italian

Spinach & Homemade Ricotta Ravioli with a Morel Mushroom Sauce

I’m a tad confused on the title of this post (yeah, real first world problems). I kind of want it to look and sound like a restuarant menu dish with the hero ingredients followed by the sauce and frills in italics below. You know, something like:

Fresh Ravioli with Spinach & Homemade Ricotta

Morel Mushroom Sauce with Chestnut and Walnut, Almost-Burnt Butter Crispy Sage

Now doesn’t that sound fancy? Well, firstly, this post has been long in the making, and its ingredients have been accumulated even longer – waiting impatiently to be purposed into a meal. For some odd reason, over the last few months I’ve received bottles and tubes of chestnut puree/cream. And to be blatantly honest, I had absolutely no idea how to use it – and then began the incessant googling. The French may have some suave and sophisticated ways to use it, but little old me sure doesn’t! Then comes morels, or guchhi, which SS insisted his parents bring back from Kashmir (not that he as *any* intention of cooking with them ahem ahem). I also bought the pasta attachment to my kitchen aid, which was an extremely considered and thought through decision, but till date I have only been able to successfully use the roller (my last attempt to cut the rolled sheets into fettuccine was a big glubby disaster.

Since that fateful day, I have found a pasta recipe (from Taj’s Favourite Vegetarian recipes book – the ravioli which coincidentally, we have had the privilege of eating –  Read more…

Truffle Scented Champagne Risotto

Truffle Salt Scented Champagne Risotto

To make up for my shamefully long absence, I tried to make something so distractingly decadent and drool-worthy that my hiatus will hopefully be quickly forgiven! This risotto was conceived as all fantastic recipes – while discussing something completely different! We were sitting at my parents home, and having a chat with my visiting Italian brother-in-law about bhel and sev puri, and somehow reached the conclusion that a champagne risotto with parmesan would be incredible.

That just stuck.

All I did was add some truffle salt and sliced truffles.

One of the many fabulous characteristics of this recipe is that it involves absolutely no fresh ingredients (unless you count one small white onion ‘fresh’). It is just a fabulous way to use up that almost over bottle of champagne (yeah, because that always happens. NOT!). You can always spruce it up with some fresh spears of asparagus, or swap the champagne for merlot and then add some beetroot.
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Made from Scratch: Pizza

Sometimes when I look back at the almost 4 years that I have devoted to this blog, I am aghast that I STILL haven’t posted about certain beloved winning recipes. In am attempt to vilify my angst, this post is dedicated to making pizza at home, from scratch. Further on, my next few recipes are […] Read more…

One Pot Pasta

  Its been strangely and not to mention, unnecessarily long. But no to fret, I have tirelessly be slaving in the kitchen and have a handsome range of treats coming your way, that may result in serious cravings, drool, and outright hunger pangs. Hints: Watermelon Sangria, Super-Fast Banoffee, Intense Chocochino Cake, Grilled Artichoke, etc….   But […] Read more…

Olive Oil Cake

Red Wine, Balsamic Vinegar, Vanilla Bean This is an incredibly Italian inspired recipe, traditionally made in Italy and called a Torta di Cioccolato di Olio di Oliva, it simply replaces the butter or vegetable oil for olive. The result is a moist, dense and loaf like cake, more bready than cakey, with an amazing olive […] Read more…

The Secret to Italian Food

If the secret to French cuisine is butter, it is abundantly clear from the food at Botticino that the secret to Italian food is the olive oil. Newly opened Botticino boasts traditional Italian cuisine with a contemporary twist, and comtemporary it was! The décor was warm (the usage of red on the tables) but yet […] Read more…

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