Savouring Spaghetti alla Bolognese

Pasta and pizza are the iconic Italian foods. You all probably have heard of spaghetti alla Bolognese, the most know preparation of pasta in the world. That is just one of the endless possibilities you have to garnish your pasta.

Cooking Pasta

First point: “cooking pasta” means actually cooking the pasta and the sauce. While cooking the pasta itself is basically made by only one step “throw pasta in boiling water”, the sauce can be a more complicate affair. I will give you the recipes for two easy sauces, very popular in Italy. Since the basic steps are more or less the same, you can go on and create your own sauce from there.

Second point: each kind of pasta has a cooking time, usually indicated on the package. Cook pasta for less than the cooking time, and it will remain hard. Go over the cooking time and it will become softer and softer. Go well beyond the cooking time and congratulations! You have inedible glue!

We Italians like our pasta “al dente”, that means a little hard. You usually get it “al dente” by cooking it for exactly the indicated cooking time. But beware: since foreigners often prefer their pasta soft, you may find on the package a cooking time that reflects this and advises you to cook the pasta for much more time than an Italian would. Since pasta is cheap, you can throw away a little and experiment until you find your perfect cooking time.

Third point: Just do me a favor, no ketchup. No ketchup. Repeat with me: “No ketchup. Ever.”

Take a pot, fill it with water and put it on the stove, heat it untill it boils. Put a lid on, to make it boil faster.

When the water boils, add salt. We use “sale grosso”, my dictionary calls it “cooking salt”. It’s salt in big grains of irregular shapes. You can use the finer table salt, it won’t change the flavor, but you will need a lot more and in my opinion it’s harder to measure the right quantity – but remember: I’m doing this on almost daily basis, so I’m working out of habit here. You my find that for you it’s easier to get the right quantity of salt by using table salt. The “right quantity of salt” is a personal taste affair, experiment until you find yours. Why must you wait until the water boils to add salt? Because salted water takes longer to reach the boiling point. Adding salt right away won’t affect the final flavor, but it will lengthen the time to reach the boiling point.

After adding salt, wait half a minute, then put the pasta in. Put the pasta in the water when it returns to a boil, not before, or you will ruin it!

Cook the pasta as indicated on the package, stirring the pasta often to avoid it sticking. Now, cooking pasta is simple and there are no secrets in it. But there is one trick. Pasta is like a sponge: it  absorbs the fluid in which it’s immersed. Cooking it immersed in water is ok, but cooking it immersed in the sauce is better! It will be flavoured by the sauce from the inside.

So here’s the trick: one minute before the cooking time is over pour one or two table spoons of cooking water from the pot in the pan where you are heating the sauce, then strain the pasta out of the water and pour it in the pan, mixing it with the sauce and ending the cooking time in there. Let it heat for a minute to a minute and a half, then take the pan from heat and serve your pasta.

Best Italian Brands of Coffee

Steps to brewing great coffee

1. Use good quality coffee, freshly roasted and freshly ground
2. Use fresh, clean, cold water. Filtered or bottled water works well, but avoid distilled or softened water.
3. The grind chosen must be of the correct fineness for the chosen brewing method.
4. The pot must be cleaned and warm.
5. Make only enough coffee for your immediate needs. The coffee will deteriorate if you keep it too long. Avoid reheating coffee, it just doesn't taste the same.
6. Avoid boiling brewed coffee - it is a sure way to spoil the coffee.
7. Use approximately 70 grams of coffee per litre of water.

Regarding Water

 

When you make coffee, you should only use water that tastes good when you drink it straight up. If the water doesn't taste good to drink, don't even attempt to make coffee with it. Remember, the best cups of coffee are made with quality water - either filtered tap water or bottled water. 

Best Italian Brands of Coffee

Lavazza
Segafredo
Illy
Vergnano
Kimbo
Moak
Mauro
Ionia
Miscela d'Oro
Borbone
Hausbrandt

Italian recipe for Chicken Cacciatore (Pollo alla Cacciatora)

This is a classic amongst Italian recipes: Pollo alla Cacciatora, or Chicken Cacciatore.

Prepare a mix of chopped onion, celery, carrot and garlic. Over medium fire, sauté the mix in a medium large pot with some olive oil until slightly brown.

Skin the chicken pieces for a healthier result, add it to the mix, season with salt and pepper and, if you like, some chopped herbs, like rosemary, sage or thyme, or even a combination of them. Get the chicken to brown on all the sides.

Add the white wine at this point, about half cup, and let sizzle for a couple of minutes so the alcohol can evaporate. This makes the wine completely "flat" and even kids can have this dish. Make sure the chicken pieces are "rolled" into the wine during the process, so they get nice and flavory. Add the vegetable or chicken stock (if you want, you may use just water, and make sure you correct as needed with salt and pepper at the end)cover the pot and let cook, lowering the flame, for about 15-20 minutes, or until the liquid is reduced. Taste and correct as needed with salt and pepper. Serve warm, with a side of pan-roasted potatoes with herbs, steamed spinach and carrots. You can use the same wine you cook with to accompany your meal, but make sure it's chilled.

Cacciatore means "Hunter". This is a rustic and tasty, but also healthy way to cook chicken the same way hunter would cook their game, so the more herbs and nice flavors you add the better. I have seen adding sliced mushroom, peas and even a few cherry tomatoes in it, always with a great result. Be creative!

The Real Italian Recipe to Cook Lasagne

 

Lasagne is a tasty and filling meal which is as suited to the main course of a dinner party, as it is for a quick and delicious family meal.

Step 1: You will need
200 g pre-cooked lasagne sheets; 70 g grated parmesan; 1 recipe for Bolognese sauce; 380 ml milk; 45 g butter; 3 tbsp flour; 1 pinch nutmeg salt and pepper; 1 baking dish; 2 saucepans; 2 spoons; 1 wooden spoon; 1 whisk; 1 tea towel; 1 tray; 1 bowl.

Step 2: Prepare the lasagne

Preheat the oven to 200ºC, that's 400ºF or gas mark 6. Put the sheets of pasta into a large bowl and cover them with warm water. Make sure they're all submerged. Leave them to soak for 5 to 10 minutes.

Step 3: Warm the milk

To begin making the béchamel sauce, pour the milk into a small saucepan and let it heat until warm, not boiling.

Step 4: Make the béchamel sauce

Place the other saucepan over a medium heat and add the butter. When it has melted, add the flour and mix well until smooth. Just before it starts to turn brown, slowly add the milk. Using the whisk, stir continuously until the sauce begins to thicken. When thick, season with salt and pepper and a pinch of nutmeg. Then give it one further whisk and remove from the heat.

Step 5: Dry the lasagne

Remove the lasagne sheets one by one from the water and place them onto a tea towel. Then turn them over to pat them dry on both sides. You may need to do this in batches to finish drying all of the lasagne.

Step 6: Make the lasagne

Start by layering lasagne sheets on the bottom of the baking dish. Next, cover with half of the Bolognese. Then spoon over some béchamel sauce, and finally, sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Now repeat the process: the lasagne, followed by the rest of the Bolognese, then the béchamel sauce and finally the parmesan cheese giving it a generous topping.

Step 7: Cook the lasagne

Place the baking dish in the centre of the oven. Cook for about 20 minutes.

Step 8: Serve

When the parmesan has turned golden brown, remove the lasagne from the oven and allow it to sit for at least 15 minutes before serving. Lasagne is delicious served alone or it can be accompanied by a freshly made green salad.

How to Make Pasta alla Carbonara

A wonderful Italian recipe from Rome, Pasta alla Carbonara takes its name from the old days of the coal miners (carbone=coal), but it was actually created only around the mid 20th century. It's a rich type of comfort food, made with eggs, guanciale (the meat from the cheek of the pork, cured like pancetta), Pecorino Romano cheese and black pepper. Many variations can be found around Italy, like in the North, where heavy cream is added to the sauce and Parmigiano substitutes the Romano. However, here is my own recipe, the way we make it in Rome.

Bring to the boil the water for the pasta (penne, spaghetti or fettuccine), add some salt, then the pasta and let this cook according to the instructions on the package.

Meanwhile, beat the eggs and mix with the grated cheese, a pinch of salt and a generous amount of cracked black pepper.Cut the guanciale or pancetta in small pieces and fry it in a pan with the oil until golden.

Drain the pasta and transfer it into a large serving bowl. Pour the egg mix over right away, and toss to combine it with the pasta. The heat will cook the egg. Add the guanciale and toss again. Serve immediately.

Strawberries......in the surroundings of Rome..!

 

Nemi is a town and comune in the province of Rome , in the Alban Hills overlooking Lake Nemi, a volcanic crater lake. It is 6 km NW of Velletri and about 30 km southeast of Rome.

Nemi itself has a few late medieval to 18th‑century churches, but its main monument, dominating both town and landscape, is the Castello Ruspoli, the core of which dates to the 10th century.

Nemi is famous for its wild strawberries, which are smaller and sweeter than commercially grown varieties. Nemi's strawberries are grown on the sides of the volcanic crater, which creates a microclimate that retains the warmth of the sun and provides a wind shield. Nemi conducts an annual festival of strawberries. This little town is amazingly well known in Rome for its climate. People come from Rome to taste these wonderful strawberries with cream and admire the gorgeous LAKE OF NEMI here after in the picture.

Instructions to cook spaghetti all'amatriciana....

Things You Need:

• 2 cloves of garlic
• 3 tbls of olive oil
• 1 can of tomato puree
• 2 thick slices of guanciale (if you can't find it, thick slices of pancetta can be a good substitute)
• grated Pecorino cheese (Romano will do)
• salt and pepper
• one small chili pepper (or peperoncino)
• 1 pound of spaghetti
  Cut the guanciale or pancetta, width wise, in small pieces. Cut in half the garlic, sauté in the olive oil for about 1 minute, medium fire, without letting it brown. Remove from pan, add the guanciale and let cook for about 5 minutes until slightly brown.Add the tomato puree, and the small chili pepper without breaking it. Let cook everything for about 10-15 minutes, until the sauce has a good smooth consistency and not too liquid. Remove the peperoncino, correct with salt and pepper to taste. Let rest.Cook the spaghetti (or any type of pasta you decide to use) in abundant salted water, remove from fire when "al dente", drain and toss in the sauce pan, mix well and add the Pecorino cheese. Mix again and serve warm with a sprinkle of more cheese and chopped Italian parsley for garnish.

B & B in Rome

When you arrive in Rome maybe after a long, stressful  journey you often don't have any idea on who to contact and where....here you have some useful information about Rome Bed & BReakfast. All of them are situaed right in the centre of Rome or in the nearby. Please check them according to your priorities.

 BED AND BREAKFAST  LIST

• B&B Cialdini 13
  Termini-Esquilino ( near Termini station)
• B&B Cialdini Inn
  Termini-Esquilino ( near Termini station)
• B&B Colosseum
  Coloseum
• B&B Domus Pinciana
  Via Veneto (centre of rome)
• B&B Lemon Garden
  Vatican - St. Peter's church
• B&B Maison Royale
  Vatican - St.Peter's church
• B&B Monet
   Spanish Steps
• B&B Orange Garden
  Vatican - St. Peter's
• B&B Pablo
  Quirinale (centre of rome)
• B&B Pettinary Village
  Campo de' Fiori ( centre of rome)
• B&B Reginella
  Campo de' Fiori (centre of rome)
• B&B Residenza Vaticana
  Prati District
• B&B Rhona's Rooms
  Spanish Steps
• B&B Santi Quattro al Colosseo
  Coloseum
• B&B Suite Monte
  Pantheon (centre of Rome)
• B&B Vatican Holiday
  Prati
• B&B Your Nest in Rome
  Trastevere District
• Baci da Roma B&B
  St.John Lateran District
• Cenci B&B
  Trevi Fountain
• DaySleeper B&B
  Termini-Esquilino (near Termini Station)
• InTrastevere B&B
  Trastevere District
• Le Camere Della Principessa B&B
  Coloseum
• Matisse B&B
  Quirinale District
• New Holiday House Roma
  Prati District

Rome food and cuisine

Tasting the best dishes when in Rome

When in Rome, there is one thing you won’t have to worry about: being able to find a nice place to eat. From family run trattorias and pizzerias, to fancier, hip restaurants, Rome knows how to quench your hunger and satisfy her visitors with her savoury specialties. Roman food is a popular, yet simple one. It is not sophisticated or elaborate, but generous, rich in flavours and character, and full of many mouth-watering recipes.

The typical Roman food has its roots in the past and reflects the old traditions in most of its offerings. It is based on fresh vegetables (the king is definitely the artichoke, whether deep fried, simmered in olive oil with garlic and mint, or “alla giudia”), not expensive cuts of meats (the so called “quinto quarto,” meaning mainly innards, cooked with herbs and hot chilli pepper). It also consists of deep fried, tasty appetizers (such as salted cod and filled zucchini blossoms) and sharp “pecorino cheese" (made from sheep’s milk from the nearby countryside), a very important ingredient in many recipes.

Not to mention the pasta, of course, a staple for every Italian, and therefore every Roman. From “carbonara” to spaghetti “ajo e ojo” (simple but so effective, with its fiery mix of olive oil, garlic and chili pepper), from rigatoni “con pajata” to a hearty, fragrant soup such as “pasta e ceci.”

There are few Roman desserts, and they are mainly connected to festivities (Carnival, Eastern or Christmas). They are definitely worth a try, however, especially the ricotta cake, which is made with fresh ricotta cheese mixed with sugar, lemon, vanilla, candied fruits, pine nuts and raisins.

Fiori di zucca: Zucchini flowers, deep fried and filled with mozzarella cheese and anchovies.	Filetti di baccala: a well known appetizer consisting of deep fried salted cod filet.
Suppli: breadcrumbed, fried croquettes made of rice in Bolognese sauce, filled with mozzarella cheese.	Pasta alla Carbonara:famous spaghetti served in a sauce whose main ingredients are eggs, “guanciale”( bacon from pig’s cheek), black pepper and pecorino cheese.
Gnocchi alla Romana: dumplings made with semolina, baked with butter, cheese and nutmeg.	Coda alla Vaccinara: oxtail stewed until tender and buttery, in savoury tomato sauce.

Pizza alla Romana: thin crusted, crunchy white pizza, served brushed only with olive oil and flavoured with rosemary

Pasta cacio e pepe: pasta in a creamy olive oil, pecorino cheese and black pepper sauce

Pasta e ceci: pasta and chickpeas soup, seasoned with rosemary

Pasta all’arrabbiata: pasta in a tomato sauce, onion and red chili peppers

Pomodori con riso: Tomatoes filled with rice, baked and served with roasted potatoes

Trippa alla Romana: tender tripe in creamy, spicy tomato sauce, served sprinkled with pecorino cheese

Pajata: baby lamb intestines cooked in tomato sauce, also served as topping for pasta( “ rigatoni con pajata”)

Porchetta: suckling pig roasted, with laurel herb, garlic and black pepper, typical from the roman countryside

Abbacchio alla scottadito: roasted baby lamb chops served piping hot

Fave: fresh broad beans, they can be enjoyed fresh and raw with bits of pecorino cheese or cooked with onion and bacons.

Puntarelle: Fresh chicory sprouts served with a garlic and anchovies dressing

Carciofi alla Giudia: artichokes fried in a very special way so that they are soft and tender inside and crispy and crunchy outside. A typical food from the old jewish roman tradition. Its flavour can be exalted by a chilled Frascati white wine. .

Pollo alla Romana: tasty bits of chicken cooked with bell peppers

Saltimbocca alla Romana: Veal scallops cooked with white wine, sage and prosciutto

Maritozzi: soft buns with raisins and candied orange peels. They can be enjoyed plain or filled with fresh cream	Crostata di Ricotta: a kind of cheesecake made with fresh ricotta and candied fruits. Depending on the different versions it is available, raisins, pin nuts and other flavourings can be added.

some excellent italian coffee

among the best and elegant  CAFES in rome are CAFFE DEL PARNASO in piazza delle muse....http://www.ristoranteparnaso.it/home.php....you cand drink a wonderful coffee while admiring an amazing landscape......you can also celebrate here your birthday or organize business lunches......it is situated in PARIOLI district.....or CAFFE' GRECO...http://www.anticocaffegreco.eu/....just in the centre of rome near the amazing, elegant shops at VIA CONDOTTI......but there is also another good adress LA TAZZA D'ORO at this link

http://www.tazzadorocoffeeshop.com/home2.html