In my Kitchen-Summer 2021

05 Sunday Sep 2021

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

Tags

In my kitchen, Italian food, Passata di pomodoro, Pesto Genovese, Torta Caprese

For the second year in a row, I am missing my kitchen in Puglia due to the plague and pestilence of this global pandemic. Hopefully we will see each other again next year. You can see why I miss it by checking out the IMK post I wrote the last time I was there In my Kitchen in Puglia.

Since I had to stay home again this summer, I invited friends over in my backyard a few times. I would usually make pizza for this type of gathering, but my 23 year old oven had been unpredictable and slowly dying. One time my crust would be nice and crispy, another time barely cooked. For a change, I was very Pugliese and made panzerotti. They were delicious, but messy to fry. Next time I will do it outside on my portable induction burner, but this wasn’t possible by myself. Making panzerotti is really a 2 person thing. They need to be fried soon after being formed, or else they continue to rise, and the tomato sauce starts to seep through the dough. Both of these things can cause them to open and then the oil splatters and gets very messy. I did finally get a new stove last month. Isn’t it beautiful? Now my appliances are the same colour and my pizza crust is evenly cooked. Yeah!

The pomodori in my garden have been happy. I grew all the plants from seeds, harvested from last year’s crop. Mamma and I have already dried seeds for next year.

My pomodori come in all shapes and sizes. They have been eaten every day, in every possible way. The cherry ones taste like candy. I walk outside and eat them straight off the vine.

Speaking of pomodori, a few weeks ago, my parents’ cantina had only 3 litres of pasta left on the shelf! That has never happened before. Luckily, my family got together for our 2 day ‘salsapalooza’ and made 273 litres of passata di pomodoro. The cantina is restocked, as you can see! The whole process can be found in the post Passata di Pomodoro. Most of the tomatoes were purchased, since the ones in our gardens are not all ripe at the same time. We are usually making our passata while jet lagged, right after getting back from Italia, so we supposedly had extra energy this year-although it didn’t feel like it!

Once the pomodori were canned, the rest of the basilico was used for making Pesto Genovese. Now I need to make some Corzetti to serve the pesto with. I can pour myself a glass of white wine and pretend I am in the Cinque Terre.

My good friends from Sooke came to visit and I made a cake for Susanne’s birthday. Using my most popular recipe, I made Torta Caprese all’ Arancia. The margherite (daisies) design were made with almonds. I sprinkled the entire cake with icing sugar, then removed the almonds. Ta-da!

The fig crop this year was unbelievable. My family ate all the figs we could, but there were way too many to eat #italianproblems. We made fig jam and even extra fig crostata to freeze. Next year I will have to try drying some too.

That is about all from my cucina (and my parents’ garage) for now. What is happening in your cucina? Let me know in the comments. This post is part of the monthly ‘In my Kitchen’ linkup hosted by Sherry. To read the other posts in this linkup, click this link to her blog Sherry’s Pickings.

Ciao, Cristina

Corzetti

17 Friday Apr 2020

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

≈ 33 Comments

Tags

Cinque Terre, Corzetti, Corzetti with mushroom and walnut sauce, Italian cooking, Liguria, Pasta, Pasta fatta a mano, Pesto Genovese, Printmaking

Corzetti (cor∙ZET∙ti) are a traditional pasta of Liguria, also called croxetti (cro∙shet∙ti) or crosetti in Ligurian. Corzetti are an embossed pasta shaped to look like gold coins. The name comes from ‘crux’, latin for cross. They have been around for a very long time. We know this because the Republic of Genoa had a medieval coin with a Genovese cross and there is a 1362 literary reference to pasta with crossetti served at a banquet.

Corzetti are made with un stampo per corzetti- a corzetti stamp. This is a 2 part device made of unfinished wood-usually pear wood. The textured finish of the wood is functional-it transfers to the pasta and helps hold sauce, as does the embossed design. The bottom of the lower half is used to cut the circles. The top of the lower piece and the upper piece with the handle for pressing each have a carved design.

Corzetti are like edible woodcut prints! The perfect pasta for a printmaker. This must be why I like making them so much!
If you read the posts Le Cinque Terre and Exploring le Cinque Terre, you may remember my determined quest to find a corzetti stamp. In Corniglia, I found dried corzetti for sale, but no stamp. I did not notice any restaurants serving them either, but I also did not look very hard. I finally found a stamp by accident in a tiny shop in Vernazza, the town where we were staying. They were in a basket at the back, where no one could see them!

The design on my stamp is a stem of wheat, with a swirl on the other side. It cost 11 Euro and was carved by a local fisherman. I saw a similar one online for $72 US. You can also custom order stamps but they can be very expensive. It is much more fun to buy something like this where it is produced.

Noble Ligurian families had their family coat of arms engraved on the stamps. Designs also include crosses, wheat, gigli (fleur de Lis) or the emblem of il pastaio, the pastamaker.

Circles are cut on a freshly rolled sfoglia or pasta sheet-not too thick, but thick enough to hold the embossing. Each corzetto is pressed between the 2 parts of the stamp, embossing a design on each side. If the pasta is rolled out too thin, the designs will transfer to the other side.

Corzetti dough is traditionally made with eggs and white wine. It is usually made with flour and semola rimacinata di grano duro (called semolina in North America) or chestnut flour. Traditionally, corzetti are served with pesto or olive oil, herbs and pine nuts. They can also be served with an herb and scallop or mushroom walnut sauce. I have made corzetti several times now, and here is the dough combination I found works the best:

To make Corzetti:

200g (1.5 cups) 00 or All-Purpose flour

200g (1.5 cups) semola rimacinata (Semolina)

3 medium sized eggs plus 2 yolks-add an extra egg if they are small

60ml dry white wine (1/4 cup)

5ml (1 tsp) Extra virgin olive oil

Pinch of salt

Make a well with the flours on a wooden board. Place the eggs, wine and EVOO in the center and beat with a fork, then slowly start to mix in the flour. This dough needs to be soft and elastic to hold the embossing and you may not need all of the flour. Keep some to the side in case it is not needed. Once the mixture is less liquid, start to mix by hand. Knead for 10 minutes. Roll into a ball, cover and let rest for 30 min.

Use half the dough at a time, and keep the other half from drying out by covering with an upturned bowl. Roll the dough out by hand 3mm thick. You can use a pasta machine, but hand rolling will result in a better embossing. Lightly flour the corzetti stamp. Cut circles as close together as possible. Pasta rolled out multiple times will not be consistent thickness and will dry out, and not take the embossing as well. Stand up while pressing down firmly on the top of the stamp with the palm of the hand to get the best quality embossing. This makes 60-65 corzetti.

I like to serve corzetti with a traditional Pesto Genovese. This mushroom walnut sauce is also yummy.

Corzetti con Funghi e Noce / Corzetti with Mushrooms and Walnuts

200g porcini mushrooms or mixed mushrooms in season

1 onion, 1 carrot, 1 celery stalk

2 cloves garlic

Prezzemolo (Italian parsley)

200 g (~3/4 cup) walnuts shelled

30g (2 tablespoons) pine nuts

Dry white wine

EVOO, salt

Finely chop everything except the pine nuts.

Make a soffritto-Fry the onion in olive oil, add carrot and celery, half of the garlic and the pine nuts

In another pan, fry the mushrooms (these can be finely chopped or just separate the tops and bottoms) then add the soffritto. Add wine and cook for 30 min.

Before serving, add salt, the rest of the garlic, and prezzemolo

Cook corzetti in boiling salted water for 3-4 min. Add mushroom sauce and sprinkle with the chopped walnuts and grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

Want to try making corzetti, but don’t have a stamp? Cut circles out with a 5cm (2 inch) diameter drinking glass. Use a cookie press for the design, or find something that can be lightly pressed to make a design in the dough-a wax seal, a ring, the crosshatch design on your meat tenderizer….. get creative!

It is hard to believe I was in Liguria 11 months ago. Since we can not travel there-or anywhere at this time, I hope this helps you viaggiare in pultrona… armchair travel to the coast of Liguria and the Cinque Terre. Buon viaggio and stay safe, Cristina

In my Kitchen in Puglia, 2019

07 Saturday Sep 2019

Posted by Un po' di pepe in Italian life, Mangiamo!, Orsara di Puglia, Puglia

≈ 36 Comments

Tags

Cavatelli, Fiori di zucca, In my kitchen, Nero di Troia, Orecchiette, Pancotto e patate, Pesto Genovese

August is always a busy month. I am usually in Orsara di Puglia for at least half of it, and there is a lot of activity in my kitchen. Here are just a few of the things my family and I were up to in our tiny but functional summer kitchen in Puglia.

Starting with the space itself, the whole casa is 40m² (about 450 square feet) including a bedroom and bathroom. The room with the cucina is also the living room, guest room (aka my room) and art studio. The highlight of the room is the barrel vaulted stone ceiling. It is hard to get a photo of the whole thing, but this one gives you an idea what it looks like. Amazing, isn’t it?

August 5th is a feast day in Orsara. It is la festa della Madonna della Neve which you can read about here. My parents and I invited 7 family members over for pranzo, the 1pm meal. Luckily we have a total of 10 chairs!

I had recently bought a spianatoia, although I only knew what is was called in dialetto. It is a pasta rolling board with a lip on one end so it stays put on the table. This one also has a handy carrying handle. Mamma and I decided to make orecchiette and cavatelli, even though both of us were out of practice. These are the most typical pasta shapes found in Puglia. They was served with sugo made with braciole which are thin cuts of meat rolled with prosciutto, parmigiano, parsley and garlic.

There are no fancy appliances in this kitchen. I was given a bouquet of basilico and garlic from a friend’s garden and we made pesto ‘old school’ with her ancient and very heavy stone mortaio-mortar.

Vino is plentiful in Puglia. Nero di Troia is a nice, full-bodied local wine. Read more about it in Vini di Puglia, the first of a 3 part blog series. It is available at the grocery store in a 3L plastic container for less than €6! It is very good! We bring it home and Papà transfers it to 4 750ml glass bottles. Sure, you can spend more money, but even the inexpensive vino is good. I love to drink pesche in vino -peaches in wine with pranzo. Yum! In summer red wine is often served chilled.

The cheese products in Puglia and Campania are drool-worthy! Orsara has its own DOP cheese called cacioricotta, a goat cheese, but it never stays around long enough to be photographed! Here is a lovely white on white trio of burrata, ricotta and mozzarella di bufala.

Fiori di zucca are one of my favourite summer foods. Luckily they are readily available here. These ones were grown by a friend. They are stuffed with caciocavallo and basilico, ready to be baked or grilled. More recipe and harvesting tips can be found in the post Fiori di zucca. I grow them in my garden in Vancouver as well, but they are not that plentiful.

Cucina povera, literally ‘food of the poor’, is what you will find in Puglia. Simple foods made with fresh local ingredients. My favourite comfort food, very typical of Orsara di Puglia is pancotto e patate. It is made with stale bread, boiled potatoes, oil and garlic. Beans and rucola or other greens can also be added. I will have to write a post on how to make it!I took the train down to Lecce and Nardò for a few days and found this cute ceramic gratta aglio, a garlic grater. Of course the peperoncini attracted me! I hope this post has made you either hungry and drooling or wishing you could visit Puglia yourself. Maybe it has done both? Buon appetito e buon viaggio, CristinaThanks Sherry from Australia for hosting the monthly food blogging event, In My Kitchen (IMK). Read about other world kitchens by clicking the link to Sherry’s Pickings . Buon appetito, Cristina

Exploring le Cinque Terre

05 Friday Jul 2019

Posted by Un po' di pepe in Italia, Photography, Travel tips, Vino

≈ 18 Comments

Tags

Cinque Terre card, Corniglia, Corzetti, Liguria, Manarola, Monterosso a mare, Pesto Genovese, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Vernazza

Le Cinque Terre are 5 stunning clifftop villages on the Coast of Liguria, between La Spezia and Levanto. In my last post I described the area, the villages, how to get there and around. In this post, I write specifically about the experiences I had visiting the area 6 weeks ago with my nipotina* Isabella. Hiking between the 5 villages was our plan. They are connected by rail and also by a series of ancient donkey trails. Along the sea is the ‘Sentiero Azzurro (blue trail) which is flat between Riomaggiore and Manarola, but otherwise gains quite a bit of elevation. The other series of trails is the Sentiero Rosso (red trail), higher up into and over the mountains and terraced vineyards. These are longer and much more challenging, and include trails going to 5 Sanctuaries-one above each village.

Rain and mudslides periodically damage the trails. It is important to check the conditions on the Cinque Terre website. 2 of the 4 sections of Sentiero Azzurro have been closed for a while and are apparently not scheduled to reopen until 2021! We knew this before arriving, but did not know that the trail from Corniglia to Vernazza was also recently closed!

At the Cinque Terre Info Point in La Spezia buying Cinque Terre cards, we were informed of the extra closure. This left us with only 1 accessible section, the Vernazza to Monterosso al Mare section-the most strenuous, of course. To make things worse, they would not sell us a 2 day Cinque Terre card. Perché? Because the next day was going to be one of those dreaded ‘sciopero dei treni’– train strike. Mannaggia! These unexpected things happen when travelling, and no amount of planning ahead will prevent them-so we just adjusted our plans and made the best of it.

Our accomodation was in Vernazza, so we headed there first. Getting off the train at noon, my first thought was ‘mannaggia a te Rick Steeves!’ Via Roma, the main street of this beautiful but tiny village was so packed with people we barely had elbow room! It was loud, crowded, and probably the worst time of day to be there. I could hear the waiters approach everyone in english-a pet peeve of mine. This was mid-May-I can only imagine summer!

After pushing our way down Via Roma to Piazza Marconi at the harbour, we checked in at the restaurant renting our room. The room was waaaaay up a series of 6 narrow staircases winding through tiny streets and alleys, just below Castello Doria. I was glad I did not have a lot of luggage! The view from the top was worth the climb! The roof had a terrazza with chairs and a view of the sea. I could have sat there with a book, but since there were no trains the next day, it was time to do some exploring.

To get to Corniglia, we took the train and climbed the almost 400 steps up from the stazione. Cute and quieter, Corniglia is the only village not on the sea. I looked around for a Corzetti stamp with no luck, then we set off on the much longer and steeper Sentiero Rosso to Manarola via an inland town called Volastra. There were viste mozzafiate-breathtaking views in every direction and the trail not crowded at all. It took us right through ‘vertical farmland’ high above the sea. They are called terrazzamenti a fasce -strip terraced vineyards and olive groves. I thought these long metal poles and brackets were to give support against rock and mudslides, but the next day I found out what they were for.

It took almost 3 hours to reach Manarola, a lovely town with a cute harbour and several viewpoints to walk to and watch the sunset. We decided not to go to Riomaggiore, as trains are less frequent in the evening and our visits to both towns would have been too rushed. Arriving by train back to Vernazza, the daytrippers were long gone and it was a beautiful evening for walking along the tiny harbour, taking photos and watching people try to fish.

The next morning, after colazione-breakfast on another terrazza overlooking the sea, we climbed up to Castello Doria, a few flights of stairs above our room. We had 360° views over Vernazza, the mountains and the sea. Then we headed out of town on the Sentiero Azzurro to Monterosso a Mare before the onslaught of daytrippers stepped off the train. The trail started just above Vernazza. It was a steep uphill climb for awhile and then we were rewarded with birds’ eye views directly over Vernazza. There were many more hikers on this trail than on the one yesterday, but it was not overly crowded. I did say ‘Buongiorno’ a lot! The scenery was amazing and included walks through more terraced vineyards, olive and lemon groves. I even had a closer look at some of the mysterious looking machinery and contraptions for transporting grapes down the mountain that I had seen the day before.

Monterosso was visible long before we reached it. The beach was long and sandy with a lungomare, a seaside walkway. We spotted fritto misto da asporto-takeout mixed fried seafood and veggies sold in paper cones. Despite the sciopero, a few local trains went by. We thought about taking the train to Riomaggiore, but were concerned about getting stuck there without a train back. We returned to Vernazza and bought pesto focaccia and a paper cone of fritto misto to have on the terrazza.

I was excited to finally find my stampo per Corzetti! Corzetti (Croxetti in Genovese) are traditional Ligurian pasta shaped like large coins with a design stamped on both sides. The design holds the sauce better! It was hand carved by a local fisherman and I can’t wait to try it. One design is an ear of wheat and the other a ‘swirly thing’. I looked for one in every town, and ended up finding it right in Vernazza. The shop owner and Isabella could not believe how excited I was to find it! Stay tuned for a corzetti pasta post in the future.

Later we walked part of the Vernazza to Corniglia trail, turning back at the point where it was closed. The views of Vernazza from the other side were amazing, but the weather was starting to change. The Sentiero Rosso can get to Corniglia, via the Sanctuary of San Bernardino, but it takes 3.5 hours! In the evening I attended a Cinque Terre wine tasting event hosted by Alessandro, a local sommelier on the terrazza. I tasted 3 Cinque Terre whites while looking out at the sea. Hiking with a 19 year old is exhausting, so this was a perfect way to end the day! Salute!

We loved our 2 days/nights in le Cinque Terre and could have used another day to go to Riomaggiore, and possibly take a boat. In our case, it is better we did not stay an extra day though-as we left for Milano in a torrential downpour. In bad weather, there are no indoor activities in the Cinque Terre villages-except reading a book on a terrazza. Travel to the area is best between April and September. October and November are rainy, then it gets cold.

In case you think that in my photos it does not look crowded, this is because I could not move my elbows wide enough to take a photo during the peak times! Le Cinque Terre are no longer an undiscovered gem but are definitely still worth visiting. If planning a visit, I would definitely recommend staying in one of the villages, for a calmer experience and to enjoy the mornings and evenings when the crowds of daytrippers have left for the day. During the busy hours, go hiking and exploring. The best way to see the area is on the trails! Many visitors stay in Portovenere or La Spezia for cheaper accomodation, but I do not think the experience is the same at all. Day tours also arrive from Firenze and Milano, 2.5-3 hours away, leaving little time to see the area. Be a daytripper only if you have no other option to ever visit the area. Staying in one of the villages may not be advisable for those with mobility issues or a lot of luggage.

Individual train tickets between La Spezia and Levanto are €4 and valid for 75 minutes. If you plan to hike and take the train, buy a Cinque Terre Card. The combo card (trekking and treno) includes unlimited train travel between La Spezia and Levanto, use of all the trails, and wifi that actually works! It costs €16 per day. For trekking only, it is €7.50 per day. The card is available for 2 and 3 days- except in the case of un sciopero! There are also family and low season prices. For more information, check here. Open toed shoes and smooth soles are not allowed on trails.

Eat as much seafood as possible, and pesto, not necessarily together-although Fooderia Manarola (@fooderia_manarola on instagram) does have panino con polpo (octopus) e pesto! My pesto is very good (recipe here) but the besto pesto is in Liguria! You can choose traditional trofie con pesto, lasagne con pesto and pesto focaccia. Pesto heaven! The paper cones of fritto misto -assorted seafood and veggies are delicious takeout food.

Have you visited le Cinque Terre? What did you think? Buon viaggio, Cristina

*Nipote or nipotina means both niece and granddaughter. In this case, it means niece!

In My Kitchen, September 2018

04 Tuesday Sep 2018

Posted by Un po' di pepe in Mangiamo!

≈ 32 Comments

Tags

Basilico, Fiori di zucca, In my kitchen, Oregano, Passata di pomodoro, Pesto Genovese, Pomodori, Pomodori secchi

Late August/early September is a busy time in my kitchen, and even busier in my parents’ garage. The garage has a sink and propane burner, so it counts as a kitchen too! Mid August, I am usually just getting home from 3-4 weeks in Italia and am right back to work the next day for a jet-lag infused reality check.

My garden is thirsty for water and full of erbacce-weeds that need to be pulled. The fruits of the garden are ripe for picking. This was a good year for pomodori-4 different varieties. My favourite are the ciliegine or cherry tomatoes. I eat them like candy, and freeze some for making brodo-broth for the winter. My parents get back from Italia at the end of August, then we make passata di pomodoro to can for the year. We use whatever is ripe enough from our gardens, and purchase a lot more. This is a major production involving the whole family, but is totally worth the effort. I like to call it ‘Salsapalooza’. Read more about our passata di pomodoro making in this post.

The origano-oregano was picked about a month ago and hung to dry in bundles. It is ready to be crumbled and stored in jars.

My Mamma brings home pomodori secchi, sun-dried tomatoes from the mercato in Orsara di Puglia. We put them in jars under oil with garlic, parsley and capers. Yum!

In May, I planted basilico seeds in every available pot I could find and the crop was a good one, so I am making a lot of pesto this year. I bought a stash of pine nuts while I was in Italia. My recipe for Pesto Genovese can be found here.

I am sad to pick the last of my fiori di zucca. They are too delicate to keep or freeze. I make them battered and fried, stuffed, battered and fried, or stuffed and baked. Sometimes I use the broken bits to make frittelle or a frittata. I am always shocked that so many people do not know these delicate morsels are edible! To learn how to pick them and what to do with them, check out my post Fiori di zucca.

Some of my zucchine grew too big while I was away, so I have put those aside to make chocolate zucchini cake. You would never know there is a lot of vegetable in it! Sorry, it did not last long enough for a photo!

My raspberry bushes were producing a bowlful a day in June and July. Now there are just 5-10 berries per day. I have been hoarding them until I had just enough for one last batch of jam!

Rucola gets put in and on everything! In my salad, on my pizza, on my thin cut sautéed beef. Some even goes into the freezer for making pasta patate e rucola, on of my favourite comfort foods in the winter.

That is about all from my kitchen (and my parents’ garage) this month. What is happening in your cucina? This post is part of the monthly ‘In my Kitchen’ linkup hosted by Sherry. To read the other posts click this link to her blog Sherry’s Pickings

Ciao, Cristina

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

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

Pesto Genovese, usually just called Pesto, originated in Genoa, Liguria. It’s made with fresh basil leaves, garlic, pine nuts, extra virgin olive oil, Pecorino Sardo or 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 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 was born! In Liguria, Pesto is usually served with on trofie or linguine. It is also used on pasta, potatoes and green beans, all cooked separately in the same pot of water. Yum!

I don’t measure the ingredients when I make Pesto, but I estimated them here for you. Good quality ingredients are necessary to make delicious Pesto. No skimping!

Pesto Genovese

2 firmly packed cups large basil leaves

3 cloves of garlic

¼ cup European pine nuts

salt and pepper

½ cup good quality extra virgin olive oil

½ cup grated Pecorino Sardo or Romano

½ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano

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, 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
If you plan to freeze the Pesto, leave out the cheeses and add them when you are going to use it