2120 Next Question (re Italian Food in London)

[QUOTE=Aliena]My favourite Italian restaurant is "Topo d'oro" in Notting Hill Gate ~ very small family run place.. right next door to the old cinema and opposite Burger King.. much cheaper! ;)

My mum makes Buccellato.. but she is not Sicilian and doesn't live in London.. but how about making it yourself?

IGREDIENTS
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup grappa, or sweet marsala
1 pkg. active dry yeast
3/4 cup warm milk
1 1/2 tablespoon anise seed
1/2 butter at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
5 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1/2 teaspoon each anise extract and salt
About 4 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

METHOD
Combine the raisins and grappa and let stand for 30 minutes. In a small bowl, stir yeast and anise seed into milk. Let stand until yeast softens, about 5 minutes. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add 4 eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, stir in vanilla, orange peel, anise extract, and salt. Add yeast mixture, grappa drained from the raisins and slowly add the flour, mix until evenly moistened.

Scrape dough onto a lightly floured board and knead until smooth and elastic about 15 minutes, add as little extra flour as possible to stop sticking. Knead in raisins and place dough in a greased bowl, turn over the grease top. Cover dough. Let dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size about 1 hour. Knead briefly to expel air.

Divide dough in half. Shape each half into 20-inch long rope. Place on a greased sheet. Join ends of each and pinch to seal. Cover lightly and let rise in a warm place until puffy 25-30 minutes. Beat remaining egg to blend and brush lightly over dough. Bake in a 350 degree oven until richly browned 25-35 minutes. Serve warm or cool. For longer storage, wrap airtight and freeze for up to 1 month.

:) :)[/QUOTE]

Hi Aliena,

I have tried making Buccellato ever since I first had it in Palermo and every single attempt has failed. However, I do look forward to the day I can make it successfully (somehow I suspect scientists will have put wings on pigs before that happens though).

Assaggi W2 £51
39 Chepstow Pl 7792 5501
“Simple” but “sensuous” dishes, using “fabulous ingredients”, make this “unexpected” dining room – over an “unassuming” Bayswater boozer – simply “the best Italian in London”, for many reporters; the interior may feel “a bit exposed and noisy”, but it’s still “stupidly hard to get a table”.

Great place does it for me!

La Familiglia in Chelsea is fabulous. Very unpretentious, used by lots of celebs, but the food is outstanding. Was taken by a magazine editor who lives for food!

I do not know a scicilian baker. I know an Italian family baker from Puglia in Stockwell. The place is called Di Lieto and its is situated in Lambeth Road (? South Lambeth Rd) (Getting old cannot remember street names!) Anyway they bake their bread on the premises and normally open at 10.30 am. By 1 o'clock all the bread are gone. On Saturdays there is normally a long queue. The place is very unpretentious but the bread is fabulous. I buy bread there everyday when I am in London. They will also make you any "panino" . Makes me dream of breakfast at 9am on the building site in Italy. If Puglian bread tastes that good the rest of the food in Puglia must be fabulous. I tasted some pecorino with chilli and a pizza pugliese the other day in Italy. Delicious!!!

As far as restaurants are concerned, I have always found Italian restaurants in London a little bit disappointing: that is not to say they are not good it is just that your tastebuds get use to the reasonably priced excellent food in Italy and the bill always disappoints in London. For a quick pizza I have always found the Harrods pizzeria very good, but again expensive.