Category Archives: Second Course

Gorgonzola, apple and leek tart

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I prepared this tart last week for the first time and I’m very satisfied with the result. I used Gorgonzola, one of my favorite cheeses, rennet apples and leeks. I made the tart shell with spelt flour and walnuts to give the tart a rustic touch and to give a balanced taste. The Gorgonzola I used is blue-veined, strong Gorgonzola, the so-called “two-curds cheese”. There’s also another more common variety in Italy which is white, creamy and slightly spicy and used in several dishes like Celery and Gorgonzola. Rennet apples are a tart Italian apple with a soft flesh that tastes better when cooked. They’re perfect for apple cakes and pies, if you don’t find them you can substitute them with Fuji.

You can serve the tart as an appetizer cut in small portions or as a main dish accompanied with green salad. I don’t know about you but a small portion is not enough for me when one of the main ingredients is Gorgonzola cheese. I actually invited my parents to share the tart with because I didn’t want to risk eating it all by myself. They loved it as much as I did. Even my little one devoured it and I can tell you I was pretty surprised that he liked such a strong cheese as Gorgonzola. Don’t be surprised if your kids will appreciate it too. Continue reading →

Shrimps with curry sauce and polenta

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My vegetable farmer closed the stand for the winter so I went there to stack up on cornmeal, potatoes and bought the few vegetables they had left. Yes you heard right cornmeal, this year they cultivated an antique variety of corn and then brought it to a mill that ground it and packed it for them. The color of the grain is dark yellow and the flour has a golden and vivid color, it actually smells of corn and tastes even better much better than all the other organic varieties I’ve been trying lately.

Polenta is the winter dish for excellence in the Northern Italy we prepare it in every possible way. In the old days was consumed by the poor that couldn’t afford  bread. I remember my grandma that used to eat it the day after it was prepared cut in pieces in her milk for breakfast. She had other options but she just loved it that way. In the old days polenta was prepared in the copper cauldron and cooked over the fire place a woman was not a woman if she wasn’t able to make polenta and make it that way. Continue reading →

Tofu with bell peppers and tomato sauce

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It has been such a long time I didn’t make this dish that I almost forgot how good it was. I was craving tofu and I was thinking about Mapo Doufu with ground pork meat, tian mian jiang and dou ban jiang sauce (hoisin sauce), Chinese often mix their tofu with meat and this particular dish is outstanding but then I decided that I needed something lighter after the Holidays. Luckily this dish came to mind and in about 30 minutes it was piping hot and ready on our plates. Even my little one liked it, he kept saying how good this meat was and I didn’t contradict him but enjoyed watching him savoring the dish. Continue reading →

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