Camogli is a small village just east of Genoa, full of colourful houses, a...
Food
The region of Abruzzo is often ignored when people speak of Italian food, usually preferring Tuscan cuisine. Abruzzese cooking is truly exquisite however and worth delving into. Their dishes are full of the strong flavours of hot chilli pepper, virgin olive oil and saffron. This creates a mixture of deep and rich flavours.One of their speciality dishes is fried fish marinated in vinegar, mainly associated with Chieti. The art of marinating in vinegar is known as scapece and is Spanish in origin. It is common for all kinds of fish and vegetables to be marinated in this way, including aubergines, courgettes and sardines.
Another traditional and tasty dish is scrippelle or crepes. These wonderful snacks are made from a light and airy dough, which often includes riced potatoes, and are deep fried. Sometimes they are served with a savoury filling and covered in cheese. The Abruzzese will claim they are the orginators of the crepe!Spicy sausages and dried meats come from the internal farms of the region and are often served with polenta. A particularly popular dish is polenta with sausage ragu. This hearty dish is fantastic for the hard Winter months and a traditional mainstay in the more rural areas.
This month on the Dress Italian website, we’re celebrating crostini, which means ‘little toasts’ in Italian. They originate in medieval times and were traditionally the food of Italian peasants. The bread would be used instead of ceramics!
Crostini are more elegant and less substantial than bruschetta, a nibble rather than a hearty snack, perfect served as an accompaniment to drinks. French baguette or Italian bastone are cut diagonally into thin slices, making a light base for a more delicate topping. The bread can be toasted in advance and will remain crisp for several days, but only add the topping just before serving.
This week’s crostini recipe featured cannellini beans and black olives, two very traditional Tuscan ingredients. Cannellini beans are one of the creamiest of the pulses. Resist the temptation to use the canned variety. The pleasure of this dish is in the flavour of the beans. This beautiful topping is ideal for this time of year as we move from Spring, gradually into Summer.
This week's recipe, Tortellli with Spinach & Ricotta, is a homage to Parma - a great foodie town of Northern Italy home to some of the most beloved ingredients of Italian cuisine.Next week is Cibus an important food fair in Parma where all the restaurants are busy preparing huge amounts of Tortelli. If you happen to be in Milan, Bologna or Florence don't forget to check Parma out - you will be surprised how beautiful it is!
Just the thought of filled pasta suffused with melted butter, infused with dried sage and served on a simple white plate, conjures up a vision of ‘Tortelli con ricotta e spinaci’ that can only say ‘Parma’! Maybe the pale yellow hue of egg pasta is enough to recall the darker ‘Parma yellow’ that adorns the façade of the Regia Opera House and all other of its historic buildings.
Antipasti
Antipasti are light introductions to an extended meal, intended to tempt the taste buds and excite the appetite for the courses to follow. They can range from the simple and refreshing, such as ripe figs and prosciutto, to more refined combinations of ricotta and tomato. Antipasti are not intended to be filling, although many of these dishes can be expanded and developed as main courses. In Umbria and in Tuscany the classic antipasto comprises local ham or salami, crostini with chicken livers or bruschetta simply rubbed with garlic and olive oil. In Apulia country people usually prepare an enormously large range of antipasti, from cold frittata to fried black olives with chillies. The common requirement for any kind of antipasto is to use only a few ingredients at a time – always very fresh and the very best quality possible.The following is an excerpt from Susanna’s book Italian Country Cooking
Home-made pasta has a unique lightness that the commercial dried and fresh varieties just can’t equal. This is the traditional method of making pasta – it can be hard work and quite time-consuming but is immensely satisfying as well. You may be relieved to hear that you can cheat and use the food processor – your pasta may not be quite as light and elastic in texture but is much quicker and still far better than any fresh pasta produced commercially. I have included both methods. I would not advocate the use of pasta machines that mix the flour and eggs at one end and spew various pasta shapes out the other.400g/14oz plain flour (about 3 cups all-purpose flour)
4 eggs
A pinch of saltThese quantities will make enough pasta for 4 people. Calculate quantities at roughly 100g / 3 1/2 oz (3/4 cup) of flour and 1 egg per person. Because making fresh pasta from scratch is such a lengthy process, I often make more than I need and freeze the rest (do not defrost before cooking, but cook from frozen). The dough keeps covered in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
Mixing and kneading the tradition way
