Caponata di carciofi - Artichoke Caponata

Caponata is a Sicilian aubergine dish, made from cooked vegetables (onions, celery and tomatoes) seasoned with capers, olives and pine nuts, in a sweet and sour sauce.

I buy two bunches of artichokes today at the market, they looks so fresh, and I decide to make a winter caponata, using artichokes instead of aubergines.

Pasticcio di verdure e lenticchie

I am not a vegetarian but I eat less meat than I used to. I do not feel like having beef any longer. I find it heavy to digest. I'd rather eat chicken or fish, once a week. Sometime lamb, preferably stewed. That's it. Eggs, cheese and pulses are always welcome on my table. I definitely feel better, for myself and for our planet,  and I am not the only one. 

My clients in my cooking courses keep on asking me for new vegetarian recipes to refresh their repertoire. Pulses are the most wanted.

Here is my last creation.

Torta di spaghetti – Spaghetti Pie

Here I propose a spaghetti cake to relief the hustle of last minute cooking. 
It's a delicious and beautiful dish, which could be easily prepared few hours in advance and just baked 45 minutes before eating. 
The plain tomato sauce will bring colour and would enhance the Mediterranean flavour.
It is a perfect one-course dish for a family meal or one of main courses for a bigger gathering. 

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 di piselli – Green Pea Boulettes

I love ball-shaped food. Any kinds of gnocchi and polpette is relaxing to mould for me, quick to cook and easy to eat. It is a convivial shape everybody loves. No need of knife.
Here I prepare vegetarian polpette with green pea and I serve them in a tomato sauce. 

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. 

Pizza

I made pizza on Saturdays for years since we moved to London in the early 90s. My son loved it as it was a reminder of his roots and gave him the pleasure of conviviality. 

I prepared the dough in the morning and thanks to our double oven, I was able to serve pizza for a crowd of children and grow-ups. We made many new friends around our pizza Margherita. We kept it simple, without olives, anchovies, capers, in order to please everybody.