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Acqua di Cedro – a Drink and a Panna Cotta
Move over Limoncello. Acqua di Cedro has arrived. This clear liqueur is made with citron, cedro in Italian (botanical name – Citrus medica.) Poor unattractive and underused citron, aside from its candied peel used for Christmas baking, it is pretty much ignored in my kitchen. Not so however on my dressing table where its essential oils form the base of many of my favorite perfumes. This most ancient of citrus with its gnarled and bumpy skin is said to have flourished in the Hanging Gardens of Babylon and was brought to Italy by Alexander the Great – this baby’s got some history behind it. Read the remainder of this entry »
Il Festino di Santa Rosalia and The Black Plague
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 the remainder of this entry »
Mint Chocolate Chip 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 Panna Cotta
When I think of buttermilk I think of Mrs. Schwinger, my piano teacher. In her living room stood two Steinway grand pianos. And on one of them, at the beginning of every lesson Mrs. Schwinger placed a glass of buttermilk. Over the course of the hour, she drained her glass, and taught me how to make the piano sing. It’s been over forty years since my last lesson, but to this day I think of her, the two pianos and her love of music every time I open a carton of buttermilk. Thank you, Mrs. Schwinger for sharing your love and knowledge of music – and buttermilk.
Read the remainder of this entry »
Gelatina di Nero d’Avola – Nero d’Avola Wine Gelatin
Bonnie, old friend and lover of all things Sicilian, this one is for you. This is one very adult homemade jello. Read the remainder of this entry »
Not Giada’s Espresso and Chocolate Jellies – Synchronicity
Okay, so you are wondering about the title. I can hear you all now. Adri, that is SO not you. What are you thinking, writing a title like that? What’ll people think? Kinda snippy, Dudette! Let me set everyone straight right now. Don’t think anything about it, and since you asked, yes, I like Giada DeLaurentiis. I like her a lot. She makes some great Italian food, and she makes it accessible. She is, as they say in the biz, relatable. The stories, the laughs, the Italian family, the neighborhood in which we both grew up. Yes. I shall proclaim it now. I, Adri Barr Crocetti, am a fan. Giada – for all the great recipes and all the inspiration, mille grazie.
Moving along. Just a few days ago Bart and I were talking about my blog articles and making a list of subjects under consideration. Among them was one of my fave rave summer desserts, Gelatina di Espresso. Espresso Gelatin. Homemade Espresso Jell-O. Call it what you will. I love it, especially on a scorching hot summer day. I entered it on my list and moved on.
Saturday morning I looked at the Food Network lineup I saw that Giada D. was going to do Espresso Chocolate Jellies. That sounded intriguing, so I took a look. Her dessert consists of a layer of chocolate covered with a mixture of instant espresso and Kahlua set with gelatin and topped with whipped cream. Mine is not. Mine is pure unadulterated espresso set with gelatin and topped with sweetened vanilla scented whipped cream. See? That’s all I meant by my title. Two different recipes.
I first tasted this very adult dessert in July of 1971 – on a night train from Milan. After a wonderful and very elegant dinner, it was time for dessert. And I could not believe I was being served Jell-O. I came halfway across the world for Jell-O? No way. Except it was true, and as it turned out, I was glad. One taste and I was transported to the world of adult desserts. Not too sweet, with the bitterness of Espresso, this was a soft gelatin that surrendered to the heat of my tongue. This was not my mother’s Jell-O.
In another twist to this story, and this is where the synchronicity comes in, we celebrated National Train Day this past Saturday, in honor of our great American railroads. I love trains, and I traveled all through Europe on them. So today, along with celebrating American trains and Amtrak, I salute Italian trains, the trains that introduced me to Gelatina di Espresso and the last trains in the world where the conductor kisses the passport photograph of a woman he finds particularly beautiful. Viva i treni!
Alfonso Bialetti’s Italian stovetop espresso makers rocked the coffee world when they first appeared in 1933, and they dominate the market to this day. Known as Moka Express, Bialetti’s original stovetop espresso maker has remained almost unchanged since 1933 save for one decorative addition – the chubby mascot on each coffee maker L’Omino con i baffi – The Little Man with a Moustache is Sig. Bialetti himself. Familiar to us all, these darlings of the Italian design world come in sizes ranging from single serving all the way up to 18 cups. (The standard of measure for a cup in a Moka pot is 1 cup =2 oz.) Steam does the work in this style of espresso maker, and it does it quickly, which matters a lot if you have a recipe that calls for 2 standard U.S. cups (a total of 16 oz.) of espresso, as this one does. These iconic babies with their easily recognizable octagonal shape continue to live up to their maker’s promise of allowing customers to enjoy in casa un espresso come al bar – an espresso in the home just like in a coffeehouse.
Gelatina di Espresso
makes 4 servings, ½ cup each
1 envelope (1/4 oz.) KNOX Unflavored Gelatine
2 tablespoons cold water
2 cups ( 16 ounces) hot espresso
3 to 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate shavings
Before we begin – don’t be put off by the idea of using gelatin. Once you understand it, you’ll be glad you took the time to learn. Classic gelatin technique consists of two steps, bloom and dissolve. If you are new to gelatin or just need a refresher, click here to see my post on Espresso Panna Cotta and come up to speed with step by step directions. For even more information click here to see my post on Blood Orange Fruit Gelatin.
Brew espresso. While espresso brews, pour 2 tablespoons cold water in medium bowl and sprinkle gelatin over. Set aside to soften for 5 minutes, do not stir. When espresso has brewed and gelatin has softened, pour 2 cups (16 oz.) hot espresso over gelatin mixture and stir to combine and melt gelatin. Add sugar, a tablespoon at a time until desired degree of sweetness is achieved. Keep in mind you will eat this cold, so a little extra sugar may be necessary no matter how perfect the sweetness level seems when you first try it. Place bowl over ice water bath, stirring occasionally to promote even cooling.
Pour mixture into serving glasses and refrigerate until set, 2 hours or overnight. If you are feeling particularly playful, rather than serving this dessert in the traditional wine glasses or coupe dishes, use coffee cups or espresso cups. The whimsical touch will delight your guests and guarantee smiles all around.
Beat heavy cream with sugar and vanilla, until very soft peaks form. To serve give each gelatin a dollop of whipped cream. If you are a fan of dark chocolate like Bart, then finish it with a dusting of either bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate shavings.
And for the gardeners out there – don’t discard those espresso grounds, they’ll give your tomatoes a great nitrogen boost!
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I have no affiliation with any product, manufacturer, or site mentioned in this article.
