Italian cooking

Do you ever make Roman Gnocchi? It has been a really long time since we made it.
 
CraigC said:
Do you ever make Roman Gnocchi? It has been a really long time since we made it.
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Eh no, I don't make them often and I don't know why since they're so easy to do and ingredients are easy to find as well. Maybe it's just forgetfulness, but thanks for the indirect suggestion :)
 
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Recipe - Tiella Barese


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Like its name says, the Tiella Barese is a dish typical of Bari, a city in the Apulia region in the extreme south of Italy. The term tiella originally indicates a pot with a lid, but with time it became the name of a variety of dishes cooked in a baking crock pan. This dish is also simply known as Riso, Patate e Cozze - Rice, Potatoes and Mussels.

The simple yet delicious taste of the tiella barese is reminiscent of the Spanish domination in southern Italy: although it has fewer ingredients, the tiella is very similar to the paella, in that it combines rice and seafood and it’s cooked without stirring the rice in the pot (which would instead give you a risotto). For this reason, we can date the tiella barese back to the 16th century.

Made with poor ingredients, the tiella has always been very popular with the lower strata of the population. An oven wasn’t always a common home appliance, so on Sundays the women would prepare the dish in their home kitchen, and then the men would bake it in public firewood ovens. The practice of cooking food using public ovens was – and still is – widespread in central and southern Italy.
 
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Espresso Coffee served with a glass of water, a Neapolitan custom


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Apart from other few countries in the world, in Italy, a glass of water is served next to Espresso coffee. Not in all Italian cities there is this custom however, it comes mainly from the city of coffee par excellence, Naples, followed step by step by the capital, Rome.

So, why the glass of the water?

There are two reasons: to clean the palate before coffee or to quench the thirst afterwards.

Actually, there is also a third one that says that because the coffee wasn’t good, you need to get that taste out of your mouth by drinking a glass of water.

Drinking the glass of water before coffee is used to cleanse the mouth from other flavors, so you can fully enjoy the taste of coffee. This is the proper custom, to drink water only before sipping coffee.

Many people use to drink a sip of water even after sipping coffee to quench the thirst that arises after drinking a hot Espresso or as said as third chance, drinking water after coffee is considered, by the baristas, a very important sign to understand that the Espresso served was not to the customer’s liking.

Along with this custom, in Naples there is another ancient tradition connected to Espresso coffee that is woven into the structure of society itself.

When paying their Espresso coffee at the cashier, some wealthier Neapolitans pay for two at once: in this way, the bar can offer a coffee to someone that cannot afford it. It’s a tradition that developed during the hard times of the Second World War and continues nowadays, and it’s called ‘Caffé Sospeso‘, which roughly means ‘paused coffee‘.
 
MypinchofItaly , have you ever made Canederli? I just watched a show that featured it. The host called it a type of gnocchi, cooked and served in beef broth. These were made with day old bread soaked in milk and Speck.
 
CraigC said:
MypinchofItaly , have you ever made Canederli? I just watched a show that featured it. The host called it a type of gnocchi, cooked and served in beef broth. These were made with day old bread soaked in milk and Speck.
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Yep of course I’ve already made Canederli and it’s one of those dishes I like to prepare during winter time.
If I’m not wrong, I’ve posted the recipe on the forum and also something on this thread...
 
MypinchofItaly said:
Yep of course I’ve already made Canederli and it’s one of those dishes I like to prepare during winter time.
If I’m not wrong, I’ve posted the recipe on the forum and also something on this thread...
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Ok no, I was wrong, I haven’t posted in this thread Canederli (maybe only as recipe in another thread) .. another reminder from you
Thanks 😊
 
Recipe - Stuffed & Deep-Fried Courgette Flowers

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Different preparations with courgette flowers are common throughout Italy, from Liguria till the deep South – but when the flowers are stuffed with mozzarella and anchovies, then deep fried, well, they say Rome.

Courgette flowers were probably first used in the kitchen to avoid waste and maximise the efforts that go into maintaining a vegetable garden. Whilst the primary purpose of planting courgettes or pumpkins is the fruit, who would throw away a byproduct that tastes this good?

Since then, courgette flowers have come a long way: they’re now known and appreciated mostly as a street food delicacy, perfect to bite on whilst strolling down the streets of Rome, but also perfect as appetizer.
 
Courgette Flowers

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A typical food of the spring and summer season. A staple of Italian cuisine, they are served as starters or even as street food especially in Central-Southern Italy, and even more particularly in Lazio.

Rich in vitamins, mineral salts, folic acid and antioxidants, they are also very low in calories.

Since they are flowers, they must be consumed very fresh because they easily wither. If you grow them in your garden it will be quite simple: just have to pick them just before you cook them. If, on the other hand, you buy them at the market or supermarket, you have to look at the colour : it must be deep yellow, with turgid and not softened or greyed ends, with no brown or blackish hues of any kind, otherwise it means they have been there for a while, so they are not fresh.

Perfect also added raw in salad or added at the last moment on a focaccia or pizza, baked, they are also tasty in rustic cakes, perfect in frittatas as well as the most classic recipe, i.e. stuffed with mozzarella and anchovies, then battered and deep-fried as they make in Rome.

How to clean Courgette Flowers?

Take the flowers one by one and remove the lateral green creases at the bottom of the flower itself. You can decide to keep the stem at the base or leave it - it depends on preparation you are going to make. Gently wipe up the flower with a kitchen cloth, remove the pistil. Rinse the flowers gently under the running water for few seconds, then dry them on a cloth.
 
Not food-related, that's about a place I've been several times



The Sacred Wood of Monsters of Bomarzo, Lazio


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Mythological and sinister figures and gods like Hercules, Neptune, Pegasus, Isis, Ceres, Proserpine, Cerberus (the three-headed dog mentioned in Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy), peep out from the foliage of the forest, grotesque gigantic creatures carved in stone like lions, dragons, orcs, elephants, fauns and dolphins, a Casa Pendente – Leaning House – and a Temple are the inhabitants of the Bomarzo Gardens, better known as the Garden of Monsters of Bomarzo or Sacred Forest of Bomarzo, an enchanted and enchanting place that covers an area of about 3 hectares. It is located in the village of Bomarzo – from which it takes its name – in the Municipality of Viterbo, about 1 hour and half by car from Rome.

The garden was created during the 16th century.

Prince Pierfrancesco Orsini was its creator. He was a valiant leader passionate about philosophy and literature and in 1552 he wanted to give life to something unique and memorable, in fact he decided to shape the forest following his marked eccentricity. So he entrusted the realization to the architect Pirro Ligorio, who was a pupil of Michelangelo and the sculptor Simone Moschino.
After the death of Prince Orsini, the park was abandoned for centuries, until in the mid-50s of the last century when artists and intellectuals restored its fame and splendor.

La Casa Pendente – The Leaning House – is built on a sloping boulder, people who enter inside have a sense of bewilderment because of its irregular slope.

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The Leaning House


And then there is the Ogre, the icon of Bomarzo (in the photo) : it is a huge stone mask with its mouth wide open and empty eyes on whose upper lip is written:
“Ogni Pensiero Vola” – “Every Thought Flies” – which sounds as the invitation to abandon rational thought and fall into the arms of the unknown.

So let your thought flies away and treat yourself to a beautiful and interesting day by visiting the Sacred Wood of the Monsters of Bomarzo.
 
Black Chickpeas

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Black Chickpeas belong to a very ancient variety of chickpeas, typical of the Central and South Italy regions like Lazio, Umbria, but mostly Basilicata and Apulia.

Black Chickpeas flavour is more intense than the standard ones, ideal for many preparations, from soup to pasta dish to salad.
As big as a grain of corn, they have a black, wrinkled skin, whilst inside they are white-yellow. Their flavour and nutritional characteristics are similar to those of common chickpeas but richer in iron, tastier and more aromatic.

They are very ancient legumes, even they were already cultivated during the Bronze Age. Some time ago they were almost about to disappear.

Black Chickpeas contain three times the amount of fiber contained in their cousins. This characteristic makes them definitely satiating. In addition, consuming black chickpeas regularly improves the functioning of the intestine and keeps the level of glucose in the blood under control. They are also rich in vitamins, especially C, K, E and B group vitamins, as well as mineral salts such as magnesium, phosphorus and potassium. But the black chickpea is mostly known to contain high amounts of iron, in the past, precisely because of this characteristic, it was particularly recommended for pregnant women and those who had just given birth.

As it is so rich in nutrients, the black chickpea is much more caloric than its light variant, so much so that it is often used as a source of protein in vegetarian and vegan diets. And again: these legumes also have a high carbohydrate content, which makes them a perfect food for those who suffering from energy loss.

How to cook them?

Ok let’s face it, Black Chickpeas are legumes that need calm and time, thus make yourselves comfy and no hurry. At the end, however, they will know how to repay you for the wait because they are tasty indeed and with bay leaf, garlic and olive oil even more. If you want to indulge yourself and add a few pieces of lard or smoked bacon, do it without any delay and they will be over.

Black chickpeas do not require special care to be cooked, however they require a rather long preparation time: being small, they tend to retain very little moisture once dried thus the hydration time is extended They necessarily need soaking, from 12 to 18 hours and about 3 hours for cooking. However, yhey might be soaked also for at least 24-36 hours. This time which seems infinite will actually help to shorten the cooking time afterwards.

Placing Black Chickpeas in a large bowl and cover them completely and abundantly with cold water. They should never remain uncovered.
Change the water at least 2 times during soaking, rinse them well before cooking.
Never use the soaking water to cook them, it needs a change.

Their flavour can be intensified by the use of certain aromas. Among the most suitable spices to use when cooking black chickpeas, the first one is certainly bay leaf, which in addition to intensifying the flavour also make these legumes easier to digest. Garlic, olive oil, rosemary, sage or oregano to follow.
Cooking Black Chickpeas with a normal pot is possible and very easy: take a pot and fill it with cold water. If you have it, however, it is preferable to use a crockpot, because this material has the ability to maintain the flavour and properties of black chickpeas. And after all is so scenographic!

Put the pot on the fire and, if you want, you can also add a clove of garlic to the cooking water, which enhances the flavour of these legumes: however, remember to remove the garlic once the water has started boiling. Once this is done, you can throw black chickpeas in the pot, covering them with a lid.

The black chickpeas must be cooked over a low heat to prevent them from becoming too hard once cooked. Don’t be frightened if, during cooking, the water turns an intense black colour, this is definitely normal. They should cook for at least 2 hours and half or even 3, then they are ready to be enjoyed on their own or in a pasta.




 
Hey mypinch, I watched a cooking video featuring Peposa -- Tuscan Peppered Beef. Are you familiar with that? It looks great!

CD
 
caseydog said:
Hey mypinch, I watched a cooking video featuring Peposa -- Tuscan Peppered Beef. Are you familiar with that? It looks great!

CD
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mmmm, Peposo dell’Impruneta, splendid dish and yes I’m familiar with it as I have a thing with Tuscany.
And it’s another dish on my “to do and post recipe” list
Have you ever ate Peposo?
 
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