winter Archives - Very EATalian

Pink Winter Salad with Radicchio, Prosciutto, Pink Lady Apple, Asiago Cheese & Roasted Pine nuts

March 6, 2020 By very EATalian Leave a Comment

We’re approaching the end of winter, we’re still in Italy, and today the mountains look more beautiful than ever, covered with a layer of fresh snow. I don’t think I’m ready to put away my beloved yellow wool sweater and my favorite leopard-print scarf…but I’m definitely looking forward to seeing the days get longer and the flowers and leaves come out again. Olivia and I planted a few wild flower seeds and they sprouted just few days ago. She is all into it, checking on her little “piantine” every day. I’m hoping we’ll be here when they turn into full blown flowers (unless we manage to kill them first!). Either way, it’s a wonderful way to learn how to take care of a living thing!

This might be our last month in Italy. SIGH. I’m really trying to savor every moment we have left here, but I’m a bit worried about Olivia’s transition back to the States. She’s been showered with love by the whole family during these past months and she’s got so much going on for her here: a huge yard, pets, chickens, an orchard, the view of the mountains, cousins to play with, a great school and a loving teacher, awesome chocolate gelato and pastry shops everywhere, and so much to explore! It’s really a perfect place for her to thrive in. The idea of starting all over again and the prospect of moving twice (first in a temporary furnished apartment, and then finally into a house) aren’t very appealing.

Stability, one day I will find you, I promise. Meanwhile, in an effort to feel a little less anxious about this transition, I started:

Planning Olivia’s future room. It gave me something to look forward to and the biggest inspiration came from Anna’s IG account @Zenos_room — please do check it out because Anna was able to outfit her son’s room all by herself, with amazing taste! #playroomgoals.
Using more color both during our activities (watercolor, homemade playdough, rainbow rice, etc), and while I cook (Pink Chocolate-dipped Cookies, anyone?). I even bought for the first time ever some edible flowers! Color can really soothe your soul.

You can finally CUE IN my Pink Winter Salad. You may call it my signature mood-booster salad. I promise it works for worried mothers like me, who need a little pink in their daily life. LOL.

A few good reasons to make it:

It’s oh-so-pretty and chic with its ton-sur-ton hues.
It’s a delicious combination of amazing ingredients: pink radicchio, San Daniele prosciutto, Pink Lady apple, Asiago cheese & roasted pine nuts.
It’s light and texturally satisfying.
It’s also super easy to make!
It’s definitely trendy (Have you seen Lady Gaga’s insanely gorgeous pink hair lately?).
Last but not least, it makes you FEEL GOOD.

Just one last note, before I leave you to the recipe. To make this salad I used a particular kind of pink radicchio, called Rosa Del Veneto. If you can’t find it, the more classic red radicchio will work. Remember, you can still get pink from prosciutto & the apple. 😉

I hope this Pink Winter Salad can brighten your day, too. If you make it, please share your photos and tag me with #veryeatalian. Grazie!!

PINK WINTER SALAD WITH RADICCHIO, PROSCIUTTO, PINK LADY APPLE, ASIAGO CHEESE & ROASTED PINE NUTS

Course Salad

Servings 4

Author Very EATalian

Ingredients

1 head Radicchio (Rosa del Veneto Pink Radicchio, or Red Radicchio), torn into bite-size pieces
1 Pink lady apple sliced thinly
1 or 2 thick slices of Prosciutto (better if San Daniele Prosciutto)
a few slices of Asiago Cheese cut into smaller pieces
a handful of Pine nuts roasted
a drizzle of Balsamic vinegar
a drizzle of Extra-virgin Olive Oil
Salt
freshly ground Black Pepper
gourmet seed crackers (optional)

Instructions

COMBINE the first five ingredients in a bowl.
WHISK together the vinegar, oil, salt and pepper in a small bowl, until the dressing is fully emulsified. Pour on the salad and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve with seed crackers, if you like, and enjoy!

Soft Frico

April 20, 2016 By very EATalian 3 Comments

If you’re a cheese lover and you want to take your cheese experience to a whole another level, you MUST try soft frico — the quintessential and most loved dish from Friuli Venezia Giulia.

Soft frico is basically a cheese & potato pie, crispy on the outside, and soft and gooey on the inside. Just like the people from Friuli, frico is a no-frill, essential, and straightforward dish. Created out of necessity, when people had few ingredients on hand, frico was made using the leftover scraps (strissulis) of Montasio, a cheese produced locally.

If you’d like to try this recipe and you want to keep it authentic, you definitely need to use Montasio cheese. Similar to Swiss and Asiago, fresh Montasio cheese has a mild, delicate, and somewhat fruity flavor. It comes at different aging stages, ranging from fresh (60 days-4 months), to slightly aged (5-12 months), to aged (over 12 months). As you can imagine, the flavor becomes more intense and sharp with time….

Blood Orange and Fennel Salad

February 22, 2015 By very EATalian 2 Comments

When faced with the task of planning a menu for a special occasion or a dinner with friends, I easily get caught up in fancy ideas. I want to surprise my guests by out-doing myself and preparing many sophisticated dishes. I see it as a way to show them my love…Do I maybe also like to show off my cooking skills? You bet. Unfortunately, sometimes the fancy multi-course meal can become quite laborious and stressful. By the time I hear the doorbell ringing, I’m so exhausted I feel like I just ran a marathon. Those are the moments when I’m especially grateful for the invention of under-eye concealer.

So here’s my own reminder that delicious stress-free, fancy-looking recipes for special occasions DO exist. This Sicilian salad, for example, is super easy, flavorful, bright, fresh, and seasonal. You can prepare the ingredients ahead of time, and just assemble and season the dish right before serving.

I love the idea of preparing something simple, yet refined. Less work and less time spent on a side dish equals less stress and more time spent taking care of other important hosting details, like table setting or, in my case, not looking disheveled when I open the door!

Sometimes, less is more.

BLOOD ORANGE AND FENNEL SALAD
Servings: 2-3 | Prep time: 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS
3 medium-sized blood oranges
1/2 fennel bulb, very thinly sliced crosswise
a few thin slices red onion, cut crosswise
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp orange juice
coarse sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
mint leave or fennel fronds for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Using a sharp knife, remove all skin and pith from all blood oranges. You can divide it in segments or, more easily, slice it crossways. Place orange slices or segments in a bowl.
2. Add thinly sliced fennel and onion.
3. In a small bowl, combine extra-virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and orange juice. Whisk together and drizzle all over the salad. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Garnish with mint leaves or fennel fronds.

Buon appetito!
-Lisa

Risotto with Taleggio Cheese, Pears, and Walnuts

February 20, 2015 By very EATalian 2 Comments

Brrrrr. Today it’s wintertime here in Florida; it’s unusually cold and windy outside. I love the cold weather, especially because it allows me to flaunt my fashionable hats, gloves, and scarves. When it’s windy, though, I’d rather lock myself up in the house. In fact, as I’m writing this, I’m all wrapped up in my favorite blanket, sipping on a cup of hot tea and still mentally savoring the warm, delicious risotto I prepared today.

I’ve been tickled by the idea of preparing a nice risotto with taleggio cheese and pears for a long time, but I’ve never been able to find this cheese in grocery stores around here. Finally, a very cool and beautiful store that recently opened up in St. Petersburg, called Locale Market, has put an end to my extensive search. Hallelujah.

In case you didn’t know, taleggio is an intense, rich, semi-soft cheese. It’s known for its pungent and strong aroma, and its unexpectedly mild, sweet and lightly tangy flavor. It melts really well, and it’s perfect for winter dishes. An Italian saying goes “al contadino non far sapere quant’è buono il cacio con le pere”, which means “don’t tell a farmer how good cheese is with pears”, implying that he would charge more or never part with them in the first place. There’s so much truth in this old saying! Pears and cheese are divine together.

When I unwrapped the taleggio cheese from its packaging, the strong aroma pervaded the whole kitchen. Despite the pungent smell of this cheese, you wouldn’t believe how delicate, yet flavorful this risotto turned out. The sweetness and brightness of the pear perfectly balanced the buttery and rich flavor of the taleggio. A final sprinkle of walnuts added further texture to the dish.

It was exactly what I needed in this cold and windy day–a flavorful and comforting risotto to warm me up.

RISOTTO WITH TALEGGIO CHEESE, PEARS, AND WALNUTS
Servings: 2 | Preparation time: 10-15 minutes | Cooking time: 25 minutes
Note: If you can’t find taleggio, you can substitute it in this recipe with a soft gorgonzola or fontina cheese

INGREDIENTS
1 lt (32 oz) vegetable broth
extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp butter (+ ½ Tbsp)
1/4 cup shallot, chopped
1 big Bosc pear, diced
175 g (1 cup) arborio or carnaroli rice
50 g (~2 oz) taleggio cheese, diced
(optional) ¼ cup dry white wine
a handful of parmesan cheese, grated
a handful of walnuts, coarsely chopped
salt
freshly ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Heat vegetable broth in a saucepan.
2. In a dutch-oven (or a thick-bottom pot), add 1 tablespoon of butter and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil over medium-low heat. Add chopped shallot, and sauté until translucent.
3. [The risotto cooks in about 20 minutes] Turn the heat to medium-high, add the rice and toast it briefly, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon. Once the rice grains start to look shiny and semi-transparent, pour in the wine or ¼ cup of broth. Let the rice absorb the liquid.
4. Turn the heat to medium-low and add a ladleful of broth. Stir until the liquid is absorbed. Repeat this step throughout the recipe, adding broth and stirring the rice often, letting it absorb the liquid slowly.
5. Halfway through (about 10 minutes after adding rice), add the diced pears. Continue adding broth regularly, until the rice is plump and al dente. I usually stop adding liquid about 17 minutes in.
6. When the rice is al dente, remove it from the heat. Add taleggio cheese, ½ tablespoon of butter and the parmesan cheese. Add salt, if necessary. Stir vigorously for about a minute to make it creamy. Let rest for 2-3 minutes.
7. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts and freshly ground black pepper. Serve hot.

Buon Appetito!

Lisa