Dessert

Dessert, Food & Drink, How To, Recipes
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Lemon Ricotta Ravioli

These ravioli stuffed with a zesty lemon ricotta mixture are going to be your new favorite meal. All you need is patience and a bit of confidence—your reward will be a plate full of citrus-y, creamy deliciousness.

PASTA DOUGH 
INGREDIENTS

200 g semolina flour

200 g type 00 flour

4 eggs

      DIRECTIONS

On a large wooden cutting board, make a well with the flour. Crack eggs into the well. Using a fork, slowly beat the eggs and mix in the flour, being careful not to break the walls of the well.

After most of the egg and flour is incorporated, begin to knead the dough. Knead for at least 10 minutes, until very smooth.

Wrap in plastic wrap and let sit for 15-30 minutes
before rolling.

LEMON RICOTTA RAVIOLI
INGREDIENTS

2 c ricotta

Zest of 1 lemon

1 c ground pecorino or parmigiano

1 egg yolk

Salt and pepper to taste

Pasta dough (above)

      DIRECTIONS

Combine ricotta, lemon zest, pecorino/parmigiano and egg yolk. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Roll out pasta dough until paper thin. Dollop the ricotta mixture onto your pasta sheets. Cover the mixture with another sheet of pasta, sealing around each dollop to encase the ricotta tightly.
Cook in boiling water 2-3 minutes until ravioli rises
to the top of the pot.

 

citrus-y, Read more

These ravioli stuffed with a zesty lemon ricotta mixture are going to be your new favorite meal. All you need is patience ...

Dessert, How To, Recipes
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Liam’s Fig Crostata

This is our favorite way to handle an overabundance of produce—depending on the season you can make a filling with mixed berries, apples and cinnamon or ricotta and marmalade. Here Liam uses a mix of ripe figs, honey and a dash of vincotto. The wine (vincotto translates to “cooked wine”) deepens the flavor and rounds out the sweetness of the figs, leaving you with a balanced and elegant dessert. Enjoy!

LIAM’S FIG CROSTATA
INGREDIENTS

For the crust:

300g flour + more for dusting

140g butter, room temperature

1 whole egg

1 egg yolk

1 ½ Tbs baking powder (or 1 packet of Italian bkg powder w vanilla)

pinch salt

For the filling:

6 cups of fresh ripe and plump figs

¾ cup honey

1 T a.p. Flour

3 T butter, cubed into small pieces

1 T vin cotto

 

      DIRECTIONS

Roll the dough to about ½” thickness.  Place in a 10” pie pan.

Meanwhile, combine the ingredients for the filling and put in the pie pan. Fold the outer edges of the dough around the perimeter of the fig filling. Brush the dough with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar. Put in refrigerator for 1 hour before baking at 375 for 30-45 minutes.  

Serve warm.  

Balanced and elegant Read more

This is our favorite way to handle an overabundance of produce—depending on the season you can make a filling with mixed berries, ...

Dessert, Food & Drink, How To, Recipes
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Zabaglione with Berries

Creamy zabaglione is an Italian custard made from just four ingredients: egg yolks, sugar, heavy cream and marsala wine. Drizzled over fresh cut strawberries and blackberries, your guests will be delighted by the combination of tart berries, sweet cream and marsala wine. The best part? You can prepare it ahead of time and keep it chilled until you’re ready to serve.

Zabaglione with Berries
INGREDIENTS

6 egg yolks

1 cup granulated sugar

2 tbsp Marsala wine

1 cup heavy cream

      DIRECTIONS

–Set up a saucepan with water in it for use as a double boiler.

-In a large bowl, combine egg yolks, sugar and Marsala wine. Use a large balloon whisk to whisk the mixture over the boiling water until warm and the sugar is dissolved.

–Meanwhile, whip cream until soft peaks form.

–Remove egg mixture from the double boiler when sugar is thoroughly dissolved and egg mixture is hot.

–Gently fold the whipped cream into the egg mixture and set aside to cool.

-Serve in glasses alternating with fresh fruit.

Italian custard Read more

Creamy zabaglione is an Italian custard made from just four ingredients: egg yolks, sugar, heavy cream and marsala wine. Drizzled over fresh ...

Dessert, Food & Drink, How To, Recipes
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Amy’s Olive Oil, Cherry and Almond Cake Recipe

Recipe from The Ultimate Mediterranean Diet Cookbook by Amy Riolo. 

While it’s relatively uncommon to see olive oil being used in American desserts, Italians have long taken advantage of its sweeter side. Paired here with nutty almonds and slightly tart cherries, olive oil provides a wonderfully subtle balancing note. Amy’s Riolo’s Olive Oil, Cherry and Almond Cake also happens to be one of the most visually stunning desserts we’ve seen: the syrup from the cherries lends a slight jewel-toned marbling and the final dusting of powdered sugar is a simple but elegant finish. For serving, Chef Amy suggests pairing it with Vin Santo.

AMY’S OLIVE OIL, CHERRY AND ALMOND CAKE
INGREDIENTS

1/4 c (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra

1 1/2 c (188 g) unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 c (55 g) sliced almonds

2 eggs, separated

2/3 c (160 ml) freshly squeezed orange juice

2 t orange zest

1 c (200 g) sugar

2 t vanilla extract

1 t almond extract

1 t orange blossom water

1 t baking powder

1/2 t unrefined sea salt

2/3 c (64 g) almond flour

1 c (155 g) pitted cherries

2 T (16 g) powdered sugar, to serve

      DIRECTIONS

-Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Oil and flour a 9-inch (23 cm) spring form pan. Line
with a 9-inch (23 cm) round of parchment paper. Brush the parchment paper with olive oil
and sprinkle with sliced almonds.

–In the bowl of a standing mixer or in a large metal bowl using a hand mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.

–Combine the orange juice, orange zest, olive oil, egg yolks, sugar, vanilla, almond, and orange blossom water in a medium bowl.

–In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and ground almonds. Mix in the orange juice mixture and fold in the cherries and egg whites.

–Pour into the baking pan and smooth out the top with a spatula. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean and the cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan, 40 to 45 minutes.

–Cool completely. Invert onto a platter, release sides. Remove the parchment paper, sprinkle with powdered sugar, and serve.


visually stunning dessert Read more

Recipe from The Ultimate Mediterranean Diet Cookbook by Amy Riolo.  While it's relatively uncommon to see olive oil being used in American desserts, Italians ...

Dessert, Food & Drink, How To, On the Table, Recipes, Tastes of Italy
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Strawberries with Balsamic

There’s nothing quite like a fresh spring berry to add a punch of sweetness to any dish. With the bounty of fresh produce coming from the garden this time of year, we have a special fondness for salads in spring. For those of you who, like us, don’t always have the strongest sweet tooth we recommend turning these sweet, springtime delights into a tangy, savory salad for dessert. Salad? For Dessert? Trust us–once you try this rich, flavorful dish you’ll never think of salads (or strawberries) the same way again! As simple to make as it is delicious, this Italian take on a fruit salad is the perfect treat for breakfast, dessert, or your next cookout. Next time you visit Via Umbria, pick up some fresh organic strawberries and a bottle of our finest balsamic glaze so you can whip up this salad at home.

You will need:
1 pint fresh strawberries
1/2 red onion diced small
1 bunch basil (chiffonade)
Balsamic Glaze (try Antichi Colli)
Parmigiano Reggiano

How to make it:
Slice fresh strawberries and mix in diced onions. Drizzle with Balsamic Glaze and top with shaved parmigiana. You can plate it beautifully like we did, or just dig in and enjoy!

Italian Strawberry Balsamic Salad

Italian take on a fruit salad Read more

There's nothing quite like a fresh spring berry to add a punch of sweetness to any dish. With the bounty of fresh ...

Breakfast, Dessert, Food & Drink
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Our Italian Library

usa

 

Join us with this new blog series, Our Italian Library, as we read and collect the best books about Italy on our shelves!

 

When you are lucky enough to get your hands on an advance copy of a biscotti cookbook, there is nothing to do but push aside all other work, get yourself an authentic Italian biscotti, and some Venetian coffee, and read.

Today marks the release of the new book “Ciao Biscotti” by Domenica Marchietti, a delightful cookbook chronicling Italy’s favorite cookie. We loved Maerchietti’s previous cookbook, Rustic Italian, which we stock in our Georgetown store. We were curious to see what this book contained in its pages!

IMG_2459

 

Delivering up a myriad of flavors, this book leaves no biscotti stone unturned. While suggesting the normal combinations of chocolate, citrus, and nuts, she also ventures into the savory biscotti territory, with unexpected flavors like Sun Dried Tomato and Fennel, and Mountain Gorgonzola and Walnut. Who knows if they will hold up once we make them, but they look pretty dang good on the page!

She also includes drinking pairings, from specific wines to lattes to inventive coffee liquor drinks.  Which makes us wonder…could we go through an entire day eating and drinking nothing but biscotti and their liquid compliments?…

Stop by the store and get your hands on this adorable, brand new book! Or, if your not the baking type, then come by and pick up a bag of one of our dozens of types of biscotti, which we’ll gladly crack open with you over a cup of coffee.

 

— Via Umbria

Ciao Biscotti Read more

  Join us with this new blog series, Our Italian Library, as we read and collect the best books about Italy on our shelves!   When ...