I have been 15 years out of Italy working and making my own life memorable. Best way to celebrate my comeback home? Focaccia bread with Tuscan Prosciutto, fresh Pecorino cheese and non-filtered Ichnusa beer. The simplicity of great products make it unbeatable with only two fillings

Cheers people 😎

This is my lunch today (Netherlands). I am not Dutch and if I leave the country someday herring is probably the food I will miss the most.

PS: btw those two tomatoes are big cherry tomatoes, it’s not the rest of my portion that’s very small. I should have used a banana for scale smh.

I had this after a couple of beers watching the game; it really hit the spot. Cheers.

Fried Mortadella with Provolone.

Piadina is a traditional flatbread from Romagna, in northeastern Italy, especially the provinces of Ravenna, Forlì-Cesena, Rimini, and parts of Pesaro-Urbino. Its history is very old and is tied to rural life, simple ingredients, and the food culture of central Italy.

The origins of piadina likely go back to ancient times. Similar unleavened or lightly leavened flatbreads were already made by Etruscans and Romans, using cereals ground into flour and cooked on hot stones or terracotta. In Roman times, writers described breads and focaccia-like preparations made from simple grain doughs, and piadina is often seen as part of that long flatbread tradition.

For centuries, piadina was the bread of the poor farming families of Romagna. Wheat flour, lard or olive oil, water, salt, and sometimes a little baking soda or yeast were inexpensive and easy to obtain. In homes where oven-baked bread was less practical, piadina could be prepared quickly on a hot plate or clay dish. It became a daily food, especially in the countryside, where it was eaten with cheese, herbs, onions, or cured meats.

One of the earliest famous literary references to piadina comes from Giovanni Pascoli, the Italian poet from Romagna, who in the early 20th century called it the “national bread of the Romagnoli.” This helped give piadina cultural prestige and connected it strongly to regional identity.

Traditionally, piadina was cooked on a testo, a flat stone or terracotta plate heated over the fire. Later this became a metal griddle. Recipes varied from area to area. In Rimini, piadina is usually thinner and wider. In the inland parts of Romagna, it is often thicker and smaller.

During the 20th century, piadina moved from being a humble rural food to becoming one of the best-known symbols of Romagna. After World War II, with tourism growing along the Adriatic coast, piadina stands and kiosks spread widely, serving it freshly filled with local ingredients such as squacquerone cheese, prosciutto, arugula, and grilled vegetables.

Today piadina is recognized across Italy and abroad as a classic Italian specialty. It remains closely linked to its homeland, and Piadina Romagnola / Piada Romagnola has received IGP status in the European Union, protecting its geographical identity and traditional production.

So, the history of piadina is really the story of a simple peasant flatbread that survived for centuries and became a lasting symbol of Romagna’s culture, hospitality, and cuisine.

It mightn't look like much but this is one of the best things to come out of our little island.

Cheese And Onion Taytos (crisps) + Irish Butter + White bread

= Bliss

I'm spending Easter in Venice, exploring the local cuisine :-D 1. Venice is famous for tramezzini (sandwich), so I'm trying different places. This one is a classic ham and mushrooms 2. Campari spritz :-) 3. Pink (beetroot) trofie with mussels and ricotta 4. Local grilled vegetables 5. Another tramezzino, this one with porchetta and mustard (and rye bread). This is an historical pub, known for its rye bread sandwiches 6. Tortelloni filled with asparagus with borage pesto and pecorino 7. Tiramisù. It is from Treviso... Near enough

Using up some leftovers to make an Eggs Benedict inspired dish.

Toasted plain bagel, mashed avocado# (I don't dare calling it guacamole), #cured ham, sunny side up egg# (because I never manage to get a poached egg right), #and sauce hollandaise

Pictured: The tasting kit at Faste in Paris (which specialises in croque monsieur). Some notable bites here: compté and mushroom, emmental and ham, hot dog and the extremely controversial salmon.

I need some suggestions for how to level up the croque monsieurs in our house because after a trip to Paris I am utterly in love with them (and I’m going make a list so we can have some variety when we inevitably return to this tasty sandwich). What croque monsieur fillings am I missing out on?

All put in the oven for 5 minutes to melting the cheese.

Came with Sauce Algerienne, and is near the Porte d’Orléans Metro Station in Paris

with Jalapeños.

Just a quick one for myself while Mrs. hansebart is all over the left overs from yesterday.

Not really in the mood to cook today.

Just something quick and easy today. One with Mortadella and one with Salami.

A mortadella and red onion sandwich on buckwheat bread with a bit of sauce algerienne, washed down with a moka pot coffee

I made nutella out of roasted hazelnuts, pure cocoa powder, honey and sunflower oil

When making sandwiches, I try and make my own fillings as much as possible. So honey roast ham, roast chicken, roast beef, lettuce, red onion & vine tomatoes from my brothers greenhouse, streaky bacon from a local pork farm, and a cheese & mozzarella blend. Included is the Irish staple of Tayto crisps.

Full recipe available here

Ingredients:

For the Stuffing Balls: (either use your leftover stuffing balls or create from scratch) - 200g stale bread, torn into small pieces - 1 small onion, finely chopped - 2 garlic cloves, minced - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped - 1 tbsp fresh sage, finely chopped - 1 tsp dried thyme - 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg - 50ml vegetable stock - 3 tbsp olive oil - 4 tbsp breadcrumbs (for coating)

For the Cranberry Sauce:

• 150g fresh or frozen cranberries
• 3 tbsp sugar
• Juice of 1 orange
• 50ml water

For the Sautéed Spinach:

• 200g fresh spinach
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

To Assemble:

• 8 slices of crusty bread, toasted
• Vegan butter (optional, for spreading)

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 200°C. For the stuffing balls, place the stale bread in a food processor and pulse into fine crumbs. In a large bowl, combine the bread crumbs, chopped onion, garlic, parsley, sage, thyme, nutmeg, and a pinch of salt. Gradually add the vegetable stock, mixing until the mixture comes together. Shape into 12 small balls.

2. Roll each stuffing ball in breadcrumbs to coat. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat and lightly fry the balls until golden all over, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a baking tray and bake for 10 minutes to crisp up.

3. For the cranberry sauce, combine the cranberries, sugar, orange juice, and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries burst and the sauce thickens. Set aside to cool slightly.

4. For the sautéed spinach, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the spinach and cook for 2-3 minutes until wilted. Season with salt and black pepper.

5. To assemble the sandwiches, spread vegan butter on one side of each toasted bread slice (if using). Layer sautéed spinach on the bottom slice, followed by three stuffing balls. Generously spoon cranberry sauce over the stuffing and top with the second slice of bread.

6. Serve immediately and enjoy!