|
 | But a year ago this weekend central Italy was paralyzed by a blizzard that left motorists stranded on the highways and on the city streets. Neither wife Elisabetta nor son R, who was on a class trip, made it home, while Daughter C and I invited a classmate of hers to spend the night with us because her parents were stranded. The next day the scenery was beautiful, but it took about a week for things to return more or less to normal. | |
Auguri Per Hanukkah!
Though people wouldn't think so, given the presence of the Vatican, Italy has always had a significant Jewish population -- the urban Roman Jewish community at the time of Tiberius (14-37 AD) is estimated to have been 60,000 strong, and many Jews fleeing persecutions elsewhere in Europe settled in the Peninsula during the Renaissance; Ferrara, Venice, and Rome, among other cities, had flowering communities. It is custom to enjoy fried foods for Hanukkah, and here you will find a selection of Italian Hanukkah recipes.
| What's Cooking? Pettole! And More.
Pettole are fried dough balls common throughout Aplulia come Christmas, and according to legend were a gift to the poor from Baby Jesus: A woman who was kneading the dough... Read more
| Christmas Baking: Panforte and Ricciarelli
Italy has an extraordinary range of Christmas treats, from Pandoro to Panettone to Struffoli to Pettole...
If you visit Siena you will find Panforte, a delightful concoction made with candied fruit, nuts, honey, spice, and more, and Ricciarelli, which are chewy macaroons laced with bitter almonds.
Both are delightful, and last week I visited Judy Francini, who was a pastry chef before she moved to Italy (where she now teaches cookery, gives market tours, and more), and we chatted while she baked and I took pictures (and wished I could do more, but honey, almond paste, and cameras should not mix).
We started with a dried fig and walnut panforte, which isn't strictly traditional, but is made with ingredients that are much easier to find than some of the candied fruit used in Siena. And very good. I've posted an illustrated version showing the steps involved, and you'll also find the recipe in a single page.
We then made ricciarelli, and I have again posted the illustrated version showing the steps involved and the recipe in a single page.
To give you an idea of the time required, we started at about 10:30, after shopping for lunch, and by 12:30 the ricciarelli were out of the oven, the meat (ground beef patties wrapped with pancetta prepared by the Signora at the Macelleria Marzini) was in the pan, and the radicchio was on the griddle. It was a very productive (and tasty) morning!
| Polenta!
It has cooled and become blustery, with wind and rain stripping the leaves from our oaks (they shed leaves late). The sort of weather that makes inside nice, and few things can warm a kitchen better than polenta turning on the stove.
You'll find instructions here, and recipes that go well with polenta here.
| |
| | Italian Food Ads
| | | | Featured Articles | |
| | | More from About.com | | | | | | Living with Depression
By obtaining the correct medical intervention and learning better coping skills, you can not only live with depression, but live well. More>
| | | | 9 Symptoms of Depression
If you have experienced five or more of these symptoms within the same two week period, this could be indicative of an episode of depression. More>
|
| | | | Sign up for more free newsletters on your favorite topics | | | | You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the About Italian Food newsletter. If you wish to change your email address or unsubscribe, please click here.
About respects your privacy: Our Privacy Policy
Contact Information:
249 West 17th Street
New York, NY, 10011
© 2011 About.com | | | | |
Must Reads | |
Advertisement
 | |
No comments:
Post a Comment