Italian Carnival Traditions - Smacafam – Kill the Hunger!

While many Italian Carnival Traditions make mock versions of traditional dishes, just as the costumes transform a normally quiet individual into a Don Giovanni, in Trentino a cake is made with a local pork sausage, pancetta and lard. The name, in local dialect, means Hunger Killer! The origins of the savory bread cake are not apparent most surely this is an antique recipe. Most scholars agree that the recipe dates well into the period of the Roman Empire. The first mention is in a cookbook written in the III century.

Trentino is located in the Alps. During the winter months it is cold, really cold and many of the locals would spend extended periods of time away from the shelter of the local town. A cake like this would be highly efficient when, carrying around a lot weight or bulky materials in the mountain passes would not have been the most intelligent of choices.

No matter where or when this combination of savory flavors and consistency was first put together it is a fantastic dish. Some recipes are timeless and reach across culinary boundaries like the Casatiello. I was even amazed to find that every American Italian Chef who has published a book or has a show, including the Food Network, presents his/her own version of this traditional Carnival specialty. This is unusual because not many dishes from Trentino make into internationally known cookbooks. Attention however, many of these recipes talk about Italian Sausage. In the US Italian Sausage is not really Italian. It is southern Italian and does not have Parmesan or Stracchino cheese and includes Fennel and other southern cooking herbs. The closest commercial product to the Lucanica or other Northern Italian sausages is Bratwurst. While Bratwurst does not use Parmesan cheese it does use nutmeg, cloves, and pepper.

An additional note is that some “famous” recipes use a mix of buckwheat and flour instead of simple buckwheat and milk instead of meat or chicken broth. Some say these differences are a sacrilege others believe this is the way it has always been. The choice is yours.

Ingredients:

¼ onion minced
2 ¼ cups (300 g) Buckwheat Flour (some recipes use 100 g buckwheat 200 g all-purpose)
2 (4 oz) Lucanica (Bratwurst or Northern Italian Sausage)
2 slices (1 oz) (thick cut into pieces) Lard, Pancetta or Bacon
2 ¼ cups (500 ml) cold Meat or Chicken Broth (some recipes use milk instead of Broth)
3 tbsp Olive Oil

Preparation:

Sift together the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a large baking pan with Olive Oil.

In a skillet, place the Olive Oil, minced onions and lard (or pancetta, bacon). Cook over low heat for 4 minutes until the onion is translucent. Remove from heat and allow the mixture to cool completely.

While stirring the flour slowly pour in the broth. Mix in the onion-lard mixture and pour into the baking dish.

Remove the casing from the sausage and cut into disks. Distribute the disks evenly across the top of the dough.

Place in the oven and cook the salted cake for 40 minutes.

Remove and allow to cool before serving.

Tags: Holiday Traditions Carnival Italian Recipes Trentino Italain Holidays Marti Gras Travel Italy

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Italian Carnival Traditions - Mini Krapfen with Cream Filling

Krapfen, what is a Krapfen? For those in the US, a Krapfen is a jelly or cream filled doughnut. For those from Vienna it is a traditional dessert and in Milan it is an occasional substitute for the cornetto with cappuccino for breakfast but along the border between Italy and Austria the Krapfen is Carnival. Carnival traditions are regional, they maintain local customs and represent regional culture. These Carnival treats require more time than Apple Fritters but are greatly appreciated. They can be found in most bars and pastry shops in northern Italy but for a real treat try making them at home and consuming while still warm. Local tradition fills the Krapfen with Crema Pasticerra other regions will use fruit jams or liquored fruits.

A clean crisp white wine such as a Pinot Grigio or Prosecco are my favorite wines for these little delights.

Ingredients:

Crema Pasticcera for the filling
3 ¾ cups (500 g) all-purpose flour
¼ cup warm Water
1 cup warm Milk
1 tbsp Sugar
2 packages (14 g) active dry yeast
1 stick (110 g) softened butter
½ tsp salt
½ tsp vanilla
Peel of 1 Lemon
Powdered sugar

Preparation:

Mix the sugar in the warm water. Dissolve the yeast in water-sugar. Let the yeast sit for 5 minutes.

In a small bowl mix together the flour and yeast-water. Cover with a damp towel and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.

Place the remaining dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add the eggs, milk, softened butter, vanilla and grated peel of 1 lemon. Mix together thoroughly. Add the yeast ball and knead on a floured surface until the dough no longer sticks to the fingers. Kneading for this type of dough means throwing the dough onto a hard surface, folding back together and then throwing again.

Finally roll the dough into a ball and place in a large, buttered, bowl. Cut an X in the top of the dough ball and cover with a damp towel. Let the dough rise for 2 hours.

Roll the dough to a thickness of ½ inch. With a glass or round cutter cut 2 inch diameter disks. Sprinkle flour over a clean kitchen towel and cover the cut dough disks. Let the dough rise for 2 hours.

Frying: Using a skillet, Dutch oven or fryer heat a clean frying oil, I use Olive Oil but many prefer peanut or Sesame oil. Do not overheat this will cause the Krapfen to absorb more oil. Place the dough disks in the hot oil. A normal skillet will take about 6 Krapfen at a time. Let the dough cook until golden brown. Flip the dough and let cook until golden. Remove and allow the Krapfen to drain on a wire rack for at least 2 minutes.

Once the Krapfen is cool enough to pick up with a bare hand cut the Krapfen in half like a hamburger bun. Fill the center with Crema Pasticcera and close. For the more adventurous, fill a cake decorator’s icing bag with Crema Pasticcera. Choose a large nipple (about the size of a woman’s pinky) and squirt the Crema Pasticcera into the center of the Krapfen.

Cakes Available online

Tags:
Gourmet Foods Desserts Trentino Carnival Italian Holidays Italian Recipes Food and Wine Travel Italy

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Italian Carnival Treats - Frittelle di Mele – Apple Fritters

Italian Holidays bring with them specialty dishes and desserts. These treats are made only during that particular celebration. Italian recipes are also very local. They are based on ingredients that grow locally and are abundant during the season. Carnival in Trentino-Alto Adige has given us a great treat, the Apple Fritter, in Italian shops it is called Frittelle di Mele. Today, during Carnival, you will find Apple Fritters just about anywhere in Northern Italy and from Bergamo to Trieste a visit to someone’s home will most probably lead to an unscheduled feast of these pastries.

They look like flat doughnuts and most likely are Austrian in origin because the pastella, the dough used to cover the apple slice, is the same used for many types of Krafen. Once dipped in the slightly sweet dough they are fried in Olive Oil. Naturally sweet and powdered with confectioners sugar these pastries are a favorite kids for midmorning and afternoon snacks.

Remember that with recipes that depend on simple and balanced flavors instead of sugar you need to find the best quality ingredients available. Try a farmer’s market for the apples, it may be farther away than your local supermarket but the end result will be significantly better. When you make these delights, try them with an Alto Adige Moscato Giallo.

Ingredients for 4 people:

6 Granny or 4 Golden Apples
1 ¾ cups (200 g) all-purpose Flour, sifted
2 Eggs
1 package (7 g) Active Dry Yeast
Peel of 1 lemon grated
½ cup (130 ml) warm Milk
½ stick (50 g) unsalted melted Butter
5 tbsp sugar or 1 ½ oz. Grappa (if using Grappa eliminate adding sugar to the flour)
Pinch of salt

Olive Oil to fry the Fritters
Cinnamon
Powdered Sugar

Preparation:

Dissolve the yeast in the warm milk. Let the yeast activate for 5 minutes.

Sift together the salt, flour and sugar (if not using Grapa).

In a mixing bowl, mix together the milk-yeast, lemon peel, grappa (if using), melted butter, and eggs. While it is not necessary to beat the eggs they should be well broken.

Begin adding the flour mixture to the liquids, stirring with a large spoon. Continue adding flour until the mixture is firm but could not be worked by hand. Depending on the humidity this may occur before or after the amount of flour indicated has been incorporated. Adjust with more or less flour until the consistency is that of a liquid paste.

Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let the dough sit for one hour.

Once the hour has passed. Place Olive Oil in a heavy skillet or Dutch oven over medium to medium-low heat. Do not overheat the oil. Olive Oil has a low burning temperature. To test the temperature, place a small amount of dough in the hot oil. The dough should turn golden within a few minutes. If the dough turns dark brown reduce the heat.

While the oil is heating, core and peel the apples. Cut into slices about ½ to ¾ inch thick. Immerse the apple slices the dough and turn over to coat evenly. Be careful not to break the apple ring. With a fork, place the fritter in the hot oil. You can place 5 or 6 fritters in the oil at one time. Allow them to cook until golden with just a hint of brown. Turn the fritters over and allow sufficient time for the fritters to cook.

Remove from the oil and drain on a metal rack. Just before the next batch is ready move the drained fritters to a plate, sprinkle with powdered sugar or cinnamon or both.

Note: The oil temperature will allow the discerning cook to change the consistency of the treat. With a higher temperature the apple will not soften as much while the dough is cooking and will maintain some of the citrus bite while a lower temperature will cook the apple more caramelizing the natural sugars in the apple making the fritter sweeter.

Tags: Gourmet Foods Italian Diets Desserts Trentino Carnival Italian Holidays Italian Recipes Food and Wine Travel Italy

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Cortina d’Ampezzo – Italian Winter Holiday for the young and old

In the series of exclusive and hip Italian winter vacations Cortina d’Ampezzo in Trentino-Alto Adige holds an important place. In the sixties and seventies Cortina d’Ampezzo was the most exclusive of winter vacations but in recent years Courmayeur and Madonna di Campiglio have grown in popularity. Today, Cortina d’Ampezza has less buzz than Courmayeur or Madonna di Campiglio but has everything else including some great regional foods and wines. The costs for this location are also somewhat lower making this a great destination for the traveler passionate about winter vacations.

Cortina d’Ampezzo is located in Dolomite Mountains of Northeastern Italy about 30 minutes north of Belluno. The best way to travel is by train from Mestre-Venice. It will take a couple of hours but the ride has some incredible views. The village, boasting a thousand-year old remarkable historical background, has nearly 7,000 inhabitants. It attracts visitors from all over the world for its lively international atmosphere, its fashionable shops, and excellent restaurants.


Cortina is also known as the "Regina delle Dolomiti" - Queen of the Dolomites - since it is in the heart of the wonderful Dolomites. The village is surrounded by forests and wide ski slopes. All around the red rock mountains tower over the city. It offers something for everyone, including the topflight professional skiers.


The natural beauty has made Cortina d’Ampezzo the set for a number of worldwide famous movies. Among them:

Ash Wednesday starring Elizabeth Taylor and Henry Fonda
The Pink Panther starring David Niven and Peter Sellers
For Your Eyes Only starring Roger Moore
VonRyan Express starring Frank Sinatra
Cliffhanger starring Sylvester Stallone


Lodging accommodations range from the simple chalet to the five-star hotel with all the amenities including Spa treatments. The top of the top is the Cristallo which specializes in reconditioning the body and the soul. Da Beppe Sello offers a true Alpine Mountain experience along with a great little restaurant. One of my favorites is the Franceschi Park Hotel. It has a great view and all the amenities of more expensive structures.

Cortina d’Ampezzo is also a great place to come with the family. It boasts numerous fun parks and winter activities exclusively for kids. This will allow the parents to venture onto the serious slopes while the kids are doing something both safe and fun. The city also has babysitter services for children who are too young to be out and about. The hotel will be able to coordinate everything you need if you let them know with a little advance notice.

Choosing a winter vacation destination is all about understanding what you are looking for. Cortina d’Ampezzo offers a wide range of opportunities including great food and wine, winter sports, spas and health treatment centers and generally a festive atmosphere hidden away in the Dolomite Mountains.

Tags: Winter Vacations Cortina d'Ampezzo Trentino Skiing Hotels Travel Italy

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Madonna di Campiglio – Italian Alps Winter Wonderland

One of the secrets to the Italian lifestyle is balance in life. Work is extremely important, as is play. Italian work contracts, from store clerk to CEO, include just over a month's paid vacation and 8 national holidays every year. This allows Italian families to spend their holidays visiting various cultures and destinations around the world. The week from Christmas to New Year's Day is the beginning of the winter vacation period. All of the primary destinations go all out with festivities, organized events, fireworks, food festivals and numerous nightclubs. For the Italians these week long vacations are an opportunity of extravagance.

Madonna di Campiglio is one of the favored destinations. Madonna di Campiglio, a discreet and elegant town nestling at an altitude of 1550 meters in the stupendous valley between the Brenta Dolomites and the glaciers of Adamello and Presanella, is today most certainly Italy’s number one ski resort as well as one of the most important resorts in the Alps. The variety of the surrounding mountains allows you to ski over countless kilometers of runs, up to an altitude of 2600 meters and with different degrees of difficulty. A fun thing to try is to set out from the centre of the town and return there without ever removing your skis.

Today the Ski Area boasts 57 lifts and 150 km of ski runs, with a capacity of more than 31,000 people per hour, 50,000 sq m of Snow Park, 40 km for Nordic skiing and there are plans to link up to the slopes in Pinzolo. This year Madonna di Campiglio hosts the 2007 World Freestyle Championships in January. As most top destinations Madonna di Campiglio is not just great winter sports.

Nightclubs, pubs and taverns are on just about every corner. One of the great hotels is the appropriate choice on your first visit to Madonna di Campiglio. Most of them are great but here are a few that I like: Hotel Carlo Magno Zeledria, Hotel Dahu and Hotel Cerana.

Once you have the lay of the land try out renting a cottage. There are some marvelous places, I mean breathtakingly marvelous!

Another fantastic experience is on the ski slopes. Go light on breakfast before hitting the slopes. Stop in at one of the top slope taverns and try out the coffee with Grappa, sausage and cheese. For lunch try out the polenta dishes, they are great. Perhaps it is the hunger, the cold or the scenery but everything just tastes so good.

Tags: Winter Vacations Madonna di Campiglio Trentino Skiing Hotels Travel Italy

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Provincial Italian Beer Bread – Italy is more than wine

Thoughts of Italy invoke images of dark completions, sultry women, Italian accents and wine. Italy is so much more. The strategic geographical position of Italy in the Mediterranean Sea has made it a prime objective for any ruler wishing to conquer the world and over the eons of time Italy’s regions have been conquered by numerous cultures. The Egyptians, the Greeks, the Turks, the Spanish, the French, the Germans and finally the Americans have all spent time on the Italian peninsula and left their mark.

Sicilians with blond hair and blue eyes, Pugliesi delicacies that seem Greek, Kebabs as part of local cuisine, and Beer are, among many other characteristics, signs of the presence of other cultures. There is an Italian region where German is the primary language, where hotels and restaurants speak Italian with difficulty and a very heavy German accent, and where the primary beverage is Beer! Alto Adige is located on the Austrian border. Bavarian food is prevalent and the beer is fantastic.


I would often drive to Munich for business. From the Val Cavallina (BG) I would simply take the provincial road through the Alps to Bolzano and then the expressway through Austria and into Germany. This meant a stop in Bolzano for “Wurstel e Krauti” and maybe a Weiss Bir. That is where I first tasted this Pane alla Birra. The locals indicate that it is part of their culture from the times of Bavaria. This bread is savory with a distinct flavor of Malt. It is a perfect compliment for wild game, flavorful meats and sauces, and just as a quick snack in the afternoon.

Ingredients:

3 cups (350 gr.) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups (150 gr.) rye flour
1 cup (100 gr.) whole wheat flour
1 package (7 gr.) active dry yeast
12 oz. (340 ml.) Malt beer at room temperature
1 tbs. malt
1 tbs. honey
30 gr. shortening [rendered lard] (I use 2 tbs. Olive Oil)
2 tsp. salt

beer and sesame seeds

Preparation:

The best way to prepare this bread is by hand. It is not difficult and the results will be much better than those when using a mixer.

Dissolve the yeast in the beer. To allow the yeast to activate, let it sit for a couple of minutes.

Sift the flours together into a mound on a hard, clean work surface. Make a well in the center of the flour. Pour the beer, honey, malt, salt and shortening (or olive oil). Work the liquid into the flour from the inside out. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes. The dough should be soft and pliable but not wet. If the dough is wet, work in additional flour.

Roll into a ball and place in an oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and a towel. The dough will require 8 hours to double in size. Give the dough sufficient time to rest.

Place the dough on a lightly floured surface. Push the air out of the dough by flattening the dough with your hands. Work into a ball again. Place the dough on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Press the dough ball down, reducing the height by one half. Cover with a moist towel. Let the dough rise for another hour.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. When at temperature, Spray the sides of the oven with water from a spray bottle.

Brush the dough with beer. You may also add sesame seeds or other seeds for decoration.

Turn the heat down to 425 degrees and bake the bread for 35-40 minutes. The crust will be golden brown. If you are not sure of the color let the bread, cook for another 5 minutes.

Cool on a rack.

Special thanks go to Francesca at Fior di Zucca for the photographs of the bread. Francesca writes a wonderful blog in Italian with some great recipes and insights.

Tags: Gourmet Foods Bread Alto Adige Beer Italian Recipes Food and Wine Travel Italy

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