Speaking of Languages…Menu 1.

• 250g. fusilli
• 1/2 kg. (or one head) cauliflower
• 1/2 chopped red onion
• 2 anchovy fillets
• 2 tblspns. pine nuts
• 2 tblspns. currents
• 1/4 tspn. saffron
• salt, pepper, extra virgin olive oil

• Serve with toasted breadcrumbs for a wonderful crunchy contrast.

• 500g. beef sliced very thin, round steak is good (ask your butcher to do it)
• 50g. boiled ham, tiny diced
• 50g. Gruyere or Primo Sale cheese, tiny diced
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs, tiny diced
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 egg yolk
• 10-12 bay leaves
• 1 1/2 cups fine breadcrumbs
• 1 large onion, cut into wedges
• salt, pepper, extra virgin olive oil

• For stuffing… saute onion, take off heat & add ham, cheese, parsley, bread, salt & pepper. Combine.

Place small tblspn, stuffing on each slice, near one corner. Roll corner over, tucking edges in.

Repeat til all done. Heat oven 375*.

Oil a baking dish & sprinkle with salt. Thread 3-4 meat rolls on bamboo skewer adding a bay leaf & onion wedge between each piece.

Pour some oil into one large flat dish, & breadcrumbs into another. Dip skewers into oil then breadcrumbs, coating completely. Arrange in layer & bake 30 mins. turning after 15 mins.

Serve with the gorgeous  Orange & Fennel Salad, & there you go!

• Fennel bulb, cut in half lengthways
• 2 oranges, cut in thin round slices
• Handful of black pitted olives
• Dried oregano, salt, pepper, extra virgin olive oil, fresh thyme.

Combine orange & fennel & arrange on platter. Scatter olives on top with simple vinaigrette with splash of olive oil& orange juice, oregano & seasoning.

Fresh thyme sprinkled on top makes this traditional Sicilian salad very special.

Citrus Jellies with Spiced Strawberries:

Jelly:

• 1/2 lt. freshly squeezed citrus juice
• 1/2 cup sugar (depending on the sweetness of the fruit)
• 10g. gelatine (5 small sheets)
• pure sweet almond oil

Put half juice in bowl & add gelatine. Put other half in pot & add sugar, bring to boil to dissolve.

Pour hot juice into bowl & stir until gelatine is completely melted.

Lightly coat moulds with almond oil & pour jelly in.

Set in fridge a few hours. Pour some syrup around de-moulded jellies.

Syrup:

• 1 punnet strawberries (slice & add to plate)
• 500g. orange juice
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 stick cinnamon
• couple star anise
• tspn. pink peppercorns
• tspn. cloves

Cook all (except strawberries) until dissolved. When cold, spoon over jellies & add strawberries, maybe some mint.

Buon Appetito!