Ciao da bella Firenze!

Ciao a tutti! I apologize for not posting for a while. Things have been very very busy. I am actually in bella Firenze for the time being and enjoying every second of it. I hosted a fabulous Halloween party with The Florentine and I have a lot of other VERY exciting things coming up. What are they, exactly? Well, if I told you that would spoil the surprise, now wouldn't it?

Want to see pictures from the party I hosted with The Florentine? Check them out right here!

In the meantime, I will be posting pictures at least once a week, but hopefully more, entitled "A Day in the Life"....photos of my what my day looks like while in Florence. I will also be heading back to Campania soon where I spent time in a beautiful medieval village before I arrived in Florence and then I'll be headed back to Rome. Tell me..what is your favorite site to see in Florence? And if you haven't been yet, what do you hope to see someday? Addio per ora!

"A Day in the Life in Bella Firenze"

November 13th, 2014

 

Part 1- Find a delicious cornetto filled beyond belief with nutella. Enjoyed at café in Piazza Santa Croce.

 

 

 

Part 2- Explore some of the beautiful museums that Florence has to offer. — at Museo del Bargello.

 

 

Part 3- Take a moment to stop and LOOK. Appreciate what is in front of you. This is Donatello's David. — at Museo del Bargello.

 

 

Part 4- Enjoy pizza that is topped with speck, ricotta, grana and stracchino. AND FINISH THE ENTIRE THING! — at Trattoria Pizzeria GUSTOLEO.

 

 

Part 5 - Catch a glimpse of a rainbow peaking through the sky as I slowly walk home in the rain without an umbrella...because I'm in Florence and I don't care about getting wet.

 

 

Part 6- Enjoy un altro cappuccino and tiramisu. Because I'm an adult and I can eat however many sweets I want!! — at Piazza del Duomo.

 

 

Buon Anno! e Polenta Fritti with Wild Mushrooms

Felice Anno Nouvo!! Happy New Year to my friends all around the world. This year has been absolutely amazing, I am so grateful for the wonderful opportunities that I’ve had. From becoming a Sous Chef with Feast on History to studying cooking in Italy and all of the incredible things that happened while I was there and seeing Paul McCartney in concert. Yes, that is seriously one of the highlights from my year. (For those that don’t know, I am a HUGE Beatles fan) As I mentioned in my last post, I have a lot of very exciting things in the works that I will be announcing over the next month or so, so please stay tuned. Last night I hosted a New Years Eve Party for my family and friends, the pressure was on. Everyone knew I had just returned from studying cooking so I felt the need to really shine!! In fact, a few of my guests told me they had been bragging to their friends about coming to a chefs house for dinner, that brought the biggest smile to my face!

One of things I served last night was my Polenta Fritti with Wild Mushrooms. Polenta Frittii something I enjoyed a few times while in Florence, a deep fried piece of polenta and yes, it is every bit as good as it sounds. Here is my recipe, hope you all like it as much as I do. Enjoy!

Polenta Fritti with Wild Mushrooms

Wild Mushrooms

2 tbsp. butter

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

1 tbsp. minced garlic

3 cups of mixed wild mushrooms

3 tbsp. chopped parsley

In a medium size pan over medium heat, heat your butter, salt, pepper and minced garlic. Let the garlic get a little color, but not too much. Add the mushrooms and cook until a lot of the liquid has evaporated. I personally like the mushrooms a little dry, not too wet, so let them cook for around half an hour. Once they have finished cooked, add the chopped parsley and mix. Serve a tablespoon or two on top of the Polenta Fritti.

Polenta Fritti

8 cups of water

1 tbsp. salt

2 cups of medium grain poleta

2 tbsp. dried Italian seasonings (rosemary, oregano, etc)

1 cup of neutral oil, plus 1 tbsp (I like to use canola or peanut oil for frying)

In a large pot, bring 8 cups of salted water to a boil. Add the polenta and seasonings and mix with a wooden spoon. Oil a pound cake pan and pour the polenta in the pan and spread it so the top of the flat. You can choose to shape and cut them however you like, I pour my polenta in a pound cake pan, let it harden up a little and then slice it almost like a loaf of bread. Cover it and put in the refrigerator for an hour. Once the hour is up, flip the pan over on a cutting board, the polenta should easily come out. Slice the polenta the same way you would slice bread, I like to slice it pretty thin, around ½ an inch. Prepare a large deep pot while the oil over medium high heat. Once it is hot enough, add the polenta, as many as you can get in there. I like my polenta really REALLY crispy, so each piece can take around 7 minutes to get that crunchy. As the pieces finish, put them a paper towel on a wire rack. Top with the wild mushrooms. Boun Appetito!!

The Return of the Cioccolata Calda...HOT CHOCOLATE!!!



Ciao! Some of you may recall a post I did last year on Cioccolata Calda, or as it is referred to in America..Hot Chocolate! Last Christmas was my first time having Cioccolata Calda in Italy and I just fell in love with it. Italian hot chocolate is nothing like the American version. It is very thick, rich and not terribly sweet. In fact, it is usually served with a pack of sugar on the side if you care to make it sweeter. It’s practically like pudding, no lie. I returned to the scene of the crime here in Florence two nights ago and got to enjoy my Cioccolata Calda once again. The photo on the top of the page is the cioccolata calda from last year and the one right below this is the same one, one year later!! It was just as delicious. I’ve listed my recipes from last year plus a new one that I KNOW you’ll enjoy…it has nutella…nuff said? Buon Appetito!!

 

Traditional Cioccolata Calda con Panna

4 ounces of good quality dark chocolate (70% or higher, I personally prefer 85%)

1 ½ cups of whole milk

1 tbsp. of cream

2 tsp. sugar

2 tbsp. corn starch

 

Add your milk and cream to a pot over medium heat, let it get warm, but do not bring to a boil. Add the chocolate and sugar and mix until melted and smooth. Add the cornstarch and continue to mix. Stir until everything is smooth and creamy. Pour into mugs and serve with a dollop of homemade whipped cream…

 

 

Whipped Cream

1 cup of cream

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Add the cream and vanilla extract to a small bowl and whisk with an electric beater until it looks like whipped cream!!

 

Paleo Cioccolata Calda

 

1 cup of almond milk or coconut milk

2 tbsp. cocoa powder

1 ounce dark chocolate (85% is better for paleo)

1 tbsp. chocolate extract

 

Add your milk to a pot over medium heat, let it get warm but do not let it boil. Add the cocoa powder and let it dissolve. Add the dark chocolate and stir until melted and smooth. Add the chocolate extract and let heat until creamy. Pour into a mug and add a dollop of whipped cream.

Nutella Cioccolata Calda

4 ounces of good quality semi-sweet chocolate

3 tbsp. nutella

1 ½ cups of whole milk

1 tbsp. of cream

2 tsp. sugar

2 tbsp. corn starch

 

Add your milk and cream to a pot over medium heat, let it get warm, but do not bring to a boil. Add the chocolate, nutella and sugar and mix until melted and smooth. Add the cornstarch and continue to mix. Stir until everything is smooth and creamy. Pour into mugs and serve with a dollop of homemade whipped cream…

 

Video: Buongiorno from my kitchen to yours, here in bella Firenze!

Ciao Roma!!

Ciao mei amici!! I finally arrived in Rome and let me tell you, it feels like I never left. I feel like I'm home. I know my way around, I understand and speak some of the language, the people at my hotel remembered us from last year, it's just perfect. The weather is STUNNING. The past few days I've just been settling in before I leave for Florence tomorrow. We've been spending our time just wandering. One of the amazing things about Rome is you can you just wander and you never know what you're going to come across. A lovely piazza, a stunning fountain, a little café, musicians in the street, etc. I thought I would share some photos with you from the past few days. Once I get to Florence where I'll be attending cooking school, I will start posting recipes that I'll be making in class and at home.  I will also be posting on my facebook and twitter daily and will be sharing lots of beautiful pictures on my pinterest, so please be sure to follow me the entire way. And of course, I will posting here..recipes, photos, journals, you name it. Ciao for now!

They have different versions of nutella like we have peanut butter!

I have to tell you, I got a small mozzarella at the supermarket for 1 euro that rivaled most mozzarella sold in gourmet shops in NYC.




Yes, Baci Yogurt is a thing in Italy.

 

Steak with Aged Balsamic Reduction, Garlic Mashed Citrus Cauliflower and Sauteed Broccoli Rabe

When my mother and I were in Florence recently, one night we had a lovely dinner right off of Piazza della Repubblica. I went for the tortellini with mushrooms and my mother went for a classic Italian dish…steak with aged balsamic vinegar. I haven’t had steak that much, as I’ve mentioned, I use to be a vegetarian. But when I do have a craving for a steak….I want a really good one. 

When the steak came to the table, I couldn’t believe how amazing it smelled. Sounds simple enough, right? Steak with aged balsamic vinegar, nothing too special. Think again. It’s always the simplest dishes that taste that most impressive I find the ones with the fewest ingredients. The steak was just perfect. Now, I’m a little weird….I don’t like my meat rare or medium, I like it medium well. I know, I know. A lot of people tell me that I’m ruining a really good steak cooking it that much and I do apologize to all of the meat purists out there, this is just my preference.

When I got back home, I was determined to make an equally satisfying steak. The key is having a good cut of meat and a really high quality aged balsamic vinegar. Lucky for me, I got quite a few bottles of the good stuff in Italy!! I served the steak with garlic mashed citrus cauliflower and sautéed broccoli rabe, this is my version of an Italian classic steak house dinner. Enjoy!!

Italian Steak Dinner

Steak with Aged Balsamic Reduction

Steak

3 tbsp. olive oil

2 tbsp. grey sea salt (you can use any salt you want, I love the taste of grey)

4 steaks (you could go with any cut that you like, I went with filet mignon), at room temperature

Prepare a heavy fry pan over medium heat. Add canola oil to pan. Sprinkle the 2 tbsp. of grey sea salt over the pan. The salt is going to act as a base for the steak to sit on. It will add a nice crust to the steak as well. Put the steaks on top of the salt. Cook on each side for 2-5 minutes (depending how rare or well done you like your steak!). Take the steaks out of the pan and allow to rest for 10 minutes. In the meantime…prepare the balsamic reduction.

Aged Balsamic Reduction

¼ cup aged balsamic vinegar

Add the ¼ cup aged balsamic vinegar to the fry pan. It will mix with the leftover liquid from the steak. Cook on low-medium heat until the sauce is bubbling and slightly reduced. Serve immediately drizzled over the steaks.

Mashed Garlic Citrus Cauliflower

4 cloves of garlic

1 cup of olive oil

1 head of citrus cauliflower, if you can’t get citrus, you can use regular cauliflower

2 tbsp. salt

1 tbsp. pepper

Prepare a medium size glass ramekin with 4 cloves of peeled garlic, pour the olive oil over it. Cook in the oven on 350 degrees for at least 45 minutes or until the garlic is roasted.

Chop your cauliflower, removing the base and any of the leaves. You don’t need to really cut it, just cut it enough so it fits in the pot. Put in a deep pot over high heat and fill with water. Add 1 tbsp salt. Cook until the cauliflower is soft enough to mash, at least 25 minutes. Drain the water and mash the cauliflower, I like to do a rough mash just using a fork. Add 1 tbsp. salt, pepper and the roasted garlic and olive oil. Using an electric hand mixer, mix. You want the garlic to break down a little in the cauliflower and you want to olive oil to mix as well.

Sautéed Broccoli Rabe

3 tbsp. olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 tbsp. salt

1 tbsp. pepper

1 tbsp. crushed red pepper

1 bunch of broccoli rabe, blanched

Prepare a medium size pan over medium heat. Add olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper. Allow the garlic to brown slightly, around 5 minutes. Add blanched broccoli rabe, toss and cook for 10 minutes. You don’t want to overcook the broccoli rabe and end up with mush! You want to keep it nice and crisp! 

Cioccolata Calda- Italian Hot Chocolate

Buongiorno!! Ahhhh, breakfast in Italy. That lovely time when you wake up, pop out of bed and you’re excited for another day of sight-seeing and delicious eat. You get ready and go out for that much need cappuccino (or Cioccolata Calda). I was in Rome and Florence over this past winter and it was pretty cold, I must say. But as long as you have a good warm coat and lined boots, you should be fine. And of yeah, a cup of something nice and warm.

 

Breakfast in Italy is not at all what you have probably come to think of breakfast. At least, not an American style breakfast. Italians do not eat eggs and bacon or pancakes and waffles; they make have a cornetto or a cup of yogurt. Half of the time, they just have a cappuccino. (By the way, NEVER have a cappuccino after 12 noon; they will know you are a tourist). Italians consider a cappuccino a morning drink and that’s it!! When we were in Rome, our breakfast was included with the room price and we lucked out. Our hotel served fresh cornettos, fruit and yogurt and cappuccinos made to order that were perfecto!!

 

In Florence however, we went out for breakfast every day. In Italy also, when you go someplace for coffee or a pastry, expect to pay one price if you stand at the counter and drink it and more if you sit and get table service. We found a place right off of Piazza della Signoria that had the most amazing Cioccolata Calda!! It was rich, creamy and intense. It was like drinking melted chocolate. The coco is so intense over there, that they serve it with a pack of sweetener on the side, that you can choose to use or not use. Every morning in Florence I had a Cioccolata Calda for breakfast, it was just delicious.

 

Now that I am back home, I treat myself to an Italian hot chocolate a few times a week. It’s either the perfect way to start a day or the perfect way to top off a chilly New York night. I have created two versions. One classic version made with milk and for those on a low carb diet, one made with almond milk. Forget what you think you know about hot chocolate, this, is hot chocolate! Please let me know what you think. Buon Appetito!!

 

Traditional Cioccolata Calda with Cream

 

4 ounces of good quality dark chocolate (70% or higher, I personally prefer 85%)

1 ½ cups of whole milk

1 tbsp. of cream

2 tsp. sugar

2 tbsp. corn starch

 

Add your milk and cream to a pot over medium heat and let it heat, but not boil. Add the chocolate and sugar and mix until melted and smooth. Add the cornstarch and continue to mix. Stir until everything is smooth and creamy!! Pour into mugs and serve with a dollop of homemade whipped cream….

 

Whipped Cream

 

1 cup of cream

1 tsp. vanilla extract

 

Add the cream and vanilla extract to a small bowl and whisk with an electric beater until it looks like whipped cream.

 

Paleo Cioccolata Calda

 

1 cup of almond milk or coconut milk

2 tbsp. cocoa powder

1 ounce dark chocolate (85% is best for paleo)

1 tsp. chocolate extract

 

Add you milk to a pot over medium heat and let it heat, not boil. Add the cocoa powder and let it dissolve. Add the dark chocolate and stir until melted and smooth. Add the chocolate extract and let heat until creamy. Pour into a mug and a dollop of whipped cream.