Live, love and eat...Here, we will focus on "eat" but if you prepare these dishes for that special someone a lifetime of love may be just around the corner.
Antipasto Platter You may opt for using whatever’s on hand or you may like to go for the traditional approach. Either way, magnifico! Stuck for ideas? Try meats, cheeses, hard-boiled eggs, olives, marinated artichokes or mushrooms, breads or crostini with olive oil for dipping.
Risotto 1 Tbsp olive oil 5 celery stalks (chopped) 2 onions (chopped) 2 garlic cloves (crushed) 2 cups Arborio rice 300ml white wine 1 litre warm stock 100g parmesan (grated) 50g butter (cubed) Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Heat olive oil at low temperature, in a heavy bottomed pot. Add celery, onion and garlic and cook until soft. Stir in Arborio rice and fry it for 1 minute. Pour in wine and stir constantly until the liquid is absorbed. Now add your first ladle of stock, from here it takes 20 minutes of stirring and ladling for the risotto to cook. IMPORTANT: Do not add more stock until the last ladle full has been absorbed into the rice. When rice is cooked (should still have a little bite to it) take rice off the stove and gently mix in the parmesan and the butter, then place a lid on the pot and leave the risotto to rest for a few minutes. This gives those final ingredients a chance to melt.
Tiramisu 1/2 cup icing sugar 2 1/2 cups cream 400g mascarpone cheese 1 Tbsp vanilla pinch of salt 1 1/2 packets “lady fingers” 1/3 cup cold espresso 1/3 cup brandy, amaretto OR rum Cocoa or drinking chocolate
In a bowl, stir the mascarpone to smooth it out. Take another bowl and beat the icing sugar, cream, vanilla, and salt until they form soft peaks. Then, fold in the mascarpone mixture. In a cup, mix together the espresso and alcohol. Line the bottom of a medium sized dish with lady fingers (flat side down). Gently brush half of the espresso/alcohol mixture over the lady fingers (or dunk each lady finger in the mixture before placing it in the dish). Spread half of the mascarpone mixture over the ladyfingers. Using a sieve, sprinkle over plenty of cocoa or drinking chocolate. Add another layer of lady fingers, repeat steps 5 – 7. Cover the Tiramisu with plenty of plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours. If possible make it 24 hours ahead.
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup icing sugar