Welcome to CiboChat!

CiboChat is the Food and Culture blog of FUA Florence University of the Arts. This blog project reflects our aim to share the cultural and especially gastronomic experiences of our students, faculty, staff, and Florentine locals. Check out our Florentine Food Guide for how to dine like a local!

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Blog

PAN FRIED OCTOPUS WITH SUNCHOKE PUREE AND SAUTE’ WHITE WINE VEGETABLES

Octopus is a unique and delicious seafood delicacy that can be prepared in many different ways. While many people may be intimidated by the process of cooking octopus, pan frying it is actually a simple and tasty option that anyone can master with a little practice. In this blog post, we will walk you through the steps of how to cook pan-fried octopus, from selecting the right octopus to preparing it for the pan and finally, to achieve a perfectly crispy and flavorful result. Whether you are a seasoned cook or a novice in the kitchen, you will be able to impress your friends and family with this simple yet impressive dish.


Ingredients:
1 octopus
1 purple cauliflower
1 bunch fresh beetroots
1 bunch Tropea onions
500g sunchokes
1 blonde onion
4 garlic cloves
1 sprig of rosemary
1 glass white wine
For the vegetables
200 gr water
200 gr dry white wine
60 gr sugar
10 gr salt
2 bay leaves
3 gr peppercorns
2 cloves


Method:
Clean all of the vegetables. Cut the cauliflower dividing it into florets. Peel the beetroots and cut them into batonette (small sticks). Cut each onion into small wedges. Bring all the ingredients to a boil in a large pot. Add the beetroot. After 3 minutes, add the cauliflower, then after another 3 minutes, add the onion and cook for another 2 minutes (total cooking 8 minutes). Let cool at room temperature until completely cold. Chop the blonde onion finely. Cook it in a pot with olive oil until lightly caramelized.
Add the garlic finely chopped, and the sunchoke peeled and chopped, and cook for 5 minutes at medium heat. Add the white wine and let it evaporate. Cover with water and cook until the water is almost completely gone. Blend until smooth and set aside. Cook the octopus in a steam oven at 100 degrees Celsius for 1 hour and 15 minutes, and let cool completely. Clean the octopus removing the head and separating each tentacle. Bring a non-stick pan to high heat with olive oil. Roast the tentacles on each side until golden brown. Set aside the octopus leg, and, in the same pan, sauté the vegetables quickly. Serve on top of the sunchoke puree and garnish with the vegetables.

Winter Salad

This salad recipe is a perfect dish for those looking for a healthy and tasty meal. The combination of chicken with various vegetables, nuts, and seeds makes it a balanced and nutritious meal, while the mix of sweet and savory flavors creates a unique taste experience. The recipe is easy to follow and can be made with simple ingredients that are readily available in most kitchens. So, let’s get started!

Ingredients:

● 500 gr chicken breast
● 1/2 yellow and 1/2 red bell pepper, cut julienne
● 8 nr green friggitelli peppers, cut julienne
● 1 tbsp celery leaves, finely chopped
● 50 gr celery stems, thinly sliced
● 40 gr pine nuts, toasted
● 40 gr raisins, soaked in water
● 40 gr desalted capers
● 60 gr pitted olives, halved
● 10 leaves of salad greens, sliced
● 80 gr spring onions, thinly sliced
● 8 nr cherry tomato, quartered
● Pumpkin seeds oil
● Salt and pepper

Start by seasoning 500 grams of chicken breast with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat some olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat and sear the chicken breast for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Then, let it cool and finish cooking it sous vide style in a steam oven set to 65°C for 1
hour. Alternatively, cook the chicken breast directly in the pan until the internal temperature reaches 75°C. Slice the cooked chicken breast thinly along the grain of the meat and gently shred the meat. In a large bowl, mix 1/2 julienne-cut yellow and 1/2 red bell pepper, 8 julienne-cut green friggitelli peppers, 1 tablespoon of finely chopped celery leaves, 50 grams of thinly sliced celery stems, 40 grams of toasted pine nuts, 40 grams of soaked raisins, 40 grams of desalted capers, 60 grams of halved pitted olives, 10 sliced salad greens leaves, 80 grams of thinly sliced spring onions, and 8 quartered cherry tomatoes. Drizzle pumpkin seeds oil over the vegetable mix, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add a splash of red wine vinegar for extra flavor. Add the shredded chicken to the vegetable mix and toss until everything is well combined. Serve the chicken salad in a bowl and enjoy!

Potato, mushrooms, and finocchiona flan, grilled cavolo nero, and stracchino sauce

Here’s the recipe for a delicious and hearty dish that combines the earthy flavors of mushrooms and potatoes with the creaminess of Stracchino cheese and the crunch of grilled Cavolo Nero. This Potato and Mushroom Flan with Stracchino Sauce and Grilled Cavolo Nero is perfect for a comforting weeknight dinner or a special occasion. Follow these easy steps to create a dish that is sure to impress your family and friends.

Ingredients:

● 500g potatoes
● 200g mushrooms
● 2 cloves of garlic
● 2 tbsp olive oil
● 1 tsp thyme, finely chopped
● 1 tsp parsley, finely chopped
● 1 egg
● 50g grated Grana Padano cheese
● 50g butter
● Salt and pepper
● Butter for greasing
● Bread crumbs for dusting
● 50ml milk
● 100g Stracchino cheese
● 1 tsp pink peppercorns
● 200g Cavolo Nero

Method:
To make the Potato and Mushroom Flan with Stracchino Sauce and Grilled Cavolo Nero (kale), start by boiling 500g of potatoes in salted water until soft. Drain and mash them, then let them cool. Meanwhile, clean 200g of mushrooms and chop them into small dice. Finely chop 2 cloves of garlic and cook them in 2 tablespoons of olive oil for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook over medium heat until they release all their water. Add 1 teaspoon of finely chopped thyme and 1 teaspoon of finely chopped parsley to the pan and stir well. In a large bowl, mix the mashed potatoes, cooked mushrooms, 1 egg, 50g of grated Grana Padano cheese, and 50g of butter until you obtain an even and smooth dough. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Grease some aluminum molds with butter and dust with bread crumbs. Fill the molds with the potato mixture and bake in the oven at 200 degrees Celsius for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. In an immersion blender cup, mix 50ml of milk, 100g of Stracchino cheese, and 1 teaspoon of pink peppercorns until
smooth. Strain and set aside. Clean 200g of Cavolo Nero, oil it, and grill until golden brown. To serve, place some sauce at the bottom of the plate, the hot flan on top, and the crispy Cavolo Nero on top of
the flan. Enjoy!

Egg Tagliatelle with Tomato Sauce

Looking for an authentic Italian pasta dish? This Salsa di Pomodoro and Egg Tagliatelle recipe is the perfect combination of a simple yet delicious tomato sauce and homemade pasta.

Ingredients:

  • 1 kg (2 Ib) canned tomatoes
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 50 gr (1 + 1/2 oz) EVO Oil
  • 4 fresh basil leaves, chopped
  • Salt to taste
  • 200 gr (7 oz) semolina (durum wheat flour)
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 gr of salt

To make the Tomato Sauce and Egg Tagliatelle, begin by heating olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté until golden brown. Next, add canned tomatoes and salt and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the sauce is thick and chunky. Remove the pot from heat and add chopped basil leaves, stirring to combine. To make the pasta dough, pour semolina flour into a bowl and create a well in the center. Crack the eggs into the well and add salt, then mix vigorously until a smooth and even mixture is formed. Allow the mixture to sit for 30 minutes wrapped in plastic wrap before rolling out the pasta dough and cutting it into tagliatelle strips. Cook the tagliatelle in salted boiling water for around 2-3 minutes until al dente, then drain and mix with the Tomato Sauce. Serve hot and enjoy the fresh flavors of homemade pasta and classic tomato sauce.

Beef tongue carpaccio, apples, savoy cabbage and green sauce

The ox tongue is a cut of beef that often gets looked over, being considered a lower quality type of meat. But with its high fat content, it has garnered popularity all over the world in many different types of cuisines. From Mexico to Japan people have found different ways to prepare it. What we’re proposing today is a variation on the carpaccio, a way of serving raw
meat that is cut in thin slices and seasoned with either lemon or vinegar, with the only difference being that the cut is cooked and drizzled with the Tuscan salsa verde (green sauce), since boiled ox tongue is traditionally served in Florence with this sauce.

Ingredients:

For the tongue carpaccio

250g beef tongue
2 bay leaves
2 L veg stock
2 red apples
1 savoy cabbage
25g apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon dijon mustard

For salsa verde (green sauce)

1 bunch of parsley
4 cloves of garlic
4 preserved anchovy filets
30g capers
60g pasteurized egg yolk
Olive oil
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Method:


For the salsa verde (green sauce)
Bring a pot of water to a boil, add salt and put the cleaned parsley and garlic cloves to boil for 5 minutes, chill immediately; place everything in a blender, add the anchovies, capers, egg yolk and the vinegar, add olive oil until the solution becomes creamy. Adjust salt and pepper and set aside.


For the tongue carpaccio
Bring the veg stock to a boil, add the bay leaves and the tongue, and let cook for at least 2 to 3 hours (until the meat becomes tender). When done, let it cool down, and clean it from its silver skin. Roast it in a pan with olive oil till the external part is caramelized, (you’ll be able to tell because it becomes golden brown) and set aside to cool while you prepare the garnishes to go with the dish. Cut the apples in wedges (each apple in 8 pieces) and pan fry in a pan with butter till golden brown on both sides, set aside. Blanch the savoy cabbage in boiling salted water for 20 seconds and chill it immediately, afterwards sauté it in a pan with olive oil. When cooked, remove from the heat and dress it with the mustard and the vinegar, adjust the seasoning if needed. Take the tongue and slice it into pieces no thicker than 1 cm.


Serving
Serve the cabbage on the bottom of the plate, place the tongue slices on the top, dress it with green sauce and finish with the apple wedges.