Cucina DiBella

Risi e Bisi

The Veneto region of Italy is mostly known for its seafood, but it is home to some other great recipes as well that you don't want to miss. Many of these involve rice, which is often used more frequently than pasta in the northern regions of Italy. One of the quintessential recipes from Veneto is Risi e Bisi, or Rice and Peas. The recipe is a simple variation of a basic risotto. Its simplicity is part of what has made Risi e Bisi a staple for many Italian parents and a first meal for many Italian kids. Since my son just started eating solid foods I will have to keep this meal in mind for when he's a ready for it!

Risi e Bisi

Adapted from Rachael Ray

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 a yellow onion, diced

1 cup arborio rice

4 cups chicken stock

3/4 cup peas

Procedure:

1. In a pot, heat the oil over medium heat.  Once the oil is hot, add the garlic and onions and cook until tender, about 3 minutes.
2. Add the risotto and allow to toast lightly.  Once toasted, begin to add the broth 1 cup at a time.  Stir frequently to avoid the rice sticking to the pot.  Continue until the rice is cooked to al dente.
3. Add the peas and allow them to warm through.  Serve the risotto immediately.

Ideas for modifications:This recipe is sometimes served almost as a soup.  To take this route, simply add more stock than what is required above.  For some added flavor, pancetta can also be added.  To save a little time, you can use frozen peas and add them directly to the risotto.  They will thaw in the rice in no time!

Ryan's rating of Risi e Bisi - 4.  Not bad since peas are far from his favorite vegetable!

1 - Awful. If you make this again I'll shove a fork in my eye.

2 - Meh. It's not my favorite, but I won't threaten self-harm if it shows up again.

3 - Good. I wouldn't feel forced to order a pizza behind your back.

4 - Great! I will fight you for the leftovers.

5 - Love it! Make it again tomorrow. Or immediately and I will bathe in it.

Ricotta Pancakes with Bellini Maple Syrup

One thing holiday weekends are good for is offering that rare lazy morning where my husband and I can enjoy breakfast together without one of us having to race off to work. Today we took full advantage of that luxury with some delicious ricotta pancakes. These aren't traditionally Italian, nor is the syrup that I made to go along with the pancakes, but they are wonderful nonetheless. They were too good not to share, so we'll call them Italian inspired and consider them good enough to put on Cucina DiBella.

I am a huge pancake fan. I have great memories of my mom spelling out my initials in pancake batter. So, I had never felt the need to deviate much from the pancake recipe of my childhood, and therefore had never tried pancakes with ricotta cheese mixed in. Well, I'm glad I did. The beauty of ricotta is that it works equally well in savory dishes, like lasagna, and sweet recipes like cannoli. Here, the ricotta works to make pancakes that are much lighter and more moist than your average pancake. They are wonderful! To match their airiness, I decided to create a syrup that was a little on the lighter side as well but that added the needed sweetness. So, I created what I call Bellini Maple Syrup which is just maple syrup combined with peaches and some champagne. The champagne thins the syrup, giving it a lighter feel just like the pancakes, and the peaches add a wonderful flavor to the whole thing.

Ricotta Pancakes with Bellini Maple Syrup

Ricotta Pancake recipe adapted from Bobby Flay

Ingredients:

For the Pancakes:

1 cup ricotta cheese

2/3 cup milk

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons sugar

Butter, for pan

For the Syrup:

3/4 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup champagne

3/4 cup fresh or frozen peaches, cut into chunks

Procedure:

1. To make the syrup, combine the maple syrup, champagne, and peaches in a saucepan. Bring to a low simmer and cook about 5 minutes, stirring occassionally. Optional: use a fork to mash the peaches or leave the peaches in large chunks to serve over pancakes (The second option is my vote!).
2. In a bowl, whisk the ricotta, milk, eggs, and vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and whisk together.
3. Heat a griddle or frying pan to medium heat. Brush with butter. When hot, pour about 1/4 cup of batter onto the griddle or pan. Cook until golden brown on each side, about 2 minutes on each side. Set aside and repeat with remaining batter. (Tip: to keep pancakes warm until the whole batch is done, put finished pancakes on an oven-safe serving platter and place in a 200 degree oven to keep warm.)
4. Top pancakes with Bellini Maple Syrup.

Ryan's rating of Ricotta Pancakes with Bellini Maple Syrup: 5s across the board! I got a 5 for the pancakes, a 5 for the syrup, and a 5 for the dish overall. I think this recipe has replaced my normal pancake recipe!

1 - Awful. If you make this again I'll shove a fork in my eye.

2 - Meh. It's not my favorite, but I won't threaten self-harm if it shows up again.

3 - Good. I wouldn't feel forced to order a pizza behind your back.

4 - Great! I will fight you for the leftovers.

5 - Love it! Make it again tomorrow. Or immediately and I will bathe in it.

Torta Paradiso and Mascarpone Cream

I can see how this dessert came to be called "Torta Paradiso".  A delicious sponge cake with a fresh lemon flavor permeating throughout, its taste matches its name.  The timing for this recipe couldn't have been better; it was a perfect way to welcome in spring! 

This cake is a traditional recipe from Lombardy, and is often served with a simple sprinkling of powdered sugar over the top.  However, I decided to top it with another typical dessert from Lombardy; mascarpone cream.  Mascarpone is an Italian cream cheese, and works wonderfully with sugar to create a delicious cream.  The method that I used produces a result similar to a whipped cream.  However, mascarpone also works well to create something similar to a cream cheese frosting.  Note: this Mascarpone Cream recipe includes raw eggs.

Torta Paradiso

Adapted from La Cucina: The Regional Cooking of Italy by Academia Italina Della Cucina, 2009.

Serves 8

Ingredients:

2 sticks room temperature butter

6 egg yolks

2 egg whites

1 2/3 cups sugar

Zest from 1/2 lemon

2/3 cup flour

1 1/4 cup potato starch

Process:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Butter and flour a 9 inch circular cake pan.
3. Whip the butter in an electric mixer until soft.  Mix the egg yolks into the butter one at a time.  Slowly add in the sugar, allowing to completely combine.  Add the zest, flour, and potato starch.
4. In a seperate bowl, whip the egg whites until stiff.  Gently fold the egg whites into the batter.
5. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan.  Bake for about 50 minutes until golden.  Insert a tootpick to check for doneness.  If the toothpick comes out clean, the cake is done.
6. Remove cake from pan and set on a wire rack to cool.  Top with Mascarpone Cream (below).

Ryan's rating of Torta Paradiso - 3.5



Mascarpone Cream

Adapted from La Cucina: The Regional Cooking of Italy by Academia Italina Della Cucina, 2009.

Ingredients:

1 eggs, seperated

1 egg yolk

1/3 cup sugar

8 ounces mascarpone cream

1 1/2 tablespoons Amaretto liqueur

Process:

1. In an electric mixer, combine the 2 egg yolks with the sugar.
2. In a seperate bowl, whip the egg whites until still.  Fold the egg whites into the egg yolk and sugar mixture.
3. Mix the egg and sugar mixture with the mascarpone.  Add the Amaretto and stir to combine.
4. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to set.  Spead over the cooled Torta Paradiso.

Ryan's rating of Mascarpone Cream - 4.5

Ryan's rating of Torta Paradiso with Mascarpone Cream - 4

1 - Awful. If you make this again I'll shove a fork in my eye.

2 - Meh. It's not my favorite, but I won't threaten self-harm if it shows up again.

3 - Good. I wouldn't feel forced to order a pizza behind your back.

4 - Great! I will fight you for the leftovers.

5 - Love it! Make it again tomorrow. Or immediately and I will bathe in it.

Chicken Piccata

One of Milan's greatest culinary contributions is meat (typically veal) pounded very thin, breaded and fried to golden perfection. It's so simple, and yet if not executed properly, really lacks so much in flavor. This basic process extends itself well beyond a simple breaded cutlet. Its components are echoed in many other recipes, including Veal Piccata, a Milanese classic.

Traditionally, this dish features thinly pounded out cuts of veal (I'll be using chicken) dredged in flour and fried. The cutlets are then covered in a light, lemony pan sauce. Often, in restaurants you will find piccata dishes studded with capers. While this is a delicious addition, the traditional Milanese recipe is simply garnished with parsley, and so I stuck with that for today. With full flavors being drawn out of simple ingredients and procedures, this is a recipe to keep on hand to effortlessly impress those you're cooking for!

 

Chicken Piccata

Adapted from Giallo Zafferano

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

3 chicken breasts, cut in half lengthwise to produce 6 cutlets

Salt

Pepper

Flour for dredging

4 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup white wine

1/2 cup chicken broth

Juice from 1/2 lemon

Parsley for garnish

Process:

1. Using a meat mallet, pound each chicken cutlet until thin (about 1/4 inch thick).  Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
2. Dredge the chicken in flour, shaking off excess flour.  Set aside.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium high heat.
4. Add the chicken to the pan, being careful not to overcrowd the pan.  You may have to do this in two batches.  Cook chicken about 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through.  Remove chicken to a plate and set aside. 
5. To the pan drippings, add the wine.  Use a wooden spoon to scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.  Let this simmer for about 2 minutes until the liquid has reduced.
6. Add the chicken broth, lemon juice, and remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan. 
7. Return the chicken to the pan and let simmer on low heat for about 5 minutes.  Return chicken to a plate and pour sauce over it.  Optional:  if you would like a thicker sauce, whisk in 1 tablespoon of flour before pouring the sauce over the chicken.
8. Garnish with parsley and serve alongside pasta.

Ryan's rating of Chicken Piccata - 5.  Definitely put this on your list of things to make this week!

1 - Awful. If you make this again I'll shove a fork in my eye.

2 - Meh. It's not my favorite, but I won't threaten self-harm if it shows up again.

3 - Good. I wouldn't feel forced to order a pizza behind your back.

4 - Great! I will fight you for the leftovers.

5 - Love it! Make it again tomorrow. Or immediately and I will bathe in it.

Risotto al Salto

Risotto is one of those foods that is a comfort dish for me. Maybe it's because of that fact that whenever I make it, I end up making way more than Ryan and I could ever eat ourselves. So, I was thrilled when I found this recipe for Risotto al Salto. It is basically fried risotto cakes, and makes for a great way to use up that leftover Risotto.

They are great as appetizers or even a breakfast side item since they closely resemble hash browns make from risotto. Traditionally, this is a recipe from Lombardy, and would likely have been made with leftover Risotto alla Milanese. You can use any kind of risotto though, so I went with some zucchini and parmesan risotto, which was absolutely delicious.

What type of risotto would you want to use in your risotto al salto?

Risotto al Salto

Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked risotto, cold (Click here for a recipe for Risotto alla Milanese)

Cooking Spray

Parsley

Parmesan cheese

Procedure:

1. Spray a pan with cooking spray and set over medium heat.
2. Scoop out 1/4 cup of the risotto and form a patty with it. When the pan is hot, place the risotto patty in the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes until golden brown.
3. Flip and cook on the other side another 2-3 minutes until golden brown.
4. Move to a plate and sprinkle with parmesan and parsley. Serve warm.

 

Ryan's rating of Risotto al Salto - 4

1 - Awful. If you make this again I'll shove a fork in my eye.

2 - Meh. It's not my favorite, but I won't threaten self-harm if it shows up again.

3 - Good. I wouldn't feel forced to order a pizza behind your back.

4 - Great! I will fight you for the leftovers.

5 - Love it! Make it again tomorrow. Or immediately and I will bathe in it.

 

 

 

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

Happy New Year! I thought the perfect way to start 2012 would be with some Spaghetti alla Carbonara. Maybe it's because the eggs and bacon that are mixed in with the pasta makes me think of brunch. Or maybe it is that this was often what my roommate in Italy would cook in the early morning hours after he got home from the bars. Either way, this dish screamed out to me as a great New Years Day meal.

Often attributed to Rome, Spaghetti alla Carbonara is a very simple, but very filling meal. Pasta is mixed with pancetta or bacon, parmesan cheese, and eggs. There is no actual "sauce", as the eggs create a thick, creamy sauce all of their own when added to the hot pasta. You can sometimes find this recipe with cream added as well, but since it isn't traditional, I left it out. Besides, it is plenty rich as it is without adding heavy cream! One of the best aspects of this recipe is that you likely have all of the ingredients on hand, making it a great last minute meal.

Picture is up (clearly)! Typepad IT is my favorite!

 

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

Adapted from Mario Batali

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 pound spaghetti

1/2 pound pancetta or bacon, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

4 eggs

1 cup parmigiano regiano

Pepper

Parsley, for garnish

Procedure:

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil, seasoning with salt. When the water has come to a boil, add spaghetti and cook until al dente. Drain the pasta, retaining 1/4 cup of the pasta water. Return the pasta and reserved pasta water to pot.
2. While the pasta cooks, put a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta or bacon and cook until crispy. Just before the bacon finishes, add the garlic and saute with the bacon about one minute. Remove garlic and bacon from the heat.
3. In a bowl, whisk the eggs together.
4. Add the bacon, garlic, and parmesan to pasta and stir to combine. A little at a time, add the eggs, tossing to combine after each addition.
5. Serve topped with parsley as garnish.

 

Ryan's rating of Spaghetti alla Carbonara - 4.

1 - Awful. If you make this again I'll shove a fork in my eye.

2 - Meh. It's not my favorite, but I won't threaten self-harm if it shows up again.

3 - Good. I wouldn't feel forced to order a pizza behind your back.

4 - Great! I will fight you for the leftovers.

5 - Love it! Make it again tomorrow. Or immediately and I will bathe in it.

Ligurian Fish and Potatoes

You can't talk about Liguria without mentioning its amazing supply of fresh seafood like this post for Stuffed Mussels.  In addition to mussels, Liguria has an abundance of fresh fish such as stockfish and cod.  In my mind, there's nothing better than a good fish recipe.  This one for Ligurian Fish and Potatoes is light, easy to put together, and despite its simple ingredients, full of flavor.

Traditionally, this dish would be made with cod or stockfish.  You can use any flaky white fish though, so I went with haddock.  I also added onion and garlic for a little extra flavor.  Normally this would just be seasoned with salt, pepper, parsley and olive oil.  The results were fantastic.  Served with some steamed vegetables like broccoli and zucchini make this quite a healthy meal (unusual for my site, I know).

 

Ligurian Fish and Potatoes

Adapted from the New York Times

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

2 medium potatoes

1/2 of a small yellow onion, diced

Olive oil

Salt

Pepper

1 pound haddock (or any other flaky white fish)

2 cloves garlic, minced

Dried parsley

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Peel the potatoes and slice thinly, about 1/8 of an inch.  A mandolin works wonderfully for this.  Place the potatoes in a layer in a baking dish.  Sprinkle with the diced onions.
3. Drizzle the potatoes and onions with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Toss the potatoes to coat evenly. Bake the potatoes for 30 minutes. 
4. Season the fish with salt and pepper on each side.
5. When the potatoes have finished baking, place the fish on top of the potatoes in the baking dish.  Drizzle the fish lightly with olive oil, and sprinkle with the minced garlic.  Return to the oven and bake for another 10-12 minutes until the fish is cooked through, flaking apart easily. 
6. Top with dried parsley. Serve hot.

Ryan's rating of Ligurian Fish and Potatoes - 5.

1 - Awful. If you make this again I'll shove a fork in my eye.

2 - Meh. It's not my favorite, but I won't threaten self-harm if it shows up again.

3 - Good. I wouldn't feel forced to order a pizza behind your back. 

4 - Great! I will fight you for the leftovers.

5 - Love it! Make it again tomorrow. Or immediately and I will bathe in it.

Minestrone alla Genovese

For the few people who aren't familiar with it, Minestrone is a pretty straightforward vegetable soup with some small pasta mixed in.  Minestrone alla Genovese is no exception.  However, what sets this version apart is the addition of basil pesto to the soup.  When I went through Liguria's cuisine the first time, I talked about pesto being traditional to this area of Italy.  The addition of pesto to the soup lends a wonderful fresh basil flavor and brings a well known Italian soup to a whole new level.

This recipe is great for the summer (so long as it's not a 90 degree day) when vegetables are abundant and varied.  You can really use whatever you would like, and whatever you have available to you.  For Ryan and I, I chose to use celery, onion, carrot, potato, tomato and zucchini.  Making your own stock for this soup is quite easy, but you can feel free to use canned stock if you like.

 

Minestrone alla Genovese

Adapted from Italian Regional Cooking by Ada Boni, 1969

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

8 cups vegetable stock

1 stick celery, sliced

1 large carrot, sliced

1 onion, sliced

Salt and pepper to taste

1 zucchini, chopped

2 tomatoes, peeled and chopped

2 potatoes, peeled and cubed

1/3 pound small pasta (I prefer Ditalini)

1 tablespoon pesto

Procedure:

1. Add the vegetable stock to a large pot.  Add the celery, carrot, onion, salt and pepper.  Bring the soup to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for about 1 hour. 
2. Add the zucchini, potato, and tomato and simmer for another 30 minutes.
3. Add the ditalini and cook until tender, about 10 minutes.
4. When the pasta is finished cooking, add the pesto and stir to combine. 
5. Serve hot with fresh parmigiano reggiano sprinkled over the top.

Ryan's rating of Potato Croquettes - 4

1 - Awful. If you make this again I'll shove a fork in my eye.

2 - Meh. It's not my favorite, but I won't threaten self-harm if it shows up again.

3 - Good. I wouldn't feel forced to order a pizza behind your back. 

4 - Great! I will fight you for the leftovers.

5 - Love it! Make it again tomorrow. Or immediately and I will bathe in it.

 

Potato Croquettes

I don't know about you, but I've never seen a potato that I didn't like.  In all of its glorious, carb-filled forms, potatoes are absolutely delicious.  Potato Croquettes, or Coccoli di Patate, are no exception.  Formed into discs, torpedo shapes, or ball shapes, these are made by breading mashed potato and frying it to a perfect golden brown.  Coccoli di Patate are traditional to Liguria, however, they are found all over Italy.  I can remember eating these as a midnight snack often with my roommate, Kate, in Italy. There's nothing like fried potato after a night out at the bars!

My first batch of croquettes were a little bland, but after getting the technique down I added some garlic, parsley, and parmigiano reggiano, and this made all the difference!  Next time I think I will add some prosciutto for a little extra flavor as well.  You can also have fun with sauces for the croquettes.  They are great dipped in marinara sauce, or you could make a garlic aioli.  Any ideas out there for other ways to dress up this recipe?

 

Potato Croquettes - Coccoli di Patate

Adapted from Italian Regional Cooking by Ada Boni, 1969

Makes about 15 Croquettes

Ingredients:

3 medium russet potatoes

3 tablespoons butter

2 eggs

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

3/4 teaspoon dried parsley

Breadcrumbs

Oil for frying

Process:

1. After washing the potatoes, boil until fork tender, about 40 minutes.  Allow the potatoes to cool only slightly and then peel.  Using a fork, mash the potatoes in a bowl, ensuring that there are no lumps.
2. Add the butter, 1 egg, garlic, parmigiano, salt, pepper, and parsley to the potato.  Mix to thoroughly combine.
3. Form the potatoes into torpedo shapes about 2 inches long (or if you prefer, you can form them into discs, round balls, or any other shape you feel like!)
4. Set up a breading station by whisking the remaining egg in one bowl and pouring breadcrumbs in another bowl.  Dip each croquette into the egg, shake off any excess, and then cover in breadcrumbs.
5. Heat about 1/2 inch of oil in a pan over medium heat.  Once hot, add the croquettes in batches.  Cook until golden brown, about 1-2 minutes, and then flip.  Repeat on other side.  Remove from the oil and place on a paper towel to drain off excess oil.  Serve hot.

Ryan's rating of Potato Croquettes - I only got a 3 on the first batch, but the second batch, above, scored a 4. Much better!

1 - Awful. If you make this again I'll shove a fork in my eye.

2 - Meh. It's not my favorite, but I won't threaten self-harm if it shows up again.

3 - Good. I wouldn't feel forced to order a pizza behind your back. 

4 - Great! I will fight you for the leftovers.

5 - Love it! Make it again tomorrow. Or immediately and I will bathe in it.

 

Wait...You Mean Cucina DiBella is Still Around?!

Well, I'm sure the only people still tuning in at this point are my mom and my sister (Hi guys!), but after an extended time away from Cucina DiBella, I'm getting ready for a return.  Things have been super hectic here with me working crazy hours, going to school, and oh yeah, getting pregnant.  I know what you're thinking, "Wah. I call that Tuesday in my house. Where are the new recipes?!" Well, the answer is, I'm working on it.  I've finally gotten my shit together and am ready to reclaim my kitchen after months of not feeling like cooking much of anything. So, if you will bear with me for one more week, I promise it will be worth your time!