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

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

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

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

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