Italy is art, history, stunning landscape, warm and welcoming people – and food. An integral part of lifestyles here, as varied as the terrain and the hill towns, the culinary wonders of Italy vary region to region – and even town to town.
Ingredients (for 4- 6 persons) winter squash, about 1 – 1/2 lbs extra-virgin olive oil, q.b. (“quanto basta” or “as much as you need”) grated peel of one organic lemon generous bunch of fresh rosemary fresh sage, about 6 – 7 leaves branch of fresh thyme corn flour – about 1 cup salt, pepper, q. b.…
Ingredients (for about 8 persons): 8 – 10 – medium-sized eggplants (head to your garden to pick them if you can! If not in your garden, be sure the ones you buy are firm and not too large) generous bunch of fresh basil, q. b. (“quanto basta” or “as much as you need”!) Parmesan cheese /…
Ingredients a dozen or more cipolline a few bay leaves Extra-virgin olive oil salt, pepper, q.b. (“quanto basta” or as much as you need) balsamic vinegar, q. b. Wash the onions and then steam just a few minutes in a double boiler so that skins easily slip off. Peel steamed onions. Saute’ gently peeled cipolline in olive…
This is a typical Umbrian rural dish – of la cucina povera. I learned to make this simple but delicious dish from my farm neighbors, who often made it when the bell peppers abounded in their vegetable gardens. Note that the ingredients are green, red, white = the Italian flag. Ingredients: 4-5 green bell peppers…
Ingredients (for 6 – 8 person): tender, young green beans – about 1 – 1/2 lbs or so salt, q.b. (“quanto basta” or “as much as you need”) Extra-virgin olive oil, q. b. 4- 5 garlic cloves red wine vinegar, q. b. (about a cup) bunch of parsley bunch of fresh mint After cooking green beans al…
Ingredients (for 6 – 8 person): 3 or 4 potatoes head of broccoli olive oil, q.b. (“quanto basta” or “as much as you need”) 3-4 garlic cloves chili pepper salt, pepper (q.b.) Boil the potatoes in salted water and then peel. Cook the broccoli (also in salted water), including stems, not just the flowerettes. Cut the stem…
Ingredients: about 1- 1/2 lbs fresh fava beans salt, q.b. (“quanto basta” or “as much as you need”) fresh mint olive oil wine vinegar Slice a purple onion and sprinkle with about 2 tsp salt. Let sit about 20 mins. Bring about 2 qts of salted water to a boil and drop in about 1 -1/2…
Here is how to make a creamy white sauce – bechamel – like Gianna’s: Bring to a boil about 2 quarts of milk (she would use goat’s milk, of course – you can use cow’s milk, if desired). Turn off. Put about 1/2 c. butter in a saucepan. Melt it slowly but do not allow…
For pasta for 8 persons During the colder months, the woodstoves are burning in the farm kitchens and sugo is simmering away… here’s how we make meat sauce here in Umbria. Ingredients: olive oil – 1/4 c.? – 1/3 c.? piece of celery carrot onion tomatoes – about 2 lbs. veal, sausage – about 1…
Ingredients: 8 eggs 8 T of milk 8 T of extra-virgin olive oil 8 T of sugar 16 T of flour 1 glass of mistral (an anise liqueur) or rum grated peel of one lemon 1 t. baking powder vanilla (optional) honey alchermes (a red liqueur of Persian origin of spices, rosewater, anice) – if…