Simple Italy

Celebrating Your Inner Italian

Making Fresh Pasta in Tuscany

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This article first appeared in the October 2012 issue
 of the award-winning subscription travel newsletter Dream of Italy

By Walter Sanders

Flour and egg transformed into gossamer sheets of fresh pasta.

Flour and egg transformed into gossamer sheets of fresh pasta.

While staying at Villa Pipistrelli just south of Siena, our group visited nearby Stigliano. We were on a mission: to learn how make fresh pasta from scratch. Our teachers were two older women from the village. They were beautiful, gracious and patient. Pasta-making rookies began combining ingredients, and our enthusiasm was evident despite beaten eggs leaking from collapsed flour walls.

With the help of our lovely mentors, everyone finished their dough and formed it into a ball. All the balls were kneaded together, then rolled flat, cut, stuffed, trimmed and transformed into ravioli.

The site was La Bottega di Stigliano, a combination retail shop—specializing in locally produced agricultural products—and a restaurant. The building was a former casa del popolo, a people’s house where in olden times farm workers would meet to sell products. The casa also served as a social center. It was, in a sense, a one-stop shop where people could fill their baskets with food and make social connections. [Read more…]

Joyce Heitler’s Inner Italian

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By Joyce Heitler, guest writer

Joyce Heitler in the southern hill town of Piciotta.

Joyce Heitler in the southern hill town of Pisciotta.

Retired from teaching kindergarten in Chicago after 45 years, I, too, have an Inner Italian.

My husband Frank and I went to Italy about 11 years ago with my son- in-law Renato, who was born in Italy, to see his sick uncle in Tuscany. The uncle lived in a beautiful four-story castle with antique furniture.

We decided to learn Italian so Frank looked up schools on the Internet and found a small language school in Pisciotta, about one hour south of Salerno. The photos looked fabulous and we signed up for a three-week total immersion class. After one week, I fell in love with Pisciotta and the people. Being the impulsive person that I am, I decided to buy an apartment there.

Not many apartments were available for sale so when I went to church I prayed that I would find a place. When I left church, a man, who had heard us speaking English, approached us. His name was Agnello, named after the patron saint of Pisciotta. He had worked in New York for 12 years and then moved back to Pisciotta. I asked him if he knew of anyone who had a house for sale and he said, “Yes, me.”

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The Inner Italian Q & A: Linda Dini Jenkins

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One in an occasional series of conversations with those who try to “live Italian” wherever they are.

"La Principessa" in Perugia

Linda Dini Jenkins is a freelance travel writer and photographer and the author of Up at the Villa: Travels with my Husband (more later on how to win a free copy!). She also blogs regularly about travel and travel writing at Travel the Write Way and teaches creative writing and journaling. She enjoys taking small groups of friends, to explore what Italy has to offer beyond the Florence-Venice-Rome triumvirate, and she can pack her suitcase in 15 minutes.

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Q: Living “Italian”. . . Is it a great way to live or the greatest way to live?
A: Well, I think it’s the greatest way to live. When you take into account the slower pace of life (outside the big cities!), the immersion in history and art, the fantastic cuisine, the love of design and music, the respect for taking time out to enjoy the simple things . . . whether it’s Italian or Mediterranean or European, it’s how I want to live.

Q: Why?
A: Are you kidding? Start with the food, the design sensibilities, the language, the arts, the vino, the pausa, the passeggiata . . . need I go on?

Q: When did you discover your Inner Italian? What is your Inner Italian named?
A: I always knew about my Inner Italian but, like other children of first-generation Italian-Americans who desperately wanted to assimilate, “being Italian” was something that just happened and was never really encouraged. In fact, I’d heard stories growing up of how hard it was for my father to be Italian in a New York suburb in the 1930s and ‘40s; even being Italian in my first job in New York in the 1970s was something of a liability. And I was always a little ashamed after that of being part Italian (my mother’s side of the family was English/Irish/German) until I met my husband and he took me to Italy in 2000. Since then, I have been a proud and vocal Italian-American. If my Inner Italian has a name and it needs to be something other than Linda, I suppose it’s Principessa . . .

Q: What does “living Italian” mean to you?
A: My grandparents came over from Italy in the late 1890s and they were anything but rich. So for me, living Italian has to do with cooking and eating together, always having crusty bread and wrinkled olives and green olive oil on the flowered oilcloth-covered table. It means not being afraid to be emotional—even if that involves fists and things flying when you’re angry. It means loving music and feeling the arts very deeply. It means trying to have a sense of style—of la bella figura—even if the clothes or table settings come from Target. And it means being a storyteller and a traveler and something of an adventurer.

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Italian Wheat-Berry Bread

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Nunzio Martino, holding a loaf of the local bread, at his family's bakery in Matera, Italy.

Nunzio Martino, holding a loaf of Matera's traditional durum wheat bread, at his family's bakery.

When I visited Martino Casa del Pane (House of Bread) in Matera shortly before their midday closing, the foot traffic was as thick as rush hour in Manhattan. Artisanal bread is a big deal in Italy and nowhere more so than Matera, the ancient Basilicata city that is built on caves. Neighboring Puglia is the biggest durum wheat producer in Italy so fine flour is close at hand.

The Casa del Pane produces a variety of loaves — olive, potato, dried tomato, Gorgonzola, corn flour — to name a few. The business is run by Papa Giovanni and sons Nunzio, Giuseppe, Minno and daughter Teresa.

panemateraAfter eating bread in Italy, I inevitably return home fired up to create loaves of my own. Granted, the bread does not taste exactly like the oven-baked beauties from Casa del Pane but necessity is the mother of bread making.

Lately, I’ve been changing my standard rustic bread formula to make a heartier loaf studded with chewy whole wheat berries, which are simply whole grains of wheat. I also add some whole wheat flour, semolina, and a few tablespoons of ground flaxseed for added nutrients. The resulting loaves are  filled with good grain flavor but surprising light with a crisp crust.

Bread11I start one or two days ahead by mixing a biga, (sponge) a paste made from flour, water, and  dry yeast. As it ferments, it develops flavor that will enhance the finished bread.

Bread1Mix the sponge in a 4-cup glass measuring cup or clear glass bowl and you’ll be able to see its bubbling action throughout the process. You’ll also give the mixture the room it needs to expand to three times its original volume. Cover it with plastic wrap and tuck it in a cool spot (or in the refrigerator) for 12 to 48 hours. The thick mixture will bubble up and rise, and then fall slightly. At the end, it will look like pancake batter. If some of the liquid separates from the batter part, don’t worry.

(Clockwise from top left) Whole wheat flour, ground flaxseed, semolina flour, and cooked wheat berries add flavor and texture to rustic Italian bread.

(Clockwise from top left) Whole wheat flour, ground flaxseed, semolina, and cooked wheat berries add flavor and texture to rustic Italian bread.

To prepare the dough, the sponge is mixed with more flour and water, salt, and any add-ins you like — from wheat berries to herbs to grated cheeses. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 4 to 6 minutes, or until the dough is resilient. Even novice bakers will sense when the dough has been sufficiently kneaded: It feels alive.

If you’re making bread for the first time, you may want to prepare by hand rather than using a machine. The experience will be more tactile and pleasurable, not to mention educational, as you feel how soft and moist this dough should be. But the recipe will also work in a food processor or electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. A plastic dough scraper makes quick work of cleaning the mixing bowl. Bake the bread on heavy baking pans that don’t buckle with the high heat. If you have a ceramic baking stone, preheat it and bake the loaves directly on it for a crisper crust.

After the baked bread is cool, store in a brown paper bag for a day or two. Or, do as I do and slice and freeze the loaves.

[Read more…]

The Inner Italian Q & A: Maureen Jenkins

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One in an occasional series of interviews — with wannabe Italians or expatriate Italians –who try to “live Italian” wherever they are.

Photograph by Peter West Carey

Photograph by Peter West Carey

Maureen Jenkins is a freelance travel and food writer and author of UrbanTravelGirl, a blog that encourages African-American women to “live globally through international travel.” She also writes TCW Travel Connection, a blog on all things journey-related for Today’s Chicago Woman magazine. She loves all things Italian, having spent nearly one year living and working in Florence. While Maureen lives in Chicago (for now, at least), she tries to “live la vita bella” by incorporating small aspects of her once-Italian life into her everyday routine.

Q: Living “Italian”…Is it a great way to live or the greatest way to live?

A: I think it’s definitely one of the greatest ways to live. But I think (and please forgive me for cheating on Italy for a moment) that living French and living Spanish and living Greek also are incredible. For me, it’s almost about “living Mediterranean,” that take-it-as-it-comes lifestyle that appreciates the fine things in life, whether it’s food, wine, sensuality, or the scent of the sea. If there is such a thing as a past life, I definitely spent it somewhere in this region of the world.

Q: Why?

A: It’s one of the greatest ways to live because no matter where you physically call home — or where you are — it enhances the everyday quality of your life. And that’s a gift we all can give to ourselves.

Q: When did you discover your Inner Italian? What is your Inner Italian named?

A: My “Inner Italian” is named Marina, a name bestowed upon me by my Italian friend Monica’s mother. Her mom hardly speaks a word of English, but explained to me that “Marina” is much prettier and softer than “Maureen,” and I couldn’t agree more! I can’t recall an exact moment of DISCOVERY when I met my Inner Italian, but I think she first surfaced during my first solo trip, which took me to a bed-and-breakfast in Napa Valley. I also met a gorgeous young Italian ragazzo in San Francisco’s Little Italy during that trip, one I kept in touch with and reconnected with in New York, Milan and Rome years after. Who wouldn’t want to keep discovering her “Inner Italian” after that?

Q: What does “living Italian” mean to you?

A: It means wholeheartedly embracing the simple goodness and sensuality in life. Taking the extra time, for example, to stop at a specialty market or gourmet grocery store for fine imported cheese or salumi rather than dashing into a regular supermarket makes a huge difference. Think how special it feels opening these hand-wrapped treasures as opposed to ripping open an industrial-strength package. It’s worth every extra dime you pay. It means purchasing the best quality you can afford, whether you’re talking shoes, pretty lingerie, or wine glasses. And even when it comes to things that DON’T cost money — valuing quality time spent with family and friends; enjoying the arts and culture just because and not only when out-of-town guests come to visit — this to me also embraces this wonderful way of living and being.

Q: What nurtures your Inner Italian?

A: Being IN Italy, of course! But since I’m usually in the United States instead, remembering what made my living and visiting Italy so pleasurable: good, unhurried meals with simple yet exquisite ingredients; good wine and conversation; and time spent dining with those I love spending time with. And since I can’t BE in Italy, I nurture my “Inner Italian” by reading travel books and cuisine/wine and travel magazines that celebrate this wonderful country. I also find it by seeking out authentic restaurants in Chicago and elsewhere in the United States where the waiters or owners actually speak Italian, giving me a chance not only to practice l’italiano on this side of the Atlantic but also allowing me to reconnect with the special times I’ve spent in bella Italia. It’s one of my small personal joys!

Q: What Italian movie, or movie set in Italy, do you most like? Why?

A: No question about it — “Under the Tuscan Sun” with Diane Lane. UTTSfilmGranted, the beautifully shot film had nearly NOTHING to do with Frances Mayes’ original book, but who cares? The story of a middle-aged woman who moved to Italy to renovate her life along with a Tuscan villa spoke to me in a way that no film ever had. In fact, it helped inspire me to quit my stressful corporate job, figure out how to make a living as a freelance writer, and move to Florence for nearly one year. The film is one I pull out periodically when I need inspiration for some other major life change — one of which I’m working on now!

Q: When and where was your first visit to Italy?

A: I first visited Italy in May of 2002 with two girlfriends, a trip we’d delayed after September 11. We first landed in Rome, had crazy issues with our luggage at the airport, and then had a mix-up at our original hotel. But thanks to the company I worked for, we ended up at a FAR better hotel, met women who have become great friends, and fell head-over-heels in love with Rome and all things Italian. What can I say? I was hooked.

Q: When and where was your most recent trip to Italy?

A: My most recent trip to Italy was in the fall of 2008, when my mom and I took a 12-day Mediterranean cruise. Among the places we visited were Livorno (the port town near Florence), Civitavecchia (the port of call near Rome), and Messina (on the gorgeous island of Sicily). Having lived in Italy, I’ve spent plenty of time in both Florence and Rome, but Sicily — especially the town of Taormina — was a super-special treat. Because of gale-force winds, we were forced to abandon the ship’s original port of call in Greece and headed to Sicily instead. I fell madly in love with this beautiful island and have vowed to return — hopefully for at least two weeks during the warm, sunny part of the year.

Q: If you could live in one place in Italy for the rest of your life, where would it be and why?

A: Hands down, it would be Rome. Not only is the antiquity simply stunning and amazing no matter how many times I see it, but parts of Rome are as modern, savvy and cosmopolitan as any other major metropolis in the world. It never ceases to fascinate me — the food is incredible and the people are beautiful. What more can one want?

Q: Last Italian meal…what would it be?

A: As much as I love all Italian food, I think mine would be fairly simple. I’d start with a good glass of Prosecco, savor some prosciutto di Parma, have a bit of super-fresh mozzarella di bufala along with some simply fried potatoes (a basic delicacy I discovered in Naples at a friend’s home during my first visit to the city). Of course, a glass of Brunello di Montalcino would have to figure in somewhere. And perhaps a digestivo of homemade Limoncello to finish me off. I’m a simple ragazza — and I’d leave this earth a happy girl!

Has Italy changed your life in a profound way? Send us a brief comment describing your Inner Italian and you may be selected as our next “Inner Italian Q&A.” If picked, you’ll receive a free autographed copy of Cooking Up an Italian Life.