Buckwheat Polenta with Roasted Mushrooms // Polenta di grano saraceno con funghi arrostiti

Polenta is one of those foods that bring me back to my childhood. I remember those days when my mother used to make it as if it was yesterday. And more than anything I remember that my favourite part wasn't the polenta itself - I actually wasn't much of a fan of it - but the delicious Bolognese sauce we used to top it with.

Agretti with Creamy Egg Yolk // Agretti con tuorlo cremoso

Last winter, in some magazine - I think it was one of my mother's La Cucina Italiana -, I saw a poached egg yolk served on top of some lacinato kale and some sort of frittata. It was a bit of a complex dish for me to remake, but I did like the idea of the creamy egg yolk. A lot. So I wrote it down, waiting for the right moment to use it.

Pasta with Spiced Mushrooms and Greek Yogurt // Pasta con funghi speziati e yogurt greco

I'm actually starting to love pasta because it's simply the easiest thing to make when I'm feeling lazy. Or when I have no idea what to cook for lunch - which is happening quite a lot lately - but I still don't want to eat junk food, because, believe it or not, pasta isn't bad as many people say. Just make sure that your pasta is whole wheat aka more flavourful and al dente.

Baked Cod with Potatoes, Cherry Tomatoes and Olives // Merluzzo al forno con patate, pomodorini e olive

As I've mentioned a couple times in the past, cod is one of my favourite fishes. Not because it's a skinny fish, but because of its delicate flavour. Sure, it depends on the kind of cod you use. If you are using dried cod, that's not going going to be very delicate, netiher in flavour nor taste. Believe me, I grew up in a family eating it at least once a year.

Roasted Cauliflower Soup with Caramelized Onion and Walnuts // Zuppa di cavolfiore arrostito con cipolla caramellata e noci

Everyone seems to love cauliflower these days. It is indeed everywhere. There's cauliflower pizza, cauliflower mash, cauliflower rice, cauliflower buns, cauliflower tortillas, cauliflower steaks, and I've no idea how many other low-carb cauliflower dishes I'm not mentioning. And I have to admit I'm the first to love those alternatives to carbs, not because I'm on a diet, but simply because I like to try new things.

Beef Stroganoff // Manzo alla Stroganoff

Nina Simone used to sing I put a spell on you, and I'm pretty sure someone put a spell on me because, whenever I decide to make a recipe, something goes wrong. Like the other day when I saw a gorgeous beef fillet and asked for it and the counter lady cut it so badly I wanted to cry. Seriously, how is anyone supposed to cook a fillet with one side significantly thicker than the other?

Savoury Saint Patrick's Day Cupcakes // Cupcakes salati di San Patrizio

I'm not sure it's a thing people say but I'm going to say it anyway, happy Saint Patrick's Day everybody! Although I'm not Irish, I've always been fascinated by this holiday - a dream of mine is actually to celebrate this day in Ireland - so here I am, paying homage to this day with these savoury Saint Patrick's Day Cupcakes. Aren't they beautiful? Well, they were delicious as well!

Agretti with Ginger and Sesame Seeds // Agretti allo zenzero e semi di sesamo

They have a lot of names. I believe the most common is agretti but we, Italians, also call it barba di frate (monk's beard) and (a)roscani, depending on which part of Italy we are from. One thing I believe we can all agree though is that they are delicious.

Buckwheat Stir Fry // Stir fry di grano saraceno

Just in case you didn't notice, buckwheat is one of my favourite grains. I'm in love with it since the first time I ate it, and this YouTube recipe was one of the firsts I've tried. It was very simple and quick to make so the other day since I came home late and I didn't have much time to cook, I remade it. Actually, I made my own version of it.

Salmon and Spinach with Basil Yogurt Sauce and Pistachios // Salmone e spinaci con salsa al basilico e yogurt e pistacchi

A few months ago - actually it was in September and I remember that because I posted it on Facebook - I assembled a meal where salmon was the only fresh ingredient. There were some spinach I cooked the day before, some leftover plain yogurt - I don't know how that was possible since I usually eat the whole thing - and some chopped pistachios. And you know what, it really tasted delicious.

Green Apple Risotto // Risotto alla mela verde

There was a time when I loved eating raw Granny Smith. I loved it because of its crunchiness and tartness. Then I discovered how good they taste when cooked, and that's pretty much how I've eaten them ever since. Whether grilled, baked or cooked in my morning oats, I love how they change in flavour.

Pasta e Fagioli

A few days ago it was almost t-shirt hot, and now we have slipped back into cold and windy days when all I feel like doing is wearing tons of clothes, eating hot foods and drinking hot beverages. It's still winter after all.

Buckwheat and Romanesco Broccoli Bowl with Cod // Bowl di grano saraceno e broccolo romanesco con merluzzo

Those of you who are Christians know that as Carnival ends, Lent starts, a period preceding Easter that runs from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday. Although I'm an atheist now, I grew up on that religion and I was told we couldn't eat meat on those Fridays. And that eventually translated into we eat fish on those Fridays. Which is why I came up with this dish.

Baked Avocado Fries // Patatine di avocado al forno

Carnival is officially (and finally) over so no more fried sweets for a little while. Your liver - and mine as well - is yet to recover, though, that's why I made avocado fries. I know, avocados are loaded with fats, but they are the good type of fats.