Sorry, temporarily closed

Something is keeping me away from the kitchen...
Finally a project that I worked for years seems to be realizing. I'm so happy but I'm so busy and my head is everywhere but in the kitchen among my recipes.
The blog will not disappear so if you like you can anyway read it.

I'll miss all you bloggers and readers. Thanks for your support up to here.

Hoping to come back soon

Take care

Zia Elle

Mezze maniche mozzarella and peas casserole

Rome is not for the snow. Snow and cold is not for us. Here we like the sun and the warm temperatures even in January or in February when usually all Europe is icing.
We are not used to snow boots, snow-chains for cars, icy roads. It's not for us and we are not able to cope with similar emergency. Yes, emergency. Becouse for us snow is not regular winter. It's an emergency. Like a big heartquake, a flood or a tsunami.
And please, if you can, don't laugh about our tragedies :) It tooks only a few centimeters of snow: no public transport, no metro, no buses, no taxi around. All schools closed becouse roman kids are not able to go to school with the snow: don't laugh please, this is Rome!
Supermarkets are empty becouse no food can reach the supermaket shelves (it's snowing, how can they?)
People remain trapped inside the train for 20 hours on inside the car on the road for 15 hours.

It was the frist snow in 26 years and we can wait now for more 30!

Spring time, we are waiting for you!

Ciao from a very unusual Rome under the snow :)


What you need:
g 180 mezze maniche pasta
g 150 peas
g 100 mozzarella chees
1/2 onion
extra virgin olive oil and salt to season

Directions:

• in a pan put 4 tbsp olive oil, the onion cutted in slices and turn on the fire
• add the peas and 1/2 glass of water and let them cook for 15 minutes
• cook the pasta in boiling salted water for 6 minutes
• drain the pasta and pour in to a baking dish
• add the peas, the mozzarella cutted in to squares
• mix all together and let cook in the warm oven at 180° for 30 minutes

Very easy, fast and delicious!

Lemon and ginger jam

In this time of the year our lemon tree is full of fruits. Big, blinding yellow and flavoured lemons hung on the tree that seem to tell you "Come on, take me and make something good!"

So every winter I have lemons and lemons ready to become cakes, tarts, limoncello, limoncello cream and of course jam!

This time I tried for my jam the lemon and ginger combo. Fantastic! The two flavors really go well together. The bitter lemon fit perfectly with the spicy ginger.

The base lemon jam recipe is always the same: my aunt Anna recipe, the best! Thanks Zia Anna!

 

What you need:

8 lemons bio
g 800 sugar
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

Directions:

• wash the lemons, cut them in very very thin slices and put them in a large bowl with water (enough water to cover all lemons)
• let them stay in water for 3 day and change the water every day
• in a large pot mix the slices with sugar and cook for about 40 minutes
• in the middle of the cookind add the grated ginger
• put the marmellate in sterilized glass jars, close and let them cool upsidedown

Lemon and apple simple cake

Simple things are my favourites. Just like this cake. The combo apple-lemon is a perfect mix. Enjoy it with a cup of good tea, better if is a lemon tea.
And if you are a big chef or if you are a beginner in cook and baking you will like this recipe. Simple, fast, flavoured, not fat and really delicious!

What you need:
10 tbs flour
2 tbs cornstarch
8 tbs brown sugar
g 120 butter
3 tbs milk
1 lemon (zest and juice)
2 apples
2 teaspoons baking powder

Directions:

• cut the apples in thin slices and cover with lemon juice
• in a bowl mix the sugar with eggs (at room temperature)
• add the lemon zest, the butter and the two flours (mixed with the baking powder)
• mix all together and just if you need add the milk 
• pour in the mold and cover with the apple slices
• put in the oven at 180°C for 40 minutes
• if you like decore with icing sugar

Cumin and Coriander Bread

I guess I'm in lethargy. I wake up in the morning but I sleep until noon. I am all day tired and confused. I feel like my head is completely empty. No ideas, no arguments, no too long speeches (well, no speeches at all). So my blog too is in winter lethargy. Please be patient.
I need some warm temperatures and sun. Maybe I will ask to Arabafelice to accomodate me for a couple of days in her 35°C land :)
Meanwhile if you see in a supermarket a zombie filling at random the shopping cart, don't worry, it's just me.


Cumin and coriander bread
What you need:
g 500 flour
g 25 fresh yeast
1tbs salt
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 tbs coriander
2 tbs cumin

Directions:

• in a large bowl put the flour and in the middle place the yeast, the oil and the salt
• add slowly about 1/2 cup of hot water and mix all together until have a good soft dough
• cover with a cotton cloth and leave a warm place until it double or more (about 3 hours)
• take the dough, have one big bread or more smallers, cover with spices (and more grains of salt if you like) and cook at 220° C for about 35 minutes

Easy, flavoured and very good taste. Enjoy!

After Holidays Password: Recycle!

These days newspapers, blogs and web sites are full of recipes with "diets after holidays". So many different diets soon after so many different holidays recipes.
It's crazy! First they pushed us to "cook and eat" and now they push to the reverse: "stop and diet". Well, they feel mi like a robot, a machine that follow the web world orders. Are we really runned from someone else no matter what we like or what we need? 
Maybe it's just our life. We really like "cook and eat" and soon after "stop and diet". And we like first to have directions and suggestions for cook and soon after we like wait for suggestions and directions for diets. So the web world (foodblogs, websites, newspapers) just follow our requests.
Or maybe be both of them.
Let's think about it...

First, what everyday worries me is not throw leftover food. And in these days we cooked a lot, so for sure there are a lot of cooked and halfcooked leftover food on our fridge. Please don't throw it! Try to recycle and reuse it!
Here a good suggestion for some usually half cooked food leftover on your (our) fridge.



What I had to reuse in my fridge:
boiled potatoes
boiled spinach
eggs

What I added:
extra virgin olive oil
a pinch of salt

Here is what I did:

• in a pan I put some oil (about 4 tblsp) and the potatoes cut in not too thin slices and I let to cook for 5 mintues;
• I add spinach and let cook more 5 minutes
• at the last I add the egg, a pinch of salt, I cover and let it cook for more 7-8 minutes

So in less than 20 minutes I had a simple and delicious lunch.

Leftovers disappeared, my fridge says "thank you!"

Orange and choco tart

To begin a new years together.........let's tart!

If you read me you already know: tarts are my love. I have a different tart for each season, one for each month, one for each party or birthday or special holiday. With some homemade jam, with cream and fruit   or in gluten free version  (go for a visit on my "crostate" label and you'll see all them!)
Tart is the first cake thas comes on my mind evry time I decide to bake some cake. I find tarts easy to do, nice for the guests and full of happiness!
More of that it's really difficult they are not successfull. They don't flopped, they don't take down, they don't require proving.
You can call me "the tart woman".

Enjoy this tart and let me go to arrange for the next...



What you need

For the base:
g 350 flour
g 100 sugar
2 eggs
g 100 butter
1 zested orange peel
a pinch of salt

For the cream:
g 250 ricotta cheese
3 tbps sugar
1 orange
1 egg
3 tbps milk
g 1 vanilla
g 80 dark chocolate

Directions:

• on your work table (or in a bowl) put the flour. In the middle add sugar, eggs, a pinch of salt and orange zest
• mix a little and add melted butter
• mix all together until form a dought and let rest in the fridge for 10 minutes
• in a bowl put the ricotta cheese and chash it very ell until have a cream
• add the sugar, the egg, the orange juice, milk, vanilla and mix slowly
• chop the dark choco and let's settle the tart
• put on the base of the baking tin the 2/3 of the dought
• put on the ricotta cream and cover with chopped choco
• finish with a couple of orange slices if you like
• decore with some strips had with the rest of the dought
• cook for 35 minutes at 180°C

Fragrant and delicious!