Cupcakes?

I know there are things that are avaliable widely in Italy like Pan di Stelle cookies that aren't widely avaliable in Canada. But while flipping through the October issue of the Italian Cucina Italiana I was a little surprised to see this in the readers questions.


"Can you please explain to me what cupcakes are?"

Even though I am not big on eating deserts and cakes, Lori D is missing out on cupcakes.

And oh yeah, with the new year I promise to my three readers that I will post more. Even though the people who read this are the same people who I usually cook the food for anyways.

Scallops with celery

Seafood is something I have always been a little weary of. That is, up until a few months ago.

I don’t remember eating a lot of seafood growing up; except for on Christmas Eve where it is just a feast of seafood, and since I was vegan/vegetarian for a good five years, I never really had a time to try it.

But more recently I have been trying to expand my knowledge of seafood. I started with scallops. Actually no, I started with a bottle of Viognier.

Over the past summer I decided it was time that my girlfriend and I started to venture down to Niagara wine country, see what wines Ontario has to offer a stones throw away.

On our first visit in July, we stopped by some of the more modern wineries like Stratus and Tawse and a few others, Pillitteri and Vineland Estates. The second time down, we wanted to try a few smaller wineries, so we tried Alvento.

The owners of Alvento, Bruno and Elyane Moos, keep the small winery running by themselves, with help from wine collector Morrie Neiss. The actual winery looks like a small house, located in the middle of some pear and apple trees and, of course, their vines.

The small tasting room is a lined with bottles of their wine, and a poster from the Teatro Alla Scala, the famous opera house in Milan, signed by one of the opera singers Sondra. Bruno said the poster was up because Sondra was the lead in that opera and they are naming one of their new wines after her.

Apart from wines, Alvento apparently also has some balsamic vinegar that that they have been aging at the winery that should be released soon that I am excited to try.

So, from that bottle of Viognier I decided we should have scallops for dinner.

I chose to make them from Giorgio Locatelli’s Made in Italy book with a celeriac puree and celery.

This was not the only the first time I had made scallops, but also the first time I had worked with celeriac (celery root.)

The celeriac was put in an over for 30 minutes with olive oil, water, rosemary, garlic and salt. Then it was pureed in the blender and pushed through a sieve to create a sauce that came out a little too thin, but perfect for the base of the scallops.

Using celery that was cut with a mandolin, not an easy task let me tell you I almost took off my palm trying to push the celery through the fine blade, it rested for 30 minutes in a bath of cold water and ice to crisp it. The celery slices were then mixed with a lemon vinaigrette.

In the book, Locatelli says to place the scallops in the oven after searing them on one side in a pan to make sure that they are fully cooked. When I made them I put half of them, my girlfriends, in the oven to make sure hers were fully cooked and just pan seared mine on both sides.

I found that even though they were in the oven for under a minute, they dried out too much and lacked the flavour and texture that mine had in the centre.

After the scallops were cooked they were dunked in a saffron vinaigrette and then plated on top of the celeriac puree with the celery strands on top of the scallops.

As an anti-pasto or apristomaco, we had prosciutto rolls with arugola. In the rolls was arugola with a simple lemon vinaigrette. I love these little rolls, they are the perfect little appetizer that has a little salty flavour from the prosciutto and the acidity form the lemon. On top, I drizzle a white truffle olive oil.

Combined with the Alvento Viognier the creamy scallops were great.

The Viognier had a nose of flowers and citrus, lemons and had a wonderful golden yellow colour.


Prosciutto rolls



Scallops with celeriac puree and celery



Alvento 2006 Viognier

Almond Biscotti

An espresso every morning, it does wonders. But, what goes with that short, strong, hot coffee? For me, nothing beats good, homemade biscotti.

The long, giant, rock hard ones sold in Starbucks, Second Cup and other coffee shops, to me, just don't cut it. I think a biscotti needs to be small, thin and although it is crispy on the outside, I like it a little softer on the inside.

I first remember eating biscotti, by the plateful, made by Nonna Natalina. Anytime we go over there, there is always some on the table or just coming out of the oven or freezer. Even without an espresso they always are the perfect snack to grab, and enjoy.

My favorite biscotti are simple almond ones. I like them hard and crispy, with a little Amaretto for flavour.

Almond Biscotti

1/3 Cup Butter

2/3 Cup Sugar

1 Teaspoon Baking Powder

1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda

1 Cup Almond slivers/pieces

1 Teaspoon almond extract or 2 Teaspoons Amaretto

2 Eggs

2 1/2 Cups All-purpose Flour


If you have a pizza stone, place it in a 375 degree oven now to warm it up.

In a large bowl, mix together butter and sugar until it becomes fluffy. Add the almond extract, backing powder and baking soda until they are all combined. Next, beat in the eggs. Next, beat in the flour and almond slivers/pieces.

Over turn the bowl onto a lightly floured surface and form the dough into two rolls, flattened on top. When forming the rolls, you would rather have them longer and a little thinner then a short thick roll, around 8 x 2 inch rolls.

Remove the pizza stone, if you are using one, and place each roll on the stone and put it in the over. If you aren’t using a pizza stone, place the rolls on a baking sheet. Cook for about 20 minutes. Remove them, and let them cool for a few minutes.

Turn the oven up to broil. Slice the rolls with a serrated knife, into slices about an inch thick. Lay them on a cooking sheet and broil them for a minute on each side, or until they get a nice, almost burned, top coat.

Take out and let them cool on a wire rack. Enjoy.

Spaghetti Carbonara

This pasta has always been my favorite pasta. From when I was a kid, it was always known as "Kyle's sauce" around my house. Some people get turned away with the idea of pasta in raw eggs, but I think people should try it.

many different versions of this show up a lot in restaurants and cook books, but many use cream and peas to make a thicker, hot sauce, where the one I like, and make, is room temperature eggs and pancetta. Simple, easy and fast. Enjoy.

Spaghetti Carbonara
Makes 4 portions


400g of spaghetti
4 large eggs
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus extra for after
1/4 cup chopped pancetta
Salt
Pepper

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and add a liberal amount of salt to it. I think most people don't add enough salt to pasta water. You want add enough salt so that the water tastes like the sea.

In a bowl, crack the eggs and stir them together, adding in the Parmigiano, and pepper, continually stirring with a fork until it is all mixed. Set aside.

Heat up a pan and add the pancetta, cooking for 2-5 minutes, until the pancetta cooks a little. set aside.

Once the water is boiling add the pasta and cook to the package directions or a little less to get a nice al dente pasta.

One the pasta is done, remove it from the water, and toss it in the egg and cheese mixture with the pancetta.

Serve right away and sprinkle more cheese on top.

I went with a Pinot Noir from Chile, Cono Sur Pinot Noir.

Locatelli quote

I have been asked, numerous times, why I, a 21-year-old guy loves to be in the kitchen and cook so much? I generally give the same response, "I just enjoy making people smile and enjoying a meal with friends and family."

As I came home tonight, and sat down with the last of the Viognier in the fridge, I noticed the back cover of Giorgio Locatelli's Made In Italy book on my desk.

It reads:

"Italians just want to welcome people by sharing what they have, however simple, in abundance. An Italian's role in life is to feed people. A lot. We can't help it."

This summed up perfectly why I love to cook, why I bother reading cook books, magazines, blogs and message boards continuously. I do it to see people happy, smiling and enjoying themselves, in the presence of other friends and family, hoping that a new friendship can be made at that table that extends to them sharing their own kitchen and table with others.