 |
| 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 |
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
 |
| 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
 |
| 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 |
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
