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Agrumato Tangerine Gelato – Olive Oil Gelato
Warm weather or cold weather, rain or shine, I make frozen desserts all year round, and my gelato machine occupies pride of place on my kitchen counter. I enjoy trying new things, and olive oil gelati are the subject of my latest experimentation. Here a simple egg custard based gelato is made with olive oil, and not just any olive oil. I used Agrumato (ah-gru-MAH-to) Tangerine, a premium extra virgin olive oil made by the Ricci Family of Abruzzo. The olives are Gentile di Chieti, Leccino, and Olivastra cultivars. In some citrus oils the flavoring agents are added to the finished oil, almost as an afterthought, but in the best of class the citrus is pressed together with the olives resulting in an extraordinary harmony and blending of flavors that lesser quality oils can not rival. The Ricci Family presses both olives and citrus together to produce a fine oil with no sense of “added flavor.” Read the remainder of this entry »
Broccoli with Homemade Cavatelli and Crudo Extra Virgin Olive Oil
This dish is simple, unfussy, and flexible. Maybe that is one reason why it is so good. Vibrant green broccoli and toothsome pasta are tossed with toasted pine nuts, peperoncino flakes, Parmigiano, and warm garlic-scented olive oil. And what oil this is. When I decided to write this article, it was going to be about how to make a simple dinner and the traditional pasta corta (short pasta) known as cavatelli, but once I tasted a spoonful of the Crudo Extra Virgin olive oil, my perspective shifted, and the dish ran away with the spoon. Read the remainder of this entry »
Pears Poached in Passito with Mugolio Cream
Their gentle sway, the round bottom that nestles in my hand, the succulent flesh of a perfectly ripe Comice – I love pears. Succulent and sexy, whether roasted in cream and sugar, baked into a tart or cake, transformed on the stove top into Pear Vanilla Butter, or eaten out of hand, pears are one of the gustatory delights of Winter.
I have a vivid recollection of my first taste of poached pears. Bosc pears, firm and tall with their stems intact, had been peeled and gently poached in sweetened, spiced Port wine. Their flesh yielding to a paring knife, the hostess lifted them from the garnet liquid and placed them in a pool of thick Creme Anglaise. She increased the flame under the poaching liquid and reduced it to a syrup. She dotted the Creme Anglaise with the syrup and deftly ran a paring knife through the dots, connecting them in an elephant walk chain made of linked hearts. A beautiful dessert took shape before my eyes, and I was transfixed. It changed the way I thought about food, and certainly how I thought about pears. It was one of those moments one never forgets, and although the word may be overused, it was a revelation.
The Glorious Vegetables of Italy by Domenica Marchetti – A Book Review
Carrot-Ricotta Ravioli with Herbed Butter
Green is the new black, so the food writers say. Vegetables are the answer to feeding a hungry planet, so the scientists say. However, this is not news to Italians. Their country’s rich soil produces an abundance of vegetables, each variety in astonishing array. Through the ages, from Apicius of ancient Rome, to Bartolomeo Scappi and Giacomo Castelveltri of the 16th and 17th centuries, right up to Pellegrino Artusi, Italian food writers have had a way with vegetables. With The Glorious Vegetables of Italy, food writer and cookbook author Domenica Marchetti has produced a treasure for our times and beyond. This book is the second in my Suggestions for Christmas Giving, but perhaps you had better not wait until Christmas. After all, the groaning board that is the Thanksgiving feast is replete with vegetables.
In this third volume of Ms. Marchetti’s Glorious series, she demonstrates the versatility and brilliance of classic Italian vegetable cookery, reinterpreted for the contemporary palate. It’s all here, opening with a section on vegetable identification, uses and seasonality, including a beautifully realized photographic gallery. There are basics on equipment and herbs, pasta dough and sauces. Course by course, this book will realign the senses of anyone who thinks of vegetables only as side dishes. Read the remainder of this entry »
Stuffed Tomatoes Redux – Pomodori Ripieni
More with Fonte di Foiano Pendolino Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Stuffed tomatoes are the quintessential summer dish, and they are easy to put together. They are perfect for any meal, casual or elegant, and are incredibly versatile, moving easily from day into night. Serve them with a crisp green salad and white wine for an elegant lunch or as a starter for a more elaborate dinner. You can use large, medium or small tomatoes, what ever suits your fancy. Read the remainder of this entry »
Third Anniversary Celebration and Giveaway
My site is three years old this week. It has been an endless source of enjoyment and enrichment far beyond what I imagined. I have made friends and through them more friends, a real network – gli amici degli amici .
As a thanks and to celebrate, I’m having a giveaway, of what else, Italian food products! The winner will receive a gift certificate for Olio2go valued at $100.00 from AdriBarrCrocetti.com. And, Olio2go has generously added a 5 bottle Fonte di Foiano Sampler Gift Set (retail value of $55.95.)