Spelt flour tagliatelle by hand

Today was my first day without Guiseppina. My new-found Italian Nonna returned home to Verona yesterday, leaving me officially in charge of everyone's lunch each day. Having already burnt onions whilst trying to make the base of a sauce, I was a little nervous. I came to the conclusion that, if I was going to fail, it would at least be worth failing in style whilst attempting something impressive. With that in mind, I decided to make my own pasta. To add to the complications, I was using spelt flour (for my host's health preferences). This may not seem like a big difference but, due to its lower gluten content, it's more difficult to roll out and stretch than regular 00 pasta flour. I am pleased to say however, that this recipe was a success. My Italian hosts ate it all, and even asked for seconds!

So how was my first day alone you may ask? Before now I have always had Guiseppina by my side, instructing me in the kitchen, with chores, running errands... and now I am on my lonesome. Of course I really miss my Italian Nonna but, to avoid moping about and wasting my remaining weeks, I have decided to seize the chance to be a temporary, independent Italian! With that in mind, after doing a few household chores, I strode out of my front door and into the cobbled streets and piazzas beyond (Well this isn't entirely true... I initially got stage fright, curled back into bed and watched The Great British Bake Off on my laptop). This was all because my dad had set me a challenge to help me keep up my Italian, and make the most of my time in Italy: Each day I am to go into a shop or café and make conversation, I can't just go in and buy something (anybody can point and say 'per favore') I am to find out something new, ask for advice, or simply chat to somebody. Today I decided to take advantage of the somewhat fraught political situation and buy a newspaper... and I managed to request a little introduction to the political position of each paper at the same time - cultured eh?

Anyway, feeling a little proud and a tiny bit Italian, I felt confident enough to start making pasta. It was actually incredibly simple and surprisingly quick (about 40mins start to finish, including 20mins resting)... all you need is a large work surface and a rolling pin.

Serves 1-2 (easily doubled, tripled...)

100g spelt flour
1 egg
And a little water (this may not be needed, it depends on the size of your eggs)

I would serve this quantity with half a portion of the tomato sauce from my spaghetti al pomodoro post.

• Pour the flour into a mound on a clean work surface.
• Create a well in the middle and crack the egg into it.
• With a fork, beat the egg and gradually combine the flour (keep tapping in extra flour from the sides of the well).
• When it becomes tough to work with a fork, resort to your hands and work it all in.
• If you used a small egg, you may need a little extra water as you want a slightly sticky dough which you can then kneed until smooth.
• Lightly flour your work surface (and hands) and kneed the dough for about 10 mins until smooth.
• Wrap in clingfilm and set aside for about 20 mins.
• After 20 mins, unwrap and roll out on a floured surface until about 1mm thick (you can use a pasta machine if you prefer).
• Cut into tagliatelle strips with a knife, or a special roll along cutter if you have one.
• Dust the pasta strips with a little extra spelt flour and spread them out with your fingers to allow them to dry for a couple of minutes.
• Bring a pan of water to boil and when you're 30 seconds from being ready to eat, drop in the pasta (it should only take a matter of seconds to cook - it will rise to the top once ready).
• Enjoy with whichever sauce you fancy.

Risotto alla zucca

As mentioned in my spiced pumpkin cake post, we have a lot of pumpkin to eat. Luckily I love it, so for me this is no bad thing. It is comfortingly autumnal and perfect on a rainy day (yes, we've had rain here, the first time since I arrived in Italy). Whilst I set to work on said cake, Guiseppina began concocting this recipe. The freshly pureed pumpkin gives the dish a fantastic creaminess, without the need for lots of butter or heaps of parmesan.

 

 

 

 

Serves 3

 

1 large wedge of pumpkin (about 500g)

1 shallot

3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

180g risotto rice

1/2 tsp. crumbled veg stock cube

1 small knob of butter

Water, simmering on the hob.

Parmesan, to serve

 

• As shown in the pictures, remove the skin and fleshy middle from the pumpkin, then chop into small pieces (about an inch in size)
• Fry off the oil and shallot on a medium heat and, after a couple of minutes, add the pumpkin.
• Cook on a low heat for a further 20 minutes or so, until the pumpkin is soft and cooked through.
• Spoon the pumpkin out into a separate bowl and, without washing the pan, add the rice.
• Cook the rice in the pumpkin leftovers for a couple of minutes, then add the stock and gradually add water.
• Stir regularly and add water each time it goes dry (it should take about 30 minutes in total)
• Meanwhile, set aside half the pumpkin and blitz the other half into a puree.
• Once the rice is cooked, add the butter and both types of pumpkin and turn the heat off. Leave, covered, for a couple of minutes, then serve with plenty of parmesan.

Spiced pumpkin cake with orange drizzle

For a girl living in Italy, this recipe must look suspiciously American. As much as I confess that yes, it really is, my reasons for making it were very Italian... and it's in an Italian ciambella cake tin!

One thing I love about living in Italy, is the way generosity seems to come as standard. I don't think I've yet met a new person without being invited to go for a coffee, and they never let me pay - on one particular occasion I was physically pushed away from the till, so eager was my new found friend to treat me to the drink! So following this vein, one of our neighbours popped round yesterday with a gift of two pumpkins from her garden. I was, once again, amazed by all this generosity, but this seemed completely normal in the eyes of my adopted Italian family... oh how I love Italy! Guiseppina promptly set to work on a pumpkin risotto (recipe coming soon) but, as I've mentioned before, Italians simply don't do food waste, so I was put to the task of using pumpkin in a dessert.

Even if I say so myself, this is rather wonderful. Incredibly moist, slightly citrusy and beautifully autumnal thanks to the warming spices. You can of course make this with a can of pumkin purree, but it kind of ruins the story, so go in search of that kindly neighbour. Or, if you want to really go all out, you could be that kindly neighbour!

To keep the generosity circle going, I dropped round a big piece of this cake to the lady with whom I cycle to school each morning (she was one of the many people who took me out for coffee). This was all well and good, but there was one problem: when I dropped it round, she refused to let me leave without staying for another coffee, so I'm once again behind on the generosity game. Looks like I'm going to have to bake more cakes!

Recipe adapted from The Girl Who Ate Everything blog

425g raw pumpkin (peeled and seedless weight)
100g light soft brown sugar
200g caster sugar
4 eggs
225g sunflower/corn oil
250g flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
Zest and juice of 1 large orange
6 tbsp. caster sugar

• Chop the pumkin into chunks (about 1 inch thickness) and boil/steam until cooked.
• Preheat oven to 180 degrees c.
• Oil and flour your cake tin (ideally a ciambella, but it would be fine in a different type, you might just find it needs a little more/less cooking time.
• Drain and leave to cool, then blitz to form a smooth puree.
• Whisk the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy. Continue whisking as you gradually add the oil and then the pumkin.
• Fold in the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and orange zest.
• Pour into your cake tin and cook for 35 mins until a skewer comes out with just the lightest smear of moisture and a couple of tiny crumbs.
• Cool in the tin whilst you make the drizzle.
• Combine the orange juice and caster sugar and, one the cake has cooled for about 10 minutes, turn it out (if you're using a ciambella tin you'll want to serve it bottom up, don't worry if the top has risen, this is fine. Equally, if you're fussy, levelling the top is a great excuse to eat the offcuts!)
• Prick it all over with a spaghetti strand and spoon over the drizzle to ensure it's all covered. It will seem like a lot of drizzle but just keep going, don't worry if it spills over the side.

Carbonara di zucchine

What? A carbonara without pancetta? Is that even still a carbonara I hear you cry. Well as much as I think almost anything is improved by the addition of a little smoky pancetta, this is a surprisingly satisfying vegetarian version. It is incredibly simple and much healthier than the original... just don't call it a carbonara and I'm sure you'll love it! You can also cook the courgettes in the time it takes for the pasta to cook, so it can be on the table in little over ten minutes.

Serves 2

140g spaghetti
1 courgette, grated (grate lengthways so as to get larger strips - if they're too small they'll become watery)
1 shallot, finely sliced
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 egg
Pinch of salt and pepper
Parmesan, to serve

• Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions (if you're using fresh spaghetti it will cook too quickly, so just cook it once the courgettes are done)
• Whilst the pasta is cooking, fry off the oil and shallot on a medium heat.
• After a minute or two (once the shallot is slightly softened and the oil is sizzling) add the courgette and fry for a further 5 minutes or so.
• Beat the egg with the salt and pepper.
• Once cooked, drain the pasta and turn the heat off under the courgettes.
• Pour the pasta into the courgette pan and combine, then pour in the egg and stir to make sure it coats all the pasta.
• Serve with a generous grating of parmesan.

Cinnamon and peach polenta cake

It's cake time again! The little girl I'm looking after has toothache so, feeling a little sorry for her, I thought a soft and squidgy middle piece of cake with another batch of yesterday's custard might be just what the doctor ordered.

For this cake to get the approval of Mamma, I knew I'd still need to bear the health side of things in mind. Consequently I went for another twist on the polenta and olive oil cake (I needed to make this quickly so I didn't have time to go to the shops to buy alternative healthy options... so I'm sorry if it's a little similar to the Candied orange and polenta cake) This version is much simpler than my candied orange version, so it's a great one to whip up in a hurry. Peaches are also coming to the end of their season, so our local greengrocers was selling lots of lovely ripe ones at very good prices.

125g polenta
125g 00 pasta flour (or plain flour)
100ml olive oil (I used extra virgin as it's all they seem to have here, but in this instance I think it would actually work better with regular olive oil, as I think the extra virgin is a bit strong when tasted along side the cinnamon)
150g caster sugar + 1 extra tbsp.
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 large egg
2-3 tbsp. milk
1 large ripe peach, thinly sliced into crescents.

• Line a small loaf tin (mine was about 25cm by 10 cm) - or just oil it and dust it with polenta - and preheat the oven to 180 degrees c
• Whisk the egg and sugar until pale and fluffy.
• Continue whisking as you gradually add the olive oil.
• Fold in the flour, polenta, baking powder and cinnamon, then finally fold in the milk.
• Arrange the peach crescents on the top, sprinkle with sugar and cook in the oven for 30 - 40 minutes until a skewer comes out clean (it may have a couple of crumb specks as the top will be slightly more moist due to the peaches) - don't be tempted to over cook it as it can dry out.
• Serve with a large dollop of yoghurt - or this crema pasticcera.

Crema Pasticcera

This basically seems to be the Italian version of crème anglaise, with lemon zest instead of vanilla. Use it like custard or, if you're having a low day, just eat it straight from the jug with a spoon.

Sorry for the lack of pictures, this was a last minute treat whipped up by Guiseppina and we all just devoured it before I'd even thought about a camera.

Crema Pasticcera

1 pint of milk
1 1/2 tbsp. flour
2 tbsp. sugar
1 egg yolk
1 piece of lemon rind (use a sharp knife to slice off a piece about the size of your thumb, but make sure it's only the outer rind, not the bitter white pith beneath)

• With a wooden spoon, beat together the flour, sugar and egg yolk.
• Beat for a couple of minutes then continue gently beating as you gradually add the milk.
• Cook on a low heat, stirring constantly, for about 5-10 minutes until slightly thickened (it should coat the back of a spoon)... don't worry if it takes a while to thicken, Guiseppina's (the Italian Nonna) looked really thin for ages, then suddenly thickened up.

Candied orange polenta cake and the benefits of boring diary entries

 

Last year I started writing a five year diary, what with a gap year and four years at university coming up, it seemed like a good time. I was still in sixth form when I began writing it and I used to get quite irritated with myself if I couldn't write anything more interesting than "busy day at school. Nearly put the wrong fuel in the car today." However, on perfect days like yesterday, those uneventful days come into their own. When I'm homesick, I often look back at what was happening this time last year, today however I just had a look out of curiosity. As I flicked through the pages I was sat by the pool in the gardens of this stunning house in the pictures below (I was visiting a new friend for lunch... I know, I couldn't believe my eyes either). The sun was beaming down on the perfect duck-egg blue shutters, melons were tumbling from the kitchen garden, and I'd just ascended to the top heights of the fig tree to collect the harvest. I found it, September 25th 2012: "Ridiculous maths work today, I spent four hours on it and I still haven't cracked it. Felt a bit forlorn today - very tired of school, I just want to cook, surf and see my friends and family" A little further on I came across another entry: "Started seriously rethinking my gap year, I don't know if it's the right thing to do or not." Well, seeing as I've just come back from three months surfing and working with friends in Cornwall and I'm now in paradise with my new Italian adopted family, I think I made the right choice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Such a perfect day requires a perfect cake. The seemingly obvious response to this would be to make a tried and tested old favourite to ensure success. I however am in Italy, and wanted to make something a little bit Italian, even if it meant making a few unpractised tweaks. On my hunt for Italian inspiration, I came across the online recipe archives of Babbo, the incredible Italian restaurant in New York (you can buy their book on amazon here). I wanted to make something citrusy for such a sunny occasion, and I was desperate to use the amazing extra virgin olive oil that they seem to have on tap over here. I searched through the painfully delicious recipes and came across this olive oil and polenta cake - perfect.

As much as I knew the Babbo recipe would need no improvements, I wanted to make it my own. The Babbo version is a citrus concoction of orange and lemon, but I decided to go all out with the orange as I had seen a brilliant recipe for homemade candied orange slices which I really wanted to try. I then used the left over syrup from this process as the base to make a sticky, drizzle glaze. To make my cake extra moist (I live in fear of dry cakes, particularly when polenta's involved) I added a little orange juice to the mixture along with the zest. I did also slightly reduce the salt content as many Italian dishes contain so much, so I didn't want to add to this in my dessert. My other two tweaks were more about the structure: I swapped the plain flour for 00 pasta flour as I know polenta can be a bit heavy so some recipes recommend accompanying it with a lighter flour such as potato flour or, in my case, pasta flour. This swap was also partly out of my frugalness - I had bought pasta flour to (yes, you've guessed it...) make pasta, and I was reluctant to buy another packet of plain flour given that the health-conscious family I'm staying with don't eat much of it. Last but not least, I also removed one tsp. of the baking powder and whipped up the egg whites instead to give the cake a lightness of texture (my Italian family also don't like to use much baking powder, so this swap was for them). The result is a textured, yet deliciously moist cake with a fabulous citrus scented sweetness. It is quite a sweet one however, so feel free to swap the oranges for lemons to make it a little more tangy.

 

For the cake

4 eggs, separated

200g caster sugar

220g extra virgin olive oil (this gives a wonderful flavour, but feel free to use regular olive oil if extra virgin is expensive where you are)

90g polenta

180g 00 pasta flour

Zest of 1 and 1/4 oranges

Juice of 1/4 orange

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

For the caramelised oranges

1 orange, finely sliced into discs (about 3mm thick)

350g water

100g caster sugar

For the drizzle sauce

Juice of 3/4 orange

70g caster sugar

For the cake

• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees c (fan if possible)
• Oil your chosen dish and dust all over with polenta to stop the cake from sticking, and to create a ever so slightly crunchy edge (I wanted my cake to be more like a traybake so I chose a tray with a depth of about 5cm, 20cm width and 25cm length) You can cook it in whatever you fancy as long as the depth is at least and inch or two. Bear in mind that anything deeper than what I have used will probably need a longer cooking time to ensure the middle is cooked through.
• Whisk the egg whites to soft peaks.
• In a separate (large) bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until pale and creamy.
• Continue whisking and gradually add the oil, and then the orange juice.
• Fold in the flour, salt and baking powder and, once fully combined, fold in one third of the egg whites.
• Now very gently fold in the final two thirds of the egg whites until fully combined.
• Cook for 30-35 minutes.

For the caramelised oranges

• Make this whilst the cake is cooking.
• Add the water and sugar to a wide based metal saucepan and bring to the boil on a medium - high heat.
• Add the oranges and cook (still on a medium-high heat) for about 30 minutes, turning the slices a couple of times. When they are ready they should look a little translucent and the sugar water should be syrupy and have reduced in volume by about three quarters.
• Once the cake is cooked, prick it all over with a raw strand of spaghetti (I am in Italy after all!) and then arrange the oranges on the top, reserving the syrupy liquid.

For the drizzle sauce - make this as soon as the oranges and cake are done.

• Combine the sugar and orange juice with the left over syrup from the caramelised oranges.
• Simply pour this over the orange covered cake (slowly, otherwise it may spill over the sides) and leave to set and soak into the sponge.
• Once cooled, remove from the tin/dish and serve (or, as I did, serve straight from the dish) This is delicious as it is, or with a dollop of natural yoghurt/mascarpone... or a black coffee of course!

Frittata di zucchine... and a bit about the school run in Italy



 

Now well practiced in the art of the Italian school run, I'm noticing the many differences it has with its English counterpart. For a start, rather than an army of Chelsea tractors, here the school gates are flanked by line after line of bikes. Now I'm not suggesting that no English person cycles to school, but I doubt many of us cycle to school in 4 inch heels (yes, really). So well practiced in the art of city cycling, many a well-coiffed Italian Mama effortlessly glides round the corned in her sky scraper Louboutins. Pretty sickening when I wobble round in my shoezone pumps. Adding to that contrast, the school run 'chit chat' here definitely bares little resemblance: today's journey (with my neighbour) focussed almost solely on her current lack of pasta at home... yes, this was a serious matter.

 

Today Caterina (the little girl I'm looking after) had invited a friend round for lunch, but said friend did not have a bike. I assumed we'd just walk alongside with our bikes, but no, this is a town of cyclists, and they will not be stopped. Along with my neighbour and her son, we were a party of five people, 4 bikes and 5 bags (3 of which being humungous school bags... since when did 10 year olds study out of bible-sized tomes?) The children rarely carry their bags home if their parents pick them up (they weigh more than the children do!) so, I ended up with one bag on my back, one in the basket on the front and my handbag under my arm. Meanwhile my neighbour had a bag on the front and a child on the back. We were quite a team. But if school bags feel heavy when you carry them, their weight seems to double wen they're sat above you're front wheel... the tiniest turn and the weight would pull me right across. Now my mum might be reading this, so I'll quickly qualify that I never fell off, never crashed into a car and, after the first couple of wobbles, I had it sussed like a pro... but it was definitely an experience and I certainly felt I deserved my lunch...

 

We had spaghetti al pomodoro for primi again today, followed by this frittata di zucchine. It's another quick and simple recipe but it's a great one for this time of year as there are so many zucchine about... as you may have guessed by the fact that I've already posted 3 other recipes with zucchine and I've only been here a week (Lasagne di zucchine, Risotto con zucchine, Frico di verdure).

 

1 courgette sliced into thin discs
1 small red onion, sliced thinly
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Pinch of a crumbled veg stock cube
4 eggs, beaten

• Fry the sliced onion in the oil on a medium heat for 1 minute until softened.
• Add the courgette and fry for a further couple of minutes until soft and slightly crispy round the edges.
• Add the eggs, swirl the pan and leave, covered, for 1-2 mins until the bottom is beginning to darken in places (and the frittata is cooked most of the way through)
• Flip* and cook the other side for a further minute or two until cooked all the way. Turn off the heat and serve.

* Guiseppina's tip for a successful flip: Place a large saucepan lid (roughly the size of the frittata) on the frittata, upturn the pan onto this lid, then slide the frittata off again back into the pan (thus sliding it in with the cooked side facing upwards)

Spaghetti ai frutti di mare... on a budget

One thing I've noticed here is how much attention is paid to the purse strings, nothing is wasted and everything is made to last as long as possible. If you don't finish your dessert, it's put in the fridge for you for the next day... and if you leave it then, it'll certainly go to the cats before it goes in the bin! This dish has a similar ethos... although it doesn't involve cats. Seafood is a pretty luxury ingredient so this may seem like an odd one to associate with 'budget'. However, what makes it budget is the way Guiseppina adapted the recipe to make it go further. Where seafood is the Christian Dior of the fish world, tinned tuna is probably the Primark. However, it's still very good for you and its oily qualities compliment this dish nicely... whilst, most importantly, bulking the dish up to serve 2-3 rather than 1-2. You can either think of it as a downgrade of the Spaghetti Vongole, or an upgrade of Tuna Pasta Bake... I'm a glass half full kind of girl so I'm going for the latter. Adding to that, the brine from the tinned tuna adds to the sauce, resulting in less olive oil consumption (and given the amount we're going through here, that can't be a bad thing!)

Serves 2 - 3

160g spaghetti
1 tiny dried chilli, chopped finely
1 small tin of tuna in brine
200g frozen, mixed seafood, defrosted
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
Small handful of parsley, finely chopped (add a pinch of salt to make this process easier)
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

• Add all the fish to a frying pan (including the juices from the tuna tin) with 1 tbsp. of oil and all the garlic and chilli. Fry on a low heat whilst you cook the pasta.
• Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions.
• Once the pasta is 2 minutes from being ready, add the parsley and extra oil to the frying pan and turn off the heat.
• Drain the pasta, reserving 2 tbsp. of the water.
• Combine the pasta, water and seafood mix and serve.

Fritella con farina di ceci

An egg-free, milk-free pancake. "Ooh yummy" I hear you cry!! I know, at first I wasn't convinced either. This recipe has no bells and whistles and it is very humble, but it's apparently quite a local speciality and I found it surprisingly addictive. According to Guiseppina, this isn't strictly a fritella because it doesn't contain any eggs, but fritella is the term which apparently describes it the most closely.

Makes about 4 pancakes

Approx. 1 small cup of chickpea flour
Water (about a cupful)
4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Pinch of salt
Large sprig of rosemary, leaves chopped finely (about 2 tsp. once chopped)

• Gradually add water to the flour, stirring all the time to avoid lumps. Continue adding water until it reaches the consistence of crepe batter (about the thickness of double cream).
• Add the salt and rosemary and stir again.
• Heat a small pancake pan (on a high heat) and add 1 tbsp. of oil.
• Once the oil is sizzling, add a ladleful of the batter. Swirl the pan to ensure the batter coats the base, then cover the pan.
• Fry for about a minute until the underside is golden and mostly cooked through, then flip and fry for a minute or so more (until completely cooked).
• Repeat the process with the remaining batter, adding an extra tbsp. of oil to the pan each time.
• Serve sprinkled with a little extra salt (if desired) as an antipasto.

Something from home - Lemon Cheesecake

Yesterday it was my turn to cook. "Tu puoi cucinare Cheesecake?" came the question from Caterina... (can I cook cheesecake?) "Ci!" I responded vehemently, wanting to impress. As soon as the affirmation had escaped my lips, a disastrous cheesecake memory came to mind. The only time I had ever made cheesecake myself, I had forgotten the eggs and the whole thing had sunk into one fatty mess in the oven. Not something I wanted to repeat when serving eager hosts. After a few minutes pondering, I decided to play it a little safe with a no-cook cheesecake. At home I'd probably use half cream cheese, half mascarpone but, having seen Caterina tucking into Mascarpone at all times of the day, I thought I might as well go with 100% to have the highest chance of pleasing my Italian hosts.

Sicilian lemons are available at our local green grocers at the moment, so lemon cheesecake seemed the obvious choice. The problem I had though was the biscuits. Digestives are an absolute must when we make this at home, but these were only available in tiny quantities here, and at extortionate prices. Consequently I had to go for the closest possible Italian version... and, to me, it definitely wasn't the same. In my opinion, digestives work particularly well because they are not very sweet and instead they are a little bit salty, providing the perfect contrast to the sweet and creamy topping. The Italian equivalent had that 'supermarket continental biscuit' taste that I can't quite put my finger on, but I find it in all supermarket biscuits over here. It's a sort of fake vanilla taste combined with an over-sweetness and an almost banana-like aftertaste... and not hint of saltiness. This description is far from precise, but it hopefully gives you an idea of why these biscuits don't work as well. On the flip side, this taste is probably very familiar to Italians, just as digestives are to the English, so it may have been the best option for them. I for one was not convinced, the topping was citrusy and delicious, but I just couldn't deal with the biscuits... so I would definitely splash out on the digestives next time!

Biscuit base
300g digestive biscuits
100g butter, melted

Topping
700g mascarpone
220g caster sugar
2 large lemons (or 3 small), zest and juice

• Crush the biscuits and combine with the melted butter.
• Pour into your chosen dish (depending on how deep you want your layers) - I used one which was about 25 by 25cm, enabling me to push the biscuit mixture up the sides and create an edge.
• Chill this in the fridge whilst you make the topping.
• The topping couldn't be simpler - just stir everything together. Don't over-stir though as the mix could split.
• Pour the topping onto the biscuit base and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours before serving.

Free tasters at Montefalco's celebration of Sagrantino wine

I'm proud to say that food markets and festivals are becoming more and more popular in England at the moment. This is of course a good thing because they promote local produce and artisan producers. I'm a big supporter of both of these things, but I have to confess that I also have a certain love of the free tasters that these events supply. As generous as these tasters are, in England, they are mostly offered to entice us to make a purchase... and consequently many people play the game of fake interest, using the stock phrase "so can I buy this online" to get their tasters and get out without splashing the cash. I do admit to playing this game from time to time (I know, I'm sorry... can I play the "but I'm only a poor student" card here to excuse myself?) but not without a little guilt creeping in. Here in Italy however, I had a completely different 'free tasters' experience...

I went into Montefalco today to visit the Enologica event (a weekend celebrating local Sagrantino wine) and, on entering the main piazza, I was stopped in my tracks by a piece of bread and prosciutto being held in front of my face. Instantly a little confused, I looked up to find the source and saw a women reaching out over the side of a small stage. At first I thought she was rudely throwing me her leftovers, but then I saw an army of people behind her preparing trays and trays of these meaty bites. "Per me?" I questioned. "Ci, ci, prenderlo!" she said (for me? / Yes, yes, take it!) I scouted about to see what she was selling and saw nothing, these were quite literally gifts for every visitor (and there was no entry fee). As we scrambled through the bustling piazza, we came across more and more of these free tasters - grape tarts, meats, wines on tap (yes really, it was self service!) I'm sure the cynics out their would argue that they were promoting their products, even if not to sell immediately, but there were no business cards, no leaflets and no branding. Yes their were plenty of other shops elsewhere in Montefalco promoting their wares, but not in the main piazza, this was just a place to eat, drink and be merry. This seems perfect I thought, guilt free tasters. However, this method does have a rather amusing downside. When food is free and accompanied by no obligation of further interest or purchase, people suddenly become transformed into food seeking demons. It seems this freedom gives them the sense that they deserve the food, "if it's on offer, then I should have it" they seem to think. As a result, the good old fashioned English queue was nowhere to be seen and bustling elbows were accompanied by grabbing hands and cries of "è per i bambini!"(it's for the children!) I couldn't help but think people had become a little confused as to whether they were reaching out for prosciutto, or for the last lifeboat on the titanic.

That aside, the event as a whole is a must for any wine lover in the area. It's now in its 34th year and the chaos of the free tasters sits alongside calmer, bookable events such as guided vineyard walks, wine tastings and cookery demonstrations.

Click here to visit the website.

Fricò di verdure

This dish is a little like the French ratatouille, fresh vegetables, tomatoes and, of course, some good olive oil. We ate this on it's own after a 'primi' of pasta, but in back at home in England we'd probably eat it as a side with something like griddled salmon and cous cous.

After yesterday's incredible pizza experience, I was quite grateful for a light meal today. I am now a girl converted to the art of guilt free enjoyment of incredible Italian food, but I'm still planning on punctuating these feasts with a few pauses for lighter eating... I don't really want have to spend my gap year budget on a full wardrobe of the next dress size up!

Again, this recipe is not particularly precise, but I'm sure it varies greatly from household to household, so you can adapt it as you wish.

1 red onion
1/2 aubergine
1 courgette
1 stick of celery
2 large tomatoes
- all chopped small (about 1/2 cm dice)
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. crumbled stock cube
1 sprig of mint

• On a low heat, fry of the onions and celery for a couple of minutes, then add the tomatoes.
• Cook for a couple of minutes until the tomatoes release a bit of juice.
• Add the aubergine and, a couple of minutes, add the courgettes, stock cube and mint.
• Cook on a low heat, covered, for about 10 minutes until everything is cooked.
• Turn off the heat, but leave the lid on, and leave to sit for 10 - 15 minutes before eating.

Food therapy at Spiritodivino

As much as I've been loving every moment of my time here, up until this evening, something never felt quite right. It felt like there was an invisible barrier in front of me, stopping me from relaxing and enjoying it to the full. The language difference would seem like the obvious conclusion to draw, but I've had the chance to chat with a few English people since arriving here, and that didn't seem to do it. But this evening I think I cracked it, I think I knocked down the barrier. It was the food. Up until this evening I had been incredibly strict with myself, never allowing myself to finish a plateful of food, and avoiding big mouthfuls. Be the dainty eater I thought, prove to everybody that I can go to Italy and return the same size (I'm flying Ryanair so I wouldn't be surprised if they charged me extra for my own weight gain!) But this obsessive control was stopping my enjoyment, I'm in Italy for goodness sakes. This evening I was invited out with some new Italian friends to go to the most incredible pizzeria nr Montefalco, called Spiritodivino. I ate far too much and took big bites, holding the pizza in my hands... discarding all dainty cutlery based pretences. And what was the result? Pure, simple happiness. I dropped my control and just allowed myself to do what I wanted, not what I ought... and oh my word, it felt like a load had been lifted off my shoulders. I was relaxed, I was happy. So it seems, as it is for many things, the answer was food... and lots of it. Yes I suppose this may not be a good discovery for my waistline, but I can select my moments to indulge. And I am in Italy after all, it would be a crime to waste such a gourmet opportunity.

Anyway, sorry, I rambled on about the profound effect this pizza had on me, without actually telling you anything about it. Well, the owner is from Naples (that's almost enough said really, it explains everything!) and he cooks all the pizzas exactly true to Napolitano tradition, using the absolute highest quality ingredients. The base is thick, but not doughy, with wonderful charred edges from the traditional pizza ovens. Meanwhile, the toppings are simple, but perfectly executed and as fresh can be. A particularly genius idea is the 1/2 metre long pizza: one huge pizza with up to three different flavours - perfect for sharing with friends as it's a great way to try multiple flavours... and there is something amazing about seeing such a huge pizza. As if I couldn't do more to persuade you, the puddings are also out of this world - the tiramisu was pretty unparalleled, with a wonderfully liberal dusting of cocoa on the bottom complimenting the creamy custard beautifully. So please, if you ever get the chance to come to this wonderful part of Italy (Umbria), then I urge you to go here. The incredibly warm and chatty welcome will assure you straight away that you've made the right decision, and once you've taken the first bite, I defy you to fight the urge to reach out for a second (and a third, and a fourth, and a twentieth...)

Oh and just a bit of the boring cost bit - the bill for the five us came to about 68 euros having eaten one 1/2 metre pizza, one slightly smaller (but still giant) pizza (I think it was just a standard large), soft drinks and three tiramisu. We were all stuffed on our departure, having spend only just over £10 each - that's certainly better than a trip to the cinema with a large box of popcorn! What's more, this incredible pizzeria is situated within a wonderful country house with beautiful rooms and stunning grounds (and another restaurant!)... so you really can eat until you can't move, and then just crawl upstairs to bed!

So there we go, food really is the cure to all things. So do I have a food baby at the moment? Yes! But was it completely and utterly worth it? Yes!

Lasagne di zucchine

One thing that I keep noticing about Italian cooking is their minimal usage of onion and garlic. They use both in almost every recipe, but in much smaller quantities than we seem to in England (in my house anyway). When cooking a lasagne for 6 people, I'd probable use 1-2 large onions and at least 2 cloves of garlic, here however, only one small shallot was used and no garlic. I could be completely off the mark here, but from a few comparisons I've heard/made about English/Italian cooking, it seems we cook much faster and consequently use stronger flavours to make up for the fact that we haven't allowed our ingredients time to intermingle and become more flavoursome. If we make a tomato pasta sauce at home, we probably throw it together in 10 minutes flat, with lots of garlic and basil. In Italy, this sauce would be started at least an our before lunch and left to simmer, enabling all the flavours to develop to their fullest. This lasagne is another example, Guiseppina cooks it an hour in advance, and then leaves it to cool to just above room temperature as she believes the taste is much better after a little time to rest.

Serves 6

4 courgettes, grated lengthways to form fairly long strips
1 shallot, finely chopped
6-8 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp. crumbled vegetable stock cube
250g lasagne pasta sheets, cooked and drained
2 handfuls of fresh parmesan, grated
A tiny bit of butter

Fresh nutmeg (about 1/4 of one)
About 1/2 pint of whole milk, warm (keep it on a low heat on the hob until needed)
About 25g butter
About 1 handful of flour
... the 4 above ingredients are for the béchamel sauce... Guiseppina's measurements weren't particularly precise, so feel free to use your own béchamel sauce recipe (you'll need about half a pint)

• Mix the onion, courgettes and stock in a bowl and fry off in batches on a medium-high heat. Use 1-2 tbsp. oil with each batch, cooking four batches in total. Each batch should only be cooked for about 2 minutes and you want the courgettes to have lots of space, otherwise they'll become watery instead of fried.
• Make the béchamel sauce according to your recipe, or follow Guiseppina's version here: Melt the butter in a saucepan on a low heat and grate in about 1/4 of a whole nutmeg. Once melted, add the flour and stir vigorously. When fully combined, begin slowly pouring in the milk and keep stirring vigorously to avoid any lumps. Keep cooking on a low heat until slightly thickened (about 3-4 mins in our case - you want it to be the thickness of double cream) and set aside once ready.
• Heat the oven to 180 degrees and begin layering the lasagne.
• First butter the bottom of your chosen dish (the dish Guiseppina used was about 30cm/20cm and about 4cm deep), then add a layer of pasta, then courgette, then sauce, then parmesan and do this until you have four layers - finishing after the 4th addition of parmesan. You hardly add any courgette/sauce/parmesan to each layer - about 2 heaped tbsp. courgette mix per layer, 3 tbsp. of sauce and about half a handful of parmesan... it won't even cover all the pasta.
• Cook in the oven for 20 minutes, then Guiseppina recommends eating it just above room temperature, so turn the oven off and leave it in there for about an hour. 

Mashed potato, transformed!

Mashed potato must be one of the most popular comfort foods around and, when I'm away from home, comfort food is high on my wish list. I'm coming to terms with the fact that I'm unlikely to get my comfort treat of a late night bowl of cereal here, but I was pleasantly surprised at the arrival of mashed potato on my plate during an evening meal with some Italian friends. However, not wishing to sound too much like a Marks & Spencer advert, this was not just any mashed potato... this was fried, rosemary scented mashed potato...

I don't have the exact recipe for this one, but I did pluck up the courage to ask how it was cooked:

Cook your potatoes, drain them and then mash them up.
In a large frying pan, heat olive oil and finely chopped rosemary on a medium heat (we're in Italy so I'm assuming it was quite a few tbsp. of oil, and it would definitely have been extra virgin).
Add your mashed potato and a little salt, combine all, then press down (to form a bit of a bubble and squeak). Cook until the underside is crisp and golden, then flip over (you may want to flip it into a different pan to avoid breaking this - if you do this, make sure you lightly oil the new pan, otherwise the potato will stick). Once the other side is also crisp and golden, turn out onto a plate and serve as a side dish.

Spaghetti al pomodoro

It's definitely hot at the moment, even the Italian are removing their jumpers. I sadly still look evidently English, as I think it's summer dress weather, not just 'no coat weather'. Yesterday I was invited to dinner with some Italian friends of my hostess and one of them was wearing a padded gilet, whilst I was wearing flip flops and a dress... I've got a long way to go!

So today was spaghetti day, finally! Ever since arriving in Italy, I've wanted to do the whole 'twist it round the fork' game. I know we eat spaghetti like that in England, but there's just something about eating it in Italy. Sadly however, this spaghetti was not home made. Contrary to my idealistic belief that every Italian makes their own pasta, almost all Italians buy it dried and will, at best, make their own on a Sunday. As much as this realisation shattered my dreamy image, it does mean less pressure on me when Guiseppina goes back home (and I become the person in charge of cooking lunch for my host family)... I won't live in fear of requests of spaghetti or, even scarier, ravioli.

Serves 3

1/2 carrot, chopped finely
1/2 celery stick, chopped finely
1/2 onion, chopped finely
1/2 tiny dried chilli, or a few chilli flakes (or more, to taste)
1 clove of garlic, chopped finely
3 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 handful of parsley (including stalks), chopped finely
250g passata
1 tsp. crumbled stock cube
Pinch of salt
1/2 handful of basil, shredded fairly small (save a couple of leaves to serve, if you fancy)
240g spaghetti
Parmesan to serve

• Fry the carrot, celery, onion, garlic, chilli, parsley and oil together for 2-3 mins, until soft and the onion is starting to brown.
• Add the passata, stock and salt and about half a cup of water.
• Simmer for about 30 mins.
• Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti according to the packet instructions.
• Blend the sauce, but don't blitz it until completely smooth - a little texture is a good thing.
• Add the basil to the sauce.
• Drain the pasta, reserving 2-3 tbsp. of water to add to the sauce.
• Combine the pasta, sauce and water and serve with parmesan and a couple of basil leaves, if desired.

Guiseppina's Pasta alla siciliana

I don't like one way streets. I plucked up the courage to cycle to meet a friend at the station today as the route looked simple enough. What I didn't notice was that my route home would be completely different if I followed the one way system. "If" is a key word there... as you may have guessed, I didn't. I cycled home the only way I knew how (the way I came), only noticing something was wrong when many terrifying Italian drivers started coming towards me. I'm sure at this point a brave person would continue, or a clever person would find the correct road. I chose option c: panic, and cycle along the pavement, much to the confusion of the pedestrians.

After a slightly stressful morning, more cooking with Guiseppina was a much needed tonic. Today we're apparently making pasta alla siciliana, but I think that title covers a lot of different recipes. Guiseppina's version, to my English brain, is like an Italian cauliflower cheese, but with pasta instead of a white sauce. Having said that, the combination of cheese and cauliflower is probably the only parallel I can draw, so that was probably a bit of a weak link on my part. It's a very simple recipe and, again, pretty healthy as far as Italian food goes - the only cheese is a shaving of parmesan on the top, so you can be as healthy or unhealthy as you choose.

Serves 4-6

1 cauliflower, outer leaves removed
4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 very small dried chilli, finely chopped (the equivalent of about 8 flakes of dried chilli - so you could just use flakes instead if you don't have whole dried chilli to hand) - this makes a very mild version, feel free to add more chilli, or drizzle with chilli oil at the end.
Extra virgin olive oil and parmesan to serve
300g pasta

• Cook the cauliflower until just slightly al dente - we cooked it whole for quite a long time, but I'm sure you could cut it into smaller pieces if you want to do it quickly.
• Drain the cauliflower and cut into bite sized florettes - but save the water to use for cooking the pasta (it gives it a little more flavour)
• Put the oil, garlic and chilli into a large frying pan and fry on a medium heat until the garlic is slightly softened. Add the cauliflower and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring regularly.
• Turn the heat to low and cook for a further 5 minutes.
• Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions, but use the cauliflower water instead of ordinary water.
• Drain the pasta, but save about 3 tbsp. of the water. Combine the water, pasta and cauliflower.
• Serve with a shaving of parmesan and a drizzle of oil. You could use chilli oil if you fancy, to give it a little more warmth.

Risotto al rosmarino

Today's lunch.

School in Italy appears to finish much earlier than it does in England, so the children come home for lunch... definitely more decadent than a couple of squished ham sandwiches in the school canteen. I cycled to pick up Caterina from school today and I got my first wave of home sickness. Seeing all the children running out beaming at the sight of their parents gave me a definite tug for home. Having said that, I haven't been picked up from school in a long time, perhaps it's just a sign of my reluctance to grow up!

The basic recipe for this one is the same as with the risotto con zucchine - I think the base of most risottos is the same in Italy, it's only really the flavours that get tweaked.

Serves 4

2 tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, chopped
1/4 an onion, finely sliced
Pinch of salt
3 stalks of rosemary, leaves removed and stalks set aside (to leave in the simmering water to infuse)
240g risotto rice
A small sprinkling from a stock cube
Water, simmering with the rosemary stalks
A knob of butter
Salt, pepper and parmesan to taste

1. Add a pinch of salt to the rosemary and chop it really finely (the salt helps you to do this)
2. Put the chopped rosemary into a small pan with the butter and heat gently until the butter is melted. Set aside.
3. Add the olive oil to a large frying pan (on a low heat) with the garlic the onion.
4. Cook for 2-3 mins (until softened) then add the rice and cook for a further 2-3 mins, stirring regularly.
5. Keep stirring and add water little by little for about 20-30 minutes until the rice is soft and creamy. Add the sprinkling of stock along with your first addition of water (this is not always precise, the timing seems to vary)
6. Once the risotto is creamy and just slightly al dente, add the rosemary mixture and turn off the heat. Leave with the lid on for another minute or two.
7. Serve with parmesan, salt and/or pepper as desired...

Tiramisu

I felt like such a typical English person when I arrived here. When asked the question: What Italian food do you like? I replied Tiramisu and Spaghetti Bolognese... and I call myself a dedicated foodie! I could have impressed them with knowledge of Cannoli Siciliani or Mortadella, but instead I went straight in there with a huge "Look at me, I'm English" sign on my forehead. As much as that may have been a low point, it did have great results... sometimes it's worth embarrassing yourself.

So this morning we tootled off to the shops to pick up a few missing ingredients, we even went to a special shop that just sold dairy products (unless I've just missed them all these years, I don't think we have those in England). Oh and I nearly forgot, I also had my first school run by bike today - thankfully it's mainly cobbled streets and pretty piazzas, no terrifying Italian roundabouts!

This cookery session didn't run quite as seamlessly as the last couple, as my confidence in my Italian grows, I double check instructions less and less often.... and today this resulted in me mistakenly throwing the egg whites away, rather than out the way for later - subtle difference! A few more eggs later, we were done, and I've jotted down the rough recipe below. One thing I've noticed about Italian tiramisu is that they don't top it with whipped cream, I personally really like it this way - I've always been a custard girl (apparently that's a northern thing, but my home is most definitely midlands - although according to my very southern aunty, they're basically the same place!) Other Italians add coffee liqueur too, this is just the way we made it today - simple but delicious (and I was given a fair few chef's perks along the way to keep me going until lunch: savoiardi biscuits dipped in the mascarpone mix... Italian fondue!)

3 eggs - 3 yolks and 2 whites separated (you don't need the 3rd white)
Tiny pinch of salt
6 tbsp. caster sugar
6 tbsp. mascarpone (about 300g)
Fresh coffee (ideally espresso) you'll need about 1/2 a cappuccino cup full
Savoiardi biscuits (about 64)
2 tsp. cocoa powder

1. Add the pinch of salt to the egg whites and whisk to soft peaks (the salt helps to make them fluffy apparently... but I wouldn't necessarily quote me, as that description is based on my Italian comprehension on only my 3rd day here!) Set aside.
2. Whisk the yolks and sugar until pale and thick, then add the mascarpone and whisk until fully combined.
3. Layer up the tiramisu in a wide shallow dish: Biscuits first (dip them in the coffee first, but there's no need to leave them to soak), then cover with about 1/3 of the mascarpone mix, sift over a tsp. of cocoa, another layer of biscuits, the rest of the mascarpone mix and then a final sprinkling of cocoa powder.
4. Leave in the fridge for at least an hour, then enjoy. Ideally eat it on the day.

Risotto con zucchine

My incredibly basic knowledge of Italian means that every meal comes as a surprise to me. I can vaguely figure out that my Nona is kindly explaining what we're cooking, but aside from 'stir this' or 'more of that' or 'chop that', I am never 100% sure I've understood. Today started off by grating a courgette (zucchine) and I could make out that we were cooking it with rice. I should have guessed really... of course it was risotto!

Although that wasn't entirely how my day started off, first task was to find my way home having dropped the daughter of my hostess of at school - on day 2 this in itself is a challenge. My Nona kindly slipped a piece of paper in my pocket with a quickly scribbled address of our house, so that I could just hold it up and say "where?" (dove?) if necessary. I am proud to say it was not, though I made it home following the coloured flags I recognised from the weekend's festival - one day I fear they'll be taken down and I really will need my little SOS note.

So here's the recipe... serves 3

4-5 tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, chopped
1/2 an onion, finely sliced
1 courgette, grated
1 basil stalk
180g risotto rice
A small sprinkling from a stock cube
Water, simmering
A knob of butter
Salt, pepper and parmesan to taste

1. Add 2-3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil to a large frying pan (on a low heat) with the garlic and half the onion.
2. Heat until the oil is hot, then add the courgette. Cook for about 20-30 mins on a low heat, stirring occasionally. Set aside once cooked and stir in the stock (about a pinch)
3. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil with the rest of the onion (on a low heat).
4. Cook for 2-3 mins then add the rice and cook for a further 2-3 mins, stirring regularly.
5. Keep stirring and add water little by little for about 20-30 minutes until the rice is soft and creamy.
6. At this point, add the courgette mixture and the butter and cook for a further couple of minutes.
7. Serve with parmesan, salt and/or pepper as desired...

... This recipe contains a lot less salt that most Italian recipes - my hostess is a yoga teacher and very health conscious (a big relief for my waist line!) so not much salt is used. I personally would add a little salt along with the stock and then I would dress it with extra virgin olive oil once served - but apparently adding olive oil at this point isn't very Italian, my hostess suggested that it would be too greasy having already added butter at the last stage in the cooking. Having said that, the rest of the dinner table went on to add lots of parmesan, so I would imagine you could add less parmesan and a little oil if you fancy... to be honest, if you're in your own home with no concerns on pleasing your hosts, eat it with as much oil and salt as you wish.

Melanzane...

Lunch was made up of lots of bits and pieces (yes, including pasta) so I won't detail them all, but here's one of the things we made...

Sorry for the rubbish picture... I'm without a good camera at the moment.

Melanzane (aubergines) with a parsley and garlic dressing:

3-4 aubergines
1 garlic clove
3-4tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 handful of parsley
Large pinch of salt

To make the dressing...
Remove the thick stalks from the parsley.
Add the salt to the parsley leaves and chop finely.
Peel the garlic and chop finely.
Mix parsley and garlic with the olive oil and set aside until needed.

To make the aubergines...
Top and tail aubergines and slice vertically into 1/2 cm thick strips.
Griddle on a hot, dry pan.
Remove and place in a dish/empty ice cream tub with the dressing - About half a tsp of dressing over each slice.
Set aside to cool and allow the aubergines to soak up the juice.
Serve alone or with salad or bread.

Oh and I did learn one important detail about eating like an Italian... Never eat pasta with salad, apparently it's a quick an easy way to scream "look at me, I'm English!" Is this coming from direct experience you may ask? Embarrassingly, yes. My first lunch with my Italian hosts was begun by a friendly but incredibly definite "No, no, no"... and I thought it was only my language skills that were giving my 'Englishness' away! To eat like an Italian, you should eat the salad first to prepare your stomach, then eat the pasta. On a similar vein, another apparently English thing to do is to drink cappuccino in the evening. Italians find this laughable - cappuccino is only drunk in the morning and any time after that they only drink espresso.

Back soon.

Day 1 in Italy...

Well I gave myself 3 months to learn Italian before I arrived here... I think I spent a week, at best. Somehow I found my new Cornish life a little too distracting to find the time to sit down with my verb tables, so instead I spent my 7 days at home listening to 'Teach Yourself Italian' tapes on loop. Cooking, driving, eating, sleeping - you guessed it, all with Italian in the background.

On my arrival here, it felt like I'd used up my week's worth of knowledge in the first 5 minutes of my car journey to my new home with my Italian hostess.... "Io parlo non molto bene l'Italiano, ma io capisco un po. Lei capiche l'Inglese?" "Un po" "Daccordo" Yep, that was pretty much it, not sure how I thought that'd last me! Fortunately, my hostess and her 'Mama' are both incredibly patient, and a few good old fashioned hand signals are proving rather useful.

On my arrival last night I was whisked off to watch an Italian cookery lesson at a nearby villa, run by the Mama of my hostess' best friend. Meeting all her Italian friends was a little daunting, but I was instantly welcomed in and felt very much under the wings of that famous Italian warmth of character.

After a guided tour of the town this morning with Guiseppina, the wonderful Italian Nona (yes, the tour was in Italian) I am currently eagerly anticipating the lunch we began preparing at 8.30am this morning. I've been noting down all the steps so far, but I currently have no idea what the end product is set to be... I'll get back to you when I have a little more knowledge!

1 girl, 1 shopping trip, 1 week... how I found it

I wanted to take a minute to say a little more about my foodie challenge during my summer waitressing in Cornwall. I've done my last shift and I'm back into the comforts of home. I'm surrounded by full cupboards and more utensils than I could wish for, and yet somehow I miss my simple Cornish lifestyle. Don't get me wrong, it's always wonderful to be home to see my family, I just miss the challenge a little bit, I liked knowing that everything in my cupboards was mine and I knew what I wanted to do with it. It was also good from a health point of view as I only bought enough food for the meals and snacks that I'd pre-planned, so I couldn't just grab an extra bowl of cereal at midnight or reach for the temptingly full biscuit tin (both things I do far too often at home).

I didn't manage as many posts as I'd hoped as the first month was a big ol' learning curve in many ways - one of which being my diet. I only really got into my cooking stride in the latter half of my time there - I initially spent far too long on the student-style cereal and vitamin pill diet... I always professed I would never do this but, early on, there always seemed something more exciting to do than shopping or cooking - namely surfing. And with erratic shift hours, I was always reluctant to cook late at night after a long shift. After a week or so of this, my body was just crying out for proper nutrients - a friend was eating in a similar way to me and became a little poorly, to which her doctor responded "no amount of vitamin pills is a sufficient alternative to eating properly" So off to the shops I went, returning laden with fruit and vegetables. The problem with this was that I went shopping with no real plan and just bought things randomly. All lovely things, but when you have no 'store cupboard essentials' to fall back on to turn these raw ingredients into recipes, you end up doing expensive emergency food shops to buy all the things you never thought of before - often resulting in food wastage of some of the earlier purchases... and the price soon rockets upwards. Also, a lot of the things I bought required long cooking times and/or kitchen appliances that I didn't have... see below!

 

So that's when I decided to create the £20 challenge for myself. I planned the week's meals within a budget of £20, including breakfast, lunch, dinner (I admittedly only made one big meal each day to cover both lunch and dinner and just picked at it when I could) and a couple of snacks (fruit, nuts and natural yoghurt)... and no presumed store cupboard ingredients... I started my time in the staff house with two empty shelves in the kitchen, so that was my starting point. I factored olive oil and salt into the first week's budget and consequently assumed its availability in the second week, but I didn't assume any other leftovers. I also wanted the recipes to be pretty healthy, and they had to be quick and easy to cook in a kitchen with limited space and appliances. Storage space was also a challenge. As mentioned earlier, my dry storage consisted of two shelves in a cupboard, and my fridge/freezer space was essentially wherever I could squeeze stuff in - so not a lot.

Here's a list of what I had in terms of appliances/utensils:

1. 2 cupboard shelves
2. Oven with grill and hob sections
3. Kettle... though this was actually not essential for any recipe as I could just boil water on the hob
4. Fridge/freezer space where available
5. Milk saucepan
6. Medium sized frying pan
7. Loose bottomed cake tin (which often doubled up as a baking tray)
8. Bowl - something like a cereal/pasta bowl (some of my pictures show a plate because I ate the food at work)
9. Serrated knife
10. Spoon
11. Fork
12. Chopping board (although this seemed to get lost in the black hole also known as the communal kitchen, so I did become a little inventive with alternatives at times)
13. Stick blender
14. Mini herb garden of mint and basil - this may seem a little luxury for a staff house (even I was surprised) but during the planning of 'Mojito Monday' we went on a hunt for mint and actually discovered it in the overrun jungle of a staff house garden. As for the basil, a fellow staff house resident actually had a pot of it growing on his window sill, so I was able to take a couple of leaves in return for watering it whilst he went home for a week.

So not a lot really when you think of what we normally have readily available at home. All the recipes in my '1 girl, 1 shopping trip, 1 week' challenge can be made with just these things being to hand, so it's quite a good 'bare essentials' list for anyone about to embark on self catering uni halls life. I'm currently on my gap year, heading to Bristol uni this time next year, so I definitely plan to continue the £20 plan at uni... Cornwall was my time to practice and go through the seemingly compulsory cereal phase, so hopefully I'm all kitted out with ideas for uni (all involving lots of fruit and veg to avoid that ubiquitous fresher's flu!)

Next step for me is Italy. I've got a few days enjoying the comforts of home, then I jet off to Umbria on Sunday to spend just under two months with some incredible Italian friends I met on a cookery course a couple of years ago. I got on really well with the chef's daughter during the course and dropped her an email last year, just letting her know that I was hoping to come to Italy and would love to visit. I hoped for a weekend, maybe a week at best... but my tentative email was responded to with an overwhelmingly generous offer of months on end "just book a single flight and leave whenever you want to!" So I'm off to Umbria to stay with a couple of different families, helping out with the children and a few bits and pieces around the house, in return for food and accommodation and being welcomed into their family - I've already been told that the mother of the Italian lady I'm staying with is a wonderful cook and would be more that happy to teach me... my own mum is green with envy as she starts back at work! So I definitely plan to blog lots while I'm out there, with as many Italian cookery tips as possible. Ciao for now... I'm off to listen to my teach yourself Italian tapes... oh yeah, did I not mention that I don't speak Italian!