Fried Calamari with Skordalia

There's very little that I can add to introduce this recipe: it's pretty easy, it tastes of summer sea and the greek flavor of the skordalia will bring you right into the Mediterranean.

Skordalia is a mix of words: the greek σκόρδο (garlic) and the Italian "agliata", basically it's a sauce very similar to the Provençal aïoli and it tastes exceptionally good served together fried fish.

Ingredients (serves 4)
2 1/4 lbs. calamari, cleaned and cut into rings
1 cup durum wheat flour (semolina)
6 pints sunflower oil
1 3/8 cups beer
5 ozs. white toast bread
1/2 cup grounded almonds
6 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons red vinegar
5 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
salt
pepper

Preparation
First prepare the skordalia sauce. Soak the toast bread in water for some minutes then strain eliminating any excess liquid. Smash the garlic together with salt, vinegar. Mix to bread and puree with the help of a food processor adding olive oil and lemon juice in the meanwhile. Season with a bit of freshly grounded black pepper, cover and put in the refrigerator.
Mix together beer and semolina, whipping with a spoon until creamy. Soak the calamari rings in the mixture and fried in abundant and very boiling sunflower oil for about 4 minutes.
Serve hot together with the skordalia.

(Alessandro Guerani is a professional photographer specialized in food shooting. He lives in Bologna, Italy, and is available for assignments to create the images you always craved. Read the "About me" or contact him using the "Mail me" in the blog menu above.)

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Dijon Potato Salad

French flavor in an easy recipe, quick to prepare and totally vegetarian. What could be better for a summer lunch?

I got the idea to prepare this pretty common recipe from Martha Stewart Everyday Food and as soon as I tasted it I felt in love with it as I really adore Dijon mustard. This is one of those easy recipe that really rely on quality ingredients, so don't spare some dimes and buy the best Dijon mustard you could, it will makes the difference!

Ingredients (serves 4)
2 1/4 lbs. new potatoes
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons white vinegar
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup fresh parsley
salt
pepper

Preparation
Steam the potatoes for about 20-30 minutes, until tender. Whisk together mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper to taste and toss with it the hot potatoes. Once cooled sprinkle with olive oil, chopped parsley and some other salt and pepper to taste, toss a bit and serve.

(Alessandro Guerani is a professional photographer specialized in food shooting. He lives in Bologna, Italy, and is available for assignments to create the images you always craved. Read the "About me" or contact him using the "Mail me" in the blog menu above.)

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Cherries and Lambrusco Wine Cold Soup

It's Cherry Season at last and what could be a better way to celebrate than a recipe that mixes the taste of the best italian cherries with the red wine produced in the same zone?

Cherries from the zone around Vignola are famous throughout all Italy for their sweetness and deep flavor. In about the same zone it is cultivated another typical fruit: the red grape named Lambrusco from which the famous dry and sparkling red wine is produced. So let's mix together these two flavors to create a fresh dessert suitable also as a sorbet, being not so much sweet.

Ingredients (serves 4)
3/4 cup Lambrusco dry wine
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 lb. fresh pitted cherries plus 8 whole ones for garnish
1 tablespoon honey
4 cloves
zest of half a lemon
1 gelatin sheet (optional)

Preparation
Pour in a large saucepan 3/4 cups of water, Lambrusco wine, sugar, honey, cloves and zest and bring to boil over medium heat. Reduce then heat to minimum and cook the mixture for other 10 minutes. Remove cloves and zest and add cherries. Raise the heat again to medium and cook for 15 minutes or until cherries become very soft. Let cool then grind the mixture in a blender and sieve. If you want a less liquid soup you can blend a softened sheet of gelatin over a very low heat for a couple of minutes. Pour into cups and refrigerate for about an hour. Serve with a couple of whole cherries inside each cup.

(Alessandro Guerani is a professional photographer specialized in food shooting. He lives in Bologna, Italy, and is available for assignments to create the images you always craved. Read the "About me" or contact him using the "Mail me" in the blog menu above.)

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Ricotta Custard with Strawberries

I confess. this recipe isn't completely diet-oriented even if it's a lot more low-fat than the usual custards, but at least you can stay away from the kitchen stove and still enjoying a great dessert.

Ingredients (serves 2)
½ lb. fresh ricotta cheese
1½ cups ripe strawberries
½ cup confectioner's sugar
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon aromatic vinegard
pepper (optional)

Preparation
Dice the strawberries keeping some away for the decoration, sprinkle with two tablespoon of sugar and let rest for about a quarter hour. Whisk the ricotta together with the milk, when soft add the egg yolk and the rest of the sugar and continue to whisk till creamy. Add into the diced strawberries. Serve in cups decorated on top with the spare whole fruits soaked in aromatic vinegard. If you want to give to this dessert an unexpected twist and flavor sprinkle with a bit (just a bit) of pepper.

(Alessandro Guerani is a professional photographer specialized in food shooting. He lives in Bologna, Italy, and is available for assignments to create the images you always craved. Read the "About me" or contact him using the "Mail me" in the blog menu above.)

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Escarole Salad with Ricotta and Shallot Compote

Can a diet oriented and healthy recipe have a great taste and a quick preparation? With this salad you can have a quick low-fat single meal perfect for these hot summer days, try it!

The last 20 days I neglected a bit my blog because I had a lot of photographic work to do. In the meanwhile summer hot climate really kicked in and I didn't want to spend my time next to my kitchen stoves. So I tries to elaborate this salad recipe considering that I'm both on diet but I also really dislike the usual, bland tasting salads.

So we have low-fat ingredients like ricotta or healthy fat like uncooked extra-virgin olive oil together with some spicing up elements like shallots and pine nuts.

Ingredients (serves 2)
1 bunch of escarole
3½ oz. low-fat ricotta
3 medium sized shallots
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons aromatic vinegar
2 tablespoons red wine
1 tablespoon pine nuts
1 tablespoon basil leaves
2 tablespoons chicken or vegetable stock
1 coffespoon pepper

Preparation
First we prepare the shallot compote dicing finely the shallots and cook them into a pan together with vinegar, wine and stock until completed softened and the liquids almost dried up. If you wish you can mince the compote even more finely using a robot. Keep the compote at warm.
Cut the escarole horizontally and place on the plate together with a slice of ricotta, sprinkle with some basil leaves, some toasted pine nuts, some pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Serve together with the warm shallot compote inside a small bowl.

(Alessandro Guerani is a professional photographer specialized in food shooting. He lives in Bologna, Italy, and is available for assignments to create the images you always craved. Read the "About me" or contact him using the "Mail me" in the blog menu above.)

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