Paola Cimmino
What’s on offer
I will be offering Italian inspired cookery sessions & classes for both individuals and groups. See below for list of sweet and savoury dishes we can make together. I will give you the list of ingredients for your chosen dish/dessert or cake to buy beforehand.
Groups: one hour sessions with 4 or more people: £10 each
For an individual session : £45
Times: Sundays - exact time to be decided with the customer (60 mins)
To get in touch with Paola for one of her group classes, or to book a one-to-one session, email: paolacimmino3@gmail.com
Have a peep at Paola’s food blog
About
I’m an Italian and I grew up in Naples, where my family owned a renowned pasticceria (cake shop). As a child I would race back from school to watch the pastry chefs making and decorating the cakes, which I would then try to recreate at home.
As with many Italians, my Mum was (and still is) a great cook and many of my favourite childhood memories took place in our kitchen: Mum frying aubergines for the summer parmigiana dish; the whole family peeling, boiling and bottling plump red tomatoes to take us through the colder months; gorging on those delicious red oranges from Sicily in the winter – a hand-sized hint of summer, wrapped up in orange peel. My passion is also for the pleasure of eating and while we are house-bound and craving comfort, I want to share with you some of that pleasure.
Below is a selection of the dishes that I can show you how to make. If there’s something you wish to try, that’s not here, just let me know - if you need inspiration, have a look at my Instagram - @cucina_cimmino
Spaghetti alla puttanesca
Spaghetti alla puttanesca - Spaghetti with olive, capers, and tomato sauce (see blog)
Linguine a vongole - linguine with clams
Ravioli - stuffed fresh pasta with filling of ricotta cheese served with tomato sauce or pumpkin filling served with butter and thyme
Bucatini all’Amatriciana – Classic roman dish whose main ingredient is “guanciale di Amatricie (The Amatriciano Bacon). This can be substituted with pancetta. Other ingredients are tomato, onion, chilli and pecorino cheese
Maccheroni alla Siciliana (or Pasta al forno) – A baked pasta dish with tomato sauce, fried aubergines and mozzarella
Gnocchi alla Sorrentina – Small dumplings made with flour and potatoes and served with tomato sauce and mozzarella
Parmigiana di melanzana - Baked fried aubergine pie with tomato, parmesan and mozzarella (see blog)
Pasta e Fagioli – comforting and nutritious classic dish of pasta and beans
Farfalle alla vodka – Pasta with vodka, tomatoes, peperoncino and cream
Spaghetti aglio e olio (e Nduja) – This is the usual quick dish especially after a night out - speedy but no less delicious. It’s a simple dish with plenty of good quality extra virgin olive oil, chilli, garlic and parsley (my version is with the pork chilli spread called Nduja from the Calabria region and bread crumbs
Zucchini alla Scapece – side cold dish made with fried zucchini, garlic, balsamic vinegar and mint
Crocchè di patate
Crocchè di patate – cylinder of potatoes stuffed with mozzarella, covered in breadcrumbs and fried, traditionally served as antipasto or “secondo piatto” (see blog)
Fig Tart - shortcrust tart with Chantilly cream and figs
Chiacchiere e Sanguinaccio – crispy sheets of pastry fried and covered with icing sugar and served with chocolate sauce – Sanguinaccio. Traditionally served at “carnevale” (mardi Gras) season
Cannoli alla siciliana – conical crunchy pastry fried in olive oil and filled with ricotta cream. Quite elaborate and time consuming also you need cylinder mold to wrap the pastry around and fry
Caprese
Caprese - chocolate and almond cake. (no flour). Deliciously moist and soft
Tiramisù – Classic coffee-flavoured Italian dessert made with sponge fingers and mascarpone cheese
Éclair – same pastry as the profiterol’s choux and filled with whipped cream of various flavours
More dishes to be added, but first I need a strong Neapolitan coffee!