Mamai, Milan *Closed*

Remember my post about Alice, the Michelin-star restaurant on the top floor of Eataly Milan? Well, if you liked Alice, then you should also check out its old location, Mamai won't disappoint.

Macelleria Popolare, Milan

A delicious lunch break in the new Darsena market, by the guys from Mangiari di Strada!

Pasta with Chanterelles

It's been a long time since the last recipe, so here's a tasty and simple first course with Chanterelles:

Pasta does make the difference

I love pasta, but I had never believed that the brand of the pasta could influence the taste of a certain dish. Until now. 

Swordfish pasta

Unfortunately, the holidays are over... But before I start posting and posting about my holidays in Mexico, here's an easy and delicious recipe, the kind I like the most!
Here's what you need:

Swordfish Pasta

(serves 2)

1 swordfish steak (about 150 gr.)
16 cherry tomatoes
1 teaspoon of green peppercorns
1 teaspoon of red peppercorns
1 teaspoon of black peppercorns
1 teaspoon of himalayan salt
1 garlic clove
1 red chili pepper
200 gr. spaghetti
salt
olive oil
parsley


Rinse and dice the swordfish.

In a mortar, grind the peppercorns and himalayan salt (I also added some coriander).

Mix the swordfish with the peppercorns mixture and 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a bowl, let it marinade for about 20 minutes in the fridge.

In a pan, heat two tablespoons of olive oil, the galic clove (peeled) and the pepper, minced and w/o the seeds. After a couple of minutes, add the sworfish marinade and cook for 3 minutes at medium heat.
Rinse and dice the cherry tomatoes.

Sprinkle the tomatoes with salt and add them to the pan, cook for 5 minutes and remove the garlic clove.

In the meantime, cook the spaghetti in salted boiling water. Drain and add to the pan with the swordfish. Mix and cook at low heat for a couple of minutes. Sprinkle with minced parsley and serve.

Wine pairing: Sauvignon Blanc 

Orecchiette

Orecchiette is a kind of pasta (hand-made) from Southern Italy, Puglia region. It's called orecchietta because its shape reminds of a small ear (orecchietto in Italian). I don't know (of course), nor do I have the skills to make orecchiette by myself - I'm a bit of a chicken when it comes to making pasta with my hands - but you can buy fresh ones in gourmeries, and let me tell you, after I tasted them, I'm seriously thinking of making them by myself soon. You can also buy them dry as the other kinds of pasta, but trust me, the fresher the better.
I love the simplicity of some ingredients, a couple of them put together and you have an easy but delicious dish.

Orecchiette al pomodoro
(serves 2)
200 gr. of orecchiette (fresh or dry, whatever you can get)
tomato sauce
1 garlic clove
2 tablespoons of olive oil
a bunch of fresh basil leaves
1 spicy red pepper
half a cup of grated ricotta salata (or parmigiano cheese)
salt


Peel the garlic, then fry it in a pan with the olive oil and the red pepper (diced), after a couple of minutes add the tomato sauce, salt and basil. Cook over low heat for about 15 minutes, then take away the garlic.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in salted water, drain and add it to the sauce pan, cook together -low heat-for a few minutes.
Serve the orecchiette in the plates and add the grated ricotta, decorate with basil leaves.

Defending pasta

How many times have you heard the following phrases?:

- "When I went to Italy I gained lots of weight because of the pasta"
- "No pasta for me, I'm on a diet"
- "Pasta makes you fat"
- "How can you live in Italy and eat all that pasta and not gain weight?"

Well, I've heard them lots of times and now it's time to defend my first Italian love, the healthy and delicious pasta, from all the nonsense. (the last question is obviously not true because I have gained some weight, but it's not pasta's fault)

Pappafò

A couple of weeks ago while visiting Le Marche we decided to have lunch at Pappafò, a cozy country house between Castelraimondo and Camerino. It's been open for some years now and everytime we eat there we are happy so it's a safe choice and this time was as expected.

Pentolaccia time!

If you ever happen to be in Le Marche (maybe shopping around the outlets and shoe factories), you must stop by Civitanova Marche, a town in the Adriatic, famous also for its shoe market which takes place on Saturdays in the main square and neighboring streets. The shoes you find there are very good quality because some of them come directly from the factories in the area and the prices are also good!

But the main purpose to come to Civitanova Marche is to have a pentolaccia. What? Pentolaccia is a delicious seafood dish that consists in mixing different kinds of shellfish (mussels, clams, oysters), shrimps, squids, crabs, etc. with handmade pasta and a delicate tomato sauce (optional).
The best place I have eaten it at is called L'Oasi and it is located in the southern promenade of the town (lungomare sud), it's right by the sea, they also have sunbeds and umbrellas in the beach during the summer. The atmosphere of the place is relaxed, it has windows overlooking the beach, air conditioning and friendly service.

Easy pasta

I came back from Dubai loaded with spices and seeds: coriander, curry mixes, pine seeds, burghul, etc. In fact, my kitchen cabinet smells like a spice souk now!
As you know, I love simple and quick recipes (who doesn't?) so, since I have a big box of pine seeds I decided to try a Castelraimondo classic (that would be a recipe I learned to make while I was living in Castelraimondo), pasta with rucola, tomato and pine seeds, so simple but so tasty and healthy.

My first 30's!

Here's a little collage I made to symbolize my first 30 years in this world...

... and if the next 30 are as great as these were, can't wait!!!

my tribute to Carbonara

In 1999 I visited Italy for the first time, that's when I fell in love with food. I was very picky as a child (G thinks I am still), I wouldn't eat vegetables, always left half of my food, but after I tried the Carbonara I knew that was going to be my favorite food forever, I could eat it everyday for the rest of my life! After 11 years, I can say I've learned to prepare it and I can even tell you where I've eaten the best Carbonara.
But first a little history: Wikipedia tells us that, like most recipes, the origins of the dish are obscure, and there are several hypotheses about it. As the name is derived from carbonaro (the Italian word for charcoal burner), some believe that the dish was first made as a hearty meal for Italian charcoal workers. The dish was first recorded after the war as a Roman dish, when many Italians were eating eggs and bacon supplied by troops from the United States. The dish became popular among American troops stationed in Italy; upon their return home, they popularized spaghetti alla carbonara in North America.
As it happens with the amatriciana, there's always diatribe among food lovers about the ingredients of the Carbonara. Some say it's better to use bacon, others lard and whether or not to use the egg white, cooking point of the egg, use of cream and the type of cheese.
Here's the average recipe:

Ingredients (serves 4):

- 400 g spaghetti;
- 150 g bacon or lard; bacon has to be high quality but for everyday, regular diced bacon will do.
- 30 g pecorino romano - a good seasoned parmigiano or other pecorini will do as well.
- 4 eggs - You must use one egg per person (max. one for 2 pax), I prefer to use the whites as well.
- salt and pepper;
(Isn't it amazing that with these simple ingredients you can create something so delicious? maybe that's what I love the most about Carbonara, simple yet amazing)
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the past and cook as directed on the package.
In the meantime, cook diced bacon in a skillet until crisp. Mix the eggs in a bowl with the grated pecorino and plenty of pepper
When the pasta is cooked, drain and pour it in a big bowl where you will add the bacon (with the cooking grease/fat). Stir in the egg mixture and toss thoroughly until combined (my short experience has taught me that the egg must not be cooked, so it must be added after the stove's off, mixing continuously and serving immediately).
Serve immediately and, if needed, add more grounded pepper and grated pecorino

Wine pairing (by G): medium-bodied white wines from Lazio, possibly with scents of aromatic herbs, Vermentini from Liguria and Sardinia but G prefers a good Verdicchio from Le Marche. Collio from Friuli (Ribolla, Tocai, Malvasia, Pinot gris and Sauvignon) might be an original idea. If you prefer red wine it must be a smooth blend that won't cover the taste.

We were saying, after years and years of eating Carbonara all around Italy I can state that the best one I've tried was prepared on a wonderful sunny summer afternoon in the Marche hills by my friend S. from Iran... now you must be thinking: what? was it not prepared by an Italian??? - No. I don't know what S. does (she's very secret about it), but her Carbonara is just perfect! and you have to consider that most of your perfect meals also depend of the atmosphere and company. So imagine, having this just-prepared delicious Carbonara by the poolside overlooking the Marche smooth hills and enjoying it while chatting with good friends... just perfect!

A quick fact FYI, recently, Rome's best Carbonara was elected, turns out it's prepared by a Moroccan chef from Antico Forno Roscioli - a gourmerie near Campo de' Fiori. I won't be writing about it because even if it's Rome's best, portions are ridiculously small and prices are high... thanks but no thanks!

EAT PRAY LOVE... My 10-year affair with Italy

in a couple of weeks Italy and I will be celebrating our 10th anniversary! can't believe it's already 10 years since I moved here!
I arrived on a sunny august afternoon with plans of staying not more that 3 years, just what (I thought) it took to finish my BA and here I am, 10 years later, still happy with my choice.

Coming from a country with a single rail line which is hundreds of kilometers from where I lived and not being able to drive with gears, train travel became my favorite. Oh, the incredible landscapes I saw on my trips in Regionali trains! Poppies blooming, sunflower fields, green hills, sharp rocks, beautiful towns on hilltops, old people sitting in the stations just watching trains pass...

Then I discovered food; but not only the great pleasure of eating it, I am actually finding more and more pleasure in the process of preparing it: at home, together with G, dividing the tasks without speaking, sipping a glass of good wine, decorating, finding new tastes... and 10 years ago the only food I knew how to cook was ham sandwiches!
What has happened in these 10 years? too many things to tell! new currency, new governments, a soccer world cup, a financial crisis, 9/11, etc. I loved Italy from day one, and even if the beginning wasn't easy (new language, new culture, new people, new values), here's my top ten of the things I love about it:

1. Food - what can I say, I'm lucky to live in one of the countries with the best food in the world

2. Fashion - it just makes my day to window-shop in via Montenapoleone

3. Landscapes - some just leave you breathless 

4. the care of the body and the mind - not many cultures pay as much attention to the care of the body like Italians, and they sure know how to enjoy life
5. Rome - the most beautiful city in the world

6. Wine - Franciacorta, pinot noir vineyards in Trentino, the great (almost unknown) Verdicchio... the happiness when I recognize a scent in the wine I'm tasting...

7. Love for the animals - Italy might not be considered very civic-oriented, but the love and respect of animals that they have here makes it a country with a high level of social conscience that I admire.

8. Lyric Opera - one of the moments that gave me goosebumps: listening to "Nessun Dorma" (Turandot) at the Arena in Verona

Turandot

9. Language -
"...Amor, ch'a nullo amato amar perdona,
mi prese del costui piacer sì forte,
che, come vedi, ancor non m'abbandona..."
need I say more???

10. Living the rural life - for a city girl like me the first shot of Castelraimondo (the 4000-inhabitants-town I lived in for almost 6 years) was shocking: an empty train station on a Sunday afternoon with two old guys chatting in an incomprehensible dialect, no cars passed by in 30 minutes... But I learned to value it: the silence, the peace, waking up to the sound of birds singing, opening the window and watching the green hills that surround the town, walking to work saying hi to at least 3 people on the street, fresh vegetables, homemade wine (actually, almost everything I ate was homemade)... just priceless!

So, grazie Italia!