It arrived last night in the form of an 11-month-old bundle of smiles, curiosity and drool named Penelope.  She was our guest at dinner, along with her parents Veronica and Lauren, and our mutual friends Emily and Ben.  It was a brilliant evening to benefit the amazing students and teachers at Cara’s school, with a menu of some of our favorite seafood dishes:

Antipasto misto di pesce (Mixed seafood appetizers)
Riondo Prosecco
Pennette al salmone (Pennette in a creamy salmon sauce)
Lageder Pinot Nero
Pesce spada al cartoccio (Baked Swordfish with seafood)
Falanghina Terredora
Insalata mista (Baby Salad Greens)
Tiramisù al limoncello (Limoncello Tiramisù)
Limoncello
Caffè e Digestivi (Espresso and Digestif)

But, back to Penelope.  She was busy and happy.  She explored the living room, engaged playfully with the adults, and snacked on food from her own little portable, spill-proof bowl. Her parents took turns holding her, and before any of us realized it, 5 hours had passed.

It reminded us of when our oldest, Sean, was a baby.  We still lived in Rome then, and didn’t think twice about bringing him out with us where ever we went.  He was content to observe the world from his stroller or ride along in the baby carrier worn by his mamma or papà.

Some of our favorite spots to take him were Campo de’ Fiori, where we could content him with a piece of pizza rossa, the hill-town of Frascati in the Castelli Romani, or the village of Nemi, perched high above the volcanic lake Lago di Nemi, just south of Rome.  Nemi is famous for its berries, frutti di bosco, and especially the miniature wild strawberries that are bursting with flavor.  In summertime, it was a cool reprieve from the heat of Rome.  We’d take a stroll through Nemi’s narrow streets, stopping for a gelato alla crema with berries on top.  We’d bring along a banana and some Biscotti Plasmon, Italy’s quintessential baby biscuits, and ask the barman to add milk and blend up a smoothie for Sean.

Closer to home, Pizzeria Pizza & Fichi, at Via Alenda, 26 in Rome’s Giardinetti neighborhood was a favorite spot for Roman-style pizzas, filetti di baccalà and supplì, made by our friends Fabrizio, Massimo, Carmela and their mom at the family business.  We’d choose an outdoor table underneath a broad umbrella, order our pizzas, and feed Sean while we waited for our food.  Like clockwork, he would fall asleep by the time our pizza arrived.  We’d recline his stroller seat, place him back into it, and enjoy our pizza while he slept.

Supplì al telefono are a rice croquette fritter found on the antipasti menu in pizzerie all across the city.  The rice is cooked with a bit of tomato sauce, sometimes with ground beef, and let to cool.  Then, it is molded into an egg-like shape, and a piece of mozzarella is pushed into the middle of it before it is breaded and fried.  When the supplì is broken open, the melted mozzarella stretches from one piece to another, resembling the cord on an old-fashioned telephone.

Ingredients
for 8 supplì

500 grams Arborio, Vialone Nano or Carnaroli rice
1 large can of whole tomatoes (500 grams or 28 0z)
Ground beef, approximately 250 grams or 1/2 lb.
Onion
Olive oil
Salt
Fresh mozzarella
4 eggs
Breadcrumbs
Flour
Vegetable, peanut or olive oil for frying

Directions
Prepare the sauce by dicing 1/4 of a small-medium onion, and sautéing in olive oil over medium heat.  Add the ground beef and brown it slowly, using a spatula to crumble the meat finely.  Add the tomatoes, passing them through a food mill.  Add a splash of water or red wine if too thick, and allow it to simmer for at least 45 minutes.  Salt to taste.

Cook the rice in abundant boiling water with a handful of salt tossed in, just as you would cook pasta, according to the cooking time on the package.  When the rice is done, drain off the water using a strainer.  Add the rice to the sauce and stir well until it is evenly coated.  Place onto a baking tray or into a large baking dish and spread it out in order to facilitate cooling.

Once the rice is cool, you are ready to assemble and fry the supplì.  Add your oil several inches deep into a pan suitable for frying, and place it over medium heat.

Fill a dish with flour, another with breadcrumbs, and a final one with the eggs, which you will beat slightly.  Cut 8 small pieces of mozzarella to stuff inside the supplì.

Wet you hands to make it easier to handle the rice.  With your hands, scoop enough rice to make an egg-sized supplì.  Mold it into an oblong shape, and using your thumb make an indent in the center.  Fill the indent with a piece of mozzarella, and then enclose the mozzarella with rice so that it is tucked well inside.

Dust the supplì in flour, dip it into the egg and rotate it so that it is well-coated, and then finally roll it in the breadcrumbs.  Some recipes suggest repeating a second coating of egg and breadcrumbs.  We tried it both ways and preferred a single layer, but you may wish to experiment and decide which option works best for you.

Gently place each supplì into the hot oil and fry until it takes on a rich brown hue.  Remove from the oil and set on absorbent paper towels.  Allow to cool slightly, and enjoy with a Birra Moretti.

Filed under: Appetizers, Pasta, Rice and Grains, Recipes and Wine Pairings ]]> http://duespaghetti.com/2013/04/14/suppli-al-telefono/feed/ 12 duespaghetti Supplì al telefono Supplì al telfono Supplì al telefono Supplì al telefono Supplì al telefono Supplì al telefono http://duespaghetti.com/2013/03/29/costolette-di-abbacchio-alla-scottadito/ http://duespaghetti.com/2013/03/29/costolette-di-abbacchio-alla-scottadito/#comments Sat, 30 Mar 2013 03:29:54 +0000 duespaghetti http://duespaghetti.com/?p=2006 Continue reading →]]> Easter food is so good that we’ve been celebrating all week long!

The subject of tonight’s meal, costolette di abbacchio alla scottadito, is a storied Roman dish that is savored on Pasqua or Pasquetta, and throughout the year. But before we tell that story let’s take time for an Italian lesson, because it will all make much more sense then.

Costolette is a culinary term that means “chops” as in pork chops, lamb chops, etc.  It comes from the noun costola (singular) and costole (plural) which mean ribs – an anatomical term to describe this human and animal body part.  The diminutive suffix -etta, which indicates smallness, in this case distinguishes costoletta (singular) or costolette (plural) as the cooked meat that we eat – i.e. chops.

Abbacchio means suckling lamb.  This is not a common concept in many nations, so bear with us.  Agnello is the Italian word for lamb, and in fact there are many recipes for agnello.  However, abbacchio is something special, especially in Rome.  An abbacchio is a young lamb that has only been nourished with its mother’s milk when it is butchered.  The young lamb usually weighs 4-6 kilos and is just over one month old.

The etymology of the word abbacchio is curious – some have traced it to the Latin expression ad baculum, which means “near the stick” which may represent the stick to which the mother lamb was tied, or which may represent the stick that in ancient times was used to butcher the lamb.  Even today, the slang term abbacchiato is present in Roman dialect, meaning “beaten down.”

Finally, scottadito is a descriptor made up of two Italian words: scotta, and dito.  Scotta means “hot,” or “scalding.” Dito means “finger.” So, put together, scottadito means “finger-scalding.”  These chops are to be eaten with your hands, while the protruding rib bones are still so hot that they burn your fingers.

So, costolette di abbacchio alla scottadito.  Finger-scalding suckling lamb chops.  It sounds better in Italian, doesn’t it?

Whatever language you name it with, costolette di abbacchio alla scottadito is delicious – the gamey flavor of lamb is tempered by a rub of rosemary, sage and garlic.  It can be grilled, or pan-seared, as we prepared it.  To be truly traditional, serve them with oven-roasted potatoes.

Ingredients
One rack of lamb chops.  If you can find suckling lamb, this is ideal.  If not, lamb chops will work.
Rosemary
Sage
Garlic
Olive oil
Fingerling or Yukon Gold potatoes
Salt
Crushed red pepper (optional)

Directions

Carefully cut the rack of lamb into separate chops.  We also chose to trim the excess fat, but that is a matter of preference.  Mince the needles from a few sprigs of rosemary, the leaves from a small bunch of sage, and a few cloves of garlic.  Spread the chops onto a baking sheet, drizzle olive oil over both sides of them, rub the herbs onto the meat, and salt to taste.  Add crushed pepper if you like a little heat. Splash them with some dry red wine, and let rest.

In the meanwhile, heat the oven to 350° F / 180° C.  Peel your potatoes and cut them into small pieces.  If you are using fingerling potatoes, simply scrub them and leave whole with the skin on.  Place the potatoes into a baking dish, drizzle them with olive oil, add the needles from one sprig of rosemary, and salt well.  Bake for 30-45 minutes, stirring them occasionally, until the potatoes are cooked inside and crispy on the outside.

While the potatoes are baking, return to the lamb chops.  Either grill the chops, or heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet and sear them for a few minutes on each side.  If you use a skillet, be sure to preserve all of the oil, wine and herbs from the marinade.

Serve the costolette finger-burning hot, with the roasted potatoes on the side.

Easter, the saying goes, should be spent with family.  Traditions abound at Easter time in Italy, and of course many of them revolve around food.  Easter breakfast at Stefano’s house is always pizza dolce with hard-boiled eggs and salami.  Abbacchio, young suckling lamb, is a Roman classic that is never missing at Easter lunch, and someone will likely bring a homemade Neopolitan Easter tart, pastiera.  The meal ends with a slice of dove-shaped Easter cake called a Colomba  and a few pieces of Uova di Pasqua, a giant chocolate Easter egg.

Easter Monday though, according to the saying, can be spent with friends.  It is a public holiday, and tradition calls for a picnic in the countryside.  In many parts of Italy, torte salate are common picnic fare, and torta pasqualina has become a quintessential Easter time shepherd’s pie.  Originally from Liguria, torta pasqualina is now made all over Italy.  It is characterized by its multiple layers of crust, swiss chard or spinach and ricotta filling, and by the eggs which are cooked whole inside the pie.  Recipes vary, and some traditionalists mourn the loss of authenticity that the dish’s popularity has brought.

It was our first time trying torta pasqualina, and it will definitely make a return to our Easter Monday picnic basket.

Ingredients
For the crust
600 grams (4 and 3/4 cups) all purpose flour
350 ml (1 and 1/2 cups warm water
1/2 teaspoon salt
35 g (1/4 cup) olive oil

For the filling
1 kilo (2 and 1/4 pounds) fresh spinach or swiss chard
500 grams (one 16 oz. tub will suffice) whole milk ricotta
150 grams (2 cups) grated Pecorino Romano cheese
12 eggs
Salt
Pepper
Nutmeg
Olive oil

You will bake your tart in a 25-30 cm, or 10-12 in. tart pan, such as this one.

Directions
Prepare the dough
Measure the flour and place it into a bowl.  Dissolve the salt into the water, and add it to the flour.  Add the olive oil, and stir with a wooden spoon until it the dough unites into a rough ball.  Turn the dough onto a smooth, lightly floured surface and knead it for 5-7 minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic.  Cut the dough into four pieces – two of them approximately 300 grams (10 and 1/2 oz.) each, and two of them approximately 180 grams (6 and 1/2 oz) each.  Cover them with a cloth and set aside.

Prepare the filling
Wilt the spinach or swiss chard in a few tablespoons olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.  Only fill the pan with as much spinach or swiss chard as fits.  When that is wilted, remove to a separate bowl and place more fresh spinach or swiss chard to the pan, adding more olive oil if needed.  Set the wilted greens aside to cool.

In a separate bowl, mix the ricotta, 1/3 of the Pecorino Romano, 3 eggs, and a generous pinch of salt, a dash of pepper and another of nutmeg. Mix well and set aside.

Return to the greens, which by now should be cool.  Place them in a strainer and press all of the liquid out of them.  Turn them over onto a cutting board, and chop them coarsely.  Return them to the bowl and add half of the remaining Pecorino Romano, 2 eggs, salt and pepper to taste.   Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 180° C, 350° F, and return to your dough.  Take one of the two larger pieces, and roll it out so that it is quite thin and larger than the tart pan.  Brush the bottom and sides of the tart dish with olive oil, and place the dough in it, pressing it tight to the edges of the tart dish.  You want the dough to wrap over the sides of the dish.  Brush this layer of dough with olive oil.  Roll out the second large piece of dough, and place it on top of the first piece.

Return to the spinach or swiss chard.  If it has released more liquid, drain that off and then spoon the spinach into the tart dish, pressing it down and toward the edges.  Add the ricotta mixture on top of the greens.

Using a soup spoon, make 7 deep indentations into the filling – one in the center, and three on each side to form a circle.   Crack each of the remaining 7 eggs, one at a time, separating the whites from the yolk.  Preserve the whites, and carefully drop each yolk into an indentation in the filling.  Carefully spoon some of the egg whites on top of the ricotta mixture.

Roll out each of the remaining small pieces of dough and place them one after another on top of the tart, brushing the first piece of dough with olive oil before adding the second.  Carefully lift the excess bottom dough up around the top of the tart, pressing the bottom and top pieces together.  Brush the remaining egg yolk over the dough, with particular attention to sealing the edges.

Bake for 45-60 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.  Allow to cool to room temperature before cutting into it.

Spaghetti aglio, olio e peperoncino is prepared from the North to the South, with slight regional variations.  Some add chopped flat leaf parsley, while others include bread crumbs.  There are differing opinions on whether pecorino romano cheese should be sprinkled on top; our version includes it.

From time to time, it’s fun to dress up spaghetti aglio, olio e peperoncino.  We recently had some left over ricci di mare (sea urchin in English, and perhaps better known to some by its Japanese name, uni).  Added to spaghetti aglio, olio e peperoncino, ricci di mare provide a sublime, delicate flavor and a slightly creamy texture to the dish, turning a simple and humble recipe into an elegant plate of pasta.

Ingredients for 4 people
One pack of spaghetti
2 cloves of garlic
Crushed red pepper, approximately 1 teaspoon or to taste
1 cup olive oil
Sea salt, preferably coarse grain, such as Kosher salt.

Optional
Pecorino romano, OR
Approximately 2 oz. or 50-60 grams sea urchin and flat leaf Italian parsely

*Purchase sea urchin fresh or frozen at a seafood specialty store.  In the Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area, it can be found at Coastal Seafoods.

Ricci di mare (Sea urchin in English, Uni in Japanese)

Directions
Place a large pot of water to boil over high heat.  When the water boils, toss a handful of salt into the water, and add the spaghetti.  Cook the spaghetti to al dente according to the directions on the package.

While the spaghetti is cooking, mince the garlic and place the oil into a large pan.  5 minutes before the spaghetti is done, sauté the garlic and red pepper in the olive oil over medium heat, paying careful attention to not burn the garlic.

Drain the spaghetti, preserving one cup of the cooking water.  Return the spaghetti to the pan with the garlic, oil and red pepper.  Add the water, and stir it all together over medium heat for a couple of minutes.

If you are having the traditional recipe, serve hot with grated pecorino romano on top.

If you opt to dress it up with sea urchin, add the sea urchin with the garlic and crushed red pepper sauté, gently breaking it up with a fork or wooden spoon.  Skip the pecorino romano in this version, but if you wish you may add a single sea urchin to the top of each plate.

More often than not, we’d go to Annalisa and Franco’s birreria, Baraonda, in Rome’s Cinecittà neighborhood.  Annalisa and Franco were friends, and Baraonda was a dog-friendly place, which meant that we could bring our Newfoundland, Abby, with us.  After all, Abby was family – her mother was Annalisa and Franco’s lovely dog Thelma.

Abby

In summer months, we’d grab an outdoor table.  Without asking, Anna would bring us a Peroni and a Moretti Rossa, and a basket of taralli.  Then, she’d ask us, “Ragazzi, cosa vi posso portare?”   Often, we’d order la scamorza al coccio.

Scamorza is a pulled, cow’s milk curd cheese that resembles mozzarella.  While mozzarella is eaten fresh, however, scamorza is hung to dry until it achieves a soft yet firm texture.  Because it slices and melts well, scamorza is highly versatile.  It is often found in recipes for baked and fried foods that have a cheese filling.

A traditional scamorza dish, and the one we commonly ordered at Birreria Baraonda, is scamorza al coccio.  In this recipe, the scamorza is melted in a terracotta pan (coccio) along with sausage, cured meat, anchovies, mushrooms or sometimes vegetables, and eaten hot so that the melted cheese wraps around your fork.  If you don’t have a terracotta pan (we don’t), you can use individual-sized ceramic dishes and melt the scamorza in a hot oven or in the microwave.

Scamorza al coccio is classic Italian pub-fare comfort food, and it is as delicious now in our hectic lives as it was when it was just the two of us and Abby.

Ingredients
Scamorza
Your favorite accompaniment, such as: Mushrooms, Sausage, Anchovies, Prosciutto, or Speck

Directions
Prepare your accompaniment:

• Sauté mushrooms in olive oil, salt and a dash of red wine.  Or, you can use very thinly sliced raw mushrooms.
• Brown ground sausage without seasoning it.  Or, slice a whole sausage lengthwise and sear it on the grill or in a fry pan.
• Slice your prosciutto or speck into small, thin pieces.
• Place several anchovies onto a plate.

Thinly slice the scamorza, and layer it into ceramic dishes.  Add the accompaniment, and place it into a hot oven or in the microwave until the cheese melts.  Eat it hot.

Photo from http-www-academiabarilla-itricettelaziobaccala-alla-romana-aspx.jpg

Baccalà is merluzzo, or cod, which has been salt-dried, and is later rehydrated, cooked and consumed.  Baccalà is a relative to stoccafisso, or stockfish.  Legend has it that Norwegian Vikings used to air-dry cod and take it with them for nourishment on their overseas travels.  At the same time or shortly thereafter, whale hunters from Spain’s Basque Country devised a similar plan to support their nutrition needs on whale hunting trips.  Due to the higher temperatures in the Southern Mediterranean, though, the Basque people salt-dried their cod instead of air-drying it, to save themselves from an otherwise very fishy-smelling voyage.

Once considered a food of the people, baccalà is now a delicacy across all of Italy, and is prepared in a multitude of ways, in venues ranging from the household Italian kitchens to high end restaurants.  Recipes abound, their names often reflecting an Italian region or city: baccalà alla vicentina, baccalà alla livornese, baccalà alla romana, baccalà alla napoletana, baccalà alla calabrese.  

Photo from http://travelsofadam.com/hipster-rome-travel-tips/

Baccalà is also essential to la Cucina Romana.  Filetti di baccalà are reliably found on the menù of all Roman pizzerie.  These batter-fried pieces of baccalà are the Eternal City’s preferred pre-pizza appetizer.  Moreover, entire baccalà stores, called baccalerie, supply any type of baccalà or stoccafisso you desire.  Alimentari Micheangeli, located in the working class Roman neighborhood of Centocelle, is one such baccaleria.

When Stefano was a bambino, his grandmother had a little neighborhood alimentari, where she sold salt-dried baccalà, and also had a large basin of cold water with rehydrated baccalà ready for shoppers to buy and cook.  Baccalà con patate, a favorite of Stefano’s father, Andrea, was a frequent meal in their household during his childhood.

Remember, you need to start soaking the baccalà the night before!

Ingredients for 4-6 servings
One filetto di baccalà (salt cod fillet)
Half of a medium onion
8-12 medium potatoes
1 28-oz. can (in Europe, a 1 kg. can) of plum tomatoes
1/3 olive oil

Directions
At least 24 hours prior, place the salt cod fillet to soak in cold water.  Change the water every 3-4 hours as possible (don’t worry about changing the water overnight).

Chop the onion and cut the potatoes into small, uniform pieces.  Place the potatoes and onion into a large pan with 1/3 cup of olive oil.  Add the tomatoes, passing them through a food mill first.  If you don’t have a food mill, use crushed tomatoes, or run the whole tomatoes though a food processor or blender.

Add a glass of water, cover, and cook over medium-low heat for 20-30 minutes until the potatoes are soft, adding water and lowering the heat as needed to prevent it from burning.  You do not need to salt the mixture – your fish will provide enough salt once you add it.

Remove the fish from the water, rinse it and pat it dry.  Cut the fish into portion-sized pieces, and add it to the potato, onion and tomatoes.  Cook covered for approximately another 20 minutes, time for the baccalà to become tender and release its flavors.  After 10 minutes, taste for salt and add a bit if needed.

Serve hot with crusty bread and a chilled glass of crisp, earthy white wine that can stand up to the saltiness of baccalà, such as Verdicchio or Frascati.

Before leaving the house in the morning, consider ‘correcting’ your coffee.  Spiking it, that is, with a shot of liquor that will warm you up and give you the kick you need to brace the cold outdoors.  Caffè corretto is an Italian coffee tradition.  Any time of day, but most commonly in the morning, Italian gentlemen will ask their barista to ‘correct’ their espresso with their liquor of preference  – Grappa, Cognac, Sambuca, or bitters such as Fernet or Cynar.

It is a tradition that may have originated in Naples, among the working class, who were looking to begin the workday with just a bit of extra forza.  Like all good ideas, the practice spread and is now common in all parts of the Italian peninsula.

So, the next time you are in Italy and wish to try an espresso with some fortitude, stop in a bar and ask for a caffè corretto alla grappa, or a caffè corretto al cognac.  Don’t sugar it, either.  That will throw off the ‘correction.’

Here in the States, unfortunately we cannot go into our local coffee shop and and ask for a a little brandy in our single shot espresso.  You could ask for one at the end of your meal in a good Italian restaurant, however.  In fact, that would be an excellent measure of authenticity – ask for a caffè corretto, and if they know exactly what you mean, then you’re at a true Italian restaurant.

Some correct their coffee by putting a shot of liquor in the espresso cup and then adding the caffè.  Others drink the two side by side.  Either way, it will add a warm boost to the start of your day.

Since we are on the topic,  we should mention another Italian merging of flavors involving both coffee and liquor.  Gelato affogato, which means ‘drowned’ gelato is a simple and brilliant ice-cream dessert.  A bit of bitter espresso poured over a scoop of ice cream – gelato affogato al caffè – adds complexity of flavor and sophistication to an otherwise plain dessert.

Or, for an adult twist, try gelato affogato al Borsci, also a bitter, or gelato affogato al whiskey.  In Italy, you would use gelato alla crema, a plain, cream-based gelato.  If you are not so lucky to be able to find that, a nice natural vanilla ice cream will substitute just fine.

So, until the sun shines hot again, stay home and stay warm!

Some mornings, Maria would prepare la zuppa della strega for Stefano, his brother Marco and his sister Debora. Crusty bread was soaked in warm milk, with a bit of espresso, sugar and sometimes cocoa to sweeten it a bit.  Frugality was behind this breakfast creation; it was a way to consume day-old bread.  But Maria made it fun by giving it a mysterious and peculiar name – zuppa della strega, witch’s soup.

Stefano has carried this tradition forth in the States.  On weekend mornings he’ll prepare a bowl of zuppa della strega for 8-year-old Luca, who devours it with the same delight that Stefano did when he was that same age.

January is the season of witches in Italy.  La Befana is a folklorish, witch-like old woman.  On the eve of January 6th, the holiday la festa della Befana, she rides on a broomstick from house to house and leaves treats inside stockings left out by Italian children   As the date suggests, this holiday has its origins in the Christian Epiphany, and it marks the end of the Christmas holiday.  Con l’Epifania, tutte le feste si porta via.

La festa della Befana is even more eagerly anticipated than Christmas by young Italian children.  When Stefano was young, the Befana would leave him and his brother and sister home baked treats, clementines, sugar candy that resembled black coal, and sometimes a little bit of chocolate.  The Befana was a universal symbol for motherhood, and so after waking up and finding their treats in the stocking, Stefano and his siblings would give auguri to their mother, much like one would on mother’s day.  There was plenty of teasing about the Befana‘s homely appearance, too.

As has happened to so many holidays, la festa della Befana has become more commercial since Stefano was young.  Stores theme-based stockings stuffed with chocolates and toys have largely replaced the homemade treats of Stefano’s youth.

Unchanged, though, is the large open air market celebrating la festa della Befana in Rome’s Piazza Navona.  During the weeks between Christmas and la festa della Befana, the piazza is filled with stalls selling candy, toys, miniature Befana dolls and more.  There are amusement park rides, live street artists and more to delight young and old alike.  Whenever we are in Rome over the holidays we make sure to bring the kids for a day of fun.

photo from http://www.roma.repubblica.it

Photo from http://www.roma.repubblica.it

photo from http://www.bigodino.it

Here, the Italian cousins enjoy ciambelle in front of Piazza Navona’s Fontana del Moro on la festa della Befana in 2010.

Ingredients for zuppa della strega
Day old bread
Milk
Sugar
Cocoa (optional)
Espresso (optional)

Directions
Break the bread into small pieces, and place them into a small saucepan.  Cover then with milk and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.  Once the milk comes to a boil, remove from heat and transfer into a bowl.  Add sugar to taste, and espresso or cocoa, or both.  Stir, and enjoy warm.

Photo from Corriere della Sera

Photo from Corriere della Sera

Although our celebration was more subdued than that of the Romans who filled  the streets for the city’s New Year’s Eve celebration, we nonetheless welcomed in 2013 with good company, a lot of laughs, and the obligatory midnight consumption of lenticchie e cotechino, lentil soup with a special, fresh sausage made of pork, which heralds good fortune in the coming year.

2012 certainly had its ups and downs!  We spent much of the year displaced from our house, while it was being rebuilt following the fire.  Rebuilding took enormous time, energy and patience, but happily we have returned, are nearly settled, and best yet, our turn-of-the-century Minneapolis home now has more closet space and a new kitchen to cook in.

Summer of 2012 also marked a visit back to Rome, and a spectacular road trip through the northern Italian wine regions of Trentino-Alto Adige, La Valpolicella, and Piedmont and Le Langhe.  The trip ended as all trips should, with a few days at the sea in the Cinque Terre, with its amazing views and delicious seafood.  We really can’t complain.

2013 began just as pleasantly, on a cold Minneapolis day warmed by the visit of a friend and her charming baby daughter, a plate of fettuccine ai funghi porcini, paired very nicely with a glass of 2006 Martinenga Barbaresco, and a few leftover lentils thrown in for good measure.

Much more could be written about funghi porcini – their earthy texture and nutty flavor, their simple yet elegant quality.  However, on this New Year’s Day we chose to just enjoy them.

Buon Anno a tutti!

Ingredients
(for 4-6 servings)

Approx. 85 grams (3 ounces) dried porcini mushrooms
3 cloves garlic
1 stick (115 grams, 4 ounces) unsalted butter
1 cup dry white wine
Flat leaf Italian Parsley – optional
One package (approx. 500 grams) egg pasta – fettuccine, tagliatelle or pappardelle.  Or, make your own.
Sea salt

Directions
Rehydrate the porcini mushrooms according to the instructions on the package.  We soaked ours in three cups of hot water for about an hour, stirring occasionally.

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat.  Slice the garlic lengthwise into quarters and sauté it in the butter.  Remove the mushrooms from their liquid and add them to the skillet with the butter and garlic.  Preserve the liquid from the mushrooms, and set it aside.  Add the white wine, and let the mixture simmer for about 15 minutes until the mushrooms become soft yet still firm, and the sauce turns creamy.  Remove the garlic.

In the meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Toss a heaping handful of sea salt into the water, and add the pasta.  Cook until al dente according to the instructions on your package.  If you made your own pasta, the cooking time will be about 3-4 minutes; homemade egg pasta cooks much faster than store bought pasta.

Drain the pasta, and return it to the skillet with the mushrooms.  Stir together until mixed.  If needed, you can add a little of the water used to rehydrate the mushrooms.  Serve the pasta hot with a sprinkle of chopped flat leaf Italian parsley.  (We didn’t have any parsley on hand, and since it was New Year’s Day and stores were closed, we simply omitted it).

We’re glad we did.  There is nothing better than once a year filling the house with the warm and delicious smells of Christmas in Italy.  Nuts, chocolate and dried fruit take center stage in recipes that have deep regional roots.  Our tozzetti, for example, are made in the traditional method of the Castelli Romani, with hazelnuts, almonds and brandy or Amaretto di Saronno.  As you move north towards Umbria, you may find fennel added, and as you approach Tuscany their name changes to cantucci.

Likewise, we make our panpepato the way Stefano’s mom does, with nuts, chocolate, candied orange peel, black pepper to give it some heat, and honey and flour to hold it all together.  This is how it is made in the region of Lazio, where Rome is located.  Interestingly, each of Stefano’s aunts prepares it slightly differently, perhaps because they all come from neighboring, but different, small towns in the Roman countryside. Some add rehydrated sultanas or raisins, others include other candied fruits, and some even add cinnamon.  They are all delicious, though.

Christmas would not be the same without the richness of nuts and chocolate, faint aroma of citrus from the orange peel, sweetness from the honey, and the surprising bite of black pepper in panpepato.

Ingredients
You will need a food scale

150 grams of hazelnuts
150 grams of sliced almonds
150 grams of walnuts
150 grams of pine nuts
150 grams of candied orange peel
150-200 grams (one bag) high quality dark chocolate chips
350 grams of honey
350 grams of flour
Black pepper to taste (we use about 1 dozen turns of freshly ground pepper)
Olive oil for handling

Directions
Grind the walnuts and hazelnuts roughly in a food processor.  Spread all of the nuts onto baking trays lined with parchment paper, and toast in the oven at 350° F (180° C) for about 10 minutes, or until they are golden brown.  They will smell delicious when they are ready, so let your sense of scent guide you.  Let them cool slightly.

Mix all of the ingredients together inside a large mixing bowl using a wooden spoon until the flour is absorbed and the mixture is sticky.  Apply a small amount of olive oil on your hands to help with handling the mixture. Using your hands, form 4 or 5 small panpepato mounds, and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake at 350° F (180° C) for approximately 20-30 minutes, or until the outsides are toasted.  You may wish to lower the baking rack to prevent the tops from browning too quickly.  Allow to cool completely, before slicing and serving.  You can wrap a cooled, whole panpepato and store in the refrigerator or even freeze, if you wish.