Diffculty:
J = easy
K = medium
L = hard |
Other: » = time for
preparation
¶ = best for a dinner with friends
© = best if you want to conquer her |
#
Starters
Main courses
Sauces
After Dinner
RICE
MILANESE ART
K
» =45 min
Rice is very popular in the Milan
region. This is a traditional dish usually cooked in special occasions with the family.
Ingredients (4-6 persons):
4-6 glasses of parboiled rice
1 big onion
300 gr. salsiccia or pepperoni salami
50 gr. mushrooms
50 gr. butter
50 gr.parmesan cheese
1 glass of white wine
1 teaspoon curry powder
2 tablespoon olive oil
Preparation
Slice the onions in thin rings, put them in a soucespan with the oil and cook in a low
fire till the onion is translucent (about 10 min.). Cut the salsiccia salami in
thick rings and add it to the onions. Let it cook for about 10 min. and then add the rice,
stir well, let it cook for another 2-3 min. and then add the wine, again, stir well. When
the wine is completely absorbed add a glass of water and, as said before, stir well
mantaining the boil. Keep on adding glasses of water till the rice is cooked. This is the
hard part as you won't end up with your rice flooting in water; usually 2-3 glasses on the
whole are enough.
Add the mushrooms and the curry powder.
When the rice is completely cooked (20-30 min.) turn off the stove and add the butter and
the parmesian cheese. Stir well and serve hot.
In Milan there is a sayng: 'Rice
grows in water and dies in wine' so it is best tasted with a glass of dry red whine such
as Chianti.
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POT-ON CONSOMME'
J © »
=20 min
This is a potetoes an onion
consommé.
Very easy to make, is best for cold winter dinners to warm up the evening.
Ingredients (4-6 persons):
4-6 medium sized potatoes
1 large white onion
1 pinch of dried thyme or dried fennel seeds
1 pinch of freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
Slice the peeled potatoes and the onion in fourths. Put them in a pan and cover them
with 2-3 glasses water. Be careful with water thoug, the more you add, the more liquid the
consommé will be. Stir the dry ingredients in. Cook for about 20 min. till the potatoes
and the onion are softened.
Put it in a blender and blend till it has reached the consistency of a cream.
Serve hot.
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RASTA
PASTA
J © »
=20 min
This exotic dish was first
prepared aboard a motor boat off the coast of Belize during an expedition to the coral
reef. It is a privilege for me, and a tribute to its real creator, Ras Creek, to disclose
the secrets of this recipe: its exotic flavours create 'good vibes' bethween the
cook and the eater, expecially if sthe cook is a male and she is a good looking woman.
There are two ways of preparing
Rasta Pasta dipending on your income and on how good looking the girl is.
Ingredients (4-6 persons):
1 whole lobster (or, if you are on a budget, 4-5 surimi stiks)
2 medium sized red onions
2 mediun sized carrots
500 gr. spaghetti pasta
2 tablespoon of olive oil
1-2 tablespoon curry powder
1/2 glass white wine
1/2 glass water
salt
Preparation
Pour the lobster into a pot, cover it with water and make it boil for about 20 min. (or
slice the surimi 0,5 cm thick).
In the meanwhile peel the onions and slice them, peel the carrots and cut them in rings,
than cut each ring in four.
Put the sliced onions in a soucepan with the oil; cover it and cook in a low fire for
about 15 min (till the onion becomes translucent), add the sliced carrots and cook in a
low fire for other 5-7 min. At that point add the lobster meat that has to be broken up in
pices (or the previously sliced surimi), the curry powder, water and wine. If you are
using a lobster, keep the claws and the water in wich the lobster has cooked as they are
used later. Stir to a boil and let cook for another 5 min.
Take the pan and the water where the lobster has cookd, bring the water again to a boil
and put the pasta in it. Make sure the spaghetti don't stick togheter by stirring
for about 3 min. ; let it cook for 5-8 min. depending on the thickness of the spaghetti
themselves.
Drain the spaghetti well and pour them in the soucepan with with the sauce, stir
and cook for a fiew seconds (if you feel confortable enough this is the moment to show off
by throwing spaghetti with the saucespan in the air like what you do with
punkakes every morning).
Serve with the claws, just to add colour.
Best with chilled, sparkling dry-white
wine.
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ITALIAN
PAELLA
L © »
=90 min
Jambalaya, or Paella in Europe, is
one of my preferite dish, even if I don't actually know the real recipe as it's a secret
for every cook. What you can find here is my own variation on the theme, which mantains
the spirit of the real thing but it's easier and quicker to make.
Paella can be a dinner on its own.
Ingredients (4-6 persons):
4-6 glasses of parboiled rice
2-3 green pepper
3-4 tomatoes
250 gr. sugar beans
300 gr. turkey or chicken breast
300 gr. mix of shrimps, squids, shells, crayfishes
1 onion
1 tablespoon curry powder
4 tablespoon olive oil
Preparation
The secret is to cook first what it takes longer to cook.
Slice the peppers and the tomatoes. Pour the peppers in a soucespan with the olive oil and
the previously sliced onion. Let it cook for about 10 min. than add the chicken or turkey
breast that has been previously sliced in small stripes. Let it cook for about 15-20 min.
stirring very well. Add the tomatoes, the beans and the mix of fishes. Stir well and then
add, after 5-6 min. the rice. Stir well and let it cook till the rice begins to stick to
the soucepan bottom. Add some water (usually 2-4 glasses are enought) and stir well.
After 20 min. or so the Paella should be ready to be served.
Best tested with chilled dry-withe
wine.
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EDO's
SIMPLE CHILI
J ¶ » =40 min
A tipical Mexican food that is becomeing
more and more popular, but instead of cooking canned chili, which can be easily found in
supermarkets, I suggest you to try my variation of it. My way to cook chili is different
from the original but it easy to prepare and good to taste. It's a sure hit for a dinner
with friends.
Ingredients (6-8 persons):
700 gr. grounded beef (also hamburgers can do, but have to smash them)
3-4 green pepper
1 big onion
4-5 tomatoes
250 gr. canned beans
tabasco sauce
green salad
cheddar cheese
tomato ketchup
3-4 tablespoon olive oil
corn chips or tacos
Preparation
Slice the onion and the green pepper and put them together in a soucespan with the
olive oil. Let it cook for about 10-15 min., when the peppers are almost done, put the
meat in it, stir well and let it cook for about 5 min., then add the previously sliced
tomatoes and the beans. Add the tabasco sauce depending on how spicy you want your chili
to be.
Let it cook for another 10 min. or till it absorbs any eventual water there should be in
the soucespan.
To serve, slice the cheddar cheese
in very thiny strips and place it in a bowl; than do the same with the green salad.
Cheddar cheese, green salad and tomato ketchup have to be added on top of the chili in
every dish; eat it with the corn chips.
Best tasted wiht chilled light
beer.
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ROASTED
TURKEY LEGS
L
¶ »
=75 min
This recipe is a very versatile
one. In fact you can cook in the same way all kind of meats. What I'm describing here is
for turkey legs, but it can surely go also for chicken legs, pork fillet and veal fillet,
which I roast the same way.
Be careful, the real difficulty of this recipe is to roast the meat (and not burn it) and
to cook it medium, over-cooking is always in ambush.
Ingredients (4-6
persons):
2-3 turkey legs (4-6 chiken legs, 500 gr. pork or veal)
2 garlic cloves
50 gr. smoked bacon
1 glass white wine
1 glass water
a pinch of (dried): marjoram, oregano, thyme, fennel seeds, grain black pepper, salt
2-3 tablespoon olive oil
Preparation
Put the meat in a pan with oil and the garlic loves, which don't have to be smashed or
peeld otherwise it will become indigest, put on top of the meat the marjoram, oregano,
thyme, fennel seeds, grain black pepper and salt. Let it cook without turning for about 5
min. - this is the difficult part - the bottom of the meat has to be roasted without
sticking to te pan. At this point turn the meat an let cook again for another 5 min. or
so. After the meat is roasted from both sides, turn it again, add the glasses of wine and
water, and put the smoked bacon on top of the meat: the bacon's fat will melt and,
covering the maet, it will soften it.
Keep turning the meat every 5-10 min. If it sticks to the pan add other water and wine.
After 45-60 min. try the meat with a fork: if you see some blood still flowing out then
let it cook some more.
To serve, slice it and puor on top
1 or 2 tablespoon of the sauce remaining in the soucespan (remember not to add the
garlic!).
Best served with any kind of dry
red wine or strong beer.
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PORK
FILLET ON THE GRILL
K ¶ » =75 min
Barbecue cooking is one of my
favourites. Here is one very unusal recipe of mine that has become very popular. A sure
hit that will amaze your friends.
Ingredients (4-6 persons)
1 kg. pork fillet
a pinch of (dried): thyme, freshly ground black pepper, salt
2 tablespoon olive oil
Preparation
In a cup put the thyme, the freshly ground black pepper, the salt and the olive oil
togheter to prepare a souce.
Place the meat in a baking dish, rub it with the sauce you just prepared; cover with a
plastic wrap and marinate at room temperature for about 30 min.
In the meanwhile, prepare a hot fire.
Then grill the fillet so marinated for about 30-40 min. turning it every 5-10 min. till
enterely cooked through (no pink in the centre). To know if it is well done, just stick a
long needle trough it: if it bleeds it has to be cooked again.
Best tasted on a bed of RED
ONION CONFIT,
which recipe follows.
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BLUE CHEESE SAUCE
J © » =10 min
This is a famous american salad dressing. I
find it's easy to prepare and guarantees you success with your guests, particularely in
countries, such as Italy, where there's only one kind of salad dressing.
Ingredients (4-6 persons):
150 gr. blue cheese (roquefort or gorgonzola cheese will also do)
¼ garlic clove
½ glass mais seed oil
1 glass fresh milk
Preparation
Cut the blue cheese in cubes about 2 cm.(1 in.) wide, ground the garlic and put
everithing in a blender. Add half the oil and the milk. Blend till it has the considtency
of a sauce adding the remaining oil and, if the sauce tastes too much oil add the
remaining milk.
Serve in a cup with cut pepper, celery, salad and,
generally, with any kind of green vegetable.
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BBQ SAUCE
K ¶ » =60 min
One of the thing I like best, is a summer BBQ with
friends in a garden party.
Of course, most of times it's me he who does the cooking which is not always that bad as
it is me he who also chooses what any one has to eat.
What I prefere is BBQ beef-steak, usually rear. And this is the best sauce to use to
accompany it.
Ingredients (4-6 persons):
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried cumin
¼ stick of butter (70 gr. ca.)
1 large onion
7 cloves of garlic
1 lemon
ketchup
salt
sugar
white vinegar
Preparation:
First blend in a bowl the dried ingredients (pepper, oregano and cumin).
Then, in a soucespan melt the butter and add the chopped garlic and the diced onion; saute
untill the onion becomes clear and the garlic begins to brown; at this point add 2 cups of
tomatoes ketchup, the lemon juice, ¼ cup vinegar and 3 teaspoon sugar. Cook slowly untill
well blended and then add the dry ingredients. Cook slowly over a low flame for at least
40 min. untill reduced and thikened.
Best tasted as a marinade and/or as a side sauce
with barbequed beef.
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RED
ONION CONFIT
K ¶ » =30 min
This is an interesting alternative
to the common tomato ketchup. It can be used with any kind of meet, but it is best tasted
on the PORK FILLET ON THE GRILL.
In this case, it has
to be prepared while the meat is marinating.
Ingredients (4-6 persons):
2 tablespoon olive oil
4 large red onions
2 tablespoon sugar
1 pinch dried thyme
salt
¼ glass raisins
¼ glass balsamic vinegar
¾ glass dry red wine
100 gr. tomato ketchup
Preparation
In a soucespan heat the oil and the previously sliced onions, over a medium-low heat.
Cook untill the onion is softened but not browned (5 min.).
At that point add sugar, salt, raisins, tomato ketchup sauce and wine. Stir well and bring
to a boil, reduce heat and cook for about 20 min. , untill nearly all liquid is gone.
Add vinegar and tyme, stir frequently and cook for another 10 min. or so.
Serve warm with roasted meats.
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GREEN CARPET
J © ¶ » =5 min
This is my favourite after dinner coktail. It is very easy to
prepare, but blends togheter sweet and dry flavours and swites fine both girls and boys.
Besides it is very good looking.
Ingredients:
½ dry vodka
¼ mint sirup
¼ water
Preparation:
In a large glass, pour the mknt siroup, then add some ice and, on top, vodka and some
water.
Serve without mixing and let everyone enjoy the carpet.
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