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One Love Breddaz,

Another classic—maybe a very German, or even Berlin-style, dish was on the menu today, and there'll be plenty left for tomorrow as well: Königsberger Klopse with rice. They're just as good with boiled potatoes.

It's one of my favourite comfort foods. The sauce starts with a simple butter and flour roux, which is then enriched with broth to make a smooth, creamy sauce. The meatballs are gently simmered in it until they're perfectly tender.

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Absolutely delicious!

Wish all of you a peaceful Weekend !

Blessings ❤️💛💚

Penny
 
Hello, friends of fine herb—and lovers of good food. One Love!❤️👌💚

Today I'm making a fresh Pico de Gallo as a little side dish for a BBQ at the neighbours'.

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It's made with fresh tomatoes from the garden, fresh jalapeños, coriander (cilantro), a little red onion, salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lime juice. I'll let it sit in the fridge for a couple of hours so all the flavours can come together.

It should be delicious!

Wishing you all a wonderful Sunday.

One Love. Blessings.❤️🔥💚

Penny
 
Hello, brothers and sisters! ❤️🔥💚

This weekend it's time for a classic goulash. Well… not exactly classic. It's Big Papa's Tomato Goulash. I think the Hungarians might actually come after me for this one. 😂

Basically, it's a Hungarian-style goulash made with beef, onions, stock, tomato paste, paprika, and all the good stuff.

The important part is to sear the beef really well first. Then, in the same pot where the meat was browned, I fry the onions as the second step. Deglaze everything with stock and then add the spices.
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I use both sweet and hot paprika, along with a couple of bay leaves, some garlic, pepper, and salt.

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And here's where I go a little off the traditional Hungarian path: I add a bottle of Passata Rustica to the tomatoes. Then everything gets a good 90 minutes or so of slow simmering and braising until the meat is nice and tender and all those flavours have come together.

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You can serve it with potatoes, rice, or even pasta. Personally, potatoes are my favourite.

Big Papa's Tomato Goulash. Not necessarily authentic—but damn tasty. 😎

One Love! And a Nice evening ❤️👍💚

Blessings Penny

I call it big Papa Tomato Gulash , becuz my father did cook it this way.
 

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So first put your fresh beans in a pot, pour water 3-4cm above the level, add a garlic clove and and small piece of thyme.
Let it boil 15mn turn the fire off and keep them in their water.
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Pour some olive oil in a large pot and add your minced oignon and leek choped in small slices. Let everything fry gently without color.
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Then add carotts and celery cubes and 2-3 garlic cloves roughly chopped.
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Let everything fry gently 10mn stirîng regulary.
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Then add green beans and potatoes cubes.
Fill with about 2L of water and put it to boil.
Ecumate a bit.
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Season and let it boil gently 10mn.
Then add zuccini cubes, tomato cubes green peas (didn't find fresh ones so had to use frozen ones) and your beans with their cooking water.
And a ''bouquet garni'' (thyme, rosemary, basil, and a few stem of parsley tied in top leek leaves).
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Let everything boil gently at least 40mn.
 
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After that you clean all the mess and you well deserve a little spliff.
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Now you fell better you can make the pesto.
In a mortar you crush 2 garlic cloves and basil leaves.
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Then you add gratted parmigiano regiano and a good olive oil untill you reach a nice semi liquid paste consistency.
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When the soup is done add some fresh spinach leaves and let it cook 5mn.
This time tried swiss chards leaves instead...it was good.
It's done.
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You serve it with a generous spoon of pesto.

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It's really good.
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I like Simple …
Spaghetti “in bianco” (in white).
Put 1-3 litters of water to boil with a teaspoon of salt and boil that pasta. (test when it’s ready by getting one out and tasting it .. it should be boiled but firm…”al dente” )
At the same time put a pan on the fire and let it get hot. While this is happening , chop some garlic.
Test the pan by getting the palm if your hand above it . It should be hot…Pour olive oil in (be generous), get the pan by the handle and get the oil moving, to quickly absorb that heat,. You want that oil hot but not smoking. This is the trick.. keeping the flavour in . Add the garlic and lift the pan up ,gently tilting it to one side , so the garlic gently boils for a few seconds in a little pool of oil.When it gets a little dry looking and yellowish, get it out of the oil. That oil is the actual recipe. That’s what you should get good at. Adding chilly , habanero or the hot pepper of your choice will transform it into “Aglio/olio/peperoncino” . Strain the pasta and add it to the oil ( with a little bit of boiling water if you like it juicy),
Pasta in the plate, , Grana cheese grated on top, and a big glass of good red wine .
 
Yes rolo, some of the best things in life and the culinary arts are very simple aren't they?
Thanks for the breakdown of the different names, thats very interesting and good to know.
I remember watching the videos of Gennaro Contaldo and the way he celebrated simplicity.

 
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Uncle Jack said:
I like this guy as well.

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Hy uncle Jack

Nice to meet you!
Yes simplicity is where it’s at.
The parsley it’s a thing of its own, don’t get it every where . The italians have a saying… “This guy is everywhere… like parsley”.
Anchovies are a thing of their own. They give a sausage flavour (counterintuitive) and you only need 2 or 3 of them.
The idea in “aglio olio pep”, or “in bianco” is the olive oil / pasta/ wine combo. Basicaly the ancient bred, oil, wine staple of the roman world ( they added garum) .
I force myself on just a few ingredients and get on my toes to feel , think , realise what’s going on . I am very careful with fire and temperature… the least of it, the better.
Here , in Italy, they don’t have the sophistication of french cuisine, but to be honest, they don’t need it. The ingredient are top notch. They are very lucky to live in this climate and geography (culinary speaking).
They used to leave the cooking in the hands of house wives , which tried to impress and be special by overdoing it . The old recipes are over the top , only a few of them are actually “smart”.
 
Uncle Jack said:
I like this guy as well.

Click to expand...
I love this recipe.
''Cucina povera':
How you can transform a few simples ingredients into a marvel.

But it's not as simple as it seems!
You need good quality products (don't use the cheap pastas you find at the supermarket go to a good italian specials shop) and do things well...1/10/100 ratio water (1L)/salt(10G)/pastas(100G), perfect al dente cooking, and how to 'cream' your pastas at the end with your garlic oil and cooking water.
If you don't do everything well you just end with oily pastas...
 
Tom bolenate said:
it's not as simple as it seems!
You need good quality products (don't use the cheap pastas you find at the supermarket go to a good italian specials shop) and do things well..
Click to expand...
So true …
If pasta is made with just white , regular flour, it is soft and easily turn into mush. It must have “ grano duro “ - hard wheat in it… just like pizza dough. Anywhere from 20 to 40 % hard wheat flour , mixed with regular white, will give what you want in bred , pizza and pasta.
 
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