To understand Italian cooking, you need to actually step inside the Italian kitchen. French cook and writer Mimi Thorisson provides the perfect guidance.
The author of Old World Italian : Recipes and Secrets from Our Travels in Italy , Thorisson shares her traveling experiences in Italy—one recipe at a time
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Just before the reality check or returning to school we had this wonderful weekend getaway at one of our favourite places on earth with some of the best people we know. Delicious food and wine, friendship, maybe the best time of year, when everything is still possible and the thought of summer winding down makes you treasure it even more. We have spent so many good days @tenutailpalazzasso , we shot part of our the new cookbook, Old World Italian – OUT TOMORROW, at this beautiful property and my lovely friend Chicca shared one of our favourite recipes, the delicious tortino della valle Grana, poached pears with radicchio and Castelmagno cheese. Bringing the book to her was a joy, almost as if the book was coming back home . Grazie Chicca and Andrea! ❤️#oldworlditaliancookbook #cuneo #tenutapalazzasso ps: Wearing the most stunning handcrafted Padmini kaftan by @tablaofficial designed by my dearest friend @taniamohan ❤️❤️
A post shared by Mimi Thorisson (@mimithor) on Sep 14, 2020 at 6:20am PDT
“Italy has been like our second home,” relayed Thorisson in an interview with La Cucina Italiana . “For holidays at first for the last 16 years with my husband, but also before when I was small with my family. Of course, we love the food, and over the years we’ve just made so many friends and worked and collaborated with different chefs and people in the food industry and farmers. Every time we went, I started doing projects and we found ourselves in Italy more and more.”
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This polenta, olive oil and sage cake has become my family’s favorite treat. I am delighted to team up with @furtunaskin, we will be cooking together and sharing this recipe step by step today at 11am EST / 5pm CET time. One of their star ingredients is olive oil, which is also the star in the recipe, making everything extra delicious, rich and flavorful. It has truly been a joy to discover their organic Sicilian @bonafurtunafarm from Corleone, celebrating all good things like biodiversity and sustainable farming. I have a special love for Sicily, a land so untouched and full of history. @furtunaskin will also be hosting a giveaway with their made-in-italy #FurtunaSkin products & my new cookbook, Old World Italian. I hope you will enjoy this cooking session, so tune in! For the recipe, you will need: A round cake pan 8 or 9-inch/ 20/22 cm Preheat oven 400F/200C 110g plain flour 170g polenta 240ml milk 180ml Bona Furtuna Extra Virgin Olive Oil 70g breadcrumbs 1 tbsp of baking powder 1 tbsp of sugar 3 tablespoons of fresh chopped sage, plus 5 leaves to decorate 4 shallots, finely chopped A pinch of salt and black pepper 120g grated Parmigiano 2 eggs, beaten Olive oil for frying #instalive #cooking #bonafurtunafarm #giveaway #furtunapartner
A post shared by Mimi Thorisson (@mimithor) on Sep 20, 2020 at 6:19am PDT
Spanning 100 recipes, her book dives into Italy’s diverse regional cuisines—exploring anywhere from Tuscany and Umbria to Naples. Each recipe is accompanied by a beautiful photograph, sharing a snippet from Thorisson’s travels with her husband and children.
With a background in French cooking, Thorisson acknowledges the difference between the two cuisines. “In Italy, first and foremost, the ceremonial making of pastas is already very unique compared to France,” she notes. “Just the whole art of making pasta for me was very important and very different for me. But you know, French people they fetishize food but in Italy, it’s all about family. It’s cooking for the family. It’s a celebration.”
Recipes include polenta, olive oil and sage cake, as well as a version of Bolognian Tortellini. Step inside the Italian kitchen.
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I have decided that the Tourin à l’ail, a delicious and nutritious garlic soup from the South of France, is the ‘it’ soup to make this season. Not only will it protect your health, but did you know that garlic was also an aphrodisiac? 🙈😄 The original recipe was lovingly given by my late grandmother Séraphine & it is in my book ‘A Kitchen in France’, and I am sharing the recipe here today. Recipe: Tourin à l’ail/ Garlic soup 1 whole head of garlic + 2 garlic cloves to fry/sprinkle, finely sliced 1 onion, finely diced 2 tbsp duck fat (alternatively olive oil) 1 tbsp plain flour 2 eggs (separated) A few sprigs of thyme 1 tbsp xérès vinegar (or classic wine vinegar) 1.2 liters/ chicken stock Sea-salt & black pepper for seasoning Some like to add a bit of cream. In a large pot, melt duck fat (or olive oil) and fry the onion for 2 minutes. Add the peeled/ sliced head of garlic and continue frying for 2 more minutes. The onion & garlic must not brown. Add flour, stir and pour the chicken stock in the pot. Bring to a soft boil, season with salt and pepper, add sprigs of thyme. Cover and leave to simmer for 20 minutes. In a small frying pan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil and fry sliced garlic until golden and slightly crispy. Drain on paper towel and set aside. Purée soup using a hand blender, or in batches in a regular blender. Return soup to pot and switch on medium heat. Separate eggs. Beat the egg whites in a small bowl and whisk continuously into the soup. You should see thin strands in the soup. Take immediately off the heat. Whisk egg yolks with vinegar and dilute mixture into the soup, stir constantly to avoid any curdling. Sprinkle with fried garlic and drizzle with a few drops of olive oil (optional). Serve immediately with thinly toasted bread (I drizzle olive oil on baguette/ toast and grill for a few seconds or until golden.
A post shared by Mimi Thorisson (@mimithor) on Mar 18, 2020 at 2:58am PDT
