Italian Meal

My sister-in-law was to visit us for a day. When it comes to food she is not picky about the cuisine. So I cooked this Italian meal for lunch when she visited. I chose this Italian menu with dishes from different regions of Italy. Italian cuisine is very popular around the globe and our house is no exception. We all enjoyed this delicious meal.

I have made pizza at home for years but I really started loving the pizza I made only after I started making it with wild yeast leaven. The ingredients in the dough are flour, water, salt and wild yeast. The sauce is made up of fresh tomatoes. It was only natural to use this pizza as the foundation of my Italian meal. The remaining dishes come from different regions of Italy. There is the fresh handmade Gnocchi in tomato sauce, one of the easiest dumpling to make at home. Fagiolli All'uccelleto is an ancient Italian dish made up of beans in tomato sauce. Caprese salad was added to the menu because we all love it and there is fresh basil growing in my garden. For dessert I wanted something light and so I went with Gelo di Melone or watermelon jello. This jello is thickened with corn starch and is delicious.

I did not use any new ingredient in this meal but making fresh pasta was new to me. I enjoyed it so much that I am now trying my hand at different types of gnocchi and ravioli. Something I found very interesting was that all the dishes in this menu use tomato as the base and yet every sauce is different and tastes different.

As they say in Italy, Buon Appetito!

Here are the recipes for the dishes on the menu

• Sourdough Pizza 
• Pizza Sauce 
• Gnocchi in Tomato Sauce 
• Fagiolli All'uccelletto 
• Caprese Salad 

And for dessert

• Gello di Melone (Watermelon Jello)

Fagiolli All'uccelletto

Fagiolli All'uccelletto is an ancient Italian dish from the Tuscany region. As with most old world dishes it is a simple and delicious dish made with beans in tomato gravy.

This dish can be quite filling on its own. I served it with a large Italian meal but I could see myself serving this dish with bread or flat bread for a meal on its own.

Recipe adapted from here.

You will need
2 cans cannelloni beans or 1 1/2 cup dry white beans
3 tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic
4 medium tomatoes
1 spring fresh sage or 1 tbsp. dry sage
salt and black pepper to taste

If using dry beans rinse and soak the beans overnight. Pressure cook the next day for 10 minutes and keep aside. If using canned rinse and drain the beans and keep aside,

Crush the garlic, peel and mince. Separately, dice the tomatoes. Heat oil in a pan and add the garlic. A minute or two later add the tomatoes and sage. Let it cook down for 10-15 minutes until the tomatoes sauce thickens. Add the beans and it to a boil. Season with salt and pepper.

Simmer for about 10-15 minutes.

Gelo di Melone (Vegetarian Mellon Jello)

This is a light dessert ideal for the hot months when watermelon is available. I really like the use of cornstarch to thicken the liquid instead of gelatin. Jiggly jelly without gelatin and a delicious watermelon flavor!

Do not overcook the liquid or the end result will not be jiggly.

Recipe adapted from here

You will need for 2 servings
250 ml watermelon juice
20 gm corn starch
82 gm sugar
1 inch cinnamon (the one used for desserts)
1-2 drops vanilla extract

Cut the watermelon into pieces small enough to fit into the blender. Puree the watermelon and strain it through a fine sieve. You will need 250 ml of this juice.

To 50 ml of the juice add the corn starch and whisk until it dissolves. To a thick bottomed pan add the remaining watermelon juice, the corn starch mixtures, sugar, cardamon and vanilla. Bring it to a boil stirring frequently. Lower the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes until it thickens. Whisk almost continuously to prevent burning. Turn off heat.

Rinse the molds. Pour the jello into the wet molds. Chill overnight in the refrigerator. Invert mold on a plate and garnish with pistachios.

Enjoy!

Caprese Salad

A simple salad made with slices salad tomato, sliced fresh mozzarella cheese and basil. It is supposed to have been created to represent the colors of the Italian flag.

There is really no recipe here. Just use the freshest ingredients that you can find. Use mozzarella cheese that is sold in brine. Do not use the dry packaged stuff. I used basil leaves from my garden. Just sprinkle a little salt and pepper. Then drizzle some olive oil over the top.

Buckwheat Gnocchi in Tomato Sauce

Gnocchi is one of the easiest dumplings you can make. Gnocchi can be made with different flour, vegetables like pumpkin, beetroot and potato. This gnocchi is made up of all purpose and buckwheat flour. It is dense and filling so a little goes a long way.

The original recipe called for canned tomatoes and tomato sauce. I have cut out canned tomatoes so I used vine ripened fresh tomatoes and made my own tomato sauce.

The tomato sauce is flavored with basil. I used fresh basil from my garden. If you cannot find fresh basil you can used dried but it will affect the taste and the aroma.

You will need to serve as a side for 4
For the gnocchi
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
water as needed

For the tomato sauce
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 cup onion, chopped
2 gloves garlic
1/4 cup white grape juice (the original recipe called for dry white wine)
5 large vine ripened tomatoes
4 leaves basil
1 tsp. paprika
salt and pepper to taste

To make the tomato sauce start with the thick sauce base. Chop 2 tomatoes and cook them for about 10-15 minutes on medium heat until they are mushy. At this time a lot of the liquid will have evaporated. Puree to make a thick sauce. Keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan. Peel and mince the garlic. Add the onion and garlic to the hot oil. Saute the onion until it is translucent. Add the white grape juice and cook it until the juice is all gone. Now add the tomatoes and the cooked thick sauce.

Make a basil chiffonade (place all the leaves on top of one another, roll tightly and cut into fine strips) and add it to the pan. Add the paprika and bring the mixture to a boil. Simmer for 15-20 minutes on medium low heat until it thickens. Season with salt and pepper. Keep aside.

While the sauce is simmering make the gnocchi. Mix the flours together.

Using water a little at a time make a soft dough. Wrap in plastic wrap and keep aside for 10-15 minutes.

Divide the dough into 3 portions. Take one portion of dough and roll it into a long rope. Cut the rope into barely one inch pieces. Using a fork shape the gnocchi. Hold the fork right side down in your left hand. Place one piece of dough on it. Press down from the side closest to you to the side furthest away from you. The dough will roll up with the fork pattern on one side. Repeat for all the pieces and the two remaining portions of dough. Let the prepared gnocchi rest for 10 -15 minutes.

Boil water in a pan and add a teaspoon of salt to it. Add handfuls of gnocchi to it. After 2-3 minutes the gnocchi will rise to the surface.

Let it cook for a minute more as buckwheat takes longer to cook. With a slotted spoon remove the gnocchi and add it to the prepared sauce. Repeat for the rest of the gnocchi.

Gnocchi in tomato sauce is ready.

Hungarian Meal

Hungary is one of the countries about which I know very little. Then I found the Hungarian ring bread. A beautifully made bread with intertwined rings. That was reason enough to want to cook a meal from Hungary. I wanted to try to bake that bread.

As with all the meals I cooked, I made the dessert and the most challenging recipe first. That way I ensured I would be able to finish everything to my satisfaction. If I was not satisfied with the dessert or the main dish I could always postpone it all to another day. For this meal I tried the bread first. Unfortunately, I messed up the proportions and it turned into a monster so big that I could not imagine cooking anything else that day. When I planned the meal again I left out the bread.

Mushroom Paprikas served on a bed of egg noodles was a perfect main dish to built the meal around. My daughter loves potato salad so when I found the potato dill salad I had to add it to the menu. I seem to be collecting the different types of cucumber salads out there, this is another tasty one. Lesco was a great side made with tomatoes, onions and Hungarian pepper. The coconut cookie roll has got to be the most delicious cold cookie I ever made.

My daughter who is very good at restraint when it comes to food went crazy about it. I had to keep her hands off.

As they say in Hungary, Jó étvágyat!

Here are the recipes for the dishes on the menu

• Mushroom Paprikas on Noodles
• Potato Dill Salad 
• Lesco (Tomato Salad)
• Cucumber Salad 

And for dessert

• Coconut Cookie Roll

Coconut Cookie Roll

Cookie crumb base with coconut cream filling! What is not to like? This dessert was very tasty and had just the right amount of sweet. A dessert lovers delight. It is very rich and a small cookie roll goes a long way.

This is by far the best cold cookie I have made. I would have never thought of using cookie crumbs as the base for the cookie roll. In fact if you tasted the end product you would never guess it was made with cookie crumbs, in my case crumbled Nilla wafers. I have already been asked to make them on a regular basis.

Recipe adapted from here
You will need
For the dough
2 cups cookie crumbs (I used Nilla wafers)
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. cocoa powder
3 tbsp. whipping cream

For the cream
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 tbsp. salted butter
3/4 cup powdered sugar (I ran granulated sugar through the blender)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup shredded (desiccated) coconut (I used fresh frozen)

Crumble the Nilla wafers in a food processor such that you have 2 cups of the crumbled mixture.

Rub in the butter evenly over the crumbs. Mix in the cocoa powder. Using the cream form a ball of dough. Knead it to soften. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Roll out the cooled dough on wax paper. Put it in the refrigerator until it is needed.

Make the coconut cream. Beat the butter and sugar until creamy and frothy. Add the shredded coconut and vanilla extract. Beat until well combined and creamy. Take out the rolled dough from the refrigerator and add the coconut cream on it.

Spread it evenly all over the dough. Place the sheet in the refrigerator for another 15 minutes.

Using a knife cut the uneven edges from one of the shorter sides to form a straight edge. Share the discarded pieces with the little ones in the house or enjoy them on your own. Starting from the short side roll tightly using the parchment paper to light the dough where needed.

Before you roll to the end cut off the uneven edges to form a straight edge. Roll the cookie roll in the parchment paper and refrigerate for a few hours.

Take it out of the refrigerator and unwrap the parchment paper. Using a sharp knife cut the roll in 1/2 inch cookies. Keep cool in refrigerator until needed.

Enjoy!

Potato Dill Salad

Potato salad is my daughters favorite salad so I make it frequently. This Hungarian version is a little different but just as flavorful. As with all potato salads it makes a great side.

The recipe called for vinegar but I knew my daughter would never eat it with vinegar so I left it out. The recipe to me sounded a little bland but I stuck with it and hoped for the best. I was not disappointed. In the end it all came together very well.

Recipe adapted from here
You will need
4 small potatoes
1 small onion, diced
4-5 springs dill, diced
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsp oil
salt and pepper to taste

Boil the potatoes in salted water. Peel and dice. Add the onion and dill. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk together the oil and vinegar and pour over the salad. I left out the vinegar and it tasted great.

Ridged Cucumber Salad

Cucumber salad is great with any summer meal. It is one of the most popular salads in the world. There appears to be a version of this salad in every cuisine. We all like cucumbers so I add a cucumber salad to the menu as often as possible.

This recipe has a very interesting step. The peeled cucumber is scored using a fork. When sliced it gives each slice a ridged edge as you can see in the picture. I thought that was very cool.

The only thing I would change is the cucumber used for this dish. I used a regular cucumber but I think an English cucumber would have retained its shape better.

Recipe adapted from here
You will need
1 cucumber
salt
2 tbsp. sour cream
1 tsp. paprika
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp oil

Peel the cucumber and then run a fork along the surface from end to end. Slice as thin as possible. Place in a bowl and salt liberally. Allow it to stand for 15 minutes to let the juices flow out.

Meanwhile whisk all the other ingredients together. Discard the juice from the cucumbers and transfer them to the dressing bowl. Combine and let it sit for half an hour before serving. Sprinkle paprika for garnish.

Lecso (Hungarian Tomato Salad)

Lecso is a classic Hungarian side more like a salad. There are versions with rice or egg added to it. Since we had this as a side in a big meal I left the optional additions out.

The salad without the rice or egg cannot really be eaten on its own. It is served to complete the flavors of the meal.

Recipe adapted from here
You will need
1 small onion, sliced
1/2 banana pepper, sliced after seeded and vein is removed
1 ripe tomato, remove seeds and slice
1/2 cup cooked rice (optional)
1 tbsp. oil
salt to taste

Heat oil in a pan and saute the onion until tender. Add the banana pepper and saute for another 5 minutes. Add the tomato slices and season with salt. Let the mixture cook until the juices of the tomato are released. Add the rice and mix together. Continue to heat through until the sauce thickens a little. Turn off heat and serve warm.

Mushroom Paprikas

Mushroom Paprikas is a vegetarian main dish served over egg noodles or spaetzle. Since I had made spaetzle for the German meal I settled for egg noodles for this one. The aroma in the kitchen from the sauce churned up the appetites.

I did not have red pepper paste so I made some with roasted red pepper. I bought shitake mushrooms as they are the most popular in my house but I could have used baby bellas. I was in two minds about the banana pepper but in the end I am glad I added it.

Recipe adapted from here
You will need
1 tbsp. butter
1/4 cup onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 banana pepper, sliced after seeds and vein is removed
15 mushroom, shitake or baby bella
2 tomatoes, diced
1 red pepper
1/4 cup sour cream
salt and paprika to taste

Char the pepper on a gas stove or grill. Cover in aluminium foil and keep aside for 15-20 minutes. Peel the charred skin off the pepper and cut into pieces. Grind the roasted pepper to a paste. You should not have to add any water the juice of the pepper should be enough to grind it in.

Heat butter in a pan and saute the onion. When tender add the garlic. Saute for a couple minutes then add the mushrooms and peppers.

Saute some more before adding the tomatoes, red pepper paste and water. Season with salt and paprika.

When the sauce begins to come together scoop out a ladle full of sauce into a bowl. Whisk with sour cream and return to the pan. When the sour cream is mixed in with the rest of the sauce turn off heat.

Cover and keep aside until you are ready to eat it.

German Meal

Growing up my Dad used to visit Germany for work a lot. I remember my Dad had learnt a baked potato casserole from a friend in whose house he had spent the weekend. He would make it at home in our little oven. We also had a lot of visitors from Germany in our house invited over for dinner. In fact, a bar of Kinder and Staedtler brand products make me nostalgic even today.

A mushroom and creme topped pizza like bread called Flammkutchen was the basis around which I built the meal. Flamkutchen were supposed to have been used to test the temperatures of the oven before the precious breads were baked. We could have had it for a meal by itself. Spaetzle dumpling is made in Germany as well as Austria. My initial plan was to make it for my Austrian noodle and dumpling meal. But it was just too much food so I shelved the idea. So I made it a point to include it when I planned this menu. The apple and potato casserole or auflauf as it is called in German added a lovely flavor. Eis und Heiss or cold and hot is a simple fruit based dessert. Red berries like raspberry and strawberry are cooked in their own juice and combined with cold ice cream. It is a real treat on a hot day.

I did not use any new ingredients for this meal. However, I had never used creme as a topping for any kind of flat bread before. I was not happy with the picture background but let it go as I did not want to cook the whole meal again.

As they say in Germany, Guten Appetit!

Here are the recipes for the dishes on the menu

• Flammkuchen (German Pizza) 
• Spaetzle Dumpling (Noodles) 
• Kartoffel Apfel Auflauf (Potato Apple Casserole)

And for dessert

• Eis und Heiss (Cold and Hot)

Flammkuchen (German Pizza)

There is a very interesting story associated with this pizza like flat bread. It was once used to gauge the temperature of the oven before the precious breads were baked. The crust on this bread is very thin and cooks up quickly. It is best eaten hot out of the oven. The hot cream with the mushrooms and thin crunchy crust make a divine combination.

The morning I made this meal I bought fresh creme fraiche but then forgot all about it when it was time to cook. Instead I used a combination of sour cream and fresh cream on the flammkutchen. Not being preoccupied is something I am constantly working on without much success. :)

Recipe adapted from here
You will need
For the dough
125 gm flour
75 gm whole wheat flour
10 gm active dry yeast
125 ml warm water
a pinch sugar
1 1/2 tbsp. oil

For the topping
1/4 cup sour cream
3 tbsp. cream
1 clove garlic
1/2 onion
20 shitake mushrooms
salt and pepper to taste

Combine the dry ingredients for the dough. Mix in the wet ingredients and form a soft dough. Knead well until elastic, cover and keep aside for 30 minutes. In the meantime, combine the cream, sour cream and salt. Mince the garlic, slice the onion, clean and slice the mushroom.

Preheat oven to 475 F. Heat a baking pan in the oven. Divide the dough into four portions. Roll out each portion on a floured board until very thin.

On it spread the cream mixture, the garlic and then the onion and mushrooms. Repeat for the other portion. Bake for 5-7 minutes or until edges begin to brown.

Enjoy it hot out of the oven.