HAPPY EASTER TO ALL OF YOU

Hi my friends,

with my fifth newsletter I just wanted to wish you a serene Easter in this complicated time.

The situation is getting better in Italy and in Lombardia. I have to say that Como is not particulary well performing as decreasing of the infections, but that’s because we have some residences for the elderly that have been affected by the virus. This is a big problem, all over the Lombardia.

The sun is bright on Como and we are feeling the Spring around us, even if we are still not allowed to exit. They extended the lockdown till the 4th of May, but I’m afraid it won’t be enough.

Said that, I'm well and in a good spirit. I’m still working in my communication job and I’m trying to keep fit with some gym every day in the shared garden of the flat.

Today I’m going to give you a very traditional Easter recipe: Crespelle agli asparagi e taleggio (Asparagous and Cheese crespelle)

Ingredients:

For the crespelle: half liter of milk 6 eggs 160 g of whole wheat flour 40 g of white flour salt

For the stuffing: 600 g of green asparagus a dl of fresh cream 2 yolks grated Parmesan cheese a piece of onion butter 100 g of taleggio (it’s a tasty local cheese, you can use your favorite one) 100 g of ricotta cheese 20 g of mascarpone extra virgin olive oil salt pepper

1) Mix the two types of flour in a bowl with a pinch of salt, shell the eggs and mix them, mixing with a whisk and pouring the milk slowly. Let the batter rest for an hour, then cook very thin crepes using a lightly greased butter non-stick pan.

2) Remove the stalk from the asparagus, cut them into chunks, cook them in a pan with the chopped onion and 4 tablespoons of oil, salt, pepper, cover and cook over low heat until soft; mash half of them in the mixer, making a kind of cream.

3) Heat the oven to 180 °. Add the cream and the taleggio cheese cut into small pieces, melt while stirring and leave to thicken until creamy. Incorporate the yolks and, out of the fire, mascarpone, ricotta and 2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan. Season with salt and fill with the filling crepes; roll them up, transfer them to a lightly buttered baking dish and put them in a preheated oven for ten minutes, until the surface is golden.

4) Transfer the crepes to a serving dish and complete with the asparagus kept aside and, to taste, with a few tablespoons of taleggio sauce.

It’s a quite simple dish, and it has the vantage it can be cooked in advance, so you can have a nice aperitivo all together, while is warming up in the owen.