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Simple Italy Greatest Hits

Posted February 6, 2018 by Sharon 1 Comment

Le cose cambiano. Things change.

SimpleItaly is evolving. Fresh posts will appear less frequently.  Our greatest hits, however, are always a click away. When we discover a new Italian regional recipe, destination, experience, or person, we’ll share the gems with our fellow Inner Italians.

Let’s re-visit some of our fondest timeless memories–encompassing cooking, wine appreciation, people, music, movies, art and serendipitous experiences–from a decade of SimpleItaly.

Bolognese-style lasagna

Lasagna alla Bolognese (Bolognese-style lasagna),  a dish that embodies the allure of slow food, has only four components–fresh spinach noodles, ragu, balsamella, Parmigiano-Reggiano–but each deserves attention.

Flavors of Friuli

Elizabeth Antoine Crawford traveled throughout Friuli for five years to research her new book.

 

Sauerkraut, poppyseed, and cinnamon-sugar on pasta. Is this Italian cooking? It is in the northeastern region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia.  These seductive ingredients and more are explored in Flavors of Friuli: A Culinary Journey through Northeastern Italy.

 

A truffle hunter with his prized partner.

On the Truffle Trail in Le Marche

Acqualagna is all about truffles. One-fourth of the residents are qualified truffle hunters and 70 percent of Italy’s truffle dogs are trained here. The white truffle is celebrated each autumn with the Fiera Nazionale del Tartufo Bianco. (This article first appeared in the November 2011 issue
 of the travel newsletter Dream of Italy.

Confetti Town

Lining the main streets of Sulmona, in Abruzzo, are shop after shop selling confetti, the confectionary for which the town is famous. It sounds simple: start with almonds, pistachios or hazelnuts and coat them with multiple layers of molten sugar cane syrup. This dessert artistry has been evolving since Roman times when almonds were coated with honey. The results are magnificent. They are edible mosaics, work so detailed, artistic and well-executed that they fool your eye. Of course these are real flowers . . . no, they are confetti.

Brides of Amalfi


Love was in the air during a visit to the Amalfi Coast.

Ragazzi Reminisce

The Leather School, tucked in back of The Basilica of Santa Croce, is the scene for this dynamic duo’s meeting.

C’era una volta. . . once upon a time. . . Max (Massimo Melani) met Wally (Walter Sanders) in Firenze. (Spoiler alert: An iconic Florentine panino plays a supporting role.) Here’s the story in their own words.

The Inner Italian Q & A: Melissa Muldoon

All of our Inner Italians shared delightful personal journeys but, so far, only one has gone on to become an Italian language and travel diva. Artist, designer, cultural conduit, and author Melissa Muldoon hosts La Studentessa Matta (The Crazy Student).

Whites for Summer

In his wine commentaries, Walter seeks out the best, most affordable, wine produced from Italian grapes. He hopes to raise awareness of indigenous varietals that deserve a place on your table.

Lemon Semifreddo

The spoon dessert semifreddo translates as “half frozen.” A cross between a frozen soufflé and gelato, a semifreddo delivers the plush mouthfeel of frozen meringue with the luxurious richness of cream. This lemon version pairs well with red berries.

Malika Ayane


Of this sensational pop vocalist, Paolo Conti said: “Il colore di questa voce è un arancione scuro che sa di spezia amara e rara.” The color of this voice is a dark orange with a dark and rare spice.

Cinema Italiana

SimpleItaly adores this hangdog comedy. What happens to those Italians left behind during Ferragosto, the national August vacation? One such scenario is brilliantly portrayed in the 2008 film Pranzo di Ferragosto released in the U.S. as Mid-August Lunch. Gianni di Gregorio, who co-wrote the script and directs, stars as the soulful Gianni who lives in the heart of Rome with his 93-year-old mother, exquisitely played by Valeria De Franciscis.

Do you have a cherished Inner Italian memory? Share it below.

Filed Under: Amalfi, Architecture, Art, Bologna, Books, Campania, Culture, Film, Florence, Food, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Inner Italian Q & A, Language, Lifestyle, Mediterranean diet, Miscellany, People, Travel, Tuscan cooking, Tuscany, Wine Tagged With: Italian cookbooks, Italian cooking, italian culture, Italian life-style, italian recipes, Italian wines, pasta recipes

Abruzzo Green Tomato Pasta

Posted October 24, 2013 by Sharon 6 Comments

Chopped green tomatoes are seasoned with parsley, hot pepper flakes, garlic, celery, and olive oil in this unusual pasta sauce.

Chopped green tomatoes are seasoned with parsley, hot pepper flakes, garlic, celery, and olive oil in this unusual pasta sauce.

Since I wrote about Miriam Rubin’s delightful cookbook Tomatoes back in May, I’ve been intending to try her recipe for Green Tomato Pasta Sauce from the region of Abruzzo. I was intrigued because I’d never eaten anything like it or even seen a recipe for an unripe tomato sauce.

I panicked recently when the weather forecast predicted an overnight frost. I hadn’t tried the green tomato dish and time was running out. Unlike Rubin, who is a dedicated home vegetable grower and pens the “Miriam’s Garden” column for the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, I do not have a patch from which to pluck tomatoes. A generous gardening friend donated some green fruit to enable the test.

onthevineThe sauce is easy to prepare. It’s a lively blending of tart fruit, hot pepper, rich olive oil, and plenty of garlic. I believe it would be a good recipe to use in the winter months with pale, firm supermarket tomatoes. I’m going to give that a try, too.

I’m curious if any SimpleItaly readers have relatives or friends who live in, or are from, Abruzzo who prepare a similar sauce. Please share a Comment if you do.

 

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Abruzzo, Books, Food, Gardening, Markets, Mediterranean diet, Recipes Tagged With: Abruzzese cooking, Italian cooking, Italian green tomato pasta sauce, recipes from Abruzzo, unusual pasta sauces

Passato di Pomodoro

Posted September 26, 2013 by Sharon 1 Comment

Late summer gardens and farmers’ markets offer an abundance of edible riches.
Wash the pelati in cold water and cut in half or quarters. No need to remove the core.

A food mill purees the cooked fruit and simultaneously screens out the skin and seeds.
Skim any light-colored foam that rises to the top of the passato as it reduces.

In September, when you can buy 20 pounds of pomodori pelati (plum tomatoes) for $15, you’ll know what to do.

Simmer the pelati in a big non-aluminum pot until they fall apart. Pass the contents through a food mill which purees the fruit but screens out the skin and seeds.

Passato di pomodoro in the freezer will make the change of seasons a little sweeter.

Reduce the passato (puree) in a large pot until excess water evaporates and  it thickens to just the right consistency to cling to strands of pasta.

Cool and freeze in 1 cup bags.

In January, you’ll say, I did the right thing.

Passato di Pomodoro
Print
Cuisine: Italian
Author: Sharon Sanders
Serves: 12 cups
Adding some vodka to the passato brings out the sweetness of the fruit. The alcohol, which evaporates during cooking, dissolves certain flavor compounds that neither oil nor water can release. If using vodka, add ½ cup to the puree (step 4) as it reduces.
Ingredients
  • 10 pounds very ripe plum tomatoes, cut in into lengthwise quarters
Instructions
  1. Pack a large non-aluminum pot with as many tomatoes as will fit, pressing with clean hands or a large spoon to squash the tomatoes to release some juice. Set on medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 12 minutes or until the tomatoes start to release more juice.
  2. With the back of a large spoon, press the tomatoes. Gradually add the remaining tomatoes until they all fit in the pot. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 25 to 30 minutes or until tomatoes are very soft.
  3. Set a food mill over a large non-aluminum pot. Working in batches, ladle the tomatoes and juice into the food mill. Pass the tomatoes through the mill to puree. With a silicone spatula, lift out and discard the skin and seeds after each batch.
  4. Set the puree over high heat. Bring to a boil; reduce the heat to medium and cook at a brisk simmer for 5 minutes. If the puree is too thin, continue to cook until it is reduced to the desired thickness. Skim and discard any light-colored foam that rises to the surface. Cool to room temperature then refrigerate for several hours to chill thoroughly.
  5. To freeze, ladle into 1 cup containers. Store in the freezer for up to 6 months. To use the sauce, thaw the amount needed overnight in the refrigerator or microwave on the defrost setting for 10 minutes. Heat the sauce in the microwave for 6 to 8 minutes or transfer to a saucepan set over medium heat.
3.2.1255

 

Filed Under: Food, Gardening, Markets, Mediterranean diet, Recipes Tagged With: Italian cooking, Italian tomato puree, preserving tomatoes

Inner Italian Laura

Posted June 8, 2013 by Sharon 1 Comment

 

Apron giveaway winner Laura Collins wrote on her entry comment: "I would wear this apron regularly. I love to cook, especially Italian food and I am currently waiting for my dual citizenship to be finalized."

Apron giveaway winner Laura Collins wrote on her entry comment: “I would wear this apron regularly. I love to cook, especially Italian food and I am currently waiting for my dual citizenship to be finalized.”

 

Filed Under: Culture, Food, Miscellany Tagged With: apron giveaway, Italian cooking, Italian kitchen accessories

Chef’s Apron Giveaway Winners

Posted June 1, 2013 by Sharon Leave a Comment

Auguri to our winners: Mary Ann, Evelyn, and Laura!

Auguri to our winners: Mary Ann, Evelyn, and Laura!

Like three coins in a fountain, a trio of lucky commenters have had their apron dream come true.

By random selection, the winners of the SimpleItaly.com chef’s apron giveaway are:

  • Mary Ann Holm 

  • Evelyn Pietrobono

  • Laura Collins

We hope they’ll share photos of themselves modeling their gift.

Grazie to all who participated!

 

Filed Under: Food Tagged With: chef's apron, giveaway, Italian cooking, kitchen gifts

Chef’s Apron Giveaway

Posted May 21, 2013 by Sharon 27 Comments

"Cook Italian, Be Happy" in this stylish chef's apron.

“Cook Italian, Be Happy” in this stylish chef’s apron.

Adorn the Inner Italians you love–or yourself–with our crisp SimpleItaly.com chef’s apron. (Click here for a full product description.)

The SimpleItaly.com chef’s apron is a tasteful and functional gift for soon-to-be-marrieds or newlyweds, a graduate setting up his or her first apartment, or Dad on his special day.

Three Chances to Win!

Post a comment (below) on why you need to own a SimpleItaly.com chef’s apron and you’ll be eligible for a random drawing to win one of three free aprons. Please include email contact information on your comment so you can be notified if you win.

Invite your friends to join the fun by sharing this post on Facebook or Twitter!

Winners who send a digital image of themselves wearing the apron will be featured in a future post! Free shipping (U.S. only) is included in the giveaway.

SI Apron 2Deadline to post is May 31, 2013 at midnight (EST).

Filed Under: Food Tagged With: chef's aprons, gifts for cooks, gifts for Italian cooks, giveaways, Italian cooking, Italian cooking aprons

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