Food

 

 

 

Food is one of my other main interests.

Going out at dinner with some friend or discover a new flavor or a new dish during a travel have  always given me someting!

Besides an old latin motto says: 'NULLA TEORIA SINE OSTERIA' that stands for: 'All Theories are born in a Pub'.

But, of course, there comes a time when you have to stand on your own legs and become a cook, a chef, yourselves. And in that events I find that is't better to have something easy and quick to prepare, but it's still tasty and guarantees you a hit with your firiend or with the girl you want to amase as 'gourmet'.

 

My friend Davide and myself  during a party.

The main course was the already famous home-made 'Paella', a sure hit in any party occasion.
A food that can assure you success wiht your guests in winter, when this photo was taken, as well in the summertime.

(to be completed)

 

Here you can find some of my favourite recipes, and the little secrets of mine, to reach the best results with the minimum effort. Each dish is accompained by a short description.

Legenda:

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

è Rice Milanese art è Rasta pasta
è Pot-On consommé è Italian Paella

Main courses

è Edo's simmple Chili è Pork fillet on the grill
è Roasted turkey legs

Sauces

è Red onion confit è BBQ sauce
è Blue cheese sauce

After Dinner

è

Green Carpet

 

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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