Italian food, travel & lifestyle
A month long stay in Itay had me return to a transition in seasons with respect to the local fruits and vegetables; fresh cherries seemed to dominate the stands of the local farmer’s market. I simply had to feature them in a dessert for a pizza gathering I was planning.
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Sgroppino…I had almost forgotten about that Venetian potion, a cross between a digestivo and dessert until a few weeks ago when we spent an afternoon with the Cheschin family of Il Colle Prosecco.
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Strawberries with Prosecco features local strawberries in such an elegant manner; truly summer entertaining at it’s best. Select a fine bottle of Prosecco, Il Colle being a family favorite, to compliment the strawberries. A fine bottle? There are quality differences, a subject for a later post hosted by Mio Marito. Lengths of lemon peel and mint awaken the natural flavor of the the fruit. Strawberries with Prosecco is a perfect example of a recipe that illustrates the simplicity of Italian food it all of it’s glory. Served outdoors after a late afternoon meal, it is an ideal way to end a summer evening.
Strawberries with Prosecco is recipe adapted from the brilliant cookbook, Marcella Cucina by Marcella Hazan. Long considered the doyenne of Italian Cooking, Marcella is credited with introducing the American public to the finer points of traditional Italian cuisine. Her cookbooks, written in Italian then translated into English by her husband Victor, are indispensable guides to understanding the the products, techniques and culture surrounding food from an Italian prospective.
Watsonville, just about one hour south of San Jose, produces some of the finest strawberries imaginable. How lucky can we be to have a farm stand just around the corner that trucks in a fresh supply of these seasonal beauties daily. Of course red juicy strawberries are just about everywhere in the Bay Area at this time of year, but our local farm stand has the tastiest berries ever.
Enjoy the lazy days of summer and dazzle your guests by presenting Strawberries with Prosecco along with a few biscotti at your next gathering.
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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.
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