Archives for May 2013

Fregolotta – Giant Italian Crumb Cookie

May 28, 2013 By dinnerinvenice 21 Comments

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The episode of the madeleine in Marcel Proust’s epic novel In Search of Lost Time is probably the most famous example in Western literature of how a particular flavor can elicit a stream of rich and intimate memories. Even those of you not particularly familiar with French literature will remember the basic outline: the grownup narrator dips a cookie in tea, which causes him to reminisce so intensely about childhood afternoons at his aunt’s home, that he follows with 3,000 pages of such fond memories.

Of course you don’t need to be French to have a favorite childhood sweet. Yours could as well be brownies; while for many Northern Italians in my generation, the cliché cookie is actually a giant crumble, as big as a cake. Whether home-baked or packaged in its distinctive clear wrapping, this is what I fought over with my dad, to the point that we would each lock up our half, to protect it from the other’s attacks. This is what I munched on with my friend Rachele on countless afternoons, between homework and daydreaming of our high school crushes.

In the Veneto, we have Fregolotta (from the local dialect word for crumb: “fregola”) or Rosegota (from the word for “crunching on”), depending on the area. In Mantova, it’s Sbrisolona (from “brisola”).

The ingredients are slightly different, depending on the area and the baker, but what they do have in common is the crunchy, crumbly texture – which gives you a great excuse to dip into cappuccino, wine, or even grappa- and the fact that they are impossible to cut with a knife. Having to use your hands adds an element of playfulness that can turn any get-together from formal to fun, or even romantic.

Of course that’s assuming you are willing to share. If you have a sweet tooth, this could present a challenge.

Fregolotta – Giant Italian Crumb Cookie (classic, from Castelfranco Veneto)

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups flour (a little over 1 lb)
large pinch salt
2/3 cup sugar (plus more to decorate)
grated zest of 1 lemon and/or 1 shot grappa, if liked
1/4 cup fresh cream (you'll use less, but just in case)
2 egg yolks (optional)
butter for greasing the pan
handful of almonds to decorate

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350 F.

Sift the flour with the salt and combine with the sugar. Butter a 10" round baking pan or pie dish, and line it with parchment. Whisk the cream with the yolks until they are well combined. Some people use only the cream, without the eggs.

Wet your (very clean!) fingers in the mix of eggs and cream, dip them into the flour and then rub your hands against each other over the flour. You will create 'fregole' (large crumbs of dough), which you will drop into the dish as they come, or press into larger "crumbs". Honestly, you can also process the ingredients very quickly (start with only 2-3 tbsp cream, and add more only as needed) in a food processor, pulsing until the mixture forms crumbs and is evenly moistened. However, the traditional method is much more fun!

Press the crumbs into the bottom of the prepared pan until they all touch, and bake the Fregolotta at 350 F for 20 to 30 minutes, or until golden and firm to the touch.

Allow to cool completely on a rack before unmolding. Serve at room temperature with a cup of hot coffee, or a glass of prosecco.

*** this is the traditional Fregolotta from Castelfranco Veneto, near Treviso. Another famous crumb cookie of this type is the Sbrisolona, from Mantova, which contains eggs, ground almonds, and a mix of flour and sometimes corn meal. I also added that recipe in case you like "richer" flavors.

https://dinnerinvenice.com/2013/05/28/fregolotta-giant-italian-crumb-cookie/

Giant Italian Crumb Cookie with Almonds

Ingredients

2 scant cups flour
3/4 cup cornmeal ("polenta")
1 cup blanched almonds
3/4 cup granulated sugar
½ teasp salt
1 1/2 sticks butter (unsalted), cold, cubed. (plus more for greasing the pan)
2 egg yolks
grated zest of 1 organic lemon
1 small shot grappa or liqueur if liked

Directions

This second version of the Crumb Cookie was given to me by my mom's friend Fausta, and the added almonds and cornmeal show the influence of the Sbrisolona cake from Mantua.

Preheat your oven to 350 F degrees. Line a 10-inch round pie pan with parchment and grease with butter..

Place the almonds in a food processor and pulse until they are coarsely ground, about 20-30 seconds. Add the, flour, cornmeal, salt, sugar and pulse for 30 more seconds until combined.Add the chopped butter butter and pulse until all the ingredient start combining into "crumbs".

Add the yolks, lemon zest (and a shot of grappa if liked) and pulse until combined into a mixture of more or less even crumbs.

Press the crumbs into the prepared pan, and bake for 15 to 25 minutes, or until golden and firm.

Allow to cool before unmolding.

https://dinnerinvenice.com/2013/05/28/fregolotta-giant-italian-crumb-cookie/

Filed Under: Comfort food, Desserts, Traditional Tagged With: cookie, giant Italian cookie, Italian cake, Italian dessert, traditional Italian cake, Treviso, Venetian cuisine, veneto recipe

Summer Cherry Salad

May 24, 2013 By dinnerinvenice 22 Comments

May 22. When I was a child, the end of May marked the beginning of cherry-picking season in Italy, and for the next month or so I could often be found doing my homework with a big bowl of juicy fruit in my lap, and a few red stains on my books .

The decadence of sucking on the cherries is counterbalanced by the zen quality of spitting the pits into a saucer. Ciliegie are the perfect, meditative snack: “una tira l’altra” (one pulls the other, you just can’t stop eating them) – that’s also true of potato chips, by the way, but potato chips aren’t being touted as the next “superfood”.

Cherries are actually so good for you that they are now being marketed in the form of capsules. I find that a bit ridiculous: wouldn’t you rather stick them into a pie? At least dip them into white chocolate? Or, if you are being truly virtuous, how about using them for a colorful salad?

Summer Cherry Salad

Ingredients

10 oz baby spinach, washed and patted dry
1 cup cherries, pitted
1 cup cubed feta or crumbled goat cheese
1/2 cup shelled walnuts, halved
4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, or to taste
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, or to taste
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp honey

Directions

Whisk the oil, vinegar, honey, salt and pepper to make the vinaigrette and set aside.

Toast the walnuts in a small skillet for a couple of minutes. If you are feeling fancy, toast them with a bit of sugar until they become caramelized.

Place the spinach in a bowl with the cherries, the cheese, and the walnuts.

Toss with the vinaigrette right before serving.

https://dinnerinvenice.com/2013/05/24/summer-cherry-salad/

Filed Under: Appetizer, Light/Diet, salad Tagged With: cherries, cherry, feta, goat cheese, Italian food, light recipe, salad, spinach salad, summer, walnut

Silvia Colloca’s Pumpkin Seed Rolls

May 21, 2013 By dinnerinvenice 18 Comments

We all have weaknesses. One of mine is that I tend to be quite impatient. That’s why, even though I adore homemade bread, I’m not going to babysit that dough for several hours!

Enter this week’s guest, Silvia Colloca, my go-to expert (the other one is Vittorio of Viva la Focaccia) when it comes to bread making, including tips on cutting corners and reducing the waiting time.

Silvia is hands-down one of the best Italian food bloggers out there: on Silvia’s Cucina, she shares lots of tasty, easy, healthy Italian recipes that she learned growing up in Milan from her mom and grandma. Just FYI, Silvia is also a successful movie and theater actress and mezzo soprano opera singer, trained at the prestigious music academy of Milan. For the past ten years, she has been married to one of the most beloved Australian actors, producers (and heart-throbs), Richard Roxburgh, and living in Sydney, where they are raising their adorable sons. Silvia somehow manages to do all of the above with remarkable grace and ease, and to look drop-dead gorgeous even when covered in flour.

Which, in theory, makes her one of those super-women we’d all like to hate: however, she also happens to be incredibly nice, modest, and laid-back, so you stand no chance: you are going to fall in love with her, and her delicious, authentic Italian food.

SILVIA SAYS:

I was overjoyed when my friend Alessandra asked me if I could write a guest post on her blog DinnerInVenice. Alessandra and I both started our Italian food blogs back in 2011. Like Ale, I am an Italian-born woman, recently emigrated to an English speaking country (Australia) and, just like her, I have been fascinated and enamoured with the bounty of local produce and diverse cuisines my new home-land has to offer. However, I could not help but miss my Bella Italia, the very scents of it, its flavors. My most unsatisfied craving was “real” bread, Il pane. Fragrant, crunchy and bronzed, with its inviting crackly crust and a moist and airy crumb.

I have learnt to make it at home, from slow-proving sourdoughs to yeast-risen ones, for more immediate gratification. And every time a loaf is baking in my oven, I can simply close my eyes and smell my beloved Italy from my sunny Sydney kitchen.

Silvia Colloca’s Pumpkin Rolls

makes 6-8 rolls

Ingredients

2 cups wholewheat flour
1 cup high gluten flour (or all purpose, or 00 flour)
1 1/2 tbsp dried yeast stirred into 300 ml (1 1/4 cup) lukewarm water
1 tsp honey or barley malt syrup
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tsp salt
milk or non-dairy milk for brushing
2-3 handfuls shelled pumpkin seeds (or sunflower seeds)

Directions

1. Place the flour in a large bowl, add the water and yeast, honey (or barley malt syrup) and oil.

2. Knead onto a floured surface for 3-4 minutes, then add the salt and keep keading for 3-5 minutes or until the dough is smooth and soft.

3. Transfer the dough into a floured bowl and cover with a kitchen towel.

4. After 30 minutes, stretch the dough to shape a rectangle, then fold it into three and onto itself. Place the dough back in the bowl. Repeat a second time after 30 minutes. Folding the dough will ensure the softest, moistest crumb.

5. Prove the dough in a warm spot until it has doubled in size.

6. Shape the dough into 6-8 rolls, and place them close together on a baking tray lined with parchment. Brush the top with milk, or buttermilk (or non-dairy milk) and top them with the seeds. Rest the rolls covered with a kitchen towel for 30-45 minutes. In the meantime bring your oven to 200 C (390 F)

7. Bake the rolls for 30-35 minutes, or until crusty and bronzed, and until the bottom sounds hollow when tapped. Allow to cool at room temperature before eating.

https://dinnerinvenice.com/2013/05/21/silvia-collocas-pumpkin-seed-rolls/

Filed Under: Bread, Comfort food Tagged With: authentic Italian home-cooking, bread recipe, easy bread recipe, Italian actress, Italian food blog, Italian food expert Australia, Italian home-made bread, Richard Roxburg, Silvia Colloca, Silvia's Cucina

Pistachio and Cream Swiss Roll

May 14, 2013 By dinnerinvenice 41 Comments

This week my family and I will observe one of my favorite holiday traditions, that of indulging in creamy dairy treats for the Jewish holiday of Shavuot. After all, who am I to say no to extra helpings of lasagna and tiramisu, especially when our sages encourage me?

Another custom typical of Shavuot (and Simchat Torah) is eating preparations that are rolled, a visual reminder of the Torah scrolls that are read in synagogue. It may be a no-brainer to celebrate by smothering your dishes in butter and cream; however, rolling up foods can be challenging for inexperienced cooks. Take cake rolls, and raise your hand if you don’t end up buying the pre-packaged version rather than risking a disaster.

The truth is that, if you follow instructions, these guys are not that hard to make. Just don’t cheat on the pan: the only type that works is a jelly roll pan (usually a 15x10x1-inch pan, regular or disposable). This is also the kind of recipe that you don’t want to attempt if you have just ran out of parchment paper. Last, but not least, do not over-bake: the cake needs to be a bit flexible and “springy” to be rolled up.

After baking the cake, remove from the oven and loosen the edges from the pan with a knife, then turn it out the cake onto a large parchment sheet. Peel the existing parchment from the top (what was previously on the bottom of the baking pan) and discard.

Now the tricky part: starting with one of the shorter sides, roll up the parchment with the warm cake inside into a spiral. Once the cake is all rolled up into the parchment, secure it with tape or by stapling the ends of the parchment, and place it on a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Unroll the cake, spread with your preferred filling staying within 1 inch of the edges; then roll it up again, but this time use the parchment only to lift and guide leaving it on the “outside’ of the cake roll. Place the roll in the refrigerator for a few hours before serving.

Pistachio Swiss Roll

Ingredients

6 eggs
1 1/4 cup sugar
pinch of salt
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp vanilla or ½ tbsp lemon zest
1 shot orange liqueur
1 cup shelled pistachios
whipped cream
powdered sugar to decorate

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Line the base of a 10 by 15-inches jelly roll pan with parchment, brushing the sides with butter and dusting with flour.

In an electric mixer, whisk the eggs with the sugar and salt until light and frothy, and then add the zest or vanilla extract; start sifting in the flour and baking powder, gradually, a bit at a time.

When the mixture is well combined, pour into the prepared pan, and bake in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until the cake is a bit springy and the edges have shrunk a little from the sides.

Spread out a large sheet of parchment on a counter and dust it evenly with powdered sugar to prevent any sticking. Invert the pan onto the parchment, and then carefully remove the pan and parchment from the cake.

While the cake is still warm but not hot, dust it with powdered sugar, cover it with another parchment sheet and roll it up in a spiral leaving the parchment sheet on the inside and outside. secure with tape and allow to cool on a wire rack for about one hour.

Coarsely grind the pistachio. Combine the whipped cream with 1 or 2 tbsp powdered sugar, the orange liqueur or extract, and the pistachios.

When the cake is cool, unroll it and carefully remove the parchment; spread the whipped cream sparingly over the cake, leaving a 1-inch border. Roll up again, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Dust with powdered sugar to finish.

https://dinnerinvenice.com/2013/05/14/pistachio-and-cream-swiss-roll/

Filed Under: Comfort food, Dairy, Desserts, Jewish Italian Cuisine, Shavuot Tagged With: cake roll, cream, cucina ebraica, dairy, holiday cake, jelly roll, Jewish Italian Cuisine1, Jewish Italian food, jewish italian recipes, kosher Italian recipe, pistachio cake, Shavuos, Shavuot, swiss roll

Strawberry and Prosecco Tiramisu

May 9, 2013 By dinnerinvenice 9 Comments

Tiramisu is said to have appeared for the first time at a restaurant in the Veneto region in the 1970’s, and has quickly become a world-renowned specialty.

Tiramisu is a non-denominational dessert: who wouldn’t want to eat it? Everybody can find a good excuse. For us Jews, for example, it’s the perfect Shavuot treat: layers of mascarpone cream to remind us of the sweetness of Torah, and several shots of espresso to get us through the night of learning (Tiramisu means “pick me up” in Italian!). Or what about Mother’s day? You could surprise her with something girly and new, replacing the traditional coffee with sparkling wine and adding juicy strawberries: welcome spring!

Ingredients:

2 cups (about 1 lb) mascarpone
1/2 pint whipping cream (makes about 1 1/2 cups whipped)
4 eggs*
26 Italian ladyfingers (savoiardi)
1/2 cup sugar (or more to taste)
1 1/2 lb strawberries
1 1/2 cups Prosecco or champagne (for kids, use Kedem sparkling grape juice)
Mint and small meringues to decorate

Directions:

In your blender or food processor, puree 1/3 of the strawberries with the wine or juice until smooth. Set aside in a small and shallow bowl.

Using an electric whisk, or in your food processor, beat the egg yolks with the sugar. When they become frothy, add the mascarpone; process until combined and set aside.

In a perfectly clean bowl (you can wipe it quickly with a few drops of lemon or vinegar to make sure it’s degreased) beat the egg whites (which should be clear, with no traces of yolk) with an electric whisk until they start forming soft peaks.

Gently fold the whites into the mascarpone cream with a spatula, using an upward motion. Fold in the whipped cream as well. Chop 1/2 of the remaining strawberries and add them to half of the mixture. Also add enough strawberry/wine juice to make it pink.

Dip each ladyfinger into the remaining strawberry/wine mix for 5 to 8 seconds, flipping them a couple of times (letting the cookies soak too long will cause them to fall apart). Arrange the soaked ladyfingers on the bottom of a glass or pyrex 9 x 13-inch baking dish (or two smaller square or round pans). Spread the pink half of the mascarpone mixture on top. Make a second layer of soaked ladyfingers and top with the white mascarpone mixture.

Slice the remaining strawberries and use them to decorate. You can also add some fresh mint leaves and meringues. Cover tiramisu with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. You can also make the tiramisu in individual Martini cups: tres chic!

Notes:

Yield: 10–12 servings, or more according to serving size

*Raw eggs always carry a small risk of salmonella infection: to reduce the chance of contamination you can pasteurize the eggs prior to use. Or you can purchase pasteurized eggs – www.safeeggs.com. If using pasteurized eggs, it will be harder to beat the yolks frothy and especially to beat the whites stiff: you will need to add a touch of cream of tartar (or lemon juice or white vinegar) to the whites; about 1/3 teaspoon cream of tartar or 3/4 teaspoon lemon for 4 whites. You will also need to use an electric mixer and beat for twice as long as you would with regular eggs.

Filed Under: Comfort food, Dairy, Desserts, Jewish Italian Cuisine, Shavuot Tagged With: Birthday cake, cream, dairy, dessert, Italian dessert, mascarpone, mother's day, Mother's day cake, romantic dessert, Shavuos, Shavuot, strawberry, tiramisu

Raspberry Cake with Whipped Cream and Pink Meringues

May 2, 2013 By dinnerinvenice 17 Comments

In some areas of Central Italy, there is still a custom of going from house to house adorned with garlands on the first night of May, playing and singing merry tunes to welcome the warm season.

I’m bringing this up – kind of randomly – because this morning I woke up with a verse stuck in my head: it’s from an Italian children’s poem about the months of the year that I learned in kindergarten, and the part about May goes “Maggio di canti risuona” (May resonates with songs).

While I’m not the type to go around the neighborhood with a lute serenading strangers (my fellow Manhattanites would call the police), I am all for celebrating this beautiful month, which I associate with a variety of pleasant concepts.

At last, the sun is out, the bees are buzzing, the birds are chirping, and the flowers in Central Park are blooming…. but not only that: at the risk of sounding very self-involved, I’m excited because my birthday and Mother’s day also come this month. I’m not sure about resonating with songs – but it sure will smell like cakes!

Now, talking about birthdays, I am turning 44 and becoming a little nostalgic. I became twenty in the Eighties, and while here in the US the cake that best represents that era of excess is probably cheesecake -in some 7-layer variation -, in Italy we had Meringata, a sinfully rich dessert made of layers of meringue combined with tons of whipped cream – the Pavlova’s Italian cousin.

Meringata was the dessert of choice to share with your date in any Northern Italian piano bar or panini bar. The main downside of those types of cakes (besides the fact that they can induce a diabetic coma) is that they need to be assembled a short time prior to consumption, or the meringue will dissolve in the cream. That’s why I picked this alternative, which tastes less sugary and can be made the day before and transported easily.

Cakes made of layers of pan di Spagna (genoise) or pastafrolla (pastry dough) alternating with whipped cream and strawberries or other berries are also served in many areas of Italy for the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, which coincidentally falls in May.

In case you really need one more excuse to indulge.

Raspberry Cake with Whipped Cream and Pink Meringues

Prep Time: 35 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

1 hour

serves 8-10

serves please stop at one slice!

Fat & Calories: Ignorance is Bliss

Ingredients

Ingredients:
(Cake)
3/4 cup cake flour (or mix AP flour and potato starch)
4 large eggs
1/2 cup super-fine or granulated sugar
4 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted?
(Syrup and finish)
2 cups heavy cream
3 or 4 tsp. confectioners’ sugar
1 lb raspberries (or you can use strawberries),
1 cup water
½ cup granulated sugar
zest of 1 organic lemon
a dozen meringues, possibly pink

Directions

You can buy the pink meringues or make them with this recipe: http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/rachel-allen/pink-meringues-with-raspberry-cream.html

Preheat an oven to 360°F. Line the bottom of a 9- inch springform pan with parchment.

Whisk the eggs and sugar just until combined in the bowl of your stand mixer. Place the bowl over (not touching) a pot of simmering water, and whisk gently for about 3 minutes. Transfer the bowl to the mixer and whisk at high speed until pale, frothy and fluffy (7-8 minutes).

Sift the flour over the mixture in 2 separate additions (incorporate the first half with a spatula, before adding the second half). Add the melted butter.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top of the cake is golden (do the toothpick test). Allow to cool completely on a wire rack before inverting it. Cut the cake into 2 equal layers before removing the parchment. Put the first layer (cut side up) on a platter.

To make the syrup, boil the water with the granulated sugar and the lemon zest for about 3-5 minutes. Set aside and allow to cool.

Whip the cream with the confectioners' sugar until it forms soft peaks. Place half of the raspberries or cut strawberries in a bowl, and combine them with about one-fourth of the raspberries. Brush the first cake layerwith syrup and spread with the cream/berry mix.. Top with the remaining cake layer, cut side down, and peel off the parchment. Brush the top with more syrup, spread the top and sides with the remaining whipped cream.

Arrange the remaining berries and meringues on top and around the cake. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

https://dinnerinvenice.com/2013/05/02/raspberry-cake-with-whipped-cream-and-pink-meringues-2/

Filed Under: Comfort food, Dairy, Desserts, Jewish Italian Cuisine, Shavuot Tagged With: Birthday cake, dessert, May, meringata panna, Mother's day cake, pavlova, pink meringue cake, Shavuos, Shavuot, Strawberry Cream cake

Archives for May 2013

Summer Cherry Salad

Silvia Colloca’s Pumpkin Seed Rolls

Pistachio and Cream Swiss Roll

Strawberry and Prosecco Tiramisu

Raspberry Cake with Whipped Cream and Pink Meringues

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Archives for May 2013

Fregolotta – Giant Italian Crumb Cookie

Summer Cherry Salad

Silvia Colloca’s Pumpkin Seed Rolls

Pistachio and Cream Swiss Roll

Strawberry and Prosecco Tiramisu

Raspberry Cake with Whipped Cream and Pink Meringues

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