Zöldséges rizottó / Risotto with vegetables

risotto with vegetables

Folytatva a mai nap színekkel teli bejegyzéseit, íme egy könnyed rizottó párolt zöldségekkel - amiben felfedezheted a borsót, répát, cukkinit, kaliforniai paprikát és padlizsánt egyaránt.
Miközben ma este a konyhában szorgoskodtam, gyerekkorom drasztikus borsó emlékei felrémlettek - ugyanis nem voltunk mi mindig ilyen jóban! Kisfiúként a világból ki lehetett kergetni a zöldborsóval - valahogy túl zöld és túl borsóízű volt (más kifogásom nem is volt), pedig szegény anyukám mindent megpróbált: mint egy borsó-specialista, minden felhasználási móddal próbált rávenni, legalább kóstoljam meg, de persze engem nem lehetett átverni, egyből kiszagoltam a turpisságot. Azonban én is, mint minden kisgyerek, nagyon féltékeny voltam, ha a nővérem valami csakis neki szóló ajándékot kapott - s ezt persze anyukám kiszagolta, így egy nap "külön a nővérednek készült ebéd" várt otthon, amihez hozzá sem nyúlhattam. Mondanom sem kell, hogy semmi más nem kötötte le aznap a figyelmem, csak az, vajon mi lehet Roberta tányérjában és én miért nem ehetek belőle. Hosszú hiszti és szenvedés árán azt megkegyelmezett a "mamma" és ehettem az ételből - ugye kitaláljátok? Persze, hogy borsó volt benne.

Remélem, ti jobb viszonyt ápoltok nem csak a borsóval, de a többi zöldséggel is, fogyasszátok egészséggel!

Jó étvágyat mindenkinek!
Marco

To continue today's colourful posts, I prepared a light risotto with boiled vegetables - you can find pea, carrot, zucchini, californian paprika and eggplant.
While I was preparing this dish tonight, my horroristic childhood memories came up to my mind - as green peas and me were not such great friends before! As a little boy my biggest nightmare of food was pea - somehow I found it too green and too pea-taste (that was all my problem), though my poor mom tried everything: she was like a pea-specialist, she tried every possible cooking way - but of course I always found out the tricks. However I was a typical child, I was jealous of my sister so when my sister got a special meal prepared only for her, and I could not touch it - of course all I wanted is the food on Roberta's plate. After the drama I made, my mom felt pitty for me and I could eat - guess what was on the plate? Of course, green peas!

Hope your relationship with the pea and other vegetables is better - eat as much as possible.

Buon appetito!
Marco

Egy kis éheségcsillapítás... // To beguile your hunger...

Insalata mista

Bár már jócskán vacsoraidő van, kissé megkéstem a tálalással, nézzétek ezt el nekem - kiengesztelésül összedobtam egy mini mozzarellás salátát - remélem csillapítja az éhségetek.

Ebben a hideg és zord időben azt gondolom nagyon jól jön ez a finom színkavalkád - fontos a vitaminok szempontjából is, hogy ha lehet, minden nap együnk salátát!

Hamarosan érkezik a mai főfogás - ami egy könnyed fogás lesz (megvádoltak, hogy miattam híznak egyesek) ami rizsből és párolt zöldségekből áll - tele színekkel és ízekkel!

Folyt. köv.
Marco

It is high time to have dinner but I am a bit late with serving it - so I ask your apology and as a surprise I prepared some mini mozzarella salad to beguile your hunger for time being.

In this cold winter weather I strongly believe in the importance of this colourful plate - vitamins are essential so if you can, eat every day some salad!

Soon the main dish is arriving - which will be a very light one (as some of you accused me that I am the reason why you put on weight) which contains rice and boiled vegetables - full of colours and tastes!

To be continued...
Marco

Rizottó gorgonzola sajttal és dióval // Risotto with gorgonzola cheese & nuts

Rizottó gorgonzolával & dióval

Ma este egy érdekes ízpárosításra esett a választásom - ami csak elsőként hangozhat furcsának: gorgonzola sajtos, diós rizottó.
Ugyanakkor, ha előhívod éttermi emlékeidet vagy egy jó kis borkóstolást - a sajt és a dió megszokott párosítás.

Egy- két szó a gorgonzoláról (aki nem kóstolta volna még): belsőpenészes sajtfajta, ami csak leírva hangzik rosszul - én inkább karakteres ízűnek írnám le. Származási helyét tekintve természetesen egy olasz remekműről beszélünk, azon belül is Gorgonzola faluról kapta a nevét, ami szülővárosom, Milánó szomszédsága (mára már eggyé vált a kettő). A gorgonzola, érlelési idejétől függően keményebb vagy puhább - én a híres (illetve hírhedt, az előző bejegyzésem óta)  Lehel piacon egy puhább és krémesebb állagút kaptam, ami tökéletesen elolvad a lágy rizottó ölelésében.
A származási helyéből kiindulva leginkább északon népszerű ez a fajta rizottó - kíváncsi lennék, elnyeri-e a tetszésetek?

Jó étvágyat mindenkinek
Marco

Tonight I chose an interesting taste combination - which sounds strange only at first hearing: gorgonzola cheese risotto with nuts.
Nevertheless, if you recall your nice restaurant memories or wine-tasting experience - the cheese combined with nuts is more than usual.

A few words about gorgonzola (for those who haven't tried it yet): it is a veined Italian blue cheese which sounds weird only in this written form, I would rather call it characteristic taste. As of origin, of course it is an Italian masterpiece, from Gorgonzola which is a little village next to my hometown, Milano (by today the merged together). The gorgonzola can be harder or more creamy, depending on the aging process - I chose a softer which I bought on the famous (or rather infamous, since my last blog post) Lehel market and it melts perfectly in the gender caress of risotto.
Due to its origin, it is popular mainly in the north - I would be curious to see whether you like it or not?

Buon appetito a tutti!
Marco

Marco Anna konyhájában // Marco in Anna's cucina

Íme az első meghívásos főzésem története képekben és kellemes toszkánai zenével aláfestve - nagyon jól éreztem magam, és jól sikerült a vacsora is. Kezdésként tipikus olasz előétetekkel indítottuk az estét, majd következett a tejszínes-rákos-cukkinis tészta. Eddigre már kellőképpen megtelt mindenki pocakja - de az epres panna cottának nem tudott senki ellenállni :)
Remélem, hamarosan újra főzhetek Annáéknak vagy valaki másnak!

Kellemes nézelődést és jó étvágyat mindenkinek!
Marco

Here is the diary of my first cooking invitation in pictures and with some nice Toscana music - I really enjoyed this experience and the dinner was delicious as well. We started with some typical appetizers, followed by pasta with zucchini, shrimps in panna/cream. By that time everybody's stomach was full but noone could resist to try the panna cotta with strawberries :)
I hope to cook for Anna or for someone else soon!

Enjoy and buon appetito!
Marco

Castellane tészta zöldséges szósszal // Castellane pasta with vegetable ragu



Castellane with vegetable ragu

 És íme az első bejegyzés, amin anyanyelveteken szólok Hozzátok, kedves Olvasóim! Mivel többen kértétek, legyek érthetőbb, én ez alatt a magyar nyelvre asszociáltam. Persze némi segítséggel, de íme az első magyar nyelvű bejegyzésem.

Ma este valami gyorsan elkészíthető első fogással kedveskedek nektek: annyira mókásak ezek a kagyló formájú tészták (olaszul castellane a neve), gondoltam tökéletesen illik majd rájuk egy könnyed paradicsom-alapú szósz. A zöldségek fontosságát nem győzöm hangsúlyozni (persze tudom, a magyarok sokszor húst hússal esznek, de felcsillan a szemem a saláták láttán és bízzatok bennem, jó szolgálatotokra lesznek!) így ebbe a könnyed raguba is beleraktam mindenféle zöldséget (na meg a szívemet, hisz anélkül lehet ugyan főzni, de nem érdemes), név szerint is cukkinit, kaliforniai paprikát (aranyló sárgát, ami néha kikandikál a piros szószból) és padlizsánt. A szósz is természetesen saját készítésű, ezúttal koktélparadicsomokat kényszerítettem eme nemes halálra :) A sajtrajongók természetesen meghinthetik parmezánnal, tökéletesen illik az ízvilágához!

Jó étvágyat és "ciaosztok"!
Marco
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And here is my first Hungarian post as many of you requested to be more clear - I will now only summarize shortly in English: tonight I chose an easy&fast preparation first meal, this funny shell shape pasta (called castellane in Italian) which harmonize perfectly with this tomatoe base ragu (of course, sauce is also made by me). Vegetables are crucial, I can not emphesize enough (though I know Hungarians love meats a lot) so I added zucchini, californian paprika and eggplants. If you wish, add some parmesan on the top, it suits the pasta perfectly!

Ciao a tutti & buon appetito!
Marco

Turkey breast in a simple but great way

turkey breast and roasted potatoes

Buona sera a tutti! Tonight I re-discovered a very fine meat which sometimes ignored in Hungary (as I noticed) however the taste is fantastic and really healthy.
What I refer to is turkey - particularly tonight I chose a piece of turkey breast and prepared it in a simple, Italian way - roasted in the oven in the beautiful yellow company of potatoes.

As for spices, the less the better theory always brings great result - I only used olive oil, a little garlic and rosemary - e basta (ENG:that's all). Using less spice can be a good benefit for your health and also, believe me, for the taste it is perfect because in this way you can feel the REAL taste of everything as nature created them.

Turkey in general requires a bit more time to cook well - so it is a bit late dinner tonight but I am sure you will excuse me if you try this meat to melt in your mouth!

Ciao a tutti & buon appetito!
Marco

Risotto salsiccia e saffron

risotto salsiccia e saffron

Dear guests,as I wrote earlier on Facebook this evening, I prepared another variation for risotto.

This contains some meat (huhhh, finally something meaningful, right? no man can live without meat as we say in Italy), a beautiful sausage-type called salsiccia in Italian and guess what? I was able to find it on Lehel market!

I added saffron (actually this is a new type which I bought  - you would never guess... - in Turkey, in Istanbul) which provides a beautiful golden-yellow colour to the rice pieces.

Nothing else is left - please, take a seat, legs under the table, pick up your fork and start this marvellous trip on your plate which will take you to the golden fields of Toscana or if you wish to imagine the azzurro blue waves of Sicily - all Italians love this plate, no matter where you go!

I am sure if you take one bite, the next and the next will follow until you must face the empty plate but your stomach will be grateful for the kind treatment.

Have a good evening and take a nice relax!

Ciao a tutti & buon appetito!
Marco

Lehel market and ....

Hungarian-Italian co-operation

Ciao a tutti!

Today I visited Lehel market to continue my quest to find the best ingredients for my meals.

Comparing it with Vásárcsarnok, I found more interesting products here - I tried to take pictures but suddenly you know what happened? A security guy (accompanied with 2 policemen!!!) came to me, start speaking in Hungarian (hehe, funny, but I am used to this) for which situation I have a set answer "Sajnálom, nem beszélek magyarul". They continued showing body language (well, that is my speciality as I am Italian - we communicate 80% with gestures and only poor 20% verbally) so I understood no pictures are allowed - which is a pity because I wanted to share with you those beautiful colours and products...

However I am tricky so I could make some pictures and here is one which I found symbolic: you can see the great cooperation between HU and IT, your typical "kolbász" in the company of our olive oil, bello!!!

OK, lets get back to cooking as I can imagine soon is dinner time so you must be hungry. Tonight I have another variation of risotto for you, with sausage and saffron - one of my favourite and I found the real Italian sausage on the market so it will be 100% home taste!

A dopo / later, guys!

Marco

The spaghetti which will catch your man's stomach

pasta alla puttanesca

Tonight I present you a pasta which has a mysterious legend around, connected with the ancient profession of courtesans.

It is a tasty first plate, typical from Campania (south Italy) and Lazio (middle Italy) and it is called pasta alla puttanesca.

Now lets clarify how courtesans come to the picture? Legend says that there was a bordel which had a business oriented owner who wanted to invite the customers in every possible way. One of his trick was a special pasta, his secret recipe which I am sharing with you tonight. Therefore the name (the root of puttanesca is "puttana" which means whore) of this plate and I can assure you: if you try it once, you will always return to this taste - like those customers for the bordel (though obviously there were other "tricks" happening in that place, right?)

It is a tomato base sauce, spiced up with garlic, caper, and black olive pieces. Anchovy gives a characteristic taste to the ragu and parsley brings the right harmony together. We prefer using spaghetti but it is up to you which pasta is your choice.

Wishing you "pleasant" tastes, ciao a tutti & buon appetito!
Marco

Bruschette variations

bruschette

Tonight I prepared another typical appetizer which can also serve as main dish (as it fulfills your stomach, depending on the quantity you eat) - called bruschetta.
For sure you know the one which has garlic, tomatoes and olive oil - however this is not the basic type.

The principal and most simple bruschetta is a toasted bread piece scratched with garlic, some olive oil and oregano. This is the most common type which you will definitely find in every Italian restaurant.

The tomatoes variation (which I found popular here in Hungary) can also be spiced up with some peperoncino (for those who like hot and spicy tastes) or basilico.

The third one for tonight on the picture is with scratched garlic (that is a base for all type), prosciutto and parmesan pieces (but you can add any type of cheese).
Further variations exist, only your imagination can stop you - I will show you some more later on.

Enjoy the view - and try more bruschetta!

Ciao a tutti & buon appetito!
Marco

Trofie tricolore al pesto verde

trofie tricolore

Ciao a tutti - as I asked you a question earlier today, regarding what is trofie? it is fair if I also provide you the answer.
Trofie is a typical pasta, from north-western part of Italy, the region is called Liguria, you can also find here more info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liguria.

I was there some time ago and bought this beautiful tricolor trofie which is not industrial but was made by a small local producer - mmmm...you can guess the taste!
I show you now a typical usage of this pasta, which is the green pesto (pesto verde). I am sure many of you already tried the pesto, but did you know that also red pesto (pesto rosso) exist? That one is typical in southern Italy, particularly in Sicily, where they add tomatoes and almonds (instead of pine tree seads) and less basil.

trofie tricolore al pesto verde

When the pasta is ready (we prefer to cook it "al dente" which means you do not overcook it, but only until the pasta is medium hard) you can mix it with the pesto (homemade is the best and not so difficult by ingredients but the quantity makes the difference, as it can change the whole taste) and you add some ground parmesan cheese and pine tree seeds on the top.

Pesto is quite popular in Liguria, and they put it not only on pasta but as well on little cooked potato pieces or on french beans.

Hope you enjoy - ciao a tutti & buon appetito!
Marco

Chicken with grilled vegetables (involtini)

chicken involtini & grilled vegetables

Tonight I would like to surprise you with some light, colourful but very popular dish: grilled chicken stuffed with Praga ham and cheese, and grilled vegetables.

Some of you have made the point that I do not use potatoes as side-dish; I would like to react on that: potatoes can be quite heavy and placing a pressure on the stomach, especially in the evening - however we use them sometimes, so keep following me and I show potatoe-based side dishes too, which could be suitable for a nice lunch.

Regarding chicken I would recommend to use always fresh one if possible - it may take a bit longer trip to visit a market, but believe me, it is worth it! This one which I used tonight comes from the countryside - and you can definitely feel the difference!

Ham is a classical part of our meals - as appetizers or as included in the main dishes - tonight I rolled ham slices into the chicken breast, together with some simple cheese (you need light one, not too much characteristic).

ristretto & limoncello

And here is some surprise for you to enjoy Saturday night with a typical Italian taste: ristretto (short coffee) and limoncello. We never miss to finish the courses with coffee and limoncello, which is a lemon based liqueur originally from southern Italy. Not only for the taste but it has great digestive effect so next time when you visit an Italian restaurant (or you invite me to cook for you), do not miss to ask for a shot.

Hope you like what you see - and hope to cook for you in person soon!

Ciao a tutti & buon appetito!
Marco

art, love and me

To make this blog more personal, I decided to add some personal thoughts (in a way connected with Italy and cooking) to give my readers a better view on my personality, my values and thoughts.
Today my first thought was why cooking is important for me and why I would like to share and spread Italian cooking here, in Hungary?

So, lets see my somehow mission statement.

For me cooking and eating means emotions as without heart in it, do not start! Dedicate all yourself for cooking at least for that 1 hour, do not forget that with that food you will treat your friends and family, they deserve the best - and the food deserves the same, the best treatment!

It is also art for me because you can compose not only by the taste but by the visual something special. You use your imagination and every time you can create something new, different and unique.

Cooking and eating definitely mean family and friends - you know, eating alone is not healthy, use the opportunity to ask your friends how they spent the day, or to caress your mom and share a plate of cakes with her. Having dinner is a perfect occasion to come and stay together, to reinforce the relationships with all important people around you.

I hope these lines help you to get a better insight, a better look inside my and my nations' minds and hearts to see the role of a meal or kitchen, which is far beyond biological needs.

Have a nice day, ciao a tutti!
Marco

Salmon is the girls' best friend

salmon & grilled vegetables

Ladies & gentlemen, let me introduce you someone who will become your best friend from today on. This special guest should be frequent in your kitchen since we are all getting older (hehe, not me, though) so our memory can always be "upgraded" by a natural Omega 3 rich food. And if I know women just a little, they try to put on their faces incredible products which promise miracles in their anti-aging fight, but my dear ladies, let me whisper you a secret: you are beautiful at every age, in our eyes you are the true "principessa" (princess).
So here is your new best friend, the salmon - accompanied with some tricolor grilled vegetables (californian paprika, zucchini and eggplants) which plate teases not only your mouth by already your eyes when you look at them.
I used some vegeta of course (to give some Hungarian touch as I noticed how much you like it), some garlic, rosmarino and obviously olive oil (perfect Italian quality which I took last summer in big quantity from Toscana). Speaking of Toscana, the glass on the picture is not so visible but let me tell you I opened one of my favourite wine, also from Toscana, called Vermentino which complements perfectly the taste of the fish.

So do not forget salmon from your next shopping list - I will show you different cooking styles later on!

Ciao a tutti & buon appetito!
Marco

Omega 3 rich meal

raw salmon

Buon giorno a tutti!

Did you know that salmon, tuna and a lot of seafood meals are rich of Omega 3 fatty acids?

No?

OK, maybe you knew, but lets clarify why is it important?

In Italy seafood is really popular, not only due to the fantastic taste, but we also know these are essential part to keep a good body (remember la bella figura?)
Omega 3 acids are proven to be good for your brain and cognitive memory, not to mention their benefits to decrease diseases like heart problems or cancer. And you know what else? (ladies will love this part, so keep on reading) For the smooth and healthy skin, these fish oils are crucial. So forget anti-aging creams, and start eating more salmon!

Tonight this masterpiece of nature which you see on the picture will end up as a great dinner plate - so do not miss to check back later!

Have a nice day!

Ciao a tutti,
Marco

"backstage" crostatine

crostatina process

Since many of you were requesting "backstage" pictures, I took the occasion this morning when I prepared the second round of crostatina-s (butter cupcakes). These were prepared for the upcoming birthday of my girlfriend who took these cakes to her office and she reported me the great success as all sweets disappeared in couple of minutes.
I like these cakes because you really do not need a lot of time to prepare this (the pasta can stay in the fridge for couple of days, and you can bake them fresh) and no matter that they are simple, the taste is deliscious.

With these sweetnesses I am wishing you the sweetest dreams e buona notte.

Ciao a tutti & buon appetito!
Marco

Classical Italian appetizers



classico aperitivo italiano



Tonight I share with you the secret to start a dinner in a proper, lets say, Italian way. This is the so-called "aperitivo" (=appetizers) which category contains various of small plates.

Usually we have this before dinner (as before lunch it would be too much and anyway you do not have so much time during the day, but the dinner is the time and place for socializing, meeting friends in a nearby bar where you enjoy together the aperitivo).



oven potatoes (aperitivo)



Some of my Hungarian friends told me that this habit may be the secret of keeping the "bella figura" as we do not wait until we are dying from hunger, but instead we take a little bit of this and a little bit of that, so we avoid fulfilling our stomach completely with dinner - well, you need to try it yourself to give the exact answer whether this way of eating contributes to a bella figura - and if you tried, let me know :)

So tonight I prepared a very typical and classical selection of appetizers (of which some elements I found at Vásárcsarnok market, really great place!) which contains cheese, olive filled with spices, baby onions, cucumber, mortadella, pizza pieces, peanuts, chips and seperately I made some potatoes in the oven with garlic, peperoncini and rosmarino. Not to forget the thirstiness, Campari is a must-have element of this meal, together with some white wine.
For Italians, aperitivo is something you can not miss, you can meet old and new friends in your favourite bar - or invite friends and enjoy spending time together, a real happy hour!

Hope you enjoy - tonight these tastes really brought me back the sweet memories of aperitivo I spent with my friends in Italy.

Ciao a tutti & buon aperitivo!

Marco

Costata Argentina

costata Argentina

It is time to grab the beef at its best part - in Italian it is called "costata" (rib steak but without bones) - and present you one of my favourite meals, the costata Argentina.

Today I started my journey to discover local markets (as I am quite sick of CBA, Interspar or any other commercial center shops - their quality is questionable!) and I went to Vásárcsarnok to test. If I need to use only one word to describe this experience, it would be: "non ho parole" which literally means "I have no words" :) The atmosphere of the whole building and the 3 floor market stalls were amazing and for one moment it felt like walking in the little market of my hometown, north Milano. The producers of local products and ingredients fulfilled my eyes wherever I looked - many colours, nice and more quiet people compared to us, loud Italians. Another similarity was the crowd - like Italians at home, everyone is focused, on a mission to find the best ingredient for cooking - so I also tried to find my way to the best stand for meats as I planned this steak for dinner tonight.

As it is a bit late for dinner, I tried to take care about your "bella figura" and prepare something calorie-free :) so this beautiful costata is embedded on a simple salad. Red meat preparation always depends on personal taste - I like it medium with some reddness inside.

Hope you enjoy the view - let me know if and when I can prepare it also for you and your friends!

Ciao a tutti & buon appetito!
Marco

Crostatina for breakfast

crostatina

Buon giorno a tutti - are you ready to start the day? Let me make this Tuesday morning sweeter - I made some crostatina (little butter cupcakes, filled with orange and plum jam) and of course not to miss this creamy coffee, my favourite ristretto!

Have a nice day, ciao a tutti!

Marco

Pasta alla bolognese



pasta alla bolognese

 Since pasta is one of the most typical Italian plate (for sure 9 out of 10 people will immediately say "pasta" if you ask them about Italy - and maybe some will mention Berlusconi :) ) what else could be the perfect dinner for meat lovers, if not pasta alla bolognese.

Most of you probably tried it with spaghetti or lasagne but I assure you, every type of pasta could be deliscious with the right ragu.

Speaking of ragu, did you know that Bolognese sauce originates back in the 5th century?

Let me invite you to continue this old tradition of this marvellous sauce, take a bite and enjoy how parmesan melts together with the little meat pieces on the pasta!

Ciao a tutti & buon appetito!
Marco

Insalata caprese

Insalata caprese

As you know, Italian women take care every day about their body, their figure - we have an expression "la bella figura" which refers to not only how a woman looks but how she feels.

This salad is not a typical winter one, but very famous and for sure you also know it - called insalata caprese which combines mozzarella, tomatoes as the base. Apart from that, you can add fresh basilico, oregano and any type of salad - here I also added some salad leaves to make the taste more exciting and to represent the tricolor flag of my beloved Italia!

Hope you enjoy this little appetizer!

Ciao a tutti & buon appetito!
Marco

Pasta all'arrabbiata

pasta all' arrabbiata

As the dinner is knocking on the door (and in our stomach) let me present you a very simple plate with fresh coctail tomatoes and hot peperoncino (our hot chilli which is really spicy so you need to be careful how much you add) called pasta all'arrabbiata.

Since this pasta is spicy, you will become thirsty soon so I suggest you to take immediately a bottle of good wine - my personal favourite is red, from the region of Piemonte, north-west Italy.

Pasta is essential for Italians - like water for the body, so don't forget to eat at least one portion per day, not important which type - I will present you later more variations.

Ciao a tutti & buon appetito!

Marco

Saltimbocca alla romana

saltimbocca alla romana

Returning to our meal,this is our,or my second plate for today,as i wrote before, Italian people are eating the appetizer,first plate,second plate ( could be meat,as in this case,or fish,or simply caprese,delicious) and naturally coffee with limoncello.

This plate i prepared with beef,ham and cheese,and just added some salad, little quantity of tomatoes.

It's clear the taste of the meat could change if you are going to the right butcher,to ask for the perfect part of the beef or any other animal,and then,start with the fantasy,as i make or made,because Italian taste and kitchen are inimitable in all the world.

Post to you soon, with some other great Italian taste!

Ciao a tutti & buon appetito!
Marco

Risotto zucchini e zafferano

risotto zucchini e zafferano

It was very difficult to choose which type of first plate to publish here on my blog.

Lets clarify what is first plate?! In Italy we start the meal with appetizer,followed by first plates like: rice,pasta,lasagne,ravioli,and what else? We have tons of first plates and it is impossible to list all of them.

What I chose is a risotto with zucchini and saffron,with great taste! Rice is important for our body and nutrition,it contains a lot of important principal health ingredient which makes Italian cooking famous in the world.

Come and eat it with your eyes - enjoy the meal!

Ciao a tutti!
Marco