Giada at Home: Family Recipes From Italy and California by Giada de Laurentiis Page B
Book: Giada at Home: Family Recipes From Italy and California by Giada de Laurentiis
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Authors: Giada de Laurentiis
Tags: Reference, Non-Fiction
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Gruyère cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil, for drizzling
Place an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F.
Arrange the pancetta slices in a single layer on two rimmed baking sheets. Bake until crisp, 10 to 12 minutes. Set aside to cool. Crumble the pancetta.
Lower the oven temperature to 350°F. Butter an 8 × 8-inch baking dish. Set aside.
Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the cauliflower and cook for 2 minutes. Drain well in a colander for about 5 minutes.
In a large nonstick skillet, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the bread crumbs and cook, stirring constantly, until all the butter has been absorbed and the bread crumbs are toasted, 1 to 2 minutes.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the cream and flour. Add the cauliflower, capers, pancetta, and ½ cup of the Gruyère cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the cauliflower mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with the bread crumbs and the remaining ½ cup cheese. Drizzle with olive oil.
Bake the gratinata for 35 to 40 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the top is golden brown.
Poached Pears in Honey, Ginger, and Cinnamon Syrup
Ricotta with Vanilla-Sugar Croutons and Berry Syrup
Espresso Chip Meringues
Apricot and Nut Cookies with Amaretto Icing
Espresso Caramel Bars
Cranberry Cornmeal Cake
White Chocolate–Dipped Almond and Lemon Biscotti
Raspberry Pound Cake with Vin Santo Cream
Chocolate Rice Pudding
Lemon Hazelnut Tiramisù
Limoncello Granita
Chocolate Honey Almond Tart
Pomegranate and Mint Sorbet
There is more to Italian desserts than gelato and biscotti. Generally, the desserts vary by region, with those served in the north tending to be more creamy and heavy, while those found in southern Italy are generally fruit-based and a little lighter. Many of them aren’t all that sweet; Cranberry Cornmeal Cake could easily be served as an afternoon pick-me-up and Poached Pears in Honey, Ginger, and Cinnamon Syrup as a nice, simple finale for a holiday meal. But though the Italian repertoire of desserts isn’t huge, there are a few classics, such as Limoncello Granita and Apricot and Nut Cookies with Amaretto Icing , that are deservedly well-loved, and I hope you’ll try them.
Because I love dessert so much, however, I couldn’t resist tinkering with some of these old standbys, jazzing them up with the addition of unexpected flavors. If I do say so myself, I think many of these are even better than the originals. Adding lots of fresh lemon to tiramisù makes it light as a feather and twice as refreshing, and combining pomegranate and mint in a sorbet—not so different from an Italiangranita—makes the perfect, palate-cleansing finish to a heavy meal. Italians often use honey in their baked goods, and I do, too. When it’s added to chocolate in my Chocolate Honey Almond Tart , it satisfies the cravings of any chocoholic—including me. It’s sweet and always leaves a smile on my face, which as far as I’m concerned is really the whole point of any good dessert, isn’t it?
Poached Pears in Honey, Ginger, and Cinnamon Syrup
Moscato is not well known in this country, but this sweet, fizzy wine is very often served at the end of Italian meals along with dessert or just some cheese and fruit. Here I use it to poach beautiful whole pears; the cinnamon poaching liquid is then reduced to a syrup. It’s the perfect ending to a Thanksgiving dinner because it’s not too sweet or too heavy, and it’s absolutely gorgeous on the plate—not to mention how it fills the whole house with holiday fragrance. Serve flutes of chilled Moscato alongside for a very elegant finish to a fancy meal.
1½
cups sugar
1
(750 ml) bottle Moscato wine or other sweet dessert wine
2
cinnamon sticks
2
tablespoons honey
1
(¾-inch) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1
vanilla bean, split lengthwise
6
small, firm, ripe Anjou or Bosc
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil, for drizzling
Place an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F.
Arrange the pancetta slices in a single layer on two rimmed baking sheets. Bake until crisp, 10 to 12 minutes. Set aside to cool. Crumble the pancetta.
Lower the oven temperature to 350°F. Butter an 8 × 8-inch baking dish. Set aside.
Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the cauliflower and cook for 2 minutes. Drain well in a colander for about 5 minutes.
In a large nonstick skillet, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the bread crumbs and cook, stirring constantly, until all the butter has been absorbed and the bread crumbs are toasted, 1 to 2 minutes.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the cream and flour. Add the cauliflower, capers, pancetta, and ½ cup of the Gruyère cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the cauliflower mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with the bread crumbs and the remaining ½ cup cheese. Drizzle with olive oil.
Bake the gratinata for 35 to 40 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the top is golden brown.
Poached Pears in Honey, Ginger, and Cinnamon Syrup
Ricotta with Vanilla-Sugar Croutons and Berry Syrup
Espresso Chip Meringues
Apricot and Nut Cookies with Amaretto Icing
Espresso Caramel Bars
Cranberry Cornmeal Cake
White Chocolate–Dipped Almond and Lemon Biscotti
Raspberry Pound Cake with Vin Santo Cream
Chocolate Rice Pudding
Lemon Hazelnut Tiramisù
Limoncello Granita
Chocolate Honey Almond Tart
Pomegranate and Mint Sorbet
There is more to Italian desserts than gelato and biscotti. Generally, the desserts vary by region, with those served in the north tending to be more creamy and heavy, while those found in southern Italy are generally fruit-based and a little lighter. Many of them aren’t all that sweet; Cranberry Cornmeal Cake could easily be served as an afternoon pick-me-up and Poached Pears in Honey, Ginger, and Cinnamon Syrup as a nice, simple finale for a holiday meal. But though the Italian repertoire of desserts isn’t huge, there are a few classics, such as Limoncello Granita and Apricot and Nut Cookies with Amaretto Icing , that are deservedly well-loved, and I hope you’ll try them.
Because I love dessert so much, however, I couldn’t resist tinkering with some of these old standbys, jazzing them up with the addition of unexpected flavors. If I do say so myself, I think many of these are even better than the originals. Adding lots of fresh lemon to tiramisù makes it light as a feather and twice as refreshing, and combining pomegranate and mint in a sorbet—not so different from an Italiangranita—makes the perfect, palate-cleansing finish to a heavy meal. Italians often use honey in their baked goods, and I do, too. When it’s added to chocolate in my Chocolate Honey Almond Tart , it satisfies the cravings of any chocoholic—including me. It’s sweet and always leaves a smile on my face, which as far as I’m concerned is really the whole point of any good dessert, isn’t it?
Poached Pears in Honey, Ginger, and Cinnamon Syrup
Moscato is not well known in this country, but this sweet, fizzy wine is very often served at the end of Italian meals along with dessert or just some cheese and fruit. Here I use it to poach beautiful whole pears; the cinnamon poaching liquid is then reduced to a syrup. It’s the perfect ending to a Thanksgiving dinner because it’s not too sweet or too heavy, and it’s absolutely gorgeous on the plate—not to mention how it fills the whole house with holiday fragrance. Serve flutes of chilled Moscato alongside for a very elegant finish to a fancy meal.
1½
cups sugar
1
(750 ml) bottle Moscato wine or other sweet dessert wine
2
cinnamon sticks
2
tablespoons honey
1
(¾-inch) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1
vanilla bean, split lengthwise
6
small, firm, ripe Anjou or Bosc
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