This recipe is from my paternal grandmother a native of Abruzzo. I don't know if she would be happy with me in publisizing her meatballs but they are sooo good that I want to share them with those appreciate authentic Italian cuisine.
The following recipe is for the meatballs/polpettini and in general are added to a ragu sauce. The sauce (a modified, short-cut verions of the classical Italian ragu) will follow:
Serving size: 6
- 1 kg (2 pounds approx) ground beef
- 2 large Tuscan (or spicey Italian) sausages
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 bunch of parsley
- 3 eggs
- 200 grams breadcrumbs
- 1 Tablespoon extravirgin olive oil
- 100 grams grated parma cheese
- dash of origano
- pepper
PREPARATION:
In a good size bowl add the ground beef, the sausages (take off the skin), the eggs, breadcrumbs, grated cheese, origano. Your parsely and garlic first need to but cut fine (I use a half-moon) and add to the beef with the olive oil and perhaps a bit of balsamic vinegar (optional).
Mix up well with your hands and let sit for a few minutes. Make golfball size balls and make sure that they are compact.
In a large sauce pan add extra virgin olive oil, heat and place your meatballs and carefully turn so that they are uniformly browned. Note that you don't want to cook them completely during this phase but merely brown them so that they remain intact.
These meatballs then should be removed from the saucepan and placed carefully on kitchen papertowels to absorb the extra oil. They will then be added to your ragu sauce and let cook with the sauce for approximately 1.5 to 2 hours.
ENJOY!
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
GET SAUCED WITH EGGPLANTS !
If you love eggplant and you arent offended by meat then you will love this, I made it on Sunday and was a hit!!!
This is a great sauce which is better the next day or as a left-over thus the serving for the below recipe is on the big end with a whapping TEN.
You will need about 2 1/2 hours to prepare and cook this.
YOU WILL NEED:
- 2 lb (800 kg approx) rigatoni
- 1 lb (600 gr) beef tenderloin
- 3.5 oz mushrooms (mixed)
- chicken giblets
- 3.5 oz butter
- 5 oz grated Parmgiano cheese
- 2 lb (800 gr) tomato pulp
- 1.5 oz ham (smoked)
- 1.5 cups dry white wine
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 red onion
- 2 large eggplants
- salt & pepper QB
PREPARATION:
You will need a large sauce-pan, put in it your ham (chopped up rather small), your onion (sliced thin) and 2 tablespoons of oil. Let brown and add your meat over this and brown on high heat for a few minutes, then add your wine and when evaporated add the tomato and enough water as well to cover the meat and season with salt and pepper... maintain heat high until it comes to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cover, cook for about 1.5 hours. At this point, remove your tenderloin when its cook and cut it into small squares. The sauce (less the meat) need be sieved and put into another saucepan and add your meat squares to it, add the giblets and the thinly sliced mushrooms. Prepare the boiling water with a tablespoon of salt and a bit of olive oil, add the rigatoni. In good size frying pan add enough olive oil to cover the surface, cut your eggplants into thin slices (naturally after having been cleaned), add a bit of salt and a cut clove of garlic, cook til browned. When the rigatoni are al dente, drain and place in your serving plates and place a bit of butter and a sprinkly of parma cheese. Now dress the plated pasta with approx. half of the meat sauce and finally place a layer of your eggplants on top of the sauce, sprinkle another layer of parma cheese and serve !
A sure winner .... SALUTI
This is a great sauce which is better the next day or as a left-over thus the serving for the below recipe is on the big end with a whapping TEN.
You will need about 2 1/2 hours to prepare and cook this.
YOU WILL NEED:
- 2 lb (800 kg approx) rigatoni
- 1 lb (600 gr) beef tenderloin
- 3.5 oz mushrooms (mixed)
- chicken giblets
- 3.5 oz butter
- 5 oz grated Parmgiano cheese
- 2 lb (800 gr) tomato pulp
- 1.5 oz ham (smoked)
- 1.5 cups dry white wine
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 red onion
- 2 large eggplants
- salt & pepper QB
PREPARATION:
You will need a large sauce-pan, put in it your ham (chopped up rather small), your onion (sliced thin) and 2 tablespoons of oil. Let brown and add your meat over this and brown on high heat for a few minutes, then add your wine and when evaporated add the tomato and enough water as well to cover the meat and season with salt and pepper... maintain heat high until it comes to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cover, cook for about 1.5 hours. At this point, remove your tenderloin when its cook and cut it into small squares. The sauce (less the meat) need be sieved and put into another saucepan and add your meat squares to it, add the giblets and the thinly sliced mushrooms. Prepare the boiling water with a tablespoon of salt and a bit of olive oil, add the rigatoni. In good size frying pan add enough olive oil to cover the surface, cut your eggplants into thin slices (naturally after having been cleaned), add a bit of salt and a cut clove of garlic, cook til browned. When the rigatoni are al dente, drain and place in your serving plates and place a bit of butter and a sprinkly of parma cheese. Now dress the plated pasta with approx. half of the meat sauce and finally place a layer of your eggplants on top of the sauce, sprinkle another layer of parma cheese and serve !
A sure winner .... SALUTI
Thursday, February 18, 2010
POTATO GNOCCHI
Buongiorno Amici !
Today I have prepared something ma molto molto facile ! Potato Gnocchi... your friends will think that you went all out for them, but really its almost as easy as boiling water:
Servings 6
Prep and cooking time needed: about 40 minutes to prepare and another 5 to cook. But remember you can always freeze your gnocchi and pull them out, put in boiling water and in 5 minutes you have a great meal.
YOU WILL NEED:
- 1 1/5 lb (approx. 800gr) all-purpose flour or in Italy "00" Farina.
- 3 1/5 lb (approx. 2 kg) potatoes
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 oz (3 large tablespoons butter)
- Parmmigiano Cheese (grated to taste but again, go heavy !)
PREPARATION:
First you need to boil the potatoes until well cooked but not mushy. Let them cool off, peal them and mash them.
Take your flour and put on a untreated wooded or marble surface (or any large cutting board will do). May a well or I like to call it a crater with the flour. In the center of the flour, add the eggs, softened butter and mix well together. At this point you will need to make strips with the mixture the size of MY fingers.
Cut the strips then about an inch (or a couple of cm) in length and carefully squash your little creations with your index finger making a sliding movement to make a curl shape figure.
This is fairly time consuming so make sure you are in the mood to create !
Your new born gnocchi need to cooked in boiling(salted) water. When they float to the top, they are ready. Make sure you drain ALL THE WATER OUT, dress with a very generous amount of your cheese and butter !
Alternatively you can serve these with pesto sauce (another recipe) or a tomato-ragu sauce or even a simple tomatoe sauce with some basil.
ENJOY!
Today I have prepared something ma molto molto facile ! Potato Gnocchi... your friends will think that you went all out for them, but really its almost as easy as boiling water:
Servings 6
Prep and cooking time needed: about 40 minutes to prepare and another 5 to cook. But remember you can always freeze your gnocchi and pull them out, put in boiling water and in 5 minutes you have a great meal.
YOU WILL NEED:
- 1 1/5 lb (approx. 800gr) all-purpose flour or in Italy "00" Farina.
- 3 1/5 lb (approx. 2 kg) potatoes
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 oz (3 large tablespoons butter)
- Parmmigiano Cheese (grated to taste but again, go heavy !)
PREPARATION:
First you need to boil the potatoes until well cooked but not mushy. Let them cool off, peal them and mash them.
Take your flour and put on a untreated wooded or marble surface (or any large cutting board will do). May a well or I like to call it a crater with the flour. In the center of the flour, add the eggs, softened butter and mix well together. At this point you will need to make strips with the mixture the size of MY fingers.
Cut the strips then about an inch (or a couple of cm) in length and carefully squash your little creations with your index finger making a sliding movement to make a curl shape figure.
This is fairly time consuming so make sure you are in the mood to create !
Your new born gnocchi need to cooked in boiling(salted) water. When they float to the top, they are ready. Make sure you drain ALL THE WATER OUT, dress with a very generous amount of your cheese and butter !
Alternatively you can serve these with pesto sauce (another recipe) or a tomato-ragu sauce or even a simple tomatoe sauce with some basil.
ENJOY!
Monday, February 15, 2010
RISOTTO III - Pumpkin Risotto
A very delicate dish and even got my 10 year old to eat it!
Total prep and cook time is about an hour (30 prep + 30 cooking)
Servings - 4
YOU WILL NEED:
- 1 kg (approx. 2 lb) yellow pumpkins
- 1 white onion
- 4 tablespoons of butter (3 During prep and another when cooked)
- 3 cups of milk (better whole but semi-fat is ok) NOT SKIMMED FOR GODS SAKE!
- 500 gr (approx. 3/4 lb)Carnaroli Rice
- Grated Parmigiano Cheese (at least 200 gr) or to taste but I like to go heavy on it
- 1 teaspoon sugar(brown)
- salt to taste
PREPARATION:
First you need to peel your pumpkin (I cut it up in chunks first which makes it easier to peel and clean). Let them dry some and then place in a large saucepan with the butter on the sliced (thin) onion to brown. Salt while browning and then add the sugar and cover (you may need to had 1/4 cup of water) until softened. Add the milk and the milk and when it starts to boil add the rice, cover and cook until the rice is soft. If your rice appears uncooked by the time the milk has evaporated then add a bit more water.
Serve with butter (a tablespoon) and with the grated Parmesan Cheese.
Serve Hot
ENJOY !
Total prep and cook time is about an hour (30 prep + 30 cooking)
Servings - 4
YOU WILL NEED:
- 1 kg (approx. 2 lb) yellow pumpkins
- 1 white onion
- 4 tablespoons of butter (3 During prep and another when cooked)
- 3 cups of milk (better whole but semi-fat is ok) NOT SKIMMED FOR GODS SAKE!
- 500 gr (approx. 3/4 lb)Carnaroli Rice
- Grated Parmigiano Cheese (at least 200 gr) or to taste but I like to go heavy on it
- 1 teaspoon sugar(brown)
- salt to taste
PREPARATION:
First you need to peel your pumpkin (I cut it up in chunks first which makes it easier to peel and clean). Let them dry some and then place in a large saucepan with the butter on the sliced (thin) onion to brown. Salt while browning and then add the sugar and cover (you may need to had 1/4 cup of water) until softened. Add the milk and the milk and when it starts to boil add the rice, cover and cook until the rice is soft. If your rice appears uncooked by the time the milk has evaporated then add a bit more water.
Serve with butter (a tablespoon) and with the grated Parmesan Cheese.
Serve Hot
ENJOY !
Thursday, February 11, 2010
COMING SOON - Some Basics
Coming very soon I will be adding some of the very basics:
1. Béchamel Sauce
2. Beef Broth
3. Brown Stock
Yes I agree, doesn't sound all that exciting but they are part of the ABC's in Italian Cuisine.
1. Béchamel Sauce
2. Beef Broth
3. Brown Stock
Yes I agree, doesn't sound all that exciting but they are part of the ABC's in Italian Cuisine.
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