Cooking Italian
Sunday, July 6, 2025
Francesca Makes Orecchiette and Fava Beans Recipe
Wednesday, June 25, 2025
Sicilian Artichoke Caponata Recipe
Monday, June 23, 2025
Cooking in Ravello - Amalfi Coast
Ingredients :
- 1 & 1/3 Cups Sugar
- 2 Sticks Butter (1/2 Pound) Plus An Additional 1.5 Tablespoon To Grease The Pan
- 4 Large Eggs
- Grated Zest of 2 Large Lemons, or 4 If Small
- Pinch of Sea Salt
- 1 & 1/3 Cups All-Purpose Flour
- 4 Teaspoons Baking Powder
- 1/2 Cup Whole Milk
- 1/4 Cup Finely Chopped Hazelnuts
LEMONADE MIXTURE FOR TOP:
- 1 & 1/3 Cups Water
- Juice of 3 Lemons
- 8 Tablespoons Sugar
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius or 320 degrees fahrenheit.
- Whip the butter in a mixing bowl on high speed for at least two minutes.
- Add the sugar and continue to whip until a soft cream forms.
- Add the following to the mixing bowl, one at a time, and blend after each; eggs (one at a time), salt, grated lemon zest.
- Alternate adding and blending the flour, baking powder, hazelnuts and milk into the mixing bowl.
- Continue to mix the ingredients on medium speed until the texture of the batter has a light and airy consistency (similar to mousse).
- (Note: Do not beat the batter for too long after adding the baking powder.)
- Coat the surface of the fluted pan with butter before dusting it with flour, then shake off any excess flour before adding the cake batter to the pan.
- Pour the batter into your greased and floured pan.
- Bake the cake in the pre-heated oven for 45 minutes. While the cake is baking prepare your lemonade mixture by first squeezing the lemons into a pitcher or other container from which you can easily pour the mixture later.
- Add the sugar to the lemon juice, and mix until the sugar is fully dissolved in the lemon juice.
- Add the water and mix well.
- Once the cake has finished baking, let it sit for two hours outside the oven to bring it to room temperature.
- Slowly pour a little bit of the lemonade mixture all over the cake in the pan every 10 minutes (three times total) for 39 minutes to allow the cake to absorb the lemonade mixture very slowly.
- After the first 30 minutes, tip the cake onto a serving platter and add the remaining lemonade to the top of the cake, distributing it evenly all over the cake.
Thursday, June 19, 2025
Ragu Bolognese Recipes
UPDATED RECIPE FOR REAL RAGÙ ALLA BOLOGNESE
DEPOSITED IN THE BOLOGNA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ON 20 APRIL 2023
Coarsely ground beef (see note): 1 lb (400g)
• Fresh pork pancetta, slices: 6 oz (150g)
• ½ onion, peeled: about 2 oz (60g)
• 1 medium carrot, peeled: about 2 oz (60g)
• 1 celery stalk, trimmed: about 2 oz (60g)
• ½ cup (1 glass) of red or white wine
• Strained tomatoes: 7 oz (200g)
• Tomato paste (double-concentrated): 1 tbsp
• ½ cup (1 glass) of whole milk (optional)
• Light meat or vegetable broth (or stock cubes)
• Extra virgin olive oil: 3 tbsp
• Salt and pepper
PREPARATION :
In a heavy non-stick 10-inch (24-26cm) casserole (aluminium or enamelled cast-iron (Dutch oven)
or terracotta saucepans can be used), melt the ground or chopped pancetta with olive oil.
Using a chef’s or chopping knife, finely chop the onion, celery, and carrot (do not use a food
processor); add the vegetables to the oil and pancetta and cook over low heat, stirring constantly
with a wooden spoon until softened but not browned.
Raise the heat to medium and add the meat, break it up, then cook for about ten minutes, always
stirring, until it sizzles and browns.
Add the wine; cook over medium heat until it has completely evaporated. Add the tomato paste
and purée. Mix well; add a cup of boiling stock (or water) and simmer, covered, for about 2 hours
(or 3 depending on preference and type of meat), adding hot broth (or water) as needed. Add any
milk (traditionally used) half way through the cooking; allow to evaporate completely. Season with
salt and pepper before serving. When ready the sauce will be a rich maroon hue, thick and glossy.
ISTITUZIONE CULTURALE
DELLA REPUBBLICA ITALIANA
Note
Traditionally, in Bologna hanger or skirt steak is used (the diaphragm of the beef, which is difficult
to find today). In lieu or in addition, favour anterior cuts, rich in collagen, such as shoulder or
chuck, brisket, plate or flank. Combinations are acceptable, as is the modern technique of
browning the meat separately and then adding it to the softened minced vegetables in the pan.
Permitted variants:
• Mixed beef and pork (about 60% beef)
• Meat minced with a knife
• Cured pancetta instead of fresh pancetta
• A pinch of nutmeg
Unacceptable variants:
• Veal
• Smoked pancetta or bacon
• Only pork
• Garlic, rosemary, parsley or other herbs and spices
• Brandy instead of wine
• Flour as a thickening agent
Ragù alla bolognese can be enriched with:
• Chicken livers, hearts and gizzards
• Peeled and crumbled pork sausage
• Blanched peas, added at the end of cooking
• Dried porcini, rehydrated
RAGU BOLOGNESE - Official Recipe