Before a well-deserved pause to welcome our baby girl into the world, and to get used to a completely new life, I’m so happy to share the latest episode of Cooking with an Italian accent, a conversation I had a few weeks ago with Irina Gergescu about her cookbook, Carpathia.I like how she intertwines recipes, traditions and superstitions, like when she mentions garlic, or when she says that eating horseradish before Easter will bring you health all year round, or when she explains that Romanian people welcome official guests with bread and salt, the first to celebrate an alliance, the latter for prosperity.We talked about the Romanian sense of hospitality, how she grew up Bucharest under the communist rule, about Romanian cuisine, typical ingredients, the unique tradition of borş and ciorbă, coffee and desserts.Learn more about Irina Georgescu here:Web site: https://www.irinageorgescu.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/irina.r.georgescu/ Find me online at www.julskitchen.com or on Instagram https://instagram.com/julskitchen/ Join our Facebook Group Cooking with Juls’ Kitchen: https://www.facebook.com/groups/775325049335625/Podcast realized by https://instagram.com/tommyonweb

Cooking with an Italian accent

EP42 - In conversation with: Irina Georgescu, author of Carpathia

In today’s episode we’ll be talking in details about the pound cake, known as quattro quarti in Italian. This is probably the cake I make more often, especially in its version made with extra virgin olive oil, the most appreciated during our cooking classes, but also the one I rely on when I don’t have a clear idea on what to bake.The original pound cake contained one pound each of eggs, sugar, flour and butter. Hence its English name, pound cake, and its French or Italian name, quattro quarti, four quarters.What you need is therefore a scale to weigh the eggs, with their shell. The weight of the eggs will then give you the amount of sugar, flour and butter to use. Listen to the episode to learn how to adjust the four ingredients to make endless variations to the basic recipe.Discover more on the blog: https://en.julskitchen.com/podcast/episode-41-everything-about-pound-cakeFind me online at www.julskitchen.com or on Instagram https://instagram.com/julskitchen/ Join our Facebook Group Cooking with Juls’ Kitchen: https://www.facebook.com/groups/775325049335625/Podcast realized by https://instagram.com/tommyonweb

EP41 – Everything you want to know about pound cake

We reached the 40th episode of our podcast "Cooking with an Italian Accent"! So it's time to celebrate and to recap what we’ve done so far in these 15 months spent together, what you liked the most, why we love this podcast so much and how it perfectly integrates in all that we do. We’ll talk also about who we are, what we like and what is going to happen soon in our lives! Join us for a little celebration!Read more: https://en.julskitchen.com/podcast/episode-40-get-to-know-us-better

EP40 - Get to know us better

Today we are talking about cookbooks. When I was organizing my cookbooks on the bookshelves, I rediscovered some favourites from the past that needed some more love, and realised there are cookbooks that I barely opened after the initial I-desperately-need-this-book enthusiasm. So, I thought I would share some of my favourite cookbooks here on the podcast, as you might find them interesting, too.Today we’re talking about cookbooks on Italian cuisine, but do not expect the last cookbooks published by new famous food writers, we’re going back to the past: in this episode, we will talk about Pellegrino Artusi, Ada Boni and Paolo Petroni, with plenty of recipes from the blog to experiment.The recipes we mentioned in this episode: https://en.julskitchen.com/podcast/episode-39-three-books-about-italian-cooking-you-must-haveFind me online at www.julskitchen.com or on Instagram https://instagram.com/julskitchen/ Join our Facebook Group Cooking with Juls’ Kitchen: https://www.facebook.com/groups/775325049335625/Podcast realized by https://instagram.com/tommyonweb

EP39 - Three books about Italian cooking you must have

Juls’ Kitchen is a family business. Tommaso and I work together to teach classes, develop recipes for clients, taking photos, producing the podcast, and writing the blog and the newsletter, along with cookbooks and articles. It has its highs and lows, but this is our job, and career. We do not have a backup plan, and, to be honest, after the hard work it took to get where we are, I do not want to change my job, as this is what brings me joy, what I am good at.That’s why we had to rethink our offer to change it according to the completely new situation. I am sure we will be back teaching classes in our studio in the countryside, meeting people at the local café to begin the market tour, working for clients and brands to create recipes and organizing workshops and gatherings, but for the moment, we had to find a compromise. A compromise which is revealing itself rewarding, fun, and something we will keep for the future in our business plan! This is how our virtual cooking class was born.In this episode, I’ll tell you more about it, I’ll share some behind the scenes of our tutorials and I’ll share also some projects for the future.You can join our virtual Tuscan Cooking Class here > https://www.udemy.com/course/tuscan-cooking-class/?couponCode=TUSCANMAY27Find me online at www.julskitchen.com or on Instagram https://instagram.com/julskitchen/ Join our Facebook Group Cooking with Juls’ Kitchen: https://www.facebook.com/groups/775325049335625/Podcast realized by https://instagram.com/tommyonweb

EP38 - Our virtual Tuscan cooking class

This is a special episode with a dear friend, Regula Ysewijn. We met in London in 2011, at the Food Blogger Connect, and since then we’ve become best friends, supporting each other through life and work endeavours.Today we’re here to celebrate her new cookbook, Oats in the North, Wheat from the South.This book is Regula’s love letter to British baking, and to Britain, its bakeries and shops, its traditions and ingredients.We’re talking about what it takes to write a cookbook with a solid food history background, something she is an expert about, but also about how geography and weather influence the baking traditions of a country. We’ll talk extensively about buns, the afternoon tea ritual, oatcakes and griddle cakes, but also a very special wedding cake from Britain.Learn more about Regula Ysewijn here: http://www.missfoodwise.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/missfoodwise/ Order her book here: https://amzn.to/3bupvSJ Find me online at www.julskitchen.com or on Instagram https://instagram.com/julskitchen/ Join our Facebook Group Cooking with Juls’ Kitchen: https://www.facebook.com/groups/775325049335625/Podcast realized by https://instagram.com/tommyonweb

EP37 - In conversation with: Regula Ysewijn

One of the few positive aspects of this eternal lockdown is that I had the chance to learn new recipes and techniques. Usually, I am too busy trying to respect deadlines, juggling cooking classes and assignments, so I just play it safe.Week after week, I cook those old reliable recipes that are part of my cooking repertoire. Comfort comes from repeating a ritual, a set of flavours.But where is the excitement of learning a new dish? Of discovering a new technique?This feeling of excitement and adventure probably is not shared by everyone who is approaching cooking for the first time. If you have to learn to cook as an adult, because your family was not very much into cooking, or because you discovered this curiosity towards food just at a later stage, you might have the same question in mind: and now, how do I learn to cook?Being also a cooking class teacher, I’m often asked to share my tips on how one learns to cook. And this is the theme of today’s episode, where you will find also some tips from friends who are cooking class instructors and food writers.Our virtual Tuscan cooking course on Udemy: https://www.udemy.com/course/tuscan-cooking-class/?couponCode=8DEA67D3B34C9F5BBBE9 On the blog:- Citrus pound cake https://en.julskitchen.com/dessert/cakes-pies/citrus-pound-cake - Easy tomato sauce https://en.julskitchen.com/first-course/pasta-first-course/pasta-with-tomato-sauce - Spezzatino, beef stew https://en.julskitchen.com/main/meat/florentine-beef-stew - Peposo, red wine and black pepper beef stew https://en.julskitchen.com/tuscany/black-peppercorn-beef-stew-peposo - Tuscan ragù https://en.julskitchen.com/first-course/pasta-first-course/my-tuscan-ragu - Carbonara https://en.julskitchen.com/first-course/pasta-first-course/artichoke-carbonara - Focaccia https://en.julskitchen.com/tuscany/tuscan-schiacciata-with-walnuts Listen also our episode about a Tuscan pantry here: https://en.julskitchen.com/podcast/episode-23-a-tuscan-pantry Thanks to:- Enrica Monzani @asmallkitcheningenoa- Paola Bacchia @italyonmymind- Domenica Marchetti @domenicacooks- Judy Witts Francini @divinacucinaTwo very useful online tools to convert grams to cups:- Grams To Cups Conversions: https://www.gourmetsleuth.com/conversions/grams/grams-to-cups-conversions- Baking conversion tools: https://www.weekendbakery.com/cooking-conversions/ Find me online at www.julskitchen.com or on Instagram https://instagram.com/julskitchen/ Join our Facebook Group Cooking with Juls’ Kitchen: https://www.facebook.com/groups/775325049335625/Podcast realized by https://instagram.com/tommyonweb

EP36 - How do you learn to cook?

I didn’t think my way of cooking would change much during the lockdown. I thought I was already quite organised, with a well-stocked pantry, responsible in using my ingredients and leftovers and creative when it comes to improvising. Yet, in more than a month of lockdown, I noticed some changes that made me reflect on my approach to cooking.First of all, now I am cooking mainly for the two of us: this is the first time since we’re together, it feels very intimate.In this episode, we will talk about how I reorganized my pantry and my freezer, about the importance of planning ahead and focusing on what you have, rather than on what you are missing, with recipes along the way.I’d be curious to know if the lockdown changed your way of cooking and of organizing your pantry, fridge and freezer, which are the recipes you’re making more often and if you’ve learnt something new.On the blog:- Semolina gnocchi: https://en.julskitchen.com/first-course/roman-style-semolina-gnocchi - Spinach and ricotta pie: https://en.julskitchen.com/vegetarian/torta-pasqualina-my-mums-spinach-and-ricotta-pie - Spinach and ricotta ravioli: https://en.julskitchen.com/tuscany/spinach-ricotta-tortelli - Pappa al pomodoro: https://en.julskitchen.com/tuscany/best-pappa-al-pomodoro - Pasta with tuna sauce: https://en.julskitchen.com/first-course/pasta-first-course/pasta-with-tuna-sauce Listen also our episode about a Tuscan pantry here: https://en.julskitchen.com/podcast/episode-23-a-tuscan-pantry Find me online at www.julskitchen.com or on Instagram https://instagram.com/julskitchen/ Join our Facebook Group Cooking with Juls’ Kitchen: https://www.facebook.com/groups/775325049335625/Podcast realized by https://instagram.com/tommyonweb

EP35 - Cooking during the lockdown

There are two different aspects of comfort food: on one side, there’s the food that gives you comfort and pleasure when you eat it, like pappa al pomodoro, on the other side, the many foods that give you solace, a respite from the news, from heavy thoughts, from comparison, when you cook them: just think about bread.In this episode, we will explore different comfort foods, related to childhood memories or to personal achievements, from pappa al pomodoro to chicken meatballs, from rice pudding to risotto.I think comfort food is also extremely influenced by culture, as often we tend to consider comforting what we know better. That’s why I asked a few friends from all over the world to share with us which is their favourite comfort food. It will be like travelling from country to country, through the best and most comforting foods. Get ready to be hungry.On the blog:- Pappa al Pomodoro: https://en.julskitchen.com/first-course/soup/best-pappa-al-pomodoro - Chicken meatballs: https://en.julskitchen.com/main/meat/chicken-and-potato-meatballs - Rice pudding: https://en.julskitchen.com/dessert/rice-pudding-with-roast-quinces - Risotto: https://en.julskitchen.com/first-course/rice-cereals/pumpkin-risottoThanks to:- Helen & Billie: https://www.instagram.com/miakouppa/ - Myriam: https://www.instagram.com/the_food_sister/ - Irina: https://www.instagram.com/irina.r.georgescu/ - Asha: https://www.instagram.com/ashafsk/ - Erny: https://www.instagram.com/ernythamrinyoga/ - Jenny: https://www.instagram.com/jlinford/ - Sarka: https://www.instagram.com/sarkababicka/ - Juliana: https://www.instagram.com/julianalopezmay/ - Costanza: https://www.instagram.com/cosnutritionist/

EP34 - What is comfort food for you?

After 11 years of blogging, a love born by stirring a ciambellone on a kitchen stool with mum, 5 cookbooks, a podcast, countless projects never launched or lost along the way, and numerous dreams kept among the pages of a notebook, I keep asking myself what is food for me.I haven’t grown tired of writing recipes. For a while, I wondered if it was enough, if I wasn’t dumbing down a topic bigger than me. Then I realised that food is enough for itself and, at the same time, it crosses borders.Food has been an instrument of personal growth and self-affirmation, a lens through which I could discover the external world and explore my inner universe, sometimes all the more complex and multifaceted.Food is tradition: I better understood who I am through traditional recipes, those from Tuscany and those from Basilicata, where the southern branch of my family is from.Food is discovery. The work of food is a craftsman’s job, in which you progress with small steps, with perseverance, with a clear attention to beauty and detail. Craft is humble, more tangible than art, but it retains a human warmth, dedication and commitment. What is food for you? Does it have a special meaning, or a value? Or is it more related to planning, or enjoying? Is it a way to release your stress, or to affirm yourself? Or both, as in my case?On the blog:- Ciambellone: https://en.julskitchen.com/dessert/cakes-pies/a-tuscan-bundt-cake - Crostata: https://en.julskitchen.com/dessert/cakes-pies/whole-wheat-crostata-with-lemon-marmalade - Pappa al pomodoro: https://en.julskitchen.com/first-course/soup/best-pappa-al-pomodoro - Grandma’s lasagne: https://en.julskitchen.com/first-course/fresh-pasta/grandmas-lasagne - Meatball pasta bake: https://en.julskitchen.com/first-course/pasta-first-course/meatball-pasta-bake - Calzoncelli: https://en.julskitchen.com/dessert/cookies/calzoncelli-chocolate-almond-christmas-cookies Find me online at www.julskitchen.com or on Instagram https://instagram.com/julskitchen/ Join our Facebook Group Cooking with Juls’ Kitchen: https://www.facebook.com/groups/775325049335625/Podcast realized by https://instagram.com/tommyonweb

EP33 - What is food for me

Today buying good quality chestnut flour can be difficult, and it is certainly more expensive than it used to be. A good local organic stone ground wheat flour costs about 2€ a kilo. If you want to buy an organic, stone ground chestnut flour made with local chestnuts, that flour can cost from 10€ up to 15€ a kilo! It used to be the flour of poor people, of those who could not afford, or get hold of, wheat flour, and now it is considered a delicacy, as it is a gluten free flour, very nutrituous, rich in fibers, minerals and vitamins.Yet, chestnut flour is one of the most fundamental ingredients of the cucina povera, the peasant cooking, of the Tuscan mountains, from Garfagnana and Lunigiana, through the Appennino Pitoiese, down to Mugello and Mount Amiata, basically the whole mountain right side of Tuscany, from north to south.In today’s episode, we will explore the local traditions and recipes related to chestnuts and chestnuts flour, from bread to pasta, to castagnaccio and necci.Discover more stories and recipes in my latest cookbook "From the Market of Tuscany": https://en.julskitchen.com/cookbooksOn the blog:- Castagnaccio: https://en.julskitchen.com/dessert/castagnaccio-chestnut-cake- Necci: https://en.julskitchen.com/dessert/necci-tuscan-chestnut-pancakes- Pecorino and chestnut risotto: https://en.julskitchen.com/first-course/rice-cereals/pecorino-and-chestnut-risotto- Potato, porcini and chestnut soup: https://en.julskitchen.com/first-course/soup/potato-porcini-and-chestnut-soup Find me online at www.julskitchen.com or on Instagram https://instagram.com/julskitchen/ Join our Facebook Group Cooking with Juls’ Kitchen: https://www.facebook.com/groups/775325049335625/Podcast realized by https://instagram.com/tommyonweb

EP32 - Chestnuts and chestnut flour in Tuscan cuisine

Today I am here to celebrate the citrus season, with their brightness, the joy they add to cold winter days, the liveliness they lend to rich dishes, or the depth of flavour they give to the simplest salads. In this episode, I’m sharing how I use them, when I’m not munching on clementines directly from a paper bag coming home from the market, juicing oranges and bergamots in the morning, or zesting a lemon in a cake batter.You’ll find recipes for fresh dressings for pasta, like lemon tagliolini, recipes for your main courses, from beef skewers to guinea fowl with orange and roasted sea bream with lemons and bergamots, many side dishes and, of course, plenty of desserts. Last but not least, preserves: marmalade, which is the first preserve I make every year, changing from time to time the citrus fruit ratio, and candied orange and citron peels.On the blog:- Lemon tagliolini: https://en.julskitchen.com/first-course/fresh-pasta/fresh-lemon-tagliolini- Rabbit ragù: https://en.julskitchen.com/first-course/pasta-first-course/rabbit-ragu - Mediterranean chicken salad: https://en.julskitchen.com/main/meat/mediterranean-chicken-salad- Orange and pancetta Guinea fowl: https://en.julskitchen.com/main/meat/orange-pancetta-guinea-fowl- Beef skewers with orange and lemon marinade: https://en.julskitchen.com/seasonal/winter/beef-skewers-with-orange-and-lemon-marinade- Trabaccolara: https://en.julskitchen.com/main/fish/trabaccolara- Blood orange and fennel salad: https://en.julskitchen.com/side/blood-orange-and-fennel-salad - Lemon syrup cupcakes: https://en.julskitchen.com/dessert/lemon-syrup-cupcakes-michelangelos-style- Lemon honey panna cotta: https://en.julskitchen.com/seasonal/winter/lemon-honey-pannacotta-agar-aga- Lemon bundt cake: https://en.julskitchen.com/dessert/cakes-pies/lemon-bundt-cake- Whole wheat crostata with lemon marmalade: https://en.julskitchen.com/dessert/cakes-pies/whole-wheat-crostata-with-lemon-marmalade- Lemon polenta cake: https://en.julskitchen.com/dessert/cakes-pies/lemon-polenta-cake- Chocolate and clementine olive oil: https://en.julskitchen.com/seasonal/winter/chocolate-and-clementine-olive-oil-cake - Schiacciata alla Fiorentina: https://en.julskitchen.com/dessert/schiacciata-alla-fiorentina-a-sweet-flatbread-for-carnival- Bergamot marmalade: https://en.julskitchen.com/preserves/bergamot-marmalade- Bitter orange marmalade: https://en.julskitchen.com/preserves/bitter-orange-marmalade-and-nothing-else- Candied orange peels: https://en.julskitchen.com/preserves/candied-orange-peels- Citrus marmalade: https://en.julskitchen.com/preserves/citrus-marmaladeFind me online at www.julskitchen.com or on Instagram https://instagram.com/julskitchen/ Join our Facebook Group Cooking with Juls’ Kitchen: https://www.facebook.com/groups/775325049335625/Podcast realized by https://instagram.com/tommyonweb

EP31 - Celebrating the citrus season

I learnt to cook from my grandmother, watching her patiently stirring a pot of ragù, or foraging herbs in the fields to make a salad, or an omelette. I learnt to cook because I was hungry for delicious, diverse food: my mum had a basic approach to cooking, which did not include “strange” ingredients such as butternut squash or thyme. She taught me all the recipes that nurture a family, though.I learnt to cook through practice, cooking from cookbooks, from recipes picked up at the market, eavesdropping conversations at the butcher. I learnt the hows, but I did not know the whys.Two years ago, I bought Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, by Samin Nosrat, and my style of cooking became immediately more confident. It is also a great resource to learn a lot about Italian cuisine and our use of fat – think about extra virgin olive oil – and salt – think about Parmigiano and anchovies.On the blog:- Tagliatelle with pork ragù. Learning to cook again: https://en.julskitchen.com/first-course/pasta-first-course/pork-ragu More about Samin:- her Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/ciaosamin/- her website: http://ciaosamin.com - more about her book: https://www.saltfatacidheat.com - watch her show on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/80198288 Find me online at www.julskitchen.com or on Instagram https://instagram.com/julskitchen/ Join our Facebook Group Cooking with Juls’ Kitchen: https://www.facebook.com/groups/775325049335625/Podcast realized by https://instagram.com/tommyonweb

EP30 - (cook)book review: “Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat” by Samin Nosrat

Until a few years ago, come January I would write a list of goals and good intentions. I felt productive, optimist, effective. Within a few months, though, that list would mark the measure of my failures. Now I choose a word that will represent the year I have in front of me, a word that will guide me, help me to make decisions and choose a path to follow. It is much more effective, and kind, to choose a word rather than listing down goals.This year I chose intentionality as my 2020 word.Which is your 2020 word? How do you want to feel this year?Links to articles mentioned in this episode:- Nicole Gulotta. The Benefits of Choosing a Word For the Year—Instead of Setting Goals: http://nicolemgulotta.com/blog/word-for-the-year- My 2018 words: craft and seasonality https://en.julskitchen.com/other/craft-and-seasonality - My 2019 word: simplicity https://en.julskitchen.com/savoury-cakes/butternut-squash-strudel Find me online at www.julskitchen.com or on Instagram https://instagram.com/julskitchen/ Join our Facebook Group Cooking with Juls’ Kitchen: https://www.facebook.com/groups/775325049335625/Podcast realized by https://instagram.com/tommyonweb

EP29 - My 2020 word: intentionality

How would I describe my ideal Christmas? Which are the first words that come to my mind when I think about Christmas?This year, I would pick humble. Humble as the unassuming log that the head of the family would put in the fireplace at Christmas Eve. It would burn slowly, the embers glowing in the dark, until the next day, or sometimes until the new year. Therefore, my ideal Christmas would be also deeply connected to winter and to Nature.I’m also sharing some seasonal Tuscan recipes for a homemade, genuine Christmas feast.The recipes we mentioned in this episode:- Chicken liver crostini: https://en.julskitchen.com/tuscany/chicken-liver-crostini- Tuscan spleen crostini: https://en.julskitchen.com/tuscany/spleen-crostini- Potato tortelli: https://en.julskitchen.com/seasonal/winter/potato-and-pecorino-tortelli-with-my-family- My Tuscan ragù: https://en.julskitchen.com/tuscany/my-tuscan-ragu- Ricotta ravioli: https://en.julskitchen.com/tuscany/how-to-make-ricotta-ravioli- Cocoa cappellacci: https://en.julskitchen.com/seasonal/winter/cocoa-cappellacci-butternut-squash- Grandma’s lasagne: https://en.julskitchen.com/tuscany/grandmas-lasagne- Stuffed pork loin: https://en.julskitchen.com/tuscany/stuffed-pork-loin- Stewed wild boar: https://en.julskitchen.com/tuscany/stewed-wild-boar- Spinach flan: https://en.julskitchen.com/tuscany/spinach-flan- Artichoke flan: https://en.julskitchen.com/side/christmas-side-dishes- Cardoon flan: https://en.julskitchen.com/side/cardoon-flan- Panforte: https://en.julskitchen.com/tuscany/tuscan-panforte-a-spicy-cake-from-siena- Ricciarelli: https://en.julskitchen.com/tuscany/ricciarelli-siena-almond-cookies- Cavallucci: https://en.julskitchen.com/tuscany/cavallucci-typical-tuscan-christmas-cookies- Christmas cake: https://en.julskitchen.com/seasonal/winter/jamie-olivers-christmas-cake - Yule log: https://en.julskitchen.com/seasonal/winter/yule-log Find me online at www.julskitchen.com or on Instagram https://instagram.com/julskitchen/ Join our Facebook Group Cooking with Juls’ Kitchen: https://www.facebook.com/groups/775325049335625/Podcast realized by https://instagram.com/tommyonweb

EP28 - Have yourself a very Tuscan Christmas!

Ciao, I am Giulia Scarpaleggia, a Tuscan born and bred country girl, a home cook, a food writer and a photographer. I teach Tuscan cooking classes in my house in the countryside in between Siena and Florence. I’ve been sharing honest, reliable Italian recipes for 10 years now, through my cookbooks and our blog Juls' Kitchen.If you love everything about Italian food, big crowded tables and seasonal ingredients, join us and follow our podcast “Cooking with an Italian accent“.Visit: www.julskitchen.comInstagram: https://instagram.com/julskitchen/

hubhopper

Cooking with an Italian accent

hubhopper