Archive for December 2010
A slow kick-start (oatmeal bran bars)
“The moment when you first wake up in the morning is the most wonderful of the twenty-four hours. No matter how weary or dreary you may feel, you possess the certainty that, during the day that lies before you, absolutely anything may happen. And the fact that it practically always doesn’t, matters not a jot. The possibility is always there.” ~ Monica Baldwin
That’s exactly why I love mornings. I usually jump out of bed, excited about a full day of possibilities lying ahead. And even when I know for certain that it won’t be eventful, there’s always breakfast. By far my favorite meal of the day, although I usually have the same bowl of oatmeal and the same cup of tea. The combination never gets old.
I recently described a typical Dutch and a typical Italian breakfast to a friend who was doing research on breakfast customs throughout the world. The two cannot be more different. As I mentioned earlier, an Italian breakfast is a quick affair. You storm into your local bar, order your cappuccio and cornetto, dip the latter into the former, hastily gulp the soggy substance down and be on your way.
The Dutch morning meal is much more private, enjoyed leisurely in the safe environment of the home, with a newspaper and maybe even still with your pj’s on. We eat a substantial meal of bread or crackers with an array of toppings. From ‘appelstroop’ (apple syrup), to cheese to ‘hagelslag’ (chocolate sprinkles) to peanut butter. At the average household, you’d find a selection of at least 5 varieties at the breakfast table.
I make myself a big mug of milky tea and wrap my hands around it, while I read the news. I have a big bowl of oatmeal (check this luxurious Sunday morning version) or cereals. Although there’s much to love about Italian habits, I’ll never be able to start my day so hastily. Even in the unfortunate situation that I am in a hurry, I still need to EAT. These oatmeal bran bars are perfect for when you have to have something on the fly.
Oatmeal bran bars
Makes about 6 large bars
- 2 cups oatmeal (200 grams)
- ½ cup bran (50 grams)
- ½ cup raisins (100 grams)
- ½ cup dried cranberries (100 grams)
- 1 (or 2) tablespoons cane sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch of salt
- ¾ cup milk (about 200 ml)
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 tablespoon flour
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celcius. Grease a square baking dish with butter or non-stick cooking spray.
In a bowl, combine all ingredients to a smooth ‘batter’. If it looks too wet, add a tiny bit of flour.
Spread the mix in the baking dish and bake for about 15-20 minutes until cooked. Let cool completely and cut into bars. They are supposed to stay chewy, so wrap them firmly in cling wrap to transport.
A pasta diet? (Pumpkin and amaretti ravioli with sage butter)
Not only have I neglected my blog recently, I’ve also been slightly lax about my physical state. A lot of travel and little exercise left me feeling puffy. And wouldn’t you after being spoilt (read: stuffed) with naan, kebab and kulfi in Pakistan, embarking on a four day pig-out at the gastronomic lollapalooza Salone del Gusto, and doing a ton of empirical research for a book on Dutch fries (with mounds of mayonnaise or kebab meat)?
I decided to have a few sessions with a personal trainer who would help me kick my butt back into shape. Not that I’m aiming for a ‘body machine’ because you know what they say about never trusting a skinny chef, right? Same applies to a bony food writer.
The first session, my trainer made me sweat and curse like a Neapolitan sailor (he’s good!). He also handed me a sheet with dietary advice to follow. One glance was enough to know this diet was doomed. I mean, Italian food is great, fantastic, wonderful, but I’m just not a big fan of the everyday stuff.
The diet prescribes three ‘fette biscottate’ with jam for breakfast (pieces of prefab toast with a cardboardish aftertaste) or one cornetto, the Italian version of a (sugary) croissant. If I have these things I’ll find myself plundering the fridge at 11 am. I prefer the first meal of the day to be a bit more substantial. Lunch is 75 grams of pasta with ‘sugo poco elaborato’, which literally means ‘little elaborated sauce’. A simple tomato sauce of some sort, or just a little oil. I hardly have pasta, just because I rarely find ordinary pasta dishes very thrilling. When I do have pasta, I want it to be ‘molto elaborata’.
So I stayed off the carb champs all week, but made a very special Saturday night version. My roommate and I are getting better at making our own egg pasta, an activity that requires four hands and lots of energy. By kneading, rolling and working the dough through the machine, you’re burning more calories than you’re about to consume. Excellent diet food!
Ravioli di zucca e amaretti con burro e salvia (Pumpkin and amaretti ravioli with sage butter)
A northern-Italian pasta classic, this dish combines sweet pumpkin and amaretti biscuits with the mildly bitter tasting sage.
Fresh pasta (please look here for the technique, I normally use 3 whole eggs, 400 grams flour (di grano duro), a pinch of salt and a little bit of lukewarm water)
- Small pumpkin
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
- 100 grams grated parmesan cheese (and some for serving)
- 5 amaretti biscuits, crumbled
- Pinch of nutmeg
- 50 grams unsalted butter
- 10 sage leaves
- Freshly ground black pepper, salt
Preheat the oven to 180 °C (320°F). Cut up the pumpkin (remove seeds) and cut the flesh into chunky cubes. Place them in an oven dish, sprinkle with fennel seeds and olive oil and bake for 40-50 minutes, until the flesh is soft. Let cool slightly and scoop out the flesh with a spoon.
In a bowl, mix pumpkin, parmesan cheese, amaretti, nutmeg, a pinch of salt and some black pepper. Mash with a fork to a smooth purée.
Dust the work surface with flour. Roll out the dough into 2 mm sheets. Cut out round or square shapes with a glass, cookie cutter or a special ravioli cutter. Scoop a teaspoon of the puree on half of the shapes and place the other halves on top. With your fingers, gently but firmly close the ravioli. Use a bit of water or some egg yolk to make sure the filling is completely sealed in, for you don’t want it to escape while boiling the pasta.
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Gently add the ravioli to the boiling water and cook for 3-4 minutes. Meanwhile, slowly melt the butter in a skillet until foaming. Add the sage leaves and fry them for just a few seconds. Remove from heat.
Drain the pasta, but keep 1 or 2 tablespoons of the pasta water and add it to the butter. Add the ravioli, toss gently until all pasta is coated and serve. Serve immediately, with some freshly grated parmesan and black pepper.
Fette biscottate picture. Pasta picture courtesy of Luis. Grazie!
