Italian food, travel & lifestyle
The mere presence of asparagus at the local farmer’s market transports me away from the dreary winter months, gently drifting to thoughts of spring. Asparagus are versatile, lending themselves to salads, frittate, luncheon and side dishes. Asparagus alla Milanese, although it originates in the Lombardy region of Italy is frequently served throughout the north of Italy….
La Pasquetta, literally “little Easter” is celebrated in Italy festively on Monday following the more solemn days leading up to Easter Sunday. Generally a day to pack up the leftovers, get out into the fresh spring air with friends and enjoy a relaxing day picnicking. Asparagus Frittata is just the type of dish to include in your Pasquetta lunch hamper.
Historically frittata had been served in the evening, as traditionally la cena or dinner had been the lighter meal of the day. It is often prepared quickly with ingredients one has one hand; a few eggs, some cheese, last night’s leftover vegetables or pasta, cured meat – allora….
A favorite post which my new and old subscribers may enjoy in preparation for Easter.
Southern Italians celebrate Pasqua or Easter with the gamut of ricotta type pies ranging from savory to sweet. Campania is famous for a mildly sweet wheat berry pie called Pastiera; a crostata made with ricotta cheese, cooked wheat grain and delicately scented with the flavor of orange blossom. Although Pastiera is a staple on the table for southern Italians at Easter, our preference has always been the Crostata di Ricotta, often referred to as the Italian Cheesecake….
The history of a people is often reflected in their traditions around food. Some years ago I began researching Jewish holiday foods of Italy while preparing a class featuring a Mediterranean Seder. My intention was for the Seder to be something light and fresh, with historical significance while having a contemporary twist. Since that time, tremendous information has emerged rich in detail about the Jewish communities of the greater Mediterranean diaspora. My own research culminated with a course incorporating the Passover (Pesach) traditions of the Southern European and Northern African Jewish communities.
Haroset, a symbolic part of the Seder, is essentially a fruit and nut paste representing the mortar used by the Israelites in building the Pyramids while slaves in Egypt. Each family has their own special Haroset recipe reflecting their origins. The Jews of Italy were no exception; Livorno, Milano, and Padua to name a few, all had a distinctive mix of fruits and nuts to symbolize the mortar for their Pesach table.
The first Jewish ghetto was established in Venice in 1516 on the site of an iron foundry. The term ghetto is derived the Venetian dialect ghetar or gettare meaning to cast. Today the ghetto remains intact and in fact, is one of the most interesting sites in Venice; providing valuable historical detail about the diverse Venetian Jewish community through the ages. The current Jewish population of Venice is about 500 with about 30 residing in the actual ghetto.
Venetian Haroset reflects the prominence the city heralded as a commercial port, the importing of goods from mysterious lands. Some of the initial recipes I unearthed used chestnuts ground into a paste, walnuts and pistachios. The ingredients have been adjusted over the years to include elements that have become part of our family tradition. This year to bind the fruit and nut mixture, the ever thoughtful Gugliemo hand carried a jar honey from a Kibbutz north of Haifa Israel; the distinctive smokey flavor of the honey balanced out the sweet dried fruits nicely.
Venetian Haroset is a staple at our Seder and the Seder of many of my students and friends. I am not at all suggesting that you abandon your Bubbie’s Haroset, but why not add Venetian Haroset to your Pesach Seder along with a little history of Jewish Venice.
If you enjoyed this post please consider subscribing to my blog and sharing it with a friend.
