Author Archive for Lucina

Page 9 of 23

The fabulous grissini torinesi

Published by Lucina, on 11 luglio 2014 in Antipasti, sfizi, finger food..., bread and English Recipes. 1 Comment Tags: .

grissini torinesi

I couldn’t believe how easy these grissini were to make! For the English audience not familiar with the Italian terminology grissini are none other than bread sticks (well…you can see from the picture). I have always loved grissini, particularly the hand made variety from Turin. This is partly because they are objectively gorgeous and partly because they bring back memories of my childhood. My grandparents were Torinesi born and bred and and lived in Turin all their lives. There were always these really long and knobbly grissini on their table. What a treat!  I used to scoff them by the handful. The truth is that once you start eating them there is no stopping you. They are utterly addictive.  Great to have with dips. I followed the recipe from the Sorelle Simili’s book Pane e roba dolce. They vanished in a flash, proof they were indeed truly yummy. Once again I enlisted the help of my 10 years old nephew Ale. While he was here visiting he took a real liking to messing about in the kitchen with me. Every day his first question would be ” And what are we going to bake TODAY, auntie?” Bless him!!! By the way: I am going to disappear for a while. It’s holiday time! Back to the Dolomites. Yes!! Continue reading ‘The fabulous grissini torinesi’

Ciambella bicolore

Published by Lucina, on 1 luglio 2014 in cakes and English Recipes. 1 Comment Tags: , , .
ciambella bicolore

This is a simple cake ideal to have with a nice cup of tea. It’s half  chocolate sponge and half plain sponge. I have left the Italian name (which means double colour cake) because I made it  with the precious help of my eleven year old Italian nephew Ale, who has come to visit me in England. You can see his big thumb up in the photo. Just like his aunt, Ale is already very interested in experimenting in the kitchen. He is particularly interested in baking bread and I have used him as slave labour to knead the dough in the past few days. I think it’s very important to encourage boys as well as girls to cook. Definitely a skill which will come in useful later on in life Bravo Ale!!! By the way the recipe comes from the blog Zenzero e limone. Enjoy! Continue reading ‘Ciambella bicolore’

Linguine with fennel, rocket and lemon

Published by Lucina, on 22 giugno 2014 in English Recipes, pasta and vegetarian. 1 Comment Tags: , , , .

fettuccine with fennel, rocket and lemon

Pasta is such a versatile dish. There must be thousands of different recipes out there waiting to be made and yet we always end up making the same old, same old. But last night I was determined to find a new one to add to my repertoire. And this is what I found, which I’m now sharing with you. It’s in the Veg book by Hugh Fearnely-Whittingstall (great collection of vegetarian recipes, by the way!). It’s really fresh tasting, thanks to the lemon zest and incredibly quick and easy to make. I was impressed and will certainly make it again. Of course you can use any pasta you like. I believe good old Hugh uses tagliatelle. Continue reading ‘Linguine with fennel, rocket and lemon’

Lentil and mushroom curry

Published by Lucina, on 12 giugno 2014 in Cucina regionale, English Recipes, vegetables, vegetarian and Verdure. 1 Comment Tags: , , .

lentil and mushroom curry

The idea to make this wholesome curry came from my son Tom, who, just like his mother, enjoys experimenting in the kitchen. We often swap ideas and recipes over the phone. I kind of made up this recipe as I went along: I looked at what ingredients I had available and used them so I’m sure you can alter/adapt/add. It’s a very simple dish to make and surprisingly tasty.  It was even nicer the following day. I served it with a home made naan (see recipe here) as you can see from the picture.  By the way I have effectively become vegetarian. I  still eat meat when I go to people’s houses , etc. but I have stopped buying it. I only buy fish. I’m sure I’ll be all the better for it. Anyway, the point is that I have to make sure to eat a balanced diet which doesn’t mean a slice of cake in both hands. 😉 That’s why I like eating pulses: they are a good source of proteins , they are  cheap, low-fat and also contain precious fibre, vitamins and minerals. What more can we want? Continue reading ‘Lentil and mushroom curry’

Asparagus, broad beans and herbs risotto

Published by Lucina, on 1 giugno 2014 in English Recipes, Primi, rice and vegetarian. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , .

broad beans, asparagus and herbs risotto

This delicious risotto was made by my dear friend (and chemo buddy) Cairine who took pity on my broken leg (and on the fact I was home alone for the week ) and invited me over for dinner. What you must know is that cooking is not her forte (or so she says. I am beginning to doubt it, to be honest) so she was feeling slightly terrified at the prospect of cooking her favourite risotto to an Italian person  who, on top of that, runs a blog. But she needn’t be, as it was simply delicious! AND she used her iron cast pot (see photo below)! I helped her to stir it and to add the stock but she did it all on her own. The proof I really enjoyed it is that it’s now on my blog. So well done Cairine and thank you for the inspiration!! I’ll definitely make it again! By the way the recipe comes from the Riverford organic farm website. Continue reading ‘Asparagus, broad beans and herbs risotto’

An experiment with bread: the iron pot!

Published by Lucina, on 20 maggio 2014 in bread and English Recipes. 9 Comments Tags: , .

bread in the iron pot

Hello everyone! Let me share with you this novel way of cooking bread: using an iron cast pot. I never knew about this method until I accidentally stumbled upon a recipe last week. Well, I never! Cooking bread in a pot? With a lid on? I was intrigued…. As it happens I do possess an iron cast pot by Le Creuset (which hardly ever sees the light of day) so what better way of putting it to good use? As you know I LOVE bread and I have been baking my own for months now. I am getting rather good at it, modestly speaking, but I’m still looking for new ideas all the time. This particular method is truly great as you end up with a lovely crusty loaf which is crispy on the outside and lovely and soft on the inside. I’ve never quite achieved this level of perfection before. Before I made this loaf I was worried it would stick to the pot but no: it just lifted out leaving the pot absolutely clean. I followed James Morton’s technique (the Scottish young guy who was in the Big Bake off programme). Apparently he loves cooking bread using iron pots. And if it’s good for James it’s good for me! Continue reading ‘An experiment with bread: the iron pot!’

Fettuccine with cherry tomatoes and asparagus

Published by Lucina, on 12 maggio 2014 in English Recipes, pasta, Primi and vegetarian. 2 Comments Tags: , .

fettuccine with asparagus and cherry tomatoes

First of all a warm welcome to Lauma, Tomik’s younger sister, making her first appearance on the blog (see previous recipe blogged by Candi) ! Aren’t they cute these two little cats! :-) Well folks, let me be honest here. It ain’t a bundle of fun to break one’s leg, I tell you! Apart from the boredom of being confined in the house,  even the simplest of tasks become a massive chore…cooking being one of them. At present my husband has been given the title of honourary chef, or should I say commis chef: I instruct, he cooks. Obviously I have to choose very simple and straightforward things or he wouldn’t be so cooperative. Anyway the other day we made this quick and healthy pasta dish together. I found this recipe in a book  called The Low-Gi vegetarian cookbook by Rose Elliot.  I adapted the recipe slightly by adding  to the past some olive oil which had been infused with garlic and a bit of chilli. Purely because the first time I made it  I thought it was slightly bland. Anyway, this is healthy, quick and easy. Recommended for anyone in a hurry. Continue reading ‘Fettuccine with cherry tomatoes and asparagus’

Baked stuffed aubergines

Published by Lucina, on 1 maggio 2014 in English Recipes, vegetables and vegetarian. 2 Comments Tags: , , , .

baked stuffed aubergines

First of May and it is tanking it down here in England!! :-( Well…Hello everyone and sorry for the silence of these past few weeks but firstly I went on holiday during the Easter break so had no internet access and secondly I managed to break my leg on the first day back at work hence I’ve been out of action. In truth, I still am as my leg is in a plaster cast but  at least I finally managed to hobble to the computer. Just BEFORE the accident I cooked this really nice vegetarian dish from the Two greedy Italians cookery book (slightly adapted). I love aubergines and was impressed as to how nice this particular dish was. Really quite delicious (taste wise it reminded me of melanzane alla parmigiana) and not too complicated either. It was really tasty. Definitely one I’ll make again. Continue reading ‘Baked stuffed aubergines’

Tomik is one!!!

Published by Lucina, on 14 aprile 2014 in bread and Chiacchiere/Chatting. 2 Comments

my beloved Tomik- ONE today!!!!

Tomik , for those who don’t know, is the name I gave my beloved sourdough. And today it’s his first birthday!  I did look for a suitable birthday card to give it but haven’t been able to find one specifically for sourdoughs, despite the fact here in England they seem to have a card for any occasion! :-) Seriously, who would have believed it, when I “gave birth” to my beloved Tomik a year ago (read here) , that 12 months later it would still be alive? Not me! Well…I nurtured it and fed it , just like a real mum would, and today it is as happy as anything, as you can see from the picture. So…has it all been worthwhile? Well, of course! I have experimented with it and baked many loaves using it. All generally successful, I haste to add. I also always put a small amount of it in any bread I make using normal yeast. It’s supposed to improve the texture. And that’s the other thing: I hardly ever buy bread from the supermarket these days. I have got into the routine of making my own. I’d urge anyone to have a go at baking bread. As well as being a relaxing activity it’s also a lot healthier as you know exactly what’s in it.

Tiramisu

Published by Lucina, on 4 aprile 2014 in cakes, Chiacchiere/Chatting, Dolci and English Recipes. 5 Comments Tags: , .

tiramisu

 

I know, I know. This is one of the most common desserts in Italy and probably one most people will know how to make over there BUT, let us not forget, I am also blogging for my English speaking friends and they might not know what an easy and delicious dessert this is. Despite its credentials , for some bizarre reasons, I hadn’t made one for yonks! Funny how sometimes you stop making something, forget all about it, only to “rediscover”  it a long time afterwards. Last time I made tiramisu (which, incidentally, means “pick me up” in Italian) must have been well before I started this blog so we are going back quite a few years. Anyway, I decided the time had come to resurrect it, much to the delight of my husband who is particularly partial to it. The reason for this nostalgia was I spotted REAL savoiardi in  Sainsbury’s in their Taste the difference range. These are Italian sponge fingers and are one of the main ingredients of tiramisu (the other ones being eggs, mascarpone cheese, coffee and sugar). I’ve actually blogged  home made savoiardi not so long ago. Anyway, this is a simple dessert to make, guaranteed to impress your family and  friends. And by the way it can be easily made in advance. In fact it tastes even better the day after you have made it! Wha are you waiting for? Continue reading ‘Tiramisu’