Tag: advice

Illuminating the table: advice from a great designer – Italian Cuisine

Carlotta de Bevilacqua, by Artemide, tells us how light and food interact with each other. Between multitasking lamps and the collaboration with Davide Oldani, for a lamp "that also contains food and pieces of life"

Regular customer of DO di Cornaredo, the architect, entrepreneur, designer and university professor Carlotta de Bevilacqua, Vice President and CEO of the group Artemis, brand-cult of design, as well as President of Danese Milano, has an indomitable spirit as much as his ideas. Vegetarian and animal rights activist who has been convinced for years, her thinking is characterized by the fusion of humanism and science and oriented towards a social and innovative 4.0 enterprise. Since 2001 he has been a university professor at the Faculty of Design at the Politecnico di Milano and a professor with collaborations with various international universities. Master in the art of lighting, she explains how the combination of light and food has evolved.

A restaurant room or a home kitchen: how do they light up today?

"The idea is that of a dynamic light in a dynamic space. In one room the maître today has the function of an orchestra master. Through LED microtechnologies and small ceiling infrastructures, which can also be programmed with an app on the mobile phone, artificial light can be adjusted as the natural one is lowered. A concept borrowed from contemporary museums .

With Oldani and the designer Attila Veress, you have created Goodness: what is special about this lamp?

«A sum of elements. Meanwhile, it is wireless. Then hand-blown glass in Venice enhances our craftsmanship. Then there is a 100% recyclable aluminum shell: it is a truly sustainable product. It is highly technological. Behind every emotion, in fact, there are great innovations: in Artemide we have collected 33 patents in two years. Ultimately it is multifunctional .

How?
"The lighting element supports a glass container that can host, from time to time, moments of life: flowers, dishes, but also glasses, your mobile phone. Leave free interpretation to the individual. Above all, it is never a useless object .

The name Goodness, Where is he from?

"Davide chose it, and he wanted it very strongly: he believed it was a simple name, essential" pop "like his philosophy. A short name for an international message. What is "good", he argues, is universal .

How has the lighting of the table changed and what are the current trends?

"In the past, suspension lamps were often placed on the table. One of the most innovative projects, with which we have won 3 Compassi d'Oro (a sort of design Oscar, ed) is the Discovery, designed by my husband, Ernesto Gismondi: a transparent square or circular element, which can be continuously repositioned, very suitable for illuminating even the workplace, thanks to the uniform light it transmits, very relaxing. Then there is the Nur, also by my husband Ernesto, who favors the rhythm of the table, of the light. For some years now, a wireless light has been placed in the center of the table, like the one designed with Davide Oldani, and adjustable. It has replaced, if you like, the concept of the candlestick: a warm and non-invasive light, which creates intimacy between diners. But what we are also aiming for today is to create real scenographies through various light points distributed in a room. Whether it's the light in the house or the dining room of a restaurant, it doesn't change: wall sconces, floor lamps and table lamps they have to talk to each other of them. What is interesting in a restaurant is that the maître, for example, he acts as the conductor of light ".

Explain yourself better.

«The dining room master has the task of introducing the dishes, yes, but also of dosing and lighting: in intensity, in color temperature, in colors. When it comes to the D'O, for example, the story that precedes the table is 1 minute, 30 seconds. The light accompanies the story and becomes the theatrical backdrop of the tasting. The emotional and visual factors merge and become very important, but the fundamental thing, which I have been studying for years, is light as a source of well-being. For years indago aspects of light related to the physiological and psychological well-being of man, offering new quality standards in terms of performance and reduction of consumption for the life of living beings and the planet.

Cold couscous, recipes and advice – Italian Cuisine

Versatile, simple to prepare, couscous in summer has an extra gear because even served cold it is a dish that can reserve great satisfactions. Here are three recipes and a few tips to be on the safe side

Couscous is a dish made from grains of wheat semolina blanched in boiling water. It seems to come from afar – the best known recipe is the one that is prepared in some North African countries – but in reality it is also part of the Italian gastronomic culture, especially of that Sicilian and that Sardinian. Couscous is very versatile, it goes well with many ingredients, it is simple to prepare and in summer it has an extra gear. Here are some tricks and three recipes to prepare an excellent cold couscous.

And did you know that couscous is an Italian dish?

Five tricks for a perfect couscous

Preparing couscous is so simple that even a child could do it, but to do it properly it is important to follow these five tips. First, to cook it it should not be boiled. The semolina should, however, be placed in a large pan with a high edge, covered flush with the already salted boiling water and left to rest for a few minutes. To reach the perfect cooking point le proportions of water and couscous must be one by one. To shell the couscous, add a drizzle of oil and use your fingers, not the fork. And finally, do not go overboard with the dressing, otherwise the flavor of the couscous will be covered. Here it is now three recipes for the summer.

Have you ever thought of being able to perfume couscous water?

Browse the gallery

Chickpea, feta and summer vegetable couscous

Carbohydrates, proteins and vitamins all contained in a single dish, fresh and light. To prepare the chickpea, feta and summer vegetable couscous serve 300 grams of couscous, 300 ml of water, 250 grams of boiled chickpeas, two courgettes, a red pepper, a carrot, a spring onion, 50 grams of pitted black olives, 150 grams of feta cheese, oil, salt, pepper and fresh mint. Wash all the vegetables and cut them into cubes. Cook them in a pan with a drizzle of oil starting with the peppers and then adding the carrots, courgettes and spring onion, in order to preserve their crunchiness. Boil the water, salt it and pour it on the couscous. Leave to rest for five minutes and shell with a drizzle of oil. Then pour it into a bowl, add the vegetables after salting them, the olives, the diced feta and the chickpeas. Season with oil and pepper, season with salt and garnish with mint leaves.

Why not try: Our recipes for vegetarian couscous

THESaffron and anchovy couscous salad

For thecouscous salad with saffron and anchovies 300 grams of couscous, 300 ml of water, 50 grams of pickled capers, 80 grams of pitted Taggiasca olives, an ox heart tomato, four cherry tomatoes, half a lemon, 12 fresh anchovies, oil, salt, pepper, a bag of saffron and a sprig of basil. Heat the water, salt it, add the saffron and pour it on the couscous. Leave to rest for five minutes and shell with your fingers adding a drizzle of oil. Fillet the anchovies, season with lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper and cook them in a pan on high heat for two minutes. In a bowl pour the couscous, olives, capers, diced ox-heart tomato. Season with a drizzle of oil and ground pepper. Fill the pastry rings with the seasoned couscous and garnish with the anchovies, the tomatoes divided in half and the basil sprigs.

Couscous with aromatic herb and almond pesto

The ingredients for the couscous with aromatic herb and almond pesto are 300 grams of couscous, 300 ml of water, two spring onions, a mixed bunch of coriander, thyme and mint, a couple of pickled red peppers, a spoonful of peeled almonds, 600 grams of chicken breast, a spoonful of flour, a spoonful of paprika, half a lemon, oil, pepper and salt. Put the aromatic herbs, spring onions, almonds, juice and zest of half a lemon, a drizzle of oil in the mixer and blend everything until a creamy mixture is obtained. Boil the water and pour it over the couscous, let it sit for five minutes and shell it with your fingers. At this point, pour it into a bowl, season it with the aromatic herb pesto and the peppers cut into strips. Pour the flour and paprika on a plate, bread the diced chicken breast, sauté them in a pan with a drizzle of oil and place them on top of the couscous.

5 reasons to include couscous in your menu

Browse the gallery

How to prepare octopus: our advice – Italian Cuisine

Fresh and tasty dish, the octopus is easy to prepare and gives great satisfaction both as a condiment for first courses and in salads

The octopus it never fails on our summer tables and on Mediterranean menus. It is found all over the Mediterranean Sea and often with a little luck you can spot it at sunset hidden among some rocks along our coasts. Trying to catch it is not an impossible feat: the octopus is in fact attracted by the white color and often you can catch it with a stick equipped with a hook, attracting it with a rag to flush it out from the ravines where it hides. If the company turns out to be too bold, you can always opt for a fish market, where it would still arrive very fresh, within 24 hours of capture.

The choice of the octopus

Like all fish products, octopus is also easily perishable and for this reason, consumption must take place quickly enough after purchase. Choosing a very fresh specimen it is therefore essential: firm and elastic flesh, as well as shiny skin and well-consistent suckers are the details that can help in the safe purchase.

How to clean it

Tackling the cleaning of a specimen of this type could cause many doubts: in reality the operation will result faster and easier compared to many other types of fish. First wash it under running water, then cut it at the tentacle attachment and deprive it of the eyes. Peel the hood and, by reversing it, clean it from the entrails. Rinse again. Pushing then at the point of attack of the tentacles, make the beak come out and eliminate it.
Even in the cleaning we find differences from region to region: in the North, for example, it is also customary to remove all the suckers, which instead are maintained in the countries of the South.
In the case of a specimen of a certain size, skin and tentacles can be removed: an operation that is normally easier once boiled.

How to cook it (and keep it soft)

The real worry in the kitchen is being able to keep the octopus soft. The wrong cooking makes it chewy and therefore not very palatable. If the preparation involves boiled octopus, the advice is to dip it in a large saucepan, with cold water, together with herbs, onion, celery, carrot and a bay leaf. Cover the pan when the water starts to boil and then cook on a low heat for about an hour. The mistake not to make is to remove the octopus from the pan once cooked: to keep the meat soft, it is absolutely necessary that it is left inside its own water until it has cooled down.

Often it is advisable to freeze the octopus a few days before consuming it: the low temperatures in fact help to "hang" the meats, making them more tender.

grill-67x45.jpg 67w "sizes =" (max-width: 1300px) 100vw, 1300px "/>

Get creative in the kitchen: five preparations with octopus!

Octopus is an ingredient that lends itself to various preparations: it is excellent grilled, cut into pieces and then browned with garlic and cherry tomatoes as a ragù for a spaghetti.

Become a single dish if, cooked for an hour with herbs, carrots, onions and potatoes, it is seasoned with green beans or other vegetables sautéed a few minutes on the fire and then laid on a songino base seasoned with a cream of basil and pine nuts.

It can be proposed as appetizer in a summer dinner if boiled and then stewed for a few minutes with a beat of celery and onion, to which you can add halved cherry tomatoes and lemon zest. Everything will then be served on Apulian croutons toasted in the oven and greased with a drizzle of oil before being served.

In the more traditional version it is proposed in salad, accompanied by boiled potatoes, chopped celery, Taggiasca olives and a sprinkling of sweet paprika, in homage to the Galician tradition.

Those who are not afraid strong flavors he can cook it in a saucepan in which three medium-sized onions have been cut into thin slices, preferably of Tropea quality. At this point add the octopus, a drizzle of oil and a glass of white wine. Cover the pot and cook for about an hour in the water produced by the same octopus. The meats remain crisp, with a delicious onion sauce.

Anyway you want to cook it, do not forget to add a cork stopper to the cooking water: it is said that without the octopus it remains hard. Popular beliefs or not, why take a risk?

Gordon Ramsay Recipes