WILD BASS WITH OLIVES, TOMATOES & CAPERS

Here we are with another succulent and rich recipe!
The story goes that this cooking thing is getting all my friends in Oxford. So yesterday i was with a couple of guys from University and we were around the fish stand at the Cover Market and we saw these beautiful wild sea bass and we couldn't resist...so there you go!

What we did was very simple: we placed the sea bass on a foil and marinated with a sauce composed of parsley, garlic, white wine and lemon juice.
Meanwhile we cut some tomatoes, olives and mix everything with capers adding oil olive and salt. Place then the mix around and inside the fish.



Now you close the foil paying attention at closing it tight (add some extra foil if it is not wide enough). Then place the fish in a preheated oven for 1/2 hr at 200 C.



Thats it my friends! This is the result. Enjoy another tasteful recipe from your favourite blog!



PS: A thanks goes to my friend Andy who was the main director of what you have seen! Thank you Andy from the Blog.

RISOTTO WITH PORCINI!

Hello bloggers!

WE ARE BACK!!

Sorry it took so long but as you know summer has just passed and starting again with university is always a pain so the cooking was put on hold...but here we are now! today I introduce you to a beautiful, rich and tasteful Risotto with porcini!

That's how you do it...first get the risotto right: check for Carnaroli wich is the best type of risotto. Then do as follow: get some dried porcini (they are very expensive here in UK but you will taste the difference!) and place them in a cup with some very hot water and leave it for 20 mins or so. At the same time put some salty water in a pan and bring it to boil, you will need it later on.

In a large pan place some olive oil, diced onion and fry gently until onions become soft. At this point you need to add mushrooms (you can either put them as they are or cut them slightly) without the water BUT carefull, DO NOT THROUGH THE MUSHROOM WATER AWAY!!!you will need it later. Let the whole thing now cook for few minutes very gently mixing often.

Now add the rice (500g for 4 persons is more than enough)and mix the whole thing. Cooking risotto is a phase thing: start adding the mushroom water with a big spoon and let the rice absorbing the water gradually by mixing it. When the mushroom water is finished start adding the boiling water you previously prepared. BE CAREFUL NOT TO BURN THE RICE AT THE BOTTOM when adding water and mixing.

This is the result!

ITALY WORLD CUP CHAMPION 2006

I could not miss this opportunity guys...next would be in about 26 years if we keep this track... So italy won the world cup, it is difficult to dexcribe the emotions when the last penalty went in.

IT WAS SUCH A PLEASURE TO SEE THE FRENCH CRYING THIS TIME!!
It was italy's turn to win and we did it in the best possible way!

BRAVI RAGAZZI!!!

REAL ITALIAN FLAVOUR

Hello bloggers,
just few words regarding a place where I have been and I will be going for a long time...At least until the pizzaiolo will be the same.



the pizzeria is called Mario, it is in Cowley road, Oxford, and with no doubt I can tell you it's the place to taste real Italian pizza! Believe me, if a picky Italian says so you can believe it!

Go and check it yourself!

P.S: just in case you wonder... No, they are not my relatives!

ANOTHER WRAP NIGHT!

Hello hungry people!
Today I'm presenting you a dish which i have to say was pretty delicious. It took longer than expected, and anything i have done before, but in the end was absolutely worth it! Here it is what i have done: take thin cut steaks, fill them with goat cheese, sliced garlic, parsley, salt and pepper and wrap them up using either toohthpicks or a piece of string.

Take a big non sitcky pan, place some sliced garlic, onions and olive oil (a good one please...please...please!!). When you start hearing the beautiful sound of oil sizzling (one of my favourite sounds and smells!) then you know its time to place the wraps in the pan and let them getting a browinish colour.

Now its tomatoe sauce time! Add a good tomatoes sauce, red wine and cook by mixing every now and then, for an hour. I know it is a lot of time, but believe me the resulting sauce is absolutely gorgeous...likely we had a couple of french baguette to do the so called "scarpetta"! Believe me, the sauce was a pleasure for all five senses!!

BACON BRIE WRAP WITH A TOUCH OF FRESH TOMATOES

Hello blogger friends,
for Friday's dinner I was in charge of the starter and what I'm presenting today is a wrap (I've started loving wraps!) of fresh bacon filled with few slices of nice Brie.
It is well known that bacon and cheese go well together so to try something new I added a touch of fresh tomato...Why? Well if you think about it bacon and Brie are quite tastefully and very salty so to balance these flavors I added a bit of watery ingredient, namely tomatoes.

The sauce is very easy to produce: take four tomatoes, boil them to get rid of the skin then still hot, cut them in small cubes and place the whole thing in a bowl, add sliced garlic, olive oil (a good one please!) parsley salt and pepper. Then mix everything together and leave for 10 minutes so the flavors mix together.

After this place the bacon-Brie wraps into the oven (200C) and leave them until the Brie starts melting. Place the tomato sauce onto the serving plate and the wraps on top.

Done! Enjoy

PANCAKE'S DAY!
Hello ladies and gentleman, today's is pancake's day and we could not leave you without a pic. Eggs, flour, water and butter that's all you need...then add your favourite ingredients. I would suggest Nutella forever but this is what we had, honey and vanilla icecream!






it isn't so much what you eat but with who you share the moment!

Ciao

PS: my flat mate jack is the author of the pancake shown.well done jack!

Lamb Casserole
hello bloggers! here we are with another succulent dish we had last friday. it was my first casserole and i think it came quite good.















what you do is simple, get a good, tender piece of lamb, chop it and let it cook it in a terracotta casserole with some onions and garlic until it gets brownish, then add patotoes, cherry tomatoes (remember to do a cross cut on them) and about 1/4 letre of water and you place everything in the oven at 180 C for a good hour. spicy it up with a couple of chillies.

mix the whole thing every now and then. when the patatoeas are cooked you can say it is time to eat! Buon appetito!

Marco

ingredients (4 people): 1kg of lamb, 6 medium size patatoes, 200g cherry tomatoes, 2 chillies, 2 onions, garlic, water, parsley and origano.