Buy good quality chicken, with skin. Chop a handful of fresh parsley and a few mint leaves. Mix with lemon zeste. Put the herbal mixture just in between the skin and the meat of the chicken, but fold the skin back on the meat. Add pepper and salt and a drizzle of olive oil. Bake … More Crispy chicken and beet root couscous
Slice 2 medium sized eggplants and put the slices in a colander with salt. After 30-60 mins, rinse the eggplant, and dry. In the meanwhile mix 2 table spoons of chopped fresh mint, 2 finely chopped garlic cloves, pepper, salt and some olive oil. Put the slices eggplant on baking paper. Marinate the eggplant in … More Outside temperature around 35°, oven temperature 180°, that’s hot!
Round courgettes ( 700-800 grams of courgettes for 2)are ideal to fill. There are so many ways to fill vegetables without becoming boring. Half the courgettes and remove the inner part. Chop 1 shallot, 3 garlic cloves and the inner part of the courgettes. Boil 100 grams of red rice. Fry the chopped vegetables and … More Let’s prepare ‘un plat à la française’ during the season of the ‘Tour de France’.
This soup will be more than enough for a full meal for 2p. Chop 3 branches of green celery, 1 onion, 4 garlic cloves and 1 spicy little pepper. Fry in some olive oil. Add 1 can of passata and 150 ml of white wine. Clean 500 grams of little fishes (remove intestines) and add … More ‘Zuppa di pesce’
I’m not an expert in discovering eatable plants (although I try;-)), but wild fennel is an easy one with its combination of the typical smell and shape. Walking a few meters outside our living place here in Siena I discovered several little bushes of that fabulous wild herb. The edition of June 2017 of my … More Sardines, tomato, wild fennel and pasta? Real Italian!!!
My brother Ivan, who lives nextdoor, is one of their regular costumers. He offered me a room in their lovely house during my visit and, on the last evening of my recent short visit to Belgium, he spoiled me with some delicious Italian food in this lovely restaurant Bazalia. Tartare di tonno with grated bottarga, … More Bazel, a small beautiful village in Belgium is so lucky to have a superb Italian restaurant, Bazalia!
Jamie Oliver is fan, the Tuscan cookbook makes publicity, and since today I can say to have a good reason not to be a fanatic vegetarian (although I often cook that way). Panzano is a village on the Chianti route which is the alternative SR222 between Florence and Siena. Gerda and I collect Ingrid at … More The famous macelleria Cecchine of Dario
Chop 1 big eggplant in thin pieces. Put in a colander with some salt. Leave for at least 30 mins. Rinse and dry. Bake 4 chopped garlic cloves in a drizzle of olive oil. Add the eggplant and bake while stirring. When the aubergines are all glazy, add 1 can of passata, 1 table spoon … More Pasta alla Norma, one of the favorites, but ‘di mare’ today
Thanks to my lovely parents in law I have this cookbook filled with real Tuscan recipes. This allows me to discover the local cuisine. When I have a busy agenda I try to prepare a dish the evening before, so often it is an oven dish. Today a dear friend, Gerda, arrives from Belgium, and … More Crespelle alla fiorentina, Florentine-style crepes
Courgettes are so great in combination with fish and meat, but are even great just by themselves. The variety of recipes is incredible. If you use the flowers you need real fresh ones. Make a tempura dough with 2 table spoons of flour, 2 table spoons of sparkling water or beer and 1 battered egg. … More An adorable ingredient
Doc V's Healthy Kitchen 