Delicious, fresh Ricotta Cheese is extremely easy to make and taste much, much better than premade cheese. Fresh Ricotta is a wonderful treat; pile atop pasta with red sauce, stuff canneloni or serve with pistachios and a drizzle of vanilla syrup. Fresh Ricotta is mild and smooth and can be served in many of the same ways cottage cheese can be served. [...]
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[caption id="attachment_3641" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Click for Larger Photo"]
 [/caption]Oh the treasure of vine-ripened tomatoes! I get so excited when tomato season arrives and we get to enjoy these wonderful treasures in salads, sauces, as a side dish, on sandwiches and so much more. Incredibly, in our wonderful Mediterranean climate we are fortunate to enjoy fresh tomatoes from as early as March and sometimes all the way through January. I love tomatoes nearly anyway I eat them. One of my favorite ways to use tomatoes is to make Fresh Tomato Sauce. Juicy tomatoes, simmered for just a bit with herbs and spooned over tender pasta. [...]
My tomatoes aren’t quite ripe yet so I purchased a couple of pounds of delicious, vine ripened and sweet tomatoes along Los Berros. I love to visit this little stand in the small, warm valley below the mesa where juicy, ripe, tomatoes are piled in baskets for one to choose and pay on the “honor system”. Caprese is a remarkably easy to prepare salad and should be made of only the very freshest ingredients! Vine ripened tomatoes, Mozzarella Bufala, fragrant Basil Leaves and copious amounts of the best olive oil are the foundation for one of the tastiest salads available!
Years later, soon after I met Mia, the very first meal I cooked for her was pork chops and artichokes stuffed with stove top stuffing. Mia admitted that she had never eaten the heart because her mother told her she wouldn’t like them. It was then that I learned artichokes were considered a “special treat” unlike in my home. [...]
Piquillo Peppers “Little Beaks” are grown in Northern Spain and provide a mildly piquant unique taste. These little peppers are roasted over open coals and are both deliciously sweet and savory. Piquillo Peppers have a thin flesh which is perfect for stuffing. I love to make Piquillo Rellano with a variety of different fillings but the little peppers are especially good with Chevre.
This basic Focaccia is one of the easier bread doughs to make either using the conventional method or a bread maker using your dough setting. The end result is a bread with a wonderful crumb and lots of flavor. Add buttery artichoke, onions and garlic the the delicate bread and serve with a crisp salad for a like, satisfying lunch. [...] |
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Copyright © 2010 Ron Rose - All Rights Reserved Cocineira – Food, Family and Friends – eat when you drink and drink when you eat! |
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