MTC Challenge: Onigiri filled with Courgette Jam wrapped in Apple “seaweed” / MTC Challenge: Onigiri dolci con marmellata di zucchine e “alga” di mela

It seems like ages since the last MTC Challenge, with the epic Piada Menu challenge. Such a long time that I almost forgot that in September it would all start again. And, like every month, anxiety sets in. This month not a recipe to be reinterpreted but an ingredient, as it was for the legendary chestnut challenge (remember my ravioli?) thrown by Serena, aka Miss Pici. This month Acquaviva challenged us with rice. She restricted our choice to three methods of rice cooking, which she illustrated in a very thorough post on the subject.

Ravioli with ricotta and zucchini with olive oil, lemon and wild fennel emulsion / Ravioli alla ricotta e zucchine con emulsione di olio evo, limone e finocchietto

It has been was quite a while since I last made pasta from scratch, and it’s just the second time I do some stuffed pasta for the blog. Not having any finely ground semolina (like the wonderful friscello speciale from Maroggia ‘s Mill), which unfortunately was to be found infested by moths on my return from vacation, I opted for normal semolina. Unthinkable, with my back bruised from the accident Copenhagen, going to the Mill to pick up the usual pack of 5 kilos. As a result I liked it. You will not feel much difference from the usual pasta, maybe yes it is a bit unrefined compared to the other version, but I quite like a rustic touch! The filling is very delicate and fresh, especially if you find the time to make ricotta at home as I did. What can I say, I should do it more often! It is worth taking the time to knead, roll out the dough to the thickness that suits you best, and prepare a stuffing from A to Z. What a satisfaction! And you, what are you waiting for? Try out for yourself and let me know what you think about it!

Living on my own: Vegetable and Spices Latkes / Living on my own: Latkes di verdure speziati

A food blogger eats consciously: five a day, proper amount of protein, an eye on carbs just not to over do it, even if bread baking obsessed. Reasonably a food blogger does not smoke, the tongue is a special tool that must be quite respected. I have been recently told so, as the urge for a cigarette hit me and I simply asked one to the quite shocked interlocutor. “Never I had thought you’d smoked, isn’t it bad for your sense of taste?”. Well I do not smoke that much, simply it’s hard to resist the sensual and tempting aroma when someone around me is dragging on a fag. And besides I hate clichés.

Twelve Loaves: Courgette, feta, honey and sesame seeds pull-apart bread / Twelve Loaves: Pane da strappare con zucchine, feta, miele e semi di sesamo

Last month has been quite hectic…attending Food Blogger Connect Conference was quite tiring and it took me a few days to recuperate my energy, then trying to put together the lessons learned at the conference (I am still struggling, I admit, especially geek wise) writing a couple of advertorials and working on other projects. So stressed out I completely forgot about Twelve Loaves. I could have dropped out just for this month but the theme, Summer Fun, immediately triggered something in me. Summer, sun, sea. My memory has taken a leap back in time, an Olympic jump to twenty years ago.

MTC Challenge: Piadina Romagnola

This month’s MTC Challenge was a massacre for me…never underestimate what a flatbread can do to your brain. Tiziana (last month’s winner) requested not one but 5 recipes. Yes 5 recipes, and obviously I had to come up with something different, an attitude I have always had and which eventually turns up against me like in this case.

Maroggia’s Mill Cookbook: Pizza with zucchini, lemon zest and mint / Il Ricettario del Mulino di Maroggia: Pizza con zucchine, scorza di limone e menta

Pizza is one of my fixations. The ones who know the baking world are well aware of how this recipe can cause insomnia, stress and nervous breakdowns. Whether it is baked in a pan or the classic round neapolitan pizza shape it doesn’t matter, both variants need some knowledge to come out of the oven as true masterpieces. I don’t recall confessing it, but my infatuation with sourdough started with an obsessive search for the perfect pizza, which began three years ago and perhaps has now come to an end at last.