Recipes by Federica

Winter is in the air in Italy and if there is one food to celebrate this season is Polenta! 

Polenta is a traditional Italian dish that has been a staple in Italian cuisine for centuries. It is made from coarsely ground cornmeal, and it can be cooked to various consistencies, ranging from a soft, creamy texture to a more solid and sliceable form.

Polenta for me is a festive dish, so it is perfect to make around the holidays for the whole family.

I love to personalize it with different toppings and ingredients to make it more rich and tasty so… let’s make it together for Thanksgiving!

Are you looking for the perfect recipe to celebrate World Pasta Day? I have an idea…

This delicious pasta is perfect for fall: the sweet creaminess of the pumpkin marries the salty sausage in a great combination of tastes!

A delicious autumn dessert: these Apple Dumplings are perfect to make this season. They are crunchy outside and have a fragrant and very tasty filling. Get ready to customize the recipe to your taste!

I created this simple recipe with seasonal ingredients, adding all the spices I love to make it fully mine! Here are all the ingredients you’ll need…

Bread and onions was once a sign of absolute poverty, there was no food poorer than this: in spring, when the ground was hoed in preparation for the summer vegetable garden, onions were carefully harvested. Even the 'reborn onions', those that reappear on some onion residue that escaped during harvesting, were collected by farmers.

In late summer, dried and freed of the external skin and dipped in salt, bite after bite, they were consumed with bread. Bread and onion, in fact, was always known as the true food of the poor.

Onions are a “poor” ingredient that is easy to find and not expensive at all, and yet they seem to make every recipe better!

Even on their own, there are many surprising recipes giving onions the protagonist’s role on our table: today I want to share a perfect autumn recipe. This simple red onion jam is perfect to accompany your cheese board for an Italian Aperitivo, or to add a delicious and unique taste to a fragrant bruschetta. You only need four ingredients and some clean glass jars!

With temperatures reaching record highs in Italy, I find myself craving fresh foods and nothing is better than a salad made using all the seasonal vegetables i can find in the garden!

Here is your inspiration for a fresh salad to enjoy with a fragrant Fresella for a quick and tasty lunch!

Fava Beans, Finferli - Chanterelle mushrooms- and eggs: an irreplaceable Spring trio!

When the feast of St. Anthony of Padua approaches, on June 13th, spring is coming to an end in Italy. The sky is clear, then suddenly cloudy and a rapid thunderstorm passes by, immediately leaving room for the return of a splendid and warm sun. 

Easy and quick to make, this salty sponge cake is ideal for aperitifs and buffets! 

Once cooled, cut the sponge cake into 3 discs. Fill the first layer with tuna and mayonnaise, sliced ​​cherry tomatoes and lettuce. On the second layer spread the mayonnaise and add the cooked ham and Emmental (or another soft cheese of your choice). Close with the last disc and the savory sponge cake is ready to be served! 

You can definitely obtain more discs and stuff them as much as you want! 

As you know, I love to rediscover traditional recipes from my little village in the south of Italy. Tarallini with Naspro are one of the many traditional Easter recipes. Very simple to make, but very tasty!

What is “Naspro”? Naspro is a sugar icing that gives these sweet donuts their traditional white color. In Cercemaggiore Naspro Tarallini are made during the Easter period and used to accompany with their candor the brides dressed in white, celebrating their wedding day. 

Many names, a single incomparable Italian delicacy: Struffoli!
Some like to make them for Carnival but they are also popular for Christmas, or you may want to enjoy them on both holidays and share them with friends on New Year's Eve.
The classic recipe asks to finish them with colored sugar sprinkles, but some like to add candied fruits or delicious ground almonds. Other recipes, like the Sicilian, dictate you should flood them with icing...