Tag: stuffed

The Chichì stuffed with Offida – Italian Cuisine

Chichì di Offida is a delicious stuffed focaccia that you absolutely must taste if you are in those parts. But be careful, it is better to wake up early!

There is nothing worse than getting to Offida and no longer find the Who who. In reality it is not true, because Offida is so beautiful that it is always worth more than worth visiting, as well as the whole territory of the Piceno in which it is immersed. If there is Chichì, however, much better, also because it is the gastronomic symbol of this country, to which the Offidani are particularly attached. The problem is that with the passage of time, they stopped preparing it at home and started buying it more and more outside, in those only three or four bakeries left. But what is Chichì?

What is Offida's filled Chichì

Chichì is a closed and stuffed focaccia, but in the past it was not like that. In fact, it is born open, with a series of vegetables on top; then over time it begins to "close", perhaps for practicality since it was the classic sandwich that the farmer used to bring to the countryside during work. The dough is soft and thin, similar to that of rustic bread and pizza: lard was once added, but today it is made with flour, eggs, salt, milk, yeast and a pinch of sugar to taste. The filling varies greatly depending on the version, but basically there are some constants: tuna, pepperoni finely chopped red and yellow sweets in oil, artichokes in oil e green olives, rigorously keep them (sometimes they even add them black). To these three ingredients, always present, there are those who add i capers (for some a heresy not to be done), who anchovies (for others a deformation unthinkable) and so on. But what does Chichì mean?

The origin of the name

There are at least four hypothesis on the origin of this name. The first claims that chichì means Pizza in the local dialect, especially filled, to distinguish it from the classical one. The second hypothesis, however, gives it an infantile connotation, so that chichì would be a nickname given by the children to indicate this focaccia; according to this theory, while the women waited for the bread to be ready at home, they gave it to the children lu chichì, a piece of mass that they themselves would handle. Then there are those who claim that it is a name given during Barbarian Invasions to indicate this particular type of stuffed focaccia with preserved fish inside. Finally, another theory that we like very much is that according to which chichì refers to the morning song of cock, because chichì is always done very early in the morning. What is (almost) certain is its Ottoman origin, or at least a strong resemblance to the Armenian focaccia lahmagiun, a sort of pizza stuffed with a soft crust. But the beauty of Chichì is also this: everyone has both his own theory on the name and his way of preparing it.

Where to find (maybe) Chichì in Offida

Finding Chichì in Offida is not really that simple, mainly for two reasons. The first is that many do it only and exclusively on Friday, as being meatless, it is perfect for the lean day. The second reason concerns the fact that once baked, it ends up in the bakery immediately, because as an offender tells us: "By now we have become too greedy, we inhabitants first". This is why the advice is to always book it; also because prevention is better than cure the desire of Chichì! The favorite of many Offidani is the historic bakery Pierantozzi, which does it only on Friday; here the chef also takes it Daniele Citeroni Maurizi, for its delicious Vistrò; but Daniele is also the owner of the historic one Osteria Ophis (obligatory stop in the Piceno), where Chichì always appears as entrée, in a gourmet version of its own, only with top quality ingredients. Then Chichì also do other bakeries such as Pandol, where the version of Signora di Rita is respectable, as well as that of the Sapori di Offida oven. In short, as for Chichì all the ovens know what they are doing.
Alternatively, for more than fifty years, the Chichì Ripieno Festival has been held every first Sunday of August, because summer is its season par excellence (even if it is found all year round). Try to peek at the packed lunch that they bring to the beach from San Benedetto to Cupra Marittima and you will see how many different Chichì you will find there.

The muscles stuffed with the Hunter's stew – Italian Cuisine

One of the traditional dishes of the stew are the stuffed muscles, woe to call them mussels. Here's where to find them and how to prepare them, recipe not included

In border areas such as the province of La Spezia there are few certainties. One of these are the stuffed muscles, the dish par excellence of the spezzino (do not even try to call them mussels), emblem of the inseparable relationship between land and sea, which never as in Liguria are invoked continuously. An example is one of the temples of traditional local cuisine: the Trattoria del Cacciatore in Valdonica, for all “dalla Dina”, where the recipe for stuffed muscles remains secret.

The Trattoria del Cacciatore, since 1973

We feel obliged to notify you: once you enter the Dina for the first time, there will never be the last one. Here it all started in 1973 with Dina, then continue with the daughter Maura and the granddaughter Giulia, who today, now in the third generation, manage the restaurant together. They are open only for lunch (except for rare occasions and special evenings) with a full respect menu, including fresh pasta, for only 10 euros. Many of their strong dishes, both land and sea, such as tagliatelle, tortellini, Ligurian top and obviously stuffed muscles; in fact we are right between sea and mountains, between the Gulf of La Spezia and the Apuan Alps, in a Liguria that crosses with Tuscany and Emilia, which with its salami and its Parmesan (which we find in the muscles) is right at the beyond the Cisa and the Passo del Cerreto. All this could only have strong influences in the kitchen, as shown by this dish, which right here finds one of its best expressions. Giulia and Maura, in fact, let slip that one of the reasons why the Cilenti come from afar is the fact that in the filling they never skimp on mussels, unlike many other places where for economy of time and costs they prefer to abound with the bread, used here only to tie together with the egg. During the summer, it is not uncommon to come to one of the themed evenings that they organize on their large terrace, where the stuffed muscle is often the protagonist, otherwise you can find them on the menu. «Usually the portion is 10 pieces, but as in the best houses we often switch to clean dishes to offer an encore to those who want it; the problem is that everyone always wants it! But do you have a vague idea of the immense and long work behind this dish? ".

How to make the muscles stuffed with La Spezia

Stuffed muscles are a dish summer, which is prepared from June to September, when the mussels reach the perfect size for consumption. The local ones are strictly used, which the various mussel farmers, also united in a cooperative, fish in the gulf of La Spezia. After selecting only the best mussels, it is essential to clean them well, with the help of coarse salt in a bowl, elbow grease and steel wool. Once perfectly cleaned, they must be opened from raw with a precise technique, which reminds a little of the opening of the oysters, that is, without dividing the bivalve. Then we move on to the preparation of the filling with the following ingredients: mortadella (or ham), parmesan, garlic, parsley, bread, eggs is herbs various that each puts differently; and then also the mussels themselves, which are cooked separately for a few minutes. So for a kilo of stuffed muscles you have to work about eight kilos of mussels in total! But it's not over: once you have filled your muscles with the filling, they must cook slowly again for about 3-4 hours in a secret sauce, of which nothing else is known, except that some in the houses close them one by one. one with it string. In fact, those who make stuffed muscles as they once have their own recipe that keeps us secret, also because given the preparation time and the complexity (whether you prepare 10 or 1000 does not change much), few have remained do it properly, in a workmanlike manner, so much so that you eat less and less at home and more often around, both on the coast and inside the La Spezia.

Other places to find stuffed muscles

Stuffed muscles are often found in the stew, but really well done ones are rare. In addition to the Cacciatore, in La Spezia there are the Antica Osteria Negrao or theHell, historical place in the pedestrian center of the city; or the Girls coffee di Montemarcello, which prepares them in a divine way. Another reference address is the Ciccio shed in Bocca di Magra, much loved by writers, which offers a lighter version. But the stuffed muscles can also come surprisingly, off the menu, as a dish of the day, for example On the corner of Renzo di Ceparana, where a complete and quality business lunch costs only 11 euros. And then there is the best version of all: that of the La Spezia houses, the rare ones that still prepare them like Stefania, careful and caring owner of theAgriturismo The village of Pegui where, in addition to the muscles, he also cooks other dishes with vegetables and herbs from his garden. In short, yet another confirmation of how Liguria is first of all land. Land to love, cultivate and share, even with what comes from the sea.

Cocoa crêpes stuffed with ricotta – Italian Cuisine

Classic crepes, unusual color. These are sweet, but to amaze even more you can make them in a salty version

The Crepes they are always an excellent idea for a tasty snack, but also for breakfast and dessert. They are quick and easy to prepare and can be stuffed in many ways.
You know that the basic recipe can be added with cocoa? We explain how to do it and give you the idea for an ad hoc filling, la ricotta cheese!

The recipe for cocoa crêpes with ricotta

Ingredients

For the crepes

500 ml of whole milk
3 eggs
180 g of 00 flour
30 g of bitter cocoa powder
30 g of icing sugar

For the stuffing

500 g of sifted ricotta
5 tablespoons of sugar or honey
cinnamon or chocolate chips

First sift the cocoa, flour and sugar and mix them.
Separately, beat the eggs with the milk and then add the mix of dry ingredients a little at a time, mixing with a hand whisk to eliminate any lumps.
Heat a non-stick pan and grease it with a little butter, then pour the mixture one ladle at a time making it adhere well and spread it with the movement of the wrist.
Cook one minute on each side.
As you cook the crêpes, stack them to keep them moist and then prepare the filling simply by mixing the well-sifted ricotta with the sugar and cinnamon.

How to serve cocoa and ricotta crêpes

You can simply spread the ricotta at the center of each crepe and then fold it first in half and then again in half.
Or you can make gods cannoli to obtain a nice color contrast between the dark crepe and the light filling.
You can also prepare gods dumplings and then serve them on a melted chocolate base with a separate whipped cream quenelle.

Cocoa crêpes, but salted!

Cocoa crêpes can also be prepared in salty version because cocoa is an ingredient that lends itself well to the preparation of first and second courses.
That's enough eliminate sugar and add to the mixture a pinch of salt.
As a filling, always opt for a ricotta, but flavor it with a stronger cheese, always soft, like gorgonzola and add some rocket salad to give color and some walnuts for a little crunchiness.
Cocoa does not have too invasive a flavor, but simply a bitter and toasted aftertaste, so you can combine it a little with what you want, even with grilled vegetables, smoked salmon and sour cream to give a touch of freshness that does not hurt.