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Pastiera

April 10, 2023 By
Pastiera Napoletana (Easter Pie)
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Recipe by Silvia Baldini — I have baked hundreds of wheat pies in search of the perfect one. This recipe is the one. I make a quick pasta frolla (crostata dough) by combining crumbly butter, flour and one egg. I cook the wheat berries in milk until creamy then blend half for a smooth but textured consistency. I mix the wheat with the drained ricotta, sugar, eggs, candied fruit and real orange blossom essence for the creamy filling. I wouldn't be honest if I didn't warn you— this pie is laborious and steps intensive. But the results are intoxicating.
Servings Prep Time
1 9 inches pie 2 ½ hours, plus cooling and resting time
Cook Time
1 ½
Servings Prep Time
1 9 inches pie 2 ½ hours, plus cooling and resting time
Cook Time
1 ½
Pastiera Napoletana (Easter Pie)
Yum
Print Recipe
Recipe by Silvia Baldini — I have baked hundreds of wheat pies in search of the perfect one. This recipe is the one. I make a quick pasta frolla (crostata dough) by combining crumbly butter, flour and one egg. I cook the wheat berries in milk until creamy then blend half for a smooth but textured consistency. I mix the wheat with the drained ricotta, sugar, eggs, candied fruit and real orange blossom essence for the creamy filling. I wouldn't be honest if I didn't warn you— this pie is laborious and steps intensive. But the results are intoxicating.
Servings Prep Time
1 9 inches pie 2 ½ hours, plus cooling and resting time
Cook Time
1 ½
Servings Prep Time
1 9 inches pie 2 ½ hours, plus cooling and resting time
Cook Time
1 ½
Ingredients
Dough
  • 8 tablespoons Butter 1 stick
  • 2 cups 00 flour
  • ⅔ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
  • 1 large egg
  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
Wheat Filling
  • 1 can cooked wheat, 14.8 onces grain
  • ⅔ cup whole cow milk
  • 1 teaspoon Butter
  • 4 tablespoons orange zest
Ricotta Cream
  • 1 ½ cups fresh ricotta, drained
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
  • 4 tablespoons orange zest
  • 1 teaspoon orange blossom essence
  • 1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon 3 cinnamon powder, optional
  • ½ cup candied fruit, optional
Finishing
  • 4 to 5 tablespoons confetioners' sugar
Servings: 9 inches pie
Instructions
Dough
  1. Place the butter, flour, sugar, lemon zest, egg and baking powder in the workbowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade and pulse until all ingredients are blended, then process just until you have a smooth dough. Stop once or twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Wrap the dough in plastic film and chill for at least an hour, or up to 1 day.
Wheat Filling
  1. Put the wheat grain in a heavy bottom medium sized pot. Mix in the milk add the butter and the lemon zest. Bring to a gentle simmer on a low flame and cook, stirring occasionally, until the wheat kernels are tender, and the milk is absorbed, about 15 to 20 minutes. Stir and scrape the bottom occasionally to avoid burning.
  2. Place half of the cooked wheat filling in to a blender and blend until creamy and smooth. Scrape back in to the cooked wheat, mix well and set aside to cool off.
Ricotta Filling
  1. Drain the ricotta in a sieve over a bowl until all the liquid is gone. You can drain the ricotta overnight or at least an hour before making the filling.
  2. Place the drained ricotta in a large bowl. Add the eggs, sugar and mix with a wooden spoon then beat until light and fluffy. Add the orange zest, the orange blossom water, vanilla, salt and cinnamon if using. Mix. Scatter the candied fruit, if using and fold together with a rubber spatula until blended.
  3. Fold the cooled wheat filling in to the ricotta cream and mix gently until incorporated.
Pie Assembly and Cooking
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch springform pan. Roll out two-thirds of the dough into a 14-inch circle. Fold the circle in quarters, place one of the points in the center of the buttered pan and unfold the dough, pressing it gently against the bottoms and sides and into the corners of the pan.
  2. Scrape the filling into the dough-lined pan. Make a lattice top by alternating strips of the pre-cut dough in alternating directions. Join the strips of dough to dough along the sides of the pan by pressing gently. Traditionally in Italy we use 7 stripes of dough to make the lattice. Place 4 strips diagonally at the bottom and 3 on the top.
  3. Bake until golden brown and the center feels springy, about 1 ½ hours. Remove and cool completely before serving. It will be better a day or two after baking. Once the pie is cooled off rest in a cool place wrapped with foil. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar before serving.
Recipe Notes
  • Use fresh sheep ricotta if available or a good quality artisanal cow milk ricotta
  • Drain the ricotta overnight. Place in a sieve over a bowl and rest covered in the refrigerator
  • You can buy canned or jarred cooked wheat on Amazon or in any good  Italian deli
  • Use good quality orange blossom flower essence to avoid soapy taste
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Dandelion and Radishes Salad

March 29, 2023 By
Dandelion and Radishes Salad
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Recipe by Silvia Baldini – Pay attention on your next walk. You will spot the yellow flowers and bright green leaves everywhere. It's not a weed it is Tarassico or Dandelion in italian. Pick a generous handful, maybe fill one bag, if you have the patience. Wash it. Wash it. And then wash it again. Toss the leaves with a few slices of radishes, a few teaspoons of good olive oil and sherry vinegar. Scatter wedges of 8 minutes boiled eggs on top. Reward yourself with a bitter, crunchy salad.
Dandelion and Radishes Salad
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Recipe by Silvia Baldini – Pay attention on your next walk. You will spot the yellow flowers and bright green leaves everywhere. It's not a weed it is Tarassico or Dandelion in italian. Pick a generous handful, maybe fill one bag, if you have the patience. Wash it. Wash it. And then wash it again. Toss the leaves with a few slices of radishes, a few teaspoons of good olive oil and sherry vinegar. Scatter wedges of 8 minutes boiled eggs on top. Reward yourself with a bitter, crunchy salad.
Ingredients
  • 4 cups dandelions leaves, washed and trimmed
  • 4 large pink radishes
  • 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
  • ½ tablespoon minced shallot
  • ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • Fine sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon honey, optional
  • 2 large eggs, 8 to 10 minutes boiled
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Triple wash the dandelion leaves, trim the roots and dry. Place in a large bowl. Slice the radishes thin. I use a mandolin or a sharp pairing knife. Scatter the radishes on top of the dandelion.
  2. Make the dressing. In a small bowl or a mason jar. Whisk the sherry vinegar with the shallot and Dijon mustard. In a thin, steady stream, whisk in the olive oil until emulsified. Stir in the honey, if using. Season with salt and pepper and stir.
  3. Drizzle a few generous tablespoons of the dressing on the salad and toss gently. You can preserve the remaining vinaigrette covered in the fridge for a few weeks. Add the sliced eggs on top of the dressed dandelion leaves and serve.
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Italian Potato Salad

June 15, 2022 By
Italian Potato Salad
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Recipe by Silvia Baldini—This is one of my favorite potato salads. The potatoes are dressed with good olive oil not with mayonnaise, so the salad is fresh, and light. When I was a kid, we used to make it each summer with the most tender string beans from our garden. Make sure to dress the salad when the potatoes are still warm to ensure they absorb all of the tanginess of the vinegar and the richness of the olive oil. The potatoes are at their creamiest when served at room temperature, which makes this a great dish for picnics, barbecues and potlucks.
Servings Prep Time
4 to 6 people 10 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
20 minutes 30 minutes rest time
Servings Prep Time
4 to 6 people 10 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
20 minutes 30 minutes rest time
Italian Potato Salad
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Recipe by Silvia Baldini—This is one of my favorite potato salads. The potatoes are dressed with good olive oil not with mayonnaise, so the salad is fresh, and light. When I was a kid, we used to make it each summer with the most tender string beans from our garden. Make sure to dress the salad when the potatoes are still warm to ensure they absorb all of the tanginess of the vinegar and the richness of the olive oil. The potatoes are at their creamiest when served at room temperature, which makes this a great dish for picnics, barbecues and potlucks.
Servings Prep Time
4 to 6 people 10 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
20 minutes 30 minutes rest time
Servings Prep Time
4 to 6 people 10 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
20 minutes 30 minutes rest time
Ingredients
  • 4 large new potatoes
  • 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt for the boiling water
  • 1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for finishing
  • 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • ¾ cup fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped
  • 1 cup spring onions or chives, finely chopped
Servings: people
Instructions
  1. Put potatoes in a large pot and add water to cover potatoes. Add salt and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cook for 20 minutes. Add the beans and cook for 7 more minutes, or until the potatoes and beans are just tender.
  2. Turn the potatoes and beans into a colander, separating out the potatoes. Refresh the beans under cold running water until no longer warm and drain well.
  3. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel and chop into ⅓-inch chunks. If the beans are long, halve them crosswise.
  4. In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar and salt and pepper. Add the potatoes and beans and very gently toss to coat without breaking up the potatoes.
  5. Cover and let stand on the counter for at least 30 minutes.
  6. Just before serving, sprinkle with parsley and a drizzle with oil. Top with chopped spring onions or chives.
Recipe Notes

Feel free to add a handful of black olives or a chopped tomato to add color and depth to this lovely summer salad.

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Wild Ramps Pesto

April 6, 2022 By
Wild Ramps Pesto
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Recipe by Silvia Baldini — Fresh and pungent with a hint of garlic and loads of walnuts, this is the must-do pesto for the brief window in spring when wild ramps are abundant. I make it as soon as I spot the ramps, then I place it in an ice cube tray and I store it in my freezer. I toss it on pasta, spread it on sandwiches, spoon it on soups, and I serve it with lamb chops.
Servings Prep Time
1 cup 15 minutes
Cook Time
10 seconds for blanching
Servings Prep Time
1 cup 15 minutes
Cook Time
10 seconds for blanching
Wild Ramps Pesto
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Recipe by Silvia Baldini — Fresh and pungent with a hint of garlic and loads of walnuts, this is the must-do pesto for the brief window in spring when wild ramps are abundant. I make it as soon as I spot the ramps, then I place it in an ice cube tray and I store it in my freezer. I toss it on pasta, spread it on sandwiches, spoon it on soups, and I serve it with lamb chops.
Servings Prep Time
1 cup 15 minutes
Cook Time
10 seconds for blanching
Servings Prep Time
1 cup 15 minutes
Cook Time
10 seconds for blanching
Ingredients
  • 1 bunch bunch wild ramps, about 4 oz
  • coarse sea salt
  • ½ cup walnuts, toasted
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ cup pecorino cheese, grated
  • ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest
  • ½ tabelspoon sherry vinegar
  • fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Servings: cup
Instructions
  1. Clean ramps and separate the greens from the stalks and bulbs.
  2. Prepare a large bowl of ice water. Blanch the greens in a large pot of boiling salted water until wilted, about 10 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer greens to the ice water to stop the cooking, then drain and squeeze out any extra liquid.
  3. In a large food processor, coarsely chop ramp bulbs, stalks and walnuts. Add the drained greens, olive oil, pecorino, parmesan and lemon zest , sherry vinegar and process to a coarse paste. Season with salt and pepper.
Recipe Notes

Serve tossed with spaghetti. Toss spaghetti and ½ cup cooking liquid with pesto, adding more cooking liquid as needed until pesto coats pasta. Serve topped with more Pecorino.

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School Break

February 2, 2018 By

Things I don’t look forward during School Break:

  1. It will take me approximately 3 to 7 days to pack for the whole family; we will have had 37 different marital blow ups before even leaving the house.
  2. Immediately upon arrival to destination everyone, including my husband, will develop an ear infection or an obscure rash that will require a) finding a pharmacy open in the middle of the night and b) a winner disposition for Charades to explain, in a foreign language, what hurts.
  3. The guilty feeling I nurture when I pretend my kids haven’t been on their tablets for 48 hours straight watching twat Jelly on youtube playing Minecraft.
  4. The “ME FIRST” arguments. Me first in the car, me first out of the car, me first opening the hotel door, me first taking a shower. Note nobody never, ever shouts: Me first to bed!
  5. Hotel room sex interrupted by wandering children looking for their tablets.

Things I do look forward during School Break:

  1. Even if I’ll be tired as hell when I get back I know I’ll have great memories about my lovely family. I’ll remember with warmness my daughter shoving her gigantic bunny toy through the tiny security detector at the airport, while a line of disgruntle travelers forms behind us.
  2. My son talking poop and farts non stop and making me laugh so hard my Prosecco comes out from my nostrils.
  3. Sharing time with the people I love the most and eating unforgettable meals that I didn’t have to prepare.

If you are smarter than me and decide not to travel but you have to cook for the family I suggest my ginger, turmeric, chickpea, cumin and tomatoes Braise
This meal is the ultimate immune boosting secret packed with plant based ingredients and natural anti-inflammatories like turmeric & ginger. Flu season and kids snot ? bring it on.

Watch my video recipe on FabFitFun.com or just follow the recipe below.

 

Vegan Chickpea Stew with Fennel, Ginger and Turmeric
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Servings Prep Time
4 to 6 people 25 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 to 6 people 25 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes
Vegan Chickpea Stew with Fennel, Ginger and Turmeric
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Servings Prep Time
4 to 6 people 25 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 to 6 people 25 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium garlic clove
  • 1 large onion finely chopped
  • 2 stalks celery finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
  • 1 teaspoon fresh grated turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon powder cumin
  • 2 cups canned chickpeas drained
  • 1 large fennel bulb, cut into ¼-inch slices
  • 1 can (15 oz) crushed tomatoes
  • 6 cups stock vegetable
  • 3 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves, chopped
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 4 cups shredded kale or Swiss chard, or cabbage cabbage or Swiss chard 
  • ½ lemon
  • 3 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves, roughly chopped
Servings: people
Instructions
  1. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large heavy bottom pot. Add the onion, celery, garlic and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook over moderate heat until the vegetables are softened, 10 minutes. Stir in the ginger, turmeric and cumin powder.
  2. Add chickpeas, fennel and vegetable stock, then bring to a boil over medium high heat. Stir in the tomatoes, parsley and the bay leaf. Lower the temperature to a simmer, cover the pot and cook for about 25 minutes.
  3. Stir in the kale, making sure it’s mostly submerged, and cook until tender, 5 additional minutes. Discard the bay leaves. Squeeze the lemon half into the stew and double check the seasoning, adjusting with salt and pepper if necessary. Serve in bowls garnished with the chopped parsley.
Recipe Notes

Finish with olive oil. You can add some cooked small pasta or rice to the finished dish. Freezes well.

You can add 2 cups of cubed chicken or lean ground beef with the chickpeas and braise for 10 to 15 minutes longer if you desire a heartier dish.

Roasted salmon (oven 14 minute at 350 degrees) would be delicious as well.

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Pistachios and Herbs Roasted Rack of Lamb

April 5, 2017 By

This pistachio and herbs rack of lamb is absolutely delicious and easy to make. I suggest you ask your butcher to French down the racks, so there is no fat or silver skin left – making them extremely tender, lean and juicy. The racks are easy to prepare and they roast in about 20 to 25 minute in a hot oven, the herbs and pistachios will flavor the meat beautifully making this a show off Easter meal.

Recipe by Silvia Baldini

Pistachios and Herbs Roasted Rack of Lamb
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Recipe by Silvia Baldini
Servings Prep Time
6 servings 30 minutes
Cook Time
20-25 minutes
Servings Prep Time
6 servings 30 minutes
Cook Time
20-25 minutes
Pistachios and Herbs Roasted Rack of Lamb
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Print Recipe
Recipe by Silvia Baldini
Servings Prep Time
6 servings 30 minutes
Cook Time
20-25 minutes
Servings Prep Time
6 servings 30 minutes
Cook Time
20-25 minutes
Ingredients
  • 4 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 1/2 cup (packed) fresh mint leaves
  • 1/2 cup (packed) fresh parsley leaves
  • 1/2 cup shelled pistachios
  • 1/2 cup toasted bread crumbs
  • 1 medium grated lemon zest
  • 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons sea-salt
  • 2 tablespoons ground black pepper
  • 4 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 3 1- to1 1/4 pound well trimmed racks of lamb
Servings: servings
Instructions
  1. Combine the garlic, the mint, the parsley, the pistachios, the bread crumbs and the lemon zest in a food processor. Blend until the garlic is finely chopped. Add 4 tablespoons oil and blend until a coarse paste forms. Transfer half of herb paste to small bowl and reserve
  2. Sprinkle each lamb rack generously with salt and pepper. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy large skillet over high heat. Place 1 lamb rack, meat side down, in the skillet. Sear until golden, about 2 minutes; return to baking sheet, meat side up. Repeat with remaining lamb racks. Cool off for a couple of minutes.
  3. Spread the Dijon mustard evenly over the lamb, then spread the herb and pistachio paste over the lamb racks. Place on to a lined baking sheet, meat side up.
  4. Roast the lamb until a meat thermometer inserted into the center of the lamb registers 130°F for medium-rare, about 20 minutes. Transfer the lamb to a platter. Let it stand 15 minutes. Mix any pan juices into the reserved herb paste. Cut the lamb between the bones into individual chops. Serve with the herb and pistachio sauce.
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Pink Eggs

April 1, 2017 By
Pink Eggs
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Servings Prep Time
6 people 15 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Servings Prep Time
6 people 15 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Pink Eggs
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Servings Prep Time
6 people 15 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Servings Prep Time
6 people 15 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Ingredients
  • 6 large organic hard boiled eggs
  • 3 medium beets
  • 1/3 cups white wine vinegar
  • 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
Servings: people
Instructions
  1. Boil the beets for 45 minutes in 2 cups of salted water. Drain the beets, peel, slice and reserve the cooking liquid.
  2. Cook, cool and peel the eggs. I hard boil my eggs for 10 minutes.
  3. Combine both vinegars, sugar and salt with the beet liquid in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
  4. Put the eggs in a large canning jar. Put the beets on top. Pour the vinegar mixture over the eggs and beets in jar.
  5. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 days, but no more than a week.
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The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F**K

April 1, 2017 By

There are two teams in life.  The Life-Changing Magic Of Tidying Up team, or the The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F**K  team. I definitely belong to the latter.

The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F**K  is a delicious little gem of a book by Sara Knight and it’s my kind of self-help book.  Read what she said to the Guardian:

1 What Other People Think. This one is non-negotiable. All anxiety stems from here.

2 Having a bikini body. The day I stopped caring about how I looked in a bathing suit, it was like a litter of kittens in black leotards had tumbled down from heaven to perform Single Ladies for the sole enjoyment of my thighs and belly.

3 Taylor Swift. Nope.

4 Feigning sincerity. I am the embodiment of “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” I just don’t fake it.

The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F**K  is liberating advise for all women stressed out, overbooked, underwhelmed by life. I follow the same philosophy in my kitchen. I keep it simple, if a guest doesn’t like my food it’s their problem not mine and when disaster strikes — say, dinners goes up in flames — I dial in for Sushi.

Here’s one more thought: spend your free time in the sunshine, away from the news and definitely not stressing in the kitchen.
Asparagus is easy enough to prepare. I geek out for asparagus at the farmers market or my local shops, as soon as March and April come around and I choose spears that are brightly colored and have a compact tip. Asparagus mimosa is a simple, fresh and easy way to cook this crisp, sweet spring vegetable.  It’s also one of my Easter brunch favored dishes. Asparagus is a very good source of fiber, folate, vitamins A, C, E and K, as well as chromium, a trace mineral that enhances the ability of insulin to transport glucose from the bloodstream into cells. Asparagus is also a brain booster because it’s loaded with vitamin B12, a vitamin with anti-aging property and known to prevent cognitive impairment. Brain power for pretty ladies, now that’s my kind of no brainer brunch and the kind of veggie I love. #RESIST

Asparagus and Eggs Mimosa
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Servings Prep Time
4 people 15 minutes
Cook Time
12-15 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 people 15 minutes
Cook Time
12-15 minutes
Asparagus and Eggs Mimosa
Yum
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
4 people 15 minutes
Cook Time
12-15 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 people 15 minutes
Cook Time
12-15 minutes
Ingredients
  • 2 large organic eggs
  • 2 bunches asparagus
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon Maldon sea salt
  • fresh ground black pepper
Servings: people
Instructions
  1. Place your eggs in a pot of boiling water. Simmer for 9 minutes. Remove the eggs from the water and after cooling down for a couple of minutes, peel them.
  2. Separate the yolks from the whites. Grate the yolks and the white in two different bowls. I like to use a coarse cheese grater.
  3. Bend the asparagus until the tough bottom end snaps off. Discard the end. With a peeler gently remove some of the tough skin from the stalks. Place the spears in a large pot of salted boiling water and cook for 3 to 6 minutes.
  4. Drain and place in a large bowl. Drizzle the olive oil over the asparagus and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Top with grated eggs, making sure not to cover thetas of the asparagus.
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A family feud.

The Easter Feast.

April 20, 2015 By

Forget Chopped, Bologna, Italy is were the real war is. Every year, my mother in law Betta and her Sister Giorgia have a food competition. Betta takes on Easter lunch and Giorgia rebuttals with the Christmas meal. I don’t know how far back this tradition dates, but  I can assure you , the competition is brutal.
Months before the meals, family recipes are sourced out from books, secret phone calls are made, and long consultations with other close family members and sometimes Guido, the local butcher and known gourmand, take place behind closed doors. Food creativity, presentation, and table settings  are taken in consideration. No detail is overlooked.

Me, I stay out of it. If consulted I just make up an excuse and change the subject. I have learn not to come between the sisters. But I reap the benefits. I, in fact, have had the pleasure to attend Betta’s Easter feast for 2 years now, and enjoy the creations while sinfully indulge in the verbal banter between the sisters.

And let me tell you,  Betta didn’t disappoint this year. The spread was spectacular, each dish was designed with a nod to local ingredients and family recipes. Some of my favorite dishes were: buttery and flaky parmigianini, handmade sting nettle tortelloni, inspired by a recipe from signora Patrizia’s arsenal, stuffed guinea hen, veal mosaic, and a stunning fruit aspic.

Betta also scored extra points not only with the menu design, that with the help of my brother in law, his girlfriends and pinerest, was designed to resemble a cootie catcher, but also with the place settings, which were hand carved by my father in law Gigi, from local walnut trees and esquisitely hand painted with everybody’s first names.

menu

Menu by Francesco and Irene

segnaposto

Place Setting by Gigi

segnapostoaugusot

Augusto and Valentina settings

Parmigianini are a tradition at Betta’s table. They are small, buttery, flaky, loaded with parmigian, crunchy biscuits. They are served as an aperitif. Once I locate them, I cannot stop eating them. They are evil and addictive. This time, they were accompanied by Crodino’s and Aperol.  These are bitter orange drinks meant to stimulate the appetite at the beginning of the meal.

parmigini

Parmigianini

crodini

Crodini and Aperol

I was told the sting nettles for the tortelloni were picked in the fall and frozen especially for this meal. They are mixed in, while making the dough, lending not only a beautiful green hue to the tortelloni, but also a very distinctive aromatic flavor, reminiscing of mint and spinach. The tortelloni were a work of art. The dough was thin, slippery and encasing fresh, just made, salty ricotta and  chopped sting nettles. Dressed in a creamy sauce reduced with parmigiano, these tortelloni are possibly one of the more remarkable pasta dish I have ever had.  I could taste the love, the passion and the  patience of the experienced  hands of Betta and Patrizia in each one of them.

ortica

Sting Nettles

Dough

Dough

Betta’s tortelloni

I loved the stuffed guinea hen. It’s a beautiful and decadent dish, perfect for company. The veal mosaic was silky and tender, I would say it is the elegant cousin of the meatloaf. It came at the table all dressed up and studded with emerald green pistachios and specks of delicate pink prosciutto.

mosaico

Veal Mosaico

There were many other side dishes, salads and desserts served. This was not a meal for the faint of heart. Once it was time for the grand finale, the fruit aspic, took the cake. Aspic is an old fashion and sentimental dish in Italy. Every family has a recipe and it appears at times, at the end of the meal in all it’s trembling glory. Some people might over look the aspic and go for the creamy and more chocolaty contenders, but, I just love the refreshing qualities of it. Betta aspic is loaded with berries, fruit and encased by a delicate sweet but tangy gelatin. Of course to be fair, I also tried the famous chocolate  sandwich cookies and all the other dessert. and enjoyed all of them, but the aspic is were my heart and taste buds were at.

Aspic

Aspic

cookies

Filling the chocolate cookies

I cannot wait to go back next year. I can not even imagine how Betta will top her self. Truth is, I cannot imagine what her sister Giorgia will do at Christmas. She sure has a tough act to fall. Although I  have heard through the grapevine, she has already started looking trough the books, and I can hear her wheels turning from here.

The sting nettel tortelloni, courtesy of Patrizia is posted below.

Betta and Gigi

Betta and Gigi, the hosts and winner of this year feast. For now.

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