History Despite that tomatoes were only introduced to Italy in the mid-16th century, tomato sauce, or la salsa di pomodoro, is another staple of cucina povera, which literally translates to poor kitchen – peasant food. The first recipe for tomato-sauce-topped pasta and pizza appeared in 1779 in Antonio Nebbia’s cookbook Il Cuoco Maceratese. Today, the humble tomato sauce is ubiquitous,…
basic ingredients
Crispy Tofu
I cannot take credit for this method. I learned it from Kip and this recipe for tamarind coffee fried tofu (which in itself is super delicious and I urge you to try it). She opened my eyes to the proper preparation of tofu. If you want crispy tofu that is super delicious, you have to…
Broccoli-Cauliflower Penne with Dill Mayonnaise
This is an easy (cook all in one pot), indulgent (well, it has mayo!) and very tasty dish. Don’t be afraid to make your own mayonnaise. It is super easy. And… if you don’t want to indulge in mayo, that’s ok too. You can, instead, replace it with a bit of olive oil. Recipe after…
It's Like Buttah! Rich Vegan Butter, No Palm Oil
I prefer limiting my use of palm oil (and especially after listening to this brilliant podcast by The Vegan Option, I’m absolutely certain that it’s the only solution), but faced an impossible conundrum when looking for vegan margarine. Palm oil is an ingredient in all of them. So, I did some research and found Vegan Baking…
A Simple Marinade for Tofu
Here, Mondays are stir fry days (to atone for the weekend’s excesses). Before marinating the tofu (firm or extra firm), follow these instructions – simple boiling and cooling – to optimise the texture of the tofu. Here is a very simple and tasty marinade for tofu: tamari (I prefer its flavour to soy, but any…
