Aspic di Gamberetti

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Sono la piccola “Viola del Pensiero”!
Non mi curo dei cieli imbronciati!
Se la farfalla tarda
Posso, per questo, mancare?

Inizia cosi’ la bella poesia di Emily Dickinson che ha ispirato questa ricetta di Aspic di Gamberetti. Dispetto all’inverno, questo fiorellino resiste al freddo e qui nella mia ricetta di aspic “fiorisce” in cima alla gelatina di gamberetti e da’ un tocco di allegria quasi primaverile! Forse un segno che siamo gia’ stanchi di questo lungo inverno? Allora – via a piatti “fioriti”! Continue reading →

Rice Fritters from Siena

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With carnival season approaching bakery windows are brimming with all sorts of fried pastry in Italy. Each region or even city has their own specialty. Recently visiting Siena I enjoyed a taste of their rice fritters – Frittelle di Riso – in historic Piazza del Campo. A little hut is set up there around this time that turns out freshly fried Frittelle by the minute. Outside a line of people impatiently wait for these delectable crispy treats. A sign outside listed the genuine ingredients. Coming back home I couldn’t help making them myself. I wasn’t disappointed – I think I came pretty close! Of course to fully enjoy them you should really come to the beautiful medieval city of Siena yourself. Continue reading →

Healthy Cream Filled Brownie Valentines

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These flourless and fat- free Healthy Cream Filled Brownie Valentines come from a Jamie Oliver inspired chocolate beetroot cake recipe. In my version I used steamed beets instead of fresh ones, substituted regular sugar with coconut sugar and I also added chopped walnuts. The batter was baked in a rectangular pan with a lower rim to make heart cutouts easier to form. Ultimately each heart was sandwiched together and topped with whipped cream and raspberries. Continue reading →

Apple Pear Miascia

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This Apple Pear “Miascia”, a traditional cake from Como could be grouped together with other “frugal” cakes in
Italy such as the “Torta Paesana” of Brianza. These cakes both use day old bread soaked in milk but the “Miascia” has a lighter and fruitier twist in the use of apples and pears instead of cocoa – and walnuts are used here instead of pine nuts. Continue reading →

Easy Pumpkin Sticky Buns

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These Easy Pumpkin Sticky Buns can be made in a snap if you have that tube of ready-roll croissants on hand. Just unroll, pinch together the triangles and reroll again with the pumpkin filling. Slice and bake on top of the caramel sauce. When baked, flip them over and you have delicious topping on top of everything. Couldn’t be easier than that! Continue reading →

Chocolate Wine Bread

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This versatile chocolate wine bread has barely a hint of wine that complements the chocolate taste perfectly. In addition the chopped walnuts give this loaf a welcome crunch. These unusual flavours for a bread combine perfectly with the whole wheat and rye flours creating a loaf that goes wonderfully with cheese and also scrumptious toasted and spread with cherry or raspberry jam for breakfast. And all the work is done by your bread machine! Continue reading →

Ricotta Pear Bundles

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This Ricotta Pear Bundle is an interesting and refreshing way to serve a cheese and pear filled crepe – which by the way is a great combination of flavors. You only have to fill the crepe and gather the edges, then tie it off like a bundle – hence where it gets its name! The delicate pear sauce surrounding it compliments it perfectly. Continue reading →