Only Recipes, by Alessandra Zecchini ©

I don't do it often, but to cook Florence fennels in milk is a very Italian method, not really used much overseas (or at least, I haven't noticed it!). The fennels seem to acquire a really special taste when cooked in milk, and after this first 'stage' they are usually baked in the oven or placed under the grill, with or without toppings. A big tray would have several fennels, but becasue I only had three fennels I decided to add some lasagna sheets to make sure that they would not 'dry up' too much in the second cooking stage in oven.  Fennels Cooked in Milk Wash three Florence fennels and cut like in the photo.   Gently (very gently) simmer the fennels in milk (about half a litre) until they are quite tender (about 30 minutes). Watch the pot at all times: the milk may boil out. Lift out the fennels, but keep the milk in the pot. I didn't want to put the fennels straight into a pan, so I placed ...

Soon Breaking Dawn part 1 will be released in cinemas around the world, so here are just a few ideas to decorate some Twilight Inspired cupcakes. Click here for more images and info, and here for a complete Twilight Vegan Dinner Menu. Or for Halloween! Photos and Recipes by Alessandra Zecchini  ©

Taro is the Polynesian staple, usually baked or boiled, it is quite starchy and very filling. Being Italian I like to use olive oil, so after cleaning, peeling, cutting and boiling my taro, I dressed it with olive oil, salt flakes and chopped spring onions. It was truly yum!!! Photos and Recipes by Alessandra Zecchini  ©

Meet us in Christchurch, at Mercato , for some tastings from our new book Party Food for Girls .  All the recipes in the book are suitable for vegetarians.

Sunday morning Colleen and Charles brought us a bag of fresh coconuts. Of course I had to ask Charles to show me how to open them, and it was easier that I thought (just look at the pictures below). We didn't have any straws so I let the coconut water drip into a glass (getting about three full glasses for each coconut!). We all loved the coconut water, especially if we left the coconut in the fridge: fresh and chilled coconut water! After drinking the water I got the boys to break the coconuts for me: Dad was good at breaking them, and Max at scraping out the flesh. When we were in Niue Charles and Colleen came for dinner. Of course I made pasta, but I also made a variety of dishes with the fresh coconuts they brought me the day before. A tomato and coconut salad with cannellini beans, spring onions and olives, dressed with olive oil, lemon juice and sea salt flakes. Coconut rice (just boil the rice with coconut pieces in it, fantastic!), cocon...

When we were in Niue Tony took us to a plantation tour, which was amazing (I will post more about it in the next few days). We returned to our guesthouse with a good stock of locale produce and the first recipe that I am proposing is with  breadfruit . I heard a lot about this fruit but never cooked it (although I ate it before and found it quite bland). Tony told me that I could bake it, boil it or make chips, and since I travelled with olive oil and some luxury salt flakes I decided to go for chips. Breadfruit needs to be peeled and sliced, Tony peeled it with a  machete  for me. I cut it into thin slices and pan fried them with a little olive oil (not deep fried) and added some Welsh sea salt flakes. I served it as an appetizer, everybody love it so much that I made it again the evening after. First breadfruit experiment: successful! Photos and Recipes by Alessandra Zecchini  ©

Since chickpea flour can be mixed with just water and it will still bind like eggs do it is perfect for vegan recipes. For my Vegan fritters I used another overlooked green from my garden: carrot leaves. I always end up planting carrots to close, and fail to thin them when I should (I just don't have the heart to do it...) so I had to pick up a few little ones to let their sisters grow in peace. Baby carrots are great anyway, but what a waste throwing out all those pretty leaves! Then I read on the blog  Galline 2nd Life  (a blog that I enjoy a lot!) a recipe for a  frittata with carrot leaves . Carrot leaf fritters  I washed and roughly chopped the carrot leaves, made a batter with chickpea flour, water, salt and pepper, added a chopped red onion, and fried my fritters. In the end I topped them with some smoked paprika and a few sesame seeds. Good hot or cold. Natural face mask and exfoliant I discovered that chickpea flour can be ...

Chickpea flour, also called gram flour, or besan, or garbanzo flour, is a wonderful product. It is gluten free, high in protein, iron and vitamins, and perfect for vegetarians. I payed $3.50 for a kg bag in the Indian store, and 1 kg goes a long way. My main reason for buying it was to make fritters, like onion bhaji,  while the only Italian dish based on chickpea flour I am familiar with is  Farinata , a kind of savoury pancake, so my repertoire was a little limited. Then the other day I was making some spicy marinated tofu, and I always have leftover marinade when I do this, so I thought of 'scooping it up' with a few veggies and the chickpea flour as a binder. Broccolini flower fritters I started with plain yogurt to which I added a little squeeze of garlic, some freshly grated ginger, a little lemon juice, salt, cayenne pepper, paprika, ground cumin, ground coriander... (well, use whatever takes you fancy really). Then I added a chopped red onion a...

Something bright and colourful: I started with my fool proof recipe for mango and agar agar pudding (recipe  here ), and then I just added a few mixed berries to the mixture. It looked so pretty that I will definitely make it again.  Photos and Recipes by Alessandra Zecchini  ©