Freddie, Food and Festivities....

Well dear readers, I feel I must chiedo scusa  AGAIN for not writing for a while! I have been far too busy for my liking recently (bring on Christmas!) and haven't had the chance to write! When I did check my blog page however, I saw a new comment and two new followers, so I am absolutely chuffed that people are still reading! Thanks so much :)

So, what's new here in the south? Not a lot to be honest. The olive harvest has taken a bit of a hit due to some TERRIBLY English weather (ie a massive amount of rain) that we've had recently, so I have yet to get my hands on a bottle of the yummy green stuff. However, despite my lack of oil, I have still been stuffing my face (sorry, what an awful image) with lots of yummy Italian treats. While I may not have been writing lately, I have got a nice little collection of images to share with you....

Ahh, everyone needs a winter warmer...

This calorific cake is made from pan di stelle cookies and a whole load of cream and nutella. HEAVEN.

The classic brodo (broth) and pasta. Looks simple, tastes amazing.

Our local town hall, all festive and whatnot.

I ordered this from Amazon a little while ago. I had a bad cold recently so got all snuggled on the sofa and read about fabulous Freddie. 

A new local Enoteca in San Severo...

...where we ate these delicious treats.

They may like serving lemon with their tea (sacrilege!) but at least you get a nice selection of biccies.

Buon Natale indeed.

Cook in ten minutes with five ingredients. This book is on my Christmas list.

The panettone and pandoras are flooding in....

And today's lunch? Tortellini with butter and parmesan. Simple. Easy. Yummy.

Back soon folks...have a wonderful weekend!

Savoury delights...

Hello everyone!

I bet you're all wondering whether I've actually stopped eating, seeing as I haven't posted some yummy food pics on here for a while. Never fear though, as I have been well and truly stuffing my face with some Italian culinary delights recently (what a lovely image...) and do I have a treat for you today! Instead of my usual obsession with dolce, I have decided to go down the savoury route. A little while ago, I decided to pop into my local butchers shop to get some lunch. Now, as well as selling big chunks of meat, the nice butcher also does some dishes that are gia fatto, or already prepared. For a lazybones like me, this seemed to be a perfect solution. Yes, I want to eat delicious Italian food, but do I have the time, energy and most importantly, skills to prepare it? The answer, particularly to the latter, is no. So in I went, and I picked up the most delicious mushroom pasta I have ever eaten! So delicious in fact, that I forgot to take a photo before it was too late, and the whole thing ended up in my tum. Oops. However, a couple of days later, when I was feeling decidedly less lazy, I had a go at re-creating this spectacular dish. With some mushrooms, a little olive oil, a clove of garlic, a glug of white wine, salt, pepper and a dollop of cream cheese, I came up with this:

While it wasn't a patch on the butcher's pasta, I reckon I whipped up a pretty tasty lunch. The only thing I didn't have was parsley, which would have made it even better.

Something that I haven't had for a while is sausage and mash. This classic British dish is a favourite of mine, and every so often, I do get a craving for a taste of home. So, myself and my man whipped up an Italian equivalent, using some yummy pugliese sausage. It may not have been like my mum makes it, but it satisfied my cravings!

And just to add to this lovely list of savoury delights, I must include some Italian pizza. I don't think any description is needed...

OK, I said it was a savoury list but come on...you know me by now. A bit of dolce simply HAS to make its way into this post somehow. It may not be Christmas just yet, but panettone and pandoro are starting to creep into the shops and supermarkets. And this little blighter just JUMPED into my shopping basket. Ahem.

Have a good rest of the week! :D

Pasta and peas? Perfect!

Before I came to Italy, I have to admit that I never thought about putting peas with pasta. But here in Puglia, they tend to do it a lot. It's simple, doesn't take long to prepare and tastes pretty damn good. It's almost like a thick, hearty soup: perfect for those cool Autumn days.

And you don't even need to use fresh peas..I didn't! You just need a bit of oil, some chopped onion and a chopped tomato, and get it all frying nicely in a pan. Once the onion is soft, add a can of peas (this will probably make enough 'pea sauce' for 3 or 4 people) as well as the water from the can. Chuck in half a stock cube and leave on a medium heat for about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, get the pasta cooking in some salted boiling water.. Don't even think about putting penne or spaghetti with peas, as it's highly likely that some Italian mamma/nonna will come and hunt you down and give you a good telling off. Small peas? Small pasta! In terms of pasta quantity, you'll want a little less than your average one-person portion as the peas bulk up the dish quite a bit.

Once the pasta and peas are done, bring them together in perfect pasta pea harmony.You can always add a cheeky sprinkle of parmesan too if you fancy it. Enjoy!

Pasta with Broccoli and Pancetta

What's your favourite vegetable? I love pretty much all of them. I've even stopped turning my nose up at Brussels sprouts. That's not to say I like them... they just don't repulse me like they used to. My personal favourites have to be parsnips, peas and broccoli.

One of our local pizza places does an amazing broccoli pizza. Honestly, it's to die for. Not long ago, when I walked in and spotted it, I literally squeaked with joy. It isn't one of the regular pizza toppings on offer, so I was really rather excited. The guy in front of me took all but one piece of it, and I may or may not have muttered a few choice words under my breath, as I saw that my beloved broccoli pizza was under threat. Luckily, that next piece found its way to my stomach, so I was one happy girl.

The boyfriend then mentioned that he could 'throw together' a nice broccoli pasta for me, it would be 'no trouble at all'. He kept his promise, and a few days later, he wowed me with this tasty creation:

 

Now, some of you may not find this pasta dish very aesthetically pleasing. I, on the other hand, think it looks delish. And it's oh so simple to make.

Cook some broccoli in boiling water until it's about three quarters done. Meanwhile, fry some olive oil, pancetta and garlic in a pan. Add your broccoli to the pan too, and cook it until it resembles a kind of puree, like you can see in the photos above. Mix in a sprinkling of Parmesan, don't forget to add some salt, and then serve!

It really is very tasty indeed. Give it a go!

Pasta con pomodori e melanzane

I haven't done a pasta recipe for a while. So, here's one! This is, like most of the other recipes I put on my blog, is really simple. But it tastes so good! I asked the boyfriend if it has a special name. Unfortunately it doesn't, so it just translates as 'pasta with tomatoes and aubergine'. Original.

Here's what you need:  

 (I forgot to write on 'pasta' (it's the heat), but by then it was too late...so you also need 'pasta'.... :D )

1. First, chop up the aubergine into very small pieces.

2. Put the aubergine in a pan with the garlic (chopped) and oil. Add a little water to the ingredients and cook until the aubergine almost becomes a sort of puree. (You can always puree the aubergine in an electric mixer if you want. I don't have one of these. *Wish list*)

3. Chop the tomatoes into small pieces and add to the pan. Cook for another minute or so.

4. Add salt, a handful of chopped parsley, a little grated Parmesan and if you fancy a bit of a kick, a little chili too.

5. Boil the pasta in salted water, add to the pan and cook for a minute to get the two nice and mixed up.

6. Eat! I sprinkled an extra load of Parmesan on mine. Mmmm...

easy on the sauce!!

I've been told by the Italians who have had the pleasure to sample the 'delights' (yes, the inverted commas are needed here) of the UK's take on Italian food, that we 'over-sauce' our pasta dishes. We have pasta SWIMMING in sauce. Positively drowning in it. And I must admit, I tend to agree with their opinion. Sometimes less IS more. There's nothing worse than having to actually search for the pasta on your plate. And so, in my own 'cooking' (inverted commas definitely required here), I have attempted to reduce my need to over-sauce things. After much observation and sampling of various pasta dishes (much more sampling than observation if I'm honest), I am now able to put together something simple and pasta-like. All. By. Myself. I thought I would share my recipe with you. And I consulted with an ACTUAL Italian whilst putting this together. It's wonderfully simple. So, here goes! You will need: 

 The pasta that works best with this is orecchiette, which is a pasta specific to my region. It translates as 'little ears', and is absolutely delicious, especially when fresh (hence why I have scribbled 'fresh' on my little blackboard). 

'Little ears' (image from www.bonappetit.com)

Take a medium sized pan and add a lovely glob (yes, this is an official measurement, I'll have you know) of oil. Pop in the garlic (leave it whole or cut in two- don't chop it up) and then add the pancetta. I use the smoked kind as it has more taste to it. Chop your baby tomatoes into quarters and throw them in the pan too (literally, throw them. You aren't cooking anything unless you make SOME mess). I like to add some oregano too, and a bit of basil, but don't worry if you don't have these. It tastes lovely even without. Let this heat up nicely. I like to start squishing the tomatoes with a fork too, to make more of a 'sauce'. You don't have to do this, but I would  recommend it as it's quite enjoyable. But watch they don't squirt tomato juice all over your clothes (yes, it HAS happened to me). Tomatoes and oil are exquisite in this region but my WORD they are a hazard when cooking/eating them. (TIP: bicarbonate of soda removes oil stains. Chuck a load over the stain and the powder draws out the oil. I have used it more times than I can count.) 

While your tomatoes and pancetta are cooking nicely (don't forget to add your salt- you need to taste  frequently and add as necessary), boil up some (salted) water and when it's bubbling furiously, add your pasta. It takes a very very short amount of time to cook the pasta if it's fresh. Make sure you taste test that too! I like the pasta to still have a bit of bite (although it does take practice. I've unfortunately served up mushy pasta more than once.) Once the pasta is cooked, drain and add to the pan. Mix together (don't forget to remove your garlic clove- might not be a pleasant surprise mid-chew!) and put into bowls. Forks only- knives are not invited to this pasta party. There's only one more thing: don't forget to say buon appetito before you eat!

Pasta and pizza...what more could you possibly want?

Well, the occasional fry up actually. Or roast dinner. Or big greasy portion of fish and chips. But all of these small 'Brit food' urges aside, my food needs are well and truly satisfied by the culinary delights that the Italians have to offer. I don't know if you have ever heard of a certain dish called PIZZA. Or perhaps you may have tried PASTA. Or possibly some GELATO. You get my drift. But until I came to Italy, I hadn't really tried any of these things. A frozen pizza from tesco does not substitute the real thing. I'm sure you can guess what's coming now. Yep, that's right, the pizza snob has LANDED, and she will praise Italian pizza until the cows come home, pooh- poohing any other claim you may have of any other pizza being just as good. Oh alright, I'll spare you. But you won't taste real pizza until you come to Italy. Which of course, I urge you all to do.

A half demolished 'grande' pizza from a local pizzeria. And yes, beer is clearly an excellent complimentary beverage .

Our extreme love and appreciation of pizza has even led to experimentation in our own kitchen. Behold, the Irish one's pesto and sun dried tomato creation: 

It is my belief that pesto, although used in several dishes in these parts (try it with spaghetti and some baby tomatoes...very good indeed), is not generally used on pizza here. The Irish one loves pesto (and stereotypically, potatoes, but that's another story), and therefore cares not about such 'rules' of pesto use. The pizza tasted fantastic. 

P.S. If you are a fellow Brit (or any other nationality for that matter) living in Italy and crave a fry-up, try Lidl for baked beans and sausages (the German rostbratwurst are a similar substitute for British sausages). Buon appetito!