Posts under "Food"

Facciamo gli Erbi

Posted by Serena 3 Comments
Apr 28 2011

At this time of year nature is suddenly waking up. Every day is greener, and l’erba nell’orto cresce a vista d’occhio (the grass in the vegetable garden grows before your eyes), much to the desperation of my husband Geoff who has to cut it! However, it gives me a lot of pleasure to see the weeds growing, because adoro fare gli erbi, as we say in Lucca, that is: I love gathering edible wild plants.

So, let’s see what we can find out in the orto: first of all there is plenty of borragine (borage). A bit prickly to pick, but delicious when cooked and mixed with bietole (Swiss chards) in a minestrone, or as a stuffing for ravioli. Its beautiful blue star-shaped flowers can be used in salads.

Borragine

borragine

Next we have ortiche (stinging-nettles). Ouch! don’t forget to wear a pair of gardening gloves when you pick the young ortica tops. I could use this to make a risotto, a frittata, or some gnocchi.

Tarassaco

tarassaco

Now, here is some tarassaco better known as dente di leone (lion’s tooth, or in English: dandelion) due to the shape of its leaves, or piscialetto (lit. piss the bed) because of its diuretic properties. The tender leaves of the dente di leone can either be used raw in salad, or cooked and mixed with some of the other wild greens. The same goes for piantaggine (plantain) and acetosa (sorrel), from the word aceto (vinegar) so called because of its acidic taste.

Nearby there is some nice tender cicoria selvatica (wild chicory), erbette (wild chards or perennial spinach), malva (mallow), and pulmonaria (pulmonary, commonly know as lungwort in English). These are all perfect for cooking. Later in the summer la cicoria selvatica produces a distinctive powdery blue flower, while the leaves and storks become too tough.

Cicoria

cicoria

Up on the terrace walls there is plenty of vitalba (wild clematis), commonly known in English as ‘old man’s beard’, due to the fact that in the autumn it’s covered with downy white seed heads. Its fresh young tops are delicious when added to an omelet.

Many wild herbs can be used to add flavor to spring salads and other dishes. For example, in my orto I can find melissa (lemon balm), nepetella or mentuccia (penny royal mint), timo selvatico (wild thyme), and finocchio selvatico (wild fennel). A few tender leaves of primula (primrose) and margheritina (daisy) can also be added to the salad together with the blue flowers of the borage.

And what about those lovely tiny purple flowers hiding so shyly in the grass? They are viole mammole (dog violets) which we could candy and use to decorate cakes, but they are too pretty to be disturbed.

Colomba Pasquale

Posted by Serena 1 Comment
Apr 22 2011

Our traditional Easter cake is called la Colomba (the Dove). Similar to the Christmas Panettone in flavor and consistency, but baked in the form of a stylized dove, it is a symbol of peace. Although it’s the most popular Easter cake eaten in Italy, the tradition of la Colomba isn’t that old as it was only created at the beginning of the 20th century by Motta, the same manufacturer that produces the Panettone.

colomba-mandorle

If you’d like to try and make it yourself, here is the recipe:

La Colomba Pasquale

Ingredienti (Ingredients):

mezzo chilo di farina 00 (half a kilo of plain flour)

170 grammi di burro (170 grams of butter)

150 grammi di zucchero semolato (150 grams of caster sugar)

100 grammi di mandorle (100 grams of almonds)

100 grammi di scorzette candite (100 grams of candied peel)

25 grammi di lievito di birra (25 grams of yeast)

7 uova (7 eggs)

latte (milk)

zucchero in granella (sugar crystals)

un pizzico di sale  (a pinch of salt)

Preparazione (Preparation):

Dissolve the yeast in a little lukewarm milk. Mix it with 150 grams of flour and add more milk in order to obtain a soft dough. Shape it into a ball and leave to rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size.

Put the rest of the flour in a large mixing bowl and make a well in the center. Add the caster sugar, 150 grams of melted butter, 4 whole eggs and 2 extra egg yolks, and a pinch of salt. Break the risen dough into small pieces and add it to the other ingredients. Knead well, adding the candied peel, and more milk if necessary, until you obtain a smooth elastic dough.

Put the dough into a well-greased dove shaped mould, I’m sure you’ve all got one! if not, just use a normal baking tin, it will still taste just as good!  Leave it to rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size. Brush the surface with a beaten egg yolk, and sprinkle the top with sugar crystals and almonds.  Bake it in a hot oven at 220°C, 425°F for about 15 minutes, then lower the temperature a little and continue to bake for another 30-40 minutes.

la colomba

Buona Pasqua!

L’Arancia Rossa di Sicilia

Posted by Serena 2 Comments
Feb 20 2011

My husband Geoff is mad at me at the moment simply because I ordered a box of oranges! Well, I must admit that I went slightly over the top. It’s a twenty six kilo crate that, luckily, I’m sharing with my friend Annalisa. So, yes, we have oranges everywhere, both in the kitchen and the pantry!

Oranges originally come from China and South East Asia. They were known in the Mediterranean area in Roman times, but were only cultivated for their beautiful white flowers, and their bright orange fruits which are on display throughout the dull winter months. It was only in the XVII century, however, that oranges started to become popular thanks to the Arabs, who understood their benefit to health and diet.

L’arancia rossa di Sicilia (the red Sicilian orange) was brought to Sicily by a Genoese missionary on his way back from the Philippines, thereby introducing le arance pigmentate (pigmented oranges) to Italy. The flesh of le arance rosse varies from golden orange with just a few specs of red, to a very dark "blood" red color, hence the name of the variety Sanguinello (from sangue meaning ‘blood’). Apart from the Sanguinello, the generic name "arancia rossa di Sicilia" covers two other main varieties: Moro, and Tarocco. They are cultivated in the eastern part of Sicily, which includes the provinces of Enna, Catania, Siracusa, and Ragusa.

arancia_Tarocco

Le arance rosse di Sicilia carry the IGP (Indicazione Geografica Protetta) label, and there are two main factors that give them their unique flavor and color, factors which are strictly linked to the territory where they are grown: le considerevoli escursioni termiche nel periodo di piena maturazione (the high changes in temperature during the ripening season) e la particolare composizione del terreno, che risente della presenza dell’Etna (and the particular soil composition, which is influenced by the volcano, Mount Etna).

So was it really worth buying a twenty six kilo crate of Sicilian oranges? Senz’altro (certainly), because they are so delicious and the color of their flesh is a feast for the eyes! What’s more, Geoff is now very happy because I also made dieci barattoli di Marmellata di Arance (ten jars of Orange Marmalade).

Finocchi Gratinati

Posted by Serena No Comments
Jan 18 2011

We are in the middle of winter here in Italy, and one of my favorite vegetables at this time of the year is il finocchio (‘bulb’ or ‘Florentine fennel’). We divide fennel bulbs into two categories: if the bulbs are round and compact, they are called finocchi maschi (male fennel) and are best eaten raw, while the more flattish shaped bulbs are known as le femmine (the females) and they should be cooked. Here is a great recipe for the latter variety: Finocchi Gratinati (Fennel Gratin).


Ingredienti (per 4 persone): Ingredients (serves 4):
8 finocchi piccoli 8 small fennels
5 dl di besciamella 500 ml of béchamel sauce
Noce moscata Nutmeg
100 gr di emmental grattugiato 100 grams of grated Emmenthal or other similar cheese
1 tuorlo d’uovo 1 egg yolk
50 gr di Parmigiano grattugiato 50 grams of grated Parmesan cheese
Burro per ungere Butter for greasing

Preparazione (Preparation):

Clean the fennel by removing the stalks and the hard outside leaves. Cut the bulbs in quarter lengthwise. Wash them carefully and boil them for 15 minutes. Drain the fennel and cut each piece lengthwise into 5 mm thick slices.

Make the béchamel sauce, and when it’s very hot remove it from the heat and season it with nutmeg. Stir in half of the grated Emmenthal cheese and the egg yolk. Mix everything thoroughly together. Mix the remaining Emmenthal cheese and the Parmesan cheese together in a bowl.

Grease an ovenproof dish with the butter, and arrange a layer of fennel in it. Pour part of the béchamel sauce over  the fennel and sprinkle with some of the cheese mixture. Repeat these layers until you have used up all the ingredients, finishing with the cheese mixture.

Bake in a preheated oven at 200 C or 400 F (Gas Mark 6) for about 25 minutes until bubbling and golden. Serve hot.

Buon Appetito!

Il Menu di Natale

Posted by Serena 8 Comments
Dec 24 2010

When I lived in England and taught Italian, at this time of year my students would ask me: "What is the traditional Italian Christmas meal?" They were very surprised when I told them that we don’t have a standard national pranzo di Natale (Christmas lunch), but each region has its own culinary tradition. So, this year I decided to do a bit of research and asked a few friends who come from different parts of Italy what they eat at Christmas.

Whatever the region, the main Christmas meal, which is eaten alla vigilia di Natale aspettando la Messa di mezzanotte (on the evening of the 24th while waiting for midnight Mass), generally follows the simple rule of being di magro (lit. ‘of lean’), that is without meat. Here are the traditional Christmas menus from three different parts of Italy. I’ll start with that given to me by my friend Vilma from Pontremoli in Lunigiana, northern Tuscany:

Cominciamo con frittelle di sedano, poi la torta di porri seguita da stoccafisso in umido con patate oppure stoccafisso fritto. Come dolce mangiamo la spongata.
We start with celery fritters, then leek pie followed by stockfish in tomato sauce with potatoes or fried stockfish. For dessert we have spongata (a thick mixture of dried fruit and chocolate encased in a thin layer of short crust pastry).

My friend Elisa, who is from Lecce down in Puglia, told me:


Come primo mangiamo ciciri e tria (pasta e ceci), poi ci sono la parmigiana di melanzane, i rapicauli stufati (cime di rapa stufate), i lampasciuli (cipolline in agro dolce) e le pittule (frittelle di pasta di pane con dentro le acciughe e i capperi). Per dolce abbiamo i purceddruzzi (palline di pasta fritte ricoperte di miele).
As a first course we have ‘ciciri e tria’ (a thick soup with chick peas and pasta), then there is ‘parmigiana di melanzane’ (baked aubergine / eggplant with tomato sauce and Parmigiano cheese), ‘rapicauli stufati’ (stewed turnip tops), ‘lampasciuli’ (small sweet and sour onions), and ‘pittule’ (bread dough fritters with anchovies and capers inside). For dessert we have ‘purceddruzzi’ (small fried pastry balls covered in honey).

Last but not least, Immacolata from Nicotera in Calabria sent me this menu:


La vigilia di Natale mangiamo tradizionalmente tredici portate, compresi il dolce e la frutta. Cominciamo con pasta col pesce, e poi baccalà fritto e molte verdure fritte come cavolfiori e zucca. Per dolce abbiamo le zeppole.
On Christmas eve we traditionally eat thirteen different things, including the dessert and the fruit. We start with pasta with fish, and then fried salted cod and lots of fried vegetables such as cauliflower and pumpkin. For dessert we have ‘zeppole’ (sweet fried pastry).

As you can see from the examples above, these menus are all ‘di magro’, but definitely not suitable for people on a weight loosing diet or with cholesterol problems! Oh well, Natale viene solo una volta all’anno! (Christmas comes but once a year!)

Buone Feste a tutti i miei lettori!

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