Italian Fish

I am about to reveal something that is going to make a nation jump up and down and yell: TOLD YOU SO! This month's 'La Cucina Italiana'  publishes the announcement that the mediterranean diet/pyramid is the most healthy and most aspired diet everyone should be following. 


The diet became a fact when an English writer and chef Elizabeth David published a book in 1950 about the mediterranean diet explaining the sobriety and simpleness of the food the Italian people were consuming after the war. The sobriety was of course due to the fact that people didn't have the resources to feed themselves like rich men anymore, because let's be honest, I am sure the Giuseppes and Marias at the time were craving some more meat and fish during the week, but they simply couldn't. So they reached out to vegetables and legumes that they could grow in their own backyard, combined with their beloved pasta made out of flour and eggs and some olive oil extracted from the olives of the neighbours. Unnoticed and definitely unintentional, they created the perfectly balanced meals.


This pyramid is no surprise to anyone who is into food, or who watches the fat percentage on their bodies. But the real surprise in my revealing all these little facts to you, is that UNESCO has included the diet in their Humanitary Heritage list. So there, it is a fact: Italian food IS the best in the world!


Hold your horses Italian friends: this doesn't mean that other foods aren't good or just as pleasurable to make or eat! Plus, I am a firm believer of variety.. NAH! :) But on your behalf, here's a good oven baked Orata fish with some healthy salad to go with.


Ingredients: serves 1

• 1 whole sea bream (Orata) - cleaned
• 1 scallion sliced
• 0,5 lemon sliced
• little handful of parsley
• olive oil
• salt
• lettuce
• tomatoes chopped
• snowpeas 
• vinaigrette: olive oil, balsamico vinegar, 1 teaspoon mustard, 1 teaspoon honey

How to make it:

Heat the oven at 180 degrees Celcius. 

Prepare the fish in an oven tray: put a couple of lemon slices, salt and parsley in the belly of the fish. Place it in the tray. Then you pute the scallion on top of the fish and sprinkle the whole with some olive oil. Voila, you're done! You can now put it in the oven for 20-25 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish.

While the fish is cooking, prepare the salad and the vinaigrette in a bowl.

Outcome: easy, fast and super healthy dinner! I usually have this one after a good run because it is the perfect dinner after a good workout session! For your male friends: add some potatoes with the fish or simply have some bread with it.

Italian Fish & Healthy Salad

Buon Appetito

Chef Steph

Introducing... International Catering Service

A couple of weeks ago my dearest friend Carmelo decided to throw a little rooftop aperitivo! really, the emphasis was on little!  Everyone out at midnight!

Another emphasis was on the invitation; Silvia, Katia and I were kindly invited to help out with the arrangements. Katia being russian, well that doesn't need a lot of maths to figure what she was in charge of ;), Silvia being spanish brought the frittata which was super good, and me being the cooking nerd as I am, was in charge of the buffet!

Seen the fact that I have some secret plans with Chef Kimberley to set up a catering service in Amsterdam, I am not yet revealing my recipes, but I do want to show you how it looked like. You might get inspired to throw your own rooftop party and hire me as your caterer.... have a look:

Salmon Ricotta Rols, Thai Peanut Chicken, Focaccia, Parmiggiano

Mozza-Tomatoes, Gorgonzola&Ricotta with Pears, Tomatonade, Brie&Jam

On top of the good food: it was the BEST night ever! Laughed my balls off.... nothing little  about that night.

So yeah a little message to my dear Carmelo, Andrea, Fabrizio, Luca and Rocco... 

I AM GOING TO MISS YOU!

Come and find me in Amsterdam!!!

Bacione Grande

Chef Steph

Italian Classic: Raffa's Focaccia al Pomodoro

Springweather is the perfect weather and timing to go to the park.
Sun, grass, good company, wine - preferably including an opener and glasses - and some food = equal to a perfect afternoon or evening. :)

But the park has some limits in what kind of food you can bring and you could consult books, magazines, sites etc that are dedicated to what you can bring, but you can also slowly start consulting this blog, or the cooking club members for some tips.
Chef Raffaela brought a really yum homemade focaccia last time we went to the park. She claims it's easy to make, I still have to experience this (which I will soon) - but most of all it's easy to take to the park and eat it there, with your hands. No forks, knives or plates needed! Genious. Especially if you have plans afterwards: you eat the whole thing, and throw out whatever you wrapped it in and basta, you're good to go wherever you want... me like! Because usually after a pic nic, the night has just begun!

Ingredients:

• 500gr white flour
• 1 pack of dried yeast - a cube is fine too
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 225ml semi-warm water - circa 40 degrees Celcius
• 200gr tomato passata
• 150gr mozzarella 
• 70gr green olives
• 70gr black olives
• salt

How to make it:

Heat the oven at 200 degrees Celcius.

Put the flour in a big bowl and mix it with the yeast. Make a little hole in the middle of the flour and put the sugar, salt and olio in it. Mix it all with the help of a fork, adding the water bits by bits at a time.

Work the dough on a slightly floured work basis for at least 10 minutes with your fists.

Once you are done, put the dough in a floured container, cover it with a humid kitchen towel, on a cool and humid place for the dough to rise twice its size. This needs at least 2 hours! 

Take the dough out and separate it in two equal pieces and start making two pizza shapes. 

Use a round pizza plate - grease it with some oil to avoid sticking - and add on of the pizza shapes.

Now you are ready for the topping: spread the passata on top of the dough, then put on equally the mozzarella, olives and salt. You can also add some herbs if you like. 

Put the focaccia in the middle of the oven for circa 15-20 minutes.

Outcome: Impressive home made focaccia.... because really it seems easier than it is! Enjoy the park!!!

A tip from Chef Raffaella: to make the dough rise better, you can also place the dough in the oven that has been heated until 50 degrees Celcius. Turn it off and add the dough covered with a kitchen towel. 

Focaccia al Pomodoro

Baci 

Chef Raffaella