Risotto Nostalgico e Profumo di Mare ( Pea and Asparagus Green Risotto With a Poached Fish Rollatina. Very green and beautiful!)

I grew up in a busy city by the Adriatic sea. On a really hot day, the city smelt of tar, expensive perfumes and seaweed. Though the city was big and busy and very crowded, it was beautiful and cosy: it was home. On Summer nights the bars and caffe` stayed open until the early hours of the morning. The city wore a new dress with every season, but one element, one presence was constant : the sea.

On a Summer's night you could almost hear the waves, crushing against the rocks and, if you were in a romantic mood, you could even hear the crabs. They make a bubbling sound at night. I know, because I heard this sound many times.

In Winter, on really windy, rainy day, the sea would be very angry and rough. The waves crossed the Lungomare and invaded the long, wide road which, like a very beautiful snake, ran  parallel with  the city, and led to nearby seaside town. It was and still is a beautiful road. It's the place where my dad's family originated from. It's very beautiful.     
                                                                                                                                      

My father loved the sea. He took me to the seaside for the first time and put me on a little island, where I sat like a little mermaid, screaming. I was afraid of the sea. He taught me how to catch crabs and shrimps and sea cucumbers. If you squeeze them, they spit water. It was funny! I loved my Babbo!

My mother loved the city: she loved traffic, noises, crowded shopping centres, and big buildings. She loved people and talking: she talked a lot! Not a country girl, my mother. She was able to see beauty in buildings and cement. But it was she, who, strange enough, taught me how to look at nature, plants, and especially vegetables. My mother wasn't a meat eater. 


During our visits to Caterina's, her farmer friend, who lived outside the city, beyond a railway line, we would pick baby artichokes, fresh peas still in their pods, baby tomatoes (I can still remember the smell!) and, if I was really, really lucky, Caterina would let me have one or two freshly laid eggs.

During these visits I saw things you never see in a city: a horse, chickens, crickets and worms. I loved it!

I feel very lucky to have these places, in my mind, which I can revisit when I feel sad, or when the sky has been grey for far too long.

It has been a very long, Northern Winter and I needed to re visit those places. With this in mind, I got a few ingredients inspired by the sea and the countryside of my childhood and cooked a nostalgic dish. And here it is:

Risotto Nostalgico e Profumo del Mare

( Pea and Asparagus Green Risotto

with a Poached Fish Rollatina)

Serves 2

Ingredients:

( For the risotto)

a small bunch of fresh asparagus

5-6 spring onions (scallions)

1 very small garlic clove

two handfuls of peas

5 tbsp olive oil

salt

pepper

Pecorino or Parmesan Cheese

150g Arborio rice

1-2 stock cubes

For the Fish Rollatine:

2 large fish fillets

(can be sea bass or sole

or any white fish)

10 shelled prawns

2 small garlic cloves

small bunch of parsley

a few basil leaves

some Pecorino or

Parmesan, grated

salt

black pepper

Cling film for wrapping the

fish

Making my risotto

Before I started, I washed my asparagus and prepared my spring onions. I cleaned and chopped a small clove of garlic and then proceeded to chop the onions and the stalks (just the tender part) of my asparagus, reserving the tips.

I made some stock (about 1 litre) by using a couple of stock cubes and hot water, and placed in large jug, ready to be added to my risotto. If you have time, you can make your vegetable stock by  using water, some oil, an onion a tomato and some celery.

In a medium saucepan I heated some olive oil until really hot, I then added my spring onions ( I used the whole thing, leaves included, as I wanted my risotto to be green.) After two or three minutes, the asparagus stalks were added with the garlic, very finely chopped.

 I let the vegetables cook and blend together for a couple of minutes, then started adding my rice, one handful at the time. I let the first lot toast, then added some stock. I stirred all the time to make sure the rice didn't dry out too much and didn't stick to the pan. I continued to add more rice and stock, until the rice was used up. I carried on stirring and adding small amounts of stock, as I went along. I never let it dry out. Risotto is very easy to make.

When my rice was almost ready, I put my lovely peas in a small food processor and blitzed  until they became a bright, emerald green "cream". 

I added this to my risotto with a generous grating of cheese. I served garnished  with some asparagus tips which I had quickly poached. 

This risotto can also be served and enjoyed with a generous garnish of uncooked pea shoots.

While I was making my risotto, I also had a fish rollatina poaching in water. I actually made this first, so the two dishes could be served together, as a delicious main course.

I placed my fillets on a clean surface, placed four large prawns in the middle of each with some parsley, basil, some cheese, a tiny bit of chopped garlic, some salt and black pepper and then proceeded to roll the fish, till it looked like a sausage. The fish parcel was then placed in the middle of a biggish piece of cling film, which was then wrapped very tightly round the fish rollatina and then secured ( I tied the ends of mine, together.)


At this point, my fish really looked like a sausage, as it was being poached in hot water.

My little fish parcels were poached in boiling water for about 7-10 minutes, then unwrapped, sliced, and served with some of the rice.

 I also made a small warm salad, with broad beans (fave) which I cooked and then shelled, with some feta cheese and olive oil. I also poured some lovely Italian olive oil over the fish. It looked gorgeous! 

My dish was fresh, delicious and very healthy. I think both my parents would have enjoyed it, as it was made using some of their favourite ingredients. Beautiful!

Ferri di Cavallo. Buona fortuna! (Horse Shoe Shaped Italian Biscuits)

 Rossana on her wedding day, in Bari, Italy

My aunts all had daughters. I was the baby in the family, the youngest of the nieces, loved and cherished by all. When my big cousins got married, I always was chosen to be the "damigella": the bridesmaid! 

 I must have been just three or four, the first time I was a bridesmaid, with my light blond hair, dressed in a tutu` I hated, white shoes, bright red lips and a shy smile. I was four when I first smelt the fragrance of a traditional, old fashioned Italian bouquet of fiori d'arancio (orange blossom) and gardenias.

In an old photo, I'm standing next to my mother, at one of these weddings. Babbo, my dad, on her left, in his dark suit and tie, very slim, lovely, lovely smile. My mother is wearing her dark blue dress with printed green roses and matching bolero, I used to wear when I thought she wasn't looking, with her high heels.

I remember walking into the restaurant: live music, laughter and all the family in one place. What more could a child want? Wedding were and still are very beautiful, in Italy. City weddings, are very sophisticated, expensive affairs. Lots of lovely food is consumed, and expensive wine and spumante.  Everyone is dressed beautifully, in a kind of understated elegance, typical of a stylish wedding.

My niece Rossana's wedding reception (first dance)

When I was a little girl, at the end of the reception, every family would receive a bomboniera (wedding favour, a gift, with confetti, sugared almonds-has to be just 5... can't be more, can't be less!) and a tray of pasticcini, little cakes.

Strange enough, last year we went to a wedding in Campania (different to the weddings we have in our city) and... we were presented with an old fashioned small tray of pasticcini, just like the ones I remembered from my childhood. Amongst the pasticcini, a couple of  " Ferri di Cavallo" delicious little horse shoe shaped biscuits, which I remembered very well, as, when I was a child, I used to love them!

By the way! In case you are wondering: the beautiful bride in the photos is Rossana, my niece. The wedding took place in Bari, but we couldn't go...  What a shame! Look at the venue! Look at the cake ( above) ... look at that dress... look at the beautiful smile! I think my mum would have been very proud of her grand daughter!

I think she looks a bit like me!

Today I made Ferri di Cavallo. I was very pleased with the result and felt very nostalgic. I could hear music and voices in my head... the past never, ever goes away...

My recipe:

Ferri di Cavallo

Ingredients

(makes about 50 biscuits)

400g (14 oz) plain flour 

100g ( 3 1/2 oz) corn flour

250 g (8 1/2 oz) butter

4 egg yolks

some vanilla extract

100g (3 1/2oz) confectioner's sugar

(icing sugar)

plus some extra icing sugar

100g (3 1/2 oz) good plain chocolate 

This is very quick and easy: weigh all the ingredients and grate or chop the butter, ready to be used.

In a small bowl, separate the eggs and have the yolks ready to be used.

This is what I did: I sifted flour and corn flour onto a board, then made a well in the middle. I grated my butter, which was very cold and quite solid, and added it, with the sugar and a teaspoon of vanilla extract.  I combined these ingredients together, very quickly, till I got a mixture which resembled crumbs.

Next, I added all my egg yolks and quickly worked them into the mixture. Mine was a little bit dry, so I added a tiny bit of milk, till I got a silky, soft dough.

In order to make my horse shoe shaped biscuits, I took small pieces of dough, rolled them, till they became about 12cm long, then placed them onto a lined baking tray, giving them the shape I was after.

My Ferri di Cavallo then went into a hot oven ( 190C, 375F, Gas 5 ) for about 15-20 minutes, till they became pale golden and were cooked.

This mixture is very "short" and crumbly, so I didn't remove my cakes, till they felt cold and solid. A few of them broke, to my disappointment, but most looked delicious and became even more delicious after I dipped both ends of each in plain chocolate 75% solid cocoa, which I melted in my microwave (should have been done in a "bagnomaria," but... it worked!)

 

A gentle sprinkling of icing sugar made my little "pasticcini" look really pretty!

                                          And here they are!

                                           FERRI DI CAVALLO!

Delicious Pizza di Cipolle (Calzone di Cipolla Barese)

If she had been making my calzone, Pizza di Cipolle, today, the amount would have served 25! My mum's calzone (Pizza di Cipolle) was usually made in a very large black baking tray, which was hired from the local bakery. It needed to be very big, as my mum was in the habit of making this delicious pie for the whole extended family!

When the calzone was made, she would phone the bakery and someone would collect the masterpiece, and take it to the shop, to be baked and then bring it back, when it was cooked.  Our oven was just an ordinary one, the kind people have when they live in cities... certainly not big enough for a BFG sized pie!

As her family got smaller, the pies got smaller, too, but the taste... oh, so delicious never diminished!

In Springtime, my mum would sometimes buy these enormous, really long (about 80 or so cm, leeks... so long I was scared of them!) and  would use them for the filling. She then started using ordinary onions, which I actually prefer.

The dough she made was crunchy, tasted like fresh bread and home.

My home tastes like "home" today, as I made my very own Calzone (I call it: Pizza di Cipolle.) I used ordinary onions plus two or three leeks, as I like the green colour!

I want to share the recipe with you. My sisters have found new and wonderful ways to make the dough. I remember how my mum made her dough, as I was always there, watching the MASTER and I really don't care about using machines or new techniques. It's all made by hand, and I follow, step by step, my mum's way of doing it.

When the dough was made, she cut a cross on the top, and dusted with flour. I think she thought this was something to do with God helping your dough raise, as she would also make a cross with her hand, above the dough.

My mum always said that bread is precious. It should never be thrown away and that, like water, it should always be shared with those in need. Bless her!

And now... here is my mum's recipe:

Calzone (Pizza) di Cipolle

alla Barese

(Can serve up to 8)

For the dough:

600g (1 lb, 3oz) plain flour

(or 00 flour)

1 cup

warm water

1 punnet live yeast

(or 1 sachet dried yeast)

1/4 glass olive oil

some salt

For the onion filling:

1.200g onions

2lb, 6 oz)

(or a mix of leeks and onions)

olive oil

4 small tomatoes

1 glass milk

salt

black pepper

grated cheese

(I use Pecorino)

handful olives

(pitted and sliced)

some pancetta

olive oil for the baking tray

I love onions. They look beautiful and taste fantastic! For my recipe, today, I bought onions and  three shiny, bright green leeks, because I thought they would add coulor and a different texture to my dish.

I cleaned the onions (If you cut the bottom part, with the roots, off, you won't cry!) and sliced each one thinly, by hand. I then washed my leeks and sliced vertically and then horizontally. I discarded the long leafy dark green bits, as they tend to be hard and are not really edible (you can use those in leek and potato soup, though! Delicious!)

I placed my vegetables, the oil, my tomatoes, halved, and the milk, in my lovely non stick pan and cooked, until the onions went a translucent golden shade of caramel, then added cheese, salt, lots of black pepper and finelly an egg. I mixed with a spatula, until the egg was well blended and cooked. The calzone filling was then placed outside, to cool down.

The dough...

I made this very simply... just the way my mum used to. She didn't weigh the ingredients, really. Neither do I, but this time I did, just for the purpose of writing the recipe.

Anyway: I put my flour onto a board, made a well in the centre and put my yeast, some warm water, acouple of pinches of salt and some olive oil, in it and made a dough , using just my hands. It didn't take long. At some point, I decided to add more water, as the dough felt a bit hard.

After kneading the dough for five or so minutes, I rolled it into a ball, then cut a cross in the middle of it, dusted with flour and placed in a warm place, till it almost doubled up in size.

 

Forty minutes later...

My dough was ready to be used. I decided to make my calzone in this lovely paella dish I have, as I knew that it would cook better in a metal tin. I cut the dough into two pieces, I rolled one out and placed in the tin, which I had generously oiled. 

Next, I put the onions over the dough and spread evenly. This was followed by: my handful of delicious olives ( sliced and pitted) the bacon (I also used some guanciale-a type of pancetta) previously fried in a little oil (I know... it's not a dish for the faint hearted, but it is traditional and I will respect that!) followed by lots of grated Pecorino cheeese and black pepper, which I love!

I put a lid on my pie, made holes in it, with a fork, glazed with olive oil and baked until golden and cooked (check top and bottom to see if it's ready!) in my lovely oven at a temperature of 190C (375F, Gas 5.)

With some of the left over dough, I made just a few small pizzelle ( fried pizzas) by making the dough into small balls, rolling each one out and then frying in olive oil.

I made a topping for them, by placing some tinned tomatoes a small amount of olive oil and lots of grated cheese and black pepper in a pan and reducing, over the heat. The sauce was then spread over the top of my fried pizzelle. No origano, please... it's a big NO No in Italian cookery, believe it or not! 

I just added some fresh basil and a selection of leaves with olives, to mine. Lots of cheese and black pepper made them delicious!

Zucchine Ripiene alla Mozzarella ( Stuffed Courgettes, with Mozzarella)

As she emptied her shopping bag... a shower of green leaves "flew" out: chard, three, maybe four bundles of rucola, followed by peppers (really big ones, very shiny and funny shaped!) and  tiny, little friggitelli, the tiniest, cutest little peppers the child had ever seen!

At the bottom of the bag, four or five large zucchine: green, almost stripey and squeaky to touch!

She loved zucchine! Her mother said they tasted "fresh" in Summer. "Will we make Parmigiana with them?" "No"- Mamma replied "Oggi mangeremo le zucchine ripiene!" "No, today we will make stuffed courgettes!"

Having put all the green treasures away, mother and daughter (her little shoulders just above the height of the table top,) got to work, together.

The little girl watched her mother with admiration, as she scooped the pale green (almost white) flesh out of the beautiful zucchine. She knew that earthy smell very well, and she also knew that soon she would get the job of chopping the "bits" that mamma had scooped out of the courgettes .

Outside, it was very sunny and hot. Something told the little girl to savour this simple, ordinary, but at the same time precious moment, and hide it in the box she kept locked in her heart. You never know...

As I look out of the window, today, I see the world through a stream of water. Tiny drops of rain chase each other, as they make their way down the window payne.

It's been raining for days... day and night... night and day... incessantly... it never seems to stop. Will it ever stop?

I will  find refuge in my little universe of scents, words in another language, memories and sunshine.

Today I will go back to that day, in our kitchen in Italy and will make the dish I was helping my mamma prepare. 

Zucchine Ripiene

alla Mozzarella

  (Stuffed Courgettes

with mozzarella)

Ingredients:

Serves 4

2 fresh largish zucchine

(courgettes)

1 slice and half, or a small piece of white bread

4 cloves of garlic

1 egg

some Pecorino or Parmesan cheese

1 generous tbs of capers in vinegar

1 mozzarella

fresh parsley

5-6 cherry tmatoes (or

4 peeled plum tomatoes)

Olive oil

some water

 salt

black pepper

Wash your courgettes, trim the ends, then cut in half lengthways, and finally scoop the flesh out of the middle of each half ( I do this with  a spoon or a teaspoon, as I find it easier than using a knife!)

Now you should have four courgette shells and a some beautiful translucent courgette flesh. 

                             I could only fit three in my dish! I used the 4th one for

                                                          my risotto!

Cut the flesh into small cubes, then chop two cloves of garlic very finely and break your bread into small pieces (if your bread is not fresh, or is crusty, it should be quickly soaked in water and then squeezed, to get all the liquid out of it)

In a non stick pan (I have recently bought an excellent Jamie Oliver non stick frying pan, which I love! And I love him, too!) place 5-6 tbsp of olive oil. Heat and add your chopped courgette flesh and the garlic. Stir, as these two ingredients mingle in the pan, and the courgette begins to soften. Add your bread, cut into small pieces, stir and mix again.  Now you are ready to add a whole egg.

                                                      making the filling

Using a wooden spoon, make sure all the ingredients are well blended and combined (the egg will do this for you.)

 Finally, add a generous handful of Pecorino or Parmesan, some salt and lots of lovely black pepper and some fresh parsley. Cook until the egg is well incorporated, and finally add a teaspoon of capers. I added some pink peppercorns to my filling, as I like the way it looks and its flavour.

This is your lovely stuffing done!

Place your courgette shells in an ovenproof dish and divide the stuffing equally, between them.

Cut your mozzarella into cubes and gently push a few peaces of it into the filling of each courgette. It will melt and taste delicious as the dish cooks.

Place some olive oil (as much or as little as you like) at the base of the dish, followed by water, half the way up the courgettes. To the water, add some capers, some chopped garlic ( about two cloves, or more if you like garlic) two or three tomatoes, chopped, some grated cheese, salt, pepper and parsley.

Make sure that some of the cheese and some olive oil "land" on the top of your courgettes. I also like to put a few slices  of cherry tomato on each.

Bake in a fairly hot oven 190C (375F-Gas5) until the courgettes feel soft and the finished dish looks golden. You'll know the dish is ready when you can smell the aroma produced by the ingredients of my lovely dish!

 

As you can see from the pictures, I served my zucchine on individual oval dishes, with a small portion of risotto made with zucchina and garlic, two towers of Savoy cabbage, which I love and, on the side, a salad (rucola, cherry tomatoes, pan fried gnocchi and pasta) served in a little dish I made from a tortilla bread.

I thought my dish looked really quite pretty. I really love zucchine! Did you know you can make Parmigiana (look up my Parmigiana recipe!) using zucchine instead of aubergine ?

 

BUONA DOMENICA! (Ragu` with Braciole- Italian Sunday Lunch)

Easter Sunday morning: the church bells are ringing, the swallows are flying. It's Springtime and I feel happy. Today I will wear my pink and gray tartan coat with my new shoes and my pink leather bag, the one with the long strap. I am ten and quite looking forward to going out with my friend Stella.

Mamma gives me some money for the collection, in church "Don't forget to bring a bottle of Holy water, so your father can bless the family before we start eating" says my mother. I promise I will. I have a small empty bottle in my bag. 

As I make my way to Stella's I feel the coins, in my pocket and I taste the sweet flavour of Menta Glaciale (my favourite sweets... they look like icebergs!) slowly melting in my mouth, and of liquorice. Inside my head, I am unrolling a wheel of sweet, soft, chewy liquorice and I'm thinking:" They don't need my money! I'm not going to church!"

So, yes... we are not going to church, not today, not ever again! We have grown up (we are ten, after all) and we need to explore. Using all my money, we buy sweets (liquorice never tasted that good!) and we make our way to the city centre, leaving the church bells behind. We felt naughty and free. We walk and walk and walk, we eat sweets and drink lemonade out funny little plastic bottles. 

As we walk round the elegant city centre, we look at every shop and department store window, feeling very happy to be there, and very grown up. We then look at the time and realise that it's almost lunch time. We can tell because the sun feels ever so hot!

 Stella and I look at each other, panick and start running, in a straight line, all the way down a street. All the bars are shutting. Having had their aperitivo, people are making their way home for Easter Sunday lunch.

After what seemed like a very long race against time, we begin to see the familiar buildings, our school, the church and the shops in our "quartiere."

We say bye with a smile and both go home. What an adventure!

Once home, I ring the bell and Rosa, my mother opens the door "Where have you been? We are all waiting for you. Where's the holy water?" "Yes... where's the Holy water... what holy water? Oh, My god!" - I think. I quickly turn round and I run as fast as I can to the church.

 The big wooden door is locked "What shall I do? What shall I do? I was supposed to get some holy water from the church, but I never went there!"

As I look to the left of the church, I notice a little gate. I know it leads to a courtyard which runs along the side of the church and that... THEY HAVE A SINK, AND IT'S OUTSIDE!  I know the water won't be "Holy," but  but what else can I do? So, I fill the bottle from the tap and I run back home, all the way, holding it in one hand and melted liquorice in the other (by now black and sticky) hand.

My mum opens the door, again, I smile at her and finally I notice the smell of Sunday lunch: ragu` di carne con braciole. It must be Sunday, today! Words cannot explain the sense of love and confort I feel when I smell that aroma and I see all my family sat round our big round table. I'm so glad I found the way home!

It's Easter lunch time and my father is dipping an olive branch in a cup of (not at all) holy water which came from a tap outside the church. He smiles and blesses the family and the food on our table. I really don't have time to feel guilty. The food smells good, it's a sunny day and we are all together!

Today, I'm sharing our family recipe for Ragu` di Carne, con Braciole.

Ragù di Carne, con Braciole

Ingredients:

Braciole
 

6 thin slices of beef

(I used frying steak)

2 garlic cloves

a small bunch of fresh parsley

some grated Italian Cheese

(I like to use Pecorino)

2 slices of pancetta,

or some diced pancetta

black pepper

salt

some cocktail sticks

For the sauce:

800mls (1pt, 12floz) passata

1 large onion

7-8 tbsp olive oil

1 slice pancetta

a glass of wine

salt

pepper

a small piece of cheese

fresh basil

(this is optional

but I LOVE IT!)

Before you start making the sauce, prepare your braciole. These are delicious beef "parcels" which will make your sauce delicious!

Place your slices of beef (if they are not thin enough, use your meat mallet!) on a surfice, next to each other. In the middle of each, place some chopped garlic, some chopped fresh parsley, a couple of pieces of pancetta, or bacon, a generous sprinkling of Pecorino, which I prefer to Parmigiano, followed by salt and lots of black pepper.

Roll the slices, individually, and secure with a cocktail stick, making sure the filling stays inside. Place on a plate, and cover.

                                             My big sister Nunzia, buying meat in Italy

                                                braciole in the making!

                                                   ready to be cooked 

Now make the sauce. Finely chop the onion, then heat the oil. When hot, add the onion, followed by your pancetta, diced or chopped, if you are using the sliced kind. Stir until golden, then, one at a time, add your braciole. By now you should be smelling a fantastic aroma! If you have a piece of Pecorino, add it, too, as it will make your sauce taste really good!

When your braciole have browned, pour a glass of red or white wine, stir again and wait until the the alcohol evaporates. Now, the final stage: add your lovely passata, bring to the boil, the lower the heat to almost minimum, half cover with a lid and wait...

If the sauce appears to be thickening too much, to prevent the meat from sticking to the pan (some say that if this happens, it actually improves the flavour!) add a small amount of water.

A good ragù should cook for a good three to four hours, not less, otherwise your braciole will be so tough, you'll be able to play cricket with them. Nothing more off putting than a tough braciola. My mum's were always tender and succulent, but then, she really knew how to cook!

                                                         I sliced my braciola to serve

In Italy, ragù with braciole, or just meat (we don't mix meat, sausages and  meatballs, as it would be a lethal combination. We keep it simple) is often part of our Sunday dinner. We have the sauce on pasta with cheese, then the meat, as a second course with a contorno of patatine ( thinly sliced chips fried in olive oil, rosemary and garlic) and, in winter, a kind of vegetable tempura, using vegetables in season, or salad. We only and always have salad with meat or fish, and never before a meal.

As you can see, below, I cooked some pasta al dente, of course, and served it with some sauce and a sprinkling of ricotta romana (or ricotta dura, a kind of Italian Feta cheese, but nicer!)

This dish reminds me of home and, to me, it's the most Italian of dishes, as it unites the Nation from  the Alps all the way down to Sicily!

BUONA DOMENICA!