This recipe for confettura di cipolle rosse makes a sweet jam that goes well with strong cheeses and is delicious with burgers. Recipe and image by Mario Matassa Makes 4 x 250g jars of jam Preparation time 10 minutes, plus 1 hour resting Cooking time 45 minutes Ingredients: • 1kg red onions, peeled • 2 bay leaves […]
This recipe for ‘verdure piccante’ is an excellent way of using up surplus summer vegetables. Recipe and image by Mario Matassa Makes 4 x 500g jars Preparation time 20 minutes, plus overnight drying Cooking time 5 minutes, plus sterilising Ingredients: • 2kg mixed vegetables, including aubergines, courgettes, sweet red and yellow peppers, red onions, etc • 1 […]
Learn how to turn a glut of fresh fruit and vegetables into wonderful preserves to see you through till next summer. Words and photos by Mario Matassa Italians love to preserve. It seems that every day of the summer just takes them one step closer to the day when the whole family will gather in […]
Rich and intense, thanks to the hot summer climate, red wines from Puglia continue to consolidate their reputation for finely crafted wine at fair prices Puglia’s largely flat, fertile lands have supported vines – and grains – since at least as far back as the 3rd century BC. There are very few mountains in the […]
Have you ever wondered how Parmesan is created? Wonder no more! Chris Allsop discovers the process behind the making of Italy’s favourite cheese 1 To start the Parmesan making process the milk is steamed in shallow, copper lined vats. The cream is taken away to make butter and the remainder slowly separates into curds and whey […]
Chris Allsop flies to Emilia Romagna to tour a Parmigiano Reggiano dairy and discover how this world-famous cheese is created… “When I have French groups, they have many excellent cheeses, but they do not have Parmigiano Reggiano.” Our guide, Helena, puts her fingers together and gestures aggressively. “They have to accept.” Only five minutes into […]
Christine Smallwood meets up with Paolo Arrigo and finds out about his deep-rooted connection with the soil Photos courtesy of Paolo Arrigo Last spring I rediscovered a book that has been on my shelf for a decade. As I planted some veg seeds in my garden for the first time, From Seed to Plate […]
In this recipe Mario Matassa has used chicken thighs, but if you prefer white meat, you can opt for whole chicken breast (just remember to keep the skin on) Serves 4 Preparation time 15 minutes Barbecuing time 25 minutes Ingredients: • 8 tbsp fresh breadcrumbs • 8 tbsp grated Parmesan • 2 tbsp finely diced cooked ham […]
Mario Matassa shares his technique for cooking squid (calamari) on the barbecue – a real showstopper for seafood lovers Serves 4 Preparation time 15 minutes Barbecuing time 3 minutes Ingredients: • 1-2 fresh hot red chillies (depending on how hot you like it) • 1 tbsp sun-dried tomato paste • 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil • juice […]
Mario Matassa shares a recipe for grilled vegetables with couscous (couscous con verdure grigliate) – a perfect complement to any barbecue Serves 4-6 Preparation time 10 minutes Barbecuing time 10 minutes Ingredients: • 2 courgettes, sliced lengthways • 1 red pepper, core and seeds removed, sliced • 1 yellow pepper, core and seeds removed, sliced • […]