Torroni "Croccanti" di Mandorle

Christmas is an excellent opportunity to prepare traditional Italian desserts and serve old recipes but, despite the passing years, still remains a favorite by everyone, young and old. Here is one of my favorite Christmas treats.

Torroni di Mandorle

Ingredients


Blanched Almonds

1 lb. toasted almonds

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup honey
Zest of one orange

Blanching Almonds

Pour boiling water to barely cover almonds.

Let the almonds sit for 1 minute and no longer.

Drain and slip the skins off.

Toasting Almonds

Place almonds in a heavy, ungreased skillet.
Stir often over medium heat until golden brown.
Oven method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Toasted Almonds

Spread nuts in one layer on ungreased shallow baking pan.
Bake for 20 to 30, stirring occasionally, until golden brown.

Preparation
Melt sugar and honey in a pot over medium heat, add the almonds and turn constantly with a wooden spoon (about 30 minutes) until a firm consistency. Add orange zest in final minute. 

Put the mixture on a wet, work surface and spread with a cutting board until you reach a thickness of 1 inch. 

Cut into rectangles of 2 inches. 

These torroni or croccanti may be kept in a closed container for a long time.

LAMB'S LIVER WITH ONIONS (Fegato d'agnello con cipolla)

 I know that liver is not a food that everyone likes, but it's an extremely valuable food from a nutritional point of view as it is very rich in proteins.  It's not only nutritive but simple to prepare.  The liver together with onions acquires a special flavor.  

Try it, it will win you over.

Ingredients

1 lb. liver

3 red onions

1/4 cup olive oil

Few leaves of salvia and rosemary

Salt and pepper

Preparation

Rinse the liver under running water, dry it with kitchen paper and cut into pieces.

 

To add flavor and tenderize the liver, you can marinate it for at least 30 minutes in a mixture of olive oil, minced garlic herbs (salvia, rosemary), salt and pepper.

Put the oil in a large pan, add the onions, lightly salt (this prevents it from burning) and brown it lightly over a low flame, stirring with a wooden spoon.

As soon as the onions are golden, add two spoons of hot water and cook it over a very low flame for a few minutes.  Remove the onions from the pan and add the liver.

Cook them over a medium-low flame, turning them over as soon as the first side is cooked, season lightly with salt, add a pinch of pepper and finish cooking. Serve immediately.

Liver with side dish of broccoli

Enjoy your meal!

OUR TYPICAL THANKSGIVING DINNER

Thanksgiving dinner that my family enjoys yearly.

Lot of time and work, but simply worth it. 

Antipasto:  Shrimps and stuffed clams 

               Fried Calamari

            Vegetable tray with stuffed mushrooms, fried mushrooms and peppers

Home made ravioli

Ravioli with sage and butter

Ricotta ravioli with sauce

Turkey stuffing

Stuffed turkey

Roasted potatoes

 

Fresh Romano Beans with Tomatoes (Fagioli a Corallo in Umido)

     Romano beans, also known as flat beans, are like the cool cousins of green beans. Inside, you’ll find small, juicy beans that are both crisp and sweet.  These Italian-born beans thrive during the summer months, stretching from June through September. 

                                                   

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup of. extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 lb. very ripe fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced, or 1 small can of plum tomatoes, chopped.
• 1 small red chili (optional) 
• 1 lb. Romano beans, ends trimmed 
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste 
• 1 Tbs. finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (optional) 

Romano beans ends trimmed

 

Directions:

Snap off the stem ends and boil beans until tender-crisp and set aside.

In a saucepan warm the olive oil. Add the onions and cook until translucent.

Add the tomatoes, chili, salt and pepper and simmer.

After 30 minutes, stir in the beans for a few minutes and serve.

Great dish to eat mixed with pasta.

Also great as a side dish.

 

Flat green beans with grilled tuna

RIGATONI WITH EGGPLANTS (Rigatoni con Melanzane)

Rigatoni with eggplant is a delicious pasta dish.

The eggplants I use are Japanese or Chinese eggplants.  I use this kind of eggplants because they get very soft and creamy when cooked and have an almost melt-in-your-mouth texture.

Japanese eggplants from our vegetable garden

Ingredients:

One pound of Rigatoni

4 long eggplants

1/2 cup of olive oil

5 large tomatoes, peeled and chopped

1 small onion

Salt and black pepper

Fresh basil leaves and parsley for sauce

Some chopped parsley for decor

Some grated Parmigiano cheese

Sauce with fresh tomatoes

Directions:

Wash and cut the eggplant into 1 inch or so cubes.  

Eggplants cut into cubes

Heat a pan and add half of the olive oil.  

When it shimmers, add the eggplant and sauté until soft.  Drain and set aside.

Heat the pan again and add the remaining olive oil.  

Add the chopped onion and cook until golden.

Add the tomatoes, salt and black pepper.  Add basil leaves and parsley.

Cook for one-half hour, stirring often.

Start heating up the water for pasta.

Add the eggplant in the sauce pan and cook for few minutes.

Cook the pasta, drain, reserving a cup of the water just in case sauce seems too thick.

Place the pasta into a plate, add the sauce on top of the pasta.

Sprinkle with grated cheese and chopped parsley for decor.

 

PASTA WITH SNAKE BEANS (PASTA CON FAGIOLI SERPENTI)

     Snake beans with pasta is a home-made dish with a delicious flavor, very simple and quick to prepare in the months of July and August.

    While many cook snake beans stewed with fresh tomatoes, I prefer them with pasta mista and garlic.

    Pasta Mista is a type of pasta that combines various pasta shapes.

Snake beans are much longer and thinner than normal beans.

Snake beans hanging in our vegetable garden

Ingredients

1 lb. snake beans (cut into 2" pieces)

1/2 lb. pasta mista

1/2 cup olive oil

3 cloves of garlic (minced)

1 tsp. red pepper

Salt and pepper

Cook the Beans:  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add the beans and cook until tender.  Drain and set aside.

Cook the Pasta: In the meantime, in another pot of salted water cook the pasta until al dente.  

Sauté the Garlic:  In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the minced garlic and sauté for about 1 minute until fragrant.  Add the red pepper.

Combine and Season:  In a large dish combine the pasta with the beans and add the garlic sauce.  Toss everything together until well combined.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve warm, topped with grated cheese, if desired.

Buon Appetito!

ANNUALS THAT THRIVE IN SUMMER HEAT (Annuali che Prosperano nel Caldo Estivo)

As a gardening enthusiast, I choose plants that can not only survive but thrive during those scorching hot summer months.

Here are some perfect annuals to add a touch of brilliance in my garden.

LANTANA

COSMOS

MARIGOLDS

           

GERANIUM

ZINNIAS