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Un po' di pepe

~ …… (oon∙poh∙dee∙PEH∙peh) Cristina writes about interesting stuff /Cristina scrive di cose interessanti

Un po' di pepe

Category Archives: Recipes

Insalata Purtuall’

18 Sunday Mar 2018

Posted by Un po' di pepe in Italian language, Mangiamo!, Recipes

≈ 28 Comments

Tags

Arancia, Gastronomic history, History of oranges, Insalata Purtuall', Italian language, Orange, Orange and fennel salad, Portokali, Traditional recipes

Insalata di arancia e finocchio-orange and fennel salad always brings back memories of my grade 1 lunchroom. My delicious lunches included home made crusty bread stuffed with melanzane and roasted peppers, prosciutto, capicollo or cotoletto di vitello, frittata, pizza or ‘chocolate sandwiches’ made with Nutella. Papà would often make me Insalata Purtuall’, with oranges cut crosswise in rounds, fennel and black olives, drizzled with olive oil and a bit of salt.  A true flavour explosion for 6 year old me.  I did not know why everyone at school thought my lunches were so weird.  The ‘Anglo’ kids made fun of them, and even the teachers eyed my food suspiciously.  Today all of these foods are available and trendy, so who is laughing now?  Ha! I do not remember being too bothered by the teasing.  I actually felt sorry for my classmates.  Their lunches were gross, usually consisting of ‘plastic’ cheese on bright white squishy bread that was sliced like cake! Poveretti. I will have to write more about my early gastronomic experiences in another post….

A while back, Frank from Memorie di Angelina wrote about orange and fennel salad, and I commented that we called it ‘Portugal’ salad, but did not know why. I asked Papà why we called it ‘Insalata Purtuall’. Purtuall’ is dialetto for Portogallo which is Portugal in italiano. His answer surprised me. He said it was not a Portuguese salad, but purtuall’ is what the orange were called. Hmmm.  Soon after this, I was at a writers’ conference and one of the presenters displayed a map showing the word for orange across Europe in various languages. Aha! I saw that the Greek word for orange is ‘portokali’. This was getting interesting!

Arancia amara, bitter orange, was known to the Romans. Sweet oranges were only introduced to Europe and the Mediterranean in the 14th century. Portuguese ships were the first to circumnavigate Africa and brought sweet oranges back from the Far East. In many countries, oranges were named after Portugal-the country that they seemed to be coming from! In Greek oranges are portokali, in North Africa and most Middle East countries burtuqall, in Iran purtuqol, in Turkey portakal and in Hungary and Romania portokal. In most of Western Europe, the Mediterranean and Britain, the word for orange comes from ‘narangas’, Sanskrit for orange tree. For example, in italiano arancia, in spanish naranja, portuguese laranja, and of course english orange. There are a few places in Italia where the dialetto still uses the ‘portuguese’ term. In Campania, Puglia, Basilicata and Abruzzo, purtuallo or portajalli, in Sicilian partualli (or aranciù), and in Piemonte portugaj. In modern Greek, bitter oranges are called ‘nerantzi’ while sweet oranges are called ‘portokali’. Who knew that the yummy salad I used to bring for lunch in elementary school reflects thousands of years of history, trade voyages and etymology between East and West!

A ‘recipe’ is not really needed for Insalata Purtuall’. Just peel a few oranges and remove as much of the pith as possible, then slice them crosswise and lay them on a plate. Cut half a fennel bulb and slice in either small or larger pieces. Add ‘un filo d’olio’, a drizzle of olive oil and salt, then a few black olives and garnish with fennel fronds. I sometimes like to throw in some pomegranate seeds or rucola. It is hard to mess up this healthy, refreshing winter insalata! I recently found out that Insalata Purtuall’ was served at my parents’ wedding in Orsara di Puglia in the 1960’s, so now it tastes even better!

Buon appetito, Cristina

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Olive Oil Limoncello Cake

25 Thursday Jan 2018

Posted by Un po' di pepe in Mangiamo!, Recipes

≈ 28 Comments

Tags

Casa Berti, Catalyst Art Retreat, Cucina Italiana, Dolci, Gugliano, Italian food, Limoncello, Lucca, Olive oil harvest, Olive oil limoncello cake

In November I attended an art retreat, surrounded by 900 olive trees!  It was at Casa Berti near Gugliano, about 40 minutes outside of Lucca. There were also lemon trees in giant terra cotta pots on the terrace, not yet ready to be moved into the limonaia for the winter. Many of the lemons become limoncello.  I was so inspired and distracted by the olive trees that I took several breaks from art making to pick olives.  I could not help it-they were calling to me!  Every day or two, when there were enough picked, they would be taken to the frantoio or olive press and then return to Casa Berti as lush, fragrant oil.  Green gold as a friend calls it. The Casa Berti cucina had a stainless steel bidone full of new oil with a little spout for pouring.

Being surrounded by olives, freshly pressed oil, fresh lemons and limoncello, I had the urge to make an olive oil limoncello cake.  I have been making this cake for years, but I did not have the recipe with me.  I also left my art making to bake just when Ben, the owner of Casa Berti, had gone on another run to the frantoio with olives. I searched the kitchen but could not find any measuring utensils or a scale, so the measurements were all a big guess. ??? Luckily I knew where the limoncello was!

The cake came out better than usual, probably due to the quality and freshness of the ingredients.  I usually just dust it simply with zucchero in polvere-icing sugar.  For a fancier look, make a limoncello glaze with icing sugar and limoncello.  The cake is also nice with fresh fruit, especially raspberries or blueberries.  It goes equally well with a cup of espresso or a glass of limoncello and is also very easy to make-you don’t even need a mixer-just a wooden spoon and a whisk.  I adjusted some of the amounts to the recipe based on the Casa Berti cake, but if your measurements are not exact, non ti preoccupare, it will probably still taste good!

Casa Berti

Casa Berti Olive Oil Limoncello Cake

400g (~3 cups) flour

200g (almost 1 cup) sugar

4 medium sized eggs or 3 large eggs

160ml (~ ¾ cup) extra virgin olive oil

130 ml (~½ cup) milk

60 ml (¼ cup, 4 tablespoons) limoncello

Grated zest/peel of 2 organic lemons

16g packet Pane degli Angeli (or 15 ml/1 tablespoon baking powder)

  1. Preheat oven to 160°C (325°F)
  2. Butter and flour a 23 cm (9 inch) pan
  3. In a small bowl, add the lemon peel to the sugar and mix with fingers or the back of a spoon until they are well mixed and the sugar looks damp
  4. Whisk the eggs and add the sugar/peel mixture
  5. Add the olive oil, milk and limoncello
  6. Add flour a bit at a time and stir with a wooden spoon just until the flour is mixed in.  Do not over mix
  7. Add Pane degli Angeli
  8. Spoon into the pan and bake for 40-45 minutes.  Be careful not to overbake or it may come out dry
  9. Cool and dust with icing sugar
  10. For a fancier topping, make a limoncello glaze with 1 cup icing sugar and 30 ml (2 tablespoons) limoncello.  If it is too dry, add another 15 ml (1 tablespoon) limoncello or milk.  Mix together and drizzle onto cake.

Buon appetito, Cristina

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Panettone Fatto in Casa

20 Wednesday Dec 2017

Posted by Un po' di pepe in Mangiamo!, Recipes

≈ 29 Comments

Tags

Biga, Dolci di Natale, Italian food, Lievito madre, Panettone, Panettone con fichi e noci, Panettone fatto in casa, Panettone recipe

I started experimenting with panettone last year. I did not do it intentionally… it was an act of desperation.  I had made lievito madre– mother yeast or bread starter that I was keeping for months, and needed to feed at least once or twice a week.  I had to do something with the part you need to give away or throw out.  It was invading my cucina! I ran out of people to give it to, and did not like throwing it away.  Then I found out I could use my lievito madre to make panettone. Yeast still had to be added, but the lievito madre added flavour and texture to the dough and helped it stay fresh longer.  I adapted this overnight panettone recipe, replacing 1 cup of flour with 1 cup of my starter.  It was pretty good.  This year, I no longer have my starter, plus I lost all of my recipe experimentation notes. Mannaggia!  So I had to start all over, but luckily my panettone turned out better.  This time I used a biga (BEE•gah), a sort of ‘mini starter’ that ferments overnight.  After trying a lot of different things, I can finally post the recipe, just in time for Natale.  Traditionally, panettone is made with uvetta and canditi-raisins and candied citrus peel.  I love panettone, and canditi, but I usually end up picking out the raisins, so I used dried figs soaked in grappa instead.  If you like raisins, they do grappa well too!  Panettone dough needs to rise 3 times, so this recipe is not recommended for the inpatient or inexperienced bread baker.  Be sure to read my notes at the bottom.  My previous post Panettone details the history of this lovely dolce.

Panettone con Fichi, Noci e Arancia/Panettone with Figs,Walnuts and Orange:

Make a biga the night before:

  • 100 g 00 flour or all-purpose flour (200 ml, ~¾cup)
  • 100 ml milk (85g, a bit more than ⅓ cup) at room temperature
  • 1 (7 g) package active dry yeast (not quick rise or instant) Lievito di birra is what I used*
  • 15 g honey (10 ml, 2 tsp)

In a glass bowl or measuring cup, dissolve the yeast in the milk.  Add honey, then flour.  Cover with a tea towel and leave overnight or longer. It should be bubbly and doubled in size

Soak fruit: 250-500 ml (1-2 cups) chopped dried figs (or apricots, cranberries, raisins or other mixed dried fruits).  Cover with 30ml (2 tablespoons or 1 ‘shot’) of grappa and soak overnight.

Make the dough the next morning:

  • Biga made the night before
  • 400g flour (~800 ml, 3 ¼cups)
  • 60 ml white wine (¼ cup, 4 tablespoons)
  • 100 g sugar (120 ml, ½ cup)
  • 100 g butter at room temperature (125 ml, ½ cup, 1 ‘stick’)
  • 6 g salt (1 tsp)
  • 3 eggs (plus one extra yolk if the eggs are small)
  • 5 ml (1tsp) Fiori di Sicilia (or 1 tsp vanilla extract or ⅓ a vanilla bean and 5 drops of orange oil) **

Make a well in the center of the flour. Add the biga and other ingredients.  Mix with a wooden spoon.  Knead by hand on a floured surface for 10-20 minutes or electric mixer 10 minutes followed by a few minutes by hand. Cover bowl with a tea towel and let rise for a minimum of 3 hours.  Longer is better*

Add fruit and canditi:

Deflate the dough and pull it into a rectangle. Top with:

  • Grated rind of 1 large orange
  • Drained figs or other dried fruit soaked in grappa
  • 125-250 ml (½ to 1 cup) Canditi-candied citrus peel
  • 125-250 ml (½-1 cup) chopped walnuts

Roll dough up into a log, then knead on a floured surface to evenly mix in the fruit, nuts, and canditi. Shape into a ball.

Place the ball in a 750g panettone paper mold, a metal coffee can lined with parchment paper, an 8 cup glass pyrex measuring cup lined with parchment paper, or a new terra cotta pot. Whatever you use, make sure the sides are tall enough to allow for the dough rising. Let rise 4-5 hours*** I had to let mine rise overnight in the oven-turned off with the light on.

Slash a cross on top of the panettone and place a small square of butter in the middle

Bake panettone in a preheated 190° C (375° F) oven for 45-50 minutes or until the top is done.  If the top is becoming too dark, cover with a piece of aluminum foil

Cool panettone upside down to prevent falling.  I could not find bamboo skewers, so I used my bamboo knitting needles to skewer the bottom then hung it upside down over a large pot. I don’t know if this step is really necessary, but after all this work, I am not willing to find out! It also looks cool.  See photo:

The panettone should keep fresh for 5 days in a plastic bag- if it lasts that long!

Notes:

Amounts can vary depending on temperature, humidity and type or size of ingredient.  I have included ml and cup measurements in brackets, but measuring ingredients by weight is the most accurate.

Fig and chocolate is also a nice panettone combination.  For best results, freeze the chocolate pieces before adding to the dough.

I made my own canditi-candied orange peels, using the instructions on Domenica’s post. It was easier than I thought and I won’t be buying canditi any more!

*Lievito di birra is beer yeast.  It is available from some Italian supermarkets in packets.  Use ‘active’ dry yeast, not instant or quick-rise.

**Fiori di Sicilia is a vanilla citrus mixture that smells like panettone in a bottle. It can be hard to find and expensive.  Vanilla extract and orange oil is a good substitute.

***Dough rising times are variable, especially in colder weather. If you are having difficulty getting your dough to rise, there are some things that can help.

  • Place the dough on the counter while a pot of water is simmering on the stove
  • Place the dough in the oven (turned off) with the light on
  • If really having difficulty, preheat the oven to a ‘keep warm’ setting, then turn it off and place the dough in there.
  • Abbia pazienza-Just be patient!

Buon appetito e Buon Natale, Cristina

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Crustoli per Carnevale

19 Sunday Feb 2017

Posted by Un po' di pepe in Feste, Mangiamo!, Parole piacevoli, Recipes

≈ 27 Comments

Tags

Bugie, Carnevale, Cenci, Chiacchiere, Crustoli, Frappe

crustolipercarnevaleCarnevale season is here.  From the Latin Carnem Vale meaning farewell meat, Carnevale is the week leading up to la Quaresima (Lent). La Quaresima is the period of 40 days between Mercoledi delle Ceneri (Ash Wednesday) and Pasqua (Easter).  There are actually 46 days, but the Sundays are not included. Carnevale was traditionally a period of overindulgence before the more humble days of Lent when there was no meat, dairy, fat or sugar and sometimes even days of fasting.  Martedi Grasso (Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday) is the last day of Carnevale and the last opportunity for excesses.

Like most religious events/festivals, Carnevale and Lent took over from pagan and folk rituals.  This time of year brings the transition from winter to spring and the return of increased daylight. I can’t wait for sunshine and more daylight! For most people, Carnevale was their last opportunity to eat well.  They did not have freezers or refrigerators, so the winter stores of food would be running out or starting to rot.  The avoiding of meat, dairy and fat was not originally for religious reasons-it was going to happen anyways. Lent was a way to mentally prepare and get through this last bit of winter!  Today it is common to not eat meat on Ash Wednesday and on Fridays during Lent.

The Carnevale di Venezia was first recorded in 1268.  It involved masked balls, parades, decorations, costumes and masks, and even dressing as the opposite sex.  You can imagine things often got out of hand!  Napoleon outlawed Carnevale in 1797, and it was only restored 182 years later, in 1979.mazatlanparade

Today Carnevale in Italia is celebrated in Venezia, Viareggio, Ivrea and Putignano. Carnevale in Viareggio is known for its parades featuring political and satirical floats.  I would like to experience Carnevale di Venezia one of these days.  Carnevale is also celebrated in other parts of the world, including Rio di Janeiro, New Orleans and Mazatlan.  For many years, I was involved with the ‘Carnaval‘ in Mazatlan, Mexico with the Seattle Seafair Clowns,  participating in 2 parades and a childrens’ festival.

crustoli2Crustoli are fried, sweet shapes of dough made for Carnevale-as well as Christmas and Easter.  They are known by different names all over Italia.  They are Crustoli or Galani in Puglia, Bugie (lies) in Piemonte and Liguria, Cenci ( rags) in Toscana, Chiacchiere (chitchat or gossip) in Lombardia and Calabria, Crostoli in Veneto and Friuli, Frappe in Lazio and Umbria and Sfrappole in Emilia Romagna!  I hope I got them all right!  In Poland, they are known as Chušciki. Recipes vary as well, but they are all very similar.  Some have milk or baking powder and some do not.  Here is my recipe, which is quite simple:

Crustoli

1egg

15 ml (1 tablespoon) sugar

15 ml (1 tablespoon) Anice liqueur (or Grappa or Sambuca)

Grated rind of 1 orange or lemon

15 ml (1 tablespoon) olive oil or sunflower oil

~150 grams (1 cup) flour, 00 is best

Salt

Mix all ingredients together and form into a ball. Roll half of the dough at a time out thin with a mattarello (rolling pin) or use a pasta machine.  If you like them very thin and crispy, the pasta machine will work better.  I like mine a little chewier.  Cut crustoli into shapes with a pastry wheel.  I like to make mine into bows or tie them in knots, but you can also just cut rectangles or triangles.  Fry them in oil.  I use sunflower or olive oil.  Grapeseed oil can also be used.  They cook very quickly!  Drain on parchment paper or paper towels and dust with icing sugar. Note-this recipe does not make a large amount so you may want to double it!  crustoli

Buon Appetito, Cristina

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Espresso Cookies

13 Tuesday Dec 2016

Posted by Un po' di pepe in Mangiamo!, Recipes

≈ 13 Comments

Tags

Dolci di Natale, Espresso cookies, Espresso shortbread cookies, Maccinacaffè

espressobiscottiI make these yummy biscottini often, and receive a lot of requests for the recipe, especially at this time of year. They are not a traditional Italian dolce, but they have been ‘italianizzati’ 🇮🇹 by the espresso.  I have been making them for over 25 years, so I don’t remember where the original recipe came from.  It may have been an article in the local paper?  Really, any shortbread or butter cookie recipe can be adapted by adding vanilla extract and instant espresso powder.

These espresso cookies are perfect with a caffè and freeze very well. They even taste good congelati -straight out of the freezer.  For best results, freeze before dipping the ends in chocolate. instagramespressoThe espresso must be ground to a very fine powder in a macinacaffè, a coffee grinder.  Instant espresso is too coarse and chunky to add straight from the jar.  Grinding espresso beans does not work well, as they do not grind fine enough.  Using real caffè does not work either, as the batter will be too liquidy.  Espresso powder is the best option.  I use Medaglia d’Oro® or Bar Italia® brand instant espresso.  Last time I made them, I accidentally doubled the caffè (oops!). My coffee loving amici thought they were even better than usual, so ‘double shot’ works too.

Espresso Cookies

10g (20 ml, 4 teaspoons) instant espresso

225g (240 ml, 1 cup) butter, at room temperature

100g (120 ml, ½ cup) sugar

3 ml (½ teaspoon) pure vanilla extract

230g (415 ml, 1¾ cups) all-purpose flour

30g (¼ cup, 60 ml) cornstarch

120g (4 ounces) good quality chocolate, melted

Grind instant espresso in coffee grinder to a fine powder. Mix together butter and sugar.  Add espresso powder and vanilla extract.  Sift flour and cornstarch together and add to the rest of the ingredients.  Roll into 2 cm balls then flatten into palm of hand to mould into oval coffee bean shape/American football shape.  Place on a baking sheet.  Before baking, make a shallow indent lengthwise down the ‘bean’ with a knife. Indenting too deep will make the cookies spread.  Bake at 180⁰ C (325⁰ F) for 15-20 minutes. When cool, dip both ends in melted chocolate and place on wax or parchment paper to dry.  Makes 36 cookies. espresso-biscottini2Buon Appetito!

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Spaghetti all’Amatriciana

30 Tuesday Aug 2016

Posted by Un po' di pepe in Italia, Mangiamo!, Recipes, Roma

≈ 16 Comments

Tags

Amatrice, Croce Rossa Italiana, Cucina Romana, Earthquake relief Central Italy, Inspiration, Italian food, Pasta all'Amatriciana, Terremoto 2016, Traditional recipes

Pasta all'AmatricianaMy last post was about the terremoto in Italia and I listed ways you can help with earthquake relief.  One of these ways was to order Pasta all’Amatriciana at one of the many restaurants participating to raise money for the Croce Rossa Italiana.  I realized that not everyone will have a restaurant in their area participating, so I am posting a recipe, just in case anyone wants to host their own small fundraiser. August 27-28 would have been the Spaghetti all’Amatriciana festa in Amatrice.  Amatriciana

Pasta all’Amatriciana-also known as Pasta alla Matriciana in dialetto Romano, is made with guanciale (cured pork cheek), Pecorino Romano, and pomodoro (tomato).  Peperoncino is often added.  Pasta all’Amatriciana originated from Pasta alla Gricia, made with guanciale and Pecorino.  It is basically Pasta Carbonara with tomato instead of  eggs. Shepherds near Amatrice carried the simple ingredients with them into the fields.  The pomodoro had not been brought to Europe yet.  In Amatrice, they started making the Pasta alla Gricia with pomodoro, once it had been introduced.  When Amatriciani moved from the outlaying areas to Roma, the sauce became popular, and is now considered a staple of Cucina Romana.  In Roma, Amatriciana is made with bucatini, which are spaghetti with a hole down the middle, or rigatoni, but in Amatrice, it is only made with spaghetti! Making Amatriciana

Spaghetti all’Amatriciana

100g guanciale (pancetta can be used if guanciale not available)

350g passata di pomodoro, or pelati (peeled tomatoes)-about 1 500ml canning jar

75g Pecorino Romano, freshly grated

Black pepper, freshly grated

320g spaghetti or bucatini (80g per person)

Cut guanciale into strips or cubes. In a frying pan, cook guanciale until crispy.  When the white part becomes transparent, add tomatoes and pepper.  While this is simmering, cook spaghetti in a large pot of salted water.  Cook for 1 minute less than the time it says on the box! Drain well then add to the pan and toss in the sauce and add Pecorino.  Serve with extra Pecorino Romano on top.  Serves 4. Buon Appetito!Amatriciana

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Limoncello Cheesecake

16 Monday May 2016

Posted by Un po' di pepe in Mangiamo!, Recipes

≈ 28 Comments

Tags

Baking, Limoncello, Limoncello cheesecake

Limoncellocheesecake2Limoncello tastes like summer in a glass.  What could be even more refreshing than a nice cold glass of Limoncello?  Limoncello Cheesecake of course!  I’ve been making it for years and every time I am asked for the recipe, so I thought I would simplify things and share it here on my blog.  The coconut crust makes it taste even more summery!  I like to add a small amount of lime juice too, but you could just add more Limoncello.  This cheesecake tastes better if made a day ahead of time so it spends more time in the fridge.  If you are looking for cream cheese in Italia, it’s known as ‘Philadelphia’, pronounced Fee•la•del•FEE•ah.  Buon Appetito!

Cristina’s Limoncello Cheesecake

Crust:

  • 150 g (2 cups) unsweetened coconut
  • 30 ml (2 tbsp) sugar
  • 30 ml (2 tbsp) melted butter
  • 5 ml (1 tsp) grated lemon rind

Filling:

  • 750g (3 x 250g packages) cream cheese
  • 210 g (1 cup) sugar
  • 4 eggs at room temperature
  • 1 tsp grated lemon rind
  • 15 ml (1 tbsp) lemon juice
  • 15 ml (1 tbsp) lime juice
  • 15 ml (1 tbsp) Limoncello (or reduce the juices to add more Limoncello)
  • Pinch of salt

Topping:

  • 2 eggs @ room temp
  • 160 g (¾ cup) sugar
  • 10 ml (2 tsp) coarsely grated lemon and lime rinds
  • 30 ml (2 tbsp) lemon juice
  • 30 ml (2 tbsp) lime juice
  • 30 ml (2 tbsp) butter
  • 30 ml (2 tbsp) Limoncello
  • Shredded coconut and citrus rinds for garnishLimoncellocheesecake5

Crust-Preheat oven to 180° C (350 ° F). Combine ingredients and press onto bottom of 22-25 cm (9-10 inch) springform pan. Bake 10-12 minutes until lightly toasted. Be careful not to burn the coconut.

Filling–Blend cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar, then eggs, one at a time.  Add juices, rinds, salt and Limoncello.  Make sure there are no lumps and pour over toasted crust, smoothing the top.  Bake at 180° C (350° F) for 45 minutes or until set.  Turn off the oven and leave cheesecake in for another 10 minutes.  Open the door and let cheesecake cool in the oven for another 10-15 minutes.  This will prevent the cheesecake from ‘falling’ or cracking all over the surface.  Run a knife around the rim of the pan and continue to cool at room temperature, then chill in refrigerator.

Topping-Whisk eggs until foamy. Combine with sugar, juices, rinds and butter in a small saucepan.  Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until smooth and thick. Remove from heat and add Limoncello.  Let cool and then spread over cheesecake while the springform pan is still attached.  Garnish top with coconut and coarsely grated lemon and lime zest.  Return to refrigerator for at least a few hours.  Serves 12-16 people.Limoncellocheesecake

Buon Appetito!

©2016unpodipepe.ca

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Gnocchi di Zucca

15 Sunday Nov 2015

Posted by Un po' di pepe in Mangiamo!, Recipes

≈ 15 Comments

Tags

Gnocchi, Gnocchi di zucca, Italian food, Pumpkin carving, Pumpkin gnocchi recipe, Traditional recipes

GnocchidizuccaOne of my favourite things about fall is zucca (ZOOK•kah).  Zucca can mean pumpkin or squash and I love them both. Risotto di zucca, zuppa di zucca, roasted zucca…..yum! It always makes me sad to throw out my carved hallowe’en pumpkin, so this year, I used a small battery operated candle and ‘recycled’ my zucca into another one of my favourite things- gnocchi! Hallowe'enzuccaGnocchi (NYOK•kee) are usually made with potatoes, but they can also be made with ricotta, zucca, or a combination.  I made mine with no potato- just zucca as they are lighter and have a more intense zucca flavour.  A large hallowe’en zucca makes a lot of gnocchi, but you don’t have to use all of the polpa di zucca (pumpkin flesh) at once.  It can keep in the fridge for 3 days until you have time to make more gnocchi.  All of the measurements in this recipe are very approximate, as it depends on the water content of the zucca.Gnocchidizucca4

Gnocchi di Zucca

500-600 grams mashed roasted zucca (pumpkin) with excess water removed (2 cups)

1 small egg, beaten

160g 00 flour (about 1¼ cup) + extra for dusting

60g (¼cup) grated Pecorino Romano (or Parmigiano if you don’t have Pecorino)

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg (optional)

Pinch of salt

  • Cut zucca into pieces, wrap in aluminum foil and bake at 180⁰C (350⁰F) for 50 minutes
  • Scoop out the flesh and mash by hand with a potato masher or a fork, or use a potato ricer.   Unless you plan to make zuppa di zucca (pumpkin soup) do NOT use a food processor or immersion blender!
  • Remove as much water as possible, or the gnocchi will absorb too much flour and become dense and rubbery. Do this by straining the mashed zucca through a tea towel. A lot of water will come out! If this is too messy for you, return the mashed zucca to the oven, uncovered for half an hour to remove moisture. The tea towel method works better.
  • Stir in the egg and mix well, then salt, nutmeg and Pecorino.
  • Add half of the flour and mix well
  • Add more flour as needed-only a little at a time. Use as little flour as possible-only enough to make the dough hold together
  • On a floured surface, cut off sections of dough and hand roll into 1.5 cm (½ inch) ropes
  • Cut rope into 2-2.5 cm (1 inch) lengths and roll each gnocco with your thumb against the the back tines of a forchetta (fork) or over a rigagnocchi. Rigagnocchi literally means ‘gnocchi line-maker’. It is a small wooden paddle with lines carved into it, as seen in the photos. I used a forchetta to roll my gnocco over the rigagnocchi.
  • Place finished gnocchi on a floured tray or surface and sprinkle with more flour to prevent sticking. To freeze the gnocchi, place on a floured tea towel on a tray or baking sheet and freeze for half an hour, then put the frozen gnocchi into zip-loc® bags or containers and refreeze.
  • To cook gnocchi, drop them into a large pot of boiling, salted water. They only need about 3 minutes to cook, then lift them out with a slotted spoon. If cooking frozen gnocchi, do not thaw them. Take them directly from the freezer into the boiling water. Frozen gnocchi hold their shape well, but not if they have been defrosted. They will take about 4 minutes to cook.
  • Gnocchi di zucca should be served with a simple sauce, so as not to overpower the delicate taste. I like to heat some extra virgin olive oil and add finely chopped garlic and whole sage leaves, then toss this over my gnocchi. I sprinkled on freshly grated cacioricotta from Orsara di Puglia. If you aren’t lucky enough to have cacioricotta, use freshly grated Pecorino or Parmigiano.Gnocchidizucca6Buon Appetito!

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Pesto Genovese

18 Friday Sep 2015

Posted by Un po' di pepe in Mangiamo!, Recipes

≈ 24 Comments

Tags

Basilico, Italian food, Moretum, Mortar and pestle, Pesto, Pesto Genovese, Pesto recipe, Traditional recipes

Pesto2This year, I grew basilico (basil) from seed again.  Thanks to the unusually warm summer, my plants were happy and grew nicely.  I love to shake the basilico plant a bit, stick my face in it and inhale the incredible aroma.  Some of my basilico was already used to make passata di pomodoro.  The rest will be used to make Pesto, before it starts to rain and the leaves turn brown.basilico

Pesto Genovese, usually just called Pesto, originated in Genoa, Liguria.  It is made with fresh basil leaves, garlic, pine nuts, extra virgin olive oil, Pecorino Sardo or Pecorino Romano, and Parmigiano Reggiano.

Before the age of food-processors, Pesto was made by grinding the ingredients in a marble or stone mortar with a wooden pestle.  The words ‘pesto’ and ‘pestle’ come from ‘pestare‘ which means to pound or crush.  The most flavourful pesto is actually made by hand with a mortar and pestle, but it is hard work! Pesto made with old stone mortar/mortaioLigurian basilico has very small leaves and is easier to grind.  My basilico tends to have very large leaves and is difficult to crush.  The biggest problem with the food processor is that it gets very hot.  I recommend putting the blades in the freezer for an hour before making pesto.  This prevents the food processor from overheating and the pesto is also less likely to turn brown.basilicobw

The ancient Romans made something similar called Moretum.  They named it after the mortar instead of the pestle!  Moretum was a spread made with fresh sheep milk cheese, herbs, salt, pine nuts and olive oil.

Basilico was likely brought to Italia from India, and the climate of Liguria was perfect for it.  The Genovese adapted the Romans’ recipe to include basilico, and Pesto Genovese was born! In Liguria, Pesto is usually served with trofie or linguine.  It is also used on pasta, potatoes and green beans, all cooked in the same pot of water. Yum!

When I make Pesto, I do not measure the ingredients, but I estimated them here for you. Good quality ingredients are necessary to make delicious Pesto.  No skimping!Pesto Genovese

Pesto Genovese

2 firmly packed cups (500 ml) large basil leaves

3 cloves of garlic

¼ cup (50 grams) European pine nuts

salt and pepper

½ cup (125 ml) good quality extra virgin olive oil

½ cup (45 grams) grated Pecorino Sardo or Pecorino Romano

½ cup (45 grams) grated Parmigiano Reggiano

  • Put the blades of the food processor in the freezer for an hour
  • Wash the basil and dry well.  Water on the leaves will turn them brown and the Pesto will go bad.  Yuck!
  • I like to toast the pine nuts as it brings out the flavour, but this is optional
  • Blend garlic and pine nuts in a food processor until fine
  • Add basil, pulsing a handful at a time until blended
  • Add salt and pepper.  Not too much salt, as the cheese is salty too
  • Pour in olive oil slowly while food processor is running
  • Pour it all into a bowl and add the Pecorino and Parmigiano
  • Spoon the Pesto into small jars with tight fitting lids
  • Seal the jar with a thin film of olive oil
  • Pesto keeps well in the fridge for 6-8 months.  If you use part of a jar, add another thin film of olive oil before putting it back in the fridge
  • To freeze the Pesto, leave out the 2 cheeses and add them when you are going to use itPesto1

Buon Appetito!

©2015 unpodipepe.ca

basilico4

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Torta Caprese all’ Arancia

25 Saturday Jul 2015

Posted by Un po' di pepe in Mangiamo!, Recipes

≈ 24 Comments

Tags

Cannolo Award, Capri, Dolci, Gluten-free chocolate cake, Italian food, Southern Italy, Torta Caprese, Traditional recipes

Tortacaprese2In honour of my recent Cannolo Award, I thought this post should be food related.  What is a Cannolo Award?  Read about it here.  Although I love them, I will not be writing about cannoli, but rather about Torta Caprese.

The super cute-issimo cannolo logo

The super cute-issimo cannolo logo

Caprese (cah•PREH•seh) means ‘from Capri’ (CAP•ree) the beautiful island off the coast of Napoli.  I suppose caprese could also mean ‘goatlike’ since capra is goat?  We’ll stick with ‘from Capri’.

There are a few different stories about how Torta Caprese came to be.  The most likely is that it was invented by mistake in the 1920’s or 30’s by a kitchen worker who added ground almonds (mandorle tritate) instead of flour while trying to make something similar to an Austrian Sachertorte for visitors at an Austrian owned pensione on Capri.  It was a big hit, and went on to be served at all of the hotels and tea rooms on the island.

The basic recipe involves mixing melted butter and chocolate in a ‘bagno-maria’ with sugar and egg yolks, then adding whipped egg whites and ground almonds.  Liqueur, usually Strega, is added.  The cake has a hard thin shell and moist interior and the center tends to sink in a bit from the sides.

I recently tasted a yummy orange Torta Caprese, so I decided to try my own version.  After a bit of experimentation, and substituting Gran Marnier for Strega, I ended up with a very nice Torta Caprese all’ Arancia.  It is a 3 bowl recipe, so be prepared to wash lots of dishes!

Torta Caprese all’ Arancia

Ingredients:

  • 250g dark chocolate 70%
  • 175g (¾ cup) butter at room temperature
  • 110g (½ cup) sugar
  • 110g (½ cup) brown or golden sugar
  • grated peel of a large orange
  • 3 tablespoons Gran Marnier, Mandarino, or other orange liqueur
  • 6 eggs, separated
  • 150g (1½ cups) ground blanched almonds (also called almond flour or almond meal)
  • ½ a bustina (packet) Lievito Bertolini or Pane degli Angeli (substitute 2½ teaspoons baking powder if you can’t find these)
  • pinch of salt
  • Icing sugar for dusting

1.  Preheat oven to 180° C (350° F).

2.  Butter the sides of a round springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.

3.  Melt butter and chocolate in a double boiler or ‘bagno-maria’ (a stainless steel bowl in a pan of hot water) and let cool.  This can also be done with a glass bowl in the microwave but be careful-only heat in 30 second intervals and stir well.

4.  In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks and brown sugar, then add to the chocolate.  Stir in alcohol and grated orange peel.

PicMonkey Collage

5.  Whip egg whites with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.  Add the white sugar.

Torta Caprese Collage4

6.  In another bowl, mix almond flour, lievito or baking powder and salt together with a fork.  Fold the chocolate mixture in with a rubber spatula, then fold in egg whites.

Torta Caprese Collage3

7.  Pour batter into pan and bake for 55 minutes to 1 hour, until center is firm.  The center sink in a bit.  Remove the sides of the pan and slide the cake onto a platter.

8.  Dust with icing sugar and serve with orange slices and whipped cream or gelato.  Store at room temperature for up to 3 days…if it lasts that long!

Torta Caprese

Buon Appetito!  Mille grazie to my amiche Anna and Shannon who were very motivated to help me photograph the finished cake.  I wouldn’t let them cut it and have a piece until the photos were done!

torta caprese tagliata

Torta Caprese pezzo

Here is me posing on my first visit to Capri when I was 16. Unfortunately I didn't know about Torta Caprese at the time.

Here is me posing on my first visit to Capri when I was 16. Unfortunately I didn’t know about Torta Caprese at the time.

Downloadable recipe and recipe in italiano will be added as soon as I am home from Italia.  Buon Appetito!

©2015unpodipepe.ca

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