Tag: Lavender

The charm of lavender ginger biscuits: a unique taste experience – Italian cuisine reinvented by Gordon Ramsay

The origin of this aromatic and original dessert it dates back to the culinary traditions that developed the practice of combining spices and aromatic herbs even in desserts and biscuits. The ginger, a root native to Asia, has long been appreciated for its aromatic and spicy properties. There lavender, on the other hand, is a flower with roots in the Mediterranean regions, used for its calming properties and distinctive scent. The fusion of these two elements in a biscuit offers a new taste interpretation that deviates from conventional flavours.

To prepare the lavender ginger biscuits, we start with a base of butter, sugar, eggs and flour, to which the two main ingredients are added, ground and dried respectively. The combination of the elements generates a crumbly texture and a complex flavour, where the spiciness and floral notes harmonize in a refined way. Slow, controlled cooking allows the flavors to blend, creating a biscuit that offers a delicate explosion of aromas in every bite. This aromatic and original dessert is suitable to be enjoyed at various times. It can become an ideal end to a meal, accompanied by a robust black coffee or a full-bodied black tea. Furthermore, lavender ginger biscuits go well with fruit-based desserts, such as sorbets or lavender ice cream, creating a combination of flavors that stimulates the palate in a balanced way. The distinctive aspect of these sweets lies in their presentation. Usually, they are molded into small balls and slightly flattened before being cooked. The finishing touch may include a light dusting of sugar or lavender decorations to visually highlight the presence of key ingredients. Finally, choosing to enjoy these little delicacies allows you to acquire carbohydrates and fats, but with a moderate calorie content. For its part, lavender can contribute antioxidant properties and mental health benefits. Bring this exquisite confectionery novelty to the table and enjoy some lavender ginger biscuits with your friends!

Spelled and lavender tagliatelle, an easy and delicate dish that tastes like summer – Italian Cuisine

An easy and effective first course, to be accompanied with a fresh and delicate wine such as the Marche Passerina La Ferola Igp di Costadoro

Tagliatelle they are a very versatile dish, which goes well with meat, fish or vegetable sauces. They are prepared with flour and eggs and precisely in the choice of flours you can play to give the tagliatelle a more delicate or decisive taste. We tasted them with spelled seasoned with a sauce of courgettes, courgette flowers and lavender flowers, prepared by Vanessa Visconti, chef and director of Cabbages in snack, a restaurant as well as a cooking school, located in the quiet of a late '700 building, in Corso Magenta, one of the most beautiful areas of Milan.

Spelled and lavender, for a very summery taste

The burnished color of the tagliatelle and the deep purple lavender flowers are a striking color combination that immediately gives the heat of summer, first to the eyes and then to the mouth. The combination of chopped lavender flowers to add to the zucchini sauce leaves a delicate yet recognizable flavor in the mouth, especially thanks to the use of fresh, fragrant flowers. The result is a refined, balanced and fresh dish, absolutely irresistible. That deserves the right pairing with wine.

The recipe for spelled and lavender noodles

Mix 600 g of spelled flour with 400 g of semolina on a pastry board. Add 8 eggs and knead quickly with your fingers or with a planetary mixer, until the dough is compact and elastic. Wrap it with plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge for 2 hours. At this point, roll it out with the help of a rolling pin on a floured surface, in a long and thin strip, which you can insert into the special machine to roll out the dough. Once you have obtained a thin sheet, fold it over on itself and with the help of a knife cut it into strips of the same width. If you have the special appliance to be mounted on the planetary motor, this operation will be done in an instant! Leave the tagliatelle on a floured surface and prepare the sauce. In a saucepan, sauté two cloves of garlic in a little oil. Once they are browned, add the washed and sliced courgettes and cook for about 20 minutes. Seven minutes before turning off the heat add the courgette flowers. Now prepare the Parmesan cream, whisk together in a bowl, the grated Parmesan and the milk: pour them a little at a time and blend, so you can decide the consistency to be given to the cream. Put a pan with water on the fire and when it is boiling add salt and dip the noodles. Add a drop of oil to the water to prevent it from sticking to each other. After a few minutes, drain them and prepare the dishes: on the bottom, place a few spoonfuls of Parmesan cream, then pour the tagliatelle and then the zucchini sauce. Finish with a generous sprinkling of chopped lavender flowers. Bring to the table very hot.

And now the wine….

A delicate dish like that of lavender noodles should be accompanied with a fresh, fragrant and persistent wine. The ideal combination is with La Ferola, a Passerina from the Marche winery Costadoro, a wine with a straw yellow color, which releases aromas of yellow pulp fruit, citrus and in the mouth it has a pleasant freshness and minerality. Serving temperature 10 °.

Recipe Donut with lemon and lavender – Italian Cuisine

Ingredients

190 g butter
190 g caster sugar
160 g flour 00
130 g icing sugar
70 g ricotta
50 g almond flour
25 g egg white
7 g baking powder for cakes
3 pcs eggs
2 pcs lemons
dried edible lavender flowers
salt

Duration: 1 h 40 min

Level: Easy

Dose: 8 people

For the recipe of lemon and lavender donut, cut the butter into small pieces, collect it in a large bowl and let it soften at room temperature. Blend half of the granulated sugar with 1 tablespoon of lavender flowers, then mix this mix with the remaining caster sugar. Grate the lemon rind over the butter, add the lavender sugar and a pinch of salt and whisk (with electric whisk or in the kneader). Stir in one egg at a time, then the almond flour, the sifted 00 flour, the baking powder, 30 g of lemon juice and finally the ricotta, well dried with kitchen paper. Grease and flour a donut mold or cake pan (diameter 20 cm) and pour the mixture. Bake at 175 ° C for about 40 minutes. Take the cake out of the oven, let it cool, turn it out and place it on a wire rack until it is cold. Mix the icing sugar with the egg white and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, obtaining a glaze. Pour it over the cake and let it set for 10 minutes. If you want to cover the cake entirely, triple the doses of the icing.