Have you ever wondered why your attempts at cooking Italian food never look like the pictures in glossy recipe books? Ever bemoaned the fact that Italian restaurants sometimes have the ability to turn mouth-watering dishes into soggy pasta failures? If so, you are not alone.
Federico Pezzaioli never wanted to become a chef. As a native of Italy, food was far too important to be considered a mere job. It was a way of life. Whether it was helping his mother or grandmother in the kitchen, following Uncle Vittorio through the market or spending time with his cousins in the south, Federico was learning.
He was learning that good food is about passion, learning that the heart of every home is the kitchen and learning that making fantastic food needn’t be complicated or expensive. You can learn all the same things.
Every recipe has step by step guides with photos to keep you on track. Every single thing that goes to make up a perfect meal is broken down into easy to follow stages so that, before you are half way through, the voice of Federico will be ringing in your ears “Don’t think……Cook!”
It’s not just the kitchen that gets the Italyum treatment. The tricks of how to get the best from supermarket shelves, and butcher, greengrocer and fishmonger shopping are all covered.
Whether it is a family feast, a late night snack or a romantic meal for two, Italyum can make everything work out fine. All you need is the desire to eat great food and a bit of spare time to make it. We provide the skills and the recipes, you provide the pots and pans. Great Italian food is not about which “celebrity” chef has managed to catch your attention this week. It’s about good ingredients, a straightforward recipe, a dash of passion and a willingness to enjoy life. The next time you’re tempted to go out for an “Italian”, stay in instead. A bit of preparation, a step by step guide and you’ll find that home is the best Trattoria in town.
Preparation: 5 mins
Cooking: 10 mins
Difficulty: Easy
Read more: Penne Pasta with spicy sausage (Penne con salsiccia piccante)
Preparation: 5 mins
Cooking: 10-15 mins
Difficulty: Easy Vegetarian
Preparation: 30 mins
No cooking required
Difficulty: Easy
Preparation: 40 mins (assuming that ragù is already prepared)
Cooking: 30-40 mins
Difficulty: Medium
Preparation: 20 mins
Cooking: 3 - 3 1/2 hours
Difficulty: Easy
Suitable for freezing
Read more: Traditional Spaghetti Bolognese sauce (Ragù alla bolognese)
Preparation: 20 mins
Cooking: 24-26 mins
Difficulty: Medium
Preparation time: 5 mins
Cooking: 25 mins
Difficulty: Easy
Dough preparation and rising: 3 ½ hours
Making one pizza base and topping it: 5 mins
Cooking: 7-10 mins
Difficulty: Medium
Preparation: 30-40 mins
Difficulty: Advanced
Vegetarian
Preparation: 45 mins
Cooking: 2-3 mins
Difficulty: Medium Vegetarian
Preparation: 15 mins
Cooking: 10-12 mins
Difficulty: Medium
Federico Pezzaioli is an ex-badass Italian Paratrooper on a mission - to make creating delicious authentic Italian food really easy. He researches, writes and photographs each recipe with the same attention to detail he used to apply to packing his parachute.
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Dont' forget - if you have any questions about our recipes, you can ask Federico directly on our Facebook page. It's also the perfect place to share your love of Italian food, and get exclusive updates on new recipes. Buon appetito!