Torta di Limone e Olio Lemon and oil cake I love the saying “it takes a village to raise a child”. I say it often to remind myself to ask for help when I’m busy with my two youngsters. I don’t have a village, but I do have a great mum and sister, Aurora, who…
Mezzalune di Marmellata Half-moon Jam Biscotti Last Saturday, 21st March was Harmony Day and this was celebrated at our little Freya’s Preschool with an afternoon tea. A little history on Harmony Day – it began in 1999 by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship to celebrate the cohesive and inclusive nature of Australia and to promote…
Fig Jam Biscuits I recently found a scrumptious biscuit recipe for Spiced Fig Jam Drops in The Gourmet Traveller. The recipe appealed to me for a number of reasons; it looked mouthwatering, I love biscuits (especially ones with jam as the centrepiece), appeared easy to prepare, and required a component of homemade fig jam – something…
Crostata di Fichi e Mandorle fig & almond tart You have probably noticed whilst shopping at growers markets and/or fruit shops that figs are currently in season. They are available from December till February, with some varieties obtainable till April. You will more often see the purplish skin figs (a medium sized pear-shaped fruit with a…
Semifreddo al Torrone Cioccolato Nougat and chocolate icecream Semifreddo translates to semi-frozen in Italian. It is an Italian frozen (ice-cream) dessert which doesn’t involve the use of an ice-cream machine. The flavours here are nougat (torrone) and chocolate (cioccolato). The first time I ever made semifreddo (as a teenager) I remember thinking – how easy is…
Rough Puff Pastry Rough Puff Pastry is an easier way to make a true puff pastry and is often called or known as a ‘cheats’ version of puff pastry. Large knobs of butter are mixed through dough and the dough is then rolled and folded to spread the butter through the dough. The result is uneven…
Melanzane Ripieni Stuffed Eggplants These Melanzane Ripieni (stuffed eggplants or eggplants refilled) are a very popular meal in southern Italy, but of course you will find versions of it all around Italy (and each region would claim theirs the best!). This recipe is my mum’s and is ‘Calabrese’ style (from Calabria south of Italy). Essentially, eggplants…
Lemon Curd Lemons would have to be one of my all-time favourite ingredients. You can use it a little to lift a dish or a lot to give a dominate lemon flavour in both sweet and savoury dishes. Lemon curd is a perfect example of a sweet with a strong lemon flavour. It is sharp,…
Fetta di Zucchine Con Pomodoro zucchini slice with tomato This zucchini recipe is one I’ve adapted from Stephanie Alexander’s cookbook – The Cook’s Companion. It’s actually by a friend of Stephanie’s, Anna-Maria Bruno who was one of the first generation of Italian migrants (1950’s) to have contributed to Italian food and cooking in Australia. I…
Spaghetti Fritti fried spaghetti This recipe is my mum’s and she cooked it often when we were growing up. ‘Spaghetti Fritti’ means fried spaghetti and with the inclusion of eggs, it resembles a large frittata. Essentially, it is another way to dish up pasta – in cake size pieces – a novelty for all, especially the…