Making a BruschettaWith Mozzarella

 

Ingredients:

· Italian Bread, (cut into slices of 1 inch thickness)

· 2 Tomatoes, (finely chopped)

· ¼ cupMozzarella Cheese, (grated)

· 2 tbspVirgin Olive Oil

· 1 tsp Fresh Basil, (chopped)

· 2 tsp Fresh Parsley, (chopped)

· 1 tbspSweet Onion, (chopped)

· 1 tbspFresh Oregano, (chopped)

Method of cooking:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

2. Till the oven is heating, in a bowl mix tomatoes, olive oil, onion, oregano, parsley, and basil.

3. Arrange the bread slices on a baking sheet and place one spoon of tomato mixture on top of each slice, evenly.

4. Top it with grated cheese and place it in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes.

5. You will have to check the bottom of the bread slices to know if it is ready. The bottom of the slice should be brown in color.

6. Once it is done, let it rest for about 4 to 5 minutes on the baking sheet. Serve it warm.

 

Chocolate Coffee Tiramisu

Ingredients:

· ½ cup Granulated sugar

· 1½ cups Ricotta cheese

· 3 tablespoonsCocoa

· 1 Egg yolk

· 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

· 3 Egg whites

·,½ cup Light cream cheese

· ⅓ cup Granulated sugar

· ¾ cup Strong prepared coffee

· 3 tablespoons Chocolate/coffee-flavored liqueur
Ladyfinger cookies, 16

 

Method of cooking:

1. Ladyfinger cookies are light, sweet sponge cakes that are shaped like a finger. Firstly, spray some vegetable spray on a 9-inch square baking dish. Then, combine the sugar, cocoa, ricotta cheese, cream cheese, egg yolk, and vanilla extract in a food processor and blend till the mixture smoothens. Once done, transfer it to a bowl.

2. Now, beat the eggs whites in another bowl, and gradually add some sugar to it. Fold this gently into the ricotta mixture. Take a small bowl and combine the coffee and liqueur in it. Place half of the ladyfinger cookies in the baking dish, and spread half of the coffee-liqueur mixture over this. Now, spread half of the ricotta mixture above this. Repeat these layers and cover the dish. Place it in the refrigerator for 3 hours or overnight.

 

Grilled Mushroom Risotto

Ingredients:

· 6 cups Chicken stock

· 2 tbsp Olive oil

· ¼ cup (finely chopped)Celery

· 1½ cups Risotto rice

· 1 large (chopped)

· 1 cup Dry white wine Onion

· 1 cup (dried)Porchini mushroom,

· 3 cups (sliced)Mushrooms (shitakeand oyster), Parsley, a handful(chopped)

· 1 Juice of lemon

· 1 tbsp Butter

· 2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil

 

Method of cooking:

1. Heat the chicken stock in a saucepan and let it simmer over low heat. Place the dried porchini mushroom in a small bowl and pour hot stock over it. After a few minutes, remove the porchini mushrooms from the stock and slice them into small pieces.

2. Heat a large frying pan and add the olive oil. Fry the chopped onions and celery over medium heat until they become soft. Add the rice and sauté till they turn translucent. Pour in the dry white wine and allow the alcohol to get absorbed by the rice. Now pour the hot chicken stock in the rice one ladle at a time and also stir in the sliced porcini. Carry on adding the chicken stock to the rice till all the stock has been used.

3. Grill the oyster and shitake mushroom in a griddle pan until they are soft and browned. Place the grilled mushrooms in a bowl and add the chopped parsley, lemon juice, and a bit of salt. Keep the mushroom aside.

4. When the risotto is done, take it off the heat and stir in the butter and Parmesan cheese, place the lid over the pan and let it stand for 2 minutes. To serve, place the risotto in a plate and top it with grilled mushroom and extra shavings of Parmesan cheese and a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

5. The calorie content of risotto is about 348 per 100 g. of rice. Always serve the risotto immediately or it will turn hard and tasteless. You can also prepare risotto pudding by making a few changes in the basic recipe.

 

Pasta with Smoked Salmon

Ingredients:

· 1.10 lb Dried Pasta

· 0.55 lb Smoked Salmon

· 5 oz White Wine

· (grated)Parmesan Cheese

· 5 oz.Carton Double Cream

Method of cooking:

1. Cook pasta in boiling water and drain it. Add some olive oil in order to prevent the pasta tubes from sticking to each other.

2. Bring wine to boil in a large pan. Then add salmon, cheese and cream. Heat it on a low flame.

3. Add this cream sauce to the pasta. Mix it thoroughly and pour it into a serving plate.

4. This dish goes well with some crusty bread and chopped tomato, cucumber and onion salad.

 

Spinach Pasta from Scratch

Ingredients:

· 140 grams of fresh spinach

· 350 grams of pasta of your choice

· 6 cloves of garlic

· 1 tablespoon olive oil

· ½ teaspoon black pepper

· ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

· Salt as per taste

Method of cooking:

1. Blanche and dry the spinach bunches.

2. Boil the pasta till its soft and fluffy.

3. Meanwhile, chop the spinach and discard it's stem.

4. Once the pasta is cooked, pour the olive oil in a skillet and put the chopped spinach in it, with dried chillies and cloves of garlic.

5. Now add the pasta with a little water and add the grated cheese to the skillet.

6. As the cheese begins to melt and the pasta gets more creamy, sprinkle some black pepper and add a pinch of salt as per taste.

 

Toasted Ravioli

Ingredients

· 2 dozenFrozen ravioli (meat or cheese filled),

· Eggs (lightly beaten),

· 2Italian seasoned breadcrumbs,

· 1 cupParmesan cheese

· Marinara sauce (for dipping)

· Vegetable oil (for frying)

Method of cooking:

1. Cook ravioli in salted, boiling water untilthey float on the top.

2. Then remove them from water and drain.

3. Keep them aside for cooling.

4. Heat vegetable oil in the fryer to a temperature of about 375 degrees.

5. Dip ravioli in the beaten egg and cover in breadcrumbs.

6. Fry them in hot oil for about 5 minutes, until they turn golden brown and then drain.

7. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the hot ravioli.

8. Heat marinara sauce and keep it in the serving bowl.

9. Serve ravioli with the dipping sauce.

Japanese cuisine

Reading

Exercise 1

Read the text and retell it

Japanese cuisine has been influenced by the food customs of other nations, but has adopted and refined them to create its own unique cooking style and eating habits.

The first foreign influence on Japan was China around 300 B.C., when the Japanese learned to cultivate rice. The use of chopsticks and the consumption of soy sauce and soybean curd (tofu) also came from China.

Rice and noodles are the two primary staples of the Japanese diet. Rice, either boiled or steamed, is served at every meal. Noodles come in many varieties. Among the most popular are soba, thin brown noodles made from buckwheat flour; udon, thick white noodles made from wheat flour; and ramen, thin, curly noodles, also made from wheat flour.

Soy sauce and other soybean products are also staples in Japan. These include miso (fermented soybean paste) and tofu (a soybean curd that resembles custard).

The Japanese are known for using very fresh ingredients in their cooking. They prefer using fresh, seasonal foods for their meals, buying it the same day it will be cooked. The Japanese are also famous for their skill in arranging food so that it looks beautiful. The people of Japan live long lives and have a low rate of heart disease because of healthy eating habits.

 

Speaking

Exercise 2

Make a dialogue between a waiter and a guest in a Japanese resraurant.

Writing

Exercise 3

Make the description of theJapanesecuisine using the following phrases:

· Contemparary Japanese cookery makes wide use of …

· Japanese cuisine is famous for/noted for its regional diversity…

· Japanesecuisine is characterized by…

· Japanese main dishes are

· Desserts are characterized by the dominant use of …..

· Some dishes use…

· The most characteristic and ancient elements of Japanesecuisine are…

 

Exercise 4

Translate from Russian into English:

1. Обед будет подан в 12 часов дня.

2. Мясо всегда жарится на сливочном масле.

3. Салат приготовлен сегодня утром.

4. Это блюдо приготовлено шеф-поваром.

5. Утка с яблоками запекается в духовке 2 часа.

6. Сыр для салата «Цезарь» обячно натирают на терке.

7. Фарш для котлет был приготовлен поваром вчера.

8. Вареный картофель, морковь, зеленый горошек, соленые огурцы и вареное мясо – основные составляющие салата «Оливье».

9. Когда в этом отеле подают ужин?

10. Кто готовил это мясо по-французски?

Exercise 5