Amaretti and Chocolate Mousse

Apple Strudel

Lemon Sorbet

Strawberry tiramisu

Pere al vino

Cheese Blintz (Jewish pancakes)

Cannoli

Semifreddo all'Amaretto 

French Crepes

Coconut custard

Tiramisu

Panna cotta

Ricotta pie

Quinoa, Poppy seeds and lemon muffin

Salami di ciocolatto 

Fritelle 

Polenta cake

Chocolate and lime Brazilian trifle

I am not sure why, but breakfast in Italy is sweet. Cake is a traditional breakfast food, and so are cookies and brioche (an easy croissant). I'm always a bit stunned when I hear Americans making fun of the concept of cake for breakfast, mostly because that’s the norm for us!

The typical Italian breakfast is made of a hot beverage, like cappuccino or caffe’, with something sweet to eat- cake, cookies, pastries, brioche, croissants, or toast and jam.

Eggs? Ham? Bacon? THOSE ARE DINNER FOODS! (It seems to hear Nonna!)

Brioche (Italian Style)

Pumpkin Cappuccino

Apple Cake

Polenta Cake

Cannoli

Strawberry jam

Beer bread

Focaccia alla Genovese

Focaccia Pugliese

Italian Breakfast

I am truly not sure why, but breakfast in Italy is sweet. Cake is a traditional breakfast food, and so are cookies and brioche (an easy croissant). I'm always a bit stunned when I hear Americans making fun of the concept of cake for breakfast, mostly because that’s the norm for us!
The typical Italian breakfast is made of a hot beverage, like cappuccino or caffe’, with something sweet to eat- cake, cookies, pastries, brioche, croissants, or toast and jam.
Eggs? Ham? Bacon? THOSE ARE DINNER FOODS! (It seems to hear Nonna!)

Apple cake

Apple cake

 This recipe comes from the pastry kitchen of the hotel Sofitel. A French chef was very unfriendly and always kept in secret his recipes. This Apple cake was one of my favorites so I made a plan to stole the recipe. One day I stayed working at the hotel during the night to prepare the next day breakfast so I had the keys of his kitchen, around 3am I entered there, got his recipe book went to the reception and friendly asked the receptionists if they could make a copy in exchange of some Belgium chocolate. They did and now we can all have this easy delicious cake. The chef was so mean that still makes me feel good about outsmart him and share this recipe as much as I can!

2 Apples (Honey crisp is the best option)

2 eggs
1/2 cup canola oil
7 oz flour / 200g
1 tbsp baking powder
1 pinch of salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup of walnuts
1/2 cup of raisins (you can soak them in your favorite alcoholic drink if you would like)

1. Grate the apples and reserve it.

2. Mix the eggs and sugar until you have a creamy texture. Add the oil and the flour on the mixture. Add the baking powder, salt and cinnamon and mix a little more.

3. When all the ingredients are homogenised add the apples, walnuts and raisins.  Bake on the oven for about 30 minutes on 350F. Each oven cook different, so keep your eye on the cake!

4. The cake will be ready when golden brown and when you can stick a toothpick inside and the toothpick comes clean.

5. The good thing about this cake is that keeps getting better and better with the days, does not gets dry and you can freeze if you wrap very well in plastic.

Winter Foods!

Lentil Soup with Chestnuts

Calzone or Panzerotti

Bucatini All'Amatriciana

Pasta e fagioli alla Veneta

Tortellini Soup

Al Anatra Sauce (Duck sauce)

 Orecchiette al forno with Spicy Tuna

Pierogi

Bigoli dough

Penne alla Vodka

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

Traditional Lasagne alla Bolognese

Casunziei

Hungarian Goulash

Arancini

Fagottini alla Zucca with Butter Sage and Pine-nuts

Ingredients

For the dough:
400g of Flour '00' (cake flour) + if necessary
4 organic fresh farmed eggs

For the filling:
400g of buttercup squash
400g of Ricotta
150g of Pecorino Romano
1 sliced onion
Salt & Pepper
Olive oil

For the sauce:
6 tbsp Butter
20 Sage leafs
1 tbsp Olive Oil
4 tbsp Pine-nuts

Preparing the dough:
Using a fork, begin mixing in the egg with the flour.  The egg will absorb into the flour and once it has integrated enough and there is not much runny egg left, begin using your hands to work the dough.  Continue until reaches a smooth consistency, adding a light dust of flour if necessary.  It should feel similar to kids “playdough.”   Cover the dough with plastic wrap to protect from drying.  For best results, let the dough rest for at least 10 minutes.
Roll the pasta in the pasta machine starting from the thickest mode, progressing one step thinner each time, until desired thickness is reached.

Preparing the filling:
Cut the buttercup squash in cubes and sauté with the onions.
Once the squash is soft and the onions are brown, add all the ingredients in the food processor until paste.

Preparing the Butter, Sage and Pine-nuts sauce:
Melt the butter with the olive oil in a low heat (using olive oil, you avoid burning the butter.)Add the sage leafs and always in low heat until is crispy. Add the pine nuts at the end (Pine-nuts burn easy, so be careful!).

Recipes with Pumpkin

Bruschetta con crema di Zucca e noci

Fagottini alla Zucca with Butter, Sage and Pine-nuts

Ravioli di Zucca

Chestnut Fettuccine with Pumpkin and Bacon

Lasagna di Zucca

Cappellacci di Zucca with Sausage Ragu

Pumpkin coconut spicy shrimps 

Zuccamisu 

Pumpkin Cappuccino 

Pumpkin Cappuccino or Frappucino

Pumpkin Cappuccino or Frappuccino

For one serving:

1/4 cup espresso coffee
1/2 cup of warm milk (Or cold for Frappuccino)
1 table spoon buttercup squash (cooked)
1 tea spoon pumpkin spice
1/8 cup of Amaretto Liquor
Heavy whipped cream (optional)

1 - Blend the milk with the squash, pumpkin spice and Amaretto liquor;

2 - Serve it on the mugs for cappuccino or glass for frappuccino;

3 - Add the coffee. If you would like you can also serve with whipped cream on top.