I made trenette con il pesto from Domenico's book. The translation app works really well, just take a photo and there you have it in slightly broken English!
But as always i wriggled the recipe. For a start trenette is apparently hard to find in Italy, let alone in the Antipodes so I used spaghetti. A potato was called for and I only had a purple potato which is called colloquially by a Maori name which might put you off your dinner if i translated. the instructions said to throw away any damaged leaves of Basil, but basically every leaf had holes eaten in it by caterpillars and i wasnt going to waste it.. i just gave it an extra wash. Some of the finer points of pesto making were a revelation, thankfully "The purists forgive us: the difference exists, it is true, but for the original recipe would serve the marble mortar, the wooden pestle, the dop basil and the time." which i think excuses me for using a blender. I tossed through some yellow and red cherry tomatoes which were not called for and served with zucchini.
One culinary travel adventure down, many more to go!
Does the pasta serving spoon work as a leading line?
I want this one n colour!!!
So I’ve actually made pesto as described by hand in Italy!
But at home I use a food processor
Sometimes I don’t wash the leaves as they go brown
From my current basil plants I’ve made 3 batches of pesto and soon a 4th!!
Genovese basil is the best for pesto
I thought it looked good until I read your narrative! On reflection you are describing what real cooking is actually like... not at all as in the cookbooks! But I'm not convinced by the potato Mr Cookery Book Writer! @domenicododaro I would have cooked it with the zucchini (my favourite vegetable) and served the tomatoes on the side with a dressing
@yrhenwr@domenicododaro
Domenico's contribution was not only as photographer but also as a tester of the recipes. I have good reason to believe that D is also a good cook. Richard does all our food sourcing and cooks creative dishes too...since I had a fall some years ago and as a result lost my taste, hearing and smell.
@yrhenwr doh i didnt think to put the zucchini in with the pasta, but it may have overcooked if i had.... tomatoes dont need any other dressing when there is pesto con il basilico!~
@kali66
Smell and taste dance together...or not. Both are diminished...yet chocolate holds its own. Hearing is a more vexed question and whilst I have performance hearing aids, it's damage limitation. Look on the bright side...how many people do you know who are deaf in 2 languages?
haha, I'm late in commenting but I love your interpretation! As any cookbook, it's just suggestions for those who know how - different than any other, it's measured to the minute for those who do not know how. If you just follow the recipe strictly, you'll have delicious meals! Tested (and tasted) personally as Margo said... @s4sayer what a story, my dear Margo! I, too, have a very diminished smell sense - which not always is bad, I dare say!
February 21st, 2019
Leave a Comment
Sign up for a free account or Sign in to post a comment.
So I’ve actually made pesto as described by hand in Italy!
But at home I use a food processor
Sometimes I don’t wash the leaves as they go brown
From my current basil plants I’ve made 3 batches of pesto and soon a 4th!!
Genovese basil is the best for pesto
Domenico's contribution was not only as photographer but also as a tester of the recipes. I have good reason to believe that D is also a good cook. Richard does all our food sourcing and cooks creative dishes too...since I had a fall some years ago and as a result lost my taste, hearing and smell.
Smell and taste dance together...or not. Both are diminished...yet chocolate holds its own. Hearing is a more vexed question and whilst I have performance hearing aids, it's damage limitation. Look on the bright side...how many people do you know who are deaf in 2 languages?