Torta di Limone e Olio

Torta di Limone e Olio

Torta di Limone e Olio Lemon and oil cake I love the saying “it takes a village to raise a child”.  I say it often to remind myself to ask for help when I’m busy with my two youngsters. I don’t have a village, but I do have a great mum and sister, Aurora, who…

Fig Jam Biscuits

Fig Jam Biscuits

Fig Jam Biscuits I recently found a scrumptious biscuit recipe for Spiced Fig Jam Drops in The Gourmet Traveller. The recipe appealed to me for a number of reasons; it looked mouthwatering, I love biscuits (especially ones with jam as the centrepiece), appeared easy to prepare, and required a component of homemade fig jam – something…

Italian cold desserts cooking class | The Village Cooks - Sydney

Semifreddo al Torrone Cioccolato

Semifreddo al Torrone Cioccolato Nougat and chocolate icecream Semifreddo translates to semi-frozen in Italian. It is an Italian frozen (ice-cream) dessert which doesn’t involve the use of an ice-cream machine.  The flavours here are nougat (torrone) and chocolate (cioccolato). The first time I ever made semifreddo (as a teenager) I remember thinking – how easy is…

Rough Puff Pastry

Rough Puff Pastry Rough Puff Pastry is an easier way to make a true puff pastry and is often called or known as a ‘cheats’ version of puff pastry. Large knobs of butter are mixed through dough and the dough is then rolled and folded to spread the butter through the dough. The result is uneven…

Melanzane Ripieni (Stuffed Eggplants)

Melanzane Ripieni Stuffed Eggplants These Melanzane Ripieni (stuffed eggplants or eggplants refilled) are a very popular meal in southern Italy, but of course you will find versions of it all around Italy (and each region would claim theirs the best!). This recipe is my mum’s and is ‘Calabrese’ style (from Calabria south of Italy). Essentially, eggplants…

Lemon Curd

Lemon Curd Lemons would have to be one of my all-time favourite ingredients.  You can use it a little to lift a dish or a lot to give a dominate lemon flavour in both sweet and savoury dishes. Lemon curd is a perfect example of a sweet with a strong lemon flavour.  It is sharp,…

Spaghetti Fritti (fried spaghetti)

Spaghetti Fritti fried spaghetti This recipe is my mum’s and she cooked it often when we were growing up.  ‘Spaghetti Fritti’ means fried spaghetti and with the inclusion of eggs, it resembles a large frittata. Essentially, it is another way to dish up pasta – in cake size pieces – a novelty for all, especially the…