Autumn is my favourite time of the year, here in Sabina. The colours are beautiful and the weather, still sunny and warm without being hot, is perfect for walks and excursions.
Above all, this is vintage and olive harvest time. The olives are just about to turn dark, a bit early this year. My prediction is that both wine and olive oil making will happen soon, because of the long hot summer we've had.
Chestnuts will be available at the village markets in a few days: time to roast them in the fireplace or just on the stove top by using a special tin pan with holes in the bottom. Chestnuts then become 'caldarroste' (hot roasted). Looking forward to all that!
PS: We had a pasta strike last week: no one bought pasta for a day, as a protest against soaring pasta prices. Then bought double the amount next day!
Friday, 21 September 2007
Thursday, 13 September 2007
Welcome to my kitchen!
Hello everyone and welcome to Guido's Kitchen. This blog is dedicated to Italian cuisine, wines and lifestyle. With the rest of Convivio Rome team, I help run Italian Cooking Holidays here in Toffia, an incredibly unspoilt medieval village in the beautiful land of Sabina, 40 kilometres north of Rome.
We have got a cooking long weekend about to start and I am going to prepare a 3 course welcome dinner for my clients Friday night. Main course will be 'Gateau di patate' or potato soufflé, a classic from Naples and perfect for dinner parties: you prepare it the day before and heat it up in the oven when you need it. Here is the recipe.
Potato soufflé'. (you need at least 6 large potatoes)
Mix mashed potatoes with some butter, one or two eggs and parmigiano cheese, a good pinch of salt and nutmeg while still hot. Use two thirds of mixture to coat the inside of a greased oven bowl or tray. Fill this with diced mozzarella, bits of prosciutto or ham, fresh basil, grated parmigiano and any other cheese you like (except for blue cheese). Cover with the remaining mashed potato and top with bread crumbs and a few bits of butter. Bake for about 40 minutes and/or until golden brown. Buon Appetito!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)