Monthly Archive for aprile, 2014

Tomik is one!!!

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.

Torta di mele, mandorle e pistacchi gluten free

Le mie torte preferite sono quelle che posso fare tutto nel mixer. Eccone una per giunta gluten free. Chissà mai che abbiate qualche ospite celiaco o con qualche intolleranza. Ci sono tante uova, ma è una torta quasi senza grassi (a parte quelli delle mandorle o dei pistacchi). Io l’ho dovuta fare anche il giorno dopo perché è stata spazzata via in un lampo. Continue reading ‘Torta di mele, mandorle e pistacchi gluten free’

Tiramisu

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’