Elicopenna with Salmon, Pancetta & Green Peas

When I came up with this recipe, I was, as always, in a frenzy in the kitchen.    I didn't have so much in my fridge to cook so I had to scout for leftovers and frozen ingredients that I always keep for emergencies.  I found some frozen green peas & spinach.  In the fridge, I had one remaining package of pancetta affumicata and an open pack of smoked salmon.   Imagining the flavors, I was thinking that I would be creating something tasty.  I don't think i ever combined salmon with pancetta before.  The only thing they have in common is that they are both smoked.

Off I went experimenting on the stove.  The feelings are always the same.  Excitement to try something new and apprehension if no one eats what I prepared.  I look forward to the smile after the first forkful of food because that is my big trophy.  I got it, and even three of them for this pasta dish!

Elicopenna with Salmon, Pancetta & Green Peas

Ingredients:
Serves 4

• 350 g. elicopenna or any short pasta
• 200 g. green peas
• 150 g. smoked salmon, chopped
• 200 g. spinach, chopped
• a dash of cognac (optional)
• 80 g. pancetta affumicata (smoked pancetta)
• 1 clove garlic, halved
• extra virgin olive oil

1. Boil water in a pot for the pasta.  When it boils, add salt & cook the pasta according to the number of minutes suggested in the package.
2. Since my spinach was frozen, I quickly defrosted it in the microwave.  Chop in an electric chopper or in the food processor.  If you have fresh spinach, drop them directly to the electric chopper or food processor.  Set aside.
3. Saute' garlic in a saucepan with extra virgin olive oil.  When it turns golden, add pancetta affumicata.  Toast.  Add green peas.  Toss with the pancetta.  Add spinach & salmon.  Cook for about 5 minutes.  
4. Add a dash of cognac.  Cook for another 10 minutes.  If the sauce becomes too dry, add a little bit of hot water taken from the pot you are boiling for the pasta.
5. Discard garlic.  Adjust taste.  See if you still need to put salt.  Mix cooked pasta with the sauce.  Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.

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Matcha Green Tea, Pistachios & Chocolate Rice

Here I am again with the rice dessert.  I guess by now I can officially say that I love cooking and eating them.  I resort to rice desserts because they are simple to make and require less attention in the measurements of the ingredients.  With my hurried nature, I tend to disobey measurement rules and baking requires precision.  Two small, active kids make you run, literally, at any given time.   I dream of baking those beautiful cakes that almost don't look real.  Sigh.  For now, I have to satisfy myself with quick & easy desserts.  So if you are looking for those picture perfect cakes, try again my blog in a couple of years.  Maybe I will be able to surprise myself in creating my dream cake.

Matcha green tea.  As soon as I saw some pictures & recipes at the internet, I got hooked.  I had been looking for it for months and I finally found it at a large international gourmet shop.  Of course, where else?  I should have started there in the first place.  I was surprised at the price.  I had to pay about 25 Euros for a 100 g. canister of 100% pure Matcha green tea.  There were cheaper options - half Matcha green tea mixed with other kinds of tea.  I bought the pure one and hoped the 25 Euros I spent would be worth it.

Matcha green tea is the protagonist in the Japanese tea ceremonies.  It can be prepared either as a thick drink or thin and it's the healthiest tea that exists.  With the health benefits alone, it gives me satisfaction for paying a lot.

Matcha Green Tea, Pistachios & Chocolate Rice 

Ingredients:
Serves 4

• 1 cup Arborio rice or anything similar
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 2 tablespoons Matcha green tea powder for the rice
• 1 teaspoon Matcha green tea powder for the sauce
• Matcha green tea powder for sprinkling on top
• 2 - 3 tablespoons sugar 
• 1 teaspoon sugar for the sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch or flour
• 100 g. dark chocolate or milk chocolate, melted
• 2 tablespoons pistachios, ground 
• pistachios for sprinkling on top
• chocolate flakes for sprinkling on top 

1. Mix 2 tablespoons green tea & 2 tablespoons sugar with 2 cups of water.  Adjust sweetness according to your preference. 
2. In a small saucepan,  put the cup of rice with the green tea mixture.  Cook until rice becomes soft and liquid has been absorbed by the rice.  Stir in 2 tablespoons pistachios at the end of the cooking.
3. In two bowls, divide the rice to 1/3 in one bowl and 2/3 in the other bowl.  Mix the melted chocolate with the 1/3 rice.  Let the rice cool.
4. With a round mold for shaping food, put a layer of green tea rice.  Flatten.  Put a layer of chocolate rice then green tea rice again.  Sprinkle with pistachios, chocolate flakes & green tea on top.
5. In a small saucepan, prepare the green tea sauce.  Boil 1/2 cup water.  Add one teaspoon green tea, one teaspoon sugar & the cornstarch.  Adjust sweetness according to your preference.  Stir vigorously until you reach a dense consistency.  Stir continuously to avoid having clumps of cornstarch.  
6. Serve the sauce with the rice. 

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Pasta alla Norma

Any type of food that has an attachment to Sicily perks my interest.  I will always stretch my limit for  Sicilian gastronomy.   Among the regions of Italy, Sicily is one of my favorites.  Not because my husband's roots are from there but because the island is superior in culture, history & gastronomy.  Also noted are the people's friendliness that can melt any icicle & the outstandingly preserved ancient Greek & Moorish monuments scattered in the island.

On my first trip there 12 years ago, my husband and I stopped in an out of the way restaurant because we were looking for an out of the way monument that we couldn't find.  It was a hard touristy life without the navigator.  Looking at the restaurant, I was thinking that we will eat badly because the exterior inspires aversion to possible customers, but it was very late and we were so hungry.  They had the full 5 course menu package for the day but there was no menu to choose from.  You will have to eat what they cooked.  When we arrived at the main course, we were already deeply rooted to our seats with very little space left for dessert.  The food was remarkable! 

 We pushed our limit for the dessert and refused the big basket of fruit for ten people that the waiter was taking to our table.  He was aghast that we decided not to eat any fruit and he admonished us like how parents do to their children.  He's a jolly old fellow so there was no offense taken at all.  He wouldn't accept no for an answer and spent a full five minute speech explaining to us the importance of eating fresh fruit.  Mmmm, it's a good thing I am not his kid.  He left the whole basket to us, convinced that his speech was effective.  He kept a watchful eye on us to see if we were eating.  We struggled with half a fruit each to please him but he was still clucking.  Apparently, our little fruit tribute to Mr. Fruit Waiter did not impress him at all.  We hurriedly paid and left before he gets the bright idea of sending us the basket to finish.  Italians have this thing about eating right and healthy.

Pasta alla Norma's home in Sicily is Catania.  It was born as a homage to the finest work of the composer Vincenzo Bellini called Norma.  The five fundamental ingredients are basil,  ricotta salata stagionata (aged ricotta salata cheese), tomato sauce (See my recipe for simple tomato sauce.), fried aubergines and pasta (Maccheroni specifically but nowadays, penne, spaghetti and some other types of pasta are used.)  In my case, I used elicopenna of Gragnano, a type of pasta very similar to penne.

Pasta alla Norma

Ingredients:
Serves 4

• 350 - 400 g. elicopenna (or penne rigate, spaghetti, maccheroni, etc.)
• 425 g. tomato sauce
• 2 medium aubergines, cubed (or round)
• aged ricotta salata, grated
• basil leaves
• a lot of peanut oil (Safflower oil, sunflower oil & canola oil have high smoke points too that are perfect for fying.)

1. Prepare tomato sauce.  Refer to the simple tomato sauce recipe that I had posted.  Instead of oregano, use basil.  
2. Boil water for pasta.  When it boils, add salt & cook pasta following the cooking time suggested in the package.
   
3. Deep fry aubergines in hot oil.  I prefer cubed aubergines from round slices.  Nowadays, it is already acceptable not to salt aubergines to remove the bitterness because the modern ones are less bitter.  I don't salt my aubergines anymore to save time.  They never come out bitter.
4. Mix cooked pasta, a lot of basil leaves, tomato sauce, fried aubergines & as much ricotta salata stagionata you want.

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Sea Bass with Fennel, Lime & Olives

Oftentimes, I spend more time looking for the English equivalent of some Italian food terms in the internet than cooking the dish itself.   Everyone has his own opinion and declares it as a fact that it gets frustrating to have more than one word to rely on.  I am almost certain that spigola is sea bass in English. 

I occupied my time the past days switching our clothes from winter to spring/summer.  It was a relief to touch the fabrics of linen and cotton again while I put away the wool and thick clothes.  Just by the touch of the fabrics exhilarates me.  New colors are popping out in the garden everyday.  All the wonderful spring fruit I had been waiting for are coming out in the fruit stands.  I don't think I need do state that I love spring the most.   After being cooped up indoors throughout winter, it is a relief to enjoy outdoors again. 

Eating under the olive trees, the first forkful of this fish sends you to summer instantly.   The ingredients are fresh and light.  It's deliciously summery.  I remember seeing an advertisement years ago of a product that I don't remember anymore.  It was in full winter and with this product, everyone was imagining summer.   I thought it was lame.  Aha, I don't think it's the first advertisement with that storyline.  In a nutshell, I bit my words because I also imagined full-blown summer in the beach while I was eating this.

I didn't need to stay in the kitchen while I was cooking this which is fundamental when the time comes it becomes unbearably hot and you don't want to die of the heat while cooking.  At the peak of summer, I usually abandon my kitchen and say arrivederci until the promise of a temperature drop again.

I first cooked this with a couple of limes then I used lemons the second time around when I took the photos.  The limes give much better flavor than the lemons.   

Sea Bass with Fennel, Lime & Olives

Ingredients:
Serves 2

• 2 sea bass (or any similar fish)
• 2 fennel bulbs, chopped
• handful of green olives, pitted
• 2 limes, quartered (or lemons but limes give a better flavor)
• handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
• salt
• extra virgin olive oil

1. Put all the ingredients together in a baking pan.  Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil & sprinkle with salt.  
2. Put in the pre-heated oven at the grill position for 30 minutes (or more, depending on the size of the fish).
3. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil before serving.

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Dark Chocolate Pancake & Banana Towers

Pancakes drizzled with maple syrup take me back to my childhood.  For an afternoon snack, my siblings, our playmates and I would have them, noisily eating in the terrace or high up on the guava tree in our backyard with a big plank of wood secured in between the big branches.  It was a balancing act between a glass, a plate and yourself while eating.  Just the sight of it made my mother nervous that she long abandoned scolding us for having acrobatic tendencies to eat.  Now it's my turn to be a parent and my kids love nature so much.  I love the fact that the plants, insects, soil or anything outside interest them.  It is more intellectually stimulating to observe nature than being stuck in front of the TV or playing with their toys indoors.  The only consequence is that they look and smell like nature too after an afternoon outdoors.  When they go back inside the house, they look like an extension of our garden that it seems impossible to make them look like children again.  Sigh.  I look at the bright side of it. 

Bananas smothered with melted dark chocolate send me to high heavens.  When I am lazy, I just melt some chocolate and pour it on a banana.  I call that dessert in a crude way.  But when I am inclined to having a tad of refinement, I prepare some crepes to go with the bananas & chocolate.  They look more presentable that way.  Today, I thought of making them more ornate.  I was in a frenzied mode in the kitchen whipping up appetizers, pasta, a main course and since I was already at it, why not dessert too?

I made the pancakes and I used a cookie cutter that corresponds closely to the circumference of a banana and made about 16 little round ones with one pancake.  I stacked them alternately with the banana slices & dark chocolate sauce.  I was aiming to impress my kids but they were only interested in dissecting what I had composed.  One zeroed in on the chocolate sauce while the other one targeted the bananas & food sticks.  They both don't like pancakes.  I have strange kids. 

I didn't want to waste the pancakes I riddled with holes so I thought of filling up the gaps with banana slices.  It still came out nice too.   

Dark Chocolate Pancake & Banana Towers

Ingredients:
Makes 4 - 5 pancakes (crepe size) or about 20 towers

• 3/4 cup flour
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 75 g. melted dark chocolate for pancakes
• 75 g. melted dark chocolate for sauce
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 teaspoon soft butter
• 1 egg
• 2 big bananas 
• dark chocolate flakes or drops for decorating

1. Melt chocolate in the microwave at the defrost position or in a bain marie.  You can improvise by boiling some water in a pot and putting another smaller pot with the chocolate on top. 
2. Mix all ingredients together in a mixing bowl except for the 75. g. melted dark chocolate for the sauce & the bananas. Mix until completely homogeneous.
3. Warm up crepe skillet and start cooking the pancakes.  Ladle some of the pancake mixture on the skillet.  Make sure the mixture covers the whole skillet.  When it starts to move easily on the skillet, cook the other side.  Repeat until mixture is finished.
4. Use a cookie cutter that has almost the same circumference as the bananas to cut the pancakes.  One pancake should yield 16 small pancakes.  
5. Cut bananas horizontally. 
6. Stack pancakes & bananas alternately with melted dark chocolate in every layer.  Secure with a foodstick.  Serve warm.  If the chocolate sauce hardens & becomes cold, just pop them in the microwave for a few seconds before serving.  Remember that sliced bananas change color so serve as soon as possible.

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Philippine Pork Adobo

As soon as the first beautiful banana leaf came out, I snipped it away.  If only my plants could uproot themselves from the soil, I think they would all run away shrieking as soon as they see me lurking around with a pair of shears.  I feel like the sinister antagonist of a suspense film of humans against plants.

Why a banana leaf?  Today, I decided to make a Philippine dish called adobo.  It is pork (or chicken or both) cooked in soy sauce, coconut vinegar, peppercorns & garlic. 

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Strawberry, Basil & Rose Ice Pops and Smoothies

Because the basil in the frutti di bosco (mixed berries) salad was spectacular, it was imperative to mix it with the strawberries too.  They even have a better partnership, I have to say.   It was divine. 

I just bought a big box of strawberries that needed to be consumed fast.  I was going big time with my imaginations of elaborate strawberry desserts but I only accomplished the basic - ice pops and smoothies.  I didn't have enough time to browse around for recipes let alone think so I just thought of my kids' pediatrician's orders.  Since the kids are so addicted to ice pops, it was better if I make them myself knowing that there is 100% fruit in them.   

At home, I often prepare two versions of anything I cook.  One adult and the other, kiddie version.  With the ice pops, I only mixed the fruit, sugar & water for the kids while I added some basil & rose petals for the adults.  When I tasted our version, I almost yelped with delight.  I think I really did and even laughed triumphantly a bit but had to regain my composure because I suddenly felt like a mad scientist who concocted something sinister.  Picture me with a mess of strawberries, remnants of roses & basil stems all over the kitchen counter with a half full blender and red spills everywhere. 

This is barely a recipe and it is so simple, but oh my, it is so good.  I did some ice pops and left the rest for some smoothies.  The freezing temp of the ice pops toned down the flavor but the cold drinks were very good.

I still haven't found any ice pop molds so I just used some disposable espresso cups for molding.  After about an hour of freezing, I stuck the popsicle sticks in the middle of the ice pops.  Another option would be to cut round pieces of wax paper with the same circumference as the espresso cups, put them in the cup like covers & make a slit in the middle to hold the popsicle sticks.

Strawberry, Basil & Rose Ice Pops and Smoothies

Ingredients:
Makes 3 glasses or about a dozen ice pops (depending on the mold)

• 450 g. strawberries
• handful of basil leaves
• 4 spoons white sugar
• 2 medium roses, petals only
• 250 ml. water (adjust the water for the consistency you prefer)

1. Put everything in the blender and liquefy.  
2. For ice pops, pour in ice pop molds & freeze.
3. For smoothies, pour in glasses & refrigerate.  Serve chilled.

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Frutti di Bosco with Basil, Roses & Creme de Cassis

Little trays of raspberries, blueberries, cranberries & blackberries are carefully lined up inside the box of frutti di bosco that I took from the fruit section.  When I was maneuvering my way towards our cart, my five year-old's eyes almost popped out.  Then when I went back with yet another big box of strawberries, I got scared that his eyes were really going to pop out.  I see that I struck a good chord.   He can easily dethrone Cookie Monster with his remarkable appetite of frutti di bosco.  In fact, at barely 2 years old, he was already able to pick his own wild strawberries & blackberries in the mountains.

Since my son proclaims ownership of 90% of the frutti di bosco, and generously gives us 10% of the remainder,  I just add some white sugar according to his liking.  This time, I bought more than his usual capacity (or so I hoped) so I added  a dash of liqueur.  Creme de Cassis (blackcurrant) went amazingly well with the berries.  The basil was a first for me in mixing with a sweet dish and it surprisingly vivified the flavors. 

After this frutti di bosco salad, I added another plant to my growing basil population of 5 plants.  They cannot keep up with my daily snipping so they remain dwarfed.  As opposed to my balding basil plants, I have an abundance of roses staring at me around the house that I had to to include them in this berry salad.   It gave a pleasant subtle floral hint. 

Frutti di Bosco with Basil, Roses & Creme de Cassis

Ingredients:
Serves 4

• 500 g. frutti di bosco
• 100 g. strawberries, quartered or halved
• 2 spoons Creme de cassis
• 2 - 3 spoons white sugar
• handful of basil, chopped finely
• 2 roses, petals only

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.  Refrigerate for at least half an hour before serving.

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Roasted Asparagus, Scamorza & Pancetta Frittata

Let's take a little stroll to cholesterol lane this time and see how good this frittata is.  We are fast becoming a health conscious society but sometimes we need a break.   I never digress with the healthy dishes I feed my family but sometimes, we all take a vacation from it, close our eyes and enjoy what verboten food has to offer.  

I don't think it needs so much imagination to understand how tasty this dish is.  The three ingredients speak for themselves.  Oh, and there is also parmigiano reggiano.  Need I say more?

Eversince the asparagus season has started, I have been using them in almost all the dishes I am cooking.  I love them and I can never wait for the season to begin every year.  No complaints from any side of the table so it makes cooking these veggies much more pleasurable. 

Roasted Asparagus, Scamorza & Pancetta Frittata

Ingredients:
Makes 6 rolls

• 24 - 30 asparagus spears, tough ends taken away
• 6 slices pancetta
• 5 eggs 
• 6 slices scamorza affumicata (or any cheese, smoked preferably)
• 5 spoons parmigiano reggiano, grated
• extra virgin olive oil 

1. Drizzle stove-top griddle or heavy bottom saucepan with extra virgin olive oil.  Wipe away excess with a kitchen paper.  Sprinkle griddle with salt.  When it becomes hot, roast the asparagus (tough ends cut away).  Set aside when they turn brown & tender.
2. Depending on the size of the asparagus spears, put together between 4 - 5 per roll.  Wrap them in one slice of pancetta.   Repeat process with the rest.

3.   In the same heavy bottom saucepan or griddle, put the pancetta & asparagus rolls without putting any oil.  Cook until all sides are brown & crunchy.   Set aside.  

4.   Beat the eggs & parmigiano reggiano in a bowl.  Pour a little amount on a lightly oiled crepe skillet or any medium sized saucepan.  Make it as thin as you can.  Put a slice of scamorza on top then the pancetta & asparagus roll.  When the frittata starts to move and is not sticking to the skillet anymore, roll.  Repeat until you finish the remaining ingredients.

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Farfalle Primavera ai Fiori del Giardino

"I'll just get a couple of things."  When I say that, I don't believe myself.  I am worse than a kid inside a candy shop when I enter food heaven a.k.a. specialty food shops.  I do try my best to keep myself focused on the essential food that made me take a trip there in the first place but I always lose the battle of self-control.  

My husband wouldn't stop badgering me when, on one occasion, I went inside a specialty food shop to buy some mozzarella.  We went in, he went out, he went back, I was still browsing, with a little mountain of food accumulating at the counter, and yet another mountain was forming beside it.  Finally, after piling 4 bags of food in the car, he asked me if I got the mozzarella.  "What mozzarella?" 

One of my recent acquisitions is a pack of beautiful naturally colored farfalle primavera.  When a beautiful sunny day came out, it was apropos to prepare it for lunch.  I got stuck though with which sauce to mix it.  I wanted something very springlike, fresh & light but I couldn't find anything acceptable in my fridge.  I went out for inspiration and I got more than what I thought would inspire me.  I went hurriedly back to get a basket to gather all the edible flowers & leaves in our garden.  Yellow roses, white roses, chive flowers, sage flowers, lavender flowers, stinging nettle, rosemary, thyme, parsley & mint.  Practically everything edible around.  (The orange in the basket was my daughter's harvest from our kitchen fruit basket.)  When I finally finished harvesting, I looked at what I got and wondered how the pasta would taste like.  Like my garden.

From the flowers & leaves I gathered, I added a carrot, a squeeze of lime & some freshly grated dried ginger.  It tasted good but far from explosively delicious.  It was very pleasant as my husband and I agreed on, very light and makes you think of spring and garden.  Just like I had hoped this pasta would come out.  Well, come to think of it, I literally cooked my garden. 

When my son arrived from school and asked what was for lunch.  I replied, "Our garden."  He didn't know how he would take my answer.  Or maybe garden was too vast a word because not only does it include the flora but also the fauna which sends him to feardom.   He is curious about insects, loves ladybirds & is scared silly of spiders.  I put his fears to rest by showing him the excess of the ingredients in the basket.  "See, Mommy cooked neither spindly spiders nor ladybirds." 

 

Farfalle Primavera ai Fiori del Giardino

Ingredients:
Serves 2

• 200 g. farfalle primavera (or any short pasta)
• 2 big rose heads (untreated), petals only
• 3 - 4 chive flowers, florets separated from the clusters
• 2 - 3 clusters of sage flowers, florets plucked from the clusters
• 1 carrot, chopped finely in an electric chopper
• 3 sprigs mint, leaves taken out from stems & chopped
• 2 sprigs parsley, chopped
• 2 sprigs thyme, leaves taken out from stems
• 4 lavender flowers, chopped
• 2 small stinging nettle plants, chopped
• a squeeze of lime
• a teaspoon of grated dried ginger (or powder or fresh ginger)
• extra virgin olive oil
• salt

1. Boil water in a pot for the pasta.  When it boils, add coarse salt.  Cook pasta according to the number of minutes suggested in the pack.
2. Meanwhile, heat skillet with extra virgin olive oil.  Add the chopped carrot.  After about 3 minutes, add all the ingredients except the rose petals.  Reserve a few chive florets to sprinkle before serving.  Cook for 3 - 5 minutes.  Ladle a little amount of hot water from the pot boiling for the pasta if the sauce is too dry.  Add salt.  Add the rose petals a minute before turning off the fire.  
3. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil before serving.  Sprinkle chive florets on top. 

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Rice Salad with Carrots & Chive Flowers

It's been a long time since I last dedicated a dish to my one-year old.  Since she weaned herself a long time ago from baby food, I didn't find the necessity to cook special dishes for her.   She drops everything for rice these days.  It's not really something I would gladly give her because she literally drops a lot of them on the floor, on her clothes and on her chair.  It's exasperating to clean up after one of her enjoyable meals but once you see a big smile of satisfaction on her face, you just forget all the backbreaking labor of taking away the rice from everywhere except the ceiling.  After all, we all went through this phase before reaching full dexterity of handling our eating utensils.

She loves plain boiled rice with loads of parmigiano reggiano & oil.  If we don't convince her that there is enough cheese in her rice, she would insist in spooning an endless amount of parmigiano in her rice bowl.  She won't eat unless we mix the cheese & oil in her rice in front of her.  So the condiments are for her approval.  I chopped a carrot in the electric chopper to attain a very fine consistency that would make it impossible to segregate from the rice.  It went well.

So this dish is just simply boiled rice mixed with an uncooked finely chopped carrot, parmigiano reggiano and extra virgin olive oil.  It's simple, fast and very healthy.  Since the carrot is raw, all the nutrients are still intact.  The chive flowers can be an option to add to the rice salad because not all toddlers would find it pleasing.  However, on the nutritional level, it has a lot of nutrients too like the carrot so if there's no complaint, keep them there.

Irrelevant to this recipe, I think I have to mention that I had been having problems in receiving comments.  A couple of friends told me that they left comments but I didn't receive either of the two.  I tried to remedy it and now it seems to be working again.  So if you left a comment, and didn't see it appear, it must have been one of the comments I lost.  I value comments so much because they make me feel that I am not blogging to an empty audience.  If you like something (or don't like something, gosh, I hope not!), give me a shout.  I would love to hear it. 

Rice Salad with Carrots & Chive Flowers

Ingredients:

Serves 2

• 1/2 cup rice
• 1 carrot, chopped very finely
• 2 chive flowers, florets picked from clusters
• salt
• extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano, grated

1. Boil rice in salted water until al dente.  When cooked, turn off fire immediately and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking.  Transfer to a mixing bowl.
2. Add carrot, parmigiano reggiano, chive florets, salt (if you still need it) & extra virgin olive oil.  
3. Serve warm or cold.

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