INFORMAL COOKING CLASS

Having fun with some friends, who wanted to learn how to make pasta from scratch...

Rolling out pasta....

Shaping fettuccine...

Resting fettuccine...

 We had lots of fun together!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ITALIAN TOMATO SOUP

Soup - Vegetarian & vegan - Lactose and Gluten free

1 28oz. can Italian San Marzano peeled tomatoes, sliced, with their juice
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
2 tbsp Italian extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup chopped basil
Salt

In a saucepan with lid, over medium high heat, warm olive oil and sautee onions and garlic, until onions are translucent.

Add tomatoes with their juice and cook, over medium heat, for about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and blend until you obtain a smooth texture.

Transfer to the saucepan again, season with salt and cook for 5-10 more minutes, until it reaches your desired thickness; stir in basil.

Serve warm, in individual bowls,  drizzled with some more olive oil.

This recipe serves 4

- In order to obtain a good dish, it's very important to use Italian San Marzano DOP (Protected Origin Denomination) which will ensure you're gettin the real San Marzano and not something else. San Marzano are the best peeled tomatoes you can find.

- You can add hot pepper flakes, if you like the extra kick.

- This soup is perfect if served with Italian bread, toasted and rubbed with garlic.

- Italian cans do NOT contain BPA!!!

- It's vegetarian, vegan, lactose and gluten free.

FARRO SALAD WITH CALAMARI

Salad or entree - Lactose free

1 1/2 cup Italian Farro
1 lb calamari, thinly sliced
1/2 cup Italian dried black olives
1/2 lb fresh tomatoes, diced
1 tbsp chopped fresh chives
1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 garlic clove
1/4 cup Italian capers, packed in salt and rinsed
4 tbsp Italian extra virgin olive oil
Salt

Bring a large pot of water to a boil; when it boils, add salt and farro, stir and cook until al dente (about 25-30 minutes).

In the meantime, warm up 2 tbsp olive oil in a large non-stick skillet and sautee garlic until golden; add calamari and sautee until soft, season with salt (and hot pepper flakes, if desired); discard garlic. Set aside to cool down to room temperature.

When farro is al dente, drain and cool it down under cold water.

Arrange farro and calamari in a bowl big enough to contain both, then drizzle with olive oil. Stir in diced tomatoes, olives and capers; then add herbs and mix well to combine all ingredients.

Season with salt and more oilve oil, if necessary.

This recipe serves 4-8 people, depending on what else is served.

- You can squeeze 1 lemon and add it to the salad dressing

PANZEROTTI FRITTI (fried small pizza pockets)

Pizza - appetizer 

For the pizza dough:
1 cup Italian 00 flour
1 cup Italian Semola rimacinata di grano duro (durum wheat semolina, milled twice)
3/4 to 1 cup warm water
1 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp dry active yeast

For the stuffing:
14 oz chopped or strained Italian San Marzano
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes packed in extra virgin olive oil, julienned
10 oz mozzarella, shredded
6 oz marinated artichoke hearts, drained
Italian anchovy fillets, packed in oil and drained
2 sliced Ham, cut in strips
1 tbsp freshly chopped basil
1 tbsp freshly chopped oregano

Italian extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, cut in half

Put yeast and sugar in a small bowl with 1/4 cup of warm water (don't exceed 110 degrees), mix and set aside for about 10 minutes: when the content is doubled, your yeast is active.

In a larger bowl, combine flour and salt and mix. Add the yeast mixture and the remaining warm water and knead, on a lightly floured surface, until you obtain a smooth dough; if dough is "sticky", dust your hands and the working surface with flour.

Place the dough in a clean bowl, cover with a towel and set aside for at least 1 hour, until it doubles in volume. During wintertime it might take longer, during summertime less.

In the meantime, prepare the tomato sauce for your panzerotti.

In a small saucepan, warm up 1 tbsp olive oil and sautee garlic until golden. Add San Marzano tomatoes and season with salt; cook for about 10 minutes, stir in basil and oregano and cook for 5-10 more minutes, until it thickens; discard garlic.

Roll out the dough about 1/8"-1/4" and cut it in rounds with a cokie cutter.

Lightly spread rounds with tomato sauce (half of the surface), leaving about 1" all around without. Top with sun dried tomatoes, anchovies and mozzarella; artichokes, hams and mozzarella; mozzarella only.

Fold pockets and seal tightly!!

Deep fry them until golden and serve immediately.

The number of panzerotti depends on their size.

- You can bake them at 400° for 15 minutes or until golden. Remember to drizzle with olive oil, if you bake them.
- If you use fast rising yeast, you can mix it to the flours before adding salt (they should not "touch" each other).
- You can also use Italian olives, but remove the pits!
- The choice of good quality ingredients is necessary in order to obtain a good dish!!
- It can be vegetarian, provided that you don't use anchovies or ham

ITALIAN POLENTA DISCS WITH PORCINI MUSHROOMS

Entree or appetizer - Vegetarian - Gluten free

For Polenta:
1 1/2 cups Italian polenta flour
6 cups of water
2 yolks
1 tbsp Parmigiano Reggiano, grated

For the sauce:
2 oz Italian dried porcini
8 oz white mushrooms
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, finely minced
2 tbsp chopped parsley
2 tsp hot pepper flakes (if you like it)
Mozzarella, diced
Parmigiano reggiano, grated
3 tbsp Italian extra virgin olive oil
Salt

Prepare polenta: Bring a large saucepan (with heavy bottom) to a boil. When boiling add salt (like you would do for pasta) and slowly pour corn flour into the boiling water, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Lower the heat to simmer, stir with a wooden spoon for another couple of minutes, then cover with lid and cook for 45-50 minutes, stir occasionally.

In the mean time, soak dried porcini in lukewarm water for about 20 minutes. slice the white mushrooms.

Remove porcini and squeeze excess water, cut bigger pieces into a desired size, carefully filter soaking water in order to remove dirt and reserve it.

In a large skillet over medium heat, warm olive oil and sautee garlic and onions until garlic is golden, then stir in porcini and white mushrooms. Sautee for about 4-5 minutes, then add a few tbsp of the soaking water you reserved, season with salt, hot pepper flakes and parsley and cook until desired doneness. Remove from heat.

When polenta is cooked stir in yolks and parmigiano, spread it in a baking dish about 1" thikness and wait until it cools down to room temperature.

Cut it in disks and arrange them in a lightly greased baking dish, cover with mushroom sauce, sprinkle with diced mozzarella and/or Parmigiano, and broil until cheese melts.

Serve immediately.

This recipe should serve 4 to 10, dending on disks size and if served as appetizer or entree

- You can add crumbled sausages or bratwurst to the mushrooms or on top of them, before the cheese.
- You can use our Italian mix (dried garlic, hot pepper flakes and parsley), if you'd like, instead of the fresh ones, 2 tbsp would be enough.
- We do sell both Italian polenta flour and REAL dried Italian porcini (which are way more flavorful than their competitors).
- It's gluten free and vegetarian.