ITALIAN FAIRS (SAGRE ITALIANE)

Picture from agendaonline.it

When I choose to go on vacation to a place I always try to inform  if in the area in addition to the many museums, cathedrals and restaurants there are the festivals. I love them and it is inevitable given that are the southern and the holidays of the country are feeling, I remember my childhood.
The music, people, street stalls, bring lots of happiness and then how many good things to eat ...
So if you are planning a trip to Italy here is a small notebook of festivals planned during the current month. I hope there is useful.


Sardegna Region 02/06/2012  
Festival of ravioli "sos culurzones" to Ghilarza in the province of (OR).




Sicilia Region 02/06/2012
Kalfafest and wild artichoke festival
Roccafiorita (ME)



Sicilia Region 02/06/2012
Fair for organic produce and sustainable Siciliano, Taormina (ME)



Region Campania 13/7/2012
The Night of Tastes
It takes place July 13 to 15 at the Torre le Nocelle (Avellino) "Night of Flavors", and wine event



Region Veneto 16/06/2012 

Feast of the Melon Montagnanese
Montagnana (PD)
Feast of the melon Montagnese, all the ways to taste the melon.

RISO PATATE E COZZE

Riso patate e cozze is dish a historic tradition in Puglia.
My mother-in-law taught me how to do it and I must say it is thebest I've ever eaten.
She also adds the zucchini thinly cut but personally I prefer the classic version that uses potatoes, mussels, rice and cheese.

Ingredients

  

35, 27 oz (1 kg) of mussels

7, 05 oz (200 gr) of rice

garlic

parsley

grated cheese

tomatoes

potatoes

(To open the mussels could be useful to the video on You tube)

youtube.com/watch?v=RM7YWn4s2O8

In a pan add the garlic, parsley, oil and a little salt.
In a bowl, thoroughly clean the mussels and toss just a shell with the fruit inside.
Make a layer of mussels and add a handful of rice, parsley, some salt, cheese and olive oil (about three tablespoons), cover with very thinly sliced ​​potatoes and tomatoes.
Redo the second layer in the same way.
Remaking the last layer, placing mussels, rice, potatoes and tomatoes.
Season with garlic, cheese, parsley, olive oil.
Cover the pan with water and put it on the gas and bring to boil for five minutes.

Advice: do not throw water mussels, but put it aside and pour into baking dish before putting it on the gas; the potatoes and tomatos should be sliced ​​very thin; do not open the mussels in the pan on why fire should be used raw.

SPENDING THE ITALIAN

Are you curious to know what they put in the basket Italians when they shop and foods that are generally used to prepare delicious main courses and tasty desserts??
Here is a list of some foods that are marketed in Italy or elsewhere who knows... you tell me 

CRESPELLE PARMA HAM (CRESPELLE AL PROSCIUTTO CRUDO)

Picture from donnamoderna.com

There are perhaps too many sweets in this blog? I run immediately to the rescue with a tasty recipe from the slightly salty aftertaste.
I thought that the crespelle are good and ideals to prepare in case of guests because if you have to prepare a specific number, you can bake the portions in advance and stuff in a second time .

Ingredients 

For the batter 

5 eggs 

1 1 / 4 cup (140 g) flour 

13, 5 fl. oz (400 ml) milk 

1 / 8 cup (30 g) butter 

salt and pepper to taste 

For the filling 

1 sage leaf 

1 clove of garlic 

1 mint leaf 

2 egg yolks

3, 52 oz. (100 g) parma ham

8, 81 oz. (250 g) cottage cheese 

2, 82 oz (80 g) grated cheese

21, 16 oz (600 g) courgettes with flower

salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste.

Prepare the batter for the crespelle.
In a bowl beat the eggs with the flour, melted butter, cold milk (I use the blender) salt and pepper. Let stand for 30 minutes.
Dice the zucchini and set aside the flower, cook in a skillet with a little olive oil, garlic, mint, and sage.
Bake for about 15 minutes and add the ham cut into strips and flowers zuchine continuing to cook for 2 minutes ..
Remove from zucchini garlic, sage and mint, and put them in a bowl.
Amalgamated the ricotta, cheese, egg yolks, salt, pepper and nutmeg.
Heat a skillet (the pan for crepes is ideal) greased oil, pour half a ladle of batter for the crespelle and rotate the pan to cover bottom.

Cook the crespella on both sides for about two minutes and set aside.
Proceed the same way until a all the batter is over. Spread a layer of filling on a crespella and cover with another crespella.
Wrap, so as to form a roll and cut into slices.
Prepare other rolls with the remaining crespelle and filling.
Place the washers in a buttered pan, sprinkle with about 3 tablespoons of bread crumbs mixed with 4 tablespoons of grated cheese, sprinkle with 1/8 cup (30g) of melted butter and bake in the oven to 392 ° F (200 ° C) for 20 minutes until golden.

CLAFOUTIS

Picture from poufemme.it

Long live the summer.
At last we begin to glimpse the beginning of summer, the days up to now were not at all benign.
To us from the South if the heat is late is a disaster, and we are already accustomed to enjoy the sea already by mid-April, but this year .... to date with sweaters!!!
So I take this opportunity to point out one quick and easy recipe that has as its main ingredient a typical summer fruit: cherries.
The cake that I am about to propose are of French origin I made it last year and is called Clafoutis, in this case, however, we divide the cake into 4 cocotte.
Judge for yourself and let me know.

PANNA COTTA WITH BERRY (PANNA COTTA AI FRUTTI DI BOSCO)

picture from it.wikipedia.org

The panna cotta was born in Piedmont, is a sort of pudding-known worldwide for its excellence and sophistication.
I tasted this cake for the first time in a farm holidays of Castellana Grotte.
It was love at first taste!
The sauce varies according to taste, to ciccolato, caramel, hazelnut, I remain faithful to the classic with berry.
I hope with this recipe to satisfy lovers of Italian desserts.


Ingredients



For the berry sauce:

10.5 ounces. (300g) berries

3 tablespoons sugar

For the panna cotta:

16,9 fl.oz(500ml) fresh cream
3,52 oz.(100gr) icing sugar
half vanilla bean (or vanilla flavor)
4 sheets of gelatin (isinglass)
2 tablespoons rum (optional)



Soak the gelatin sheets in cold water. Pour the milk into a saucepan, heat to very low heat but do not boil. Remove from the fire and soak the sheets of gelatin drained and squeezed dry.
In a saucepan, pour in the cream, add sugar and vanilla pulp, put on fire and, over low heat, stirring constantly, bring to a boil. Withdrawn immediately and pour the milk in which you have dissolved the gelatin, stir to combine ingredients. Sprinkle with ice water or a single mold or small molds, fill with the mixture. Keep in refrigerator for at least 5 hours.
In a pan put the berries and sugar and leave until the
sugar has completely dissolved, then let it cool off.
Turn out the panna cotta onto a serving dish and garnish with berries sauce .

Remember to filter the cream, if using the pulp of vanilla bean.
If you decide not to use the rum you can use the juice of half a lemon in the sauce to berries.

CAKE AND NUTELLA MASCARPONE (TORTA NUTELLA E MASCARPONE)

picture from viaggi-cucina-e io. blogspot.it 

Nutella, and again nutella, who knows perhaps in this period I need affection..
This cake I've eaten about five years ago, we were guests in the country house of my brother-in law, to Cassano delle Murge.
Is a delightful place, surrounded by nature and known especially for his Mercadante Forest, a pine forest ideal for outings and picnics.
Barbara, our friend, has delighted with this wonderful cake that since then I have never forgotten.



Ingredients


8.81 oz. (250 gr) flour
7.05 oz. (200 g) sugar
2 glasses of milk
1 packet of baking powder
2.64 ounces. (75gr) cocoa powder
8.81 oz. (250g) Nutella
8.81 ounces. (250g) mascarpone
icing sugar to taste


In a bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder and cocoa and gradually add the cold milk until the mixture is lump free.
Pour into a mold previously buttered and floured and bake in oven preheated to 356 ° F (180 ° C) for about 30 minutes.
When ready, remove the cake from the oven and let cool.
In a bowl mix well the nutella and mascarpone until the mixture is homogenous.
Divide the cake in half and stuffed with the cream; if you want to sprinkle powdered sugar or cocoa powder or a few clumps of mascarpone cream.

CAKE PAN DI STELLE (TORTA PAN DI STELLE)

Still sweets??
well you know it is my passion, cooking in general it is, but to sweets ... I can not resist!!!
Appearance at snack some children and I wanted to prepare something tasty.
My Aunt Anna gave me this idea: cake of biscuits pan di stelle, a triumph of chocolate that will please children and us mums.
Thanks aunt for the recipe.

This is a recipe for cream, in this case do not use lemon, but the chocolate
Follow the procedure and when the cream is cooked in. Melt a bar of dark chocolate

http://italiangoodness.blogspot.it/2011/10/crema-pasticcera.html

Ingredients

Chocolate custard

a packet of biscuits pan di stelle

whipped cream

milk

Soak biscuits in tepid milk.

In a glass baking dish (or aluminum) make a layer of biscuits and pour the chocolate cream.

Repeat a second time.

Cover the cake with whipped cream and let stand in refrigerator for a couple of hours before serving.

TIRAMISU STRAWBERRY AND ALCHERMES (TIRAMISU ALLE FRAGOLE E ALCHERMES) )

picture from mezzokilo.it

Is the period of strawberries, then I take the opportunity to use them  to make tasty macedonie and also for realizing this alternative tiramisu, fresh taste and delicate.
In this case I use the savoiardi and not the pavesini.
Try a little ..

Ingredients

14.11 oz. (400 g) strawberries

8.82 oz. (250 g) mascarpone

4uova

8 tablespoons of sugar

half lemon

5 tablespoon liquor alchermes

a pack of biscuits savoiardi

Chop the strawberries washed and put in a bowl with the juice of half lemon and 5 tablespoons alchermes.

Whip them in a bowl for a few minutes the egg yolks with six tablespoons of sugar, then add to the mascarpone and finally the egg whites until stiff.

Remove the strawberries from the bowl and soak in the juice the cookies.

In a pyrex glass , make a first layer of cookies, add of  the mascarpone cream, distribute some strawberries and repeat the operation again a second time.

Put in the fridge for a few hours before serving.

CREPES NUTELLA

picture from discoviaggi.it

The nutella is always good, is a sweet temptation savored alone or as an additional ingredient in cakes or puddings.
The crepes are fast and simple and as snack is always very welcome, I prepare with Nutella and coconut, lemon custard with fresh strawberries, chocolate cream with rum raisins and more.
So off to the imagination ..

Ingredients

16.91 fl.oz (500 ml) milk

7.5 oz. (200g) flour

3 eggs

3 tablespoons of sugar

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

a pinch of salt

nutella

Place in a bowl the flour, a pinch of salt, vanilla, sugar and eggs and add milk gradually.

Work the compound (you can also use a blender) until it will be smooth and without any lumps.

Cover the batter and let rest for half an hour in the fridge.

Put on the stove to heat a crepe pan, let melt a small knob of butter, and when it is hot pour a ladleful of batter in center of pan and then trying to distribute it across the surface;

Cook for a minute, turn the crepe (it should come off easily) and cook another minute.

Remove from the skillet and repeat for the other crepes.

Stuff the crepes while still hot with nutella, fold it back on it self twice, and cover with icing sugar.

I also use this dough to prepare savory crepes, then delete sugar and add half a teaspoon of salt.

MUFFIN WITH YOGURT AND BERRIES (MUFFIN CON YOGURT E FRUTTI DI BOSCO)

Picture from alice.tv

Yesterday I was on the phone with my sister Mara, speaks me of a program broadcast on Sky-TV Alice, and of muffins with yogurt and berries.
Looking on the site "il mondo di csaba alice" and I find the recipe.
The transmission is very interesting, the recipes simples but effective and is also full of curiosity and tips on how to set up a buffet depending on occasions, the etiquette at the table etc. ..
After having given the ingredients to my sister, I run to the kitchen
and I start to work.
I made ​​some changes (I missed the ingredients) and the result was very satisfactory.
Here is the link with the original recipe, good muffins at all!
(http://www.alice.tv/ricetta/muffin-yogurt-frutti-di-bosco)


INGREDIENTS


6.52 ounces. (185g) self raising flour (or flour 0)
5.29 ounces. (150g) self raising flour integral
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
5.46 ounces. (155g) of sugar cane
8.45 fl.oz (250ml) buttermilk
4.22 fl.oz (125ml) low-fat plain yogurt
2 eggs (slightly beaten)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
15.52 oz. (440g) of chopped mixed berries


Preheat oven to 356 F ° (180 ° C). Place the paper cups into a mold for muffins. Sift the flours and cinnamon into a large bowl, combine the sugar and stir, then form a central fountain. Pour the buttermilk, yogurt, eggs and oil in a large bowl and mix lightly with a wooden spoon. Add the berries and stir lightly. Pour mixture into baking cups and bake in formed for 20 minutes or until the muffins are golden.

Tips: you can substitute buttermilk with 4.22 fl.oz (125ml) of milk and 4.22 fl.oz (125ml)of low-fat yogurt blended together well; if you use the flour 0, to the dough remember to add a sachet of baking powder.

TART NUTELLA (CROSTATA ALLA NUTELLA)

Who does not love Nutella??
I have to hide the jar at home otherwise my daughters and my husband devour it in an instant.
Even though I love to cuddle them, so when they deserve it the nutella tart is "my reward" for them...
A salute to those who are here, even just passing through.
Here are the doses for the shortbread.

http://italiangoodness.blogspot.it/2011/10/jam-tart.html

Ingredients

shortbread

nutella

powdered sugar (optional)

Prepare the shortbread following the recipe.
Roll out two thirds of dough with a rolling pin and put it in a buttered and floured baking pan. Prick the pastry with a fork, spread the nutella over the bottom, after which fold the edges towards the inside. Roll out remaining pastry and cut out strips of dough, which are used to form the traditional decoration of the pie. Use strips of dough to form a grid soppra the tart.
Bake in hot oven 356 F°(180°C) for 45 minutes, careful not to become dark.
Let cool and serve the tart dusted (if desired) with icing sugar.