Cooking with Carmelo
Sicilian-born Chef Carmelo Sortino has been cooking since he was 14 years old, starting in his uncle’s pastry shop where he became fascinated with baking and making marzipan. Two years later, he moved to Milan to work for the Ricci Company before being offered a place at Giuseppe Ciocca’s culinary…
Les Petits Farcis Niçois
Ingredients: 4 x Round courgettes (zucchini) for 2 people 2 x small white Onions 6 x Garlic cloves Tsp Curry powder 300g Spelt flour (can be substituted with wholegrain rice) 1 cup Split peas 1 cup Barley, 1 cup Lentils 1 cube Vegetable stock TbspPesto 150g Goat cheese cream 40ml…
Frittata – Italian style omelette
‘Omelette is the French word for the Italian ‘Frittata’. The difference is not only linguistic, but the cooking method is quite different. An omelette does not need to be turned over. It is folded in half in the pan and must be soft on the inside and golden on the…
Bechamel Sauce
This is one of the easiest and yet most difficult sauces! It has a French origin but is widely used in Italian cooking. It is a basic sauce that can be used in many recipes eg. Lasagna Ingredients (1 pint of sauce) 60g Butter 60g Plain Flour 1 pint Milk…
Toujours Provence
It’s been said many times that the beauty of the South of France, and more specifically the Cote d’Azur is the jewel in the crown of Provence, attracting thousands of visitors each year. Some chase the many trails of author Peter Mayle (A Year in Provence 1989, Toujours Provence 1991,…
Tuscany 2016
Tuscany is especially beautiful in the Fall. It’s golden slopes and slender trees, its sienna sunsets and pastel skies, its red, red wine. I can remember the sounds and smells as if it were yesterday. I stayed at Villa Fonte, on the outskirts of Certaldo a short drive to San…