Maroggia’s Mill Cookbook: Trofie with Chestnut and pumpkin sauce / Il Ricettario del Mulino di Maroggia: Trofie alla salsa di castagne e zucca butternut

It has been quite a while since the last time I posted a fresh pasta recipe for Maroggia’s Mill Cookbook. My choice fell on a classic of Genoese cuisine, trofie, which are accompanied with two typical ticinese ingredient, pumpkin/butternut squash and chestnuts. There’s nothing more autumnal than this, and considered the cold weather nothing better than a good seasonal dish to warm our hearts and bodies isn’t it?

Daring Bakers: Sachertorte

The October Daring Bakers’ challenge was brought to us by Korena of Korena in the Kitchen. She took us to Austria and introduced us to the wonders of the Sachertorte.

It has been a while since I last took part to a Daring Bakers challenge, but this month I could not miss on the appointment, not with this cake, the Sachertorte. Korena challenged us with the cake I baked the most during my university years (as I already told you in my post of the chocolate and cinnamon cake). And I realised I hadn’t been baking it since then. A good opportunity to test my skills (oh the glaze, what a nightmare!) and taste, after so many years, one of the most balanced and soft dough in the world of cakes to my humble opinion.

MTChallenge: Licorice Lasagna with Chicken Liver and Leeks / MTChallenge: Lasagna alla liquirizia, fegatini di pollo e porri

Another month and yet another MTChallenge. A tough one. Yes, because this month Sabrina, from Les Madeleines Proust blog, challenged us with a traditional Italian recipe. One of those one might think would be fairly easy to make, after all what’s so difficult about rolling some dough? I bet you already guessed what I am talking about: Lasagna! And we’re talking about the real deal. The sheet of pasta, as instructed by Sabrina, had to be rolled by hand. Yeah, rrrright! May it be my proverbial insecurity, my total inexperience, my well known impatience, or the fact that after 30′ resting the dough was slightly sticky but my lasagna certainly will make history. For its thickness.

Sourdough Surprises: Croissants

It’s the 20th of the month, Sourdough Surprises’s challenges day. This month Jenni and Shelley dropped a proper ace: the croissant! Indeed, the dreaded croissant! I still remember the only two times gave a shot at making this recipe. Needless to tell you the result were shrivelled and nothing close to leavened croissants, oozing with butter and very badly baked. Such experiences leaves you with a deep sense of failure mixed with a strong feeling of revenge (croissant, I will nail you!). It took me this challenge to take courage in both hands and try once more. I rolled up my sleeves and faced my fears, and must admit I am quite impressed with my first “proper” croissant baking attempt (the other ones I’m not even considering, since I wasn’t even baking with the knowledge I have now).

Maroggia’s Mill Cookbook: Semolina Flour Focaccia / Il Ricettario del Mulino di Maroggia: Focaccine con farina di semola

For once my english introduction to the recipe has to be completely different from the italian one. Why this? Focaccia is quite a common snack (or at least it was) in High Schools both in Ticino and in Italy. I remember those round flatbreads, that were handed out at screaming and pushing (and quite commonly spotty) teenagers during recreation time. There were few focaccias and pizzas, wrapped in grease paper (or was it the actual grease from the breads?) and many, too many of us. Those who had the chance to get their hands on such a treat would rarely share, grinning at those who were left with nothing. Oh teenagers! What was it that made to us those rubbery and greasy breads so appealing I still ask myself, watching back to those days. But let’s look forward. Luckily my tastebuds have had a proper breaducation along the years, no such “breads” are seen in my house, and I rather not eat than bite into rubber foam discs. This focaccia is what all High School pupils deserve.

Twelve Loaves October: Apple and cinnamon pull apart bread muffins / Twelve Loaves Ottobre: Muffin di pane alla mela e cannella

Last few months have been a mess. I for holidays with all posts for the blog scheduled and ready to post automatically for at least two weeks (thanks to my innate swissness) and confident I would go immediately back to my routine in the kitchen. But the unexpected consequences of the accident in Copenhagen (luckily resolved within two month or so of physiotherapy) and a bad flu got in the way. Add a last minute collaboration, a personal project to develop and Food Immersion Festival and you’ll have the perfect recipe for disaster. My whole routine scrambled up. So much to think about, and I forgot the usual deadlines to submit a recipe for Twelve Loaves’s bread collection. It has been a long time I hadn’t taken part to it. This month, with the excuse of going to my sister’s on a visit, I took the challenge and its theme: apples, and put together a quick recipe. Just a simple recipe for my niece’s Ada afternoon snack.

Whole Rye Flour and White Wine Taralli / Taralli alla segale rotta e vino bianco

It has been quite a while since I last posted a recipe to use up sourdough leftovers, but once more my leftover jar lay in the fridge almost filled to the brim. What to do? Yes, we all do love bread thins, breadsticks and fritters but I wanted to bake something new. In the end inspiration came to me in guise of a tarallo. I still remember discovering taralli during the first year of Art School in Varese.

Food Immersion, impressions on the Festival and my first workshop! / Food Immersion, impressioni sul Festival e il mio primo workshop!

Two weeks have passed since my return from Reggio Emilia and the fantastic experience of my first baking workshop. It seems like yesterday and like centuries ago as well. I had waited so long for the festival with mixed feeling, both of anxiety and excitement, typical of new experiences. At first I didn’t even know whether I would be able to take part to it, not sure they would take me onboard despite Antonella‘s enthusiasm and good words about my work. Why would a successful Food Festival, which hosts important and interesting names in its busy busy program, include me too? And suddenly I found myself in, with all the typical mistakes beginners make and the natural contingencies that derive from them.

Maroggia’s Mill Cookbook: Caramelized Pecans Ciabattas / Il Ricettario del Mulino di Maroggia: Ciabatte alle noci pecan caramellate

This Friday for Maroggia’s Mill Cookbook I’m going back to one of my favourite bread recipes: ciabatta. Those who know me best are well aware I’ve spent whole months working on several ciabatta recipes. Yeasted, both with fresh and instant yeast, with bread flour and with buckwheat flour too, up to my special version of garlic and lemon thyme flavoured ciabatta. In short, ciabatta is one of my favourite breads ever (as well as my dear friend Flavia‘s). This time the input for the recipe came to me from a long standing acquaintance, Anna Lucylle, who already inspired me a basil flavoured bread. I met her the first time more than ten years ago, but mostly communicate with her through facebook.