Beet "zuppetta" with vanilla & basil gelato, balsamic and black pepper

I was going through folder of older pictures and found this dessert that I totally forgot about.
I love it..it's a little "out there", but be open and give it a try.

At the restaurant we made our own gelato, but what you can do, in a pinch, is to blend a handful of basil leaves with a couple spoonfuls of vanilla ice cream ( the richer and the fatter the better ), mix it in the rest of the pint and put it back in the freezer, till the end of the dinner.

The other prep you'll have to do ahead is to reduce the vinegar by placing 2 cups of balsamic into a skillet and reduce it to at least 50% over low heat.

Now, for the beet zuppetta, just peel your beet (s), diced them somewhat small and blend them with a bit of lemon juice and sugar adding a tiny bit of water if the blender screams for it.

That's it...just pour the beet in a glass, cup or bowl, scoop some gelato on it, drizzle with the reduction and add a basil leaf, touch of freshly ground black pepper and very few sea salt crystals.

Enjoy.

Orange pudding

Really good and aromatic pudding/flan.... and super easy to make.

Start with making caramel in a pan...1 cup of sugar + a tiny splash of water...let cook till golden, over med/low heat and pour the caramel into 4 individual molds or into a 6" round one.

Beat 5 eggs with 374 cups of sugar till frothy and pale.
Now, carefully, incorporate  the juice of 3 oranges, a generous teaspoonful of grated orange zest and   a good splash Grand Marnier.

Place the mold (s) in a baking sheet filled with lukewarm water up to 2/3 of the mold and bake for 45 to 60 minutes in a 150°C oven.
 To check if it's ready, stick ( can't come up with a better word...) a toothpick in it ; if it comes out CLEAN it's ready.

Let cool and serve ...

 Note : The onein the pic has been cut out of a rectangular mold with a ring mold and flipped upside down onto the plate.

Pumpkin and saffron pie

OK guys, this is my take on a traditional Northern Italian pumpkin pie.

II don't usually post exact measures and quantities in my recipes, but this is one of the few exceptions.

Start by thinly slicing 500 grams (net) of pumpkin and boil it, gently, in 500 ml of WHOLE  milk until there's no liquid left.

Now add 100 grams of sugar, one good pinch of saffron, a smaller pinch of cinnamon and 3 whole eggs to the cooked pumpkin and what's left of the milk ( solids and fat) and mix well with a wooden spoon, smashing as you go.

To this add another 100 ml of milk, mix well and pour in the crust of your choice (raw); I like a brisee made with half butter for flavour and half margarine for flakiness.

Bake at 180° for 45 to 60 minutes, or till firm .

Warm molten chocolate cakes (base recipe)

I am not in the habit to write the exact amounts  of the ingredients in my recipes, because I feel that so much depends on one's taste and ..touch.
I also believe that cooking is freedom and one should rely more on personal taste and technique than following a precisely recipe.

A always, though, there's the exception...

Baking, and baking with chocolate I think, is such an exception.

The following is the recipe for my take on Vong's famous signature Lava cake.
This recipe is for small individual muffin size cakes and you can truly be as inventive and daring as you want with toppings, sauces and pairings.

imagine placing a marshmallow in it before baking it and top it with crumbled cookies, or add anise or got chillies to the batter... you name it! ; )

This bad boys had Grand Marnier mixed in the batter and were served with an orange creme Anglaise

Here it goes:


9 tbsp. unsalted butter
6 tsp. flour
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa

1. Preheat oven to 450°. Butter four 4muffin. molds. Dust each mold with 1 tsp. of the flour, tapping out excess, then put on a baking sheet.

2. Put chocolate and the remaining 8 tbsp. butter into a double boiler set over a pan of simmering water over medium-low heat and heat until almost completely melted, about 10 minutes. (Note: don't let the boiling water touch the bowl)

3. In the while, beat eggs, egg yolks, and sugar together in a mixing bowl until thick and pale .

4. Whisk chocolate and butter together, then add to egg mix, stirring until just combined. Whisk in the remaining 2 tsp. flour.

5. Divide batter between the molds and bake for 6–7 minutes (center of cakes will be very soft). Invert cakes onto 4 individual dessert plates and let rest, do not touch it,  for about 10 seconds. Lift up an edge of each mold to let cake fall out onto plate. Dust cakes with cocoa and serve immediately.....

Super success guaranteed!

Lavender and sea salt shortbread cookies

As promised, here's the recipe for these incredible cookies.

For once I'll use measurements, because it's quite important respect the ratio between fat and dry ingredients.

Let's get started:
1 and 1/2 cups flout
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick unsalted butter @ room temp.
1/4 cup + 3 tbsp sugar ( confectioners' would be better)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tsp lavender seeds, lightly smashed

Here's how you do it:
Preheat oven at 325°
Beat all ingredients BUT the flour until pale and fluffy and slowly incorporate the flour, working it till just combined.
Roll it out  (1cm thick) and cut in any shape you like and transfer cookies onto a buttered baking sheet.
With a toothpick lightly pierce the cookies all over, sprinkle  a few salt crystals on top and bake till lightly golden at the edges - around 20 minutes, BUT start checking at 12....  ; )

Remove delicately and let cool on a grill.

This is like I like to serve them, stacked with a tiny bit of bitter chocolate and chile pudding and raspberries... BUT they're awesome on their own  as weel.

Enjoy!