Monthly Archive for dicembre, 2012

Published by Candida, on 23 dicembre 2012 in Chiacchiere/Chatting. 1 Comment

 

Cari tutti, dopo una giornata prenatalizia in cui ho combattuto con l’oca che sarà il nostro piatto forte natalizio. L’ho pulita, ho congelato le frattaglie per fare il paté in seguito, ho sciolto a fuoco lento parte del grasso da mettere via per insaporire le patate, ho disossato il collo e l’ho fatto ripieno per la vigilia di Natale. Ho preparato il ripieno per l’oca con le castagne (messe a mollo ieri), mele e salsiccia e poi mi sono resa conto che l’oca era così grande che il ripieno non bastava e di castagne ormai non ne avevo più e così ho fatto un altro ripieno diverso…. dopo tutto questo mi sono seduta con l’oca pronta da cuocere in frigo e la coscienza a posto e ho acceso il computer per fare a chi passa di qui gli auguri. Ecco allora una specie di babbo natalino veneziano, che so che per Lucina Venezia è un posto speciale come Natale è un giorno speciale. Per gli auguri seri invece qui.

 

Frangipane mince pies

Published by Lucina, on 23 dicembre 2012 in cakes and English Recipes. 0 Comments

frangipane mince pies

Jingle bells! Jingle bells! Here I am with a seasonal Christmas recipe typically English to match Candida’s cinnamon buns: mince pies! For the Italians reading this blog they are mini pies, filled with a mixture called mincemeat which is made of chopped dried fruit, apples, sugar, spices, etc. You can buy this ready made in all supermarkets at this time of the year. I bought mine at Marks and Spencer, treating myself to the luxury variety which has brandy inside. Obviously the better cooks would make their own and next year I plan to have a go, I promise. Ironically  I’m not the greatest fan of  mince pies. I find them a bit too stodgy and far too sweet for my taste. However my husband absolutely adores them so in a fit of generosity I promised that this year I would make him some as he had had a particular bad experience with a couple of them. But instead of the traditional ones which have pastry on the top as well as the bottom I decided to make these ones which are topped with frangipane. Well, do you know what? I thought they were fabulous. Much lighter than the normal variety. I would definitely recommend them. And by the way, they are by the mighty Nigella Lowson. Who else? Continue reading ‘Frangipane mince pies’

Kanelbullar alias girelle di cannella alias cinnamon rolls

Published by Candida, on 16 dicembre 2012 in Cucina regionale, Dolci and Ricette in Italiano. 1 Comment Tags: , , .

Tutti i vantaggi di aver mandato una figlia in Intercultura… Briochine alla cannella che in Svezia si mangiano a Santa Lucia fino a Natale. Laura le ha fatte, affrettatevi anche voi, abbiamo già sciupato 3 giorni… Continue reading ‘Kanelbullar alias girelle di cannella alias cinnamon rolls’

Celeriac and toasted hazelnut soup

Published by Lucina, on 9 dicembre 2012 in English Recipes and Soup. 2 Comments

celeriac and toasted hazelnuts soup

Don’t be put off by the odd look of the soup in the picture. I know it doesn’t look all that appealing (in fact the words: dog dinner spring to mind) BUT you have to trust me that the taste is great and it’s very easy to make. Plus it looks a lot better in “real” life, so to speak. The photograph doesn’t do it justice, that’s for sure. What you see floating on the top are toasted hazelnuts which I foolishly crushed before taking their skin off. The result? It looks as if it has been sprinkled with wood shavings. My advice is :don’t be fooled by the appearance (I believe in taste over looks) and try it.  I can already think of variations on the theme like adding some cream  or some blue cheese to it to make it richer. But all in good time. I believe celeriac (sedano rapa) is readily available in Italy too, right? The inspiration to make it came from the greengrocer who sells me the organic vegetables. When I bought the celeriac he mentioned that he had made a soup with it and had added toasted hazelnuts on the top. Well, I tried to recreate it using a bit of imagination and here it is. Tried and tested. Continue reading ‘Celeriac and toasted hazelnut soup’