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Pasta with Mushrooms, White Wine, and Cream
I got into this simple dish when I was living in Turkey. I lived in an isolated home about 45 minutes from Isparta's city center, with windows so badly insulated that it sounded like I lived in a tea kettle whenever the wind blew--which was every day, all the time. I swear the house could have been in the 1939 production of Wuthering Heights. Anyway, one day I finally found out where to buy alcohol in my town--it's not easy once you're out of the tourist destinations. I had a chunk of parmesan from my last visit to Italy that Guido (my Italian boyfriend) had wrapped in foil and stuffed in my suitcase. Finally, I had a precious bag of gluten-free pasta that my best friend Melanie sent me for my birthday. All I knew was that this meal had better be delicious if it was going to use my precious ingredients (wine, parmesan, and gluten-free pasta). Fortunately, the creamy deliciousness totally satisfied. But let me just come out and say it: If you are on a diet, stay away from this dish. It's creamy, delicious, and yummy...but it is dangerous for the skinny inclined, full of calories and fat. That said, I think it's good to splurge every once in a while, and if you're in a splurging mood, go for this. I think what makes this pasta so dang tasty is using a little extra garlic (maybe a second clove if you're daring), a whole lot of parmesan, and a decent white wine. Do not even think about skipping the wine. I used gluten-free white rice penne for this dish. I don't recommend corn pasta for this because its strong flavor might detract from the cream sauce. That said, they make a good corn and rice tagliatelle here in Italy and I would have way rather used that than the penne, for the texture. And if you're not gluten-free, then I would definitely use your favorite flat egg noodle, like a fettuccine or tagliatelle. Without further ado... Servings: 2 full plates 1 Tbs of butter 1 garlic clove, chopped 1/4 cup white wine (Don't skimp on this!) 1 cup of cream (200 ml) 3 Tbs grated parmesan 9 to 10 oz of mushrooms--about one package of mushrooms 1 Tbs chopped parsley Salt and black pepper Pasta for two G-Spot Ingredient: The sneaky trick I highlight in the recipe! Bring your pot of water to a boil and add about 1 Tbs of salt before you add the pasta. Cook the pasta until al dente, that is, cook it until it needs about one more minute until it's ready. While the water is heating up, get your sauce prepared so it's ready a bit before the pasta is done. Start by chopping up your mushrooms and garlic. Melt the butter in the pan, then add the garlic. There are two ways you can do this. You can add the garlic the Italian way, which means that you cut the clove in half, let it cook in the olive oil, and then pull it out later so you don't eat it. Or you can do it the American way, which is to chop it up and let it cook throughout the sauce. I left it in, so the garlic...
read moreLa Cucina Ecologico–Keeping Your Kitchen Green
It can be expensive and difficult to always buy green and organic products, though for the most part, I say it's worth it. However, one huge way you can green your kitchen and home is by using natural cleaning products in our kitchen, and of course the rest of the house. Unfortunately, it's hard to find products like Simple Green and Seventh Generation here in Italy, and it's almost harder to convince my partner that it's worth the (lots of) extra Euros. In addition, I'm not entirely convinced that I want to inhale those products either, or that they are all that much more effective than some simple products I could make at home. I stumbled on a great website that had all kinds of natural recipes for cleaning fluids and cleansers. Here are some cleaning products you can make at home...not quite the yummy Italian food recipes I usually post, but they'll keep your kitchen orgasmic and green affordably! Just buy two spray bottles, a box of baking soda, a bottle of rubbing alcohol, and one box of white vinegar. Then go crazy with the recipes below: Homemade Glass Cleaner Recipe Mix in a sprayer bottle: 1 cup rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol 1 cup water 1 tablespoon white vinegar Homemade Spray Cleaner Recipe Mix in a sprayer bottle: 1 cup white vinegar 1 cup water In the kitchen, use vinegar-and-water spray to clean countertops, lightly soiled range surfaces and backsplash areas. In the bathroom, use vinegar spray cleaner to clean countertops, floors, and exterior surfaces of the toilet. Baking Soda Baking soda's mild abrasive action and natural deodorizing properties make it a powerful replacement for harsh commercial scouring powders. Put baking soda to work in your organized home: Sprinkle baking soda onto a damp sponge to tackle grimy bathtub rings, scour vanities, or remove food deposits from the kitchen sink. For tougher grime, make a paste of baking soda and water, apply to the tub or sink, and allow to stand for 10 to 20 minutes. Dirt, soap scum and deposits soften and are easier to remove. All of these great recipes come from the Organized Home website. Click here to get more natural recipes for furniture polish and high strength cleaners, as well as more information about the products. You can also check out a review of green cleaning products in the States here on the Grist...
read moreSurprisingly Fabulous Tuna Pasta (and Hand Gestures You Shouldn’t Make in Italy)
I just have to come out and say it--this pasta may not look fabulous, and it may not sound fabulous, but it is surprisingly super duper fabulous...even though it's made with canned tuna. When Guido pulled out the canned tuna to try out this recipe one evening, I had my doubts. So did he, which is why when I came in to the kitchen to help cook, he jokingly referred to his dish as "la cena del cornuto." La corna In southern Italy one of the worst things you can call a man is a cornuto, and don't you dare think about making the sign of the horns (la corna) by extending your index and pinkie finger...unless you're looking for a fight. Calling a man a cornuto is the same as telling him he's a cuckhold--basically, that someone's been sleeping with his wife. Forget the F word; in southern Italy cornuto is the king of curses. When I asked Guido why he called the dish "la cena del cornuto," he joked that it's such a simple dinner (la cena) that even a cornuto--a man whose wife is too busy with her lover to cook for him--can make it. But by the time Guido had finished, not only was I so madly in love with him that I knew he'd never be a cornuto (I mean, come on--a man who cooks?), but it was so surprisingly good that I had to share. On a less fun note: This is not the best dish for the environment. Tuna is over fished and full of mercury these days. But if you do decide to splurge, make sure you use high-quality canned Albacore tuna. Finally, good olive oil and kalamata olives are necessary, and the pinch of peperoncino really makes it sing. Servings: 2 full plates Ingredients: Spaghetti for two (for gluten-free folks, use rice pasta, not corn pasta, as it won't overshadow the sauce with its flavor) One clove of garlic, cut in half. One can of good-quality tuna stored in oil, drained One roma tomato, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces 6 to 8 Kalamata olives (not those nasty black canned ones you put on your fingers as a kid!) cut into large pieces, not chopped--see picture G-Spot Ingredient: A pinch of peperoncino (red peppers) Get your hot water boiling for the pasta. Before you add the pasta to the boiling water, add one to two tablespoons of salt to the water, closer to two for a large pot with lots of water. Heat your pan until warm, then add a tablespoon or so of olive oil, enough to cover about half the pan. Add the two halves of garlic to the oil and let simmer for one minute, then add the can of tuna and let cook for a couple minutes until thoroughly warm. Add the kalamata olives till warm, then add the tomato and a pinch of peperoncino till all the ingredients are slightly cooked. Finally, remove the garlic cloves, unless you're crazy for garlic like me. When the pasta is al dente, about two minutes before you'd normally pull it out, scoop out a small cup of pasta water, turn off the heat, and drain the pasta. Then, add the pasta to the tuna sauce, and cook until the...
read moreProciutto Salad with Apple, Walnut, and Parmigiano
While traveling in California introducing Guido to my family, we impressed my Santa Barbara relatives with a simple prosciutto salad. This version is a more embellished version, but you can simplify it by cutting the extra ingredients. Ah...Proscuitto di Parma. Sigh... There are few things in Italian cuisine that I love as much as prosciutto crudo, a thinly sliced salt-cured ham produced in central and northern Italy, most famously in Parma. It's slightly ironic that I love it so much, since I hadn't eaten pork products for almost 15 years before I started coming to Italy in 2010. One evening Guido set some prosciutto on the table along with a few slices of bread, some parmigiano (parmesan), and a little wine. I took a bite, hesitant...I don't really like to eat mammals. But once the thin, salty slice touched my tongue I was helpless against it and secretly ate the rest when Guido went to work the next day. All I can say is that prosciutto is one of the reasons the word "Orgasmica" appears in my blog. Prosciutto di ParmaI love to eat prosciutto with as few things as possible to highlight the taste. In Italy you'll often see it served with slices of melon (but not watermelon) or with figs as an appetizer. This salad is pushing my limit of acceptable ingredients to eat with prosciutto, but somehow all the individual tastes were still able to shine.We found a decent prosciutto at Trader Joes while traveling, and splurged on the slightly more expensive brand. It's always worth it. I also recommend investing a bit of extra cash on a good balsamic vinaigrette; the Trader Joe's "Gold Quality" was pretty decent. We also used their Grana Padando, a slightly softer (and more accurate) version of the parmigiano we have here in Italy. Servings: 2 full-sized platesIngredients:Lettuce (I prefer mixed greens which add a nice bitter flavor, and aren't ribbed like romaine)2 to 3 strips of prosciutto1/4 of an appleAs much parmigiano as your apple, sliced in a similar manner (not grated)8 walnut halves, cut in halfG-Spot Ingredient: A good quality Balsamic vinaigretteThe prep is quick and easy. Put your salad in the bowl, put the ingredients on top. Dress with your olive oil and vinaigrette (be modest, there's a lot of flavor here), and serve. Where do you get your high-quality olive oil, balsamic vinaigrette, or prosciutto if you're not in Italy? Please share here where you're from and let us...
read morePotato and Tomato Frittata with Chives
Welcome to the first official recipe co-created with my dad. I'm traveling in the U.S. at the moment, visiting family, and as usual Dad is wowing me with his fabulous eats. Yesterday I begged him for a frittata, an Italian egg dish that's much like a Spanish omelet. I prefer my dad's variation, which is with potatoes, spiced up with some vegetables and herbs from his backyard garden. Yum! Let's talk quickly about which pan you should use. You need a pan that can work on the stovetop AND in the oven. I'm a big fan of the cast iron pan (or carbon steel, which is more pricey). But you can use any kind of non-stick pan you like that is stove and oven-safe. For this amount of eggs, a round pan with a nine-inch base should serve you well. You can also make frittatas without potatoes (or tomatoes and chives, for that matter). This is a good base to play around with, but you can certainly substitute your own favorite veggies and cheeses as you like. But if you choose this version, feel free to play "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off" while you prepare the meal. You can pronounce potato and tomato however you like. Servings: 3 to 4 people as a main course, 6 to 8 as an appetizer Ingredients: 1.5 to 2 medium potatoes cut into 1/4 in. (2 cm) squares, enough to cover the bottom of the pan. 2 T butter or pure/virgin olive oil 2 T. of finely diced onion 6 large or 7 medium eggs 4 to 6 thin slices of cheese (a strong cheese like cheddar or fontina), enough to cover the surface of the frittata. You can also use grated parmigiana. 1 medium tomato, diced finely Salt and pepper to taste G-Spot Ingredient: 2 T. of finely chopped chives or green onions Saute the potatoes until slightly browned. Turn the broiler on and warm the oven. Sauté the potatoes in the olive oil at medium heat. Add salt and pepper to the potatoes as they cook. Once the potatoes are almost cooked and just starting to get golden, add the onions and sauté until the potatoes are fully cooked and the onions turn slightly golden as well. As the potatoes cook, beat the eggs and season with salt and pepper. Make sure the potatoes and onions are evenly spread on the base of the pan, then pour the beaten eggs evenly over the potatoes and onions. As the eggs begin to set, use your fork and move the eggs and potatoes around so more liquid egg touches the pan. Then let it cook for a couple of minutes at medium temperature, making sure it's not getting too brown on the sides. Lower the heat if it browns too quickly. While the eggs are setting, add half the tomatoes and chives to the top of the frittata so they have time to sink in. Then add the slices of cheese as the frittata gets golden on the sides. Once the frittata is cooked on the bottom, pull the pan off the heat and put it under the broiler. Watch the broiler carefully! At this point, you will likely have to move the pan around (if your broiler has hot spots) to...
read moreWatermelon, Yogurt and Mint Smoothie
Okay, I must confess once more: This is NOT Italian. But, it's super tasty and I made it for my Italian boyfriend on his birthday (in Italy, no less!), so...excuses, excuses, I know. But let's get over it already and delight in the yummy goodness of this smoothie: It's fresh, it's tasty, it's unique, and it's a great way to use up the rest of your watermelon on a hot summer day. One warning: The yogurt makes this smoothie very filling; you could easily have this for breakfast and be satisfied for the rest of the morning. Servings: 2 generous portions Ingredients: 2 cups of seeded watermelon chunks 1 T. mint (or more, if you're nuts for mint, like me) 1 cup plain or lemon yogurt Optional: 1 T. honey G-Spot Ingredient: A dash of cinnamon Puree the watermelon, honey, and mint quickly in a blender. Add in half the yogurt and pulse it a few times. Add in the second half of the yogurt in and mix with a spoon, or pulse once. Pour into cups and mix with a spoon to fully blend. Add a dash of cinnamon on top, and a little watermelon or mint garnish for fun. Note: Watermelon turns to slush really quickly when blended. If you'd like a thin drink, then blend all of the yogurt till you get your desired consistency. But if you'd like something thicker, I think a hand blender would help you keep more control over how liquid you want the watermelon to get, or you can blend the watermelon, and add the yogurt entirely by spoon. Just some...
read moreOrgasmic Watermelon Salad
Okay, I'm going to be up front with you. This dish is NOT Italian. However, I did serve it to a bunch of Italians whilst in Italy, so perhaps that's enough of a qualifier. They all loved it--the flavors are exotic for an Italian palate, but the flavor combinations are familiarly Mediterranean. The final flavor combination fireworks in your mouth: salty black olives, sweet and crunchy watermelon, creamy feta, oniony onions (okay--how do YOU describe onions?), and the gentle snap of mint. I found this recipe on one of my new favorite blogs, Rachel Eats, whose beautiful pictures inspired me to upgrade my Canon lens. So, without further ado...here's the recipe for an Orgasmic Watermelon Salad. Eat it sitting down, so you don't embarrass yourself by falling to your knees in rapture at the first bite. Portions: About six Ingredients: 1 large or 2 small onions A couple handfuls of parsley (about 1/4 to 1/3 cup chopped) 10 salty black Kalamata olives (I don't recommend canned or brine-packaged olives, and definitely not the tinny kind that you find on American pizzas) About six cups of chilled watermelon (the quality of the watermelon makes or breaks this dish, so get a good one!) 200g or a 1/2 cup of feta 6 Tbs of olive oil Lemon or lime juice to taste Salt and pepper to taste G-Spot Ingredient: Two sprigs of mint (add to taste here, I LOVE mint, so I added about 20 big leaves) Peel and chop the onions and carefully slice into thin crescents (see photo). Take your time with this step--chunky onions will overpower this dish. For the mint and parsley, pull off the leaves, wash and dry in a paper towel, then chop coarsely. Remove the rind and seeds from the watermelon and chop into small chunks (just over 1/2 inch or around 2cm) pieces. Cut the feta into 1/2 inch pieces as well. Take the pits out of the olives and cut them into halves or quarters. The salad, pre-feta Put all the ingredients together in a bowl, pour the lemon and olive oil on top, then mix all the ingredients with your hands to keep make sure the feta and melon keep their shape. Serve immediately. Note: If you want to make it in advance, put the melon on the bottom of the bowl, the other ingredients on top, and the feta in a separate bowl. Store in the fridge so it chills. When you're ready to serve, add the feta, then the dressing, then also mix by...
read moreCoffee Granita–it deserves its own post!
Sorry to be repetitive with the recipes here, but Guido and I had THE most amazing treat yesterday--coffee granita. If you love coffee and would like a summertime pick-me-up, you have got to try this. I know I blogged about lemon granita below, but this was so good, it deserved its own blog! Servings: 2 to 4 people, depending on how much coffee you can handle, and your level of restraint. Prep time: Including making the coffee and time to let things cool, about 15 to 20 minutes. Ingredients: 8 oz. or 1 cup of espresso or coffee (250 ml) **Not filtered coffee, unless it's crazy strong 4 oz. or 1/2 cup of water (100 ml) 1/2 cup of sugar (100 g)--maybe start with a little less and sweeten to taste. G-spot ingredient: Whipped cream for topping...oh...my...goodness... Make the espresso and allow it to cool. While it's cooling, bring the water to a simmer, lower the flame, then add the sugar and stir until it dissolves. Take the sugar water mixture off the heat and allow it to cool. When the coffee and the sugar water are cool, mix the two together, and pour the mixture into a shallow dish (like a 9 x 9 glass baking pan). Don't use something with Teflon because you'll be using a fork (and because Teflon sucks!). Cover the dish (not essential). Let the mixture sit for one hour, then stir it with a fork, crushing all the icy chunks. Repeat this every 30 minutes (some recipes say 20 minutes) and after about 3 hours, it should be ready to serve. You might want to let it warm up just a bit so it's not so grainy, but is a little bit slushy and liquid as well. Guido said that's how it's served in Sicily. Final tip: You MUST, MUST, MUST use whipped cream on this. You don't have to, of course, if you're avoiding dairy, but it truly becomes orgasmic when you do. My boyfriend (who's half Sicilian) loves this recipe and is amazed at how simple it is to make, and how like the "real thing" in Sicily....
read moreGranita: The perfect summer treat
Guido and I went to Rome recently, and while reacquainting myself with the city I saw so many years ago as a teenager, he decided to take me to the famous Piazza Navona, sight of the Tre Fontane (The Three Fountains). I went to Piazza Novana sixteen years ago on a tour in high school, and vaguely remembered savoring a delicious gelato while sitting next to one of the Tre Fontane at night. Well, it wasn't night this time; it was the hottest part of the day. Guido and I were wilting in the heat, so much so that we stuck our feet in one of the fountains (like everyone else, in our defense) and ended up getting yelled at by the carabinieri (the police). We finally managed to drag our sweaty selves to Tre Scalini, a famous gelateria, to salivate over their tasty gelati. I don't know why, but we decided to skip their most famous dessert: divino tartufo, a heavenly chocolate concoction (wait, why did we skip it again?). Instead, we dipped our plastic spoons into an over-priced but mouth-puckeringly delicious lemon granita. Our moods improved immediately. Granita is the general name for a slushy Italian dessert made from sugar, water, and other flavorings. It's similar to sorbet and Italian ice, but is famous for its more crystalline structure. Every city seems to have its own preference for consistency--granita machines create a smoother, more sorbet-like texture, and coarser varieties are frozen and only agitated slightly, then scraped or shaved to produce separated crystals. In Sicily it's often served with a brioche--pictured here alongside an almond milk granita. Some other popular granita varieties include jasmine, mint, wild strawberries, black mulberries, and chocolate. But since it's a bit trendy, you can see other creative variations as well. I had to see if I could make this delicious treat, since I heard it was pretty easy. Searching around, I found some tasty recipes on a blog called Rachel Eats, written by an American woman living in Rome. Anyway, I found a great recipe for lemon granita there, which I'll share here. She also posts the recipes for watermelon and lime granita, coffee granita, and orange granita. I made lemon granita yesterday, and coffee granita today. I'll let you know about the watermelon and lime next week. Lemon Granita Servings: 6 to 8 (depending on how generous you're feeling) Prep time: For lemon granita--if you're juicing the lemons yourself and peeling the lemon rind, budget about 30 minutes prep, maybe a bit more. Ingredients: 8 oz. (250 ml) lemon juice (juice from about 8 large and juicy lemons. Make sure you have the right amount of juice. Have extra lemons or a bottle of lemon juice to achieve the final amount, just in case your lemons aren't juicy enough.) 1 cup (250 g) sugar 16 oz (500 ml) water (though you may use more, depending on taste) G-Spot Ingredient: zest from one lemon Clean and dry the outside of one lemon, then zest it. You don't have to add lemon zest if you don't have lemons (and only have lemon juice) but it adds such a lovely bitterness and complexity that I think it takes it from tasty to...well...orgasmic. For more about how to zest a lemon, click here. You can...
read moreZucchini, Yogurt, and Mint Soup (Zuppa Fredda di Zucchine e Menta)
Looking to make a yummy cold soup for dinner on a hot July night, I stumbled onto this zucchini, mint, and yogurt soup recipe. It was in a couple Italian food blogs, but Guido seemed a bit mystified that it was an Italian recipe. We discovered that it's considered a "modern Italian creation," as yogurt is not a very integral part of Italian cuisine. Regardless, it's creamy, delicate, and easy to make...and (supposedly) Italian. Prep time: This should take about 20 minutes, but let it chill in the fridge for a bit before serving. Serve with: We had this with sautéed chicken and a simple salad. Ingredients (for 2): 2 Zucchini (keep the peels) approx. 1 to 2 cups of yogurt (I recommend that you use one with a medium-thick consistency--I used half thin goat milk yogurt and half Fage's very thick "Total" Greek yogurt to get what I wanted. It's what we had in the fridge.) About ten chopped mint leaves (more or less depending on how much you like mint) Salt and pepper to taste G-spot ingredient: High-quality olive oil to drizzle on top Directions: Carefully clean the zucchini, then cut into chunks or strips. Boil or steam the zucchini until tender (easy to mash with a fork). Tip: Add a teaspoon of salt to the water to tenderize and add a bit of flavor. Drain the zucchini. Tip: To make them cool faster and keep the color, cool them in an ice bath after draining (a small bowl with ice and water) When totally drained, blend with a hand blender or food processor/blender in a soup bowl. Add the yogurt and 8 mint leaves. Start with just one cup of yogurt, then add more to make it more soup-like, depending on the consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste. Top with chopped mint (last two leaves) and a little olive oil. Buon Appetito! Boil the zucchini. Blend the zucchini. Variations: I peeled the zucchini the first time and for these pictures, but the next time I left the peels on and it was much better: more flavor and more color. I'd also experiment with a little garlic as well. Maybe half a clove chopped finely, added while blending everything together? If you try this recipe or a variation, will you leave a comment and tell us what you did and how it turned...
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