Italian Cooking Class Day 4

I can’t believe it’s all over. I have had such a great week and although I’m excited to get back to Sebastian, I’m sad to be leaving tomorrow.

No words can describe how fortunate I feel to have had the opportunity to come to Italy for a week, cook amazing food, stay in a fantastic apartment and spend my days with two new-found friends.

I am blessed beyond my own understanding!

For our final cooking class we prepaerd stuffed tomatoes and zucchini, homemade tagliatelle with a pumpkin sauce, breaded fish cutlets, a mixed salad and lemon poppy seed cake.

We also had wine. Lots and lots of wine. Hey, it might have only been noon but it was our last day together in Italy, what do you expect?

Stuffed Tomatoes and Zucchini

Although I’ve stuffed tomatoes many times before, I’ve never used bread crumbs. This way was much more crunchy.

Ingredients

• 4 tomatoes
• 4 zucchini
• 1 handful of fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 6 Tbsp. bread crumbs
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

Method

1. Prepare the tomatoes by cutting them in half width-wise and scooping out the seeds. Reserve the seeds in a small bowl.
2. Prepare the zucchini by cutting out and discarding the seeds and spongy bits. Place the zucchini and tomatoes on a baking dish and sprinkle with salt.
3. To make the filling, smash the tomato seeds with a fork to break up and then mix in the parsley, garlic, bread crumbs and enough olive oil to make a slightly moist mixture.
4. Fill the tomatoes and zucchini creating a flat top which covers the entire top of the vegetables.
5. Bake in a hot oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 30-40 minutes or until the vegetables are soft and the stuffing is golden brown.

Pumpkin Sauce

I knew I’d love this sauce from the first mention of it’s name. Eating pasta with a pumpkin sauce was a nice change. It was savory, rich and absolutely delicious! I will certainly make it again!

Ingredients

• 3 shallots, thinly sliced
• 800 grams pumpkin, seeds and skin removed, chopped into tiny cubes
• 8 oil-packed sundried tomatoes, chopped
• wild fennel leaves
• 3 Tbsp. pine nuts
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 3 handfuls fresh grated parmesan
• water

Method

1. Coat the bottom of a non-stick pan with olive oil and fry the sliced shallots until they soften, stirring constantly.
2. Add in the pumpkin, 1 Tbsp. chopped fennel leaves, 2 fennel stalks, a generous pinch of salt and fresh black pepper. Cook 10 minutes over medium high heat, stirring and tossing frequently. Add water as needed to keep the sauce moist and prevent the vegetables from sticking.
3. Add the tomatoes and toss to incorporate.
4. Dry toast the pine nuts until golden brown then add them to the sauce.
5. Stir in 2 handfuls of parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste.

 

Homemade Tagliatelle

Rolling out pasta by hand it hard work but the reward is worth it! I can’t wait to make pasta at home. I’ll have to invest in a long rolling pin, Stefania said my wine-bottle-rolling-pin method just won’t do.

Ingredients

For 2-4 servings.

• 200 g. all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs
• good pinch of salt
• drizzle of olive oil

Method

1. Create a large circular well in the flour which goes all the way down to the cooking surface. Crack the eggs inside the well and add the salt and a little olive oil.
2. Using a fork, begin to whisk the eggs pulling in flour from the side as you go. Keep the well sturdy and continue pulling in flour. Continue to whisk in the flour until you have only a small well-wall left.
3. Begin to knead in the remaining flour with your finger tips. Work gently at first and then, as the dough starts to harden, knead regularly.
4. The dough will be quite dry. Keep kneading for about 10 minutes or until your dough is smooth and elastic.
5. Make a ball with the ugly sides under and then squeeze out your dough until it is like a thick pancake. Dust your working table very lightly and dust the top of your ball of dough.
6. Using a rolling pin, start in the center and push all your weight into a back and forth motion until you reach the ends. Rotate the dough 45 degrees and then repeat.
7. Keep rolling out the dough and when it becomes too big, have a friend hold down the ends for you or simply fold some of the dough over the edge of the table and lightly lean on it. Roll until your dough is about 2 mm thick.
8. Fold in two inches of the ends of your dough on both sides. Dust with flour then fold over again on both sides. Dust and repeat until you reach the middle. Fold the two ends on top of one another.
9. Using a sharp knife, cut straight down through your pasta to create a uniform width of about 1/2 cm. Keep slicing without moving your already cut pasta.
10. Grab a hold of the first layer of pasta and shake out to separate the strands and remove excess flour. Pile up.
11. Cook your pasta in a pot of boiling water which is very well salted (as in one whole handful of salt.) When you add the pasta the water will stop boiling. Once it begins to boil again, your pasta is cooked.
12. Remove the pasta from the water and add directly into your prepared sauce. You may need to add a little more pasta water.
13. Serve your pasta with more parmesan, salt and pepper.

 

Breaded Fish Cutlets

This is such a fast dish to make. The fish was incredibly moist and flaky inside. I’ll be doing this one at home too.

Ingredients

• 1 large fish fillet (4 servings worth) we used a fish from the local lake but perch or another soft white fish would also work well
• 1 egg, whisked
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 1 handful fresh parsley, chopped
• salt and pepper
• olive oil
• lemon wedge

Method

1. Cut your fish into medium sized pieces with scissors.
2. Prepare your breading station, 1 bowl with flour, 1 bowl with the egg, 1 bowl with the bread crumbs and parsley.
3. Coat the fish with flour then dip into the egg and cover well. Drip off the extra egg and then place in the bread crumbs and coat well. Repeat with all fish pieces.
4. Fill the bottom of a skillet with olive oil, about a pinky-width deep. Heat the oil over medium high heat until it is hot. Fry the fish until golden brown on both sides.
5. Remove fish from oil and place on a paper towel to drain excess oil.
6. Squeeze the lemon wedge over the cutlets. Salt and pepper to taste.

Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

I love lemon poppy seed anything but as far as the cake goes, I like my mom’s version better. This cake wasn’t lemony enough for my taste and was too dry to eat alone.

Ingredients

• 125 g. butter, melted in a double boiler
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 150 g. sugar
• 180 g. flour
• zest of 1 lemon
• juice of 1.5 lemons
• 8 g. baking powder
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. poppy seeds
• powdered sugar

Method

1. Using an electric mixer, cream together the sugar and eggs until it has doubled in size. Sift in a little flour at a time while continuing to mix.
2. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, baking powder and butter- mixing the whole time. Incorporate the poppy seeds.
3. Butter and dust a bunt pan. Spread the batter evenly inside and bake at 180 degrees for 40 minutes.
4. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

If anyone is interested in coming to Italy for cooking classes, I would highly recommend Let’s Cook in Umbria. The classes are small and personalized. I learned so much over the four cooking classes and would stay if given the opportunity! You can also come for 1 day classes if you’re just passing through the area!

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Warm Eggplant Salad

We’re back!!

After a wonderful 6 days in London, I’m back in Germany.

I’m working on a post of London highlights but in the mean time, I just had to share a recipe from tonight’s dinner.

I have to admit, I love the way the Germans and English call eggplant aubergine. So, that’s what I’ll call it here.

Warm Aubergine Salad

Adapted from The Easy GI Diet

2 servings

Ingredients

• Olive oil spray, no more than 1 Tbsp.
• 1 aubergine (eggplant), cut into small cubes
• 1 small red onion, finely sliced into 1/2 circles
• 1 Tbsp. capers, roughly chopped
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Spray a non-stick frying pan with the olive oil and fry the aubergine for 10 minutes until golden and softened.
2. Add the onions, capers, tomatoes, parsley, and vinegar and stir to combine. Season lightly to taste. Remove from the heat and serve either immediately, or once slightly cooled.

Calories: 99, Protein: 3g, Carbs: 9g, Fat: 6g when using 1 Tbsp. oil

I remember the first time I ate capers in a foods class in high school. I hated the taste and spit it right out. A few weeks ago, I decided to give capers another shot and discovered that I really like their flavor. They are slightly salty and really make the warm aubergine salad.

Here’s the whole meal deal

Steamed green beans, grilled fish with lemon juice and Italian seasoning and warm aubergine salad.

When shopping today, I wanted to buy cod but forgot to look up the translation before heading out the door. By the looks on the box, I thought I bought cod but when I got home and translated the name, I discovered that what I really bought is called Pacific Plaice.

In reading about this previously unknown to me fish, I discovered that it is a species which is overexploited and at historic lows. Needless to say, I will not buy this fish again.

I rarely eat fish but when I do, I choose to support sustainable fish sources which are not threatened by human consumption.

If you are interested in sustainable fish and seafood choices, these websites provide a ton of information.

For a pocket guide of fish recommended for your region

For an easy to use list of best to worse seafood choices

List of smart sushi choices

So, skip the plaice but do give the salad a go!

Alright, I’ll climb down from my soap box now and get back to working on a London recap for all of you.

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