Episode #108 - Pasta with Beef Ragout and Pears with Pecorino; Special Guest Katherine Narducci from The Sopranos
Today we had a very special guest for lunch.
A very sweet woman that is very close to our family and that we have the pleasure to share many meals and celebrations with...
She is a great actress of Italian heritage, and always reminded Deb and I of a modern Anna Magnani...
Ladies and Gents,
from the HBO hit show The Sopranos we
happily and proudly introduce,
Katherine
Narducci!!!
Applause...
Beef Ragout Sauce
Serves: 4
Prep Time: 5
Cooking Time: about 30 min.
Episode #107 - Wake and Bake! Sunday Morning Breakfast: Spinach Frittata, Berries Fruit Salad, Marble Cake.
welcome back to our little cooking show.
Deb has been flying around for the past few days...
Therefore I decided to shoot a solo episode.
First of all I did not want to leave you without something new before the weekend,
and second, I wanted to dedicate an episode to all the men out there that care about treating their girls (yes, I know, or their partners in general).
Sunday morning has always
been a tradition in my family when I was growing up,
and a rule as well!
My mom always worked her ass off all week around,
during the day teaching in junior-high, and then me,
my brother, the house...her husband.
My father was a young surgeon...I remember the phone
ringing in the middle of the night...I remember
vacations with my father, but not the days of the
week....
I was about 6...remember waking up, walking to the
kitchen with my younger brother...he was about 2.
My mom would leave in the fridge a blender full with
my brother's breakfast. Do not ask me what was in
it...some fruit, I remember a big cookie...It kind of
sounds gross, sorry...
I had to process the food, heat it up a bit...no
microwave those days...stove top baby...and serve the
first breakfast.
Me, personally...loved a gigantic cup of milk with
Nesquik and Rice Crispies.
The rule was...BE QUIET!!!
No playing allowed, no running...only breakfast and
some TV. And wait for my parents to wake up. Mainly
mom, as my father was already probably at the
hospital or racing his Ducati on the Mugello track,
just a few miles from our house.
One day I just decided to bake a cake by myself....
Episode #106 - Munchies! The Bill Maher Midnight Snack...
We wanted to do this episode a few weeks ago, but by the time we get to the evening, well...
comes the night...the eylashes get heavy and we get camera shy.
We then decided to shot a bunch of stills of very sexy and fresh midnight snack you can throw together with ease,
and not feel too guilty about.
So, let's wear your good
pajama and hit the kitchen,
what do you feel like having tonight?
Since there is no specific ingredient amounts, we
decided also to leave the poetry up to you...there is
no need for a downloadable sheet...
Just get inspired!!!
Buon Appetito and,
Buona Notte.
Debi and Gabriele
Episode #105 - Beef Stew served over Polenta, with a side of String Beans cooked on a bed of Cherry Tomatoes
This is the first episode in which Deb and I will cook a full meal, all at the same time.
Please remember: Getting ready is half of the Job!
If you do a smart grocery, if you know the ingredients you are going to use (which are pretty basic and already have been covered several times on these pages), you should not have problems at all. Make sure you have enough time to buzz around the kitchen to stir the stew, do not overcook the string beans, and wait until last minute to prepare the polenta.
Also, it is a brilliant
idea to take advantage of the time it will take you
to cook: CLEAN UP!!!
If you are like me...well, you probably will start
sipping the wine as soon as the bottle is open...
you can use the excuse that you like to "feel the
taste changing"...
By the end of dinner, after the wine and a couple of
generous servings...you still have the plates on your
table...but if you do not have the pots and pans to
wash...trust me you'll be happy!
Least but not last:
A shout out to Epicurious.com!
One of their crew visited us last week, and in a few
days this very same recipe will be featured on their
web pages, in a different and shorter edit.
Enjoy your cooking session, come back soon and,
Buon Appetito
Debi and Gabriele
BEEF STEW
Serves
4
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cooking Time 2 hours
Ingredients
2Lb Beef for stew, cut in 1 inch cubes
3 ripe tomatoes
3 carrots
3 celery stems
3/4 red onion
2 handfuls of Thyme
Olive Oil, Salt, Pepper
Two glasses of wine
Getting Ready
Peal and chop the onion medium fine.
Rinse well the celery and chop it in 1/2 inch pieces.
Peal the carrots, cut them length wise if they are
big enough, and then chop in 1/2 inch pieces.
Rinse the Thyme well.
Episode #104 - Spaghetti with Pesto and some appetizers to celebrate the arrival of Fall...
we are overwhelmed by the response we are getting on our little website!
Many emails are coming in, please do not take it personal if we are not able to respond right away...
we did not expect this project to blow up so fast, and we already have to improve our server capabilities and probably the website itself will undergo some upgrades.
For the time being! Deb and I would like to THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!
Alright then,
time to get going with our fourth episode!
Today you will learn to make the best and freshest
pesto ever. Just one thing before we start: even if
this dish does not require cooking, preparation time
is longer then other (sometimes more complicated)
dishes.That's because you need to wash the basil,
pluck the leaves, grate the cheese etc...BUT, the
result is stunning, and at the end, it's a very easy
recipe.
Also make sure you keep an eye on the salt factor
(Pecorino cheese is very salty) and how much oil you
end up using...Even if Olive oil is one ofthe most
important ingredients in Tuscan cooking, that does
not mean you have to drawn your pasta in it!!!
Get you apron, your dish
rag and put some cool music on, choose your bottle of
wine...
May I suggest a Bruzzico, from
Fattoria Malenchini in Bagno
a Ripoli, Florence.
Let's go!
Serves 4
Preparation time 20 min
Cooking Time as the pasta requires
Ingredients:
- 4 cups of Fresh Basil Leaves (about
4 oz)
- 1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Episode #103 - Risotto with Sausage and Asparagus
Today we had lunch with a delicious Risotto with Sausage and Asparagus to celebrate the arrival of Fall, and we popped open two bottles of wine!
Risotto is a very nice, comforting and filling dish; you might like a light appetizer before you get to it, or a fresh salad right after...either or, it will be a great meal.
We drank: Yellow Tail - Pinot Grigio Reserve 2003 and
Chianti Ruffino - Il Ducale Reserve 2003.
Ingredients:
1 cup
of risotto (Arborio)
rice
3 Pork or Turkey
Sausages; 2
Mild &
1
Hot
1 Lb asparagus
1 cup
of dry white wine
1 cup
of broth or asparagus
water
1/4
onion
1
handful of
parsley
Episode #102 - Turkey Sausages with Spicy Kidney Beans in Fresh Tomato Sauce
In Italy, when we talk about sausages we usually refer to pork meat, it is very rare to come across anything different, at least not in Tuscany...oh, well, yes...boar sausage...still pork is!
This dish is a powerful
one: it's a filler, it's hot, it loves wine and
toasted garlic bread...and it makes a great left
over.
In all this, we completely forgot to give more info
about the wine...We drank a Villa Antinori from 2002,
and we will post more informations about it asap.
Ingredients:
8 Sausages (pork or turkey).
1 Lb of cherry tomatoes.
Episode #101 - Red Sauce & Prosciutto Rolls Appetizer
Welcome to our Pilot Episode.
Today's
Menu:
- Prosciutto & Arugula Rolls Appetizer
- Red Sauce Spaghetti
Red Sauce:
Prep Time: 5
Cooking Time: 15
Ingredients:
1/2 red onion
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 can of pelati (16 ounces)
2 handful of fresh basil
1 hot red pepper
Salt, Pepper
Fresh grated parmesan
Goes well with...
Every time you'll see that a dish requires some red
sauce...well, this is the recipe!