Tag: typical

Bologna in 10 typical trattorias to try as soon as possible – Italian cuisine reinvented by Gordon Ramsay

La Cucina Italiana


Ready to taste Bologna The fat one?
«When you hear about Bolognese cuisine, make a reverence, because it deserves it. It’s a somewhat serious way of cooking, if you like, because the climate requires it; but succulent, tasteful and healthy.” Pellegrino Artusi, writer and father of Italian gastronomy (he is the author of the most popular Italian recipe book ever: Science in the kitchen and the art of eating well) had a weakness for the dishes of La Dotta – as well as Grassa and Rossa – also due to the fact that he was born in Forlimpopoli, an Emilian village and therefore the bell tower played an important role. When he began his monumental work, in 1891, Bologna was the paradise of taverns where you could «playing cards and drinking wine” as Francesco Guccini recounted a century later, in the name of hospitality and conviviality, with hours extended until late at night. Beautiful.

The kingdom of egg pasta

There is no denying it: there are fewer and fewer of them, both within the walls and just outside. But if the classic, fundamentalist version has almost disappeared, fortunately a good part of the values ​​(culinary first and foremost) are carried forward by places where typicality is still well respected and the public appreciates the defense of tradition. Tagliatelle, lasagna, tortelloni and – obviously – tortellini: Bologna it is the kingdom of pasta and puff pastry, thin, ethereal and yet so present when tasted as to cause a pleasant and irrepressible addiction. Then there are passatelli, less known but delicious and satisfying thanks to the mixture of eggs, parmesan and breadcrumbs as well as the legendary Bolognese ragù. In trattorias, a great classic is represented by crescentine: a delicacy with a name that evokes a swollen pasta made with flour, milk, brewer’s yeast, salt and mineral water and fried in plenty of boiling lard. They arrive together with the cold cuts – mortadella first and foremost, sometimes even cut into cubes – during the appetizer or are nibbled at a snack, still warm.

Friggione and cutlet

Just like that of tagliatelle and ragù, the recipe for friggione has also been deposited at the Bologna Chamber of Commerce, so historic and venerated is its preparation. There are very few essential ingredients: white onions (macerated with a teaspoon of coarse salt and one of sugar for about four hours, then cooked for at least another two), peeled tomatoes and salt; the result is a sauce that makes every dish special, from toasted bread to the most elaborate dishes. The second most distinctive is the Bolognese cutlet: veal (or chicken) fried in lard, enriched with parmesan and ham, then baked again in the oven to assemble the ingredients. In winter, there is no shortage of Bolognese mixed boiled meat: to the classic cuts of beef, chicken and veal, veal tongue and head and pork cotechino are added, which must be cooked separately. To finish, a slice of rice cake – which in Bologna is called «Torta degli Addobbi – prepared with rice cooked in milk, eggs, sugar and lemon zest. Now follow us around the city in search of the last Petronian sanctuaries.

Bologna in 10 trattorias

Classic trattoria style, but with a refined mise en place and star service led by the owner Piero Pompili. The dishes enhance the opulence of Emilian cuisine. Some suggestions: potato and mortadella flan with parmesan cream, tagliatelle with Bolognese ragù, beef cheek braised with Sangiovese on mashed potatoes. The wine list is well thought out.

The ‘creature’ of Daniele Minarelli– awarded with the Slow Food Snail and the Tre Gamberi – remains an essential stop for those who want to try authentic Bolognese cuisine, enjoying a more refined than average environment. The selection of raw materials is excellent, especially cured meats, but you can’t skip the Bolognese cutlet and the tortellini in broth. Rich cellar.

One of the most pleasant places in the city, with a proposal that is very tied to tradition but not banal, so much so that it deserves the Slow Food Snail. Large space is reserved for small nearby producers, from whom flours, cheeses and cured meats are sourced. Tortellini in broth and Modena cow meat are always at the top. To close a great trifle. Always book, everyone likes it.

In the central area, but far from the confusion, a place that does not allow anything for re-elaborations or virtuosity. The first courses are all fresh pasta, in the classic formats: tagliatelle (in the photo, with nettles), tortellloni and tortellini. The second courses continue the journey: Petronian cutlet, friggione, meatballs. Rice cake to end on a sweet note, narrow but centered cellar.

A real must for those looking for quality food, precision in production and the desire to experiment with a “new” Bolognese cuisine. The menu is large and divided by theme: traditional dishes, 80s proposals, revisited tradition. The classics are really good: tagliatelle, tortellini, meatballs and the Petronian cutlet. But even the most innovative dishes such as the Bologna Beijing ravioli are convincing.

Curiosity: the program won4 Restaurants’ as the best traditional Bolognese trattoria. Thanks to the owner Elisa Rusconi, who two years ago took over the business founded by grandfather Danilo in 1937, revisiting the kitchen in a modern but welcoming environment. If the dish that has guaranteed its success is the Bolognese cutlet, the stuffed pastas are also excellent.

Right in the centre, an address that skilfully works on tradition by proposing and revisiting it in an intimate, refined and welcoming context, accompanied by a valid wine offering that also allows you to make purchases. The lasagna (pictured) is unmissable but the tagliatelle with meat sauce and the ‘botched’ macaroni are also excellent. Among the second courses, the cockerel with potatoes and truffle stands out.

In the outskirts of Bologna, there is the kingdom of chef Fabio Berti and maître Alessandro Gozzi, friends and partners who in 2007 decided to open a restaurant “with respect for tradition” and they succeeded. Dishes to order? The Bertozzi Gramigna with bacon, courgettes, saffron and flakes of Parmigiano Reggiano and the old-fashioned meatballs with peas. Pleasant environment.

One dish is enough, the ‘dirty face’ Gramignone, to understand that in this welcoming trattoria founded in 1956 – divided into rooms and rooms – you can enjoy the richness of Bolognese cuisine from the classic appetizer to the boiled meats in season, passing through lasagne and tortellini in broth . The choice of dessert is interesting with the timeless rice cake in pole position, in the family recipe.

Romantic and welcoming, it is a small restaurant in Borgo d’Azeglio, a stone’s throw from Piazza Maggiore. Cuisine that satisfies everyone: foreigners and Italians, VIPs on leave and locals from Bologna. Because the classic repertoire is well recited: Sangiovese starter and good cured meats, Passatore strozzapreti and house risotto, Bolognese cutlet and stewed meatballs.

Befana: history, traditions and typical dishes – Italian Cuisine

Befana: history, traditions and typical dishes


He arrives with his broom and gives sweets to the good children and coal to the bad ones. The history of the Befana and the traditions linked to this figure

"There hag he comes at night with his shoes all broken . Or: "Theepiphany all parties take away . There are many proverbs and idioms handed down over time and linked to the feast of January 6. The last of the Christmas period, with many meanings and symbols, typical recipes and above all with many desserts surprises for the little ones.

Between sacred and profane

According to the Christian religion, Epiphany is the day on which the three Magi kings, coming from the East, as the second Gospel reports Matteo, following a star they managed to reach Bethlehem, in the manger where he was born Jesus to honor him with gods gifts. It is no coincidence that the word Epiphany derives from the Greek "Manifestation" and Befana is none other than one corruption lexical of this term. But January 6 is actually an important date since the times of pre-Christian antiquity. The ancients Romans, for example, on this day they celebrated the beginning of the year with celebrations dedicated to the god Janus and to the goddess Strenia, while at the time of the emperor Aureliano from December 25 (feast of the sun) until the twelfth day following that date a particular practice was introduced: to burn an oak trunk continuously since from coal product could have obtained benefits in terms of luck for the following year. Furthermore, always in ancient times, it was believed that in the twelve nights preceding January 6 the goddess Diana, flying in the sky together with other female figures, he could make the soil more fertile and more fruitful. It is therefore evident that the origins of these holidays, and especially of the Befana, the great secular protagonist of the Epiphany, are truly ancient.

From gods to witches

With the Roman church's condemnations of pagan rites, the previously celebrated female image began to take on another form. And from the divinities we passed to witches. Long skirt, apron with pockets, shawl, worn shoes, handkerchief in the head, a physical aspect that is anything but pleasant and inevitable broom: soon the iconography of the Befana as we know it today took over, also favored by the hostile climate of Middle Ages towards certain pagan representations. Yet there are also those who speak of a relationship with Saint Lucia, the saint of light, illumination and therefore of the "manifestation", or even of a legend linked to the Christian origin of this holiday. According to this version, the figure of the Befana could in fact be inspired by one old lady to which the three Magi would have turned for information on the road to Bethlehem. The woman in question, however, would have refused to help them, soon regretting it: the next day, realizing the missed opportunity to see Jesus, the old woman tried to follow the Magi but was no longer able to find the baby. And for this reason every year, on January 6, he goes to all the houses to bring gifts to children.

The stocking, the coal and the exchange of gifts

Whatever the true story of the Befana is, what is certain is that it is a figure closely linked to tradition Italian, despite some assonance with those of Celtic and Germanic origin. Suffice it to say that this word, used to mean a female puppet exhibited on the night of the Epiphany, was already widespread in the popular dialect of the fourteenth century, especially in Tuscany It is in the Lazio northern. Gruff character and, in some ways, a representation of the old year, ready to sacrifice itself to revive a new period of prosperity, the Befana over time has become a sort of Grandmother who rewards good children with gifts, sweets And treats (formerly also tangerines and fruit) and punishes the bad ones with charcoal. The dreaded charcoal which, however, can also become edible and a very simple dessert to prepare. But why on the night of the Befana there is the tradition of socks? Again there are several theories. One of these is inspired by a legend according to which Numa Pompilius, one of the famous seven kings of Rome, used to hang during the period of solstice in winter a sock in a cave to receive gifts from a nymph. However, this is only a hypothesis. And it doesn't matter: today the Befana continues to be awaited by everyone, even by adults (who, however, tend to exchange gifts that are less demanding than those of Christmas) and always remembering to keep alive the tradition of the stocking to be filled.

Befana from north to south

But what are the dishes always linked to this holiday? In almost all regions there are traditional recipes that continue to live, especially with regard to desserts. In Tuscany, for example, they prepare for the occasion i horses di Siena, soft biscuits with water, sugar, honey, candied fruit, anise, nuts and yeast, while in Versilia there are so-called befanini, citrus-based shortbread biscuits e rum, covered with colored grain. In Varese January 6 rhymes with pinsa, a polenta pizza prepared with corn flour and dried fruit, while in Liguria there are the anicini (aniseed biscuits), in Abruzzo the pepatelli (similar to cantucci, but based on black pepper, honey, flour, cocoa, almonds and orange peel) while in Puglia you go by purcidduzzi from Salento at cartellate from Bari. In Campania, finally, the arrival of the Befana corresponds with the preparation of the prima pastiera of the year.

The libretto of dried figs, the recipe for the typical Abruzzo dessert – Italian Cuisine


The libretto of dried figs: a historic Abruzzo recipe that smells of respect and love for traditions. Here is that of the pastry chef Filippo Di Clemente

Philip he could only be a pastry chef: precise, meticulous, rigorous and reliable and greedy!
His pastry shop is in a small and picturesque village in Abruzzo, Mosciano Sant’Angelo, and is known throughout its province of Teramo for brioches made with mother yeast, donuts with cream, single portions, but above all for the great variety of mignon pastries, from the inevitable classic babà and cannoncini, to chocolate-based delights cream and coconut.

The pastry Great Noblesse, born in 2009, carries on the philosophy of Filippo and his wife Simona, who takes care of the coffee shop (his cappuccinos are renowned!) based primarily on the care of the service and raw materials, on the combination of creative inspiration, professionalism and passion for an artisanal production made in full respect of the tradition without forgetting a pinch of flair and creativity.

In this period there is a great variety of excellent wines panettone – chocolate and pear, chocolate and licorice, semi-candied berries, classic, all pistachio, all chocolate, Sacher and the typical Abruzzo sweets of the holidays. Strictly double leavening and with 150-year-old Morandin mother yeast, managed in water according to the Piedmontese method, and Petra flours.

Filippo is also a professional linked to his territory in the use of raw materials and in the interpretation of traditional recipes that belonged to his grandmother and mother.
One of these is "Lu libbratt"- booklet, in Abruzzo – typical dessert of Mosciano made from dried figs, which owes its name to the small press used to press the dough into traditional rectangular metal tiles, like a small booklet.

Photo by Giancarlo Malandra

The booklet is a old sweet, typical of the Christmas period, made in five layers, the base of which is composed of dried figs dottati – a variety of central and southern Italy, typical in Abruzzo, particularly appreciated dried.

The libretto: Filippo Di Clemente's recipe

Ingredients

Open and dried dotted figs, almonds, dark chocolate, candied citron and sugar flavored with vanilla pods.

Photo by Giancarlo Malandra

The difficulty of this recipe lies in finding the figs most suitable: they must be collected at the ideal point of ripeness, initially dried with the peel, then they must be carefully peeled, opened and placed in the open air coupled with bay leaves, to conclude the process in the best possible way avoiding the formation of mold.

Method

Line the frame with the figs and make 5 layers, taking care to alternate the figs with the chopped almonds, a strip of candied citron, which should be placed in the center, the dark chocolate and a light sprinkling of vanilla sugar.

Photo by Giancarlo Malandra

At the end of the procedure, "close the booklet" and leave it in the press for a few hours. Open the frame and pass the booklet in the icing sugar.
Alternatively, arrange the cake under a weight, taking care that it does not deform on the sides to make it take on the characteristic rectangular shape.

Cut thin strips with a very sharp knife and serve with a good glass of Vino Cotto di Montepulciano, obtained by pressing the grapes reduced to must and cooked in a large copper cauldron, the so-called "caldaro".

Proudly powered by WordPress

By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. Click here to read more information about data collection for ads personalisation

The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this.

Read more about data collection for ads personalisation our in our Cookies Policy page

Close