Tag: snack

Christmas in Milan and the “snack” ritual in grand hotels – Italian cuisine reinvented by Gordon Ramsay

If you spend Christmas in Milan, give yourself a gift: go for a “snack” in the grand hotels of the city. It is an opportunity to enter these places of great elegance and beauty, to sit at the tables of their bars and restaurants and have a taste of their sublime cuisine. A ritual that is always very pleasant but during the holidays it is decidedly more particular.

Christmas in Milan in the grand hotels

The atmosphere is dreamlike, with decorations that have a different theme every year. The Four Seasonswhich during the holidays is undoubtedly among the places with the most sumptuous decorations in the whole city, this year for example has thought of a “Unwrapped” Christmas: for the occasion the artistic director Vincenzo Dascanio he transformed his halls into a riot of packages, bows, colored paper. The Park Hyatt, however, with the touch of Anna Flower, staged a glittering nostalgia operation with trees, lights and decorations which wink at those unforgettable holidays of the 80s, pleasantly exaggerated and very cheerful which, after a long period of restrictions, we all want and need to experience.

The Christmas “snack” in the grand hotels of Milan

Seeing all this up close is an emotion, and getting into the festive mood by sitting down for a break is a treat, also because for some years now around Christmas the grand hotels in Milan organize afternoon appointments which have become a ritual. At the Mandarin Oriental, another example, this Christmas there is an afternoon tea created in collaboration with The Rosebery – the legendary bar of the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, mecca for the most refined London afternoons – and combines English cults such as scones with the creations of the pastry chef of his two-starred restaurant, Marco Pinna. But in every place it is an experience, with tables laden with desserts so beautiful that you almost feel sorry to eat them, and savory delights that are no different. All accompanied by cups of steaming tea and chocolate or – if you prefer – bubbles and new drinks whose ingredients wink at the Christmas tradition.

Grand hotel in Milan: where to go at Christmas

Enjoying all this without having to worry about the clock, as you can only do during the holidays (perhaps), makes you feel like you’re on holiday. And what’s more, it’s also a more accessible occasion (at least, compared to a lunch or dinner) to try specialties of great chefs and pastry chefs among the most appreciated in the Milanese panoramaand (and not only). The prices, all things considered, are possible, especially if you decide to give yourself a gift. Last but not least, if you have children, these afternoon appointments are one of those rare occasions in which you can take them with you to a refined place without too many worries: they will love to taste and they will also have fun because there are often events dedicated to them. In short, do it. Here is our selection with what’s new this Christmas:

the perfect sweet snack for every season – Italian Cuisine

Sweet and with a winter flavour, the almond brittle it’s a snack that smells of parties and a lit fireplace.

In the same way as Nougatof the logpanettone or pandoro, crunchy is part of the family of sweets Christmasa gentle cuddle that accompanies all the holidays from mid-November to late January.

Although there are many types on the market, almond brittle (like cashew brittle) is very easy to prepare at home: all you need is a small saucepan, a handful of brown sugar, the juice of half a lemon and, of course, dried fruit. . A few minutes on medium heat and then off to the fridge to firm up before becoming small squares to give as gifts or to enjoy at any time of the day.

For the crunchy to solidify properly it is advisable to spread the mixture on a sheet of baking paper and flatten it with the help of a spoon. If you have a blast chiller, a few minutes inside is enough for the crunchy to reach the right consistency.

We put the brown sugar in a saucepan together with the juice of half a lemon and put it on the heat to melt the sugar and turn it into caramel. Move the saucepan with rotating movements so that it melts evenly. When the caramel has formed, add the almonds and mix. Transfer the mixture onto a sheet of baking paper and flatten with the back of a spoon. Let it cool and cut into squares.

here’s grandma’s quick snack – Italian Cuisine

With irresistible meltability, i crostini with sausage and stracchino I’m a homemade snack delicious, rich in flavor and soft enough to make every bite an experience.

To prepare it you only need 20 minutes, the cooking time in the oven.

The sausage must first be removed from the casing and only then mixed with the stracchino, so that it becomes in effect a spreadable cream with a strong flavor made even tastier and more delicate by the presence of fresh cheese.

The choice of bread is fundamental: with such a tasty condiment it is best to opt for a homemade loaf without salt, like the typical Umbrian breadwhich was created precisely to accompany platters of the best local cured meats and cheeses.

Prepared by grandmothers as a substantial snack, sausage and stracchino crostini are perfect for enriching rustic appetizers.

Ready in 5 minutes, the Grandma’s snack it requires a passage in the oven so that the sausage cooks thoroughly and creates a crunchy and delicious crust.

Cut nice, fairly steep slices of bread, remove the skin of the sausage and add it to the stracchino with a fork, finally spread the mixture on the bread and bake at 180°C for 20 minutes until a crust is created!