Cotolette alla Milanese

It's a typical recipe from the North of Italy , in particular it was born in the city of Milan. Kids love meat cooked in this way and above all if served with french fries.

Ingredients for 4 persons
4 big slices of veal

2 eggs

3 cups of finely ground breadcrumbs

1 stick of butter
2 cups of all purpose flour

salt to taste
1 lemon

Dredge the meat slices in the flour then dip them in the egg, dredge them in the bread crumbs, pressing down to make sure the crumbs stick.

In the meantime melt the butter in a skillet large enough to contain all 4 veal slices at once, and when it begins to crackle add them . Cook 3-4 minutes each side. Cut the lemon in 4 wedges. Serve hot Cotolette alla Milanese with one lemon wedges.

Versione Italian - Italian Version

E' una tipica ricetta del Nord Italia in particolare si attribuisce la paternita' alla citta' di Milano. I bambini amano particolarmente la carne cucinata in questo modo e soprattutto con le patate fritte.

Ingredienti per 4 persone

4 grandi fette di carne di vitello

1 uovo

pane grattato quanto basta

80 gr. burro

farina bianca quanto basta

sale

1 limone

Passare le fette di carne prima nella farina e poi nell'uovo sbattuto e per ultimo nel pangrattato.

Sciogliere il burro in una padella e cuocere le fette di carne 7 minuti per lato. Alare le cotolette secondo il gusto. Tagliare il limone in quattro parti e servire le cotolette con un pezzo di limone.

Scaloppine alla Pizzaiola

Meat dish, easy and fast , really traditional above all in the South of Italy. The key of this dish is to find a fresh herb that is largely used in Italy : oregano. But if you find a good dried oregano from Italy, the dish will have a wonderful final flavour and smell. Serve with a dry red wine.

Ingredients for 4 persons :

8 slices of veal

6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves finaly chopped

1 28 oz can tomato

2 tablespoons of fresh minced oregano or dried oregano

salt

In a pan put the extra virgin oil and the garlic chopped, let it fry on medium heat for 1 minute and add the slices of veal cook 30 second then turn on the other side the slices of veal and cook for 30 seconds more ,then add the tomato chopped. Add salt to taste and let it cook for 15 minutes on medium heat . Add the two tablespoons of oregano and cook for 5 minutes more.

Versione Italiana - Italian version

Ingredienti per 4 persone

8 fettine di vitello

6 cucchiai di olio extra vergine di oliva

2 spicchi di aglio tritati

1 barattolo di pelati da 400 gr.

2 cucchiai di origano fresco o secco

sale

In una padella mettere olio e aglio far cuocere su fuoco medio per 1 minuto e aggiungere le fettine di vitello cuocere per 30 secondi poi girare le fettine dall'altro lato e cuocere per altri 30 secondi , poi aggiungere i pomodori tritati. Aggiungere sale secondo il gusto e cuocere per 15 minuti su fuoco medio. Aggiungere i due cucchiai di origano e cuocere altri 5 minuti.

Fettuccine with bolognese ragu'

In Bologna city's restaurants, you'll find for sure this dish. Bolognese ragu' , a tomato sauce with meat, it's a classic for Italians living in this city. It needs to a little more of cooking , but it worth , because the result it's a really tasty tomato sauce. This wonderful sauce will marry with Fettuccine a famous egg pasta, with a quick time of cooking. Enjoy with a Lambrusco red wine, typical wine from Bologna Region.

Ingredients for 4 persons.

4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoon of butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 stalks celery finely chopped
2 carrots finely chopped 1/4 cup red wine
1 14 oz and 1 28 oz can tomatoes (36 oz all together)
1 lb good quality beef, minced
1/4 lb ground pork or Italian style pork sausage broken up in small pieces
salt

4 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup whole milk

In a deep pot heat the extra virgin oil. Add the chopped onion, celery and carrot, and saute briefly over medium heat 3 minutes.Add the minced beef and the pork sausage, breaking it up with a fork. Add salt to taste, stir, and cook only until the meat has lost its raw, red color. Add the wine, turn the heat up to medium high, and cook, stirring occasionally, until all the wine has evaporated.Add the tomatoes and stir well. When the tomatoes have started to bubble, turn the heat down until the sauce cooks at the gentlest simmer, just an occasional bubble. Cook, covered, for a minimum of 3 to 4 hours, stirring occasionally and add one tablespoon of milk while stirring till it's finished. Taste and check for salt.

Spaghetti with tuna sauce

I make this pasta when my fridge is empty. I have always some tomatoes can , tuna can and obviously spaghetti ! It has a sea flavour , above all if you chose a tuna of high quality.

Ingredients for 4 persons

1 can (170 g/6 oz) Tuna, drained
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 can (796 mL) diced tomatoes
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
1 package spaghetti
6 tbsp extra virgin oil

salt and pepper to taste

In a frypan, heat extra virgin olive oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and sauté 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, chopped parsley , salt and pepper to taste . Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add minced tuna and cook for 5 minutes more.

Meanwhile cook spaghetti in salted water until 'al dente'. Drain and return to the pot.
Add tuna sauce to pasta and toss.
Sprinkle with a little bit of parsley (optional). Serve with dry white wine.

Il Duca in Trastevere - Restaurant pizzeria

Don't miss a walk in Trastevere area in Rome,and also don't miss a lunch or a dinner at this nice Restaurant .You can find here all the traditional dishes of Italian and Roman cooking and also a wonderful pizza cooked in a wood oven. Also fried specialities , fresh fish and selected meat, homemade cakes and a good wine list.

Garden,air conditioning.

Address:

Vicolo del Cinque,52,54,56

Area Trastevere

Closed on monday
Tel. 065817706Fax: 0658390568

Versione Italiana - Italian version

Non perdere una passeggiata nella zona di trastevere a Roma e anche non perdere un pranzo o una cena in questo bel ristorante. Troverai tutti i piatti tradizionali della cucina tipica Romana ed Italiana ed anche una spettacolare pizza cotta al forno a legna. Ancora specialita' fritte, pesce fresco e carne selezionata, dolci fatti in casa e una buona lista di vini.

Giardino e aria condizionata.

Indirizzo :

Vicolo del Cinque,52,54,56
Zona Trastevere
Chiuso il lunedi' Tel. 065817706Fax: 0658390568

Pasta cu anciovi e ca muddica - Sicily

Sicily's turn, a typical recipe from Sicily region. Poor ingredients for a tasty result.

'Pasta cu anciovi e ca muddica' in Sicilian slang means 'Pasta with anchovies and breadcrumbs' (notice the similar words anciovi and anchovies ! A small world !).Breadcrumbs was used to replace the use of the grated parmesan cheese more expensive.Eat this pasta drinking a sparkling white wine.

Ingredients for 4 persons

1 pound of pasta (spaghetti or bucatini)

2 garlic cloves

12 anchovy fillets

8 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

6 tablespoons of breadcrumbs

Fry the garlic cloves, finely chopped in a small frying pan with 6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Then add the anchovy fillets chopped, squash them in order to melt all the fillets. Cook pasta until al dente. Meanwhile, gently fry breadcrumbs in two tablespoons of olive oil until it is brown. Pour the sauce over the pasta and mix them. Serve hot sprinkled with the breadcrumbs.

Saltimbocca alla Romana

Don't miss this meat dish if you come in Rome , it's one of the most popular Roman meat dish.If you aren't able to come here in Rome make it at home , it's again a fast and easy recipe.

SALTIMBOCCA ALLA ROMANA

Ingredients for 4 persons :

8 round slices of veal

8 slices of prosciutto crudo (Italian ham)

1/2 stick of butter

all purpose flour

1/2 cup of dry white wine (drink the rest of the bottle...)

8 sage leaves

salt

3 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil

Place a slice of ham over each slice of veal and then a sage leaf in the center. Roll them up and close them with a toothpick Put the oil in a saucepan. Lightly dust the involtini with flour and sauté over medium flame for 3 mins. Add wine and butter and simmer for another 3 mins. Add salt to taste.

Fettuccine and baked little tomatoes

Generally I make this savoury fettuccine during summer when here in Italy you can find in the vegetable markets or in the supermarkets the best juicy and tasty tomatoes.

I prefer to use Pachino tomatoes , a wonderful cherry tomatoes from Sicily. If you aren't able to find this variety of tomatoes, use the more juicy you find.

In Italy we like to use fresh herbs in our cooking , but it's not so simply during the winter.

Try to use fresh herbs as more as you can, you will have fantastic results. If you have a balcony or a garden try to cultivate herbs by yourself. In my small garden I have : basil, thyme, rosemary, sage, lavender, oregano. They are all beautiful plants, and it's so nice to take care of them like babies ! This recipe is fast easy and healthy. (Did you realize I like fast recipes ?)

FETTUCCINE AND BAKED LITTLE TOMATOES

Ingredients for 4 persons :
12.5 oz of fettuccine

14.3 oz of cherry Pachino tomatoes or juicy cherry tomatoes
2 cloves garlic finely chopped

fresh (best result) or dried herbs :
1 teaspoon of parsley finely chopped

1 teaspoon of basil finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon of thyme finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon of oregano finely chopped
5 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Wash and cut the tomatoes in half. Oil a baking pan , put in the tomatoes cut side up.

Sprinkle on the tomatoes all the herbs (parsley,basil,thyme,oregano), the garlic , salt and pepper to taste. Pour on the extra virgin olive oil. Bake in oven at 450 F for ½ hour. Meanwhile cook the fettuccine 'al dente' in salted water. Drain and mix in the baking pan and serve hot.

Italian meatballs

Italian meatballs, everyone knows them ! It's one of the easiest way to make my girls eating meat (they dont' love meat ). And it's also one of the most traditional Italian way of cooking meat.

And now unfortunately I have to destroy an American myth : We don't make Spaghetti with meatballs !!! We cook meatballs in tomato sauce. Then we add the tomato sauce to spaghetti and we set aside the meatballs. Then we eat meatballs with some vegetables.

An Italian will never order for one spaghetti with meatballs in a restaurant...

We use little (very little ) meatballs when we make baked pasta (I will post soon this wonderful recipe of the South of Italy), a special pasta mixed with little meatballs, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese and tomato sauce.

Easy and fast recipe again.

That's all.

ITALIAN MEATBALLS

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs or 2 slices of bread
1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 clove garlic finely chopped
1 tablespoon of parsley finely chopped
1 egg
salt and pepper to taste

Soak bread or bread crumbs in milk for 2-3 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients (beef,parmesan cheese,egg,garlic,parsley,salt and pepper).Mix very well.
Form into meatballs. You can cook meatballs in three ways :
1) The classic one is to fry in a skillet with olive oil (but I personally prefer soy oil) until brown
2) Place meatballs in a skillet , pour some olive oil on , cook in oven 15 minutes (325-350 degrees). Do not overcook
3) Prepare a simply tomato sauce : put in a pan 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil add 1 tablespoon of onion finely chopped, let it fry for 1 minute
add 1 28 oz. can crushed or diced tomatoes , then add in meatballs. Let it cook for 20-30 minutes, till meatballs are cooked, stir occasionally and carefully.

Hostaria dal Pallaro

Trattoria der Pallaro, a VERY traditional trattoria without a classical menu.

You'll find inside the inscribe : 'Qua se magna quello che passa casa' in Roman slang 'Here you eat what we give you", but luckily it's all home made and of the best quality-

You will feel as in the kitchen of a family . A five course meal of typically Roman food for €21, including wine, coffee.

Ask to the funny and nice owner to go in the wine cellar and have a quick look to the ancient Roman ruins of a theatre that are under your feet !!

Open daily 12:00-15:00 19:00-24:00

Address : Largo del Pallaro 15 , tel. 06-6880-1488

Italian - Italiana version - versione

Trattoria del Pallaro un locale veramente tradizionale dove non troverai il classico menu dove poter scegliere. Dentro il locale troverai scritto : 'Qua se magna quello che passa casa' che in dialetto Romano siginfica 'Qui mangi quello che ti diamo', e fortunatamente e' tuto fatto in casa e della migliore qualita'. Sembra di essere in una cucina di casa . Un pasto completo con cinque portate per 21 euro incluso caffe' e vino. Chiede al simpatico e gentile proprietario se e' possibile visitare i resti di un teatro romano che sono nella cantina sotto al ristorante sotto i tuoi piedi !

Aperto tutti i giorni

Orario 12:00-15:00 19:00-24:00
Indirizzo : Largo del Pallaro 15 , tel. 06-6880-1488

Bucatini all'Amatriciana

Another pasta dish born in Rome many years ago.

It's a recipe of the ancient Roman shepherds. For sure after the discovery of America, because tomato was brought in Europe after that.

The traditional pasta to use is 'Bucatini', but if you don't find them , buy spaghetti. If you are not able to find in your city one of these ingredients (bucatini pasta, Italian pancetta, Pecorino Romano cheese), I put also the alternative below...

Again few ingredients , fast ,easy and Italian ,for a great taste !

Ingredients for 4 persons :

2 tblsp of extra virgin olive oil

1/4 pound of Italian pancetta chopped or bacon

1 small onion, chopped

1 28 oz can of tomato

salt and pepper

1 pound of bucatini pasta or spaghetti

1 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese or Parmesan cheese

Heat olive oil in large pot add the pancetta until golden brown. Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes . Add salt and pepper and cook for 15-20 minutes.
Let boil a large pot with water. Add 1 tablespoon of salt and the bucatini. Cook over high heat until "al dente".
Drain the pasta, then add the tomato sauce and mix well. Put the bucatini all'amatriciana in the plates and put on 1/4 of Pecorino Romano cheese on every plate.

Bagna Cauda Dip - Recipe

This tasty Italian olive oil dip is great for raw vegetables as a tasty appetizer or party food.
In Italian, Bagna Cauda simply means warm bath. This tasty Italian olive oil dip is great for raw vegetables as a tasty appetizer or party food. For a party, simply keep it warm in a small chafing dish or fondue pot.

The origin of this dip is traced in the North of Italy in the region of Piemonte which capital is Torino city. The story says that it was born in the Middle Ages , to celebrate the grape picking.So they chose two ingredients easy to find : garlic and achovies.The best wine to drink together with Bagna Cauda Dip is from Piemonte too : Barbera red wine.

Ingredients

(3 oz) Jar Anchovy Fillets

1/2 Cup Milk

35 Medium Garlic Cloves, Smashed And Peeled

1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter

1/2 Cup extra virgin olive oil

Vegetables For Dipping

Place the anchovies in a bowl with the milk and let sit for an hour. Drain and pat dry. To heat in a microwave oven, place the butter, oil and garlic in a glass or ceramic casserole dish. Add the anchovies to this mixture, cover with plastic and cook on high for 6 minutes. Uncover carefully and blend in a blender or food processor until smooth. To serve for a party, place in a small chafing dish or fondue pot and offer a selection of fresh, raw vegetables and chunks of crusty bread.

Limoncello homemade The South Italy's liquor

You can't finish an Italian meal without drinking a wonderful small glass full of 'Limoncello' liquor. In the Italian 'Trattoria' in general the owner offer a free glass to every customer at the end of the meal.

The story of this liquor begins in 1900's in the coast of Campania region in the town of Sorrento where there were lot of lemons growing. Sorrento 's lemon quality it's particular since the lemon is bigger than other quality and it has a strong flavour.


It's so easy to make this liquor with digestive properties, my daughter made it at the maternal school with her teachers for the Dad's day !





Limoncello - Recipe
Liquor of lemons



INGREDIENTS :


12 non-treated lemons (organic)


2 ½ cups of vodka


2 ½ cups of sugar


2 ½ cups of water


PREPARATION : Carefully wash the lemons: all the non-yellow impurities should be eliminated. If necessary, use a soft brush, without brushing too hard, so as not to break the protuberances of the rind.With a large-size vegetable peeler , peel only the yellow part of the lemon rinds; the white part would confer a truly bitter taste to the liquor.


Put the lemon rinds, alcohol, sugar and water in a big, hermetic jar (one that can hold 1/2 gallon of liquid). Stir with a wooden spoon and then close the bottle. Put it aside in the kitchen, where there isn’t too much noise nor too many movements. Stir several times, once in the morning and once in the evening, with a clean wooden spoon. After six days, the limoncello is ready; it only needs to be filtered. Get a bottle, and put in a funnel, lined with a filter (a big ball of cotton will do). Slowly pour the limoncello (drop by drop) into the funnel; the liquor should be very clear when poured into the bottle. The filtering procedure should last almost a whole day: this should be done when you are certain to be staying home.


Don’t touch nor squeeze the ball of cotton: the filtering procedure would’ve been in vain. The limoncello is to be served at a refrigerated temperature.

Grandma's Taralli - recipe

It's a sweet remembering, when I was a little child going to visit my grandma in Greci, always I brought back with me a big plastic bag full of this salty Taralli with a ring shape. They still make me think about my grandma. Eat them with some slice of salami and some piece of parmesan cheese and...obviously a glass of red wine.

Here the recipe :

TARALLI
Ingredients
10 cups of all-purpose flour
1/3 tsp of salt
1 cup of dry white wine
3/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil

Work together the flour, the wine, the oil and the salt till you obtain an elastic and homogeneous dough.
Let it rest covered with a cloth for 20 minutes in a place not too cold.
In a big pot boil some water adding 1 tablespoon full of salt..
Make now taralli getting from the dough some small sticks 8-10 long like a finger and with the same diameter of a finger : close them on theirselves placing on the tops of the two ends and pressing them with a finger in order to seal them.
Take 10 at a time and put them in the boiling water and pull them again helping yourself with a skimmer as soon as they come on the surface.
Put them on a cloth, one next to the other, draining for a few minutes.
Grease a tin and put in it taralli without letting them touch on.
Put the tin in the oven(already switched on at 400º F) and let taralli cooking for 40 minutes
(they should became of a light brown).
If you want you can flavour them: you can add, during the kneding, one of these ingredients: seeds of fennel, sesame chilly pepper, oregano, scales of dry onion. One tablespoon of spices will be enough for this quantity of dough.

Greci-town = 'Katundi'

(emblem of the town of Greci)

The town of Greci is situated in the South of Italy in the province of the city of Avellino in the Campania region. It is an Arbereshe town , with Italian-Albanian origin. The Arbereshe culture continues to live with a strong effort of the 'Grecesi' , Greci inhabitants.

When a Greci inhabitant go back to the town of Greci , call it with the word 'Katundi'.

'Katundi' it's an Albanian word and it means 'town'.

This is a special way to call a town, because they don't use the proper noun but the common noun. This a very distinctive mark of fame, since other few cities full of history use a common noun to call them.

Few cities like Rome called 'Urbe' from latin it means city, Istanbul from the greek word "eis ten polin" (city).

17th January Carbonara Day

Please join this celebration, cooking Pasta alla Carbonara at home with my recipe : http://cookinginrome.blogspot.com/2008/01/pasta-alla-carbonara.html, or asking for it in an Italian restaurant where you live.

THE COUNTDOWN has started: this Thursday, January 17th, 2008, is the International Day of Italian Cuisines. For one day, everyone who makes, promotes or simply loves Italian food outside of Italy is invited to carry out a small activity to celebrate authenticity and quality in Italian cuisine. This unprecedented celebration is led by over 130 Italian chefs and restaurateurs in 35 countries. They belong to itchefs-gvci, (Virtual Group of Italian Chefs) and will cook Pasta alla Carbonara according to the original, authentic recipe. This simple dish, a pillar of Italian gastronomy, is in fact the symbol of counterfeit Italian cuisine in the world at large. The International Day of Italian Cuisines, under the aegis of itchefs-gvci, is born of a desire to redress this imbalance.

The following is the list of the first chefs participating, more chefs and members are joining up every day.
ARGENTINA Donato De Santis, Da Donato, Buenos Aires
AUSTRALIA Gianmaria Morelli, Noosa, AustraliaSalvatore Pepe, Cibo Express Restaurants, Adelaide
AUSTRIA
Mirko Soncin, Rautz Restaurant, Salzburg
BRAZIL Francesco Carli, Cipriani Restaurant at Copacabana Palace, Rio de Janeiro
BULGARIA Michele Micati, Il Ristorantino Italiano at Club Lavazza, Sofia
CAMBODIA Alessandro Colombis, Don Bosco Culinary School, Sihanoukville
CANADA Gabriele Paganelli, Romagna Mia Restaurant, Toronto
CARRIBEANS Ignazio Podda, Unique Villas of the Caribbean
CHILE Roberto Illari, Da Carla Restaurant, SantiagoWalter Monticelli, Pasta e Basta Restaurant at the Intercontinental Hotel, Santiago
CHINA Alessandro Angelini, Joja Restaurant, Hong KongDavid Bassan, Nuova Vita Restaurant, Puxi, ShanghaiGiancarlo Biacchessi, Murano’s Restaurant at Crowne Plaza Hotel, QingdaoFrancesco Brocca & Fabrizio Napolitano, Goccia Restaurant Hong KongGiandomenico Caprioli, Isola Bar & Grill, Hong KongDario Congera, Prego Restaurant at The Westin, ShanghaiAlessandro Di Cosimo, Va Bene Restaurant, ShanghaiSandro Falbo, Nicholini’s Restaurant at Conrad Hotel, Hong KongPaolo Federici, Va Bene Restaurant, Hong KongRiccardo Ferrarotti, Frankie’s Italian Bar&Grill, ShanghaiFrancesco Greco (chef) and Maurizio Moncalvo (Somm/Manager),Palladio Restaurant at The Portman Ritz-Carlton Hotel, ShanghaiVittorio Lucariello, Angelini Restaurant at Shangri La Hotel, Hong KongLino Montaruli e Michele Cirillo (manager), Nuova Vita Restaurant, Pudong ShanghaiPaolo Monti, Gaia Restaurant, Hong KongRuben Rapetti, Pacific Bar & Grill Italian Restaurant at Jinling Hotel, NanjingSanuele Rossi, MGM Grand, MacauLuca Signoretti, Sabatini Restaurant, at Royal Garden Hotel, Hong Kong
DENMARK Maurizio Mosconi, Italy&Italy Restaurant Ringstead
FRANCE Giorgio De Chirico, Prego Restaurant, Serris
GERMANY Sante De Santis, Er Cuppolone Restaurant, Stuttgart
GREECE Angelo Saracini, La Dolce Vita at Santa Barbara, Athens
INDIA Fabio Mariela, Celini Restaurant at Grand Hyatt Hotel, MumbaiGiovanna Marson, The Patio at Taj Hotel Coromandel, ChennaiMax Orlati, Paprika Restaurant, New DelhiGiovanni Parrella, Stax at Hyatt Regency, MumbaiGiuliano Tassinari, Olive Restaurant, New DelhiLuca Voncini, Taj Bengal Hotel, Kolkata
INDONESIA Mario Caramella, Hyatt Sanur Hotell, BaliLuigi Girardin, Scusa Restaurant at Midplaza Intercontinental Hotel, JakartaFlavio Manzoni, Il Mare Restaurant at Mulia Senayan HotelMarco Medaglia, Puro Restaurant, JakartaAlessandro Santi, Rosso Restaurant at Shangri La, Jakarta
ITALY Luigi Cremona with chefs Gabriele Terralavoro and Marco Bottegaat Tempio di Vesta Restaurant, TivoliAndrea Cristofoletto, Hotel Claudia, San Virgilio di Marebbe BolzanoGiovanni Grasso, La Credenza, San Maurizio Canavese (Torino)Gianfelice Guerrini, Ferrari F1 motorroom restaurant service, MaranelloMario Musoni, Al Pino Restaurant, Montescano (Pavia) see OMAN Massimiliano Sepe, Casa Catullo Restaurant, Fondi (Latina)Piero Pulli, Il Canonico Restaurant, Carignano (Torino)Andrea Pini, Ustareja di Du’ Buto, Soloarolo (Ravenna)Max Telloli, Osteria Stallo del Pomodoro, Modena
JAPAN Stefano Dal Moro, Antica Osteria del Ponte, TokyoMassimo Pasquarelli, Benoit Restaurant, TokyoLuca Pecorari, Splendido Restaurant at Ritz Carlton Hotel, OsakaAndrea Tranchero, Armani Restaurant, TokyoGiulio Vierci, Giulio Restaurant and Wine Bar, Sapporo
MALAYSIA Federico Michieletto, Santini Restaurant, Kuala Lumpur
MEXICO Silvia Bernardini, L’Invito Restaurant, San Miguel de Allende
OMAN Alessandro Dal Zotto and Mario Musoni (visiting Chef),Tomato Restaurant at Intercontinental Hotel, Muscat
PUERTO RICOA lberto Gianati, Casa Italia Restaurant, San Juan
RUSSIA Massimo Ferrari, Bistro di Mosca Restaurant, MoscowPietro Rongoni, Fidelio Restaurant, Moscow
SAUDI ARABIA Roberto Collini, Roberto’s Restaurant, Khobar
SINGAPORE Carlo Marengoni, Bologna Restaurant at Marina Mandarin HotelGabriele Piegaia, Senso RestaurantClaudio Rossi, Something to go Restaurant at The Regent Hotel
SOUTH KOREA Paolo De Maria, Buonasera Restaurant, SeoulSebastiano Giangregorio, SeoulLuca Marchesi, Vinoteca Ristorante Antonio, Seoul
THAILAND Silvano Amolini, Amari Boulevard and City Lodges, BangkokSaulo Bacchilega, Figs Restaurant at Hyatt Hotel, Hua HinFrederik Farina, Spasso restaurant at Grand Hyatt Erawan, BangkokGianni Favro, Gianni’s Restaurant, BangkokFrancesco Greco, La Gritta Restaurant, BangkokGaetano Palumbo, Rossini Restaurant at Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit, BangkokMarco Priolo, Flow Restaurant at Hilton Millennium Hotel, BangkokAndrea Sacchi, Lan Tania at Four Seasons Hotel Koh SamuiGiacomo Turzo, Portofino Restaurant at Le Meridien Beach Resort, Phuket
TURKEY Daniel Evangelista, Mezzaluna Restaurant, AnkaraCarmine Antonio Lombardi, Mezzaluna Restaurant, IstambulGiuseppe Pressani, Papermoon Milano, IstambulDomenico Ranieri, Mezzaluna Restaurant, Izmir
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES Andrea Strim, Carnevale Restaurant at Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Dubai
USA Paolo Alabisio, Sabatini Restaurant on the Gran Princess cruising the CarribeansAndrea Aiudi, Intercontinental Hotel, San FranciscoGaetano Ascione, at The Biltmore Hotel, MiamiIvan Beacco, Borgo Antico restaurant, New York CityPaola Bottero, Paola’s Restaurant, New York CityCesare Casella, Maremma Restaurant, New YorkEnrico Bazzoni, New York CityFrancesco Farris, Pomodoro Restaurant, DallasItalian Culinary Academy, New York CityAlessandro Mancuso, Riva Grill, Caliente & Garwoods, Lake TahoeCarlo Minotti, Houston
VIETNAM Massimiliano Ziano e Michele Gulizzi, Opera Restaurant, Ho Chi Min City
* Chefs working in Muslim countries will cook another traditional dish.
Other itchefs-gvci members celebratingthe International Day of Italian Cuisines:
Rocco Bova, Kuala Lumpur,MalaysiaSilvia Caramella, Seville, SpainOrnella Fado, New York CityNicola Fabbri, Bologna, ItalyStefano Fontanesi, Mauritius IslandBonaventura Mansi, Kuala Lumpur, MalaysiaMauro Martelossi, Spoleto, ItalyVincenzo Perez, Doha, QatarLivio Ranza, Bora Bora, French PolynesiaSamuele Rossi, Macao, ChinaElena Ruocco, Rio de Janeiro, BrazilRosario Scarpato, Melbourne, Australia

Pizzarium - when pizza is a dream

Pizzarium address : Via della Meloria, 43
Great stand-up pizza place a short hike from the Vatican (stop at food emporium Castroni on the Via Cola di Rienzo en route). The pizza topped with potatoes is the most popular, and with good reason.

Versione Italian - Italian version
Indirizzo : Via della Meloria, 43
Eccezionale pizza a taglio vicinissimo al Vaticano (fai una visita anche alla drogheria Castroni a Via Cola Di Rienzo, e' di strada). La pizza con le patate e' la piu famosa e non a torto.

They discovered America

My sweet cousin Sherry forwarded me this interesting video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXQUVerMGCM



It may be a symbol, since it tells about the discovery of America , and how much Italians influenced the story of this wonderful country. We can forget what our ancestors did for us and our countries (America and Italy). They passed through a lot of pain, and what we are it's because of their past hard work.

And to appreciate and to know something more about Italian immigrants I suggest this touching book. The author is a young Italian writer Melania Mazzucco.
http://www.amazon.com/Vita-Novel-Melania-G-Mazzucco/dp/0374284954

Arbereshe sweet recipe - Le Pettole

As a cooking fun , I love also to make old recipe. This is a old recipe of Arberesh tradition.
Arberesh was the Italian-Albanian ethnic group of the South of Italy. Their traditions are still alive, and I think it's nice to tell about them to our son, to preserve this precious heritage.
The town of Greci - Avellino has Arberesh tradition, and this is dedicated to it.
Here a recipe for a fried sweet traditionally served for Christmas : 'Le Pettole'.

Le Pettole
Ingredients :
5 cups of all purpose flour
1/2 cup of extra virgin oil
1 and 1/3 cup of warm water
1 tablespoon of salt
2 tablespoon of dried yeast
1 tablespoon of sugar
soy or sunflower oil for frying

Preparation :
Make a dough with all the ingredients ,the dough will turn a little bit sticky.
Let sit in a warm place (75-85°F) for one hour.
Put a pan with the soy oil on medium heat, when the oil is hot , fry the dough , taking it with a spoon.After 30 seconds turn every 'ball' on the other side.
When ready sprinkle on le pettole sugar ,or warm honey.
This video is so simpleness, a woman from South Italy make le Pettole, enjoy it !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htvudkRErL8

Let's make Pizza

I could eat pizza every day , even for breakfast. I think it's the most famous and good meal after pasta.

My girls ask me to make pizza very often since they like to knead flour and water.

I decide that it's time to find flour in every corner of my kitchen when my fridge is empty.

I always have flour and dried yeast...when I don't have time I use my wonderful bread machine.

Ingredients for 4 hungry persons...

1 and 1/2 cup of warm water

1 teaspoon of salt
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil

4 cups of all purpose flour

1 full teaspoon of dried yeast

Put all the ingredients in the bread machine in the same order of above. Choose dough program.

Or...make a ball of dough with your hands. Let sit in a warm place (75-85°F) until it doubles in size, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 450°F for at least 30 minutes, preferably an hour.

Divide the dough in little balls. It depends how much high you want the pizza.I like the thin one.

More a high pizza you want ,more the dough balls have to be big.

Take one ball of dough and flatten it with your hands on a slightly floured work surface. Starting at the center and working outwards, use your fingertips to press the dough.

Prepare your desired toppings.

Mix tomato sauce with olive oil, salt , basil, oregano, chili powder (all the herbs you like)

Place the topping on the pizza.Bake pizza for 5-10 ten minutes (it depends on how high is). Then add on the top shredded mozzarella cheese and bake for other 3-4 minutes...It's ready !

I use my fantasy to make new toppings :

You can add ham, black olives , mushrooms and hard-boiled egg (we call it four season pizza).

Potato slice and rosemary.

Onion tomato and tuna fish.

Tomato and anchovies.

Tomato oregano and garlic.

Four cheeses (parmesan,mozzarella cheese, gorgonzola cheese, a sweet cheese on your taste)

In a few words use what you have at home and fantasy...

TIP : sometimes I make with my friends or my relatives a Pizza party, I put tons of ingredients on the table and everyone choose the personal topping. Lot of fun !

Alessandra's Lasagna

When on sunday Lunch I cook Lasagna my girls go crazy, they love it, and never say I'm not hungry...In Italy it's a traditional Sunday meal.

With the besciamella sauce it will turn more yummy and soft !

Alessandra's lasagna.

Ingredients for 6-8 person

2 large cans of tomatoes

1 chopped onion

1 pound lean ground beef (optional)
5 tablespoons of olive oil

1 pound grated mozzarella cheese (optional)

1/2 pound of grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 stick butter

5 cups of whole milk

5 tablespoons flour

salt pepper

lasagna noodles

grated nutmeg

In a large pot saute' the beef and the chopped onion in olive oil for 5 minutes.Add the tomatoes,salt and pepper and cook on medium heat for 20-30 minutes.

Besciamella sauce :

Melt the butter in the microwave at maximum power for 30 seconds.Add the flour and stir well.Add all the milk gradually and stir well. Then put again in the microwave at maximum power for 2 minutes.Stir well. Again in the microwave for 2 minutes, stir well, microwave for 2 minutes, stir well.Add a teaspoon of grated nutmeg and salt to taste.

Spray a baking pan with olive oil and put a layer of the tomato sauce then...

LAYER :

1 Lasagna noodles

2 tomato sauce

3 besciamella sauce

4 grated mozzarella cheese (optional)

5 grated parmesan cheese

6 pepper to taste

Continue layering : end with tomato sauce on top and add a small amount of Parmesan cheese.

Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Let it sit about 15 minutes before cutting in squares.

Pasta alla Carbonara

Ask for this dish in every "Trattoria" here in Rome ,they will cook it for you for sure, because it's typical of Roman tradition.
The story of this pasta starts in 1800's when the men producing the coal cooked it, because it was extremely easy and cheap to find those ingredients at that age.
(Someone says that was invented toward the end of WWII when Allied soldiers traded bacon and egg rations to the Italians they’d just liberated)
More easy...cook it at home it's so easy and fast...
Eat it sipping a glass of red wine 'Chianti' , a typical wine from Tuscany Region.

Ingredients for 4 person
18 ounce (one pack) of spaghetti
3 strips of bacon, diced
7 oz. of cream (optional)
3 eggs
Salt
Black Pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
pecorino or parmesan cheese grated 4 tablespoon

Heat oil in a pan, add in the diced bacon and stir fry till it is nice and golden and starting to get crispy. Mix cream (optional) and eggs together add salt to taste.
Boil pasta to al dente in a pot of water added with salt , then drain the pasta with a colander , and put the spaghetti in the pan.
Add the mixed eggs into the pan and stir quickly , eggs mixture should turn in a wonderful cream without lumps. Add the fried bacon.
Season with pepper. Add one tablespoon of cheese on every portion.

"THE STORY"

Every story has a start...




My grandmother's brother Leonardo Norcia left from Greci-Italy for the States in 1920 to find luck. He was in touch with my grand-mother Carosena Norcia by mail by mail.





In 1980 my grandmother died , I was 13 years old, then I lost any contact with him.I always thought about him and his sons and daughters , but I knew only his last name and first name, I didnt' remember where he lived.
http://www.ellisisland.org/search/matchMore.asp?MID=12200632540265594112&FNM=LEONARDO&LNM=NORCIA&PLNM=NORCIA&CGD=M&bSYR=1896&bEYR=1910&first_kind=1&kind=exact&offset=0&dwpdone=1
(The passenger record of Leonardo Norcia)

Five years ago I decided I wanted to find him or at least his family. I was very lucky because after two months of researches on internet , hundred of emails sent , I found a man living in Arizona Nick Norcia (he is my far cousin too, thank you Nick !) fan of genealogical researches. He had and has a huge database of Greci's people and my uncle was in it ! He was able to find all his family.They live in Wisconsin.Now we are in touch and they came to visit me and Italy one year ago (it was their first time here in Italy). It was one of the biggest experience in my life.



Last September Sally , my cousin Peter Norcia's wife, came here and we met.



This the start of a fascinating trip , because since I started to search for my Norcia's relative in the States, I have met (in person here in Rome ,and only by email or by phone) a lot of friends and above all a lot of relatives.



Lot of American people with Italian roots.



Thank you , my life is more rich since I met all of you...



A particular tribute to my uncle Leonardo Norcia who decide to left for the States , leaving here all his family even if he was only 17. Thank you to all the Italians that decide to left, lot of courage and will.



Thank you...

First recipe : Chocolate muffin with a 'tender heart'

Tortini Fondenti con Cuore di Cioccolato Caldo

Chocolate muffin with a 'tender heart'

Ingredients for 6 muffins : 1/2 cup dark chocolate melted- 1/3 cup butter melted- 1/3 up sugar - one tbsp flour
2 eggs
a pinch of salt
Put chocolate and butter in a bowl and melt in a microwave.Let it stay for a few minutes to cool a little bit.Then add sugar , one egg , then the other egg. Then add the flour and stir well.
Put the batter in 6 muffin cups and put them in the freeze for 4-5 hours or more.Cook in the oven at 425 F for 15-20 minutes.
The result is a yummy chocolate muffin with a melted 'heart'.
TIP : you can add to the batter a little bit of orange zest or any spice you love like cinnamon, nutmeg , ginger and so on...

Thank you to Sherry for this wonderful silicon muffins cups !!!

Living in Rome

I want to share with you my life in Rome. I would like you to feel as you were here. Here in Rome - Italy.
I will make as much as I can to make you try what it means to live in Rome in bad and good way.
Feel free to ask me whatever you have in mind. Any doubt , answer and suggestion is more than appreciated.
Let's begin Our travel.
Have a look to this video , the song is of a famous Roman singer Antonello Venditti, and the title is 'Roma Capoccia' , that in Roman slang means the capital Rome.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7jv8zmtnxE