Our Cookbook 1BL a.s. 2020-2021 Prof.ssa Clelia Nebuloni con la collaborazione di Proff. Mary Ferraro e Dario De Iacob
STARTERS – APPETIZERS Cauliflower Gatzpacho
MAIN COURSES Arancine Baked crepes Cassoeula Crostata tagliatelle Carciofi Fritada Mahshi Panzerotti Pyttipanna Salt crepes Trippa
PASTA – RICE Carbonara Gravaioli Lasagna Pasta with clams Risotto alla Milanese Sango
SIDE DISH Milk potatoes
DESSERT Caprese cake Cozonac Crepes Nutella /Jam Crostata ricotta Custard and chocolate tart Pastiera Tiramisù Walnut Pie Yoghurt cake
Cauilflower base with chestnuts cream, salmon and brussels sprouts By Anedda This dish is simple and quick to prepare, you can prepare it on every occasion, even if you don't have much time to cook or if you can't cook. I usually prepare it when someone comes to eat at my house and instead of making a simple pasta I prepare a recipe not at all ordinary. This recipe can be an appetizer or a first course depending on how many guests you have.
INGREDIENTS * A cauliflower * 500gr Salmon * 500gr Brussels sprouts * 250gr Chestnuts Boiled and peeled * 2 glasses of milk * Olive oil * A pinch of salt * Pastry ring * Grater * Blender
METHOD 1. Grate the cauliflower in a bowl and leave it aside. 2. Now mix the chestnuts and the milk in the blender until creamy. 3. Cook the brussels sprouts in a pan with the oil for three min; after that add the salmon to the vegetables and cook for 2 min. 4. Meanwhile heat the grated cauliflower in another pan with a teaspoon of oil (for few seconds). 5. Put the pastry ring in the middle of a serving plate and put the cauliflower inside. 6. Pour the chestnut cream and add three pieces of salmon. 7. now add four brussels sprouts: one on top of the pieces of salmon , and each of the other three pieces between every piece of salmon. 8. Add salt to your taste and a tea-spoon of olive oil
GAZPACHO By Brandolini My grandmother prepares this dish when my brother, my cousins and I go to eat to her house in summertime. It is a traditional Spanish dish, very easy to make but really healthy, which looks like a soup or vegetable juice. My grandmother learned how to cook this dish in Spain. In fact, gazpacho reminds her of the time when she ate it with her family and her friends and they were all happy. When we eat it together we are very happy also because my grandmother usually tells us stories about her adolescence when she lived in Spain. We really like listening to her! My grandmother has also taught my cousin and me how to cook this dish and all her tricks to make it special and delicious! So every time she prepares gazpacho for everyone , we help her. It is very nice and fun to make it together. Finally, I love this dish because it is a dish which unites all my family.
METHOD 1. soak the bread in a bowl with the water and vinegar until soft 2. wash and slice the tomatoes, peppers and cucumberz. 3. put the squeezed bread in the blender with the pieces of tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, a pinch of salt and the oil. Blend until you get a homogeneous cream 4. put the gazpacho in the fridge for 30 min and serve it cold in big glasses or in bowls
INGREDIENTS * 100gr of bread * water q.b. * 100ml of vinegar * 600gr of ripe tomatoes * 200gr of peppers * 100gr of cucumbers * salt q.b. * 50 ml of olive oil
ARANCINE Caterina Tassone A traditional dish of my family is arancine. We usually eat it on Santa Lucia’s day which is on the 13th of December. As a sign of devotion to this Saint, who is one of the city Saint Patrons, the inhabitants of Palermo follow the tradition to eat no bread or pasta all this day long. This is the reason why on this day people in Palermo eat dishes meanly cooked with rice and the most famous are the so-called arancine. This dish has become one of the most popular streetfoods in Sicily and you can find it all the year. The main difference of arancine in Palermo and in other cities in Sicily is mainly in the name: in the eastern Sicilian area they are called with a masculine name and so, there. they become “arancini”. All my family loves this traditional dish, but its preparation is long and a bit difficult: for this reason we don’t eat arancine very often (also because my mother doesn’t like cooking so much). So, my dad and I can’t wait for this. The most beautiful thing is sharing this dish with my grandparents, my uncles and cousins, also because everyone brings a different kind of arancine, prepared with a big variety of ingredients (for example my uncle prepares vegan arancine with vegetables and tofu) and we all share them laughing and enjoying the company.
INGREDIENTS * 16 arancine * 1kg rice *parmesan, salt, black pepper, * 1bag of saffron, * 4eggs * 2egg yolks * 500gr breadcrumbs, * vegetable oil * 200gr provola cheese * 200gr smoked scamorza cheese, * 250gr ham cut into cubes * 500ml béchamel.
METHOD 1. First boil 1kg of rice in salted water and after about 12 min turn off the gas drain the rice, put it again in the pan on a low heat. 2. Add the 2 egg yolks and stir slowly, then add the saffron, a pinch of black pepper, parmesan 3. Continue stirring until the ingredients are well mixed. 4. Put the mixture in a baking pan and let it cool for about 1h. 5. In the meantime, cut the ham, the provola cheese and the smoked scamorza cheese into small cubes; put the béchamel into a bowl; 6. Then take a handful of rice, flatten it on the palm of your hand , add a spoon of béchamel, some cheese of both kinds and some ham. 7. Cover with another handful of rice and shape the rice with the filling into a ball. 8. Repeat this procedure until all the rice and all the ingredients are finished. 9. In a bowl beat the eggs; then dip each arancina into the beaten eggs and then into the breadcrumbs. 10. Finally fry them into a frying pan with abundant vegetable oil until they get a dark yellow colour, and eat them while they are hot.
Baked crepes By Elisabetta Tontoli
METHOD
My family’s own favourite recipe is an old dish of 1. In a saucepan put 2 tablespoons of olive oil and slowly fry the chopped meat. my grandmother, baked crepes. 2. As soon as ready let it cool. The dish is usually prepared on birthdays or on some summer evenings and there is competition 3. In a bowl beat the egg with the milk and add the sifted flour a little at a time. between my aunt and grandmother or mother, I 4. Heat a buttered pan, pour a ladle of dough and cook the often help them. crepes for about 30s, then turn it gently raising. It’s very funny when we go shopping because we always forget something and so you have to go 5. Just ready and cooled proceed with the filling. 6. Take a crepes and pour over a spoonful of meat sauce, back to the mall. a handful of chopped mozzarella and We have a lot of fun during the method, we dance 7. a generous tablespoon of grated Parmesan. and sing songs by Vasco Rossi and by Eros 8. Shut the crepes like cannelloni and place them in a Ramazzotti. greased baking dish. When we bake them, it always smells good and 9. Sprinkle the crepes with cheese to taste and a splash of here come all the family and friends to eat them. tomato sauce. You instantly create an atmosphere of happiness and fun where no one thinks about things. The 10. Bake at 180 degrees for about 10/15 min. And now you just have to taste the dish. next day, my cousin Mario and I, warm up the Write a text explaining when/on what special occasion leftovers and they’re much better than the day the dish above is prepared and describe also the before. atmosphere it creates in the family. Even the biggest and the smallest love to eat them. It’s one of the dishes I love most about my family. INGREDIENTS (crepes 4 person) * 1 egg * 250ml of milk * 125gr of flour * 20gr of butter * pinch of salt (the filling) * 300gr of minced meat * 250gr of fresh mozzarella * 50gr of grated cheese.
Cassoeula By Giulio Dringoli
The Casseula, whose spelling varies, is a typical Lombardy winter dish and It’s eaten especially as a main course because it’s very nourishing ; in fact it contains vegetables, meat and carbohydrates. There are many stories about who invented it. About its name, instead, it’s supposed to derive from the spoon with which it is mixed (cassoeu in Lonbard dialect) or from the pot in which it is prepared (casserola). It’s a “poor” dish, usually eaten with family members or friends, made with pork scraps ( ear, tail, rind), pork ribs, and verzini sausages. In fact in winter farmers had to kill the pigs which they could not farm in winter time, because they didn’t have enough food for them; so, the least appealing parts of the pigs, that could not be stored adding salt (like salame or prosciutto/ham) were used to prepare this recipe. Nowaday, there is a light version without the rind, ear and the tail , which are really greasy. As a side dish you can serve polenta or corn bread.
INGREDIENTS * 1kg Savoy cabbage * 500gr Spareribs * 4 verzini Italian little sausages * 125gr Pork rind (in Italy we call it Cotenna * a cup Sautéed (with carrot, onion and celery) * A glass of tomato puree * salt * butter and olive oil * broth METHOD 1. Prepare the sautéed in a pot with very little butter and oil; make sure you keep the fire high. 2. Add the spareribs and sprinkle them with some red wine 3. Brown everything on a mid-fire. Then, add the glass of tomato puree, and burn off the wine 4. Add some broth to cover everything. Taste and add salt and pepper if you like it 5. Cook everything for 30 minutes. 6. Meanwhile, wash and roughly cut the cabbage ; don’t dry it 7. add the Savoy cabbage and the pork rind; mix and cook, covered, for an hour at least 8. Add verzini sauges and keep cooking until the meat is tender or better, it fall off the bones 9. When ready , serve your Cassoeula with polenta o thickly cut pieces of bread.
CROSTATA DI TAGLIATELLE AI CARCIOFI By Preziosi Luisa This is an old family recipe, one of the many that my grandmother keeps in a large notebook. To tell the truth, it is not one of my favourite recipes because I don’t like artichokes but I like to prepare it and then, it reminds me of the good childhood times.
METHOD 1. For the bechamel: heat the milk in a saucepan until warm; in a larger saucepan add the flour, the sprinkle of nutmeg, a pinch of salt and the warm milk. 2. Cook and keep stirring the bechamel until it reaches the consistency of a fluid cream. 3. In the meantime slice the artichokes and cook them in a pan with some olive oil 4. Boil the pasta and let it cook for half the expected cooking time 5. Drain the tagliatelle and then dress the pasta with the bechamel 6. Butter a baking pan and sprinkle it with breadcrumbs. 7. Finally altern layers of artichokes, pasta, parmesan and provola 8. Put the baking pan with the tagliatelle pre-heated oven 180°C for 30min. INGREDIENTS * 500gr of tagliatelle * 1l of milk * 100gr of flour * a bit of nutmeg * 100gr of butter * 500gr of artichokes * 250gr of provola cheese * Olive oil * Grated parmesan cheese
FRITADA By De Lattore A dish for one person includes: two potatoes, a portion of mote, four pieces of pork, a portion of salad and a piece of Greek cheese This is the dish which our ancestors left us ; it is always eaten hot with a pint of beer. Fritada is usually eaten with no hot sauce but some people eat it with. Here in Italy, I eat this dish twice a year, on Christmas and on Mother's Day. But my granny makes fritada on all special days , in fact she prepares this dish for weddings, baptisms, confirmations and especially for festivities in Ecuador. When we have this dish, my family and I forget all the family’s problems and just think about having fun; it is also an occasion for a family reunion, because some relatives of mine come from Germany to eat with us and they are very nice.
METHOD 1. Chop the pork into pieces and boil it in a liter of water with the garlic, one chopped onion and a pinch of salt. 2. Cook the meat on medium heat until the pork absorbs the water. Stir from time to time, until the meat is ready. 3. In a second pan, boil the mote with 4l of water without salt 4. In a third pan, boil the potatoes in 2l of salted water 5. First, wash the tomatoes and then chop them. Remove the peel from the onion, cut it in large pieces and rinse them with water and a pinch of salt to remove the bitter taste. In a serving bowl, put the meat, the mote, the boiled potatoes, the sliced onion and the tomatoes. Dress with some lemon slices and salt. Mix and serve it!!! INGREDIENTS 4 people * a pound of mote (corn kernels) * 8 potatoes * Greek cheese * 2 kilos of pork (boneless pork ribs) * 6l of water * salad * 1 clove of garlic * 2 onions * salt * lemon juice and peel
MAHSHI By Sama Lbshetin My mother usually prepares this dish to celebrate the end of Ramadan. Mahshi is a very rich and tasty dish that is served and eaten hot. In Arabic this word means “stuffed” and this term means any kind of stuffed vegetable. This dish always reminds me of my family in Egypt because it is a typical Egyptian dish , so it reminds me of my origins. When we eat it, the family together, it creates a warm atmosphere, which makes me feel good and happy. Obviously I don't eat Mahshi only after Ramadan, but also when it is my parents' birthday, when we invite my aunt to dinner or even just on a very cold and rainy day.
METHOD 1. Rinse the rice. 2. In a frying-pan gently fry the chopped onions and the garlic in oil for 2/3min. add them in a bowl with the previously rinsed rice. Then season with the spices (cumin, dill, parsley and coriander), salt and pepper and tomato puree. 3. Put the mixture in a pot and cook for 2min. 4. Meanwhile, clean the vegetables and remove the pulp and seeds, leaving a thickness of 2/3 mm. 5. Separate the cabbage leaves one by one, dipping them in boiling water with cumin. When the cabbage is soft, take it out of the water and let it cool. Do the same thing with the grape leaves. 6. Stuff ¾ of the vegetables with the seasoned rice. Add a teaspoon and a half of the rice in the cabbage and grape leaves, close the ends and roll up. 7. Protect the bottom of a pot with slices of onions and potatoes, this way the vegetables don’t break when you take them out. 8. Arrange the stuffed vegetables in the pot with the open side up and the grape and cabbage leaves horizontally and very tightly together. 9. Add the chicken broth until it reaches ¼ of the height of the pot, but without completely covering the vegetables. 10. Cover the pot with a lid and cook on very low heat for about 1h until the rice is cooked and the broth is almost completely absorbed. INGREDIENTS for 4 people * 250 gr. rice * 200 gr. chopped onions * 100 gr. tomato puree * 100 gr. parsley * 100 gr. coriander * 100 gr. dill * 30 gr. oil * 100 gr. cumin
* 2 cloves of garlic chopped * chicken broth or water * 350 gr. potatoes * 300 gr. tomatoes * 250 gr. courgettes * 400 gr. peppers * 1 cabbage * 200 gr. grape leaves
PANZEROTTI By Beatrice Brina INGREDIENTS It’s a traditional dish from Apulia. You can eat Panzerotti on any occasion, at Christmas, New Year's Eve, or for parties in summer. In fact, Panzerotti reminds of the summer, the sea, the beach. Panzerotti make "family reunite", when you eat, you feel happy!
dough * 500gr flour “00” * 270ml water * 7gr brewer’s yeast * 15gr extra virgin olive oil stuffing * 120gr tomato puree * 60gr grated cheese * 150gr mozzarella * 5 slices ham * a pinch of salt METHOD 6 person 1. In a bowl put the flour, a pinch of salt and the yeast, then pour the water little by little. 2. Knead everything until the dough is like a ball; cover it with a plastic film and let it rest for 30min. 3. After half an hour put the dough on an oiled surface, flatten it and cut it in a few pieces of the size you like. 4. Now start to fill the pieces of pasta: first put on the flatten dough the tomato puree with a pinch of salt, then add some pieces of mozzarella and pieces or cubes of ham 5. Then bend the piece of pasta to cover the filling With a fork press the edges of the panzerotto to close it. At the same time give it the shape of a half moon continue until you finish the dough. 6. Putthe the in a frying pan. When the oil reaches the temperatures of 175°put in the panzerotti (2/3 at a time) 7. Fry them for a few minutes ; after a couple of minutes turn the panzerotti on the other side and continue frying When they are soft brown take them out and put them on a plate lined with paper towl (to absorb the grase) Wait for 5min and serve!!!
PYTTIPANNA By Gabriella Sormani Pyttipanna is a dish me and my family usually eat during Christmas or when we are in Sweden for summer holidays. It doesn’t create a specific atmosphere but we really enjoy eating it.
INGREDIENTS 6 person * 150gr of leftover meat * 6-8 cooked potatoes * 1 regular onion * 1tbsp of olive oil METHOD 1. Chop the potatoes and the meat, dice the onion in uniform pieces and heat up the pan on medium fire, then put the oil in the pan. 2. Put all the ingredients in the pan and cook for about 5 min, letting it brown. Pyttipanna is usually served with sunny-side-up eggs and ketchup. Write a text explaining when/on what special occasion the dish above is prepared and describe also the atmosphere it creates in the family. When it’s ready serve it on a plate and enjoy your meal!!!
SALT CREPES By Nicolo Oliveti
METHOD (Crepes) 1. Take three eggs, 250gr of flour, 500 ml of milk, butter and a pinch of salt. 2. Break the eggs in a bowl, then stir with a fork and add some milk; add the salt and stir to amalgamate these two ingredients and add 125gr of flour, stir again and add the rest of the flour 3. Then take a whisk and blend strongly to absorb the flour. Keep stirring for a few min. Cover the bowl with the plastic wrap and put it in the fridge for 30min. Meanwhile let’s stuff the crepes with the mushrooms bechamel. (Stuff the crepe with Mushrooms and bechamel) 1. 25gr of butter, 3eggs, 25gr of flour, 250ml of milk, a pinch of salt, a pinch of nutmeg, 20ml of oil, one garlic and a pinch of black pepper. 2. Pour the milk in a pan, put it on the cooker and let the milk blend. Then turn off the gas and add some nutmeg and a pinch of salt. 3. Put the butter in another pan and let it blend, too. Turn off the heat, add some flour and stir quickly with the whisk. 4. Turn on the gas and give an occasional stir, take the other pan and pour the milk in this pan and stir. 5. Cook it for 5/6min. 6. Put the bechamel in a bowl and cover it with the plastic wrap. 7. Take the mushrooms and cut them. Pour the oil in a pan, add some garlic and turn up the gas, slowly. 8. After that add the mushrooms and let them cook for 5/10min, then remove the garlic. 9. Put 250gr of mushrooms in a mixer, with the bechamel and blend for a few seconds. 10. Pour it in a pan, add a little nutmeg, a pinch of salt and black pepper. 11. Then, take the dough, blend it and put it in a warm pan and grease it with a little butter. 12. After that put a piece of dough in the pan very quickly, because the dough cooks very fast. 13. After a minute turn the dough with a scoop and let the other side for another min. 14. Now repeat the method to make other crepes (until you finish the dough). In the end put the mushrooms bechamel in the crepes and enjoy your meal! INGREDIENTS * 6eggs * 20ml oil * 275gr flour * garlic and pinch of black pepper * 750ml milk * 25/30gr butter and pinch of * bechamel * 500gr mushrooms champignon salt
TRIPPA ALLA PARMIGIANA By Cerri Tommaso
The dish above is a typical Italian dish and a lot of Italian regions have their own recipe. Tripe is the muscle of three of the four stomach of a cow; it may sound disgusting, but it isn’t. In the past this was considered the worst cuts of meat, so it was for the poor people. It needs a long cooking time. The Trippa alla Parmigiana is an ancient recipe of Emilia Romagna, and it is called this way because of the Parmisan cheese which is added at the end. In Milan and its nearby area Tripe is called “Busecca” and here people simmer it with beans and some vegetables ( onion carrot and celery). My grandmother always prepares it on Christmas day and sometimes as Sunday lunch. It is really tasty and everybody likes it. In my opinion it makes everyone feel good, also after a hard week, and warms up everyone’s heart, especially in winter. Last Christmas day, my grandmother prepared a large quantity of Trippa, because we were nineteen people at home and everyone had to taste it, also the babies. On Sunday lunch the quantity of Trippa is reduced, because we are (only) six people at home, but it makes the same effect as on a Christmas day. This dish is especially loved by my dad and it’s one of his favorite food. I think Trippa alla parmigiana is one of my family’s favorite dish because in my life I haven’t spent a Christmas day without Trippa alla parmigiana.
INGREDIENTS 4 person * 1 white onion * 220gr of tomato puree * 100gr of grated Parmesan cheese * 1,5kg of cleaned Trippa * 200gr of beef broth * Salt * Black pepper * Olive oil
METHOD 1. Grind the onion and cut the cleaned Trippa in strips. 2. Simmer the onion with olive oil in a large pot. 3. When the crust is formed, cook the onion adding beef broth for 10 min. 4. When the onion is soft, add the Trippa and simmer it for 6 minutes. 5. Add salt and pepper if necessary. 6. Add tomato puree and stir everything with a wooden spoon. 7. Simmer it for two hours without the pot lid, adding occasionally a spoonful of beef broth, so that the Trippa isn’t dry, but soft. 8. When the tripe is ready (it’s cooked and soft), add grated Parmesan cheese and stir
CARBONARA By Sofia Salvano Carbonara is a dish which is really dear to my family and me, because we are used to eating it that often. My family and I usually prepare carbonara, at least once a month at the weekend, because it’s a way to have fun and eat something good. We often go to my grandparents' house to eat it so that we have lunch together with my uncles and grandparents. We prepare and eat it also because my father, having Roman origins, knows how to prepare it very well. When we eat it we feel like we are in Rome and we like this sensation very much; this is another reason why we often prepare it. It is so special to me that, sometimes, also my grandmother prepares carbonara for me during the week; so, when I get home from school we can eat it together and enjoy it.
METHOD 1. Cut the guanciale into little cubes, put it in a non-stick pan and let it simmer for 15 min. Turn the gas off 2. Then put a pan with some water to boil; when the water boils, add some salt and the spaghetti. 3. While the pasta is cooking, beat the yolks in a bowl and then, slowly, add half of the pecorino, a pinch of pepper and salt. 4. When spaghetti is cooked, drain it , add it to the pan where the bacon is cooking and after a minute turn the gas off. 5. Then pour the mixture of egg yolks and some pecorino. Stir gently. Finally sprinkle the spaghetti with some pecorino and little pepper, then serve.
INGREDIENTS 4 person * 320 gr spaghetti * little cubes of guanciale * 150 gr * 6 egg yolks * 150 gr pecorino cheese * pepper and salt
GRAVAIOLI By Emma Pasquarelli Traditionally ravioli, even though my family call them gravaioli, are homemade in Italy; this dish is typical of a lot of Italian regions, but the filling varies according to the area they are prepared . In centre and south Italy they are stuffed with ricotta cheese, which is the locally produced from sheep’s milk. This is a very important recipe to my mom. My great grandmother used to cook her gravaioli every summer when she was a child. When my mom and her sisters were children, they went with their grandmother to collect mint leaves in the garden and then to the neighboring farmer to buy fresh ricotta. Together they prepared the ravioli and then all the reunited family ate them. And now when I go to my grandfather's sister in Avellino in the summer, she always prepares them for me. We have a big table with all the relatives of my mother's , even those I hardly ever see except on these occasions, and thanks to the gravaioli we all get to know each other. My mom and I have bought a pasta machine and we often make gravaioli to carry on the traditions of my family. Also when we don’t visit my relatives in Avellino, my grandparents who live in Brescia sometimes prepare them for us.
INGREDIENTS Dough * 250gr of flour * 2 egg + 1 yolk * Put the flour on a clean surface * add the the eggs , rub until the dough is smooth * Cover with film * let it rest for 30 min Stuffing * 400gr of ricotta * 20gr of parmesan cheese * a handful of mint * a pinch of salt , a pinch of freshly ground pepper and a pinch of nutmeg METHOD 1. In a bowl mash the ricotta, add parmesan cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Chop the mint and mix everything. 2. In the meantime prepare the tomato sauce. 3. Roll out the dough, flatten it to a thickness of 3mm. 4. Cut the dough into 2 long, rectangular pieces and place the stuffing into rows on one of them. 5. Cover the filling with the other piece of pasta 6. cut the pasta in small squares and then close the edges with a fork. 7. In a large pan with boiling and salted water add the ravioli. Cook for 5/6 min. 8. Drain the cooked ravioli and season with the tomato sauce. 9. Put them in a soup plate, sprinkle with a spoon of parmesan and add a leaf of mint.
INGREDIENTS
LASAGNA By Beatrice Distefano Lasagna is a very tasty main dish! It is an Italian traditional dish but in my family it is very special, because my dad a I usually prepare Lasagna for my mum’s birthday. She really likes it! So, we get up very early to lay the table and start making the Lasagna. We enjoy a lot this day because we are all together!
* 150gr of flour * 2 eggs * 3 yolks * spinach * minced beef meat * salt * 50gr of carrots * 1l of milk * Parmesan cheese
* 50gr of onions * 300gr of tomato puree * 1 spoon of olive oil * 150gr of bacon * 50gr of celery * vegetable broth * 70gr of butter * nutmeg
METHOD RAGÙ: 1. heat the vegetable broth. 2. Chop the bacon, finely cut the carrots, celery, onions and mix. In a pan put some olive oil and the bacon. Add the vegetables and the minced meat; then stir. 3. After few minutes add the tomato. Let it simmer for 2h. 4. In the meantime, put the spinach in a pan with little water, then cover up the pan with a lid. Cook for 5/6 min, drain them, let them cool and squeeze them well. Move them to a mixer and blend them until getting a puree.
This dish is not easy to prepare and it takes a long time if you use homemade pasta sheets, but you can also use pre-bought lasagna fresh sheets. People say that this dish was born in Emilia Romagna, but it is typical of also other regions, with some different ingredients, for ex. ricotta instead of mozzarella cheese. My recipe is typical of Bologna , because of the PASTA: 1. Now on a pastry board put the semolina, the flour and the green colour, which comes from the spinach. yolks, rub for a while Add the spinach and the beaten Lasagna is one of the national dishes of Italy and it eggs. Knead all those ingredients into a ball. Transfer it to is well-known all over the world. a bowl and cover it with a film.
BESCIAMELLA: 1. Heat the milk. In another pan put a little butter, the flour and stir. Pour the milk a bit at a time and stir, cook for few min until the batter bubbles. When ready, take it out from heat, add the salt and the nutmeg, and stir until creamy. Take dough and cut a piece. 2. Roll the piece of dough, flatten it, 2 mm thick. 3. Cut some rectangles of 8 cm x 4. 4. Until the dough is all cut into rectangles. Fill a pot with water and add salt. When the water boils put the sheets of pasta, not many at a time. Cook them for a short time. Move them to a tray and start composing the Lasagna, a layer of pasta, some meat and tomato sauce, a spoonful of grated Parmisan cheese, a pinch of salt; another layer of pasta, some besciamella, Parmisan cheese etc. 5. Alternate a layer of pasta with tomato sauce and a layer with besciamella, until all the ingredients are over. 6. Finally cook in the oven for 40 min at 170°c. Now enjoy with a glass of red wine!
SPAGHETTI WITH CLAMS Bly Marta Zalum The recipe I am talking about is my family’s favourite recipe: Pasta with Clams. This recipe is not prepared for special occasions, but usually for the Saturday or Sunday lunch in winter time. It is very simple to cook, but the clams must be really fresh. I prepare it with my mum when she does it on Sunday. While we are preparing this dish the atmosphere is happy and relaxed, because we chat and smile, but it is even happier when we serve this dish on the table and the rest of the family joins us to eat our favorite pasta dish all together.
METHOD 1 Take the clams and put them in a bowl of salted water for 1h, then drain and rinse them. 2 In a large pan put some oil and garlic, turn up the gas and let them simmer, then add the clams and raise the heat. Stir from time to time. 3 After that cover the pan until the clams open; once they are opened, add white wine. 4 Discard any clams that don’t open. 5 In another pot put some water; when it boils , add salt and the spaghetti or linguine. 6 Then cook the pasta. Drain it five minutes before it is perfectly cooked when it is al dente, put it in the pan with the clams and cook all together for another 5min, or until the pasta absorbs some of the juices. 7 Turn off the gas and sprinkle with the chopped parsley. 8 Transfer the spaghetti and clams to bowls and serve hot.
INGRAEDIENTS 5 person * 500gr of spaghetti or linguine * 1,25kg of Clams * 2 Cloves of Garlic * 2 tablespoons Olive Oil * Some finely chopped parsley * White wine half a glass
RISOTTO ALLA MILANESE by Elisa Cattaneo
METHOD In my family Risotto alla milanese is a traditional Christmas lunch recipe. Every year, in fact, my uncle Emanuele cooks this dish for all the guests, and there are so many! He prepares all the ingredients the day before to prepare risotto faster the next day. Sometimes my dad helps my uncle to cook it and the result is always tasty. I love this tradition because Christmas lunch is the only time of the year when we are all together and always have a lot of fun. Even if it sounds strange, this recipe unites us and it has become very important for everybody. Every time my mum prepares Risotto alla milanese during the year, at home, I always think about the fun and joy of Christmas lunch and I always remember funny memories which make me happy. For all of these reasons this is my favourite dish and I love eating it.
Prepare a vegetable broth and, meanwhile, mix the saffron with a little of water in a glass. Chop the onion and put it in a bowl Turn the gas on and put it on low heat; melt the butter in a pan, then add the chopped onion. Add a bit of broth until the onion is soft. In the same pan add the rice and cook for 4-5 min. After this time add the wine and let it evaporate. Now, add some broth and let the rice cook for about 20 min. During this time continue adding broth as it evaporates. 5 min before the end of cooking time, add the saffron. Then, turn off the gas, add the grated Grana Padano a piece of butter and stir. Now it is ready to be served.
INGREDIENTS * 1 teaspoon of saffron * 125gr of butter * water (to taste) * salt (to taste) * 320gr of rice * 1 onion * 40gr of white wine * 1L of vegetable broth * 80gr of Grana Padano (grated)
SANGO By Antonella Carlos Paredes We eat this dish as Sundays lunch, because when my mother was a child and lived in Ecuador, she ate Sango with my grandparents and uncles, every Sunday for lunch. So it’s for this reason that we follow this tradition. It reminds us of our relatives who are far away from us and the smell of the Ecuadorian kitchen. When we cook this dish, we are happy because during the week we don’t spend much time together. On the contrary, that moment, we are all together and everyone helps to prepare it and this creates a family atmosphere. Also, we always cook this on Mother’s Day, because my great grandmother cooked it for the first time on this day and we want to celebrate all the mothers in the world. We usually offer it to the neighbours, because they want to know our culture. It’s very good and I like it so much!
METHOD 1. To cook sango take a medium pan, turn on the gas and put in it a little olive oil (a spoon). 2. Dice the green pepper, the onion, the garlic, mix them and add a pinch of salt, pepper and cumin. 3. Fry the vegetables for 10 minutes. 4. Then grate 2 green bananas, add them to the mixed vegetables and pour a liter of water into the pot 5. Simmer it for 40 minutes and give an occasional stir. 6. After 40 minutes, add 2 spoonfuls of peanut butter and a kilo of shrimps. 7. Chop the coriander and add it to the vegetables and shrimps. 8. Cook 500gr of rice in another boiling pan, because the sango is accompanied with it. When the rice is ready, serve it in a plate with Sango and the dish is ready, you can eat it.
INGREDIENTS * 2 green bananas * 1kg of shrimps * 1 clove of garlic * an onion * 1 green pepper * 100gr of coriander * two spoonfuls of peanut butter * one pinch of salt * one pepper and cumin * 1l of water * one spoonful of olive oil
MILK POTATOES METHOD by Crespi Sara My grandmother always cooks this dish on Christmas, when my family and I spend the day all together, or every time my sister and I ask her to cook it. We eat a lot of food at Christmas, most of it is cooked by my grandmother. She’s a good cook. Often my sister, my cousins and I help her to cook because there are a lot of things to prepare. Everyone loves this dish, because it’s so tasty and delicious but for me it is absolutely amazing . In fact, it’s definitely my favourite, especially because we prepare it all together. My granny usually peels the potatoes and then I chop them, my sister chops the mozzarella cheese, my cousin Alice puts the salt and then my other cousin Chiara fills the baking-dish with milk. While this dish is cooking, we prepare many other things together, for example cakes and biscuits. We always have a lot of fun when we cook all together and this is so important for me.
1. chop the 700gr of potatoes into slices 2. butter/grease the baking-dish 3. put a layer of potato slices in the baking-dish and add a pinch of salt on them. 4. chop the mozzarella cheese and put it on the potatoes 5. Make another layer of potato slices with a pinch of salt 6. fill the baking-dish with milk, until the potatoes are covered 7. Sprinkle with Grana Padano 8. Cover the baking dish with a sheet of aluminium and put it in the oven for about 40 min at 392 ° Fahrenheit. After 30 min remove the aluminium 9. Turn the oven off , serve the potatoes in a INGREDIENTS dish and eat it 4 people * 700gr potatoes * 3 mozzarella cheese * milk (qs) * salt * Grana Padano cheese (as much as you like )
CAPRESE CAKE By Valeria Panichi Caprese cake is a traditional Italian dessert, born on the isle of Capri and popular in the area of Naples; its great peculiarity is that to make this cake you don’t need any flour, so it is gluten-free. A legend says that it was created by mistake in the 1920s, when a baker, after adding almonds, forgot to add flour; however, the result was a cake , both soft inside and crunchy on the surface. This cake is special for my family because my grandma makes it very often, so we eat it regularly and not only on the festivities. It’s from the region Campania, where my grandparents often go on holiday, so she know this recipe well. When she makes it, my grandma always gives us a large piece, because she and my grandpa live alone so they can’t eat it all by themselves. It’s actually a really simple cake, as you can see from the recipe, but it’s delicious .
INGREDIENTS * 150gr of peeled almonds * 120gr of softened butter * 150gr of sugar * 100gr of dark chocolate * 3 medium eggs * 1 bag of vanilline * a pinch of salt
METHOD 1. Mince the peeled almonds and put them in a bowl. 2. Chop the chocolate into little pieces 3. Mix the sugar, the butter, the eggs and the salt with an electric mixer until creamy. 4. Then, mix the almonds, the chocolate and the vanillin with the egg and butter dough. 5. Pour the dough in a baking pan, previously greased and floured. 6. Bake it in a hot oven 165°C for 40min.
COZONAC By Mladinescu A dessert which my family prepares for every special day is Cozonac. This is a traditional Romanian dessert, typical of rural areas like Timisoara, where my father comes from. My family and I eat Cozonac on every special day, but especially at Easter. It's spring, so we usually go to the lake with family’s friends to have a big picnic. After eating the appetizers and all the other courses, it’s very nice to eat something sweet as cozonac, while we’re talking or making some jokes. All this makes the atmosphere calm and peaceful, so a soft and sweet dessert makes the moment perfect. This dessert reminds me of a family reunion, a gathering of people who love one another; in fact, my best friend and I have known each other for ages: therefore, I consider her to be part of my family, like a sister, and cozoac is one of the first desserts we ate together. So, when I eat it I always remember all the things I’ve done with her. However, Cozonac is also eaten at Christmas and in that period the words “families” and “reunion” are very important. Even though my sister and I very often celebrate this festivity alone, this dessert helps us not to feel so lonely, since our parents cook it. It's like having them close to us, even if they’re working.
METHOD 1. In a large bowl put the flour, make a well, add the dissolved yeast in the center together with a teaspoon of sugar, the eggs beaten with a pinch of salt, the sugar and the rum. 2. Rub it until you make a dough and then add the milk. 3. Rub it again adding a little oil until elastic and smooth 4. Cover it with a cloth and put it in a warm place for at least two hours, allowing it to rise. 5. Meanwhile, prepare the filling mix the walnuts with the sugar, cocoa and milk 6. Heat the mixture slightly while continuing to stir until it becomes creamy. 7. Add the filling to the dough and then put it in a buttered loaf pan 8. Let it rise again in a warm place for about an hour. 9. Preheat the oven and bake the cake at 175 ° C for 50 min. 10. Finally, allow it to cool for a few minutes, then put it on a cutting board and you can serve it. INGREDIENTS * 500gr Flour * 2 eggs * 100gr Sugar * 20gr Dissolved yeast * 100ml Oil * 125ml Milk * 1 cup of Rum * A pinch of salt (For the filling) * 125gr Walnuts * 10gr Cocoa * 75gr Sugar * 50ml Milk
Crêpes with Nutella / jam By Ambra Lobont
Crêpes with nutella are a very traditional dish in my family. We prepare them almost once in a week, and we never get tired of them. Usually, my brother and my mum make everything. I just watch how to make them. It Is one of the few moments when my family is reunited and we all are happy. It’s a very nice moment for me, we listen to music and we talk. I remember when, on New Year’s Eve, my mum made crêpes with nutella and jam and my brother vomited a few minutes before midnight. I think it’s a very delicious dish and easy to prepare. Even the crêpes with strawberry jam are really tasty. I usually eat them with a cup of milk or hot tea.
INGREDIENTS 6
person
* 2 yolks * 250gr of milk * 35gr of butter * 125gr of flour * 30gr of granulated sugar * Salt * Nutella or jam
METHOD 1. Grease a cooking pan with butter 2. In a bowl mix the flour with the two yolks, the sugar and a
3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
pinch of salt. Mix the ingredients until they combine, then pour the milk until it becomes smooth. Let the batter stand at room temperature for 15/20 min. Melt the butter and then pour a ladle of batter at a time evenly on the pan Cook the crêpe for a couple of minutes Turn it on the other side for another minute Fill each crepes with nutella or jam. Sprinkle them with icing sugar
Ricotta cheese and strawberries Tart By Benedetta Iacono
INGREDIENTS PASTRY * 1 egg * 400gr flour “00” * 200gr sugar * 250gr butter * lemon zest q.b
RICOTTA CREAM * 500gr ricotta cheese * 100gr powdered sugar * lemon zest q.b
STRAWBERRY SAUCE * 200gr strawberries * 100gr granulated sugar * lemon juice q.b. METHOD
1. Cut the butter into pieces and put it in a bowl with the powdered sugar, stir 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.
everything it with a wooden spoon until it is creamy. Add the flour, little by little and miz. Then, add the egg and rub until the dough is like a ball Let it rest in the fridge for half an hour In the meantime, wash, dry with kitchen paper and chop the strawberries into small pieces, put them in a saucepan over very low heat with the granulated sugar and lemon juice Often stir to prevent them from sticking; when they are soft remove them from the heat and let them cool. In a bowl, mix the ricotta with a whisk together with the icing sugar until creamy. Grease and flour a cake pan. Take the shortcrust pastry from the refrigerator Flatten it with a rolling pin (3 mm thick); cut a circle, the size of the baking pan, and line the pan. Pour all the ricotta and strawberry sauce over it . With the leftover of the dough, cut strips and put them on the cake to form a grid. Bake the tart in preheated to 180° static oven, for about 35 min. Finally, once cooked, take it out, let it cool in the pan for a couple of hours before removing it. Serve your tart!!!
CHOCOLATE AND CUSTARD CAKE By Giorgia Pezzoni
My mom usually makes this dish, the chocolate and custard cake, for birthdays or on some special occasion. So, we usually eat it with all our relatives after dinner or before as an “appetizer”. We often eat the leftovers of the cake the next noon. Usually, when we eat this cake, we always feel happy and relaxed. I always have it while talking to my cousin Davide or my cousin Francesca, “complaining” with our parents about the bad taste of the cake. We are very bad guys! Besides, my mom very often prepares it because this is the only cake my little brother eats (he doesn't eat much, especially desserts). Despite this, my brother sometimes helps her to make this cake. On the contrary, I hardly ever help, because I don’t like cooking, but I usually taste it to see if it’s good. I must admit that I fell in love with this cake the first time I ate it. To be honest, the original recipe is from a friend of my mum’s who loves cooking..
INGREDIENTS 4 PERSON The shortcrust pastry
* 2 cold eggs (from the fridge); * 500gr of flour; * 200gr of icing sugar; * 250gr of cold butter (from the fridge). METHOD 1. Cut the butter into small pieces, put the flour in a bowl , make a well and add the butter. 2. Mix until a dough. 3. Add the icing sugar with the eggs (lightly beaten) and continue to mix until a homogeneous dough. 4. Then wrap the dough in plastic film and put it in the fridge for 10/12h INGREDIENTS The custard
METHOD 1. Put sugar, egg yolks, vanilla flavouring and flour in a bowl * 350ml of milk; and mix. * 75gr of sugar; 2. Then add the milk, a little bit * 70gr of flour; at a time, until you have a * 2 egg yolks; homogeneous liquid dough. * ½ vanilla flavouring 3. Put the dough in a pan and bring it to boil until it becomes creamy. INGREDIENTS The chocolate cream * 2gr of dark chocolate; * 250gr of cream; * 1egg. METHOD 1. Chop the chocolate into small pieces, add the cream and put everything on the gas fire. 2. When the chocolate melts, add the egg (without beating it) and beat quickly until a homogeneous dough (but don’t boil it). 3. Remove the pastry from the fridge, spread it on a baking tray covered with baking paper and bake it at 165 °C for 40 minutes. 4. Remove the shortcrust pastry from the oven and let it cool 5. Pour the custard on it and , immediately after that, cover the cake with the chocolate cream. 6. Finally, put it in the oven at 130 °C for 10 min.
Pastiera napoletana By Simone Paiano This is a typical cake from Naples, which is traditionally made at Easter time. It is not a simple dessert, but I assure you that it’s more than delicious! I honestly love Pastiera, I eat it every Easter and I can’t describe the feelings I have when I have a slice. I have never eaten anything better. I would cook it only if I knew how to do it, but I don’t.
INGREDIENTS PASTRY 300gr of plain flour 1 spoonful of sugar 150gr of butter 1 egg 150ml of water Icing sugar
FILLING 350gr of grano cotto 250ml of milk 30gr of butter 1 lemon zest 2 eggs 2egg yolks 300gr of sugar 350gr of ricotta cheese 40gr of candied citron 40gr of orange candied peel 20grof orange blossom water 1/5 spoonful of vanilla paste
METHOD 1. Pastry: put the flour, the sugar and the butter in a bowl and rub with your fingers until it becomes smooth. Then the eggs and mix with your hands. 2. Add the water a little at a time until the mixture becomes a dough 3. Then form a ball with the dough, wrap it in cling film and put it in the fridge for at least 1 hour. 4. Meanwhile, make the filling. Put the grano cotto in a saucepan and add the milk, butter and the lemon zest. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and stir until it’s cooked. Then remove it from the fire and let it cool . 5. In a bowl whisk the eggs with the sugar until they turn pale. 6. Place the ricotta cheese in a blender and blitz it until it has become smooth. Then add the mixture to the egg and sugar one and fold it with a spatula. 7. Then add everything with candied peel, orange flower wate r and the vanilla bean paste and stir everything. 8. Dust a clean surface with icing sugar and roll out the pastry. Meanwhile line a cake tin and then prick the bottom with a fork , 9. Pour pour it in the filling. Make a ball of the remaining pastry. Then cut 8 strips with a pasta wheel and put 4 of them across the pastiera in one direction and put the other 4 lines diagonally. 9. Put the pastiera in the oven, at 160°C for 20 min. Then take it out of the oven, cover the top with a piece of tinfoil and put it back in the oven for another 30 min. 10. Your dish is ready to be served.
TIRAMISU’ by Sofia Parotti This is the typical cake my mom prepares to celebrate birthdays or anniversaries. She always prepares it the day before and I sometimes help her. Usually my relatives come to eat tiramisù at my house after lunch (when a birthday is in winter or autumn) or after dinner (in summer or spring). When my family and I eat Tiramisù, we are always happy: we sit at my kitchen table and we stay there talking for hours and hours. Sometimes, one of my relatives, by mistake, drops a little of the sweet on her/his dress: it is always fun to see my relatives get angry for that. In summer or spring, my mom prepares something different: instead of making the traditional tiramisù, she makes the strawberries tiramisù, because my cousin and my grandma prefer the strawberries Tiramisù rather than the original one. I really enjoy celebrating my family’s birthdays all together and also eating Tiramisù!
METHOD 1. Separate the yolks from the egg whites: put the yolks In a bowl and ,in another bowl, put the egg whites. Add 50gr of sugar to the yolks and then whisk until the mixture is light and foamy. After that, add the mascarpone cheese a spoon at a time and continue to whisk . 2. Whisk the egg whites adding 50gr of sugar, little by little, until they are stiff. Now add the beaten whites to the other mix (yolks and mascarpone). Stir gently from bottom to top not to deflate the mixture. 3. Pour the coffee in a small glass dish and let it cool; take a baking pan and make a thin layer of egg cream (two or three spoonfuls of mixture) and slather in. 4. Dip half of the Savoiardi biscuits in the coffee, for just few seconds; remember that these biscuits soak up a lot of liquid but they should not be saturated with coffee because also the mascarpone cream will soften them. Lay them in lines in the pan and create a layer. Cover the biscuits with generous spoonfuls of egg cream 5. Continue to create layers (one layer of egg cream and one of biscuits) until you run out of the cream (usually it is enough for two layers , but it depends on the size of your baking pan) 6. In the end, sprinkle the surface of your Tiramisu’ with Bitter Cocoa Powder Put the tiramisu’ in the fridge for two hours; after that you can serve it INGREDIENTS for 8 people * fresh eggs * 300gr of Savoiardi (Ladyfingers) * 500 gr of Mascarpone cheese * 100 gr of sugar * 300 gr of Moka’s coffee (bitter) * Bitter Cocoa Powder
WALNUTS PIE By Pozzi Martina My granny usually prepares this recipe on 3rd July, when my family and I celebrate my birthday, and on 15th August when we have a big lunch with my family and our friends. On those days there’s always a lot of food but my favourite dish is the dessert because my granny’s pie is something special for me. On my birthday we usually put some birthday candles on the top of the pie and then, when I blow out the candles, we can finally eat this fantastic sweet. Every year on 15th August my family and I go to the mountains and have lunch or a picnic all together. When my granny and I prepare this recipe we always have a lot of fun: we prepare the ingredients, mix them all and grate walnuts. Sometimes my friends come to my house to make this cake with us. The most important ingredients of this sweet are smiles and fat laughs. Making this cake is a tradition of mine and my grandmother’s, so since I was 3 years old she has decided that walnut cake is our dessert and we are still cooking it together.
METHOD 1. Put the melted butter into a bowl, add the sugar and then mix these ingredients together. 2. After that, add an egg and keep mixing until the dough becomes creamy. 3. Add 100 gr of flour, 70gr of whole wheat flour and a pinch of baking powder to the dough. 4. Grate 80 gr of walnuts and add them to the dough. 5. Add two spoonfuls of honey and 50/60gr of sugar (it depends on how sweet you like the cake) and mix. 6. Turn on the oven, put the dough in a baking pan and bake it at 180 degrees centigrade for about 30 min. 7. Turn up the gas and put 20 gr of sugar, 2 spoonfuls of honey and little water in a pan. Start stirring it and let it caramelize. 8. Meanwhile, chop 20/30 grof walnuts 9. Finally, pour the caramelized sugar on top of the pie and sprinkle the chopped walnuts over the cake. 10. Let it cool before serving. Enjoy your pie!! INGREDIENTS * 50gr honey * 110gr Walnuts * 100gr flour * 70gr Whole wheat flour * 60gr butter * 70gr sugar * 9gr baking powder (1 bag) * 1egg
YOGURT CAKE By Luca Rondanini The yogurt cake is a traditional dish in my family. My mum prepares this cake on Christmas Day and on my birthday. I usually help her to cook it because it is a simple cake, it doesn’t take too much time and it is also very good. I like the good smell which comes out of the oven while the cake is baking. My uncles and my cousins often taste it and they compliment us. It creates a nice family atmosphere, my mum and I have so much fun preparing it together. This represents a way to spend time with my mum, but also to learn how to cook . This makes me very happy, because I'm not good at cooking and when I cook with my mum I often learn a lot of things. Yogurt cake is my favorite cake, especially because I really like yogurt and jam and I can’t wait for my birthday to prepare it again with my mum.
METHOD 1. Pour the peach yogurt into a bowl, add the eggs and mix. 2. Use the yogurt jar as a measuring cup: add two jars of sugar, 1 jar of oil, 3 jars of flour, the baking powder and a pinch of salt to the mixture. 3. Line a cake pan with parchment paper, pour the dough and bake it at 180° C for about 30 min. 4. Take the cake out of the oven, let it cool, then cover it with the jam and decorate with granulated sugar.
INGREDIENTS for 8 people * 125gr of peach yogurt in a jar * 3 eggs * Flour * 1 bag of baking powder * Sugar * Olive seed oil * Salt * A spoonful of jam * Granulated sugar