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Monday, September 26, 2011

Tortelloni with feta and herbs, NOT gardening, and more cupcake demos



iPhone art by Arantxa Zecchini Dowling©



Well, it is Sunday and it is raining again! I really need to work in my garden and these wet weekends are not helping. My seedlings are coming up though, I will sell some at the Italian Festival in Auckland on October 9, I have this Italian pumpkin, some cavolo nero, borlotti, Venice runner beans, Genovese basil (giant) and San Marzano tomatoes, so if you are planning an Italian veggie garden this year come to the Italian Festival :-). And now for a fun pasta project to do with kids on a rainy Sunday!!!



Tortelloni with feta and herbs

For the fresh pasta recipe just click here, for instruction on how to roll the pasta with a pasta machine click here, and to fold the tortellini just look at the pictures below. The filling was improvised: a bit of feta cheese, some breadcrumbs, and a few chopped herbs (Italian parsley, chives, basil, but anything goes). 










 Also, yesterday Arantxa and I went to Milly's for a cupcake demo, and I completely forgot to take photos! I just remembered when we were packing to leave, and I took the photos of the leftover cupcakes, Arantxa was going to a birthday party in the afternoon and she took them there. The birthday girl's parents were so impressed that they gave her a box of chocolate to thank her :-).




The miniature cupcakes went to her brother Max, he loves tiny cupcakes! Next appointment is at Arcadia Bookshop on October 1st. It is a real cupcake month, even if the book is not only about cupcakes, this seems to be what girls really love! And Arantxa has been drawing lots of cupcakes on my iPhone too :-). Are you a cupcake person? 




Photos and Recipes by Alessandra Zecchini, Artwork by Arantxa Zecchini Dowling ©


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21 comments:

  1. MerisSeptember 25, 2011 at 7:39 PM

    Io i tortelloni con la feta non li ho mai fatti nè mangiati ma ora li voglio provare. Ottima idea. Un abbraccio

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  2. BibiSeptember 25, 2011 at 8:16 PM

    i tuoi tortelli sono perfetti e i minicupcake davvero un amore!!! Che bella tua figlia tutta sorridente ed orgogliosa per i suoi dolcetti, davvero siete splendide :)

    Il festival italiano mi pare meglio organizzato di molte sagre qui da noi sai, ho fatto un giro sul sito dell'Associazione Dante Alighieri, molto bello e ben curato.
    Oggi pomeriggio facciamo un giro a Crema dove ci sarà una bella iniziativa enogastroculturale per le vie della città :)
    Barbara

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  3. ClaudiaSeptember 25, 2011 at 9:39 PM

    Mai fatti i tortelloni con la feta...ma potrebbe essere un idea originale e golosa da provare! Segno subito! ;-)

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  4. AlessandraSeptember 25, 2011 at 9:53 PM

    @ Meris e Claudia, li faccio spesso con la feta perche' qui la ricotta scarseggia, e devo dire che non sono male :-), insomma un fusion improvvisato dalle esigenze!

    @ Bibi, faccio parte della Dante di Auckland da anni e anni, praticamente l'abbiamo 'messa' su noi italiani qui, con la scuola e tutto, e anche il festival, veramente tanto lavoro di volontariato organizzare tutto, quindi grazie per i complimenti! Il sito e' abbastanza nuovo anche li' un lavorone, ma bisogna darsi da fare qui :-).

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  5. DianeSeptember 25, 2011 at 10:22 PM

    I have not used my pasta machine for ages, thanks for the reminder :-) Diane

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  6. AlessandraSeptember 25, 2011 at 11:17 PM

    Mai provati con la feta, chissà coma sono saporiti!

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  7. Araba FeliceSeptember 26, 2011 at 1:20 AM

    Ma che belle iniziative da voi, ti invidio.
    Bellissimi i tortelloni ma devo dire che sono rapita dai cupcakes...:-)

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  8. Chiara September 26, 2011 at 5:06 AM

    che originali con la feta, bravissima! buona domenica!

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  9. UnknownSeptember 26, 2011 at 5:35 AM

    i tuoi tortelloni sono divini! complimenti, un bacio!

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  10. YariSeptember 26, 2011 at 5:53 AM

    I really love cupcakes, even though I haven't made them yet. Your tiny cupcakes are so inviting!

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  11. FabipasticcioSeptember 26, 2011 at 6:03 AM

    Your tortelloni are simply perfect! Chapeau!
    I think I'm a cupcake person, but I'm not able to do your and Arantxa's decorations. They're so beautiful. You do know how to spend a rainy weekend having fun.
    Cheers!

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  12. ValentinaSeptember 26, 2011 at 6:31 AM

    Devo provarli..besos

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  13. AlessandraSeptember 26, 2011 at 7:56 AM

    Signore, bisognerebbe fare un scambio feta - ricotta! Qui la feta abbonda e la ricotta scarseggia, ed io ho voglia di fare i tortelloni con la ricotta invece :-).

    E poi stanotte mi sono sognata che mangiavo lo stracchino!!! Magariiii!

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  14. franci e valeSeptember 26, 2011 at 10:54 AM

    Ma il gongorzola c'è???????? perchè io penso che potrei sognare di mangiare quello dopo una lunga a stinenza! complimenti a voi due, siete troppo carine...

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  15. AlessandraSeptember 26, 2011 at 12:21 PM

    C'e' il gorgonzola, ma devi fare il mutuo per comprarlo :-)!

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  16. SarettaSeptember 26, 2011 at 10:41 PM

    Hahaha, dobbiamo afre uno scambio Ale!Cmq grazie dell'idea, ho una feta da far fuori giusta giusta!baci

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  17. Nami | Just One CookbookSeptember 27, 2011 at 2:18 PM

    So pretty Alessandra! I came here to get nice inspiration and my girly side out of me. :-)

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  18. BreeSeptember 28, 2011 at 5:42 AM

    Wow that fresh tortellini looks fabulous!

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  19. UnknownSeptember 28, 2011 at 8:26 AM

    wow, love your iPhone art, impressive and wow, making tortellini from scratch, you rock girl !!!

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  20. AnonymousSeptember 28, 2011 at 9:54 AM

    I love homemade tortellini, have have to confess though I leave that job to hubby, he is the pasta meister! Must remind him we are due for another batch

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  21. AlessandraSeptember 28, 2011 at 10:39 AM

    @ Alli, I find that lots of men like making pasta because they like the pasta machine! Give them a gadget and they will be happy!

    @ Saretta, scambio virtuale allora, e' il pensiero che conta!

    ReplyDelete

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