Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios / Gazpacho.mp4

HOW TO CHILL A 'NERVE BREAKDOWN' 
The fresh smell and taste of Gazpacho  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDU0JMyP-KY

What a fantastic smell there is in my kitchen when I prepare Gazpacho! Do you know what I am talking about? 
Along with Banderas Gazpacho is the other 'hot' character of "Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios" (Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, Pedro Almodóvar, 1988). Did I say 'hot'? Perhaps I should have used 'cool' since this dish is the Spanish most popular cold soup. Originally from Andalusia (south of Spain) its a tomato based soup but its recipe could vary slightly and it can be lighter, denser, spicier, crunchier...
Fresh and good ingredients are a must especially for gazpacho as it is not a cooked recipe. 
In this recipe, unlike the original, I use the bread just as complement side. I also recommend to follow the preparation phases below of the cucumber to make a lighter version of this dish. 

Ingredients:
- San Marzano (or plums) Tomatoes
- Cucumber 

- Green pepper

- Onion

- garlic

- lemon

- chilly pepper

- extra virgin olive oil

- vinegar 

- salt and pepper to taste

- mineral still water and ace cubes
- Bread

Preparation: 

Tomatoes: Place the whole tomatoes into boiling water. Set aside till the skin have split. Peel off the skin and remove seed inside.
Cucumber: peel and remove seed inside. Cut into thick slides and put some salt on top. Leave to rest while preparing the other vegetable. Get rid of any water produced. 
Green pepper: Wash the peppers, clean from core, seed and any white parts. 
Cut the other vegetables. Put everything into the mixer for few minutes, high speed.  Add some oil, salt, pepper and iced water while mixing. Place into the fridge for at lest 2h before serving. 

Serving:
Serving into white bowl, with some toasted bread. Add Olive oil and pepper to taste. 

FAST FOOD: TAGLIATELE CON PESTO DI ZUCCHINE

Courgettes pesto 

This is what I call 'fast food'! In 10 minutes the tagliatelle with pesto di zucchine is on the table, ready to eat. Giving me this recipe my mum said "even your father likes it", and my father is never wrong! 

Ingredients:

- 1 courgette
- 1 clove of garlic

- Pine-nuts 

- Fresh Basil leaves
- Fresh Parsley leaves 

- 1/2 cup of Extra virgin olive oil
- Parmigiano reggiano cheese 
- Pecorino cheese 

- salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Wash and cut the courgette into dices. The courgette should be small and mature (but not too much, without seeds inside). Combine it with the basil, parsley, the garlic, some salt, half olive oil and the pine-nuts in a food processor or blender. Process, stopping to scrape down the sides of the container. Add the rest of the oil gradually and the before finishing the parmigiano and the pecorino previously grated.   

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Pour the fresh tagliatelle and cook them just for 2-3 minutes to keep them "al dente". Drain, saving some cooking water in a cup.  

Serving:
Toss the pesto with the tagliatelle pouring some cooking water to make it smoother.  Add pepper and parmigiano on top to taste.  Buon appetito!

TAMAGOYAKI  (たまごやき) CON FETA E SPINACI
Japanese style omelette - Casa di Raffa's version

Facilissima da fare, pronta in qualche minuto e buonissima! Il Tamagoyaki, anche chiamato Dashimaki ( letteralmente uovo grigliato) e' un tipo di omlette giapponese a strati. Tradizionalemnte cucinata nella makiyakinabe (apposita padella di forma rettangolare) e' servita per colazione o pranzo, generalmente inclusa nei bento boxes oppure come ingrediente principale di certe zuppe. 

La versione che propongo io e' un po' diversa, e' vera e propria omelette arrotolata e ripiena di spinaci e feta, ma la base e' essenzialmente la stessa. La presenza dello zucchero nell'omelette, da una parte e della soya e della feta, dall'altra rende la ricetta equilibrata per cui si hanno dolce e salato insieme in una combinazione piacevole. 

Ingredienti: omlette
- 3 uova di grandezza media
- 1 cucchiaio di salsa di soia
- 1 cucchiaio di acqua
- 1 cucchiaino di zucchero

- Olio d'oliva, sale e pepe quanto basta
 

Ingredienti: ripieno
- 250 gr di spinaci (quelli con le foglie piccole e tenere)
- 70 gr di feta

Preparazione:
- In una terrina versare le uova, la salsa di soya, lo zucchero, sale, acqua, soya amalgamare mescolando energicamente per un paio di minuti.

- Lavare bene gli spinaci.

-Sbriciolare con le mani la feta in piccoli pezzetti.

Cotura:

Cospargere una pentola antiaderente diametro 20 cm (la piu' grossa che avete) con un sottilissimo velo di olio d'oliva (ovviamente sempre e rigorosamente d'oliva) e quando ben caldo versare il composto. La dimensione della padella e' al quanto importante visto che l'omelette deve risultare sottilissima. Cuocete a fuoco lento per qualche minuto. Girate l'omelette e fate cuocere per un'altro minutino.

Mettete in una pentola gli spnaci aggiungendo due dita di un bicchiee d'acqua. Lacsiare cuocere finche' non si ammorbidicano. Scolarli bene. 

Arrangiare gli spinaci e la feta sopra l'omelette. Arrotolare il tutto e tagliare i bordi. 

Presentazione:
L'omelette puo' essere mangiata subito, ancora tiepida, oppure a temperatura ambiente (buonissima!). Io la taglio a dischetti, la dispongo nel piatto con un po' di pomodorini e rucola fresca. 

Buon appetito!

POLLO con MELE VERDI e CURRY
Experiments of a teenager 

I probably cooked this dish for the first time when I was 12...Experimenting into the kitchen was already my passion! At that time cooking chicken for me could be almost as funny as making cakes - with the only difference that it was maybe far much easier. Chicken, like cakes, can be cooked with almost anything: from almonds to mushroom, from cheese to pineapple. This is one of the dish I have developed in years and cooked for both family and friends with big success.

Ingredients:
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 big onion
- 1 clove of garlic
- 2 green apple (del trentino!)
- 1 big spoon of Curry
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup of white flour
- 1 spoon of corn flour

- 1/2 glass of white wine

Brodo: 
- 1 litre of water
- 1 onion
- 1 carrot
- Celery
- 1 chicken stock

Preparation:

Wash the chicken breast and cut it into cubes. Season lightly with salt and pepper and dust with flour on both sides.
Cut the onion in slices (like oranges), crush the garlic glove unpeeled.
Unpeel 1 green apple and cut it into cubes.
Bringing to boil some brodo, preparred with 1 litre of water, 1 onion, 1 carrot a bit of celery and one chicken stock.

Cooking:
Heat the oil into a skillet, add the chilli pepper, the garlic, the onions and fry very slowly. When it looks slightly translucent you know it's time to add the apples cubes.
After a couple of minutes put the chicken.
The chicken will now begin to lightly fry, so keep stirring it.
Add wine to the pan scraping up the brown bits with a silicone spatula. Slowly pour the brodo and the curry into the skillet bit by bit, waiting all the time for the water to evaporate. Keep cooking until the meet is completely cooked but still tender. 

Serving:
Serve a generous portion of chicken with apple curry sauce on top of a portion of basmati rice, prepared with 1 seed of cardamom into the cooking water.
To enhance the flavour of the dish is a good practice accompany it with the same wine we used to cook it with.

MY FAVOURITE SHOPS

In London 

  

Fish: Steve Hatts (the best fish in town)

Meat: James Elliot (try his lamb!) 

Vegetables: Bumblebee Natural food 

General: Hole food (especially to find grains which normally it's difficult to get) 

IL MERCATO DI BALLARO' 

The authentic aroma of Sicily

The best products are sold in markets...and Ballaro' is one of the best example!