Pasta with Squash

The other day I was feeling experimental and since I have never cooked anything with Squash and barely use my oven, I decided to do both.
I had no idea what to do with the Squash until I remembered my mother often makes a pasta dish with Squash as the main ingredient for the sauce. So I phoned her up asked for the recipe and added just a couple variations.

Here is the recipe (for 2 people):

200 gr pasta (short shape is preferred)
1 small squash, peeled and cut into small cubes
oil and salt
fresh goat cheese
fresh basil

Turn on the oven to about 200-230c
Place the cut peaces of Squash on a baking sheet, drizzle oil, salt and pepper on top, and mix them around using your hands. Leave the squash to cook until the outside is brown and inside is soft, turning the pieces over at least once.
In the meantime, bring a pot of water to the boil and throw the pasta in
Put the cheese, basil and squash in a bowl, throw the pasta in with a bit of its cooking water (remember to save some to make the sauce creamy!)
Mix all together

It is better to use a softer cheese because it will melt and make the sauce more creamy, I made the mistake of using one that was a bit too hard, but it still turned out delicious!
If you think the pasta turns out too sweet, you can add some hot pepper to give it an extra punch.

Enjoy!

Domenica d'Agosto

The clip I would like to share today is from the movie Domenica d'Agosto directed by Luciano Emmer in 1950. Shot mostly at the Lido di Ostia, its the story about a crowd of people from Rome who decide to spend their one day of holiday at the beach. Its a comedy and a good opportunity to dream about how different the 'beach experience' used to be compared to how it is today. My favourite scene is the family lunch at the beach because although some things have changed, Italians still love and continue to eat a big lunch at the beach. Even if it's 40 degrees outside, you can't say no to a plate of pasta.

                             

Liver cooked Sophie's way

Ever since I was a little kid I have loved all food. I would try and eat anything, and that includes liver and all the other innards.

Most people think they are gross and don't want to be anywhere near them, but I love them.

So I had some liver in my fridge and decided to cook it without looking at a recipe, just making it up along the way. And so I came up with Liver a la Sophie. It's quite simple and might even exist already, but I like to believe it's my personal one.

So here is what you will need:

200 gr Chicken livers 

1/2 white onion

1 tablespoon butter

3 tablespoons dry white wine

salt and pepper

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

fresh mint leaves

Put some olive oil in a pan and let the onions cook until golden.

Then add the liver and let cook for a couple of minutes.

Add the butter, and as soon as it has melted add the wine.

Let cook until they loose that pink colour on the inside.

Add some mint leaves and the lemon juice towards the end.

Add some mint leaves for garnish if you want to make it look pretty!

My personal touch was the mint and the lemon, I don't think I've ever had it with those 2 ingredients before. Enjoy!

Food and Cinema

I have been very busy working and trying to finish my final year of university by writing a good dissertation. Of course my dissertation is going to be about food, and more specifically about food in three different periods of Italian cinema. I want to explore how the food in these movies represents Italian culture at the time. I have been watching a lot of great movies, and thought I might share a clip each time I watch a new one.

The last movie I saw is Campo de' Fiori by Mario Bonnard, released in 1943. The main actor is Aldo Fabrizi (brother of Sora Lella), who plays a pescivendolo (fish monger) in Rome's market Campo de' Fiori. Fabrizi was know for his passion of food in real life, and there are a few good food scenes in the movie. At the start of the film he gives a customer a recipe for fish so she can impress her guests at the table, and later on he prepares a fish soup to try and impress the woman he is infatuated with. It wasn't the best movie I've ever seen, but it entertained me! I am looking forward to watching lots more movies, posting many clips, and hopefully write an amazing dissertation.

                              

Okra

Growing up in Italy, I must admit I had never even seen or heard of Okra, but when I moved here I was finally introduced to it. My friend Chris usually puts it in his famous Ginger Soup, but this summer, during my family vacation in the Greek island of Paros, I tried a different version of it. The version I had in a small Taverna in Paros, was Okra with Tomatoes. I decided to try it myself and found a good recipe for it in an old Greek cookbook my mother gave me when I moved to London, called Greek Cooking by Lesley Mackley. I love Greek food because it is so simple but so tasty, and this Okra recipe was really easy and quick, so here it is (I changed it a bit):

Okra
Olive oil
Chopped Onion (She says to add a leek and a clove of garlic, but I only used onion)
Tomatoes (Chopped in small pieces)
Tablespoon of Lemon
Salt and Pepper
A pinch of Sugar

First, cut the stalks off the Okra carefully without piercing the pods.
In a large pan, heat some Olive oil, and then add the onions until gold.
Add the Okra and let cook for about 5 minutes, covering pan with a lid.

Now add the chopped tomatoes, (I added some passata as well as the chopped tomatoes to make it a bit saucier), sugar and lemon.
Let cook until sauce is reduced and Okra is tender.
Sprinke some salt and pepper and it's read to eat!

I love it a side dish with meat, enjoy!

Salone del Gusto 2012

I was lucky enough to attend this years Salone del Gusto in Torino, thanks to my mother who let me tag along with her and help out with the work.
The salone happens every two years, and this was actually my third time at the Salone, and loved it! This was the first year that the Salone and Terra Madre were both under the same roof, so I got to taste some amazing food from all over the world, not only Italy. Thought I would share some of my favourite pictures from the trip:

The city of Torino is beautiful and its people are as well, so it is really worth a visit.

Turkish Breakfast

I've never liked eating anything remotely sweet for breakfast, so im always excited to see what people have for breakfast when I travel to other countries. In Spain, I loved the Pan y Tomate (literally bread with tomatoes), but it was when I traveled to Istanbul that I found my perfect breakfast: Turkish Breakfast.
In Italy, it is extremely rare for people to eat a big breakfast, and it usually consists of a cornetto and cappuccino, rarely do people make a more 'salty' choice.
Turkish breakfast usually consists of: cheese (feta, or any kind you prefer), olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, some kind of cold-cut meat, and an egg. I usually have mine without the meat, and with a boiled egg, in an attempt to make it healthier; all comes with a piece of bread (I choose brown).
I'm sure   any Italian would be horrified to know that I like to have cucumbers and olives for breakfast, but I dont care, it still remains my favourite breakfast!