Polpette di pollo. Chicken Boulettes

I like meatballs because they give me the chance to combine different ingredients - herbs, spices, bread, egg, vegetables, cheese -, to play with different flavours and the final result is  never too 'meaty'. 

Tortino di riso - Rice Tortino

Tortino is a vegetable pie, usually made without pastry. Here I combine vegetables with rice.

Calamari in umido con biete - Calamari Stew with Swiss Chard

This is a Tuscan family recipe I make again and again, all the year round. And everybody likes it.  In winter I serve the calamari with polenta, in summer with grains. Always tepid.

Petti di pollo alla senape con verdure d’inverno - Chicken Breasts with Winter Vegetables

Seasonal dishes are my daily treat and since I can find fennels in London, my life has changed in better. Fennel has a strong personality which would give a twist to any dish. Here I prepare a winter salad adding fennel to carrot and onion and topping it with chicken breasts dressed with mustard. 

Zuppa di pesce a modo mio – My Fish Soup

On Saturdays, I buy my fish from a stall in the farmers' market, where I enjoy going early in the morning in order to get the best choice. Yesterday the fish looked wonderful so I decided to make a fish soup, a simple and quick one with a mixed of firm-flesh fishes plus few prawns. I picked up a wild sea bream and two mullets the fishmonger cleaned for me and I kept the bones and the heads for the stock. 

Polpette al pomodoro – Meatballs in a Tomato Sauce

In Italy, polpette is a traditional domestic dish. They are prepared either to recycle meat leftovers or to serve inexpensive meat, which is minced, combined with stale bread and flavoured with plenty of herbs. 

Polpette di Pesce - Fish Boulettes

I like to play with different ways of cooking in order to keep the distinctive tastes and textures of the ingredients I use. Here the baked boulettes are eventually combined with the sautéed tomato sauce. The final result is a light dish full of Mediterranean flavours.
Serve with any boiled grains you like, from rice to barley, or with mashed potatoes.

Pesce Spada in Padella - Swordfish Chunks

My father-in-law is an inventive and enthusiastic cook, able to inspire the best fish recipes ever. He never stops making new dishes and he always comes up with plenty of delicious ideas. I like to share his cooking experiences with him in endless phone conversations.