italian cooking made easy

Cooking and serving consommés A consommé is made by adding a mixture of ground meats, together with  mirepoix  (a combination of carrots, celery, and onions), tomatoes, and egg whites into either  bouillon  or  stock . The key to making a high quality consommé is simmering; the act of simmering, combined with frequent stirring, brings impurities to the surface of the liquid, which are further drawn out due to the presence of acid from the tomatoes. Eventually, the solids begin to congeal at the surface of the liquid, forming a 'raft', which is caused by the proteins (including albumins, mucoproteins, and globulins) in the egg whites. Once the 'raft' begins to form, the heat is reduced, and the consommé is simmered at a lower heat until it reaches the desired flavor, which usually takes anywhere from 45 minutes to over an hour. The resulting concoction is a clear liquid that has either a rich amber colour (for beef or veal consommé) or a very pale yell...

Lacinato kale  is a variety of  kale  with a long tradition in  Italian cuisine , especially that of  Tuscany  (although the term "lacinato" is not widely known or used in Italy). It is also known as  Tuscan kale ,  Tuscan cabbage ,  Italian kale ,  Dinosaur kale ,  cavolo nero ,  black kale ,  flat back cabbage ,  palm tree kale , or  black Tuscan palm .  Lacinato kale has been grown in Tuscany for centuries.  It is one of the traditional ingredients  of  minestrone  and  ribollita . Lacinato kale, like most other kale varieties, is usually  blanched  first, and then  sautéed  with other, flavorful ingredients; in Campanian cuisine,  anchovies  are often added.   It is commonly used in pastas and soups, but can also be eaten raw, in a salad. In  Tuscan cuisine , lacinato kale is often used in  ribollita  ("twice cooked"), a thick...

TIME : 5 minutes. LEVEL : easy. If you adore garlic, you will love this. If you hate garlic, you will not even come close..... - 1 clove garlic cut in pieces. - 2 tomatoes. - olive oil. - a little salt. - (toasted) white bread. mix and let it rest for at least 15 minutes. If you don't want to eat the garlic, squash a clove, before adding it, mix it well and let it rest half an hour, then take it out and enjoy bruschetta and the garlic aroma! Buon appetito, Peter.