Tag: good

XFood restaurant, the “good” destination in Puglia to try – Italian cuisine reinvented by Gordon Ramsay

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Opening the restaurant wasn’t the first thing on my mind when it came to giving meaning to theFormer Faddadisused wine factory in San Vito dei Normanni (Brindisi), transformed into space for aggregation and social innovation. But since the early twentieth century structure extends over 3,000 m2, is made up of three buildings and boasts an outdoor area of 15,000 m2, after having started the laboratories and the theater it was decided to pay a further homage to the gastronomic excellences of Puglia . And given that the theme here is social, in fact, it was finally decided to focus oninclusiveness. Along a path that has gradually generated connections and emotions, along the lines of excellent cuisine.

The XFood restaurant

XfOTO / Giuseppe Di Viesto

«At the time we worked in communications, but we wanted to make a contribution to our territory, he says Vito Valentepresident of cooperative Include which today deals with the work integration of people with cognitive disability. «So, when in 2010 the Municipality renovated the building we applied for its management, consulting the local community to understand its needs. Various proposals have emerged, such as a music school, a DIY school, dance courses and so on. Until we came up with the idea of cooking. At that point we involved public bodies such as the Municipality and the territorial areas of Brindisi and Francavilla to train the young people, who we selected through an open call”.

The goal was to stabilize at least five of them, with regular contracts, and it is they who have divided themselves admirably between the dining room and the kitchen of XFood for exactly ten years, that is, since the opening. «At a certain point, however, we realized that it was necessary raise the quality of serviceinvolving new chefs.”

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Chickpea meatballs with sauce: as good as grandma’s – Italian cuisine reinvented by Gordon Ramsay

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The chickpea meatballs with sauce they are a variant without meat of one of the dishes we all grew up with. Grandma’s meatballs are a comfort food which was difficult to resist. One led to another and the sauce in which they were immersed was too great a temptation not to make the slipper. Here you will find it vegetarian version of that dish capable of igniting the most nostalgic memories in us: chickpea meatballs with sauceprotein and really tasty.

Chickpea meatballs with sauce: the recipe

Made with just a few ingredients, the chickpea meatballs with sauce they are a real goodness. Soft and tasty, they won’t make you miss the classic ones. To make the sauce we recommend using the cherry tomato puree as it has a sweeter and more delicate taste.

Ingredients for 4 people

For the chickpea meatballs

250g canned chickpeas
30 g of breadcrumbs
30 g of grated parmesan
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 egg
1 sprig of parsley
1 tablespoon mustard
½ golden onion
Salt to taste
black pepper to taste

For the sauce

500 ml of cherry tomato puree
2 cloves of garlic
parsley to taste
extra virgin olive oil to taste
Salt to taste

Method

Drain the chickpeas well from their storage water and rinse them with running water. Place them in the glass of a blender. Add the egg, the onion peeled and cut into pieces, the parsley, the mustard, the grated parmesan, the salt and the pepper. Blend until you obtain a smooth and homogeneous mixture with an almost creamy consistency.
Transfer the mixture into a bowl and add the breadcrumbs to give it more consistency. With wet hands, shape the meatballs and arrange them on a plate.
In a non-stick pan, heat two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and add the meatballs. Brown them on a high flame, turning them until they are golden on all sides. Keep them aside.
Pour 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil into a large saucepan and fry the two peeled garlic cloves. Add the tomato puree, season with salt and cook with the lid on for about 10 minutes. After this time, remove the garlic cloves, add the meatballs, the chopped parsley and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Serve them chickpea meatballs with sauce piping hot, accompanying them with slices of toasted bread.

How to use dried chickpeas

To save time, we recommend making your own chickpea meatballs using canned chickpeas. However, if you prefer, you can use dried chickpeas. In this case, a soaking time of 24-48 hours will be necessary. After this time you will have to rinse the chickpeas, place them in a pan, cover them with cold water and bring everything to the boil, cooking for about 1h30 or until the chickpeas are soft. If you use dried chickpeas you must consider that 50 g of dried chickpeas correspond to 150 g of cooked chickpeas.

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Is coconut water good for you? The nutrition expert answers – Italian cuisine reinvented by Gordon Ramsay

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Fresh, fragrant, sweet, refreshing and light: thecoconut water it would seem to be the ideal drink for the summer. Is it also good how you talk about it on social media? We asked the nutritional biologist Concetta Montagnese, researcher at the CNR Institute of Food Sciences. «Coconut water is that clear liquid contained in coconuts, fruits of the Cocos nucifera plant, in an early stage of maturation (no later than seven months), when it has not yet been absorbed by the pulp and when the nut is still green. The fruit – an oval drupe or a fleshy fruit, containing a single seed – must not be damaged: if it has these characteristics, it can contain between 200 and 1000 ml of liquid.”

What are the benefits of coconut water

The expert explains to us that coconut water is made up of 95% from water. «There are approximately 100 ml 2.5 grams of sugar: a modest amount. Coconut water is low in protein and fatwhich are almost absent, but it has a high content of potassium, sodium and magnesium and B vitamins and vitamin C. It contains no cholesterol, fiber, lactose or gluten. It is also suitable for celiacs and those intolerant to lactose.” Naturally, the benefits described are typical of the natural drink, that is, extracted directly from the walnut and bottled, without added sugars and artificial substances.

Coconut water is very thirst-quenching and, thanks to its rich potassium content, it is also a good rehydrator. In fact, it is used a lot by athletes: the low sugar content and the high quantity of potassium make it an ideal supplement after prolonged physical exercise. «There is a study conducted on a group of cyclists who used this drink during sports performances, explains Montagnese. «Even compared to other sports supplements, coconut water – to which sodium and carbohydrates had been added – gave very positive results.

Regarding health effects, studies have been conducted on rats which seem to demonstrate a beneficial effect on reduction of cardiovascular riskon the reduction of bad cholesterol and triglyceride levels and anti-inflammatory effects, “but targeted studies are needed to confirm these properties in humans too”.

Preliminary results of a study have shown that coconut water had anti-inflammatory effects in patients with ulcerative colitis (but always as an adjunct to therapy): «One hypothesis is that it has an important activity on the intestinal microbiotapromoting the growth of good bacteria”, says the nutritional biologist, who suggests trying adding it to smoothies or shakes, or to prepare porridge.

Does coconut water make you lose weight?

Many of the virtues attributed to it, however – from the ability to make people lose weight to that of increasing the sense of satiety – have not been scientifically proven.

What are the contraindications of coconut water?

Are there any contraindications? «Due to the nutrients it contains, intake should be avoided in cases of kidney failureand the Italian Kidney Foundation suggests its cautious use even in healthy subjects because it increases urinary potassium”, says Montagnese, “The key word is always the moderation: containing so many minerals, even coconut water could alter the balance of the body.”

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