Grandma’s Biscuits: Almonds Chiffeletti

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During the last International Festival at my daughters’ school, I dusted off my grandma’s cookbook to look for a typical Italian treat. The recipe that I chose, and that I have fond memories of, is surely the one of these biscuits named “Chiffeletti“. My grandma used to visit us at least twice a year and every time she used to bring a box filled to the brim with scented Chiffeletti. She was never satisfied about how they came out because sometimes they were a little burnt at the bottom, (at the time the parchment paper was not common to use) but this was the thing I loved the most.

It’s a pleasure now to share her recipe and to hold on to her memory. I do hope you’ll also like this recipe and my grandma’s Chiffeletti!

🍷Francesca & Marinella🍴

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A Quirky Bruschetta with Strawberries, Tomatoes and Fruity Ficotto Cream

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Finally the summer has invaded Europe, even though in some countries, summer hit with tropical temperatures, including Italy. During one of our alfresco dinner in the garden we prepared this delightful bruschetta, mixing cherry tomatoes with strawberries, giving the bruschetta a quirky twist. We used Ficotto cream, a niche product rediscovered in the enogastronomic history of the Basilicata region. It is made from the must of the figs and it can be used as a fruity-sweet alternative to the cream of balsamic vinegar.

The bread has to be a hight quality bread, like the one we used for this bruschetta. It’s been prepared by “Il Pane di una Volta”, a Swiss company that supplies home-made sourdough bread focusing on high quality ingredients, selected grains, no chemical or artificial additives, no commercial yeast (only natural wild yeast) reproducing the artisanal process of bread, before industrial production.

If you want to know more about “Il Pane di una Volta”, please scroll all the way down *.

We have also to thank Da Vinzi, an Italian wholesaler who imports many niche products from the Basilicata region to Switzerland, for making us taste his Ficotto cream.

Sourdough Bread – Il Pane di una Volta

🍷Francesca & Marinella🍴

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Matching Italian Food and Wine: Parmigiana Style Tart and “Il Sangiovese” Red Wine – Noelia Ricci

~ mad & delicacy - Italian Food and Wine ~ 1 Comment

This week we want you to bring to your table the Mediterranean colors and flavours. With this super easy tart you will impress your guests pairing it with a glass of “Il Sangiovese” red wine. This Noelia Ricci wine is well structured with good acidity and a pleasantly lingering finish. It features a light-medium body, fresh fruit notes of blackberry and raspberry. This wine is easy to drink and perfect for accompanying an Apero’, but just be careful because one glass leads to another!

*This wine is imported to Denmark by Vinimondo.dk, a wine wholesaler that works with some of the best wine suppliers in Italy, Portugal, France and Spain.

🍷Francesca & Marinella🍴

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A Truly Italian Recipe: Spaghetti with Peperoni Cruschi and Breadcrumbs

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During the recent event named “True Italian Taste” organised by the Italian Chamber of Commerce for Switzerland, we got to know many Italian products which are the feather in the cap of the Italian cuisine, among many excellent wine brands. The first of all, the Cruschi Peppers, also called Peperoni Cruschi or Peperoni di Senise from the Basilicata, the Region they represent. The Peperoni di Senise are sun dried in the late summer and then fried to become Cruschi (which means crunchy). When they are fried, they are very good as a ready-to-eat snack, but also good to add a strong flavour to many dishes.

We have to thank Da Vinzi, an Italian wholesaler who imports many niche products from the Basilicata region to Switzerland, for making us taste his Peperoni Cruschi, the bronze drawn Spaghetti and his extra virgin olive oil. All these high quality products made the following recipe a sophisticated dish, despite its simplicity. To paraphrase the Da Vinzi slogan : “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication”.

If you want to know more about the Basilicata Region and the European Capital of Culture Matera, follow the links below:

About Matera
Orecchiette Pasta and Sweet Ricotta Calzoni from Matera

🍷Francesca & Marinella🍴

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Matching Italian Food and Wine: Mussels au Gratin – La Gioiosa “Ca’ Divo” Spumante Extra Dry

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Mussels au gratin are a flavorful seafood appetizer. It features mussels with the shell, stuffed with a filling composed of breadcrumbs and grated cheese, all scented with parsley and lemon peel.
This seafood appetiser goes very well with a glass of a chilled sparkling Extra Dry “Ca’ Divo” Spumante.

This delicate Spumante, made from the Glera, Chardonnay and Pinot Bianco grapes, presents the typical fruit of the Prosecco wine, natural bubbles and a green apple curd flavor, among with the tropical aromas of the Chardonnay grape. The presence of the Pinot Bianco adds a touch of elegance and gives the wine a creamy fullness.

*This wine is imported to Denmark by Vinimondo.dk, a wine wholesaler that works with some of the best wine suppliers in Italy, Portugal, France and Spain.

🍷Francesca & Marinella🍴

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A Mediterranean Twist to your BBQ

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BBQ season is finally here… or at least it should be! Despite the quirky weather, we are ready for the summer BBQ parties in all-Italian style. Let’s start by preparing grilled zucchini and peppers, and baked crushed potatoes to be served beside a tasty piece of meat.

If this summer you happen to be in Apulia (South Italy) and you would like to try a local meat BBQ accompanied by crushed baked potatoes, don’t miss a stop in a macelleria ( butcher’s shop ) – restaurant in one of the charming towns of the Itria Valley like Cisternino or Locorotondo. The original recipe of this potato dish requires being cooked under the hot ashes of the fireplace, wrapped in aluminium sheet. We are showing you an easier version to make at home without losing the distinctive taste of this side dish.

🍷Francesca & Marinella🍴

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A Genius Dessert: Affogato al Caffè – Pistachio Ice Cream with Espresso Coffee

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The genius thing about this Pistachio Ice Cream with Espresso Coffee is that you need no longer than 5 minutes to prepare this impressive dessert.

The only suggestion we would like to recommend is to prepare a real Italian Espresso coffee, either with a moka pot or with an espresso machine. ☕

🍷Francesca & Marinella🍴

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A Mid-Week’s Dinner Idea: Tuna Loaf and Salsa Verde

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This mid-week’s dinner recipe is mainly prepared with tuna fish. This dish is present all over Italy, but every family has their own traditional recipe. We wanted to give a distinctive touch, deciding to serve it with a salsa verde, a recipe we inherited by one of our Nonne. We do hope that you appreciate our own version. 

🍷Francesca & Marinella🍴

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Matching Italian Food and Wine: Spaghetti with Seafood – “Elementi” Trebbiano d’Abruzzo DOC White Wine*

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There isn’t a better pairing than the Trebbiano d’Abruzzo white wine and a luscious dish of Spaghetti with seafood. There isn’t a better place to enjoy them than in an Italian restaurant with a sea view and the relaxing sound of waves! Even just imagining that makes me immerse in the Italian holiday atmosphere. A steaming and flavoured dish of seafood Spaghetti under your nose will accentuate this feeling even more ;).

The Trebbiano d’Abruzzo white wine is the equivalent of the red wine Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. The “Elementi” Trebbiano d’Abruzzo DOC wine is produced following a certified biodynamic farming regime. The wine is golden in color, typically dry with a delicate bouquet and a refreshing, crisp acidity. It is a representative product of a territory where the thermal shock caused by the proximity to the mountains makes the scents of Mediterranean scrub more intense, with a palate of freshness and persistence.

*This wine is imported to Denmark byVinimondo.dk, a wine wholesaler that works with some of the best wine suppliers in Italy, Portugal, France and Spain.

🍷Francesca & Marinella🍴

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Prosecco Wine-Fresh Berries with Semi-Whipped Cream

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If you have a bunch of strawberries, or of any other fresh berries, a glass of a sparkling Prosecco wine, a cup of fresh cream, and five minutes of time, then this recipe is tailor- made for you.

We wish to thank the Granarolo group for letting us try their fresh cream.

🍷Francesca & Marinella🍴

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