Here are some examples of traditional British food.

 

In some way it is similar  to the Italian "torta di riso", but the taste is different. In any case, try it to discover the difference.

Ingredients for 4 people:

50 g rice, 25 g butter, 1 l milk, 1 tbsp aster sugar, 1 teaspoon  vanilla essence, 3/4 teaspoon salt.

Wash the rice and drain it well. Rub a little butter round the inside of a large baking dish. Put the rice in the dish, pour  the milk and stir the whole. Leave it for 30 minutes, Set the oven to 160°C, add the sugar caster, vanilla essence and salt to the rice and milk. Stir well. Put the pudding in the centre of the oven and bake for 1 1/2-2 hours. After 15 minutes and again after 30 minute stir the pudding. When it is ready, the top should be golden brown and the inside thick and creamy. If it gets too dry during cooking, add a little more hot milk. Serve hot or cold.  

 

Welsh leek pie

Again another typical recipe similar to "torta di verdure", but for a bit of Italian flavour, substitute butter with extra-virgin olive oil and cream with ricotta cheese or, better, with the Ligurian prescinsoea.

Ingredients for 4 people:

for the pastry: 450g flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 225 g butter, 7 tbsps cold water, 1 beaten egg

for the filling: 1 onion, 500 g leeks, 75 g butter, 125 g bacon, 1 teaspoon flour, 125 ml thick cream, salt               and  pepper.

First make the puff pastry. Pour the flour and salt through a sieve into a large bowl. Cut the butter into small pieces. Add it to the bowl. Rub the butter into the flour with the ends of your fingers. When the mixture is like small breadcrumbs, add the water. Do not put all the water in one place: put a little water all over the pastry mixture. Mix the pastry with your fingers until it forms little lumps, then make it into one large lump, so that the sides of the bowl are clean. Put the pastry in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before using it.

Now make the filling. Peel and chop the onion. Chop the leeks and wash them very carefully. Melt half the butter in a frying pan. Cook the onions until they are soft. Take the frying pan off the heat. Chop the bacon and add it to the leek and onion mixture. In a small bowl, mix the flour and the cream well. Add this to the mixture in the frying pan. Mix well, season to salt and pepper. Let the mixture get cold, then roll out half of the pastry and put it in the bottom of a pie dish, 20cm across. Put in the filling. Brush the edges of the pastry in the dish with beaten egg. Roll out the rest of the pastry, put this on top of the pie dish and press the edges togheter tightly. Make a hole about 2cm long in the centre of the pie. Brush the top of the pie with beaten egg. Bake at 210°C for 15 minutes, then for 20-30 minutes more at 180°C. Serve hot.     

 

 

 

A SMALL GUIDE FOR SELECTING APPROPRIATE WINES

 

A glass of wine is not only a pleasure to drink, but it should also enhance the food that has been chosen to accompany. Here are some general rules:

if only serving one wine, select it to go with the main course

serve dry wines before sweet ones to prevent the dry ones tasting bitter

serve light wines before full bodied wines, or the light ones will appear bland and insipid

serve dry white wines with fish and white meats, rather than obliterate the delicate flavour of the food with the heavier reds

red meats and games are complemented by the stronger full bodied red wines

sweet desserts require sweet wine for the perfect partnership

if a particular wine has been used in the making of a dish, it will be the most suitable one to serve with it.

Wines should be served at the temperature which shows off their chracteristics to best advantage. Low temperatures (about 7°C) enhance the crisp acidity of both sweet and dry white wines, while room temperature (about 15°C) is required to bring out the aroma and flavour (the bouquet) of red wines.

Most wines, but particularly the reds, benefit from being opened an hour or so prior to serving. As a general rule, the finer the wine the more important it is to allow it time to 'breathe', that is to oxygenate. Some of them should be served in a white glass carafe. 

Here are some examples of traditional Italian food.

Farinata (Chick-pea Cake)

Ingredients (serving 10): 

250 g chick-pea meal,700 g water,140 g extra-virgin olive oil, salt (rosemary, onions, sausage...at pleasure)

You need an 80cm ø copper baking-pan or, at least, four 33cm ø copper baking-pans.

To prepare the plain Farinata first dilute the flour into the water using a large bowl, cover and let it rest for at least 5 hours. Flavour it with salt and add 50g of extra-virgin olive oil. Put the baking-pan into an oven at 250°C and warm the mould. Take it out of the oven, pour the oil and dust with the aromatic herbs at pleasure. Stir vigorously the mixture and then pour it into the pan till it makes a layer of about 1/2 cm. Mix it well with a wooden spoon and cook it. The farinata will be ready when it looks golden. It must be eaten very hot and with an addition of ground pepper at pleasure.  

 

george