June 24, 2009
- Lemon and Poppy Seed Madeleines - Wheat and Gluten Free
I simply love Paris and I can’t think of a time when it’s not good to go there. I love the city, its spirit and the colour of the sky in each and every season. Most of all, however, I love how the French create and savour their food.
Très chic! And while we are talking [...]
May 6, 2009
- Mini Chocolate Ganache Cakes
I’m sure that many of you have been in a real rush while making your food shopping. I’m normally rushing even when I do the shopping for the store.
Sometimes I pick up the wrong box or bottle and once this included a double 2 litre pack of Hershey chocolate syrup.I actually had ketchup not chocolate [...]
April 21, 2009
- Ricotta and Almond cake with Vanilla Honey and Very Berry Syrup
I am a fan of cheesecake, of any kind of cake to be honest, but today I wanted to make a cake that had a soft, crumbling base. Simple but definitely not boring.
Adding almonds and lemon zest is a very Italian thing to do, so sometimes you just shouldn’t fight what your mother taught you [...]
April 6, 2009
- Marzipan Simnel Cake - an English Easter Classic
To all baking goddesses out there, here is my version of a very classic English Easter treat - the Simnel Cake. I have to be honest I found the pronunciation of this cake quite challenging. For some reason my ’s’ sound is always too long and people never quite understand what I am talking about! [...]
October 14, 2008
- Cinnamon and pear cake - a wheat-free, gluten-free and dairy-free delight
After a summertime that has come and gone without the delivery of its promised sunny days, autumn is here!
I love this season because of the spectacular harvest bounty that it brings, as well as the wonderful colours that Mother Nature displays from her very own pret-a-porter wardrobe.
On trees she spreads an amazingly rich combination of [...]
April 28, 2008
- Vanilla and yoghurt panna cotta with Marsala wine and blueberry sauce
If you are asking who took a spoonful from this delicious dessert, well, look no further - it was me!
By simply looking at this picture you can understand how fantastically tempting this dessert is.
Flawless, smooth, vanilla-scented cream followed by a vibrant fuschia wine sauce enriched by deep purple fruity berry bites.Hmmm! Heaven!
In my defence, [...]
March 11, 2008
- Traditional Italian Easter cakes - colombe, torte e uova di cioccolato
In my regular ‘From my kitchen to yours‘ newsletter this week I’ve been sharing my thoughts and memories about my Easter holidays.
Pasqua, or Easter-time in Italy is in many ways my favourite holiday time of the year. It is much calmer than Christmas, and in some ways more spiritual.
Normally it coincides with the first wave [...]
March 2, 2008
- Mamma is the word - an apple cake for Mother’s Day!
Mamma is the word!
This post is dedicated to all Mums, and my mum was the perfect host for it. As you can see from the pictures she is a 69 year old larger than life character.
She is utterly inspiring for her uncomplicated way, honest and sharp eye for the things of life!She was the one [...]
February 19, 2008
- Chilli and cinnamon chocolate brownie
It doesn’t happen often that inspiration for a new flavour of brownie comes from a novel.
In ‘The Lollipop Shoes‘ by Joanne Harris, the heroine Vianne Rocher prepares her favourite chocolate drink by adding a mesmerizing combination of chilli, nutmeg and cinnamon.Instinctively I knew that this sensual new mixture was going to work. The following [...]
February 4, 2008
- Carrot cake with vanilla-scented icing
When I first came to England I was completely smitten by your carrot cake.
In Bologna where I grew up, I had never seen a cake made with a vegetable(!) nor one with such a peculiar texture - so enriched with walnuts and such a beautifully sweet icing.
Hmm!For this reason I used to order carrot cake [...]
January 13, 2008
- Apple cake with lemon zest and vanilla
January’s weather, with all its cold wind, rain and short daylight, presents a real challenge to stay focused on those New Year resolutions.
My favourite means of wishing away the winter blues is to eat a slice of my mum’s lemon zest and vanilla apple pie.There is nothing more comforting than a cake made with light [...]
June 17, 2007
- Gourmet strawberry mini-muffins with a balsamic vinegar, acacia honey and pink pepper glacé
I always look forward to my husband’s return from an early-morning visit to our local fruit market in Bristol. I give him a list of all the things we need and he has the task of hunting high and low for the freshest and highest quality produce available. This is not always an easy task [...]
May 25, 2007
- Heavenly pecan brownie with Italian vanilla bean ice-cream
One of my favourite comfort foods since coming to England is the classic chocolate brownie. Compared to some of Italy’s finer patisserie, the brownie may not be the prettiest, but its taste is surely to die for! From the day I first tasted one I was haunted by the desire to find [...]
February 25, 2007
- Vanilla, raspberry and acacia honey oat slice
Sunday morning for us is all about taking things slightly slower and going back to our favourite spot for breakfast… our very own deli!
Sunday morning is also about reading the food magazines from all over the world. Italian, Australian, American and of course British. I go through their pages and highlight what I think I [...]
