Calamari with Spinach in a fresh garlic tomato sauce

This dish its amazing, you can serve it has appetizer or you can even add the sauce to the pasta... But i like to serve it with bread. Start by boiling the fresh spinach in water with a pinch of salt. Also boil the fresh calamari for 5-10 minutes then place them aside in some ice water, so they can stay soft. In a pan start by cooking the tomatoes. Peel the fresh tomatoes, chop finely and add them to a pan with some olive oil and garlic, season with salt and pepper. cook through for 10 minutes, add some hot pepper if you like, and then add the cooked spinach with a bit of the cooking water, and also add the calamari, a bit of white wine and combine all together. Cut you some fresh bread, place in oven for 5 minutes if you like it nice and crispy or you can simply use it soft. Serve on top of a piece of bread and let the bread soak all that beautiful sauce. Its amazing. ENJOY!!

Risotto ai frutti di mare

This is one of my favorite dishes, actually i love all kinds of risottos. I went to a fish market in Viareggio, in the Tirrenio coast with a good size cooler full of ice, a bought some great fresh fish, i like to this sometimes to enjoy cooking and eating some great fresh fish. You will start my making a Fumetto, which is like fish broth. Clean the shrimp, put the heads on the side and start boiling some water with a carrot, 1 tomato, 1 zucchini, 1 onion, 1 cellery, add all the heads of the shrimp and the skin, some salt and herbs, (parsley). Take some muscles and cook them in pan with olive oil garlic and parsley, add the white wine and cover. When ready take them out of the pan and place them in a bowl and keep the cooking liquid, thats where all theyr flavor is. Prepare the rice, chop some shallots finely, add olive oil to a deep pan, add the shallots and let it cook then add the rice and a pinch of salt, let the rice toast, add some white wine and let it evaporate, then start adding little by little the fish broth (Fumetto), when the rice its almost ready, add the shirmp the muscles and the cooking liquid from the muscles, and a bit of butter, and spoon of tomato paste, combine all together and when nice and creamy serve and add some fresh parsley. Dont let the rice overcook, and always make sure that its nice and creamy, if it gets too dry add some more broth. ENJOY!!!

Spaghetti alla chitarra with scallops and zucchini in a scent of lemon zest and basil

This is a great fresh dish, perfect for the upcoming spring and summer, served with a chilled glass of white wine. Start as usual by boiling the water for the pasta and add the salt, in a separate pan add a finely chopped shallot and butter, when melted add the cleaned scallops season with salt and pepper, let them cook on both sides, when nice and golden take them out, and add the chopped zucchini some basil to give it a nice fresh flavor in the same pan where you cooked the scallops, and add some white wine, let them cook for 10m, I like the zucchini to stay nice and crunchy. When the pasta is ready add it to the sauce witness a bit of the cooking water and sauté together and add the scallops back in as well. When nice and creamy serve with a bit of fresh basil and lemon zest to give it a final touch of freshness... Enjoy.

Potato Veloute with Truffles and Leek Chips

I had this fresh Marzolino Truffles, wich are very similar to the White Truffles with a strong flavor, but not has expensive. A friend of mine gave me this truffles just picked up in the Sansepolcro area in Tuscany. I personally love Veloute so potatoes are a great mach with Truffles so instead of making the same Tagliolini al Tartufo, i made a Veloute with Leeks fried made as chips. So i started boiling in salted water the potates with the skin. At the same time heat some olive oil and chop very finely the Leeks and frie them to make like a chip. When the potatoes are soft, take them out pass them in ice cold water and peel them, cut them in smaller pieces, drain some of the cooking water and place the potatoes back inside and add the heavy cream and some nutmeg. Let it cook for 5 minutes and blend all, taste and adjust with salt and pepper and add some Parmesan Cheese. Serve and add the Leek Chips and shave the fresh Truffles on top. DONE. If you like you can cut some bread into squares and saute them with some butter to make like bread croutons to add to the Veloute. EJOY.

Paella and Sangria

Who dosent love Paella and a nice glass of fresh Sangria. Oh i personally love them both. In my town Arezzo, there is a fair every year where food lovers come and taste all types of dishes from all over the world, from Argentina to Middle Middle East, Germany, Spain, Belgium, France, Austria, And its amazing, the food is great. Come to Arezzo and try it.

Pici alla Norma

This is a classic dish from Sicily. The fried Aubergine gives it the kick to it. You start by boiling salted water, and in the mean while lets prepare the sauce. Start by cutting julien the Aubergines and season with salt and pepper. In a pan add the olive oil, heat well and add the aubergines, and fry them till golden brown, when done let them sit aside. In the same pan add a clove of garlic, the tomato sauce and season with salt and some basil, let the sauce cook for about 15 minutes. Add the pasta in the boiling water, (Pici are like thick spaghetti made with flour and water) cook for 4-5 minutes, and add the pasta to the sauce with some of the cooking water, saute and add some Pecorino and plate with the aubergines. Enjoy.

Tagliolini al pesto e pomodorini - social cooking

Here is me cooking in a Local tv show.  We cooked home made Taglioni pasta with pesto sauce and cherry tomatoes.  Im the one in the Middle, the good looking one..HAHAHA!  And the one making all that noise with the blender...  Enjoy the video (its in Italian Language).

Social cooking its a simple cooking class held in a local restaurant that helps you learn some of the basics of home made pastas and other simple dishes, and most of all to enjoy meeting people with your same passion.. COOKING!