Tag: born

Soul Food: poor cuisine born from the African-American community – Italian Cuisine

Soul Food is the cuisine of the African-American community born in the south of the United States, characterized by poor and genuine ingredients and closely linked to the history of their culture and their emancipation

For Soul Food, or "soul food" means the Traditional cuisine from the African community in the southern United States. Although the term was coined in the sixties, a period in which the first cookbooks also saw the light, Soul Food has its roots in the period of slavery and in the following 100 years. The African-American community, in fact, accustomed since the past to using economic and local ingredients, has carried on this culinary tradition, giving life to a poor and simple cuisine, but rich in flavor. The food of the soul, over time, ended up influencing the cuisine of the whole country and spreading to the rest of the world, where it is now highly appreciated and rediscovered.

History and evolution of African-American "soul" cuisine

The history of soul cooking has gone hand in hand with that of the emancipation of this community and represents an important component of this culture. Its characteristic flavors, long preparations and many of the recipes conceived and handed down for generations, became famous in the sixties, thanks to the rise of black nationalist movements. In particular the term Soul Food was coined in 1962 by Amiri Baraka, activist, poet and leading figure in the fight to claim the rights of black American citizens. Responding to the widespread prejudice that his community "did not have a language or a characteristic cuisine", he collected in an essay the best of African-American cuisine, specifying that it was precisely a "popular cuisine of the soul" that came directly by migrants from the south and that was for them reason for pride. THE first soul cookery books began to appear in progressive book stores in the 60's then spread in the 70s, while the first restaurant was opened in Harlem in 1962 by Sylvia Woods, known as the "queen of Soul Food".
The restaurants of the soul then began to make their appearance in the large metropolises of the country, with an increasingly diverse clientele, and this cuisine was soon recognized and loved nationally.

Popular ingredients, characteristics and recipes

Soul cooking is pretty spicy, rich in aromas and seasonings, and contemplates the use of offal and "waste" parts of the pig as well as poor, accessible, substantial and versatile ingredients such as corn flour.
But let's see specifically which are the most used ingredients. The king of the meats is precisely the pig, of which every part is used, including the fat for frying or the lard used for many sweet and savory recipes. There corn flour it is used in many ways and many preparations, including corn bread, a sort of fried pancake called johnnycake and round pancakes called hush puppies. On the legumes and vegetables front, Soul Food is characterized by awide variety of beans and peas, while vegetables are divided between those of African origin, such as okra and sweet potatoes, or American ones, such as cabbage and turnips. Between most famous soul recipes the chicken, smoked pork belly, catfish main courses, beef ribs, Hoppin 'John (a soup made with bacon and black-eyed beans) and potato salad stand out. Dishes are often seasoned with a spicy vinegar and chilli sauce, with a spicy blend of spices called Cajun or with mayonnaise.

THE contemporary cooks who try their hand at cooking Soul Food, often make it more "healthy", limiting or avoiding the use of animal fats such as lard, replacing rapeseed oil with other vegetable oils and inserting leaner cuts of meat.

Photo: corn pancakes hush puppies_soul food_Flickr Christine Wisnieski.jpg
Photo: soul food soup hoppin 'john_Flickr Jeffreyw.jpg
Photo: fried chicken soul food_Flickr stu_spivack.jpg

Baked ice cream? It exists and was born in Bari. The recipe – Italian Cuisine

It was invented in the 1930s by a pastry chef from the city, Felice Lippolis. Its preparation was very complex and long. Here is the recipe in a simplified version to make at home

Baked ice cream does it seem an oxymoron, a juxtaposition of two expressions that mean the opposite of the other? For the people of Bari this is not the case: baked ice cream really exists, and it was created by a pastry chef, Felice Lippolis, which in the 1930s owned a shop in what is now Piazza Luigi di Savoia. Its creation was officially presented at the first edition of the Fiera del Levante, in 1930, immediately enjoying great success. And, since then, it became the workhorse of the Lippolis pastry shop.

It is a very complex preparation. The baked ice cream is composed of two slices of sponge cake cut into a square shape, which enclose the "bread ice cream", made with Altamura bread and obtained by boiling burnt wheat flour, as reported by the site barinedita.it. This stuffed "biscuit" was frozen, then, once removed from the freezer, it was covered with a batter, fried and frozen again. When serving the customer, the pastry chef added one layer of meringue and bake it for a couple of minutes, so that the meringue solidifies and the ice cream inside softens. The final touches were the candied fruit and the caramel or chocolate sauce, added as topping.

Over the years, baked ice cream, also because of the long and complex preparation, has no longer been offered so frequently (although in various pastry shops, not only from Puglia, it can still be found). But, in Bari, a saying remains: «Spìitte ca mò hann’a menì the frosts do furne (Wait until the ice cream comes in the oven now) . It is still used today to invite the interlocutor to stay and chat a little longer, waiting for something singular and exceptional.

And here's one simplified recipe to prepare it.

Ingredients

A kilo of ice cream with a strong taste, such as coffee, 25 grams of icing sugar, 4 egg whites, sponge cake to taste, liqueur to taste

Method

Prepare the sponge cake following the traditional recipe or buy it ready. Cut it into many rectangles or squares, with the side of about 10 centimeters, then arrange them on a baking sheet and brush them with your favorite liqueur. Leave in the freezer for an hour. Take the sponge cake squares out of the freezer and spread the ice cream on it, with a spatula or ice cream peeler, put back in the freezer for another hour, until the ice cream hardens well. A few minutes before serving, whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt and add the icing sugar, one tablespoon at a time. Cover the ice cream with a square of sponge cake and with the mixture and place in the hot oven, with the double function of heat and grill. Leave to cook for two or three minutes, and turn off as soon as the meringue starts to turn golden. Serve immediately.

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How the famous pizza by the meter of Vico Equense was born – Italian Cuisine

The history of pizza by the meter, the 180 cm long specialty of Vico Equense invented in the 1930s by Luigi "Gigino" Dell’Amura

One of the most important specialties of the frame of the Sorrento coast, and in particular of the enchanting town of Vico Equense, and the pizza by the meteror a pizza up to 2 meters long, seasoned with various ingredients and served at the table inside a pan transported on trolleys. The merit of the invention of this gastronomic excellence, famous and widespread both in Italy and abroad, goes to Luigi Dell’Amura, aka Gigino, owner of the pizza restaurant of the same name. Let's go back to its history and find out what features distinguish it from the classic round Neapolitan pizza.

From the invention in the thirties to the University of Pizza

The idea of pizza by the meter came to Gigino Dell’Amura in the thirties, and was born from the need and desire to satisfy the demands of an entire table at once without losing out on quality, serving on a single long pizza base plus condiments. Thanks to this creation, the Dell’Amura restaurant, once known as to Gigino 'or zuzzuso, became increasingly famous. Word of mouth and the curiosity to taste this new pizza recipe grew in fact to such an extent that customers soon began to rush from everywhere, creating an endless line outside the restaurant. Over time, the recipe for the talented pizza maker was also perfected patented in the sixties, to then be replicated, then as today, by several pizzerias scattered in Italy. Another important step for Gigino's activity, as well as a fundamental step in the history of pizza by the meter, was the opening of theUniversity of Pizza. In this school, set up within the same structure, aspiring pizza chefs are instructed by the masters on techniques and secrets of preparing pizza. Currently the restaurant has over 200 seats, has three large wood-fired ovens and can count on a staff of skilled pizza chefs who churn out meters and meters of pizza every day and a menu that, in addition to offering a large variety of pizzas, includes numerous specialties of traditional Campania and Neapolitan cuisine.

The secrets for a perfect pizza by the meter

But now let's move on to the technical characteristics of this special pizza. It must first be said that the pizza by the meter is 180 cm long, and, as we have seen, it can be stuffed with different ingredients which are eventually separated by strips of dough. Ingredients and preparation of the pizza dough by the meter are quite similar to those of the classic Neapolitan, although the former contains a little more water and less salt. The real difference, in addition of course to the shape and the final presentation, is made by the majority short rising times (6-8 hours versus over 12 for round pizza) and i longer cooking times. In short, the popular Gigino pizza can be considered a product in itself compared to the Neapolitan pizza and the pizza slices, whose recipes can be considered almost a connecting link, and its realization is the result of years and years of passion, skill, creativity, as well as the selection of top quality ingredients.

Photo: Pizza by the meter Vico Equense_Official website Restaurant Pizza by the meter.jpg
Photo: Pizza by the meter Vico Equense_Tom Newby_Flickr.jpg

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