How to make the perfect Italian tiramisu

Here's the video to prepare the best tiramisu!!! Give it a try!!!!!!

TIRAMISU

Dessert

2 8oz cups Mascarpone
6 extra large eggs, at room temperature
6 tbsp sugar
1 pckg ladyfingers (17 oz)
Cold espresso coffee
salt
Cocoa powder


Divide the eggs: yolks in one big bowl and Whites in another one. Put sugar in yolks and whisk them until they become pale yellow (near to white); at this point add mascarpone and whisk to combine.

Wash the whisks well and dry them. Add a couple good pinches of salt to the whites (it will help you and you won't taste it). Whisk whites until they hold peaks and, when turning the bowl upside down, they won't fall.

Stir 2-3 tbsp of whites into the yolk mixture to lighten it up, since it's really dense.

Fold the remaining whites into the yolks cream and combine CAREFULLY, REALLY CAREFULLY, mixing from bottom up, NOT in circles.

At this point put coffee in a bowl and add liquor if it's only for adults or milk if there are kids too.

Quickly dip ladyfingers in the coffee and line on the bottom of a deep serving dish, then cover with cream, dust with cocoa and repeat for another layer.

Refrigerate overnight.

Serves about 10 people.

- You can use rum, brandy or amaretto.
- Always prepare it the day before: this way ladyfingers will soak all flavors and won't result dry.
- Always use room temperature eggs: it will be a quicker whisking. Adding salt to the whites will help you with that, and you won't taste it.

Italian quick mixed beans, chickpeas and lentils soup with garlic croutons

Here's our new weekly video recipe!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Written version here below!

QUICK MIXED BEANS, CHICKPEAS AND LENTILS SOUP WITH GARLIC CROUTONS

Entree - soup - Gluten and Lactose free - vegetarian (read notes at bottom)

1 14-oz can Italian cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 14-oz can Italian butter beans, drained and rinsed
1 14-oz can Italian borlotti beans, drained and rinsed
1 14-oz can Italian lentils, drained and rinsed
1 14-oz can Italian chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 medium potatoes, diced
2 garlic cloves
8 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup Italian strained San Marzano tomatoes
Sage, rosemary, olive oil
Italian ciabatta bread, sliced and toasted

In a big saucepan warm the chicken broth; stir in the 2 tomatoes then add potatoes, sage, rosemary and 1 garlic clove and cook until potatoes are cooked.
Blend some of the beans and potatoes, with the garlic clove.

Prepare the croutons: brush the other garlic on bread, then cut in big squares and place on the bottom of your bowl.

Pour soup on bread, drizzle with olive oil and serve.

With these quantities you can make about 8/10 portions of soup.

- You can cook rice or pasta in the soup; drizzle with olive oil and enjoy your soup. Remember that, when you cook rice or pasta in a thick soup, it tends to stick to the bottom so it's better to stir frequently. If the soup thickens too much, it's useful to have some salted boiling water (or broth) to add to it.
- You can put it in small containers and freeze it, you'll always have a ready to eat soup and, for sure, you'll know what's in it because you made it (don't freeze it with pasta/rice in it).
- It's a good idea for summer too because you can eat it cold with toasted bread; it's a complete meal, if with pasta/rice or bread.
- Avoid the use of parmigiano.
- The soup itself is totally lactose and gluten free. If you want a vegetarian soup, use vegetable broth, instead of chicken one.

How to prepare Italian handmade egg fettuccine with salmon sauce

Here's the video of our new weekly recipe!!!! We hope you'll enjoy it!!!!!!

HAND MADE EGG FETTUCCINE WITH SALMON SAUCE

Entree 

Ingredients for the dough (6 people):
2 cups Italian 00 flour (270 gr.)
1 3/4 cups Italian semolina (270 gr.)
6 extra large eggs or, better, jumbo

Ingredients for the sauce (3 people):
4 oz salmon (fresh or defrosted), diced
1/2 small onion, roughly chopped
2 cups Italian tomato sauce
1/4 cup cream
1 tbsp Italian capers, packed in salt and rinsed
Italian extra virgin olive oil


To minimize cleaning arrange flour in a bowl, create a “well” in the middle and place eggs in it.

Working with a fork, mix flour and eggs enough to be able to transfer “crumbles” on a lightly floured surface without messing your kitchen too much.

Knead, until you obtain a smooth dough, at least 10 minutes: the time depends also on the quantity of pasta you're preparing.

Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes at room temperature. Flour gets “stressed” when you knead it and if you don't allow it to rest, it will compromise the results.

While your dough rests, prepare the sauce.

On medium-high heat, warm olive oil in a non-stick skillet and sautee onions for about 2 minutes, then add salmon. When sauteed, add tomato sauce and capers and cook for about 5, minutes. Stir in cream and simmer for 5-10 more minutes. Set aside.

Cover your working surface (usually I work on my table) with an old but clean tablecloth, one of those you won't use anymore.

Cut a slice from the dough and flatten it so that it will fit through the rollers of a hand-cranked pasta machine. Set rollers at widest setting, then feed pasta through rollers 3 or 4 times, folding and turning pasta until it's smooth.

Arrange the pasta sheet on the cloth.

Roll pasta sheets through the machine, decreasing the setting, one notch at a time (do not fold or turn pasta), passing all sheets through the same notch before decreasing it, until you reach your desired thickness.

Let pasta dry for about 10 minutes, flipping it once.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Now feed your dough through the fettuccine attachment and spread them on the cloth, to allow a little more drying time.

When water boils, add salt then your handmade fettuccine and stir immediately.

Pasta will cook in about 2-3 minutes, depending on the thickness. Pull it out of the cooking water and transfer it directly into the skillet with sauce, toss to coat on medium heat, adding a few tbsp of cooking water, if needed.

Serve immediately.

- As a rule of thumb, when preparing fresh pasta, you should consider 1 egg per person.
- If you don't have a tomato sauce ready, you can just use Italian crushed San Marzano tomatoes with their juice.
- Please, don't use parmigiano with this dish. Parsley would be the best herb for this sauce. You can also add some hot pepper flakes, if you like them.
- If you double the quantity of sauce ingredients, you'll have enough pasta for 6 people.

How to prepare Italian frittata with zucchini

Here is the video of the preparation of an Italian frittata: recipe in a post here below!!

How to prepare a perfect Italian crostata

How to prepare a perfect Italian crostata! Recipe in a post below!

FRITTATA WITH ZUCCHINI

Entree - Appetizer - Vegetarian - Gluten free - Lactose free (read notes at bottom)

6 eggs
2 zucchini, thinly sliced and sauteed with olive oil and basil
1/4 cup milk
1 pinch salt
Italian extra virgin olive oil

Lightly beat eggs with salt and milk, add zucchini (make sure they're at room temperature) and mix well to combine.

In a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, warm 3 tbsp of olive oil and pour evenly the eggs-zucchini mixture. Let it thicken, allowing the liquid part to get to the bottom, lifting the edges to ease the process.

Invert the frittata onto a platter (or a lid) and slide it back in the skillet, cooking until golden brown. Invert one more time to evenly golden it on both sides.

When ready, slide the "cake" onto a serving platter and serve with a fresh salad and/or boiled-steamed-sauteed vegetables.

Serves 4-6

- It can be served warm, cold or at room temperature.
- It's vegetarian and gluten free. Avoid milk for lactose intolerants.