Recipes from an empty Italian fridge - Part 1

Too cold outside, too lazy to do grocery shopping but too hungry... 
What to cook when your fridge is completely empty: "L'arte di cucinare con niente... o quasi."  Tonight the first recipe, taught by my suocera (mother-in-law). 

Ingredients
garlic
parsley
peperoncino flakes
pasta
walnuts (also pecan, pistachio or pine nuts will do the trick)

Boil the spaghetti in salted water. In the meantime slice the garlic in thick slices, chop the flat leaved parsley and walnuts. In a large pan heat a good layer of olive oil over medium fire and saute the garlic, peperoncino and nuts. Add the drained pasta (al dente!). Stir fry the ingredients over high heat and add the chopped parsley. Stir well and dinner is ready. 

I dedicate this post to Walter my dear Roman friend. Grazie x la tua lezione! Spero di vederti presto.

Notte everybody

Minimal ingredients, maximum taste!

The fridge was empty but fortunately
our piccola cantina was full  tonight ; )

Summer nostalgia

With the inevitable approach of Fall, I've been longing for those delicious barbecues, endless walks under the mediterranean sun , my colourful summer kaftans and flip-flops... Summer please come back soon!

...what do you miss the most about summer?

Hanging out with
family & friends

Salsiccia from Anacapri's butcher Domenico and fresh fish from Crescenzo 
= amazing bbq

Summer = fresh lemons from the garden = homemade limoncello!

Cappuccini and cornetti at "Il Piccolo Bar"

Party time

A birthday is a perfect opportunity to have a night out with the girls. So farewell flip flops, beach hair, children and husbands... Capri is ours tonight! 

A fun birthday dinner at Villa Verde. Enjoying good company, rossini's, nice wines and delicious food... What was next?  Of course: a bit of dancing! In a shady night club... with more prosecco of course...  It was a perfect night indeed. Thanks, girls!

Long time no sea!

It has been a while... since Christmas! After a long hibernation Capri finally woke up.  The start of this summer is perfect: fun, food and family... Una vera vacanza caprese!

Relaxed lunches on the terrace...

Enjoying our garden in bloom...

Sunbathing at Marina Piccola...

Eating...

It's a french invention but these delicious caprese lemon macarons are the best! You can get them at the bakery in Piazza Caprile in Anacapri. A must-eat. 

... and eating.A big plate of Anna's homemade aglio, olio e peperoncino

Secondo: pesce fresco. Thanks again Crescenzo... and keep on fishing

Great to be together again!

Happy holidays everyone!!!! A presto.  xxx

Feeling christmasy already?

A summer to remember

Bellissimi. I have little else to describe the past 3 months.

Beautiful weather (keep on shining please), fantastic swims (Jack finally learned to swim!), great bbq nights in our long-desired garden, loads of friends and family,  homemade sangria and rossini's and fun parties... some of the secrets to an amazing summer!

The craziest (read: most exhausting) party was definitely Jack's dinosaur birthday (post coming soon). Also the gala dinner  at the Canzone del Mare was a party to remember... Spectacular location, blue champagne, good food and great music. Thanks Ilaria.

"Say formaggio!"

A big band by the pool...

Just looooooove these...

When Francesco suggested me to order ravioli during my first stay in Capri I was like "Are you kidding me, I'm not going to eat boring tasteless ravioli!" Obviously not knowing what I was missing out on...  Was I glad that he insisted because they were absolutely AMAZING!!! Tender, fluffy clouds of delight. Definitely one of my favorite dishes in the world. 

Ravioli Capresi

Simple recipe, big mess. My kitchen (and I) looked kind of like the last scene of Scarface... 

A tip from the cook; make a lot and freeze them for later. I made 120 ravioli with 1 kg of all-purpose flour (and some more for dusting), 1 liter of  boiling water, 5 table spoons of olive oil extra vergine. For the filling you need 5 eggs, 700 grams of  Caciotta di Sorrento cheese (ricotta), 400 grams of grated Parmesan, fresh marjoram leaves, salt and pepper.

La pasta (the dough)

On a clean surface combine the flour, water and olive oil and stir the ingredients with a fork to combine into a big ball. 

Il ripieno (the filling)

Beat the eggs. Combine the Caciotta, Parmesan and the eggs. Stir well.  Add the finely chopped marjoram, a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir again.

Dust the work surface and a rolling pin. Take one third of the dough and roll it into a thin (3 mm) rectangle. Place rounded teaspoons of cheese filling on one half of the rolled dough. Make sure that they're 1,5 cm apart. Gently fold the other part of the dough over the cheese filling. Use a small round cutter mold to cut out the ravioli. If you don't have a ravioli cutter mold use a knife to make small rounds (note; ravioli capresi are NOT SQUARE!). In this case you have to seal them by pressing the edges down with your fingertips.  If you have an original italian stampo (mold) for ravioli capresi it's not necessary. Keep on cutting until there's no dough/filling left. 

I guess portions of  8 to 10 ravioli a person are perfect.  Just boil them in a large pot of salted water and take them out when they're floating. Serve them with a sauce of fresh pomodorini, olive oil, garlic, fresh basil leaves, oregano and peperoncino.

You'll love them!

P.S. If you're interested in a genuine capresi ravioli cutter send a mail to culinary@postcardsfromcapri.com

Delicious cheese filling...

1,2,3,4...

55,56,57... 58...

Jack my little kitchen aid to the rescue...

118, 119... 120 ravioli! We did it!

A proud cook.