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Homemade Trofie like in Liguria: let's learn the recipe – Italian Cuisine

It is the best known and most appreciated Ligurian pasta. Let's learn how to make it with our hands: three ingredients and a little manual skills are enough

It is one of the most famous dishes of all Liguria, although its origin dates back to a small village on the east coast of Genoa, Sori: le trofie they are a must try for anyone who loves pesto and fresh pasta. And like any type of fresh pasta, they can also be prepared at home. Do you want to try?

An ancient pasta

Trofie are a pasta that Ligurian women have always made at home, thanks to the fact that only three ingredients are needed to prepare them: water, semolina and salt. Once, their particular and elongated shape was obtained with a wooden knitting needle, along which a small piece of dough was rolled up and then crushed with the palm of the hand. Now the production is mostly industrial, with special machinery. Trying to make them at home gives, as always, a very special taste.

homemade-trophies

Semolina, not flour

The recipe for hand made trofie involves the use of semolina and not flour. But what is the difference between the two? And how do they recognize each other? The flour is the result of the grinding of soft wheat, while the semolina comes from the grinding of durum wheat. The first has a more rounded shape and a more crumbly consistency, while durum wheat has a more elongated shape and is, in fact, harder. The flours deriving from these two grains also show some differences: the first has a whiter color and is softer to the touch, the second instead has a more yellow color and is more grainy.

The recipe for homemade trofie

For 6 people: arrange 400 g of semolina on a fountain table, add a pinch of salt and as much water as you need to have a homogeneous and elastic mixture. Add it little by little. Then work the dough for ten minutes and then let it rest out of the refrigerator for about 30 minutes, covered with a cloth. Then detach some pieces the size of a marble and with the palm of your hand roll the pieces of dough on the pastry board, obtaining twisted dumplings, with the thinner ends of the central part. Throw them in a pot with boiling water and salt and let them cook for 4 minutes and then drain them, keeping a little cooking water, which you will need to dilute the pesto.

Here are our recipes with trofie

Strawberry Grapes or American Grapes? Let's find out! – Italian Cuisine

Very sweet taste, reminiscent of strawberry thanks to the aromas it contains, but no more caloric than other varieties

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But it's called "strawberry grapes" or "American grape"? We tell you: it is correct to call it both ways, or if you prefer you can also call it "Isabella grapes”, The greengrocers will understand you anyway. As its name suggests, this sweet variety of grape comes directly from overseas, more precisely, its first appearance in Italy is recorded in the distant 1825. Today, its cultivation is mainly concentrated in Piedmont in the areas of Cuneo and Vercelli. Yes, we know, they are lands with a rather harsh climate, but thanks to its resistant structure, the strawberry grape plant perfectly resists the cold and is able to give us very sweet grapes every year. Have you also thought of dark colored bunches? It's normal. We are used to thinking of strawberry grapes as a black-purplish fruit, while strawberry grapes can also be white (characterized by a more acidic flavor) or early white (very sweet).

The benefits of strawberry grapes
It is fruit, and as such it is good for you. No doubt. Nutritionists inform us that it is very rich in vitamins of group A, B, C and mineral salts such as potassium, calcium, phosphorus, manganese and magnesium. The richest part of properties is the peel (as well as the rest of fruit and vegetables) in fact, it contains polyphenols and flavonoids that protect our cardiovascular system. Not only that, the peel also contains resveratrol, a substance that inhibits the formation of blood clots.

When are strawberry grapes harvested?
The strawberry grape harvest period is very short: it starts from the second half of September (very soon!) Until the beginning of October. The berries are very delicate, once harvested they last about 10 days if stored correctly in the refrigerator, or at most 3 days if stored at room temperature.

Fragolino wine
But do you know that the production and marketing of the Fragolino wine is it regulated by European legislation? Yes, the strawberry grape is not part of the vitis vinifera, or that quality of vine suitable for the production of marketable wine; rather, it is part of the family of vitis labrusca, a type of table and wine grapes. And here you will ask yourself "but if both types of vines can be used to produce wine, why is Fragolino not marketable?" We tell you. For the legislation Italian and European, the wine that can be purchased must come exclusively from grapes belonging to the vitis vinifera category, therefore, since strawberry grapes are part of another category of vines, the production of Fragolino and its consumption are only linked to that familiar. Not only that, strawberry grapes naturally contain a much higher level of methanol than the classic wine vine.

Strawberry grape jam
Sweet at the right point, never cloying. Excellent to spread on a fragrant slice of freshly baked bread, to fill pies, brioches or to flavor yogurt.
You will need them 1 lemon, 1.2 kilograms of fracola grapes and 600 g of cane sugar.
Let's begin!
1. Shell the grapes and put them in a saucepan with 1/2 glass of water. Cook the berries over high heat for about 5 minutes and mash them with a spoon. Remove from the heat and pass the grapes through a vegetable mill to remove the skins and seeds.
2. Pour the sugar into a clean saucepan, add 1/2 cup of water and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Add the filtered lemon juice and the previously prepared grape juice. Continue cooking for another 20 minutes, stirring often.
3. Check the cooking point of the jam, by cooling a teaspoon in the freezer, if it becomes firm, put it in immediately, seal tightly and turn the jars upside down on the work surface.
4. Turn the jars only when they have cooled completely.

September 2021
Giulia Ferrari

Posted on 17/09/2021

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Meatballs, what a passion! Let's learn how to cook them – Italian Cuisine

Round and of the perfect size to be eaten in very few bites: this is how meat, fish or vegetable balls are for us. The best part? The crunchy crust, golden to the right point and which wraps a soft and tasty dough. To eat with a fresh salad, with a side of vegetables or with a plate of spaghetti with sauce… In short, land meatballs all agree: omnivores, vegetarians and above all, they are the perfect trick to make children eat more vegetables, fish and meat, and more! We, just talking about it, we already smell it and begin to feel a strange desire for meatballs … and you? But how are meatballs made? Follow our few and simple rules to try to prepare them!

Meat
To cook excellent meatballs it is not necessary to buy very expensive cuts of meat: just buy a cut of meat that has a good balance between fat mass and lean mass. Because? This will ensure a balanced flavor to the meat and the right texture. The meatballs can be made by choosing only one type of ground meat or by mixing them together. For the beef or veal you can choose different cuts such as the belly, the shoulder or the neck. And the pig? Obviously, as per tradition "nothing is thrown away from the pig", and in fact its very tasty meats are perfect for preparing delicious meatballs. The cuts to be preferred are shoulder and pancetta (both fresh and smoked). Even the meats of chicken and turkey they are well suited to be transformed into meatballs, in this case we recommend using the breast or the spindles.

The eggs
They are a natural thickener that also acts as a "glue". However, they should be used in moderation: add one egg at a time and knead. Make sure that the dough is not too moist. If the consistency is too soft, you can adjust it this way: add some breadcrumbs (about 1 tablespoon), mix and check the consistency of the dough again. Continue like this until you get the desired consistency, but remember: it must never be too wet or too dry. In both cases the meatballs will fall apart during cooking.

The aromas
Grated parmesan, pepper, chilli, salt, spices, aromas and imagination. Meatballs must absolutely be flavored with everything you prefer to make them more unique and with a more inviting taste. Do you want to make them more ethnic? Add a mix of spices such as curry, chilli and coriander.

The dimensions
If you think of grandma's meatballs, how do you remember them? Many and small in size. Let's dispel the myth that meatballs must be large: in order to be cooked evenly and in about half an hour they need to be small balls of about 50 g each. Imagine biting into a crispy and very hot meatball on the outside and raw and cold on the inside? No. So, remember: prepare lots of regular-shaped balls. If you prepare them slightly larger than an olive, you will prepare delicious aperitifs based on meatballs!

The cooking
In sauce, fried or baked? How do you prefer them? It's not that easy to choose.
Let's start with tradition, the meatballs with sauce, exactly like those from the grandmother are not so easy to replicate, but we can try. The secret is slow cooking and a good homemade tomato sauce. Once browned with a drizzle of oil, add the tomato sauce and cook over low heat for 20-25 minutes; halfway through cooking, turn them to cook on both sides. But have you ever tried the meatballs in sauce with double cooking? They are very tasty! The double cooking requires that the meatballs are first of all fried in abundant hot oil until the crunchy external crust is formed; drain the meatballs and pour the tomato sauce into the same pot to flavor the sauce and cook for about 15-20 minutes. At this point, place the meatballs in the sauce and continue cooking for another 20 minutes. Check often that the sauce does not shrink too much: the meatballs must cook in plenty of sauce. What a smell!
The most gluttonous, the fried meatballs. Enjoyable. Once the meatballs are prepared, dip them in boiling oil and brown them on all sides. Once cooked, drain them from the oil and let them dry on absorbent paper.
For the healthiest, the Baked meatballs are ideal: they require little amount of fat. Just lightly grease a baking dish, place the meatballs on it and cook them in a static oven at 180 ° until they are golden brown, it will take about 40 minutes.