Elizabeth Minchilli's Blog, page 20
December 11, 2017
dinner party: last minute ravioli
Ravioli are almost always my answer to a last minute dinner party for three reasons: 1 Everyone likes them 2 I can buy them pre-made 3 The topping can turn something plain into something seasonal and creative A few days before I left for New York last month I decided, on the spur of the...
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December 5, 2017
food tours in new york
I’m usually the one giving food tours, but this past week in New York I decided to make a switch and put myself on the other side of the table. I signed up for three very different and completely fantastic food-focused tours. For Sophie and me I admit it was partly a bit of research. It’s always instructive to see how others do what you do. But really? It just seemed like a really fun way to see a city which I know very well, from a completely different perspective.
There are tons of food tours these days in NYC, so to find one I crowd sourced on FB. Sifting through the avalanche of responses, (thank you!!) one name kept coming up: Joe DiStefano. Everyone said he was the best, and by everyone I mean people whose opinion I trust 100%.
After a bit of back and forth Joe and I decided on his Feasting on Flushing tour. We were 10 people (both of my sisters and their families came along) and we met up with Joe on the corner of Roosevelt and Main Street, having taken the 7 train. I won’t detail each and every bite (that would be giving away his itinerary) but it included most of the highlights of what has become New York’s true Chinatown. We went in and out of small shops as well as the type of food courts you’re more likely to find in Hong Kong than in Queens. We tasted amazing food at each stop including rice noodles, Chinese Korean Dumplings, Durian Topped pizza (by far the strangest thing I put in my mouth); soup dumplings; cumin encrusted lamb chops that I am still dreaming about; Peking Duck buns and more. We even had time to stop by the Hindu Temple of North American which was an extremely moving experience. (we also ate in the canteen there, trying their dosa). The entire tour was about 4 hours and Joe was full of information about every bite we took.
Our next two tours were with my old friend Angelis Nannos. I first met Angelis when he gave us a fantastic food tour in Istanbul years ago. In fact, it was Angelis’s tour that convinced me to set up my own food tour business back in Rome! Angelis has since left Istanbul, and started his own very unique food tour company in New York. In Food We Trust offers several different tours. We signed up for two: Yum Yum Met and Upper East Side Iconic New York Foods .
We met up with Angelis at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for our first tour. Although the tour is about food and art, it’s hard to describe just how inventive it is. It’s not simply looking at paintings of food, instead Angelis has done a ton of research and picked out a series of objects and paintings that allow him – and us – to look at food in a cultural and historical context that is surprising as well as extremely entertaining.( Angelis is hysterical!) We looked at everything from a 15th century statue of St. Nicolas (it involved pickles) to ancient greek shopping lists (which basically said stop for bread on the way home from work). This tour lasted about 2 hours and we roamed the Met and explored parts of the collection I had never been to, finding ourselves completely alone in many of the rooms. Although the tour was only 2 hours long, by the time it ended, after talking about food (even in a cultural abstract kind of way) we were STARVING!
Which I thought we would be. So I had us signed up for Angelis’s other tour: Iconic Foods of New York. This tour lead us all over the upper East Side. Although I’ve lived in this neighborhood, it was still full of surprises and actually included things to eat that I’d never had. Egg Creams at Lexington Avenue Candy Shop and Black and White Cookies at Glasers, for instance. There was also (not surprisingly ) hot dogs, pastrami , tuna melts and bagels involved all at out of the way places that have managed to survive in some sort of time capsule.
At the end of Angelis tours he presented us each with a ‘menu’ of all the things we had done and eaten, a very well-designed and welcome memento from our tour which even included a group photo!! (It was like magic!).
For more information about the tours:
Feasting on Flushing with Joe DiStefano can be booked here and his blog (which is really fun) is here.
Yum Yum Met and Upper East Side Iconic New York Foods can be booked on the site In Food We Trust.
The post food tours in new york appeared first on Elizabeth Minchilli.
food tours in new york
I’m usually the one giving food tours, but this past week in New York I decided to make a switch and put myself on the other side of the table. I signed up for three very different and completely fantastic food-focused tours. For Sophie and me I admit it was partly a bit of research....
The post food tours in new york appeared first on Elizabeth Minchilli in Rome.
November 20, 2017
book cover: eating my way through italy
There are many stages to writing a book. Proposals and contracts come way before any thoughts get put down on paper. And then there is the research. Writing of course takes the most time, and if you’re also the photographer (which I am) there is that too. And editing. There is LOTS (too much?) of that. But one of the most exciting stages is always, at least for me, when I first see the cover design.
Even though this is my 8th book, I still get giddy when I see my name paired with the title. It somehow makes it all very real. And while I have lots of control over the content of the book itself, when it comes to design – both of the cover and the inside pages – it is a collaborative effort where everyone has a say. From the editor to the marketing team to the designer, everyone wants to encapsulate the entire contents of what is basically a lifetime’s work onto one page. Not easy. Which is why I’m so very lucky to have such a talented group of people (with infinite patience) working with me at St. Martins
So it is with great pleasure that I share the cover of my new book: Eating My Way Through Italy: Heading Off the Main Roads to Discover the Hidden Treasures of the Italian Table. If you’ve been following me for any length of time, anywhere, then you won’t be so surprised by the main element: an artichoke!
Remember when I said there were many stages? Well, while I do have the cover, and the book is actually for pre-sale now here, you won’t be able to read it until it is published on May 22. I know, I know, that’s SIX months away. But there is all sorts of printing/publishing stuff that needs to get done between now and then.
As we get closer to the date I’ll be sharing much more information about the book: producers I met, recipes I learned. I’ve also shot lots of video along the way which I’ll be turning into little films.
But for now, even though it’s WAY early, I was too excited not to share this cover with you. I hope you like it!!
PS: I also had new author photos taken by the talented Susan Wright. Here are is one that seems on brand!
The post book cover: eating my way through italy appeared first on Elizabeth Minchilli.
book cover: eating my way through italy
There are many stages to writing a book. Proposals and contracts come way before any thoughts get put down on paper. And then there is the research. Writing of course takes the most time, and if you’re also the photographer (which I am) there is that too. And editing. There is LOTS (too much?) of...
The post book cover: eating my way through italy appeared first on Elizabeth Minchilli in Rome.
November 15, 2017
dinner party: pumpkin lasagna
Sophie and I are hosing a Week in Rome tour this week and as always, we begin with a welcome diner in our ground floor space Monti Kitchen. For this dinner I decided that one way or another I was going to make a dent in all those pumpkins I bought as center pieces a few weeks back for our Week in Umbria tour. They are very pretty, and it seemed almost a crime to eat them, but it seemed equally criminal not to.
I don’t make lasagna often, but somehow both Sophie and I were craving it. The temperatures had dropped, so it seemed a warm and cozy kind of thing to serve to our guests their first night in Rome.
Menu
Antipasto: Since this lasagna is kind of a lot of work, I decided to keep the rest of the meal easy. Antipasto was a variety of preserved vegetables from the Farmer’s Market, plus ricotta, mozzarella and prosciutto.
Primo: I got a LOT of requests for this recipe from my stories on Instagram. Most of the comments were about the way I used the salami. The salami I used was a Coglioni di Mulo, which translates as Mule’s Balls. But that’s not what people were commenting on. The way I used this piece of cured pork was to put it in the food processor and completely grind it up until it looked like ground meat. I then used this to form the basis of the pumpkin filling. It’s something I do all the time, especially when I have bits and pieces of salami left over in the fridge. It makes an extremely powerful and flavorful base to almost any vegetable dish, and is usually what I use when making soups or anything else where I might resort to using a bouillon cube.
Contorno: A big green salad from our garden in Umbria.
Dolce: This was extremely easy, since I made Domenico deal with most of the heavy lifting. He peeled and sliced a few pounds of quince for me, which I poached and put over gelato from Gracchi.
Setting the Table
I set the table in Monti Kitchen where I like to keep things simple. Plain white plates (which I got at Limentani) and a grey washable linen tablecloth from Zara Home. Flatware is Ikea and the glasses were freebies I got from Eataly by spending enough money a year ago. The pitchers are from Sbigoli in Florence. I wanted to keep everything clean and bright, to better highlight some of the new Ginori Mondovi platters (that’s one of them with the flowers) that I’ve become obsessed with. Yes, I’m pouring over Ebay each morning searching for them.
The centerpiece is a few kilos of the first clementines to show up. Candles and candle holders all from Ikea. And those lovely paintings of Rome in the background are by the talented Kelly Medford.
pumpkin lasagna
Author Elizabeth
For this recipe I used a zucca mantovana, which is the most common one you see in the markets in Italy. It’s huge and usually you would buy just a slice. I ended up with an entire one, since it was so pretty! An alternative is butternut, but it will be a bit sweeter I think, so you may have to adjust with salt.
Ingredients
400 grams lasagna noodles
1 big leek, chopped finely
300 grams salami
2 pounds of cubed pumpkin
salt, pepper
2 cups grated parmigiano reggiano
For the bechamel
50 grams butter
50 grams flour
1/2 liter (2 cups) whole milk, heated
nutmeg
Instructions
First make the bechamel: melt the butter in a pan and then add the flour. Stir and let it cook for about 3 minutes, but don’t let it brown. Slowly add the milk, stirring, until it is all mixed in. Continue stirring until it is thickened, and add salt, pepper and a bit of nutmeg to taste. Set aside.
Cut the salami into cubes and put it into a food processor to grind. It should end up looking like ground meat. Put in a large sautee pan and cook over medium heat, until the fat has come out. Add the leeks and a bit of salt, and let cook until the leeks soften, about 8 minutes. Add the pumpkin and stir. Add about a cup of water, stir and let simmer until the pumpkin is tender and beginning to fall apart. It should be a mixture of lumps of pumpkin and puree.
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook the lasagna noodles for 3 to 4 minutes, then drain and set aside on a damp dish cloth.
To assemble:
Use a pan measuring 13 x 9 inches.
Ladle some bechamel onto the bottom of the pan, using the back of the spoon to coat the bottom. You don’t need a lot, but just enough to cover it in a thin layer.
Next lay the noodles in one layer, without overlapping. You may have to cut some in half to make them fit.
Next spoon half of the pumpkin mixture over the noodles, smoothing it with your fingers or a spoon.
Drizzle some more bechamel and then sprinkle on parmigiano liberally.
Now put another layer of noodles, then the rest of the pumpkin, then bechamel, then cheese.
Finally put a final layer of noodles, the rest of the bechamel and cover completely with cheese
When ready to cook preheat oven to 180C/ 350F and bake for about 40 minutes, until the top is golden.
The post dinner party: pumpkin lasagna appeared first on Elizabeth Minchilli.
dinner party: pumpkin lasagna
Sophie and I are hosing a Week in Rome tour this week and as always, we begin with a welcome diner in our ground floor space Monti Kitchen. For this dinner I decided that one way or another I was going to make a dent in all those pumpkins I bought as center pieces a...
The post dinner party: pumpkin lasagna appeared first on Elizabeth Minchilli in Rome.
October 30, 2017
10 rules for eating bread in italy
Yes, this is actually a list of rules for how and when to eat bread in Italy. You would think it would be straightforward, but eating bread in Italy is a topic that is almost as fraught as the whole ‘when to drink cappuccino’ thing. Last week, during our Week in Umbria tour, this seemed to be the most perplexing topic for our guests: When, how and why to eat bread? So I thought I’d answer some of those questions right here, right now.
Like many things in Italy, there are rules. And then there are exceptions to the rules.
1. Bread is meant to be eaten with other food. This means that when you sit down in a restaurant, the bread basket that arrives at the table is not meant as a pre-dinner snack. The bread is there to eat with your food (see rule #4below) And please do not ask for olive oil and a small bowl to dip it in. This is just not an Italian thing. And it is especially not an Italian thing to add balsamic vinegar to the bowl. Why? Because why on earth are you filling up on bread and olive oil even before the meal arrives? And that vinegar? It will totally ruin your taste buds for the rest of the meal.(Don’t worry, this is the nearest thing to a rant in this post)
2. Exception to Rule # 1: If the bread is toasted in the kitchen, and then drizzled with olive oil and brought to the table then, by all means, eat it. In this case, it is considered an antipasto, called bruschetta, and you can go ahead and eat enjoy it with fear of breaking any laws.
3. Another Exception to Rule # 1: If the bread is in the form of focaccia or pizza bianca, and you buy it by the slice in a bakery, then not only can you eat it on its own, you can also eat it while walking around (usually another no-no)
4. Bread is meant to be eaten with food, but NOT with pasta. Pasta is a starch, so do not eat bread (a starch) with pasta(another starch.) Only eat your bread with either your non-pasta first course (soup or antipasto), your main course (meat) or your side dish (vegetable). You are also allowed to, and expected to, use bits of your bread to help any non-pasta food up onto your fork.
5. Exception to Rule # 4 : If there is sauce left at the bottom of your plate of pasta then yes, you can use your bread to soak it up. In Rome, this is called ‘fare la scarpetta’ and is particularly necessary when ordering pasta Amatriciana which is always heavily sauced. If you’re at a very fancy restaurant or dinner party, then think twice before doing it. But if other Italians are doing it, then swipe away.
6. While it would seem like Italians don’t stack up their carbs (see rule # 4) feel free to order a fried rice ball or even a bruschetta before you order a pizza. In fact, it’s kind of like a rule that you should order more carbs before your pizza, particularly fried ones.
7. Don’t throw away old bread. Italy is a country that has lived through two world wars, and the older generation will still cringe if you throw away a half consumed loaf of bread that has gotten stale. Instead? Make one of the many recipes that use up dried bread.
8. If you’re traveling in central Italy you may complain that the bread is tasteless because it contains no salt. Get over it. And also re-read rule # 1. Remember, bread is meant to be eaten with the food. And the food in some of these regions is very salty.
9. Italians aren’t big on toast in the morning. Instead, they prefer a type of hard pre-baked toast-shaped thing called fette biscottate. I can’t even begin to explain the charms of this Italian breakfast food to you since there are none. It’s a mystery to me.
10. The Breadstick exception: In theory, these too are supposed to be eaten with a meal. But really? Almost everyone nibbles on them before the food arrives.
For more advice on how and what to eat in Italy you might be interested in my book Eating Rome: Living the Good Life in the Eternal City.
I have also published a series of apps, with my favorite restaurants in cities in Italy including Rome, Florence, Venice, Milan, Torino and more. Eat Italy is a free apps and is available on iTunes. Some cities are free and others are available as in-app purchases.
The post 10 rules for eating bread in italy appeared first on Elizabeth Minchilli.
10 rules for eating bread in italy
Yes, this is actually a list of rules for how and when to eat bread in Italy. You would think it would be straightforward, but eating bread in Italy is a topic that is almost as fraught as the whole ‘when to drink cappuccino’ thing. Last week, during our Week in Umbria tour, this seemed...
The post 10 rules for eating bread in italy appeared first on Elizabeth Minchilli in Rome.
October 23, 2017
dinner party: autumn in umbria
At our home in Umbria I tend to do a lot of entertaining in the summer, when the weather is warm enough to eat outside. A large marble table under a shady vine covered pergola makes having people over for lunch or dinner a no brainer. And picking most of the ingredients from our garden...
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