Great Recipes You Discoverd On Your Travels..
 

I am always collecting recipes on our travels. I have many favorites. What are some of yours?

I have one I love for carrots gateau - gatto' di carote. Did you want us to write them out? This one is really good.

I'm looking for a dressing pamplemouse (don't you just love that name for grapefruit?) and apple juice...

Otherwise, I make killer risottos

I haven't necessarily obtained the recipes while traveling, I've just loved the dishes and researched recipes when I got back (sometimes right here)

One is sticky toffee pudding, first had it at Rules in London,though the recipe I have isn't theirs.

Another is seafood risotto (Venice) but still haven't found a perfect, and easy enough, recipe. Ditto the sardines in saor from Venice, but I never see fresh sardines in NYC.

Chocolate gelato (again, Venice--Cipriani hotel) but I wish I also had a great recipe for hazelnut gelato
(yes, I have an ice cream maker)

I haven't found a great recipe for it yet, but I've had excellent rhubarb crumble with custard, in England, twice.
And if you think that "excellent" and "rhubarb" don't go together, you're just wrong!

The first, and best, profiteroles I've ever had, best at least in my memory, were at Closerie des Lilas in Paris.
The place came down in quality (and up in price) over the years, but I haven't forgotten that dessert.

Actually, it's spelled "pamplemousse," which might make it a little less amusing..

SeaUrchin, I'm sure people would love to have the recipe if you want to type it out.

Here's one from Rome

Bucatini all'Amatriciana

Serves 4 - 6


1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 oz bacon or pancetta finely diced
3 T butter
2 - 14 1/2 oz (or 1 28 oz) can Italian plum tomatoes, crushed
1/2 chili pepper, broken into small pieces, or 1/4 t chili pepper flakes to taste
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup pecorino cheese
1 lb pasta, bucatini, penne or spaghetti

MELT butter in a large pan over medium heat.

SAUTÉ the onion until transparent - about 5 minutes.

ADD the chili and pancetta and sauté until onion is golden and the pancetta or bacon nice and crisp, about 8 to 10 minutes.

ADD tomatoes and cook over medium-high heat stirring occasionally, making sure sauce does not burn, about 15 minutes.

ADD salt to taste. Make sure it needs salt, as pancetta and or bacon are quite salty. You will also be adding the cheese, which is rather salty, too.

MEANWHILE cook the pasta.

WHEN done to taste, drain and pour into a warm serving bowl or directly into pan with the sauce, mix well adding grated cheese to taste and serve.

SPAGHETTI can be substituted for the bucatini and in a crunch, pennette

Having grilled cheese sandwiches as a favorite for all of these years, I was thrilled to discover the "croque monsieur" in Paris!

SuzieC: To atone for my snidely pedantic response, I spent a half-hour searching for a dressing made with grapefruit and apple juice -- without luck. Would you settle for one made with grapefruit juice and honey?

Elaine: If you understand Italian or have a good Italian-English dictionary, you can type "risotto" and "frutti di mare" into Google, and it will bring up hundreds of recipes.
I have printed at least a dozen recipes for "risotto alla crema di scampi" (I had it at Da Romolo on Burano; to die for!) -- but I admit I've never tried any of them because they ARE very labour intensive...

This is a good carrot and ham dish, it is not a sweet carrot cake.

2 1/2 lbs carrots - cook them until soft and keep them warm and puree them.

Soak 3 oz day old bread in 1 cup milk, then drain and add to carrots.
Cook this in a saucepan, stirring until firm, then let it cool to lukewarm.

Then add 3 egg yolks one at a time, mix in 1 tbsp worchester, 1 oz grated parmesan and a little nutmeg and salt.

Stir this by hand until really mixed up.
Then very gently fold in 3 stiffly whipped egg whites.

Butter a square glass pan and sprinkle with bread crumbs, then pour in half the carrot mixture. Sprinkle over this about 4-5 oz diced ham, some more of the parmesan cheese and a few chips of butter.

Pour the rest of the carrots over this and top with more parmesan cheese, butter and bread crumbs.

Cook at 180 degrees for a little over an hour until a knife comes out clean.

(Now I have made myself hungry! I got this recipe from watching a friend make it one evening)

The first time I had pasta with pesto in Genoa, I was transported. I have tried in vain to replicate the taste and I will never give up trying.

I'm still searching a macaroon recipe. I tried one that was posted here and although they were tasty, I ended up with a big sticky mess. Any recommendations?

MAMC:

You might want to look for Marcella Hazan's "Classical Italian Cook Book" (I've seen it in paper).

She has a long discussion about pesto. The most important thing, evidently, is that you have to use fresh basil. And if there is an Italian community where you live, try to get your fresh basil where the Italians do. Italian varieties of basil -- I'm afraid I don't know the horticultural names, because you can also grow basil from seed on a bright windowsill -- tend to be more flavourful than the ones generally found in North America.

Or, if there is, in fact, an Italian grocery anywhere near you, you can greatly simplify things by buying Italian-made pesto in a jar. It won't be quite the same as the one you had in Genoa but it will come surprisingly close.

It is OK Eloise, it was a typo anyway. As to the recipe, I think I have it now, but by memory and by trial and error. So its proof! I just have to go back to Paris and try it at the restaurant (Le Fumoir)to tweak it!

Mamc-My Italian friend gave me her pesto recipe which is outstanding. It is 80 large basil leaves, 3 garlic cloves chopped, 4 tablespoons pine nuts, 1/2 c freshly grated parm. and enough olive oil to make it liquid but not runny.

Here's a good macaroon recipe too...
?Macaroon? Cookies

? 1 cup sugar
? 1 egg
? 1 stick margarine
? 1 1/2 teaspoons coconut flavoring
? 1 package (1 1/2 cup) instant flake potatoes
? 1 package (1 1/2 cup) biscuit mix

Mix all ingredients. Add two tablespoons of milk if too thick. Spoon onto cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees until very light brown.

It's a short cut recipe but they're very tasty.

P.S. to agree with Eloise, it's absolutely essential that you use the freshest, best quality ingredients in your pesto.

No recipe, since what I do is improvise based on a discovery in a restaurant, but I have been serving saute'd spinach with garlic, pine nuts and currants (or raisins) since falling in love with it in Barcelona. Saute crushed or minced garlic, currants (raisins) and pine nuts (pignoli) either in olive oil or EUROPEAN butter, add spinach and toss together just until spinach willts. Salt if desired but be aware it will hasten mushiness of spinach. Do not overcook.

I know you're all just dying to get your hands on my recipe for goose neck wtuffed with foie gras, walnuts, and figs ;;)

I note that this thread is not being inundated with tried and true recipes for rhubarb crumble. Hint, hint.

That should be stuffed, not wtuffed. Ihave yet to wtuff a goose neck...

Limoncello - the recipe appears many times on another thread...

Rock Buns - in Scotland - have long lost the recipe - it is a cross between a muffin and a cookie. does anyone have a goood recipe?

Paella - brought a fabulous recipe from Marbella. I will try to find it if anyone is interested.

Who knows how to make that "Poutine" or something like that from Canada? It's fries, gravy, cheese curds melted? Can't remember if there's anything else in it?????????

Bonniebroad: As a Canadian, I can confirm that you have all the elements of "poutine" in place. I have never had it myself but from newspaper articles about this gastronomic delight I have gathered that some of the finer niceties are as follows:

1. Use French fries that are as soggy as possible.
2. Add cheese curds (no need to melt them first).
3. Finish the dish by adding a generous amount of the glutinous brown gravy that generally covers hot chicken sandwiches in cheap diners.
4. To accompany the dish, drink a Pepsi -- never a Coke.

Enjoy!

Thanks so much for the ideas Eloise and swalter. I have many of Marcella Hazen's books and have used her recipe for pesto. I think the difference is the Genovese basil or maybe the memory! Swalter, I will try your friends recipe. This is surely the best time of year for flavorful basil.

Hmmm, now I think I have to have some pesto for dinner. One other tip if freezing homemade pesto (or not eating it immediately), only add enough oil to made it "blend" in the blender. Then put it in the storage container and top it with a layer of oil. This will prevent the pesto (actually the basil) from turning brown.

Why, thank you, Eloise! I'm sure that would be lo-cal, right?:-) I've had acquaintances from Canada RAVE about the stuff!

Had a wonderful lemon risotto at Badia di Coultibuono in Tuscany and the manager, Lorenza di Medici's very attractive son, gave me the recipe.

SAB, could you share that recipe? If you don't want to post my email is [email protected]. That sounds delicious!

bara brith in wales - a fruity tea bread..yummeeee

Oh, SAB, don't share the lemon risotto recipe privately, pleeease share it <b>here</b>! The very idea sounds heavenly.

Please, SAB, please?

Will be happy to post the recipe after I get home---check back later.

Well, you knew that mine would have to be a drink. My wife and I and two friends were traveling in Italy in 2001 and stayed at the Palazzo Ravizza (we loved that place) in Siena enjoying an afternoon martini. A guy from New York traveling with a gorgeous blond (I remember the important things) came over to our table and said, &quot;If you like martinis, I have a great one for you guys. This is big right now in New York.&quot;

So I said to the guy, &quot;If they can make it there, they can make it anywhere&quot; (sorry Frank). The guy told the bartender how to make it and bought me what we now call, &quot;The TomTini.&quot;

It is six Parts Orange Vodka
(I like Absolut ot Grey Goose L'Orange)
One Part Cointreau
Basically three shots of vodka to 1/2 shot of Cointreau (I usually add a little more Cointreau to mine)
Shake or stir in martini shaker full of ice (I prefer shaken although it does stir me)
Serve it in a martini glass and garner with a slice of orange.

Drink enough and you get part of your Five A Day for fruits and vegetables, too.
Bottoms Up
((H))

Eloise, very funny. I have the coke, just have to run out and pick up some soggy fries :)

St Cirq gave the best Limoncello cake recipe!!
I think our Sheila told us how to make haggis..

A Sicilian friend gave me the sauteed spinach with garlic and red peppers recipe. I have to add the currants and pignolis now!

Keep this going! If one cannot Be in France/Italy/England, etc, at least one can have a little taste :)

bonniebroad those are called &quot;disco fries&quot; at diners here in New Jersey!

I'm dying for a recipe for Worcestershire Pie (kin to Shepherd's Pie) that I had at the Crown &amp; Trumpet Pub in the Cotswolds. Have tried to improvise something at home, but with no success.

Calamari, our favorite travel souvenir is a cookbook from each place we go!

I need to find time to make StCirq's Limoncello cake! We've made Limoncello martini's recently...maybe that's why we forgot about the cake 'til now! Trish

Lemon risotto: If SAB leaves you in the lurch -- not that I think she (she must be a she...) will! -- there's a lemon risotto recipe on www.epicurious.com that is quite acceptable.

Mind you, I've never made it EXACTLY as it is described there, because I adapted it according to a risotto recipe in Barbara Kafka's &quot;Microwave Gourmet.&quot;

Risotto in the microwave: God's gift -- or technology's answer -- to the cook who can't bear to stand over a hot stove stirring constantly for 20 to 30 minutes!

Risotto al limone:

4 handfuls rice (canaroli) (which I translate to about 2 cups)
3 tbsp butter
1 tbsp oil
Rind of 1/2 lemon
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 mazzetto ruccola (I use argula since I have never been able to find this)
1/2 cup dry white wine
Chicken broth

Here are the instructions that were included:
&quot;Saute onion with one tbsp butter and oil, add rice and saute for 2 minutes.
Add white wine and when evaporated cover with chicken broth. Keep cooking up to when rice is almost but not done adding broth.
Then turn off fire. Add rest of butter 2 tbsp parmesan, lemon rind, lemon juice and ruccola. Rest for 3 minutes.&quot;

Note there is no amount for chicken broth nor does he say to heat it first, because like most good Italian cooks, he just knows when the rice has absorbed enough broth and that the broth should be hot (so as not to stop the cooking process).

Mine's a beverage, as well. The Kaffir Lime Martini at the Beach House on Kauai's south shore. (Yes, the same place where I had my memorable dining experience from the other thread.)

One part vanilla Stoli
One part pineapple juice
One half part Rose's lime (give or take to taste)
Cocktail sugar for the rim and Kaffir lime leaf for garnish

Oh yummy, so many great recipes...and I'll add this one...

go to legraandcafe.com and go into &quot;cookery&quot; ...this one (Peach and Strawberry Soup in Chinon wine) is terrific...I couldn't find the Chinon wine (had the entire wine dept. at Trader Joe's looking for me) but they suggested I substitute Merlot and it certainly worked!

Bon apeptit!

My name is mimi and I'm a seafood addict. For me it was loup de mer on an open fire laying on fennel stalks. I love simple pure absolutlely fresh fish. In the Camargue at chez Juju, you pick the fish from the tank and they weigh it for price before it goes on the fire. Years ago I could buy fennel packaged stalk from William-Sonoma but they no longer sell them. I'll take all donations if anyone grows them in exchange for a book.

Poor Elaine,

I'll take pity on you . I use Delia's Rhubarb Crumble recipe and it is so good , even thinking of it makes me ain weight!

I'm too lazy to type it out but here is the link..

http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/r_0000000988.asp