La storia di Crocetti Archive

Torta Tre Monti

Posted April 12, 2011 By Adri


Torta Tre Monti-Box Front


There are good friends and then there are great friends. Anthony and Scott are great friends. A couple of weeks ago I received an email from Anthony. It was brief and to the point: “three words for you torta tre monti ever heard of this” Like I said, brief and to the point. My return email was considerably more verbose. It started with OMG. I knew the cake was all about wafers, known as cialde, and cream filling. I knew it was famous. I knew I had never seen one in any store around here. After that the details were fuzzy. The research began. And the more I learned, the more I knew I had to try one. I also learned I might have to jet to San Marino to do it.

Torta Tre Monti is the famous pastry of The Republic of San Marino, population 31,830. Situated in the hills of central Italy, San Marino, if you are ready for a brief lesson, is the last of Italy’s independent hill towns, the world’s oldest republic, and (this is how Anthony got started with this in the first place) third in the world in life expectancy – 80.3 years for men and 85.9 years for women. Must be the pastry.

As we searched, the days wore on. No Torta Tre Monti in sight. Not even a recipe. We found sources on the internet, but the pastry was always out of stock. We found inquiries from people on the internet looking for recipes, but only inquiries, no answers. Google searches led to the web site for La Serenissima Cake Factory in San Marino, home of the torte. Skillful dolciere make these pastries entirely by hand. First, thin blond wafers are baked on a bank of well seasoned irons. Such irons are rarely seen outside of Italy. We were enticed by gorgeous shots of huge vats of hot cream and fondant. The skill of the women as they fill the pastries and finish them with a crown of fondant left no doubt that we had to have one. We could wait no longer. There was only one thing to do. Anthony called his mother, Rose. Success we knew, must surely be at hand. The woman does not fail. And Rose, upon hearing the pastry lover’s dilemma decided it was time to enlist the considerable resources of her sister Santa. Italian families are like that. One for all and all for one. Don’t think for one second that Dumas came up with that one all by himself. Oh no. He got it from the Italians. Just ask any Italian mom.

The search was on in earnest, and very quickly sweet success was within reach. Enter Petrone’s Pizzelles in Erie, Pennsylvania. Santa drove right over to him in Erie, and there stood the torte in their very unique boxes. Inside – a circular multi-layered wonder composed of five super thin, ultra-crispy wafers filled with thin layers of intensely flavored smooth chocolate, hazelnut and coffee cream. Within a few days a torta arrived on everyone’s doorstep, a group affair start to finish.


Torta Tre MontiThe first thing you notice is the packaging. I had to stop and admire it before I went any further. Shades of blue, gold, yellow and green with medieval knights on horseback holding a standard. People walking along side. They do not make packaging like this in America. And yes, I saved the box. I carefully opened the box and there, wrapped in foil and weighing 9.52 ounces, was the disc of pastry. I gave thanks and then I grabbed my scissors and opened it up. This is one heck of a KitKat Bar. It is assembled so perfectly, so neatly that yes, a level says it is level. The wafers are baked to blond perfection and each of the three cream components is spread in a perfectly uniform layer. I just had to stand and admire the art and skill of the folks at La Serenissima Dolciaria. Now it was time to sample. The first thing I noticed is how easily and perfectly it sliced. No ragged edges, no mess. Perfect. And in the eating, the torta is quite neat. It would be a perfect dessert for a summer night at the Hollywood Bowl or other evening under the stars. With each bite your mouth is filled first with crunch as the wafers give way under your teeth. Then come the smooth chocolate, hazelnut and coffee creams. Each layer is filled with a different cream, so the flavors remain distinct, yet complementary to one another. The chocolate and hazelnut creams come first to the fore, followed by the intense and not too sweet coffee cream. The entire torta is finished with a border of dark chocolate fondant. A joy to behold, and a delight to consume.

When I the package arrived I felt very special. So I simply can not end this post without saying thank you Anthony, Scott, Rose and Santa. You made me feel like part of the family. We all enjoyed this Sanmarinese specialty, and even the hunt was fun.

Since 1942 La Serenissima Antica Fabbrica di Torte has made Torta Tre Monti and other pastry delights. Check out their web site to view their entire line and for more information. Be sure to watch the video. I know you will want one too. Open some Prosecco and celebrate the small principality of San Marino. Several styles of torte and other La Serenissima products are available online from Savarozza.com.


Torta Tre Monti


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

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Tomatomania

Posted March 26, 2011 By Adri

 

 

Wake up!  It is time to start your gardens!

Each year Bart and I kick off our garden season with an early morning visit to day one of Tomatomania at Tapia Brothers Farm in Encino. Great name. Great event.

Tomatomania

For tomato gardeners the Tomatomania seedling sale is the place to be. Gardeners are presented with a dizzying array of choices. And I do mean dizzying. Hundreds of varieties, thousands of plants, along with herbs, items for soil preparation and fertilizer. This is the time of year to shift into high gear for Spring and Summer gardening.

Tomatomania

It is time to clean up the garden area, prepare the soil, decide what to plant and where to put it all, and purchase the plants. We had a ball this morning, looking at the seedlings, chatting with fellow gardeners and listening in on people’s comments about their favorite plants.

Adri

I picked up some favorites from last year including Juliet, Ananas Noire, and Sungold. I decided to try some new ones too. Among them are Jaune Flamme, Haley’s Purple Comet (couldn’t resist that one) and Green Envy. Let me say it was hard to choose and harder still to leave all those other little babies behind. Check their web site for a sale near you. If you can not find one, do not despair. They sell seedlings online.

Tomatomania

The more I garden the more I am utterly amazed at the tremendous number of choices available to us. I love to grow unusual plants, and so over the years I have settled on a few specialty purveyors. For herb plants look no farther than Goodwin Creek Gardens. They have over 1000 herbs and plants including every herb you can think of and more varieties of lavender, thyme and geranium than I ever knew existed.

Tomato CagesIf it is peppers you are after, Cross Country Nurseries is the company for you. Again, more plants than you can imagine – hundreds in fact. Their catalogue lists the plants and their culinary uses. Another thing I love about their catalogue is the chart that gives the name and type of pepper, length, width, heat level and country of origin. What more could a gardener possibly ask for?

Tractor Man And finally, never again will you sneak seeds back home in your suitcase. Seeds from Italy is a specialty purveyor of heirloom seeds from Franchi Sementi of Bergamo, and from southern Italy the seeds of a very small company in Andria, Bari. This company is unmatched. Grow these seeds and you will be the talk of your neighborhood. Many of these are things you will never see in an American supermarket. They specialize in traditional heirloom Italian varieties, and lots of them – 9 types of arugula, 14 types of cima di rapa, 7 types of eggplant, 25 varieties of lettuce and 18 types of zucchini! Their catalogue also features growing instructions and recipes. Sign up online for their terrific newsletter.

A gardener’s life is good. I hope you decide to garden this summer. No one says you have to have a huge garden. Just grow something. Anything. Feel the dirt. Plant something, tend it and watch it grow. It’ll taste better than anything you ever bought in a store.

Ananas Noire

 

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

TomatomaniaTomatomania

Tomatomania

Tomatomania

Tomatomania

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Blood Orange Fruit Gelatin

Posted March 12, 2011 By Adri

Blood Orange Gelatin


Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,
Old Time is still a-flying:
And this same flower that smiles today
To-morrow will be dying.
…Robert Herrick



Grab them while you can.  Juice them and freeze their juice.  The season does not last forever, but right now blood oranges are everywhere, including my back yard, so I am using them a lot.  Tarts, panna cotta, cocktails, zabaglione and some very adult gelatin.  I remember eating lots of Jell-O  when I was a kid.  It’s the red flavors I liked best – none of that green stuff for me.  Pass the raspberry, hold the lime.  I can picture holding my mom’s wooden spoon and looking down as I stirred the garnet liquid, knowing that in a while it would transform into its own unique state of matter, somewhere between jiggly and solid, a state that, when  exposed to the heat of my mouth, would return once again to its liquid beginnings.  Magic.   But as always, times and tastes change, and Jell-O was long ago relegated to the realm of childhood memory.  Until Bart was in the hospital, that is.  (To forestall any worry – he is perfectly well now.  No troubles.)  But after many days of no food at all, the angels of mercy presented him with Jell-O.  He loved it.  He devoured it.  He wanted more.  Either the poor guy was really hungry, or that Jell-O was really good.  I will never know.  But when he returned home he wanted some from scratch.  Homemade fruit gelatin.  Not a glamorous name, but that is what it is.  I thought why not?  This could be really good.  We bought some cherry juice and gave it a try.  It was easy to make and we were rewarded with a blast of pure cherry flavor.  More experimentation was surely in order; at each visit to Trader Joe’s we’d scan the juice section for a new flavor to try.  Bart always got to choose, still does.  Along with cherry, some of our favorites are pomegranate, blueberry and cranberry, and now blood orange.  Topped with a dollop of softly whipped cream, homemade fruit gelatin is surprisingly refreshing.  Pure fruit taste.


Blood Oranges


My standard recipe is  2 cups of liquid,  sugar and 1 packet (1/4 oz.) KNOX Unflavored Gelatine.  Don’t be put off by the idea of using gelatin. Once you understand it, you’ll get the hang and you’ll wonder what the fuss was about.  Proper gelatin use consists of two steps.  First you must soften, or “bloom” the gelatin.  To do this pour a small portion of liquid into a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over it.  Set aside for 5 minutes.  Do not stir.  Second, pour softened gelatin into hot liquid and stir to dissolve.  See, no hassle.  No mystery. For more info on gelatin use, see my post on Espresso Panna Cotta.


Blood Orange Juice


Depending on the juice you use you may or may not need to add sugar – cranberry and pomegranate always need sugar, from 4 to 6 tablespoons for 2 cups of their very tart juices.  Grape juice may not need any sugar, but remember that you will eat this cold, so a bit of sugar may be necessary to lift the flavor, no matter how perfect the juice seems when you first try it.


I say go for it.  Perfect your fruit gelatin technique in time for summer.  You can wow your guests with unusual flavor combinations and multi-layered delights.


Blood Orange GelatinIn the fifties every chic hostess used Dorothy Thorpe glassware; in a nod to my mom, the most chic of hostesses and the woman who taught me all about Jell-O, I give you Blood Orange Fruit Gelatin in Dorothy Thorpe glassware.







Blood Orange Fruit Gelatin

makes 4 servingsBlood Orange Gelatin Fixings


2 cups strained blood orange juice
3-4 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 packet (1/4 oz. or 2 1/4 teaspoons) KNOX Unflavored Gelatine




Pour 1/4 cup juice into a small bowl.  Sprinkle KNOX Gelatine over, and set aside to soften for 5 minutes.  Do not stir.


Pour remaining juice in small saucepan and add sugar to taste.  Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar.  Remove from heat.


Pour softened gelatin into hot liquid, stirring to combine well and dissolve gelatin.  If your juice has cooled, quickly bring it back to the boil, remove from heat and add gelatin mixture, just to be certain it will dissolve.


Pour mixture through a fine strainer set over medium bowl.  Place bowl over an ice water bath to cool, stirring occasionally.


Pour mixture into serving glasses and cover carefully with plastic.  Refrigerate until completely chilled and set.


To serve, garnish with a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream.


Blood Orange Gelatin

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Ferratelle

Posted January 25, 2011 By Adri

Ferratelle


Especially popular at Christmas, Easter and weddings, ferratelle are a classic Abruzzese treat. In other parts of Italy these delightful waffle cookies are known as pizzelle, nevole, catarrette, cancellette and more, but in Abruzzo where my grandfather Gaetano Crocetti was born they are known as ferratelle. The implements used to make the cookies first appeared in the late eighteenth century and were fashioned of iron, ferro in Italian – and the cookies were dubbed ferratelle. Lu ferro, as the iron is known, consists of two plates, most often rectangular, each attached to a long handle and secured with a locking mechanism. The inside of the plates, the side on which the cookies are baked, is etched with a grate-like design. Some say the name cancellette and the grate-like design were inspired by the screens in nunneries. Dough or batter is placed on one of the plates, the long handle locked closed and the plates held over an open fire. If you come across old ferratelle irons you may see initials, family insignias or names etched on the inside of one of the plates. It was customary for a family to have their own iron, often a prized wedding gift. They are beautiful tools, and after many years of use and thousands of cookies, the irons take on a stunning patina and wonderful non-stick finish, just like nonna’s cast iron frying pan. Should you be lucky enough to have an original etched iron, well then, I am envious. Very envious.

Ferratelle PatternFerratelle IronElectric Ferratelle Iron


Nowadays most families have an electric ferratelle maker. They are sold in the U.S. as pizzelle makers, and they look like small waffle irons. Aluminum irons for stovetop and hearth use are also available. Both electric and stovetop types can be purchased at Amazon and many specialty shops. For an authentic iron you will need to make a trip to an antique store or nonna’s basement or attic.


FerratelleLots of cultures make a cookie like this, the most famous being the Norwegian Krumkake. Of course we are talking about Italy where the tradition of mille nonne is at work – a thousand grandmothers – a thousand recipes, and almost as many names. All ferratelle, or pizzelle, have four ingredients in common – flour, sugar, eggs, and some kind of fat – butter, olive oil, lard, vegetable oil, even margarine. From there the road diverges. The most common flavoring is anise, either ground seeds, oil or extract, and in widely varying amounts. I like just a hint almost more for aroma than taste, but some recipes call for much more. Use what ever amount pleases you, a recipe direction the Italians express as quanto basta, q.b.

Flavorings

I have seen recipes that call for cinnamon, cannella in Italian. Some add vanilla powder or extract, almond oil or extract, lemon or orange zest, oil or extract, or one of my favorites, Fiori di Sicilia. Fiori di Sicilia is a potent mix of orange, vanilla and jasmine, and is available from King Arthur. And since we are talking Abruzzo, source of some of the finest saffron (zafferano) in the entire world, when a cook really wants to splurge she will add some to the mix. For an extra depth of flavor I use brown butter, butter that has been heated to the point where it melts and the milk solids begin to brown. The amazing thing about brown butter is how something so simple to make can have such a complex flavor and add so much to a dish. Whether you put it on eggs, vegetables, fish or add it to a dessert, it brings a unique depth of flavor to any dish. I think of brown butter as a great ingredient that is less than five minutes away; if you’ve got butter, a saucepan and a burner, you’ve got brown butter. But let me emphasize – this step is my addition and in no way traditional, except in my kitchen. Feel free to skip it.

Here is a short clip on how to make brown butter.



These cookies are most often left flat, but they can also be molded right after baking. You can wrap them around cannoli tubes and fill them with whipped cream, pastry cream, Nutella, honey or other filling. You can also form them into cones by wrapping the still hot cookie around a wooden cone mold.

Ferratelle recipes produce every consistency from malleable doughs to loose batters and all points in between. My electric unit produces circular cookies, so I form the dough into balls. If you will be using a hand held iron, either at the stovetop or the hearth, I suggest you use a recipe that will produce a dough-like, or at least a paste-like consistency. The experience will be much more pleasant and much less messy than if you use a batter. And if you are using an iron with rectangular plates, tradition dictates that you form each piece of dough into rope and then into a figure eight to ensure even coverage of the cooking surface. And the cooking time for the hand held irons? Yield to tradition – for the first side say an Ave Maria, give the iron a flip, say a Pater Noster and the cookie is done. I just love Italian food.

Ingredients



Dry Ingredients

In a small bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.



Wet Ingredients

In a medium bowl beat eggs and sugar until light in color.



Add Melted Butter

Add melted butter.



VanillaCollageC

Add Vanilla.



Anise Oil

Add just a drop of Anise Oil.



Combine Well

Combine well.



Fold in Dry Ingredients

Mix Well



Gently fold in flour mixture in three additions.







Dough Ball

Dough will come together in a firm ball.



Form into a Ball

Scoop or pinch off a tablespoon of dough and form into a ball. Repeat with remaining dough.



Baking

Place 1 ball of dough on each plate. Close and lock lid.



Removing

Remove from Iron.



Ferratelle

makes about 30

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, browned and cooled
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk
1 packet (una bustina) of Vanillina* OR 1teaspoon vanilla extract
anise oil, q.b.
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch kosher salt

This recipe will produce a malleable dough. These directions are for an electric unit.

Place a towel beneath the iron to capture any fat that may leak.  Heat iron.

Brown the butter.  Set aside.  Watch my video to learn how to make brown butter, burro nocciola to the Italians.

In a small bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt.  Set aside.
In a medium bowl beat eggs and sugar until light in color.
Add melted butter, vanilla and anise oil.  Combine well.  
Gently fold in flour mixture in three additions.   Dough will come together in a firm ball.
Pinch off a tablespoon of dough and form into a ball.  Repeat with remaining dough.
Place 1 ball of dough on each plate. Close and lock lid.
Bake until steam subsides, about 35 to 40 seconds, depending on your iron and on how brown you want your ferratelle.  Remove to rack to cool.  If you are going to form the ferratelle into cones or tubes, do so when they are hot.

Bake until steam subsides, about 35 to 40 seconds, depending on your iron and on how brown you want your ferratelle. Remove to rack to cool. If you are going to form the ferratelle into cones or tubes, do so when they are hot.

* I like to use Vanillina Pura, a vanilla powder manufactured by Fratelli Rebecchi. It is available at many Italian markets, and online at Amazon.

Ferratelle


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Nutella Coffee Cake

Posted January 5, 2011 By Adri

Nutella Coffee Cake Slice


I like Nutella. I really like sweet yeast risen coffee cakes, the kind with a dough like brioche. And the other day I was craving a sweet coffee cake. Can you guess what’s coming? Just in time for Little Christmas, it’s Nutella Coffee Cake, of course. Nutella, that delicious concoction of hazelnuts and cocoa seems to go with just about everything in the bakery department. Developed during World War II by Pietro Ferrero, it was originally supplied in a foil wrapped loaf called pasta gianduja. Over time the formulation was changed to the spread we know today and it became known as supercrema gianduja. And in 1964 the name was changed to Nutella. It has been sold in the United States since 1983, and in recent years it has become extremely popular. With good reason, I’d say. I think of it as the Italian answer to peanut butter. Check out the Nutella USA web site and enter the Nutella Monthly Case Sweepstakes to win a case of Nutella. Oh, one thing more, when you open a jar of Nutella don’t throw away the gold seal. Collect them to use to redeem cool Nutella stuff like tee shirts, mugs and more. Really. I mean how good does life get?


Nutella


Many cultures have sweetened filled yeast breads; Italians have their nut filled Gubana from Friuli, Eastern Europeans have Babka typically filled with nuts and dried fruit while Jewish bakers fill their Babka with chocolate or cinnamon and crown it with streusel. Now I have Nutella Coffee Cake, a sumptuous brioche-like concoction filled with Nutella, rolled up, twisted, plopped in a pan, topped with streusel and baked to tender yeasty sweet-filled perfection.


I started with a sweet brioche-like yeast dough, rolled it out in 2 batches, just to make it easier to put it in the pan, spread each piece of dough with half a jar of Nutella, rolled them up jelly roll style, gave them a twist and put them in a tube pan. I figured that although I was craving something sweet, maybe, just maybe the Nutella along with the sweet dough would be too much. So I opted for buttermilk, just to give the dough a bit of a tang to counteract all that sweetness. Then I got to thinking I needed maybe just a little something more than the dough and the Nutella, something more on top perhaps. The idea of a streusel sounded darn good to me. I went with it. Once the dough was in the pan, I spread some butter on top and sprinkled it with a streusel of sugar, flour, butter and, in a nod to the Nutella, toasted hazelnuts. This is for those who are serious about their Coffee Cake.


Nutella Coffee Cake


For those of you who do not make yeast breads, fear not. Do not be daunted by the thought of working with yeast. I use SAF Instant Yeast, a baker’s dream. No dissolving, no worrying about the temperature of your liquids and no proofing. Just mix it in with the dry ingredients and you are ready to go. SAF Gold Instant Yeast is particularly good for use in sweet breads. Baked goods with lots of sugar can take forever to rise. Why? The sugar attracts the water and the yeast can not get any. Thirsty yeast will rise slowly. The yeast in SAF Gold needs less water, thus no conflict in your dough, only peace, harmony and a most remarkable rise. You will love it. You may not find it on your grocer’s shelf, however it is available from the King Arthur Baker’s Catalogue, along with just about every other cool item for baking.


I have called for 00 flour because I love the soft, tender dough I get when I use it. If you do not have it, you will still get a wonderful result with all-purpose flour. For more info on 00 flour, see my post on Crostoli.


A word about the hazelnuts – you will need to toast and skin them. Toasting brings out their wonderful flavor and allows you to skin them with some degree of ease. To toast the nuts, place them on a rimmed baking sheet in a 325 degree oven for ten to twelve minutes, stirring the nuts once or twice. Remove them from the oven, place them in a kitchen towel and rub them vigorously to remove as much of the skins as you can. You will never be able to remove all of the skins, and that is alright. Toasting and skinning is an important step because if left on, the skins will impart a bitter flavor to your final product.


I like to use a 2 piece non-stick angel food cake pan for this coffee cake. Even though I direct you to line your pan with parchment paper, the added benefit of a non-stick pan makes it that much easier to remove the coffee cake. If you are not familiar with yeast breads and rolled coffee cakes, this might all seem like a bit of a challenge, but press on. Your efforts will be rewarded and after you have made it once you will wonder what all the fuss was about. A nice thing about this recipe is you can do the second rise in the refrigerator overnight. You can even make the streusel days ahead and keep it in the freezer until you are ready to use it.


When you assemble this coffee cake you may find that the ends of the dough do not meet, especially with the second piece of dough that will lay around the outside of the pan. Do not worry. Do not fuss. Just place the dough pieces in the pan so that the ends of one piece are on the opposite sides of the pan from the ends of the first piece. The dough will rise sumptuously, you will have luscious pockets of Nutella, and your Coffee Cake will have character.


I hope you try this Coffee Cake. It is just as good the day after as it is the day you make it. Do not think of this as a lot of work, but rather several steps. And since all you have to do for the filling is open a jar of Nutella, it is almost easy. (I have to be careful saying a recipe is easy. My sister Toni never believes me.) Try this one. It’s great for breakfast or brunch, and it is just in time for Little Christmas. I bet that like me, you will leave your fork on the table and pick it apart with your hands.


Nutella Coffee Cake

Nutella Coffee Cake



Nutella Coffee Cake


makes one large 10 inch coffee cake


For the dough:
2 3/4 cups 00 flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
2 whole eggs
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, very soft, cut into 16 pieces
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

extra butter for bowl and pan
flour for dusting work surface

For the streusel topping:
1/2 cup 00 flour
1/3 cup hazelnuts, toasted and skinned, about 2 ounces
1/4 cup granulated sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced and chilled

For the filling:
1 13-ounce jar Nutella

To make the dough: combine flour, sugar, instant yeast and salt in mixer fitted with paddle attachment and mix briefly to combine. With mixer on low, add buttermilk, whole eggs, egg yolk and vanilla. Beat until dough comes together. Remove paddle and switch to the dough hook. Beat medium-low until dough is shiny and elastic, about 10 to 12 minutes.

Add one stick of the softened butter, piece by piece, blending completely after addition. Beat on low for about 5 minutes, until dough is smooth and elastic. Place dough in buttered bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm, draft-free area. Let rise until doubled, about 2 hours.

When dough has doubled in size, remove plastic. Press dough down. Cover tightly and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.

To make streusel topping: place flour, hazelnuts and sugar in bowl of food processor fitted with steel blade. Pulse briefly to coarsely chop nuts. Add butter and pulse briefly to form a crumbly mixture. Place streusel in freezer until ready to use.

Butter the bottom and sides of a 10″ angel food cake or tube pan, preferably with a removable bottom. Line bottom and sides of pan with parchment paper. Butter parchment paper.

Divide refrigerated dough in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll one half of the dough into a 13 x 8-inch rectangle. Use an offset spatula to gently spread half the Nutella over the rolled out dough to within 1/4 inch of the edges. Trim edges. Beginning at long end, roll up tightly as for jelly roll; pinch seam to seal. Holding one end of the roll in each hand, carefully twist the roll several times to make a spiral. Nestle dough in prepared pan, wrapping dough around central core, leaving ends loose. Repeat with the remaining dough and Nutella; place second roll in prepared pan, arranging it around the outer perimeter along side the first roll with the ends of the second roll on opposite sides of the pan from the ends of the first. The coffee cake will rise a bit unevenly. Don’t worry. I don’t. And by leaving the ends loose you will get some terrific pockets of Nutella in your finished Coffee Cake.

Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter and brush it over the dough. (If your butter is very soft, you can spread it over the dough.) Sprinkle streusel mixture on top of dough. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise about 2 hours, until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place tube pan on a baking sheet and bake in center of oven about 45 to 50 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the center of comes out clean. Cool pan on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before removing coffee cake from the pan and serving.


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Dad’s Favorite Dishes

Posted October 14, 2010 By Adri

Dad and Me


Pasta Fazool. Pasta Fazoo. Pasta fa Zuole. Pasta e Fagioli. Italians call it a lot of things. My dad, Bill Crocetti, called it delizioso. He used to make his own. Nope, this dish was not entrusted to my mother. Uh uh. Funny how you can want a dish just so. That is when you have to make it yourself. So at the stove stood my dad cooking up a memory of his childhood. Now, as an adult I understand the contented look on his face as he breathed in the perfume of the garlic cooking in the olive oil, his olfactory senses transporting him back to his childhood kitchen over his father’s barbershop in Steubenville, Ohio. That is how it was for my dad where Pasta e Fagioli was concerned. As far as I can remember it was all his, start to finish. To me as a kid, I thought it an odd, unattractive dish. The garlic, the oil, the parsley, the tiny little pasta, I wanted something red in there. Give me tomatoes, Daddy, please! Well, then it would not have been his Pasta Fazool. Yes, it is that simple. Again the tradition of mille nonne, a thousand grandmothers, is at work. No two families make it the same way. Period. Some cooks use crushed or canned tomatoes in their Pasta e Fagioli – in the heart of the Mezzogiorno the broth is kissed with a dollop of tomato paste giving it a slightly pinkish hue. My dad preferred just a bit of pasta water, so little it was not a soup, but rather a hearty bean and pasta dish. Even within my dad’s family there were variations. His brother preferred a version more akin to a soup with a tomato base. Not so my father. It was beans and pasta. Pasta Fazool. That’s what he called it, and that is what it was. And the pasta, well that depended on what was in the cupboard. It could be ditalini, maybe elbow macaroni, maybe orecchiette, maybe tubetti. It was cucina d’opportunita – use what you have. Another of his specialties was Spaghetti Aglio e Olio, Spaghetti with Garlic and Oil. This is simple food straight from the south of Italy, and along with dishes like Pasta e Fagioli and Cacio e Pepe, is man food, the kind of dishes men cooked up when left by themselves. My dad’s Aglio e Olio was classic. He poured olive oil into a frying pan. (We never called it a skillet and certainly not a saute pan. We’re talking the fifties here.) He sliced the garlic, lots of it, tossed it in the pan and let the whole thing heat up, cooking the garlic just until it was golden, the oil shimmering around it. Meanwhile a pound of spaghetti cooked on the next burner. Just before the pasta was done, and the garlic was just golden, he carefully poured some of the pasta water into the frying pan and let it boil a bit. I always stood back because, boy, did it ever bubble up. A quick draining of the pasta and into the frying pan it went, along with the parsley. A bit of tossing, a bit more heat, lots of parmigiano, and he was ready to eat.


My dad was happy in front of the stove. He made all manner of delights including the best fried eggs, uove frittellate, ever. His secret? Butter. Lots of butter and a lid for the frying pan. He put a half stick of salted butter in a small but well used Revereware frying pan, let the butter get spitting hot and slid in the eggs. A little salt and pepper and he was on his way. The sweet smell of butter cooking filled the kitchen. To this day I still love that smell. The yolks retained their gorgeous deep yellow color while the whites were utterly transformed. Little bubbles formed and then burst around the edges of the whites leaving behind a network of crispy brown lace that gave his eggs a distinctive crunch. He took a peek at the underside of the eggs, and if it had begun to brown, that’s when he put the lid on. Yup. The lid went on. It trapped the steam in the pan and finished cooking those glorious eggs. Oh, how I used to love it when he fried eggs for the two of us.


That's me on the left with Toni I was talking to my sister Toni the other day and the conversation turned to dad’s uove frittellate. Imagine my surprise as she spoke of the dish as though it were the sole province of her and dad. I thought it belonged to me and dad! Not until we had that conversation did I realize that he had ever made those eggs for anyone but me. He could make each of us feel like a princess while avoiding the trap of making the other daughter feel like a peasant. What a dad.


It was just so much fun to share food with him. Fried kidneys were our project from start to finish. No one else in our family was interested. Not in the least. They scattered, and we drove to the market together, asked the butcher for some kidneys and back home we came. The flavor and perfume of fried kidney is the rara avis of the culinary world. Unmistakable. I won’t attempt to describe it here. No one could do it better than James Joyce. But my dad was always able to make them without that je ne sais quoi Joyce so skillfully describes. I can still see the kidneys glistening in their wrapping, their burgundy fullness holding promise of delights to come. He sauteed them in butter, and I consumed them with gusto. And then one day I learned kidneys were “an organ,” and that was the end of the affair. In short order liver was also off my list. My dad, quite exasperated by my sudden refusal to eat organ meats asked my why. I replied “Because they are organs, Daddy. ” He looked at me and sternly said “Well, Adri a steak is a muscle.” Dead silence ensued. He realized he had made a fatal error. The very serious look on my face as I quietly ruminated on his pronouncement must have told him what was coming next. Adri, The Picky Eater was born, my gustatory adventures severely curtailed. As time went on, steak returned to my menu, but alas, kidneys never did. I bet my dad missed our kidney fests.



Pasta e Fagioli


Pasta e Fagioli

1 15 oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed

1/4 pound small pasta, such as orecchiette, pennette, tubetti, or elbows

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more to finish

3 oz. pancetta, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

generous pinch oregano

pinch red pepper flakes

1/4 cup chopped parsley

Parmigiano


Drain and rinse the cannellini beans. Set aside.


Bring a large pot of water to the boil. When it comes to the boil, generously salt the water and add pasta.


Meanwhile, pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a large saute pan. Cook diced pancetta over medium heat until it is crispy and brown. Just a moment before the pancetta is done, reduce heat slightly, add garlic, oregano and red pepper. Saute very briefly, until fragrant.


Add beans, pasta and parsley to the saute pan, tossing gently to coat, adding pasta water, if necessary, to loosen the mixture.


Turn the mixture in to a serving bowl. If desired, toss with a tablespoon of olive oil. Serve immediately with Parmigiano or Romano.



Latini Spaghetti


How to cook spaghetti

For one pound of spaghetti, or other long pasta fill a stockpot, pasta pentola or other large cooking vessel with at least 6 quarts of water, and bring to a rapid boil. Once the water has come to the boil, add a generous dose of sea salt, about 1 teaspoon per quart of water. As the saying goes “The water should taste like the Mediterranean sea.” When the salt is added, the water will bubble up, so do exercise caution. The water will come off the boil, but will shortly return. Once the water has returned to the boil, add your pasta to the pot. Do not break it. As it softens, use a wooden spoon or other utensil to push it down into the pot. Again, the water will have come off the boil. Cover the pot until it returns to the boil. Once it has begun to boil again, uncover the pot, stirring occasionally, until just al dente. Remember, the manufacturer’s cooking guidelines are only suggestions; taste the pasta occasionally, being sure it is no longer white in the center and is the consistency you desire.


My favorite brands of dried pasta are Latini and Rustichella d’Abruzzo. They are premium products and can cost upwards of $6.00 for one pound of spaghetti. Pricey, for sure. For a more affordable and very good product I turn to Del Verde, De Cecco and Barilla.


Premium pastas such as Latini and Rustichella d’Abruzzo are set apart by their use of high quality wheat, in some cases heirloom strains, and the use of bronze dies in the extruding machines. The dies impart a uniquely rough texture to the pasta’s exterior. Because the rough exterior allows the pasta and sauce to bind so well, it is a particularly good conveyor of the taste of the olive oil, a key ingredient in Aglio e Olio. Use of the bronze dies coupled with low temperature, long drying times combine to make these artisan pastas unique. I can’t imagine what my dad would have thought of using such expensive pastas for these two supreme examples of cucina povera. But today these dishes have been elevated far beyond the level of cucina casareccia, home cooking. For that matter I can just see that wry smile of his were he to look at a menu from any of today’s tony Italian eateries and see Aglio Olio, Cacio e Pepe or Pasta e Fagioli listed. “Ain’t that a kick in the head,” he’d say.



Spaghetti Aglio e Olio


Spaghetti Aglio e Olio

Olive oil takes center stage here. Be sure to use a good quality oil whose taste you really like. And go ahead – splurge on Parmigiano Reggiano, the pride of Italy. The cheese is manufactured to exacting standards in the Italian provinces of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, Mantua and Bologna. Milk from local cows, whose diet is also regulated is used to make the cheese. You can be sure you are getting the real thing by looking at the rind of the cheese and making sure you see Parmigiano Reggiano in a repeating pin dot pattern.


1 pound spaghetti

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to finish

3 or 4 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1/4 to 1/3 cup chopped parsley, to taste

1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for the table


Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Generously salt the boiling water and drop the spaghetti in. Do not break the spaghetti.


Pour oil into a saute pan. Set pan over medium heat and add garlic. Cook it gently, being careful it does not scorch or burn. If it burns, you must discard the contents of your pan and begin again. There is no salvaging burned garlic.


When the garlic is golden, add a cup of pasta water and boil to reduce it a bit. Be careful, water into hot oil splatters. Just before the pasta is done cooking add all of it to the saute pan along with the parsley. Cook gently, a minute or two, until the pasta is done, adding more pasta water if necessary to form a sauce that coats all the pasta. If it is too dry add a bit of pasta water, if there is too much water, increase the heat and reduce until it is the desired consistency.


Remove pan from heat, add cheese and a bit of olive oil, toss and serve at once.



Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe


Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe


The assertive flavors of the Pecorino Romano and cracked peppercorns combine to make this simple dish greater than the sum of its parts. Pecorino is a ewe’s milk cheese (pecora is Italian for sheep), and is part of a group of cheeses formerly known as Cacio. It is lighter in color than other Italian grating cheeses, quite sharp and leans to the salty side. It is also one of the oldest cheeses produced in Italy.


1 pound spaghetti

1-2 tablespoons crushed black peppercorns

1 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano, plus more for the table


Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Generously salt the boiling water and drop the spaghetti in. Do not break the spaghetti.


Meanwhile grind the peppercorns very coarsely. If you do not have a pepper grinder, crush the peppercorns with a saute pan, meat mallet or mortar and pestle.


Warm up a large pasta bowl. When the spaghetti is al dente, lift it from the pot, drain very briefly and put it in the warm pasta bowl. Quickly toss the pepper and 1 cup of cheese with the pasta, adding a bit of pasta water to help combine the ingredients.


Serve the pasta straightaway, with more cheese and pepper on the side.


All gone


Note: You can click on any picture to see a slide show!

Pasta e Fagioli
Pasta e Fagioli

Pasta Cacio e Pepe
Pasta Cacio e Pepe

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