TEA TIME!

It's my tradition since I was at College to have a cup of tea at 5pm!
When I was attending University in Rome I was leaving with a nice lady, a taylor named Clara.
At 5 in the afternoon she would stop her sewing to have her cup of Ceylon no matter what.
I would join her whenever I was at home and I started making her habit mine very quickly!
Now after so many years that ritual still goes on in my house...no matter what!
The only difference is that i have swapped Black tea with the Green one that is full of antioxidants and contains less theine.

This afternoon I have decided to accompany my cup of tea with a piece of my favourite cake:

BANANA CAKE WITH WHITE CHOCOLATE CHIPS

Ingredients:
2 eggs
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup yogurt
1/2 vegetable oil
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup white flour
1tsp baking powder
1tsp vanilla essence
1/2 cup white choco chips
2 ripe bananas

In a mixer blend together the eggs with sugar and maple syrup, then add all the other ingredients one at the time according to the order above.
Squeeze the bananas with your hands or squash with a fork before adding to mixture.
(Today I substituted the regular choco chips with half slab (diced) of coconut flavoured white chocolate by Lindt.)
Pour mixture in a cake tin, buttered and floured, and bake at 375 degrees (or 180 Celtius) for 30 minutes and at 400 (or 200 Celtius) for other 5/10 minutes or till brown.

Cool it down for 15 minutes.

Serve it sliced with a nice tea made of Green tea leaves!

OSSOBUCO AND SAFFRON RISOTTO

A delicious,warming food that my mother would prepare during the cold season is the "risotto alla Milanese". This is a recipe coming from the northern part of Italy but it is so good that we, southerners, couldn't avoid borrowing it.
It's not difficult to prepare, it's just a long process so you have to spend some time in the kitchen.

To prepare the ossobuco you will need:

3/4 pieces of veal shank with bone
1/2 cup flour mixed with salt and pepper
3TBS olive oil
2TBS butter
1 onion, chopped
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrots
2 cloves garlic
2 bay leaves
1 handfull of parsley
1/2 glass of dry white wine
2 cups salted water
1 can of chopped tomatos

Dredge the veal shank in the flour mixture.
Warm up oil and butter in a heavy skillet and sear the ossobuco on both sides till browned.
Remove veal from skillet and add onions , celery, carrots, garlic, parsely and bay leaves.
Cook till soft, then add wine and let it evaporate.
Add the diced tomatos, the shanks and the water. Cover with a lid and let it cook at low heat for about 1 hour and a half. Remove cover and cook for other 10 minutes to reduce liquid.

To prepare the risotto you will need:

2 cups of riso arborio
1 litre chicken broth
2 TBS olive oil
3 pinches of saffron
3 TBS parmesan

In a pan warm up oil, add rice and cook for couple of minutes stirring. Add saffron and 2/3 ladles of broth. Stir until liquid is absorbed, then add more broth.
Repeat operation for around 15 minutes, then add the bone marrow of the veal shank and parmesan.
Stir for few more minutes and switch off heat. Let it rest for 5 minutes.

Serve risotto with a piece of ossobuco and its sauce.
On top of the meat you can add a gremolata made of grated lemon ring mixed with finely chopped parsley and garlic.

....so delicious and tender!!!!