Broccoli Bread, with lemon and parmigiano. So happy to share this one, one of my best ever recipe creations for @cipiacecucinare, and a great one for using up that extra head of broccoli bobbing around in the fridge. Loads of parmigiano and some lemon zest and woo hoo, a tasty savory cake for breakfast or a snack. Based on the standard ciambellone/yoghurt cake that I was so dismissive of as a 24 year old and came to love thanks to @rachelaliceroddy. So, for a roughly 20 cm loaf tin: 300 g broccoli, 250 g plain flour, 7 g baking powder, pinch salt, 100 ml di sunflower oil, 120 g yogurt, 100 g grated parmigiano, 2 eggs, zest of an untreated lemon, ground pepper. Break broccoli into florets, discard thick end and peel and dice trunk. Boil in lightly salted water for 10-14 minutes, till completely soft, and drain well (sure, nutrients are lost here, but we are making a cake not a health shake). Preheat oven to 180C. Mix half the zested lemon with about 10 g of parmigiano and ground pepper, set aside. In a large bowl or stand mixer combine first the flour, baking powder and pinch of salt and then add the mushed broccoli, zest, lightly beaten eggs, yogurt and parmigiano. Mix well and pour the oil in gradually as you mix. Pour into a buttered and floured loaf tin, sprinkle with the lemon/parm mix and bake for approx 50-55 minutes. Skewer in to check that it is cooked, then remove from tin and cool on a rack. Just the business toasted with a lick of butter. More broccoli ideas in this week’s @cipiacecucinare, on newsstands. #broccoli #savourycakes #vegetablecakes #cooktheseason
Turn the sound up for the happiest music. Kids in the playground, with spring sun. This post is to say GRAZIE to everyone, from @giuseppeconte_ufficiale to the ministers, school administrators and principals, professors, maestri, collaborators and EVERYONE who has worked and continues to put in huge effort to keep Italian schools open throughout the pandemic. Italy has made keeping kids at school a priority, and the system to stem infection rates is very solid. Not perfect but lots to be grateful for. Onwards. #keethematschool #vivalescuoleitaliane #grazieConte #forzaMario
Getting in on the frying action. Castagnole are little (chestnut sized) balls of fried cake batter rolled in sugar, part of the extensive line up of Italian Carnevale treats. Sometimes I find the bought ones a bit heavy on the booze and the artificial flavorings, but home made you can really go for it with the lemon zest and just fried they are light and fluffy and of course win points with all family members. I used one of my favorite ‘grammers, Stefano @italianhomecooking ‘s recipe and cooking tips, including watching the size and cooking time to make sure the inside cooks. They will probably be gone before dinner so might make pancakes (crepes) with lemon and sugar after dinner, just because I am nostalgic, and that’s what we always had as kids. If you have a last minute urge for Castagnole Stefano’s recipe is about 4 posts back in his Instagram, Francesca @pancakesandbiscotti also has a lovely Castagnole with ricotta recipe and @heartrome the cookbook has a super simple recipe too. #buoncarnevale #shrovetuesday #italianfryingfest
Perhaps the best biscuit ever, walnut crescents. Mum told me the story of how she inherited the recipe when I called her this morning, from an Australian-American Association cookbook from 1958, via a sister and a MIL. Hadn’t ever heard this recipe tale, a goodie, would have loved to have heard it over a cup of tea though. Will try hard not to polish the lot off before 6pm, and will share recipe next week on my almost finished website. #themumfiles #walnutcrescents #nutsandbutter
Back in the studio days (sigh), I used to make farro salads when someone was coming for lunch. @labnoon was a particular fan of this one. Farro, butternut pumpkin and chunks of sweet Acquaviva onions from Puglia, both roasted, soft robiola cheese marinated in thyme and garlic, toasted walnuts and lemon zest. Generous sea salt, Good extra virgin and a couple of drops of balsamic. Pretty complex for me, made during the week because kids only like farro with tomatoes and tuna. Photographed on a pile of junk to catch the light. Better recipe coming soon. #farrosalads #ancientgrains #roastpumpkinforever #butternut #zuccaviolino
The woman at the market turned, inquisitive, towards the crate of crimson bulbs, grubby with soil and tied into neat bundles. ‘How should I cook these?’ The foreign woman smiled, surprised and thrilled that her advice had been sought. ‘E molto facile’, she replied. QUICK BEETS. Cut the stems off a couple of cm’s from the bulbs and wash well, using a scourer to dislodge soil. Cover with salted cold water and bring to the boil, then lower to a simmer. Cooking times will vary according to size, generally between 30 and 60 minutes. Use a knife to check that they are tender, drain, let them cool a little, and use gloves when rubbing the skin off, which just slips off when they are cooked. If I want to store them, for later use in a burger or salad, I put them in a clean jar, with 2 tsp of salt, 2 tbs of red wine vinegar and cold water. They keep well in the fridge for at least a week.(this isn’t a recipe for pickled beets, more just an easy way to cook and preserve for everyday use). Canned and sliced beetroot, so beloved of us Aussies as part of a Burger with the Lot, isn’t available in Italy. Supermarkets do sell horrid packets of brownish ready cooked and vacuum packed beets, but fresh beets are easier and easier to find at the markets during their long season, from September to April. #cooktheseason #beetroot #rapperosse #barbabietolarossa
Was in a slightly grumpy mood, too much time indoors, too many unpleasant ‘to pay’ emails, far too much uncertainty. Went for a walk, bought dinner, and more, from the little Pugliese shop on the piazza, felt much better. Left the shop with fresh eggs, milk in a glass bottle, free range lamb, stone ground durum wheat flour, smoked scamorza and colored carrots, and there was a line of people waiting to go in. The couple that run the shop, Carlo and Maria, arrive back from Bari with a van laden with good stuff, every Monday afternoon, people are literally waiting for them. Feeling much better. #freshfromthefarm #pugliainrome #pugliaintavola #eattheseason #shoplocal
