Livorno Archives - Dinner in Venice

Cous Cous salad with red Radicchio and Pomegranate

September 25, 2013 By dinnerinvenice 15 Comments

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Cous cous is probably not the first dish that most of you will associate with Italy. However, if you look at a map, you’ll notice that Southern Sicily is not that far from North Africa, and the locals have been enjoying this type of semolina preparation since Roman times. Much farther North, on the coast of Tuscany, in the sea port of Livorno, “Cuscussu’ ” is also a favorite: first introduced by the Jewish merchants, who had ties in North Africa, it slowly spread to the rest of the population. Not to mention the Sardinian version, Fregola: tiny 2-mm balls of semolina dough that have been toasted in the oven before being boiled like pasta. Let’s toast to “fusion” with this easy salad, which surprisingly pairs cous cous with a staple of my region, Veneto: red radicchio!

Cous Cous salad with Red Radicchio and Pomegranate

8 servings

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups "instant" cous cous
2 oranges
2 heads red radicchio
1 pomegranate
1 cup black olives
1 sprig fresh sage
extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

Directions

No need to cook the cous cous! Just place it a bowl with about 1/2 cup lukewarm water, 8 tbsp olive oil, and the juice of an orange, salt and pepper. Toss and fluff with a fork, add salt and pepper. let it stand for about 1 hour covered, adding about 1/2 cup to 1 cup of water every 10-15 minutes and re-fluffing each time with a fork. In less than an hour, the moisture should be absorbed and the cous cous should be tender, fluffy and light.

In the meantime, cut the radicchio into thin strips and peel the second orange. divide it into slices and also peel the individual slices (or at least eliminate the white membranes!) and cut them into pieces. Combine the radicchio, orange, olives and pomegranate seeds with the cous cous; Adjust salt and pepper,and distribute into 8 individual cups or bowls. Decorate with a few sage leaves fried in hot olive oil.

https://dinnerinvenice.com/2013/09/25/cous-cous-salad-with-red-radicchio-and-pomegranate/

Filed Under: Appetizer, First course Tagged With: cous cous, easy, fusion, Italian food, Jewish Italy, Livorno, radicchio, salad, Sicily

Passover Almond Custards – Scodelline

March 19, 2013 By dinnerinvenice 25 Comments

While eating matzah (unleavened bread) during Passover is a commandment, eating too much of it could turn into a curse. I won’t go into details here, but by the time you serve dessert at the end of the seder, you will be praying for a break. I will always be thankful for the fact that most Italian Passover sweets are not made with matzah meal (ground matzah).

These lovely almond custards from Leghorn, in Tuscany, are called “Scodelline” (little bowls) or “Tazzine” (little coffee cups) because of how they are served in individual portions. They are small and elegant, just what you need to end a holiday meal on a sweet note without overdoing it. They are also gluten-free, and easy to prepare with wholesome ingredients (isn’t it nice, when you are having all this sugar, to know that there is something nutritious mixed with it, like almond and eggs?) The Jews of Leghorn, drawing from their Spanish-Portuguese origins, make several interesting sweets with these, including the elaborate Monte Sinai, a macaroon-like almond cake covered with egg threads fried in syrup.

For the recipe, I turned to my friends Lea and Anna Orefice, mother and daughter, two inspiring generations of fabulous cooks. From her kitchen in Leghorn, Lea – who is 92 and still in charge of making dessert for the family seder – answered all my questions via email in real time while I was stirring my custard in New York City. Here is the result, and the detailed recipe, including Anna’s microwave version in case you are in a hurry…..

Passover Almond Custards – Scodelline

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

40 minutes

serves 8-10

serves full espresso cup or half-full tea cup

Ingredients

6 egg yolks, room temperature
a little over 3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup ground almonds
1 tbsp orange blossom or rosewater, OR fresh lemon zest
3/4 cup water (less if using the microwave)
grated cinnamon to decorate, if liked

Directions

Place the sugar in a small pot, barely covered by water (more or less the same amount of water and sugar). Cook over low heat, stirring continuously, until it starts simmering and turns into a dense syrup. Do not allow it to brown and turn into caramel: as soon as it melts and thickens into a thick syrup, add the almonds and the flower water (or lemon zest), stir a couple more times and remove from the heat. In a separate bowl (I like to use pyrex) whisk the yolks until frothy. It will be easier with an electric whisk or mixer. Slowly pour the whipped egg yolks into the syrup until the mixture is smooth. Cook the mixture on very low heat in a double boiler (you can use the pyrex bowl on top of a pot filled with some water), stirring continuously until it begins to thicken (about 20 minutes) and the surface turns shiny, almost glaze-like. To save time, Lea’s daughter Anna uses a microwave instead of the double boiler: use about 25% less water; once everything is combined, place the pyrex bowl with the mixture in the microwave, and cook on medium for 4 minutes uncovered. Stir, and cook for 3 more minutes. Whether you used the double broiler or the microwave method, once the custard is cooked allow it to cool down, stirring occasionally, and once it’s lukewarm pour it into individual espresso cups (full) or tea cups (half full), and dust the top with some grated cinnamon. Serve accompanied by some fresh fruit. Using 6 yolks, you will make about 8-10 espresso-cup sized "scodelline"

https://dinnerinvenice.com/2013/03/19/passover-almond-custards-scodelline/

Vintage pictures of the old synagogue of Leghorn (destroyed in WWII and replaced by a new one)

My Leghorn-Style Red Mullet and some history

The Mount Sinai Cake with threaded eggs

Emiko’s Chickpea Cake, Leghorn’s beloved Street-Food