Mangia Con Elena

Tiramisu  IG: @mangia.con.elena Tiramisu is a traditional Italian cake that  means "pick me up" and it does just that as ingredients of sugar, sweet mascarpone, egg whites, liquor and strong espresso will be sure to give you a jolt.  There are many legends around the history of tiramisu. Some say it was invented in Treviso in the first half of the 1800s by a "maitresse" of a "house of pleasure"  who wanted a dessert to "reinvigorate" the patrons before they returned to their wives. However this decadent dessert came to be does not really matter to me, I am just glad it was created!  My oldest brother is the King of Tiramisu. I don't typically make it because whenever there is a special occasion it is presumed that he will be bringing this dessert. It is delicious and why bother learning how to make it when he does it so perfectly?  My first time making it was for a dessert collaboration on Instagram as I wanted to really give it a go.  When I

  Pasta e Fagioli With Borlotti Beans Pasta e Fagioli could very well be the national dish of Italy. It was born in the countryside and very much a true "cucina povera" dish. This flavourful soup was made out of necessity using simple, inexpensive ingredients that they harvested.  There is no official recipe for pasta e fagioli, but is present in every region of Italy with slight differences in the ingredients. We grew up on my mother's version of pasta e fagioli which she learned to make as a young girl. This classic romano style uses pancetta to flavour the broth and give it a salty, earthy flavour. She would add the ends of home made prosciutto so as not to throw them out or bits of home made pancetta. Nothing went to waste in our house. If meat was not available, we would eat it without and the version here is meatless.  Of course, the choice is up to you to add pancetta or not.  If you are going to add pancetta simply cut it into cubes and fry before adding the soffr

  Stuffed Peppers Stuffed peppers is an authentic and classic dish that can be made using a variety of ingredients. It is typically filled with a mixture of ground meat and rice but can easily be transformed into vegetarian by omitting the meat and adding grains and legumes. Honestly, anything goes with this dish. What does not change in this classic Italian dish is the seasonings and the addition of tomato sauce. My mother typically made this in the summertime when peppers were fresh from our garden. They were made with green peppers because that was what we grew but also cheaper and more available. The coloured peppers are a bit sweeter than green. It doesn't matter which coloured peppers you use, it is more of a personal preference. Traditionally, this classic dish is made with ground beef or ground pork and rice. I also enjoy making them with a bit of a spin substituting ground pork or beef with ground turkey or chicken and swapping rice for quinoa or barley. This recipe uses g

Ricotta and Spinach Gnocchi  If you are visiting this page then chances are you are a lover of gnocchi like me! Just like every other Italian dish, the way they are made varies from region to region. It is typically made with potatoes and flour but if you ask any Italian it's almost a guarantee that they will share a different recipe than the last. Some are adamant about adding eggs and others say no way. Some use semolina flour only and others use all purpose flour or double zero.  Each flour of course will result in a different consistency. I prefer my gnocchi with a bit of a chewy consistency. I love the pillowy soft ones and will gladly eat them but I most definitely prefer ones that don't melt in my mouth. Chefs and Italians everywhere will probably disagree with me and say that gnocchi should be pillowy and light and airy. Most definitely but being Italian, I believe that is entirely a personal choice (and I will gladly defend that!) 🤣  If you are new at making gnocchi t

  Giuseppe's Pizza The secret to a successful pizza dough is understanding the liquid to flour ratio and knowing how the dough should feel and if it needs more of less of one ingredient. This can only be learned by practice and seeing what works and what doesn't. I have had a great deal of pizza flops and I still do! Too much flour, not enough flour, too much kneading, not enough kneading... So I guess my point is be easy on yourself because it is a skill.   I find working the dough with my hands both therapeutic and creative. It also gives me a better feel for what I need to add and when it is ready to proof. The recipe that I use for pizza is my brother Giuseppe's. He is an amazing home cook and has inspired me on a regular basis ( a little friendly competition between siblings is a good thing!) He loves to cook and we get so excited when we are invited to his house because we know we are getting authentic and delicious meals made with love. As always, the flour measureme

  Lasagna I f you are visiting this  then you must love lasagna as much as I do! It's a great meal that can be made well in advance and frozen. When I make lasagna, I make at least 2 trays and freeze one for another night! It can be labour intensive as there are several steps involved but the end result is well worth the work!  There are many different ways of making lasagna and I truly believe there isn't one "right" way. The best way is the way that works for you! This is the way my mother makes lasagna and I've only recently returned to this version. I have tried it several different ways but I find that for me, this one works best. For this version you will need to make sugo di carne. Please look at my sugo di carne recipe to make the sauce. When making sauce for lasagna I like it super meaty so I add another pound of ground beef and 6 italian pork sausages. I add a layer of ricotta cheese to my lasagna but I am aware that it is not everyone's favourite.

  Italian Tomato Sauce with Meat( Sugo di carne) Instagram  @mangia.con.elena Sunday sauce. There is a hashtag on instagram right now which is #makesundaysitalianagain. When I see that I smile to myself as it brings back childhood memories of Sunday dinners. Sundays were always large family dinners. Mostly a variation of pasta with lots of sides. I would wake up early to the sound of pots and pans banging in the kitchen (my mother was a terrible sleeper and was up early getting started in the kitchen). I would quickly eat my ciambella and drink my cappucino and I would meet my cousins outside to walk to church. I remember running home from church because I couldn't wait to see what our dinner was going to be. I could smell the sauce all the way  up the street! The smell- oh my! This sauce was used on Sunday but also kept in the fridge for meals during the week. It was an important part of so many dishes- lasagna, gnocchi, polenta, risotto, fettucine, polpettone and so much more! Su