Tag: Prepare

all you need to know to prepare them at the top – Italian Cuisine

They are made in U.S.A., but now they are also very popular with us. Of course, we had already explained the basic technique for preparing them. But that's not enough. Let's find out more about this must of the kitchen with stars & stripes. And above all: let's learn how to do it the perfect pancake!

The ingredients basic are the same as for the crêpes dough, but in reality it changes everything: the thin and ample ones, thick and fluffy the others, the consistency makes the taste completely different. The pancakes are high because there is inside the baking powder and / or baking soda (an irreplaceable ally in the kitchen). Another pair of sleeves are the blini, of Russian origin, which if they are more like American fritters rather than French wafers, have different ingredients for the dough, and in particular they use buckwheat.

In reality pancake variants are found a little in the kitchen of half the world, from Norway to Indonesia to Uganda. And certainly at least since the times of Ancient Greece. Indeed, it seems that from the archeology news of prehistoric pancakes…

Pancakes today they are no longer just breakfast. A little because the taste of "breakfast all day", that is breakfast at any time of the day, makes things worse, especially in summer. And then the merit is that they are a simple, tasty and truly versatile recipe. So, of course, the pancakes remain early morning classics, like those with fruit and honey, but also abounds savory versions, which can also be used as an aperitif / appetizer – see mini pancakes with cabbage, cream and salmon roe, or like a real one main course – for example those with asparagus. Obviously then there is the dessert: pancakes with wild berry sauce or dried fruit compote?

Before switching to the main dish, that is the perfect pancake recipe, a couple of curiosity. Did you know that in England it is traditional to stuff oneself with pancakes on Shrove Tuesday, before the beginning of Lent? In fact, it's called … Pancake Day! Which actually falls twice a year: the other date is the 26 September (but January 28th is the party for those with blueberries !!!). North American tradition wants them to be enjoyed with it maple syrup, which was originally a drink prepared by the Algonquin Indians. The first pancake recipe as we know them today appeared in a 15th-century English cookbook.

And now: of course the challenge to churn out the best pancake in America it is always open and the supreme judgment of what the perfect recipe is is an eternal object of opposition. We found it. Research is counted in years, not hours … Here it is for you. The pancake is just perfect, because the simplicity of the recipe it's moving! The doses are for about 8 pancakes; the unit of measurement is US.

The perfect pancake

3 cups of flour
2.5 teaspoons of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2 tablespoons of sugar
2.5 cups of milk
2 eggs
85 grams of butter (at room temperature)

Mix all the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt, sugar. Separately, mix all the wet ingredients (milk, eggs, butter) to the point where the batter is nice and smooth. Keep the dry separated from the wet will ensure the softness of the pancake. Combine the two preparations and cook each pancake for 2 minutes on each side in a non-stick frying pan with a little butter. Each pancake is prepared with about a quarter cup of dough.

Et voila! Of course they exist alternatives for those who do not want or can eat milk rather than white flour? Galore!!! Cow's milk it can be substituted with great taste with that of goat. Or with a vegetable, for example the excellent one coconut milk. For the flour you can indulge – try first those of ancient grains, which are much more nutritious, or – at least in part – that of oats or the same buckwheat. For the egg can be used only egg whites, which are super-protein, with zero calories and represent the part of the egg that is best cooked (while the yolk would prefer to eat it raw). Of course, every variant of ingredients it also changes the taste pancake, but don't be shy about trying different recipes!

Carola Traverso Saibante
June 2019

DISCOVER THE COOKING COURSES OF SALT & PEPE

How to prepare homemade liqueurs with herbs – Italian Cuisine

Whether digestive or refreshing, it is easy to prepare a herbal liqueur even at home. Here are three ideas using from mint to thyme, from basil to St. Peter herb

We have seen so far how to flavor oil and salt. But with aromatic herbs they can be made also liqueurs (and can be done easily at home). Depending on what you use, you can get an alcoholic beverage refreshing excellent for the summer or digestive to conclude maybe an important dinner.

If you want to try your hand at fai, the important thing is to always follow these basic tips in preparation:

1. Put the herbs in 95 ° alcohol for at least 3 days in the dark and in a cool place;
2. Strain through gauze and dilute with a boiled syrup for 6 minutes from complete sugar melting;
3. Allow to cool and pour into the bottles, corking tightly.

Do you want some idea to realize? Here are three.

Mint liqueur

Infuse in 15 g of alcohol 15 g of mint leaves of water, 8 g of leaves of wild thyme, then filtered and diluted with a syrup prepared with 500 g of water and 350 g of sugar. Refreshing.

Digestive liqueur

Proceed as above by infusing 10 fresh leaves of St. Peter's herb for 4-5 days. Keep in a cool place.

Scented liqueur

Same procedure, but different doses: 400 g of alcohol, syrup with 600 g of brown sugar and 450 g of water for 20 leaves of lemon verbena, 4 sprigs of lemon thyme and 8 basil leaves. Keep it in the freezer and serve it very cold.

Piadina: tasty goodness to prepare even at home! – Italian Cuisine

Tasty, delicious and joyful: the piadina is it street food symbol of the Romagna, land of good food and great gastronomic traditions. Like many Italian recipes, piadina has poor origins, in fact it was born as an alternative to bread by the simple union of water is flour. Lard was then added to the base dough, or alternatively olive oil, salt and in some recipes even a dash of milk. To accumulate all the versions is the round and flattened shape – thinner in the riviera, thicker in the hinterland – and the cooking on text, a cast iron or steel plate that allows a quick and homogeneous baking of the dough.

For the fillings, space to the imagination: squacquerone (typical Romagna cream cheese), raw ham and rocket are among the ingredients to choose for those who love traditional piadina, but why not enrich it with tasty vegetables like ours stringy tortillas or try unusual combinations, such as cold cuts and fresh fruit (you had never thought about the union soppressata and melon)? There is no shortage of sweet versions, the inevitable one with the Nutella that wanting can also be presented in a more creative way, rolling it up and turning it into a likeable one piadina sushi with Nutella, banana and raspberry sauce!

For some years now the Piadina Romagnola has obtained the recognition of theProtected Geographical Indication, but don't let the disciplinary intimidate you and try to prepare it at home, you will discover that it is really simple!

Recipe
To prepare 4 piadine mix in a bowl about 250 grams of flour with a pinch of salt, 1 teaspoon of baking soda and 80gr lard. Then add warm water, a little at a time, for a total of 8 tablespoons and knead the dough for 10 minutes. Let the piadina rest in a bowl covered with a cloth for 30 minutes, then divide it into 4 parts and roll it out into 4 wide and thin disks. Cook the tortillas in a very hot text or alternatively in a non-stick pan 2 minutes per side and then fill it to taste.

Piadine for all tastes
And if you are in a hurry, don't worry, you can find good piadinas ready to be stuffed on the market. Loriana for example, proposes both la Piadina Romagnola IGP to the Rimini area, prepared following the traditional Rimini recipe, perfect to be filled with salami and cheese, a specialty of the rural tradition, and a version Sfogliatissima made from extra virgin olive oil in the dough, which also satisfies those who follow a vegetarian diet, and the new piadina legumes mixed with chickpea flour and lentils, rich in protein, fiber and vitamins of the B group.

Designed for lovers of the most rustic taste Piadina with ancient grains Baule Volante, with ancient grains “Cappelli” and “Timilìa” and extra virgin olive oil, or the Piadina di Farro Fior di Loto, peeled and mixed with spelled flour and organic sunflower oil, perfect to be stuffed and served rolled.

Thin and easy to fill – folded or rolled – even the Integral Piadellas Mulino Bianco prepared with 100% wholemeal flour, without lard and palm oil.

Claudia Minnella
June 2019

DISCOVER THE COOKING COURSES OF SALT & PEPE