Simple But Special--Two Cakes that Win Compliments

Dinner from appetizer to desert--all cooked from scratch in a leisurely hour and a half. How does Capri Flavors Chef Titina do it? She keeps the recipes for her popular cooking classes simple. Not a hard task since the best Italian food is simple fare. Think Pizza Margarita--a few beautifully matched ingredients--all the highest quality. Now, translate that approach to a desert. Titina's Torte Caprese showcases almonds, chocolate, and fresh eggs. This is a simple, rustic, but elegant cake.

For an even simpler desert, try Capri Flavors cooking student Christine's favorite Olive Oil Polenta Cake. It's easy to make, needs no special ingredients and great with summer berries. Baking with oilve oil and polenta are techniques she learned in Capri Flavors classes.



-Titina’s Recipe--
Torta Caprese (Almond and Chocolate Cake)
Ingredients:
¾ cup CapriFlavors extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup water
12 oz. sugar
1½ cup of whole almonds with skin
1 cup semi sweet chocolate in block
6 extra large eggs

Serves: 10; preparation: 10 minutes; Cooking Time: 50 minutes;
Level of Difficulty: Simple

Grease a 9” or 10” pan with olive oil, dust with flour and line with wax paper.
Coarsely chop chocolate with a large knife. Coarsely cut almonds in blender, not fine. Set both the chocolate and almonds aside.Beat sugar and eggs together for about4 minutes, then add olive oil very slowly and the water. Turn mixer to slow and add almonds and chocolate until mixed. Pour mixture into pan. Bake in a preheated over at 350 degrees F for 50 minutes.

Olive Oil, Polenta Cake
Ingredients:
1-1/4 cup soft wheat flour
1/4 cup polenta
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla powder (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
3 eggs at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup Capri Flavors olive oil
2 Tbs lemon juice
Zest of one lemon

Stir together dry ingredients( flour, polenta, baking powder, salt and vanilla powder) in a small bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, Beat eggs at medium speed for 3-4 minutes until creamy and lemon colored. With mixer running, add sugar in a slow stream. Then add oil in a thin, steady stream. Beat in zest, lemon juice and vanilla extract if using.
Turn off mixer and add dry ingredients in three batches, gently folding in with a wooden spoon. Do not over mix. Bake in grease and floured 9 inch pan at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until the crusty top is well browned. Cool on a wire rack serve with berries and or gelato and a drizzle of chocolate Vincotto.

Note from Christine: I use Italian flour (Farina) in this recipe. The vanilla powder comes from Capri Flavors and I also like to use their Paneangel Lievito (Italian Baking Powder) for a more authentic result. It's strong stuff, so use 3/4 tsp instead of the full 1-1/2 tsp. Alao-- a nod to William Sonoma's excellent cookbook, Essentials of Italian for the original olive oil cake recipe which I adapted. This is a great book. I give it 5 stars.

Cooking Tips from Titina--The Right Way to "Brown"

Capri Flavors Chef Titina grew up in a restaurant kitchen--but most of her student's weren't so lucky. In fact, many who sign up for Titina's popular cooking classes have little experience beyond the microwave.



No problem. Titina makes cooking easy, teaching basic skills in a fun, relaxed, group setting.

Browning meat is one of those skills. Many of her best recipes call for this step like the Pollo al Curry from this week's Sicilian menu.



Here's how Titina teaches her students to brown like restaurant pros.

1. First use a large, shallow pan.



2. Add plenty of good olive oil. (Titina has her own label, fresh from Italy) Don't skimp here. Olive oil has no cholesterol but plenty of healthy antioxidants. It's a healthy choice.



3. You also need heat. Don't be afraid to get the oil hot on medium-high to high heat. Watch the pan and don't walk away. The oil should look glassy, but not smoking. The meat should sizzle when you (carefully) add it to the pan.



4. When browning chicken, Titina always starts with skin side down. Then give the meat a little time before turning. Resist the temptation to peek. Ideally, you will turn only once.



5. Another important tip--don't crowd the pan. Titina always browns in batches then returns all the browned pieces to the pan for a simmer with the sauce.

Here's the rest of this week's menu from the island of Sicily--Plus Titina's upcoming menus for the rest of May and June

SICILIA Menu
May 17, 21--June 14, 18

Anellini con Melenzane (Anellini with Eggplant)

Pollo al Curry (Chicken Curry)Piselli al Prosciutto

(Peas with Prosciutto)

San Giuseppe Zeppole (Saint Joseph Cream Puffs)

SARDEGNA Menu
May 24, 28--June 21, 25

Malloreddus Con Dalsiccia (Malloreddus with Sausage)

Cozze Gratinate (Mussels au Gratin)Carciofi alla Sarda

(Sardinian Artichokes)

Sabadas’ (Ravioli with Honey)

PIEMONTE Menu
June 7, 12

Pasta e Cannellini (Cannellini Beans with Pasta)

Roast-Beef con le Castagne (Roast Beef with Chestnuts)

Fava alla Piemontese (Piemontese Fava Beans)

Nodi D’Amore (Love Knots)

CAPRI Menu
May 31--June 4

Limoncello (Lemon Liquor)

Suffle di Formaggio (Cheese Souffle)

Aragosta alla Crema (Lobster in Cream Sauce)

Radicchio al Parmigiano (Radicchio with Parmesan)

Torta di Capri al Limoncello (Capri Cake with Limoncello)

Start with Bellinis

Class always starts with a cocktail. It's one of the joys of cooking with Titina. Students sit around the long bar in Titina's kitchen, put on their name tags and enjoy one of Titina's homemade drinks. It's an ice-breaker, a way to shed their nervousness and ease into a fun evening.

A whiskey sour, Sangria with fresh fruit or a Bloody Mary made with her own San Marzano tomatoes--Titina's drinks, like her meals, are all made from scratch with the best ingredients. And they are delicious.

One of her most popular drinks is the Bellini. Titina vacuum packs and freezes local peaches to make this golden concoction from Venice.

And right now, back in Southern Italy where she and her husband Costanzo grew up, peaches are coming into season.

“Albicocche Vesuviani, vesuvian peaches are very popular, and will be ready to eat by the end of this month," reports Francesca from outside of Naples. Francesca is married to the President of the Agrigenus co-op, a group of 9 Italian farmers who grow the heirloom San Marzano tomatoes for Titina's own label.

Francesca says spring weather in Southern Italy has been up and down this year. They hope summer will take hold soon so the peaches and tomatoes will be sweet.

In honor of Francesca's wishes for warmer weather and the ripening peaches of Italy, here's Titina's method for making delicious Bellinis and bringing people together to share the joys of good food.

3 ripe white peaches peeled and pureed in the food processor
Mixed with one bottle very cold Procecco (Italian champagne) and enjoy!!

Titina's spring cooking classes run for several more weeks. Menus and dates follow. Private classes are also available.

SICILIA Menu

April 19, 23--May 17, 21--June 14, 18
Anellini con Melenzane (Anellini with Eggplant)
Pollo al Curry (Chicken Curry)
Piselli al Prosciutto (Peas with Prosciutto)
San Giuseppe Zeppole (Saint Joseph Cream Puffs)

SARDEGNA Menu

April 26, 30--May 24, 28--June 21, 25
Malloreddus Con Dalsiccia (Malloreddus with Sausage)
Cozze Gratinate (Mussels au Gratin)
Carciofi alla Sarda (Sardinian Artichokes)
Sabadas’ (Ravioli with Honey)

PIEMONTE Menu

April 12, 16--May 10, 14--June 7, 1
Pasta e Cannellini (Cannellini Beans with Pasta)
Roast-Beef con le Castagne (Roast Beef with Chestnuts)
Fava alla Piemontese (Piemontese Fava Beans)
Nodi D’Amore (Love Knots)

CAPRI Menu

April 5, 9--May 3, 7, 31--June 4
Limoncello (Lemon Liquor)
Suffle di Formaggio (Cheese Souffle)
Aragosta alla Crema (Lobster in Cream Sauce)
Radicchio al Parmigiano (Radicchio with Parmesan)
Torta di Capri al Limoncello (Capri Cake with Limoncello)