Making gelato at home has become easier with the introduction of Kitchenaid stand mixer.  Along with the mixer,  they have  ingeniously introduced a fantastic attachment called the Kitchenaid ice cream maker that is put in the freezer prior to making the ice cream.  The ice cream (or gelato) mixture is put into the frozen bowl, and is mixed for 25-30 min, and voila….. you’ve got your gelato!

Here’s a great recipe for Straciatella, which comes from the italian word STRACCIO, which means “torn apart”

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups Whole Milk
1 3/4 cups Heavy cream
4 egg yolks
1 cup + 2 tbsp Sugar
70 g Quality Chocolate chopped into small pieces (Dark works well)

• In a medium sauce pan, warm milk and cream until foam forms around edges.  Remove from heat.
• In a large bowl, beat egg yolk and sugar until frothy.  Pour warm milk & cream into the mixture, whisking constantly.  Return the gelato mixture to saucepan and cook over medium heat stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.  Continue stirring until the gelato mixture begins to come together and coats the back of the wooden spoon (if small egg lumps begin to show, remove immediately).
• Pour gelato mixture through a sieve or fine strainer into a large stainless steel bowl to remove any large pieces of egg that may have formed during heating.  Cover the gelato mixture with plastic wrap and allow to cool for 2hrs (overnight works best)
• After allowing the gelato mixture to cool, pour gelato mixture into your kitchenaid ice cream maker and follow manufacturers instructions.  About 5 min before the gelato is ready,  add chocolate pieces and allow to finish mixing.
• Transfer to an air tight container and enjoy immediately or freeze and enjoy later

Enjoy this silky smooth italian dessert and be sure to  post your comments.

Buon appetito!

One of the most renowned Italian-American chefs has to be, by far, Chef Mario Batali.  From tv shows to cookbooks, Chef Batali has become an American icon when it comes to simple Italian cooking.  The stout, crocs wearing chef consistently puts out delicious recipe after delicious recipe.  Here is a simple, yet incredibly tasty recipe from his new book MOLTO GUSTO, which translates to “A Lot of Flavor“.  Try it, and I’m sure you’ll agree that Lentils have never tasted so good!

LENTILS WITH PANCETTA

Book:  Molto Gusto

Serves 6

½ pound small lentils, preferably Castellucio

1 carrot, halved

1 onion, halved

1 celery rib, halved

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 ounces pancetta, in one piece

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Maldon or other flaky sea salt and coarsely ground black pepper

• Put the lentils in a medium pot, add water to cover by 2 inches, and bring to a simmer.

• Add the vegetables, mustard, and pancetta, reduce the heat, and simmer gently until the lentils are just tender, about 20 minutes.
• Drain, reserving ¼ of the cooking liquid, and transfer to a large bowl.
• Remove the vegetables and pancetta from the lentils; discard the vegetables.
• Coarsely chop the pancetta and add to the lentils. Add just enough of the reserved cooking liquid to moisten the lentils, then add the oil and season with salt and pepper.
• Serve, or let stand at room temperature for 1 hour to bring out the flavors. (The lentils can be refrigerated for up to 3 days; bring to room temperature before serving.)

Buon Appetito!

Click HERE if you’d like to purchase your own copy of Molto Gusto, by Mario Batali

Think about having a fresh, coffee-shop-quality espresso when you get up in the morning – without having to leave the house. This is what your very own espresso machine can provide, but it is important to make sure you buy the right product, and know how to use it when you get it home.

Espresso is a syrupy, traditionally Italian, speciality coffee. Coffee shop owners will tell you that making mouth-watering espresso is just like pulling the perfect pint of beer. It requires patience, practice, and is much harder than it looks. Good quality espresso machines can make it easier by controlling the temperature and the internal mechanisms more exactly.

These machines function in several different ways. If, for instance, you value authenticity, and have strong arms, a Piston-driven espresso maker could be for you. The design for this fully-manual espresso machine comes from as far back as 1938. Many are now sold for decorative value in addition to making a good cup of espresso coffee,

There are various types of semi-automatic espresso machines. In all cases the water is delivered via a pump mechanism, but the grinding, preparation and insertion of the coffee must be done by hand. These may be more difficult to find, as recently automatic or super-automatic machines are becoming more popular and cost-effective.

Automatic espresso machines are very similar to the semi-automatic version, but the temperature and amount of the water is also controlled automatically. Super-automatic espresso machines are still mostly for the high-end of the market. These basically only require you to put the coffee beans in! They may also have many extra features, such as milk frothing or filter coffee making. However, some coffee fans believe the super-automatic espresso machines produce poor quality espresso, but of course everyone’s personal taste is different.

Prices for espresso machines range from below fifty dollars to over two thousand dollars. The most expensive are pump-controlled espresso machines, which are generally only used by coffee shops. If you are purchasing one of these, clearly it is vital to find a reputable provider with experience. Thanks to the internet, home espresso machines are becoming more easily available, even from non-specialist shopping websites.

Once you have invested in the best espresso machine that suits your tastes, you will need to buy the best quality coffee beans. There is no point blaming the espresso machine if you have scrimped on this vital component! Espresso machine providers often offer their own range of coffee beans, which may be much wider than that available at your local supermarket.

An espresso machine is a perfect investment or gift for somebody really passionate about coffee. You should be willing, like the coffee shop connoisseurs, to put some time and effort into making the perfect cup. If you do this, and choose your espresso machine carefully, you could be well on your way to coffee heaven!

click HERE to see more Espresso Machines

If you’ve never been to Las Vegas, you would certainly be in awe of all the glitz, glamor and bright lights. Las Vegas has an abundance of just about everything, and you can find pretty much anything you could ever imagine. The culinary experience in Las Vegas is second to none. Each hotel/casino has usually no less then 5 quality restaurants in them. They range from all American BBQ and burger stands, to posh French cuisine, and seemingly every few steps. The number of Italian restaurants in Las Vegas is impressive, to say the least. Boasting over 40 Italian restaurants in Las Vegas, there’s definitely not many cities outside of Italy that can claim that many Italian Restaurants.

Recently my wife (Lisa) and I visited Las Vegas and went to Mario Batali’s B & B Ristorante, in the Venetian. The atmosphere was that of an Old Italian restaurant, back in Italy. The staff was very friendly and there were a lot of them, so you were never left feeling like you were being un-attended to. Upon opening the menu, I was blown away at the selection and delicious sounding dishes. One of our waiters came by with a few slices of bread, with some olive paste, which I might add was delicious.

With so much to choose from, I really couldn’t decide if I wanted pasta, risotto, seafood or some type of meat. We ended up ordering a caprese salad and fried calamari, like we always do when we eat at an Italian Restaurant, as an appetizer. For our entree’s, Lisa went with papardelle Bolognese. Pappardelle are similar to fettucine, only they are much broader. I ordered, goat cheese ravioli, with orange and anise fronds. The caprese was very well presented, and the taste was spot on. And the calamari was, and I can say this with out any kind of bias, the best calamari I’ve ever tasted! Now I’ve had a lot of fried calamari in my time, and they were dusted just lightly enough so that it wasn’t the main ingredient, but it had a nice crispiness to it. The goat cheese ravioli had a phenomenal taste. My only negative was that the goat cheese filling was a little to runny for my liking. Now I understand that when goat cheese is melted, it tends to become runny, but like I said, that was my only negative comment, but it by no means spoiled the dinner. My wife raved about the pappardelle, and still talks about it!

We finished off the dinner with a light dessert. Lisa had the chocolate gelato, which she said was absolutley amazing, where as I had the nocciola panna cotta. I have this habit of ordering a panna cotta whenever I see it on a menu. I’m not big into desserts, but panna cotta has great texture, and a taste that’s not overly sweet.

My review of B&B Ristorante is just 1 Italian Restaurant in Las Vegas of the many. If you haven’t been to Las Vegas, my suggestion would be to pack your bags, and get out there! The prices on Las Vegas Hotels are as low as they’ve ever been, with packages (air + hotel) starting at $187. If you’ve been there before, and are planning to go again, try out one of the many Italian Restaurants, and feel free to leave comments and reviews as to your experience!

Visit EXPEDIA for more great Las Vegas Packages

Buon Appetito!

The Colosseum, the Pantheon, Trevi fountain, the Spanish steps, are synonymous with Italy, and in particular Rome.  Roma (in Italian) is in the region of Lazio, on the Western coast in central Italy, and it renowned for its history, culture, architecture and most of all, it’s food!  Roman food has its own distinct quality with garlic, parsley, rosemary and black pepper prevalent in many of their dishes.

This recipe by Giada De Laurentiis, one of the great television cooks on food tv, is a great tribute to Roman style cooking.  In Giada’s new book Everyday Italian: 125 Simple and Delicious Recipes she makes tried and true Italian recipes and makes them so simple to make, you’ll LOVE cooking Italian!!  Her Roman Style Chicken is an example of the ease of her dishes.
A great chicken with classical taste. A true winner!!

Ingredients

• 4 skinless chicken breast halves, with ribs
• 2 skinless chicken thighs, with bones
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus 1 teaspoon
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus 1 teaspoon
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
• 3 ounces prosciutto, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon fresh oregano leaves
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons capers
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Preparation

Season the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. In a heavy, large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, cook the chicken until browned on both sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Keeping the same pan over medium heat, add the peppers and prosciutto and cook until the peppers have browned and the prosciutto is crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, wine, and herbs. Using a wooden spoon, scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken to the pan, add the stock, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 to 30 minutes.

If serving immediately, add the capers and the parsley. Stir to combine and serve. If making ahead of time, transfer the chicken and sauce to a storage container, cool, and refrigerate. The next day, reheat the chicken to a simmer over medium heat. Stir in the capers and the parsley and serve.

Buon Appetito!

Sundays were always special at our house.  Growing up, my mom would begin making sauce early in the morning.  I would wake up to the smell of  fried pork and simmering sauce.  There was always something about braised pork ragu made on Sundays, compared to tomato sauces made during the week.  It’s obvious there was more time and care put into preparing the pork ragu.  It was none more obvious then in the taste!

For those unfamiliar with braising, it’s the method of cooking with direct heat and moist heat.  The direct heat comes from the searing of the meat at a high temperature.  The moist heat comes from the seared meat simmering in the liquid (tomato sauce in this case).  Braised pork ragu,  like with any thing else that’s braised, requires the slow simmering in the liquid to break down the fibers of tough cuts of meat.

Here is my version of the Sunday sauce that my mom would make.  My mom would let it simmer for most of the morning, but it doesn’t  have to be left for that long.  Letting it simmer for 15-30 min is sufficient. Although the longer you leave it, the more flavorful it will be.  You can use lamb, veal or beef instead of  pork.

Makes 4-6 servings

Try this recipe and feel free to leave your comments:

Ingredients:

Braised Pork Ragù:

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 Kg of pork butt pieces(or shoulder) bone in
1 tsp sea salt
1 med onion (diced)
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup red wine
750ml Pureed Tomatoes

Penne:

2tbs Sea Salt
450 g Penne
1/4 cup Grated Parmiggiano Reggiano

Preparation:

• In a large sauce pot, heat extra virgin olive.  Once the oil is heated (about 1-1.5 min) add pieces of pork.  Do not crowd the pot as it will lower the pot temperature and cause the pork to boil.
• Allow the pork to brown but not fully cook(on both sides), and remove from the pot.
• Add onions and garlic to the pot and a pinch of salt to season. Add wine and deglaze the pot picking up all the brown bits at the bottom.  Allow the alcohol from the wine to evaporate and the onions to become translucent
• Add the pureed tomatoes and stir.  Add the cooked pork back to the pot with the sauce and bring to a boil.  Once the sauce comes to boil, reduce to medium heat, add lid and allow to simmer for about 30-45 min stirring frequently
• After allowing to simmer, lower the heat to low.
• Put a pot filled with water on high heat and bring to a boil.  Once the water is boiling, add 2 tbsp of salt and add penne.  Cook according to package.  Remove the penne from heat about 2 min before recommended cooking time, strain and reserve some of the penne water.
• Remove the pieces of pork from the sauce and add penne to the sauce.  Turn the heat to medium and allow penne to cook with the sauce, making the sauce “stick”, around 2-2.5 min.  Just before removing from heat, stir in a 1/4 cup of grated parmiggiano reggiano cheese and serve.

Buon Appetito!

There are many appliances available to the everyday home chef. Some that are large and cumbersome, some small and portable, others that are used once, and stored away in the cupboard never to resurface for years! The one small kitchen appliance that is a must have in all kitchens, is the Panini Press. This double sided grill is small, powerful and versatile. Does a lot more then just sandwiches. You can cook hamburgers, steaks, chicken, vegetables and more!

If you’ve never had a Panini, which is an Italian sandwich, you have no idea what you’re missing. There’s just something about salty prosciutto, warm stringy provolone cheese, and peppery arugula, nestled between a toasted ciabatta bun, that a regular white bread peanut butter sandwich just can’t beat.

Almost all Panini Presses sold now come with non stick grills, which make for easy pressing, and even easier clean up. In most cases all that is needed is a damp, soapy cloth. They don’t take up much room, and can easily be left on the counter for quick use. The panini press varies in price, from your basic panini press that presses panini, to deluxe panini presses with a large cooking area with temperature controls. Which every one you buy, you can rest assured that you will not impress your friends, with scrumptious paninis, but you will use it a lot more then you did that old blender that’s still sitting in the back of your kitchen cupboard!

When people think of  garlic bread, the first thing that comes to mind is a long baguette with a neon yellow, buttery top with garlic powder and sprinkles of dried parsley flakes, which doesn’t look (or taste)very appealing.  Well, here’s a recipe that will hopefully give you a different view of garlic bread that’s made with……now brace yourself….REAL GARLIC!

Apart from being eaten on its own, this would be a great base for BRUSCHETTA, a PANINI or with some good quality PARMIGIANO REGGIANO.

Try this method of making garlic bread next time, and I’m convinced you wont go back to the buttered up baguettes made with garlic powder and dried parsley flakes.  Leave a comment letting us know what you think!

Ingredients:

1 Loaf of crusty italian bread
3 cloves garlic
olive oil
sea salt
finely chopped fresh parsley  *optional

Preparation:

• cut the bread into 1″ slices.  Arrange slices on a baking sheet and toast for 5 min in a pre heated oven of 350 degrees.  Turn and allow to toast for another 3 minutes
• allow to cool slightly (2-3 min)
• drizzle (or brush) the slices of bread with extra virgin oil.
• cut the tip of the garlic on a 45 degree angle, and use the same motion as an eraser, and rub the garlic on the bread.  Rub as much or as little according to taste.  Usually a few passes is sufficient
• finish off with a sprinkle of good quality sea salt and parsley

Buon Appetito!