Archive for July, 2011

The Americano Cocktail

Posted July 30, 2011 By Adri

Americano Cocktail

Well, I’m back to James Bond again. I’ve come to him late in life – or is it just that Daniel Craig came to Bond late in my life? Either way, it is time for L’Americano – the first cocktail 007 ordered in Casino Royale. This cocktail, originally known as a Milano-Torino – for the Campari which came from Milano and the Cinzano vermouth that came from Torino – underwent a name change when it became a favorite of American tourists escaping the deprivations of the Volstead Act. Sort of a Campari cocktail with training wheels, it is composed of 1 ounce each of Campari and sweet vermouth over ice in a Rocks glass topped off with club soda (the training wheels.) Read more… »

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Stracenate, Stracnar and a Cavarola Board

Posted July 18, 2011 By Adri


“…This is another of those great old pastas that must be made manually and is disappearing, but let us revive it…”
– Giuliano Bugialli, in Bugialli on Pasta


Cavarola18


Everything old is new again. No jive. Question: What’s a cavarola? Answer: a small rectangular wooden board with a herringbone surface used to make some of the traditional pastas of Italy’s Mezzogiorno. These household boards are relatively small, usually about 12 inches long and 8 inches wide. They can be made from any wood – fruit woods and beech being very commonly used. The herringbone pattern is carved into one side of the board, and is transferred to the pasta with a rolling pin. The resulting pasta is unique, lovely to look at and the irregular surface holds condimenti better than any smooth pasta ever could. Read more… »

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Il Festino di Santa Rosalia and The Black Plague

Posted July 15, 2011 By Adri
Santa Rosalia

Courtesy: Raymond Giamona, giamona.com

Yersinia pestis. The Plague, the Black Death, the Work of the Devil and God’s Retribution, the people of Palermo called it all that and more in 1624 when they were struck by a microbe whose name man did not yet know. As they prayed, built fires and collected the dead, they waited for the only help they knew, Salvation from Above. Salvation came in the form of a citizen’s fever dream, and Santa Rosalia was her name. Though dead for 400 years, “la Santuzza” appeared to one Sig. Bonello and directed him to retrieve her bones and carry them in a Grand Procession to all corners of the city. This he did, and the Plague abated. The Palermitani were saved, and a patron saint was born to Palermo. Read more… »

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Mint Chocolate Chip Panna Cotta

Posted July 10, 2011 By Adri

Mint Panna Cotta
I guess I should add to this title “…another in an ongoing series.” Who knew that when I started writing I would wind up seeing the world through Panna Cotta colored glasses? Who knew it would come to this – when I think of a flavor I assign it an up or down vote on Panna Cotta worthiness value.

Espresso – check

Blood Orange – check

Buttermilk – check
Read more… »

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Happy Birthday Rossella Rago – Corzetti Stampati al Limone

Posted July 6, 2011 By Adri

Cooking With Nonna

Here I am on the Cooking with Nonna web site – Rossella Rago put out the call for a special recipe to celebrate her birthday.  And I won with my Corzetti Stampati al Limone!

Thanks Rossella for selecting my recipe, and thanks also for all the wonderful interviews with all the nonne.  I very much regret that my own grandmother, Angela Barra Crocetti, is no longer with us.  She passed away years ago, but in our home she lives on.  May I also say, that “Cooking with Nonna” makes an invaluable contribution to the heritage of every Italian-American, preserving the recipes and the culture and history that is so entwined with them.

Grazie!

To learn more about Corzetti and to see some additional recipes see my other articles:

click HERE for Part 1 – Corzetti Edible Art

click HERE for Part 2 – The Intagliatore of Chiavari

click HERE for Part 3 – Corzetti Stampati agli Spinaci con Gorgonzola

click HERE for Part 4 – Where to buy Corzetti stamps

 

Cooking With Nonna

I have no affiliation with any product, manufacturer, or site mentioned in this article.

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Homemade Trifecta – Blueberry Peach Jam, Buttermilk Currant Scones and Mascarpone

Posted July 3, 2011 By Adri

Currant Scones, Blueberry Peach Jam, Mascarpone

 

The summertime trifecta – Homemade Buttermilk Currant Scones topped with Homemade Blueberry Peach Jam and Homemade Mascarpone. Like I said, a trio. And since I did all the work, I couldn’t resist saying so, three times.

Summer is preserving time, and what better way to capture summer in a jar than to cook perfectly ripe peaches, the Queen of Fruit, with sugar and blueberries for a delicate preserved delight. And who does not like scones? I have used this recipe with a change here or there for well over thirty years. We always enjoy their light texture coupled with the tang of buttermilk and the sweet little bites of currants. Read more… »

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