Posted on

Christmastime culinary traditions

CHRISTMASTIME
CULINARY
TRADITIONS

With Christmas just around the corner, my family – like so many others both here and in Italy – is starting to make preparations for all of the traditional foods that will be devoured during the holiday season. This is a time for friends and family to come together and cook and eat and drink and cook and eat and drink some more. That’s actually pretty much all we do.

In my family we have a time-honored tradition that, over the years, has come to be known as dough night. This is the night – which occurs about a week before Christmas – when all of our traditional fried specialties get made. From the cavizungidd (fried ravioli stuffed with a chocolate/chestnut/cooked wine filling) to the pettole (fried savory dough), it is a night that brings us back home to our southern Italian roots. Even though my nonna is no longer with us, we still follow all of her hand-written recipes from her black and white composition notebook and criticize each other’s techniques, just like she would have done! It’s a great night and a great time for everyone involved! 

What are some of the Christmas traditions you are looking forward to most?

Arrivederci,
Teresa

Posted on

Italian Extravaganza 2018

ITALIAN
EXTRAVAGANZA 2018

The time is quickly approaching for the 2018 installment of Italian extravaganza! This year’s 5 week adventure will take us home – Basilicata – for 3 weeks and into Umbria for 2 weeks. The schedule is packed with amazing day trips into beautiful little towns, some better know than others, but all amazing in their own ways.

As always, I am most excited about all of the food we will be eating and all of the Aperol Spritzes and wine we will be drinking! We will definitely be returning to some of our favorite places but we will also be branching out and exploring some new establishments as well. 

I will be posting tons of pictures and stories as the trip unfolds. I hope to inspire you all to visit Italy soon, but more so to branch out and explore not just the areas of Italy that are well-known, but especially the ones that are not so well-known. That’s where the magic really happens!

Arrivederci,
Teresa

Posted on

Italian Easter traditions

ITALIAN
EASTER TRADITIONS

There are so many wonderful traditions in Italy associated with the Easter holiday. There are many famous processions all throughout Italy that re-enact the Catholic tradition of the Via Crucis, or way of the cross. Different towns have them on different days, starting with the Thursday before Easter through the Saturday. Then on Easter Sunday friends and families gather together to enjoy some traditional Easter specialties. Most Easter meals revolve around some kind of lamb dish, although there are many variations depending on the region.

In my family, the Easter meal has always traditionally started with homemade ravioli. But these are no ordinary ravioli. The tradition from our hometown is to serve both sweet and savory ravioli as a first course. The savory ravioli are regular ricotta-filled ravioli. The sweet ravioli have something added to the ricotta to make them, well, sweet. Both types are then served with tomato sauce and grated cheese on top. Everyone in my family has their own specific ratio of sweet-to-savory ravioli that they like. Personally, I’m all about the sweet, with only a couple of the savory just to taste them.

As the sweet ravioli are a time-honored family secret, I won’t be sharing a recipe. But I can tell you one thing for sure…they’re amazingly delicious! So I recommend either procuring an invitation to a Southern Italian family’s Easter meal, or planning an Easter trip to Southern Italy!

So as with so many other times of year, Easter is yet another fantastic time to visit Italy, both for its cultural traditions as well as its culinary ones. An Italian Easter trip should, therefore, be high on your list so you can experience all of these wonderful traditions for yourself!

In the meantime… Buona Pasqua!

Arrivederci,
Teresa

Posted on

The zeppole of San Giuseppe… Best. Pastry. Ever!

THE ZEPPOLE OF
SAN GIUSEPPE…
BEST.PASTRY.EVER!

This week I wanted to talk about an upcoming feast in Italy and its traditional treats. San Giuseppe – or St. Joseph’s day – is next Monday, March 19th. In Italy it is also Father’s Day.

There are many wonderful traditions associated with this feast. In keeping with my love of culinary traditions, I would love to talk a little about zeppole. I know what you’re thinking, zeppole, those little fried balls covered in sugar that are sold at every Italian feast here in the States. But those are not zeppole in the traditional sense.

Zeppole are round, hollowed out, donut-esque, deep-fried pastries that are filled with cream and topped with amarene (sour cherries) and usually powdered sugar. They are the traditional pastries of the feast of San Giuseppe. They are originally from Southern Italy and can vary by type of filling or coating, depending on what region you’re from.

On the day of the feast, zeppole are presented as gifts either by people called Giuseppe or to those with that name. I know a lot about them, having grown up with a father named Giuseppe. I can personally attest to how amazingly delicious they are.

If you are able to get your hands on some next Monday, at your local Italian pastry shop, I strongly recommend it. Or remember, you can always plan a trip to Italy so you can taste them right at the source. Either way, enjoy!

Arrivederci,
Teresa

Posted on

Happy National Pizza Day!

HAPPY
NATIONAL PIZZA DAY!

Today is National Pizza Day, so what better excuse could I have to discuss pizza?  One of my favorite things to eat, bar none, the topic of pizza is more complex than you would think.

The word pizza originated in Gaeta in 997 AD and probably referred to a focaccia-like flat bread. The actual first pizza (as we know it today) originated in the poor neighborhoods of Naples in the late 18th century, when tomatoes from the New World were first added to flatbread.

The two most traditional types of pizza in Naples were the marinara and the margherita. The marinara has only tomato sauce, olive oil, garlic and oregano as toppings. The name refers to the wife of a seamen (a marinara) and the pizza she used to make when her husband returned from the sea. The margherita has tomato sauce, mozzarella and fresh basil. The legend behind the name is that it was Queen Margherita of Savoy’s favorite pizza because it had all the colors of the Italian flag on it.

Today there are as many variations of pizza toppings as the imagination can conjure, from seafood to tropical fruit to even pasta!

And today there are other dilemmas related to pizza as well. Thin crust or thick crust? With sauce or without sauce? Traditional toppings or crazy combinations? With a fork and knife or folded with your hands? The choices to these options create an endless array of outcomes, many of which reflect where you grew up.

Regardless of how you enjoy your pizza, though, the best place to eat pizza is still in Italy. And at least once in your life you should eat a genuine traditional pizza in Naples. Maybe you should start planning your next trip? What will your favorite pizza be?

Arrivederci,
Teresa

Posted on

The traditions of Carnevale

THE TRADITIONS
OF CARNEVALE

Carnevale is a holiday that is celebrated the day before Lent starts. Lent traditionally being a period of subdued frugality, the day before represents a last hurrah for merriment and indulging. People wear costumes or masks and there are parades and parties.

In Italy, Carnevale at large is basically like Halloween here in the US, as far as kids dressing up in costumes goes. The more traditional and famous Carnevale celebrations are particular to Venice and Viareggio and last much longer than just a day.

And now we come to the indulging part of Carnevale, the part where we get to talk about all of the amazing culinary specialties associated with this holiday.

When we talk about typical treats, for Carnevale it is all about sweet and fried.

Frappe (aka bugie, cenci, chiacchiere depending on where in Italy you are)  – deep-fried pastries with a sprinkling of powdered sugar
Castagnole – little dough balls topped with sugar
Frittelle – small, soft, fried pancakes
Ciambelle – traditional donuts

So for Carnevale, you basically walk around in a costume or a mask all day, whilst eating all manner of fried sweets. All in all, not a bad way to spend a day.

And if you hurry, there’s still time to plan a trip to Italy for this year’s Carnevale on February 11th… your stomach will thank you.

Arrivederci,
Teresa

Posted on

Dough night 2017

DOUGH NIGHT
2017

Italian Christmas traditions are in my blood. Two nights ago we had Dough night, one of my particular favorites. It is the night when we fry all of the savory and sweet dough specialties in preparation for Christmas Eve. The pettole are the savory fried dough “wheels” that we eat as bread. The cavizungidd are the fried ravioli stuffed with a chocolate/chestnut/cooked wine filling. Amazing traditional foods that I will continue to make every Christmas, forever! And the best part of Dough Night is that three generations of women – my mom and aunt, my sisters and now my daughter – come together to uphold traditions that have been passed down to us from my grandmother and her ancestors. What a wonderful gift!

Buon Natale a tutti!

Arrivederci,
Teresa

Posted on

The Italian Christmas Presepe

THE ITALIAN
CHRISTMAS PRESEPE

The Nativity, or presepe, is a wide spread and well-known symbol of the religious Italian Christmas spirit. It is not only a religious expression, however, but is at the heart of Italian heritage and tradition in general.

Many people put out a presepe at home in Italy as Americans would put up a Christmas tree here in the US. At the heart of the presepe is the manger with baby Jesus, surrounded by Mary, Joseph, the Wise Men and some farm animals. From there, Italians let their imaginations run wild, with some recreating entire villages complete with buildings, streets and entire scenes of everyday life. And the presepe is not just a home decoration. Many towns in Italy pride themselves on the presepe that they create for public display, some towns even re-enacting a presepe vivente, or living presepe, with actual people.

For me the presepe is at the center of my childhood holiday memories. My nonni used to build an entire elaborate scene, with hills and ravines and trails dotted with characters and animals, a night sky where they would hang the Star of Bethlehem, all meant to highlight the manger with baby Jesus. To this day I still put on display my own miniature version of the presepe, my way of keeping alive the tradition passed down to me by them. And isn’t that, after all, what traditions are all about?Arrivederci,

Teresa

Posted on

Italian Christmas culinary traditions

ITALIAN CHRISTMAS
CULINARY TRADITIONS

With Christmas just around the corner, my family – like so many others both here and in Italy – is starting to make preparations for all of the traditional foods that will be devoured during the holiday season. This is a time for friends and family to come together and cook and eat and drink and cook and eat and drink some more. That’s actually pretty much all we do.

In my family we have a time-honored tradition that, over the years, has come to be known as dough night. This is the night – which occurs about a week before Christmas – when all of our traditional fried specialties get made. From the cavizungidd (fried ravioli stuffed with a chocolate/chestnut/cooked wine filling) to the pettole (fried savory dough), it is a night that brings us back home to our southern italian roots. Even though my nonna is no longer with us, we still follow all of her hand-written recipes from her black and white composition notebook and criticize each other’s techniques, just like she would have done! It’s a great night and a great time for everyone involved! 

What are some of the Christmas traditions you’re looking forward to most?

Arrivederci,
Teresa

Posted on

Il tartufo…the amazing truffle

IL TARTUFO…
AMAZING TRUFFLE

No discussion of autumn harvests would be complete without mentioning truffles. These little treasures are literally worth their weight in gold and are considered a delicacy, especially the white variety.

Truffles are similar to mushrooms. They grow underground, attached to the roots of certain trees by their own very delicate and extensive root system. Unlike mushrooms, however, they don’t appear above ground so the way to find them is by detecting their scent. This is accomplished either by trained dogs (for white truffles) or trained pigs (for black truffles).  Truffle hunters, or trifolau, know exactly where to search and exactly how to harvest the truffle from the ground without disrupting the root system. This step is crucial in assuring that truffles will continue to grow in that location the next year.

There are 8 different varieties of truffle found in Italy, mainly in the central/northern regions of Umbria, Marche, Toscana and Piemonte.  The harvest seasons vary depending on the variety, but tend to span the autumn and winter months.

The white truffle, which is only eaten fresh, is the most precious of the varieties and is famously local to the towns of Alba and Asti in Piemonte.  There are truffle festivals in these areas that occur in the months of October and November.

Second only to the white truffle is the black truffle, a less precious and slightly less flavorful version than its counterpart, but still delicious. Black truffles can be cooked and are often found in sauces or jarred. The black truffle is harvested in late autumn and winter. In Italy pigs have been banned from black truffle hunting since 1985 because of the disruption they cause to the truffle’s ecosystem.

My last few posts were meant to highlight autumn in Italy as a foodie and wine enthusiast’s paradise.  Whether you go for the wine, the olive oil or the truffles, a fall/winter trip to Italy should be a priority on your to-do list.

Arrivederci,
Teresa