Italy | Food Nouveau

Artichoke and Prosciutto Lasagna (and How to Prepare Artichokes)

No, Sicily is not out of my head yet. Do you remember the gorgeous, fresh artichokes I saw at the market? Seeing mountains of these gorgeous buds on display every day made me long to find a Sicily-inspired, artichoke-based dish to make once I got back home. I found this recipe for Artichoke and Prosciutto Lasagna in the Italian Cucina Moderna magazine I bought at a newspaper kiosk in Catania. It sounded just perfect, with the creamy sauce nesting the sautéed artichokes and the prosciutto adding a salty bite to an otherwise-delicate dish. I translated the recipe and although I’m sure it would have been even better with fresh, Sicilian artichokes, the ones I found at my local produce grocer were very tasty and I loved the dish just as much as I had expected I would.

Have you ever prepared artichokes? It may sound intimidating, but it’s actually quite easy {see the detailed how to below!}.

Posted on March 28, 2012 • Category: Europe, How-Tos, Italy, Mains, Pasta/Pizza/Risotto, Recipes • 5 Comments

How to Make Arancine con Ragù (fried rice balls stuffed with meat sauce)

I discovered Arancine during one of my first trips to Italy, but I have truly fallen in love with them last month in Sicily. They’re the perfect finger food: creamy rice, slowly simmered meat sauce, melting cheese – all of that, fried in a neat little package? I can’t think of anything else to serve with cocktails at your next dinner party.

Arancine can simply be made with leftover risotto: just roll cooled risotto into balls, dredge in flour, eggs and breadcrumbs, fry and enjoy! If making Arancine from scratch is your goal, though, stuff it with ragù and mozzarella cheese and they become spectacular. You can make a simple and quick meat sauce (recipe follows), but I strongly suggest using leftover Bolognese sauce for a truly heavenly treat. As for the cheese, I used mini-bocconcini, which are handy because they’re already portioned and shaped into balls, but you can use cubed mozzarella, or any kind of melting cheese you like.

Posted on March 21, 2012 • Category: Appetizers, Europe, How-Tos, Italy, Lunch, Pasta/Pizza/Risotto, Recipes • 2 Comments

What to Eat in Sicily

While 5 days in Sicily was certainly not enough to experience all the deliciousness the Italian island has to offer, I went prepared (and hungry!) and was able to taste lots of local gourmet foods and dishes – enough to fill many notebook pages with recipe ideas to make at home. Here’s a pictorial of my best and most delicious discoveries.

Pesce e Frutti di Mare (Fish and Seafood)

This one should be obvious since Sicily is an island, but I didn’t expect fish and seafood to be such a staple. I actually wonder if even one of the meals I had in Catania didn’t have fish or seafood in it. I loved it, especially since it gave me the opportunity to try many new things and because it’s so hard for me to get my hands on a variety of fresh seafood at home.

Of course, I visited Catania’s famous fish market, La Pescheria, which is set up daily (except Sundays) in and around the city’s central Piazza Alonzo, just a couple of steps down from the well-known Piazza Duomo.

Posted on March 15, 2012 • Category: Europe, Italy, Restaurants, Shopping • 7 Comments

Sicilian Caponata

Caponata is one of the first traditional Sicilian dishes I tasted in Catania and the one I most looked forward to making at home. You see, I’m not usually fond of eggplant, but this creamy, sweet and sour concoction completely turned me around.

If you can find small Italian eggplants to make this dish, by all means, choose these over the regular, larger ones, which taste more bitter (you should degorge larger eggplants, if using). Smaller eggplants also have a thinner skin, which makes it indiscernible in the caponata, something I was truly happy about because I really don’t like the feeling of tough, leathery eggplant skin in my mouth.

In Catania, chopped octopus was added to the caponata I tasted and it was delicious. It is a traditional way to garnish the dish in Palermo, Sicily’s capital, so if you can find fresh, small octopus, try it to get a true taste of the region.

Posted on March 8, 2012 • Category: Appetizers, Europe, Italy, Recipes, Vegetarian • 6 Comments

An Introductory Lunch to Sicilian Cuisine

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

I can hardly believe that I’m already back from Catania, Sicily. Two weeks ago, I received an e-mail out of the blue from Iula, a kind lady at the Italian Consulate in Montreal describing an economic mission that would send a group of Canadian importers, merchants, journalists, and bloggers to Catania to connect with local artisans and producers with the hope that the mission would help bring about awareness of this region. I was asked if I would care to join. I was flattered to be invited, and although I have yet to figure out why I got so lucky, I immediately said “yes!” and started counting the days.

I had actually dreamed of going to Sicily later in the year – sometimes, things just happen in the best way! The people who were hosting us (the Catanian Chamber of Commerce) were very generous and helpful throughout our stay.

Posted on March 6, 2012 • Category: Europe, Italy • 3 Comments

Rome’s Forno Campo de’ Fiori Pizza, At Home

I’ve recently noticed that when I think back on my recent trip to Rome, of all the amazing food I enjoyed, it’s pizza I remember best. Well, maybe it shouldn’t come as such a surprise given the city’s pizza-making notoriety, but I didn’t expect it to be the dish that would stick to my mind. During our stay in Italy’s capital, E and I had pizza at many different trattorie, but the one pizza I remember best and still long for, months after, was the one served by weight at a take-out counter. Forno di Campo di Fiori was always packed: keeping my place in line without being passed by locals used to the place’s chaotic ordering and check-outing process was always a bit of a sport, but the prize was absolutely worth the struggle.

Forno’s pizza is cooked as 6-foot long pies and is served with different toppings, but the combinations are always very simple.

Posted on June 22, 2011 • Category: Europe, How-Tos, Italy, Mains, Pasta/Pizza/Risotto, Recipes • 27 Comments

The Roman Feast at Home Feat. Bucatini All’Amatriciana

Back in September, while traveling in Italy, I wrote up an ambitious Roman Party menu as part of one of the Project Food Blog challenges. While I conducted extensive research to come up with this menu, I unfortunately didn’t have the chance to cook it in Rome, being too limited in both space and tools in my small Trastevere apartment and also lacking the requisite friends to invite. When I returned home, my suitcase was full of delicious souvenirs I wanted to share with my friends, but I waited for the just the right occasion to invite everybody over and cook my Roman feast dinner party menu.

A Roman Dinner Party

Welcome cocktail: Limoncello

Antipasti
Platter: Pecorino-Romano and Honey, Aged Parmigiano-Reggiano, Roasted Figs, Fig “Salami” & Fennel-Scented Salami.
To Drink: Champagne for the birthday girl

Classic Bruschetta & Grilled Lemon Shrimp on Arugula
To Drink: Folonari Pinot Grigio 2009

Primi Piatti
Cacio e Pepe
Bucatini All’Amatriciana
To Drink: Masi Modellissimo

Secondi Piatti & Contorni
Involtini Alla Romana
Spinach Salad with Crisp Pancetta
Zucchine a ‘Scapece
To Drink: Allegrini Valpolicella 2009

Dolce
Dark Chocolate Gelato
Fresh Raspberries
To Drink: Vinsanto del Chianti Classico, Vignamaggio, 2000

Posted on December 8, 2010 • Category: Europe, Italy, Pasta/Pizza/Risotto, Recipes • 6 Comments

Shops, Restaurants, Gelaterie, Tours and More: Favorite Addresses in Rome

A couple of weeks have gone by since I came back from Rome so I’ve had some time to digest all the information I gathered and to sort out my pictures. Before flying to the Eternal City, I did extensive research; reading guidebooks, food essays and cookbooks about Roman cuisine, as well as countless websites and blogs. While I cannot aspire to publish an “Ultimate Rome” list (which would probably take a lifetime to achieve!), I’m confident that this is a list of places where foodies visiting Rome simply must go. When I go to a new city, I like to have a shortlist of sure shots, places to go where I know I won’t be disappointed. This is such a list: start with these fantastic addresses to get a taste of Rome, then stray your own way and discover your favorite spots. You’ll come back dreaming of the next time you can walk and taste your way through the streets of Rome again.

Posted on November 11, 2010 • Category: Europe, Italy, Restaurants, Shopping • 14 Comments

The Recipes to Make Pizza for Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and Dessert

I’ve had great comments on my Pizza Day post and I figured I would share the recipes I used to make my delicious pizzas. The crusts were especially great and the Mornay Sauce and Tandoori Chicken recipes are two great basics. I hope this encourages you to get creative with your pizzas!

All my crust recipes come from my bread machine bible: The Bread Lover’s Bread Machine Cookbook by Beth Hensperger. I’ve baked countless breads, crusts and loaves from this book and was never disappointed. It contains a wealth of information about basic ingredients, cooking methods, nutritional information and more than 300 recipes. If you have a bread machine and never use it, buy this book and I guarantee you’ll want to start making your own bread again!

Note: These are the full recipes to make the pizzas featured on my Project Food Blog post: Pizza for Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and Dessert.

Posted on October 20, 2010 • Category: Europe, Italy • 1 Comment

Pizza for Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and Dessert

About a month ago, I wrote this on my Project Food Blog Profile:

“My favorite dish to make is: Pizza. I like it topped with any and every ingredient, from mozzarella di bufala and cured meats to seafood and Asian condiments, crust plump and soft or thin and cracking, made in a traditional way or completely reinvented. I would eat it every day, at every meal.”

At the time, I couldn’t predict how far I would make it in the competition (so glad I’m still in it!). When the dish to remix for challenge #5 was announced, I was amazed at how perfect it was for me: reinventing pizza? Not a chore; rather, the perfect excuse to put my statement to the test and actually eat pizza at every meal, for one day. I circled Pizza Day on my calendar and started planning.

When creating my pizzas, I made sure they were different enough that E would get through the day (he quickly crosses the too-much-dough point), and I reminded myself not to overdo it: a few carefully chosen ingredients go a long way.

Posted on October 17, 2010 • Category: Europe, Italy, Pasta/Pizza/Risotto, Recipes • 42 Comments

Category Archives: Italy

Pesce e Frutti di Mare (Fish and Seafood)

A Roman Dinner Party