briciole

torta chiffon con crema alla vaniglia e glassa al cioccolato / Bostini cream pie

In Italy we use the English word dessert to indicate the course served at the end of a meal. From the dictionary I learned that dessert comes from the past participle of the French verb desservir, which means to clear the table, from des- (indicating removal) and servir (to serve). It is indeed true that we clear the table to make room for eating vessels and implements needed to enjoy the parting dish. The title of this post is my translation of Mary of Alpineberry's choice for this month Daring Bakers' challenge: Bostini Cream Pie. Make sure you read the recipe... Read more →

cartolina da Palermo: involtini di pesce spada / postcard from Palermo: swordfish rolls

at La Vucciria (Palermo) During our recent visit to Palermo, one day we ate lunch at the historical Antica Focacceria San Francesco, which has been in existence since 1834. Customers pay for their meal, get their receipt, then fill their tray and finally sit at one of the old tables with marble top in the inviting dining room. The menu includes traditional Sicilian dishes, like the involtini di pesce spada that were part of our meal. Swordfish is readily available at the historical fish market we had recently visited, La Vucciria. I noticed that all vendors there display the prized fish... Read more →

zucchine a modo mio / zucchini my way

In Italian, both zucchina (plural: zucchine) and zucchino (plural: zucchini) are used. I grew up calling this (now) beloved vegetable zucchine. Last spring I planted a few seedlings and during the summer I harvested some fruit, which was particularly satisfying. Zucchine are quite versatile: whether cooked simply or as part of a complex dish, they always shine. My favorite way of preparing zucchine when I do not have a lot of time is the following. I spray a frying pan with olive oil, warm it up and add 2-3 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced. After a couple of minutes I add... Read more →

cartolina da Palermo: caciocavallo all'Argentiera / postcard from Palermo

When we arrived in Palermo, we took a taxi to get from the airport to the hotel downtown, since we had just missed the train, my preferred choice. The taxi ride included: driving on the far right of a one-lane street that had become a three-lane one (of which the leftmost lane was the original one) and passing cars and trucks on the right, something which is not allowed in Italy even on the freeway driving at 90 miles an hour on the freeway, once we got to it after having to take a detour due to road works under a... Read more →

bere un caffè al bar / to drink an espresso at the coffee shop

The store where Italians drink coffee is called a bar. The sign outside one of those establishments may carry additional specifications characterizing it. For example, it could be a bar tabacchi, meaning that it sells cigarettes and stamps. Or a bar pasticceria, meaning that it sells fresh pastries. Or a bar gelateria, which sells gelato. In a bar you can drink coffee beverages, fruit juice, alcoholic beverages and also eat pastries, panini, gelato, etc. (with many possible variations). Andare al bar a bere un caffè is to go to a coffee shop to drink an espresso. We also say andare al... Read more →

fare la spesa / to shop for groceries

Although the Italian sentence does not include any reference to food, it is used to indicate the purchase of food items. To go grocery shopping is: andare a fare la spesa. One of the first things I do after arriving in Italy is to find a supermercato (grocery store) and shop for specific food items, most importantly: prosciutto crudo (for my husband) ricotta di mucca (ricotta made with cow milk whey, for myself). I will not bore you with more details regarding my shopping list (la lista della spesa). Instead, I will describe a few characteristics of the way Italians, at... Read more →