A FEAST WITH MY ITALIAN FRIEND, THE CHEF!

My friend Elisa is a talented Executive Chef and she is staying for
few days at my house as a special guest!
What a joy this morning when she offered to cook for us!
We went shopping together at WholeFood for good quality ingredients
and I came back home excited for the experience to come.
She decided to prepare "Tagliolini with asparagus cream,
topped with bacon", "Saltimbocca alla romana" and "Peperonata"
as a side dish.
I thought I had to share these superdelicious recepes with you!

Elisa in action!


"TAGLIOLINI ALLA CREMA DI ASPARAGI CON BACON"


Ingredients for 4 people:
1 pound homemade tagliolini (we bought them in Arthur Avenue)
2 bunches asparagus
3 TBS cream
8 slices bacon
olive oil
salt
pepper
parmesan or pecorino cheese

Slice bacon in small pieces and fry them in 4 TBS olive oil till crispy.
Remove them from oil and let them dry on a paper towel.
Reserve oil for later.
Wash asparagus and cut the woody part.
Cook them in boiling salted water till very tender.
Blend asparagus till creamy.
Add cream and 2TBS bacon flavoured oil.

Cook Tagliolini in salted water for 6/8 minutes, drain them and put them in
a frying pan with asparagus cream.
Sautee' them adding a bit of the asparagus flavoured water.
Add bacon bits, sprinkle with cheese and serve immediately.

Let's get ready with the meat!


"SALTIMBOCCA ALLA ROMANA"


Ingredients for 4 people:
1 sirloin steak (or 8 veal meat slices)
8/10 Parma ham slices
8/10 sage leaves
flour
butter
oil
1 glass dry white wine
salt
pepper

Cut sirloin in thin slices, then cover each slice with clingpaper and beat them
with a special tool or the back of a frying pan till they flatten.
Cover each slice with flour on both sides.
Lay a slice of prosciutto on each piece of meat.
Top it with a sage leaf and pin the three ingredients together with a toothpick.

In a frying pan melt 2TBS of butter, add 2/3 TBS og olive oil and when warm
add the pieces of meat with ham facing down.
Let them cook for few minutes, till the prosciutto is crispy, then turn them
and cook for few minutes.
Add wine and let it evaporate. Add some water (2/3 TBS) if sauce is too dry.
Season with salt and pepper and serve warm.

Time for the side dish!


"PEPERONATA"


Ingredients (for a big quantity, you can keep leftovers in fridge for a week):
6 different colours peppers
2 onions
1 clove of garlic
3/4 cup olive oil
1 cup of pine kernels (pignones)
1 cup raisin
2/3 TBS balsamic vinegar

Wash peppers and cube them.
Slice onions in small pieces.
Peel and cut garlic.

Soften raisins in water.
Roast pine kernels in a frying pan.

Put oil in a pot with peppers, onions and garlic.
Season with salt and pepper and let ingredients cook slowly for about 15/20 minutes.
Add pine kernels and raisins and stir.
Add balsamic vinegar and cook for few more minutes.

Serve "Peperonata" warm or cold as a side dish.


I had LOTS OF FUN!

THANK YOU ELISA!