A very fresh Fruit cake perfect for summer.. Una fresca Crostata alla Frutta,perfettamente estiva..

A giant Quiche and a lovely Rhubarb flan perfect for a sunny day.. Una Quiche gigante e una crostata al Rabarbaro,ottimi per una giornata di sole..

Big Fat Lies

Fresh Whitings in Papillotte from the Ocean to the table while camping..

A Tiramisu' cake for the Laura's 18th birthday..

Cooking Class 1..

Make your own picture slideshow

Cooking class 2..

Make a free scrapbook

Baci Cake and Strawberry's Panna cotta for Hanna's birthday..

A Dinner at Antonella and Francesco's house..Una cena a casa di Antonella e Francesco..

Arancini di Riso con Zafferano,Zucca e Parmigiano.
Ravioli di Pesce Spada al limone in Salsa di Pesce e Crostacei,con crema di Olive Taggiasche.
Dentice al forno con olive,pomodorini e Prezzemolo.
Mousse al Cioccolato con coulis di Caramello.

Arancini of Rice with Saffron,Pumpkins and Parmesan cheese.
Lemon Swordfish Stuffed Ravioli in a sauce of Fish and Shellfish,with a cream of Olives Taggiasche.
Oven baked Red Snapper with olives,cherry tomatoes and parsley.
Chocolate mousse with a sticky caramel sauce.

A dinner at Piero's house..Una cena a casa di Piero..

Sformatino di verdure grigliate,con mozzarella e basilico,rosa di capocollo dolce e una riduzione di aceto balsamico al basilico.
Ravioli ripieni di funghi e peperoncino su una salsa di pomodoro al basilico e con sopra una quenelle di Crema di olive Taggiasche.
Coccante di Cioccolato al latte con coulis di Caramello e Frutti di bosco.

Food from Puglia.. Prodotti di Puglia..

Paccheri

Arachidi

Ricotta di Pecora

Olive

Fiori di Zucchina

Pomodorino

Talking about Eggs.. Parlando di Uova..

Very Important use Eggs,best before date,usually about 21 days after packing.
Normally the egg has a weight of 53 to 73 g.
On the medium size we find about 20 g yolk,33 g white and 9 g shell.
If you want to check how fresh they are pour the eggs one by one in a liquid,made of 1 l of water with 100 g salt,if it sinks,after few seconds it's fresh,if it stays mid water it could be about 14 days old,if it's totally floating i advice don't use it and throw out.

E' molto importante usar Uova prima della data di scadenza,di solito circa 21 gg dopo del confezionamento.di solito hanno un peso che va da 53 a 73 g.nella misura media troviamo cisca 20 g di tuorlo,33 g di albume e 9 g di guscio.
Se vuoi controllare quanto e' vecchio un uovo,immergilo in una soluzione liquida ottenuta da 1 l d'acqua e 100 g di sale,se galleggia dopo pochi secondi,e' sicuramente fresco,se resta a meta' dell'acqua e' vecchio di circa 14 gg e se invece affonda del tutto consiglierei di non usarlo e buttarlo via.

What's a Croissant..? Cos'e' un Croissant..?

Croissant:a French pastrymade of yeasted laminated dough,formed in the shape of a crescent.The shape is said to be taken from the Turkish flag,to honor the bakers who warned Vienna of their impending early morning attack.

Croissant:un prodotto dalla pasticcera Francese di fogli lievitati di pasta,con la forma di mezzaluna.La forma,si dice che,e' stata presa dalla bandiera Turca,per onorare i panettieri che hanno avvertito Vienna,dell'attacco imminente nel mattino presto.

Pesci e Crostacei in Thailandia..

Gamberi secchi...Dried Shrimps

Pesci secchi...Dried Fish

Granchi...Crabs

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A lunch at home on Sunday..Un Pranzo della Domenica a casa..

Mussels gratin and Octopus hamburger with fave pure',rocket and basil.
Mussels Spaghetti.
Sea bass fillet in a delicate sauce of fish,cherry tomatoes and olives.
Panna cotta with almonds,fig and cherries.

Cozze Gratinate e Schiacciatine di polipo con pure' di fave,aromarizzato con rucola e basilico.
Spaghetti alle cozze.
Filetto di Spigola con salsa di pesce,pomodorini e olive.
Panna cotta alle mandorle con fichi e ciliegia.

Fruit salad with ginger sauce..Zuppetta di frutta con dressing allo zenzero..

For the dressing:100 g water,80 g brown sugar,30 g fresh ginger,1 g green pepper,150 g orange juice,150 g pineapple juice,50g passion fruit.
For the fruit:200 g strawberries,200 g blueberries,200 g cranberries,300 g kiwi,200 g kumquat.
For the dressing: Boil water and create a syrup mixing the sugar,take off the fire and add the ginger sliced,green pepper e leave it infuse, cover with cling film for few minutes.After sieve it through a chinois,mix together with the fruit juices and the passion fruit pulp,cover with cling film and leave it in the fridge to infuse a little more.
For the fruit: wash and cut the fruit in big chunks on 2 cm each,mix all the different kind of fruits,moist with the dressing and let infuse all together for few more minutes.Serve aside the dressing with a stem of mint,green pepper and a slice of ginger.

Per il dressing:100 g acqua,80 g zucchero di canna da zucchero,30 g radice di zenzero fresco,1 g pepe verde,150 g succo d'arancia,150 g succo di ananas,50 g frutto della passione.
Per la frutta:300 g fragole,200 g mirtilli neri,200 g ribes rosso,300 g kiwi,200 g kumquat(mandarini cinesi).
Per il dressing:in una casseruola portare ad ebollizione l'acqua con lo zucchero di canna,allontanare dalla fonte di calore,unire lo zenzero tagliato a fette,il pepe verde e lasciare in infusione,coperto con la pellicola trasparente per alcuni minuti.Trascorso il tempo,filtrare con un passino,unire i succhi di frutta e la polpa di frutto della passione;coprire con la pellicola e conservare in frigo.
Per la frutta: lavare la frutta e tagliarla a pezzi della dimensione di 2 cm di lato,unire le differenti tipologie di frutta,condire col dressing e far insaporire x qualche minuto,poi servire a parte il dressing con un rametto di menta,del pepe verde,un pezzo di radice di zenzero.

Healthy and strong: great alkalising food..Salutare e forte: grandi cibi alkalinici..

Carob,buchwheat,carrots,berries,green beans,basmati and brown rice,almonds,apples,lemon,lime,avocado,papaya,pears,apricots,banana,raisins, dates,brazil nuts,apple cider vinegar,grapefruit,vegatble juice,extra-virgin olive oil,herbs and spices,egg yolk,tomato(uncooked).
A special mention goes to few rare,but rich and precious products as small healthy bitter melon,fingerlimes,emu and the 5th flavour of Umami:Vegemite.

carruba,grano saraceno,carote,frutti di bosco,fagiolini,riso basmati e integrale,mandorle,mela,limone,lime,avocado,papaya pera,albicocche,
banana,uva passa,datteri,noci Brasiliane,aceto di sidro di mele,pompelmo,succo di verdura,olio extra vergine d'oliva,erbe e spezie,tuorlo d'uovo,pomodoro(crudo).Una nota speciale va a rari,ma ricchi e preziosi nutrizionalmente come i piccoli meloni esotici amari,frutti di tigli,emu e la quinta essenza dell'Umami: il Vegemite(concentrato di lievito).

Great ingredients for kids..Ottimi ingredienti x bambini..

Lecithin granules with omega 3,chickpeas ans beans with seaweed,linseeds or flaxseed oil,cinnamon,rolled oats,honey,grapes,fish, chlorophyll,dark leafy green vegetables,broccoli,cauliflower,cabbage,seaweed,sweet potato,watermelon,pepitas(green pumpkins seeds).

Granuli di lecitina con omega 3,ceci e fagioli con alga di mare,olio di semi di lino,cannella,fiocchi d'avena,miele,uva,pesce,clorofilla alimentare,vegetali con foglie verde scuro.broccoli,cavolfiori,cavoli,alga di mare,patata americana,anguria,semi verdi di zucca.

Peppermint chocolate slice..Barrette di Cioccolato alla Menta Piperita

220 g plain flour,1 tsp baking powder,95 g soft brown sugar,180 g melted unsalted butter,60 g Copha (white vegetable shortening),435 g sifted icing sugar,1 tsp natural peppermint extract,2 tbsp milk,2 tbsp cream.Chocolate topping:300 g chopped dark chocolate,70 g chopped unsalted butter.
Preheat the oven to 180°.Lightly grease a 20x30 cm baking tin and line the base with baking paper, extending the paper over the long sides for easy removal later.Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl and add the brown sugar,stir in the melted butter and press into the prepared tin.Bake for 20’ and set aside to cool,then melt the copha in a small saucepan over medium heat.Add the icing sugar,peppermint extract, milk and cream,mix well and pour over the base,leave to set.To make the chocolate topping place the chocolate in a bowl on a bain-marie,keep stirring until melted and smooth,then cool slightly.Spread the chocolate topping over the peppermint filling and smooth with a spatula,transfer to the refrigerator to chill until set,cut into pieces and serve.

220 g farina "00",1 cucchiaino lievito in polvere,95 g zucchero morbido di canna,180 g burro fuso dolce,60 g grasso vegetale(non margarina in questo caso),435 g zucchero a velo,1 cucchiaino di estratto di menta piperita,2 cucchiai di latte,2 cucchiai di panna liquida.Topping:300 g cioccolato in pezzi,70 g burro non salato in pezzi.
Riscaldare il forno a 180°.Imburrare una teglia di 20x30 cm e metterci un foglio di carta da forno,far si che la carta finisca un po' fuori x facilitare la rimozione della barretta in seguito.Setaccia farina e lievito in polvere in una coppa e aggiungi zucchero di canna,aggiungi burro fuso e premi nella teglia preparata.Inforna x 20'e lascia raffreddare.sciogliere il grasso in un pentolino,aggiungi zucchero a velo,estratto di menta,latte e panna,mischia bene e versa sulla base,lascia assettare.Per fare il topping fai sciogliere il cioccolato a bagnomaria,continua a girare finche' si scioglie per bene e lasciar raffreddare.Versa questo toppingsul composto di menta e modella con una spatola,trasferisci in frigo x almeno 6h,poi taglia in pezzi e servi.

Few dinner's menu' samples..

Pizza Ham,Mushrooms and fresh tomatoes.
Sweet potato,ginger and mint soup.
Risotto with avocado,red onions,parmesan and
croquant eggplant plus a drizzle of truffle oil.
Banana Sponge cake with custard cream,ginger and coffee sauce.

Cauliflowers in Parmantier sauce.
Kangaroo’s red curry with green beans and carrots.
Fruit flan.

Salad of cucumber,red onions and cherry tomatoes with a balsamic vinegar vinaigrette.
Tubettini with peppers,eggplant and gorgonzola sauce with a drizzle of honey on top.
Rockmelon with tartar of avocado and pineapple moist with limoncello.

Determing your basal Metabolic Rate (BMR).. Determinando il tuo metabolismo basale..

Bmr of males= 66 + (6.21 * your weight in pound) + (12.7 * your height in inches) –(6.8 * your age).
Bmr of females= 655 + (4.37 * your weight in pound) + (2.32 * your height in inches) – (4.7 * your age).
To determine your daily caloric needs,multiply your Bmr by the number that represents your activity level:
Sedentary(little to no exercise): BMR * 1.2
Lightly Active (light exercise 1-3 days a week): BMR * 1.375
Moderately active (moderate activity 3-5 days a week) : BMR * 1.55
Very active ( heavy exercise 6-7 days a week): BMR *1.725
Extra active ( like a professional athlete ): BMR *1.9
To calculate your ideal weight,first determine your frame size.
Males-Medium frame:
Give yourself 106 pounds for the first 5 feet of height.Add 6 pounds for each inch over 5 feet.Subtract 6 pounds for each inch under 5 feet.
Females-Medium frame:
Give yourself 100 pounds for the first 5 feet of height.Add 5 pounds for each inch over 5 feet.Subtract 5 pounds for each inch under 5 feet.
If you have a small frame ,subtract 10 percent from the ideal weight;if you have a large frame add 10 percent to the ideal weight.

Sentences has been changing your life.. Frasi che han cambiato la vita..

The food alone and well presented..is the star,not the cook.
Il cibo,in se' per se' e ben presentato..e' la stella,non lo Chef che lo ha creato.

“Every morning the must start from scratch,with nothing on the stoves.That is cuisine..” Fernand Point.
"Ogni mattina si deve partir dal niente,senza pentole sui fuochi e niente in giro.Questa e' Cucina.." Fernand Point

Escoffier compiled a list of more than 7000 recipes over the course of this lifetime,and in doing so set the path for cooking even into the twenty-first century.
Escoffier ha compilato una lista di piu' di 7000 ricette in tutta la sua vita,e facendo cio' ha creato la base del percorso di cucina anche nel 21° secolo..

“you must shake the saucepan lightly-see,like this..”..and with those words Careme fell to the floot.He never regained consciousness ,and died the next day.He was the greatest chef of his age and he was the first to wear the hat.
"Devi agitare la padella leggermente,cosi' come sto facendo.."..e con queste ultime parole Careme cadde al suolo.Non ha mai piu' ripreso conoscenza ed e' morto il giorno dopo.E'stato il piu' grande Chef dei suoi tempi ed e' stato il primo ad indossare il cappello.

Balance of life..

Alkalising foods are very important as they contain lots of alkaline minerals such as potassium and magnesium.Your body's acid is measured by the PH scale(ph means"potential of hydrogen").For example,a PH of 1.0 is very acidic and a PH of 14 is all alkaline and 7.0 is neutral.However the blood needs to be slightly alkaline-at a PH of approximately 7.35-7.45 for it to be healthy.

A classic Granola..

6 cups rolled oats,2 cups rolled quinoa,3/4 cup desiccated or unsweetened flaked coconut,3/4 cup sliced natural almonds or shelled pumpkin seeds,1/3 cup turbinado sugar,1/4 cup sesame or sunflower seeds,1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon,1/2 teaspoonfine sea salt,1/2 cup canola oil,1/3 cup honey,1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract,raisins or dried cranberries,cherries or blueberries for serving.
Bake the oats in a preheated oven at 325°F on baking sheets in baking tray and stir occasionally for about 10 minutes.Meanwhile,stir together the rolled quinoa,coconut, almonds,sugar,sesame seeds,cinnamon and salt in a large bowl.Then in a separate bowl whisk together the oil,honey and vanilla until well blended.
Stir the toasted oats into the quinoa mixture.Drizzle with the honey mixture and stil well to combine.Spread evenly on the sheets and bake,stirring every 10 minutes for about 30 minutes.Cool completely and store in airtight containers at room temperature for up to 1 month.Serve adding your favourite dried fruit.

More Tricks for Bakery and a Pastry..altri suggerimenti per una panetteria o una pasticceria....

To make 1 cup of cake flour,sift together 15 tablespoons of unbleached all-purpose flour with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch.This flour is famous for it's facility to absorbs liquid at a different rate,so for this reason you can use less flour in proportion to the liquid ingredients,and often save money that way.
Whole grain flours add nutrition to baking as whole wheat pastry flour could replace some of the all-purpose flour in the recipe(a lower-gluten flour made from soft,not hard wheat)which is much higher in protein and fiber.
Add flaked whole grains,such as old fashioned rolled oats or rolled Quinoa to quick breads,cobbler toppings and bar cookies.

The difference between baking soda and baking powder:
Mix an alkali and an acid,moisten them,and you'll get carbon dioxide,a gas that helps make baked goods rise.Baking soda(bicarbonate of soda)is alkali;when it is combined with an acidic ingredient such as molasses,sour milk,honey,yogurt,buttermilk,brown sugar or lemon juice,the reactin will produce carbon dioxide.But what happens if you don't have acids in your recipe?In such a case,you'll need baking powder to do the job.Baking powder is a mixture of alkali baking soda and acidic salts(often,sodium aluminum sulfate).When moistened,the reaction between the alkali and acids creates carbon dioxide,regardless of the other ingredients in the recipe.Some bakers can detect a metallic aftertaste in baked goods made with baking powder.To avoid this,use a brand made without aluminum products.

Heavy cream has a butterfat content of 36-40%;with this amount of fat,the cream whips readily and holds its shape.With lower content of butterfat the cream will not whip nearly as well.Before whipping cream,chill the bowl and beaters,so just place in the fridge or freezr for a few mimutes and it'll speeds the whipping process.
You can also replace heavy cream with ice cream and soy milk to make it lighter.

For a slight increase in nutrients and vitamins,use natural sugars instead of highly refined ones.

Use highly nutritious"superfoods",such as pumpkins and flaxseeds,to increase the healthful profile of your baked goods.

Nuts and dried fruits add nutrients and fiber to your baked goods,so use them liberally in recipes where their flavour and texture would be an asset.

Origin of..Breakfast?Brunch?Lunch?Dinner?Supper?

Breakfast is literally breaking the fast from the night before.
The word Brunch is an obvious blend of breakfast and lunch,its origins seem to come the affluent world of England in the late 1800s.
Lunch is short for luncheon,which is a formal English meal in the middle of the day.Lunch replaced dinner,which was historically the main meal of the day,taken midday.
Dinner has since replaced supper,which always referred to the evening meal,but was usually nothing but a light snack.

Origine dei diversi pasti principali in una giornata media..

Colazione letteralmente significa rompere velocemente dalla notte precedente.
La parola spuntino,in inglese brunch,e' un mix fra colazione e pranzo.La sua origine sembra arrivare nei tempi correnti in Inghilterra nel tardo 1800.
Pranzo e la prola accorciata di grande pranzo,che e' poi il pasto principale a meta' giornata.Questo ha sicuramente rimpiazzato la cena,come storico pasto principale della giornata media.
Cena ha rimpiazzato il pasto piu' leggero formato semplicemente da zuppe,come precedentemente avveniva solitamente.

Some important tricks...An Ice bath and easy portioning. Alcuni cosigli utili..un "bagno ghiacciato" e porzionare in maniera semplice..

An Ice bath is a bowl full of ice water used to cool hot foods down quickly.Common foods that are cooled in this manner are stock,soups and custard sauces.The hot food is poured into a second bowl,which is placed in the ice bath and stirred until cool.

For and easy portioning I usually tell people to use the palm of their hand to estimate approximately a serving size.Not the fingers,just the palm.A piece of meat should be no bigger then the person’s palm.A pile of pasta,or rice,should be about that size too.The piece of fruit they choose should be not bigger than their palm.Children’s palm are smaller than an adults,which means their serving size should be smaller,too.It’s actually a very good approximation of a serving size.


Un "Bagno ghiacciato" e' una bacinella di ghiaccio e acqua usato per raffreddare rapidamente cibi caldi o salse.Di solito usato per fondi,zuppe e salse di pasticceria;
il cibo bollente viene versato in un'altra bacinella piazzata,a sua volta,nel bagno ghiacciato e continuamente mescolato per raffreddare rapidamente.

Per porzionare in maniera semplice di solito consiglio alla gente di usare il proprio palmo della mano(non le dita,ma solo il palmo),per calcolare approssimativamente una porzione per se' stessi.Per esempio una fetta di carne non dev'essere mai piu' grande del proprio palmo,e lo stesso vale per pasta,riso,ogni tipo di frutta e altro.Il palmo dei bambini infatti e' piu' piccolo e coincidera' piu' o meno alla porzione piu' adatta anche a loro.Generalmente e' una buona approssimazione in mancanza di diete o bilance.

Aperitif of Champagne with Pineapple and Pear. Aperitivo di Spumante con Ananas e Pera..

Aperitivo di spumante con ananas e pera

Ingredienti per 4-6 persone: 1 ananas maturo non troppo grande; 1 pera matura; mezzo litro di spumante secco; 1 cucchiaio di zucchero; 2 cucchiai di succo di limone.
Per la guarnizione:1 grappolo d’uva bianca; 1 albume; 100 g di zucchero; 1 rametto di menta.
Porre i bicchieri di servizio (flûtes a stelo corto) in frigorifero per almeno 30 minuti.Preparare la finitura: mettere lo zucchero in una ciotolina e tenerlo da parte; lavare l’uva, asciugarla e dividerla a grappolini; in un contenitore battere leggermente l’albume, immergervi i grappolini d’uva, passarli nello zucchero e farli asciugare adagiandoli sopra un foglio di carta vegetale. Sbucciare la pera, dividerla a metà, togliere torsolo e semi, ridurla a tocchetti, spolverizzarli con lo zucchero, irrorarli con un po’ di succo di limone e mescolarli con un cucchiaio di legno. Privare l’ananas della buccia, eliminare la parte centrale dura, dividere la polpa a pezzetti e aggiungerli a quelli della pera, mescolare ancora e far macerare la frutta per circa 30 minuti. Mettere nel frullatore i pezzetti d’ananas e di pera con tutto il liquido di macerazione; aggiungere il succo di limone rimasto e far frullare fino a ottenere un composto omogeneo; infine raccoglierlo in una caraffa e porla in frigorifero per almeno 10 minuti.Togliere infine i bicchieri dal frigorifero e versarvi il frullato d’ananas e pera, riempiendoli fino alla metà della loro capacità; unirvi a filo lo spumante ben ghiacciato e decorare il bordo dei bicchieri con i grappolini d’uva brinata e un ciuffetto di menta.

Aperitif of Champagne with Pineapple and Pear.

Ingredients for 4-6 people:1 Pineapple ripe not too big,1 pear ripe,1/2 l dry champagne,1 tbsp sugar, 2 tbsp lemon juice.
To Garnish:a bunch of yellow grapefruit,1 egg white,100 g sugar,1 stem of mint.

Put the flutes in the fridge for at least 30’;then prepare the garnish,place the sugar in a bowl aside,wash and cut in small bunches grapefruit,aside whisk slightly white egg and soak the grapefruit in for a few minutes,then move into the sugar and allow to rest on a sheet of paper.
Skin off the pear,half and take unedible parts out,cut in small pieces and spreed with sugar and pour lemon juice on it and mix with a wooden spoon.
Skin off the pineapple e cut the core out,cut in small pieces and so mix with the pear pieces,let it rest half hour.Then mix in a blender with all the juice,add the lemon juice left and blitz it until it’s fine puree.At this point pour in a jug e refrigerate for 10’.Take the glasses out and fill half of it with this mix and then add the champagne on it.
Garnish with grapefruit and mint.