Author: La Ciociara

I was born in the U.S., but my heart belongs to Italy. I have developed this blog to talk about all things Italian, including travel, art, food, history, and life in general. I lived in Italy when I was a child, in Milano, went to first grade there, and, even though I was so young, it has left quite an impression on me. In fact, to this day I have been trying to find my way back to a life there, but having a family makes it a not so easy thing! Of course, I go there every chance I get, having my father's side of the family there, mostly in the Lazio region which is in central Italy. By the way, here's a bit of useless information - my name, Marcia, means belonging to the Roman god Mars. In Italian, it's actually spelled Marzia, but my name is in Portuguese.

How to Make Homemade Cheese Like an Italian

Posted on June 2, 2017 by La Ciociara

It is believed that cheesemaking came about accidentally around 6,000 BC when milk was transported in the stomachs of cows or sheep which contained an enzyme, rennet, that caused the milk to curdle. By the time of the Roman Empire, it had become widespread throughout Europe and the Middle East.

This is an easy recipe for making typical homemade cheese known as marzellina, or also marzolina, that is eaten in the area of Ciociaria, Italy. It is delicious with day old Italian bread, preferably the large round loaf, sliced up tomatoes, and a bit of extra virgin olive oil drizzled over it. My father has been known to use hard, stale bread moistened with a little bit of water, and a tomato smashed on top to moisten even more. You can even grate it over pasta instead of using parmesan or pecorino cheese.

This cheese is made with a lot of salt, which was originally used to preserve the cheese, and the more it ages, the saltier and harder it gets. I like to eat it when it’s freshly made and still soft enough to spread on bread.

This recipe calls for cow’s milk, although farmers in Italy who have sheep or goats tend to use their milk instead. It uses rennet tablets, a type of coagulant, that causes the milk to curdle, separating the curd from the whey (which in reality causes the milk to spoil), but you can also use rennet in liquid form. For 1 quart of whole milk, use 2 tablets; for 1/2 gallon, use 3 tablets; and for 1 gallon of milk, use about 3 1/2 tablets. Do not throw away the whey – you can either drink it or use to make polenta, or any recipe that calls for a liquid, to make it richer.

I usually use metal molds for making cheese which were purchased in Italy (see picture below) but you can also use plastic molds which can be purchased online or at an Italian gourmet shop.

Metal Molds For Making Homemade Cheese

Ingredients
1 gallon whole milk
3 1/2 tablets of rennet
salt

In a large bowl, pour the milk and bring it to room temperature; you can also warm it in a big pot.
Crush rennet tablets in a bowl and mix with a little bit of warm water before adding to the milk, otherwise it will curdle the milk immediately. Mix gently into the milk.
Cover the the milk with a towel and let stand until it is coagulated.
Once you see that the curd has separated from the whey (curdled), break the curd apart with your hands gently. You can place the cheese molds on top or use a small strainer to create a weight on top of the curds so that the solids sink to the bottom and the whey remains on top which you can then remove with a ladle.
Spoon the curds into the molds, packing them in, and place them in a strainer or anything that would allow them to drain (they must become solid), and refrigerate.
When they are completely drained, remove the cheese from the molds and roll each one in salt until completely covered. Place in a storage container and refrigerate – they can be left for years in the refrigerator.

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Colomba di Pasqua – Easter Dove Bread

Posted on April 15, 2017 by La Ciociara

An Easter tradition in Italy is to make a dove-shaped sweet bread, or Colomba di Pasqua, which symbolizes peace and the Holy Spirit. It is to Easter what panettone is to Christmas. It is usually made in a dove-shaped pan, but if you don’t have one you can shape the dough by hand.

This recipe uses fiori di Sicilia, which is a citrus and vanilla flavored extract with essence of flowers. It can be hard to find so you can substitute vanilla and orange extracts for it.

It also uses pearl sugar, a type of sugar which looks like Brioschi (remember those? We used to eat them like candy when we were little!) but is actually a hardened piece of sugar which does not melt easily during baking.

Mt. Vesuvius Naples and Amalfi Coast Tours

Ingredients
1/4 c warm water
1 T active dry yeast
1/2 c warm milk
2/3 c granulated sugar
1 stick butter, melted
1 T grated lemon zest
1 tsp fiori di Sicilia
3 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
4 1/2 to 5 cups all purpose unbleached flour
3/4 tsp salt
1 large egg white, slightly beaten
2 T almonds
1 T pearl sugar or coarse brown sugar

Bring the eggs to room temperature.
In a large bowl, put the warm water and yeast together and stir to dissolve. Let the mixture ferment for 10 minutes.
Add the milk, sugar, butter, lemon zest, fiori di Sicilia, whole eggs, and egg yolks and beat on low speed with a mixer to blend well. Then beat on medium speed for 3 minutes.
Add 4 cups of flour and the salt and beat on medium speed. Gradually add as much flour as is needed, a little at a time, until soft dough is formed.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes. Place the dough in an oiled bowl. Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
Punch the dough down and knead for several minutes until smooth. Place it in a greased colomba pan.
Cover the pan with a sheet of buttered waxed paper and a towel and let rise in a warm place until almost double the size, about 20 minutes. Do not let it over-rise or the shape will be lost in baking.
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Brush the dove bread all over with the egg white. Sprinkle with the almonds, and pearl sugar or brown sugar.
Bake for about 50 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown.

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Top Photo credit – Giulia Robert @Flickr.com

Roasted Leg of Lamb with Rosemary and Garlic

Roast Lamb with Rosemary and Garlic

Posted on April 10, 2017 by La Ciociara

One of the many traditions in Italy during Easter is serving roasted leg of lamb. This tradition goes back many centuries, even before the first Easter celebration, to the first Passover of the Jewish people. The sacrificial lamb was eaten, together with unleavened bread and bitter herbs, in hopes that the angel of God would pass over their homes and not harm them. As Hebrews converted to Christianity, they brought along their traditions with them. In Christianity, the lamb is the symbol representing birth and the Shepherd, and Jesus is referred to as the Lamb of God.

This is a delicious yet simple recipe using rosemary and garlic. You can either use a bone-in or boneless leg of lamb. While boneless is easier to carve, the bone-in is more flavorful. Either way the meat is very tender. When you remove the lamb from the oven, let it rest for about 15 minutes so that all the juices don’t come running out while you are cutting because that will dry out the meat.

Ingredients Serves 8

1 6 to 7 lbs leg of lamb, trimmed of excess fat
2 T olive oil
2 T chopped fresh rosemary
lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 c white wine
salt, to taste
fresh rosemary sprigs
fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Place lamb, fat side up, in large roasting pan. and sprinkle with salt.
Mix oil, chopped rosemary, lemon juice and garlic in bowl, then rub all over lamb.
Roast lamb until thermometer inserted into thickest part reaches 130°F for medium-rare, or 20 minutes/pound, basting occasionally with pan juices. Transfer to platter. Cover loosely with foil and let stand for 15 minutes.
Remove some of the fat from the roasting pan with a spoon; add 1/4 cup water to pan and any lamb juices from the platter. Place on top of the stove on medium heat and bring to boil, scraping up browned bits on bottom of pan. Season with salt.
Cut lamb into thin slices on the platter and pour pan juices overt them. Garnish with rosemary sprigs or fresh parsley.

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Photo credit above: JeffreyW @Flickr.com

Sfinci di San Giuseppe (Cream Puffs)

Posted on March 19, 2017 by La Ciociara

Sfinci, or sfingi as they are sometimes called in southern Italy, are delicious little cream puffs filled with sweet ricotta cheese. They are usually served on the feast day of St. Joseph, which is March 19th.

The feast of St. Joseph is very important to Italians. It was set up to honor St. Joseph, husband of the Virgin Mary and caring foster father of Jesus Christ, after the people of Sicily were saved from a severe drought by praying to him and asking for his help.

Ingredients

Sfinci:
1 c water
1/3 c unsalted butter
1 T granulated sugar
Grated rind of 1 lemon
Pinch of salt
1 c sifted all-purpose flour
2 T baking powder
4 large eggs
1 T vanilla extract
maraschino cherries

Filling:
2 c ricotta cheese
1/2 c confectioner sugar (powdered sugar)
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/3 c grated dark chocolate (or chocolate chips)
2 T finely chopped pistachios

Preheat the oven to 400º F.

In a large saucepan, add water, butter, granulated sugar, lemon rind, and salt and bring to a boil.
When the butter has melted, remove from heat and add the flour all at once, stirring constantly.
Return the pan to the heat, and stir constantly until the mixture forms a ball and comes away from the sides of the pan.
Cook just a little longer, until it starts to make a crackling sound. Remove the pan from the heat, and cool slightly.
Add the eggs, one at a time, stirring after each one until thoroughly blended. Add the vanilla extract. Cover the dough and let it stand for 15 to 20 minutes.
Drop the dough by heaping tablespoon onto parchment-lined cookie sheet, leaving at least 2 inches between the sfingi. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool.
For the filling, mix the ricotta, confectioner sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, chocolate, and pistachios.
*Just before serving*, cut off the tops of the sfingi and fill each one with the ricotta filling; place top back on. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and add a spoonful of filling and a maraschino cherry on top.

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Top photo credit: Jesse Marsh @Flickr.com

Corned Beef and Cabbage

Posted on March 16, 2017 by La Ciociara

Although my father was not Irish, he made the best corned beef and cabbage that I ever tasted every St. Patrick’s Day. This is a recipe I adapted for use with a slow cooker so that you can prepare it in the morning and let it slowly cook all day without having to worry about it. You can either put it on high and let it cook for about 5 – 6 hours, or on low for about 10 hours.

I always boil the cabbage separately before adding it to the slow cooker because the liquid from the cabbage has a very strong taste and not everyone in my family likes it.

Ingredients Serves 4-6 people

3 1/2 – 4 lbs flat cut corned beef brisket
3 potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1 large carrot, cut up
2 stalks of celery, cut up
2 cloves of garlic, sliced
1 large onion, sliced
1 T olive oil
1 bottle of beer
1 head of cabbage, quartered (or smaller pieces if desired)
pickling spices (or use the spice packet that comes with the brisket)

Remove most of the fat from the brisket, then place in a large pot with water and let it boil for about 15 minutes to remove some of the salt.
Put all the vegetables minus the onion and cabbage on the bottom of the slow cooker. Add the olive oil on top and mix.
Drain the brisket and place it over the vegetables. Sprinkle the spices over the brisket and vegetables, then add some of the beer, enough to cover the vegetables.
Cook for 6 hours on high, or 10 hours on low, checking the amount of liquid.
Boil the cabbage for about 20 minutes, drain it and set aside.
About 3 hours before the brisket is done, add the onions to the slow cooker.
About 1 hour before the brisket is done, add the cabbage.
Corned beef brisket is done when it can be easily pulled apart with a fork.
Drink any leftover beer!

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Spaghetti Pie

Posted on March 14, 2017 by La Ciociara

Ever cook so much food because you thought everyone was going to eat Sunday dinner with you since you hardly ever see them anymore, but you end up having all these leftovers? Here is a good recipe for leftover spaghetti that is easy to make.

Ingredients

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 c. chopped onion
2 c. tomato sauce
12 oz. cooked spaghetti
1/3 c. Parmesan cheese
3 eggs, beaten
1 c. ricotta or cottage cheese
1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350°.
Butter the bottom and sides of a shallow baking pan.
Cook beef, garlic, and onion in a sauté pan over medium heat until meat is brown.
Drain the fat.
Stir tomato sauce into meat mixture. Set aside.
In a bowl combine spaghetti, Parmesan cheese and eggs. Mix well. Pour into the buttered pan and spread evenly across the bottom.
Spread ricotta or cottage cheese over the spaghetti mixture.
Pour meat sauce mixture over ricotta cheese. Spread carefully; do not mix.
Sprinkle mozzarella over the meat mixture.
Bake at 350° about 20 minutes until hot and set. Do not overbake.

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Top photo credit: John @Flickr.com

Rome – Caput Mundi

Posted on March 9, 2017 by La Ciociara

People tend to associate Italy with ancient Rome and its crazy emperors, but it goes way beyond that in time. In fact, there is evidence that humans have inhabited this area since prehistoric times (see https://www.britannica.com/topic/ancient-Italic-people and https://www.britannica.com/topic/Villanovan-culture for more information).

The city of Rome has adapted as its nickname Caput Mundi, or “the capital of the world”. It was actually in antiquity the capital of what was then known as the world. This included Europe, Britain, Northern Africa, western Asia, and the Mediterranean Islands. And, yes, one look at a map of Italy and you will see that all roads do lead to Rome.

According to legend, the twin sons of Mars, the god of war, and Rhea, a vestal virgin and daughter of the king of Alba Long, Amulius, were put into a basket and thrown into the Tiber River because the king did not want any successors to the throne. These twins, Romulus and Remus, were then found near a sacred fig tree, the Ficus Ruminalis, by a she-wolf and raised by her, hence the symbol of Rome being the twins suckling a wolf. Later on, the twins were found by a herdsman named Faustulus. They went on to found the city of Rome on the banks of the Tiber River around 753 BC, but Romulus ended up killing Remus and becoming the first king of Rome, which was named after him.

The symbol of Rome – Romulus and Remus suckling on a she-wolf.

Rome went through many transformations, from winning many battles with their ruthless warriors and ruling over a great portion of the ancient world, to creating the most beautiful art masterpieces, and producing some of the most exquisite food.

The Sistine Chapel Ceiling

With its concentration of ancient ruins, which are still being excavated by the way, to its many restaurants, museums, and shopping, it is not a place where a visitor can see it all in one vacation, nor a topic that can be summed up in one post or article. I have been there many times and still have not seen everything there is to see in this wondrous city.

The Ancient Via Appia

I’ve been to many of the ruins, eaten in the finest restaurants, both fancy and mom and pop type eateries. I’ve bought paintings in Piazza Navona, marveled at the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, even done some shopping, but the place that really stirs my emotions is the Roman Forum. I don’t know what it is about this place but every time I go there I feel as if I’m home. I remember being there a long time ago, on a sunny afternoon in the springtime, feeling the warm breeze blowing through my hair. I was holding a little flower that I had picked up on one the ancient paths I had walked on. I closed my eyes and for a brief moment I was transported back to ancient Rome. I could almost hear the local Romans going about their business, conversations amongst friends, customers bargaining with vendors that had set up shop along the cobblestone street. Is it possible that I’ve lived there in a previous life? Who knows, but it is definitely quite an experience walking on the same paths as the Caesars did.

Basilica of Maxentius and Constantine, Roman Forum

Circus Maximus, the largest ancient Roman racetrack for chariots and other spectacles, which now hosts concerts.

Circus Maximus, the largest ancient Roman racetrack for chariots and other spectacles, where Ben-Hur was filmed and which now hosts concerts.

Piazza Navona at night

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For travel arrangements, go to Travel and Tourism.

Baked Baccala (Salted Cod)

Posted on February 27, 2017 by La Ciociara

Baccalà is codfish that has been cured and dried using a large amount of salt. This method of curing fish was and still is used for preserving it for several months. Before using the baccalà, it needs to be soaked for 3 days, changing the water every day, to remove the salt and reconstitute it. My mother used to boil the baccalà before baking or frying to remove even more of the salt, but I only do this when using the baccalà in a salad.

Serves 4

Ingredients
1 1/4 lb of dried, salted cod (baccalà)
1 small onion, sliced
2 small potatoes, sliced thinly
1 small green bell pepper, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
2-3 sprigs of fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 tsp dried thyme
olive oil
salt
lemon juice

Preheat oven to 400°F.
In a glass or oven-proof pan, spread a tablespoon of olive oil and place the onions, potatoes and green pepper in it and mix.
Cut up the salted cod into medium size pieces and mix with the vegetables.
Add the garlic and parsley. Sprinkle thyme and some lemon juice, then drizzle with olive oil.
Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour, removing the foil for the last 10 minutes.
Sprinkle salt if necessary – sometimes all the salt is removed when soaking the baccalà for so many days.

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Eggplant Rollatini

Posted on January 24, 2017 by La Ciociara

I love eggplant rollatini. Unfortunately no one else in my family does so whenever we order out food, I usually end up getting it because I never get to make it at home. Never mind that I sometimes get a skin reaction to the eggplant (I have a slight allergy to it), but I could eat this dish as a main course any day instead of chicken or some other meat dish.

I’ve seen recipes for eggplant rollatini using either grilled or fried eggplant (like eggplant parmigiana), but I’ve decided to use the grilled version here because it is not as oily as the fried one. It is time consuming to make this dish but it’s worth it. It is usually served as an appetizer, although it can fill you up quickly because of the cheese filling, but, as I said previously, you can also serve it as a main dish.

Serves 6 to 8 people

Ingredients

2 eggplants (about 1 pound)
1 cup grated Mozzarella cheese
1 cup Ricotta cheese
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup flat Italian parsley, finely chopped
1 egg
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. black pepper

Preheat broiler.
Spray sheet pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Peel and slice eggplant lengthwise into long thin slices.
Brush each slice of eggplant with olive oil on one side; place slices on sheet pan, oil side up.
Broil eggplant about 4 minutes until lightly brown. Turn each slice and brush the other side with olive oil. Broil second side about 4 minutes. Set eggplant slices aside.
In a bowl, combine Parmesan and ricotta cheeses, egg, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, parsley and pepper. Mix well.
Spread each slice of eggplant with cheese filling. Roll up eggplant from narrow end to form rollatini.
Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce in the bottom of a baking pan. Line up rolls in a single layer in baking pan.
Spread a thin layer of sauce over the rolls. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the top of the sauce.
Bake about 25 minutes at 350°. Sprinkle with chopped parsley if desired before serving.

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Suppli al Telefono - Roman style stuffed rice balls

Suppli al Telefono – Stuffed Rice Balls, Roman Style

Posted on January 17, 2017 by La Ciociara

Supplì al Telefono is a fried rice ball typically eaten in the Lazio region. It is called al telefono because it is stuffed with mozzarella and when cut in half, the melted mozzarella is stringy and resembles a telephone wire. It is similar to arrancini, fried rice balls stuffed with ground beef and peas, which are made in Sicily, although supplì is much smaller and shaped like a croquette.

They are usually eaten as an appetizer or snack and can be found in the hands of Romans quickly grabbing a bite to eat while walking.

Ingredients (makes about 6 balls)
3 to 4 c tomato sauce
3 T olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 c Arborio rice
2 eggs
2/3 c grated Parmigiano Reggiano
6 oz. mozzarella, cut into small cubes
bread crumbs
vegetable oil for frying

In a medium saucepan, add olive oil and sauté the chopped onion until translucent.
Add the rice and stir, coating it with the olive oil.
Add enough tomato sauce to cover the rice and cook for about 25 minutes until it is al dente, adding more tomato sauce as it is absorbed by the rice.
When it is done, remove from the heat and stir in eggs and Parmigiano cheese. Let cool.
With a spoon, grab the rice and form into an egg shape. Make an indentation in the middle and place the mozzarella cube in it then cover with the rice.
Roll each ball in the bread crumbs and in a large frying pan with vegetable oil, fry until golden brown.
Serve with tomato sauce if desired.

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