Bia Sasta’s frequently asked questions!

As a food writer, I get asked a lot of food questions. Some are brilliant, some are slightly weird and some pop up so often I thought I’d answer them all in one place.

Quick disclaimer before we start: these are my opinions, based on years of eating, cooking and messing about in the kitchen.

Other cooks may disagree, arguing about food is practically a sport with food lovers.

Mascarpone

No mascarpone in the fridge? Don’t panic. You can use full-fat cream cheese, loosen it up with a splash of cream, and whisk it until it looks the part.

Close enough that nobody will notice, unless you’re serving it to an Italian nonna!

Fudge

I usually use condensed milk because it’s easy and gives that lovely smooth texture. Some people swear by cream and golden syrup. I’ve never tried it myself, probably because condensed milk comes in a tin and doesn’t ask too many questions.

Risotto

Should there be cream in risotto? The answer is no. Never. The creaminess comes from the starch in the rice, plus butter and parmesan stirred in at the end.

Cream in risotto is basically cheating and might send your Italian friend into a meltdown.

Pizza

Homemade dough versus shop-bought bases - it depends. I once did a little taste test (I take my job seriously) and found Jamie Oliver’s recipe in Jamie’s Italy to be the best for home cooks. If you can’t be bothered, the Pizza da Piero bases (Irish-made, you’ll find them in Dunnes Stores) are surprisingly good. Oh, and before you ask: fruit does not belong on a pizza.

Cookbooks

This one’s personal. My to-go-to is ‘Delia Smith’s Complete Cookery Course’ from 1975. Foolproof, no fuss. If I want something fancier, Neven Maguire never fails. And for a bit of Italian inspiration, Tessa Kiros’s ‘Twelve', which takes you through the year month by month, is a gem.

Butter

We’re spoiled for choice in Ireland. I’m fond of Glenstal, North Cork Creamery is lovely too, and Kerrygold - well, that’s basically a national treasure.

Buttermilk

A surprising number of people ask me about how to substitute buttermilk for soda bread. A tip from Patrick Ryan, excellent baker and author of ‘Bread Revolution’ uses milk and red wine vinegar instead of buttermilk. Mr T uses this for his tasty brown bread.

Tea

The most important question of all. Always a cup, never a mug (I have standards). Loose tea or tea bags? Loose tea wins for flavour, though teabags are handier. One teaspoon of black tea per cup, two if it’s herbal. Fresh water, never re-boiled, and let it stand a minute or two before pouring it over the tea. I use an infuser but you can also just put the leaves into the tea pot (harder to get out afterwards though).

Pasta

I never threw a spaghetti onto the ceiling. I fish one out, snap it in half, and check if there’s still a white line in the middle. If there is, give it another minute. Salt the water (seriously, it makes a huge difference) and only add olive oil if you’re cooking fresh pasta.