Mix all of the ingredients below to form a paste and then make balls, sprinkle with icing sugar and bake for approx 20 minutes on 175c
3.5 cups almond meal
2 cups icing sugar
2 eggs
rind of a lemon
a drop of almond essence
2 tablespoons of limoncello liquore
Watch the instagram reel here for the method.
Ingredients -
1 large bowl to add everything and combine and a large pie tin
About 5 sheets of puff pastry
1 leek (fry and place in your bowl)
1 egg
About 2-3 bunches of chard (boiled, drained, chopped and put in bowl)
500 gr of ricotta
3 tablespoons grated parmigiano (or grana padano - or anything you like really)
1 packet (180gr) fetta cheese (not traditionally Italian but you can subsitute with mozzarella if you prefer)
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients. Place the puff pastry in your tin. Pour the mixture into the tin and bake in about 200c fan forced oven until the pastry is golden.
Buon appetito!
Click here to watch the instagram reel
2 cups of cream
1 cup of milk
1/4 cup sugar
grated orange zest (1/2 orange)
Whisk 2 egg yolks and 3 whole eggs
1/4 cup sugar
Drop of vanilla essence (or a pod or a vanillina satchel)
Poor the hot cream mixture into the egg mixture and stir.
Strain the mixture and then pop into small bowls in a tray lined with some water in the over on 170c for half and hour
Squeeze the juice of the orange you used in a pan with a few tablespoons of sugar and a dash of tripple sec and boil until it thickens a bit then put it on top of the cooked creme caramel once cooled.
Watch the video reel here https://www.instagram.com/p/Cwo-KEYvbRZ/
Quick, easy and delicious soup as we head towards the end of winter. This quantity feeds 5 with leftovers.
INGREDIENTS
Half an onion
1 large carrot
3-4 celery sticks
2 potatoes
1 small tin of crushed tomatoes
2 tins lentils (or fresh soaked over night if prefer)
1 large bunch chopped chard
Salt and pepper to season
Water - enough to cover ingredients
METHOD -
Watch instagram reel for method using this link here
Cook until all vegetables are cooked but not mushy.
Writer Grace Flynn
As an Australian, I was quite surprised to learn that the unofficial dinner time in Italy sits somewhere between 8pm and 9pm. This was especially puzzling to me considering the rather unfortunate scoff-a-sandwich-at-your-desk lunchtime ritual so many of us Aussies partake in. How can Italian’s stave off hunger until close to what may or may not be my unofficial bedtime? The answer would be aperitivo.
Along with honouring lunch or ‘pranzo’ as the main meal of the day, one of the key ingredients to the Italian eating schedule is aperitivo. Derived from the Latin verb ‘aperire’, meaning to open, the ritual of a pre-dinner drink and snack is about opening one’s appetite up before dinner while enjoying the company of friends and family. Although it’s not an everyday event, aperitivo is always an option in Italy, taking place at around 7pm or 8pm and typically involving a bitter alcoholic beverage, like the popular negroni or americano, alongside olives, cheeses, meats and bread.
Of course, the best way to learn anything is by doing. So, if you’re looking for the best joints in Perth to dabble in the age-old practice of the Italian aperitivo, we’ve got you covered.
La Sosta
Fremantle’s La Sosta has long been a favourite spot for Italian cuisine, boasting fresh homemade pasta dishes, authentic antipasti and an extensive wine list. Meaning ‘stopover’, La Sosta is certainly a top place to stop by for an afterwork drink and nibble, Italian-style. Staying for a full meal is also a good idea. Since opening in 2012, the family-owned restaurant has expanded over two levels and features an Insta-worthy alfresco dining area overlooking the city streets.
Source La Sosta Facebook
Mummucc’
Offering delectable Italian fare, an exceptional wine list and the best martini Tania has ever had (which is no small feat!), Mummucc’ is easily one of the best spots to aperitivo in Perth. Opened by Tania’s good friend Tania Nicolo alongside her partner Ryan Bookless, the elegant wine bar is situated just a stroll away from the couples’ popular pizzeria, Monsterella. Oh, and in case you didn’t know, Mummucc’ (pronounced ‘ma-mooch’) is Abruzzese dialect for ‘dearest mother.’
Source Mummucc’ Instagram
StreetFood dal Porco
This Beaufort Street beauty is being hailed as one of Perth’s most authentic Italian trattorias. If you’re looking to indulge in some proper Italian charcoal barbequed meats like ‘Bistecca alla Fiorentina’ , arrosticini, and mouthwatering crostini alongside your favourite birra or vino (StreetFood is BYO only), look no further
Source Streetfood Dal Porco Facebook
La Madonna Nera
Led by Fiona Di Lanzo, La Madonna Nera is a cosy Italian wine bar situated on Scarborough Beach Road in Mount Hawthorn. Showcasing native Italian varieties as well as Australian drops, La Madonna Nera’s wine list is sure to impress, along with its contemporary Italian menu.
Testun
Brought to Mount Lawley by the owners of well-known Italian trattoria Threecoins, neo-Italian osteria Testun is sure to surprise with its inventive menu and bold interiors. Located on Beaufort Street, the wine bar offers classic aperitivi like limoncello spritz, vermouth and olio martini, making it a great spot for Italophiles to enjoy a Friday bevvy.
Source Testun Facebook
I am just loving the summery combinations of mango and coconut at the moment and we just grabbed a whole lot of lemons from a close by tree so I’m putting them to good use in a lot of my cooking. Enjoy these gorgeous Panna Cotta pots- perfect for your Christmas table this year. Use any jar you recycle, even if they are odd sizes ….all the cuter I say!
PANNA COTTA
PANNA COTTA
600 ml fresh cream
12gr gelatin powder (if you like it more soft just use 8 gr powder)
120g sugar
1 sachet vanillina
Rind of a lemon
Mango topping-
2 ripe mangoes
Juice of a lemon
2 tablespoons sugar
Melt the sugar and vanilla in the cream over a low heat. Turn off heat and add the gelatine powder. Whisk through. Add the lemon rind. Pour into glasses and allow to cool before putting in fridge to set.
For the mango topping put everything into the pan and bring to the boil gently until the liquid has evaporated and the mango is cooked. Allow to cool. Top the panna cotta and sprinkle with coconut (or not).
WATCH my instagram reel here to follow the method https://www.instagram.com/the_little_italian_school/
PETRALI - DOLCI NATALIZI - Italian Christmas Sweets
Ingredients
250gr 00 Flour
75gr Sugar
75gr Lard
3 egg yolks
1 x satchel vanilla
pinch of salt
zest of a lemon
(a little bit of water if too crumbly)
175gr dried figs (ground)
75gr toasted almonds (ground)
150gr walnuts (ground)
1/4 cup vin cotto
Squeeze of honey
Teaspoon of cocoa powder
Teaspoon cinamon
Rind of an orange (or a lemon if you don’t have an orange)
NB mixture should be firm and easy to roll into balls to use for filling. Pastry should rest for half hour in fridge.
WATCH THE METHOD HERE. Cook on around 180c until golden
Here is a ‘make do recipe’ because I had some bacon left over in the fridge. The original recipe calls for Bucatini pasta and guanciale but I only had spaghetti in the store room and the bacon in the fridge. This recipe is straight from the mamma of my very close friend in Rome.
Ingredients -
1 packet of Spaghetti (or Bucatini)
1 small salad onion (or any mild onion)
Half cup white wine
250gr packet of bacon (or guanciale)
2 cans of peeled tomatoes (or Mutti polpa)
1 of the cans of tomato filled with water (rinse your cans and add to sauce)
Pecorino Romano grated (to have on top after served - if you like it)
Watch the video for the method below. Once the sauce has simmered and reduced back to a nice thickness it’s ready.
Ingredients -
8 large lemons (washed and dried)
1 litre pure alcohol (if you can’t find pure alcohol you can use vodka but use half the amount of water)
800 gr sugar
1 litre water
Method -
Peel the skins of the lemons and soak in the alcohol for about a week or a little longer if you like. Once soaked, make the sugar syrup (water and sugar) and when it cools, add the lemon infused alcohol, bottle and store in freezer.
Here’s a video with the method
I just adore a sweet (but never too sweet) Italian ‘colazione’ (breakfast) of a jumbo cup of ‘latte e caffe`’ (milk and coffee) and a huge dunkable ‘biscotto da inzuppo’ (dunking biscuit).
These biscotti are also great for afternoon tea if you prefer. I made these a little thinner than usual but you can cut them thicker no problem!
Ingredients -
3 Eggs
200 g Sugar
1/2 Grated lemon zest, or vanilla essence
80 g Milk
150 ml Sunflower oil
600 g 00 flour
1 bag instant yeast for sweets
(alternatively you can use self raising flour)
Watch the reel via instagram for the method. https://www.instagram.com/the_little_italian_school/
Cook on about 180c for 15-20 min
