Summer is finally here and for me it means barbecues with friends and family. With my husband being American we like to alternate and organize  either American or Italian barbecues though sometimes we mix up our traditional meals.

In Italy we usually like to grill sausages, salamelle (thicker but shorter than a sausage) pancetta, capocollo (pork neck chops), pork ribs, hot dogs or kebabs (alternating pieces of sausage, chicken, pancetta and bell peppers). The meat is often accompanied with grilled vegetables and grilled polenta, big salads and while the meat is cooking bruschetta is often chosen as an appetizer. We absolutely don’t put any sauce over the meat but we sometimes marinate it with olive oil and fresh herbs before grilling.
I personally like to grill some sausages, my favorite are with fennel seeds, but I also like chicken flavored with thyme, rosemary and sage.

I like American style barbecue too: potato salad, hamburgers, hot dogs, steaks and  barbecue sauce but dips are what I prefer the most. I think dips are a great invention. I  always like to try new recipes. I found this BLT dip recipe on Taste of Home and after the first time I made it I elected it  my number one dip for barbecues.

The original recipe calls for sour cream but I can’t find it so easily here in Italy. I think that Greek yogurt is a great substitute if not even better.
I like to prepare the dip the night before so the flavors  blend together. I serve it with crackers low salt crackers.

Bacon and tomato dip

Ingredients:

6 thin slices of bacon, 10 if you are in Italy
1 cup ripe tomato cut in cubes
1 cup Greek yogurt, 2% fat is also fine
1 cup mayonnaise with no sugar added
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preparation:

In a nonstick pan cook the bacon until crispy, lay it on a paper towel to absorb the grease and when cold crumble it in bits.
In a bowl combine the mayo, yogurt and the bacon bits. Mix well with wire whisk.
Divide the tomato in two parts, discard the seeds and the liquid, and chop the remaining tomato into cubes. Add them to the dip together with the shredded cheese. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or all night and serve with low salt crackers.

I’ve always liked the snack ideas most and turkey roll-ups became my favorites. Hard to say why maybe because they’re so different from typical Italian snacks. The recipe I liked has cilantro mayonnaise and seeing that I don’t find cilantro very often in my store I changed the recipe and substituted the cilantro with paprika and garlic powder.

I used to bring my two rolls at work and eat them in the morning. My colleagues were all jealous and I don’t blame them, because they really looked scrumptious. My parents fell in love with them too and often serve them as an appetizer, especially in the summer.

Turkey roll-ups with paprika and garlic sauce

Ingredients:

4 slices deli turkey
4 medium lettuce leaves
4 Tbsp. mayonnaise*
1/4 heaping tsp. paprika
1/8 scant tsp. not salted garlic powder

To enrich the filling you can either add:
slices of tomatoes
bell pepper strips
cucumbers or other vegetables of your choice

Preparation:

In a small bowl combine mayonnaise, paprika and garlic powder. Cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes so that the flavors will blend together. This sauce can be kept in the fridge for few days if you have leftovers.
Spread each slice of  turkey with 1 Tablespoon mayo mixture, top it with a lettuce leave.
Roll them up and serve.

Notes:

* If you want a lighter snack substitute half of the mayo with Greek yogurt or sour cream.

Fava beans also known as broad beans, Windsor beans or English beans just to name a few are one of the first spring legumes to appear on our tables. They have been a beloved food for centuries in Northern Africa, Asia and Europe. During the Roman empire favas were eaten by the plebeians and consumed in different ways. They were dried then grounded into flour, and used to make puls a grain mush, the ancestor of polenta prepared mainly with farro flour. They were also eaten raw which is still common or cooked together with lard.

In the last few years there has been a growth of new recipes and a re-elaboration of classic ones using this legume.  The recipe I prepared is a re-elaboration of one of the classics, “Fave e pecorino” (Pecorino cheese with fresh fava beans), typical from the Lazio region. Fava beans are eaten raw, when they’re still small and soft, accompanied by slices of Pecorino cheese.

The spread I prepared here has only fresh fava beans, few mint leaves, olive oil salt and pepper. It’s then spread on toasted slices of bread and topped with a sliced of aged Pecorino.

To prepare the spread it takes a little bit of time because the fava beans have to be shelled, briefly cooked and lastly peeled. When I made this dish time passed quickly, because my kid helped me through the whole process and we spent some nice quality time together.

Crostini with fava bean spread

Ingredients:

about 2-1/2 lbs. fresh unshelled fava beans, 1 lb. shelled fava beans
4-5 fresh mint leaves
1-1 /2 to 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
aged Pecorino cheese to slice
1  French baguette or ciabatta for the crostini

Preparation:

Shell the fava beans. Warm up a pan of slightly salted water and when it’s hot add the fava beans and cook them for 5 minutes.
When fava beans are ready, strain and rinse them under cold running water then peel them. It will take a little bit.
Blend all the ingredients except for the Pecorino. I used a hand blender but you can use a food processor as well.
Put the spread in a bowl, cover it with plastic wrap and let it stand in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
In the mean time slice the bread and toast it in a preheated oven at 350° until golden brown abot 5 minutes.
Spread the slices of bread with the fava bean spread and top them with a thin slice of Pecorino cheese. You can also sprinkle the crostini with more pepper if you like. Serve.

I made this salad for the first time last Easter and is served as an appetizer. It was more successful than I expected. Some of my guests didn’t even know what puntarelle chicory was and they were a little bit intimidated at first. A few years ago I didn’t know much about puntarelle either only that it was a famous vegetable widely used in the Roman cuisine. It was difficult to find it here in the North, but luckily now they are available in our stores starting in December through April.

Puntarelle is a variety of chicory, with serrated leaves, attached to the base of the plant that surrounds the shoots growing inside the plant during the winter. Its flavor is similar to chicory and endive with bitter and peppery-like taste. The shoots are crunchy and can be eaten raw or cooked. When cooked have a mellower flavor and can be used to make wonderful pasta dishes. There are also other ways to eat them cooked, for example, my mom boils them and simply eats them with hard boiled eggs seasoned with olive oil, salt and pepper. When eaten raw they have a stronger and bitter taste and thus they’re often accompanied with anchovies in salads that mitigate the bitterness and compliment the flavor.

I should call this Easter salad because it gathers contemporary and traditional Easter ingredients. It’s a tribute to the spring: puntarelle, oranges, avocado and the ever present eggs. Eggs have always been a vital and positive symbol, an emblem of new life and a metaphor for the rebirth of nature and body. In all the continents as well as in the most antique traditions, eggs seem to have similar meanings and were eaten to celebrate the arrival of the spring. This tradition hasn’t changed in centuries, so lets celebrate!

Puntarelle with eggs, oranges and avocado salad

Ingredients:

1 lb. puntarelle chicory
4 oranges
3 eggs
1 avocado
3.5 oz. black olives
the juice of one lemon
5-6 chives chopped
5 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Preparation:

Discard the outer and thicker leaves of the puntarelle. Cut the shoots in four part and place them in cold water together with the thinner and smaller leaves. Leaving them in cold water makes them crunchier as well as curly and less bitter.
Boil the eggs for 10 minutes, cool them under cold running water. Shell them and cut them in round slices.
Peal the oranges with a knife and eliminate the rind (zest, the orange part plus albedo, the white part). Slice the oranges in thin round slices and place them on the bottom of a serving plate.
Cut the avocado in two and eliminate the seed. Cut the avocado in cubes and sprinkle them with the lemon juice so they won’t get dark.
Drain the puntarelle and pat them dry. Place them in the middle of the plate and decoratively add also the egg slices, the olives and the avocado cubes.
In a small bowl whisk the oil together with balsamic vinegar, chives, salt and pepper. Drizzle the condiment over the salad and serve. Buon appetito!

Notes:
Recipe adapted from Sale & Pepe Magazine (April 2002).

Minestrone is the Italian word for vegetable soup. Vegetables are cut in small pieces, and to make it tastier a soffritto is added. Soffritto is the base for a lot of Italian dishes. It consists of a small amount of vegetables, thinly chopped and saute in few spoons of olive oil or butter. The vegetables vary from recipe to recipe but the two classics are of onions, carrots and celery for dishes like the ragù alla bolognese, and butter and onions for risotto dishes.

I usually prefer to consume my vegetable soup pureed, and in this case it’s called passato di verdura (pureed vegetable soup). When I saw this recipe on Sale & Pepe Magazine (February 2010), I didn’t think twice and I made it right away. This dish is a complete meal and has all the nutrients you need. The quantity of vegetables and legumes is well balanced and neither of them has an overpowers the complete dish.

I love to make earthy minestrone during the winter season when it’s cold and humid outside. When I’m feeling cold and just want something warm. I imagine you too have those days when you would like to be wrapped in a warm blanket all day. This is a comfort food that makes me feel cuddled and cozy and I hope it’ll do the same for you. Let me know if you try it.

For the recipe I used ditalini rigati but you can choose the shape of pasta you prefer. This dish can also be gluten free. Just substitute regular wheat pasta with your gluten free pasta. If you want to enrich your minestrone and don’t waste a single gram of your Parmigiano the crust can be added to the boiling minestrone. Scrape the outer part of the crust with a knife before adding it to the soup. It will become a chewy and extremely flavorful surprise in your minestrone.
I like to savor my minestrone with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a dust freshly grated black pepper.

Minestrone: food for the soul

Ingredients:

7 oz. squash
1 leek
1 carrot
3-4 leaves savoy cabbage
1 zucchini
2 medium potatoes
3.5 oz. Swiss chard leaves
Parmigiano crust (optional)
7 oz. dry borlotti beans (cranberry beans) soaked overnight
5 oz. ditalini rigati pasta*

For the soffritto:
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove minced
1 shallot thinly sliced
2 Tbsp. finely chopped parsley
3-4 basil leaves finely chopped
3 whole canned tomatoes

Preparation:

Prepare the soffritto before the vegetables. In a nonstick skillet heat up 2 Tablespoons olive oil then add the chopped parsley, basil, celery, the garlic, the shallot and saute for 5 minutes. Add 3 canned tomatoes cut in small pieces and cook for 10 more minutes. Set aside.
Cut in cubes the squash, the potatoes, carrot and zucchini. Slice the leek, savoy cabbage and the Swiss chard leaves. Put all the cut vegetables in a pan and add about 2 quarts water. Season with a big pinch of salt and bring it to a boil. When the vegetables start to boil add the soffritto to the soup and combine well.
Add the beans to the vegetables and cook for 2 hours more. If you have your crust of Parmigiano you can add it after one hour the minestrone is cooking. At the end add 5 oz. ditalini rigati pasta and cook for 10 more minutes or according to directions.
I usually serve it with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of black pepper.

Notes:
* For a gluten free dish substitute the ditalini pasta with a gluten free pasta of your choice, better a small shape.

These are the rolls I prepare for our Thanksgiving dinner every year and they always disappear in minutes. I made them this year too but I only used a small amount of the dough and I refrigerated the rest. This particular preparation can be refrigerated, but I had never done it until now. I made the rest of the rolls few days later and served them warm, as an appetizer, with prosciutto crudo and Speck. They were a hit.
Our pastry shops often have small croissants cut in two and filled with prosciutto crudo, Speck or ham with a thin slice of cheese and a leave of salad. My rolls are obviously different from croissants, they are a pan brioche kind of dough but the flavors are well balanced. If you prefer you can spread them with a little bit of butter and then add the prosciutto. I personally like them without, but that also depends on the prosciutto some are in fact drier than others. Never choose the beginning of the leg, it’s drier and saltier than its middle part. The end is sweeter but it is usually cut thicker. Check this well informed site about prosciutto crudo for more info. You can read about Speck on the Speck Consortium.

I have other ideas on how to serve these rolls but I’ll try them an other time. I have no more leftovers but I’m sure I’ll have an other chance soon. We asked my mother in law to prepare us a Turkey dinner while in the States for Christmas and I know she’ll make rolls for sure. I’ll be spending a whole month in the States so my next post will be probably from the other side of the pond. Enjoy the recipe.

Crescent rolls with prosciutto crudo

Ingredients:

6 1/2 to 7 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tsp. salt
1/4 soft unsalted butter or shortening
1 large egg
2 pkg. regular dry active yeast
2 cups lukewarm water
soft unsalted butter to grease and spread

For the filling:
prosciutto crudo (cured ham) or Speck

Makes proximately 4 dozens medium rolls

Preparation:

Dissolve the yeast in 1 cup of water and set aside.
In a large bowl mix butter, sugar, salt and the egg with a fork.
Add the flour and then the water with yeast. Slowly add the second cup mixing the dough with your hands until it gets easy to handle.
Grease a bowl with butter place the dough shaped like a ball and let it rise for 2 hours and half.
Divide the dough in 3 pieces and roll it, one at the time into 10-inch. circle on floured surface.
Spread with softened butter and cut it into wedges. The number of wedges will vary depending on how you want your rolls. I like them pretty small but it’s up to you.
Roll up each wedge starting from the external part. Place rolls with points underneath, on a baking sheet covered with oven paper, curve them slightly. Brush them with butter and cover them with a kitchen towel.
Let them rise in a warm place for 30 more minutes.
Heat oven to 400°
Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.
Place them in a bowl and covered them with a kitchen towel and let them rest for about 15 minutes.
Slice each roll in two and place a slice of prosciutto crudo or Speck. If you prefer you can lightly spread one side with butter. Serve.

Note:
This recipe has been adapted from the Gold Medal flour recipe.
Dough can also be refrigerated up to 3 days. Put it in the refrigerator right after mixing it. Grease the bowl and the top of dough with butter and cover it with a damp cloth. When ready to bake take only the amount of desired dough and keep the remainder in the fridge. Shape the crescent rolls cover them with a cloth and let them rise for 2 and half to 3 hours.

Antipasto calabro is the typical appetizer that I enjoy eating when I’m on vacation there, and I love to prepare it for my guests when I’m back in Verona. It’s a simple dish that encompasses the main products of this land: red hot pepper, pork meat, sheep milk cheeses, red onions from Tropea, tomatoes, eggplants and mushrooms.

There’s no cooking in this appetizer, you just have to buy good quality products and display them nicely on a plate. I actually buy most of the ingredients in Calabria except for the Pecorino cheese that I can find here in Verona too.

A jar of eggplants and a package of olive schiacciate are always in my pantry. The eggplants are peeled and cut in thin strips, seasoned with oregano, a little bit of red hot pepper, slices of garlic and preserved in olive oil. Olive schiacciate, the olives are seeded and seasoned with red hot pepper, garlic and oregano. I had a recipe how to prepare them and I made them once but they came out too bitter, so I still prefer to buy them. Of course dry tomatoes preserved in olive oil are a must.

This dish is often enriched with mushrooms preserved in olive oil, they actually were in the dish but they are not visible in the picture. The Sila, a wide mountainous plateau between Cosenza and Catanzaro, abounds in mushrooms including the prized porcini mushrooms.

Soppressata and capocollo are the Calabrian cured meats that come from locally-raised hogs. Sopressata calabrese (or soppressata) is made with the lean part of pork meat and 2-3% pork fat. It’s flavored with salt and black pepper and a dusting of red hot pepper. Capocollo, called coppa in the other regions of Italy, is cured pork shoulder prepared with salt, herbs, and spices. Prosciutto crudo is also produced here, but it’s not as typical as the other cuts.

Finally there’s the mythical Nduja, my favorite pork product from Calabria. A spreadable salami filled with pork and a lot of red hot pepper, then smoked. I would eat it every day if I could, but this year I went a little bit easy on it and it was really hard. I brought one nduja home as usual, so when I miss it I have it on hand all year long to prepare a pasta dish or to spread it on slices of bread.

Recently I’ve seen Nduja produced abroad, I wouldn’t buy it even if it would be produced here in Verona for that matter. I think that certain products are authentic only when produced in their region of origin. It shouldn’t be called nduja if not produced in Spilinga (Vibo Valenzia) or its surroundings.

The last ingredient is Tropea red onions, one can find them everywhere in Italy and abroad, but I wonder how it’s possible that such a small area produces such a great amount of onions. Anyway I tasted the real ones and I can assure you that I’ve never tasted anything so sweet and flavorful while not overly strong. The secret to extra sweet onions is to slice them and leave them in cold water 30 minutes before consuming.

I know this is a rich appetizer and it could be a whole lunch by itself, but if you want to organize a Calabrian dinner this is a good start. Just make sure to serve a small portion.

Antipasto calabro

Ingredients:

Pecorino cheese
Dry tomatoes preserved in olive oil
Olive schiacciate, preserved eggplants, mushrooms and artichokes
Sopressata
Capocollo
Prosciutto crudo
Nduja
Sliced red onion previously soaked in cold water for 30′
Rustic bread

Prepare a small plate for each guest and place few slices of Pecorino cheese, sopressata and capocollo. A Tablespoon of olives, eggplants, mushrooms and few artichokes. A piece of nduja. Add a small mount of sliced onions. Make sure to accompany this appetizer with a rustic bread, better if it’s not too salty.

You may also be interested in other Calabrian specialties: Pasta with nduja, Pasta with potatoes.

A few weeks ago we were invited over to the neighbor’s house for a barbecue and when we arrived the table was beautifully decorated with colored glasses filled with puff pastry twists. I have a particular and irresistible love for finger food and I couldn’t stop eating them. At first glance I thought they were the usual kind made with Parmesan cheese, but these were much much better. They had Parmesan cheese but they were also enriched with thin slices of speck, a cold cut typical of the Tyrolean cuisine (see: a glimpse into the Tyrolean cuisine).

I asked our friend how she made them and while she was explaining me the procedure I got the impression that they were a little bit complicated. When I prepared them however I realized how wrong I was. I assure you they’re easier to make then it seems and surprisingly fast, 20 minutes from start to finish. I’ve already added this recipe among my favorite appetizers and it’s hard not making them over and over again.

Puff pastry twists apart the barbecue was a success. It was a combination of Italian and American dishes. My neighbor made a fabulous caponata, a famous Sicilian dish served mainly as an appetizer. It was a family recipe from her husband’s side. She also prepared few slices of grilled polenta covered with thin slices of lard. I don’t like lard, actually I’ve never been able to eat it, but this time I had the courage and ate a piece and to my surprise it was really good completely melted over the polenta. The last appetizer was my BLT dip, a creamy cheese dip with bacon bits, cheddar cheese and tomatoes served with crackers. They devoured it. The appetizers were followed by grilled meats: sausages with fennel seeds, salamelle (a bigger kind of sausage), pancetta cut in thick slices, Argentinian beef, beefsteaks and pork loin. We served the meats with the potato salad I made instead of the usual grilled polenta. The neighbors loved it.

We ended up on a sweet note with my cheesecake, but my kid and I finished our dinner with the last puff pastry twists. I was a little bit ashamed but I couldn’t help it. Few days later I made them again for my family and they disappeared in minutes.

Speck puff pastry twists

Ingredients:

2 rectangular puff pastry sheets
4 oz. speck thinly sliced
1/2 cup freshly grated Italian Parmesan
1 egg yolk
dry oregano

Preparation:

Place the puff pastry sheets on a working surface.
Layer the Speck slices over one sheet, covering the entire surface. Sprinkle the Speck generously with Parmesan cheese.
Beat the egg yolk lightly with a fork and brush the other sheet with it. Sprinkle the egg sheet with a small quantity of oregano.
Place the sheet with egg over the speck one. The egg side has to adhere to the Speck one.
To do this last operation is better if your puff pastry sheets are on a wooden board.
Cut the sheets lengthwise with a pizza cutter, about 1 inch wide. Without moving the slice from the surface, start twisting it from one end, holding the other end firm. As you can see in the first picture the twists are short but you can keep them long as in the second picture, they actually look better for a decorative table.
When the twist is done place it on baking sheet, previously covered by oven paper.
When finished bake the puff pastry twists in a preheated oven at 400° for 10 minutes or until golden.

Hummus is a Middle Eastern specialty commonly served together with a variety of appetizers, dips, salads at the beginning of a festive meal and they are called mezze or meze.
The dip is now known worldwide and it’s eaten accompanied with fresh or toasted pita bread or fresh vegetables. It’s a great snack or appetizer even if I often eat it as a main course with fresh vegetables. It’s very healthy and tasty and I never tire of it.

The first time I ate it was about 12 years ago when a take out Syrian restaurant opened in Verona. It was a small family restaurant the first of its kind in the city. They made pita bread from scratch and all the dishes were well selected and lovingly prepared. Unfortunately the restaurant didn’t take off and after awhile they closed. I’m still dreaming about those dishes: kebabs with falafel balls, hummus or Baba Ghannoouj and other appetizers whose names I unfortunately don’t remember. They were particular to me because they used unusual ingredients like pomegranate juice to season the meat or a yogurt garlic sauce to add in the kebabs. I’m pretty sure that in Milan, Rome or in other larger Italian cities I could find the similar dishes, but then that is too far to go for lunch.  In the meantime I’ll try to make my own sometimes with success and sometimes not, and sooner or later I’m sure the restaurant I’m looking for will open again here in Verona.

I found this hummus recipe by chance when following the South Beach Diet. I made it and after few changes to adapt the recipe to my own needs and tastes I reached the result I was hoping for: well blended and balanced flavors. I especially like its nutty flavor due to the tahini sauce or sesame paste, an indispensable ingredient that can not be substituted or omitted otherwise you’ll end up with a hummus that will definitely lack in flavor. I prefer to add one clove of garlic but you can either skip it or increase the quantity up to 2-3 cloves. The hummus can be eaten right away, but it’s better if you let it stand for at least 30 minutes.

Hummus with crudités

Ingredients:

For the hummus:
2 cups cooked chickpeas or 1 15 oz. can
1/2 cup Tahini (sesame paste)
1/4-1/2 cup lukewarm water or of the liquid from the chickpeas
1 small cloves of garlic
2 tsp. ground cumin
1/8 tsp. ground chili pepper
3 Tbsp. white or red onion minced better if fresh or if you prefer scallions
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. sea salt
chopped fresh parsley to garnish

For the crudités:
2 large carrots
1 seedless cucumber
3 celery ribs, strings removed with a vegetable peeler halved lengthwise and cored
1/2 red bell pepper
You can use the vegetables you prefer

Preparation:

For the hummus:
Drain the chickpeas if you’re using the canned ones. Put them in a food processor or use a hand blender, add all the other ingredients plus 1/4 cup of the liquid and start blending, if it’s too dry add more liquid until it reaches a puree consistency. Let the flavors blend together for about 30 minutes. Serve and garnish with chopped parsley.

For the crudites:
Cut carrots, celery, bell pepper and cucumber into 1/2-inch-wide sticks (2 1/2 inches long) and display them on a plate around the hummus bowl.

The weather has been so warm lately that I decided to lock up the heavy winter food and start eating lighter fresher foods and salads are on the top of that list. I’m always searching for as many salad recipes as possible and I ate a very good one the other week while in Valle d’Aosta. We were at a restaurant and we chose green apple walnut salad as an appetizer. It was a really simple and refreshing dish, flavors were well balanced so I made it again at home. It tasted just like at  the restaurant so I evidently guessed the right proportions. I used granny smith apples, crunchy green celery and walnuts from Sorrento. The choice of the lemon is also important, buy it fresh don’t use bottled juice.

I should consume more apples instead I always underestimate the beneficial qualities of this fruit.  Apples in fact have many healthy properties some of them I didn’t know about. They help digestion something that was already well known by the Romans. They’re an energy source like carbohydrates but low in calories they also contains a good quantity of vitamins and minerals. They are a natural treatment for your teeth thanks to fruit acid and fibers they clean your teeth, so it is a good habit to eat an apple after your meal if you forgot your toothbrush. I guess the proverb “An apple a day keeps the doctor away,” maybe is not so far from truth.

Green apple and walnut salad

Ingredients:

2 granny smith apples, about 15 oz.
2 celery stalk, about 1/2 cup
1/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. sea salt
dust of white pepper

Preparation:

Peal the apples and cut them in small cubes. Eliminate the celery strings and then cut it in cubes. Chop the walnuts coarsely and add them to the rest of the salad.
In a bowl whisk the oil together with salt, lemon juice and the white pepper. Add the seasoning to the salad mix and serve right away.