Posts under "Food"

Essere Vegetariani in Italia

Posted by Serena 12 Comments
Jan 30 2012

It was about 20 years ago that I discovered that my cousin Simona, who is two years younger than me, had become a vegetarian.  Simona was very fond of her pet rabbit, so one day when she opened the fridge to find a dead, skinned rabbit inside she was so shocked that she decided to become a vegetarian. Just for the record, the dead creature in the fridge wasn’t her pet.

Back in those days Italian vegetarians where very rare however, and we used to consider them as being linked to some kind of weird religious sect!

Today, according to the latest Rapporto Eurispes 2011 (a national survey), roughly 5 millions Italians, or about 9% of the population, are vegetariani. According to some studies this makes Italy the  leading vegetarian country in Europe, closely followed by Germany. However, this is a bit of a difficult and confusing subject which has many  possible variations.

Leonardo Pinelli, vice-president of the Società Scientifica di Nutrizione Vegetariana (Scientific Society of Vegetarian Nutrition), says that around half of vegetarians choose a vegetarian diet based on the belief that eating mainly fruit and vegetables benefits their health. A very high proportion (44%) of those that become vegetarian do so because they are opposed to the maltreatment of animals. It is also becoming more common for people to choose to become vegetarians per ragioni ambientaliste (for environmental reasons). The theory is that a vegetarian diet is less wasteful in terms of resources and causes less damage to the environment.

In general more women than men choose to be vegetarian, and the majority of non meat eaters fall within two main age bands: 13.5 % of those aged 18 to 24, and 9.3% of the over 65’s are vegetarian.

Personally, I used to think that I could never give up the pleasure of eating una fiorentina (a Florentine steak). However, I became a vegetarian 15 years ago when I met my husband Geoff, who has not eaten meat for nearly 35 years (for moral reasons, having spent a summer in his youth working on an industrialised pig farm). In the beginning I ate vegetarian meals just to keep Geoff company, but gradually I became a ‘full-time’ vegetarian because I realised that I felt healthier with this type of diet.

So, what do us Italian Vegetarians eat? Well, eating out in Italy when you’re vegetarian isn’t very difficult because Italian cuisine, unlike traditional English cuisine where everything is lumped together on one plate, is served as separate dishes. As a vegetarian therefore, you can stick to the primi piatti (first courses), which consist mainly of carbohydrates such as pasta and risotto, and the contorni (vegetable side dishes). These dishes are normally served separately from the meat. In particular, the old Italian “poor peasant’s food” is wonderful for vegetarians: pasta e fagioli, pasta e ceci, riso e lenticchie and so on. In the past, meat was a luxury for most people and carbohydrates and pulses, such as fagioli (beans), ceci (chick peas), and lenticchie (lentils), were the main staple diet.

When we go out to our favourite restaurant here in Pontremoli we like to eat either tagliatelle ai funghi porcini (egg pasta with porcini mushrooms), or tortelli di erbe ai funghi porcini (egg pasta stuffed with wild spinach and dressed with porcini mushrooms). You have to be wary of risotto, because it’s normally made with brodo di carne o di pollo (meat or chicken stock), and it’s always best to enquire about the ingredients of stuffed pasta. But nowadays if you say sono vegetariano (I’m vegetarian), waiters will be able to direct you to the ‘safe’ dishes, or even offer to make something especially for you.

Of course, if all else fails you can always have a nice pizza margherita.

Una Ricetta Invernale

Posted by Serena 2 Comments
Jan 27 2012

Every now and then I publish una ricetta italiana (an Italian recipe), and if you browse through my recipe blogs you will notice that they all have one thing in common: they are senza carne (without meat). That’s because Geoff and I are vegetariani. Is it unusual to be vegetarian in Italy? Well, you’ll have to wait for my next blog ‘Essere Vegetariani in Italia’ to find out!

Meanwhile here is another of the many traditional Italian recipes that doesn’t contain carne. This one is a nice warming nutritious meal for the winter:  Pasta e Ceci

Ceci (chick peas) are one of the most common legumi (pulses) in the world, and are particularly appreciated in the Middle East and India. In Italy they are mostly cultivated in the central regions. Ceci are associated with an important episode in the history of Sicily. In the 13th century Sicily was under the control of the French Angiò dynasty, but in 1282 a revolt known as “i Vespri siciliani” broke out in Palermo that led to the expulsion of the French. During this period the Sicilian rebels adopted an ingenious method of unmasking the French who tried to hide amongst the local population in order to escape. When someone was suspected of being French they were asked to pronounce the word ciceri (Sicilian dialect for ceci). If the suspect was unable to correctly pronounce the word, revealing a French accent, he was passato per le armi (shot!).

Ecco la ricetta (Here’s the recipe):

200 gr di ditali rigati = 200 grams of ‘ditali rigati’ (a small pasta used in soup)

300 gr di ceci secchi = 300 grams of dried chick peas

2 spicchi d’aglio = 2 cloves of garlic

2 rametti di rosmarino = 2 sprigs of rosemary

5 cl di olio extravergine d’oliva = 50 ml of extra virgin olive oil

sale e pepe = salt and pepper

Soak the chick peas in plenty of cold water for at least 12 hours, then put them in a large saucepan with the water used for soaking, adding a clove of finely chopped garlic and a sprig of rosemary. Gently boil the chick peas for about 40 minutes or until they are tender but not mushy. Puree a third of the cooked chick peas and return it to the saucepan. In a small frying pan fry the remaining garlic and rosemary in the olive oil until golden, then pour it over the chick peas. Bring everything to the boil, then add the pasta and salt. Cook the pasta for a few minutes until al dente. Serve hot, sprinkled with freshly ground pepper and, optionally, grated pecorino stagionato (mature sheep cheese).

Buon Appetito!

Gli Struffoli

Posted by Serena No Comments
Dec 21 2011

It’s Christmas and here in Italy one of the ubiquitous symbols of this period is the famous Panettone. However, this cake, which is originally from Milano, only became popular throughout Italy thanks to the food companies Motta and Alemagna, who began to produce it on an industrial scale in the Fifties.

In Napoli, on the other hand, the traditional Christmas sweets are called Struffoli, which are small fried sweet pastries whose origins are said to go back to the ancient Greeks. Struffoli are in fact popular throughout the south of Italy, however their name and shape tends to differ from region to region: in Molise and Abruzzo they are called ‘cicerchiata’, in Puglia ‘purceddruzzi’, and in Calabria ‘turdiddi’. Here is the recipe:

Ingredienti: Ingredients:
600 gr di farina
4 uova + un tuorlo
2 cucchiai di zucchero
80 gr di burro, ammorbidito
Un bicchierino di rum o limoncello
Scorza di mezzo limone grattugiata
Un pizzico di sale
Abbondante olio per friggere
400 gr di miele
Confettini colorati (‘diavulilli’ in napoletano)
250 gr di scorze candite		 600 grams of plain flour
4 whole eggs + one yolk
2 tablespoons of sugar
80 grams of butter, softened
50 ml of rum or limoncello (lemon liqueur)
Grated rind of half a lemon
A pinch of salt
Plenty of frying oil
400 grams of honey
‘Hundreds and Thousands’ (called ‘diavulilli’ = ‘little devils’ in Neapolitan)
250 grams of candied peel

Preparation:

Sift the flour into a mound on a clean work surface. Make a well in the centre, and add all the eggs including the extra yolk, sugar, butter, liqueur, grated lemon rind, and salt. Knead well for at least 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic, then leave it to rest for half an hour. Divide the dough into several equal pieces roughly the size of a small orange, and using the palms of your hands roll each ball of dough on the floured work surface in order to make a sausage shape roughly as thick as a finger. Cut each sausage into small pieces, about 2 cm long, and spread them out on a floured tea towel.

Heat the oil in a deep frying pan, sieve the struffoli to remove any excess flour, and deep fry them in small batches. Remove the struffoli from the oil when they turn a nice golden colour, and put them on some kitchen paper to drain.

Put the honey in a ceramic mixing bowl big enough to contain all the struffoli, then place the bowl in a saucepan containing boiling water. When the honey is melted remove it from the heat and add all the fried struffoli, gently mixing them until they are well coated. Add half of the ‘Hundreds and Thousands’ and candied peels and mix again.

While the honey is still warm pile the struffoli up on a serving plate, and decorate them with the remaining ‘Hundreds and Thousands’ and candied peels. Alternatively, you can put a glass jar in the centre of the serving plate, and arrange the struffoli around it in order to create circular shape a bit like a as a doughnut. When the honey has hardened gently remove the jar.

N.B. The traditional recipe is made without any baking powder or raising agent, therefore the struffoli come out quite crispy. Therefore, if you prefer them a bit lighter, add a teaspoon of baking powder to the ingredients, and leave the dough to rest for several hours before shaping it.

Buon Appetito!

Tortelli di Zucca

Posted by Serena 1 Comment
Nov 12 2011

Halloween isn’t an Italian tradition, but it’s become popular within the last few years. A friend said to me “ non mi piace Halloween, ma amo le lanterne fatte con le zucche” (“I don’t like Halloween, but I love the pumpkin lanterns”).  At this time of year zucche are in abundance, so here is a recipe from Northern Italy for you to try if you have some pumpkin to use up, and plenty of time on your hands.

Tortelli di zucca (pasta stuffed with pumpkin). The quantity given serves 4-6 people.

31 OTT 2010 015

Ingredienti per la pasta: Ingredients for the pasta:
300 grammi di farina
3 uova
1 cucchiaio d’olio d’oliva
un pizzico di sale
1 albume d’uovo, leggermente sbattuto		 300 grams of plain flour
3 eggs
1 tablespoon of olive oil
a pinch of salt
1 egg white, lightly beaten
Ingredienti per il ripieno: Ingredients for the filling:
500 grammi di zucca pulita
4 cucchiai di Parmigiano grattugiato
50 grammi di amaretti
1 uovo
un pizzzico di noce moscata grattugiata
sale e pepe		 500 grams of pumpkin, peeled
4 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese
50 grams of amaretti biscuits = macaroons
1 egg
a pinch of grated nutmeg
salt and pepper

Preparazione del ripieno = Preparation of the filling:

Cut the pumpkin in slices 2-3 cm thick, place them on a backing tray and bake them in hot oven at 200 °C (400 °F) for about thirty minutes, or until the pumpkin is well cooked and starting to caramelize. Remove it from the oven and leave it to cool down. In the meantime crumble the amaretti biscuits. In a mixing bowl mash the pumpkin, then add the Parmesan cheese, amaretti biscuits, egg, nutmeg and seasoning, and mix well using a wooden spoon. Leave it aside to rest.

Preparazione della pasta = Preparation of the pasta:

Sift the flour into a mound on a clean work surface. Make a well in the centre, and add all the other ingredients except for the egg white. Using a fork, gently beat the eggs together, then gradually work in the flour to form a soft dough. Then knead well for at least 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. Divide the dough into four equal pieces, and using a rolling pin or the pasta machine roll out the pasta to very thin sheets, about 1 mm thick.

Preparazione dei tortelli = Preparation of the tortelli:

With the aid of a serrated ravioli cutter, cut the pasta sheet into rounds or squares. If you don’t have a ravioli cutter you can just use a sharp knife, they will still taste good, even if the look won’t be professional! Brush the edges of a pasta square (or circle) with the beaten egg white, put a teaspoon of filling in the centre, cover it with another square, and press down carefully around the edges with your fingers. Continue in this way until all the filling is used up.

Cook the tortelli in a big saucepan full of salted boiling water for 5-7 minutes. Drain them and serve hot, dressed with a ragout sauce or with melted butter flavoured with sage. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.

Buon Appetito!

La Polenta

Posted by Serena 1 Comment
Oct 17 2011

La polenta (also known as polenda or pulenda) is an ancient dish made from cereal flour which is the traditional staple diet of the contadino (peasant farmer) especially in the northern Italian regions of  Veneto, Lombardia, Trentino, and Friuli-Venezia Giulia.

The name polenta comes from the Latin word ‘puls’, a type of polenta di farina = polenta made with flour, which formed the basis of the diet of the antique peoples of the Italian peninsula. Before the discovery of America, and the subsequent introduction of granturco (maize) into Europe, polenta was made using flour produced from cereals such as barley, spelt, rye, millet, buckwheat and wheat. Nowadays, however, polenta is made almost exclusively from farina di granturco = maize flour.

Although in recent years polenta has become a gourmet food, it was for centuries the basic subsidence diet of the poor. A northern Italian proverb tells us:

Loda la polenta e mangia il pane =  Praise polenta and eat bread (meaning that although polenta is a life saver for the poor and hungry it is less healthy and nutritious than bread).

I bet you think I’m going to give you the recipe? No, I just wanted to share this little barzelletta (joke) that my uncle Luciano, who has a great sense of humour, told us yesterday:

 

Una ricercatrice universitaria faceva un’indagine sulla dieta regionale italiana.

A university researcher was doing an investigation into the Italian regional diet

Ha deciso di cominciare nel nord est del paese

She decided to begin in the north east of the country

Arrivata ad una fattoria nella campagna Veneta vede un vecchio contadino seduto sotto un albero che faceva colazione

Having arrived at a farm in the Veneto countryside she saw an old peasant sitting under a tree eating his breakfast

Mi scusi signore, sto facendo una ricerca sulla dieta Italiana. Le potrei fare qualche domanda, per cortesia?

Excuse me sir, I’m researching the Italian diet. Could I ask you a few questions please?

Certo, risponde il contadino

Of course, replied the peasant

Ecco, lei che cosa mangia di solito per colazione?

O.K., what do you eat for breakfast?

Polenta, risponde il contadino

Polenta, replied the peasant

E cosa mangia per pranzo?

And what do you eat for lunch?

Polenta, risponde il contadino

Polenta, replied the peasant

E invece per cena?

and for dinner?

Polenta, risponde il contadino

Polenta, replied the peasant

Mi scusi, chiede la ricercatrice, ma mangiando tutta questa polenta com’è la digestione?

Excuse me, asked the researcher, but with eating all that polenta how is your digestion?

Po’ lenta, risponde il contadino

A bit slow, replied the peasant (polenta becomes po’ = a bit, and lenta = slow)

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