Camel Milk Peppery Panna Cotta 

Ingredients

This panna cotta has a beautiful aroma, is delicate on the palate and is strangely light.

1000 ml of thickened cream

150grams of icing sugar

300ml of milk

1 pinch of salt

10grams of freshly ground pepper

1 vanilla bean / pod

6 sheets of gelatin,

30gr of lemon zest

Method

In a heavy bottomed pan add 800ml of thickened cream, the pepper, the vanilla bean sliced in half at length and the lemon zest that you have peeled off the lemon trying to avoid has much white as possible. Simmer until it has reduced by about a centimeter and lower the heat, in a small pot, warm the milk and then pour it over the gelatin, leave to soften. Whisk the icing sugar and the remaining cream to form soft peaks, add the gelatin and the milk to the mix on the stove and then fold in the whisked cream, strain with a sieve and remove all the beans from the vanilla and discard the rest. Pour into moulds and let sit for at least 3 hours.

 A Twist of Lime

Ingredients for 4 pax

Chicken                                                                                                                                                                                                                       4 large chicken thighs, skin on boneless                                                                                                                                                            salt / pepper / dry chilli (optional)

Curry Sauce                                                                                                                                                                                                                   10gr of fresh ginger
2 fresh red chillies
kaffir lime leaves
50gr of fresh coriander
4 cloves of garlic
1 small stalk of lemongrass
a small bunch of spring onions
corn oil
300ml of chicken stock
200gr of green peas                                                                                                                                                                                                   200gr of small diced potatoes                                                                                                                                                                                   100gr of cherry tomatoes cut in half
400ml of coconut milk
lime juice
soy sauce

Wokinslaw                                                                                                                                                                                                                           50gr of white radishes
50gr of red onion sliced thinly                                                                                                                                                                                     50gr of thinly sliced carrot                                                                                                                                                                                               50gr of red cabbage                                                                                                                                                                                                              10gr of coriander fresh                                                                                                                                                                                                      10gr of basil fresh                                                                                                                                                                                                                30gr of thinly sliced spring onion
1 fresh red chilli sliced thinly
15ml fresh lime juice
5ml sesame oil

Noodles                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  300gr of Rice noodles

Method

Crispy Chicken…..Place the chicken thighs in a large bowl and season well with coarse salt, pepper and a pinch of dry chilli (optional), add a little oil to a frying pan once hot, sear the chicken well on both sides, turn over every few minutes and apply a little force on it to get as crispy as possible, remove for the tray slice in equal parts and keep warm
Curry….. Place the peeled ginger with the chilli, kaffir lime leaves, most of the coriander the peeled cloves of garlic, lemongrass and spring onion and Pulse until you have a smooth paste, if it is dense add a drizzle of corn oil. Add the curry paste into a hot saucepan with a little oil and cook by stirring continuously for a few instances, once the aroma is intense add the chicken stock and cook for 5 to 7 minutes. Add the green peas. Turn up the heat under the saucepan.  Add the potatoes and cherry tomatoes, add the coconut milk, combine well. Bring to a gentle boil, check the seasoning add a dash of soya sauce and let thicken.                                                                                                                                                           Soaking the noodles…… place the noodles in a bowl deep enough to accommodate all without being too squashy, add a pinch of salt and sesame seed oil (optional) add 1 litre of boiling water and let soak for a few minutes……once they are soft, drain and place in 4 equal bowls,
Wokin Slaw….Place all the ingredients in a bowl and combine well without bruising too much, 
To Bowl up….Place some of the chicken slices on top of the noodles, add the curry sauce to cover top of the noodles but not the chicken, place a some of the Wokin slaw on top and serve at once …optional a good squeeze of lime………..

Sughetto di Pomodoro alle verdurine

Who said, cheating or lying is not good or should not be done…….well in my case, I do and I am proud of it as it is gives me great pleasure in knowing that my Creations from cheating help me feed my kids amazing meals with all the nutrients they need without fuss or silly tantrums………As most parents always find themselves fighting through the most frustrating dinner experiences with their kids because of lack of appetite!! or don’t like this!!!, it is too hot!!!! i do not like green bits, it smells funny, my friends eat chicken nuggets every night, why do i need to eat a bowl of pasta!!! why do need to eat fish, well let me tell you, being a chef has its advantages and I use my skills to, as i said, Cheat my way into their tummies.

My wife is very regimental and well organized in planning meals that cover the entire food chart because she cares, she loves them and because they need to grow healthy and strong……what can you say to that!!!!!!!!

well this a recipe that I have created to encompass a well balanced dish with lot’s of good things without them knowing and trust me Adults will love it more than the little rug rats

For the sauce

For 6 pax….

Ingredients

1000ml of Italian peeled tomato

50gr of diced white onion

50gr of diced carrot

50gr of celery

50gr of spinach frozen or 100gr fresh washed and pat dried

30gr of zucchini

30gr of cauliflower

5gr of crushed garlic

5gr of basil leaves

50gr of parmigiano cheese

50ml of olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Method

Place the olive in a pot large enough to accomodate all the ingredients and once the oil is hot but not smokey add the onion and garlic and sautee for a minute or two, add the celery, carrot and cauliflower and sautee for a furtehr 4 to 5 minutes or until very fragrant. At this stage add teh zucchini, spinach and basil and combine well, cook for a further 4 to 5 minutes ensuring all the ingredients are some how browned a little and omitting a delicate aroma. add the peeled tomato and simmer for about 30 minutes, add 1/2 of the parmigiano cheese, stir the sauce to incorporate and simmer for another 5 minutes. remove from the heat and with a hand / pulse blender, blend the sauce until a dense consistency is reached. Season well with salt and pepper and pass through a sieve, toss with their favorite pasta andserve at once….You will be amazed at the results…….for the adults garnish with a little Parmigiano and a sprinkle of chili…….Wow!!!!!!!!!! Buon Appetito

Caffe’ anyone………………….

Having lived in many hot countries I found my self enjoying an icy cold caffe’ latte more than an espresso or my beloved macchiato when out enjoying a day with my crazy little monkeys and my wife. Ice latte as it known in most parts of the world is a combination of freshly brewed espresso sweetened with the real sugar and add to a rich vanilla infused icy cold milk.

Iced latte as it known in Dubai is not dissimilar from the old Iced Coffee that you would find in Australia without the caramel or vanilla shot, purely brewed espresso and  naturally sweetened milk…..when I spent some time in the US……Louisiana I particularly enjoyed one of the best caramel infused version i have ever had the pleasure to indulge, Rich yet delicate not to make feel ill….

But when I wake up, often around the time party animals are just heading home, I start each day with a macchiato, a single shot of espresso with a teaspoon full of milk-froth….it wakes me up, it perks me up and it helps me digest the daily grind ahead

I have not  been a coffee freakazoid for years and years. To say I couldn’t live without it is not true but it gives me the tools I need to cope with a heavy load and crazy environment………….Any way let’s get back to a fantastic Iced coffee, which is a complicated thing, and there are many different approaches. One would think that one could merely pour brewed coffee into a glass full of ice and call it a day…but I find that method extremely flawed. First, no matter how packed with ice the glass is, once the hot coffee hits, some of the ice is bound to melt. This has two disastrous results:

1. The overall strength of the coffee flavor is diluted and the water disperses the flavor and it also gives you this feeling of drinking coffee flavored water.
2. The iced coffee isn’t as cold as it should be. The finished glass of iced coffee should be frigid but not iced and the best way to ensure that is to wash a glass and placing it in the freezer for few minutes, then place in the fridge…………

I normally make Italian coffee with my little Caffettiera and once the coffee is brewed, I sweeten it with sugar that has been infused with vanilla….(place two vanilla pods in the sugar container) and let it cool down, refrigerate and use as needed…….it needs to be quite sweet…….Do the same for the milk, bring 1000ml of milk and 100ml of whipping cream to a gentle simmer, remove from the heat and whisk in 30gr of sugar and 1 tablespoon of caramel…..let cool down and refrigerate…….

For the Iced latte………..add 300ml of milk to a flask with a tight fitting lid, add 45ml of your espresso and shake for 15 to 20 seconds, let it sit for 30 seconds or so then pour into your cold glass…………Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! a taste to remember

Wokin Vietnamese Chicken Salad

For 4 pax

For poaching the Chicken

Ingredients 

 400gr of chicken breast

2 cloves of garlic

10gr of ginger whole peeled

3gr of coriander seeds

1 carrot whole peeled

Salt / peppercorns /

For the salad

Ingredients

40gr of Bean sprouts

20gr of Mint leaf

60gr of fresh Tomato cut very thinly, seeds removed

5gr of fresh thinly sliced red Chili

10gr of fresh coriander

40gr of thinly sliced Celery

Dressing for the salad

 Ingredients

 30gr of Chili Red

20gr of fresh Coriander

10gr of fresh basil leaf / green or purple

10gr of garlic

50ml of fish sauce

120ml of red wine vinegar

30ml of lime juice

15gr of sugar

 Method

Place all the ingredients for poaching except the chicken in a small pot and bring to a gentle simmer, add the chicken and simmer for about 8 to 10 minutes, turn the heat off and let rest for about 5 minutes. Remove the chicken from the stock and let cool down. Once cooled slice the chicken very thinly.

For the dressing…… place all the ingredients in a large bowl and let the flavors infuse for a few hours. Strain and keep the aromatic vinaigrette

For the salad place the chicken and all the ingredients in a bowl dress with vinaigrette let marinate for a few minutes then serve by dividing in 4 equal serving bowls with fresh coriander, red chili, mint and basil

India Silvestrino……..

I met this vibrant young Athelete way back when she was born, I was standing right there when her mum, my wife delivered her. She was a bright little spark with energy to burn and a vigorous amount of stamina. On the very first day I was changing her nappy, she lifted her self off the changing table. Wow!!!!!!!!!! what strength, what determination!!! from that moment on, her enthusiasm for Athletics and running in particular was to become her forte’, at the age of 14 months old she would do 5 metre sprints in the family Room, she would lap all the supermaket isles and she would go into a frenzy when asked to do Star Jumps, I believe one day she reached 353 before we told her to stop………

She adores sports and the training associated with having to learn tecniques, she loves a challenge and thrives on competition, I remember India telling me one day after sports day….Papi, I wanted to run so fast that I imagined being a cheetah and as i was picking up speed the surroundings were like a Blur…wow!!!!! She was 20 metres behind the girl in front of her…she blitzed her and won by 30 metres…………..

One day she will become my Usain Bolt and run like the wind, but for now she is my little girl that  makes my heart melt every time she tells me….Papi, I la-lu

Horse Riding at School Jebel Ali Primary School on the oval where many medals will be fought

 A little Shy at Dubai Mall, Ice Rink………………..

Jayda Silvestrino

Jayda Silvestrino, wow!!!!!!! what can I say. She is my youngest daughter, she is the most vibrant, she is the most crazy and she does not give a rats ass about conformity or rules.

She is a wonderful spirited person with gracefulness, sincerety and most of all hard-felt love. She does not show her affection to all that embrace her but if she loves you….like she loves her sisters, her mum and me you are in for the most explosive, caring hug and kisses you have ever experienced…….

She is very gifted artistically and loves to sing and dance, she is a great admirer of clothing and shoes and already acts like a fashionista, yes a fashionista at the age of 7

She is very spontaneous and  can seriously crack you up with her one liners……she is a tripper amongst the troop.

The Star on her White Pony……………………………

Even dressed as a Pirate needs to have the Rodeo Drive Look and feel…………………………..

Curried Noodles…….delectably spicy……

Ingredients

Chicken

8 chicken thighs, skin on and bone in

salt / pepper / dry chilli (optional)

Curry Sauce

10gr of fresh ginger

2 fresh red chillies

kaffir lime leaves

50gr of fresh coriander

4 cloves of garlic

1 small stalk of lemongrass

a small bunch of spring onions

corn oil

300ml of chicken stock

200gr of green peas

200gr of small diced potatoes

100 cherry tomatoes cut in half

400ml of coconut milk

lime juice

soy sauce

Wokin Slaw

50gr of white radishes

50gr of red onion sliced thinly

50gr of thinly sliced carrot

50gr of red cabbage

10gr of coriander fresh

10gr of basil fresh

30gr of thinly sliced spring onion

1 fresh red chilli sliced thinly

15ml fresh lime juice 5ml

sesame oil

Noodles 

250g Rice noodles

Method

Crispy Chicken…..Place the chicken thighs in a large bowl and season well with coarse salt, pepper and a pinch of dry chilli (optional), add a little oil to a frying pan once hot, sear the chicken well on both sides, turn over every few minutes and apply a little force on it to get as crispy as possible, remove for the tray slice in equal parts and keep warm

Curry….. Place the peeled ginger with the chilli, kaffir lime leaves, most of the coriander the peeled cloves of garlic, lemongrass and spring onion and Pulse until you have a smooth paste, if it is dense add a drizzle of corn oil. Add the curry paste into a hot saucepan with a little oil and cook by stirring continuously for a few instances, once the aroma is intense add the chicken stock and cook for 5 to 7 minutes. Add the green peas. Turn up the heat under the saucepan. Add the potatoes and cherry tomatoes, add the coconut milk, combine well. Bring to a gentle boil, check the seasoning add a dash of soya sauce and let thicken.

Soaking the noodles…… place the noodles in a bowl deep enough to accommodate all without being too squashy, add a pinch of salt and sesame seed oil (optional) add 1 litre of boiling water and let soak for a few minutes……once they are soft, drain and place in 4 equal bowls,

Wokin Slaw….Place all the ingredients in a bowl and combine well without bruising too much, To Bowl up….Place some of the chicken slices on top of the noodles, add the curry sauce to cover top of the noodles but not the chicken, place a some of the Wokin slaw on top and serve at once …optional a good squeeze of lime………..

Ingredients for 5 pax….

30ml of olive oil

50gr of unsalted butter

1000gr of beef brisket or chuck steak

50g of all purpose plain flour

700ml of apple juice

3 large onions, thinly sliced

500ml of beef stock

10gr of Brown sugar

10ml of strong balsamic vinegar

5gr of fresh chopped rosemary

1 cinnamon stick

2gr of freshly ground nutmeg

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Method

Apart from the fact that I work and live in the Middle East (Dubai) so I hardly use alcohol when I cook, I have three small girls whom love sitting around the table and enjoy a home cooked meal. Being a Chef and a father at the same time it gives me great pleasure to cook for them things they enjoy best and I try to convene my passion and love for both, them and food through the dishes I prepare when I am at home. Beef, especially braised is one of their favourite and I try to cook a braised cut of meat whenever I have adequate time. I am a great believer in secondary cuts of meat, because if cooked correctly they will give you a fantastic finished dish. I always by the meat in one large piece and then cut it or dice it myself. This process helps me cut it as I need it and rid of excess fat. Plus it is a ritual to start the cooking process. When ever Braising always use a heavy bottom sauce pan this will help with an even distribution of heat. Add the oil and butter to the pan and whilst waiting to get hot, season the meat well, this will impart flavour at the beginning and release the flavours later during the slow cooking process. Add the meat to the pot and brown nicely. Add the onions to the pot and brown them lightly in the fat used to brown the meat. Add the rosemary, cinnamon and nutmeg and stir to combine. Remove the onions and set aside. Add the flour to the pan and stir over low heat until the resulting roux is a golden colour. Pour in the apple juice the stock, sugar and vinegar. Season to taste and bring to the boil, stir and simmer over a very low flame for 15 minutes or until slightly reduced and thickened Preheat the oven to approximately 175 degrees celsius. Place the meat and onion in the dish, Strain the sauce through a very fine sieve over the meat mixture, then cover and cook in the oven for about 2 hours or until the beef is tender and the sauce has reduced and slightly thickened even more, remove from the oven, place the meat on a chopping board and slice to the thickness desired. Place a large quenelle of potato mash in the middle of a semi deep bowl, place some brisket over it and dress with some jus

Savory Rosemary and Saffron Pancakes…………………

 Ingredients for 4 pax

 230gr whole-meal flour

120gr of gluten free flour

500ml of soya milk

5gr of rosemary fresh chopped finely

A few strands of Saffron soaked in the soya milk

3 tsp vegetable oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Oil for frying

 Method

Sieve the flours, salt and pepper into a bowl. Add the rosemary and gradually whisk in the saffron soya milk to make a smooth batter. Add the oil. Place in fridge for 30 minutes.

Using a small ladle Drop the desired amount of mixture into a frying pan containing hot oil, When one side is cooked, flip over and cook the other side.

Remove from pan and place on absorbent paper to rid of any excess oil

Grilled Mushrooms

Ingredients

200gr button mushrooms

200gr Portobello mushrooms

1 clove of garlic sliced thinly

30ml of olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

 Method

Slice the Portobello, quarter the button mushrooms, season well with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil, toss with the garlic, let marinate for 1 hour. Place on a roasting tray and roast for 7 to 8 minutes in a moderate oven 170degrees Celsius

 Sweet Pepper Marmalade

Ingredients

40ml of olive oil or 20gr of vegan margarine                                                                                                                                                     

2 red peppers sliced thinly

2 green peppers sliced thinly

2 yellow peppers sliced thinly                                                                                                                                                                                

50gr of white onion diced small

2 garlic cloves, crushed                                                                                                                                                                                              

20gr of brown sugar

2gr of red chili

5gr of fresh Basil

5gr of fresh coriander

10gr of tomato puree

150ml of orange juice

salt & pepper

Method;

Place a large frying pan on the heat and once hot, Sautee the onion with the garlic until fragrant, add the bell peppers and cook for a further 3 to 4 minutes, add the chili, brown sugar and tomato puree and cook for a further one to two minutes, add the fresh herbs, season with salt and pepper, add the juice and simmer for about 10 minutes on low heat or until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Turn the heat off and let cool for a few minutes, place ½ of the pepper jam in a blender and pulse for a few instances or until smooth, remove from the blender and fold into the remaining chunky peppers.

Serve by placing a pancake on a plate, top with some roasted mushrooms and pepper jam, place another pancake on top and repeat step…stack as high as you wish.

 Buon Appetito