theItalianWayofLife

Italian Wine and our Glowing Reputation

2010-03-09T12:03:00.001-05:00

Italy's glowing reputation with wine is due not only to the fact that it produces and exports more than any other country but that it offers the greatest variety of types, ranging through nearly every color, flavor and style imaginable.

Italian producers have moved rapidly to the forefront of world enology, improving techniques to create wines of undeniable class in every region, north and south. Their wines derive not only from native vines, which represent an enormous array, but also from a complete range of international varieties.

In the past it was sometimes said that Italians kept their best wines to themselves while supplying foreign markets with tasty but anonymous vino in economy sized bottles. But markets have changed radically in recent times as consumers in many lands-most importantly in Italy itself-have insisted on better quality. The result is simply better wine! If you would like to read more about the wine please visit this website.

Ciambelle Cookies - Perfect with White Wine or Coffee

2010-03-06T11:50:00.000-05:00

I make three different types of Ciambelle, which are basically ring shaped cookies or breads. This recipe using wine and anise seeds is a family favorite. It's great with a glass of white wine, or with coffee for a mid-morning snack. Don't worry about being too professional in shaping them, as you want them to look a little rustic so people know you made them yourself!

2 Cups of Sugar
2 Cups of White Wine
1 Cup of Oil (I find olive oil too strong of a flavor)
3 Tablespoons Anise Seeds
6 Teaspoons Baking Powder
8 Cups of All-Purpose Flour
1 Tsp. Granulated Sugar

On a large board or counter top, start by making a large mound using 8 cups of flour, the sugar, anise seeds, and baking powder. Make a well in the center, and begin to add the wine and the oil, mixing as you go along. Continue in this manner, adding more flour as needed until all the liquid ingredients have been used. Knead for a few minutes until smooth. The dough should resemble stiff bread dough.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and begin to shape the cookies. Break off a small piece, and roll it into a 1-1/2 inch thick rope about 7-8 inches long. Join the ends to form a ring shape. The cookies should be about 3-4 inches across. Dip the tops in the sugar, and place on a baking sheet. Bake for about 40 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool well before storing. These cookies keep well in a tightly closed container, but I like to freeze half which works out well.

Simple and Delicious Rasin Cookies

2010-03-04T11:41:00.000-05:00

These flavorful raisin cookies are always on hand at my house for when guests stop by. Although they are great with a cup of coffee for a quick mid-day snack, they are also delicious for breakfast with a cup of cafe latte for dipping.

1 Cup Water
1 Cup Raisins
1 Cup Shortening
3 Eggs
1 Cup Sugar
1 1/2 Teaspoons Cinnamon
3 1/2 Cups Flour
3 Teaspoons Baking Powder

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and lightly grease two baking sheets. Place the water and raisins in a small pot, and bring to a boil. Add the shortening, and remove from the heat, stirring until the shortening has melted. In a bowl, beat together the eggs and the sugar until light. Add the raisin mixture to the egg mixture, and then add the flour, salt, baking powder and cinnamon. Mix just until combined. Drop by tablespoons onto the prepared cookie sheets, leaving space between each cookie. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cookies are set, and the bottoms lightly browned.

Crostata - Apricot Almond Slices

2010-03-01T15:03:00.000-05:00

I was expecting guests one day and needed to whip up something sweet to offer them with coffee. I often make a crostata, either with jam or with fresh fruit because they are so easy to put together yet so delicious, but this day I decided to experiment a bit. My Mother-In-Law makes these delicious apricot sliced cookies that are a cross between a cookie and a cake. I wanted something similar but with more of a buttery shortbread type of crust. I found an old shortbread recipe I often use as a base for squares, and topped that with some of my homemade Apricot Amaretto Jam. To finish it off I added slivered almonds and was very pleased with the results, as were our guests.

To toast the almonds, place on a baking sheet in a preheated 375 degree oven for about 5 minutes or until they just begin to color. The one thing I might do differently next time is to change the size of the pan. The original shortbread crust recipe called for an 8-inch pan but as I am just getting my kitchen set up here in Umbria all I had was a 9 inch pan. I think a little thicker crust would give these cookie slices more substance. You could use any fruit jam of choice in this recipe with great results. Serves 6 to by Deborah Mele.

1/2 Cup Sliced Lightly Toasted Almonds
1 Cup All-purpose Flour
1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
8 Tablespoons (1 Stick) Unsalted, Softened Butter
1 Cup Apricot Jam (Or Other Fruit Jam)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease an 8-inch square pan. Place the flour, sugar, and butter and pulse just until the mixture comes together. It will be crumbly but you should be able to pinch it into a soft ball. Be careful not to over mix which will make the crust tough rather than buttery and tender. Pour the mixture into your prepared pan and press it onto the bottom in an even layer. Pour the jam on top and carefully spread it across the dough evenly, leaving a 1 inch border all around. Sprinkle the almonds on top. Bake for about 25 minutes or until the sides are lightly browned and the jam bubbly and thick. Remove from the oven and let cool. Once cool cut into squares and serve.

Note: This dessert is best eaten within a day or two of baking.

Get Fresh Italian Food Deliverd to your door!

2010-02-28T10:53:00.000-05:00

I am always searching for the perfect market to compliment my regular shopping and I have discovered this company and do recommend them. Ironically they are located here in South Florida. Wholesale Italian Food has become a reliable supplier for many prestigious restaurants and grocery chains with our food products. Wholesale Italian Food offers home and restaurant delivery for many fresh imported Italian foods. WholesaleItalianFood.com is an e-commerce website operated by a privately-owned importer and distributor headquartered in South Florida.

In business for nearly 30 years as an importer and distributor of food products in the food service industry, our company in combination with our suppliers have become a reliable source for several large restaurant chains nationwide. Our products are supplied from some of the largest manufacturers in Italy bringing the highest quality items from some of the most traditional regions of this country.

With our experience and expertise, Wholesale Italian Food has created a strong relationship with our suppliers that has allowed us to be always capable of supplying a variety of products at the best prices. Combined with these great prices and our astonishingly low freight rates, Wholesale Italian Food believes that it has created a recipe for success for your restaurant or home kitchen!

Stuffed Muschrooms with Ricotta Cheese

2010-02-25T14:58:00.000-05:00

I love mushrooms just about any way you can cook them but one of my favorite preparations has to be to stuff them. This stuffed mushroom is a little lighter than many of the other versions you will come across as the primary ingredient in the stuffing is creamy ricotta cheese. Now you can add or subtract any number of ingredients in this filling to change the flavor, but this version is the one I make most often. Other ingredients you could include would be olives, capers, or anchovies. You could also replace some of the ricotta cheese with goat cheese. Porcini or portobello mushrooms work really well in this recipe as their meaty flavor is complimented by the light, creamy filling but large cultivated button mushrooms can also be used. Serves 6 by Deborah Mele.

6 Large Mushrooms (See Notes Above)
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
3 Tablespoons Finely Minced Onion
3 Garlic Cloves, Peeled & Minced
3 Tablespoons Fresh Chopped Parsley
1 Red Hot Chile Pepper, Minced (Optional)
3 Oil Packed Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Finely Chopped
1 Cup Full Fat Ricotta Cheese
Salt & Pepper
5 Tablespoons Freshly Grated Pecorino (or Parmesan) Cheese
Olive Oil For Brushing

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Remove the stems of the mushrooms and chop them finely. In a heavy frying pan heat the olive oil and then add the mushrooms and onion. Cook until softened. Add the garlic and chile pepper and cook another minute or two. Allow the mixture to cool and then add the parsley, tomatoes, and ricotta cheese. Season with salt and pepper.

Lightly oil a baking sheet and place mushroom caps cut side up. Brush the caps lightly with olive oil and then spoon the filling in. Sprinkle with the grated cheese and then bake for about 20 to 25 minutes or until the mushrooms are tender when pierced with a knife and the tops are lightly browned. Serve immediately.

Simple Polenta

2010-02-20T14:49:00.004-05:00

If you cannot imagine how mere cornmeal can be turned into a tasty meal, then undoubtedly you have never eaten polenta prepared in an Italian kitchen. Once considered peasant food, polenta is now appearing in even the most elegant restaurants. Earlier in this century, polenta was a staple food eaten out of necessity, sometimes two or three times a day. Some families would dump a big mound of polenta onto a board, and everyone would sit around sharing it. It would be flavored with broth, a little sauce, vegetables or sausages. Polenta is still a staple in many homes in northern Italy today, particularly in the regions of Veneto, Piedmont, and Tuscany, although generally considered "home cooking" and not served for company.

Polenta has had a reputation for lengthy and extremely laborious cooking that originates in its Italian roots. Throughout history polenta was cooked over a wood fire in a central hearth or on a wood stove in a traditional curved bottom copper pot with a long handle called a paiolo. Copper was preferred as it conducts heat evenly, and the curved bottom of the pot exposed a greater portion of the cornmeal to the heat which insured there was no corners for the polenta to get stuck in and allowed for even cooking. The long handle of the pot kept the cook a comfortable distance from both the fire as well as the sputtering cornmeal. Constant stirring with a long-handled paddle, stick, or spoon was necessary to keep the polenta from burning. Today, there are very few of us that still cook over a wood fire, and our heavy bottomed cookware and modern stoves that have burners we can maintain at a constant low heat, allow us to let the polenta simmer away on its own with just occasional stirring to prevent lumps.

Polenta can be creamy, served soft with a scoop of sauce, or firm served as a side dish to grilled or roasted meats, or stirred into soups and stews to thicken and add flavor. Whatever way you choose to eat polenta, the basic principles of preparation remain the same. Although you now can buy instant polenta that can be prepared in under 5 minutes, or even precooked polenta ready to be sliced and fried or grilled, I find the effort it takes to prepare polenta the old fashioned way to be the best.

Basic Polenta Recipe
6 Cups Cold Water
1 Tablespoon Salt
1 Cup Cornmeal
3 Tablespoons Butter
2 Ounces Grated Parmesan Cheese

Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the salt and reduce the heat to medium low. As soon as the water begins to simmer, start pouring in the cornmeal in a thin stream, very slowly while stirring constantly with a wooden spoon to prevent lumps. Once all the cornmeal has been added, keep the water at a simmer, and stir frequently. It should take between 25-30 minutes to fully cook the polenta. Once cooked, the polenta should pull away from the sides of the pot easily. Just before it has completely cooked, stir in the butter and the cheese.

Check out this book on Amazon!

2010-02-16T14:29:00.001-05:00

Local traditions result from long complex historical developments and strongly influence local habits. Distinctive cultural and social differences remain present throughout Italy, although today mass marketing tends to cause a leveling of long-established values. In a country so diverse, it is impossible to define an “Italian” cooking style, but traditional food still is at the core of the cultural identity of each region, and Italians react with attachment to their own identity when they are confronted with the tendency toward flattening their culture.

Why is Pizza so popular in Naples?

2010-02-15T12:52:00.000-05:00

Why is Pizza so popular in Naples then you ask? This is so for the same reason that Italy has only one unifying Italian language, yet hundreds of different spoken dialects. Italy is a country of great variety, and cooking is just another aspect of the diversity of Italian culture.This diversity stems largely from peasant heritage and geographical differences. Italy is a peninsula separated from the rest of the continent by the highest chain of mountains in Europe. In addition, a long spine of mountains runs north to south down through this narrow country. These geographic features create a myriad of environments with noticeable variations: fertile valleys, mountains covered with forests, cool foothills, naked rocks, Mediterranean coastlines, and arid plains. A great variety of different climates have also created innumerable unique geographical and historical areas.But geographical fragmentation alone will not explain how the same country produced all of these: the rich, fat, baroque food of Bologna, based on butter, parmigiano, and meat; the light, tasty, spicy cooking of Naples, mainly based on olive oil, mozzarella, and seafood; the cuisine of Rome, rich in produce from the surrounding countryside; and the food of Sicily, full of North African influences.

What is Italian Cooking?

2010-02-10T12:40:00.000-05:00

Many non-Italians identify Italian cooking with a few of its most popular dishes, like pizza and spaghetti. People often express the opinion that Italian cooking is all pretty much alike. However, those who travel through Italy notice differences in eating habits between cities, even those only a few miles apart. Not only does each region have its own style, but each community and each valley has a different way of cooking as well. Every town has a distinctive way of making sausage, special kinds of cheese and wine, and a local type of bread. If you ask people, even in the same area, how to make pasta sauce, they will all have different answers. Variations in the omnipresent pasta are another example of this multiplicity: soft egg noodles in the north, hard-boiled spaghetti in the south, with every conceivable variation in size and shape. Perhaps no other country in the world has a cooking style so finely fragmented into different divisions. More to come in this subject in the next post! - Rita

Valentines Day!

2010-01-28T13:58:00.002-05:00

Valentine's Day today has become a very large, commercial affair, but it remains a time for us to tell those we love how important they are to us. Every year, as February 14th approaches, candy, flowers, gifts, and cards are exchanged between loved ones, but where did this holiday actually originate?

Quite obviously, one would first assume that there was in fact a man named St. Valentine, who somehow was responsible for creating this day of romance. In fact, it is said that the Roman Catholic church recognizes at least three saints named Valentine, or Valentinus, all who were martyred.

Coffee...what is your favorite?

2010-01-25T14:48:00.001-05:00

Espresso, caffè normale, cappuccino; sometimes it seems that there are as many types of coffee in Italy as there are pastas. And just like pasta, Italian coffee is an art form with many customs and traditions. Whether it's a caffè corretto thrown back like a shot, a cappuccino and brioche for breakfast, or a granita di caffè con panna to cool off from the hot midday sun, in Italy there is a coffee drink specific for every time and mood.

caffè (espresso)—a small cup of very strong coffee, i.e., espresso
caffè Americano—American-style coffee, but stronger; weaker than espresso and served in a large cup
caffè corretto—coffee "corrected" with a shot of grappa, cognac, or other spirit
caffè doppio—double espresso
caffè freddo—iced coffee
caffè Hag—decaffeinated coffee
caffè latte—hot milk mixed with coffee and served in a glass for breakfast
caffè macchiato—espresso "stained" with a drop of steamed milk: small version of a cappuccino
caffè marocchino—espresso with a dash of hot milk and cacao powder
caffè stretto—espresso with less water; rocket fuel!
cappuccino—espresso infused with steamed milk and drunk in the morning, but never after lunch or dinner
granita di caffè con panna—frozen, iced beverage (similar to a slush, but ice shavings make it authentic) and topped with whipped cream

How to dress Italian Chic - A few tips!

2010-01-13T10:17:00.005-05:00

As we continue my comments on Italian Style - a friend of mine sent me an e-mail with a few of her opinions - and trust these are only opinions, Style is of course what you make it.

Note that Italian women do not wear flip-flops while parading the streets like a model. Flip-flops, in the picturesque and magnificent Italia, are viewed as only footwear for only the beach, a nail shop for getting your toenails done and for the health spa. So, only wear them to spas, beaches and nail shops.

Do not wear gym sneakers. They are considered to be a fashion passe in the world of France fashion and etiquette. No Italian woman nor man would ever wear this kind of shoe, under any circumstances. The women wear brands like Converse or Diesel which are more of a pluralistic street sneaker with different colors, designs, and fabrics.

Avoid the short, short clothes. Miniskirts, micro-miniskirts, short shorts are a no-no. Italian women do not wear that as in old times and of today, that shows distaste and symbols prostitution. You can still wear shorts, but only to the beach and spa.

Do not put the hair up. Italian women do not wear their hair in a ponytail. It is viewed as a fashion faux pas because rarely an Italian women has her hair up. And women, according to Italian men and tourists, are more wolf-whistled and cat-called when their hair is down and about.

Italian Style - Step Two: The Perfect Jean!

2010-01-12T10:41:00.004-05:00

Another common factor on the Italian street wear scene is denim. Jeans are no doubt an American creation but it is the Italians who stylized them into something worthy of having the terms 'style' and fashion associated with them. The Italian women are most particular about the fit, for instance this season the jeans should look like a part of your body. Stone washed jeans too are rather popular and it's almost a sin to wear jeans in the wrong color and fit. However, it's not merely the jeans, Denim jackets and skirts are equally popular. Searching for the perfect jean is no doubt a huge struggle, I have spent hours trying on jeans trying to find that perfect fit, look and style - it is at best an adventure. Needless to say, nothing feels better than a perfect fitting jean! And certainly nothing is as easy to accessorize and make that perfect personal style statement.

A Recipie for Italian Style and Dress - Step One, Shoes!

2010-01-11T10:32:00.005-05:00

Maybe it is because it is cold here in Miami and I have torn through my entire closet in the past few days to prepare and manage the cooler temperatures, none the less, I am going to share some of my favorite Italian Dressing styles with you this week. All of my closet clothes hunting tactics of the past few weeks has inspired me!

In a country where police uniforms are designed by Armani, it isn't surprising that the women take dressing very seriously. If you are planning a trip to Italy soon, and don't want to be pegged as a tourist, there is one important thing to remember. The objective of Italian dressing is NOT to blend in. Italian women take great pride in putting themselves together - "la bella figura". To show off your best features is the idea, so to blend in you must strive to stand out. So, where do you begin to acquire that special Italian flavor? In short, this week I will share a few of the key ingredients. We begin with Step One: Shoes! And I just love shoes!

Shoes: Nothing makes or breaks a look like footwear. Leave the tennis shoes for tennis and the walking shoes for the gym and park. Spice comes from style not comfort. The hottest designs incorporate pointed toes and high heels in the same shoe for maximum style and some discomfort.

More tips and tricks over the next few days! Stay tuned! - Rita

The Romance of the Italian Language!

2010-01-08T11:36:00.002-05:00

Italian is a Romance language, which means that Italian, just like Spanish, French, and Portuguese, is a child of Latin. Latin was once the official language in a large part of Europe because the Romans ruled so much of the area. Before the Romans came, people spoke their own languages, and the mixture of these original tongues with Latin produced many of the languages and dialects that are still in use today.

If you know one of the Romance languages, you can often understand bits of another. Just as members of the same family can look similar but have totally different characters. You find the same contradictions in the dialects (regional or local language differences) in Italy and in other countries.

If you visit Italy, you’ll hear various accents and dialects as you travel the country. Despite the number of dialects, you may be surprised to discover that everybody understands your Italian and you understand theirs. (Italians don’t normally speak in their dialect with foreigners.

The "New" Talest Building in Italy

2010-01-07T11:15:00.002-05:00

What with all this interest in tall buildings and the world’s highest skyscrapers, I thought it would be interesting to discover how Italy measures up on the tall buildings front. It turns out that Italy has quite a way to go to compete with the Dubai Tower. Quite a long way, actually. If you’d like to find out what the tallest building in Italy is, and where it can be found, then read on, curious reader.

Technically, the tallest building in Italy today can be found in Naples - and it is the Torre Telecom Italia which is 129 meters (423 feet) in height. This 33 floor structure, however, is about to be beaten by a building in Milan, which is already being listed as Italy’s tallest building on Wikipedia. The successor to the Italy’s Tallest Building title will be 161 meters (528 feet) high with 39 floors, and it will house Lombardy regional authority personnel . However, at a measly 161 metres, it’s not much of a threat to the record breaking 818 meters of the Dubai Tower.

Other tall buildings are on Italy’s horizon though, twenty seven of them, including one which will snatch the Italy’s tallest building title from the Lombardy council skyscraper – I Dritto – the Straight (or maybe ‘upstanding’ would be a better translation).

New Day, New Year, New Goals!

2010-01-04T11:46:00.002-05:00

As I ponder what to write about today, I can not help but think about the change and renew a brand new year brings. It is a chance to start fresh, reset our mindset and push for better things. Personally I have been doing a lot of goal setting, some for business and a lot for family. 2009 was a tough year for many, and most certainly my business. We made a lot of progress and faced some serious challenges - all amidst a changing economy and a changing America. Since I am from Italy, and now live in the USA I have noticed a great deal of change. I think above all, we now live in a Global economy and a world where cultures will continue to collide, develop, share and eventually thrive together. I wish everyone a great new year, and I wish us all peace harmony and growth, both in our professional lives, home life as a people.

What are you goals for 2009?

Italian New Year's Traditions!

2009-12-28T11:41:00.002-05:00

Guests of private or public parties are sometimes entertained with a game called "Tombola", similar to Bingo. The New Year is also celebrated with spumante or prosecco, Italian sparkling wine. New Years parties, whether public or private, will often last until sunrise in order to watch the first sunrise of the newborn year. An old custom that is still followed in some places, especially in the south, is throwing your old things out the window to symbolize your readiness to accept the New Year. So, keep an eye out for falling objects if you're walking around near midnight!

Oh, one more thing, don't forget to wear your red underwear to ring in the new year! They say it'll bring you luck in the coming year.

Holiday Cookies - A few tips!

2009-12-18T09:15:00.002-05:00

Cookies have always played an important part in Italian cuisine, whether they are consumed for breakfast with a cappuccino, or nibbled with a quick shot of espresso at a mid-morning or afternoon break. It is at holiday time however, particularly Christmas, when cookies truly shine. In almost any Italian home, whether it be in Italy, or here in North America, most families prepare specific traditional cookies each Christmas, and often those recipes have been handed down through their families for generations.

In Italy, the generic term biscotti, pretty well covers all types of cookies, although biscotti literally translates as twice baked. Here in the US, we know biscotti to be the hard, crescent shaped cookies that have become so popular recently. It is not unusual in Italy, to find the same cookie in many different regions, given a different name in each. Many cookies are given names from folklore, or fairy tales, such as brutti ma buoni, which means ugly but good, or baci di dama, or lady's kisses. Most Italian cookies are either made from nut paste or are butter based, and are in general not overly sweet. Visit any Italian household throughout the holidays, and you can almost be assured of being offered a tasty treat from the cookie tray.

If you are interested in preparing your own Italian cookie tray this year, you might be interested in the following tips for baking cookies, as well as my favorite Christmas cookie recipes that follow.

Cookie Baking Tips:

• Always preheat the oven for even baking.
• Place cookies on cold baking sheets.
• Place the baking sheets at least two inches from the wall of the oven for even baking.
• If baking two trays at one time, switch the top and bottom tray mid way through the baking period.
• Don't depend on the suggested baking time. There are many factors that can affect how long your cookies will bake. Check your cookies a couple of minutes before the recommended time.
• Once cookies are fully baked, remove them from the hot baking sheets to wire racks to cool, because the cookies will continue to cook on the hot trays.
• Do not store cookies until they have thoroughly cooled. Store in an air-tight container.

New Year's Traditions in Italy

2009-12-17T11:10:00.004-05:00

The year starts with Capodanno (New Year’s Day) of course, and a tasty tradition from Modena. In 1511 that city was under siege from the troops of Pope Julius II, and the starving citizens were forced to be a bit more creative, using the bits of animals normally thrown to the dogs. Ever since, stuffed pig legs, zampone, have taken pride of place on 1 January. The leg is stuffed with pork and spices, boiled then served. Lentils (which represent money) are served alongside, promising riches and good luck for the coming year.

The Umbrian city of Gubbio has a spectacular way to mark the end of Christmas. 800 water fountains illuminated with thousands of lights form a gigantic Christmas tree climbing the side of Mount Igino. The ‘biggest Christmas tree in the World’ (according to the Guinness Book of Records) is on show from 1-10 January and is absolutely spectacular.

Epiphany (Befana) rolls along on 6 January, a Catholic holiday vying with Christmas for importance. Epiphany celebrates the arrival of the Magi. Legend has it that the Wise Men asked an old woman for shelter. The woman (La Befana) refused, and has been wandering the planet ever since looking for the baby Jesus. Epiphany Eve (5 January) sees a good witch flying from rooftop to rooftop with gifts for children who’ve been good. If that sounds familiar, it’s a variation on the same folk tales that have come down to us as Father Christmas, with La Befana even popping down the chimney.

Travel to the Abruzzo region on 16 January and you can enjoy the Farchia festival. The people of the marvellously named mountain town of Fara Filiorum Petri construct 30ft bundles (fasce) of sticks, stand them on end and burn them like tapers. Songs are sung to celebrate Saint Antonio’s Day, and then it’s open house for a feast of sweets, wines and local spirit.

Carnivals or Carnevale are celebrated all over Italy, strictly speaking it is the lead up to Lent. Venice has a tremendous fortnight-long masked event and the celebrations on the Tuscan seaside resort of Viareggio are world famous. But the little Tuscan city of Foiano della Chiana, near Arezzo, claims its celebration as the oldest in the region, with the first Carnevale taking place on 18 January, 1809, 64 years before Viareggio. With parades of giant floats, colourful masks and costumes, music and dancing, and a feast of good food on sale in the streets, this is great fun for families. And if you’re used to carnivals running over a day or two … not in Italy. The celebrations here run from the last Sunday in January to the third Sunday in February.

Just north of Bologna, the Emilia-Romagna town of Cento is ‘twinned’ with the rather more famous Rio Carnival, with the winning float being shipped off to Brazil. The Cento events make Foiano appear a mere newcomer, with the city proudly pointing to artist Guercino’s painting of 1615 Maschere Folleggianti which depicts the celebrations. This is a serious business, with a guild of float makers training apprentices in the old craft. The spectacular celebrations culminate in 30,000 pounds of sweets being thrown to the crowds. The carnival runs for around a month from the penultimate Sunday in January.

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Panforte - Classic Italian Christmas Dessert

2009-12-16T14:42:00.006-05:00

1-1/2 cups blanched almonds
1-1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup candied orange and lemon peel, cut into small cubes
1 teaspoon cinnamon, divided
Pinch of ground coriander
Pinch of ground black pepper
2/3 cup flour, divided
1/2 cup honey
5 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons confectioner's sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Finely chop the almonds and walnuts.
You can do this in a food processor, but do not allow to form a paste.
Transfer the nuts to a large bowl.
Add the orange and lemon peel, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, coriander, and pepper.
Mixture until well blended. Stir in 1/2 cup of flour. Set aside.

Heat the honey in a small saucepan over medium heat.
Add the 5 tablespoons of sugar and stir until it is incorporated. Do not boil.
Transfer the honey to the bowl with the nuts, mix well but gently.

Heat the oven to 350-degrees F.
Grease the bottom and sides of an 9-inch tart or quiche pan.
Line the bottom of the pan with waxed paper.
Spoon the batter into the pan.
Combine the remaining flour and cinnamon and sift evenly over the top.
Bake for 35 minutes.
Remove and cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
Remove the panforte from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack.

Wrap in foil to store. Panforte is best eaten at least a week after it has been baked.
Before serving, combine the confectioners sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the top.

Italy Travel, pictures from Rome and a Picassa Collage

2009-12-15T12:49:00.009-05:00

I am often amazed at technology - it actually inspires me. If you would have asked me 10 years ago if I would have an online business I would have said - "what"? Today, technology and the Internet makes it possible for me to share my favorite things with other people. It is much like a dream come true. I don't use computers to do my design work, but I do use computers to share my work with the world. Today while trying to decide what to blog about, I began looking through pictures from my travels around home (Italy) - and I suppose I am a little bit homesick at the moment also. I use google for a lot of things, my e-mail, my blog and the list goes on here, but my point is that I came across the Picasa picture program and I downloaded it - it took all the pictures from my files and organized them, (WOW!), and it also has a lot of very neat tools as well. It took a while for the program to scan all my files, but once it was complete I ended up playing around with the program for a while. I was able to create a collage of pictures from Rome and I even scanned some new designs I have been working on - just rough drafts but it put them into a new perspective which helped me feel more creative. Anyway, check it out if you get a chance - it is free and has some great features. In fact, I came up with a great idea for a Christmas gift for a good friend. After all a picture is worth a thousand words! Click here to get to the program!

How to cook pasta! The Italian Way!

2009-12-14T18:30:00.002-05:00

Take a pot, fill it with water and put it on the stove, heat it until it boils. Put a lid on, to make it boil faster. When the water boils, add salt. We use “sale grosso”, my dictionary calls it “cooking salt”. It’s salt in big grains of irregular shapes. You can use the finer table salt, it won’t change the flavor, but you will need a lot more and in my opinion it’s harder to measure the right quantity. You my find that for you it’s easier to get the right quantity of salt by using table salt. The “right quantity of salt” is a personal taste affair, experiment until you find yours. Why must you wait until the water boils to add salt? Because salted water takes longer to reach the boiling point. Adding salt right away won’t affect the final flavor, but it will lengthen the time to reach the boiling point. After adding salt - wait half a minute, then put the pasta in. This is important!

Cook the pasta as indicated on the package, stirring the pasta often to avoid it sticking. Now, cooking pasta is simple and there are no secrets to it. But there is one trick. Pasta is like a sponge: it absorbs the fluid in which it’s immersed. Cooking it immersed in water is ok, but cooking it immersed in the sauce is better! It will be flavoured by the sauce from the inside.

So here’s the trick: one minute before the cooking time is over pour one or two table spoons of cooking water from the pot in the pan where you are heating the sauce, then strain the pasta out of the water and pour it in the pan, mixing it with the sauce and ending the cooking time in there. Let it heat for a minute to a minute and a half, then take the pan from heat and serve your pasta.

That’s it: True Italian style pasta.

2009-12-11T10:57:00.002-05:00

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