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