My Italian Cuisine

Did you know that Zucchini flowers can be eaten? In Rome it's a "must", every good Pizzeria will have "Fiori di zucca fritti" as starter in the menu. I love them! You can also eat  them on Pizza, they have a sweet unique taste.... The only problem is that Zucchini Flowers are difficult to find, specially outside Italy. I had the chance to hand-pick some from my friend's garden yesterday and today I want to share the recipie with you! Have fun cooking this little treasure from mother nature. Serves 4 Ingredients: 8  Zucchini Flowers 1 Fresh medium Mozzarella cheese 4 anchovies 130 gr Flour 1/2 Cup of Water 1 egg (at room temperature) a pinch of baking powder Salt to taste 1/2 liter frying Oil Carefully wash and dry the Zucchini flowers. Put aside. Cut the mozzarella cheese in cubes, cut the anchovies in half.  Fill each flower with a cube of mozzarella and half anchovy. Close the flower and keep aside. Prepare the batter for deep...

Most of the italian traditional cuisine is very simple and healthy. This very easy to make but very flavoured and healthy salad is the good axample. It's important to season it with a good Extra Virgin Olive Oil, fresh persley and grey unrefined sea salt to get the real original taste. It can be  served with fish and meat as well. This recipie is perfect for a vegan diet. Ingredients: 8 medium potatoes 4 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil The juice of 1 lemon 1 garlic clove 1 large cup of finely cut parsley Grey unrefined salt to taste Pepper to taste Instructions: Boil the potatoes  in plenty of salty water. When potatoes are cooked (check with a fork if they are soft) drain them and let them cool a little. Peel the potatoes and cut them in cubes. Place the cubes in a mixing bowl. Finely cut the persley and the garlic. Add persley, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. Mix well. Your Salad is ready  Place the salad in a serving plat...

 The content and pictures of this post are copyright registered & protected ©myitaliancuisine These Brioches are my friends' favourites. I can never make enough of them, they are always gone so quickly... For the Brioche dough please follow the "Brioche Cake with Pastry Cream" instructions. For the Pastry Cream follow the "Italian Pastry Cream" instruction. Ingredients: 1 cold Brioche dough (see "Brioche Cake with Pastry Cream" ) 2 large cups of Pastry Cream (see  "Italian Pastry Cream") 5 Tbs of raisins 1 wipped egg for glazing 3 Tbs of pearl sugar for decoration Instructions: Place the cold brioche dough on a floured surface, form a rectangle using a rolling pin .  Turn the rectangle. Spread the Pastry Cream and the raisins all over the dough rectangle. Roll the cream and raisins filled dogh rectangle on the lenghtness. Cut the rolled dough in small brioches, about 10cm thick. Carefully place the brioches ...

   The content and pictures of this post are copyright registered & protected ©myitaliancuisine Brioches are not really easy to make. It took me quite long time to make a good brioche dough at home. I think this is a good recipie to make a very rich but delicious and soft Brioche Cake, perfect for tea time or for breakfast. For the Pastry Cream You can refer to the "Italian Pastry Cream" in this blog. Ingredients for the Brioche Dough : 500g all pourposes flour 10g salt 20g fresh yeast or 10g of dried granulated yeast  5 Eggs 200g Softened Butter chopped 60g fine White Sugar 100mlwater Ingredients for the cake: 1 Brioche Pastry 2 large cups of Italian Pastry Cream  1 wipped egg for glazing + 2 Tbs of pearl sugar for decoration Instructions for the Brioche dough: - Place the flour in a mixing bowl, add salt and sugar. Mix the yeast with 1 Tbs of warm water (30-45°C), stir it well, add it in the bowl. Add the 5 wipped eggs. ...

This Vegetables Gratin can be eaten warm or cold, as starter. To make it I use a special mixture called Gratin Bread Crumbs (Pane per Gratin). You can prepare the mixture in advance and keep it in fridge for 2, 3 days. You can also deep freeze it, and take it out when needed. This mixture can be used for other recipies in this blog, like, for example, my Gratinated Mussels. Ingredients for the "Gratin Bread Crumbs" 150 gr Toast bread 50 gr Bread crumbs 1and 1/2  Tbs Grated Parmesan Cheese 4-5  Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 large cup of fresh Persley 1 Garlic Clove Salt and Pepper to taste Instructions: Cut the Toast bread in quarters and add it in a food processor together with the garlic, grated Parmesan, persley and the bread crumbs. Mix for few seconds. Place the mixture in a mixing bowl and add salt , pepper and the oil. Mixture must be not too wet but not dry (see photo). Stir it well and put aside. Ingredients for the Vegetables Gratin: 150gr of Gra...

  T his French Beans simple salad will surprise you for the unique taste. I love it to accompany Roast Lamb or Beaf. The freshness of the lemon melded with the minth (IItalian« Mentuccia » which latin name is "Calamintha Nepeta" will be perfect for this recipie) mixed with garlic and oil give to this salad a unique unforgettable taste. If you can't find « Mentuccia » any other kind of mint will make it. This recipie is perfect for a vegan diet. Ingredients: 500 gr French beans, topped and tailed 1 Garlic clove 6 Sprigs fresh mint  (best if Italian mint: Mentuccia "Calamintha Nepeta ") 4 tbsp olive oil Juice of 1 lemon Grey Unrefined Sea Salt and Pepper to taste Instructions: Boil the beans in plenty of salted water and cook until quite tender. Drain in a colander and place the Beans in a mixing bowl. Finely chop the garlic and mint. Mix them in with the oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper and stir into the beans. Mix well. Your French Bea...

Pasta Primavera is one of my Mama's favourite. This fresh and quickly done recipie reminds me the Italian summer days, when a pasta salad or a light dish is the only you want to eat! It is served warmish or cold, as a pasta salad, i prefer it warmish with the mozzarella lightly "fondant"! Gnammy! Serves 4 Ingredients: 350 gr Short Italian Pasta (Tortiglioni or similar) 2 Large tomatoes or 20 cherry tomatoes 4 Large Italian Basil leaves 1 clove garlic 1 Teaspoon origan 3 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil Salt and Pepper to taste 2 liters of water  Instructions: Cut the washed tomatoes and the mozzarella cheese in small cubes. Add the Mozzarella and Tomatoes cubes in a mixing bowl with the olive oil the striped basil leaves, the finely cut garlic clove and half teaspoon origan, salt to taste. Put aside to rest and let the mix bring out a nice juicy sauce.  Meanwhile bring to boil 2 liters if water in a pot. When boiling add salt and then the pasta, c...

Autumn means pumpkins and for me ambercup squash, they are an excellent source of vitamins and antioxidants and I love them, specially mixed  with carrots. This is an excellent recipie for the first fresh autumn evenings. Best way to cook pumpkins is to steam them. Here for practical reasons I will cook all the veggies together in a pot. Serving 6 Ingredients: 1 Ambercup Squash of about 600gr. (preferably organic) Carrots 600gr. 3 Medium-small onions 1 Medium potato 100 cl Cream 2 Tbs of grated Parmesan Cheese (facutative) Salt Pepper A dash of fresh nutmeg (facultative) Instructions: Peel and cut the carrots, the onions and the potato in pieces. Cut the bottoms and the top of the Ambercup squash. Do not peel it but cut it in quarters, take off the seeds. Cut in small pieces. Add it to the other veggies. Place them in a pot with cold water and bring to boil. When boiling low the heat and cook till the Carrot are soft. When Carrots are soft mix al...

These delicious mini tarts are part of the Italian so called "Pasticceria mignon" which means Mini Pastry, more or less. You can use either fresh or frozen soft fruits. Be aware that the frozen ones tend to lose their juice once left at room temperature, which can degrade the tart. I am so lucky to have the back of my garden full of this wonderful little fruits in summertime, I still have some now due to the warm temperatures, so I have used fresh ones. For the cream filling you must refer to the post "Italian Pastry Cream" on this blog. Makes 12 Mini tarts Ingrediends: - For the crust 1 piece of lemon peel or a teaspoon vanilla extract 80 gr. Fine white sugar 300 gr. Pastry Flour 1 Egg 1Yolk 130 gr. Softened butter, chopped - For the filling 1 Cup of Italian Pastry Cream 6 Blackberries 6 Raspberries 1 Tbs of Powdered sugar Instructions for the Crust: Add in a Food Processor the lemon peel and the sugar, mix till the sugar...

 Caprese is the italian word to define a simple dish made of fresh tomato slices and mozzarella cheese slices topped with extra virgin Olive Oil, salt and fresh basil leaves. This is my finger food version of it. You can dress it an a llarge servng plate ot make mini single portions (finger food portions, see photos at the end of the post as a suggestion). Enjoy!  Ingredients for 14 mini portions: 14 mini mozzarella cheese balls 14 freshly cut basil leaves 14 small cherry tomatoes 14 tooth sticks 3 to 4 Tbs of exra Virgin Olive Oil 1 Tbs of Gey unrifined Sea Salt grounded  in a mortar 1/2 Teaspoon of origan (facultative) Instructions: Wash the basil leaves and the cherry tomatoes, take a tooth stick and start to compose the Mini Caprese with in the order: the basil leave folded in 2, the mini mozzarella ball, the cherry tomato. Place it in a tray and keep on doing the same for all the tooth sticks. Top with the olive oil, salt and powd...