From Italy to the Philippines

• Posted by Alfredo Josef Honegger Rev. DD PhD August 25, 2011 - #pasta  #pizza  #alfredo  #italian dishes  - 764 views

  When you read my recipes, I want you to feel that you are experiencing something personal and special, which is also how I want you to feel when you come into my kitchen.

   

  My philosophy on food and service draws very much on my family background and experiences. I was born in Winterthur, near Zürich in Switzerland and I am a son of an Italian mother. My memories of food and sharing meals in an Italian family have greatly influenced the style of food I have served in my restaurants. During that time my days where very structured and ritualized, and was dominated by food.

   

  During the time I lived in Lugano Switzerland, I was used to eat from time to time out, mostly in one “Grottino”. There was just one woman cooking, in front of the guest, and when it came time to order, she would ask how many want Spaghetti, and we would put our hands up, the she ask how many wanted gnocchi, and so on. While she was cooking the pasta, she served the antipasto platters loaded with local cured meats and cheeses. We wouldn’t be offered any choice; everything was just simple and fresh. There were no overloaded menus, no ebtrée-main-and-dessert structured to. All the food came out at once, and it always felt like home.

   

  To me, that’s the best kind of experience, and I have always tried to bring to my restaurants and my table at home that feeling of being able to drop in at any time and have a plate of pasta, an aperitif or something sweet.

   

   

  Alfredo

   

  
  

  Pasta

   

  Spaghetti al Gorgonzola Alfredo

  for 4 persons

   

  Ingredients 

  400g spaghetti

  Salt

  150g gorgonzola or danish blue chees

  250g cream

  1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

  Freshly ground black pepper

  
  

  Preparation

  1. Cook pasta al dente in boiling salt water.
  2. Cut the Gorgonzola into small pieces. Heat the cream, than ad the Gorgonzola (retain some pieces) and melt it slowly over low heat and simmer until creamy, than ad to the Gorgonzola sauce the balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.
  3. Drain the pasta in a colander, than mix the Gorgonzola sauce with the Spaghetti, arrange on plates or bowls immediately, garnish with the retain Gorgonzola pieces, fresh parsley and black grinded pepper.
  4. Serve with a baguette (French bread).

   

  Rigatoni alle Melanzane e Basilico

  for 4 persons

   

  Ingredients 

  400g rigatoni or penne rigate

  1 medium size eggplant, cubed

  2-3 clove garlic head’s thinly sliced

  1-2 small red hot chillis, sliced

  4 tablespoon olive oil (Extra Virgin)

  150g diced tomatoes

  2 tablespoons finely cut basilicum (if you use dry basilicum, 1 tablespoon)

  50g sliced parmesan chees

  Salt to taste

  Freshly ground black pepper

  
  

  Preparation

  1. Cook pasta al dente in boiling salt water.
  2. In a pan or Wok, add olive oil, garlic, onion, chili and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add tomatoes, eggplant, stir well, season with salt and pepper, cover and continue to cook for another 6-8 minutes.

  *if you use try basilicum, add it before you cover the pan.

  1. Drain the pasta in a colander, than mix the eggplant sauce with the rigatoni and arrange them on plates.
  2. Garnish with basilicum, fresh grinded black pepper, sliced parmesan and few drops of extra virgine olive oil.

   

  Casareccia con tonno e gamberetti

  Casareccia with tuna and shrimps

  for 4 persons

   

  Ingredients 

  250g casareccia or penne

  100g fresh tuna filet, cut into cubes

  100g shrimps, peeled

  200g peeled tomatoes

  3-5 clove garlic head’s thinly sliced

  1 medium onion, finely sliced

  3-4 stalks of pechay, coarsely cut

  3 tablespoon olive oil (Extra Virgin)

  1 chili, coarsely chopped

  Salt to taste

  1 tablespoon italian herbs

  Freshly ground black pepper

  Parmesan to garnish and to taste

  
  

  Preparation

  1. Cook pasta al dente in boiling salted water.
  2. In a pan or Wok, add olive oil, heat well, then add tuna garlic and stir fry until well browned. Add onion, garlic, chili, stir well, than add tomatoes and simmer for 5-6 minutes. Add shrimps, stir well and continue to cook for another 2 minutes on low fire, season with salt and pepper.
  3. Drain the pasta in a colander, than toss it with the sauce, mix well and garnish with fresh grinded black pepper, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and grinded parmesan.

   

   

  Pizza

   

  Pizza dough

  Basic recipe for 4-6 persons (for a large pizza baking sheet)

   

  Ingredients

  300g flour

  ½ teaspoon salt

  8-10g dried yeast

  2 dl lukewarm water

  2 tablespoons olive oil

  1 tablespoon beer

   

  Preparation

  1. Sieve the flour in a bowl, add yeast, lukewarm water, olive oil and beer and stir until the dough starts to build bubbles, then cover with a cloth and let it rise for 30 to 40 minutes.
  2. Sprinkle the dough with flour and knead it vigorously. Then let the dough rise at room temperature for another 15 to 20 minutes.
  3. Grease the baking sheet and preheat the oven to 200^o. Then knead the dough and roll it out on a floured surface to a thin pizza crust in the size of the baking sheet.
  4. Top with the ingredients and bake the pizza for 25 to 30 minutes or until the dough is crisp.

  Pizza Margerita

   

  Ingredients

  400g chopped canned tomatoes

  300g mozzarella

  Grinded black pepper & salt

  Olive oil

  Basil leaves

   

  1. Place chopped tomatoes in the dough, then spread with mozzarella, sprinkle with olive oil and spice with salt and freshly grinded pepper.
  2. Bake the Pizza in 200^o preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the dough is crisp.

  Other Pizzas

  Funghi e Posciutto

  add sliced mushrooms and ham, decorate with fresh thyme and/or rosemary.

  Pizza alla Rucola

  add thinly sliced Parma ham, sprinkle with parmesan and at the end before you

  serve it, place the fresh rucola on top of it.

  Pizza ai Formaggi

  add 3 to four different kind of cheese like gorgonzola, taleggio, fontina, parmesan.

  Pizza ai Spinaci

  add spinach (cooked), anchovies, parmesan and oregano.

  Pizza Frutti di Mare

  add mix seafood like shrimps, calamari, fresh fish filets, clams and oregano.

  Pizza al tonno

  add sliced onions, canned tuna fish, chili and oregano.

  Pizza Capricciosa

  add artichoke hearts, black olives, mushrooms, anchovies and oregano.

  Pizza Padrone

  add spinach, roasted pork loin, shitake mushrooms, sliced garlic, chili and oregano.

   

   

   

  Meat

   

  Scaloppine al limone e capperi

  for 4 persons

   

  Ingredients 

  500g pork loin cut to butterflies, and then thinly hand punded (3mm thick)

  plain flour, seasoned with salt and pepper

  2 eggs, beaten

  1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

  40g unsalted butter

  250ml dry white wine

  3 teaspoon capers, rinsed and drained

  1-2 tablespoon leom juice

  60g unsalted butter, chilled and cubed

  Fresh sage leaves

  
  

  Preparation

  1. Coat the meat with the seasoned flour. Put the beaten egg in a bowl and mix together. Toss the steaks in the egg mixture, shaking off any excess.
  2. Heat the oil and butter in a non-stick frying pan. Cook the meat slices, in batches, for 3-5 minutes, until golden brown on both sides. Drain on a paper towel, cover and keep warm while cooking the meat slices.
  3. Pour off the oil from the pan, add the wine and capers and cook for 5 minutes, or until reduced by half. Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice, then transfer the sauce to a small pan (keeping the frying pan on one side). Whisk in the cubes of butter, without allowing the sauce to boil. Adjust the seasoning, adding more lemon juice if necessary. Transfer the meat slices to the frying pan, pour over the sauce, cover and leave for 2 minutes before serving.
  4. Place on plates, serving with Tagliatelle and garnish with fresh grinded black pepper and sage leaves.

   

  Tagliata di Bue alla Rucola

  for 4 persons

   

  Ingredients 

  500g beef tenderloin, rub with

  1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil and

  1 pinch of ground black pepper

  400g rocket (rucola), cut into 5 cm lenghts

  200g small mushrooms, sliced and sprincled with lemon juice

  8 cherry tomatoes, sliced

  1 shallot, finely choped

  1-2 gloves of garlic, finely chopped

   

  Vinaigrette

  3-4 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

  2 tablespoon aceto balsamico

  1-2 pinch of salt and ground pepper

   

  Preparation

  1. In a saucepan with a steamer insert, heat 1 glass of water until the water start to boil. Add the tenderloin and steamer; cover the pan and steam at medium/low heat for approx. 35-45 minutes – depending on how well it should be done.
  2. Then let the meat rest for 10 minutes before cutting into thin slices.
  3. In a bowl prepare the vinaigrette, then place the rocket (rucola) into the vinaigrette, and mix well.
  4. Place the rocket on a serving plate, followed by the mushrooms, tomatoes and the meat slices. Sprincle with garlic, shallots and the remaining vinaigrette, then serve immediately.

   

    

   Fish & Seafood

   

  Cozze pomodoro e aglio

  Mussels in tomato broth 

  for 4 persons

   

  Ingredients

   

  2kg whole mussels in shells, cleaned and debearded

  4-6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

  2 small red chillies, finely chopped

  400g peeled tomatoes, roughly chopped

  5-7 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil

  200ml dry white wine

  1 cup parsley leafs, roughly chopped

  4 thick slices of fench bread (baguette)

  
  

  Preparation

  1. In a saucepan, heat oil and add mussels, garlic and chilli, then stir for few minutes, or ubtil mussels begin to open.
  2. Add wine and parsley, tomatoes, seal pan with an airtight lid and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, or until mussels are fully open. Discard any closed mussels.
  3. Meanwhile, toast the baguette until crunchy and dry.
  4. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with toasted bread.

    

  Pesce alla Griglia

  Grilled fish 

  for 4 persons

   

  Ingredients

   

  4 fishes of good and fresh quality

  sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

  extra virgin olive oil fro drizzling

  1 lemon

  handful parsley

  
  

  Preparation

  1. Heat a barbecue or a griller.
  2. Lightly coat fish with a little salt and pepper. Grill or barbecue fish until slightly opaque in the center, ten remove from heat and drizzle with a little virgin olive oil.
  3. Squeeze lemon juice over fish and sprinkle parsley around.
  4. Serve the fish with a crisp “Rucola” salad, or with spinaci al olio e aglio and fresh bread (french baguette).

   

   

  Dessert

   

  Tiramisu

  for 6 to 8 portions

   

  Ingredients 

  500ml strong black coffee

  250ml marsala

  150ml kahlua

  1 teaspoon vanilla essence

  500g sponge finger biscuits

  100g caster sugar

  5 eggs, separated

  500g mascarpone

  100g cocoa powder

  
  

  Preparation

  1. In a large bowl, combine coffee, marsala, kahlua and vanilla essence. Then soak biscuits in this liquid for 1 minute, or until they are completely wet.
  2. In a bowl, beat sugar and egg yolks until fluffy, then fold into mascarpone. Separately, beat egg whites to form soft peaks, then fold into mascarpone mixture.
  3. Place a layer of soaked biscuits in a baking tray. Spread some mascarpone mixture on top and dust generously with cocoa powder. Repeat process until all biscuits and mixture is used. Finish with a coating of cocoa powder.
  4. Refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours or longer before serving.

   

  *Alternatively, to make individual tiramisu, follow the layering steps and repeat process in your favorite serving glasses.

   

  View my da Alfredo WebSite at: http://www.da-alfredo.ch