Buona Festa Della Mamma

Norma in front of the Duomo in Milan

May brings many celebrations in Italy.  One very important one we share is Mother’s Day or Festa Della Mamma.  This holiday actually has an ancient history.  During Roman times there was a whole weekend of celebrations held in May to celebrate the goddess Juno.  The name Juno means “vital force” which we all know is true for the mothers in our lives.  

My mother, Norma, is not only my guiding light and inspiration but has also been my favorite traveling companion.  We have been to Italy many times together.  We share a strong curiosity and a love for history,  art, food and wine, which makes us very compatible travelers. We take Robert Frost's poem to heart, "I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference." When we journey together, we start out with a plan, but are swift to change if we see something interesting or alluring.  This has lead us to discover people and places that we might not have found separately.  Her intelligence, inquisitive nature, flexibility and willingness to try new things continues to energize and expand my life.   Thank you Norma for encouraging me to follow my heart and passion and always be willing to try a new path.  Happy Mother's Day! 

Mom and I in front of the duomo in assisi 

Demystifying the Aperitivo--Its Not Italian for Happy Hour!

My friends and family know I’m passionate about Italian wine. But I’m also a big fan of the aperitivo.  I recently had a couple friends over for appetizers and suggested I make a Spritz for them and their response was “a what?”  When I explained it was a traditional drink served as an aperitvo, I received another quizzical look.  Hence today’s post.  

Note that aperitivo italiano is NOT a “Happy Hour” in the traditional sense. In fact, if I ever see an Italian bar advertising “Happy Hour,” I know it must cater to tourists. The Happy Hour in America usually refers to drinks and light food at a discount.  In Italy, Aperitivo is plain and simply a pre-dinner drink or the word is used to describe the ritual of going out.  Literally translated it means to “open” the palate and it gives you a chance to socialize, relax, and nibble as dinner approaches. 

Drinks during aperitivo are not discounted. In fact they often have a small supplement called “a consumazione” which is added to them to compensate for the refreshments being offered.. How much supplement will depend on the reputation and location of bar.  I’ve had an aperitivo with fresh mozzarella, varied crostini, and cured meats at a beautiful bar in the center of town in Cortona for only 2.50 euro. But if you order a simple cocktail, which comes with just potato chips at a small table overlooking the Duomo in Florence, you will pay a whopping 15 euro! 
A good aperitivo ranges from 6 to 10 euro and can be a good meal replacement if the buffet is plentiful.
On my recent trip to Florence, my husband and I met with Coral to go on an aperitivo tour.  Coral has lived in Florence for many years and is certified in Food and Wine Pairing and Culinary Tourism from the Apicius International School of Hospitality in Florence.  So she knows her stuff and boy did we benefit from her knowledge.  We started our evening at a lovely wine bar near the Ponte Vecchio with a beautiful glass of prosecco and some yummy crostini smothered in fontina cheese and hot Italian sausage.  We were on our way to a wonderful evening.  Coral curates your evening with food and cocktail pairings that only Florentines know about.  It is the perfect way to venture out onto the streets on your first night in Florence.   

If you decide to venture out on your own here are a few suggestions:
--A good rule of thumb for evening aperitivo is from 7-9pm. Lunch aperitivo can be offered from 12pm on and you can even find a mid-afternoon aperitivo. Make sure you check with your particular bar because there are some hours which will be “peak” times and potential buffets will be more plentiful.
--What is offered with your aperitivo drink really depends on the bar. A few olives and potato chips are the classic offering, though some get very elaborate with fresh pizza, cold cuts like prosciutto and bresaola, fresh savory pastries and even fresh mozzarella in some bars!
--Aperitivo drinks are divided into two categories: alcolici (alcoholic), and analcolici (non-alcoholic / “virgin”) drinks. Analcolici drinks can range from a soft drink like Coca Cola to delicious fruit juice cocktails (aperitivo analcolico alla frutta) to a non-alcoholic bitter like Sanbitter.
--If the aperitivo’s liquor selection is extensive, a wide selection of cocktails will be available. You can find traditional American cocktails like Manhattans to Cosmopolitans to Mojitos. For many Italians, Campari is their drink of choice for aperitivo, and it forms the base of many traditional Italian aperitivo drinks.
--Here are some “traditional” aperitivo drinks:

Negroni is gin, vermouth and Campari, and garnished with an orange peel..

Americano is a Negroni substituting club soda for the gin, making it lighter.

Spritz is Aperol liquor, prosecco and club soda and garnished with a slice of orange.

Bellini – invented at Harry’s Bar in Venice is a real treat.  It is prosecco and fresh peach juice. Obviously this is seasonal and rare.  If its on the menu, order it.  You won’t be disappointed. 

So before your next voyage to Italy you should practice saying, “Let’s go get an aperitivo” or “Prendiamo un aperitivo.” Or you can come with me and Coral and sit back and enjoy learning the new language of nightfall in Florence! Cin Cin!

Carnivale

February in Tuscany is carnival month and lots of towns celebrate it by holding parades and decorating the streets. 

Viareggio, a beautiful seaside town, is the most renowned of the lot in Tuscany, with four big parades during February, during which residents put on masks and costumes prepared in the months leading up to the festival. Viareggio Carnival is famous for its satirical floats made of papier-mâché. If you haven’t seen a float before, you can’t even begin to imagine how big they are: the floats’ maker need an airplane hangar to build them If you are lucky enough, they’ll let you in to see these handmade wonders. The parades are not the only event during the month: there are also parties held in the various neighborhoods of the city. 

But wherever you are in Italy during Carnevale, be sure to try the traditional dessert of fried dough much like an American donut.  They come in many shapes, sizes and flavors.  Thebest-known Carnival pastries are Cenci (the word means rags), whose many aliases include Frappe, Chiacchere (gossips) and Nastrini (ribbons).

The Recipe
Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 Tbs butter, room temperature

1 tsp sugar

2 eggs

2 egg yolks

1/8 tsp salt

2 Tbs rum

1 Tbs lemon zest

flour for working dough

oil for deep-frying

confectioners (powdered) sugar

How to make it

Flour into a bowl and mix in the butter.

Add the sugar, eggs, egg yolks, salt, lemon zest, and rum to the flour.

Work the ingredients into dough. If the dough is too dry add a little water.

Place the dough on a floured surface and knead well for 10 minutes. The dough should be smooth and shiny.

Cover and allow to rest in in a cool place for 1 hour.

Heat at least 3-4" of oil to 350F.

Divide the dough into fourths.

On a floured surface roll out one quarter of the dough until it is thin (1/6") and cut into strips about 4" x 1/2".

Tie each strip into a simple, loose knot.

Fry the knots, 4 or 5 at a time, until puffed up and golden (about 1-2 minutes).

Remove and drain on paper towels.

Repeat with the rest of the dough.

Before serving sprinkle with sifted confectioners sugar.