Foodie Lass The Italian Table – 100 Classic Recipes Celebrating the Spirit of Italy by Theo Randall
As the summer weather is finally here, The Italian Table cookery book is just perfect if you are looking for great recipes for the hot season, such as simple salads, risotto and light pasta dishes, plus delicious cakes and desserts.
The chapter headings are divided into a way an Italian table would be:
Antipasti
Primi
Secondi
Contorni
Dolci
The Italian Table cookery book is written in a very genuine style, steeped in a journey where food and the Italian table is of great importance. Theo Randall believes in the ethos that simplicity is the key to good food, both seasonal and for sharing.
Let your taste-buds run riot and experience the wonderful recipes this cookery book has to offer, which are beautifully photographed, creating relaxed ways of entertaining family or friends in outdoor settings (the unhurried Italian table-style).
I always struggle with impressive desserts when entertaining so I wanted to share this easy recipe with you, which is perfect for sharing.
Torta di nocciola (Hazelnut and chocolate cake)
Serves 8
3 eggs, separated
150g (5½oz/¾ cup) caster (superfine) sugar
250g (9oz) hazelnuts, toasted
2 tsp baking powder
30g (1oz/2 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
For the chocolate ganache
150ml (5fl oz/scant ⅔ cup) double (heavy) cream
150g (5½oz) dark chocolate (70%), broken into pieces
50g (1¾oz/3½ tbsp) unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
For the crema mascarpone
200g (7oz) mascarpone
seeds from ½ vanilla pod (bean)
50g (1¾oz/generous ⅓ cup) icing (confectioners’) sugar, sifted
2 tbsp sweet Marsala, or to taste
150ml (5fl oz/scant ⅔ cup) double (heavy) cream
I love this cake. Simple to make and incredibly tasty and light, it is perfect for an
afternoon pick-me-up with a good strong coffee.
Hazelnuts are the number-one nut in Piedmont and have their own PGI, so it’s not
surprising that so many recipes for chocolate and hazelnuts originate in Piedmont: think
Ferrero Rocher.
Preheat the oven to 170°C fan/190°C/375°F/Gas mark 5. Grease a 26cm (10½in)
springform cake tin (pan) with butter.
In a medium bowl, whisk the yolks with half the sugar until the sugar has dissolved and
the eggs are light and fluffy. In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites to soft peaks.
In a food processor, chop the hazelnuts with the remaining sugar to a fine flour. Add the
hazelnut flour plus the baking powder to the egg yolks and stir to combine. Stir in the
melted butter, then gently fold in the egg whites.
Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking tin and bake for 35–40 minutes, or until
just cooked through. Allow the cake to cool.
While the cake is cooking, make the ganache. Pour the cream into a small saucepan
and place over a low heat. When it is hot but not boiling, add the broken pieces of
chocolate, stir with a spatula and finally add the butter and stir to a smooth texture.
Keep warm to one side.
To make the crema di mascarpone, beat the mascarpone with the vanilla seeds and
icing sugar. Beat in the Marsala. In a separate bowl, whip the cream to soft peaks, then
fold the cream into the mascarpone mixture.
When the cake has cooled, pour over the ganache and leave to set. Remove the
springform outer ring of the cake tin and place the cooled cake on a flat plate. Cut into
slices and serve with the crema di mascarpone.
Embrace the spirit of Italy by adding The Italian Table to your kitchen bookshelf.
Recipe extracted from The Italian Table, Theo Randall (Quadrille, RRP £28.00). Photography by Lizzie Mayson.
