.

Advice

If you are using a free-range hen it is likely that cooking will be prolonged, as the meat will be much firmer. Use other vegetables at your convenience to enrich their taste and aroma! The fat of the free-range hen could be excessive, collect it or remove it with a colander.

Green Beans in Sweet and Sour Sauce

Ingredients

• 600 gr Green beans 
• 40 gr Sugar
• 2 Egg Yolks
• White vinegar
• Basil
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt

Time:  30 min
Servings: 4

Preparation

For the recipe of green beans in sweet and sour sauce, clean the green beans and boil them in boiling salted water for 8 ', then drain and cool them in a bowl of cold water.

Pour the egg yolks, sugar, 4 g of salt, 2 tablespoons of vinegar and 2 tablespoons of water into a small saucepan; place on very soft heat and carefully emulsify the mixture with a whisk for 5 ', obtaining a sweet and sour sauce.

Be very careful that the egg yolks do not coagulate: for safety, you can cook them even more gently in a bain-marie, checking that the water just starts to simmer.

Drain the green beans, arrange them on the plate and season with some chopped basil leaves, a little oil and the sweet and sour sauce still warm.

Roast Veal

Ingredients

• 800 gr di calf meat (veal - knuckle)
• 1 glass of aromatic white wine
• 1 rosemary branch
• 1 sage leaf
• 1 spoon of flour
• 2 tablespoons of hot water
• hot meat broth
• 20 gr of butter
• oil
• salt
• pepper

Prep Time: 20 min
Cook Time: 1h30min
Servings: 4

Preparation

The first step to prepare the roast veal is to wash and dab the meat with kitchen paper. Massage with salt and pepper and bind it with string. Alternatively you can have this done by your trusted butcher. Sauté the meat over high heat in a saucepan with 3 tablespoons of oil and butter, never pierce it (using spoons or wooden scoops).

When the meat is browned evenly on all sides, blend with white wine. Let it evaporate over high heat, add the aromatic herbs and a couple of ladles of hot stock. Cover, lower the heat and cook the meat for about 1 hour taking care to turn it often and add more hot broth if necessary.

Remove the roast from the container and keep warm. Blend the cooking base, first removing the aromatic herbs, until you get a homogeneous sauce and transfer it into a saucepan.

In a small bowl pour hot water over the sieved flour. Stir until a homogeneous mixture is obtained and add the mixture prepared to the cooking sauce. Put on the heat and thicken until reaching a creamy consistency, mixing with a small whisk.

Until the roast and cut it into slices. Appetize your roast veal with the sauce, before serving.

Amaretti

Prep Time: 20 min

Cook Time: 15/18 min

Ingredients

• 300 g di caster sugar
• 50 g di rough bitter almond
• 50 g di sweet almond
• 1 pinch of ammoniaca per dolci (ammonium bicarbonate)
• vanilla extract just enough
• 2 egg white
• powdered sugar to dust

Preparation

In the mixer, combine the almonds (both types), half the sugar, an egg white and vanilla extract and ground everything. Also add the egg white and the remaining sugar together with the ammonium carbonate and ground until obtaining a fine, somewhat consistent mass.

Transfer the mixture into a sac à poche with a smooth 13 mm diameter nozzle and mold the amaretti biscuits on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. You will have to hold the nozzle in a position perpendicular to the work surface, forming puddles of dough of 2.5 cm in diameter well spaced from each other.

Smooth the amaretti with the tip of the index just moistened in water, sprinkle with icing sugar and cook in a preheated oven at 170 degrees for about 15-18 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it cool completely.

Spaghetti Oil Garlic and Chili Pepper

By kawanet (Spaghetti Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino（ペペロンチーノ）)

Prep Time: 5 min

Cook Time: 10 min

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 320 gr of Spaghetti
• 2 Garlic Cloves
• Chili Pepper (1 big or 2 little)
• Olive Oil

Preparation

Start preparing spaghetti with garlic, oil and chilli by boiling plenty of salted water in a large pot. Cut the two cloves of garlic in half, remove them from the inside and chop very finely. Then take the pepper and cut it into thin slices.

Heat 4 tablespoons of oil in a pan, add the minced garlic and fry for a few minutes, being careful not to burn.

Add the chili and fry for a few seconds. Cook the spaghetti in plenty of salted water and drain when al dente. Transfer them to the pan with the garlic and pepper and sauté over high heat to distribute the sauce well and let them flavor.

Serve the hot garlic, oil and chilli spaghetti immediately.

Gnocchi alla sorrentina

Number of Servings: 4

Ingredients

• Gnocchetti di patate: 1/2 kg
• Tomatoe sauce: 400 g
• Garlic in wedges: 1
• Extravirgin olive oil: 1 spoon
• Basil: 1 tuft
• Milk: j.e.
• Salt: j.e.
• Fiordilatte (more dry then mozzarella): 250 g
• Parmigiano grattugiato: 4 spoons

Preparation

In a pan put the oil, garlic and basil leaves, when the garlic will be browned and the basil leaves will be crisp, remove both the leaves and the garlic and pour the tomato puree into the oil so flavored.

Immediately afterwards add 2 or 3 tablespoons of milk and half of the fiordilatte cut into cubes, stirring to avoid thickening it, adjust salt.
When the fiordilatte is completely dissolved, spread a couple of tablespoons o f grated Parmigiano and fresh minced basil, then let the sauce rest.

Cook the gnocchi, drain them as soon as they have risen to the surface, and pour them into the pan with the sauce. Let them whisk in the sauce adding the advanced fiordilatte without waiting for it to melt, then serve them immediately.

Bavette with Pesto

Number of Servings: 4

Ingredients

• Garlic a spicchi: 1/2
• Olio di oliva extravergine: 100 g
• Basil: 50 g
• Pinoli: 15 g
• Salt (cooking): 1 pizzico
• Parmigiano reggiano (da grattugiare): 70 g

Preparation

Wash the basil leaves in a bowl of cold water and rinse gently.
Then place the peeled garlic in the mortar along with a few coarse-grains of salt.
Begin to pound and, when the garlic is reduced to cream, add the basil leaves together with a pinch of coarse salt.

Then crush the basil against the walls of the mortar, turning the pestle from left to right and at the same time rotate the mortar in the opposite direction (from right to left) and continue until a bright green liquid will come out from the basil leaves.

At this point add the pine nuts and start pounding to reduce cream.

Add the cheeses a bit 'at a time that will make the sauce even more creamy and finally add the extra virgin olive oil that will be poured flush, stirring constantly with the pestle.Goam the ingredients well until you get a homogeneous sauce.

Put a pot with plenty of salted water on the stove and, when the water has touched the boil, cook the pasta.

Now put the pesto in a large pan (off-focus) and dilute with a little 'pasta cooking water. Stir with a spatula and, as soon as the pasta is ready, add it directly to the pesto;
mix everything to flavor, then serve your bavette with pesto, garnish with some basil leaves.

Chicken Cacciatore

Pollo alla cacciatora

Number of Servings: 4

Ingredients

• pollo a pezzi: 1,2 kg
• olive nere: 80 grammi
• Aglio: 1 spicchio
• sedano: 1 costola
• Pepe: q.b.
• Sale: q.b.
• acciughe o alici sott'olio: 30 g
• olio di oliva extravergine: q.b.
• alloro: 4 foglie
• rosmarino: 1 rametto
• carota: 1
• vino rosso: un bicchiere
• pomodorini: 400 gr

Preparation

Clean the carrot and celery and chop them coarsely.

In a pan put a little oil to heat, add the crushed garlic and the bay leaves. To make the dish even tastier add the anchovies and fry together with the carrot and celery.

Put the chicken pieces in the saucepan and let them brown for a few minutes, turning them occasionally to make them homogeneous.

Add the olives, leave them to flavor for a few moments, then wet the meat with the wine and let it evaporate.

Drain the tomatoes and add them to the chicken together with the rosemary.

Season with salt and pepper and continue cooking over very low heat for 30 minutes, so that the meat can remain tender.

Scaloppine al limone

Number of Servings: 4

Ingredients

• Fettine di vitello: 8 (430 g)
• Pepe nero: q.b.
• Succo di limone: 50 g
• Farina 00 per infarinare: q.b.
• Sale fino: q.b.
• Burro: 40 g

Preparation

Squeeze the lemon to get the juice.

Then beat the slices with the help of a meat hammer, covering them with baking paper so as not to break the fibers. Hit them with a firm hand but without too much violence, in this way the fabrics will soften without shredding the pulp.

Flour the veal slices and remove the excess flour;

in a large pan melt the butter over low heat, then add the slices, raise the heat and brown them for a couple of minutes before on one side and then the other.

Season with salt and black pepper, pour the lemon juice into the pan and cook over a gentle flame for 2-3 minutes.

As soon as you notice that the sauce will start to thicken and become creamy, you can immediately turn off and serve the lemon escalopes.

Ciambella

Time: 55 min
Number of Servings: 10

Ingredients

• Frumina (wheat starch): 150 g.
• Sugar: 120 g.
• Salt: just enough
• Egg: 1
• Orange Rind: 1
• Flour 00: 150 g.
• Butter 120 g.
• Egg Yolk: 1
• Baking Powder: 10 g.
• Whole Milk: 200 ml. (at room temperature)
• Icing Sugar: j.e. (to garnish)

     

Preparation

Sift the frumina along with the flour and baking powder, sieving everything in a large bowl. Grate the rind of an orange that will serve to flavor the dough.

Separately, in another bowl put the butter softened and reduced into small pieces, add the sugar and whip the mixture with electric whips to get a cream. At this point add the whole egg and the yolk at room temperature, and a pinch of salt.

Continue by assembling the mixture with the whips and always with the whips in action, pour the milk at room temperature. Add the powders to the mixture of eggs and butter a little at a time, helping with a spoon.

Then mix with electric whips until a smooth and lumpy mixture is obtained.

Take a donut mold 22 cm in diameter with a height of 10 cm, butter the bottom and edges of the mold with a kitchen brush to better butter the entire surface, a fundamental precaution if you use a decorated mold like the one that we used us.

Finally sprinkle the whole surface of the mold with flour. Pour the mixture into the pan and level the surface with a spatula or the back of a spoon. Cook the morning donut in a preheated oven at 170 degrees for 40 minutes.

When cooked, take the cake out and let it cool before turning it out, turning it onto a wire rack. In a bowl mix the powdered sugar with the powdered cinnamon, then sprinkle the mixture of aromas on the cake.

Octopus Salad

Insalata di polpo

Time: 50 min
Number of Servings: 4

Ingredients

• Octopus: 850 g
• Celery: 1 costa
• Salt fino: 4 g
• Garlic: 1 spicchio
• Laurel: 3 foglie
• Carrot: 150 g
• Pepper nero in grani: 6
• Parsley: 10 g
• Olio extravergine d'oliva: 30 g
• Pepe nero: 1 pizzico
• Lemon: 10 g

Preparation

Start with the octopus cleaning: rinse it under running water, transfer it to a clean and dry cloth and tamp it with kitchen paper. Put it on a cutting board and with a knife cut the bag at eye level to remove them; Also remove the beak, then drop the meat beating with a hammer or a meat tenderizer.
Rinse the octopus again under cold running water and remove the entrails from the bag and then carefully wash them inside; wash and rub with the head and tentacles to remove the patina covering them as much as possible.

Peel the carrot with a peeler, then cut it into coarse pieces together with celery.
Put a large pot with water on the stove; pour the vegetables, the bay leaves, the garlic and add the pepper and salt.

When the water has touched the boil, to curl the tips of the tentacles of the octopus, immerse the tentacles in the boiling water then let them re-emerge and continue this way for 4-5 times: in this way the aesthetics of the preparations will be more pleasant.
Then dip the octopus into the pan and cook over very low heat for 30-35 minutes (about 20 minutes for each 500 g of octopus), covering with a lid.

While cooking, with a skimmer you can remove the residues and the foam that are created on the surface from the cooking water. Before draining, skewer the meat with the tines of a fork to check the cooking.
When ready, drain it and place it in a bowl with water and ice to stop cooking.
Transfer it to a cutting board: with a knife separate the head from the tentacles, divide it in half, then cut the tentacles into small pieces, putting them in a small bowl.

Squeeze a lemon and finely chop the parsley. Add the lemon juice and chopped parsley to the octopus. Season with oil, season with salt and pepper, then mix together with a teaspoon.
Serve your parsley octopus salad in a serving dish garnished with lemon slices.

Onion Soup au gratin

Time: 100 min
Number of Servings: 4     

Ingredients

• Onions: 1,3 kg.
• Flour: 30 gr.
• Beef Broth: 1 l.
• Butter: 50 gr.
• Thyme: 3 branches
• Gruyere: 150 gr.
• Salt: j.e.
• Baguette: 1/2
• Dry White Wine: 1/2 l.
• Laurel: 1 leaf
• Garlic: 2 cloves
• Pepper: j.e.

Preparation

Peel 1.3 kg of blond onions, divide them in half and slice them finely.

Melt 50 gr. of butter in a pot with high sides, perfumed with 1 bay leaf and 3 thyme sprigs tied together with a kitchen spaghetti and 2 whole cloves of garlic with the skin (in shirt) and add the onions; stir, lower the heat to a minimum and cook the onions gently for 5-6 minutes, must wither but do not color too much.

Add to the onions 30 grams of sifted flour with a sieve with a tight mesh, stir and also add to the soup 1/2 l of dry white wine and 1l of hot meat broth and continue cooking partially covered pot and very low heat for about 75 minutes.

Turn off the heat and let the soup rest for 30 minutes, then remove the aromas and garlic cloves. Slice 1/2 baguette making 12 slices. And grate 150 gr of gruyere.

Spread the onion soup into 4 individual clay or porcelain bowls, complete each portion with 3 slices of baghette and a sprinkling of grated gruyere and transfer the bowls under the oven grill for 6-7 minutes until the cheese browns. .

Finally, sprinkle the onion soup au gratin with pepper, to taste, and serve immediately.

Zabaione

© Alice Wiegand / , via Wikimedia Commons  

Time: 25 min
Servings: 4

Ingredients

• Egg Yolk: 8
• Sugar: 160 g
• Marsala: 100 ml

Preparation

Take the 8 eggs and separate the yolks from the whites (the latter will not serve you).

Put the sugar and egg yolks in a steel bowl with the handle and thick bottom (which will then be placed in a bain-marie), and beat with a whisk (or electric mixer), until a swollen cream is formed, frothy, smooth and almost white.

Add gradually the Marsala (or another liqueur wine), always slamming to make the liquid absorb well, and when all the ingredients are well mixed, dip the pot in a bain-marie into another larger pot that contains it, filled for 1/3 of very hot water:
the fire must be very low and the water must never boil, but rather must keep a slight quiver.

Stir with the whisk for about 10-15 minutes, until you see the cream swell, thicken and become velvety.

At this point you can remove the zabaglione from the fire and serve immediately in glass cups. If you want to taste it cold, you have to mix it from time to time until it has cooled down, to prevent the wine from separating from the cream and settling on the bottom.