A See food first – styling with good taste
A pasta machine has been relegated to the bottom shelf of our kitchen cupboard for longer than I am prepared to admit due to the fact that neither of us have time to use it.
My husband and I are consumed daily by all that is required to run our own company and cooking often feels like a bothersome distraction. I do love it when I engage myself fully though, for it is an art which stimulates creative juices, satisfying the palate and increases potential bonding time.. if one doesn’t feel exhausted and under pressure by work deadlines that is!
I do my best to learn new menus but I didn’t grow up with an enthusiasm for cooking. My family background was sadly lacking in this department unlike ‘La famiglia Rossi’, who unlike me, all learned to love food and cook together as children, under the watchful and somewhat critical eye of their highly talented Madre.
As a child I partook of largely unimaginatively prepared meals alone in front of the TV. It was the 70’s which saw the birth of the supermarket, convenience food and I was the last of five children. My much elder siblings all left home when I was quite small and I think my Mom just ran out of energy. Reverence for food and the sanctity of eating together as a family is something I have learned since I became a part of my Italian family, who remind me that ‘families who eat together stay together.’
I feel fortunate to have great examples of culinary whizzes to follow.
My gifted ‘cognata’ (sister-in-law) is called Rossella. She is married and lives in Rome. A Legal Secretary by day and a food fiend in the kitchen at night, her enthusiasm for food extends to capturing it’s succulent beauty on camera first. She is justifiably proud of her southern Italian heritage and finds great pleasure and release in her preferred role as a Food Stylist and Photographer.
Recently I decided it was time to buck up my culinary ideas and so on a recent visit I asked Rossella to inspire me. I badly needed to broaden my rather (uh-hum) limited repertoire and Rossella gracefully allowed me to be her student for a day.
While she set up we chatted about our diverse experiences and she gave me a bit of family background history which explained how her passion for food came from.
“My grandparents hailed from a long line of chefs and catered for local weddings many years before wedding catering became a recognised profession. We’re talking about the late 19th and into the early 20th century. My parents owned one of the first electric flour mills in the 1960’s and my earliest childhood memories are of being awakened by the deep growl of mill engines.. a sure sign that my Father was already hard at work in the basement of our large home. I would race downstairs before breakfast to bid him good morning, inhaling the pungent aroma of freshly milled flour as he worked.”
Dishing out great practical advice as she moved about the kitchen with artful precision, Rossella wisely explained.
‘Per far assaggiare la tua cucina devi farla mangiare prima con gli occhi’ which translated can be read as:
‘Before you allow them to taste the results of your labour in the kitchen first they should eat with their eyes.’
“My husband knows he has to be patient.. Once I am satisfied with the composition and have snapped away he is allowed to help me make it disappear!”
A fundamental staple of the Mediterranean diet is of course pasta and there is nothing quite like the home made variety. I lamented my lack of time and confidence in achieving great results. Rossella assured me that all I needed was to be a little more organised…
I asked relentless questions while she set out the ingredients required to make a perfect plate of shrimp and courgette filled ravioli.
“Every Sunday my Mother would miraculously throw together water, salt and flour to make fresh pasta. I can never forget the succulent smell of freshly made tomato sauce as I stood on a chair by her side. I felt inspired and excited while watching her and was always eager to roll up my sleeves when it was finally my turn to knead the pasta dough between my tiny fingers.
She would make many different pasta shapes. I always loved ravioli in particular, which she would fill with all manner of ingredients; small dumplings called ‘gnocchi’, orecchiette and ferricelli. My Mother learned many original dishes that were created by her parents and grandparents but being immensely passionate about food, my Mother also invented many recipes herself. In fact annoyingly to this day she remains quite secretive and reluctant to share certain recipes! I learned what I did by staying quite and just watching intently.”
I asked Rossella how she fell into photographing her creations to share on instagram.
“Cooking for myself has always been a matter of pride but essential for survival when I first left home to study Foreign Languages and Business Management at University in Rome. In 2007 I bought my first camera. Money was tight and I couldn’t afford a Photography class initially but I purchased several books meantime and slowly began to teach myself, practising with my trusty camera along the way.”
“Marrying my passion for Photography and food didn’t occur to me immediately but a few years later I discovered the concept of ‘Food Styling’ by chance and was instantly hooked! I embarked upon a few initial photo shoots and played around with the most effective forms of dish presentation within a framed image.
Food styling is concerned with transforming a simple culinary concept into a work of art.. a designer dish if you will.”
As a dedicated foodie with chef inspired genes, Rossella found cooking for family and friends fuelled her creative interest. She enthused about the sacredness of the kitchen space.
“My kitchen is my temple. It is where I feel at my most relaxed and free to let my imagination run wild. My Mother is my ‘tasteful’ muse but I find ideas everywhere and spend hours trawling through both antique and modern recipe books. Over the years I have gathered a fascinating catalogue which reflects pride in my southern Italian roots and love of sharing my discoveries.”
I confessed how drained I become after a long day writing in front of the computer and how relieved I usually am if it’s my husband’s turn to prepare dinner. By comparison Rossella feels positively energised once she returns home to her beloved kitchen. She explained how therapeutic food preparation in combination with photography has proved to be for her.
“It’s the only time available to do something entirely for me. When I get home from a long and stressful day at the office I look forward to finding something new to try. Food styling helps me to unwind. If I haven’t had much time to go shopping that day a great starting point is to use what I already have in the fridge.”
I love the vibrancy and colour of Rossella’s photos. Her parents are very proud of their daughter’s website, which in itself is a testament to the entire family who worked relentlessly as a team in the family mill.
Since she created her instagram account ‘Occhioallapentola’ (which roughly translated means ‘look what’s cooking’) Rossella has attracted over 3,000 followers.
Each shoot is lovingly prepared and presented in the most attractive way possible in order to stimulate the imagination, visual attention and desire of those who will hopefully be encouraged to scoop out a little magic in their own kitchens.
“It doesn’t matter if you don’t have a lot of space.” she encouraged enthusiastically, whilst wringing out the pasta dough through the gritted teeth of what I always think of as a kind of old fashioned mangle.
Here is the very simple sea food ravioli recipe that Rossella prepared:
Ravioli with ricotta cheese, courgettes and giant red shrimps
INGREDIENTS
PASTA
200g white durum wheat pasta flour
½ teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 teaspoon olive oil
small bowl of warm water
FILLING
150 g ricotta cheese
5 giant red shrimps
a little finely chopped parsley
½ tsp parmesan cheese
2 grated courgettes
black pepper and salt to taste
FISH OR VEGETABLE STOCK
1 tsp olive oil
1 shallot
1 carrot
2 tomatoes
parsley
giant red shrimp heads
METHOD
Weigh the flour and pour it onto a surface in a pile. Then using your fingers, make a hole in the centre and add 1 egg, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon olive oil and a small quantity of warm water.
Using a fork or your fingertips, gradually start pushing the flour into the pool of egg. Keep adding flour until you have a single mass. Begin kneading to obtain a smooth ball of dough and then cover with a plate and leave to rest for 30 minutes.
In the meantime place vegetables and previously well cleaned giant red shrimp heads with a tablespoon of olive oil and cold water in a small pot. Bring to the boil and after 30 minutes filter the fish stock.
Place two pans over a medium heat, add the olive oil and cook the giant red shrimps and grated courgettes separately.
Mix the ricotta cheese in a bowl, add chopped parsley, parmesan cheese, a pinch of black pepper, grated courgettes and giant red shrimps.
Then, turn to your pasta maker! (Yes Diane, please don’t be frightened.. it’s teeth won’t bite you!)
Supporting the exiting end with the flat of your hand, send the dough through the first setting until it passes through without resistance. Pass the dough through the rollers more than once and finally turn the pasta maker to the thinner setting (typically second to last setting on the roller).
When the dough becomes thinner and longer, lay it on a lightly floured surface and cut into little squares measuring the same size. Place a small amount of filling on each square using a teaspoon.
Wet the edge of each square dough with egg yolk and join them so they meet in the centre.
When the water is boiling, gently slide the ravioli into the pan. Boil for a few minutes in salted water.
Transfer 4 or 5 ravioli to each plate, add the fish stock, a spring of parsley, a ratatouille of carrots and courgettes and decorate with edible flowers.. buon appetito!
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