Back in Town

Back from my holiday I have a nice, fresh recipe that will be easy to make in advance and you will love on a sunny day.
So the recipe is a pasta dish that you serve cold and if you prepare it in the morning is very nice at lunch time after been stored in the fridge for two hours, so remember this recipe is for the summer that we have just had a taste of and is hopefully coming soon.

Insalata di pasta

For 4 people

280 gr short pasta
16 large green olives
2 table spoon salted capers
6 spring onions
16 cherry tomatoes
4 fillets of marinated anchovy or salted anchovy
pinch of oregano
80 cl of E.V.Olive oil
Juice of two lemons and zest of one lemon
300 gr tinned tuna in olive oil try to find some good one
Pinch of salt
Pinch of chilli
200 gr peeled fresh prawns or nice prawns in brine
4 handfuls of wild rocket salad

Boil the pasta and take it off when still al dente, then drain and leave for few minutes in ice and water, then in a large bowl add all ingredients apart from the lemon juice and salt and rocket, and make sure the cherry tomatoes are halved.
Mix in the pasta and store in a fridge for two hours,20 min. before serving take it out of the fridge add the juice and the salt, mix well and let it come to room temperature, finish by mixing the rocket and serve with a glass of Fiano di Avellino, one of my favourite wines.

Buon appetito
Peppe

Ox tail vaccinara by Peppe

Hello,

Back today after a busy weekend where I had my first Pop Up restaurant in the R. Mackintosh Church in Glasgow.
Hard work but all well, 50 costumers had a great time with nine courses and live music, in a very unique place and the atmosphere was incredible. I was cleaning and putting all equipment away yesterday but today I'm here to give you the recipe of one of the dishes I prepared for the Pop Up, Coda alla vaccinara (Ox tail vaccinara style) a very traditional Roman dish.
No many of you has cooked ox tail before, but I can tell you that you will be very happy and your friends will love you if you make it for them, and if you want to impress and don't spend to much but you are a true food lover, than this is the dish for you.

The recipe Coda alla Vaccinara

1 ox tail from your butcher
5 tablespoon  e.v.olive oil
100 gr. of fat from some pancetta (Italian cured bacon)
1 carrot
1 onion
the white central part of celery
1 garlic clove
40 gr. flat leaves parsley
1 large glass of white wine
salt
black pepper
500 gr. tomato passata


In a large dip pot heat up water and add the ox tail that is already cut from your butcher, bring up to the boil and then remove and set aside.
In another large pot, heat up the oil (in the old days they will use lard, but now we all have olive oil and is healthier) add all the veg  that you have already chopped before, but keep the celery, and start colouring, then dry the meat pass in flour and add to the pot, and stir until it starts to get brown.
Then add the wine and let it evaporate, that will give you nice flavour but take away the taste of alcohol, then add the tomato sauce and 300ml of water and the parsley, salt and pepper not to much so that when it has cooked for long you can finish the seasoning (remember that is always possible to add some seasoning but you can't take it out).
Cook for more than 3 hours on very low heat making sure it does not stick, than add the chopped celery and cook for another 45 minutes, when ready serve hot and use some nice Italian bread to finish off the sauce (in Italian is called scarpetta, so that your plate is nice and clean).
Buon appetito, I hope you love this dish as i do.

Remember if you have any questions just ask here, or if you like me to give a recipe for one of you favourite Italian dishes send me a message.
Ciao

Ciao

Hello friends of my blog, why you don't ask me some recipe that you will like to know about, or some ingredients that you will like to use??????????????????????????????

Easy is the best

Today a very easy recipe that is also one of my favorite, Spaghetti with cherry tomato and basil.
When you are busy and don't fill like preparing food for long time just use this recipe, is easy you need just few ingredients and it tastes really good.
One story of this spaghetti is that for over a year in 1994-95 I was eating this dish lunch and dinner at least four or five times a week, (plus a main) sounds crazy but is a thrue story.
For the recipe make sure you use some nice spaghetti not too thin, the cherry need to be ripe and of a nice red colour, never dry basil always the fresh one and a good e.v.olive oil.

The recipe Spaghetti pomodorini e basilico:

For 4 people

360 gr. spaghetti (from italy and if you can find it from the area of Napoli)
700 gr. cherry tomatoes
10 tablespoons e.v.olive oil
12 basil leaves
2 garlic cloves
salt

Heat up water in a large dip pot and add some salt, then when boiling add the spaghetti and move for a few seconds so that it does not stick, leave to cook for 8-9 minutes until cooked but very aldente.
In a large shallow pan add the oil and the garlic that you have chopped, cook until it starts to get a light colour and then add the cherry that you have halfed in advance. Then add half of the basil and a pinch of salt, (I like chilli and always add a little, you can do the same if you wish) live to cook until the fresh cherry are soft, and then drain the pasta add cook togethr with a little of the boiling water.
A very important thing in any dish you cook is to always taste before is finished, there is nothing worst than a good looking dish with no seasoning.
To finish serve in nice pasta bowls and add the rest of the fresh basil plus a small drizzle of oil, some people like to serve it with parmesan cheese but I think that it changes the freshnes of the dish.
Buon appetito

Back with a new recipe

Hello friends,

After a busy weekend with a big function in Giffnock, I now have a new recipe for you and a very popular one for the past 8 years in the restaurant,and also for the pop up and party's I'm doing this days.
The recipe is parmigiana di melanzane (aubergine parmigiana) a very nice dish from my region in the south of Italy. This recipe is the one that when I speak to people they always say ohhhh, I don't like aubergine, but then they eat it all, and with great surprise most are converted to this unique vegetable.
When my grand mother will make it many years ago, she will slice the aubergine very thinly and put in a colander with a sprinkle of sea salt over each layer, then add a plate with a large tin of tomato pelati on top to add weight and leave for 30, 40 minutes, this helps extracting the bitter water from it.
Also my grand mother (Nonna) will add some small pieces of dark chocolate in the middle, so if you like try it on half of the one you are making then you can decide witch version you prefer.

Recipe Parmigiana di melanzane:

For 4 people
3 large aubergine
1 kg of passata,  tomato sauce
1 bunch basil
80 gr. Parmesan cheese
200 gr. mozzarella (not buffalo is to milky)
100 gr. flour
1 garlic clove
3 tablespoon e.v.olive oil
veg oil for frying
pinch of sugar
salt

In a dip pot heat up olive oil, add the garlic until star to colour and then add the tomato passata a pinch of salt and 4 basil leaves, and leave to cook for 40 minutes and low heat.
Slice the mozzarella and place in a colander for 30 minutes so that you loose the excess water.
After you have salted the aubergine dry from the water they lost, and cover with flour, then fry in a fryer or a dip pan with veg oil until golden, set aside and prepare all your ingredients.
Now you are ready to assemble, you need a baking  terracotta dish, this is better so that you can serve in it, then start with covering the bottom with the aubergine, then the tomato sauce, fresh basil, grated Parmesan cheese, and mozzarella, and you continue until you have 3 or 4 layer.( in the 2 layer sprinkle some sugar)
Place in a owen at 180 degree for 50-55 minutes until the top is golden and bubbly, then remove and serve, I prefer to make it in advance and then reheat, I always think it taste better, Buon appetito.

Ciao

Good morning,
I'm very busy this weekend preparing a big party so I don't have lot's of time, but I will give you the recipe for a very simple snack to prepare in advance.
Neapolitan Croquette of potato, you can make it in the morning and fry it at night or take it to work, or use for a picnic.
My grand mum Nonna in Italian, use to make it also as a side to some sausages or meatballs or other meat dishes.

Panzerotti or crocche' di patate:

500 gr. yellow potatoes
3 eggs
150 gr. flour
150 bread crumbs
a bunch flat leaves parsley
70 gr. salame napoli
30gr. butter
70 gr. mozzarella not the buffalo one it has to much moist
salt
pepper
80 gr. Parmesan cheese#
Oil to fry


One hour before you start cut the mozzarella in small squares and leave in a colander to loose the excess of water, also chop the salame in the same size.
Start by cooking the potato skin on in hot water on medium low heat, when ready take the skin off making sure that the potatoes are still hot and pass in a potato ricer, add butter, one egg yolk, chopped parsley, salt to taste, pepper and Parmesan then start to mix with your hands.
When is all mixed  well, add oil to your hands and start making small croquettes in witch you will add some mozzarella and salame to the middle, then add to a bowl with the flour, then to the bowl with the rest of the eggs that you have beaten and to finish in the bread crumbs.
To finish just put in a fryer or hot oil 180 degree in a shallow pan, when golden remove and enjoy.

Ciao from Peppe

Back again!!!!

I'm very sorry  I had no  time to post a recipe yesterday, but been busy!
Here we are anyway for another of my favourite and really authentic recipes. Many of you will not want to try it or eat it but I can tell you that is really niceand unusual so be brave - Lingua di bue con salsa verde ( ox tongue with salsa verde) - in Italy all the cuts that many don't use here like offal and others are very popular and always give you some very strong flavour.
This time the recipe is quite simple, in the future I will post another more difficult to make but with fantastic flavour, but today is a great dish to do when you are at home and you have time, because you need hours of cooking.

The recipe lingua di bue con salsa verde
1 ox tongue (if you can't find it in your supermarket, a good butcher will be the preferred option)
1 celery stick
1 carrot
1 onion
one bouquet garni
water
salt
peppercorn
beef trimmings


For the sauce:

4 fillets of  salted anchovies
3 garlic clove
1  1/2 tablespoon of salted capers
100 gr of e.v.olive oil
60 gr white vinegar
150 gr flat leaves parsley
a pinch of sugar
a pinch of black pepper
use the egg white of two boiled eggs
juice of half lemon

In a large deep pot add the veg,  ox tongue, beef trimmings (the left over from the beef cuts that your butcher will not use), pinch salt, 1 teaspoon pepper corn and the bouquet garni (I like to use rosemary, bay leaves, thyme that you will hold together with some string so that is easy to remove), bring to the boil and then leave on low heat for 4 and 1/2 hours.
One hour before it's ready start to prepare all the ingredients  for the sauce. Wash and chop up the capers, desalt the anchovies and chop up, boil the eggs then remove the yolk and chop the white always of the same size of the rest of your ingredients. Chop the parsley and add in a large bowl with the rest of the ingredients and mix well.(leave to rest 40 minutes)
When the tongue is ready,  rest for 10 minutes and then slice and serve with your sauce it will be - Fantasticoooo!

New week

Buon lunedi,

All back to work and the weather is not nice today, so I'm sure we all fill down.
So first thing on Monday never have fish, is never going to be fresh so if you are planning your dinner the choice is restricted, and I will suggest something light as I'm sure we all had lot's of food and (drinks) over the weekend.
Nice home made soup is always welcome on Monday, or a nice salad with roast ham, poached eggs, some mozzarella, cherry tomato and anything you like to add.
What I'm going to prepare tonight for me and my wife is Pollo alla griglia con insalata e pomodori, Grilled free range chicken and escarole and tomato salad.

The recipe pollo marinato alla griglia:

For 4 people

1 large free range chicken
7 tablespoon e.v.olive oil
1 chili
1 lemon
1 bunch of rosemary
5 garlic cloves
3 tablespoon white wine vinegar
salt
black pepper
1 whole escarole
2 beef tomatoes
5 tablespoon warm water
1 red onion

Two hour before cooking cut down the bottom part of the chicken bone, from the back to the from of the back bone in two times so that you will be left with a one centimetre long bone, than turn over and press until flat, cover with clean film and start flattening by using your hand or a kitchen hammer.
When completely flat and soft, start lifting the skin in the middle part covering the breasts, and add the garlic cloves flattened but still skin on, some rosemary and the zest of the lemon, finish with salt, pepper, cover again and massage with 2 tablespoon of the oil.
Turn over and add salt and pepper, then place in a large bowl and cover with clean film and keep in the fridge for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Take out 30 minutes before using so that it is at room temperature and start  heating a grill pan (with no oil), when it is at smoking point add the chicken, skin side first and cook for 4 minutes, then turn over and cook for 6 minutes.
When ready place in a Owen dish with the water and cook at 180 degree for 45-50 minutes skin side on top and cover with some foil, then remove foil 10 minutes before the end, so that the skin is crispy, and let it rest for 5 minutes before carving.
In a large serving bowl place the escarole that you have cleaned first and cut in 4 to 5 centimetres leaves, add sliced tomatoes, sliced onions, than in a small bowl mix the rest of the oil, the crushed garlic clove, chopped chili, vinegar, salt to taste and add to the salad 3 minutes before serving.
Buon appetito, I hope you will like this recipe and have a great night and if you can drink a glass of white wine (I will have Falanghina from my region Campania)

Sunday 'O rrau in Naples

Buona Domenica,

The weather is not very nice today, a bit dark but I will give you a nice recipe for a Sunday lunch as we used to have in Sorrento at my Nonna's house when I was a child.
Sunday in Italy is a very important day and most people spend it with their family, and most of the times all the grannies and mums are preparing the food.
Every region has his own traditional recipe and they change from town to town, in the south and in the area of Naples Sunday is the day of a slow cooked tomato and meat dish ( 'O rrau), it has veal and pork of different cuts.
Today I will give a version that is best when you try it the first time, but in the future you can add, Italian sausage, meat balls, and cotica (rolled up pig skin stuffed with different ingredients), and the braciola (rolled up steak stuffed with garlic, pine nuts, parsley, raisin and much more). You have to know that this recipe is hundreds of years old, and when in the old days people couldn't afford too much on a festive day they will prepare this one pot dish that was good to flavour the pasta,  and eat the meats with some vegetable for a main course.

The recipe is 'O rrau , meat ragout

For four
500gr. of Veal  in large chunks (not expensive cuts)
6 pork ribs (meaty ones)
7-8 tablespoon of e.v. olive oil
two glasses red wine
1 litre of passata (tomato sauce)
a bunch of basil
two tablespoon of tomato puree
2 medium white onions

Start with a very large casserole and heat the oil, add the meats and start browning and then add the onion that you need to chop thinly and cook until it starts to be very brown and all meats are sealed, you then add your wine and cook it until all alcohol  is evaporated.
You then dissolve the tomato puree in  a glass of warm water and add to the casserole, cook for 3 minutes and add the tomato passata, some salt (not too much because you can always add more but never take it out) and the basil, then stir with a wooden spoon and leave on a very low heat for minimum of three hours.
Make sure you stir often and make sure the sauce does not stick to the bottom of the pan, taste for seasoning and make sure that it is of a very dark brown colour, you can then use the tomato sauce for the pasta and eat the meats after with some sides like roast potatoes with rosemary and garlic, peas with pancetta and onions, or whatever you like.
Buon appetito and have a great Sunday

Peppe

Saturday

Buongiorno, hope you are enjoying the weekend.
Today I'm giving you two recipes one this morning and one in the afternoon. This morning's is a very light starter and later a nice dish for saturday evening.
Before the recipe I want to tell you why I always mention flat leaf parsley and not the one you usually find here in the UK.  The flat one is fresher and doesn't have that sweet end to it that will not help in italian dishes.

Zuppetta di cozze, mussels soup:

For two people

4 tablespoon e.v. olive oil
200 gr. fresh mussels
3 cloves of garlic
10 cherry tomatoes
a bunch of flat leaf parsley
salt
1 chilli
2 slices of italian bread or ciabatta

In a large and deep pan, heat the oil and add 2 chopped garlic cloves and chilli. When starting to get coloured add the mussels and leave covered for one minute, then when they start to open add the cherry tomatoes cut in half and a pinch of salt, leave for two, three minutes and add the chopped parsley.
At the same time heat a grill pan and toast your bread on it, when it starts to get nice and marked like on a barbecue take off and use one clove of garlic to flavour it by brushing on the crusty sides, with a brush then add oil and a pinch of salt.
Transfer the mussels into a bowl and sprinkle more parsley and cover with the slices of bread, buon appetito.

Some people will add wine to the recipe, but as I explained yesterday if the mussels are fresh there is not need to do so.

One last thing before I finish when you buy the mussels make sure that they are all closed, then leave them in cold water with a pinch of rock sea salt for a minute and clean well with a knife, discard the open ones before use.
Another important thing is to smell the shellfish when cooking it, if any strong or unpleasant smells come from it find the wrong mussels or don't eat it and make it another time.

One last thing as is the case when you prepare your mussels you need to discard the open ones, you have to discard any mussels which are still closed when they are cooked>

pop Up

Hi again,

This is not another recipe but to tell you about my Pop Up restaurant in Glasgow.
I started last year in varius locations, but meanly in the beautifull "The TeaRooms" in Bath st., and now on the 10th of march we will have our first event at the C.R. Mackintosh church in the west end of Glasgow.
We will follow the journey that Mackintosh did when he was a young student, and prepare dishes from 9 cities he visited and tell some memories from his travelling, what did he think, where did he go, what did he like and not like? and much more.

Ciao

Another day

Good morning,

Here we are again, another day and the weather is much better and it helps the mood.
Before I give you the recipe today, did you know that when you boil pasta never, never add oil to the water just stirr it straight away and it will never stick together.

The recipe for today is Spaghetti alle vongole a real Neapolitan dish, one of my favourites:
Spaghetti with clams

For two people
180 gr. spaghetti (or more if you like it as I do)
300 gr. clams (if you can buy the dark grey and not the flat white ones)
2 cloves of garlic
1 small bunch of flat leaves parsley
1 chilli
5tablespoon of e.v. olive oil (italian from the south if you can)
salt
8 cherry tomatoes if you like it red, we say macchiato in italian.


Before I give you the recipe today I will like to suggest not to use wine in this dish because what we want is the real salty flavour of the clams, and if somebody tells you other wise they are wrong, the only reason to do so is to cover the flavour of the shellfish  if it is not fresh (and you do not want to eat not very fresh shellfish).

Boil a large pot of water and  a pinch of salt, and add the spaghetti and stir straight away.
In a pan heat the oil and add the chopped garlic and the chilli based on how hot you like it, before is to coloured add the clams and cover for3 minutes, then taste and add the chopped parsley, and if you think it needs some salt add it to taste (when we do it back home becouse the water of the Mediterranean sea is very salty  compared to the Ocean we often don't need salt in it) and leave for 2 minutes.
If you like the tomato version add the cherry cut in half just when the clams start to open and cook for an extra minute, then when sauce taste good add the pasta al dente and stir together for another minute, and remember not to over cook the clams if not they get dry and small.
Serve in a bowl and finish with a garnish of fresh parsley and a bit of fresh olive oil,
Buon appetito I hope you will like it as much as I do.
Ciao a domani

23 FEB 2012

Buongiorno, Goodday everyone,

This is the first day where l start posting on my blog my love for italian food.
Do you like spaghetti bolognese, carbonara, chicken Alfredo, lasagna and that sort of dishes?
Well get out of this page you are reading the wrong blog, l'm Italian from Sorrento and l have spent the first 30 years of my life there, and also come from a family where catering is always been our leaving so here there will be only authentic italian recipe and ideas.
I hope not to offend anyone but in UK unfortunately we have to many so called italians that where never born there and never understood how italian restaurant and food realy is, so l want to pass on to you my recipes and traditions so that you can experience the real thing for yourself.

Today 1st recipe
Spaghetti alla chiumenzana

This recipe is a very old one from the island of Capri where my (Nonna) grand mum was born and that she use to cook when we had a large main course coming after the primo piatto first dish (pasta).

For two people:
4 tablespoon e.v.olive oil
2 cloves of garlic
400 gr. of pelati (plum tinned tomatoes)
3tablespoon oregano dry
salt
2 tablespoon small salted cappers
1 chilli
180 gr. spaghetti (large ones)


In a large pot boil water with a pinch of sea salt and ad the pasta, in a pan heat up the olive oil and add the finely chopped garlic and make sure it dosen't get brown then add the chopped chilli and rinsed cappers leave for 30 seconds and add the tomato.
Start cooking the sauce on medium heat and salt to taste for 5 minutes then add the oregano and cook for another 5 minutes reducing the sauce and  than taste the pasta and make sure is very al dente, drain it and add to the sauce where you will continue to cook for another minute, so that it will absorb al the flavour of the sauce.
Serve in a pasta bawl and if you like can sprinkle chopped flat leaves parsley, very simple and the real taste of an italian pasta, buon appetito.

To finish if any of you will like to know any REAL italian recipe send me a message and l will be happy to post it.

Ciao buona giornata a tutti

Charles Rennie Mackintosh Toured Italy and Ate Italian!

Did you know that the great man himself won a schlarship in 1891 to tour Italy. His sketching tour took him from Palermo to Naples and all the way North to Venice and Verona. Well now I get the chance to cook the food that he maybe tried for the first time in each of the nine great cities and towns he visited.
So on Sat 10th March in the very splendid setting of the only church that CRM designed, in Maryhill Glasgow, my restaurant will be popping up once again.

What's Cooking with Peppe's next Pop Up restaurant

Follow the link for some more details. Food is likely to include arancini, coda alla vaccinara, zuppa di fagioli, panzanella, fegato alla veneziana. I'll let you figure out what it is!