Mangia Con Elena

  Pizza con Patate I adore this pizza. It is hands down my favourite pizza. Loaded with potatoes, rosemary and mozarella and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. How can you not but love it?  My mother would make this and I couldn't wait until it came out of the oven. We would immediately attack it.  It was always the first pizza gone and usually before dinner! It tastes great hot out of the oven, but also tastes amazing cold. This pizza is both rustic and delicious. Another traditional dish invented out of necessity and few ingredients. There are many variations of this pizza throughout Italy depending on the region and even the house. Even within my own family there is  a bit of a debate on which way is the best! My mother likes to add peperoncino whereas I prefer it without. All Italians like to believe that their version of whatever dish they are making is the best and will defend it relentlessly but the amazing taste and simplicity is indisputable and everyone agrees on that!

  Pollo alla C acciatore C acciatore  in Italian means "hunter." This classic dish gets its humble "cucina povera" beginnings during the Renaissance Period when hunters in the region of Tuscany would eat this dish after returning home with their cherished meat. That is a long time ago! It originally was made with rabbit as they were and still are in abundance in the wild!  It is and continues to be made with simple ingredients that braise slowly in a tomato and white wine sauce. The wine is optional and can be omitted or even replaced with red wine.  It typically consists of tomatoes, peppers, garlic, onions and spices. There are many variations of it. Some recipes can include capers, black olives, mushrooms, zuchinni and eggplant. My mother typically made this dish with freshly hunted rabbit or partridge that my dad and brothers would bring home. Over they years it had become more common to use chicken. Bone in, skin on chicken thighs and legs work the best as whit

Hearty Ham and Split Pea Soup My son is not really a fan of turkey- strange, but true. He does love ham- who doesn't? So for special occasions I will make both a ham and a turkey because the rest of our family loves turkey and all the trimmings. I typically buy a smoked bone-in ham big enough that we can have leftovers and then I can make delicious ham and split pea soup. This soup is creamy and smoky and the longer you boil the bone the smokier it gets. The soup gets its creaminess from pureed cannellini beans and potatoes. Cannellini beans are essentially white kidney beans.I   have been adding beans to soups since my children were little and they never noticed a bean or a chickpea which they wouldn't otherwise touch!   They add a great creamin ess and thicken up the soup without added dairy and cornst arches. Additional bonus of course is that they are excellent antioxidants, great source of protein and so many other essential nutrients! Trust me, if you puree them enough, 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

  Loving Lentils I have a love affair with lentils. All legumes and pulses really, but lentils are my favourite.  They are an excellent nutritious plant based protein high in iron and phosphorus.  They come in several different varieties and each one has a slightly different taste profile. For example, brown and green lentils are firmer, hold their shape and have a deep, earthy taste whereas red and yellow lentils are sweeter and break down when cooked. Black beluga lentils taste more like black beans. Lentils are the perfect addition to soups, salads, stews and work great as braised side dishes. Knowing the difference between lentils can help you decide which type of lentil to use. For soup, I use a combination of brown, black or green lentils and some orange (will melt right down adding sweetness and making soup thicker). They are reasonable priced, have a long shelf life and you don't need to precook them when making soups! I keep both canned and dried lentils in my pantry. If

Tips for Making Homemade Pasta instagram @mangia.con.elena T he art of pasta making can be intimidating. I'm here to tell you that you can do it! There are a few general rules to follow and the rest is trial and error and continued practice.  I will be taking you through steps to make pasta using a pasta machine (in case you have one collecting dust in your pantry or would like to buy one!). I use a pasta machine because I love the feel of kneading pasta dough by hand and doing it the traditional way. I can easily control the desired thickness of my pasta by feeding it through decreasing width cylinders. The way my mom did it and my Nonnas and all of my relatives. Pasta making was a regular occurrence in my childhood house. My mom always had the flour out and was always making tagliatelle, fettuccine, quadratini, spaghetti, ravioli, canneloni and so much more. She learned to make pasta as a very young child. They never measured as everything was done ad occhio- by eye. More often t

Winter Fennel and Orange Salad IG: @mangia.con.elena                                                                              In the wintertime my mother would frequently make orange salad. She would use navel oranges which were in abundance, and if we were fortunate, she would add some crispy fennel. We grew up eating fennel. She served it several different ways but my most favourite way was and continues to be fresh and raw. It has a slighly black licorice flavour and a crunchy texture.  When it is cooked, the flavour becomes more delicate and the texture is softened. It can be sauteed, baked, braised and added to pastas, soups, stews or enjoyed as a side dish. It pairs exceptionally in a stir fry of Italian sausages and green olives.  Fennel originated in the Southern Mediterranean and has since been cultivated and grown around the world in order for both flavour and its healing properties. It has many plant based nutrients and aids in digestion, bloating and inflammation. Fenne