Recipe by Silvia Baldini—Risi e bisi, Italian for “rice and peas”, is a humble recipe with origins in the countryside of Venice and Vicenza, Italy. It’s a hybrid between a risotto and boiled rice soup and the quintessential spring dish. Vialone rice is the preferred rice because it has a bigger and rounder grain that releases a copious amount of thickening starches during the cooking process. Like the Venetians, I use the peas and the actual pea pods while making the stock because they give a generous amount of sweetness and a stunning vivid green color to this nourishing and delicious family favorite. If pressed for time you can use frozen peas, but know some of the flavor will be lost in translation. It's a personal choice to use the pancetta or to omit it completely, as is whether to use a spoon or a fork to eat your Risi e Bisi; you do you.
Recipe by Silvia Baldini—Risi e bisi, Italian for “rice and peas”, is a humble recipe with origins in the countryside of Venice and Vicenza, Italy. It’s a hybrid between a risotto and boiled rice soup and the quintessential spring dish. Vialone rice is the preferred rice because it has a bigger and rounder grain that releases a copious amount of thickening starches during the cooking process. Like the Venetians, I use the peas and the actual pea pods while making the stock because they give a generous amount of sweetness and a stunning vivid green color to this nourishing and delicious family favorite. If pressed for time you can use frozen peas, but know some of the flavor will be lost in translation. It's a personal choice to use the pancetta or to omit it completely, as is whether to use a spoon or a fork to eat your Risi e Bisi; you do you.
1 1/2cups 400 gramsVialone riceCarnaroli or Arborio can be used
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 bunchparsley leaves, minced
1/2cupfreshly grated parmesan
Servings: people
Instructions
Shell the peas, reserving the pods. Place the pods and ⅓ of the peas in a medium pot with the vegetable stock and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes. Blend with an immersion blender until smooth. Strain broth into a medium pot, pressing on pods and the peas to release the most liquid. Discard the solids in the strainer and keep broth warm over low heat.
In a large heavy-bottomed pot, add the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and pancetta,if using,and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until onions are soft and golden, about 10 minutes. Add remaining peas and ½ cup of the strained broth. Cover and cook until peas are tender, 5 to10 minutes.
Increase heat to high, uncover, and cook off any remaining liquid. Add the rice and stir to coat well. Add about ¾ cup strained broth and cook, stirring constantly, until most of the broth has been absorbed. Add another ¾ cup broth. Continue cooking, stirring and adding broth as needed until the rice is tender but firm to the bite, about 20 minutes.
Remove from heat and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in 1 more cup broth, 2 tbsp. butter or olive oil, parsley and ¼ cup of the Parmesan. Cover and allow to rest for a few minutes. Serve with additional Parmesan.
Recipe by Silvia Baldini — On New Years Eve Italians eat lentils for good luck and prosperity. This lentils pasta dish is a hearty classic meal that comes together quickly and satisfies everyone. You can dress it up with a handful of crispy pancetta, a drizzle of olive oil and few tablespoons of grated Parmesan.
The sauce is mildly spicy, bold, and packed with lentils. The consistency is very creamy and comforting. The creaminess comes from the lentils, the starches in the pasta and the slow gentle cooking of all the ingredients. I like to use pre-steamed lentils or dry Puy lentils because they keep the shape once cooked. This is not soup. It is very thick and it is eaten with a fork. Spaghetti or small tubular pasta work well, or you can mix the broken bits and small leftovers that have been collecting at the bottom of boxes of dried pasta. It's a great way to clean up the pantry and start the new year fresh.
Buon Anno.
Recipe by Silvia Baldini — On New Years Eve Italians eat lentils for good luck and prosperity. This lentils pasta dish is a hearty classic meal that comes together quickly and satisfies everyone. You can dress it up with a handful of crispy pancetta, a drizzle of olive oil and few tablespoons of grated Parmesan.
The sauce is mildly spicy, bold, and packed with lentils. The consistency is very creamy and comforting. The creaminess comes from the lentils, the starches in the pasta and the slow gentle cooking of all the ingredients. I like to use pre-steamed lentils or dry Puy lentils because they keep the shape once cooked. This is not soup. It is very thick and it is eaten with a fork. Spaghetti or small tubular pasta work well, or you can mix the broken bits and small leftovers that have been collecting at the bottom of boxes of dried pasta. It's a great way to clean up the pantry and start the new year fresh.
Buon Anno.
1cup chopped canned plum tomatoes, with some juice
1sprig fresh rosemary
1/2 poundsmall tubular pasta, spaghetti or mixed shapes
1/2cupfresh parsley, chopped
Extra-virgin olive oil and hot red pepper flakes or hot pepper oil for garnish
freshly grated parmesan
Servings: people
Instructions
Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium-low heat. Add onion, carrots and celery, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes until softened but not colored. Add the pancetta, stir and cook for a couple of minutes until the pancetta starts rendering the fat. Add tomato paste, garlic clove, thyme and red pepper flakes. Stir and cook for a couple of minutes.
Remove the garlic. Stir in lentils and season with salt. Add 2 cups of stock, chopped canned plum tomatoes, rosemary, stir and cook for a about 15 minutes.
Stir in the pasta and add more stock if necessary. Cook stirring occasionally until pasta is cooked trough but al dente. Remove the rosemary and thyme sprigs. Finish with fresh chopped parsley, a splash of olive oil and Parmesan. Add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes for extra heat. Rest for 3 to 5 minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes
Substitute the pre-steamed lentils with uncooked dry Puy lentils. Cook for 20 minutes longer adding stock as necessary.
You can cook ahead and re-heat.
Use all the broken bits and small leftovers that have been collected from the bottom of boxes of dried pasta. It's a great way to clean up the pantry and start the new year fresh.
Recipe by Silvia Baldini— A couple of days after I got married in Tulum, Mexico, my new husband and I ate a late lunch on the beach with our families. We sat right by the ocean at a tiny restaurant called Hemingway. The owner, a lovely woman of Roman descent, fed us gorgeous creamy pasta, infused with curry and topped with fresh lobster and shrimp. It was a completely new dish to us and we became forever devoted to it. Once back in my own kitchen I recreated the recipe. This pasta is not only dear to me for sentimental reasons, but it’s also a truly magnificent and no-fail recipe, loved by everyone that tries it. The shrimp and lobster meat make the dish luxurious, but feel free to omit the seafood completely and enjoy the bright and spicy curry noodles as a weeknight quick-wander pantry meal.
Recipe by Silvia Baldini— A couple of days after I got married in Tulum, Mexico, my new husband and I ate a late lunch on the beach with our families. We sat right by the ocean at a tiny restaurant called Hemingway. The owner, a lovely woman of Roman descent, fed us gorgeous creamy pasta, infused with curry and topped with fresh lobster and shrimp. It was a completely new dish to us and we became forever devoted to it. Once back in my own kitchen I recreated the recipe. This pasta is not only dear to me for sentimental reasons, but it’s also a truly magnificent and no-fail recipe, loved by everyone that tries it. The shrimp and lobster meat make the dish luxurious, but feel free to omit the seafood completely and enjoy the bright and spicy curry noodles as a weeknight quick-wander pantry meal.
Fill a large pot of water and put over high heat to bring to a boil.
Meanwhile, warm the olive oil and butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. When the butter is melted and begins to sizzle, stir in the onion. Cook, stirring often, for about 7 minutes or until the onion is softened but not browned. Stir in the curry powder, salt, and a generous grinding of pepper. Add the lemon juice, raise the heat to medium-high. Let the sauce simmer for about 3 minutes, until slightly thickened. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the cream. Bring the sauce back to a gentle simmer. Set aside.
Generously salt the boiling water. Cook the spaghetti in the salted water, stirring occasionally, until very al dente, even slightly underdone. Once the pasta is in the water, proceed with finishing the sauce.
Add the shrimp to the sauce, cover, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until pink but still translucent. Add the lobster meat and cook for an extra couple of minutes. Do not overcook.
Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta, and transfer it to the frying pan with the sauce. Toss to combine thoroughly, and add a splash of pasta water, if necessary, to loosen the sauce. Cook for a minute or so to allow the pasta to absorb the sauce. Transfer to a serving bowl or individual bowls and serve, portioning out the seafood along with the sauce. Sprinkle generously with parsley.
Recipe Notes
Frozen and defrosted lobster meat can be used
Omit the lobster and shrimps for a vegan option
I use Madras curry powder, but any curry powder you have in you pantry will work well
Recipe by Silvia Baldini — One dish I like to do during the holidays is Prosecco risotto with either scallops or lobster. Firstly because scallops and lobsters are so plentiful in winter here in New England, but also because prosecco, the fizzy white wine of north-eastern Italy, is a lovely, light drink that is perfect for a celebration.
The combination of smooth, velvety scallops or sweet lobster, fruity, tangy prosecco and starchy rice is wonderful.
Recipe by Silvia Baldini — One dish I like to do during the holidays is Prosecco risotto with either scallops or lobster. Firstly because scallops and lobsters are so plentiful in winter here in New England, but also because prosecco, the fizzy white wine of north-eastern Italy, is a lovely, light drink that is perfect for a celebration.
The combination of smooth, velvety scallops or sweet lobster, fruity, tangy prosecco and starchy rice is wonderful.
1bottle Prosecco, you don't need that much for the dish, but this means you can have a glass while you're cooking
4cupshot fish or vegetable stock
1/2lemonjuice
fine salt and freshly ground black pepper
Servings: people
Instructions
Cut 12 thin (about 1/4 inch thick) slices of scallop for garnish, then dice the rest of the meat, including the corals. Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large, heavy-based pot, add the onion and cook gently until translucent.
Add the rice and stir to coat. Add 120ml or a generous glass of prosecco, let the alcohol evaporate , then add a little stock, stirring all the while - you don't want to let the rice get too wet.
When the liquid has been absorbed, add another ladle of stock, and stir. Repeat for 15-17min, until the rice is soft, but al dente.
Turn down the heat and stir in the reserved tablespoon of butter and then the diced scallops, lemon juice and seasoning. Spoon into bowls and, just before serving, season the reserved scallop slices and place two on top of each dish - the heat of the rice will cook them straight away.
In a heavy-bottomed large saucepan, heat the butter and olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent. Add the barley and toast for a couple of minutes, stirring occasionally. The barley will be toasted when slightly translucent. Add the wine and cook until absorbed. Add chopped herbs, spinach, lemon zest and stir. Season with salt.
Gradually add the chicken stock, stirring frequently. Bring to a simmer, lower the heat, and cover. Cook for 20/25 minutes, until the liquid is almost absorbed and barley is tender. Add the butter, the Parmesan, season with salt and pepper and stir. Remove from the heat. Rest the barley for 5/7 minutes before serving. Finish with the chopped parsley.
Recipe by Silvia Baldini— The risotto rules are simple. Start by sweating the onions, toast the rice until translucent, add wine and reduce, then add the main ingredient and cook for about 20 minutes by adding stock a ladle at time letting the liquid absorbs, then finish with butter and Parmesan and let the risotto rest for at least 5/7 minutes before serving to allow the starches and the butter to solidify together and become smooth and creamy. This process is called "mantecare" in italian. This mushroom Risotto is a perfect family meal but also sufficiently elegant for company and large dinner parties. If you are lucky enough to find fresh porcini, by all means go for it, but dried ones will do just fine. One last word about risotto. Keep it simple, use one star ingredient with few enhancing aromas and herbs, don't crowd the pot.
Recipe by Silvia Baldini— The risotto rules are simple. Start by sweating the onions, toast the rice until translucent, add wine and reduce, then add the main ingredient and cook for about 20 minutes by adding stock a ladle at time letting the liquid absorbs, then finish with butter and Parmesan and let the risotto rest for at least 5/7 minutes before serving to allow the starches and the butter to solidify together and become smooth and creamy. This process is called "mantecare" in italian. This mushroom Risotto is a perfect family meal but also sufficiently elegant for company and large dinner parties. If you are lucky enough to find fresh porcini, by all means go for it, but dried ones will do just fine. One last word about risotto. Keep it simple, use one star ingredient with few enhancing aromas and herbs, don't crowd the pot.
Soak dried porcini in 3 cups warm water until rehydrated, at least 20 minutes or until soft. Strain the mushrooms, reserving the broth for the risotto. (Discard the last 1/2 inch of the liquid; it will contain dirt from the porcini.) Heat the chicken stock and mushroom broth to a simmer.
Heat the oil and the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat; add onion; cook until slightly translucent. Add rice and stir; season with salt and pepper and cook until slightly translucent and lightly toasted. Add wine and stir until almost all the liquid has cooked off. Add the drained porcini and wild mushrooms and the tied herbs. Add hot stock and broth mixture, a ladleful at a time, completely stirring in the liquid each time. Keep adding broth as needed so there is always a 1/4-inch liquid layer over the rice.
After 15 to 20 minutes, the rice should be close to al dente. Taste and adjust seasoning, remove the herbs, stir in butter, then Parmesan cheese. Remove from heat and let rest for 5 to 7 minutes. Add the chopped parsley and serve with extra Parmesan cheese.
Recipe Notes
Risotto can be made in a pressure cooker or an Instapot. I suggest you follow all the steps from the original recipe but add the stock all at once then close and cook for 5/6 minutes. The timing might need to be adjusted depending from what kind of cooker you use, but with some practice the rice turns out perfectly, and you save a lot of time and effort.
Soft, creamy and cheesy polenta; yellow corn flour cooked until gooey. I don’t need to say much more. I like to serve polenta with a scoop of my always family favorite ragù sauce, or slow cooked ribs, veal stew, and even if you dare, rabbit. But frankly, a bowl of polenta mixed with hot fresh milk and what ever melty cheese you have in your fridge it’s heaven to me.
Bring the water and the milk to a boil in a large saucepan. Add a generous pinch of salt.
Gradually add the polenta in a steady stream, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. (I find a whisk doesn't work well.) Reduce the heat and gently simmer, stirring from time to time, for about 25 minutes. If the polenta thickens too quickly, add a little more water or milk.
Remove from the heat, add the Parmesan and butter and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
Recipe Notes
For an even creamier polenta, use half milk and half double cream instead of water. Or substitute Add blue cheese for the Parmesan and add some toasted walnuts for a side dish that's sure to make everyone happy.
Energy packed edamame beans, bittersweet fava beans, salty pancetta, all coated in delicious and healthy olive oil and finished with a bright squeeze of lemon juice. I like to pile up this satisfying and chewy medley on thick slices of toasted sourdough. Prep your beans and pancetta ahead of time, you can store them in the fridge for up to a week, keep them waiting and ready for lunch, side, snack or a last minute lite supper.
Prep the beans. Shell the fava beans and edamame. Keep them separate.
Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil and add the fava beans. Simmer for 2 minutes and then scoop them out. Squeeze each fava bean out of its outer bitter skin, toss in a colander to drain and set aside. Keep the water boiling. Then add the edamame to the boiling water. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Fry the pancetta or the bacon in a skillet until crisp and brown. Remove from the heat.
When ready to serve, in a large bowl combine the fava beans and edamame, the pancetta, the olive oil and the lemon. Mix delicately.
Toast the bread. Spoon the beans and pancetta mix on the toasted bread, drizzle with extra olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper. Finish with a little sprinkle of chopped mint.
Recipe Notes
Grated Pecorino or aged ricotta would make a nice salty and savory addition to the toast.
Who needs boringand fatteningpoundcake when you can havemenopausal cake.This dense and not so sweet cake, adapted from a Women’s Weekly recipe, is packed with ingredients that can help you minimize menopausal and menstrual symptoms. It uses all the goodness of soya, oat flour and ground almonds, combined with sweet potatoes, banana, prunes and figs for sweetness. One slice a day is all you need for pure girl power bliss!
1mediumsweet potato (about 5 oz)peeled and chopped
3 1/2ozdried figs roughly chopped
3 1/2ozsoy flour
3 1/2ozself rising wholemealSee note below
3 1/2ozoatmeal
1 1/34ozflax seedsGround
1 1/34ozpumpkin seeds
1 1/34ozground almonds
3 1/2 ozchopped walnuts
1tspground allspice
4ozchopped pitted prunes
1tbspgolden syrup or molasses
2largeeggs
7 1/2fl ozskim milk
1medium or largeripe banana, mashed
Servings: slices
Instructions
Preheat the oven at 350°F and line a 9 x 5 loaf pan with parchment paper.
Microwave the sweet potato pieces on high in 1 tablespoon water for 5 minutes or until soft, and then use the back of a fork or spoon to mash the sweet potatoes with the water. Soften the figs in 4fl oz of hot water for 10 minutes and then mash the figs and the water with a handheld blender.
Meanwhile, combine the flours and oatmeal in a large bowl. Stir in the seeds, nuts, the allspice and then the chopped prunes.
In another bowl, combine the syrup or molasses with the eggs and milk. Stir in the sweet potato mash, the fig purée and the mashed banana and combine well (you can whizz in the blender, if you like).
Thoroughly mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and then spoon the mixture into the prepared loaf pan.
Bake in the oven at 350°F for 1 hour or until nicely golden and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack and then remove the cake from the pan and cut into slices. You can store leftovers (if there are any!) in an airtight container or wrap individual slices in plastic wrap and then place in a resealable plastic bag and freeze.
Recipe Notes
If you cannot find self rising whole meal flour you can easily make it at home. Combine 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 cup all wheat flour, 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon of salt
Combine the couscous with the boiling water in a large heatproof bowl, cover; stand for 5 minutes or until the water is absorbed, fluffing with the fork occasionally.
Toast the pine nuts in a heated dry pan. Cool off.
Add the olive oil and the lemon juice, the grated peel and gently mix. Fold the spinach and the pine nuts in the couscous and season with salt and pepper.