Tag: small

Gluten-free flours: a small guide – Italian Cuisine

Everything you need to know about gluten-free flours, from production to use, up to the organoleptic characteristics

For those who are celiac or intolerant, find your way around the world of gluten-free flours it's not always easy. We asked for help from an expert, Aurore Ranchon, Head of Corporate Product Development Gluten Free at Dr. Schär, a company specializing in gluten-free products.

Swallowed flour and gluten-free flours: how can we define them?

"The term "swallowed”Refers to raw materials containing gluten, such as wheat or thebarley, from which gluten was eliminated during the production process. For example, this is the case of swallowed wheat starch. The case of our gluten-free flours is different: these are blends of naturally gluten-free ingredients. They contain flours like those of corn, rice, but also sorghum, linen or buckwheat, to which other ingredients are added (starches, vegetable fibers, thickeners) which allow to optimize the functional and sensory characteristics to obtain final products similar to those containing gluten .

How is gluten-free flour made?

«A recipe is developed to find the best combination of ingredients, the most suitable to be processed in such a way as to obtain the desired final result (bread, biscuits, cakes, etc.). The product is then brought to the production line. The process is relatively simple and consists of mixing of the various components, and therefore in the dosage in packs of 500g / 1kg. During the process, all the important steps for ensuring food quality are performed, such as sieving to check for the absence of foreign bodies and checking with a metal detector to ensure the absence of metal residues ".

What nutritional characteristics do these flours have compared to "normal" wheat flour?

"During the development of the product, the nutritional profile is evaluated in order to get as close as possible to that of a wheat flour, through the choice of a mixture of ingredients that brings fiber, protein and nutrients in a balanced way. The characteristics are therefore mostly similar to the traditional product, although depending on the reference of flour there may be differences (for example more fiber, or less protein than the equivalent "glutinous") .

It is said that gluten-free flour is more digestible: is it true?

“This kind of claim has to be supported by scientific evidence and we are working in this direction to understand if there are concrete differences with gluten-containing products. However, it is easier to refer this type of analysis to a final product (for example pizza, bread or pasta) than to the flour itself, as the ingredients added during the final processing play an important role (for example fats, eggs, milk, fruit, etc.) ".

What are the organoleptic characteristics, taste and yield, of this flour compared to the others?

«The different gluten-free flours proposed by Dr. Schär are developed to meet specific needs of the finished product. With this in mind we can say that the organoleptic characteristics of the finished products are very similar to those of the consideration cooked with wheat flour. The work of developing and creating the recipe is done with regular comparison with the gluten-containing product in order to select the most suitable blend of ingredients .

In the kitchen, can gluten-free flour be used as a "normal" wheat flour or are there any special instructions to follow?

«In general, considering the concepts expressed above, we try to be able to use the same recipes that are used for a traditional product. It is however recommended to follow recipes dedicated to gluten-free, as it may be important, especially for some more delicate products, to balance the proportions of the other ingredients to obtain the best result. For example, a difference of water absorption gluten-free flours due to both the absence of gluten and the presence of fiber, and it is right to take it into consideration to have a dough of the right consistency ".

Recipe Small flan of ricotta and saffron with chicory with almonds – Italian Cuisine

Ingredients

400 g ricotta
80 g of cut chicory
50 g shelled and peeled almonds
40 g fresh cream
saffron powder
salt
extra virgin olive oil

Duration: 30 min

Level: Easy

Doses: 4 people

For the recipe of small ricotta and saffron flans with chicory with almonds, blend the ricotta with 1 sachet of saffron, cream, 2 tablespoons of oil and a pinch of salt. Grease 4 molds with a little oil and divide the mixture into them.
Bake in the oven at 160 ° C for 13-14 minutes, until the flans are firm, then gently unmold. Bake the almonds at the same time and toast them for 10 minutes.
Wash the chicory, cut it into strips, arrange it on plates, lay the flans on top, garnish with chopped almonds and, to taste, with garlic flowers.

Here comes the festival of the thistle, the bagna caoda and the small onion – Italian Cuisine

Appointment on 11 October in Andezeno (TO) with the 45th edition of the festival that celebrates local and native products of the area

If you love the most authentic flavors of Piedmontese cuisine, you will be delighted by the arrival of this historic festival. Ivory white thistle, bagna caoda and flat onion, await us on 11 October in Andezeno a few kilometers from Turin to discover once again the best of these typical products that will be on display with ornamental and edible pumpkins and a collection of potted peppers. and fruits. Do not miss the tasting and take away of the bagna caoda and the good freisa wine served by the proloco of Andezeno.

Andezeno's ivory white thistle

The municipality of Andezeno tells it this way: “The Andezeno Thistle has an ivory white color with narrow, jagged, thorny and particularly tender leaves. (…) The cultivation technique involves the practice of bleaching, which is carried out either by tucking the earth up to two thirds of the plant, or by wrapping it with straw or paper after having tied it up. In this way, the formation of chlorophyll is prevented, as a consequence of the lack of light, and the edible parts are thus white, tender, crunchy and sweet. For conservation, at the first frosts, around S. Martino, the thistles are all collected, tied in bunches and placed in holes of earth with the leaves outside the hole in order to close it. (…) The edible parts of the thistle are tender, crunchy and highly digestible, they are about 70% of the whole plant and are used in many recipes. The taste is slightly bitter. After cleaning, the ribs obtained are deprived of the filaments and boiled in acidulous water with lemon to avoid blackening. The cardoon, both raw and cooked, binds very well with the “Bagna cauda”, a traditional Piedmontese sauce made with anchovies, garlic and oil; it is also excellent paired with eggs and cheese.

Andezeno's flat onion

The municipality of Andezeno tells it this way: “Onion Piatta or Piatli-na: it has a flattened shape and a golden skin; the taste is sweet and not very spicy. It lends itself well to cooking in the oven for which it is highly sought after (stuffed onions). Due to its aesthetic characteristics, it can be confused, on a commercial level, with the flat in Stuttgart ”.

Returning to the pumpkins, after having admired the display, we can buy them in the "House of Pumpkins", Corso Vittorio Emanuele 69, Andezeno, which for 28 years has been completely decorated with hundreds of types of pumpkins in the autumn season.

For further information: Municipality of Andezeno tel 0119434204, www.comune.andezeno.to.it