Tripe in the style of Rome - Trippa alla Romana

Mama Isa's Trippa alla Romana - Tripe in the style of Rome - the recipe (from Mama Isa's Cooking Classes Italy Venice)

Trippa alla Romana is one of the most famous dish in Rome, with very very ancient roots, that is served either warm or hot. The tripe - a real poor and genuine food  - is cooked slowly in about 120 minutes until soft and firm. At my cooking school I offer cooking lessons about this traditional Roman dish, so good, and tasty!

Now Mama Isa is offering you her traditional recipe, but also tips and techniques for making the real "Trippa alla Romana".

INGREDIENTS (to serve 6 people):

500 g honeycomb veal 
3-4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed 
8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 
1 white onion, peeled and chopped 
400 g pomodori pelati (Italian plum tomatoes, with their liquids) 
salt to taste 
2 bay leaves 
1-2 pinches of peperoncino (red chile pepper) or black pepper 
a bunch of fresh mint leaves 
Just-grated Pecorino Romano cheese to taste

Directions
The tripe should first be rinsed, bleached in white vinegar, rinsed again, and poached (but your butcher may be able to do in advance for you). 
Rinse the tripe and cut it into strips. 
Cover the tripe with cold water and, over a moderate flame, bring it to a gentle simmer and poach for about 10 minutes. Drain the tripe, rinse it under cold water, and put in a colander. 
With a sharp knife, chop the onion, garlic and mint leaves. 
In a large saucepan put the evoo, onion, and when the onion is translucent, add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes, taking care not to burn it. 
Add the tripe, and cook for 2-3 minutes and then add the tomatoes, the bay leaves, and the salt. 
Cover the saucepan and cook for about 1 1/2 - 2 hour (add a few spoonfuls more of the water if the liquid seems scant). Test a piece of the tripe for tenderness. Add now the mint leaves and "peperoncino" to taste and stir it. Remove the tripe from the flame. Serve the tripe as "secondo piatto" second course in deep bowl, dusting each of them of freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese, a teaspoon of mint leaves chopped, and a slice of rustic bread.

Buon Appetito!!!!!!

White Polenta - Recipe of the day

White Polenta or Polenta Bianca

Mama Isa's White Polenta

Polenta Bianca is a famous Veneto side dish, with very ancient roots, that is served either hot or warm or cold, creamy but firm.  The white polenta ("mais biancoperla") is cooked slowly in about 50 minutes until soft and firm. I was born in Venice and so I love  and am very attached to our typical traditional Polenta Bianca!
It's difficult to find the white polenta everywhere, and maybe you are more familiar with "polenta gialla" (= yellow polenta), than white, but I assure you that the "polenta bianca" is so good, special, yummy and tasty. 
Italians like polenta  and in particular in Northern Italy they eat it in place of bread, but in the past polenta was the symbol of poverty and it has been called "la carne dei poveri (= the meat of poor people)"!
The Veneto people still are often called "POLENTONI" (= polenta eaters). Now Polenta is a new worldwide phenomenon and this dish grows in popularity around the world. The reason is because the polenta is a genuine, healthy and versatile dish. 

When I was a young girl, almost every Christmas holiday I ate polenta for lunch at my grandmother’s house.
Nonna Elisa was my grandmother, and she was the classic Veneto "nonna".
Nonna Elisa made polenta in the traditional way. There was no such thing as instant Polenta for her.
She would make it in a very large copper kettle (called paiolo) placed on a stand set into the stove, and she would stir it for an hour or so with a long wooden spoon.
Polenta is a humble and traditional  food from the beautiful cornfield-filled region of Veneto, and Nonna Elisa was very proud of her polenta. She made it just with the best white cornmeal (called mais biancoperla or polenta bianca).
Her love for polenta was passed down to my mother and me, and there is no winter month that passes that I don’t make it.
I love it with meatballs, braised meat, sausage, and mushrooms, and also served with cheese, or in the Venetian way served with fried Calamari!
I could offer a cooking class just about polenta!

Now I am offering you my traditional recipe, but also tips and techniques for making the real and genuine Polenta in the old-fashioned way (polenta is one of the symbol of my nationality).

INGREDIENTS (to serve 8 people):

1,5 liters of water
1 spoon of salt
200 g of "polenta bianca mais biancoperla" (or yellow polenta if you don't find it)


Polenta utensils
a polenta pan (with a round flat base, called in Venetian Paiolo)
a whisk during the initial adding of the polenta
a long wooden polenta spoon
a polenta paddle board (called in Italy "tafferia") with a wooden knife to cut the polenta slices
(I'm very lucky to have inherited a lot family polenta utensils!!!)

Directions
Fill a round bottom polenta pan with water. 
When the water is boiling, add salt and then add the polenta and whisk very well until polenta has been added. 
Lower the heat to as low as possible of course and simmer for about 50 minutes, stirring very often with a wooden spoon. 
The polenta should be thick but smooth and soft. 
When the polenta is done, and according to Italian tradition, place the polenta on a special wooden polenta platter (called in Italy tafferia) (or in a wooden board). Cover with a clean towel. Remember to use only wooden objects when touching the polenta.

Polenta is suitable serving with many dishes, in particular saucy dishes but also with fried squids and fried shrimps or with cheese and salami or with sausages. If you are not serving the polenta at once, you can make or a delicious dish a- "polenta arrostita" (pour the polenta into a baking tray spreading it with a spatula and the polenta is cool, cut it into wedges; heat a chargrill pan and when it is hot, grill the polenta bianca until solid ridges, not too burnst, of course, form on the underside of the wedges and serve with bruschetta-like toppings like Gorgonzola cheese or Wild Porcini Mushrooms or b- "polenta fritta" (my mother often fried the leftover polenta..... yum yum) or c- "polenta pasticciata" (slice the cooled polenta, butter a baking pan, pour a layer of the polenta to cover the bottom of baking pan, cover with Bolognese Sauce Ragù and Besciamella sauce and Parmigiano Reggiano freshly grated, then continue again with another layer of polenta slices, Bolognese Sauce, Besciamella sauce, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese freshly grated and end with a layer of polenta. Cover with one or two tablespoons of melted butter and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Place the baking pan in oven (180° C) for about 30 minutes. Serve warm! Yum YUM....)

Buon Appetito!!!!!!

Ham Paté - Paté di Prosciutto Cotto Affumicato

Paté di Prosciutto Cotto Affumicato 

SMOKED COOKED HAM PATE'

INGREDIENTS (to serve 4 people):

200 g smoked cooked ham 
200 g of Ricotta Cheese or Mascarpone Cheese 
40 g unsalted butter (at room temperature) 
salt to taste 
black pepper to taste  (ground fresh from the mill)
a loaf of rustic bread 

DIRECTIONS

Put the “prosciutto cotto affumicato” in a food processor. 
Pulse a few time more. 
Slowly add the butter and ricotta or mascarpone and salt and black pepper, in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. The patè must be quite tender and juicy and not dried. In the meantime slice the rustic bread in 1cm thick slices. Grill the rustic bread slices to a golden brown. Spoon a generous amount of pate onto each bread slice. Serve immediately (if you like, more black pepper on the top).

Chianti wine Risotto - Recipe of the day

Chianti wine Risotto Recipe - Risotto al Chianti

INGREDIENTS for Chianti wine Risotto (serves 4 people):

350 g of Arborio rice or another imported Italian risotto rice (Carnaroli Rice or Vialone Nano rice)
1 onion, chopped
10 ml of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
200 - 250 ml of Chianti wine (if you don't have Chianti, use another good red wine, from Italy, of course!!!)
80 g of fresh Asiago cheese (or another Italian sweet cheese: Montasio, Caciotta)
80 g of unsalted butter
1 liter of Basic Homemade Chicken or Meat Stock
salt to taste
black pepper to taste (ground fresh from the mill)  
on the top  freshly grated Parmesan cheese (or Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano)

DIRECTIONS

Heat stock in a medium saucepan and keep warm over low heat, near where you’ll be cooking the risotto.
Put the chopped onion and the Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a large pot, and turn on the heat to medium high. Cook and stir the onion until it becomes translucent.
Then add the rice and leave to colour for a few minutes. Add the wine, and when the wine is evaporated completely, stir in 1 or 2 ladles of stock, stir over medium heat until stock has been absorbed. Continue cooking and stirring rice, adding stock a little at a time until rice is done (about 15 - 20 minutes). Rice should be tender, but firm to the bite.   Taste and correct for salt.
Remove risotto pan from heat.
Add the unsalted butter and the cheese cut into cubes. Stir the rice quickly until the cheese start to melt and become creamy and cover. Leave risotto to relax for 2-3 minutes.
Transfer to a platter, garnished with  a few grindings of black pepper to taste, and if you like more grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano cheese to taste on top.

Buon Appetito!!!!!!

Oven-Baked Cassata - Cassata al Forno

 Oven-Baked Cassata - Cassata al Forno: one of the most typical Easter's pies in Palermo (Sicily)

MAMA ISA'S CASSATA AL FORNO

INGREDIENTS for Cassata al Forno(serves 8 people):

For the DOUGH (PASTA FROLLA)

600 g Wheat Flour (Farina 00)

200 g sugar

200 g unsalted butter at room temperature for hand mixing

4 egg yolks (organic)

5 tablespoons of Marsala secco wine

1 lemon, zested

a pinch of salt

For the filling

800 g fresh sheep milk ricotta cheese

400 g sugar

150 g chocolate chips

150 g candied orange peel sliced, finely chopped

icing sugar and cinnamon in powder for the surface

Preparation

Prepare the dough“pasta frolla”:

In a large bowl mix together the wheat flour, sugar, and salt. Make a hole in the center and insert the butter, egg yolks, Marsala wine and lemon zested. Mix quickly to form a dough. Wrap in a sheet of plastic wrap and store in fridge for about half an hour.

Prepare the filling:

Minimum 2 hours before making the dough, in a large cup mix the sheep ricotta cheese with sugar until it's completely melted. Cover and put in fridge for 1-2 hours.

Then combine the chocolate chips and the chopped candied orange and mix very well.

Grease with unsalted butter and flour a tart pan (diameter of 22-24 cm).

Flour the work surface, divide the dough in half and spread with a rolling pin to a height of 1 ½ cm.

Cover the pan with the pastry.

Pour the filling in the center and level. Iron out the remaining pastry and cover the surface of the cake.

Bake at 180° C for 35-40 minutes, until the colour is golden brown.

Once baked and cooled (at least 40 minutes), invert on serving platter and sprinkle with icing sugar and cinnamon powder.

Buon Appetito!!!!!!

Carbonara Sauce - Recipe of the day

Spaghetti alla Chitarra with Carbonara sauce 

INGREDIENTS (serves 4 people):

320 g of Fresh Spaghetti alla Chitarra (also called Tonnarelli or Maccheroni alla chitarra see the pics below)

150 g Guanciale a rich, and flavorful cured meat made from pig's cheeks, 6-7 mm in height (or Pancetta ) 

80 g of freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese

6 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

4 organic eggs (1 egg per person)

1 garlic clove peeled

a generous grinding of Black Pepper

Salt to Taste

DIRECTIONS

Heat Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a large pan, add the garlic clove peeled and cutted in 4 parts. When the garlic is golden, remove the garlic from the pan. Cut the guanciale in cubes and add it to the pan and cook until it begins to turn lightly crisp. Remove the pan.

Bring a large saucepan of salted water -salted like ocean - (1 liter of water per 100 g of dried pasta) to the boil. Add the Spaghetti and cook until “al dente”.

Meanwhile put the eggs into a bowl and beat them, adding grated “Pecorino Romano Cheese”, and a generous grinding of Black Pepper. 
Drain the pasta al dente in a colander and quickly put the pasta into the pan with the guanciale. Heat the pan, add the mixture of eggs-Pecorino romano cheese and mix very quickly, adding some tablespoons of hot pasta water and mix again to create the cream (if you see tha pasta is too thick, add more pasta water, but NOT CREAM!!!).

On the top on every portion add 1 tablespoon of grated Pecorino Romano Cheese. (And if you like add another generous grinding of Black Pepper).

Carbonara Sauce with fresh pasta Spaghetti alla Chitarra