July Review - Jenna Puglisi

I've been lucky enough to sample some of Jo's delicious cooking over the past few months but last night I was given the ultimate privilege - to be served her newest recipe and to critique it!

So I ventured across the 11.4km between our houses dressed in my warmest clothes (it was like I was going to a footy game in -2 degree weather! Beanie, scarf & enormous jacket!)

I must say I was hugely impressed to hear the menu and the fact that I wasn't only getting Gianna's lasagna recipe but there was also dessert involved!

I should at this point admit that I was in serious need of a hearty meal. I had failed to do the groceries and the food supplies in my house were down to the basics (bread and frozen pasta sauces!). For breakfast I had eaten toast, for lunch more toast...so when I saw Jo pull out the dish of lasagna my stomach was already cheering!

What can I say, it tasted even better than it looked! The lasagna was creamy and delicious! It was very hot but it didn't stop me from my usual fast paced eating. The pasta was perfectly cooked and the meat filling was oh soooo tasty! A lovely side salad with some awesome balsamic dressing was the perfect accompaniment.

Dessert was also a hit! An apple crumble in these really cute blue ceramic dishes. Jo was worried the topping was too crumbly so I had to remind her that there is a reason it is called an Apple 'Crumble'! It was scrumptious! There was a good hit of cinnamon and spices and all topped off with yummy ice-cream.

All in all the perfect winter warmers I needed on a chilly Saturday night! Thanks for spoiling me Jo!

La la la la la lasanga

Gianna's Lasagne – 16 July 2011

Since I got this book, I’ve been waiting and waiting for the opportunity to try Gianna’s Lasgane. For some reason I knew it would be amazing and it’s a recipe from a real Italian family so I had faith in this recipe! Sian was slightly devastated because she wasn't going to be home for the actual eating of it, but I finally had a weekend when I had the time so I just cooked it anyway.

I invited Jen over for dinner and a movie. We were meant to be going out, but I changed the plans - had I been told last year I'd ever cancel plans to invite someone over and actually cook for them, I would never have believed it.

So, I got started. Gianna had said the most important thing was to chop the onion 'very very finely'. Not only did she write this in the recipe, but she also said ‘it’s very important’, so chop I did - for ages, to the point where I was amusing myself by chopping in time with the music. Interesting fact: I was wearing my glasses at first and was crying like a baby. I went away, popped my contacts in and no tears at all, it's bizarre. I've been told it makes no sense, but it works.

Anyway, everything else seemed to go ok. I had everything 'mise en place' as Sian says and I just combined it all up. Sian mocked me relentlessly about my stirring... as usual, but it was fine. It was all combined and simmering for an hour. It was around this time I realised I’d made a big mistake! I had just cooked Italian for a real life (second generation) Italian. Fool!

I was really nervous about making the béchamel sauce as I know it can go wrong, so I made Sian literally stand right at my side to help me. It was ok though. My arm got sore from all the mixing, but apart from constantly saying to Sian 'Is the right? Is this right? What's it meant to look like?' it seemed to go ok.

I layered it all up, meat, boccincini, lasagne, Bertolli sauce - Easy. I had a slight problem with one layer when I must have tipped the jar a bit hard and about 17 litres of Bertolli sauce flooded the dish and Sian absolutely lost the plot laughing at me while I had to scoop it back into the jar.

It smelt amazing. It was in the oven for 40 minutes and seemed to be cooked through and melted and yum! I served it up to Jen's oohing and aahing and we were good to go. It was really good. Really tasty and juicy and just amazing (tickets much?). I was so proud of myself. Gianna sure does know how to make me look good!

Jen kept telling me how nice it was which was cool - I should invite her over more often!

"It's ok," she told me "I do this over the food I cook too, even when no one else seems to enjoy it" Brilliant. Wait til she sees the dessert I made her!

Tips: Go heavy on the Bertolli, it was so deliciously juicy.
Music: Mix of songs from Triple J new music podcast.