Italian Home Cooking

As I relax and enjoy the Jubilee weekend, I am reminded of the last long weekend in April when Dave and I went to Italy for the Easter weekend with Maria and Esteban.  What made this trip special apart from spending time with our friends, was the fact we got to meet Maria's family and stay with them in their lovely home in Brescia, in the north of Italy, not far from Milan.  And as you can guess, it was a gastronomic feast as we were treated to some amazing Italian home cooking by Maria's mum, Emma. 

We had some lovely meals out in the historic towns of Mantua and Verona but the most memorable meals were definitely those served in the warm kitchen of Maria's family home with Maria's dad Ezio always providing entertainment.  Our first meal was a treat with a starter of cooked prawns which were soft but meaty and full of flavour, served with a light homemade seafood sauce.  This was followed by fresh handmade pasta served with a simple but tasty porcini mushroom and tomato sauce. The pasta was cooked al dente and the flavours were amazing. We wanted to eat loads but had to pace ourselves as this was followed up by melanzane parmigiana which was also perfect.  The eggplant was grilled instead of fried to reduce the oiliness and it was baked to perfection.  The meal was topped off by some homemade  limoncello from a friend and is the best I have ever had.

Homemade Pasta with Porcini & Tomato Sauce and Melanzane Parmagiana

We were then treated to a family meal the following day to celebrate Easter Sunday.  First course was lasagne which was to die for - it was the first time I had lasagne with slices of ham in it but it was divine and probably one of the best ever.  Secondi was vitello tonnato, an Italian dish of sliced veal served with a tuna sauce which was also really tasty.  For dessert we had an awesome strawberry mousse served with crushed amaretto biscuits and cream - so simple but sooo good!  What a great Easter family lunch.

Lasagne - Vitello Tonnato - Strawberry Mouse

That evening we had a simple meal of sliced meats but of course, being Italian, even sliced meats can make a feast.  For a start, there were 6 types of cured meats. Secondly, the meats were freshly sliced using their professional looking meat slicer which produced wafer thin slices of salami, speck, fiocchetto (one of my favourites), mortadella (Esteban's fave)  and culatello which is a local speciality.  As Maria and I agree, it is simple food like this which makes for a fantastic meal.  Add to it some olives, artichokes, bread, pickled vegetables and some local sparkling red wine, and I was starting to work out a way for me to move in with Maria's parents!

Freshly sliced meats - I want more!!

Our final dinner at home started as a light meal but became another gastronomic treat:  red wine risotto with a very good bottle of Valpolicella and the stock that was retained from braising the veal for the Vitello Tonnato.  Needless to say these 2 ingredients and Emma's skillful cooking made this simple risotto quite possibly one of the best risottos Dave and I will ever eat in our life!  Add some extra meats and a fresh monster wedge of Parmigiano REggiano cheese and we were in food heaven (and still working on Ezio and Emma to take me in to learn to cook or just to eat!).

Emma's Recipe Book - Red Wine Risotto - Parmigiano Reggiano

But of course all good things have to come to an end, but not before a final meal by Emma. This time it was 5 homemade pizzas, including Maria's favourite of shallots and blue cheese plus others featuring pepperoni, prosciutto and various cheeses.  It made me want to start making pizza at home although I was certain it wouldn't be nearly as good as Emma's given her many years of experience cooking Italian specialities.  I haven't even mentioned all the other little treats she made us including pear cake, white chocolate muffins and caramel brittle (which I was given a lesson in). 

Pear Cake & Homemade Pizzas

Needless to say it was really sad to leave after such a wonderful stay in Brescia - not only did we get to visit some lovely new places in Northern Italy and enjoy a gastronomic feast but the experience of a warm Italian family like Ezio, Emma and Maria's brother Paolo, is an experience we will always cherish. Grazie mille!

Donna Margherita - dedicated to the businesses of Clapham Junction

Given all the goings on in London, I wasn't really in the mood to blog last weekend but luckily things seemed to have calmed down which is a relief for all the local businesses.  One such local business is Donna Margherita which is on Lavender Hill where some of the rioters were making trouble smashing glass shop fronts and setting the party shop on fire.  Luckily the southern Italian restaurant was further up the road from the troubles of Monday night.  

Donna Margherita was recommended to me by my friend Esteban, a Napoli football fan who frequents the restaurant for good Neapolitan style pizza and televised Napoli matches.  We have been there a few times with him and Maria and also on our own to enjoy good Italian comfort food in a friendly atmosphere.  

The photos featured in this blog are from one such visit where our friend Anna also joined us.  It was a slightly different meal this time as there were a couple of specials on the menu that were well and truly special. The first was the fresh buffalo mozarella which had apparently been flown in on the day from Italy.  Whether or not this was true, the mozarella was delicious - firm and "meaty" for a cheese and definitely fresh.  We all shared this with some salad as a start.

Fresh buffalo mozarella and more of it in the gnocchi!

For mains, I stuck with one of Esteban's favourites, the O’gnocc a`Sorrentina, homemade gnocchi with (more) buffalo mozarella, parmesan, fresh basil and tomatoe sauce.  Simple but hearty and reliable.  Anna and Esteban also had pasta which they enjoyed.  Surprisingly no one had pizza although it is usually on the order.

Fresh lobster pasta - yuummm!

Dave and Maria shared one of the specials for two which was spaghetti with fresh lobster (half each).  It sounded good when it was described but I don't think anyone expected it to be as amazing as it was - the lobster meat was so fresh, sweet and and cooked perfectly.  It was so delicious with the simple tomato sauce and pasta that all of us seafood lovers (i.e. not Esteban) were jealous.  Good pick Dave and Maria!

If you're in the neighbourhood of Battersea/Clapham Junction, be sure to visit one of the many amazing local businesses including Donna Margherita.  Like other such businesses (Jack's cafe, Jamie's Recipease, and even chains like Pizza Express) Donna Margherita has a warm family feel to it, serving good quality food in a relaxed atmosphere.  Be sure to book ahead on a Friday or Saturday or when there is a Napoli game on.  And if you can't get in, check out one of the many other amazing places in the area (Entree, Lola Rojo, Pizza Metro Pizza, Brew).  Enjoy!

What:  Donna Margherita Italian Restaurant
Where:  183 Lavender Hill, Battersea  SW11 5TE
How much:  Entree's £6-8, pizzas average £9, pasta average £10.  Good selection of reasoanble wines. 

Semplice

For my birthday this year Dave took me to Semplice, an Italian restaurant in Mayfair off New Bond Street. The decor is nice and modern but the layout of the restaurant and the position of our table made the place feel dull and uninviting.

It was a slow start as we had to wait for drinks but we were much happier once we opened the menu and found lots of tasty sounding options including lots of produce from Piedmont, my favourite food and wine region in Italy. It was a tough choice in the end and but we were not disappointed with our selections.

We both had pasta to start: a buffallo mozarella gnocchi with scampi and asparagus was much lighter than expected and extremely tasty with the sweetness of scampi and asparagus working wonders with the smooth cheese based gnocchi. Dave's trofi pasta with lobster was also tasty albeit a stronger flavour than my gnocchi; both an excellent start accompanied with a lovely caraffe of Gavi de Gavi.

For mains I had the roast milk-fed Piedmontese veal with shitake, courgettes and olive sauce; it was very good and classically simple. However the winner was Dave's sirloin of Fassano beef (from a rare breed of cattle in Piedmont). The tender steak was cooked to perfection, juicy with loads of flavour. And it went perfectly with a caraffe of Barbaresco wine.


Given the quality of the food so far, we couldn't go past dessert and it was my birthday afterall! My beautifully presented coffee tiramisu (made with Giovanni Erbisti coffee) and tiramisu ice-cream was delicious and rivalled Dave's chocloate fondant which was a perfect size, well balanced and not too sweet. Dave's expresso made with Giamaica Afribon coffee beans (by Erbisti) topped the Italian experience nicely.









You cannot fault the food at Semplice but the dining experience itself was disappointing: the restaurant atmosphere suits a corporate meal rather than for a couple or family. And whilst service is professional, it lacked personality or warmth, much like the restaurant as a whole. Your meal at Semplice will be memorable but the dining experience won't be.

What: Semplice
Where: 9/10 Blenheim St, London W1S 1LJ
How much: Starters/Pasta average £14, Mains £29

Princi Day & Night

Princi is probably the trendiest panetteria (bakery) I know; from the stylish modern design, to the all Italian staff and of course the food. It isn't surprising that it is busy all day long, even at 10:30pm on a Thursday night when we popped in to grab some takeaway cake.

Princi is successful because it does something very simple, very well and according to my wise husband, that is the secret to success. The Soho panetteria is the London post for the Italian bakeries in Milan, hence the style. But the food is equally good and with plenty of variety, it is a popular hangout for breakfast, lunch and dinner. In the few visits, we have already sampled:

• Soft, doughy focaccia with Parma ham which was so simple yet tasty
• Fresh pizza slices with spinach and cheese
• Meat lasagne from the hot (more like warm) food selection, which was meaty and tasty
• Passionfruit cheesecake which is a refreshing but satisfying dessert
• Amaretti and chocolate trancio - a thick chocolately slice which wasn't too sweet
• Crostata di Fragole - a simple strawberry tart
• Lemon, chocolate and toffee slice - my favourite, a perfectly balanced sweet and citrus cake

Add to this good coffee (of course) and Princi is the perfect stop for a quick and simple snack or meal.

Princi isn't the cheapest bakery but it is tasty, filling and won't leave you feeling heavy. It's also very busy so it can be hard to get a seat but whether you eat in or takeaway, I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

What: Princi panetteria

Where: 135 Wardour St, Soho, London

How much: Average price for cakes, pizzas and focaccias £4.60, lasagne £6.50, coffee £2.30