briciole

pear tart / crostata di pere

jump to Recipe the simple elegance of a crostata always wins at the table (placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO) The current Cook the Books Club selection is Midnight at the Blackbird Café by Heather Webber.1 On her website, the author explains: The inspiration for this novel came years ago in a song. After hearing the Beatles' "Blackbird" for the first time, it haunted me... I was captivated with the concept of broken wings and how emotional wounds can keep many from being able to metaphorically fly... Blackbird research led me quickly to the Song of Sixpence with its “four and... Read more →

scone alle fragole / strawberry scones

[cliccare il link per andare alla versione in italiano] not your typical strawberry scones In The Feast Nearby by Robin Mather, the current selection of our Cook the Books Club, the author tells the story of how she built a new life for herself in a lakeside cabin in Michigan after back-to-back divorce and lay-off. Following the seasons of one year, she describes her food sources, meal plans and preservation efforts, and provides some recipes. I already do a fair amount of food preservation in the form of freezing and fruit preserves. I also bake bread, make cheese, kefir and broth.... Read more →

scone ai cachi / persimmon scones

[cliccare il link per andare alla versione in italiano] fall favorite fruit: an unripe Hachiya (left) and a Fuyu (right) Persimmons make me happy: it's a simple as that. In this recipe, I use some ripe and some dried persimmon and also a new ingredient: grape seed flour (from a company called WholeVine, shown in the glass bowl on the photo above), which gives the scones a warm brown color. This is totally optional, so don't let the lack of it stop you from making these scones, which are our household current favorite. You probably know that, but it is worth... Read more →

scone pera e cocco / pear and coconut scones

[cliccare il link per andare alla versione in italiano] freshly baked and ready to be eaten The World Culinary ABC has started with a lovely sojourn in Samoa (South Pacific). In researching the culinary traditions of the country, one thing became immediately clear: they use a lot of coconut (noce di cocco). I had unsweetened shredded coconut in my pantry and a jar of organic coconut oil (olio di cocco) still sealed — ready for a chance to prove itself in a baking good. I found references to skogi, Samoan scones, but could not find a recipe. As I was already... Read more →

scone con zucchine novelle e noci / baby zucchini and walnut scones

[cliccare il link per andare alla versione in italiano] rustic beauty I owe zucchini: for years I detested this vegetable with unmatched zeal. When I finally learned to appreciate it, I became a devout fan, and every year I try to expiate my early sin by singing its praise. Zucchini season is in full swing, which means zucchini of all varieties are readily available at local farmers' markets and stores. Hence, this is the time to get creative with them. A bunch of baby zucchini and some basil (basilico) in a recent CSA box made me realize another winning version of... Read more →

scone alle carote arrosto / roasted carrot scones

with the first pink rose from my garden I have sometimes thought about the menu of my own small café. I don't believe it will ever exist outside my imagination, but I enjoy adding to the list something that I think would go well there, like these scones — or the ones with red beet, apple and pistachios I made recently. I love scones, I always have, from the day, many years ago, when I tasted my first one during my first visit to the UK. They are flavorful and not sweet, nourishing and versatile. They prefer to charm you with... Read more →

scone con barbabietola rossa, mela e pistacchi / red beet, apple and pistachio scones

[cliccare il link per andare alla versione in italiano] photo could be better — scones are perfect The recipe started with yet another batch of small red beets freshly harvested and promptly roasted. It went on with an apple too large to eat all as my breakfast. En route, it picked up some fresh dill (aneto) and to complete the party, it invited pistachios to join: what a success! I had a hard time setting up this shooting session, even within the realm of my minimalist style of food photography. I baked four batches of these scones and every time, my... Read more →

scone alla ricotta con semi di papavero / ricotta scones with poppy seeds

[cliccare il link per andare alla versione in italiano] poppy seeds and pod You get up and reach the kitchen in that half-clouded state where the battle between the wish to sleep and the need to wake up is waged. The smell of something baking is, together with the smell of espresso, the best invitation to alertness you can receive at this point in your day, especially if the baked goods are scones. You smell something slightly buttery and crisp. A bite brings you past the crispness to reach the soft heart with its hint of citrus, the delicate pop of... Read more →

scone zucca e zenzero con curry / curried pumpkin and ginger scones

[cliccare il link per andare alla versione in italiano] just baked Biting on one of these scones brings a pleasant surprise (sorpresa). The combination of curry, candied ginger (zenzero candito), browned butter (burro nocciola), and roasted pumpkin in the background, with just enough sweetness to round all the flavors tickles and satisfies. I have lost track of how many times I have baked these scones, but I know that the last time was yesterday morning. If you have the ingredients ready, you can mix them while the oven heats up and then you are only 15 minutes away from a satisfactory... Read more →

pasta sfoglia "alternativa" / "alternative" puff pasty

[cliccare il link per andare alla versione in italiano] I agonized a bit over the title for this post. Marta of Mangiare è un po' come viaggiare (eating is a bit like traveling) whose post inspired me, calls it pasta sfoglia light, using the English adjective in a way that is very common in Italy to describe food items that are less caloric (usually due to a lower fat content) than their traditional counterpart (disclaimer: this is simply a linguistic explanation; I don't know how the all-butter puff pastry I make compares to the one described below in terms of calories,... Read more →