Italian Style Pizza

This picture was taken during my visit to my Lovely Island Sardinia, in Italy, last year. I want to share with you one of my favorite toppings on pizza!

This pizza was so yummy! From the restaurant pizzeria "Terra Sarda" in Olbia. On top of my pizza there are some of the best prosciutto slices, arugula leaves ( previously tossed w/ some olive oil, salt and pepper) and shaved Parmesan cheese. Soooo good! You should give it a try! Just go to your bakery or local grocery store, get a ball of pizza dough. Then roll the dough, top it with some tomato sauce, salt, pepper, shredded mozzarella cheese, and the toppings that I described to you in this picture! (These toppings will go on your pizza after the cooking time) Enjoy! Buon Appetito!

Chocolate Chip Yum Squares

Hey Y'all! This year I spent my Christmas Vacation in Birmingham, Alabama, and I had many occasions to try some very delicious southern food! The best! Among all of the delicious things I have tried there was one in particular that won my heart. I have to thank Mrs. Darlene for being so nice to pass me this great recipe that I am sure you will all love!

Ingredients:

1 egg, beaten                                        6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup butter, softened                    1 cup pecan pieces

8 oz. cream cheese, softened            1 cup coconut

1 yellow cake mix(Duncan Hines)   3 eggs, separated

1 box confectioners sugar

With a fork, stir 1 egg, butter, and cake mix.  Press into a 9x13 greased dish.  Using mixer, combine cream cheese, 2 eggs, and confectioners sugar.  Pour over crust.  Mix chocolate chips, pecans, and coconut together.  Sprinkle on top.  Bake at 325 for 55 to 60 minutes.  Cool before cutting. It's so good! You'll know what I mean when you bite into it! Enjoy! Buon Appetito!

Formagelle

This is another delicious traditional dessert from my gorgeous Island of Sardinia. They are ricotta cheese little cups that just melt in your mouth!

Ingredients for the dough:

4 cups of flour
6 tbsp lard
2 tsp sugar
water (just enough to make it doughy)

Ingredients for the Filling:

16 Oz ricotta cheese
3/4 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
3/4 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
Orange or lemon zest
(You can also add some raisins to it if you like)

Roll the dough very thin and cut little rounds. Place a scoop of the filling on each round and pinch the dough with your index and thumb finger to seal it. In a separate bowl beat a yolk and brush the top of each formagella with it. They will look golden and nice in this way. bake in the oven at 350 F for about 20 minutes. Enjoy! Buon appetito!

Peanut Brittle

I made this recipe the other day! I am impressed on how long this candy can last in a tapper ware container outside of the fridge! :)


Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 cup raw peanuts
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda

Preparation:

Combine first 4 ingredients in 2-quart microwave mixing bowl. Microwave on HIGH for 8 minutes, stirring after 4 minutes. Add butter. Microwave on HIGH 2 minutes. Brittle should not get too brown. Stir in vanilla and soda until light and foamy. Spread on buttered baking sheet as thinly as possible. Cool. Break into pieces. Soak mixing bowl in warm  water immediately for easier clean-up. Enjoy! Buon Appetito!

Papassini

In my first attempt making this traditional Sardinian Christmas cookies I was surprised that they tasted like the ones my Nanny makes! So happy I can have some of my traditional food here in South Florida too!

Ingredients for the cookies:

4 cups of flour
9 Tbsp of Lard
1 cup sugar
3 eggs + 1 yolk (Save the egg whites for the frosting)
1 cup walnuts
1 cup raisins
2 Tbsp baking powder

Ingredients for the Frosting (Cappa):

1 egg white
3/4 cup sugar powder
Decoration sugar

In a bowl mix the lard, flour,eggs, sugar, crushed walnuts, raisins (previously soaked in warm water for 30 minutes and drained), and baking powder at the end.  After creating a nice dough, start rolling your dough in tubes shape, flat their top and cut them in a shape similar to a mashed square as you can see from the picture. Bake in the oven at 365 F for about 12 minutes.

For the frosting, simply whip the egg white and the sugar powder until thick. Coat each cookie with the frosting and top each one with the decoration sugar. Enjoy! Buon Appetito!

Chicken & Pasta Casserole

A great dish for a winter day is this chicken and pasta casserole.

Ingredients:

Chicken Breast
Spinach
Pasta
1 can of cream of mushrooms
Parmesan Cheese
Bread crumbs
Onions

Sautee the chicken with onions, olive oil, spinach and cream of mushrooms. In another pan boil the pasta. Add the cooked pasta to the chicken and spinach mixture. Pour everything in a greased pan, top with Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs. Bake in the oven  at 350 F for around 20 minutes. Enjoy! Buon Appetito!

Mitarashi Dango

Being Half Japanese gave me the opportunity of being in contact with the Japanese culture, people, traditions and food. When I was 6 years old I went to Japan several times to visit my Father's family and I fell in love with this delicious desserts, Mitarashi Dango, which is simply rice flour balls dipped in  sweet mitarashi sauce... soo yummy! When biting into them again after 20 years since I had my last one it was like the experience Proust had with his Madeleine... wonderful memories and flashbacks of a very fascinating country. I never thought I could ever make this delicious dessert myself.... but here it is!

Ingredients:

Rice Flour
Corn Starch
Soy Sauce
Sugar
Wooden Skewers
Water

For The Rice balls:
In a bowl mix 1 and 1/4 cup of rice flour with 200 ml of hot water. Knead it until it becomes an elastic dough. Start forming little bite size balls. Boil them, and you will know they are ready when they come up to the top floating. Drain and start creating your skewers by wetting the skewer with water.

For The Mitarashi sauce:
In a saucepan mix 100 ml of water, 2 and 1/2 Tbsp of soy sauce, 1 Tbsp corn starch, and 5 Tbsp of sugar. Bring it to a boil over medium heat. Until it reaches the right thick consistency, as shown in the picture.

Finally you can pour the sauce over the rice flour balls.... enjoy your Mitarashi dango! Buon Appetito!

Sardinian Snack

Happy Befana everybody! This picture was taken during a lovely snack, nicely prepared by my Mamy, that I had on the beach of Sardinia with my boyfriend.

Here we have a traditional thin crunchy Sardinian bread called "Carasau", with some homemade salami and pecorino cheese.... best snack ever! So flavorful! You should follow my advice and put Sardinia in your list of places to visit! It will blow your mind away for food, people, stunning beauty of the coast line, and of the inter land little villages! Enjoy! Buon Appetito!

Whole Wheat Stuffed Tortillas

Happy New year everybody! I really wish for this 2012 to be filled with happiness, health and all the comforts possible! In another of my adventures in my kitchen, looking for some lunch inspiration I came up with this delicious recipe.


Ingredients:

Breaded Eggplants (See my other recipe called "Crispy Eggplants - Melanzane Impanate")
Whole Wheat Tortillas
Hummus
Mozzarella slices

Spread your tortilla with some hummus, place the eggplants and top with some mozzarella slices. You could also add some ham or prosciutto to it! Enjoy! Buon Appetito!