Italian OK

The trial of Sacco Vanzetti was one of the most famous in American legal history and throws up some interesting and meaningful questions about the American legal system and it’s treatment of “foreign aliens” and the poor.  I would really recommend that anyone interested in the Italian diaspora or American legal history watch the following documentary.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BACWQoSAYc

Pasta and peas is a great dish that reminds me of home.  Every region of Italy has its own take on this classic but today I’ll share with you my family recipie.

Normally this dish is made with a pasta called tubetti (little tubes) but some people snap spaghetti in small pieces and use that instead.

Ingredients: (Serves 4)

• 300gr Peas
• 250gr Tubetti
• 100gr Pancetta
• ½ white onion
• 3 spoons of extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to season

Method

Dice the onion and slowly fry in a frying pan with oil, when it blondes add the pancetta cut into little strips.

After frying the pancetta well ( it’s important to get a bit of colour on to it) add the peas and cook for a few minutes, stir well so the flavours amalgamate.

Now add enough water to cover everything.

When the peas are nearly reading cook the pasta for the time indicated on the packet ( make sure you salt the water first!).

If the sauce needs more water keep adding it. I like the sauce quite thick so I squash some of the peas with the back of a fork to make is creamier. Add salt to season.

When the pasta is cooked add it to the sauce, serve with a sprinkling of peppers and a handful of parmesan. Enjoy!

When hosting a dinner party first impressions are key.  Why not treat your guests to a delicious Bellini cocktail when they enter your home.  The Bellini was invented by Giuseppe Cipriani between 1934 and 1948 in Venice.  The drink got its name because of the unique pink color of the drink (cherries or raspberries used to be part of the ingredients) reminded the founder of the color of the toga of a saint in a painting by the Venetian artist Bellini.

Ingredients:

50 ml Peach Juice
50 ml Prosecco
100 ml Campari

Add a little bit of cherry or raspberry juice to make a really authentic Bellini.

This dish is very popular in the vibrant southern city of Bari, however Neapolitan versions also exist.  It’s a really rustic dish and one of my favourite ways to cook veal.

Ingredients

• 12 slices of veal (thin), about 500g
• 3 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
• Handful of finely chopped parsley
• 250g Pecorino cheese ( cut in cubes )
• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 chopped onion
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tin of Italian tomatoes
• Salts and pepper to season

Method

Lay out the slices of veal and sprinkle with garlic, parsley and the cheese.  Now roll up the veal slices and secure with a toothpick.  Sauté’ the onion in the oil with bay leaves until soft. Then add the veal rolls and cook over a medium heat for around 5 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper and pour in the tomatoes.  Partly cover the frying pan and cook until the tomatoes reduce and the meat is lovely and tender.  Serve this dish hot with maybe some fried peppers and a nice crusty loaf.

This is one of my favourite ways to cook a good sirloin steak.

Ingredients – Serves 6

• 1.25 kg Sirloin
• 6 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 125 ml dry white wine
• 1 headed teaspoon of capers
• 2 good quality anchovy fillets
• 125ml good quality beef stock (make your own if possible)
• 1 Onion
• 1 Carrot
• 1 Stalk celery
• Sea salt and pepper to taste

Method

First brown the sirloin in oil over a high flame.  Now add the onion, carrot and celery, season but be careful not to add too much salt as the anchovies can be salty.  Stir and cook for around 5 minutes.  After that pour in the wine and cook for around 30 minutes until it has evaporated, make sure you turn the meat often.

When the meat is tender place it on a chopping board to slice.  Take the pan off the heat and add the anchovies and capers to the vegetables.  Now take the vegetables and chop finely in a food processor.  To serve slice the sirloin and serve with hot sauce spooned over.

I sometimes also add chillies to the sauce.

A few years ago Jamie Oliver (the re-known TV chef) made a series where he travelled around some parts of Italy and learned the art of Italian cooking from locals. In my opinion the series is great because he really immerses himself in Italian culture and thus really gets to the heart of regional Italian cooking.  I would recommend you all to watch the series, I think its all on youtube now and I’ll post the 1st episode so that it shouldn’t be too hard to find the others.

As I have previously mentioned Limoncello comes from the Amalfi coast close to Naples, where terraces of lemon trees look down sheer cliffs into the sea.

This is a fantastic summer desert and one of my favourites.  (This recipe has been adapted from one I found in an old cookbook).

Ingredients

For the vanilla cream:

• 4 egg yolks
• 140g granulated sugar
• 6 tablespoons plain white flour
• 500ml whole milk
• pinch of salt
• 1 vanilla pod

For the rest of the dish:

• 250ml Limoncello
• 5 Slices candied lemon rind
• 70g flaked almonds

Method

First lets prepare the Vanilla cream.  Whisk the egg yolks and sugar until pale and creamy.  Bring milk to the boil, add salt and the vanilla, now stir it into the egg and sugar.  To finish cook over a very low heat, stirring constantly until the cream thickens.

Now stir all the limoncello into the vanilla cream, place cling film on top to stop a skin forming and set aside to cool.  Pour into 4 individual bowls and chill for around 1.5 hrs. Before serving decorate with the candid peel and almonds.

An interesting documentary about Berlusconi and his rise/stay in power.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00r8g99/b00r8g5l/The_Berlusconi_Show/

It was never my intention to turn this blog into a political mouthpiece, in fact I have always tried to steer away from the seedy business of Italian politics.  However, something of great interest is happening at the grass roots level in Italy, something that I feel cannot be ignored. So keeping true to the initial aim of this blog I wont be posting my feelings about the new “Purple” movement but I feel the outside world should be informed about its existence and what it aims to achieve.

The following link is a news story about “Il popolo viola” (The purple populace).  Essentially it is an anti-Berlusconian organisation devoid of central organisation, an organisation that grows through grass roots support and one that spreads its message via its ever growing grass roots supporter base.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8565265.stm

Again more coverage about this unique “political” movement.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8561368.stm

For any Italian speakers there are various Facebook groups that you could check out if you’re interested.

When you learn to make a Gino D’Acampo burger there is no need for a sneaky trip to McDonalds.