Sabina, exploring ancient tastes maccheroni ccentonara

Sabina, a vast area North-East of Rome, is a territory that was able to, despite the actual difficulties, resist a wild urbanization without preserving its charachter, environment, views and eno-gastonomic traditions without becoming suburbia. Renowned in history for being the mother land of glorious Rome. Of the ancient Sabines people there are a few information, also because they mixed and integrated with the 'gens' of pre-Christian Rome. Many towns built well before the urbe was condita, were able to keep during the millennia habits and customs that can be found in the peculiarity of food and recipes. A few kilometres away from ancient Nomentum, in the heart of Mentana, nodal point for the creation of unified Italy, it is possible to find delicious local products, such as ciammella a cancellu and maccheroni centonara.

Extra virgin PDO olive oil
Maccheroni alla centonara 

Freshly picked tomatoes 

Basil

Onion

Sabine pitted olives

Chilli

Salt

Caciotta in cubes 

Accurately wash the tomatoes, prepare a dense juice with basil, salt and oil to be added just before serving. Brown a mince of onion, provinciali herbs anc chilli in extra virgin PDO olive oil, cook on high heat and add the pitted olives. Boil the maccheroni centonara in abundant salty hot water (as for pasta, make the water boil, salt, add the pasta when the water is boiling and cook for the  required cooking time) and saute wit the caciotta. Garnish with basil flowers and Sabine olives.

©2010.2021

Eggs, potatoes, provinciali herbs cake

Frittate, omelettes and eggs based timbales are definetely a good option to keep the right nutritious balance. Angong the most tasty recipes, the potatoes 'frittata', but if keeping an eye to calories fried food is not the best possible option. Getting inspiration from Spanish and Southamerican recipes I elaborated a recipe to bake or panfry with the 'oven pans' the ones with the lid.


Extra virgin PDO olive oil

Wheat
Eggs (1 per person plus 1 for the tray or the pan)
Potatoes
Milk
Salt
Provinciali herbs
Sesame and poppy seed

Prepare a mix wiith wheat, eggs and milk quite similar to the one for the crespelle, or the crepes. so dense and liquid. Julienne the potatoes, squeee and salt. Saute with the mince of herbs and extra virgin PDO oil for some minute, add the mix with the eggs and bake in warm oven (200°C) till cooked, or in the oven pan on medium low heat, if it doesn't cook well in the inner part, microwave, Garnish with sesame and poppy seeds

©2010.2020

Fennel cake

Another variation of the salty cake is the fennel cake.

Flour 800 gr.

White wine  100 gr.

Red wine 100 gr. 

Water 200 gr.

Juniper

Big fennel minced

Freshly picked provinciali herbs

Rosehip

Extra virgin PDO olive oil

Small eggs 2

Yeast

Sugar for the yeast

Sesame and poppy seeds

Capers

Chilli

 

Mince the fennel after accurately washing, the minced washed but not desalinated capers. add the other ingredients, knead and leaven the dough. put the dough in two baking trays oiled and with breadcrumbs, garnish with juniper, herbs, and bake (200°C) for not less than 30'

 

©2010.2020

Aubergines ciambellotto

Another variation of the salty cake wine ciambellotto.

After you have panfried the aubergines, mince it, add the mince of capers washed but not desalinated, add the other ingredients, knead and leaven, put the dough in two baking trays oiled and with breadcrumbs, garnish with juniper, herbs, and bake (200°C) for not less than 30'

Flour 800 gr.

White wine  100 gr.

Red wine 100 gr. 

Water 200 gr.

Juniper

Aubergines/eggplants in cubes panfried

Freshly picked provinciali herbs

Extra virgin PDO olive oil

Small eggs 2

Yeast

Sugar for the yeast

Sesame and poppy seeds

Capers

Chilli

©2010.2020

Tofu cake

Perfect for sunday brunch or out-of-town excursions, the tofu cake.


 

Flour 800 gr.

Milk 200gr.

Water 200 gr.

Juniper

Freshly picked provinciali herbs

Extra virgin PDO olive oil

Small eggs 2

Yeast

Sugar for the yeast

Sesame and poppy seeds

Chilli

Tofu, one pack

Mince of dried tomatoes, savory, peppermint, pennyroyal, thyme, sage (just a leaf), radish from the kitchen garden (spicy)

 

Prepare the mince, adding the chilli, mince the tofu, add the other ingredients, knead and leaven the dough. put the dough in two baking trays oiled and with breadcrumbs, garnish with juniper, herbs, and bake (200°C) for not less than 30'

©2010.2020

Spring salty cake

Flour 800 gr.

Milk 200gr.

Water 200 gr.

Juniper

Freshly picked provinciali herbs

Extra virgin PDO olive oil

Small eggs 2

Yeast

Sugar for the yeast

Sesame and poppy seeds

Raw field mushrooms chopped with juniper

MInced zucchini (1)

Tomato sauce

A teaspoon of curry

Mild chilli

Mince the juniper and the field mushrooms, the zucchini,  add the other ingredients, knead and leaven the dough. put the dough in two baking trays oiled and with breadcrumbs, garnish with juniper, herbs, and bake (200°C) for not less than 30'

©2010.2020

Going for a vegetarian diet is making choices that sometimes make you regret to have even started. Among the meat based delicacy, there are some really easy delicatessen such as the panino con il salame (salami bun), the hot pizza bianca filled with mortadella and pistachios, the tramezzino (sandwich) bresaola and rocket salad, in one word, meat and carbohydrates. No lies, merenda time or when you are pekish tempt us to enter a 'norcineria', specialty butchershop, buying a bunch of salami, prosciutto, mortadella and all you can think of and taste them with the pleasure of the kid with the jam jar. During Easter holidays temptations multiply, as well as the inputs for new vegetarian recipes. The several regional variations of the typical Easter pizza can be re-elaborated for tasty salty cakes  pefect also for a suday brunch.

'Pizzaiola' Soy Steaks * Recipes

Among the most appetizing recipes to cook the terrible 'soy steaks' is an adaptation of the 'pizzaiola', traditional Italian recipe, easy, quick and really delicious, with high nutrients and low calorie intake.

Perfect with the Mediterranean  tradition cuisine, and dishes like an orange and citron salad dressed with extra virgin PDO olive oil and olives, great source of vitamin C, vital with proteins. All-in-one course or main course of a Mediterranean menu, perfect also with cous cous.

Dehydrated soy steaks or Seitan

Extra virgin PDO olive oil Sabina Nomentana

Fresh sun ripened tomatoes or bottled
Capers in salt

Black and Green stoned olives

Salt
Oregano

Chilly 
Onion
Vegetable broth or to rehydrate soy steaks

IF using soy steaks:

Rehydrate the soy steaks in a large pot with the cooking water of vegetables, vegetable broth, or spiced water for the necessary time, one up to three hours. It is important that the steaks take the consistency  of a wet sponge, easy  to chop. On the package is often indicated a 20' time in boiling water I advise not to, they get hard inside and overcooked outside. Squeeze and cut on the long side in 2cms strips. 

IF using seitan
Wash under fresh tap water, slice.

 Warm the oil with a slice of onion and chilly, don't use too much chilly, Sautee with the olives and the capers (without salt), add tomatoes chopped in cubes or the small hillock and cherry tomatoes bottled and oregano.  Cook on a medium Far cuocere a fuoco medio e servire con crostini di pane, in una fontanella di riso bianco o di cous cous, guarnire  con rametti di origano fresco, olive, capperi e cocunci.

Politically correct.

©2010.2020