IT training open kitchen magazine no 5 june 20112

Difficulty: easyPreparation time: 30 minutes Baking time: 15 minutes 1 teaspoon cider vinegar 1 or 2 tablespoons Alchermes liqueur or 1 drop pink food colouring 120g f lour 1 teaspoon b

n.5 June 2012

Green Smoothies

Light! Tasty recipes to get

in shape for beach days!

Luca Montersino:

Gluttonous sins

Green Smoothies

Light! Tasty recipes to get

in shape for beach days!

Luca Montersino:

Gluttonous sins

6 4 | “A tasty suntan!”

6 6 | Light! Tasty recipes to get in shape for beach days!

Coordination & creativity CLAUDIA ANNIE CARONE

Coordination & revision MONICA ZACCHIA

Coordination & translation NICOLETTA PALMAS

Graphic and layout ELENA MARIANI

Photography DONATELLA SIMEONE

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www.openkitchenmagazine.com | n.5 June 2012

Dear friends,

Although summer made us wait, it now seems to have finally arrived.

For this glorious season in which we crave the delights of nature and some

long-anticipated sunshine, we have prepared several light and delicious recipes

for you—a tutorial to create a magical atmosphere for a romantic dinner in

the garden You will also find recipes for colourful shakes and smoothies made

with luscious summer fruits and vegetables, an incredible paella, and wine

suggestions from our sommelier The pride of this issue is a conversation with

Luca Montersino, who is very generous with his tips and funny stories; this

interview is a true milestone and a great example of mastery and sharing for all

enthusiasts and professionals interested in the art of patisserie Our thoughts,

however, naturally turn to all those who have suffered heavy losses in the recent

traumatic events that have affected Italy The terrorist attack in Brindisi

and the earthquake in Emilia, which are still greatly affecting the areas’

inhabitants, have shocked the entire world with the enormity of their scale

Although living peacefully and without worry is the ideal, life often presents us

with an alternative reality, obliterating the dreams and sacrifices of a lifetime

In these moments, we also discover the true value of life and the solidarity that

unites us as Italians We offer our sympathy to the victims and to those who

have lost their homes and their daily means of existence In these situations, we yearn for the much-maligned routine and that which matters most to us: our

loved ones, homes and work.

The Editorial Team

Edited by Antonella Cennamo

Difficulty: easy

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Baking time: 15 minutes

1 teaspoon cider vinegar

1 or 2 tablespoons Alchermes liqueur

or 1 drop pink food colouring 120g f lour

1 teaspoon baking powder

Filling:

Whipped cream Strawberries Sugar

Lemon

Cake:

Preheat the oven at 180ºC Beat eggs with a hand mixer until pale and thick With

the mixer still running add the sugar and oil to the eggs Slowly continue beating and

add the remaining liquid ingredients, the sieved flour and baking powder Mix until

well combined Pour batter into a parchment lined tray and bake for approximately

15 minutes.

Filling:

Wash the strawberries, chop them and season with sugar and lemon Let rest in the

fridge You can prepare the strawberries in advance so to use the sauce to moisten

the cake Whip cream, remember it should be very cold! When the cake is ready let cool down for a few minutes Moist the cake with the strawberries juice, spread all over the surface the cream and sprinkle with the strawberries Roll cake tightly and

once completely cold dust with icing sugar.

Equipment:

Rolling pin, flower cutter, ball tool, petal frill tool Pink, brown, white sugar paste

Photo no.6:

Brush the centre of the flower with the magenta colour and add a tiny ball made with the white sugar paste.

Photo no.7:

Create the branches of the flowers with the brown sugar paste and place them into the roulade When flowers are dried place them along the branches and decorate with sugar pearls.

Edited by Monica Zacchia

If I had to summarise the interview with

Luca Montersino in one short phrase, I

would without a doubt choose that of

Steve Jobs, which Luca himself quotes

here: “Stay Hungry Stay Foolish” This

certainly expresses much of Luca’s

spirit, as precise as his knowledge, and

as crazy as the daring experiments

that led him to be what he is today.

For those few individuals who still may

not know of him, Luca Montersino is an

internationally renowned chef and pastry

chef who has shown since childhood

the unmistakable signs of great passion

and determination Beginning at the

age of thirteen, his urge to approach

the world of cooking led him to peek at

it through the portholes At the age of

only fifteen, he made his cooking début

in a hotel on the island of Elba, where he

was responsible for the full guest menu

whilst substituting for the chef and

his teacher, Pierfranco Dallacà Luca

was so good that the hotel’s manager

made special mention of him With

the money he earnt, he built his first

professional kitchen in the basement

of his parents’ home From that point

onwards, his career was to be full of

change He travelled to America and

later returned to Italy, where he studied

laboratory techniques, ingredients and

chemical substitutes to create a new

type of pastry that is healthy and at

the same time as good and enjoyable

as the traditional variety Whilst he honed his natural talents, he became

a more experienced professional and opened his company Golosi di Salute (“Connoisseurs of Health”) at Alba, which now has branches in Tokyo and New York He has become a consultant for companies and for Eataly, a food manager and the deputy director of Boscolo Etoile He is a diligent teacher for professionals, who regard him as an incomparable point of reference The general public may know him through his publications and broadcasts, such the extraordinary Prova del Cuoco (the Italian version of Ready Steady Cook) on Rai1 and Peccati di Gola (“Food Sins”) on Alice TV He is the perfect link between professional confectionary production and whoever wishes to make sweets at home, be that person an enthusiast, a homemaker, a blogger or an aspiring pastry chef—anyone who enjoys saying

“I made it!” In his programmes, which are really lessons, Luca explains every little step, leaving no stone unturned

So, we will let him speak, as he has kindly made himself available to satisfy our endless curiosity.

Luca, how does it feel to be able to enter the hearts of so many people who, until recently, would not have even considered baking a sponge

Gluttonous sins

Luca Montersino:

cake or a custard?

I must admit I’m glad, because it

means I was able to convey something

beyond the recipe: the passion for this

job Often I receive e-mails, even from

doctors and lawyers who write to me

“I want to do something else, I want to

do this job, I have realised that I love

it” This happens more often and at

times it leaves me puzzled, because it

is not easy to take on a job like this It is

happening not only by e-mail, but also

through the classes taken by amateurs,

who express a mad desire to learn And

I’m glad, because I like teaching and

I am flattered to have an audience so

receptive

You have certainly opened a way by

responding to a new market related to

allergies which have become

increasingly common, but in doing

so you also involved aspects of a

healthier diet And in view of this,

the physics and chemistry in bakery

are clearer and reworked through

experimenting to obtain good results

from all points of view How long did

it take to “convince” sceptics that your

desserts are not only for “intolerant”

eaters and that your workplace was

not a pharmacy?

I applied chemistry and physics to

pastry making primarily because I have

a passion and a desire to discover the

why of things I do not believe anything

until I see it, and I always like to give

explanations to everything I see For

example, I do not like mixing chocolate

with water to see the reaction and not

know what is happening: I want to

understand what happens, why the

chocolate thickens mixing it with water

and why it becomes fluid when you add

more water It makes me curious to

do a job and see what happens when

mixing the ingredients Regarding, however, intolerance, this is a passion where I came to see how you can give pleasure to people eating a cake made

in a healthy way and to dispel the myth that desserts are necessarily bad for your health Even if it all started as a joke, to discover that people liked thatdessert, and then to see their amazement and disbelief when they hear it was made without milk, gluten and sugar free Then, one thing followed another and I decided to make

a business from it: GOURMETS OF HEALTH People at first thought it was

a type of a pharmacy that sold sweets only for the sick, and it took time for them to understand that eating healthy

is not only necessary for the unwell, but that the choice of a healthy diet is one that is also made when one is healthy

Tell us of someone who has managed

to impress you as much as you have us

as professionals and enthusiasts.

With Boscolo Etoile, I led a major project for healthy pastry: Giving courses in schools, I pursued my passion, and this is certainly an important part of

my journey But if I have to name a person, then it is without doubt Oscar Farinetti, the founder, owner of Eataly (ed: a site dedicated to excellent Italian food with offices in Italy and NY), who has an entrepreneurial vision which

I have incorporated into my own company, which it lacked to make it successful Making beautiful and good pastries is not enough; you also have the entrepreneurial component and proper management of the company,

an element only a serious entrepreneur and one as generous as Oscar could give

me We met in 2007, and it was a turning point for me, my fortune; without him, I would never have gone to New York or Tokyo, where I have opened branches

of Connoisseurs of Health.

What is the essential ingredient for

you, which do you consider the most

flexible and why?

To me, all the ingredients are

indispensable—some more, some

less Therefore, I would say that what

is really essential is passion Perhaps it

is a trivial answer and a little romantic

But to do this job you need passion, and

it is an ingredient which I would never

give up, because when I no longer have

a passion for what I do, that would

mean I would no longer be capable

of making good pastries So, passion

is more essential than sugar, flour,

chocolate, which one can do without

But if I really had to name one, I would

say an essential ingredient is eggs:

They are magic in the bakery When I

have to remove flour or sugar or dairy

products, I have no problems, but to

replace eggs would be very difficult

The egg has numerous properties: It

is a preservative, binder, emulsifier,

stabiliser, it has all the characteristics that an ingredient can have, so it is irreplaceable

Tell us a funny story that happened to you in your career in the kitchen or on the TV set.

When I record the episodes, it feels to

me like a direct transmission, and thefunny thing is that I behave as if it were direct Once after I had already

recorded some sixty episodes and I had luckily avoided doing anything

blatantly wrong, something did happen and I did not know how to react: I putthe hand-mixer into the chocolate and cream, I turned on the blender andblew up everything I was completely covered in chocolate from head to footand was standing in front of the cameras, I did not know whether to stop

or to keep filming But then I looked at myself and I said “No! I have to stop”, because I was completely drenched in chocolate

Every recipe that you propose in your

books or on TV is always a guaranteed

success You read about it in blogs,

among friends and on social networks

You are defined as a master, a pastry

guru Your winning card lies in the

sharing of your knowledge; there are

no tricks, it is all very do-able Do you

consider it important to cultivate this

aspect, or is it instinctive, a part of

your own nature?

I have a simple theory, and I am very

clear on this point: If you decide to

become a teacher and to write books

as I have, then there can be no secrets,

because teaching in order

to just look good (and then

passing on a recipe which

is wrong or not revealing

a secret) is wrong, false,

and is not destined to last

long The teaching that

lasts is the type which has

credibility when you teach,

where you do not take

anything for granted and

you do not keep secrets,

where people are motivated

to call you to ask for advice

because they understand

that you have really given

them something And then

I have another theory: that

the secrets of business

success are not made

through the recipes but are

created by many factors

We do not make Nutella,

we do not make Coca-Cola,

and therefore we do not

produce a mono-product

I do not do business based

on Sacher, I do it based on

all my products And the

third thing is that I have

said that for me the book is

only a starting point When

I publish a book about a subject, I start looking for that something, and from that moment on I open up new horizons for myself Now, for example, Mondadori have commissioned me to write a book about cake pops in America: I do not produce them in my business, but now I’m studying them and making them for the book, so I am opening up other possibilities for myself When it comes out, the book will already be old for me, because I will continue the research and improvement of that product So, whenever someone is greedy or jealous

of their recipes, it is because they are professionally poor

A donut where you had no success with

the hole?

The donuts, and not just those, where

I have no luck with the hole are those

made when you are on the sofa after

dinner, you think of a pastry, make a

sketch on paper, you build it with a pen

by scribbling squiggles, you imagine the

decoration, you are satisfied and go into

the kitchen, you make it and it turns out

the opposite of what you imagined This

happens when you do not do research

and teaches you that math and science

are very important in baking, although

it is not always true that 2 + 2 make 4

Is your daughter just as curious and

passionate about cooking? Does she

like to make pastries with you?

Yes, it is a time of sharing and an

important game At the moment, I’m

doing a book for children about marzipan

cake pops that has the working title of

Marzagiochi (Marzitoys) It will be done

with my daughter, and it is the result of

an idea I had that Mondadori was very

happy to accept, an idea that is at least

eight years old and that I had when I

was director of the Etoile, but I couldn’t

find an editor who believed in it Now

Mondadori, and the popularity of cake

design today, have supported me in

my argument to allow children to play

with marzipan instead of with dough,

or das, or worse, as they do today,

video games So, the idea is to have fun

with the kids, to learn by playing I do

it occasionally with my daughter She

likes to play with pastries, and she will

appear in Marzagiochi There will be

photos in which you will see that a girl of

six years can do what I do, albeit a little

inaccurately, but with great creativity

The release is scheduled for the fall

What do you think about this new fashion of Sugar Art? Doesn’t it seem very distant from our cultural taste in sweets? In a context in which the food

is, above all, a cultural thing, where it

is a habit that is transmitted between generations, is there really a place for these architectures of sugar on our tables?

Certainly it is far removed from our tastes, but two aspects can be reconciled: of aesthetic and that of taste I make sugar art or cake designs

in my company, but I make them edible,

because I follow the example of America

with regard to aesthetics It can’t be

denied that a wedding cake with five

layers and elegant flowers or roses is

beautiful; the problem is that often it is

inedible So, I took the American

approach and I adjusted it to Italian

tastes, working with sugar decoration

which is not eaten and placed next

to the cake There is a way to make

them so that the cake does not have to

support any weight and therefore you

are not forced to make a heavy sponge

and cream cake You can also make a

meringue cake because the cake does

not have to support the decoration I don’t like wedding cakes when they concentrate on the decoration and don’t think of the taste

Will you reveal yet another unpublished trick?

A trick a trick mmm To make pastries, you should be a real sweet tooth I am; I cannot finish a meal without something sweet People think that being a pastry chef means that you

do not eat sweets because you have had enough of them after working with them all day Instead, the secret lies in being always greedy and curious about everything around you and remaining

a child “Stay hungry Stay foolish” I stole this from Steve Jobs and I believe

Right now, I would like to imitate the policemen in San Diego in the restaurant where Luca worked years ago—who affectionately handcuffed him in order to prevent him from going—and continue to satisfy my curiosity and yours for an art, that

of pastry chef, that he has made so accessible to all But we will let him

go and wish him luck! Till the next episode

Edited by Agnese Gambini

Milkshakes,

Smoothies

The Differences!

With the summer season, the bar

offer smoothies, milkshakes, and

juices, but often there is confusion

between them and we do not know

the differences A shake is the base

of each preparation and is made by

blending fruit (preferably with the

skin, if edible, for its dietary fibre) to

which you can add water, milk, liquid

yogurt or fruit juice The ingredients

must always be mixed thoroughly

prior to drinking to avoid the solid

parts settling at the bottom of the

glass The consistency of the shake

must be liquid and creamy It is good

to choose ripe fruit with a sweet

taste to avoid having to add sugar,

which unnecessarily increases

your calorie intake Sugar also

undermines the refreshing function

of the shake because it attracts

water once it reaches your stomach

and makes you feel thirsty The

addition of milk and yogurt to a shake

enriches the protein and fat content,

and in this case it is better to think

of it as a substantial snack or light meal rather than a normal drink A

milkshake is simply a fruit smoothie

with ice cream and crushed ice added You can also add liqueurs, coffee and other flavours such as

mint A smoothie is a drink of mixed

fruit or vegetables, often made from frozen fruit and with the addition of crushed ice, frozen yogurt or Greek yogurt You can add honey, maple syrup, chocolate and spices to the fruit The texture is similar to that of

a milkshake, but it does not contain ice cream and rarely contains milk

To make a juice, you need a juice

extractor, which is a machine that separates the juice from the pulp and peel of fruits and vegetables What remains is a liquid concentrated

in vitamins and minerals, lower

in fibre than most smoothies, but much more versatile There are no lumps, and it has the appearance of

a smooth juice

Light Recipes Smoothies

medium heat Remove from heat and allow to cool Dissolve the corn starch

in a bit of cold milk, then add it to the remaining milk Add the sugar, lemonjuice, lemon zest, vanilla seeds and cook over a low heat for 5 minutes stirringuntil the cream thickens Allow to cool then add the greek yogurt Crumble 3 digestive biscuits for each parfait glass Pour the yogurt cream into glasses

and finish with the strawberries Allow the parfait to set in the fridge for a few

hours Serve cold

with strawberries

Difficulty: easy

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Rest time: 2 hours

Serves 4

Ingredients

400ml semi-skimmed milk

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

Seeds of a vanilla pod

by Verdiana Calamia

Method:

Cut the melon and peaches into small

cubes, transfer into a bowl and freezefor 1 hour/1 hour 30 mins In a blender

put the yogurt, sugar, ice, cinnamon,

mint and finally the frozen fruit Blend

quickly until smooth Pour smoothieinto glasses and sprinkle with the walnuts Decorate with some mint or fresh fruit That’s it! The smoothie is ready and fresh!

Difficulty: easy

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Rest time: 1 hour and 30 minutes

Ingredients for 2 smoothies:

By Laura Cuccato

Photo by Michele Maino

Method:

Blend all the ingredients together

Add as much sparkling water as you like Serve immediately

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Rest time: 1 hour in the fridge

drink You can enjoy it

on its own or at the end

of your meal The basic

version is very simple

and fresh and has

digestive properties

thanks to the cumin

seeds

Radish and mint

Method:

This refreshing and slightly spicy lassi version is diuretic, a very good detoxifier

and rich in vitamins Wash and cut in half the radishes Blend them with the yogurt, cold water, mint leaves and a pinch of salt until frothy Chill for 1 hour

500g plain yogurt 400g cold water

10 radishes Few mint leaves

A pinch of salt

Lassi

By Carolina Novello

Method:

Wash and cut into small pieces the strawberries Blend them with the lemon

juice Prepare the mousse combining the ricotta cheese, light yogurt and the

icing sugar Pour the blended strawberries into small glass jars, add a few

spoons of mousse and decorate with mint leaves

Difficulty: easy

Preparation time: 15minutes

Serves 6 Ingredients:

500g strawberries 500g ricotta cheese 125g light yogurt

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons icing sugar Fresh mint

with yogurt, ricotta and strawberries

Edited by Laura Cuccato

Photo by Michele Maino

GREEN

SMOOTHIES

Method:

Blend water with blackberries until

well combined Add the diced apple

and lettuce Blend until smooth

Method:

Blend the water and fruit When

homogeneous add the chopped

celery, the green leaves and herbs

Blend until smooth and creamy

Slimming with lettuce

2 cups of green leaves

2 tablespoons herbs: coriander, artichokes

Edited by Nana Cea

Fruit What a passion!!

Wash the cherries, remove the stems and pits Preheat oven at

180-200ºC Grease the cake tin Melt butter over medium heat In a bowl beat

eggs and egg yokes, gradually add a pinch of salt, the vanilla essence and flour Keep beating until batter is smooth and frothy Add melted

butter and milk, mix well Distribute cherries at the bottom of cake tin

and pour over the batter Bake for 45 minutes Once ready dust with icing sugar Serve warm

Difficulty: easy

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Baking time: 45 minutes

You will need a 26cm cake tin

Pre-heat oven at 180ºC Finely chop the pineapple and set aside In a

bowl beat eggs with milk and oil Add the sugar, sieved flour and baking powder Add the white chocolate and 2/3 of the chopped pineapple Pour

batter into muffin moulds Bake at 180ºC for 20 minutes

Cupcakes

Difficulty: easy

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Baking time: 20 minutes

Serves 6 Ingredients:

100g plain flour 70g brown sugar 50ml milk

50g white chocolate 40ml sunflower seed oil

Edited by Donatella Simeone

DIY

Bright

Atmospheres:

Lanterns

The process is very simple: Take the wire and wind it under the rim of a glass jar so that it locks and does not slip off Tie the string to the wire as

if it were a handle of a bucket, making sure the knots are tight To make your lantern prettier, wrap the coloured ribbon around the wire and close with a bow Fill the glass jar halfway with sand and shells and place a candle inside Repeat this process for each glass jar, and the lanterns are ready There is nothing more to do except hang them in trees, the gazebo

or wherever you prefer Simply light them on and enjoy the show!

You will need:

Glass jars

Coloured ribbons

String

Wire (you can recycle the

iron caps which help seal

wine bottles)

Shells

Sand

Candles

The days are getting

longer and gradually

becoming warmer, warm

enough to invite us in the

evening to enjoy fresh air

in the garden and dream

under a sky pierced with

stars Whether you are

dining or simply relaxing

in a rocking chair, candles

are a decorative element

essential to creating a

magical atmosphere

This time, we will prepare

lanterns using recycled

materials, as always You

can hang them in the

trees to re-create the

atmosphere of the one

thousand and one nights

once upon

a time

The Enhancement

of Simplicity:

“Frisella”

Edited by Claudia Annie Carone