Arancia Rossa

With similar climates, Sicily like San Diego is known for its citrus and one of the most colorful is the Blood Orange, with its deep red juice. It's great in a winter salad with arugula and sliced fennel, makes a lovely Mimosa, works well in a marinade for fish, and pairs nicely with chocolate in baked goods.

I was looking for a mini cake recipe and found this one at decor8blog.com

Blood Orange Tea Cakes

4 oz. unsalted butter, softened

3-1/2 ounces caster sugar

Finely grated zest of 1-1/2 half small blood oranges

1 egg

1/4 c. Flour

1/2 t. Baking powder

1/3 c. Strained orange juice

METHOD
Grease and flour 3- 6 mini bundt tins. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Sift the flour into a small bowl and mix together with the almond meal. Set to one side. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, orange rind and caster sugar until light and fluffy. In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg then gradually mix into butter mixture. If the mixture starts to look curdled, add a spoonful of the flour mixture. Add the remaining flour mixture into the batter alternating with the orange juice to make a soft batter. If the batter looks too thick add a little more juice. Spoon the batter into the prepared tin and bake the cake in the oven for 25 30 minutes until the top is lightly golden and cake is cooked when tested with a skewer. Leave the cake to cool for about 10 minutes before turning out on a wire rack. When the cakes have cooled completely, ice with the blood orange icing.

BLOOD ORANGE ICING
15 g (1/2 oz) softened unsalted butter
1/2 tsp finely grated orange rind
1/2 cup sifted icing sugar
1-2 tablespoons blood orange 

Cavolfiore & Carciofo

Apparently Sicilians cook a lot with cauliflower and artichokes. After making Cauliflower and Ricotta Al Forno on Christmas Eve, via my friend Janie at Panini Girl, I was looking for a quick comfort food recipe and found it on Full Belly Sisters.

Macaroni-n-Cheese-n-Cauliflower-n-Artichokes - Serves 4-6 

 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil  

 2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 bag frozen artichoke hearts, rinsed, thawed, and drained 

1 head cauliflower, chopped into bite-sized pieces 

2 cups (about 6 ounces) multi-grain or whole wheat penne, uncooked

1 cup creme fraiche

2/3 cup grated sharp white cheddar cheese 

2/3 cup grated fontina 

2/3 cup grated or shaved Parmesan, separated 

Salt and pepper, to taste 

Red pepper flakes (optional) 

Fresh  herbs for garnish

 Preheat the oven to 375°F. Heat the EVOO over medium heat and saute the garlic. Add thawed artichokes for a few minutes, until they show some caramelization. Season with a bit of salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes (if using). Boil a pot of salted water for the pasta. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Add the cauliflower into the water during the last couple of minutes of cooking. Drain when the pasta is almost done. In the meantime, put the creme fraiche, cheddar, fontina, and 1/3 cup of Parmesan into a bowl. Stir to combine well. Add the artichokes and the drained pasta and cauliflower to the cheese and cream mixture. This is a good time to taste the mixture and to adjust your seasonings. Add more salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, if necessary. Pour the mixture into a greased baking dish (I used a lasagna pan). Top with the remaining 1/3 cup of Parmesan cheese. Bake for 25 minutes, then broil for a couple of minutes to brown the top. Keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn! Let stand for about five minutes.

It's Time to Start a New Blog

New Year - new blog why not? I haven't posted on Cucina Cara Mia for 2 years - you know how life gets in the way - my newest obsession is Sicily. I am still cooking and baking, and baking, but really want to visit the homeland of my mother's parents..

So, I will start with images of places to visit in Sicily...