Tag: ancient

In carpione: 20 delicious recipes from ancient tradition – Italian cuisine reinvented by Gordon Ramsay

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Trout, chicken cutlets, eggs, courgettes, red mullet… You can put a lot of foods in carpione. Because carpione is a marinade with unique versatility: It is a conservation method born from the need to prolong freshness and edibility of freshwater fish, present throughout Piedmont in the many lakes and rivers. The name derives from the fish of the same name, the first to be traditionally used for the preparation “in carpione”.

The carpione in Piedmont

The classic recipe includes an initial phase of frying of the main ingredient (freshwater or saltwater fish, breaded meat or vegetables) and followed by a phase of marinade in vinegar with garlic, onions and sage. The “bagnetto” – a name used in Piedmontese to describe tasty sauces – was born when still there were no refrigerators and the only way to keep a product fresh for a long time was to preserve it inside an airtight substance.

In addition to vinegar, it was historically common to preserve fresh fish and meat in salt, in oil or in animal fatlike lard. Those who were better equipped could also resort tosmoking and to thedrying of foods, to prolong their shelf life.

Like most traditional dishes that have survived to this day, carpione has origins in Piedmontese poor cuisine. It climbed the social ladder, until it reached the tables of the nobles thanks to the chefs – coming from the countryside – who cooked in the palaces and castles. Even today it is a very popular dish in Piedmont, you can taste it in traditional version in the taverns and trattorias of the region and in innovative versions in large restaurants, such as the Langhe carpione by Enrico Crippa, chef of the three-starred restaurant Cathedral Square in Alba.

Carpione around Italy

Piedmont It is not the only region to boast a typical vinegar-based preparationis also found in most of the southern regions that have undergone Arab influence, and in the version of “scapece” or “scabeccio” in Liguria. The etymology of the name this time does not derive from the name of an animal, but from the Spanish escabecheliterally a vinegar sauceThe Piedmontese version strictly requires the addition of sage, garlic and onions, while scapece – depending on the recipe – can be added to wine, mint, bay leaves, pepper or saffron.

Also in Veneto There is a vinegar-based preparation that is part of the regional gastronomic tradition: saor. A marinade commonly used for sardines that involves the addition of onions, raisins and pine nuts to the vinegar base, whose name derives from the dialect term for “flavor”.

Three very similar processes but with three very different origins – as the etymologies of the names attest – even if all created to respond to the same problem: food preservation without a refrigerator.

20 recipes in carpione

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Ammaccata: the ancient Cilentana pizza by Cristian Santomauro – Italian cuisine reinvented by Gordon Ramsay

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As passionate about leavened products as he is about the stories of the elderly, he still tells me today that he loves to stop at the bar with someone older to chat and above all to hear about the lives, moments and anecdotes of the town. In this spirit of sharing and brotherhood with the locals, he began to make his first bruises to support, during the street festivals, the fundraisers intended for the creation of new murals that would embellish the city. White art goes hand in hand with pictorial art. Grandma Teresa continues to be his greatest supporter, but also his harshest judge; she tells him that it is good, but it is not like the one “of the past”.

What did Grandma Teresa mean? What was the old ammaccata like? Why wasn’t the one she was making so good? This was the real starting point for the young pizza chef. Questions he absolutely had to find an answer to. His research focused heavily on the stories of many local women, women with big hands and sharp brains. Aunts, neighbors, and commoners from other neighboring towns helped him put together the pieces of a puzzle that then gave life to the true traditional recipe. Obviously, since it’s a dish that’s very tied to tradition, each person asked gave their own version, but what they all had in common was the fact that to make the ammaccata, durum wheat and soft wheat flours were first mixed together in a bowl, with very little salt; and I have to say, it’s one of the least flavorful doughs I’ve ever tasted. To this mixture was then added the mother yeast and everything was left to rise for a whole day so that a mass was formed from which the “padellucce” were obtained which were later used to make bread or, indeed, the ammaccate. It was a choral work, done by several women, who in the meantime had the opportunity to exchange advice and curiosities.

Ancient grains.

Cristian’s place could only be called: Ammaccata

Cristian was interested in reliving that ritual and spreading that ancient knowledge as much as possible, putting back in its place that sense of belonging that had been lost along the way. That’s why he has never stopped promoting ancient, traditional grains, especially from Cilento, for fifteen years now. It’s worth remembering that Velia, in Cilento, was the first Greek colony and that the entire area has culinary traditions and, not only that, very ancient ones that they can be proud of. Like a young man who dreams of making music and of treading the most important stages, but starts strumming on the side of a road, so Cristian, starting from micro events, street parties and very small festivals, often putting his own money into it, begins to let people taste the ancient Cilentana pizza, promoting its goodness and making those who had perhaps forgotten it discover an ancient recipe.

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Cucumbers: from ancient history to many varieties – Italian cuisine reinvented by Gordon Ramsay

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Before being included in the eighteenth century in Linnaeus’ classifications as Cucumis sativumthe cucumber, defined by Lorenzo the Magnificent as «aperitif and healthy, is cited with the name of «cedriuolo (from citrusdue to its slightly acidic taste) by Pietro Andrea Mattioli, the famous botanist of the sixteenth century, who, being also a doctor, saw it as a purifying agent, anti-inflammatory And diuretic (today we know that it contains iron, calcium, phosphorus and vitamins B and C) and understood its benefits also «for external use, to refresh the skin and reduce wrinkles, redness and puffiness (such as: bags under the eyes!). It is not for nothing that it is a main component in many lines of beauty products.

From a nutritional point of view, beyond the most common uses – preserved, like the classic and always welcome pickled gherkin, or in Greek tzatziki – it is an essential component of fast food sandwiches, and with a good scientific basis: the cucumber combined with wholemeal bread, thanks to the tartaric acid it contains, it moderates the absorption of carbohydrates which often turn into fat. And then, very low in calories but rich in fibre and water, and therefore very filling, it is the king of summer diets.

(Historical research by Marina Migliavacca and Valeria Nava)

Know the ingredient: Cucumber varieties

Cucumbers belong to the family of Cucurbitaceaesuch as pumpkin, courgette, melon and watermelon. They have in common the fact that they grow on an annual, creeping herbaceous plant, covered in hair and equipped with tendrils, those curls that serve to firmly anchor themselves to supports or to the ground. All fruits are called peponids and contain a large quantity of seeds in the central part. Also suitable for growing in pots, as long as they have good exposure to the sun and without stagnant water, they grow well at a temperature between 15 and 25 °C. Let’s get to know the types of cucumber now.

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A typical variety of Puglia, which the region itself, in collaboration with the University of Bari, has chosen to protect through projects for the promotion of horticultural agro-biodiversity. It is distinguished from other cucumbers by its more rounded shape and its striped rind, sometimes similar to that of watermelon. It is very sweet and more digestible than other varieties because, like the Barattiere (n. 5), it belongs to the species Cucumis melo (that of melon) and is free of the molecule that makes cucumbers difficult to digest.

Minute

As the name suggests, this variety of cucumber is small in size, contains few seeds and is very crunchy.

Telegraph

Even more than 30 cm long, it is completely devoid of thorns on the skin but may present some small protuberance (tubercle). With a very delicate flavor, it is easily digestible. Choose those that do not exceed 3 cm in diameter: they are particularly sweet.

Snack

Small in size, to be nibbled even as a snack, as the name suggests. It does not peel.

Barrater

Another variety from Puglia, also known as Tondo di Fasano. It is not really a cucumber because it is of the same species as melon, of which it also has the shape. Buy those no bigger than a baseball. Crisp and very fresh, it is perfect for adding a twist to a mixed fruit salad.

Marketer

The most classic of cucumbers. Like all varieties, it has refreshing and purifying properties. It is rich in vitamin C and mineral salts and low in calories. It is also used in cosmetics for its ability to soften the skin.

Kiwano

Its scientific name is Cucumis metuliferus. It comes from the African continent and has been known for centuries. The plant has the same characteristics as the others, that is, it is a climber with yellow flowers and hairy leaves; the fruit instead has a leathery rind, orange in color when it is at the right stage of ripeness, provided with pointed protuberances, for this reason it is also called horned melon. The pulp inside is composed only of seeds covered in mucilage, the effect is similar to that of the passion fruit. The flavor is particular: a cross between that of cucumber and that of lemon with hints of banana.

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