Tomato Passata sauce, part 1
Tomato Passata sauce, part 2
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 cooked wild garlic
As I have said before, Italians love to use two topics to start a conversation: the weather and food. To prove this point I want you to know that, first, here in Umbria, it`s finally pouring with rain and second , just before the start of this storm Nick and I were able to recognize and pick one of the many natural culinary ingredients that grow in these beautiful hills of Umbria . Wild garlic!
Every year, as you already know, in the spring one of my many tasks is to arm myself with the strimmer and ,as my husband says ,KILL (behead by accident ) all the flowers and cut the grass. Well every time I attack this back breaking job there is always a strange smell of garlic. Initially I thought it was my breath (eh eh ), but luckily this year I discovered that our house is surrounded by wild garlic. Believe me it was a relief to know that I am not guilty, the smell does not come from me!
So after consulting with a couple of knowledgeable old local farmers, we were able to gather a wonderful unexpected rich harvest.
 raw garlic
I decided to cook the garlic in a simple way, so as to allow us to test its natural flavor. which was Absolutely divine. And even though we spent the whole evening sniffing around each other (this got us a few strange looks from Lui the dog) after eating a large portion, it can be reported that there were no unpleasant side effects, breath remained fresh and fragrant (apart from the wine)!!! Continue reading Not guilty. »
 Parmigiana
“We are a group of girls” she said ,” do you think we could come to you for a cooking class?” Victoria was the girl I meet first by email ,her job was to organize this BIG cooking class for 24 girls from the UK,Hong Kong, New York, Austrailia, Dubai and Sweden!! “We are not very much in to cooking but we would love to have fun and learn a little bit about Italian food”, she said. “P.s. I forgot to mention that we are a HEN PARTY and will be dressed in 1950’s cloths!”
O MAMMA MIA!, look out Orvieto!!!! I was very looking forward to meet them and finally on Monday afternoon, I left home carrying all the ingredients we needed , plus a large quantity of wine, as suggested by Nick. Here they were at the Palazzo del Gusto looking beautiful and ready for action. Different ages, all dressed up and wearing aprons that they had drawn on themselves, assolutamente bellissime.
Nick very kindly offered to come and take some pictures (surprise surprise) .And an hour into the lesson he arrived – “oh , it’s the stripper gram” someone shouted- at which point I’d never seen him look so scared .
 Auguri!!!! Terry
Top of our menu to prepare was a classic Italian dish “la Parmigiana” and for a group of ladies who professed , not be particularly into cooking they were amazingly good.
The bride , Terry was very good fun , not to mention extremely pretty. All in all , we had a wonderful evening and it proved to me again that cooking can be a great way to meet people and have a good time!!
Congratulation to Terry, we wish you all the best.
 Essence
Two months ago I was asked by my friend Velia if I would like to enter the Risate e Risotti cooking competition for food bloggers . The idea of the competition was to create a dish using rice as the main ingredient and to send in a photo of your creation.
The event is sponsored by Pila Vecia Ferron , a rice company from Verona in northern Italy and the town of Orvieto , amongst others.…. and has been running for five years in Orvieto. Well, I thought, there’s no harm in giving it ago. After searching through my blog ,I found a little finger food I hadn’t made for a while. Squid ink risotto with gelatin parsley , topped with cod cooked in milk .
So , I sent in my idea with the photo of course and waited. Time passed by and nothing happened . After a while I completely forgot about the event , until last Thursday when I got an e-mail telling me I had made it through to the finals.
I couldn’t believe it . My first cooking competition and I was a finalist ! I was so pleased. Anyway, the results were announced on Sunday and much to my delight I came second. The winner was Lorella Fabris a very good food blogger from Venice , who I had the pleasure to meet yesterday.
 From the right Velia De Angelis, me , Lorella Fabris and the judges
 Me and Lorella Fabris It just goes to show, as my father always says ,”nothing ventured ,nothing gained “.
Ciao
 pork tenderloin baked in a salt crust
Hello, yes I am alive! To give you an idea of what has been happening here over the last few weeks, I’ve made a short list :
1. Preparing the soil for this summer’s vegetable garden ( very hard work with a rotovator , best left to Nick) 2. Straightening all the vines in the vineyard so they don’t fall down ( another heavy job best left to Nick ) 3. Taking down all the old wire fencing, we no longer need in the garden ( yes you guessed it . Best left to Nick ) 4. (This is where i come in ).Planting salad and herbs in the vegetable garden 5. Starting our yearly grass cutting marathon and 6. Painting all the garden furniture ,ready for this year’s guests. In short…..tanto lavoro (lot’s of work!)
All this has been made much easier by the amazingly hot spring we seem to be having. After a long day , the sun setting , birds singing and the scent of flowers in the air, it’s finally time for a glass of wine on the back porch. Sitting contentedly sipping our drinks, we compare the calluses on our hands and talk about the pain in our backs.
 A rare cloud passing by
Then it’s time for me to go inside and try to cook correctly a pork tenderloin . I say to try, because it’s taken me three attempts to get it right. Nick no longer asks what’s for dinner in fear of what the answer will be. But now that I’ve got it , I’m happy to say that I will definitely be putting it on the next menu for the Supper Club .
So, if you would like to join us, have a look at the available dates. If the weather continues like this, you’ll be able sit outside and relax , watching Nick do all the hard work. Continue reading All work and no play….. »
 Mazzafegato and Lentils soup
Encouraged by the enthusiasm ,curiosity and the desire to test and learn everything ,shown by the new group of students from the Culinary Institute of America ,I decided to introduce them to some of the typical produce of areas protected by THE SLOW FOOD ASSOCIATION. Promoted as an alternative to fast food, it strives to preserve traditional and regional cuisine and encourages farming of plants, seeds and livestock characteristic of the local ecosystem.
I then started my lesson with the history of ingredients used by the Etruscans to the Romans to present days in recipes still used by local farmers in Orvieto … in short, a kind of FUSION FOOD !eh eh eh .
One of the ingredients I presented to them was a sausage called Mazzafegato, it is made by butchers and local farmers from all that is left in their chopping trays after they have taken what they use from the pig for pork joints, ham, chops, pancetta etc .etc .so at the end of the day nothing is thrown away, the liver, tongue, lips etc. etc .are all used to make the Mazzafegato. The flavor is very strong so farmers blend in natural flavors such as orange, garlic, rosemary, etc. … Mazzafegato, black celery, spelt, these are just some products protected by the Slow Food here in Umbria. You know ,I`ve just realized I`m giving you a lecture too, sorry.
Anyway, after explaining the ingredients I then gave the group a couple of tasks , let the action begin. Chopping, assembling and cooking …. fantastic!
When the soup was cooking it was time for them to taste the wine typical of these areas. Graziella explained to them how to perceive the wine through an sensory examination and evaluation.
Wine was drunk and food eaten, just perfect! I felt very happy at the end of the day, the young chefs left for a new Italian destination ready to learn more about Italian food and wine.
Who knows, maybe one day you’ll find ,on a menu in a NY restaurant, this soup made from Lentils from Castelluccio and Mazzafegato from Orvieto and maybe it will be accompanied by an Orvieto Classico DOC wine!! If so please let me know and tell me what you think. In the meantime you could just give it a go using everyday lentils and a good sausage!!!
Ciao for now. Continue reading Let’s take it Slow. »
 Crispy fillet of bass cooked with almonds and crunchy walnuts , black olives and raisins. Served with escarole
Imagine my surprise when yesterday, strolling in my vegetable garden I found a couple of vegetables that had survived all the winter snow and frost that we had had less then a month ago, roman cauliflowers a couple of broccoli heads and a large head of escarole salad. Unbelievable—-I was amazed—ok maybe the cauliflower and broccoli were protected by their large thick leaves, but the escarole salad, how did she manage to survive??? Full of enthusiasm I gave the news to Nick, who, after having heard my exciting story of the day, said-Yes, ok it is all very interesting, but I don`t like escarole salad anyway!
This poor salad after enduring the cold and the frost she shouldn`t be treated like that, I must find a way to enhance its flavor and combine it with a right ingredient, so my big ungrateful husband will appreciate it ….. So I decide the best solution would be to cook the escarole as my mother , my grandmother , my great grandmother used to do it , in short, if generations of Neapolitans have enjoyed this dish surely Nick will be impressed!
To be safe I then thought to combine the escarole with a crispy fillet of sea bass filled with a Mediterranean pesto.
Mamma mia, the dish was fantastic, Nick was super happy and I thought to myself: well done Simona, you only had to dig into your family tree to save the reputation of this brave escarole salad and she was able to make a glorious dignified exit in the end! Continue reading What a survivor! »
 Vertical Bitto cheeses
A couple of days ago my friend Rita sent an email asking if I wanted to attend a wine tasting near Terni. Wines from Valtellina in northern Italy combined with a Vertical Cheese tasting. Si grazie , of course, I said to her!!
What is a vertical cheese tasting , you might ask? Well, apparently it’s the opportunity to taste the same cheese but from different vintages. The expression is normally used for wines. We were going to be tasting Bitto alpine cheese. Bitto is produced in the Valli del Bitto in Lombardy, northern Italy at an altitude ranging from 1400 to 2300 meters . The main Characteristics are that the makers must start making the cheese no longer than 20 minutes after milking the animals ! Because of this time limit the cheese is made in the field. Bitto can also be left to age longer than any other cheese, even longer than the famous Parmigiano Reggiano . A blend of 70% cow’s milk and 30% goat’s . The animals graze only on the grass in the valleys .No additives, preservatives or yeast are allowed in the cheese production . The method has been handed down from the Celts and the same rules for making the cheese are strictly followed today.
But back to my vertical tasting. One type of cheese , 5 different years: 2011/2010/2009/2003 , plus the very rare and very expensive 2001. Definitely a unique experience! If you consider that there are just 20 whole wheels of Bitto cheese from 2001 in the world !!!
Mamma mia , when I tasted that one, I swear, I had goose bumps! The wine chosen to pair the Bitto 2001 was a 5 Star Sfursat Valtellina 2007. In short , a very sophisticated evening !!
But what is the point of the story and how come you can see the picture of the 5 pieces of cheese? The reason is that I have been so good . I wanted Nick to also participate in this experience. So under the astonished eyes of the people who were close to me during the tasting, I only ate half of each piece of cheese and stuck the other half in my pocket. It was very hard to do ,believe me and even harder to not waver from my decision on the way home. I’ll tell you what…..the boy owes me BIG TIME, even a month of cappuccino’s in bed is not going to be enough !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 Green Tagliatelle made with parsley served with a aubergine pesto
While on my morning run today I met Salvatore , a very fit 80 year old ,he was busy pruning his olive trees. Ciao -I said- would you mind if I bring my car later and load up with some of your cut olive branches for my goat , she loves them. SI , SI -Salvatore says- take all you want ,you will be doing me a favor, after all this, it is very tiring for me to have to burn the branches . – ( even Salvatore has a limit !!)
So there I was before lunch loading my car to the brim with olive branches! Why you may ask ?Well, I am doing this in the hope that Hilda the cheeky goat, will stop eating the chicken feed and give her greedy attention to the olive branches! My theory is that ,if the chickens can eat in peace, they will be more inclined to lay some BLOODY EGGS!! Yes, because my dear readers, after almost one months since our new guests arrived to live here, in luxury, they have repaid us with only ONE single egg .So yet again I have had to buy some from a local farmer for my homemade green pasta with parsley, very embarrassing. No, something is wrong here and needs to be sorted out, perhaps a really serious talk to these damn chickens will do the trick, or even a guided tour of the kitchen and the ovens.
However, apart from this little problem, we are having some fantastic sunny days in Allerona (Umbria), the first mint, oregano and thyme are growing back. The birds are chirping and the first daisies are blooming, it’s absolutely fantastic. I cannot believe how the colors of the hills all around us have changed. A couple of weeks ago they were covered in snow, amazing. Anyway, this is all part of the beauty of living in the countryside….apart from the non productive chickens problem of course! Continue reading Ungrateful guests »
 Spelt and Chickpeas spicy soup
After spending three days researching the history of the use of spelt, chickpeas and lentils, Sunday, the day I was to hold a class for twenty eight American students finely arrived .All young ,enthusiastic ,and full of interest in the food and wine connected to Umbrian history. My lesson was about the use, by the Etruscans ,of some ingredients grown in these lands, old recipes and even country recipes handed down through generations. This was the second time that I had had the pleasure of working with students from the school of “ Culinary Institute of America”. On the first occasion I demonstrated an old Etruscan recipe ,soup with chickpeas and chestnuts, but as I told the students, the Etruscans didn`t always eat the same soup ! So this time the ingredients were Spelt and Chickpeas and then in addition to this soup ,the students and I prepared a few dishes using only local ingredients , such as Mazzafegato (a type of sausage), ricotta cheese made by Danilo and his son, pancetta. The end result was fantastic.
The location for this course could not have been better. The cellars of the former convent of S. Giovanni in Orvieto are excavated in the volcanic rock and date back to Etruscan times. After the cooking class the students were then given the opportunity to do some wine tasting . This was organized by Graziella an extremely nice lady and a professional sommelier ,she also runs the Itinera cooperative in Orvieto with her business partner Lucia.
It was, all in all, a beautiful, successful day, and not only a pleasure but also an honor for me to be a part of it ,so I would just like to say a special thank you to Professor Charles Garibaldi for thinking of me and bringing me a beautiful T-shirt from the C.I.A chef school as a gift. I shall wear it with pride. Continue reading Etruscans didn`t always eat the same soup ! »
 red pepper sorbet
This last week has been really tough. More and more snow has meant we have been unable to interact with the outside world. It’s been 14 days where the snow has completely ruled our daily activities. But we`ve done very well and survived without killing each other ! (Happy S. Valentine’s day!)
We do live isolated from the small village of Allerona and in the last few weeks its been impossible to use the car to reach the main road . Most of the time we have had to walk back and forth from the village to our house (20 minute walk each way) carrying shopping bags, pet food, feed for chickens ….. yes, three or four times I slipped on the ice, but fortunately I haven`t broken any bones yet! Shoveling snow and bringing in the wood for the fire has also been my daily exercise. I’ve had more then enough of it all !!
Even Nick, after trying my new recipe said: Simona how can you cook a pepper sorbet, when out there it is less than three degrees??? I know ,probably not the right time for it, all this snow must have gone to my brain but believe me this pepper sorbet served with a pork tenderloin is absolutely delicious whatever the weather!
Anyway today, finally, the SUN! I am really happy and in a good mood , yes I must be honest, I’ve had enough of all this white landscape, it’s the middle of February and I am dreaming about hot days, flowers and wearing my flip flops. So welcome back to the sun , please keep shining, and I`ll keep hoping …..could this be spring arriving ?????? Continue reading Whatever the weather! »
 Egg Carbonara
This morning was my turn to be first out of bed . I set the animals free , fed the cats and let Lui out . Then I started the kitchen fire and brought a cappuccino to Nick who was waiting in bed. Yes, my Birthday is well and truly over. All of this though , has been compensated by the fact that the normally green hills of Umbria are still covered in snow.
It’s been six days and there’s no sign of it stopping. In the mornings we go for long walks and still everybody we pass seems to be smiling. It’s as if a little of the child has come back to life in us all …. well , for now anyway.
 Our house still under the snow
 Good Night
Apart from the walks and listening to the wind outside ,there isn’t really a lot to do . So , I decided to try my hand at a recipe we had at the Birthday restaurant. An Egg Carbonara , but without any pasta. I have to say it’s quite a strange idea ,but really , really tasty. Nick thought it was probably the best course we had ( even if he complained about the price for what he thought was little more than a poached egg ).
So , I’ve tried to do the recipe justice and after a few tries , I think I got something similar. Believe me it’s a whole lot more than just poaching an egg.
Any way another white day has gone by , with more snow expected tonight. The animals are warm, we have wood, food and wine, and tomorrow isn’t my turn to make the cappuccinos. What more could you want from life? Continue reading More than just a poached egg. »
 Ricotta and aubergine cannelloni Last night on the eve of my birthday, Nick asked me if I had any special wishes . Well, to tell you the truth, I did have one… Snow !!! And lots of it. That wish came true this morning. I couldn’t believe it , we opened the shutters and there it was . Everything covered in a blanket of white snow.
There was only one thing to do , wrap up warm , brave the freezing elements and walk up to the village shop in search of supplies. Even Lui our dog couldn’t wait to get out into it.
 Me and Lui heading out. 
Off we went . After a 30 minute walk, passing Hilda “the unlucky goat” and more than one abandoned car ,plus a few very excited school children ,we eventually arrived in the village . A hand full of people had gathered outside the shop and the talk was serious “ three or four days , that’s the forecast “.
 Hilda the unlucky goat
“Bloody Nora ” . I had only brought 10 Euros with me and I wasn’t going to get much with that . Luckily Nick said he thought we had enough bits and pieces in the fridge ,so all we needed were the ingredients for my Birthday cake.
I have to admit that Nick’s been very unlucky with my Birthday this year . If he had booked a restaurant for this evening ,we would of had to cancel due to the bad weather. Unfortunately for him , he had planned ahead and we went to a very expensive Michelin starred restaurant last Saturday (“a once in a lifetime experience “ as he kept reminding me throughout the meal ) .
 Our house under the snow.
Back home , we set the fires blazing and spent the day looking out the windows feeling glad to be indoors . Later , we had a hot shower and prepared for a romantic evening with a few glasses of wine and of course my second special Birthday dinner.
After rooting around in the fridge and cupboards he managed to pull out a few sheets of lasagna pasta ,an Aubergine , ricotta and some mozzarella . Added together with our tomato passata and a few pine nuts ,he had it . “ Aubergine and Ricotta Cannelloni”.
I have to say , if not a little messy , it wasn’t bad at all. So , I’m a very lucky person. Not only did I get a “once in a lifetime” restaurant experience, but I also got my true Birthday wish . A romantic dinner for two in front of the fire with a blanket of snow outside.
 Tortelloni filled with Buffalo mozzarella foam , served with Broccoli cream ,a dash of sun dried tomatoes and fresh anchovies paste .
I wish I could say that I made this Tortelloni dish using only the eggs laid by our new chickens! Unfortunately that`s not the case. But let’s start from the beginning.
As I had mentioned a few post before, we had decided to take on 2 hens and 2 chickens (just to start) as playmates for our goat … Hilda. I know what you are thinking——-but please don`t tell me , this goat story never ends!?? However, the new roommates have arrived.
We heard all the stories from the locals regarding foxes and even martens and how predatory killers could be with chickens ,so armed with a lot of patience and determination Nick decided to improve the room where our new guests would be staying. Solid wooden door, wooden table strewn with lovely clean hay as a bed, food, water and a basket, in the hope that they would decide to lay eggs exactly there and not all over the place so we couldn`t find them. In short, what can I say… Better than a 7-star hotel!
Unfortunately, by the second day the hotel room was in a real state, littered with chicken poo , yes because my friend, chickens are very messy with this function, I think even the poor goat was shocked .
However, we pressed on ,opening the door early in the morning so the chickens can roam around freely enjoying their new home, and closing the door before it reaches the dark so they will be safe… and then finally .. yesterday I found the first egg!! and in the basket !!!!!!!
We were so very happy ,though you are a bit limited with what you can do with only one egg. So after some consideration I decided to add my lonely egg to the 6 that Elena, my neighbor with a lot of productive chickens, had kindly given me few days earlier.
Using seven eggs in total and fresh broccoli picked from my vegetable garden I have prepared this new dish. Homemade Tortelloni filled with Buffalo mozzarella foam , served with Broccoli cream ,a dash of sun dried tomatoes and fresh anchovies paste . Finished with toasted black sesame for a crispy taste. Ok I know , I did buy few ingredients, but I tell you what…..WE ARE NOT EVER PLANNING TO BUY A BUFFALO COW so let’s leave it like that! eh
 King prawn and see bass roll served with leek and shrimp cream.
A couple of days ago I received from Susan a link to a recent article she had written on her blog. I first met Susan at a Supper Club at our home last summer and I didn`t know then that she writes this very funny and interesting blog http://www.halfyearitalian.wordpress.com/ I am so happy about it I feel I must share it with you.
So this morning after doing all my usual country duties ,then picked , cut and washed some broccoli from my vegetable garden, I started to think that maybe it is time to include in my website/blog a page ,to share with you, a few of the reviews we have had about Sagraincasa .At first I was a bit worried that it would seem like a bit of “showing off”, but then I thought “non c’è due senza tre” as we say in Italy, meaning “good things come in threes” . Considering that in my case I am amazed to have received even FOUR reviews …why not do it, I thought ? So please have a look, it is up there on the right hand side, and if we have had any culinary experiences together, feel free to add your comments . Plus ,as a bonus ,if you write something nice…next time l see you “Hai un caffè pagato” (I will buy you a coffee) ! eh what do you think ????????
 Sea bass fillet with pistachio and lemon served with seafood risotto
It takes two wheelbarrows full of wood a day to warm up (or try to warm up) the ground floor of our house in the hills, but what worries us is the fact that at the moment here in Umbria it is not even really cold yet!!
No, surely there is something wrong with our house. So , earlier this week we decided to look into the possibility of replacing one of our fireplaces with a SMART Thermal fireplace. Although we still consider ourselves to be relatively young (I will be soon 40 years old and Nick is 46 years old…. still kids… I would say!), anyway ,despite our young age we have started to feel the first aches and pains in our bodies and with them , the first physical changes typical of the local people here. It is not a joke, country life yes can be so beautiful, but my dear friends, the reality is that this natural way of life can slowly transform you. Looking around the situation of the inhabitants of this small village in Umbria it’s easy to see the difference between those who live within the village and those who are more isolated in the countryside (like us). The latter wear a minimum of three layers of sweaters, the skin is altered by temperature changes (rosaceous) and finally the posture: the body begins to enclose like a hedgehog as a defense against the cold. MAMMA MIA I already have all three of these features and all this after only 11 years of country living, can you imagine how I will be transformed after ten more years !!!!!!!!???????
A solution must be found, first of all I will hide Nick’s passport , just in case one morning he wakes up and decides to escape back to London without the Yeti wife , I will also have to push for the new Thermal fireplace and last and not least I’ll continue to delight him with good food. That is my plan, but for now I`d better go and put on the thermal underwear, fill the hot water bottle (all sent by my mother-in-law) add gloves and a scarf …………… just for indoors. Ciao Continue reading Every things thermal… »
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