The Italian pudding-like dessert served cold, Panna Cotta, was never my first choice for dessert. When I originally tried it, I thought it tasted like vanilla flavored milk. Probably because it was, just set with gelatin. That does not get my taste buds going. Continue reading
Tag Archives: Italian
White Wine Amaretto Peach Sauce
I recently made this White Wine Amaretto Peach Sauce for the restaurant to serve over peach ice cream. As I was peeling the peaches, I thought of all the ways this could be used for a quick summer dessert.
If you have been following the weather across the states (I realize most people don’t particularly care about the weather elsewhere but I have children in other states and like to see if they are as bad off as we are), you will know that St. Louis is experiencing a brief respite from the very hot temperatures. As a result, I have been indulging myself by going back in the kitchen for short sprints.
I’m not sure when I started making this, but it was a while back. The wine and amaretto give the White Wine Amaretto Peach Sauce a depth of flavor that sugared peaches can’t match. I have used both Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio white wines with excellent results. Continue reading
International Flatbreads-An Easier Version of Pizza
This International Flatbreads post started with my interest in exploring 00 flour. The recipe I chose to work with was for a pizza dough from Roberta’s restaurant in New York. The recipe came from the New York Times.
I suggest you get a cup of coffee, tea or whatever you drink, find a comfy chair and get ready to read this rather lengthy blog.
Pizza my way is something I really love to make. It is simple and satisfying. But more than pizza I love flatbreads. The lack of a sauce allows the ingredients to come through with a power they can’t otherwise.
Anyway, back to the flour. The recipe calls for 00 flour, which has recently become the new darling of the flour world. So I went to my Italian grocer and bought a bag. I found the flour to be incredibly smooth and fine. I loved the feel and texture of it. Continue reading
Torta Rustica – A Savory Italian Pastry
This Torta Rustica is a savory Italian pastry which I am assuming means Rustic Tart. Its memorable crust holds a filling of spinach with cheese, eggs, onions and bread crumbs to bind it. It is layered with red peppers, artichokes and provolone. It is hard to go wrong with these ingredients. The one caveat here is to thaw the spinach completely and squeeze all the water from it. It is important it is dry when combined with the other ingredients.
We would squeeze 30 pounds of spinach to make 12 Torta Rustica at a time. No matter how long we thawed the spinach it would be freezing cold when we squeezed it. We would keep a bowl of warm water next to us to dip our hands into to warm them as we prepared the spinach. Continue reading
Amaretti Cookies
I haven’t found anything to date made with almond extract that I don’t love. These Amaretti cookies which are Italy’s version of a macaroon are a perfect example. Crunchy, gluten free and low in fat, these are the perfect accompaniment to lightly sweetened or macerated fresh fruit or ice cream.
While these can be found in Italian grocery stores, it can be difficult to find them in state side grocery stores. But Amaretti cookies are so easy to make you don’t have to search them out anymore.
There are several ways to make them. I prefer to use almond paste rather than ground almond. No matter how much the almonds are pulverized in the processor, they will never be as smooth as almond paste with its distinctive bitter almond flavoring. Do not use marzipan. While almond paste is an ingredient in marzipan, it is not pure almond paste. My store carries an eight ounce package which is perfect for this recipe. Continue reading
