Cuisine

Typical Recepies

Torta co' Bischeri

Ingredients for the pasta:

gr. 100 of sugar
gr. 100 of butter
gr. 200 of flour
3 eggs
gr. 6 of carbonate of ammonium
gr. 10 of liqueur bewitches
gr. 10 of maraschino
bark of lemon and of orange grate.

Ingredients for the stuffing:

gr. 100 of rice
gr. 150 of melting chocolate
gr. 20 of cocoa
gr. 100 of sugar
7 eggs
gr. 50 of bark of candied orange
gr. 50 of pinoli
gr. 50 of sultana
gr. 10 of liqueur bewitches
gr. 10 di maraschino

For the pasta:

Prepare the around 10 first hours "container of the mixes": unite the yolks with the sugar and the sugar [vanigliato] and climb well all, add the egg white climbed on to snow also he. Add the fused butter, the bark and the liqueur (maraschino and witch), amalgamate then with the flour (around 1/ 3) until to reach a mixture rather slow. Departed the 10 hours unite the rest of the flour, up to reach a necessary consistence for line of the die.

For the stuffing:

The "container of the stuffing" will be prepared at least 10 hours before the uses: boil the rice, drip it and while is still heat unite the melting chopped chocolate, the cocoa and the sugar. Once cooled the all unite the aromas: maraschino, liqueur bewitches, bark of lemon and orange, the sugar vanigliato, the pinoli, the withered grape, and 2 eggs. Departed the 10 hours unite the rest of the eggs slightly beaten apart from until to get a mixture rather soft. Will fill the lined die, with the prepared stuffing, decorate with some strips of pasta arranged to net on the surface of the cake, refold the edges toward the center of the cake give the form of "pirulini" upright, the famous "[bischeri]," that they will crown it almost they are of the "blackbirds." Cook in oven to the temperature of 200°c. until when the pasta will have taken a light brown color.

Pancotto

Ingredients:
2 T. OO
1 med. onion, diced
1/4 tsp. hot red pepper flakes
1 lb. dandelion greens, well washed, leaves coarsely chopped
4 thick slices of stale bread, white or whole wheat, torn into bite-size pieces
salt
water
freshly grated, aged sharp pecorino cheese

This recipe literally means "cooked bread" but is best described as bread soup. It's the most commonly made peasant soup, which starts with a base of rustic country bread (not sliced loaf or sandwich bread, which would make it gluey and unpleasant), and a combination of local ingredients. In Italy the cook would use bread that has become firm and dry, pane raffermo meaning "firmed up," a nicer terminology than stale bread. This very simple version represents the southern Italian fondness for edible roots, weeds and leaves.

Heat the OO in a soup pot over med. heat. Add the onion, a little salt and the red pepper flakes and cook until the onions are lightly golden. Add the greens and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and add the bread. Simmer gently for about 30 min. or until the greens are tender and the bread has absorbed enough liquid to break down into a course puree. Stir well to be sure that the greens cook evenly. Taste and check seasoning. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of freshly grated tangy sharp pecorino cheese.

N.B. This most simple recipe has as many variations as towns and villages in Italy. Have fun with it and substitute other bitter greens, or add chopped sweet fennel, tomatoes, potatoes, beans and handfuls of chopped fresh herbs. Of course, if you were not poor you could use light meat or chicken broth instead of water.

Fettunta (Toasted bread with olive oil)

Ingredients:
Bread
Extra-virgin olive oil
Garlic
Salt
Black pepper

This dish is generally associated with the month of november, when the olives have been gathered and the oil is newly pressed. Obviously it is eaten all year round, but in other seasons in lacks that characteristic pungent flavour of the new oil. Cut the bread about a centimetre thick, grill well on both sides and rub one side generously with a clove of garlic. You just have to forget the unpleasant effect on your breath, if you are going to enjoy this properly: semel in anno licet insanire, as Dante once said, "everyone can go mad at least once a year". Place the slices on a large serving platter and drizzle the oil over them. Season with salt and pepper and eat while still hot. In the summer you can top the crostini with chopped tomatoes, or tomato sauce. In winter, fettunta is the basis of a traditional soup known, somewhat inexplicably, as "Lombard soup": place the slice of bread in a soup bowl and cover with boiled cannellini beans, adding a little of the thick liquid in which they were cooked. Season with oil, salt and pepper.

Ribollita (Vegetable and bread soup)

Ingredients:
300g potatoes
300g savoy cabbage
300g black cabbage (kale)
4 ripe tomatoes
500g fresh cannellini beans (250g if dried)
200g Swiss chard
One red onion
3 cloves garlic
2 sticks celery
2 carrots
2 courgettes
Thyme
4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Wholemeal bread, a day or two old
Chili pepper
Salt

It is best to cook the beans on their own first, perhaps the day before, as they cook much more slowly than the rest of the vegetables (see the recipe for fagioli in olio). Clean, wash, peel and chop all the vegetables and put into a large saucepan. Cover with water and cook for 40 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the cooked beans. Fry the onion with the oil and chili pepper (if liked) in an earthenware casserole; add the thyme leaves. Cut the bread into cubes and put into the casserole; now pour in the soup and cook gently for about ten minutes, then leave to stand off the heat. Before serving, it should be put in the oven to cook again for twenty minutes, with olive oil drizzled on top. You can also garnish the soup with rings of raw onion before putting it into the oven as, once baked, they give a really special flavour to this favourite classic.

Panzanella (Bread salad)

Ingredients:
12 slices of bread
100g green chicory
50g rocket leaves
50g endive
One spring onion
Basil leaves
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
Wine vinegar
Optional: two salad tomatoes - cucumber - black pepper

The success of this extremely simple recipe depends on two things: the bread must be unsalted, country bread, a day or two old, and the rest of the ingredients must be top quality and fresh. Leave the slices of bread to soak in cold water for half an hour. Clean the salad and vegetables and chop finely. Place in a salad bowl and add the fresh basil leaves. Using your hands, squeeze the bread thoroughly to remove the water and reduce to breadcrumbs. Add to the vegetables in the bowl and dress with oil, salt and vinegar. Toss well and leave in the fridge for an hour before serving. There are several variations of this recipe, all of which add various other vegetables, but to me these seem a travesty of the real panzanella. You could, however, add cucumber and/or tomatoes, chopped or finely sliced, and a shake of pepper. Choose the wine to accompany this dish with care as the vinegar will affect its flavour. In the past it was eaten with a weak, watery wine called vinello or acquerello, made by soaking the bunches of grapes left after the wine pressing in water and then squeezing them out. A light, young red wine is therefore best.

Bean Soup

Ingredients:
Dried beans-navy
peas
pinto
red kidney
lentils
black-eyed peas
butter beans
lima, ect.

Wash beans thoroughly (about 2 cups). Place in large kettle, cover with water, add 2 Tbsp. Salt and soak overnight. In the morning, drain and add 2 qts. water and ham bone or ham hocks (best with bone included). Bring to a boil. Simmer slowly about 2-1/2 to 3 hours.

Add:
1 large chopped Onion
1 large can Tomatoes
1 tsp. Chili Powder
Juice of 1 Lemon (important)
Salt and Pepper to taste.
Simmer another 30 minutes or so

This freezes very good if you have left overs. You can also use a package of mixed soup beans (15) about 2 cups if you prefer to do so.

Pasta and Bean Soup

Ingredients:
1/2 lb dried cannellini or navy beans
1/2 lb dried kidney beans
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large onion, chopped fine
5 garlic cloves, peeled and mashed
4 celery stalks, including leaves, sliced thin
3 tsp salt
2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1 16 oz. can Italian tomatoes, drained, tomatoes chopped coarsely
1/4 cup snipped fresh parsley, preferably Italian
1/2 cup julliened carrot
1/2 lb ground sirlioin
1 egg
4 tblsp seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 lb ditalini (tiny, tube shaped pasta)
Freshly grated Romano, Parmesan or Pecorino cheese

Rinse and pick over the dried beans. Soak overnight in cold water.
Drain, then place in stockpot with 10 cups cold water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer while preparing vegetables. Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Stirring frequently, until the fat melts and the meat begins to brown, about 15 minutes. Do not allow to burn. Add the onion and garlic and saute gently until the onion is golden. Add this mixture to the beans, along with the celery, salt, red and black pepper, oregano and basil. Cover and simmer until beans are tender, about 2 1/2 hours, checking frequently to make sure the liquid has no evaporated too much. There has to be enough liquid to cook the meatballs and pasta in the final cooking stage. Add more water if necessary. About 30 minutes before the soup is finished simmering, add the tomatoes and their juices and the parsley. Combine the ground meat with the egg and bread crumbs and roll into miniature balls. Add to the simmering soup. Add the carrot. About 20 minutes later, add the ditalini and cook until tender. Serve with the grated cheese.

Tuscan Soup

Ingredients:
6 cups chicken broth
1 onion, chopped
3 (3.5 ounce) links spicy
Italian sausage
3 large potatoes, cubed
1 bunch fresh spinach, washed
and chopped
1/4 cup evaporated milk
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste

Remove skin from sausage and crumble into frying pan. Add chopped onion, and cook over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. If you are trying to cut fat, remove meat from pan, place in a colander, and rinse under cold water. Place meat in a large pot; add stock and potatoes. Boil until potato is cooked. Add spinach. Continue boiling until spinach is lightly cooked. Remove soup from heat, stir in evaporated milk, and season to taste. Do not add any salt if using canned stock.

Polenta with Mushroom Sauce and Sausage

Ingredients:
400g polenta di grano saraceno
400g buckwheat polenta
400g salsiccia 400g sausage
400g funghi 400g mushrooms
1 cipolla 1 onion
2 carote 2 carrots
400ml polpa di pomodoro
400ml tomato pulp

Fry the onion and chopped carrots in a pot with two tablespoons of oil. Quando diventano tenere aggiungere la salsiccia spellata e sbriciolata. When they take to add the peeled and crumbled sausage. Lasciare insaporire. Leave flavor.Pulire i funghi e tagliarli a piccoli pezzi o tritarli grossolanamente. Clean the mushrooms and cut them into small pieces or chop coarsely. Aggiungere i funghi e la polpa di pomodoro al ragù, e cuocere a fiamma molto bassa per un'ora, mescolando di tanto in tanto.Add the mushrooms and the flesh of the tomato sauce, and cook on very low flame for one hour, stirring occasionally. Cuocere la polenta di grano saraceno (i tempi di cottura dipenderanno dal tipo scelto e si trovano sulla confezione).Cook the buckwheat polenta (the cooking time will depend on the type chosen and are found on the packaging). Servire con il ragù di funghi e salsiccia. Serve with the sauce of mushrooms and sausage.

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