January 28, 2010

Coffee break as we work:

For our breakfast treat we had:

Cream Cheese Pound Cake with Lime Glaze

Ingredients:

For the cake:

3 ¼ cups cake flour (00 in Italy)

¼ tsp. baking soda (sodio bicarbonate in Italy)

¼ tsp. salt

2 ¼ sticks (= 10 ounces) of unsalted butter

8 oz. cream cheese ( I used mascarpone makes for a lighter cake)

3 cups granulated sugar

6 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3 Tbs. fresh lime juice

2 tsp. finely grated lime zest

For the glaze:

¼ cup fresh lime juice

¾ cup granulated sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325° F. Grease and flour a 10 cup bundt pan or 2 loaf pans.

Sift together flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.

In large bowl of electric mixer beat the butter and cream cheese

on medium speed until creamy and smooth. Gradually add the

granulated sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy,

stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

increase the speed to medium high and add the eggs one at a time, beating

well after each addition then beat in the vanilla and lime juice.

Reduce the speed to low and beat in the flour mixture in 3 additions. Beat

each addition until just incorporated, stopping the mixer occasionally to

scrape down the sides of the bowl. Using a rubber spatual, fold in the lime

zest.

Spoon the batter in the prepared pan or pans, spreading the batter so the sides are

higher than the center. Bake until the cake is golden and a toothpick inserted in the

center comes out clean. About 1½ hours for the bundt pan, about 1 hour for the loaf pans.

Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let stand and let the cake cool upright for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile make the glaze. Ina small bowl whisk together the sugar and lime juice.

Set the rack over a piece of waxed paper, invert the pan onto the rack and lift off the pan.

Using a pastry brush, brush the cake with the glaze. Let the cake cool completely before

Serving. Dust with confectioners sugar just before serving.

Original Recipe from Williams-Sonoma.

Carciofi alla Romana

I got this recipe from Rome at Home cookbook by Suzanne Dunnaway. The author suggested using wine or water and adding a squeeze of lemon at the end. I used water and did not add the lemon.

½ c olive oil

6 Roma artichokes, leaves trimmed, stems peeled, greenish tops cut off, chokes removed*

6 garlic cloves

4 fresh mint sprigs (we used parseley)

½ tsp salt

½ c water

Heat olive oil in large pot with lid over medium heat, then add the artichokes.

Cook for a few minutes, until golden, then add the garlic, mint or parsely, and salt.

Cover and simmer for 6-7 minutes.

Add water, lower heat, cover and continue cooking 15-20 minutes.

Add small amounts of water if the pan becomes dry.

Cook until very tender.

*As you clean the artichokes, dip them and store them in a bowl of water with the juice of two lemons. This prevents discoloration of the artichokes.

Carciofi alla Romana ready to be served:



Cleaned carciofi in acidulated water:

Baked Fennel with Butter & Cheese

4 large fennels

¼ cup butter

1/3 cup freshly grated parmigiano cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350° F (175°C). Butter a 13” x 9” baking dish. Cut off the long stalks

and bruised leaves from the fennels. Slice end off bulbous base. Wash fennels thoroughly.

Cut into quarters. Fill a large saucepan two-thirds full with water. Bring water to a boil.

add fennels. Cook over high heat 10 to 15 minutes or until tender but firm. Drain the

fennels and arrange slightly overlapping in buttered baking dish. Season with salt

and pepper. Dot generously with butter and sprinkle with parmigiano cheese. Bake

15 minutes or until fennel is tender and cheese is melted. Serve hot. Serves about 8.

I think I should have added a lot more cheese.

This recipe came from “Northern Italian Cooking” by Biba Caggiano

Baked Fennel just out of the oven

Potato Gnocchi All'Amatriciana

In Rome Thursday is gnocchi day. Romans have copied this recipe, which originates from the northern Lazio hill town Amatrice, and claimed it as their own. The recipe's key ingredients are tomato, guanciale and pecorino cheese - the Roman variation is the addition of onion and hot pepper. Either way it's a scrumptious dish! Although this sauce would traditionally be served with bucatini or spaghetti it goes wonderfully with potato gnocchi.

1 kg potatoes

1 egg

300 grams (11 oz) flour

100 g (3.5 oz) guanciale (pork jowl), cubed

350 grams (12 oz) peeled tomatoes

1/2 small onion, thinly sliced

1 hot pepper

1/4 Cup Olive oil

40 (1.5 oz) grams pecorino romano, grated

Saute the guanciale in olive oil , then add the onion and red pepper and cook until sizzling. Add the tomatoes and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until

the sauce has thickened.

Boil potatoes until just tender - do not over boil. Drain, peel and put through a potato ricer onto work surface. Once cool, work the egg into the potatoes.

Work about 200 - 300 grams of flour into the potatoes on floured work surface until no longer sticky. Do not overknead the dough. Roll the dough into long thin rolls and cut into 1 cm. long pieces.

Cook in boiling salted water until the gnocchi rise to the top.

Remove with a slotted spoon and place in a warm serving dish where you have already placed some of the sauce. Gently shake to cover. Continue until all gnocchi are prepared.

Garnish with the grated pecorino romano cheese and serve immediately.

Gnocchi are ready to serve! Mmmmmmm!



Passing potatoes through potato ricer:

SEA BASS BAKED IN SALT CRUST

I ordered this once in a restaurant in Praiano on the Amalfi Coast. I was so impressed with it that I decided to try it at home. In my own kitchen, I did it with one fish while at the class I made three fish in the same pan. It was just as easy. At our group meeting, the fish was done before other items, so we took it out of the oven and left it still in its salt crust for 15-20 minutes. This didn’t seem to hurt it at all. It stayed moist and hot and was not overcooked.

Sea bass (spigola)

Coarse salt (sale grosso)

Have your fishmonger clean your fish for you, leaving on the head, tail and scales. (He is simply gutting the fish.)

Preheat the oven to 200C or 400F

In a baking pan that holds your fish comfortably, lay a bed of sale grosso.

Rinse your fish, pat dry, and lay the fish on top of the bed of salt. Completely cover with more sale grosso. You should not be able to see the fish at all.

Slip into the oven and bake for 30 min.

To serve, crack the salt crust, and brush salt aside taking care to try and not let salt get into cavity of fish. Remove fish to a cutting board. Take skin off top, remove first side of fish meat to a plate, take off the skeleton, and remove second side of meat to plate, leaving last side of skin on the cutting board. Always be trying your best to keep the large salt crystals off the fish meat.

We drizzled the fish with a “dressing” consisting of olive oil, a little balsamic vinegar, and pepperoncini flakes. My preference would have been to have some slivered mint leaves in the sauce as well which is how it was served at the restaurant, but my store was out.

Irene cleaning the sea bass after removing it from the salt crust: