Italian Mortadella Bologna, An IGT Product

March 11, 2010

Mortadella Bologna is a close relative to what many American’s think of as Bologna. An Oscar Mayer commercial from the 1970s made Bologna famous but that product, despite this adorable commercial, has little to do with Mortadella from Italy.

Mortadella is made from a mix of finely ground pork, pork fat, salt and pepper. It is somewhat spicy and very compact. It is delicate and light and is almost sweet. The product has a long history and has been called Mortadella Bologna since 1661 the year in which Cardinal Farnese set out the standard rules of making the product. The word Mortadella is instead from the Roman era and comes from the word for a kitchen utensil called a mortarium in latin or mortaio which was used to press pork meat.

The process to make Mortadella starts with a mixture of the above mentioned ingredients. This blend is then put into a skin and is cooked in the oven with dry heat. After cooking, the product is left to cool.

Mortadella can be eaten at anytime. Here is a great recipe which uses Mortadella on Crostini.

Ingredients:

300 grams of Mortadella
Panna da Cucina (cooking cream)
40 grams of Ricotta
30 grams of grated Parmigiano
1 tbs of Brandy
4 slices of thick bread

Put the Mortadella in the blender and whip until you get a fine mixture, adding the brandy, the ricotta cheese and blend a tad more. Whip the cream (panna) and blend it in with the mixture together with some parmigiano cheese. Put this mousse in the refrigerator and let it rest. When you are ready, spread it on slices of toasted bread.

This dish can be paired with a light and fruity red wine such as a Dolcetto d’Alba or a young Barbera d’Asti. Check out what is happening with the Barbera grape at this website Barbera2010.

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Italian Dolci – Primo Amore

March 10, 2010

Italian meals usually end with some kind of a dessert, be it a crostata or tart usually made with fruit, a dry crumbling cake such as Sbrisolona or something richer like profiteroles, almost all meals end with desserts. These desserts are not always elaborate nor are the portions given out the type that you would see in an American diner. Instead they tend to be somewhat restrained and not quite as sugary as one might expect.

Many times the meal will finish with the ubiquitous biscotti that come from Tuscany and have been replicated throughout the world although the American version is about four times as large as the cantucci you find in Tuscany.

Not all Italian desserts are contained though. La Cassata Siciliana comes to mind. Many meals also end with Panna Cotta or other types of puddings. Another family of desserts are the Ciambelle or large donut like rings.

Here’s an easy recipe for a Ciambella.

Ingredients:

Three eggs
300 grams of sugar
300 grams of fine flour
100 grams of butter
1 packet of yeast
1 cup of milk
Grated lemon rind

Preparation:

Beat the eggs and the sugar together added the melted butter and the lemon rind. Then add the flour, the milk and last but not least, the yeast. Cook in the oven in a buttered and floured pan for about 40 minutes at 350 degrees.

To go with this delicious cake, you can have a semi sweet sparkling wine, such as Asti DOCG made with the Moscato grape or any recioto, passito or late harvest dessert wine. Italy has numerous dessert wines although they are not quite as famous as their dry counterparts. Sweet wines have been somewhat ignored in the past but wine lists are increasing adding variety and many of these come from Italy.

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Italian Cooking With Rabbit

March 4, 2010

Yesterday the New York Times ran an article about cooking with rabbit. A very cute bunny was shown on the cover of the Dining In section and what followed was a series of recipes which used rabbit. There was also a part of the article that spoke about how to kill a rabbit and a school where people are taught that skill. Being somewhat hypocritical, I won’t eat cute animals and Rabbit because it reminds me of my cat. Hypocritical, I say, because I eat other cute animals. That said, I seem to be in the minority these days.

Italians have been raising and eating rabbits (coniglio) since time immemorial. Rabbits are a year round food as well and dishes range from summer delights to winter stews. Rabbit is also prevalent throughout the country.

Here’s a recipe from About.com’s Kyle Philips who has been writing about Italian food and wine for years.

Ingredients:

* 1 rabbit
* 3/4 cup (100 g) black olives packed in brine, ideally Ligurian
* A small onion, finely sliced
* A rib celery, about 4 inches (10 cm) long, minced
* The needles from a sprig of rosemary, chopped
* A bay leaf, crumbled
* A sprig of thyme, chopped
* 5-6 walnut meats, ground
* 1/2 cup (125 ml) excellent red wine
* One dozen zucchino blossoms
* An egg
* 1 cup (110 g) flour
* 1/2 cup beer
* Olive oil
* Salt and pepper to taste
* Oil for deep fat frying

Preparation:
When you buy the rabbit, have the butcher sever its head, split it, and give it to you separately, along with its liver. Come time to prepare the dish, wash and pat dry the rabbit, and cut it into pieces.

Pour 3-4 tablespoons of oil in a terracotta casserole, and sauté the onion and celery with the herbs. When the onion has browned lightly, add the rabbit and cook over a brisk flame. When the meat has browned, stir in the nutmeats and the wine, and reduce the heat to a simmer.

Meanwhile, boil the rabbit head and liver (after carefully removing the gall bladder) in lightly salted water for about 20 minutes. Once the meat has boiled, pick all the flesh from the head of the rabbit (reserve the broth), grind it with the liver, and stir the paste into the casserole with the rabbit.

Continue simmering the rabbit for another hour, adding rabbit broth to it as necessary to keep it from drying out; keep in mind that the sauce should be abundant and fairly thick. When the rabbit is half done, drain the olives and stir them in.Meanwhile, make a batter with the egg, flour, beer, and a pinch of salt. Carefully wash the zucchino blossoms and pat them dry, then dip them in the batter and fry them in hot oil until they are golden brown. Serve the rabbit with its sauce, and the fried blossoms on the side.

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Italian Crostini – A Great Way To Start A Meal

March 2, 2010

Italian crostini are a great way to start any meal. This dish is typically from Tuscany and is generally an appetizer. If you order a plate of crostini, what will come to your table will be four or five slices of bread with a variety of toppings including the most typical, a chicken liver spread. The other “crostini” will generally be made with chopped tomato, often called a bruschetta. Additional crostini are made with ham, garlic or other toppings.

Crostini with liver pate is not seen quite as often in the rest of Italy but bruschetta can be found all over Italy and in many parts of the United States. One of the things that makes Italian cuisine so fascinating is the diversity in the food stuffs offered in throughout the country.

Here’s a recipe for making the Chicken liver and Prosciutto Pate

150 grams of chicken livers
130 grams of prociutto
40 grams of butter
3 tbs of Olive Oil
1 onion
milk or broth
2 sage leaves
8 sticks of rosemary

In a casserole, heat half of the butter and oil and put in the prosciutto to give it more flavor together with the chopped onion. For at least 30 minutes, continue to add in either the milk or the broth, constantly stirring it. Add the chopped liver and the sage. Let it boil for exactly three minutes, continuing to stir the pot. Take it off of the flame, chop up the contents of the pot, and put it back on the flame. Bring it to a boil and then add the remaining butter, continue to cook for three minutes and turn it off. Cut the bread and spread the pate. Put the rosemary branches on the bottom of the plate and the crostini on top.

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Italian Saffron Adds A Variation To Many Dishes

February 25, 2010

Saffron which is called Zafferano in Italian was originally native to Southern Asia but today grows all over the world, including in Italy. The spice comes from the flower of the saffron crocus (Crocus sativus). Saffron is used in many different dishes in Italy including in the famed Risotto alla Milanese.

Oddly enough Saffron was added to that recipe as far back as the 1500s. The saffron is added midway through cooking that classic Milanese dish. Saffron brings a rich golden color to the dish.

Two types of Saffron are recognized as being worthy of the DOP or designated original product (denominazione d’origine protetta) category in Italy, Zafferano dell’Aquila DOP and Zafferano di San Gimignano DOP. The former comes from toasting the stems of the Crocus Sativus plant and is sold either as think sticks of as a powder. This Saffron is very red in color. The latter, Zafferano di San Gimignano DOP, is also a product of toasting the flower stems and is also red in color or sometimes more “orange.”

Saffron should be kept in a dry place with little to no humidity and not too much light. Saffron is used in first course, main dishes, with vegetables and even in desserts such as gelato. Saffron has always been quite expensive and is considered a delicacy in many cultures. Only a small drop of saffron needs to be used to enhance the aromas and flavors of food.

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An Easy Way To Taste Wine

February 23, 2010

With all of the events held in New York City related to wine, especially to Italian wine, we sometimes forget to talk about very basic tenets of wine tasting. The first being is that wine enjoyable to you, not to a critic 3000 or 10000 miles away, but to you the consumer of wine.

Once you have that answer, you can then proceed to consider why you like a specific wine or not and what are it’s salient characteristics. Think about what it tastes like, the aromas and flavors it leaves in your mouth and how it pairs with the food you are hopefully eating.

Most professional tasters have a three pronged approach to wine, looking first at the visual aspect of the wine, second at the olfactory aspect or the nose and third the taste of the wine on your palate. Generally then a conclusion is drawn about the wine, is it of good quality, balanced and well integrated. It is then placed in a price category. All of this is usually done on a piece of paper but can also be done orally in conversation when describing a wine.

What else do people do to describe a wine? They try to create analogies to sensations that are common to many people saying for example that Sauvignon blanc smells somewhat like fresh cut grass or the more infamous pipi du chat. Many of these comments lose consumers along the way as they feel that they are not “getting something.”

When tasting a wine therefore the most important thing is to figure out if it suits you or not, if it works well with what you are eating and if you would order it again. This is a very basic level of wine tasting, of course, but it is also the most practical and long lasting.

Next you should think how to describe that wine to a friend in a way that they too can understand. Don’t be put off by esoteric or exotic descriptions. Most wine is meant to be drunk young and tasted with food. In Italy, almost all wine is drunk with food. Drinking wine for its own sack is not an Italian habit unless it is a sparkling wine at the start of a meal.

Italian wines are much higher in acidity than most other wines and this makes them a perfect match for food but a bit harder to have on their own. American’s are generally not used to natural acidity in their wines and are often shocked by their first sips of Italian wine. They are reacting to the acidity which is missing in most American wines.

No matter what you do when you taste wine, remember to try and create a methodology in your head even if you never write a tasting note. It will help you to begin to differentiate between wines.

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Italian Capers From Pantelleria, What Makes Them So Special?

February 19, 2010

Capers are small green fruits that grow on bushes in the Mediterranean. They are particularly prevalent in Italian cooking in the South and can be used as a condiment or for seasoning. They are quite salty in general and the version from Pantelleria, an island off the coast of Sicily, are particularly salty. Capers tend to grow on rocky coasts.

Capers or Capperi. as they are called in Italian, have a very flavorful aroma. The ones from Pantelleria are a designated product, or an IGP which means Indicazione Geografica Protetta. This special designation is given to products from Italy that are characteristic of the location where they grow. The Capperi from Pantelleria must be conserved under sea salt. Before using them, the salt is usually washed off.

Capers are used in a host of Italian specialities from Neapolitan and Sicilian Pizza to puttanesca sauce and even alone with a bit of oil on pasta. Italy is a nation of “navigatori e marinai” or sailors and every sailboat crew knows to bring capers along for an emergency meal with pasta. Capers are also used with fish and on Pantelleria, they are fried in a dish with potatoes, put into salads and made into a special pasta sauce.

Capers are said to have good nutritional value. They are very low in Cholesterol and are a good source of protein, vitamin A, vitamin E, Niacin, Calcium and Manganese, and a very good source of fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, Riboflavin, Folate, Iron, Magnesium and Copper. However, they are high in sodium. That said, they are also known to be an aphrodisiac.

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Carnevale: Celebrating With A Delicious Schiacciata Alla Fiorentina

February 16, 2010

Today is Fat Tuesday the end of Carnevale and a huge celebration in many parts of the world, particularly in Italy. Two very big festivals take place in Italy, one in Venice and the other in Viareggio on the Tuscan coast. In Florence, children dress up in costumes and throw confetti to the wind. At home, they are usually treated to a luscious piece of Tuscan sponge cake otherwise known as Schiacciata alla Fiorentina. This delicious light and airy dessert is eaten throughout the year but is a favorite around Carnevale. Lighter than American sponge cake, it can be eaten in a variety of ways including filled with whipped cream. Try this easy recipe or make a quick trip to Tuscany, whichever is easier…

SCHIACCIATA ALLA FIORENTINA (FLORENTINE SPONGE CAKE)
This is a delicious spongy cake, popular around Carnival time in February but now found year-round, particularly in shops in downtown Florence.

Makes: 12 servings

INGREDIENTS

250g all-purpose flour, sifted
2 teaspoons baking powder
4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (or 50g lard)
1 cup milk
grated orange peel from 1 orange
½ tsp saffron powder
90g sugar
2 eggs
¼ tsp salt
powdered sugar to decorate

Preparation:

In a medium bowl, mix all of the ingredients and beat thoroughly until the batter is smooth and thick with no lumps. Grease a shallow rectangular baking pan and pour in the batter (the schiacciata should be about 2 cm high). Bake at 150°c for 30 minutes. Sprinkle plenty of powdered sugar on top of the cake.

If you want and have a sweet tooth, you can slice the cake and fill it with whipped cream or frosting. You can also put a crown in the middle during carnevale. Whoever finds the crown has good luck, legend has it.

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Bergamotto from Reggio Calabria, A DOP Product With Many Uses

February 11, 2010

Bergamotto or Bergamot is a Citrus fruit which is grown in 45 towns in the Province of Reggio Calabria in Calabria. This interesting pear-shaped fruit with a somewhat rough skin is designated a denominazione d’origine protetta product or DOP. Essential oils extracted from this fruit are used in the perfume industry.
The tree is called the Citrus aurantium var. bergamia (also known as C. bergamia), of the Rutaceae family and is also known as the Bergamot orange.

A Bergamot is quite different from an orange or a lemon or other citrus fruits and only grows in this area of Calabria on the coastline. There is a consortium to promote and protect the fruit.

Bergamot oil is used not only in perfumes but also in cooking. It is added to traditional dishes in order to lighten the flavor. Bergamot oil can be used to contrast sweet notes in food such as crustaceans but it can also be used to offset strong flavors in game meats. One of the many uses of Bergamot oil is in sorbet or sorbetto.

Bergamot oil contains hundreds of cemical components and is also used to make cosmetics and soaps. The oils also have antibacterial properties and the product is often used in the pharmaceutical industry as well.
Last but not least, the oil from this versatile fruit is also used in after dinner liquors and in teas and infusions.

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Tuscan Cantucci & Vin Santo – The Perfect Way to End A Meal

February 9, 2010

The word Biscotti has become part of the American lexicon. It has come to mean a long thin cookie that sometimes has nuts and sometimes doesn’t. Biscotti in Italian really means cookie not just that particular kind of cookie which is really a version of the Cantucci di Prato, an ancient Tuscan dessert that is served at the end of the meal.

Usually very dry and crunchy, it is often served with a small glass of Vin Santo. Some people dip the cookies into the Vin Santo. The cookies are very easy to make and are baked twice. The Vin Santo is a much longer process.

Here’s a recipe for the cookies which would make a great Valentine’s day gift. This recipe is for about 36 cookies.

INGREDIENTS
* 500 g bread flour
* 300 g sugar
* 250 g almonds, unpeeled
* 50 g pine nuts
* 4 eggs
* 1 tsp baking powder
* pinch of salt
* grated peel of one lemon
* a baking or cookie sheet, parchment paper

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (360°F).
2. Mix the flour and sugar in a bowl. Add eggs and the rest of the ingredients until the ingredients stay together in a ball of dough.
3. On a clean surface, turn out the dough and shape it into a 3 cm wide roll as long as your baking sheet. Cover the baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper to help keep the cookies from sticking to the sheet (as no butter or oil is used). Place roll on the sheet, lightly flattening the top part of the roll.
4. Place sheet in oven and bake for 30 minutes, then remove the roll from the oven. The roll should be warm and firm; place it on a cutting board and cut diagonally, making 1 cm wide slices.
5. Place the slices back on the baking sheet on one of the cut sides, making sure to leave some space between each slice and place the sheet back into the oven, lowering the temperature a bit to 150°C (300°F). Bake for 15 minutes, then take the cookies out and turn them onto the other side and bake an additional 15 minutes. Remove and let cool.

Vin Santo or the wine of saints is an Italian dessert wine that is produced in Tuscany, Umbria, Veneto, Friuli-Venezia-Giulia and Trentino.

White grapes (Trebbiano Toscano, Malvasia and Canaiolo in Tuscany, Garganega and Gambellara in the Veneto and other grapes in different regions) are hand picked in the Autumn months of October and November. The bunches are left to hang dry from the rafters in a room called the Vinsantaia, which generally has many windows in order to promote air circulation and drying.

When the grapes have dried, which can go into January, they are pressed and the must that is obtained goes into the caratelli (small chestnut barrels) for fermentation. After the initial fermentation the wine is racked at least once and the caratelli are placed under the roof of the winery. Each area has a different tradition in terms of how long the wine remains in the caratelli before being bottled and eventually sold into the market.

Vin santo traditionally has a honeyed, orange taste with hints of dried fruits and nuts on the nose and palate. Usually it is an off dry or sweet wine and is the perfect way to end a special meal.

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