pizza pizza pizza

“My love is pizza shaped. Won’t you have a slice? It’s circular, so there’s enough to go around.
”

― Dora J. Arod, Love quotes for the ages. 

I wanted to take a break from writing long dramatic stories on my life or writing recipes, although I know you love them!
Yes yes yes, there is the stereo type that Italian`s are pizza eater`s, but I am here to confirm that it is totally true, and they eat it often!
Pizza here is not taken lightly, and it is definitely not a case of dialing a 1800 number for home delivery. Pizza means so much more here in Italy. Pizza brings people together, it is a "modo di  vivere" (a way to live)! 
Pizza can be enjoyed amongst family, friends, work meetings, or it is common that a first date is nervously enjoyed sharing pizza. And yes, even on first dates Italian women eat pizza!
Going out for a weekly pizza amongst friends is the perfect alternative to a restaurant, especially when funds are tight. There are some really chic pizza restaurants where you can still enjoy table service, wine (although most Italian`s drink beer with pizza), and soak in the atmosphere. However Alessandro and I enjoy our weekly pizza at a very low key, no frills, very rustic pizzeria where the waiter knows our order.
In fact, I recently decided to celebrated my birthday with friends at a local pizzeria drinking far too much prosecco! The private room was a brick dome built into the ancient city walls, a very unique ambient indeed.

Pepenero pizzeria, Pietrasanta. Italy

Italian`s know their pizza and understand well the difference between the local pizzerie (pizza shops). And the difference is vast, some pizza bases are light and crunchy, some rich and yeasty, however it is a given that it should always be cooked in a wood fired oven. 
Although I am a lover of getting my hands dirty and do love beating out a good dough, there is a certain pleasure about being taken out for pizza. If you want to try making pizza at home, please find the recipe here;
 http://karasitaliankitchen.blogspot.it/2012/07/pasta-di-pizza-pizza-dough.html
The purpose of this article is to share some of my favourite pizza toppings with you. In Italy the pizza's are generally topped with no more than three or four ingredients. By choosing good quality, in season ingredients, you really don't need to add more. Remember less is more! All of my favourite pizza`s that I am listing below have a base of red sauce and mozzarella. You can also order pizza bianca (white pizza), which means no red sauce, however I prefer mine with!
1: Tuna, Tropea red onion topped with fresh rocket
2: Speak and mascarpone
3: Smoked salmon and mascarpone topped with fresh rocket
4: A simple Margherita (tomato, mozzarella and basil). Check out link here;
http://karasitaliankitchen.blogspot.it/2011/11/pizza-margherita.html
5: Margherita topped with freshly sliced pieces of prosciutto crudo (smoked prosciutto)
6: Sausage pieces with gorgonzola
7: Origano with anchovies and capers
8: Lots of Tropea red onions finely slices with black olives and anchovies 
9: Zucchini flowers with anchovies 
10: Potato and rosemary 

#pizza #articolo #impasto #dough #article 

vellutata di funghi/ mushroom soup

Only the pure in heart can make a good soup.

Ludwig van Beethoven

During this Christmas period of ridiculous extravagance to the point “non posso piu” (I can`t anymore), I decided to revet to one of my favourite ever things to make, soup! Not that this soup is exactly a light dish. It is rich, creamy and quite indulgent. Non the less, it is liquid and relatively light in comparison the wild boar, lentils, polenta, boiled sausage and 10 kilos of prosciutto I have witnessed in these days. Soup is always a comfort food and is exactly the fix I needed to warm my bones from the cold weather we are experiences here in Tuscany. This soup is super easy to make, as it calls for only a few ingredients and one big pot. It is also extremely delicious and a perfect luxurious soup to serve to guests.

What you need:

One kilo of mushrooms, what ever variety you can find in season 

400 grams of homemade beef stock/stock

One large white onion

A few garlic cloves depending on the your taste 

Fresh thyme leaves, the perfect partner for mushrooms

Olive oil

1/2 cup of fresh full cream

Sicilian salt and fresh cracked black pepper 

How to make:

1: In a large pan sauté the roughly chopped onions, garlic,thyme,  generous amount of olive oil and salt. Saute the onions for roughly five minutes or until soft and translucent 

2: Wash and pat dry the mushrooms and roughly chop. Add to the pan. Add the beef broth/stock. Stir well and cover with a lid. Bring to the boil and then lower the flame to simmer for roughly 20 minutes 

3: Remove the thyme sticks. Add the cream and then use a hand blender to mix well until smooth and creamy. Season to taste with salt and pepper

4: Serve with crusty bread croutons and drizzle with good quality olive oil

#funghi #mushroom #zuppa #vellutata #soup 

Vigilia di natale. The night before Christmas

“Happiness is  only real when shared” 
― Jon Krakauer, Into the Wild

 So yet another year has rolled around and here we are getting ready to celebrate the Eve of Christmas. This time of year is always sentimental as naturally I would like to spending time with my family but obviously there are many oceans between us. Family is not just a word. It is who you are, where you came from and where you will always belong. That is why this year I have decided to be senitmental in the kitchen, bringing back many childhood recipes that my Mother and even grandmother would make.

Typically my Christmas festive season is spent celebrating with friends and I have always been lucky to have been invited into their homes. It is true that friends although you will never be connected by blood, can become an extended family. Our tradition here in Italy is that all of my close friends come to my house on Christmas evening. It spontaneously occurred my first year here in Italy, and we have kept the tradition running. For the past six years I have cooked an array of Italian treats, but this year I am going back to my British roots. Keeping the odd Italian treat aflame such as tiramisu, riccarelli biscuits and pandoro! As all of my friends arrive at my house after long lunches of extravagnce with their families, I will fill my table with various deserts. 

So I thought I would share with you some of the old school delights I have on the cards for tomorrow,

Traditional English pudding complete with creme anglaise and ice-cream

Drunken triffle made with homemade pandoro, custard, fruit and cream

A pain stakingly time consuming gingerbread house 

Home made chocolates in gift bags 

Chocolate chip cupcakes with chocolate icing 

Ginger biscuits with gorgonzola and walnuts 

Mince pie eggnog milkshakes 

Then of course some of the Italian delights that I mentioned previously with some savoury items such as fegatini crostini (tuscan pate(, smoked salmon, cured meats, cheeses and dried fruits etc.

I think the longer you live away from home the more you get sentimental, or maybe that just comes with age. This year is also the first year in six that I will be celebrating with my boyfriend, so I am really excited to be sharing some of my families traditions with him, complete with bon bon`s I was able to find at a local British shop! http://www.richmonds.it

Traditionally I have always given edible gifts or have filled hampers with the years produce ranging from homemade liquors, sundries tomatoes and various pesto`s etc. This year I have kept it simple with homemade chocolates, pandoro, and `do it yourself` homemade chocolate chip muffin jars, just add milk and eggs! I am looking forward to sharing my homemade goodies with all tomorrow! 

So as we all settle into our cosy beds tonight and anticipate the magical day that is Christmas, a day typically filled with excessive gifts and indulgence. I ask you just to take a moment to think of the 100 million homeless, the 800 million people living in poverty and the 11 million children that die every year as victims of malnutrition. Then give thanks for how lucky we all are!

Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas!!!!

Kara xxx

My babies, homemade Pandoro 

Make at home chocolate muffins gift jars. Just add milk and eggs!!!

The before and aftermath

Il pandoro

What are the fundamentals for creating a child? Although I have never been pregnant nor given birth I can imagine that much patience is needed, time, care, sometimes discomfort and a lot love. These are also the basic fundamentals needed for making the perfect pandoro. And after all of these factors have been applied a child or should I say a pandoro is born! 

Pandoro is a traditional sweet yeast bread always found during the Christmas period in Italy. In fact you will find numerous varieties in multi coloured boxes in most Italian homes during Christmas. Last year I was gifted a minimum of ten, quite comical considering I live alone. They are often served and  dusted with icing sugar flavoured with vanilla. More recently some people hollow them out and place chantilly cream or ice-cream inside. I find that this serves well for the commercially purchased varieties. However in my opinion this is a complete injustice to the flavour and respect commanded for a homemade pandoro.

For all of those who have shared in my pandoro journey we now rejoice in the birth of my child- and we can also eat it!

STEP ONE to make the mother yeast:

15 grams of fresh yeast

60 grams of warm water

50 grams of flour 00

10 grams of sugar (a pinch)

one egg YOLK

In a large bowl add the warm water to the yeast and combine well, then the sugar, then the flour and egg yolk. Whisk together well ensuring there are no lumps.

Cover with a tea-towel and place in a dark and warm place for an hour. The liquid will become almost double in size and should become thick and creamy (featured above).

melted butter      this is 15 grams of fresh yeast

STEP TWO to make the first round of dough (featured above):

250 grams of flour 00

3 grams of fresh yeast

two tablespoons of tepid water

one tablespoon of sugar

30 grams of butter

one egg

Add the flour and the egg to the 'mother yeast'. In a small pan melt the butter, then add the yeast, water and sugar. Add this liquid to the mother yeast, flour and egg mixture. Use a spoon to bring all of the ingredients together. Once they are blended use your floured hands to then place the dough on a floured surface and knead together into a ball (as featured below). This will only take a minute.

Place the dough ball in a lightly butter bowl, cover with a tea-towel and allow to rest and rise for one hour in a dark warm place. This will double in size

STEP THREE to make the second round of dough:
200 grams of flour 00
100 grams of sugar
one teaspoon of salt
two eggs
one stick of vanilla (remove seeds)
140 grams of butter at room temperature 
To the first round of dough add all of the above ingredients but NOT THE BUTTER.

Use a spoon to bring all of the ingredients together. Once they are blended use your floured hands to then place the dough on a floured surface and knead together into a ball (as featured below). This will only take a minute.

Like with the first round of dough place the dough ball in a lightly butter bowl, cover with a tea-towel and allow to rest and rise for one hour in a dark warm place. This will double in size, or in my case triple in size.

Then place the dough in the fridge for half and hour

STEP FIVE

Roll out on a well floured surface a large rectangle shape with the dough. Place the room temperature butter in the middle

STEP SIX

 Fold in the two longest outer edges into the centre

STEP SEVEN

 Then fold the two longest outer edges into the centre

STEP EIGHT

Then fold in two as displayed above. Place the dough like this is a lightly buttered bowl and allow to rest for half an hour. Then place in the fridge for half an hour.

STEP NINE
Remove from the fridge and repeat the top three steps THREE MORE TIMES. Roll out, fold, fold, fold, then place in fridge for half an hour each time

STEP TEN

Place the dough in a well buttered and floured pandoro tin (as featured below). Place the tin in a warm place to allow to rise for 8-10 hours. My house is really cold so I placed it in the oven with just the light on. The rising time will vary depending on the elements. Make sure you keep your eye on it during the final rising hours.

the dough in the mould and the risen dough after eight hours

STEP ELEVEN

Place the risen dough in a pre-heated oven at 170 degrees for fifteen minuets. Then reduce the oven to 150 and bake for a further ten minuets. Use a skewer to ensure it is cooked through. Rest for ten minuets then turn out the pandoro

Serve up-side down and sprinkle with icing sugar 

#pandoro #buonadomenica #christmas #dough #cibo #bambino #levito #yeast #italy #italia #stampino #forma #impasto #burro #butter