Regali di Natale

Ogni anno, quando il natale si avvicina, ci chiediamo cos'è più giusto regalare per natale:
Qualcosa di carino, ma inutile?
O
qualcosa di meno carino ma UTILE?

Ecco allora che il dibattito si apre e come sempre, nessuno ha ragione! Meglio scegliere il giosto mezzo, utile e carino!!
I regali di natale utili sono senza dubbio Casalinghi per le donne e oggitti per la caccia,pesca o faidate per gli uomini.

A volte però è importante anche fare bella figura e presentarsi con un bel mazzo di fiori, una pianta, magari anche socialmente utile.

Ecco allora un link per avere Regali natalizi per tutti i gusti, novità, utili, belli, divisi anche per fasce di prezzo.

La ricetta del Panettone

Ingredienti:
Farina bianca - 800 g
Lievito - 15 g
Burro - 150 g
Uova intere - 2
Albumi - 4
Zucchero - 400 g
Canditi assortiti - 80 g
Uvetta sultanina - 50 g
Zucchero vanigliato - 25 g
Sale - un pizzico
Latte - 60 ml

Preparazione:

Il giorno prima, in una ciotola, sciogliere il lievito e un quarto della farina nel latte tiepido. Dare all'impasto una forma arrotondata, coprirlo con un tovagliolo e lasciarlo lievitare, in un luogo asciutto e non freddo, per tutta la notte.
Il giorno dopo riprendere l'impasto, lavorarlo a lungo sulla spianatoia con 100 g di farina e qualche goccia di acqua tiepida; poi coprirlo con un tovagliolo e farlo lievitare al caldo per circa 2 ore.
A questo punto ripetere l'operazione usando altri 100 g di farina e aggiungendo acqua tiepida quanto basta per rendere l'impasto morbido ed elastico. Farlo lievitare per circa 3 ore.
Nel frattempo far rinvenire l'uvetta in acqua tiepida per almeno 20 minuti.
Poco prima di riprendere l'impasto far sciogliere il burro in un tegamino su fiamma molto bassa per evitare che frigga, lasciandone da parte un po' per ungere la tortiera; poi sciogliere anche lo zucchero e un pizzico di sale in poca acqua, sempre su fiamma molto bassa, aggiungendo, lontano dal fuoco, le uova intere ed i bianchi. Imburrare una pirofila da forno alta e stretta.
Riprendere adesso l'impasto e tornare a lavorarlo con il resto della farina aggiungendo, poco alla volta, il burro sciolto e il miscuglio di zucchero e uova. Lavorare a lungo l'impasto inserendoci verso la fine anche le uvette, ben strizzate ed infarinate e i cubetti di frutta candita. Disporlo nella pirofila, coprirlo con un tovagliolo e lasciarlo lievitare per almeno 3 ore.
Accendere il forno e regolarlo su 180° C. Mettere il dolce in forno solo quando la temperatura è quella giusta e farlo cuocere per circa 45 minuti o fino a quando si è ben colorato o la superficie è diventata bruna. Farlo raffreddare a testa in giù per evitare che le uvette e i canditi si depositino sul fondo.

CAPPUCCINO SCHIUMOSO COME AL BAR

Veloce, pratica e semplice per un piacevole buongiorno Cappuccina espresso è la prima caffettiera espresso che consente di preparare a casa tua due cappuccini super cremosi come al bar.Cappuccina espresso in acciaio inox 18/10 con coperchio e pomolo in plastica rossa.

STELLA CAPPUCCINO ESPRESSOVeloce, pratica e semplice per un piacevole buongiorno Cappuccina espresso è la prima caffettiera espresso che consente di preparare a casa tua due cappuccini supercremosi come al bar. ( - 15 % )

Istruzioni per l'uso: Come in una tradizionale caffettiera, riempite il contenitore inferiore di acqua fino alla valvola, inserite l’imbuto con la polvere di caffè ed avvitate alla parte superiore. Versate il latte nella parte superiore (Cappuccino fig.1). Montate il latte per circa 15-20 secondi con l’apposito filtro (Cappuccino fig. 2). Ottenuta la schiuma, togliete il coperchio, sollevate la sferetta metallica del pomolo e ponete Cappuccina sulla fonte di calore: in pochi minuti saranno pronti due ottimi cappuccini. Togliete Cappuccina dalla fonte di calore, abbassate la sferetta metallica e versate il cappuccino nelle due tazze, distribuendo in ciascuna la schiuma (Cappuccino fig. 3).

Le Ricette di GioiadellaCasa.it

Una raccolta di più di 25000 ricette divise per: link alla raccolata di ricette

ANTIPASTI: ricette antipasti

PRIMI: ricette primi

CARNE: ricette carne

PESCE: ricette pesce

POLLAME: ricette pollame

CONTORNI: ricette contorni

SALSE: ricette salse

DESSERT: ricette dessert

BEVANDE: ricette bevande

Una ragione in più per portare in tavola i tuoi piatti preferiti!

How to make bread

Ingredients
500 g of “0” soft wheat flour
15 g of fresh yeast
4 spoonfuls of oil (optional)
1 teaspoonful of salt
about 250 ml of lukewarm water
a pinch of sugar


Description
Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water and then add the sugar.
Measure the flour in the Misurone, add the 4 spoonfuls of oil, pour it with the yeast into the mixer and switch on. Add the salt after 2 minutes and continue mixing for a further 4/5 minutes.
Take the dough out, make a ball with it and sprinkle with flour.
Cover with a cloth and let it rise for 30 minutes in a warm and draft-free place. Once risen, put the dough back into the mixer for a further 4/5 minutes.
Take the dough out, give it the desired shape and let it rest for about one and a half hours.
Pre-heat the oven at 220° C and bake the bread for 20 or 40 minutes according to the shape (the bigger the bread, the longer it needs to cook), till golden brown.
Check the bread from time to time by pricking it with a wooden skewer.
Get the bread out of the oven when the skewer comes out dry and cover it with a cotton cloth in order to keep it soft.

The first Pasta Poduction Centres

The First Pasta Production Centres.

From recipe books and historical documents dating back to the end of the 16^th century, it is possible to deduce that there where three main centres in Italy for making durum wheat pasta: Palermo, Naples and Liguria. Egg pasta was widespread in the North and centre of Italy while the main condiment was parmesan.

It is curious to note how practical sense made up for the limited food knowledge of those times by adding eggs, that is the protein and amino acids that are rarely present in wheat.

In 1800 the capitals for the production and export of pasta were Naples and Genoa. Naples was supplied with durum wheat from Puglia and Russia (the unrivalled Tangarog wheat), Genoa was supplied from Sicily, North Africa and Russia (Tangarog again).

The popularity of pasta and its wide consumption promoted the birth of the first plants for industrial production. Climatic conditions in Naples and its hinterland were ideal for drying which was the delicate stage for a quality product.

Nowadays modern technology allows processes to be standardised and ideal climatic conditions are recreated artificially so much so that the production of Pasta has spread in many countries.

Energy in Pasta

Energy in pasta

Pasta is characterized by high energy and moderate protein content (11-12%).
Its nutritional properties result from its digestibility (its starch content is 70-75%).

Its calory contents is approximately 350 Kcal per 100 grams. On the other hand its fat content is quite low (less than 1%).

Pasta contains few vitamins and is unbalanced as far as the mineral salt content is concerned since potassium is prevalent. In spite of this, the addition of different ingredients (meat, fish, legumes, vegetables and various sauces) changes its nutritional value favourably.

AS bit of History

A Bit of History

Pasta has very old origins. The Etruscans used to make a kind of lasagna with spelt mixed with water, The Romans used to make a “schiacciata” (flata bread) consisting of water, flour but no yeast called làgana (from the Greek laganoz and from the latin làganum, Italian lasagne). Cicero and Horatio loved it.

Pasta as we know it (maccheroni, spaghetti, etc.) was born in Sicily and precisely in Trabia near Palermo. A particular type of pasta, called “itryah” in Arabic was made here. Vermicelli di Tria are well known in Palermo even today. At the end of the 18^th century pasta was generally called “maccheroni” and the term included: lasagne, drawn pasta, filled pasta and so on.

Therefore it was not Marco Polo, on his return from his travels to China, to make pasta known in the West since it was already known in times gone by, neither did Neapolitans invent it.

Neapolitans deserve credit though for making long drawn pasta (maccheroni first, spaghetti later) famous in Naples, in Italy and woldwide.

At the beginning of the 19^th century wayfarers are portrayed eating pasta served with cheese and pepper (with their hands) in front of the sellers in the streets of Naples.

The stroke of genius due to the Neapolitans’ gastronomic knowledge is the use of tomato sauce on maccheroni!

The success of pasta

The success of pasta

Because of the success of the “Mediterranean diet” nutritional model, pasta is conquering a growing number of admirers worldwide.

The reason for this success is to be found in the characteristics of the food that is easy to make even at home, quick to cook, tasty, easily digestible, nourishing, cheap and above all fun

In the kitchen, pasta allows us to free our imagination and create recipes that will not fail to amaze and satisfy the most demanding palates of friends and relatives.

Storia Alessi [ parte 3]

1950s and 1960s

Uncle Ettore, eleven years younger than his brother, joined my father in 1945. Although he no longer officially works for the company, he remains the great authority on cold pressing of metals. I affectionately refer to him as our "mega-technical director." As head of the technical department, in 1955 he opened Alessi up to collaboration with external designers; his work with architects Carlo Mazzeri, Luigi Massoni and Anselmo Vitale produced several ranges of products, particularly for the catering trade, many of which are still big sellers.


and 1970s

Officially my career at Alessi began in July 1970, the day after I graduated in law. My dad immediately set me to work on new projects. I threw myself into the job. With a strongly utopian view of "multiplied art," I developed mycultural-theoretic manifesto championing a new commercial civilization offering the consuming masses veritable artistic items at low prices.


* The story is from www.alessi.com

Storia Alessi [ parte 2]

1920s and 1930s

Grandpa Giovanni was a talented sheet-metal worker. In 1921 he bought a plot of land at Omegna and founded Alessi. He started handmaking objects for the table and for the home in copper, brass and nickel silver, which were then either nickel-, chrome- or silver-plated. Grandpa was a real stickler for quality and for well-done work: the things he made quickly won acclaim for their workmanship and perfect finish.

Carlo Alessi

Design, as we understand the word today, first made its appearance with my father, Carlo. Trained as an industrial designer in Novara, he joined the company when still very young, dedicating himself to design right from the start. He was responsible for most of the objects made between the mid-thirties and 1945, the year he launched his last project, that archetype of early Italian design, called the Bombé coffee and tea sets. In the fifties he took over from Grandpa at the helm of the company, completely giving up (I have never understood why�) design.

During the war years, as the household goods market slowed down, Alessi produced stars for uniforms and mechanical parts for Savoia Marchetti aeroplanes. After the war, faced with an enormous demand for brass ladles for the U.S. army, my father doubled the number of machine tools, expanded the company and started mass-production. As he had realized so early, stainless steel was set to conquer the space vacated by chromed metals and silver-plated alloys.

Storia Alessi [ parte 1]

Since time immemorial the Alessi family has been firmly established on Lake Orta. We originally come from Luzzogno, the oldest village in the Strona valley. The first Alessi I've traced was called Giovanni; in 1633 he married a certain Caterina Gozano in Luzzogno. That's all I know about him, and I don't know a great deal more about the eight generations separating him from me. I nonetheless have no doubt that my forebears were among the many men from the Strona valley who, in the seventeen hundreds, went as far as Germany to learn the trade of pewter-maker. Some of their number stayed on to make their fortune; others returned home and opened the first craft workshops. Such were the beginnings of the Omegna (and its suburb Crusinallo) makers of metal household objects, today one of the most dynamic centres in Europe for the production of such items.

The first metal household article manufacturer in the Cusio area was a man called Baldassarre Cane, who towards the mid-eighteen hundreds had the courage to leave Chesio (another small village in the Strona valley) for the lakeside and found the first true workshop. Although the company no longer exists, by around 1900 it was a large employer. In the following years his example was followed by many dozens of craftsmen/small businessmen, who often learned their trade as workmen at Cane's factory. Over the course of one and a half centuries, pewter has given way to other metals: brass, nickel silver, aluminium and then stainless steel, whose cycle of development is still running its course. Yet during this period neither the type nor the nature of the objects themselves have changed, and my town remains dominated by this industrial specialization. Along the shores of Lake San Giulio, amongst the Romanesque churches and the Baroque chapels, the household goods factories have become a precise point of reference, leaving their strong social and cultural imprint on the whole area. One of those early craftsmen/small businessmen was my grandfather, Giovanni Alessi. This book sets out to tell the tale of how a deep-rooted, hard, traditional and perhaps even inward-looking manufacturing tradition has blossomed into our own business venture, on the contrary characterized by constant innovation, open to experimentation and to the paradoxical results of casting from a poetic mould. Alessi has changed from being a "Workshop for the working of brass and nickel silver plates, with foundry" (so read the sign over our stand at the first Milan Trade Fairs in the twenties) into one of the "factories of Italian design." The change from a metallurgical and mechanical industry into a workshop actively researching the field of applied arts has been a gradual one over several decades. It has been an exciting process which, quite possibly, could serve as a possible model for the evolution of many kinds of industry in our consumer society.

Liste di Nozze on line

Anche la lista di nozze si è spostata on line:

vediamone un esempio con GioiadellaCasa.it Casalinghi ed articoli da regalo.

La Lista di Nozze on line è uno strumento indispensabile per gli acquisti degli invitati che abitano lontano o che sono impossibilitati a raggiungere il punto vendita reale o che, semplicemente, preferiscono scegliere il dono comodamente da casa propria.

La comodità per gli invitati consiste che, oltre a poter consultare la lista, si rende possibile anche la visione degli oggetti in essa contenuti che saranno corredati di immagini e descrizioni, in modo da poter scegliere il dono desiderato, non soltanto in funzione al prezzo, ma nella consapevolezza dell’oggetto che si andrà a regalare agli Sposi.

La lista di nozze on line mette in contatto diretto tramite e-mail o telefonando direttamente al punto vendita, il negoziante e l'acquirente. Con l’ausilio di un piccolo archivio elettronico di frasi augurali sarà facilitata la stesura del biglietto che sarà consegnato insieme al regalo.

La Lista di Nozze on line è utile anche per coloro che vivono in città poiché, se lo desiderano, questi potranno preventivamente visionare la Lista di Nozze in famiglia o col gruppo di amici e prenotare quanto scelto telefonicamente o presso il punto vendita con la certezza di aver accontentato tutti i partecipanti al regalo.

La lista nozze vi da la possibilità di orientare gli invitati nella scelta dei regali a voi più graditi .

La lista di nozze fa risparmiare tempo, evita inutili doppioni, risolve l'imbarazzo della scelta, e da sicurezza al pieno successo del regalo scelto.