Author: flipaoXIX

I watched this video yesterday by coincidence . I was keen to know about making learning addictive. And honestly, I liked the video, it was funny and informative. And it is interesting that you can turn evil manipulations into positive ones. I didnt know the presenter was the founder of duolingo and he was from Guatemala. I use duolingo to learn languages, I am not sure if you can really learn a language this way (at least I am not that smart) but it helps to practice a little, and then the compound interest should get you to some decent level. This remind me to brilliant. It is something I wanted to use, but at the end of the day, I dont have time for all things I would like to do. I need to focus in the things I really need to do.

Pasta con Aglio e Olio:

• 3 garlic cloves, sliced
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 500g spaghetti
• <->
• Saute the garlic in the olive oil until lightly browned
• Boil spaghetti until al dente
• Drain pasta and toss with oil and garlic mix.
• Add salt, pepper and paprika to taste.

Eggs with tomate:

• 50ml olive oil
• 1 medium/large onion, thinly sliced
• 200g whole plum tomates can
• 4 large eggs
• <->
• Warm the oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
• Add onions, cook until soft.
• Add tomatoes, crush them with the spoon. Cook for 20 minutes aprox.
• Break the eggs into the pan and cover it. Decrease heat at medium-low.
• Cook until the whites are opaque and the yolks are firm. 5 minutes aprox.
• Add salt/peper.

Book: Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well by Pellegrino Artusi

Spaghetti with lentils

• 1/2 carrot finely chopped
• 1/2 onion finely chopped
• 1/2 stalk of celery chopped
• 1/2 garlic clove sliced
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 165g dried brown lentils, rinsed
• 250g spaghetti
• 350g marinara sauce
• <–>
• In a large saucepan, saute’ the carrots, onion, celery and garlic in the olive oil over medium-low heat until soft.
• In another medium saucepan, fill it with the lentils, add water until cover them over 1 finger. Simmer and cook until tender. 20 mintes aprox. Remove from heat and set aside
• Break the spaghetti into pieces using a dish towel. Then cook the spaghetti in salted water until al dente.
• Drain the lentils and add them to the vegetables.
• Add the marinata sauce. Bring to simmer, cover and cook until the lentils have blended with the sauce. 10 min aprox.
• Add drained pasta with 1/2 cup of pasta water.
• Season with salt/pepper
• Simmer all for 3-5 minutes to combine flavours.

Frittata

• 5-6 large eggs
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• pinch chopped parsley
• pinch grated parmigiano-reggiano
• salt/pepper
• <–>
• Crack the eggs into a bowl and beat them with a fork.
• In a frying pan, heat the olive oil up.
• Season the eggs and add parsly
• Once hot, add the eggs to the pan.
• Scramble the eggs with a spatula, tipping and moving the pan continuously to make sure the eggs dont stick.
• Add cheese and flip the frittata. Cook for 1 minute until golden.

Carbonara

• Guanciale: cured pork cheek
• eggs
• pecorino cheese
• dried pasta
• <–>
• Saute fatty, peppery strips of guanciale in a deep saucepan
• Cook pasta al dente.
• Add pasta to the guanciale.
• Turn off heat, add mixed eggs. Toss
• Add cheese and some pasta water.
• Toss all together.

Pizzoccheri a la Valtellina

• 1 medium Savoy cabbage
• 2 handfuls of grated Parmigiano
• 1 Big slab of valtellina cheese or fontina
• 3 large yellow potatoes
• 200g butter (1 block)
• 4 garlic cloves
• 500g pizzoccheri pasta
• Olive oil + Salt
• <–>
• Remove tough outer layers from the cabbage. Chop in long pieces
• Slice the fontina cheese. And grate another 200g
• Preheat oven at 160C
• Peel and dice the potatoes. Boil until cooked but still firm – 15m aprox
• Half way of boiling the potatoes, add the cabbage.
• Once potatoes and cabbage are cooked. Drain and set aside.
• In a deep frying pan, at low heat, melt the butter and add the crushed garlic. Cook until the garlic is soft.
• Boil the pasta until al dente. Reserve two cups of the water after cooking the pasta.
• Use a bit of the garlic butter to grease a baking dish.
• Layering: first pasta, then cabbage, then potatoes, then both cheeses, drizzle a bit of the garlic butter after each layer. Add a bit of the pasta water too (you dont have to use the two cups…). Top the final layer with a drizzle of olive oil and more grated cheese.
• Cover with foil and bake for 15m aprox. Remove foil and return to oven until the top is crisp.

Ragout alla Bolognese

• 1 tbs chopped onions
• 1 tbs chopped carrots
• 1 tbs chopped celery
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 25g mixed fresh herbs (rosemary, sage, thyme, etc) chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 50g dried porcini mushrooms
• 225g ground beef
• 25g tomate paste
• 3 tbs white wine
• 3 tbs fresh orange juice
• 1 tbs salt
• pinch of pepper
• 700ml chicken stock
• 550ml beef stock
• 300g fettuccine pasta
• 25g butter
• 25g 36% fat whipping cream (optional)
• 35g Grana Padano grated
• <–>
• In a large saucepan over medium heat, sweat the vegetables in olive oil with herbs and porcini.
• Add the meat and cook until brown.
• Add tomate paste, wine and orange juice. Let them evaporate
• Add salt, pepper and stocks. Let simmer for 90m or so.
• Boil the pasta until al dente.
• Add butter and cream to the ragout.
• Add the pasta to the ragout and sprinkle the grated cheese.

Martini

• Ice
• Dry vermouth
• Gin or Vodka
• Olives or a lemon twist for garnish
• <–>
• Fill the glass beaker with ice
• Pour in half shot of vermouth
• Stir for 15 sec
• Let it sit for 30 sec
• Stir it again.
• Strain out the vermouth.
• Pour in 3 or 4 shots of vodka or gin.
• Stir for 30 sec
• Let it sit for 30 sec
• Stir for 30 sec
• Let it sit for 30 sec
• Stir it quickly
• Strain it into a chilled glass
• Garnish with 1 or 3 olives, or lemon twist.
• Drink it

Chimichurri

• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1 jalapeno: deseed and diced
• 10 springs oregano
• 10 springs parsley
• 2 tbs red wine vinegar
• 3 tbs olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/3 tsp pepper
• <–>
• In chopping board, chop oregano, parsley, cloves and jalapeno together.
• Put all in a bowl and mix.
• Then you can rub the chimichurri in any meat.

Spaghetti with Zucchine

• Sunflower oil for deep frying
• 8 or 10 small zucchine (courgettes)
• 75g chopped fresh basil
• Sea salt
• Olive oil
• 500g spaguetti
• 200g grated Parmigiano
• <–>
• Deep fry the courgettes until golden brown
• Set aside and dry with kitchen paper
• Sprinkle basil and salt on top of them
• Then transfer to a bowl and drizzle with olive oil.
• Boil pasta until al dente.
• Drain and reserve one cup of pasta water for later
• Put the pasta in large pan at low heat and add the courgettes.
• Combine gently and a bit of pasta water to create a creamy texture.
• Add grated cheese. Stirring and toasing.
• Once the mix has creamy texture, it is ready.

Pasta a la Norna

• 2 large garlic cloves
• Olive oil
• 2 large aubergines, diced
• Sea salt
• 1 litre marinara sauce
• 500g pasta
• 1 handful of basil, chopped
• 1 handful of grated ricotta or pecorino
• <->
• In a frying pan, fry the garlic with the olive at low heat.
• Add aubergines, at medium heat, and cook for 15m or sligthly golden.
• Add marinara sauce and cook for 5 minutes
• Cook the pasta and drain. Reserve one cup of pasta water
• Add the water to the marinara. Add the basil. Stir.
• Take 3/4 of the sauce and pour it in a serving bowl
• Add the pasta to the rest of the sauce. Stir and add the grated cheese.
• Ready to serve with the sauce aside.

Pasta Fagioli

• Olive oil
• 1 medium onion sliced
• 2 garlic cloves halved
• 1/2 bunch cavolo nero roughly chopped
• 3x400g cans of cannellini beans
• 750ml chichen stock
• 500g marinada sauce
• 500g small pasta
• Salt, Pepper
• Parmigiano grated
• <–>
• In a frying pan at medium low heat, saute the onion and garlic.
• Boil the cavolo nero in salted water
• Add beans, stock and marinada to the pan with onion and garlic
• Cook at low heat
• Once cavolo is ready, strain, and add it to the bean mix.
• Cook at low simmer with lid for 15m.
• Cook the pasta in salted water. Then drain and save one cup of pasta water.
• Add the cup of water to the bean mix.
• Add two cups of the bean mix to the pasta and a bit of olive oil.
• Serve the pasta with beans and add fresh pepper and cheese.