The Italian Job
Okay this is my big share for the end of the year. It make sound crazy, but I take making biscotti very seriously. Getting it right has taken me a number of years and I do feel I have it down to a fine art.
This makes a wonderful gift or a great little biscuit for an afternoon tea, or after dinner with a coffee or dessert wine, or for a sudden onslaught of visitors turn up. I just love it for my morning coffee, not too sweet, it’s just right.
Venetian Spritz - My Way!
Perfect for a little weekend prelude. And while you are there read a poem or two it wouldn’t hurt.
The Art of Bagna Cauda
This recipe originates in the Piedmont region of northern Italy. You might think the garlic would overwhelm the taste buds however the strength dissipates when cooked in the warm milk.
What to do with the left over bottle of Marsala!
Elizabeth David in her classic book Italian Food suggested that Zabaione “is much recommended by Italian doctors as a restorative”…..
Cooking with Diana……
Diana Vreeland once said “the eye has to travel”. In my opinion, so does the pallete. The thing I like about “How to Eat a Peach”, is not just the evocative food writing, the elegance of prose, the visual beauty of the pages, but the summation of all its parts. There are recipes and stories from all over the globe. Moments and memories that maketh the person. Transporting, this book takes you places not seen or known before you even attempt a recipe. So get a cup of tea, or a strong coffee because you are in for a journey.
Cooking with Tessa…..
Sitting late on a Saturday afternoon I take my time to peruse the contents of Piri Piri Starfish, the recipes and the beautiful images. A cookbook is many things, a visual aid, a historic document, a place to rest and find the creative impulse, for cooking is creativity at heart. The ingredients call me from the page. I want to try new things and I want to capture what is in season this very moment. I highlight the recipes. I walk outside and snap a bay leaf off the tree and tear a large handful of coriander in the potager. I am pleased the coriander is at its peak and not far from going to seed. I check the fridge for three tomatoes. This I can do. I call out to Maddy, “guess what Piri Piri Sauce is on its way with chilli, you will love it”….. Off I go.
Cooking with Simca……
The Cookbook: Food & Friends: Recipes and Memories from Simca’s Cuisine
by Simone Beck
Welcome, this is a new blog that has just decided to land on a Sunday afternoon while drinking a very fine red wine from Brokenwood an Australian Vineyard. Much respect to the vineyard and the idea.
This week I will cook and share recipes from ‘Food & Friends’ by Simone Beck. I basically have too many cookbooks. I even ordered another four this afternoon, old and new. But that was before this random thought came to mind, it was a primer I suppose.
So here we go, lets see what happens, it is sure to be delicious.
Michelle xo
Cooking with Jamie……
I don’t have many of Jamie Oliver’s Cookbooks, but one time I couldn’t resist buying this for Richard as a gift. He likes to make fresh pasta and pizza from scratch and he likes to eat. I was very hopeful when I bought it, dreaming up some good meals from inside the cover. The only disappointment that came out of it was when Rich decided that Jamie knows best and put grapes on our pizzas. I wasn’t pleased and still find it offensive. I am still wondering where that crazy idea hails from in Italy but then there is still a lot to discover about Italy. There are twenty provinces after all. Anyway, I am most looking forward to some la cucina Italiana at home this week. I have Grace to thank in truth. When I called out on Sunday afternoon ‘what cookbook shall I cook from this week?’, she immediately replied ‘Jamie’. I was like yeah, why not? I was planning to dig into Patience Gray’s Honey From a Weed and sample some rustic dishes from the Mediterranean lands but that can wait I am sure. So here we go, one of my favourite cuisines, it is sure to be good.
Michelle,
6th October, 2021