AKA Thermomix. Along with my pressure cooker this is one of the most valued appliances in my kitchen. The thermomix is a machine that emulsifies and cooks at the same time. It’s a common fixture in European home and restaurant kitchens. Made by the international, German headquartered company Vorwerk, their website credits the…
Sadly, it’s over. Here is the last of this year’s citrus I ordered from an organic farm in Sicily a few days ago. The fruit was picked and shipped that same day. It won’t be until late next fall when the days get shorter and Christmas approaches that we will see this wonderful fruit…
Crystal clear and nutritient dense stock and broths in 45 minutes. White beans like zolfini and cannellini; black eyed peas and chick peas cooked to perfection in 20 to 30 minutes with no overnight soaking. Ragu, stews and braises in an hour. My pressure cooker is the most used appliance in my kitchen and…
It’s almost Easter, the days are getting longer and my hens, ducks, geese and quail are busy again laying lots of eggs after a slow winter. I’m busy too, making pickled eggs for the holidays which is an Easter tradition in my family. METHOD To make the pickling brine I combine our red wine vinegar…
At La Petraia we don’t have cows. The principal fats we produce are olive oil and lard. I have found it possible to reproduce, with good results most butter based desserts and pastry using these two fats. In this post I will discuss olive oil, which is an excellent choice for anyone…
Last spring we harvested our fava leaves along with their beans and we saved all of the shells from our peas. The fava leaves we used fresh in salads and in a spectacular fava leaf risotto which was a big hit with our guests. The surplus leaves we dehydrated along with the pea shells. I’ve…
Madame is stressed out. It’s just past dawn and well below zero on a Sunday morning and the line in her boulangerie is right out the door. Inside, the longest loaf of bread I have ever seen is being sliced and sold by the meter and in the back a teenage assistant is packaging Galettes des…
Introducing our newest book…… Click on the image to find out more about Dinamica…..
Hello everyone and welcome to my new blog where I will try and post a weekly account of what I am cooking, growing, and most importantly what I am learning from La Petraia. I will also share with you my stories of the places I travel to and the people I meet who inspire me….