Category Archives: recipe

Mussel Linguine

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Mussel Linguine is a dish perfect for summer. Pair it with a nice glass of white wine and you’re good to go! It’s also fairly easy to make, and requires few ingredients.

Mussel Linguine paired with Ghiomo Langhe Arneis

What you need for Mussel Linguine

  • Mussels (1 nett)
  • 3-4 garlic cloves (sliced)
  • Chives
  • Parsley
  • Chili (optional)
  • Olive oil
  • Dry white wine (about 2 dl)
  • Pepper
  • Linguine (or other

How to make it

  1. Steam 3/4 of the mussels. You can use just water or water with some white wine. When these are done, strain them and separate the mussels from their shells. Lay aside to use later.
  2. Chop the chives and parsley so it’s ready to use later. Chop the chili as well if you’re using it.
  3. In a pot, add the olive oil and sliced garlic. Let it simmer on low/medium heat for about 10 minutes. Make sure the garlic does not burn. You can also add the chili here if you want.
  4. In another pot, boil water for the linguine. When the water boils, add the linguine. Simultaneously, increase the heat on the pot with the olive oil and garlic. Remember to stir.
  5. When you have about 5 minutes left, add the 2 dl of white wine to the olive oil and increase the hear again. When the wine is boiling, add the remaining 1/4 of the mussels. Let simmer/boil for about 5 minutes.
  6. Reduce heat on the mussels, add the 3/4 of the peeled mussels.
  7. When the linguine is cooked, strain it and add the pasta to the mussels. Make sure to save some of the pasta water in a cup.
  8. Add the chives, parsley and some pepper and serve!

Pro tip for the Mussel Linguine

Make sure to get a little of the “sauce” from the bottom of the pot into every serving! It’s easily the best part and if you serve the dish with some bread, you basically have a second course right there!

Why steam 3/4 of the mussels before?

This is mostly for the aesthetics, as well as convenience. By removing the shell from 3/4 of the mussels, your plate doesn’t just look less “crowded” but you also spend less time peeling the mussels from the shells why you eat. You don’t need to do this. You can steam them all at the same time in step 5.

Skrei with Pea Risotto

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* paid partnerhsip with Picard Norge / AD

Picard Norge to the rescue in a time crunch

I mostly make my food from scratch. But I am very lucky to have the time to do so. Many, or most, of us are very busy and can’t always make dinners that take 4 hours. Or even 1 hour. That’s why I am so glad that Picard Norge opened a store near my house. So far I’ve only encountered high quality frozen foods, and it can be a very good alternative when there are not enough hours in a day.

What You Need

  • Skrei (or cod)
  • Risotto
  • Peas (cooked)
  • Parmesan (as much as you’d like)
  • Vegetable stock (optional)
  • White wine (also optional)

What You Do

Risotto

  1. I use vegetable stock and white wine for this risotto, but you can prepare it however you like. I used 2dl risotto rise, 2dl vegetable stock and 2dl white wine. Pour rice and the wine into a pot, then bubble and stir until completely absorbed. Continue cooking like this, adding a ladleful of stock at a time, and stirring continuously until the rice is tender and has a good consistency – this will take 20-30 mins.
  2. Add the cooked peas to the risotto. I used frozen peas from Picard Norge. With cooked frozen peas I suggest adding them in earlier than if they are not frozen.
  3. A few minutes before the risotti is ready, add in the parmesan. The risotto should have a creamy texture.

Skrei (or cod)

  1. I used the frozen cod filets from Picard Norge. There are multiple ways to prepare this, just follow the directions on the box. I chose to boil it without defrosting. If you have time, I would recommend defrosting and then either frying it in a pan or baking it in the oven.

Wine Pairing

When pairing wine with cod there are many good options. But since I am Piemonte Girl, I have to go with Barbera!

A “simple” Barbera, like the one from Giovanni Corino or Diego Morra goes very well with cod. You can also go for a Barbera Superiore, like the one from Cavallotto or Chiara Boschis.

Cauliflower Ragu

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Sustainable Cauliflower Ragu

You read correctly. I used the word sustainable. Partly because it’s trendy, but also because this recipe for Cauliflower Ragu uses the WHOLE cauliflower! Leaves, stalk, core, flowers – you don’t throw away anything. And better yet, it tastes good.

Hunting vegetbles in La Morra

What you need for the Cauliflower Ragu

1 medium cauliflower
1⁄2 dl extra virgin olive oil
1 medium white onion, cut into dice
3 garlic cloves, chopped
Maldon or other flaky sea salt
1½ to 2 teaspoons hot red pepper flakes
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 dl freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus extra for serving
1½ teaspoons minced fresh rosemary

What you do

  1. Halve the cauliflower. Cut off the leaves and reserve them. Cut out the core and reserve it. Chop the cauliflower into small bite-sized florets, reserving the stalks.
  2. Chop the core, stalks and leaves. (I put them in a food processor because I don’t like “lumps”) Combine the oil, onion, garlic, and cauliflower leaves, stalks, and core in a large pot, season with Maldon salt, and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the leaves are just beginning to wilt, about 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring frequently, until the cauliflower leaves are just tender, 18 to 20 minutes.
  3. Add the cauliflower florets, red pepper flakes, and 2 dl water and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower is very soft and almost falling apart, 22 to 25 minutes. Add the butter, stirring gently until it melts, then season well with Maldon salt and remove from the heat.

Get the Penne ready

  1. Bring water to a boil in a large pot and add 3 tablespoons kosher salt. Drop in the pasta and cook until just al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving about 1.5dl of the pasta water.
  2. Add the pasta and some of the reserved pasta water to the cauliflower ragu and stir and toss over medium heat until the pasta is well coated (add a splash or two more of the reserved pasta water if necessary to loosen the sauce). Stir in the cheese.
  3. Transfer the pasta to a serving bowl, sprinkle with the bread crumbs and rosemary, and serve, with additional grated cheese on the side.

    PS: The cauliflower ragu can be prepared up to 3 days ahead. Let cool, then cover and refrigerate; reheat in a large pot over medium-low heat before adding the pasta.)

This recipe is inspired by Batali, and I got my inspiration here. I decided not to use any breadcrumbs, and went extra heavy on the parmesan…

Uh Oh

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Good news for those who show up at 8:50 on Thursday. Aker Brygge is enforcing a new rule: maximum 12 quoted wines per customer. I’m guessing the people who have slept outside for the past 2 weeks are less than happy….

Is it fair to change the rules meere days before the release?

Last year, there was no maximum number of wines per customer, so as long as you adhered to the quota per wine, you could buy as much wine as you want. So it would be beneficial to sleep outside for days on end.

Any change is difficult. This change might piss a lot of people off. And make a lot of other people happy. Are they trying to make these rare wines available to more people? Or are they trying to get rid of the people sleeping outside for weeks at a time? Maybe those who spent 3 weeks vacation would have prioritized differently. I am excited to hear what Vinmonopolet has to say about it…

Btw, you’ll find the list here.

Linguine Pasta alla Vongole

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In honor of Linguine Day, I’ve prepared a recipe for you: Pasta alla Vongole. There are quite a few variations of this recipe, but this one uses Linguine and Cockle (instead of Vongole).

What You Need

  • 1 kg small clams (Vongole or Cockle)
  • 1/2 a bunch parsley
  • 4 cloves of garlic
  • 250 ml white wine
  • 400 g dried pasta (spaghetti or linguine)
  • olive oil
  • fresh chilly

How To Make It

  1. Boil water in a pot. At the same time, put some olive oil in another pan and heat it up. Slice the garlic and add them to the oil. This should sit for a while.
  2. Slice the parsley stalk and roughly chop the leaves. Get your wine ready.
  3. Add the pasta to the boiling water. You’ll want to cook it al dente.
  4. About 5 minutes before the pasta is ready, add the parsley stalks and finely chopped chilly to the pan with garlic. Stir for a little, then add in the wine and the clams.
  5. The clams should start to open. You can stir them a little to help the process. Get rid of any clams that do not open.
  6. (Optional). Put half the clams aside, and remove them from the shell. This can make the plate “less crowded”. Once the pasta is cooked al dente, add it to the pan with all the clams and sprinkle the parsley leaves on top. Toss & serve! You might want to serve with bread so your guests can dip it in the delicious sauce.

    Pro tip: timing is everything. You might not get it right the first time, but keep at it.

Recipe: Lasagne

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In need of a lasagne recipe? Look no further!

I know there are many types of lasagne, but this is my favorite so far. 

What you need:

  • Sauce (I use basic tomato sauce)
  • Fill (I like meat, but you can easily make it vegetarian)
  • Bechamel sauce
  • Pasta (home made or store bought)
  • Cheese 

First, let’s make the tomato sauce.

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 Spanish onion, cut into dice
  • 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • 3 tbs fresh thyme 
  • 1/2 medium carrot, shredded
  • Two 28-ounce cans whole tomatoes

Follow these steps:

  1. Heat olive oil in a sauce pan. Add onion and garlic. Cook until soft. Add thyme and carrot, cook until the carrot is soft, about 5 minutes.
  2. Add tomatoes, with the juice, and bring to boil while stirring often. Lower the heat, simmer until thick as hot cereal, about 30 minutes.

You are now ready to make the lasagne

  1. Add the ingredients you want to the tomato sauce. I use sausage, chopped and cooked, with some salt and pepper. 
  2. Fill the pan with sauce at the bottom. Add a layer of the pasta, bechamel sauce and some cheese. Add another layer of sauce, topped with a layer of pasta and cheese. My pan usually only fits 2 layers. The final layer should be covered in cheese. 
  3. Cook in the oven until the cheese has melted, and is lightly golden brown. 

Piemontegirl Gingerbread Cookies

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I love gingerbread cookies. And it always puts me in the holiday mood when making them. This year, for the first time, I decided to try and make the dough from scratch. Turns out it is quite easy!

Here’s what you need:

  • 300g butter
  • 2 dl syrup 
  • 4 dl sugar
  • 1 ts cloves
  • 2 dl cream
  • 1 ts ginger
  • 4 ts cinnamon
  • 2 ts baking soda
  • 900g flour

Follow these easy steps to make the dough:

  1. Mix butter, syrup, sugar and cream in a pot. Heat up until it is all mixed. Remove from heat.
  2. When the mixture has cooled down a little, sift the spices, baking soda and most of the flour into the mixture. 
  3. Continue to add flour until the dough has a good consistency
  4. Set in the fridge to cool for a couple of hours. Remember to take the dough out a little while before cutting the cookies

I’ve been making quite a few treats this holiday season. Check out my Panettone recipe here.

Panettone

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2018.12.03 Recipe Panettone Ingredients

Ingredients

  • 8 tbs butter
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3 large egg yolks
  • 3 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup dried currants, soaked in warm water for 1 hour and drained
  • Grated zest of 2 oranges
  • Grated zest of 1 lemon
  • 1/2 ts baking soda

2018.12 Piemontegirl making Panettone

Here’s what do to:

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, cream the butter with the eggs and yolks until pale yellow, about 4 minutes
  2. Switch to the dough hook, and with the mixer running, add half of the flour. Add half of the milk and mix for 1 minute.
  3. Add the remainder of the flour, followed by the remainder of the milk and then all of the sugar. Mix for 20 minutes.
  4. Preheat oven to 425 degrees farenheit. Butter and flour the panettone mold (or deek cake pan).
  5. Spread the dough out into a rough square on a floured work surface. Sprinkel with the currants, orange & lemon zest, and baking soda, and knead for 5-10 minutes.
  6. Place in the pan or mold, bake for 35 to 45 minutes. The top will be cracked. Unmold the cake onto a rack. invert and allow to cool.

 

2018.12.03 Recipe Panettone Kneading2018.12.03 Recipe Panettone

Torta di Nocciole

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One of the traditional desserts you encounter in Piemonte, is the hazelnut cake. I personally prefer Panna Cotta, but I decided to try my hand at the Torta di Nocciole!

Here’s what you need:

1 1/4 cup of sugar
1 1/2 cup of hazelnuts (pealed)
4 large egg yolks
4 large eggwhites

2018.11.26 Recipe Torta di Nocciole

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F or 180 C
  2. Combine the hazelnuts and 1/4 cup of sugar in a blender. Blend until all the hazelnuts are ground up
  3. In a bowl, add the egg whites and 1/4 cup of sugar. Beat on high speed until the egg whites are glossy and firm.
  4. In another bowl, beat the egg yolks and the remaining sugar until pale yellow in color. The batter should also be quite thick.  Make sure to scrape of the sides while mixing.
  5. Add the hazelnuts to the egg yolks. Combine until a firm mass has formed. Add about 1/4 of the egg whites to the batter, mixing it carefully in with the spatula. Continue this process, adding the egg whites a little at the time, gently working the two together.
  6. When all egg whites have been added, and all the streaks of white has disappeared, add the batter to the pan.
  7. Bake for 20 minutes. To check if the cake is done, gently press on the middle. If it is golden brown and firm, you are good to go!

2018.11.26 Recipe Torta di Nocciole 2

Recipe Baci di Dama

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Baci di Dama Step 1

Ever wanted to find those cookies you find at the breakfast buffet when you are in Piemonte? Well, look no further! Here is the recipe, so you can make Baci di Dama at home. Perfect for #WorldDessertDay

You’ll need:

  • 100g Hazelnuts
  • 100g Sugar
  • 100g Butter
  • 100g Flour
  • 100g Dark Chocolate

Baci di Dama Step 2

Here is how you do it:

  1. Crush the hazeluts until it becomes fairly smooth, but be careful so it doesn’t get oily
  2. Add in butter and sugar, mix together.
  3. Add flour little by little, start mixing it together with your hands. Add flour until the dough becomes quite firm
  4. Set aside in the fridge for about 1 hour (or more if you’d like)
  5. After about 1 hour, take the dough out and start forming little balls. You can choose the size, but they should we quite small
  6. Place the balls on a baking sheet, and bake them in the oven at about 180 degrees celcius until golden brown. Take them out of the oven to cool
  7. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate.
  8. Once the balls are cool, add a little chocolate in between two of them, and set aside to cool.
  9. and voila! You have made delicious Baci di Dama!

Baci di Dama Step 3Baci di Dama Step 4