GNOCCHI WITH BEEF RAGU

INGREDIENTS for 4 people

For gnocchi:
700 gr potatoes
170-200 gr white flour
Salt
For the ragù:
300 gr ground beef meat
200 gr tomatoes
200 gr di tinned peeled tomatoes
Celery, Carrot, Onion
Olive oil
Salt
Red wine
Pepper

PREPARATION

2 hours

COMPLEXITY

Medium

TYPE

Main course

PROCEDURE

Put potatoes and boil them from cold water. Cut celery, onion and carrot with oil and put in a pot with oil. Then add ground meat. Simmer with red wine until reduced. Add all the tomatoes, salt, pepper and cover the pot. Cook for 2 hours. In the mean time mash the potatoes and when become warm add the flour. Form a compact mix and then the gnocchi. Cook in boiling water and when they surface, they are ready to eat. Dress them with ragù and serve with parmesan.

 

BISCUITS WITH CREAM AND COCOA

INGREDIENTS for about 80 biscuits

200 gr di flour type 00
50 gr di flour type 0
50 gr di cocoa
60 ml cream
1 egg
70 gr di sugar
60 gr cane sugar
Vanilla
80 gr butter
10 gr yeast for sweet

PREPARATION

1 hour 30 minutes

COMPLEXITY

Low

TYPE

Sweet

PROCEDURE

Mix the flours, cocoa, vanilla, sugars and butter by hand or using the mixing machine. When they are mixed, add the egg and the cream. When the mix is formed, put it into the wrap and then in fridge for 30-60 minutes.
Then draw the mix on a pastry board with a thickness of about 0,5 cm. Form the biscuits with the desired shape; put them on the baking tray. Cook for 15-17 minutes into static oven at 180°C (356°F). Eat them when they get cold.

 

PARMIGIANA’S RAVIOLI

INGREDIENTS for 4 people

400 gr flour
4 eggs
1 eggplant
1 mozzarella
200 gr tomatoes sauce
Parmesan
Salt, pepper
Oil
Basil, mint and parsley

PREPARATION

1h 30min

COMPLEXITY

Medium

TYPE

Main course

PROCEDURE

Prepare the pasta mixing flour and eggs. Make it rest for at least 30 minutes into the fridge. 
In the meantime cut the eggplants into little pieces and cooking in few olive oil; cooking tomatoes' sauce with salt, pepper and basil. Cut the mozzarella into little pieces. Draw the pasta very thin with pasta maker, put the filling (photo 3) on the pasta. Close the pasta on the long side (photo 4). Form the raviolis using a coppapasta or cut it giving a square or a circular shape. Cooking them into boiling water for about 5 minutes, in the meantime, warm the oil spiced with basil and mint. Serve the raviolis with spicy oil, parmigiano and parsley.

GRATINE’ CODFIDSH

INGREDIENTS for 2 people

2 codfish fillet
Breadcrumbs
Parsley
Thyme
Oil
Salt

PREPARATION

30 min

COMPLEXITY

Easy

TYPE

Second course

PROCEDURE

Grate the bread, mice parsley and thyme (or other flavours, as you prefer) and mix all. Coat the fillets without using oil. Put in a oven pan with few oil and put into static oven at 200°C (392°F) for 20 minutes and the last 10 minutes with aired oven to make the surface gratiné.

 

 

WEST COAST…I LOVE YOU – GRAND CANYON

The second stop of this trip; a wonderful place, the only one in its genre. For nature lovers, of course this is one of the most spectacular landscapes. Grand Canyon is an inevitable stop-over for people who are doing a travel like this. Choosing april for the visit was perfect. Weather was fantastic: warm and sunny during the day and cool in the evening.
Usually, the best period for the visiting is june when rain is less probable. 2 years ago, I went there in august but I couldn't visit it because of some storms. In this conditions could be very dangerous. For this reason, we decided to come back again and this time we have been more lucky!
About food, the choice is limited. Both you stay inside park or in the town nearby, places for eating are not so much and they do only a low quality american cuisine. Hamburger, meat and pizza (american pizza...) are the only food. In one photo you will see a Tacos I eate during my short stop in Phoenix: strong tastes but good! But I guarantee that in a place like this it's easy to adapt!
Some days are necessary for visiting park and doing trekking. We stay there for 2 nights: if you want to have a general look and have a short walk, 2 nights are enough.
Before arriving in Grand Canyon, coming from Phoenix, we stopped for lunch in Flagstaff: a characteristic town on the Route 66. Don't go in the typical touristic place on the main street. Just near the city center you can find a very pretty restaurant completely managed by women. Food is spectacular: not light but surely tasty and characteristic!
See you soon for the next stop and if you want to learn more, contact me! 

SPAGHETTI WITH ANCHOVIES’ COLATURA AND CRUMBS

INGREDIENTS for 2 people

160 gr whole spaghetti 
1 little spoon of anchovies' colatura 
1 anchovie
4 spoons of breadcrumbs
Oil
Chili pepper q.s.
Parsley

PREPARATION

20 min

COMPLEXITY

Easy

TYPE

Main course

PROCEDURE

Grate the bread, put into a pan and toast it. In the meantime boil the water in a pot. In another pan put the oil and chili pepper, brown lightly and add the anchovie distant from the fire and make it melt in the oil. Add the colatura. Boil spaghetti and before complete cooking, put them into the pan with oil. Add the parsley, part of the crumbs. Put in the plate and add the remaining bread.