Monthly Archive for febbraio, 2013

Walnut and honey soda bread

Published by Lucina, on 24 febbraio 2013 in bread and English Recipes. 6 Comments

walnut and honey soda bread

This is  a variation on the classic Irish soda bread I have already  blogged.  It’s really quick and easy to make. Great if you are in a hurry. The good thing about it, as mentioned before, is that it doesn’t require any proving time : you mix all the ingredients, bang it in the oven and voilà! Half an hour later you have bread! This particular variation on the theme is rather unusual because it’s sweet and savoury at the same time. It’s ideal to have for breakfast with jam or with some strong cheese (gorgonzola, stilton, roquefort, etc.). We indeed had it as an accompaniment to  ploughman lunch (which is basically cheese served with bread, chutney, salad and sometimes apple and celery).  This recipe is from Hugh Fearnley- Whittingstall. Continue reading ‘Walnut and honey soda bread’

The legendary Italian “chiacchiere”

Published by Lucina, on 15 febbraio 2013 in cakes and English Recipes. 5 Comments

chiacchiere

I have been wanting to make these chiacchiere for a long LOOOOONG time. In fact ever since I moved to England all those years ago. Well,  I finally succeeded! These fried sweets are traditionally eaten in Italy during the Carnevale season (that’s to say the period just before Lent). My mother always made them without fail when I was a child so for me it has been a  trip to memory lane. Ok, technically I shouldn’t have made them as Lent started two days ago, so I’m way out of time. Still, I reckon making these chiacchiere two days too late is not going to speed my descent into hell by too much. And anyway there is always confession, I guess..:-) Continue reading ‘The legendary Italian “chiacchiere”’

A profiteroles misdemeanour

Published by Lucina, on 10 febbraio 2013 in cakes, Chiacchiere/Chatting and English Recipes. 4 Comments

profiteroles with hot chocolate sauce

Well..you wouldn’t think that judging from the picture, would you? The profiteroles in the photo seem perfectly fine, I hear you say. Right shape and all. You are not wrong my friends: these lovely profiteroles with hot chocolate sauce I served last night to a couple of friends (Mark and Anne, to be precise, who had come to do a walk with us. Only I had double booked myself and had to go to my Italian book group instead. AWWW! So no walk for me. Anyway I said I would mention them personally as Anne has been following my blog for a while) were rather good BUT they were my second attempt. The first batch, done at 8.30 in the morning, was a DISASTER (see picture below) as they came out of the oven flat as pancakes. I followed DElia Smith recipe (click here) , which I had done successfully once previously, but something went VERY wrong during the procedure. I now know what. Namely: the mixture was far too liquidy. I knew when I spooned it on the tray and it spread straight away that something hadn’t quite  worked but I tried all the same JUST IN CASE. I should have followed my instinct and chucked the lot in the bin at the early stage (hadn’t I watched enough Great British Bake off programmes to know?) but NO! Continue reading ‘A profiteroles misdemeanour’

Ricordo di Luisa

Published by Candida, on 9 febbraio 2013 in Chiacchiere/Chatting. 1 Comment

Ieri erano 40 giorni che se n’è andata un’amica che non ho fatto in tempo a salutare.

Così in questi giorni cammino per Parma e mi sembra sempre di vedere la sua fisionomia di signora distinta che sfreccia in bicicletta. A volte la incontravo così e con un cenno ridente ci davamo appuntamento per sera.

La ricordo qui sul blog perché una delle tante sere che ho passato in sua compagnia mi ha invitato a cena e, sorpresa, mi ha cucinato una ricetta del nostro blog.

Lei era così: tante piccole delicatezze. Ti sia lieve la terra, Luisa coraggiosa.

Focaccia rustica di cavolo nero toscano e pecorino

Published by Candida, on 6 febbraio 2013 in Chiacchiere/Chatting. 7 Comments

 

 Lucina mi sgrida sempre perché posto sempre dolci. Oggi sono andata a fare gli esami del sangue e in attesa del verdetto colesterolico faccio al solito buoni propositi. Ecco quindi una focaccia fatta il più possibile con ingredienti di stagione e grassi “buoni”. L’unica trasgressione è il pecorino. La dose è quella consigliata, io ne ho messo meno, ognuno si regoli secondo coscienza.  Continue reading ‘Focaccia rustica di cavolo nero toscano e pecorino’