Meatballs and polenta

This is actually a repost with a new picture of the meatballs Elke does and we (including little Matteo like a lot). We just had them with polenta instead of boiled poattoes ... lovely!

(Leggi la ricetta --- Read the recipe)

Turkey rolls with cheddar cheese

Comfort food ... this is what this recipe is about. Easy, tasty and fast.

Actually the opposite of what I cooked today, since it took me 4 hours from start to eating. What was it? A (almost) traditional moussaka, whose recipe I will post later this week. Since it was very tasty and very tiring, thus no energy left to write it down!

(Leggi la ricetta --- Read the recipe)

Tagliata

Another classical dish ... but honestly, it is so hot here in Belgium that the best dishes are the ones served lukewarm if not cold. And the Tagliata is the best way to serve a steak in this kind of weather. Sure, we did not use the Chianina beef since impossible to find here ... btu we had wild rucola (yes form the veggie box I mentioned earlier.

I guess I have nothing more to add ... summer has arrived, at least here. Honestly, I prefer a colder weather ... or this weather at the beach!!! Ciaooo.

(Leggi la ricetta --- Read the recipe)

Coq au vin

It might seems strange that an italian decides to cook and even blog a traditional french dish, but the truth is .... I love this dish, even if this was the first time I ever made it!

I found its recipe in a book that I like in culinary terms, "The French Kitchen" by Harris & Warde. And I have been staring at this recipe for years ... and I am not kidding. But every time U was about to do it, time ran away or we ended-up making another dish based on chicken, a belgian one (which I will be also posting shortly).

I really liked this recipe ... but as Italian I cannot judge its authenticity, thus ... while everybody waits for teh results of DMBLGIT ... I hope somebody decides to reply to this post telling me what should be changed or variants to this dish. Thanks in advance.

Ah I forgot ... thid edition of DMBLGIT had really fantastic entries !!!! Results will be out next tuesday!

(Leggi la ricetta --- Read the recipe)

Squid, chorizo and risotto nero

This time it is all about experimenting. Few years ago I saw in the finals of Masterchef on the BBC that one contestant was working, as a test, in the kitchen of Hélène Darroze. Her signature dish was a risotto with squid and chorizo. I have been thinking of doing such a dish since.

Now, after a few years, I have found the recipe ... and I got horrified. She uses cream in the risotto and foams and goose fat. This alone made me feel like reject for her signature dish. But the combination chorizo-squid did not want to leave my head. What could I do? Well, I simply created a completely new dish.

My basic idea is that the risotto should be light and dominated by the taste of the squid ink. The chorizo and squid should dance with their flavors in a sauce. Fresh tomato and lemon juice should be there to freshen everything. Not Parmesan but pecorino is the cheese for squid. Finally, not a foam but a parsley pesto is needed to give even more freshness. And the result is ... well read the recipe !!!

As a final note, the new header is actually this dish!!!

(Leggi la ricetta --- Read the recipe)

My take on meatloaf

And finally I got over my sickness. No more antibiotics. No more red pills. No more coughing and slime. No more high temperature. No more feeling weak. It is over .... after almost a month. I now know how hard is a lung infection, and I do not want it any longer.

And life re-start busier than ever ... I guess like for everybody after a illness, there is even more to do in terms of work and normal life that needs getting on with. So nothing better to get moving than forgetting the light lasagna of the previous post ... and get to eat a simple but rather "filling" meatloaf. My own version of meatloaf that mixes elements form Italy (the wonderful Castelrosso cheese), british elements (e.g. Worcestershire sauce) and even belgian ones (breadcrumbs-based crust). A mix ... a bit like me. And yes it is fatty .... but I plan to do it soon again

Since I am recovered, I want to finish with a wish to a person, a fantastic chef and blogger, who just underwent a serious surgery. Wish you all the best Lori and hope your recovery is quick and less painful than expected. We (italian) blogger think of you. Ciao.

(Leggi la ricetta --- Read the recipe)

Savoy and Mince pie

Back to pies!!! First a fish pie ... soon the Shepherd Pie ... and now actually something else. This recipe I actually never make since it is part of Elke repertoire. It is a traditional simple pie recipe form her family that resembles a simpler version of a Cottage Pie. It is a no-fuss tasty recipe that perfectly matches the weather we have now here .... with temperature easily going well below zero.

(Leggi la ricetta --- Read the recipe)

Belgian Stew with boar, chanterelle and Westvleteren 12

Back to the kitchen ... last week-end we were busy fighting with the many photos of Matteo's Battesimo and with the heavy snow that decided to make normal life difficult. This week-end I have two dish trials and the first came out fine ... obviously for our dinner.

Among my favorite Belgian dishes is stofvless (see my archive for the recipe). Something I adore with beer or a good red wine and in this season. However, this week I have eaten out twice for work .... and I was given a variant (actually two) based on boar. Lovely .... so here I am today convincing Elke to change her traditional recipe for boar.

The result is something lovely where the strong boar dominates, with the chanterelle mushroom giving it a bit of an earthy flavor as well as lightening the dish up and the wonderful Westvleteren 12 giving some body, sweetness and spiceness. And the dish looks very very dark ... almost black. I know not many will be able to use the Westvleteren trappist .... try another trappist or a black stout. Or get it (unofficially) off ebay ... or come to Belgium!!

(Leggi la ricetta --- Read the recipe)

Stoofvlees or Belgian Beer Stew

This is probably my favorite Belgian dish and, as far as I know, one of the most famous. I never make it as it is Elke's culinary territory and she can make is so fantastically well. The recipe is easy but it requires still quite some time and some work at the beginning.

It was a while I wanted to share this recipe .... but lately I kind of got the inspiration from one of my new colleagues (yes, Jan .... I am talking about you). Why? Well, he seems not to be able to spend a week in the office without eating it at least once for lunch! Surely he is the Stoofvlees man!! I will be curious to see if he is going to try and skip it next week once he reads this ;-)

Anyway, Jan ... as promised this is my wife version (west-flenders). Care to point out the differences from yours (oost-flanders)??? 

(Leggi la ricetta --- Read the recipe)

Traditional Belgian Meatballs

It is done! What is done? The migration of all my files to the new mac. I now enjoy my new super fast machine, rather silent (when I turn off the noisy external drive) and leopard ... which seems to have less bugs than windows as usual (but a few more than Tiger :-( ). I love its back-up solution. So easy!

Anyway, what a better way to restart posting food (finally food) than using a traditional Belgian recipe. It is simple and it looks similar to the italian meatballs recipe ... but the taste is rather different. Of course it is! There is absolutely no cheese in it, but boiled eggs. They cook a longer time! Etc etc!

And of course ... this is and was done by my sweet wife! Ciao !!!

(Leggi la ricetta --- Read the recipe)

Lemon Meatballs

Back to posting. The last days have been busy and not because of the DMBLGIT, which is luckily growing fast in submission. But finally another dish post !!!!
And what a lovely dish! Yes really a lovely dish, which might seem strange for the way it is done or at least it felt so to me when the recipe was described. Why? The meatballs have lemon and they are kind or stewed in water. Mmmm strange but it works.
This recipe is a traditional recipe from Sicily or so I was told by my friend Giuseppe who gave it to me. Since he, like me, is now among the Italians living in the Benelux (and working few cubicles down the corridor from me) for a long time, I cannot discount the recipe has changed. Still it tastes original and lovely.
If you feel you need a side dish with this one, well opt for a mixed greens salad with a simple lemon vinaigrette in order to go along with the taste.

(Leggi la ricetta --- Read the recipe)

Pork filet stuffed with apples and herve cheese

I have already mentioned before that last week-end we had guests and apart from drinking really good wines ... I spent some time in the kitchen. Quite a bit ... luckily Elke was also there. This was the main dish .... and everybody seemed to like it as the flavors of the pork, cheese, apple, shallots and cognac were in perfect equilibrium and really well fitting. Do not worry about the Herve cheese, Taleggio would be exactly the same here.

One note ... you see that red thing in the photo? Well, it is red cabbage prepared in the traditional Belgian way (except for a little twist) and it really completes the dish. If you want the recipe, refer to this older post of mine but skip the miced meat and the potato mash. The rest is the same.

PS: BTW this is penciled down as a potential dish for the Xmas lunch and will be shared on Waiting for Christmas.

(Leggi la ricetta --- Read the recipe)

Veal rolls with rucola

What a culinary week-end we just had. Not heavy in terms of calories and nice in terms of discoveries. This recipe comes directly out of an italian magazine. I made no real changes. It seems strange but we really liked the combination of anchovies paste and rucola. Just remeber that the paste is salty ... this is why I recommend very little additional salt. On the other hand, be generous on pepper. As for the important part ... wild rucola would be best. It is the one that keeps the taste also when cooked. For the presentation, I like to lay the rolls and the tomatoes in parallel lines ... if you look close you will notice this pattern also in the photo above.

Serves: 4 as a main course
FlexiPoints: 6

Suggested wine: A lambrusco or a Morellino di Scansano would be my preference here.
Special equipment: none

Ingredients:
800g veal in thin slices
120g rucola
250g cherry tomatoes
40g anchovies paste
1 glass of white wine
1 garlic clove
1 tbsp oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Ingredient note: none

How-to:
1. Be sure to get your butcher to slice the veal thin enough to have nice rolls. Otherwise, make them thinner with a meat beater.
2. Spread the anchovies paste on one side of every veal slice. You might be left with same paste, do not feel forced to use it all. Distribute the rucola on each slice and roll them up. Fix the rolls with some kitchen wire. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Press the garlic and sauté it in the oil. Remove it when it start to take some color. Add the rolls and the tomatoes. Brown the rolls on high heat. Add half of the wine and continue cooking covered on medium heat until the meat is not cooked or 5’. Turn occasionally.
4. Distribute the rolls and the tomatoes among four dishes. Glaze the pan with the remaining wine and distribute the so-obtained sauce on top. Serve immediately.

Pappardelle in rabbit ragout

(Photo@TheFoodTraveller.com - Nikon D200)

It was probably the second time I made rabbit, but this recipe from Florence that we saw in old cucina moderna (yet again) really was calling for a try. I have to warn that carving the mean is a lot of work ... so think twice before making this dish for many people (like I did ... sigh) or it might take a few hours! The dish is delicious and goes well in winter as in summer. We still have some rabbit left and I will probably try a variant without stewing ... curious to see how that comes also! Before I stop writing. This dish is worth a good aged wine like Barolo, in case you have a nice aged red wine and have no clue with what drink it !!

Serves: 4 as main course
FlexiPoints: 9

Suggested wine: We had a Niepoort Redoma 1995. Good alternative could be a good aged Barolo.
Special equipment: a good filleting knife!

Ingredients:
400g pappardelle (egg pasta)
1/2 rabbit
1 can of plum tomatoes (400g)
1 garlic clove
1 shallot
1 celery stalk
1 small carrot
2 laurel leaves
1/2 glass red wine
6 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper as needed

Ingredient note: none.

How-to:
1. Finely chop the shallot, carrot, celery (without leaves) and garlic. Rinse the rabbit in cold water and pat it dry.
2. Sauté the vegetables with the oil with the laurel on low heat for 10’ in a large pot. Stir often.
3. Increase to medium heat and brown the rabbit (possibly all at the same time) on both sides. With the rabbit still in the pot, add the wine. Let it evaporate and remove from the heat.
4. Remove the rabbit. Carve the meat out of the bones and chop it into a coarse mince. Put the mince and the bones back in the pot.
5. Chop and add the plum tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Let cook on low heat for 90’ stirring often. Add some warm water in the process when looking too dry. Remove the bones when the sauce is ready.
6. Boil the pasta in abundant salted water. Drain it and mix it with the sauce. Serve immediately.

Matriciana Revisited

(Photo@TheFoodTraveller.com - Nikon D200)

Back in the kitchen after the wedding day ... yes no honeymoon, it will have to wait until July when we will be gone for few weeks to South Africa. This time I have tinkered with the matriciana recipe as I wanted to do for a long time. The idea came out from seeing balsamic vinegar and Tabasco and simply stick a bit of both in my mouth ... I liked the flavor and it made me feel of a matriciana flavoring. So here we go ... I tried Tabasco with all the balsamic vinegars and alike I have in the house (quite a few) and selected (again) the Sopraffino. The result is a really nice variant of the matriciana ... the only issue was we had no spaghetti and I used fusilli instead.

Serves: 2 as main course
FlexiPoints: 8

Suggested wine: perfect with a light red wine for the tabasco to come out and a lambrusco to couple with the Sopraffino. My suggestion, then, is a Lambrusco possibly Salamino di Santa Croce.
Special equipment: none

Ingredients:
200g long pasta (spaghetti, bucatini or fusilli)
120g guanciale or unsalted bacon
5 tbsp (6-year) Aceto Sopraffino
12 drops Tabasco
1 shallot
1 sprig of common thyme
8 tbsp of pure tomato juice (italian Passata)
5 basil leaves
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and oil to taste

Ingredient note: The “Aceto Sopraffino” is the best choice for this dish. If not available, use the lightest available “Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Reggio”. It must be not too sweet to overpower the Tabasco. Same goes for the “guanciale” (cured pig cheeks), replace it with bacon only if strictly necessary.

How-to:
1. Cube the guanciale (or bacon) and marinate it for at least 30’ in the Sopraffino, 10 drops of Tabasco and the chopped thyme sprig.
2. Slice finely the shallot. Sauté them on medium heat in 2 tbsp of the oil until soft or 3’. Add the bacon with the marinate and keep cooking on high heat until the marinate has not sort of caramelized and the bacon fully cooked (about 5’).
3. Add the tomato juice and keep cooking for 5’ more or until bubbling. Remove from the heat. Add two drops of tabasco and stir in the basil.
4. Boil the pasta in salted water for 2’ less than on the package. Finish to cook in the sauce on high heat with 2 tbsp of the pasta cooking water.
5. Serve with the remaining oil and the cheese on top.

Red cabbage, apple and Sopraffino

(Photo@TheFoodTraveller.com - Nikon D200)

The last days have been extremely busy ... we had time to cook, but very little for posting and even reading our emails. We will try to catch up a bit. Today's post is an interesting one. Recently we got hold of a bottle of Aceto Sopraffino (some info here - in French), which is something on the style of balsamic vinegar ... but different. I will probably post something about all the varieties I have tried so far one day. Anyway, this dish is variation of a standard Belgian savory dish based on red cabbage & apples ... we simply decided to add the Sopraffino to it and ... Whow! I guess this is the way red cabbage should be done! Simply one of the best dishes we had recently!

Serves: 8 as starter
FlexiPoints: 3

Suggested wine: I would suggest a recent German Riesling Trocken from the Mosel area.
Special equipment: none

Ingredients:
250g calf mince meat
500g potatoes
40g butter
2 red onions
1 red cabbage (about 800g)
1 apple (Janagold or Golden Delicious variety)
150ml apple juice
2 tbsp brown sugar
4tbsp + 8 tsp Aceto Sopraffino
1 Laurier leaf
1 tbsp oil
Salt and pepper to taste


Ingredient note: The “aceto Sopraffino” is a vinegar somewhat similar to an Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale but lighter in texture, slightly sweeter and more fruity in flavor.

How-to:
1. Peel and boil the potatoes until cooked. Mash them and work in the butter until a nice puree is obtained. Set aside and keep warm.
2. Slice the onions in little rounds. Clean the cabbage and cut it in stripes. Peel and chop the apple in medium/small cubes.
3. Sauté the meat with the oil for 2’ or till it takes color. Add the onion and let cook for 3’ more.
4. Add the cabbage, apple. apple juice, Laurier, 4 tbsp of Sopraffino and sugar. Season with salt and pepper. Let simmer for 25’ or until the cabbage is soft and the juice mostly absorbed.
5. Serve with the mash and seasoned with an additional tsp of Sopraffino per portion.

Black pudding & gray shrimps burgers

(Photo@TheFoodTraveller.com - Canon PowerShot G2)

What a surprising combination! I would not be fair if I would not say that the inspiring idea of combining dutch shrimps (the gray and little ones) and black pudding came from a visit to Richard Corrighan restaurant in Soho (London) last spring. He uses oysters instead of shrimps. It is a very delicate but yet rich dish. Can be served in mini portions as here done or large burgers as main dish. Try to get black pudding with some cinnamon as this will give the dish a nice extra. Otherwise, add a pinch to it yourself.

Serves: 2 as main course and 8 as a starter
FlexiPoints: 8 or 2

Suggested wines: the wine depends on how spicy the black pudding it. May I dare to suggest a german Riesling from the mosel? I would go for a Dr. Losen due to its minerality.

Ingredients:
- 120g black pudding
- 150g cooked and peeled Dutch shrimps
- 2 brown bread slices
- Butter as needed

How-to:
1. Save 2 tbsp of shrimp for later and mix the rest with the black pudding (skin removed) in a kitchen robot till a good mince is obtained. Refrigerate for 30’.
2. Toast the bread slices till slightly golden on both sides.
3. Use a decoration ring of 2.5 cm diameter to cut out 8 discs from the toasted bread.
4. Take the mix out and make 8 little burgers with the help of the decoration ring so as they can be perfectly placed on the toasted bread.
4. Melt some butter in a hot pan. Add the burgers and the remaining shrimps. Cook well until the burgers are black and the shrimps very crunchy.
5. Serve the burger on top of the little toast with the fried shrimps on the side.

Lightly stuffed aubergines

Finally back in the kitchen or better posting some recipes! Stuffed aubergine are my love and I have been always used a very southern way of stuffing based on tomato and cheese. However, I was recently looking at an old InTaVola (April 1999), where they proposed to stuff it very simply with meat and bake the aubergine twice. Well ... here we go! We tried it. It's nice, light and delicate. Something to be eaten at room temperature. Next time I will add a teaspoon of curry in the filling ... surely it will make this dish even better!

Serves: 4 as main course or 8 as a starter
FlexiPoints: 7 or 3.5

Suggested wine: I would dare to suggest a Rose' or a 100% Negroamaro for this dish.

Ingredients:
- 4 large aubergine
- 200g minced beef
- 100g minced pork
- 3 egg whites
- 1 shallot
- 20g butter
- 2 tbsp (white) breadcrumbs
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp mild curry (optional)
- Salt and pepper as needed

How-to:
1. Rinse the aubergines under cold water and pat them dry with some kitchen paper. Bake them in an hot oven at 180C for 15’.
2. In the meantime, finely chop the shallot. Saute it in the melted butter until soften. Add the minced meat and stir fry gently for 10’. Season with salt and pepper (and curry if used).
3. Half the aubergines lengthways. Use a spoon to empty them of most of their pulp without breaking the skin.
4. Chop the aubergine pulp in small pieces and mix it with the cooked mince and the eggs whites.
5. Fill the aubergine halves. Distribute on top the breadcrumbs and the oil. Bake at 180C for 15’ and finish under the grill for no more than 5’.
6. Serve at room temperature.

Pizza di Carne (Meat pizza)

Back home and ready to cook something! We have been dreaming to make this dish for a while, basically for as long as we started the diet. It is a weird way of making pizza by replacing the bread base with meat. I am giving you the real recipe and not what we did at home, which is basically the same but with mozzarella light, less meat, no yolk etc ... all changes aiming at reducing the calories (we managed to get to 9 FlexiPoints per portion ...). It was tasty, but the original recipe is way better!

Serves: 2 as main course & 4 as starter
FlexiPoints: 26.5 or 13

Suggested wine: go for a good bodied red wine form the New World or South of Italy. A Salice Salentino or an Aglianico would be delicious with it.

Ingredients:
- 200g minced beef meat
- 200g minced pork meat
- 10 basil leaves
- 180g buffalo mozzarella
- 150g tomato sauce (passata)
- 80g grated parmesan cheese
- 1 whole egg
- 1.5 tbsp of olive oil
- Margarine, pepper and salt as needed

How-to:
1. Work together the meat, 50g Parmesan cheese, egg, some pepper and salt.
2. Grease a 24cm baking tin with some margarine. Distribute evenly the meat mix on the base of the tin.
3. Top the meat with the tomato sauce, basil leaves and the sliced mozzarella.
4. Season with the remaining parmesan cheese, some salt and oil.
5. Cook in a hot oven at 250C for 20’ for well cooked or 15’ for a pinkish meat. Serve immediately.