Welcome Lorenzo!

On 29th May 2010 my little boy Lorenzo came to this world.

The hard final months of pregnancy and a predate childbirth are the main causes for my absence.

I don't really know when I' ll be able to write again because, you can figure, I have so much to manage with this new and deep experience.

I don't want to close this blog, I'm sure I'll be back one day, ready to write more and more recipes.

Feel free to leave your comments or suggestions, I'll read them for sure!

Take care!

Claudia

Bacon candies (Caramelle al bacon).

I'm back for a while with a giant belly and a nice recipe I still didn't share with you.

It's an appetizer or an idea for a party, they're easy to prepare and really loved by children.

You need very simple ingredients and alluminium foil:

for about 20 candies you need:

a pack of sandwich bread (the white one, rectangular shaped)

bacon or italian pancetta

white creamy cheese like philadelphia

Spread cheese on the first bread slice, top it with another slice and spread cheese again, do the same untill last slice.

Now chop the bread tower with a long knife and make squares, mouth-sized.

Roll on each square a slice of bacon then close it into an alluminium foil giving the shape of a candy.

Do the same with all the squares then put in oven for about 15 min. at medium heat.

Serve hot or warm, they're fantastic!

Beer crostini ( Crostini alla birra).

A quick recipe for a dinner with friends.

Beer- related to celebrate St. Patrick's day!

For 4 serves:

8 slices of stale- tuscan bread

3 1/2 oz. butter (non salted)

7 oz. cheese ( fontina or any other cheese that melt well)

1/2 cup beer

a sprinkle of black pepper

Toast bread in the oven then spread butter on the slices.

In a pan "bain-marie" let melt cheese chopped in cubes with beer mixing consistently.

Spread melted cheese on bread and add a sprinkle of black pepper then bake for 5-10 minutes at 345° F.

Have a nice time with this recipe!

Today is time for a first course recipe.
It's quick, really savoury and saffron gives that chic touch that's never out of place.

This recipe is for 4 serves:

1 pound pasta ( short and big shape like rigatoni, fusilli, farfalle...)

8 oz. fresh sausage

1 bag saffron powder

1/2 cup fresh milk cream

salt and pepper

1 small onion chopped in tiny pieces

1 glass white dry wine

In a large saucepan fry lightly onion chops with a little oil then broke inside the pan the sausage in grains.
Let it cook and add the wine.
Meanwhile cook pasta "al dente".
When sausage is well cooked add milk cream and low the fire.
Let it simmer for few minutes and then add saffron: mix untill the sauce is evenly yellow.
Add salt and/or pepper if needed.
Drain pasta and pour into the saucepan.
Mix with the sauce on fire for a couple of minutes then serve.

Here we start to feel spring in the air, this dish is a sort of last cooking goodbye to winter and I'm quite happy because, even if I love cold and snow, this year we had too much of both.

Two-coloured ring-shaped cake ( Ciambellone bicolore).

from gingerandtomato.com

A nice recipe for morning breakfast or afternoon snack or...Well, whatever! LOL

I love it because I used to eat it when I was a child, my mum still often prepare it because it's quick, fast and have the smell of something made with love.

You need:

8 1/2 oz. all purpose flour

8 1/2 oz. sugar

3 eggs

4 1/2 oz. milk

4 1/2 oz. extra-virgin olive oil ( delicate taste)

1 bag baking powder

2 spoons cocoa powder

pearl sugar

Beat eggs with sugar untill smooth, add milk and oil and mix.

Add flour with baking powder and blend in.

Grease a ring- shaped cake pan and pour half of the mixture in it.

Into the half still in the bowl add cocoa and mix untill blended.

Pour gently over the first half and sprinkle with pearl sugar.

Put in preheated oven for about 40 minutes at 345 F°.

Oh now I'm starving to death for it, tomorrow I'll do a ciambellone! ^^

Hummus (Chickpeas sauce).

I didn't write for so long but I had a lot to do: it's not only a matter of pregnancy, it's a matter of organization.

Medical check-ups, house revolution to change the guest room in baby room, storms into every baby-related shop to find the right stroller, the right cradle, the right everything.

Today I show you a recipe that's not Italian, it comes from Middle-east and it's common in Arabia as in Turkey as in many other countries around there.

I eat it quite often because a family friend teached me and I find it delicious on toasted bread or with raw vegetables like carrots, celery, tomatoes...

It's really really easy.

For 4 serves you need:

1 can boiled chickpeas

extra-virgin olive oil

salt

paprika or chili

1 garlic clove mashed

chopped parsley to decorate

1 spoon thaini (it's a paste made from sesame seeds, you can find it in ethnic shops)

Whisk all the ingredients untill you have a smooth cream, if it's too thick add a little water and mix well.

Sprinkle with parsley and serve room temperature or cold with toasted bread or raw vegetables.

Enjoy!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2009 for me and my family has been a really hard year, lot of matters, unlucky and other ugly things.

I really really hope 2010 will be better, happy and quiet.

I wish the same to all the followers of this blog and everyone else.

Keep on reading...And cooking Italian way! ^^