About Music & Food (and vicecersa)

I often use (always) use music to cook, to work, to do what I like most. Music is a part of myself, is an inner need something I cant' stay without, so I am not here to teach nothing to nobody but just to share my thoughts, my feelings and what I feel is:

1. Reverence (Faithless) : feel the flour in your hand is, freshness, look at is "innocent" color, look at it while you mix it with eggs, salt,water, while you feel the ingredients transforming  through your hands and the "near to be made pasta" anticipate in your eyes, in your mind the idea of the lovely "ravioli" you are going to prepare and later....eat.
2. JCB (Nizopli): The hands of my father when,as a child I used to play with him, the laughs, the moment of intimate happiness, the Djione Mustard mixed with a fresh cheese like the "stracchino" and capers the chicken slices with oil.
3. Azzurro (Paolo Conte): tomatoes "pachino", "mozzarella di bufala", oregano, salt, oil (extra vergine), the alps, the air full of freshness, the heat of the sun on the face, it is a summer, it's holiday season and all I would like to do, as Paolo Conte says .."I take the train and come to you..."-
4. Us (Regina Spektor):beat the white of  eggs till it's frothy , add sugar, put it in the oven and prepare some tea in the while...let your heart dream and your mind run and your spirit fly over and over.
5. Metti in Circolo Il Tuo Amore (Ligabue): you know the story, you're tired, your'day a nightmare and it's just the first half of the week, so you come home and...and...add some tomatoes, add some zucchini, some carots, some garlic, some oil, let the oven do the rest, let the time bring you a simple ratatouille...let the the taste give you what you need... a bit of "perspective".
6. Heroes (Peter Gabriel cover): I will take an ingredient, then another and another, I will let music run through my veins, will let "her" come to my earth, will smell the igredients while my hands will feel them, will immagine the sweetness of one mix with the acidity of another, will let the fire  mitigate the flavour one and exalt taste of another and at the hand everthing will be in front of me and for another day will thank my mother for that day when she said " would you cook with me?".

Music used for this post:
though you may use the same music I listen..(and viceversa if you suggest something)
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewIMix?id=408881698

Riso con i Cardi (Rice and Cardoon)

Riso con i Cardi

Well it's definetly winter here,Alps are again covered by snow,I wake up at morning and it's still dark and everyone start to talking about Xmas and presents.
So today I will go for a classic rice recipe, with a typical Piedmontese ingredient: the Cardoon. Now let start from the basic, here what you need:

• 1 Cardoon (with 2 or 3 stalks)
• 2 spoon of flour
• 1/2 cup of lemon juice
• 2 cups boiling water
• 4 cups (1 quart) low-sodium chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 shallots, minced
• 1 1/2 cups Arborio or Carnaroli rice
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese  for serving
• Salt as you need it

First of all,remove and discard the tough outer stalks than separate the individual stalks and heart and cut them up, finally drop the pieces into salted boiling water and lemon juice and cook for 15 minutes.
 Place the Cardoon boiled in kitchen robot with the 2 spoons of flour and the lemon juice, mix up everything till it become a  cream than leave it apart.
In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter until foamy add the shallots and cook until soft and lightly colored.
Stir in the chopped shallots cook for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the rice and stir until it is well coated with butter. Add the wine and cook, stirring frequently, until the liquid has completely evaporated.
Add 1 cup of the hot broth to the rice and cook, stirring frequently, until the liquid is absorbed, about 8 to 10 minutes. Continue to cook the rice, adding 1/2 cup of the hot stock at a time and stirring until it is absorbed before adding more. After 5/6 minutes add the cream of Cardoon.
When the rice is done, it should be creamy and tender but still slightly firm to the bite.

To serve add some Parmigiano Reggiano on top.

Music used for this recipe:

• Weezer
• Snow Patrol
• Subsonica

Panna Cotta (cooked panna)

This recipe is common in many regions of Italy, here in Piedmont you may find it in the Torino and Asti area. I like this recipe mostly because it's easy, to make as to use as dessert.

Its neutral taste as its white color give you the option to garnish it with a warm sauce like raspberry or strawberry's.

What you need (for 4-6 molds)

• 1 package (1/4 ounce) (7 grams) unflavored gelatin
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) yogurt
• 2 1/4 cups (540 ml) cold milk
• 2/3 cup (125 gr) powdered sugar
• 1 vanilla bean

Place the milk,the vanilla bean cut to the length, the sugar in a small bowl and let this mixture sit till the milk start to boil. Meanwhile, mix the gelatin with cold water for 5-10 mins. Once the cream is very hot, remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the gelatin mixture. Stir until the gelatin has completely dissolved. Wait for the cream to become warm than into the prepared molds

and place in the refrigerator to chill for 2-4 hours, or until set.Personally to helop the cream to thick I cover the molds with some cling film.

The Panna Cotta can be made one to two days before serving. 

Music used for this recipe:

• Sing (Travis)
• Why Does it Always Rain on Me (Travis)
• Happy (Travis)
• Walking in the sun (Travis)