Category: Italy Blog

This is a blog about the historic and panoramic Lazio region of Italy.

Struffoli, sweet fried dough balls covered in honey and sprinkles

Struffoli

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Struffoli are little sweet fried dough balls covered in honey and sprinkles, and sometimes with candied fruit. They are usually served during the holidays, especially during the Christmas season and Easter. It has a long history, originally created by the nuns of Naples to give as a thank-you gift to the aristocracy for their charitable donations to the poor.

About 15 servings

Ingredients

6 eggs
1 c granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 lb (2 sticks) butter, softened to room temperature
4 1/2 c all-purpose flour
2 T baking powder
vegetable oil for frying
1 small jar of honey (or to your liking)
1 tsp lemon juice (can leave out)
candy sprinkles

  1. in a large bowl, whisk the eggs until completely mixed.
  2. add the sugar and vanilla and mix.
  3. in a separate bowl, sift the flour and baking powder together.
  4. cut pieces of butter and add to the flour and mix with your hands.
  5. slowly add the flour mixture to the egg mixture. Use either a spoon or your hands to mix the dough. You can knead the dough on a cutting board if you feel it helps but make sure to sprinkle some flour first onto the board. Let dough rest in a cool, dry place for a little while.
  6. roll out dough onto a floured surface into long, thin rolls.
  7. cut the dough into 1/2 inch chunks and roll them into little balls.
  8. drop them into a large frying pan filled with hot oil in batches and fry until they are golden brown, then remove each batch using a slotted spoon.
  9. in a saucepan, heat the honey (with the lemon juice, if desired) and drop the fried dough balls in a little bit at a time. Stir until they are all coated with honey.
  10. remove the struffoli from the saucepan and arrange them onto a plate and sprinkle with candy sprinkles.

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Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

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This cake combines 2 healthy ingredients – chocolate and zucchini. Yes, chocolate (dark chocolate to be exact), in moderation, can be considered healthy because it is full of flavonoids which are antioxidants and have anti-inflammatory properties. Zucchini is rich in vitamin A, magnesium, potassium and omega-3 fatty acids. So, enjoy…

Serves 8 to 10 people

Ingredients

3 oz semi-sweet dark chocolate, coarsely chopped, or 1/2 c chocolate chips
1/4 c vegetable oil
1 1/4 c sifted all-purpose unbleached flour
1/4 c unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter, softened
3/4 c sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 c buttermilk or sour cream
1 1/2 c grated zucchini or summer squash

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan or bundt pan and dust with some unsweetened cocoa powder.

2. Melt the chocolate along with the oil in a double boiler or in a saucepan over low heat – be careful not to scorch.

3. Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl.

4. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture and buttermilk or sour cream, beating until combined, then fold in the chocolate and oil mixture, and the zucchini.

5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan for about 10 minutes on a wire rack, then invert it on the rack, remove the pan, and cool completely.

5.Serve with your favorite icing, dusted with confectioners’ sugar, or with fresh fruit on top.

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Photo credit above: ukcsa@Flicker.com

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Tomato Sauce

Tomato Sauce (Pasta Sauce)

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Tomato sauce (pasta sauce, or some people call it gravy) is considered to be one of the five “mother sauces” that all cooks should know how to make, along with béchamel, velouté, hollandaise, and espagnole. If you can make these sauces, you can make any variations of them for every type of cuisine.

I like to use fresh herbs when they’re available but you can use dried herbs also. Just remember that dried herbs have a more concentrated and powerful flavor and so the quantities need to be adjusted (use more fresh herbs, less dried herbs). I add them in the beginning so that the sauce absorbs their flavors as it simmers.

I make either marinara, which is plain tomato sauce, ragù, which is a meat sauce (add meatballs, chicken pieces or sausages), or seafood (puttanesca, zuppa di pesce, etc.), depending on what we feel like eating.

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Ingredients
2 cans tomato puree or crushed tomatoes (non-GMO if you can find it)
1 T olive oil
2 small garlic cloves, smashed and sliced
1/2 tsp fresh rosemary
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp ground dried sage
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil or 3 fresh basil leaves
1 T fresh chopped parsley
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 chicken bouillon cube
a splash of red wine
salt (if needed)

  1. add olive oil to the pot and sauté the garlic cloves.
  2. add the rosemary and continue to sauté (this will give it a stronger taste which I love!).
  3. add the cans of tomatoes and stir.
  4. add the herbs, and onion and garlic powders, stir.
  5. add the bouillon cube and stir to dissolve.
  6. add a splash of red wine, stir.
  7. simmer for about an hour. Add salt if it needs more. If it gets too thick, add a little bit of water or wine.

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Stromboli roll

Stromboli Roll

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This recipe serves approximately 4 -6 people if sliced and served as an appetizer, or 2 people if it is the main dish. You can leave out the prosciutto if it is too salty for your liking.


Ingredients

12 oz. pizza dough
4 slices of ham
4 slices of mozzarella
4 slices of salami
2 long slices of prosciutto
onion powder
garlic powder
oregano
pecorino romano or parmigiano-reggiano cheese
1 T olive oil

  1. preheat oven to 375°.
  2. in a large pizza pan spread the olive oil with your fingers.
  3. stretch the dough out in the pan and sprinkle onion and garlic powder according to your taste.
  4. spread the slices of ham, mozzarella, salami and prosciutto across the dough, leaving about an inch around the dough with nothing on it.
  5. fold about an inch of the dough on opposite ends, then roll one of the other ends until you have a log.
  6. sprinkle some oregano and grated cheese on top.
  7. bake for about 30 minutes, until golden brown.

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Braised octopus

Braised Octopus

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The octopus is a type of mollusk. Although not many people in the U.S like the idea of eating octopus because of the way it looks, it is considered a delicacy in Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Japan. It has a mild flavor, similar to squid. You can eat it as an appetizer or as a main dish.

It is not a complicated food to cook, it just takes time because of its tough consistency. If you do not cook it long enough it can be rubbery. Some people like to boil it before simmering. Some like to remove the skin from it. Whatever you do, make sure you remove the “beak” which is underneath the head in the center of it.

Although 2 octopi for 2-3 people sounds like a lot, it actually does not render much because all the liquid comes out and it shrinks. Once you start cooking it, it will turn pink.

Serves 2-3 people

Ingredients

2 small octopi, fresh or frozen
2 large cloves of garlic, smashed and sliced
1/2 cup (approx.) of either white wine or beer
2 T olive oil

  1. rinse and cut up the octopus into 1 – 2 inch pieces.
  2. saute garlic in olive oil.
  3. add the octopus along with beer or wine and simmer for about 2 hours until tender.

There is no need to add salt because the octopus is naturally salty. Serve with lemon wedges to squeeze the juice over it.

It is also very tasty when cooked with cubed potatoes.

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Pesto sauce

Pesto Sauce

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I love pesto sauce so much I can eat it on Italian bread as a spread! The scent of basil reminds me of when I was little. My family and I lived in an apartment so we didn’t have a garden, but that didn’t stop my parents from planting herbs and vegetables in buckets and keeping them out on the fire escape during the summer. When they finally bought a house, basil was one of the first things they planted, along with tomatoes of course.

Pesto sauce is made with lots of fresh basil, although I’ve seen recipes substituting some of the basil with spinach and parsley to give it that nice green color. The basil in pesto will actually change to a brownish color after a short time because of oxidation (when certain substances react to being exposed to oxygen), but you can drop the leaves in a pot of boiling water for a few seconds to destroy the enzymes that cause it (read Why does my pesto turn brown?)

It also calls for pignoli, or pine nuts, which can be expensive so I usually leave them out and the sauce still has a wonderful, aromatic flavor.  And for the best flavor, I always use extra virgin olive oil. My favorite unfortunately cannot be bought here because it is made in my father’s town, Selvacava.

I like to use the food processor to mix the ingredients, but traditionally it’s made using a mortar and pestle.

Ingredients

1 clove of garlic
3 T of grated pecorino romano or parmiggiano reggiano
1 T pine nuts
50 leave of basil, rinsed and dried
1/2 c extra virgin olive oil
a pinch of salt

  1. in a food processor, add garlic, cheese and pine nuts and mix until it is a paste.
  2. add basil and salt and mix.
  3. slowly add the olive oil.

If you do not use it right away, the oil will separate from the rest of the ingredients so you have to stir it before adding it to anything.

I like to make a lot of pesto and freeze it because I don’t always have the time to prepare it just before I use it.

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Pasta alla Caprese

Pasta alla Caprese (with pesto, tomatoes, and mozzarella)

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Here is a simple but tasty pasta recipe for when you have to cook dinner in a hurry or are just not in the mood for anything fancy.

Serves 4 to 6 people

Ingredients
1 box (1 lb.) of penne pasta, or any other short pasta
4 small tomatoes, cubed
2 c of fresh mozzarella, cubed
4 T pesto sauce
salt to taste

1. cook pasta, drain and reserve some water (in case the pasta is too dry).
2. add tomatoes and mozzarella to the hot pot that you used to cook the pasta in to warm them up a bit.
3. throw pasta and pesto sauce into the pot and mix well.
4. add salt to taste.

If the pasta is too dry, add some of the reserved water a little bit at a time.

Polenta

Polenta

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I love polenta. I love it as a side dish with Chicken Alla Ciociara, with the gravy and pan drippings drizzled over it, or with thick tomato sauce spooned over it, known as Polenta alla Ciociara.

Chicken alla Ciociara with Polenta

Chicken alla Ciociara with Polenta

You can prepare it with either water or milk. Use water if you’d like a lighter version of it so that you can eat it with chicken or meat, or even shrimp. It comes out a little stiffer and can actually be sliced and fried for an Italian version of corn chips. Use milk if you’d like a creamy taste and to eat it as a main dish.

Polenta

Polenta made with water.

Polenta

Serves 4 to 6 people

Ingredients
1 T olive oil
1 garlic clove, smashed
1 cup of yellow cornmeal
3 cups of cold water, or 2 cups of water and 1 cup of milk (for creamier polenta), or 3 cups of milk (for an even creamier and denser polenta)
2 chicken bouillon cubes
onion powder, to taste
salt, to taste

  1. in a large measuring cup, dissolve bouillon cubes in the cold water (or milk).
  2. sauté garlic in oil in a pot .
  3. add cold water to the pot.
  4. slowly add the cornmeal into the water while stirring.
  5. add salt and onion powder to the pot.
  6. cook on low heat, constantly stirring so as not to burn or stick to the pot, for about 1/2 hour. If you undercook it, it will feel gritty in your mouth. Add more water or milk if you see that it is becoming too dry.

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Chicken alla Ciociara with Polenta

Chicken alla Ciociara

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serves 4 to 5 people

Ingredients

8 – 10 chicken pieces on the bone (whole legs or thighs and drumsticks, breasts) with skin removed
6 T olive oil, enough to cover the bottom of the pan
1 shallot, chopped
2 medium garlic cloves, chopped
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary; can also chop the leaves or use dried rosemary (1/2 tsp)
2 T fresh parsley, chopped
red wine, approx. 1 cup
red wine vinegar
salt, to taste

  1. sprinkle chicken pieces with vinegar and salt.
  2. sauté garlic and shallots in olive oil; add rosemary.
  3. place chicken pieces in pan and sprinkle half of the parsley on them, and brown them, about 15 minutes.
  4. turn chicken pieces over and sprinkle remaining parsley and brown them for another 15 minutes.
  5. cook on medium low heat for another 45 to 60 minutes, until cooked through. If it gets dry, add red wine, a little bit at a time (or you can add water or chicken broth).
  6. serve with polenta or mushrooms on the side and a salad.

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Monte Fammera, part of the Aurunci mountains, in Selvacava

Monte Fammera

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Monte Fammera is a very distinctly shaped mountain which overlooks the municipalities of Ausonia and Spigno Saturnia. It is part of the Aurunci Mountains in the Apennine Mountain range.

I’ve heard many stories regarding this mountain during World War II from family members. There is a cave somewhere in this mountain where the residents of Selvacava and the surrounding towns used to hide in during WWII. Since the mountain is at a higher level than the towns, it was a good vantage point for spotting invading soldiers not only on the ground, but also from the Tyrrhenian Sea in the distance.

Selvacava, with its many olive groves, looking toward the Tyrrhenian Sea

Selvacava, with its many olive groves, looking toward the Tyrrhenian Sea

My father told of how Nazi soldiers tried to get him to fight with them and when he refused, he was shot in the leg while running to the mountain, and how they were so hungry while hiding out that they had to kill their donkey and eat it. In fact, I still have the horseshoe that my father saved.

My dad's donkey's horseshoe

My dad’s donkey’s horseshoe

My uncle also told me of how one day all the shooting and bombing had stopped. My great aunt decided to leave the cave to see why there was a great silence and when she peered over a small hill, she found herself with a submachine gun pointed at her face! It turned out that the war had ended and the French were looking for Nazis and she had spooked them.

When I was little and lived in the Bronx, my father belonged to a club of  “paesans” from Selvacava. One time they had a Christmas party at the old Alex and Henry’s Catering Hall, where they usually had their parties, and hired this old guy as entertainment who told jokes and stories about WWII in Italy and did sound effects to go along with it. I remember feeling very uncomfortable watching the old Italians around me laughing at something I found so terrifying but then I realized that was how they dealt with what they had gone through, just like when I lived in Italy and my father and uncle would often break out their old record of war songs and play them. I didn’t know at the time that they were war songs until years later when I was watching the movie Moon Over Parador and heard one of the songs,  “Lili Marlen” in one of the scenes and I looked it up.

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