Stromboli bread recipes

Lemons Bottle and Stromboli Volcano. Photo by Adam Butler 

Stromboli bread is always present in Sicilian dinner parties, like the Stromboli Volcano this stuffed bread can be full of surprises and explosive simple south Italy flavours. Works very well like anti-pasti, snack or even a main dish with a side salad

Stromboli dough recipe

Stromboli bread with mozzarella and basil leaves

You need for 1 long loaf: 350g strong white flour - 5g quick dried yeast -200ml warm water – ½ tsp caster sugar – 1tsp of salt - 1 tbsp chopped rosemary leaves – Olive oil.



1. In a big bowl sieve the flour and stir in the yeast, sugar and salt. Make a well in the centre and pour in the warm water, mix everything with your hands until you have sticky dough.
2. Transfer to a lightly floured working surface and knead about 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
3. Shape the dough into a ball and put in in a big bowl previously oiled. Cover with a cling film, pierce once and keep in a warm temperature (about 25ºC) for 60 minutes.
4. Put back the almost double size dough in the working surface (previously floured) and with the rolling pin (also bit floured) shape the roll in a 30 x 25cm rectangle. Cover for 5 minutes.
5. Oil a baking tray and pre-heat the oven at 200ºC
6. Uncover the dough rectangle and scatter over your favourite filling, leaving 1 cm free- fillings from the edges.
7. Starting for the short size, roll up the dough, tucking the side edges under to seal.
8. Transfer the roll seal down to the baking tray. Cover again with a cling film and let rest again in a temperature not below to 25ºC for 30 minutes.
9. Now brush the roll with 1 tbsp of olive oil, and prick some holes all over the bread. Finally sprinkle over the chopped rosemary leaves.
10. Bake in the middle of the oven for 30 minutes.
11. Let cool down a bit and serve with a salad or like a morning snack with a nice cup of tea.

For the filling

Photo by Uberculture

Mozzarella and basil: Mix 2 chopped mozzarella balls previously drained in a bowl, with 70g grated parmesan cheese, 1 grated garlic and 3 tbsp. of shredded basil leaves. Season with ground black pepper.
Mozzarella with Italian hams: Mix 2 chopped mozzarella balls previously drained in a bowl, with 100g chopped prosciutto ham, bresaola or salami or a mix of each one, plus 100g chopped roast peppers. Season with ground black pepper.

More:  

Photos of Adam Butler

Antonio Carluccio Recipes

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Stromboli bread recipes

Recipes with meatballs for busy days

The last week in the post about Spaghetti meatballs vs Chorizo pasta I was speaking about how great and tasty is comfort food for the whole family.
Well this week I have been very busy  with external works, trips and meeting in London that barely I had time for blogging but also I have even less time to cook, so I needed to help me out my meatballs leftover from the spaghetti meatballs  of the last week

Asian Broth Meatballs

After a long meeting in a more than ever foggy and misty London city I walked back through China Town, the Asian flavours set in my mind all the train journey to Brighton so when arrived at home only one things was for sure I needed an Asian broth for recover from my day. With some of pork mince leftovers I made more meatballs.

You need:  250g lean pork mince for 10 meatballs – 6 spring onions (3 finely chopped) – 1 tsp grated ginger – 2cm ginger (peeled and sliced) – 1 red chilli (1/2 finely chopped) – 1tbsp of breadcrumbs – 1 litre meat stock , 2 star anise, 100g kale (shredded and remove the woody bites) – Splash of soy sauce – splash of sesame oil

1. For the meatballs in a big bowl mix the meat with the finely chopped spring onions, finely chopped red chilli, breadcrumbs and ½ tsp sesame oil. Season with fresh ground black pepper.
2. Wet your hands with water and start to roll the meat mixture in marble sized balls (about 3-4g each) and deposit the meatballs in the dish with the flour. Lightly coat the meatballs in the flour, and shake any excess.  - Now you can freeze the meatballs that you won’t need-
3. In a wok or a deep pan, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil and brown all over the meatballs. Set aside.
4. In the same pan or wok, add the stock, star anise, sliced ginger and 2 tbsp of soy sauce, simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Meanwhile slice the rest of the spring onions and the rest of the red chilli.
6. Add the meatballs and kale to the simmering broth and simmer for an extra 10 minutes.
7. Remove from the heat, serve in large bowls and sprinkle over some sliced chilli and spring onions and if you like some extra sesame oil.

Meatballs with pitted olives tomato sauce 

Photo by FotoosVanRobin

Friday morning before  leaving for Chichester (last month I posted East Sussex towns, now is the turn of West Sussex Towns) I remember to defrost my leftovers salami meatballs because I knewt that after exploring Chichester for the whole day I will be looking for real comfort food without much effort in the kitchen.

You need:  10 salami meatballs for 2 serves -  3 sliced garlic -  400g can tomatoes – 3 cloves – 15 pitted green olives (chopped) – 120g tagliatelle or another long pasta. Bunch of shredded basil

1.  Heat a tbsp. of olive oil in a saucepan; add the slices garlic and meatballs, brown all over the meatballs. Then scoop out the meatballs and set aside.
2. Add the canned tomatoes, and the 3 cloves to the saucepan with the garlic and meat juices.. Let simmer for 15 minutes until you have a thick sauce.
3. After the sauce has thickened add the meatballs and the chopped olives, simmer for another 15 minutes.
4. Meanwhile start to cook the pasta according to the packet instructions.
5. Serve the pasta in individual dishes and top with the meatballs and the sauce, scatter over some shredded basil

Spanish Meatball tapa

Photo by agvnono

With the last handful of meatballs and with what I knew was to be a great Sunday Football match between Real Madrid vs Malaga F.C the town team of one of my best friends I remembered a conversation that we had some time ago with him in a great traditional tapas bar in Segovia. For some reason TV chef celebrities and their books or also in much of the Spanish tapas bar in England they offer like an authentic Spanish tapa meatballs. In Spain the albondigas (meatballs) came from the Arabian times in Andalucía but despite its long history I hardly remember good tapas bars that serve meatballs like a tapa, for sure in Country Basque they have cod meatballs and are in delicatessens.  My friend was agreeing with me, but the local waitress proves us wrong when we just finish the conversation she pops up with a huge meatbals tray full of Arabian flavours.

You need: 16 meatballs for 4 serves – 60g onion (chopped) – 2 tomatoes (peeled, deseeded and chopped) – ½ lemon juice – 2 garlic cloves sliced – Bunch of flat parsley to serve.

1. In a frying pan in a medium heat with a tbsp. of olive oil fry the meatballs, moving around often to brown them well over.  Keep moving for 6-8 minutes.
2. Add the chopped onion and sliced garlic, soften for 3 minutes. 
3. Squeeze some lemon juice into the pan and add the chopped tomatoes, simmer for an extra 3 minutes stirring very often. Season. 
4. Serve in individual little earth ware dishes for an even more traditional Spanish style and sprinkle over the chopped parsley  and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

More

If you are looking for more meatballs ideas, check out this Mint and Mustard Meatballs from Mummy, I can cook! blog

My Spaghetti with salami meatballs recipe

Tomato sauce recipes

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Recipes with meatballs for busy days

The Black Rat Winchester review

The Black Rat Restaurant

A former pub in Winchester, is now a one star Michelin restaurant that serve high quality food with locally produced ingredients.

 The Black Rat rooms are cosy with log fires and quirky antiques scattered around the alcoves and bookshelves.

Service is at best haphazard and some of the waiting staff clearly need retraining. On the plus side the food is superb with a spanish influence over a typical British menu.

Local Hare base in a celeriac puree 

This restaurant really is all about the food. A very strong menu and the day specials led to difficult choices.

The starters sound and taste wonderful and very well presented, the last time we picked Scallops with cured morcilla with lobster oil and red cress and Beetroot salad with goat cheese and pistacho crumble

Cornish Brill in a landcress emulsion 

For main courses we had Local Hare with pickled pear and truffle Gnocchi and Roasted Cornish Brill with white asparagus. Both were very well executed and delicious.

If the owners sort out the service issues and offer a better wine list then The Black Rat will deserve its Michelin status.

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The Black Rat Winchester review

Some Food news

Easy eight a day

Five a day NHS planning tool

Five a day is the National Health Service (NHS) nutritional plant to encourage British to eat healthier based on the advice of the World Health Organization which recommends eating a minimum of 400g of fruit and vegetables a day to lower the risk of serious health problems, such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and obesity.
Now the Oxford University has told that for fight heart diseases we need to consume 8 a day. Waitrose Nutritionist Nathalie Winn gives us some tips to reach the 8 a day fruits and vegetables.

* Add to you breakfast a fresh made glass of orange juice and add some frozen mixed berries to your porridge, Add a good tablespoon of dried mixed fruit to yoghurt.
* Slice a medium tomato and two slices of cucumber to your lunch sandwich.
* Have an apple or banana for mid-afternoon snack
* Add 3 heaped tablespoon of vegetables such mushrooms, peas or carrots to your dinners.

Pineberries 

Pineberries. Photo my Mirror.co.uk

Pineberries will be in season in exclusive supermarkets in a few weeks, the ancient variety named because they have a taste reminiscent to pineapple is the oldest strawberry variety, brought in the 18th century from Chile to France. The Pineberries were left behind because their scarce yielding and was a fragile plant. Now farmers are working hard to bring the pineberries to the supermarkets again selecting healthy cuttings.

Tell me which sandwich you like and I will tell who you are

Photo by FotoosVanRobin

Dr Elizabhet Jones carried out a study for bread maker Warburtons to match kinds of bread and filling with personality groups.

Ham salad on white bread = forward thinkers

Beef roll = impulsive
Cheese and pickle = braniacs
Egg mayo = home bodies
Tuna and Sweetcorn = high flyers
Prawns in brown bread = sensitive souls
Chicken salad wraps = extroverts

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Some Food news

Spaghetti with salami meatballs vs Spanish Chorizo Pasta

I just love these two pastas  at any day of the week, I often have some leftover meatballs in the freezer sometimes  from other meatballs recipes or sometimes from   meatballs from a burger mix. A great alternative to meatballs is to add to the pasta some pieces of Spanish chorizo. and you will have the perfect comfort food dish all the week for all the family. Kids are  going to love it and also will be a good excuse to open that bottle of rioja or red Italian

Spaghetti with salami meatballs.

First start to cook one of the easy canned tomatoes sauces.

You need for up to 20 meatballs:  100g minced lamb – 100g minced beef – 100g Neapolitan spicy salami (finely chopped) – 100g breadcrumbs (homemade is the best) – 2 eggs – 6 tbsp. plain flour. Olive oil for fry (about 200ml) – Chopped basil to serve

 1. Mix in a big bowl the minced meats with the salami, breadcrumbs and 2 eggs. Season with a pinch of salt and 1 tsp. of ground black pepper. Mix all very well squeezing with your hands
2. Then in a plate sprinkle the flour.
3. Wet your hands with water and start to roll the meat mixture in marble sized balls (about 3-4g each) and deposit the meatballs in the dish with the flour. Lightly coat the meatballs in the flour, and shake any excess.  - Now you can freeze the meatballs that you wont need-

4. Heat the olive oil and start to fry the meatballs in batches, turning around frequently for brown all the sides, the cooking time in a medium heat will be about 3 minutes, but always check if the meatball has been cook through. Keep it warm.
5. Cook the spaghettis in a pan of boiling water following the packet instructions and checking that the pasta is al dente. When is ready drain
6. Three minutes before the pasta is ready, add the meatballs to the hot tomato sauce.
7. Serve the pasta in individual dishes and top with the tomato sauce and meatballs or mix everything in a serving dish scattering some chopped basil, put in the centre of the table and let everyone serve themselves.

Wine options

Antica Vigna Masseria  Biscardo 2007. From the "new" gastronomic area of Italy, this Puglia Wine is a rich weighty red blending Lambrusco and Negroamaro grapes, a perfect italian grape mix for a very italian dish.

Cavalleresco 2008. From Tuscany with love and plenty of cherry flavours with a nice acidity. The mid-depth scarlet colour is a perfect match for tomato and meat mix dishes.

Spanish Chorizo Pasta

You need:  60g pasta per serving -  200g spanish chorizo for cooking (chopped) – 2 shallots (finely chopped) – 2 ripe tomatoes (grated) – 200ml tomato passata – ¼ tsp mild spanish paprika – ½ tsp red chilli – 2 garlic cloves (finely chopped) –  Grated parmesan cheese and parsley to serve.

1. In a sauce pan of boiling salty water start to cook the pasta. When is ready drain
2. In a sauce pan at medium heat with 4 tbsp of olive oil add the shallots, the garlic and the chorizo. Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring often to avoid any browning in the vegetables.
3. Then stir in the grated ripe tomatoes, mix everything very well.
4. Finally put in the tomato passata and the Spanish paprika (pimenton), stir everything and let bubble for 2-3 minutes.
5. Your pasta should be almost ready, check if  pasta is al dente, remove from the heat, drain and add to the chorizo sauce pan. Mix everything very well
6. Serve in individual dishes and scatter over some chopped parsley and parmesan to taste

Wine options

Monsaterio de Santa Cruz 2010. This red from Catalonia is made from Monsatrell grapes and tempranillo, Has intense and spicy flavour, perfect match for this hearty pasta dish

Baron de Barbon 2009. Classic Tempranillo flavours with vanilla ans strawberry touches with enough character to enjoy with chorizo recipes

Five Seafood pasta recipes    - Traditional Spanish pasta -       How to cook spaghetti

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Spaghetti with salami meatballs vs Spanish Chorizo Pasta

A gourmet day in Winchester

Winchester Cathedral from the Square

09: 30 First awake in one of the hotels in historic Winchester. The Wykeham Arms 18th inn is one of the best options as is the Winchester Hotel Du Vin the very first Hotel du Vin as usual offers good accommodation in the heart of historic Winchester , the breakfast menu offers  very well cooked traditional English breakfasts with very good French pastries like pain au chocolat or croissants

10:45 Ahead to the Westgate and then go to the Great Hall and Sally Port, the only surviving parts of the Winchester Castle, the medieval building founded in 1067 after the Norman invasion at the time was an important stronghold that served as  the English capital before moving  to London. Henry III adds the impressive Great Hall. Inside is hanging over one of the walls a medieval representation of the king Arthur’s round table, weighing 1200kg and made form English oak and later on painted in times of Henry VIII catapult your imagination to the English knights tales. Attached to the Hall is an enjoyable small museum with the history of Winchester through historic documents and photographs.

Winchester High Street has a local food market on Wednesday

11:30 Walk back to West-gate and walk down all the pedestrianized High Street, most of the shop are chains that  offer nothing new, but take a close look at  the impressive architecture with Regency and Elizabethan bow-fronted windows, the impressive clock of the Lloyds Bank Building (also have a quick glance inside) . Almost at the end you can find the Winchester Guildhall with a historic Victorian façade and next are the Abbey Gardens a nice place to rest and have a takeaway snack.

Winchester City Mill over the river

12:15 Stay in the High Street and a street after the gardens you will find the Winchester City Mill. Now this historic working mill is really worth a visit to discover the history and techniques of milling over the River Itchen.  Once inside look-up for the 18th century timber roof and in the centre of the room it is a proper millstone that thanks to the National Trust is still milling. Downstairs  is the Waterwheel and gears moved by the power of the millrace. Again in the main room a door leads to a little and charming island garden. Also the Winchester City mill is an otter watch centre.

Hotel du Vin dine room

13:30. Lunch time. Again The Wykeham Arms is a very good option like Hotel Du Vin. Hotel Du Vin menu offers since Burger in a brioche bread or a very tender ox cheek dish with an impressive wine menu in a well design dinners room

Winchester medieval tiles

15:30 From the restaurant go to the Winchester Cathedral a real architecture gem founded 1079 but works continued to 16th century. Inside the cathedral you find rich bishop’s tombs, chapels, great examples of medieval architecture and in particular I was impressed by the floor medieval tiles dated from 13th century the largest area of this kind in whole United Kingdom.

16:30 Cross the little square outside the Cathedral and have a quick glance to the Winchester City Museum, roman tiles and old fashion shops are on display. And walk in a narrow street full of restaurants and shops (Pizza Gourmet is always with students and the Pizzas are quite good) and come back to the High Street. Have a coffee break in the modern interior design Caracoli a high quality coffee shop that also offers seasonal cakes and biscuits for your coffee.

House overt the River Itchen

17:15 With the late afternoon lights of Winchester is good idea stroll around by the streets. Come back to the Cathedral, and explore the Pilgrims Hall area with the Winchester Cathedral Close houses in Tudor style. Pass the Gates and walk down College Street in the way to Winchester College, in the right side is Jane Austin house and the college. Winchester College is still running since 1382 and for this reason the tours have restricted time. Further Down in the left side the Bishops House and Wolvesey castle ruins. At the end of College Street it is the Winchester walls surrounded by gardens and the River Itchen where you can sit down to watch playful ducks.

Black Boy pub is a collectors dream

Inside of the Black Boy Pub

18:30 Getting dark and bit tired. Cross the river and ahead to Wharf Hill, a beautiful garden spot. Up the Hill is waiting for you one of the best English Pub that you can imagine brewing local ales and interesting pub dishes full of quality and charming fires. The Black Boy is much more than a simple pub it is a real collectors museum, whatever you sit or which area of the pub you are you will be amazed by the different objects  old vintage bottles, model airplanes and donkey and monkeys (not real, well I guess) that they look all engaged with the conversation of the local drinkers.

Hare at the black Rat

20:00 Just up to the corner of the Black Boy and by the same owner is the Black Rat Restaurant, another interior where you feel amazed by the details, that really feel that you are in another time being served Michelin star food with a lot of Spanish glimpses to the south Spanish countryside cuisine by Chris Bailey

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A gourmet day in Winchester

Japan elderly food

Stylish Japanese old lady, the new food industry target

Food Japanese companies, like House Foods Corp. and other great manufacturers are exclusive food product for elderly Japanese people and for people that require medical care, focusing in  quality to please the taste of the eldest . The ageing of the Japanese population is well known worldwide and now has become the target of the food companies. In October, House Foods sent low protein meals for patients with renal diseases. The company tries to duplicate its line of products for old and ill people, reaching 25 articles this year.
Another company Nippon Suisan Kaisha Ltd. also began to sell in Tokyo food for patients who require medical care, the dishes conserve the shape of the conventional foods but that they are sufficiently smooth to eat without chewing.
At the same time, Kewpie Corp., decided in September to lower the prices in 20 of its 49 products specifically designed for those adults who receive medical attention.
The Japanese food market for elderly people has reach already the £ 834.3067 (U$1322) numbers that will be increasing given the natural ageing of the Japanese population

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Japan elderly food