Cupcake decoration

Dirty final touch

 

Dirt risotto with sauteed sea bass, dirt ice cream, salad with dirt dressing. This is what the menù of a French restaurant, Ne Quittez Pas, french for Do not quit, offers. Exactly, for just 110$ you can taste a "delicious" dirty plate. 

The Seven Best Pies in Sydney

G'day followers! To pay homage to this hospitable land that is Australia today we talk about pies.
I am not sure who exactly decided it but it seems that the best pie in the world is a few km from Sydney. I went there for the Queen's B'day weekend and I tried two of their amazing pies. Well, I don't know whether they are the best in the world but I can tell you they are fabulous! 
If you happen to pass by Berry and you are willing to do a deviation through outstanding views then I suggest you to drive to Barrengarry and stop for a delicious pie.

Zucchini Muffins

Little delicious savory muffins where the delicate flavor of the zucchini meets the smoky salmon and the aromatic dill.
Very easy to make, the result will be just amazing.
Ideal finger food for an "aperitivo" or a potluck with yourfriend.

Pumpkin and spinach soup

The pumpkin and spinach soup is a delicate dish prepared with garlic, tomatoes, spinach, chickpeas and lots of fragrant spices. Except for the chickpeas, all the ingredients are blended together giving a warm wonderful and aromatic cream. Perfect for these days of winter!
You can serve pumpkin soup with olive oil and accompany with toasted croutons.

Spinach Dip in a Cob Loaf

I have learnt this recipe here in Australia that I find just amazing. The idea to put a dip in a bread "bowl" is very smart and makes it perfect for your picnic. Here a revisited version:

Pasticcio di lasagne

Probably the post delicious form of pasta and probably the most famous in Italy and around the world.
Here my family recipe of Pasticcio di Lasagne.

Plum cake alle Verdure

Plum cake alle Verdure is perfect for a happy hour with your friends and a cool beer.

Zucchine ripiene

This version of Zucchine ripiene is a great vegetarian second course but you could potentially fill the zucchini with a variety of ingredients. We will see alternative ways to make Zucchine ripiene in future posts.

Schiacciata con l'uva

Today for our dessert we go to Tuscany with a delicious recipe that was given to me by a splendid Tuscan cook. Schiacciata con l'uva is an interesting match between sweet grapes and savory rosemary.

Risotto ai funghi

In Italy, Risotto ai funghi porcini is a classic dish of the autumn, in Sydney is also perfect for these raining days at the end of summer.

Porcini ripieni

This recipe is very easy and it goes well as an entrée or as a side dish for meat.

Risotto alla zucca

When the sweet and delicate taste of pumpkin meets with the flavor of the rosemary. 

Calamari e patate

This recipe is stolen from a dear friend of mine. I like it very much so I would like to share it with you!

Penne in crema di broccoli

If you don't like broccoli, try this simple recipe you might change your mind ;-)

Sugo alla zucca

Here one of the tens ways to cook the pumpkin. This is a pasta sauce with a delicate taste that goes well with short pasta like fusilli, farfalle, penne or gnocchi.

Pasta pesto e melanzane

I created this recipe recently by chance but it turned to be a very yummy one!

Sugo di peperoni

Make the Peperonata, make it a lot so that the day after you can use the leftover to make an awesome sauce for pasta!

Blend the Peperonata, pour it on a pan and once it's warm and of the right density add some creamy cheese. Use this sauce as a condiment for the shape of pasta you like, I suggest short pasta or gnocchi, and... Buon appetito!

Chiacchiere

Chiacchiere is a typical Carnival sweet and it is actually called with different names in the different regions of Italy. The name Chiacchiere is most diffused in Lombardia, Cenci or Donzelle in Toscana, Frappe in Rome, Frappole or Sfrappole in Emilia, Cròstoli in Trentino, Galani in Veneto, Bugie in Piemonte, etc...
Chiacchiere are sweet friable stripes sprinkled with icing sugar or honey. The tradition of this sweet goes probably back to the Frictilia, a kind of sweet fried in pork fat that they used to make in the ancient Rome during Carnival time.

Gnocchi di patate

Gnocchi are pretty famous all over the world. It's a simple and nutritious dish and it goes well with diverse kinds of sauces. This dish has ancient origins, it seems that gnocchi has been a traditional Italian pasta type of probably Middle Eastern origin since Roman times. At that time, gnocchi were made from wheat, rice or semolina flour porridge-like dough mixed with eggs or milk. Of course the recipe has changed since then. The use of potato is a relatively recent innovation occurring after the introduction of the potato to Europe in the 16th century. Today, the most diffused recipe of Gnocchi di Patate in Italy only contains flour, potatoes and eggs.

Salmone al forno

 They say that salmon is a SuperFood well check out at this SuperDish!

Pesce alla griglia, battuto

I will give you now the recipe I use to make the "battuto" for grilled fish. The battuto is a mixture of ground herbs and spices with olive oil and lemon juice. You can use this battuto for nearly every kind of grilled fish.







 

Salsetta Verde

This is one of the best recipe I have taken from my mum. It's a combo of strong flavors and all together they make the most amazing olive paste ever. Most of the people dislike some or all the ingredients but yet I haven't found anybody who doesn't love the Salsetta Verde. So, don't be skeptic, try it once and you will love it!

Fusilli al Salmone

Today I will give you the recipe to make Fusilli al Salmone. This is a very simple and quick dish that you can cook when you don't have much time but still you want to eat something delicious and refined.
It is all done in few steps.

Ravioli al pesce

Today is a very raining day in Sydney. Since there's no chance to go outside I decided to try to make seafood Ravioli. All I need to do is prepare the filling, make the Pasta Fresca and then try to assemble all in Ravioli shape. Lets do it!
First of all I prepare the Pasta and I leave it in a cool place while I make the filling.

For the filling I decided to use prawns and smoked salmon.

Pasta Fresca

Home made pasta is the most traditional dish in all Italy. From one single recipe you can obtain diverse shapes: tagliatelle, tagliolini, lasagne, ravioli, tortellini and many more.
Unfortunately, because most of the people never have much time to spend in the kitchen, Pasta Fresca is no longer made at home very often. Even in Italy people buy Pasta Fresca at the bakery.
However, if we think about it, we don't need much time to make a good pasta. All the ingredients are kneaded in about 15-20 minutes, 30 minutes is the time that the dough need to rest, 15 more minutes are required to stretch out the dough and cut out the shapes we desire.
It's more complicate to explain it then actually do it!

Cannelloni al ragù 2

...Yesterday I made the ragù for my Cannelloni. Today, I am going to fill them up, make the besciamella, and cook!
First of all I take out the bay leaves from the ragù, their aromatic essence is awesome in many dishes but if eaten whole they are pungent and have a sharp, bitter taste. I use a perforated spoon to drain the ragù a little bit, then I fill the cannelloni and dispose them on a tray. I like to make just one layer but you can make two if you prefer.
Of course I had extra ragù, not a problem, I put it in the freezer and I will make Lasagna some other time!

Ragù

Tomorrow  is the Australian Open final! I am not a tennis fan but I am having dinner at a friend place to watch it together on TV. For this occasion I am making Cannelloni al ragù. Ok, you might think that this is not exactly an easy and quick recipe. You are right, apologies! It's not a quick recipe but easy? of course ;) just try to do it with me! It's also so so yummy mmm...

Welcome to Buon Appetito

Welcome everybody to Buon Appetito!

If you would like to follow my blog I will tell you the stories that come up from my messy kitchen and I hope you will enjoy to mess up in your kitchen with me ;)