Sgroppino al Limone

This is what all the old ladies drink in Veneto on a hot summer day. But I think the perfect palate cleanser for a long, heavy meal in the middle of winter!

2 cups lemon gelato, softened

1/3 cup prosecco

2 tblsp vodka

zest of lemon

1. chill champagne flutes
2. get or make lemon gelato (juice of lemon and cream but no egg); make sure to discard the lemon peel to exclude the bitter pith
3. put ice cream into a pitcher, whisk until smooth
4. gradually whisk in vodka and prosecco (don't use blender or whisk too much as mixture will become to liquid)
5. serve immediately into flutes, sprinkle lemon zest on top

Munich Observations

Some of the best German food I've had on this recent trip. A rekindled fondness for sauerbraten! These are a couple of finds, by no means off the beaten path.

• Spatenhaus An Der Oper: two visits, each time equally good. Standout was the sauerbraten, served with potato balls, and a side of cucumber salad. I am now determined to make this dish part of my repertoire. Maybe with Mrs. Bornt's help?
• Nurnberger Bratwurst Glockl am Dom: the Nurnberger Rostbratwurste were the best I've ever had, grilled over a roaring fire. These were served with a classic potato salad and perfectly prepared sauerkraut. Their Augustiner Hell com Fass was the perfect accompaniment to wash it all down, hailing from a 500 year old barrel.
• Bar Centrale: cozy haunt for afternoon coffee and cake, or after dinner drink.
• Kranz: hipster hang for coffee and cake, in Glockenbachviertel.

Burrata & Onion Compote

An unexpected combination, surprisingly tasty! But this would never fly in Puglia.

burrata

red onion compote

toasted hazelnuts

EVOO

maldon sea salt

micro herbs (basil, watercress etc)

red onion compote

red onions, sliced with a mandolin

sugar

butter

red wine vinegar

S&P

1. make red onion compote using ingredients, let cool
2. break up burrata so that it is spread nicely over a plate
3. place a few tblsp of onion compote haphazardly on the burrata
4. break hazelnuts into relatively large chunks, sprinkle over burrata
5. drizzle a bit of EVOO, sprinkle salt over dish

Treviso & Assaggio Risotto

A lovely risotto to huddle over on a cold autumn day.

treviso

assaggio

red onion

Noilly Prat

risotto rice

butter

S&P

parmesan

1. make risotto with above ingredients
2. sprinkle a bit of parmesan at the end (optional)

Cotechino, Lentils & Mostarda

This is a better dish when you can avoid the vacuum packed, store shelf version and source a fresh sausage. Or make it yourself.

cotechino

lentils

home-made chicken stock

EVOO

mostarda

1. warm cotechino through
2. soak lentils over night; boil until al dente
3. saute garlic, onion, shallots, saute lentils adding stock to loosen up if necessary
4. cut a few slices of cotechino and put onto a plate with lentils and mostarda on the side; drizzle with EVOO

Salt Crust Sea Bream

Nothing novel here, but I loved the way the chef at Boca de Lupo made this look so easy, which it is. I especially like the use of a bog standard (not necessarily deep) stainless steel tray to bake the fish.

sea bream (or sea bass)

rock salt

rucola

EVOO

white balsamic vinegar

S&P

1. set oven at 250 c
2. in a relatively shallow stainless steel platter big enough to hold the fish, pour a layer of salt on which to place the fish; cover fish with more salt so that everything is covered except the head and tip of the tail
3. cook 13-15 minutes for a normal size fish
4. take out of oven, let sit 5-10 minutes
5. tap on salt crust with back of a big knife
6. remove salt, place fish on a cutting board
7. with a spoon, lift skin off the shoulder (just beneath the head where filet begins) and peel off; repeat for other side
8. very importantly, trim the back of the fish so that there are no little bones left, vertebrae is gone
9. serve with head and tail still on
10. dress rucola with EVOO, vinegar, S&P

London Italian Picks

We aren't that spoiled for choice in London. Here are my favorites, in order.

• River Cafe: simple but sublime and consistently good
• Bocca di Lupo: the menu is a great survey of Italy's best dishes, best to sit at the bar; pasta needs to be cooked to order
• Zucca: Bermondsey location makes it an exciting destination, high quality but reasonably-priced food
• Tinello: a Locatelli venture, more exciting than the mother ship
• La Famiglia: the food is fun, but the ambiance even better
• Anima: uncool crowd, cold ambiance but skilled kitchen and friendly service offset