A Venetian Carnevale Celebration Pop Up Event

 

Imagine a place where you can dress up, hide behind a mask, mingle with strangers, drink and indulge in fried treats? Well, I've made it a reality. On Saturday March 1st, join me for my first official Pop Up Dinner, "A Venetian Carnevale Celebration." Guests will enjoy a delicious feast consisting of traditional Venetian Carnevale dishes, as well as some with my own twist and of course, the sparkle of Prosecco.

 

I am so excited to share this unique dining experience with you. The idea of my Pop Up Dinners is to give you, my guest and friend, a personal and intimate experience. I encourage you to join me in the kitchen, see what magic I’m creating, talk with guests, sit, stand, lean, eat with your hands, whatever you like. Masks are encouraged. Come celebrate with me and be part of the magic and mischief. 

For ticket information, please click HERE and to RSVP on facebook, please check here.

 

Menu

 

Polenta Fritti with Miele di Castagno (chestnut honey) and Meile Arancio (orange honey)

Crispy, fried rosemary polenta served with assorted Italian honeys

 

Radicchio, Artichoke and Fig Salad with a Lemon Balsamic Reduction in a Parmigiano Crisp

Shaved radicchio, artichoke and figs with a drizzle of balsamic reduction served in a parmigiano crisp cup

 

Cornmeal Crusted Shrimp Lollipops

A little whimsy... fried cornmeal crusted shrimp lollipos

 

Celery Root Frittelle with Basil Aioli

Frittelle are a traditional Carnevale treat, everyone has their own twist...mine are made with celery root and served with a creamy basil aioli

 

Individual “Le Grande Lasagna di Carnevale” Ramekins

Lasagna di Carnevale is traditionally enjoyed around Carnevale as a last meat splurge before Lent...my version is completely homemade, the pasta, ricotta and my prize winning Bolognese with sausage, beef and pancetta

 

Nutella Ricotta Zeppoles

Another classic fried Carnevale treat, my great aunt's ricotta zeppoles with the addition of nutella, served with a dusting of powdered sugar

 

Carnevale Cookies

A traditional festive cookie covered with sprinkles

 

Prosecco

 

Please feel free to e-mail me at lacucinaprimadonna@hotmail.com for more details or any questions you may have.

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!!

Addio Italia

 

Well my friends, alas my two months in Italia are at an end…..for now. I catch my plane back home to NYC in a few hours. My time spent in Rome and Florence has really been a fantasy, a magical, wonderful experience that I won’t soon forget. I look forward to sharing my experiences with you in more depth. I am so sad to leave this beautiful country that I have considered my home these months. But, while I am sad to go, I have SO MANY exciting things coming up in 2014. I will be making some very special announcements over the next few months, I can’t wait to share this news with you all! I will be back in Italy sometime around September, so really, going back to NYC is just a long, LOOOOOOONG vacation before I come back home. Addio Italia, il mio tempo trascorso qui e stato davvero una benedizione.

Vigilia di Natale a Roma!!

Viglila di Natale..Or should I say, Christmas Eve. I feel very blessed to be spending Christmas in the beautiful, eternal city, Roma. Christmas in Rome is magical, from the beautiful lights that line every street to the Christmas tree in front of the Colosseum, the city is dressed to the nines. I also had the joy of standing in Saint Peter’s Square on Sunday and hearing and seeing Pope Francis. Every Sunday at noon he comes to the window of his apartment to address the people and recite the Angelus. It was a very special experience for me, one that I will not soon forgot. I thought I would share with you some of the beautiful photos I’ve taken over the past two months. Some are from Florence and some from Roma. I will be posting the second part tomorrow on Christmas. Buona Festa!!!

 

 



The Feast of the Seven Fishes at Eolo, NYC

 

Ciao mei amici! Having been involved in the food world for not even two years, I have been fortunate enough to connect with some amazing chefs, restaurateurs, etc. One of them is Chef Melissa Muller Daka, Proprietress of Pastai and Eolo, both in NYC. I had the pleasure to first meet Melissa at a private luncheon at Eataly that she planned the menu for. You may remember she was one of the first interviews I ever posted, you can read it here.

At her beautiful restaurant, Eolo in NYC, she will be hosting her fourth annual “Feast of the Seven Fishes” on Christmas Eve, December 24^th. For those not familiar with the idea of - The Feast of the Seven Fishes – referred to in Italian as La Vigilia – the tradition began in southern Italy and today is celebrated by Italians around the world. There are various myths about the significance of offering seven fishes. Some believe seven fishes refer to the seven days of creation, while others cite the Seven Hills of Rome, seven sacraments in the Catholic Church or the seven deadly sins.

Their five course menu will include: A welcoming dish from the chef, your choice of a cold appetizer, hot appetizer, pasta, entree & dessert. Each course ...will offer three dishes to choose from.

 

 

Wine Pairing will also be available with each dish. For reservations, you can call 646.225.6606. If you’re looking for a different way to spend Christmas Eve or if you just don’t want to worry about the cooking this year, this is certainly the event for you. The beautiful dishes you see here are Scallops, Swordfish, Halibut and Couscous and Pasta con le Sarde, listed in the order shown. For further information, be sure to take a look at the Eolo site. If you do go to Eolo, be sure to tell Chef Melissa that La Cucina Prima Donna sent you! Buon Natale a tutti!!

 

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!