insalata russa rossa (pink potato salad)
I love it when I contact someone I interviewed in Italy to ask for recipe inspiration, and they hand me a gem wrapped up in their own family history. This insanely pink salad has been a Christmas tradition for 3 generations in the family of Silvio Berlusconi’s image consultant. Presumably she never suggested that Italy’s flamboyant former Prime Minister should wear a beetroot coloured tie. It may have clashed somewhat with his slightly, er, orange complexion. However this unusual but simple dish is a perfect accompaniment to cold meats such as ham and turkey. It’s really easy to make for a large number of people and is a fantastic quick meal for kids who are of course intrigued by the colour. Pink isn’t just for girls.
Read Morecoppette di nutella e ricotta (nutella and ricotta tartlets)
This idea was inspired by an Italian dad I interviewed who once told me he would make a very simple ricotta and Nutella pudding for his kids when left in charge. I’m assuming he’d cook something savoury first, but who knows. At least ricotta has calcium I guess. Anyhow, I remembered this when I began making mince pies today. My daughter reminded me she hates the ‘pippy bits’, by which she means the mincemeat. So I thought I’d experiment by using this Nutella and ricotta mixture in little open tartlets. When baked, the chocolate is light and fluffy with a gently crackled top. These slightly alternative mince pies went down a treat. With everyone. Hope you like them too.
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