Tag: Piedmont

Bagna cauda day 2021: a rich calendar to taste the main dish of Piedmont – Italian Cuisine

Several local adherents and 6 dates to be set: this year the "Bagna cauda day”Multiplies the appointments for lovers of the main dish of the Piedmontese tradition. Strong stomachs and gourmets indeed are preparing to participate in the ninth edition of the most anticipated event by all bagnacaudisti, which this year will receive the fabric bib with the motto "Fourth dose!", Signed by Sergio Ponchione. A nice cadeau to say that, after vaccination, a good "dose" of bagna cauda contributes to the well-being of the body, given the known antiseptic qualities of garlic. So much so that in 1855 in the Crimea the Piedmontese and allied troops to whom General Lamarmora had the famous dish prepared called it "suitable for strong and brave men for its shooting-like flavors".

A centuries-old preparation

For centuries now in the Langhe and Monferrato the end of harvests have been celebrated by preparing the traditional bagna cauda: a tasty sauce made with garlic, thistles and other vegetables, anchovies and extra virgin olive oil. The bagna cauda is then served in the characteristic earthenware container (called “dianèt) and placed in the center of the table with a spirit warmer underneath in order to always keep it hot and bring out all the scent. Daughter of peasant civilization, bagna cauda is mainly known in its classic version, which includes a list of cheap ingredients: garlic heads, extra virgin olive oil and, where possible, a glass of walnut oil and red anchovies from Spain. However, over time other variants have spread, such as the bagna cauda of the archpriest, which involves cooking garlic in milk, in order to dampen its strong taste and smell, and adding butter and beef fillet.

Bagna cauda day: the news of 2021

And we conclude this historical tour on the bagna cauda by telling the main news of the 2021 edition. First of all, since the places are limited, you have to book your place by calling the restaurant participating in the event. To find out which clubs join, just go to the website www.bagnacaudaday.it and scroll through the lists, divided by geographical areas (Alto Piemonte, Turin, Asti, Monferrato, Langhe, Valle d'Aosta and other regions). This year, moreover, the event focuses on protecting the environment. In fact, the proceeds will be used for finance the birth of the Bosco degli Astigiani, a land of over 5 hectares made available by the Banca d'Asti.

Finally, while the price remains unchanged (25 euros) in all the places, the tasting proposal changes: the bagna cauda will in fact be offered in 3 versions signaled by a traffic light: As God commands, Heretics (with diluted garlic), Atea (without garlic).

From Piedmont, fried sweet semolina – Italian Cuisine

The fried sweet semolina is a typical Piedmontese dessert that is prepared on the occasion of Carnival, but the recipe is perfect for serving snacks and desserts all year round!

The sweet semolina fried is an ideal preparation for a dessert at the end of the meal, for the snack mid-afternoon and, why not, for one Breakfast substantial and genuine.

It is a typical recipe from Piedmont and it is an excellent alternative to the classics pancakes. It is especially prepared for Carnival, but, once tried, there will be no time of year to do it at home. The recipe of fried sweet semolina it's simple to make with just a few steps and easy-to-find ingredients. The semolina is thus confirmed, once again, a versatile ingredient and suitable for all ages, seeing is believing!

How to make fried sweet semolina: the recipe

Ingredients

To prepare this typical Piedmontese dessert you will need: 200 g of semolina, 1 l of fresh milk, 100 g of sugar, 2 eggs, 1 lemon, breadcrumbs, sunflower oil for frying.

Method

To prepare the sweet semolina, the first thing to do is to boil the milk with the sugar and pour the semolina little by little, with the flame not too high and mixing the ingredients well. While the preparation is on the fire, it is necessary to carefully grate the lemon zest and add it during cooking.

The sweet semolina must continue to cook over very low heat for about 15 minutes. When cooked, the mixture should be placed on a surface, allowed to cool a bit and then cut into fairly large pieces (rectangles, squares, diamonds: the shape can be chosen according to taste).

After preparing the semolina forms, you can put the sunflower oil on the fire for frying. While the oil heats up, you need to beat the eggs and dip the semolina in it before passing it in breadcrumbs and frying it.

The semolina will be ready when it is well colored and golden on both sides. Before serving it, the advice is to dry it with absorbent paper and sprinkle with icing sugar.

The fried sweet semolina should be enjoyed while still hot, accompanied (for the older ones) with a sweet dessert wine.

Browse the gallery to discover other curiosities and tips on fried sweet semolina

The chestnut salami from Piedmont – Italian Cuisine

This specialty, typical of Piedmont, is made up of a thin sheet of pastry stuffed with vanilla flavored chestnuts. For the finishing touch, each slice is served with whipped cream

The chestnuts are the candies made available by nature: so sweet that one leads to another. They can be eaten just like roasted chestnuts (perhaps accompanied by new wine), transformed into Mont Blanc, used to prepare the Marron glace or – in the form of flour – to make the castagnaccio. If the greedy ways to consume them weren't enough, today we give you a new desire, the chestnut salami, a typical Piedmontese dessert.

To make you water …

The title of the recipe suggests one variant of the classic chocolate salami, the one loved by everyone with crumbled biscuits (try ours too egg-free chocolate salami, in which chestnuts cooked in milk enrich the mixture with hazelnut and chocolate cream). Actually the chestnut salami it's a sweet more like apple strudel: a thin layer of simple pasta wraps a very sweet filling, which in this case is made with boiled chestnuts with some vanilla.

The recipe for chestnut salami from Piedmont

To prepare the traditional recipe, create the classic fountain with 150 g of flour. Dissolve 5 g of brewer's yeast in half glass of water and pour it into the center of the flour together with a spoon of sugar. Start kneading and continue adding water little by little until you get a soft and smooth compound. Form a loaf, put it in a bowl, cover with a clean cloth and let it rest for 2 hours. In the meantime, arm yourself with patience and peel 500 g of fresh chestnuts. To eliminate the hateful skin, help yourself by blanching them a few minutes after removing the outer skin. After all the chestnuts have been peeled, cook them in water flavored with a vanilla pod until they are soft, but still whole (it will take about 30 minutes). Once ready, drain and let them cool. Take the dough and roll it out with a rolling pin until you get one thin pastry, to be stuffed with chestnuts (remember to remove the vanilla pod) and a tablespoon of sugar. Roll up the pastry and give it the shape of a salami. Seal the ends, brushed with about 20 g of butter melted and sprinkle with another spoonful of sugar. Cook at 180 degrees for about 60 minutes and served with whipped cream.

The express variant

Some recipes use the bread dough, which is often found already ready at the supermarket or bakery. Proceed exactly as per the recipe, i.e. peeling the chestnuts, cooking them with vanilla and rolling out the dough thinly.