My appetite for Italy
My appetite for Italy
Useful tips
Recipes by category
Basil
Do not use the buds: they have a very bitter taste. Do not let basil bloom so its energy can be used on foliage. Do not chop the basil leaves too finely, because the more you chop, the more they lose their fragrance, and do not heat basil too intensly, because the more you heat it, the more it loses its flavour.
Garlic
It is recommended to remove the germ from the center of the clove as it is difficult to digest.
If you still have trouble digesting garlic, do not crush it with a garlic press, but add to the recipe garlic cloves cut in half (without the germ), then remove them before serving. You will then have the taste of infused garlic without digestive problems!
Olive oil from Italy
Good quality extra virgin olive oil is best when it is time to drizzle olive oil while serving or when the olive oil is not heated, as in a pesto, and where its taste adds a unique aroma to a recipe, for example Affiorato or Antonio Pettinicchi extra virgin olive oil, available at Les douceurs du marché or Le vrac du marché at Atwater Market,at Jean-Talon Market and Milano's.
Fresh olives
It is recommended to buy fresh olives with pit and remove the pit yourself, as the olives with pit are fresher and most flavourful.
Parmigiano reggiano
It is recommended to buy a piece of Parmigiano reggiano and grate it yourself, as the cheese will be fresher and tastier. Use a Microplane® grater for perfect consistency.
Fresh dough
The wrapped dough can stay on the counter no more than 1 hour or in the refrigerator for no more than 2 hours or else it blackens.If you put the dough in the refrigerator, it is recommended to take it out 30 minutes before making the pasta as it will be more malleable.
Sauce
Do not prepare too much sauce and it must not be too runny because it should not float at the bottom of the plate, but rather stick to the pasta. However, if your sauce is too thick, add a little pasta water.
Cooking oil
When cooking, it is recommended to use a less expensive extra virgin olive oil as it looses it's properties at high temperature, for example Villa Toscanelle extra virgin olive oil, available at Pasta d'ici at Atwater Market, at Jean-Talon Market and Milano's.
Pasta "al dente"
For dried pasta, bought at the supermarket, to be "al dente", you must cook them in 4 liters of boiling salted water for 2 to 4 minutes less than the time indicated on the package. The pasta will finish cooking once you tranfer them in the sauce. It is also important to neither pour olive oil in the boiling water, as the sauce will not stick to the pasta, nor rince the pasta before adding them to the sauce, as the starch will help thicken the sauce.
Pancetta
It is recommended to ask your butcher to cut the pancetta in thin slices and not to buy pre-sliced packages. The pancetta will be fresher and of better quality.
