Bruschette al Pomodoro - Bruschette with Tomatoes

This recipe is indeed very simple! But is the bread that makes all the difference in taste!

It must be a kind of bread that, when toasted, keeps the humidity inside. In Italy this bread is called Pane Casareccio.

The slices of the bread must be quite wide, whit a soft spongy internal part, and a crust not too thick. Dutch traditional bread is not very suitable for this recipe

INGREDIENTS for 4 people:

- 4 slices of Pane Casareccio

- red tomato cherries / Roma tomatoes grapes

- salt

- pepper

- 2 big garlic cloves
- extra virgin olive oil

- fresh basil leaves

Chop the tomatoes in very small blocks and put them in a bowl with a pinch of salt and let it stand for allowing the excess of water to run out.

Remove the skin from the garlic cloves. Cut one clove in half and keep one part on a side. Reduce in very small pieces the rest of the garlic with the help of a sharp knife and throw them in the mortar.

Add in the mortar the olive oil, some basil leaves, the salt and pepper and eventually the herbs you would like to add.

Add a bit of the tomatoes water and throw away the rest.

Squeeze and work the mixture very well till reduce it in a fine oily mixture.

Toast the bread under the grill of the oven or in a toaster.

Let it be crunchy but not hard!

Let the bread cool down a bit.

Dispose the bruschette on a big serving plate.

Whit the help of a spoon lay down the tomatoes over the bread.

Pour the oil mixture over the Bruschetta and serve it decorated with fresh basil leaves and …

BUON APPETITO !!!!

La Pastiera Napoletana - Easter Neapolitan Cake

This is the original recipe that my Gran Mother - Nonna Margherita mother in law of my Mother gave her when she married my father.

She did so cause my mother was obviously not from Napoli and she didn't know how a REAL PASTIERA was made.

In Molise, the region of my Mum is typical for Easter to bake a cake similar to the Pastiera but! not with Grain but with rice.

For a long time, we Neapolitans were able to savour the magnificent pastiera ONLY on Easter time.

In every house there was almost a fight for who was making the best Pastiera, the mother, the daughter, the sister in law, the mother in law, the old Granny... even sometimes there were discussion over the pastiera that my old Grandmother, she will rest in peace, was able to bake... the best in the world!

Nowadays you can buy the cooked grain almost every were in Italy and for the all year long.. so no big fuss but for Easter to bake at least one and eat it is a MUST !

So Mamma... prepare yourself, as soon as you put foot on the Netherlands's soil, you must start to bake!!! And bring the Grain and the Ricotta from Napoli... cause there is no better one!

First of all you have to remember, if you want to make a pastiera, that there is no ONE recipe cause every Neapolitan woman make here own.

You can bake it longer or use a dryer ricotta than you will get a dry pastiera.

Or as we like it in my family, a soft ricotta and an inside that make the famous drop of milk!

I didn't like the candy fruit when i was a baby now I appreciate it.

Somebody remove it completely, some mix it with a blender so you taste it but don't see it...

ANYWAY !!!

the first step is always to prepare the PASTA FROLLA.



You can prepare this dough when you want can you can freeze it ad defrost when ready to bake!

INGREDIENTS for the PASTAFROLLA

• 1 Kg of flour
• 5 Eggs yolk
• 2 Eggs
• 250 gr. Butter or Margarine
• 1 Vanilla Bag
• 2 t.s. liquor like Contreau
• half grated lemon skin





• a pinch of salt

PREPARATION

Softer Pastiera

Prepare the flour (only 800 gr) in the middle of the working table, make a hole in the centre and put all the rest of the ingredients in that hole.Whit the help of a fork mix before the ingredients and than let them mix with the flour. Work the dough till it's smooth and has bubbles of air inside. Keep on adding flour to the dough till is requested to obtain a smooth result.

To be sure that the dough is ready, cut it. The dough should have created bubble of air in the middle.
When the pasta is ready, pass a bit of butter on the oven plate to be sure that it won't stick and roll out the dough, than put it in the oven dish. keep always a bit of dough on the side to create the upper decorations of lines.

INGREDIENTS for the FILLING

Kooked Grain

• 1 Kg of Kooked Grain
• 1 Kg sugar
• 1 Kg Ricotta
• 7 Eggs yolk
• 7 Eggs
• Vanilla Extract
• Candied fruit
• 3 ampule of "estratto di fiori di arancio" scented water of flowers of orange
• a pinch of salt
• a pinch of cinnamon
• a bit of grated lemon skin





Dry Pastiera


• 100-200 ml of milk





PREPARATION

Mix the sugar with the ricotta.

Add the 14 eggs ( 7 entire and 7 yolks)

Add the Kooked grain.

Add the rest of the aromas.

Fill the Pastafrolla dough and cover with dough decoration.

Bake in the oven for 1hour and half at 150-180°C