Category Archives: First Course

Quinoa with cream of leeks

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Few years back, as some of you already know, I decided to vary my diet introducing different cereals like millet, kamut, spelt, barley and quinoa to name few of them. Quinoa made quite an impression on me for its  organoleptic properties and nutritional value.

Quinoa is actually a pseudo-cereal, closely related to species like spinach and beets. It has been cultivated in the Andean highlands for nearly 6000 years. Considered sacred by the Incas it was called, chisaya mama, the mother of all grains. Nowadays the majority of quinoa is still imported from South America where it grows in poor soil, arid climates and high altitudes. There are over 100 species of quinoa, but only three main varieties are cultivated: the white or sweet variety, the red and black quinoa.

Quinoa is highly appreciated by vegetarians and vegans for its high content of proteins. It’s actually a complete protein, meaning that one can obtain all 9 essential amino acids from the grain. It’s also a good source of dietary fiber phosphorus and is high in iron and magnesium. Quinoa has more calcium than milk and its fat, mostly polyunsaturated, provides the essential fatty acids our body needs. Being gluten-free it’s an alternative for people with celiac disease. Continue reading →

Minestrone: food for the soul

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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. Continue reading →

Potato buckwheat gnocchi with speck

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It’s carnevale and while every pastry store is serving frittelle and crostoli, we in Verona also have the tradition of eating potato gnocchi. A tradition that culminates on Venerdì Gnocolar* that this year will fall on February 12nd and the parade with its allegorical floats and Papà del Gnocco, the main character of our carnival. As usual we all gather at my parents house to enjoy numerous courses of gnocchi served with different sauces. The end of the meal is always gladdened with carnival sweets such as frittelle, crostoli, favette and creme fritte**. We then spend the rest of the afternoon watching the parade passing by.

This dish is not what we usually serve on Venerdì gnocolar, but when I ran across this recipe on l’Accademia della cucina Italiana, I couldn’t resist and I tried it the next day. I was not disappointed by the results. The gnocchi have a hearty and rustic flavor enhanced and complemented by the Speck. The thyme gives a fresh touch to the preparation. Continue reading →

Pasta a risotto with red beets

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Happy New Year to all of you! I just got back from a long vacation in Minnesota where I had such a wonderful time with friends and family. I’m still adjusting to the time difference, which means staying awake most of the night, but this didn’t stop me from making this pasta that I was craving for a long time.

I like pasta and love to experiment new recipes and methods. A method that I’m particularly fond of is to cook pasta as if making risotto. It’s in fact called “pasta a risotto”. It’s easier than preparing risotto itself, but you still have to follow the preparation closely if you don’t want to end up with an overcooked pasta dish. The best pasta types are the small format like pennette, maccheroni, farfalle and cavatappi. They hold better and they’re prettier to see in the final preparation. Continue reading →

Spiced basmati rice with vegetables

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In this period I’m craving spicy food and in particular Indian. I’m fascinated by this cuisine and particularly interested in the primary role spices and herbs have. I’m amazed by all the different aromas and flavors each individual spice can have: whole and popped, grounded and then cooked, toasted, soaked and more. I have a few books on Indian cuisine and I’ve tried quite a few recipes with success. Notwithstanding I should say I feel I still don’t know anything about it. For the moment I will learn from the books I have, but sooner or later I’m going to follow some cooking classes to learn more about the usage and the different combinations of spices and herbs.

The dish I made today is adapted from a recipe in The Turmeric Trail: Recipes and Memories from an Indian Childhood by Raghavan Iyer. If you have never heard of this book and you’re interested in Indian cuisine you should definitely have it. It’s a beautifully written book where the recipes are well explained and very precise. Each recipe is introduced by an episode from Mr. Iyer’s personal life that captures your attention and brings you on a time travel through India and its world of spices. I’m never tire of reading his recipes and personal notes again and again. I’m planning to try all his recipes and looking forward to going to the States where, thanks to his indications, I can find certain ingredients that I haven’t found in Italy . Continue reading →

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