Some snaps I got on my trip to Cesena last week (click an image to open gallery), got some more to put up soon. Next posts should be some recipes and ideas I picked up in my time spent in this beautiful part of the world.
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Gnocchi de papa, salsa de jitomate, ricota salata | Potato gnocchi, tomato and ricotta salata. I'm not the biggest fan of making gnocchi - they seem to take forever to make and I have a constant fear that I haven't put enough flour in, with no idea until it's too late. But the resulting little clouds are worth it. A good tip I read is to boil the gnocchi (scoop out as soon as they rise to surface) and then toss with a bit of olive oil in a bowl (like really bad cooking advice for pasta tells you to do!). This allows you to boil a small amount at a time (key for not overcooking) and also cooked is the best way to freeze them - just toss them in a sauce then to reheat. They'll still meld with the sauce (unlike pasta that's been tossed in oil - more porous surface maybe) and you can then do a decent sized batch to maximise your time investment.
Apio braseado con cebollita morada, jitomates, vinagre y miel, cilantro criollo, ricotta salado, focaccia de ajonjoli | Braised celery 'caponata style' with local ricotta salata and sesame focaccia from my talented friend @rrivera_r @fortebreadcoffee - go check them. Ricotta salata from @bonfilio_rancho4encinos who easily makes the best cheese I've tried here, all with regenerative agriculture practices. ...
Anyone else have doubts as to how much cheese to grate on for photos? How much you want on, or enough to see what's below... lucky this dish not much of a looker 😏.
Nieve de mamey | mamey sorbet.
Brought this amazing fruit back from the tropical Quintana Roo coast, where the house we stayed in had two huge trees and if it rained at night they'd come thudding down on the roof. They have a lot more flavour and colour than the ones that arrive here in the city. Perfect for just scooping out with a spoon (which its tough outside also lends well to), but also easy to preserve for even longer in frozen form.
I wanted to do an ice cream with these but they're so fatty (think avocado texture) that with just a simple sorbet procedure the texture has come out like a super smooth gelato anyway and the fruitiness still shines. ....
For about 600g of mamey flesh: 130g sugar, 250 water, juice and zest of 2 limes.
Make a simple syrup and let cool with the zest added. Blend with the mamey flesh and lime juice. Strain and cool before freezing in a machine.
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Nieve de guayaba y piloncillo / guava and raw sugar cane sorbet. I just want to have a little ice cream truck dedicated to capturing the ridiculous tropical flavours here. This is a @lagrottaices recipe, who always manages to reproduce the truest tastes.
Crema fría de betabel dorado y miso con sus hojas y semillas de girasol fritas / Chilled golden beet and miso soup, fried sunflower seeds and beet tops. On the floor in the hallway of my block of flats 👍
Helado de ciruela criolla con ciruelas y cardamomo / plum ice cream and cardamom plums. Continue to be inspired by the ridiculous produce here. This pre-hispanic plum variety has the best tart- to sweetness ratio.
Great pictures. My favourite’s the clothesline shot.
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Aww lovely! 🙂
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