Cooking with Jamie……

The Cookbook: Jamie’s Italy

I don’t have many of Jamie Oliver’s Cookbooks, but one time I couldn’t resist buying this for Rich as a gift. He likes to make fresh pasta and pizza from scratch and he likes to eat. I was very hopeful when I bought it, dreaming up some good meals from inside the cover. The only disappointment that came out of it was when Rich decided that Jamie knows best and put grapes on our pizzas. I wasn’t pleased and still find it offensive. I am still wondering where that crazy idea hails from in Italy but then there is still a lot to discover about Italy. There are twenty provinces after all. Anyway, I am most looking forward to some la cucina Italiana at home this week.

I have Grace to thank in truth. When I called out on Sunday afternoon ‘what cookbook shall I cook from this week?’, she immediately replied ‘Jamie’. I was like yeah, why not? I was planning to dig into Patience Gray’s Honey From a Weed and sample some rustic dishes from the Mediterranean lands but that can wait I am sure. So here we go, one of my favourite cuisines, it is sure to be good.

Michelle,

6th October, 2021

Stay Tuned to see what finds its way from the page to the plate. I did notice Jamie suggested the grape pizza idea is meant to be for dessert or for breakfast pizza, well Rich obviously missed that detail…..(LOL)

From the insert of the back cover / Jamie’s Italy

‘There is such diversity in lifestyles, cooking, traditions and dialects. This is why as a chef I find this country so damn exciting. You know what? I should have been Italian. The truth is when I’m in Italy, I feel Italian”. Jamie Oliver

Torta di Riso - A Florentine Rice Tart

Ever since we have had this cookbook I have always looked at this tart with mixed curiosity but never actually got around to making it, so it was the first cab off the rank on the recipe list. I would mostly say that it is practically a meal in itself, bitey, not too sweet but full of orange notes and subtle flavours. We enjoyed it very much, was great with a coffee for morning tea. I know Italian sweets, or dolce is a simple affair but I like that this uses up risotto (rice) and orange zest, a few eggs, milk, and you have a unique tart that is the elegance of a Florentine moment.

Pasta con Sarde - Pasta with Sardines

One of my favourite things about getting into the land of cookbooks is cultivating a new way of looking at food. This dish, with its slow cooked fennel, chilli, and sardines tossed into strands of fettuccine was a meeting of good things. All it needed was a crisp white wine on the side, but still I was not complaining.

Sicily on a plate, perfecto.

Fritto di Salvia e Alici - Sage and Anchovy Fritters

Really, what can go wrong with anything fried?

I walked outside picked some sage (salvia) from the garden. At this time of year it is a deep green and abundant so it was good timing to create this dish. The combination of sage and anchovy is like two gladiators at battle. I wonder which one will win. But truly, anything fried carries them both to the finish line. Full bodied, but victorious.

Linguine alla Carbonara di Salsiccia - Sausage Carbonara

Pancetta, eggs, cream, sausage and tangles of linguine combined…Come home to Mamma, all is well.

Insalata di Radicchio e Rughetta - Radicchio and Rocket Salad

I could eat this at lunch and at dinner, with a little side dish of well, anything. This rocket and radicchio came from my kitchen garden so that makes a girl happy.

The simplicity of a good quality Balsamic Vinegar and a fine bottle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil can never be underestimated in the land of cookery. They are champions. And they always make you feel humble, and whole.

Zucca al Forno - Roasted Squash

Even though I have made a dish like this countless times I couldn’t resist Jamie’s version of roasted pumpkin. Only because it is so good to have a few reliable dishes to add to a dinner party or for the home table. Although I may have added too much chilli, with the cinnamon stick it was hot. Spicy, but a warming dish, and the sage leaves were so good…this is another great way to make the most of a sage plant if you have one.

Sage (salvia) can over take a dish when chopped up and added to a dip or a crostini, but roasting it on top in olive oil is a great remedy, as it just sizzles and gets crunchy and super tasty.

Fragole con Limone e menta - Strawberries with Lemon and Mint

What is not to love? I remember being served a dish somewhat like this in a Venetian restaurant at the end of Pranzo, on the house. There was a dollop of cream on top and 3 small glasses of Limoncello. What a moment, and then I went in for a macchiato and perused the map…delicious moments for the spirit. I drizzled a little chocolate sauce on ours, left overs from a special dinner the night before and no one was complaining. Fruit, elegant and essential, and don’t you just. love the word fragole? I do.

Pasta con Acciughe e Pomodoro - Anchovies in tomato sauce with Pasta

Spaghetti Tetrazzini - Chicken and Mushroom Pasta Bake

Jamie describes this as “really tacky, but gorgeous”….Brutto, si, ma va bene….. I would say, ugly, yes, but okay….