Oreo Cupcakes with Cookie Frosting

Today I made Oreo Cupcakes with Cookie Frosting

Young or Old, everybody seems to have a weak spot for the Oreo. In the Cookie World they tend to come in at a League Of Their Own. Whether you're a "Twist, Lick and Dunk" kinda person or a "Eat as many as you can before people find out you have cookies" kinda person the obsession is equally as high. When I first decided to play around with adding them to my cupcake recipe I got excited but wasn't sure how they would turn out. At first I just made a regular chocolate cupcake and used crushed up Oreo Cookies in the frosting and that was all. Since then this recipe has developed and is now even more filled with the rich Oreo goodness.

In my new and improved recipe I add an extra Oreo Cookie on the bottom of each Cupcake for a crunchy surprise as well as a great visual. And another on top, well just for good measure. When I give these Cupcakes out to people they tend to use the top Oreo as some kind of cookie spoon to eat the frosting, which I think is brilliant. The cupcake itself is quite light and fluffy and almost melts in the mouth, with a creamy vanilla frosting with speckles of Oreo dust, glistening like some kind of Cookie gold. The Chocolate I use in this recipe is Wilkies Organic Batch Chocolate, An Irish company all made by hand from Bean to Bar. Newly being stocked at Ardkeen Quality Food Store. You can really taste the difference and I'd highly recommend.

Ingredients:

(Makes 12)

For the Cupcake:

115g Unsalted Butter

45g Cocoa Powder

50g Wilkie's Chocolate -Amazonas

95g All Purpose Flour

1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda

3/4 Teaspoon Baking Powder

1/4 Teaspoon Salt

2 Large Eggs - Room Temperature

100g Caster Sugar

50g Light Brown Sugar

1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

100mls Milk

24 Oreo Cookies

For the Frosting:

250g Icing Sugar

150g Unsalted Butter - Room Temperature

6 Oreo Cookies

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line your cupcake tin with cases of your choice.

2. Melt the Butter and Chocolate together in the microwave. Heat in 30 second increments, stirring between each time. You can do this step over a bowl of boiling water on the cooker but It's easier and faster in the microwave. Stir in Vanilla Extract. 

3. In a large bowl, toss the Flour, Cocoa Powder, Baking Powder, Baking Soda and Salt until fully combined. In another bowl whisk the Eggs, Brown Sugar and Sugar until smooth. Add the cooled chocolate/butter mixture and whisk until smooth.

4. Add half the flour mixture, then half the milk. Repeat and then mix everything one last time. Don't over mix the batter as it leads to tough cupcakes. It should be quite thick at this stage so try not give in to the desire to add more milk.

5. Place an Oreo Cookie into each Cupcake case. Divide the batter between the 12 cases over the cookies. Bake for 18 minutes, or until a tooth pick or cupcake tester comes out clean. 

6. Allow to cool completely before attempting to frost.

7. For the frosting; In a bowl beat the butter for a minute or two. I normally do this by hand but feel free to use a handheld or stand mixer. Slowly add in the Icing sugar a little at a time and working through completely. 

8. Blitz the Oreo Cookies in a handheld blender until they resemble crumbs. Add the Oreo Crumbs into the Frosting and mix through. I normally chill the icing a little before frosting as it makes it easier to work with.  

9. Frost the Cupcakes using a piping bag or use a Tablespoon to place a generous amount on each then flick upwards to create a design. When frosted you can place an Oreo Cookie on top of each.

 

"People Are Like Oreos, The Good Stuff Is On The Inside"

Black Pudding, Bacon and Asparagus Pizza

Today I made Black Pudding, Bacon and Asparagus Pizza

Pizza seems to have made it's way more and more into our staple diet over the last number of years and with it, into our hearts. With more pizza joints than pubs scattered across the country. Whether it's a Friday afternoon dinner, a mid-week snack or a late night feast, pizza is our go-to food. For every good pizzeria out there, there are an equal number of bad ones. I never really saw the point of frozen pizzas, for the same amount of time it takes to cook a frozen pizza you could have your own pizza made and it tastes a million times nicer.  Making your own pizza means you can make it as healthy or naughty as you like. Nothing beats the taste of fresh pizza dough and sauce, "just like mamma use to make".

The Pizza I made today uses a quirky combination of the freshest and finest ingredients all stocked in Ardkeen Quality Food Store. The pizza has a crispy golden brown base with an inner softness that you'd never get from a frozen pizza or boxed pizza base. The sauce tastes fresh, sweet and tangy. This fresh sauce is made using the best tomatoes I could find, Grantstown Suntini Sweet Tomatoes, which are grown a mere 4 miles from Waterford City. The secret weapon to this sauce is the OHCo Cajun Spice a fantastic Irish Organic Spice Company that Ardkeen Quality Food Store are newly stocking. The pizza toppings comprises of The Award Winning Rosscarbery Black Pudding, J. Crowe and Sons Dry Cured Streaky Bacon, Asparagus tips and Creamy Mozzarella.  

Ingredients:

(12 Inch Pizza)

For the Dough:

• 200g DeCecco Pizza Flour - and dusting flour
• 1 Packet Dry Yeast
• 120mls Warm Water
• 1 Teaspoon Honey - I like to use Déise Honey
• 1/2 salt Teaspoon
• 1 Teaspoon Olive Oil

For the Sauce:

• 12-15 Grantstown Suntini Sweet Tomatoes
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 1/2 Red Onion
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1/2 Teaspoon Basil
• 1/2 can Cirio Tomato Pureé
• 1 Teaspoon OHCo Cajun Spice
• 1/4 Teaspoon Déise Honey
• Pinch Of Salt

For the Toppings:

• 1/3 pack of Rosscarbery Black Pudding - Cut into cube
• J. Crowe and Sons Dry Cured Streaky Bacon - cut up small
• 8-10 Asparagus Tips
• Creamy Mozzarella - amount may very on level of love of cheese

Instructions: 

Pizza Base

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.  I normally start with the pizza dough so it can be proofing while I make the sauce and prepare the toppings. Sift the pizza flour into a large bowl - preferably glass. In a jug put the warm water, stir in the yeast till all the yeast is dissolved then add the honey, Salt and Olive Oil. Make a well in the flour and pour in half the water and yeast mixture. With a metal spoon start to incorporate the flour and water, then add in the remainder of the water and continue to mix. Normally at this point I switch to using my hands.

2. When  you have brought the dough together it will start to come away from the bowl, feel free to add a little more flour if the dough feels very sticky. When you have it together, turn the ball of dough out on to a floured surface. Begin to knead the dough by using the heels of your hands moving them in opposite directions almost trying to tear the dough then bringing it back together again. Do this for 2-3 minutes till it starts to look smooth. 

3. Put the smooth dough ball into an oiled bowl, flip the dough over once so that it is covered in the oil. Place cling film or a towel over the bowl, I normally use a damp towel to keep the dough from drying out during the proofing process. Place in a warm, dark place - Tip - I normally turn on the dryer while I'm making the pizza dough so by the time I have it ready the inside of the dryer is the perfect temperature. So you have your warm, dark place. Just make sure you don't turn the dryer on... But you can use a Hot Press or anywhere that's dark and warm. Leave the dough proof for 30 minutes. 

   Tomato Sauce

 4. While the Dough is proofing you can make the Pizza Sauce. Drizzle the Olive Oil into a frying pan. Crush or finely chop the garlic and add that in when the oil is hot. Fry for a few minutes then add in the finely chopped Red Onion. Cook these together till the onions start to soften, this normally only takes a few minutes. The onion will start to go transparent.

 5. Cut your Grantstown Suntini Sweet Tomato's in half and add them to the onion and garlic, fry these until the tomatoes start to soften, at this point I normally use a thongs to give each tomato a little squish, this helps to break the tomatoes down. These tomatoes are grown only 4 miles from Ardkeen Quality Food Store and are delivered daily so they are literally picked from the vine and then delivered to the store within hours.  It's at this point I add in my secret ingredient of 1 Teaspoon of OHCo Cajun Spice.

  6. Work in the spice, you may need to add a teaspoon of water at this point to loosen the sauce. Everything should be after cooking down and softening and start to look like a sauce - there is no need to blend this sauce, the ingredients are so fresh they cook down to . At this point add in your Cirio Tomato Pureé and honey. The honey brings out the natural sweetness of the fresh tomatoes. You can taste the sauce at this stage and see if you need to add salt or pepper. I didn't add any to my sauce as I just love the natural taste of the tomatoes. 

7. Add in the Basil now at this point. You can use fresh Basil if you wish but I normally just use Heritage Dried Basil. You still get that same Basil-y flavour and it's not wilting away in my fridge. Everybody knows tomatoes and basil are best friends and in this sauce you can taste why.

Toppings

8. Preparing the Toppings are super easy. Cut off the amount of Rosscarbery Black Pudding you wish to use, I normally use about a third, cut it in half then into little cubes, or slices if you prefer. Make sure the pieces are not too big and are all the same size as you want them all to cook well and all at the same time. 

9. Cut the J. Crowe and Sons Dry Cured Streaky Bacon into small pieces, around the same size as the black pudding cubes so that everything cooks at the same time. You can trim a little of the fat off if you wish. 

10. For the Asparagus, cut just where the tip part of the Asparagus begins and about the same amount down from that - this is the most tender part of the Asparagus. 

11. Take out the bowl containing the pizza dough from the dryer, it will have doubled in size. The next step is possibly my favourite part of making pizza. You need to knock the air out of the dough. It just so happens that the best way to do this is...... punching it repeatedly. When you have gotten the dough back to it's normal size again you and turn it out on to a floured surface.

12. The dough will be very smooth and if you press it with a finger it will spring back into place again. Make sure your surface is well floured as the dough will be slightly moist from the oil. Start to work the dough back into a ball again, sprinkling with a little flour as you need it. Begin to start pressing the air out of the dough and flattening it and getting it into the "pizza" shape aka a circle... Feel free to work it into a square or rectangle depending what shape tin you are going to cook it on. 

13. When you have it formed into the general shape you like, you can move it to your tin and work it out to the edges. I normally prick the dough with a fork a number of times before I load on the tomato sauce, I like my pizza quite saucy so I don't hold back but you can certainly add less if you wish. 

14. Now is the time to load on those toppings. I like to take my organised chaos approach to this step too. You want to make sure that you get a little bit of everything in each bite and that the toppings are not on top of each other so that It all cooks at the same time. I normally put on the Award Winning Black Pudding first then intertwine the Bacon around the Black Pudding, then the Asparagus Tips and finished with the Mozzarella, you can either slice the Mozzarella or tear it, I usually tear it as it gives a more rustic look. 

15. Bake the Pizza for 20-25 minutes at 200°C. Until the cheese is melted and starting to bubble. You can lift the base slightly with a spatula to make sure the base is nice and golden. I sprinkled this pizza with a little fine grated Mozzarella before serving. 

"Home is where the pizza is." 

Peanut Butter Cupcakes With Chocolate Frosting

Today I made Peanut Butter Cupcakes With Chocolate Frosting

I never really got the whole Peanut Butter Craze until I started baking with it as an ingredient in my cakes. I have friends that would literally sit down with a jar of peanut butter and a spoon and be quite content. After experimenting with using it in my cupcake recipes I finally get it. Out of all my recipes that the Peanut buttery goodness features, this is definitely the "peanutbutteriest". I slather today's cupcakes with a rich, thick chocolate frosting and top with chopped peanuts and milk chocolate chips. I've tried my hand at a number of different peanut butter recipes, I've found they can be either too dry, too dense or lacking that peanut butter flavour. Then finally one day I cracked it...

These cupcakes are incredibly moist and tender, you don't have to worry about them being too dry or falling apart, my little secret weapon in this recipe is the dark brown sugar I use to sweeten the little guys up. I love baking with dark brown sugar the most out of all the sugars. It can really deliver a moist and soft texture and I feel it was the key to cracking this recipe. The best part about these cupcakes I feel is that they actually taste like peanut butter. They aren't vanilla cupcakes with a slight taste of peanut butter they are peanut butter through and through. I maxed out this batter with 85g of chunky peanut butter for just 12 cupcakes. 

All the ingredients I used in this recipes I got in Ardkeen Quality Food Store. In this recipe I use Meridian Chunky Peanut Butter. Meridian offers an organic product made by roasting peanuts in their skins then grinding them till it forms a crunchy paste. This health food product has no added sugar or salt, it is also wheat, dairy and gluten free. I never look past Meridian for all my peanut butter needs. They also have a fab smooth version. The ingredients I used to top the frosting were Ardkeen Quality Food Store own range nuts chopped and of course my Callebaut Milk Chocolate Chips. You can also use a little melted chocolate in the frosting, 10-15g. While the cupcakes bake in the oven, you can prepare the thick and creamy milk chocolate frosting. 

Ingredients:

For the Cupcakes:

• 150g All-Purpose Flour
• 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
• 85g Chunky Peanut Butter
• 150g Unsalted Butter, softened 
• 100g Dark Brown Sugar
• 2 Large Eggs
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 3 Tablespoons Milk

For the Milk Chocolate Frosting:

• 250g Icing Sugar
• 150g Cocoa Powder 
• 180g Softened Butter - you can use half butter and half Double Cream if you wish
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line cupcakes tin with your cases of choice. 

2. Mix together the sieved flour, salt and baking powder and set aside. Cream together the peanut butter, sugar and butter until light and fluffy- you  can do this with a handheld mixer or stand mixer but I normally just do it by hand with a whisk as I feel I lose a lot of the mixture trying to scrape it off all the different parts of the mixer.  

3. Beat in the eggs one at a time, making sure to mix thoroughly after each addition. When the eggs are fully incorporated you can add in the vanilla extract and mix. I normally beat in the eggs with a wooden spoon as I feel a whisk can agitate the eggs a little too much and may lead to heavy cupcakes

 4. Slowly Beat in the Flour mixture alternatively with the milk mixing till just combined, ensure not to over-mix as this will lead to heavy dry cupcakes. Adding a little flour then milk ensure that the mixture doesn't get too thick or thin during the mixing process. The mixture should be light in colour.

 5. Divide the mixture evenly between the 12 cases. I normally use an ice-cream scooper to divide out the mixture. That way you get the exact same amount in each case so your cupcakes will all be the same size which is handy as they will all be cooked at the same time. Consistency is important while baking, as they will look prettier if they are all the same size at the end. Bake for 23-25 minutes. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

6. For the frosting, sift together the Icing Sugar and Cocoa Powder so that it is all incorporated and there are no lumps, set aside. Beat the butter by itself for a minute until it is soft and fluffy then slowly add in the Icing Sugar and Cocoa Powder along with the Vanilla Extract. 

7. I normally chill the frosting while I'm waiting for the cupcakes to cool as it's easier to work with when it's slightly firmer. If the cupcake are any way warm the icing will melt when you put it on and it will look quite messy. It's important while making the frosting that the butter you use is softened to room temperature but in no way melted as you will not get the consistency you desire. 

8. Frost cooled cupcakes as desired. You can use a piping bag if you have one, if you don't you can just place a generous amount of the frosting on top of each cupcake and then with the back of your spoon flick the frosting up so it looks peaked. 

9. When you're happy with the frosting you can then add the chopped nuts and chocolate chips, there's no one way of doing this, I like the organised chaos look. As long as you get a little bit of everything in each bite, you're good to go.

"It's Peanut Butter Cupcake Time"

Gooey Chocolate Brownies

Today I made Chocolate Brownies

Whether you've had a tough day in work or you need a little pick me up after a long day of pretending to study in the library, nothing makes you feel all warm inside like a gooey chocolate brownie. Brownies are one of the most soothing members of the cake world. Just think of all the therapy bills you'd save if you learn how to bake brownies. Homemade brownies can be made with cocoa powder or melted solid chocolate. If you use cocoa powder you will need more fat in the batter as the cocoa powder does not contain the cocoa butter that solid chocolate does. I've made brownies both ways but I prefer making them with cocoa powder

The brownies I made today are rich, dark and moist and will leave you screaming for a glass of milk. They'll stick to the roof of your mouth and fill you with an urge for another square.... and then another. This recipe is really easy to make and it's all made in one bowl so it saves on the wash up which is always a bonus. A lot of recipes I've tried before made very flat and thin brownies , you'd feel the need to stack a few of them together to feel like you're actually eating something so I came up with my own. All the ingredients for this recipe I got in Ardkeen Quality Food Store, they have an amazing Baking Section in store with an extensive selection of flour, sugar and other baking goods - including Irish, gluten free and alternative products including Coconut Flour. In this recipe I use my all-time favourite Callebaut White Chocolate Chips.

Ingredients:

(Makes 12 Large)

• 150g Unsalted Butter
• 150g Sugar
• 100g Cocoa Powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 2 Large Eggs, cold
• 100g All Purpose Flour
• 50g White Chocolate Chips

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C and line a 8x8 inch baking tin with parchment paper, leave it over hang slightly so it easier to remove from the tin. 

2. Put the Butter, Sugar and Cocoa Powder in a Microwave friendly bowl. Heat in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time until the butter is completely melted. The mixture will look a little gritty, but rest assured that's how it's suppose to look.

3. Stir in the Vanilla Extract. Add in the eggs one at a time and mix thoroughly after each addition. The mixture will be thick and look shiny.

4. When the eggs are added you can start to whisk in the flour, mix till all the flour is incorporated but make sure not to over-mix as this will leave you with a heavy, tough brownies.

 

5. Pour half the mixture into the pan then sprinkle half the white chocolate chips on top then pour the remainder of the mixture on top and then finish with the remainder of the white chocolate chips.

6. Bake for 25 minutes, I normally set an alarm as when it comes to baking, timing is vital. Insert a toothpick into the center, if it comes out with just a few crumbs on it then it is done, if it comes out with the liquid mixture on it then it is not done and you can cook it for a further 2-3 minutes. Do not bake for over 30 minutes as this will dry your brownies out.

7. Allow the brownies to cool completely before you cut them into squares. This may be the most difficult part of the whole process. I normally put them into the fridge to speed up the cooling process as I have no patience. 

"Love At First Bite"

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Today I made Chocolate Chip Cookies

Everybody needs a "go to" cookie recipe and this is mine.  I've tried a number of different cookie recipes over the years but this one is by far the best. These cookies are the softest, chewiest and yummiest cookies I've ever come across. If cookies were celebrities these babies would be on the front cover of Vogue every month. This cookie dough is the basis for several different types of cookies  I make, varying slightly by adding different types of chocolate, nuts or sprinkles.   That's the best thing about cookies, it's so easy to play around with them and come up with new creations.

Through trial an error I discovered that there are a number of different things that you can do to ensure an extra soft and chewy cookie. Using Corn Starch in the mixture results in a really soft cookie. I use an extra egg yolk and melt the butter instead of beating room temperature butter for extra chewiness and I also chill the cookie dough for extra thickness. Another little tip, I only add half the chocolate chips to the mixture while I'm making it, the other half I press into the top of the dough balls before baking. This makes them look amazing as you can see all the melty chocolate chips on top when you take them out of the oven.

In this recipe I use Callebaut Belgian Milk Chocolate Drops. Ardkeen Quality Food Store has a great variety of high quality Belgian Chocolate products that are just fantastic to bake with. I was so happy when I found these products as I struggled for years to find chocolate I was happy to bake with. Some types seemed to have a grainy texture when melted which altered the texture of the cakes and some cooking chocolates lack the one thing I look for in chocolate.... for it to actually taste like chocolate. Also they package the chocolate themselves in store so there are a number of different weights available, so you can buy the amount you actually need... or maybe slightly more in case a few magically disappear. 

Ingredients:

(Makes 12 Large)

• 280g All-Purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 170g Unsalted butter, melted
• 150g Light Brown Sugar
• 100g Granulated Sugar
• 1 Large Egg + 1 Extra Egg Yolk
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• 180g Chocolate Chips, divided in 2

Instructions:

1. Mix in a bowl the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt and set aside.

2. In a separate bowl whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until all the sugar is incorporated with the melted butter. Whisk in the whole egg first and then the egg yolk. Finally whisk in the Vanilla Extract. 

3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix with a large spoon or spatula. The dough should look very soft. Stir in half the Milk Chocolate Chips. Make sure to disperse the chocolate chips as evenly as you can. Cover the mixture and chill in the fridge for 2 hours or up two 2 days, this is handy as you can make the mixture in advance. Chilling is mandatory.

4. Remove the mixture from the fridge and allow to soften slightly at room temperature for 10 minutes. 

5. Preheat the oven to 160°C. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside. 

6. Roll the dough into balls with about 2 teaspoons in each, depending on what kind of size you want your cookies to be, try make them all around the size so they cook at the same time.The dough will be crumbly, the heat of your hands will help form the dough balls.

7. Place the dough balls onto the baking sheet, press down lightly on each to flatten the top. Work in the remainder of the chocolate chips onto the top of each .

8. Bake the cookies for 12 minutes, do not bake for over 13 minutes as this will cause them to lose their softness and chewiness. The cookies will continue to bake on the sheet for 10 minutes after they come out of the oven. After 10 minutes move the cookies to a wire rack where they can continue to cool.

"Everybody has a little Cookie Monster in them"

Creamy Pesto Pasta

Today for dinner I made Creamy Pesto Pasta



I've always been a huge fan of pasta dishes and pretty much anything with pesto, so this dish was a no-brainer really. I found myself reaching my limit of tomato and cream based sauces fairly quickly and had to start thinking outside the box. This dish is super easy to make and can be made in no time, it also tastes just as good the second day, I normally make a little too much for dinner so I have lunch sorted for the next day - give those sandwich bags a day off. 









Ardkeen Quality Food Stores is well known for having a great selection of the freshest fruit and vegetables. It's the next best thing to actually growing them in your own garden. Seeing as maintaining a vegetable garden is like having a full time job, I'll gladly leave it to the experts. In this recipe I'm using Asparagus and Chestnut Mushrooms. I have a slight obsession with this combination of vegetables. There are so many different types of mushrooms available these days, but I do have a soft spot for Chestnut mushrooms. Feel free to just use button mushroom or if you're feeling adventurous you can find a selection of wild mushrooms in Store.

Ingredients:

(Serves 2)

• 200g pasta - I used Giant Conchiglie but you can use any shape you like
• 2 large chicken fillets, sliced
• 150g Cream Cheese
• 100g "Wild About" Nettle Pesto
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• Pinch of Salt
• Bunch of 7-8 Asparagus, cut in half
• 5 Large Chestnut Mushrooms, sliced
• 2  Tablespoon Pine Nuts
• Grated Parmesan - To serve

Instructions:

1. Boil water in a large pan with a pinch of salt. Add pasta and stir to loosen from end of pan.

2. Put a little Olive Oil in a frying pan and when the oil is hot add the chicken strips and fry until cooked through. Add mushrooms to chicken as it starts to turn slightly golden. Fry for a few minutes.

3. To prepare the Asparagus, hold the stalk at both ends and snap, where the asparagus break naturally is where it needs to be cut. The part below where it breaks is very woody and not palatable. If you snap one of them you can line it up with the other stalks and then cut the rest of them at the same place to save some time. Cut the prepared stalks in half. After a few minutes add the Asparagus and continue to fry for a further 3-4 minutes.

4. Make sure you keep an eye on the pasta as it does have a tendency to boil over and ruin your oven top. Check your pasta to make sure it's cooked. I like to serve my pasta Al Dente, with a slight bite to it but you can cook it slightly longer if you wish. Strain the pasta and add to the chicken.

5. When everything is tossed together add in your pesto and stir through, I normally add in a little of the pasta water at this stage to loosen the pesto. The pesto I used in this recipe is from a quirky Irish company called "Wild About". When the pesto is mixed through then you can add the Cream Cheese, I normally use the Original Philadelphia but there are so many different types of Cream Cheese these days so feel free to experiment.

6. Let the sauce simmer for a few minutes, I normally don't add any seasoning at this point as I find there is enough flavour coming from the pesto and cream cheese. 

7. Take up the pasta, making sure that each person gets a little bit of everything. I normally like to finish it with a dusting of grated Parmesan and topped with 

pine nuts. 

“I cook with wine, sometimes I even add it to the food.”