A great white sauce for many oven pan delicacies.  Indispensable for lasagne. One of those worth knowing by heart. And don’t let any french chef tell you otherwise: besciamella was taught to the French by Caterina de’ Medici, when she married the Kings of France. Ingredients: 100 gr of butter 100 gr flour 1 lt…

If you are not stranded in a snow storm and can buy what you need,  here is my favorite use for a can of tuna: Ingredients: 1/5 kg of spaghetti (de Cecco, Barilla) 1 onion (red if possible) fresh parsley, a bunch cherry tomatoes in a ridiculous amount ( like 5) extra virgin olive oil…

NOT  to be translated with “Squash omelette” (although technically…) Ingredients: Frying pan, better if non-stick (but that is bad for you. How about ceramic lined? I just got a new one, expensive but gorgeous) 6 TBspoons extra virgin olive oil (Cristiana uses her top quality, but this is a luxury only few can afford. I…

This is what you made on your class. An Italian all-season classic. Deserving alternatives will be posted later. Suggestions welcome! Ingredients: 2 CUPS FRESH RICOTTA 1 CUP STEAMED VEGGETABLES (spinach, green beet or other) 1/3 CUP FRESHLY GRATED PARMIGIANO  FRESHLY GRATED NUTMEG TO TASTE SALT TO TASTE Preparation: FILLING: Mince and squeeze excess water from…

A specialty from Kimberly, who stayed here at the tower Ingredients: 1/2 cup margarine 1 cup sugar 1 cup + 2 tablespoons Brown sugar 2 cups peanut butter 1/4 teaspoon vanilla 3/4 teaspoon corn syrup (I’ve made these with out corn syrup and they turn out just fine) 3 eggs 4 cups uncooked dry oats…

A classic, both summer and winter versions. Ingredients: Cherry tomatoes. (Canned romano tomatoes for the winter version) garlic extra virgin cold pressed olive oil plenty fresh basil (oregano, for the winter version) one chili pepper salt Preparation: WARMER MONTHS (march up to november, if you live in a warm region) Cut the cherry toms in…

A commitment-inducing food: A romantic legend has it that the fragrant rosemary needles on top of the castagnaccio imparted love potion powers to this food, so that  if a girl prepared and offered this cake to a young man, he would fall in love with her and asked her hand in marriage. Worth trying. Ingredients:…

Born a recycling bucket for leftover bread and beens, it is now a homecooked delicacy. Ingredients: red beans (800 grams if fresh, 350 grams if dry) 400 grams canned tomatoes (you can use fresh round tomatoes, but you’ll have to boiled them briefly and peel them first…) 1/2 of a small savoy cabbage
1 red onion…

This unusual eggplant presentation has Marco’s patent, and was officially requested by Wendy. Ingredients: 1 eggplant. Round, firm, of a spotless eggplant color. 1 egg bread crumbs frying oil (olive oil better but not mandatory) tomatoe sauce (homemade better but not mandatory) pesto sauce (homemade better but not mandatory) Preparation: Slice the eggplant in horizontal…

A traditional Danish Christmas dessert with a fun tradition: find the only whole almond in the bowl, and win a prize! (see picture). The hard part is finiding the whole almond and not chew it, to show legitimate proof. The fun part is finding the almond and not telling until the end, and watch everyone…