All posts tagged: Italian cuisine

Divine Mushroom Risotto

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‘Risotto is an Italian dish of rice cooked in broth to a creamy consistency. The broth may be meat-based, fish-based, or vegetable-based; many kinds include parmesan cheese, butter, and onion. It is one of the most common ways of cooking rice in Italy’ – or so says Wiki. But in most of the restaurants in Bangalore it looks and tastes more like Pongal – which is the biggest insult both to the humble pongal and the exquisite risotto! This is the reason that I religiously bypass the risotto in any restaurant menu here. I hadn’t seen anyone who could get the final product creamy but not gluggy and still have some bite to it…. Until I ate at Graze.  Oh… my…. God!! It was like I died and went to heaven! So of course I begged the chef to tell me his secret. Let’s just say I now have the ingredient list! Ahem ahem…There arose the problem – the man was using truffle oil and pea sprouts and Enokitake mushrooms and all the wonderful, if …

Spaghetti Alla Carbonara

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Here’s a tricky one. The recipe uses raw eggs. Don’t freak out, I’ve been relishing carbonara for many years and I still live to tell the tale. The reason I said it was tricky is because of the technique. You need to keep everything hot, so that when you add the eggs at the end, they just cook in the residual heat but do not scramble. Otherwise we would have scrambled eggs with spaghetti – not the best combo! That said, it’s the quickest and yummiest thing you can have with pasta. Also when the final result tastes like restaurant goodness in under ten minutes, your guests are sure going to sing praises of your effortless magic. Shall we say Nigella style? (It helps if you wear lipstick! Wink wink 😉 Spaghetti Alla Carbonara Prep time: 10 mins Cooking time: 10 mins Serves: 4 What you need: 450gms Spaghetti 1 Tbsp Olive oil 225gms rindless pancetta or lean bacon, chopped 4 Eggs 5 Tbsp light Cream 3 Tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese Salt and freshly …

Chicken Lasagna

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Lasagna was always one of those things on the menu that I was in awe of. Considering I dint know how to pronounce it when I looked at the spelling!  Oh puleez, stop raising your eyebrows and shaking your head in disbelief. That was eons ago! I know how to say it now ‘La-zan-ya’. There. Can we move past this now? Layers of pasta, cheese, meat and sauce – looked complicated! (Ok Ok … NOW I know its nothing but assembly line work). If you have all the components in place you really just need to stand there and go into a trance like state where you slop on pasta, meat, white sauce and cheese in a never-ending sequence. (Again I exaggerate – till you have reached the top of the baking dish is more like it). It does give you a very satisfying feeling at the end of it … mindless repetitive work always takes me into zen mode. (Ask me more about that meditative technique later). For the time being it’s safe to …

Too good to be true Pesto

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 What would you say, if I told you that I had the best Pesto recipe ever??!! Impossible right, cause I’m not even Italian, nor can I trace any of my roots to that hallowed land of food. (Ya, sometimes I dream I was Italian, eating their food everyday … bliss, bliss.) But I DO have the best pesto recipe. The result of trial, error, trial, error, consultation of many books and amalgamation of the best tips from the net – I give to you – Too Good to be True Pesto. I can’t even tell you it kicks store bought pesto’s ass because that would be like comparing a diamond to a piece of coal! I’m not claiming its authentic, I’m not even claiming that its by the book, but what it is, is heavenly green awesomeness that I could wrap my tongue around and ride off into the sunset with! Am I getting carried away? No, No, No… when you’ve found the holy grail of pesto’s wouldn’t you be shouting it out from the …

Insalata Caprese (Mozzarella, Basil and Tomato Salad)

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I know it’s not summer and this is definitely a summer salad. But on a dreary winter day like today, the colors sure cheer me up. This is such a simple salad but tastes heavenly. The creaminess of the bocconcini is well worth the visit to a gourmet store. (By the way, the white colour and creaminess is because it’s made from buffalo milk.) But if you can’t stomach the thought, then fresh mozzarella is fine as well. Like I was saying…chase the winter blues away with some red, white and green! Insalata CapresePrep time: 10 minsServes: 6 What you need:6 medium, ripe Tomatoes4 fresh small Mozzarella (Bocconcini) balls1 Tbsp Lemon juice4 Tbsp extra virgin Olive OilHandful of shredded Basil leavesFreshly ground Black Pepper, to taste What to do:Slice tomatoes thickly. Slice mozzarella thinly and interleave with tomato slices and basil leaves. Combine lemon juice and olive oil in a small bowl. Mix well using a wire whick. Drizzle dressing over salad. Sprinkle with shreds of basil leaves and pepper. Serve! P.S. This salad is …

Pasta with Tuna and Capers

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We generally buy our seafood fresh from the local market and nothing can really beat the taste of the sea. However there is no shame opening up a can of tuna for a quick weekday meal. Considering the fish was a favorite of the ancient Phoenicians (And the Greeks and Romans loved it as well)…it’s already got a good reputation. With all the Omega3 that doctors keep saying we need to incorporate into our diet, this fish is heart healthy! I found this recipe in my cooking bible – The Family Circle Cooking Encyclopedia.  So there’s really no going wrong. The co-resident and I give this one a thumbs-up! So does Muesli, who thought the can of tuna was for her… 🙂 Pasta with Tuna and Capers Cooking time: 20 mins Serves: 4 What you need:500 gms Pasta¼ cup Olive Oil4 cloves Garlic, minced225 gm Tuna drained60 gms Butter1/3 cup Lemon Juice2 Tbsp chopped Capers½ tsp chopped Chilli What to do:Place pasta in a pan of boiling salted water and cook until just tender. Heat …

Spaghetti Chicken Bolognaise

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Bolognaise Sauce is a thick meat and tomato sauce served with pasta (usually spaghetti), originally from the city of Bologna in Northern Italy. The sauce is also known as Ragũ and traditionally contains chopped ham, beef, lean pork, chicken livers, several vegetables and white wine. The recipe I have is a special hand crafted one. (So let’s put it this way…I’ve tweaked the recipe to suit what was there at home and it turned out just fine). My star ingredient was the humble chicken (substituting the ham, beef and pork). I deserve credit for making the bolognaise sauce friendly for people who don’t eat red meat 🙂 Spaghetti Chicken Bolognaise Prep time: 15 mins Cooking time: 40 mins Serves: 4-6 What you need: 400 gms Chicken Mince 4 Tbsp Olive Oil 2 Onions (finely chopped) 2 Carrots (diced small) 8 Garlic cloves (finely chopped) 1 Celery Stem (finely chopped) 4 Tomatoes (finely chopped) 8 Tbsp Tomato Puree 2 Tbsp Ketchup 2 tsps Chili flakes 1 tsp Sugar 1 tsp Oregano 1 tsp Parsley 400 gms …

Penne with Broccoli

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I honestly don’t know why so many people have an aversion to Broccoli. Is it because it looks too green (almost alien green) and healthy? Or is it because no one has ever thought of serving it deep fried? I really can’t fathom the reason, as the only time my palate was exposed to broccoli, was when I had already crossed the fussy food period in my life. In some ways I’m glad, because I do adore the vegetable. Whenever I include broccoli in my food I feel my health quotient going up a couple of notches! Did you know it’s a minus calorie food? – It takes more calories for our body to digest broccoli than the calories it provides. It also has a really high antioxidant and folic acid level. Come on! The little bugger is just rooting for a slimmer and more beautiful you! Need I give you any more reasons to include Broccoli in your meal plans?? Penne with Broccoli Prep time: 30 mins Serves: 4 What you need: 1 head …