Cosce d'anatra all'arancia - Duck Legs in Orange Sauce

Autumn is in the air, with the first chilly mornings, with the shorter evenings, with the pleasure of staying at home at night. Yesterday, I officially inaugurate the new season by preparing a slow-cooked dish: the duck legs in an orange sauce. On Saturdays I buy my ingredients at the farmers' market, where I find the best duck ever. To get it, I need to be there early, not later than 9 am. Here we are!

I slow cook my duck in the oven for almost 3 hours but I first sauté it in the pan, coated in flour and without any oil in order to remove its grease and get a crispy skin.

Zuppa di spinacini selvatici - Wild Spinach soup

The beginning of September is gloriously fruitful in the mountains.  I like picking wild mushrooms and berries,  without forgetting the last wild herbs, which are still good to make delicius dishes. There are still plenty of wild spinach around, so today I prepare a soup  inspired by a local recipe.

Riso primavera - Spring Rice

The spring ingredients inspire new recipes and bring fresh flavours and colours to the table.

Crocchette di melanzane - Aubergine 'Crocchette'

This is a Sicilian dish I have always loved to make, but I didn't have a precise recipe. Not because my Sicilian friends want to keep their recipes for themselves. They are generous by nature and culture, but they are simply unable to write them down. They cook following their inspiration and feelings. I watched them making their aubergine crocchette, but I needed to measure ingredients and time in order to share the recipe with everybody.

Merluzzo croccante al pistacchio - Pistachio-crusted Cod Loin

I like to be inspired by the freshness of the ingredients when I do my shopping. Today the cod was shining and pinkish on the fishmonger display. On my way home, I decide to boost its mild flavour by marinating it with lemon, garlic and paprika and to give it a crunchy finish with a pistachios crust. 

Crespelle con tagliolini e pomodoro - Tagliolini Crespelle in a Tomato Sauce

Here pasta becomes a delicious filling, giving the dish a full Italian flavour. 

Frittata al cavolfiore - Cauliflower Frittata

I always explore new vegetarian dish to share with my family and friends. We are not vegetarian, but lately we eat less and less meat, any kind of, as we do not feel like having it. May be because we are getting older and we do not need much meat any longer, or maybe because we are aware of how animals are bred and killed nowadays. Whatever the reason might be, when I do my shopping I always look at the vegetable stalls to be inspired.