We are back with Barilla US Chef Assistant Yury Krasilovski for another exclusive cooking demo for our Italian Food Lovers blog!

Chef Krasilovski today will prepare another recipe sent by Giada De Laurentiis, who is staring experimenting new recipes using her new Italian gourmet food product line, Giada De Laurentiis Selected by Academia Barilla.

Giada last week proposed an interesting dish, Giada’s Balsamic Chicken Drumettes, where she used her new Giada’s Balsamic Vinegar, while this week Giada sent us a new recipe where she uses her new Giada’s Tuscan herb Mix, alongside Academia Barilla’s Parmigiano Reggiano: Giada’s Parmesan Popovers.

Are you ready? Let’s go to the kitchen with Chef Iuri Krasilovski.

GIADA’S PARMESAN POPOVERS
A recipe by Giada De Laurentiis
(makes 6-8 servings)

INGREDIENTS

- 3 eggs
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon Giada’s Tuscan Herb Mix
- 4 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves
- 1 cup whole milk
- 3/4 cup grated Academia Barilla Parmesan (about 5 ounces)

PREPARATION 

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. In a blender, combine eggs, flour, salt, pepper, Giada’s Tuscan Herb Mix, milk, and cheese.  Blend on medium speed.  

Spray a mini-muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.  Pour the batter into the muffin cups, filling each cup 3/4 full.  Bake until puffed and golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove popovers from muffin tin and cool on a wire rack.

Thank you Giada for this interesting recipe, and again thank you also to Chef Yury Krasilovski for his step-by-step guidance in showing us how to prepare the dish.

As we announced earlier, Italian Chef and TV celebrity Giada De Laurentiis sent us a couple of recipes made using ingredients from her new Giada De Laurentiis Selected by Academia Barilla gourmet product line.

We remind you that the products from the Giada De Laurentiis Selected by Academia Barilla food line are now available nationwide in the United States at gourmet and specialty food stores as well as at some of the biggest food market chains - and of course at the Academia Barilla online store.

Here we go with the first one of Giada’s recipes: Giada’s Balsamic Chicken Drumettes. The recipe has been performed by Barilla USA Chef Assistant Yury Krasilovski, which we thank also for sending us pictures of the preparation step!

GIADA’S BALSAMIC CHICKEN DRUMETTES
A recipe by Giada De Laurentiis
(makes 4 to 6 servings)

INGREDIENTS 

- 1/2 cup Giada’s Balsamic Vinegar
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 5 sprigs of rosemary
- 5 cloves garlic, halved
- 10 to 12 chicken drumsticks
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

PREPARATION

Combine the balsamic vinegar, honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, rosemary sprigs, and garlic cloves in a large, re-sealable plastic bag.  Shake and squeeze the contents of the bag to dissolve the honey and the brown sugar.  Add the chicken drumsticks to the bag and seal with as little air as possible in the bag.  Place in the refrigerator and marinate for 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Place the chicken drumsticks on a foil-lined baking sheet.  Bake until the skin is caramelized and very dark in spots, about 30 to 35 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the marinade in a small saucepan.  Bring the marinade to a boil (in order to kill bacteria).  Reduce the heat to simmer and cook over low heat until thick, about 15 minutes; reserve.  

Brush some of the cooked marinade on the cooked chicken.  Place the chicken on a serving platter.  Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and the chopped parsley.

NOTES AND CHEF TIPS FROM GIADA

I like the subtle rosemary and garlic flavors.  Brushing the cooked drumettes with the reduced marinade helps the flavors along.  Also, re-moistening helps the parsley and the seeds to adhere.

Thank you very much Giada for sharing with us this great recipe and your final Chef tips, and thanks also to Barilla US Chef Assistant Yury Krasilovski for the exclusive cooking demo for our Italian Food Lovers blog!

We will meet again Chef Krasilovski next week with another step-by-step preparation of another recipe from Giada De Laurentiis: Giada’s Parmesan Popovers.

Stay tuned!

We are late with this recipe since we promised you, as well as Chef Tony Mantuano and wine expert Cathy Mantuano, our new guests at the Italian Food Lovers Chef Network, that this recipe would have been published last week, only that we have been really busy traveling around the world here at the Academia Barilla blog editorial team.

After the PKN conference in Parma, we had to head to NY for a big event - no anticipations about it, we’ll blog about it later!

Now it is finally time for the first recipe provided by Chef Tony Mantuano of Spiaggia, the top Italian restaurants and cafe in Chicago, Illinois. Wine expert Cathy Mantuano also sent us a great recipe for a classic Italian cocktail, so today you finally get both recipes! Here we go with the first one.

CRISPY PARMIGIANO FLATBREAD
A recipe by Chef Tony Mantuano
(makes 16 large pieces)

NOTES AND TIPS FROM THE CHEF

This cheesy flatbread is so satisfyingly crunchy and easy to make that you will want to bake it regularly. We recommend using a manual or electric pasta machine to roll out the dough for these crispy, paper-thin treats. Using a rolling pin will yield slightly thicker results. After just one bite you will understand why this is one of the most sought-after recipes in our restaurants.

INGREDIENTS

- 2 envelopes active dry yeast

- 11⁄2 cups warm water

- 2 tablespoons Academia Barilla extra virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing

- 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

- 2 cups freshly grated Academia Barilla Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- 1 teaspoon sea salt


PREPARATION

Combine the yeast and warm water in a small bowl and let sit until bubbly, about 5 minutes. Stir in the olive oil.

Put the flour and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook or in a large bowl. Pour in the yeast mixture and mix on low speed or with your hands until the water is absorbed and a shaggy dough is formed.

Knead the dough on a lightly floured board until the dough is uniform and smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. It will be slightly sticky.


Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces and shape into balls. Dust with flour and place on a floured cookie sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.


Preheat the oven to 425°F. 
Have ready 2 nonstick cookie sheets or grease regular cookie sheets with olive oil.
 Working with one dough ball at a time (cover the remaining dough with a moist kitchen towel until ready to use), dust the ball with flour and flatten with your hand.

Cut the dough in half and roll half the dough through a pasta machine with the rollers set midway apart. Dust the dough with flour if it becomes sticky. Reduce the space between the rollers one setting at a time until you have reached the last setting and the dough is a smooth, thin sheet.

Transfer to a cutting board and cut in half on an angle into large pieces so that 2 will fit on a cookie sheet. The pieces should each be approximately 4 inches wide and 12 inches long. Roll and cut the remaining half in the same manner as the first.

Place the rolled dough on the cookie sheets. Brush lightly with olive oil, sprinkle with about a quarter of the cheese, and bake until golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool on a rack before serving.

Repeat this process with the rest of the dough balls, rolling and baking until all the dough is used. Stored in an airtight container, the flatbread will keep for up to 2 days.


Buon appetito from Chef Tony Mantuano, Academia Barilla and Italian Food Lovers!

Please see next blog post for Wine expert Cathy Mantuano’s recipe.

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Welcome back to the Italian Food Lovers Chef Network! Today our Guest Chef Doug D’Avico from Trattoria N. 10 in Chicago, shares with us another gourmet recipe: Polenta with Ragu of Crayfish, Tomatoes and Curry.

As you might remember, Chef D’Avico’s favorite food is seafood, so it was no surprise that he sent us this fish gourmet creation, after sharing with us the recipe for a mouthwatering Octopus Carpaccio.

We are also very curious to taste Chef D’Avico’s gourmet twist in Italian cuisine, due to the strong and spicy presence of curry in a traditional Italian dish such as polenta, a classic alternative to pasta from Northern Italy, made of boiled cornmeal.

Are you ready for cooking? You can print this recipe or take your laptop to the kitchen, here we go!

POLENTA WITH RAGU OF CRAYFISH, TOMATOES AND CURRY
A recipe by Chef Doug D’Avico
(serves 4-6)

INGREDIENTS
For the polenta:

- 1/2 cup organic course ground corn meal
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 3 tablespoon Academia Barilla 100% Italian organic extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup grated Academia Barilla Parmigiano Reggiano

For the sauce:

- 1 lb. cleaned and cooked crayfish tails
- 4 oz. fresh corn kernels, cut off the cob or use frozen
- 4 oz. pancetta or smoked bacon, diced small
- 1/2 small sweet onion, cleaned and thinly sliced
- 1 clove of garlic, chopped
- 1/2 cup dry white Wine
- 1/2 tablespoon curry powder
- 28 oz. can Academia Barilla Peeled Cherry Tomatoes
- 2 tablespoon butter
- kosher salt, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- crush red chili flakes, just a pinch
- marjoram leaves, for garnish

PREPARATION

First start the polenta, bring the water and chicken stock to a boil. While constantly stirring, slowly add the polenta to the boiling liquid, this way you will not form any lumps. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Be careful as to not splat the hot liquid as it could cause a severe burn.

You will have to stir often so that the polenta cooks evenly and to prevent it from burning on the bottom of the pot. The polenta will take around 45 minuets and will be finished when the polenta has the consistency of oatmeal.

Next add the olive oil and Parmigiano, season to taste with salt and pepper. Drizzle a little bit of oil on top so a skin does not form and cover till ready to serve.

While you are making the polenta you can start the ragu. In a 2 quarter sauce pan, render out the pancetta until it starts to brown. Drain off half of the fat and add the garlic and onions. Using a med heat you are going to brown the onion to form the sauce without burning them.

After the onions are browned, add the curry and the white wine. Bring to a boil and reduce the wine by a third.

Crush the tomatoes with your hands and add to the sauce, add the corn, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and stir then cook until the sauce reduces by a third or is about the consistency of a tomato sauce. Make sure you are stirring the sauce often so that nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan and burns.

When the sauce is at the right consistency add the butter and season with salt and pepper to taste. At this point you can adjust the curry taste or add a small pinch of crushed red chilies and add the crayfish. Bring to a boil to heat the crayfish check the flavor one more time and simmer for 2-3 minuets and then get ready to serve.

To serve, make sure your polenta is still warm by stirring in the oil on top and rechecking your seasoning. Divide between the serving plates and then spoon the ragu over the polenta. Garnish with some fresh marjoram leaves and serve.

Buon Appetito from Chef Doug D’Avico, Academia Barilla, and Italian Food Lovers!

Thank you Chef Doug, we look forward to get other gourmet recipes and top Chef tips in the next months!

Academia Barilla Italian Culinary Specialist Costantino Cicchelli is back in Atlanta, Georgia, to share his extensive Italian gourmet knowledge with Academia Barilla partners Cook’s Warehouse in Decantur, GA for a gourmet class dedicated to “The Art of Italian Gastronomy“.

Live the life of Italian luxury through your sense of smell, sight and taste with a native Italian as your guide. Separate fact from myth as you learn how extra virgin olive oil is produced and what makes a great one. Experience the best of the best featuring extra virgin olive oils, balsamic vinegars, pecorino, Parmigiano Reggiano, Salame di Parma, and Prosciutto di Parma. Taste olive oil like the professionals by sampling 3 DOP extra virgin olive oils from different regions of Italy and learn which types of foods are complimented by each. Understand how balsamic vinegars are produced and aged, and taste the differences.

The discussion and tasting of cheeses focuses on sheep’s milk pecorino and cow’s milk Parmigiano Reggiano. Italian meats like salame and Prosciutto di Parma are cured in a natural way that enhances their flavors. When you taste these authentic products, you’ll be able to select and buy with confidence (which you can also do at our online store if you cannot make it to the Ducantur class).

Save the date (and the location): The Cook’s Warehouse and
Sherlock’s Wine Merchant in Decatur next Thursday, June 12, from 7 PM to 9 PM.
Admission is 55$. The address to the class location is 180 W. Ponce de Leon Avenue
Decatur, GA 30030, a Google Map is provided here below for your driving convenience.

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Five Chef assistants will be in the kitchen 45 minutes before class
to assist all participants with the preparation work, so try to get to the class a bit in advance.

Call
Simone Stevenson
at
The Cook’s Warehouse & Sherlock’s Wine Merchant
for more info at +1 (404) 377-4005 (Store)
or visit Cook’s Warehouse website for more info and a full schedule of culinary classes.