About one and a half years ago I discovered you can buy gelato makers for the home.   I was pretty excited about it because the last time I had gelato was in Rome, Italy with my Uncle Salvatore.

I’m a promoter of having gelato over ice cream because of some health and taste benefits.   Don’t get me wrong, I still like regular ice-cream (Turkey Hill for example – Natural line), but gelato truly is a class in an of itself.

A Brief Overview of Gelato

Regular ice cream can have up to 50% air content.   That explains why it’s so light and airy.  Gelato on the other hand has considerably less air content because it doesn’t mix in additional air during the mixing process.  Hence why gelato makers like the one I write about here advertises it’s air tight lid, which can’t be opened while the machine is running.

In addition, gelato uses whole or 2% milk rather than cream.   This makes it a lower calorie dessert than ice cream.

Retailers like Talenti are Catching On

Talenti Gelato

I was in Martin’s (also known as Giant) the other day shopping with my husband and we were checking out the ice cream aisle.

When we were leaving empty handed (no good sales on the good brands), I decided to check and see if anyone sold gelato, and sure enough there were actually two brands that sold it!

The first brand was Talenti and the ingredients list was fairly decent.   Unfortunately they included additional chemicals and even included soy lecithin which knocks out people who are intolerent to soy.

I really wish they could do what Turkey Hill did with their All Natural Ice Cream line and keep to the basics – cream, non fat milk, sugar, vanilla and vanilla bean (for the vanilla ice cream).

For their Mint Chocolate Chip:  Cream, nonfat milk, sugar, chocolate chips, oil of peppermint.

Why can’t others do this too?

Gelato ingredients on the Talenti version called, Mediterranean Mint:  milk, sugar, cream, chocolate, dextrose, natural flavors (whatever that means), fresh mint, vanilla, guar gum, soy lecithin (that stinks for people who can’t have soy).

To be fair, Talenti isn’t too far off – it could be worse.  I looked at Martin’s store brand

Simply Enjoy Pistachio Gelato

called Simply Enjoy and  the list was much worse.  I didn’t take a photo, but when I do I’ll update this post.

For that reason, I passed on it and purchased Talenti.

My opinion of Talenti’s Mint gelato

The first thing I noticed was the texture.  My spoon slid right into the gelato.   I noticed the density of the gelato, but like I said the texture was smooth so it was a great balance.

The mint flavor was fairly mild and I’m glad it wasn’t overpowering like some are.  Nor was it overly sweet, unless I eat too much – as I’m doing now while I’m writing this.

My conclusion is that gelato is going to become more popular here in America.   Soon you’ll see retailers offering specialty gelato next to regular ice cream, most likely marketed as a healthier version.  I compared my gelato nutritional facts with another similar ice cream and Talenti’s came out ahead.  Less fat, less sodium, less sugar.

I’d recommend Talenti’s gelato, but I’ve only tried the Mediterranean Mint.  I’ll try the Belgian Chocolate next and hopefully I’ll be equally impressed.

What I’m not impressed about are the extra ingredients that keep it from being a pure gelato.

Liz

There are two foods that I truly love – and I love them when used together:  tomatoes and mozzarella.

So when I was asked by The Harvard Common Press if I was interested in taking a look at a new book they were publishing called, Tomatoes & Mozzarella – it was an easy yes.

Anyone who likes tomatoes and mozzarella will truly enjoy this book .  But let me explain why.

The book has a beautiful cover which instantly makes you start thinking about your next trip to the store so you can get started with some of these recipes.

Tomatoes & Mozzarella

The book includes recipes not only from Italy, but from other countries such as France, Spain, even some places here in the US.

When I first agreed to read the book, I thought all the recipes would be from Italy (after all this is an Italian website).   So when I realized this was not the case I was bit disappointed until I started looking at the pages and reading the recipes.

To give an idea of what you can expect, one of the recipes is called Deviled Tomatoes.   Instead of using hard boiled egg as the “bowl”, they use small plum tomatoes to house the chopped ingredients – one of which is hard boiled eggs.

The Deviled Tomatoes are then topped with sliced small mozzarella balls.  How ingenious! I can guarantee this one is a perfect appetizer that will get tons of raves.   Too bad I’m not writing this in the summer -but hey – who cares when you make it!

Catalan not Roman Garlic Bread

Catalan is in Spain so when I saw the recipe for Catalan Tomato Bread, I had to find out what makes this different from an Italian bread?

The concept is the same – toasted thick artisan bread, rub garlic on bread, sliced tomatoes on top along with mozzarella, and a drizzle of olive oil along with a dash of salt…. and here is the added ingredient… a drizzle of red wine vinegar.

Most Italian garlic bread recipes that I’ve seen don’t come with the red wine vinegar.   Not saying it can’t be done, in fact I plan on testing it out myself with a loaf of bread we have in the freezer.

Marinated Artichoke Salad

I chose this recipe because A) it’s Italian and B)it is similar to a combo of two recipes I have (my anti-pasto recipe and my cannellini bean salad recipe).

It’s basically an antipasto which is really hearty and served on top of lettuce leaves which I think is a great idea!   I’d omit the capers, but that’s just me.

The Healthy Parisians

When I think of French food I think butter and more butter.   But one of the recipes, Tomato Lentil Salad really stood out to me.   Not only is it not smothered in butter (burro in Italian), but it really is healthy.

Ingredients include lentils, water, thyme, bay leaves, garlic, white onion (less pungent than red or yellow onion), tomatoes, pesto and shredded mozzarella.

It is simple enough to prepare and you probably have most of these ingredients around if you have an Italian filled pantry or refrigerator.

Unique

This book is unique – that’s the only word that really comes to mind.  I say that because it has such a wide variety of recipes.  For example, you wouldn’t think that a tomato and mozzarella book would include a tomato jam recipe.   This one does.

What about Basil scones?  This one does.

How about a Southwestern layered black bean salad with smoked mozzarella?  This one does.

I have not tried too many recipes from this book to be honest.   Not because I don’t want to – trust me I want to try them all!   I’m just sayin’ I can’t vouch for all of the recipes yet.

Great for Vegetarians or as Meatless Alternatives

The book is not vegetarian but there are a lot of meatless recipes here.   Since my husband has recently given up meat for the past 2 months I’m left with trying to find good recipes that fit the bill.

This book does that.

For example, the Wild Mushroom Macaroni and Cheese is a good choice for us.    It’s hearty and still fills the stomach.

The book offers more than boring recipes, it offers a variety of creative recipes from various regions and offers a ton of ideas how to use tomatoes without getting sick of them.

This past summer a friend emailed me with a problem.  She told me she had a huge number of tomatoes that had come out of nowhere and she had no idea what to do with them all!   I don’t think I was much help – told her pretty much just make a lot of sauce and freeze it.

I wish I had this book back then because I know it would have been a huge help for her.  So if you know someone who grows a lot of tomatoes each year or just really like tomatoes and mozzarella – this book is very much for them!

You can order the book from Amazon here if you want to take a look at the inside of the book to check it out.   If you’re total is over $25 (the book is less than $15) you get free shipping.

I had never heard of ricotta pie and to be honest when I did, I wasn’t too excited about it.

My husband however was very excited and insisted that I make it.   So I looked around and based on other recipes and created my own Ricotta Pie recipe based on what I thought was appropriate.

I posted it online about a year ago or so and to be frank, had forgotten about it until a reader named Luke emailed me about the recipe.

He was making it for his church group’s Thanksgiving lunch.   Instead of recapping the

Ricotta Pie by Luke

email I’ve included it below along with a photo he was kind enough to take.

“I had a grand luncheon. The pie was well received…..  I told my tablemates about the desserts I brought (pumpkin pie  a la Libby’s; a Hazelnut and olive oil
cake –from La Cucinna magazine; and a ricotta pie).

One of the ladies at  my table raced off to get the ricotta pie saying saying her grandfather used to make it….gotta remember all of the group is over 65.

She said the pie brought back memories….

I am 72 and have baked 5 desserts in my whole life—3 in the last 2 days.  I
look for simple recipes…not many steps…

Thanks for your recipes….Next time I will let cool for 2 hours (your video)
and use just a few strawberries as they infuse the pie with a pleasant flavor..today’s
coverage may be too much for my taste…need to experiment some.”

Testimonials like these make my day – actually my week.  I’m proud that Luke chose to make my recipe and I hope you give it a try as well!

Thanks Luke!

Sincerely,

Liz
www.simpleitaliancooking.com

If you haven’t heard of an induction burner, it’s about time you do.

These burners use less electricity, and can be bought as single burners or as a whole cooktop. They work by heating the actual pan – where the pan becomes the heating element – hence the term induction burner.

We bought one about 1 1/2 years ago – a simple single burner one and I can’t believe I’m just now getting around to writing about these.

You can purchase them online at places like Newegg.com or Amazon, and of courseat retail stores like Lowes which sell them as standalone drop in cooktops, or as a slide in stove.

Here are a few points about an induction cooktop:

The burner will only heat up where it comes in contact with the cookware.

For example, if you place a medium size saucepan on a regular large coil or glasstop burner, the entire burner will heat up – because the entire coil heats up. However, with an induction burner, only the area which is in that magnetic field is affectd.

You can still cook just like you always do.

You are not limited to the types of food or methods of cooking you can perform when using one of these burners. You can still make your fried chicken cutlets, bean soups, and pasta just as you would any other type of burner.

It heats up very fast.

Induction burners or cooktops heat up very quickly. For a small sauce pan with water, it takes less than 2 minutes to come to a full boil.

Efficiency & utility cost savings

These burners are extremely efficient when it comes to electricity. I often use my single induction burner to heat up water or soup – plus it works great when heating up my frozen Italian sauce.

It’s also ideal for slow cooking soups or other foods for a number of hours as it uses a fraction of the wattage a regular stove would generate.

Safety in the kitchen

A huge benefit is since these operate based on direct contact with the cookware, if you forget to turn off the burner after removing a pan, the burner will automatically shut off.

This is a big advantage to induction burners – especially since the majority of house fires are started from in the kitchen!

Different Sizes

These come in various sizes, from single burners to double burners to a full 5 burner cooktop. The double and single sizes are great for small apartments, kitchens or efficiencies.

Double Burner Induction Cooktop

They usually come with touch buttons (actually I haven’t seen any that don’t) for the on/off and temperature settings.

Induction Compatible

Not all cookware can be used on induction burners. You can tell if your cookware is compatible by testing it with a magnet.

Simply place a magnet on the underside of the pan and if it sticks, then it is compatible.

Remember, since induction works by a magnetic field, the pan must be magnetic. If you want to buy a new set, just look for the induction symbol as shown here. We purchased a T-Fal set and I love them.

Induction compatible cookware can be used on regular stove tops as well – not just induction ones.

Magnetic field and pregnancy

There has been a little talk about if these are safe for women who are pregnant – due to the EMF’s (electric magnetic field) , such as those put off by power grids or on a smaller scale – microwaves.

My word of advice is if you are concerned about this and are infront of the burner almost all the time and are pregnant or thinking of getting pregnant, I’d hold off until more research is available.

But that’s just me- I tend to be over cautious at times, but if it eases my mind it’s worth it.
We use a single burner portable one and I love it. It heats quickly and evenly and is great for cooking one pot meals or dishes.

I just set it on top of our regular cooktop and turn it on. Not to mention when power goes out and you’ve got a generator, you’ll want to use this kind of burner rather than your regular electric stovetop.

Price and size

A single burner can range from $50 to well over $100.  For an entire oven with an induction top, you will recognize a considerable increase in oven size as there are no heavy bulky coils that fit down into the oven.  Inductions are fairly flat and simply take up less space allowing for more room in the oven cavity.

If you’re in the market for a new cooktop or need a single burner – check out induction cooktops and don’t forget to make sure your cookware is compatible.

This recipe is should be from Semi-Homemade because that’s  exactly what it is.

This dinner can literally be created by the time the pasta is done cooking in the water – I kid you not.

As some of you who follow me may know, I work full time,  I also work on my site after hours plus I help my husband part time with his business when he needs the assistance.   All three jobs I love, but let’s just say my time to cook is near to nothing.

So this recipe is perfect for anyone who wants a tasty meal without ordering out or resorting to cereal for dinner.

All you need:

• Short pasta (penne, or farfalle, etc.)
• Water
• 1 Package Cascadian Farms Organic Garden Vegetable Medley (find this in the freezer section where they stock Organics)
• Grated Romano Cheese (Parmesan is fine too)
• 3 Fresh Chopped Tomatoes (optional)
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions:

1. Bring big pot of water to a boil and start cooking pasta
2. Meanwhile, in a large frying pan, heat about 3 Tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat
3. Add in the chopped tomatoes and cook down til soft.  (if in a hurry, chop them real fine and squash them down with a spatula)
4. Also add in the contents of the Garden Vegetable Medley (these will be frozen and you can nuke them for 2 minutes to thaw them faster if you want)
5. Add in a little bit of pasta water if need be to prevent sticking and help cook with steam
6. When pasta is done cooking drain and transfer the pasta to the frying pan with the veggies and give a good toss. (spare some pasta water in case the pasta is too dry!)
7. Serve and top with the cheese.
8. I used 3/4 pound farfalle pasta last night and it was enough for 4 servings.

TIPS:

The beauty with this is you can also add your own fresh veggies.  I always keep on hand some frozen organic asparagus and so I chopped those up and added them right in.

You don’t need to add garlic!   This box has enough of it, but it isn’t overpowering – it tastes and smells great.

Enjoy!

Liz
www.simpleitaliancooking.com