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the way to the heart is through...
A selection of sleek,sparkling, sophisticated recipes
that will make you want to dress up. They are designed for St. Valentine's Day, but
this does not preclude their use on other occasions. One recipe is for a
midnight snack. Many are easy to prepare and some are also quick. All
are
pleasantly surprising.
ANTIPASTI - APPETIZERS
Clean the oysters.
Cut the avocados lengthwise and remove the seed.
Squeeze fresh lemon juice onto the avocato and place on a plate one piece
of avocado for every 3 oysters.
Remove the egg shells. Scoop out the yolks and mash them with oil, lemon
juice, salt and pepper
Pour the resulting sauce over the avocados and serve.
Serves 4
Chicken Liver Pate' with Capers and Rosemary
In a skillet over moderately high heat, heat the oil until hot but not
smoking and in it saute' the livers, patted dry and seasoned with salt and
pepper, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes, or until browned on the outside but
still pink within. Remove livers from
skillet and reserve. Reduce heat to moderately low; add 2 tablespoons of
the butter and the onion to skillet used to cook the livers and saut�
until onions are softened. Add capers, wine, rosemary and salt and pepper
to taste, and simmer mixture, stirring, until most of the liquid is
evaporated. Transfer to a food processor with the reserved livers and
process the mixture, scraping down the sides, until it is a slightly
coarse pur�e. With machine running, add remaining butter, cut into small
pieces, until mixture is well blended and creamy. Transfer to a bowl and
stir in parsley. Serve with toasts or crackers. Makes 1 1/2 cups.
Serves 4
MINESTRE - SOUPS
500 grams of fennel bulb
Trim the fennel stalks down to the bulb, Peel off any wilted outer layer.
Set the fine fennel leaves aside after having cut them with a scissor into
small pieces.
Cut the fennel bulb in small pieces and boil them together with dry white
wine, water and a chicken bouillon cube for 8-10 minutes in the microwave
oven at full power.
Transfer the fennel and the liquid to a food processor, pur�e and let it
cool.
Cut the boneless, skinless chicken breasts (if possible smoked) into thin
slices and add to the pur�e. If you are using shrimps instead of chicken,
proceed straight to the following step. Microwave on high for four
minutes. If you are using shrimps, add them. Microwave for another minute.
Add the creme fraiche (sour cream) and two tablespoons of ouzo, pernod or a
similar licorice/aniseed type ap�ritif. Stir well.
Add some of the finely cut fennel leaves on top of the soup.
Serve immediately together with, e.g. toast. Add more of the finely cut
fennel leaves on top of each plate.
Shrimp Soup
Puree half of the shelled shrimps in the food processor together with the
egg yolks,
saffron, (light) cream, dry white wine and a fish bouillon cube (intended
for 0.5 liter
of bouillon).
Heat the mixture in a pan at low-moderate heat while constantly stirring
until the
mixture thickens.
Pre-heat the other half of the shelled shrimps for 40 seconds in the
microwave oven.
Add the pre-heated shrimps to the soup.
Serve immediately.
PASTA
Place in the blender some chopped mozzarella, 1 or 2 hot dried chilies,
warm tomato sauce (not hot and not cold). Blend until smooth, cook the
farfalle "al dente" saute very
briefly with the sauce in a pan, otherwise the mozzarella will melt.
Serve and decorate with basil leaves.
Linguine with Tomatoes & Artichoke Hearts
2 tablespoon olive oil
Heat olive oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and
garlic and saute' until tender, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, reserved
juices, basil and oregano and simmer until sauce thickens slightly,
stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Add artichokes with marinade to
sauce and cook 2 minutes. Add pasta and 1/2 cup parmesan cheese to sauce.
Toss until sauce coats pasta and mixture is heated through, about 2
minutes. Season pasta to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer pasta to
large bowl. Serve, passing remaining 1 cup Parmesan separately.
4 servings
Pepper Pasta
Place green and red peppers in a foil-lined broiler pan. Broil about 5
inches from the heat for 5 to 8 minutes or until skins are blistered and
brown. Transfer to a new, small paper bag; close bag and set aside till
cool (about 15 minutes). Peel off skins and cut peppers into strips. Cook
pasta according to label. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the garlic
slices in olive oil until golden brown. With a slotted spoon, remove the
garlic from the skillet; set aside. In the same skillet, cook pepper
strips, hot peppers and tomatoes in the garlic flavored oil for 1 to 2
minutes. Season with pepper. Stir in parsley and capers. Drain pasta and
return it to the hot skillet. Toss together with tomato mixture. Garnish
with the garlic slices; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Add cooked chicken or shrimp for a heartier meal.
8 Servings
POLENTA
3 1/2 cups cold water
Pour 3 cups of the water into a heavy saucepan, add the salt
and bring to a full rolling boil over high heat.
While the water is coming to a boil, stir the remaining 1/2 cup water into
the cornmeal. Stir until the cornmeal is evenly dampened. This will keep
the cornmeal from
becoming lumpy as it cooks. As soon as the water boils, stir in the
dampened cornmeal. Briskly whisk until the mixture is smooth.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and briskly stir the cornmeal for 2 or 3
minutes. The mixture will get stiff quickly. Remove the pan from the heat
when the polenta is thick and smooth.
Note: If desired, stir in any cheese or cooked vegetables of choice at this
point.
Serve immediately, or pour into a shallow pan, cool, cover with plastic and
refrigerate until thoroughly chilled and firm.
Once the cornmeal has firmed up, it may be cut into shapes (squares,
circles, triangles, reactangles or stars, for example) and fried in olive
oil or butter.
Polenta with Red Pepper Sauce
Top broiled or fried polenta triangles (see above) with thin slices of fontina or
Monterey Jack cheese and broil. If desired, broil prawns to go alongside.
Serve with the red pepper sauce.
Fonduta di San Valentino - Valentine's Day Fondue
Combine the grated cheeses, flour, white pepper and nutmeg and set aside.
In a medium sauce pan heat the Angus Brut sparkling wine on medium-high to
just under a boil. Immediately turn the heat down to a low setting and add
the cheese mixture just a small amount at a time and stirring with a wooden
spoon continuously while the cheeses melt. Add the roasted garlic cloves.
Continue to stir and make sure the mixture is not sticking to the bottom of
the pan. When the fondue has melted and is a smooth consistency, add the
brandy and stir again. Remove from the heat. Spoon out the roasted garlic
cloves before serving.
Serve in a fondue pot and keep heat at a low settting. Serve with sliced
baguette bread
SECONDI PIATTI - SECOND COURSES
MEAT
Crush the black pepper with a wooden mallet, coat the meat it pressing it
into the steak with your hand.
Grill the steak in a cast iron skillet, when it is cooked to your liking
take it off the pan, slice it and place it on the serving dish. Pour a
glass of red wine in the pan, reduce for a couple of minutes and pour over
the steak.
Serves 4
PESCE - FISH
Soak the saffron in the fish stock.
Separate the coral from the scallops. Cut the white meat in half
horizontally.
Place both coral and white meat in a saucepan and cover with white wine.
Bring the liquid to a boil. Remove from the heat immediately and set aside.
Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the shallot and the mushrooms and cook
over a
low heat for a few minutes.
Pour the saffron/fish stock over the shallots and mushrooms, bring to a
boil and let simmer for a few minutes.
Add the creme fraiche, let simmer for another 7-10 minutes. Add the
scallops, let simmer for another minute.
Serve with toast and a salad.
Serves 2
UOVA
4 fresh eggs
Beat four eggs with a whisk in a heavy-bottom saucepan.
Slice 50-75 grams of fresh or canned white truffles and add to the eggs.
Season with salt and pepper.
Bring water in large saucepan to a boil and place the egg saucepan on this
water bath.
Stir the mixture constantly until it suddenly begins to thicken.
Remove from the water bath and add one tablespoon of cr�me fraiche.
Serve immediately together with slices of toast. A glass of red port wine
combines
nicely with this dish.
VERDURA
Peel onion. Boil in salted water until al dente. Cut off top and bottom of
onion. Scoop out center and chop. If still raw, boil again until done.
Boil swiss chard for 5 minutes. Drain and squeeze out excess water. Chop
and sautee in olive oil with garlic and chopped onion.
Mix together ricotta, yogurt, parmesan and marjoram. Combine with swiss
chard mixture, beaten egg and salt to taste. Stuff onion with mixture.
Sprinkle with bread crumbs and bake at 300 degrees for 20 minutes.
Erbazzone o Scarpazzone - Savory Pie with Chard
Dough:
Stuffing:
Clean, wash and drain the chard well and dry thoroughly. Knead the flour
the oil and warm water to obtain a rather stiff dough. Knead for about 10
minutes, wrap in a sheet ofwax paper and keep in a cool piace for about 1
hour. Make a mixture with the parsley, garlic, and onion. Chop the chard
very finely. Lightly saute' the mixture with 2 Tbs. of oil and when the
lard melts (if you are using it), add the chard and cook for about 5
minutes. Put this in a bowl and let cool. Add the eggs and, if necessary, a
pinch of salt and pepper. Lightly coat a springform pan with high sides
(9-10" in diameter) with olive oil.
Divide the dough in two batches, one twice the size of the other. Roll out
the bigger batch with a rolling pin and make a disk large enough to fill a
12" baking pan (bottom and sides). Arrange the chard in layers, sprinkling
each layer with grated cheese. Roll out the remaining batch of dough,
making a disk larger than the diameter of the baking pan. Roll the
resulting disk around the rolling pin and unroll over the chard. Since
the top disk is larger than the baking pan, it will travel a bumpy surface.
Pinch the edges of the two disks of dough together, drizzle with a little
olive oil and bake at about 360 F. for 40 minutes.
In Emilia a piece of hard lard is sometimes used instead of oil to dot the
dough. The scarpazzone can be served either hot or cold.
CONTORNI
Peel and cut the potatoes in quarters. Put them into boiling water for 4
minutes. Drain them . Turn the oven on to 350 F. Put the potatoes onto a
stainless steel oven tray which has been oiled. Set the timer for 30
minutes. Turn them over and set the timer again for another 30 minutes.
The potatoes should be crunchy on the outside and soft inside. Use a
spatuala to remove them from the tray to the serving dish.
Pepperoni in Agro Dolce - Sweet and Sour Peppers
Soak the raisins in lukewarm water. Trim and cut the peppersinto square
pieces. Slice the zucchini. Saut� 3 coated garlic cloves in 2 tablespoons
of oil. Add the sugar, peppers, zucchini, pine nuts and drained raisins.
Cook for 2 to 3 minutes on high heat; lower the heat and simmer for 15
minutes, stirring occasionaly. Sprinkle with a tablespoon of tarragon
vinegar and cook until syrupy. Transfer to a serving dish, garnish with
basil leaves and serve.
Serves 4
INSALATA - SALAD
Breast of roasted or 200 g. 8 oz boiled chicken
Cut the various salad vegetables in a julienne, place in the center of the
plate.
Cut the breast of chicken into sticks, place over the salad.
Peel and split the grapes, removingseeds, distribute over the salad.
Mix the balsamic vinegar fist withsalt to taste, then add the
extra virgin olive oil, mix well witha fork or whisk
to emulsify, fold in the truffle pate'
and pour over the salads.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Wrap the beets in a large piece of foil and bake for 2 hours, or until tender. Let cool slightly, then peel the beets and slice them 1/4 inch thick. Using a 1-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut as many hearts as possible from each slice. In a large bowl, whisk the olive oil with the lemon juice, salt and pepper. Add the arugula, frisee and beets and toss. Mound the salad on plates, sprinkle with the chives and serve. Make Ahead: The beet hearts can be refrigerated for up to 1 day. Serves 6
Insalata di Finocchi - Fennel Salad Cut off the stalks. Rinse. Shave the Fennel bulbs into thin slices. Shave the Parmesan cheese onto the fennel. Mix 2 tablespoons of oil with one teaspoon of mustard and one tablespoon of lemon. Toss and serve DOLCI - SWEETS Candied Violets |
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