Tuesday, February 11, 2014

15 Food Reasons Italians Are Better At Life

When some people think of Italian, they can't help but think of food, as this is something we certainly excel in. There are many culinary wonders that the Italians can take credit for, and this article outlines all of them. As you will soon find out, there is more to be grateful for than just lasagna. 

As much as we love our spaghetti & meatballs and fettucini Alfredo, we would gladly give them up for an authentic meal in Italy any day. This hot-blooded country serves up plate after plate of simple, well-rounded pasta dishes. They are masterswith the eggplant. And they have blessed us all with the greatest way to use lady fingers: tiramisu. But it's not just the actual food that makes Italy a food-lover's paradise. It's the way they think about their food that sets them apart from the rest.
In Italy, the coffee is hot and to the point, the mozzarella is fresh and the people eat with gusto. Clearly, Italians are just better at life than the rest of us. And that's just the short list. Read on for the 15 reasons that the rest of us should take notes on how to live from the Italians -- or why we should all just up and move to Italy.
  • 1
    They Put Ice Cream IN Their Coffee
    Flickr: Breville USA
    It's like adding cream and sugar, but a lot more fun. This beautiful coffee drink is called an affogato.
  • 2
    Making Fresh Pasta Isn't Reserved For Special Occasions
    The Simple Things via Getty Images
    It's a way of life.
  • 3
    They Created Burrata
    Flickr: fred_v
    It's like buffalo mozzarella, only SO MUCH BETTER because it has the wonderful addition of cream.
  • 4
    Olive Oil Runs Through Their Veins
    Flickr: Smabs Sputzer
    The average Italian consumes about 14 liters of olive oil a year.
  • 5
    They Don't Mess Around With Freeze-Dried Parmesean
    Flickr: ejgrubbs
    They use the real deal, and they make it in these enormous wheels.
  • 6
    They Put Their Leftover Risotto To Good Use
    Flickr: stu_spivack
    They shape it into a ball, stuff it with ragu, bread it and throw it in the deep fryer. It's called arancini and it's almost better than risotto. We commend them for their resourcefulness and respect their ability to fry just about anything.
  • 7
    Spending 3-4 Hours To Make A Ragu Is A Totally Respectable Way To Spend Your Time
    Flickr: stuandgravy
    They have their priorities straight.
To read more:

Thursday, January 2, 2014

The Perfect Finale to an Italian Christmas Feast


Christmas, or “Natale,” is when the warm heart of Italy opens to its fullest. Cities sparkle with an unparalleled elegance, and the exuberant, generous Italian spirit is apparent everywhere. Christmas is by far the most important holiday of the year in Italy; the festivities last from December 24th through January 6th. Family gatherings are the most important part of “Natale.” This is the time of year when families reunite from whatever corners of the world they may have scattered, and it is around the table, or “a tavola,” that Italian families come together.
After a long dinner shared with loved ones, rich desserts, spiced breads and traditional pastries are the perfect conclusion to an Italian holiday meal.  At many Christmas “tavolas” you will find apple strudels, chocolate cakes, and amaretti puddings. A favorite holiday dessert is also “crostoli,” or ribbon-shaped fried dough cookies.
At your Holiday “tavola” this year, impress your guests with a simple but classic Italian dessert like Almond Pine Nut Cookies.  You can make the elegant cookies yourself, and compliment them with a selection of purchased Italian pastries.  The perfect conclusion to a perfect meal!
For traditional Italian Almond Pine Nut Cookies, you will need:
2  7-ounce tubes of almond paste

1 cup sugar

2 large egg whites

Finely grated zest of one orange

1½ cups whole pine nuts
Baking sheet covered in parchment paper;
Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. 

Crumble almond paste into the work bowl of a food processor and process until the paste is in fine crumbs. Sprinkle in the sugar with the motor running. Once the sugar is incorporated, add the egg whites and orange zest. Process to make a smooth dough, about 20 to 30 seconds.
Spread the pine nuts on a plate. Form the dough into 2-tablespoon-sized balls by rolling in in between the palms of your hands, then roll the dough in the pine nuts until coated, then place on baking sheets. Bake until lightly golden and springy to the touch, about 13 to 15 minutes. Let cool on baking sheets for about 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies to cooling racks to cool completely.


Enjoy and Buon Natale!

Friday, December 27, 2013

5 Peculiar Italian New Year’s Eve Traditions!

The holidays are almost done for a while after New Year’s Eve. Every heritage and cultural background has their own set of traditions for every holiday and learning about the history behind them is always interesting. This article highlights a few fun and brazen old Italian traditions for New Year’s Eve.

New Years is a monumental occasion for just about every culture across the globe, and for Italians, it is no exception. This traditionally superstitious country is not wanting for traditions, promised to bring luck upon all that practice them. Read on for our top five curious traditions in Italy:
 The Meal: Cotechino e Lenticchie
A traditional Italian New Year’s meal.
Image Credit: http://saporiericette.blogosfere.it
 The evening begins with a traditional dish, “cotechino e lenticchie”  Cotechino is a delicious, savory, fresh pork sausage, typically sold either partially pre-cooked or raw.  The meat itself consists of “lo zampone,” the actual hoof of the pig, and is a symbol of abundance and bountifulness as represented by the meat’s high fat content, richness, and flavor.   Lenticchie (lentils) are believed to bring good luck and prosperity in the coming year to those who eat them on New Year’s Eve.  These tiny oval-shaped legumes, reminiscent of gold coins, represent the money that one will earn in the coming year. Needless to say, the more you eat, the better off you’ll be financially!
The Dessert: L’Uve
The dinner concludes with dried fruit and grapes.  According to tradition, having grapes present on the table during New Year’s ensures that those sitting at the table will be wise and frugal spenders of money.  This is based on the idea that one must exercise significant willpower in order to conserve grapes taken from the grape harvest without eating them until New Year’s Eve.  A person with such willpower will surely be a wise and frugal spender in the coming year!
Post-Dinner Rituals
Immediately following dinner is a series of wild rituals that, by today’s standards, have become somewhat outdated, but are still fun and practiced by many.
Red undergarments and lingerie are worn by men and women, respectively; in addition to espousing love and good fortune, the color red also represents fertility – both for men and for women – so wearers beware!  Additionally, the tradition dictates that these red intimates be thrown out the following day in order for the ritual to take full effect.
Tradition has it that you toss out the old to make room for the new.
Another antiquated tradition involves tossing old personal items directly out of the window.  Although this tradition is rarely practiced nowadays, it certainly doesn’t hurt to be wary of open windows on New Year’s Eve as you stroll down the sidewalk – lookout!

Another brazen ritual involves smashing plates, glasses, vases and other pottery against the ground to drive away any bad omens tainting the coming year and to eradicate any negative auras that have accumulated, thereby beginning the new year fresh and optimistic.
Read more:

Monday, December 23, 2013

Feasts of Natale: A Traditional Italian Christmas

Natale, or Christmas, is one of Italy's most beloved holidays, where each region celebrates 3 meals with its own line-up of traditional dishes. Take a peek into Italy's rich tradition and get a few ideas for your own holiday feasts this season.
By Piergiorgio and Amy Nicoletti
Christmas—or Natale—is when the warm heart of Italy opens to its fullest. Cities sparkle with an unparalleled elegance, and the exuberant, generous Italian spirit is apparent everywhere. Christmas is by far themost important holiday of the year in Italy—the festivities lasting from December 24th through January 6th. Family gatherings are the most important part of Natale. This is the time of year when families reunite from whatever corners of the world they may have scattered, and it is around the table—or, a tavola—that Italian families come together. As we all know, these holidays can sometimes be anything but serene; nonetheless, Natale allows parents and children, siblings and in-laws, friends and sweethearts—and sometimes a grandfather (nonno) or grandmother (nonna), or an old beloved aunt (zia)—the opportunity to see one another after long separations, spending significant time together over splendid food and drink.
Holiday Spoon
Natale is one of the few occasions of the year in which ancestral traditions are revered above all else; skills, memories and team work all come together to create very elaborate banquets and fabulous dishes. What will be eaten during the feste is a kind of ritual; very often each portate (that is, each single course) is prepared more or less in the same way it has been for generations. Days are spent in the kitchen—everyone pitching in—with lots of long, languorous hours between meals, spent relaxing and digesting and chatting—the long-awaited family conversations punctuated by the sound of walnuts, almonds and hazelnuts being cracked open and the shells tossed into the fireplace. 
If we consider only le feste di Natale (the Christmas festivities)—excluding for now the long and rich Veglione di San Silvestro (New Year’s Eve feast) and the wonderful pranzo di Capodanno (New Year’s Day lunch)—there are three important meals.

Christmas Crystal
December 24: Christmas Eve Dinner
Christmas Eve dinner is traditionally a light meal with no meat. This dinner precedes the Midnight Mass. In the colder and more rural regions, the Mass is often followed by hot chocolate at home with cookies or a slice of panettone. In my childhood in Venice, this tradition was a joy for my siblings and me—a reward for behaving for nearly two long hours in church.
Antipasti are normally based on fish; for example, Carpaccio di pesce spada, tonno or salmone(sword fish, tuna fish, or fresh salmon carpaccio), and/or insalata di mareordi polpo (seafood or octopus salad). As a first course, in regions like Lombardia, Piemonte and Emilia-Romagna, agnolotti filled with ricotta and spinach, potatoes or pumpkin are served. These are usually served with butter, sage and Parmigiano-Reggiano. But the originality of some traditions can go to extremes like the cialson prepared in Friuli, which are ravioli filled with ricotta, raisins and/or dried figs, spinach, chocolate and candied citron! In Veneto, we love bigoi in salsa, which are a sort of thick, buckwheat spaghetti seasoned with a delicious cream of anchovies and onions. In Piemonte, the glorious bagna caudais often served. Anguilla (eel) orcapitone is very traditional, and is cooked in many different ways all over Italy. In parts of Sicily, they prepare involtini (roulade) of swordfish made with breadcrumbs, orange juice, pinoli, dried raisins, tarragon, ginger, garlic, parsley and basil. This last dish is an example of how Italian regional cuisine can reach an almost stratospheric level!

December 25: Christmas Day Lunch
This is the most important of the three meals associated with Natale and can last for hours. The table has to be beautiful and big to accommodate the many guests; the relatives with the biggest table usually host the party. The best tablecloths are chosen, together with grandmother’s antique dishware, and of course the English silverware. Precious crystal glasses are brought out, and if you break one, you will be reminded of your clumsiness for years to come.
On Christmas day lunch, the first course is often preceded by a classic antipasto with cuts of cured meat, garnished with olives and cheese. When the pasta course is brought out, it is just about impossible for any Italian to refuse a second serving of nonna’s wonderful Pasta or Pasticcio al forno—a baked pasta full of surprises. This type of baked pasta is more common in the central southern regions of Italy. In the north, Lasagne verdi alla Bolognese reigns supreme, along with a huge variety of filled pastas. Cannelloni with different fillings, baked with besciamella and ragù, are also popular. Though today’s young families have their own alternatives to these classic choices, most Italians prefer the traditional to the new for the holidays.
As a second course, meat is de rigueur: roasted veal, braised beef or roasted chicken with potatoes—which in my childhood was really an event. We say in Italy that court birds and little animals are the sacrificial victims of our lust for meat at Christmas.
Family Celebrating
December 26th—Santo Stefano’s Lunch
On the 26th of December, lunch is important too. For this meal, more distant relatives and friends are often invited. The meal will be less sumptuous, but still important and well composed. Fantasy and innovation at the stove are probably more common for this meal. Different kinds of antipasti and other courses are often served.
If a family had guests on Christmas, it’s very likely that on this day, called Santo Stefano, they will return the visit or see other relatives or friends at least to exchange presents and good wishes. If no guests are invited, it’s customary that leftovers will be joyfully eaten—like the Friday following Thanksgiving Day in the U.S. In any case, the tendency nowadays is to make less elaborate preparations on this day. This is an important lunch, certainly made with the holiday spirit, but with no particular culinary traditions of its own. Younger generations will often try some unusual pasta dishes, or a new exotic soup. Also, on this day, restaurants are very popular, offering a refreshing change from days in the kitchen.
Traditional Italian Holiday Recipes
Looking for holiday cookie recipes?

Buon Natale! Christmas in Italy

During Christmastime, one readily observable difference between Italy and the United States, for instance, is the lack of crass commercialism that threatens to swallow up and completely secularize the holiday. For instance, instead of writing letters to Santa Claus asking for presents (or, in the digital age, e-mailing Santa Claus), Italian children write letters to tell their parents how much they love them. The letter is normally placed under their father's plate and read after Christmas Eve dinner has been finished.
Italians have also adopted some of the northern European traditions as well. Nowadays, especially in northern Italy, a fair number of families decorate an evergreen tree in their home. Here are some other rituals, customs, and traditions practiced by Italians during the Christmas holidays:
Ceppo: The ceppo is a wooden frame several feet high designed in a pyramid shape. This frame supports several tiers of shelves, often with a manger scene on the bottom followed by small gifts of fruit, candy, and presents on the shelves above. The "Tree of Light," as it is also know, is entirely decorated with colored paper, gilt pinecones, and miniature colored pennants. Small candles are fastened to the tapering sides and a star or small doll is hung at the apex.
Urn of Fate: An old tradition in Italy calls for each member of the family to take turns drawing a wrapped gift out of a large ornamental bowl until all the presents are distributed.
Zampognari and Pifferai: In Rome and surrounding areas bagpipers and flute players, in traditional colorful costumes of sheepskin vests, knee-high breeches, white stockings and long dark cloaks, travel from their homes in the Abruzzi mountains to entertain crowds of people at religious shrines.
La BefanaKindly old witch who brings children toys on the Feast of the Epiphany, January 6. According to the legend of la Befana, the Three Wise Men stopped at her hut to ask directions on their way to Bethlehem and to invite her to join them. She refused, and later a shepherd asked her to join him in paying respect to the Christ Child. Again she refused, and when night fell she saw a great light in the skies.
La Befana thought perhaps she should have gone with the Three Wise Men, so she gathered some toys that had belonged to her own child, who had died, and ran to find the kings and the shepherd. But la Befana could not find them or the stable. Now, each year she looks for the Christ Child. Since she cannot find him, she leaves gifts for the children of Italy and pieces of coal (nowadays carbone dolce, a rock candy that looks remarkably like coal) for the bad ones.
Holiday Season: On the Italian holiday calendar December 25 isn't the only special day. Throughout December and January there are a number of religious holidays to mark the season.
DECEMBER 6: La Festa di San Nicola - The festival in honor of St. Nicholas, the patron saint of shepherds, is celebrated in towns such as Pollutri with the lighting of fires under enormous cauldrons, in which fave (broad beans) are cooked, then eaten ceremoniously.
DECEMBER 8: L'Immacolata Concezione - celebration of the Immaculate Conception
DECEMBER 13: La Festa di Santa Lucia - St. Lucy's Day
DECEMBER 24: La Vigilia di Natale - Christmas Eve
DECEMBER 25: Natale - Christmas
DECEMBER 26: La Festa di Santo Stefano - St. Stephen's Day marks the announcement of the birth of Jesus and the arrival of the Three Wise Men
DECEMBER 31: La Festa di San Silvestro - New Year's Eve
JANUARY 1: Il Capodanno - New Year's Day

JANUARY 6: La Festa dell'Epifania - The Epiphany

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Struffoli: Italian Christmas Tradition

Struffoli is a Neapolitan dessert that is traditionally prepared at Christmastime.
2013-12-03-Struffolinapoletani1.jpgIt is made of tiny dough balls that have been deep-fried and soaked in honey.
They are served piled high on plates and serving trays. Some like to form them in the shape of Christmas trees or wreaths. Regardless of which style you form your struffoli, they are always festively covered with multi-colored candy sprinkles and colorful mixed candied fruits.
Struffoli are a traditional Italian holiday treat for those living in Italy as well as for those that live out of the country. People who grew up with this symbol of Christmas seem to go out of their way every year to make sure there is a struffoli on the holiday table.
Some buy it; some make it. In any event, the tradition is kept alive.
In Italy, Italian home cooks traditionally make large quantities of these tiny honey balls for friends and family. When one visits relatives during the holidays, a plate of struffoli often is brought along as a gift to spread holiday cheer and in keeping with the theme of Christmas as the season of giving.
The struffoli recipe shared here is one I have been making for years. I find that it is consistent and always delicious.
The final shapes are always fun to see. Who says you can't have a struffoli in the shape of a race car?
Struffoli: (serves: 10-15)
Ingredients: for the dough
Sugar - 1 cup
Butter - 2 oz. (unsalted)
Eggs - 5
Vanilla - 2 teaspoons
Flour - 4 cups
Baking powder - 2 teaspoons
Lemon - 1, grated
The honey syrup:
Sugar - 1/2 cup
Water - 1/2 cup
Honey - 16 oz.
Cinnamon - 1/4 teaspoon
Frying:
Vegetable oil - 6-8 cups
Garnishing:
Candied mixed fruit - 1/2 cup, chopped
Sprinkles - 1 tablespoon
Method: (This recipe utilizes an electric mixer. They can be made by hand by following the instructions and increasing the blending and mixing times by 5-10 minutes to insure proper consistency.)
  • In the bowl of your electric stand mixer with the paddle attachment in place, blend together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. This should take 5-8 min on medium speed, scraping the sides of the bowl down from time to time as needed.
  • Add the eggs, one at a time, blending well after each addition.
  • Add the vanilla, flour, baking powder, grated lemon zest and blend well until a soft dough is formed. (If dough seem to sticky, add a little additional flour in order to achieve a workable dough that will not stick to your hands.)
  • Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece on a lightly floured board into a long rope the diameter of a pencil. Then cut each rope into 1/2 inch size pieces. Lightly roll between the palms of your hands to create small ball shapes.
  • Heat the oil to 350 F.
  • Fry the dough pieces in the hot oil about 12 at a time. Cook until golden brown all over. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a sheet pan lined with absorbent paper to drain. Repeat until all dough had been fried and drained. Then transfer all to a clean bowl and reserve until needed.
  • In a medium pot, combine the sugar and water. Stir over low heat until the sugar is completely dissolved. Then add the honey and the cinnamon. Continue to stir until mixture reaches a simmer.
  • Remove the pot from the heat and pour into the bowl with the fried dough balls, mixing and tossing the balls gently and simultaneously with a spatula to make sure that all are coated well.
  • At this point, you can toss some of the candied chopped fruit into the bowl and mix in reserving the rest of the candied fruits for the garnishing.

To shape:
  • On a decorative serving tray or plate begin to mound the honey balls.
  • If making the wreath shape, place a clean glass, or glass jar in the center of your plate and build your honey ball wreath around it. Remove the glass mold when you are ready to garnish.
Garnish:
  • Once you have completed plating, use the colorful sprinkles and reserves candied fruits to festively decorate the top.
Happy Holidays ~ Buon Natale!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/franco-lania/struffoli-italian-christmas-tradition_b_4378585.html

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

A Feast of Seven (Sustainable) Fishes


Among all the ways to celebrate the holidays, we can't help but be partial to the Mediterranean tradition of the Feast of the Seven Fishes, a seafood-centric dinner that takes place on Christmas Eve. Where we come from, any celebration is a good excuse to eat fish, and so come Christmastime we make a point to get in touch with our Italian side.
It's easy to eat fish, but not always easy to know what fish to choose, so we're offering up recommendations for a sustainable seafood feast. We planned this meal with special consideration for the hard-working independent fishermen that brave the seas to bring us our fish, and so each of our choices represents a fishing community worthy of our support and recognition.
Our hope this holiday season is that whether you're preparing a multi-course meal or a humble supper, sustainable and traceable seafood becomes a staple in your kitchen.
1) Atlantic Pollock from Portland, Maine
Though Atlantic Cod has seen hard times, there's plenty of sustainable species still swimming in the Gulf of Maine. One is Atlantic Pollock. A close cousin of Cod, ourfisherman friend Terry Alexander describes it as "a good eatin' fish." Best of all, this under-appreciated species drives profit back to traditional New England fishing communities.
2) Squid from Point Judith, Rhode Island
We love a good calamari, but why fry up the tasteless imported squid proliferating the marketplace when you could eat local? Frying up a sustainably managed fresh squid from the waterfront village of the Port of Galilee is a surefire way to rediscover a classic dish.
3) Blue Crab from Cambridge, Maryland
J.M. Clayton is the oldest working crab house in the country. During blue crab season, the fifth-generation family business picks thousands of pounds of crabs bought directly from Chesapeake watermen. No one does it better, and we wouldn't imagine getting our crab elsewhere.
4) Mahi-Mahi from Beaufort, North Carolina
Rapid growing and fast breeding, Atlantic mahi-mahi in many ways epitomizes the perfect sustainable fish. They're abundant along the East Coast, especially in the Mid-Atlantic off of North Carolina's Cape Hatteras, where the Labrador and Gulf Stream currents converge to create a wall of water that's ideal for fishing.
5) Gulf White Shrimp from Port St. Joe, Florida
Wild-caught domestic shrimp gets our vote for the fifth course of our fishy feast. Gulf Shrimp is unmatched in sweet, briny flavor and caught sustainably using special by-catch reduction devices. We especially favor the shrimp landing at Wood's Fisheries in Port St. Joe, Florida, a thriving family-run dock that welcomes the Gulf's best shrimping vessels.
6) American Red Snapper from Destin, Florida
American Red Snapper is one of our favorite fishery comeback stories. A mere decade ago the Gulf fishing community was in trouble due to poorly managed fish stocks and an influx of imported seafood. Now the fishery is sustainably managed using individual fishing quotas (IFQs), and Florida fisherman land abundant American Red Snapper four or five days a week.
7) Pacific Cod from Homer, Alaska
A sustainable alternative to Atlantic Cod on the east coast, Alaska's thriving Pacific Cod fishery is among the best managed in the world. Fishermen harvest Pacific Cod with pots, a method with zero by-catch that does no harm to the sea floor. That's a fish worth eating.