If you are one of those fastidious persons whose culinary taste does= not venture outside the twelve-mile limit around the Brit

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How to Eat Italian!

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Laura Busini- Birch

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Laura Busini Birch

‘How to Eat Italian!’

Published March 2000

By Youth Su= pport Publications

13 High Street Penge

London SE20 7HJ

http://www.booksbooksbook= s.org

email anyone@booksbooksbooks.org

First Published as ‘Traditional Italian Food’ – now republished in a new format under the title ‘How to Eat Italian’= ;

‘Traditional Italian Food’ - First published 1985 Fontana Paperbacks

‘Traditional Italian Food’ - Second Edition 1996 Diamond Books

About the= Author

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Laura Busini Birch was born and brought up in Mussolini's Italy= in Fabriano, central Italy. She earned her degree in classics at the University of Rome= . She met her husband, a major in the Royal Artillery, during the fighting in her home town, when the British Eighth Army, pushing its way through Italy, freed the country from the Fascist and German occupation. At the end of the= war they married and she came to live in = England= in 1946. Having taught herself English, she spent many years teaching in a pri= mary school. She has two daughters, lives in London, but has a second = home in Italy.

To Sean, Leila, Harry and Tom

Acknowledgements

Any achievement, however small and humble, is the result of a collect= ive effort. 'L'unione fa la forza', 'Union produces strength', says = an Italian proverb. So my thanks and appreciation go to all the friends and members of my family, here and in Italy, who have encouraged and assisted m= e in this venture, particularly my husband, and my daughter Ann, who scrutinized= my writing with sound judgement and critical eye, and my daughter Diana who translated the Italian poem on wine into English verse. The author and publisher are grateful to Arti Grafiche Gentile for permission to reproduce drawings of Fabriano.

Contents

Acknowledgements = &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; 5

Introduction = &nb= sp; = = &nb= sp; 8

Feste = Festivals &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; 22

Mercati Markets &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; 31

Erbe Aromatiche&nbs= p; Herbs &nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; 33

Tartufi Truffles &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; 35

Fico – Albero Divino = &nb= sp; = 37

Agrumi Citrus fruits = ; &n= bsp; = ; <= /span>37

Viti V= ines &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; = 38

Formaggi Cheese &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; 39

Frittate Omelettes &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; 41

Pane Bread &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; 43

1 Antipasti Appetize= rs &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; 44

= &nb= sp;

2 Minestre, Risotti e Gnocchi Soups, &nb= sp; = 63=

Risotto and Gnocchi<= /p>

= &nb= sp;

3 Insalate e Verdure Salads and Vegetables &n= bsp; 81<= /p>

4 Pasta, Polenta and Pizza &= nbsp; &nbs= p; 102

5 Pesce Fish &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; 125

= &nb= sp;

6 Carne Meat &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; 135

7 Pollame e Cacciagione Poultry and Game 153<= /o:p>

8 Dolci Desserts = = &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; 168

9 Torte e Biscotti C= akes and Biscuits &= nbsp; 181

= Italian Food Shops = &nb= sp; = &nb= sp; 197
Introduction

If you are one of those fastidious persons whose culinary taste does = not venture outside the twelve-mile limit around the British Isles, and shudder at the thoug= ht of not only eating, but cooking Italian food, do not read on; this book is = not for you. It is meant for people who already know what Italian food is about, appreciate it, and are prepared to try more unusual dishes, especially the traditional ones that Italians like to eat at special times of the year, at festivals and family celebrations. You need to be a very lucky tourist and be in the right place= at the right time in Italy to succeed in trying them all.

Spend two or three weeks' holiday in an ordin= ary hotel anywhere in Italy and what will you get? Dishes that only vaguely resemble the people's food. Sometimes they = try to please the foreigners by giving them what they think they like in their = own country. For instance, you will get coffee which is not coffee at all (most= of the time it is made with roasted barley or chickpeas), and since the arriva= l in Italy= of the ubiquitous German tourists, in some cases the quality of food= is sacrificed for quantity.

There are some very good Italian restaurants = in London, but I am not one = for trusting new places on recommendation or advertising. I shall never forget the day I was out with the fami= ly, and we felt like a good plate of spaghetti at lunchtime. There was a well-k= nown Italian place nearby, so we went in. The dish was inedible by Italian standards, and when I protested to the Italian waiter, 'Just tell me, would= you eat this stuff?' he replied, 'Oh no, I couldn't. We all go and eat in a sma= ll place in the next street!'

Across the world, I carefully avoid Italian restaurants: the further = you are from Italy the worse they seem to be. We must not forget that those people are there to make enough money to go back home as quickly as they can, and the majority of Italian immigrants are usually very homesick. They will scrape = and save until they are able to return with enough money to spend the rest of t= heir life there. I knew an Italian lady who returned to her home town after havi= ng been away, working very hard, for twenty-five years. When she came back her comment was, 'The feeling I liked best was walking those streets again, but this time with money in my pockets!'

I have noticed at different times that people have very wrong ideas of how the Italians eat. It is astonishing the type of things that pass for "Italian" in some places. There is now no more need to get out yo= ur rolling pin or even your pasta machine, because shops where yon can bay fresh pasta are everywhere .Still, people will say." It is all right if you are pushed for time, = but the home made staff is superior, not so much for plain pasta, but in rav= ioli, cappelletti, lasagne because in these dishes it is the filling that mak= es all the difference.

Italy= is considered to be the mother of European Latin cuisines, a fact wh= ich is very much contested by the French. Nero, Tiberius, were conside= red the "gourmets" of their times. Recipes since Roman times were kep= t by monks in the middle ages. The first cookery book was put together by a librarian at the Vatican called Bartolomeo Sicci, in 1474. During the Renaissance interest in gastro= nomy grew and wealthy families produced lavish banquets trying to outdo each oth= er. This is still part of the character of Italian people. The Medici of Florence= were the leader in this field When Catherine De Medici travelled to France for h= er marriage to the Dauphin in 1533 she took her chefs with her and they passed their knowledge to the French who still to this day will not admit that the= re lie the roots of French culinary traditions. Italian cuisine have a strong regional character, because Italy= did not become a kingdom until 1860. The first pasta factories were in the Sout= h, in Naples, and still much of Italy= ’s pasta comes from the southern regions

Italian dishes vary, of course, from region to regio= n, but I will try to keep to the ones more common to the country as a whole. A dish like cappelletti (little hat-shaped pasta) served in capon broth makes me think straightaway of snow at Christmas time, together with roast turkey on the spit, torrone (nougat) and panettone (light fru= it cake); while eel, mostly roasted, is a treat reserved for Christmas Eve, Lasagne for family celebrations, ravioli for Easter, and on a cold winter's= day you may crave for a warming plate of steaming polenta.

Italian meals, no matter how ordinary, will always b= e a three-course affair. In everyday life there will be no antipasto. but the meal will begin either with a pastasciutta or a soup, t= hen there will be a 'main' course, followed by fruit. As with everything else, customs differ from north to south. Northerners will tend to cook a big lun= ch, then have a more frugal evening meal, while in central and south Italy dinner in the evening will be more substantial than the midday= meal. Colazione means breakfast, but, as breakfast usually consists of jus= t a cup of coffee or very little more, in more refined circles colazione indicates lunch, while pranzo is an evening meal. Ordinary folk will call p= ranzo the midday meal and cena the evening one. Pranzo is also a celebration feast. A bit confusing, don't you think? But useful to know, ju= st in case you are invited to colazione. You would find it a bit embarrassing to turn up at eight o'clock in the morning!

Apart from traditional recipes, I've included a range of dishes typic= al of my native land which I am sure will tempt Anglo-Saxon tastes also. They = are all recipes which I have learned from my grandmother, my mother and my frie= nds. They have had the approval and the praise of many very fussy Italian friends and very conservative British friends, so I hope I am providing good Italian recipes to suit everybody's taste.

I like to think of cooking as a pleasure not a chore. You may think that some of these dishes take long to make, but once you try them you will see that this is not so. Many can be prepared in advance, and most of them (marked with the symbol (F) freeze well, so you can make somet= hing special for your dinner parties with hardly any work on the day. I shall tr= y to explain everything step by step in all my recipes, because there are always some points which are new territory, even for an experienced cook. Even men unaccustomed to cooking should be able to follow my instructions. My husband was my guinea pig, but only for the easiest recipes, because he is not a co= ok at all. I once went away for a few days and, as usual, left dinners in the freezer with every possible instruction for their use. When I came back he = told me that one evening he wanted to cook some sausages from the freezer. His comment was, ‘I grilled them but they would not cook in the middle.' = 'Did you not turn them on the other side?' I asked. 'Oh yes,' he replied, 'but t= hey still would not cook.' He proceeded to show me how he had cooked his sausag= es: one whole packet under the grill, six sausages in a bundle, the way you buy them. Can you be more of a beginner than that?

Italians are very hospitable and they will be generous in excess towa= rds guests and friends. Even in hard times, like during the war, when it was everyone for himself, they would make every effort to welcome unexpected visitors. It is part of Italian nature to show off and give more than they = can afford. Italians never make portions, but always bring food to the table an= d, as my mother taught me, there must be some left over to be sure that there = was enough to start with.

A peculiarity of Italian politeness is that t= hey will Very rarely accept something you are offering for the first time. Ital= ians will say 'No, thank you' to the first offer, and will only accept - if they want to - after the offer has been repeated. Before I got used to British w= ays, I would always say 'No, thank you' at first, and wait to be asked again - w= hich of course I wasn't! I would not want to be accused of encouraging people to= eat unhealthy food, with too much fat, when we are always being reminded of the hidden dangers to our well-being in so many gorgeous dishes. You can always substitute the type of fat I use in my recipes with whatever you feel your heart desires: polyunsaturated fats can take the place of ordinary margarin= e or butter or lard, and the same goes for frying oil. Bear in mind that it is a medical fact that people living in the poorer parts of Italy, in the south, where the diet consists mostly of pasta, olive oil, bread, lots of vegetabl= es, little meat and hardly any butter, have a lower incidence of heart attacks = than the population from the more affluent northern part of the country. A doctor also told me that a little wine lowers your blood cholesterol. So, let your common sense prevail, keeping in mind that we cannot starve our bodies of everything, and enjoy eating your Italian dishes without the sense of guilt that accompanies forbidden foods. By the end of the last war we had been so starved of fats for some years that we were craving for rich, fatty foods. = One of my favourite snacks was a sandwich, made with a thick layer of margarine, which no one could mistake for butter, and slices of uncooked tinned bacon, both army issues, which the troops very gladly got rid of and which found t= heir way to our tables through the flourishing black market of those days.<= /o:p>

When the British troops we= re in my town, my family invited to dinner some officers who were billeted in = the house next door and seemed to be very interested in Italian food. We managed somehow to produce a sumptuous meal, which surprised even us, because we did not know at first how we were possibly going to cope. The guests seemed to enjoy everything and thanked us profusely. Strangely enough, some of them w= ere not very well the next day. We did not connect the event with the food when= we heard this, because we had all eaten the same things and we were in perfect good health. In fact, better than usual, as we had not had a meal like that= for a long time. Only a few years later, when I was living in = London, my husband told me the secret of that strange malady. Thinking that 'the poor Italians' would = give them a lousy meal, they all had a full officers' mess dinner, before coming= to our house. Of course, then their eyes were bigger than their stomachs and t= hey could not resist eating all the good food we had prepared. Hence the 'sick' feeling, a sort of unknown legionnaire's disease' with a difference!

My home town, Fabriano, is in central = Italy= , in the Marches region. I love talking about my birthplace, but I shall try to be ca= reful that enthusiasm for my native land does not alter the truth. Fabriano is a well-known town, situated about 200km (150 miles) northeast of Rome. If you draw a straight line from Rome to Ancona (a port on the Adriatic Sea), you will find Fabriano just over&= nbsp; the Apennine mountain range. So the town has the <= span lang=3DEN-GB style=3D'font-size:16.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;layout-gr= id-mode: line'>Apennines to the west, and hills and other mountains of secondary ranges on the other sides, giving the impressi= on that it is sitting in a bowl at 354m (1318 feet) above sea level. The countryside is of particular interest, with its mountains rising to 6000 fe= et, hills and gorges, its vegetation and remote mountain villages, typical of t= hat part of Italy. Fabriano also, because of its position, is an ideal centre from which to go on and visit l= ots of other interesting places: = Florence= , Rome, Assisi, Perugia, Urbino and Ancona, for example.=

The climate can be very pleasant in spring and autumn, with some extreme temperatures in winter and summer. There are a few weeks of snow every winter, and sometimes some very hot summers. Things have changed a lot from the time when people in villages could be cut off for mo= nths in the winter, but it can still be a very unpleasant experience to be caugh= t in a snow blizzard on one of those mountain roads.

Piazza Alta, Fabriano

In small provincial towns like Fabriano, some= of the things going on are very peculiar to visitors. For example, walking alo= ng the main street of the town (il Corso), just as it gets dark, is a usual th= ing for people young, and not so = young, to do. There will be couples, rows of boys, girls and all sorts of people, going from one end of the street to the other end, turning round and coming back again. They will meet, shake hands (in Italy= you shake hands when you meet and when you part, even if only a brief moment has passed between the two actions), stop and chat, then resume their antics walking up and down! This will go on until the time comes to go home to din= ner. This evening walk, ‘= il passeggio delta sera', is something of a parade: girls wear their best new clothes; they show off their new shoes, their hairdos - anything that might attract the attention of their male counterparts. This custom must be peculiar to Italy= , as I have never noticed it anywhere else - except when I was in Zara (Yugoslavia) once, but then I realized this town had been part of Italy= until the last war!

Fabriano grew from a Roman colonization. The first nucleus of people who settled on the banks of the River Giano (from Janus, a Roman god with two faces) were some fabbri - smiths. Legend has it there were two groups of settlers, one on each side of the ri= ver with a bridge between them an= d the smithy nearby. The two groups were fighting, very often being a nuisance to= the blacksmith who was in the middle, so he intervened with remarkable diplomacy until the two merged into one group. They showed their gratitude to 'Mastro Marino', the smith, by adopting his effigy in the shield of the new town. T= he name Fabriano, despite the coincidence of the Latin word faber (a smith), does not derive from the shield, but from a certain Faberius, an ancient Roman settler, who owned an estate in the countryside. <= /span>

Since its birth, many industries have flouris= hed along the banks of the river that flows through Fabriano. All through the centuries, this has helped to make it a prosperous place to live in. Some of its early industries have gone into decline and disappeared, like hat-making for the clergy, for example. Fabriano's artisans were proud hat-makers, not only for ordinary priests but also for cardinals and popes. Every new pope = was presented with a hat from Fabriano as soon as he was elected

Fabriano's shield

.

Other industries have prospered in their place, but the one for which Fabriano is famous is the paper industry. Its paper mill is reputed to have been the first in Europe= . Paper-making started before AD 1000 and has been a flourishing art throughout the centuries, apart from some brief times of economic depressio= n. Fabriano's paper is renowned all over Italy= and the world, especially the hand-made paper (carta a mano) which is still produced. 'Faber in amne cudit, olim c= artam undique fudit' is the motto on the town shield - The smith wo= rked on the river and at one time paper from there was sent everywhere'. Waterma= rks for banknotes were also invented here.

Some people are still dedicated to agricultur= e, but only on a very small scale as the land is not very fertile. It is mostly grazing land; the winters are too severe for the commercial cultivation of things like fruit and vegetables, which grow plentifully just a few kilomet= res away towards the Adriatic Sea.

The population of Fabriano is now about 26,00= 0, taking into account the surrounding villages, some of which are still remote and primitive. Only a couple of years ago, when I visited one of these litt= le villages, I was talking to a housewife who was telling me about her house b= eing modernized. She invited me in and proudly showed me the latest additions: a lavatory and a fridge. The latter had been given the place of honour in the= ir best room (la sala – the parlour). I congratulat= ed her and asked if I could see inside the fridge. 'Of course!' she said, and opened it. I then saw that it was still brand new, but empty - not even connected. When I asked her why she was not using it she said, 'Well, we possess a fridge now, but we cannot yet think what to put in it" =

Another family I know in the same village liv= ed for years in a house which was like a barn, terribly poor and dirty; a sort= of stable, shared with chickens, cats, rabbits and hens. Their only ambition in life was to build a new home and this they accomplished after years of hard labour shared by all the members of the family, parents and children alike. Their new house is a showpiece: it stands next to their old house, like a villa, with a beautiful walled garden, gates, all clean and modern, but-bec= ause they had been used to living rough - it is now too good for them to live in! They are happy to admire their new home and to show it off proudly to visit= ors. But, as for moving in, that is another matter... After friends and relatives = tried to persuade the man of the house to occupy it, he made a resolution: when h= is eldest daughter got married he would make her wedding day the inauguration = day for the house - a marvellous day when he would open the house to everyone in the village and they would have the best party ever, with no expense spared. But. . . they woke up one morning to find that their daughter had eloped wi= th a fireman, so the beautiful house is still not yet in use!<= /p>

People still use something called 'il pret= e' (the priest) to warm up the bed on cold winter's nights. Much more efficient than a brass warming pan, it consists of a wooden frame which holds the bedclothes apart, and a ceramic bowl (la monaca - the = nun) full of cinders and hot charcoal embers, which is placed in the middle. It takes about half an hour to warm up the bed as effectively as any electric blanket would.

Fabriano belonged to the Papal States from 1442 to 1860, when i= t became part of the newly formed Kingdom of Italy under King Victor Emmanuel II. It still has all the characteristics = of a medieval town, with the walls, four gates, turrets, vicoli (very nar= row streets), the triangular piazza alto (high square) to disting= uish it from the piazza bassa <= /span> (lower square or market square). In the piazza <= i>alto are the

Paper making by hand

Choosing the rags

Shredding the rags into fibre

=

Sizing hand-made paper with animal glue

palaces where the rulers, I Signori= , lived (twelfth to thirteenth century) and the beautiful fontana= sturinalto (high spouting fountain) dating back to 1088. The market square has lost its arches due to bombing during the Second World War and has changed a lit= tle, but the high square has been preserved as an historic centre. Churches are numerous there, and each one has its own interesting features.

Fabriano has been the cradle of some well-known painters, its most famous son being Gentile (fourteenth century). Unfortunately, none of his paintings is left in his native town: they are scattered all over the world, from Florence to Pisa, to Wash= ington and the Queen's gallery in London. Only si= nce I've left have I appreciated the beauty and interest of my home town. Everything used to seem to me to be quite ordinary and I have been surprised when frie= nds of mine (Fabriano is off the beaten tourist track) have expressed their admiration and delight at the si= ght, falling in love with the place immediately.

My ambitions used to be, first, to survive the war, then to see more of the world. My world until then had been confined t= o a very small part of Italy. I got hold of a book to teach myself English the day South African soldiers came to requisition part of our house. Next came the New Zealanders, and finally the British. By the time I encoun= tered the Royal Artillery, I could speak a little, understand very little and my vocabulary was limited to words of everyday use and to useless phrases like 'down the hatch', 'mud in your eyes', 'Hello, beautiful' and so on! I thought I was progressing well wit= h my new language until one day an officer came to my house and spoke a lot. But= he went away in despair: not one word had I understood. I was really frustrate= d, but then I solved the mystery. I saw him again, and he was part of a group = of soldiers in gonnella ('mini-skirted'), who everybody went to see on parade each morning in the main square. That gave me encouragement. Obvious= ly, I said to myself, they do not speak the same language as the other soldiers= ! I never expected then that I would get to know and to understand the Scots so well, until one of my daughters moved to Scotland= .

I was asked to show the most interesting part= s of my town to two officers, who were looking for a place to install their serg= eants' mess.

Fontana sturinalto

As we were walking along, I was trying my best with my limited English, while a very animated conversation was going on between the other two. I could not understand anything except the word 'camera', which kept coming up. Now, in Italian camera means bedroom= , so my suspicious nature was aroused, and with a very polite but decisive gestu= re, I made them understand that they would have to finish their sightseeing on their own. Only a few days later the misunderstanding was cleared up: I saw them with this object in their hands which they introduced as 'the camera'.= I was so relieved that I readily agreed to have my photograph taken with them= !

When I came to England my ambition was to lea= rn the language properly and in a surprisingly short time I knew it well enough to start teaching. A= friend of ours commented, 'All the children = in the village will learn to speak with an Italian accent!' I never had any ambiti= on to write a book. I am no writer and my English still has some rough patches which I am trying to iron out as well as I can. But this project started fr= om noting down recipes for my friends from time to time and finding that many = had a great interest in accounts of life in an Italian country town and my life there.I have many friends here, and in Italy= where I go as often as I can. All anecdotes in this book are true, and some of my friends will probably recognize themselves, but I hope they will take the j= oke in good humour and still consider me 'one of them'. There are still things = that I have not taken to in England, even after so many years: rice pudding, a cup of tea (I have never = made myself one, although I will drink it to be polite), a game of cricket and commenting on any movement of the clouds - because in Italy= we never talk about the weather! The first time a neighbour stopped me in the street just to say Isn't it lovely?' while pointing upwards to a small triangular patch of blue sky, I thought she must have escaped from the near= est asylum. I felt like a girl I knew who went to work in Ancona, a large town which had the only asylum in the area. She had gone out shopping when my aunt, wh= om she was working for, saw her running into the house in a state of shock and fear. 'There is a madman escaped from the "Red Roofs'" (the local name for the asylum). My aunt tried to calm her down, asking her some questions. Where did she see this man? Had he approached her? 'No, no, but = he was gesticulating in the middle of the road, trying to get a lift from the cars!' The poor girl had never seen a policeman= on traffic duty!

Although modern life with its travelling facilities has brought different countries so near to each other, obliterat= ing many differences in the customs and ways of living, there are always things that will startle a foreign eye at some point or another. At births, weddin= gs, funerals and other religious ceremonies, traditions still emerge even when people have been influenced by modern times. 'What is the meaning of the enormous, beautiful bow, made of ribbons of tissue paper, hanging on somebo= dy's front door?' A new baby has been born and the ribbons will be either pink f= or a girl or blue for a boy. 'What are those notices on the walls all over town?' Some are notices from the council to the public: the ones framed in heavy b= lack lines are notices of death. They are put up within a couple of hours of somebody's death, which is perhaps a macabre custom, but you must remember = that in Italy funerals usually take place the next day. At times of extreme temperatures (very hot or very cold) there is a veritable rash of such noti= ces. Religion plays a great part in Italy= 's life but people will observe some customs, not necessarily because they are= so devout, but because the whole social structure of the country has been influenced by the Roman Catholic church for so many centuries. Very few are= the number of people with extreme left political views who will dare to break t= he tradition of a church wedding. Very fervent communists will have their chil= dren baptized and you will find that they will expect their family to bury them after a religious service, although they will probably want to be laid in t= heir coffin wearing a red tie. Nearing the day of reckoning their best policy is= to keep on good terms with God and the Red Flag alike! It is considered sad and shameful to have somebody of your family buried 'in the field'. The field is part of the cemetery which belongs to the council, where people of no means= are buried. Anybody else will make sure that their dear departed have a place in some built-up tomb, bought by the family, and the more you go up in the soc= ial scale, the better your family place in&nbs= p; the cemetery. You start with individual 'ovens' = (fornetti), small slots big enough for one coffin, built up into a wall, like a built-in oven, then you get the bigger sort of mausoleums, which belong to whole families. My husband could not get over this, when I took him along to see = the newest cemetery in my town. Some people have places that equal their homes = or even better. They look like little studio bungalows, beautifully kept, poli= shed and shiny. And often on a Sunday there is a pilgrimage of people who not on= ly visit their family places, but the real fun for them is to walk about to see what the other tombs look like and which ones are kept better than others. = It is a sort of 'keeping up with the Joneses' or one-upmanship being continued after death.

There will always be things you miss about yo= ur country of origin, no matter how long you have been away. On a summer's day= I miss waking up to the garrulous singing of the swallows, darting ceaselessl= y, high in the sky a sound that = tells you it is a beautiful clear day. I miss the sound of the crickets, the cica= das in the countryside, the fields alight with fireflies, the aromatic perfume of my mountains, the Apennines in winter, topped with crisp snow and the blinding, bright sunlight of a winter's day. These are the things I will always= miss.

Feste – = Festivals

Many Italian dishes relate specifically to festivals and family occasions. Indeed, any excuse for Italians to mark a date with a celebratio= n at the table is welcome.

CARNEVALE Carnival Time

Carnevale is the time of the year between 17 January a= nd Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. In some areas it is celebrated more t= han in others; in Italy the Venice and Viareggio carnivals are famous, although this custom as a whole is being reviv= ed throughout the country. There are street parties, dances in fancy dress, so= me depicting the characters of the maschere from the Commedio dell'arte which date from the sixteenth century. In those days people were permitted to dress up as Pantalone, Arlecchino, Pulcinella and so on, and would speak in t= heir dialect. Carnival is a time of enjoyment and good food, when many excesses = are permitted before the lean time of Lent. "Di carnevale ogni scherzo vale' - 'at carnival time any joke is allowed'= is the literal translation of this popular proverb.

The word carnevale comes from carne levare (to t= ake meat away), because at midnight Lent begins with many meatless days. The days from the carnival peri= od which are most celebrated are the last Thursday before Lent, giovedi gra= sso (fat Thursday), then the following Sunday, and finally the Tuesday which is= called just 'Carnival Day' and corresponds to Shrove Tuesday.

For one whole year during the war, we had to take refuge in a mountain village, which we already knew very well and where everybody was very frien= dly. There were lots of other families from the town and the very hospitable cou= ntry people had found room to accommodate a very great number of extra 'refugees= '. In the normal days boredom was relieved only by the fascinating spectacle of Flying Fortresses in formation, by the occasional bomb, or by a couple of Mosquitoes (dive bombers, not insects, although we would have preferred the latter), or by somebody shouting 'Ecco i Tedeschi' ('T= he Germans are coming').

Carnival Day was going to be another one of those days, without anyth= ing more exciting to brighten it up. We were just passing the time talking, pla= ying cards, telling jokes, when suddenly I had an idea. There was a young fellow= in the village who had lived in the town for the last few years and had only c= ome back because of the war, but who did not want to be considered one of the villagers. He thought himself too good for that. Well, I thought, it is tim= e to give him a lesson.

I knew that some people would play cards during the afternoon in one = of the houses and that he would be over the moon to be invited there. I made a= ll the arrangements, with the help of a couple of girls from the village who a= cted as couriers. I called my brother, who was then, about thirteen years old-qu= ite handsome, no beard yet- and told him of my plan. He tried hard to get out of it, but when I reminded him that when the schools opened again I would be h= is schoolmistress, he had no choice but to do what I was asking him. I was a last-year university student, but the schools were so short of teachers with all the men away, th= at the Education Authority had resolved the problem by employing students.

I dressed up my brother as well as I could with my clothes, and with clothes borrowed from other girls. His&nbs= p; short hair was the difficult part, but I managed to bring it forward like a fringe and I put a scarf around his head in a way which was fashiona= ble for those days. A young man accompanied my brother in disguise to the house where they were playing cards and where our victim had been invited. My brother, under the name of Clara, was introduced to the gentleman in question. He was immediately = so taken by her charms that he invited her to go with him to his house where he summoned his mother to make a special plate of castagnole (see below= for the recipe). His mother, too, was pleased for her son, while my poor brother was only thinking of how to get out. Very soon one of us went to Clara's rescue, saying she was expected for dinner, and brought her back home, but = not before she had agreed to meet the same gentleman the next afternoon. Next d= ay came and Felice (Happy was his very inappropriate name) was waiting impatie= ntly for his date to show up. More and more people gathered around him, until somebody asked what he was waiting for. After general request, I transforme= d my brother right in front of Felice into the girl of his dreams, and then he realized that we had played a carnival joke on him. He just went away, disappeared without a word, and, like in the fairy tales, none of us ever s= aw him again.

PASQUA Easter<= /i>

Easter is one of the few times of year when Italians have eggs for breakfast and a great quantity of eggs are used at this time of the year, mainly to make omelettes, with the fresh herbs that grow wild in the spring, and special types of cakes. In all Italian villages, towns and even in the cities, there is the custom of the 'blessing of the houses' during the Holy Week. Every parish priest has an area to visit, and the housewives are terr= ibly busy spring-cleaning in preparation for the day the priest is due. With a certain pride the best bedspreads will be put in use and everything will be spick and span for Don Romualdo, or whoever it will be. The priest is accompanied by a boy holding the tools of the trade (holy water and incense) and he will collect a basket of fresh eggs, cakes and any money that people give for the Easter celebrations. The money will go to the Church, while the other items will be shared between the priest and the boy. You might think = that performing this duty would mean a sort of apprenticeship to priesthood. Not= hing of the kind! As a matter of fact, it seems that such a duty puts them off t= he whole idea once they grow up: there are many young men that I remember as children who used to be inseparable partners to priests on these occasions,= and who are now very much involved in anything but religion! The Easter breakfa= st table will have boiled eggs, and the new season salame will be start= ed. The children's eggs will be painted, while the chocolate ones will be reser= ved for later in the day. Chocolate eggs always have a surprise inside them; the less expensive ones will have trivial things, rather like Christmas cracker= s in Britain (they do not have crackers at all in Italy= ), but the expensive ones can have valuable presents in them.

The colomba is the typical Easter cake, made in the shape of a dove. It is a very light cake with sultanas and candied peel, cooked with a sort of sugary crust and almonds. There are many recipes for homemade cakes, called pizze in many areas, either sweet, with currants or sultanas,= or with cheese. In this case pizza means 'cake' and has nothing to do w= ith the pizza napoletana that everybody knows.<= /p>

<= b>ONOMASTICI – Name Days

Onomastico is the day on which a saint's name is celebrated. If you l= ook at an Italian calendar, you will find that every day has one saint, sometim= es even two (of course the number of saints increases while the number of days stays still, and some of the days are getting a little crowded!). Different calendars do not always agree on a particular saint for the same day. Only = the best-known ones are kept to the same date, like Saint Peter, John, Paul, Ma= ry and so on. If you happen to have one of the best- known names of the martyrology (martyrology is the history and collection of names of martyrs = and saints), then you have an extra day to celebrate -your onomastico. An affectionate Italian way of wishing a member of the family 'Happy Birthday'= is to give a gentle pull to his or her ears while saying 'Auguri'. But Italians make more of a fuss over well-known onomastici than over birthdays. Of course, often the onomastico and birthday coincide, because the person was named after the saint on whose day he was born. If y= ou are unlucky and your parents have given you a name unknown to religious celebrations, then you better make the best of your birthday. Otherwise, you can always say that your name appears in your particular calendar! I have n= ever found a saint with my name, so I cannot celebrate an onomastico, although I was christened with seven names.

It was sad when Saint Christopher was somehow demoted by Pope John XXIII from his position as patron saint= of travellers, following some reorganization of the saints' hierarchy (perhaps the calendars were getting= too crowded). On that day (25 July) there used to be a very unusual procession = in Fabriano: the procession of all the cars in the town. They would meet in the main square, tour the streets bumper to bumper, sounding their horns incessantly (a real Italian-style affair, noisy to excess), and they would = end up at the little church of Saint Christopher situated at the north gates of= the town for the blessing of the vehicles. The parish priest would stand outside the church as the cars stopped, one by one, and the drivers received a Sain= t Christopher's medal to put on the car's dashboard, while in return each participant gave = an offering for that church. In the evening there were Saint Christopher's din= ners all over the town.

NOZZE Weddings

The first time I went to an English wedding I heard people talking ab= out confetti, but I was surprised when I found that these confetti were paper petals which you throw on the happy couple. In <= st1:place>Italy confetti are white sugared almonds which have come to be associated with weddings in the same way as orange blossom. 'When are we going to eat your confetti?' you may ask an engaged couple. In the small villages, after a wedding ceremony, the couple will walk back to the house where the wedding lunch will be held and as they come out of the church they will throw around handfuls of sugared almonds, to the excitement and delight of children and adults alike. Sugared almonds are expensive, so they will probably mix them with confetti cannellini, which are small white confetti made with s= ugar and a small piece of cinnamon in the middle instead of an almond.

When I was on holiday in Italy= once, I was invited to wedding whic= h was quite unique. The bride was a girl who lived in a mountain village and had looked after my sister some years before, so she was like one of the family. But there was no bridegroom. A couple of months earlier the priest from a village on the other side of the mountain had come over with the news that = some of his young

parishioners had been engaged by a firm to go to work in Tierra del Fuego in Argentina= . They had been there for a while and were feeling very lonely in that desolate pl= ace, so they had asked the priest to find them some girls of good character will= ing to marry them and go and live over there.

The excitement which this request aroused was indescribable. Going ab= road for some people is like winning first prize in a lottery (no thought was gi= ven to the fact that what sort of place Tierra del Fuego would be for these poor girls). My first reaction was to tell Amalia to open her eyes, but she seemed so sure that she'd be happy that I kept quiet. And so = the ceremony took place, with the bridegroom's brother acting as the = groom. People gave very generous presents, taking into acco= unt that they would probably never see Amalia again. Soon the trunks were ready= and all that was left was to wait for a passage on the boat to Argentina= . This came a couple of months later, but Amalia was not feeling very well (she was probably getting cold feet) and decided to wait for the next boat. We had u= nderestimated her. She was intelligent enough to wait for news from the unfortunate girls= who went ahead of her to meet their husbands. When the next boat was ready to s= ail, Amalia was not, and she announced that she would stay where she was. This nearly caused a war between the two villages, but Amalia's good sense prevailed, and with the help and advice of friends, she managed to get the marriage annulled. And the presents? They came in very handy when she marri= ed again and set up home with a childhood sweetheart!

Any wedding feast, be it breakfast or lunch, is a very long affair. A typical wedding lunch menu might be: Antipasto - mixed preser= ved meats in winter or prosciutto, melon and figs when in season, then a mixture of different pasta dishes to suit everybody: tortellini or cappelle= tti in broth, lasagne verdi, tagliatelle alla pa= nna. This will be followed by a platter of mixed fried meat: cotolette of veal, baby lamb cutlets, mixed fried vegetables and some green beans or spinach. If it is easy to get fish, there will probably be a dish of fried = calamaretti. A variety of roast meats will follow: roast beef, pigeon, lamb, for example, served with a green salad, or green tomato salad. The sweet will be the wedding cake, which is usually a Saint Honore, never a fruit cake. It w= ill be in two tiers and people have to work just as hard 'abroad' to get by, or= to will be cut by the bride just as it is done in Britain. As a matter of fact, the tradition of cutting the cake was imported after the last war. Fruit and coffee will follow.

There are no speeches, just toasts. At the end of the lunch, confetti will be distributed, and the bride and groom will go around to each one of = the guests distributing one spoon of sugared almonds. The groom holds the bowl,= and the bride has a silver spoon. They usually give five confetti each, which is considered as bringing good luck. Often confetti are wrapped in small squar= es of white tulle, tied with a white ribbon. Together with the five confetti t= here will be a small card with the names of the couple and an orange blossom, or some other flower. In this case, each guest will receive one bag. The frien= ds that have not been able to attend but have bought a present will be sent a tulle bag of confetti placed in a small container of pottery, china or even silver, called bomboniera. The expense of a wedding is shared equall= y by the two families, so there is no question of feeling lucky if you have just sons and no daughters. The tradition is that the bridegroom must also pay f= or the bride's dress. It is supposed to be unlucky if he doesn't, but that is certainly a good way of making a reluctant groom fork out the money!

SAN MARTINO   Saint Martin= 's Day

Saint Martin's Day, 11 November, is another day remembered by gourmets in Italy= . By tradition it is the day when the new wine is tasted: 'Per San= Martino ogni mosto diventa vino' - 'By Saint Martin's D= ay all the must will be wine' is the popular saying. It is usually drunk to wa= sh down roast chestnuts. Do not forget when you cook chestnuts to make an inci= sion on the skin so that they do not burst during cooking. It is not essential to have an open fire to be able to cook them. They are just as good baked in a= hot oven or boiled until tender. Saint Martin's Day is also called 'Festa dei co= rnuti' (Cuckolds' Day). As the legend goes, it was the custom to make fun of m= en who were not lucky enough to have faithful wives and did nothing to safegua= rd their honour. Truths would come to light and betting would go on to decide = who would gain the title of 'cornuto of the year'. 'Cornuto' literally means 'with horns'. During the day people light an enormous fire = in the main square, to heat a great cauldron containing some mulled wine. Anyb= ody passing by could have a hot drink to help them face the cold and fog which = Saint Martin's Day is noted for. Nowad= ays mulled wine is not made in the middle of the square, although there is talk= of reviving this custom.

VINO BRULE   Mul= led Wine

1 litre (1 ¾ pints) red or white wine       6 cloves    =

1 tablespoon sugar or honey             =      a piece of lemon and orange rind

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Place all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring slowly to the boil. Simmer for 10 minutes, add more sugar if desired, then strain and drink it = hot.

SAPA-GRAPE SYRUP<= /o:p>

SAPA is a syrup made wi= th must, but it can be made with the grape Juice you get from the supermarket. People m the villages make this syrup, after the grapes have been pressed a= nd before the liquid ferments. T= he must is slowly boiled until it is reduced to 1/3 or less of the original quantit= y. This syrup is a very good remedy against Whiter colds and cough (two spoonf= uls at bedtime will give you a sound peaceful sleep).    It also makes a pleasa= nt, refreshing drink with the same quantity in a glass of water. You can use it to = make a dessert by pouring a couple of tumblers in a pyrex dish and cooking in it, in the oven some apples = or pears cleaned, cored and cut in segments. Sapa can be used in many ways, it= is up to your particular culinary skill to find any suitable adaptation. I hav= e a vine in my garden which produces a good amount of grapes, not enough to make wine, but it makes a few jars of this beautiful syrup which I keep in the freezer for Winter use. =

EPIFANIA, ANNO NUOVO   Epiphany, New Year

Until some years after the war, the use of Christmas trees was almost unknown to the Italian people. The popular thing was to make a presepio,= which is a scene of the birth of Jesus in a manger, with figures made in the local pottery and sold on a special market day, usually 13 December- Saint Lucia= 's Day. The first ever presepio is attributed to Saint Francis of Assisi.=

The custom of the Christmas tree in homes and in the main square of a town is very popular now, but no houses, offices or schools will have decor= ations as they do in the UK. One of the nicest customs of the festive season was to give presents - usually panettone and spumante –= to policemen on duty on Christmas and New Year's Eve, propping them up against= the box where they were standing. In these violent days you would probably be s= hot on sight if you tried to place a parcel at a policeman's feet!

Another custom that shopkeepers keep is to give a strenna (fes= tive season present) to their regular customers. Unfortunately, this custom seem= s to be unknown to Italian shopkeepers here; they have readily adopted the more profitable custom of putting out a box for the customers to give!

Sending Christmas cards is not very common and you certainly would not send one to somebody living in the same town. Giving presents is mainly confined to children, not on Christmas Day, but on 6 January - Epiphany Day. Epiphany festival is the children's day, the day of the coming of the Be= fana, the old lady who brings presents during the night. She carries them in two = huge baskets on her donkey. She is a very dear figure, dressed like an old- fashioned peasant woman with a long skirt, and a warm, woollen shawl that covers her from head to knees. She climbs down the chimneys to leave presen= ts for children in their socks or pillow cases, or baskets. She will also invariably leave some homemade biscuits. The Befana may have some of= the supper left out for her and will take a carrot or an apple for her donkey.<= o:p>

Of course, at one time politics had to interfere even with this custom and in Mussolini's time there was the introduction of the Befana fascista, the state = Befana, who would distribute presents to needy children in the afternoon, in the gu= ise of one of the local dignitaries, accompanied by his wife, both dressed up in black orbace. This type of cloth, woven by Sardinian peasants, is th= ick and rather rough, and the Fascist Party adopted it as material for their uniforms, to revive the dying industry. The word orbace came to mean Fascist uniform. On New Year's Eve, the night of San Silvestro, people will celebrate with an enormous midnight meal, a 'cenone di= San Silvestro'. The word cenone means 'big dinner'. A typical menu for a cenone di fine d'anno (big dinner at the = end of the year) might be:

Antipasto of various carni salate=    ;       Risotto con funghi

Lenticchie con cotechino o zampone ;            Panetton= e;

Torrone         &= nbsp;    Seasonal fruit             &= nbsp;          Caffe=

At the stroke of midnight the spumante or Champagne corks will pop and everybody will wish each other 'Buon anno'. In Italy= people do not kiss; no man would kiss somebody else's wife, unless t= hey are related. I have got used to the custom here where everybody seems to ki= ss everybody else, but if we have Italian guests, I have to drum into my husba= nd's ear, 'Don't forget, you do not kiss Italian ladies.' Of course, he did forg= et on one occasion and I had to rush to his rescue explaining the different custom. If you want to be lucky in the New Year, you should wear red panties and you should eat grapes at midnight. In the days when you cou= ld not get fresh grapes all the year round, we used to hang bunches on long po= les and leave them in a dry place, usually in the loft, where they would keep u= ntil the festive season. If you eat grapes you are bound to count money, a lot of money during the next year. Unfortunately, to this date I have not found out whether you count money by spending it, by gaining it or by paying taxes! T= he latter would not worry Italians: they seem to be very successful in finding= the best way to avoid paying them!

Are Italians superstitious? Yes, but in different ways from the Briti= sh. You should never get married or start a new job on a Friday, but number 13 = is not considered unlucky - in fact you can buy lucky charms with that number - and 17 i= s the number to avoid. A black cat does not bring you luck, especially if it crosses the road in front of your car, and to encourage good things to happen, you do n= ot touch wood but iron, or you get hold of one of those red horns, made of cor= al or plastic! Horns made of precious metals or coral have always been sold as good luck charms and even the introduction of plastic has not diminished th= eir power! And while the Anglo-Saxons cross their fingers to keep unfavourable happenings at bay, Italians make the sign of 'the horns', stretching out the index and little finger.

If a baby is born before the amniotic sac has broken, or 'con la camicio' (literally, 'with his shirt on'), good fortune will follow him throughout h= is life.

Mercati Markets<= /span>

In every Italian town square there, is a daily fruit and vegetable market, while fish will be on sale probably two or three times a week if the town is away from the sea.To buy food at the market you have to get up earl= y, because by eight o'clock the best has already gone. Peasants from villages near and far will not miss coming to town on market day. They used to either wa= lk from miles away, or come in donkey and horse carts, but motorcycles and cars are now the more usual transport. But the market atmosphere remains unchang= ed.

There is a corner for everything. On one side you can buy live chicke= ns, geese, ducks, rabbits, pigeons and eggs, then there is the corner for vegetables, pot plants, trees and flowers. Colourful stalls of the local produce will alternate with lorries which have brought the same things grown further away in the countryside. The prices are lower than in the shops, and you can pick and choose anything you want to buy: for example, you pick up = the chickens to feel their breasts, and you must do the same for pigeons and rabbits (or you will be cheated), and you smell the melons. But you bargain= in very few cases.

The weekly market, the day of which varies from town to town, is a colourful and larger affair when a greater number of tradesmen bring their = wares. The merchandise offered appeals not only to the housewife, but to all the family. There will be linen, crockery, leather goods, clothes, shoes, garden and farm implements, tools of every type, toys, games, sweets. Ice creams w= ill be sold in great quantities and there will be a greater variety of fruit and vegetables because the goods will also come from further away than on a nor= mal day. One special sweet always sold at a market is mandorlato, a crun= chy sweet with almonds and other nuts.

MANDORLATO   Cru= nchy Almond Sweets

225g (8 07.) almonds        =    100 g(4 oz) sugar

100 g(4 oz) hazelnuts        = 100 g(4 oz) clear honey

Put the almonds in a saucepan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Remove the pan from the heat and take out the almonds, one by one, and peel= off their skin. Place them on a baking sheet in an oven, preheated to 160^o=C (325^oF), gas mark 3, and roast until a golden colour. Leave them= to cool then cut them up in pieces. Place the hazelnuts on a baking sheet in t= he oven and lightly toast, then cool and chop them up. Mix the nuts together. Place the sugar and honey in a saucepan over a high heat and boil until the mixture changes colour to caramel. Drop in the nuts and mix well until blen= ded. Wet a baking sheet or a section of your worktop and pour the mixture on it, spreading it to a thickness of 1 cm. With a knife, mark some lines where you will cut when the mixture is cool. Leave it to get really cold before break= ing into pieces along the lines.

Erbe Aromatiche Herb= s

I never use herbs mixed in a bag (bouquet garni) in casseroles and st= ews. I like to see what kind, and how much, of each herb I put in: also I think herbs should be left in, not taken out like you would for a clove of garlic= . By the time everything is cooked you can hardly find the small leaves and they= add to the flavour. If you put a bag in, you will get the aroma, but there is always the danger you will forget to remove it from the dish. <= /o:p>

ALLORO   Bay= Leaves (Laurus Nobilis)

Not to be confused with the ordinary garden laurel. The very aromatic leaves are used a lot in cooking, and best used when fresh. Laurel has always been a symbol of glory, and a crown made with its leaves has been worn by poets, leaders and conquerors since early times. The origin of the laurel crown se= ems to be from Greek mythology. The very handsome Apollo fell in love one day w= ith a pretty nymph, Daphne. She did not like his attentions and fled, but not quickly enough; Apollo was able to cast his spell changing her into a laurel bush, then he proceeded to cut one of the branches and made a crown for his head. In this way he could show off his conquest. Not a very heroic or glor= ious effort on Apollo's side, but in those days perhaps the passion and supernat= ural power of a god was equal to any mortal act of valour. And so the custom of crowning with laurel descended from the heights of Olympus to the lower parts of the then-known universe. The use of laurel leaves has spread to kitchens, boudo= irs and bath water, making the laurel one of the most appreciated plants for its aromatic qualities.

BASILICO   Basil= (Ocimum Basilicum)

Basil will be found in every tin of Italian tomatoes as it is unthinkable to serve tomato sauce without the flavour of basil.

CAPPERI   Capers=

Capers are very common in Italy= and grow in cracks in old walls facing south. You can buy them preserved in jar= s.

FINOCCHIO Fennel=

(Foenicolum Dulce and Foeni= colum Vulgare)

There are two types of fennel: the cultivated one grows into a bulbous shape and is used in salads. The other grows wild, but you can grow it in y= our garden. The leaves, seeds and flowers are used with fish and meat.

AGLIO   Garlic (Allium Sativum)

You will notice that my recipes require little use of garlic. Garlic = must be used very carefully indeed. To rub the salad bowl or a roasting tin with= a crushed clove is enough to give the flavour. Some people like to add to the= ir salad a few chopped leaves from the growing garlic plant, which have a very mild flavour compared with the cloves. It is not true that all dishes from = the continent, Italian in particular, need garlic; in fact they are a minority, and, in nearly all my recipes, it should be removed at some point during cooking. I would like to add that, apart from keeping Dracula and your frie= nds away, it is also supposed to keep high blood pressure at bay, hence its com= mon description of 'poor people's doctor'. During October, in nearly every town, there is a special market day - la fiera delle cipo= lle e aglio' (the onion and garlic market) - when the produce of = the recent harvest is sold. Onions and garlic are sold in great quantities, the dried stems being plaited into enormous lengths. These dry stems find their use, too; old men in the villages smoke them in their pipes to calm toothac= he! No wonder it is also called 'the farmer's chemist'.

MENTA   Mint=

In Italy when mint is used, it is mostly the wild type.

PREZZEMOLO   Par= sley

Parsley is much used in everyday Italian cooking. It can even help against insect stings, chopped up to cover the spot.

ROSMARINO   Rose= mary (Rosmarinus Officinalis)

One of the most-used herbs is rosemary, and there is proof that it was appreciated since AD 300. The ladies of those days used it to preserve their youthful looks. Nowadays, it is an ingredient in many cosmetic preparations because of its perfume and tonic-like action. A bath with soaked rosemary leaves, yellow broom flowers and walnut leaves left overnight is supposed to give vigour and elasticity to your limbs.

SALVIA   Sage (Salvia Officinalis)

Sage is another indispensable herb in the kitchen. There is a saying, 'Why should he die if he has sage in his garden?' It is supposed to be a digestive, tonic and stimulant, as well as being useful to whiten your teet= h by rubbing a leaf on them. In ancient Egypt= women used to drink boiled sage as a fertility drug.

ZAFFERANO   Saffron= (Crocus Salivus)

Originally from the East, saffron is grown commercially in the Piemon= te region, but it will grow anywhere in = Italy= . In cooking it is used as a colorant, and you need 70,000 flowers to make 1 kg = of it!

Other Herbs - Maggiorana (marjoram), origano (oregano), santoreggia (wild orega= no), timo (thyme), ginepro (juniper). These herbs also find their = way into Italian dishes, especially the wild types whose unforgettable aroma pervades the hills and the mountains. I try to have my little corner of Ita= lian flavour in my garden, but I am afraid that most years it gets washed away w= ith the rain

Tartufi   Truffl= es

There are truffles and truffles, even “American truffles”, which&nbs= p; are really not truffles at all. They are in fact what we call "= Jerusalem artichokes" or topinambours. These have nothing to do with the real truffles. Truffles are a fungus, “Tuber Melanosporum”. In Italy= black truffles grow on the Marche’s and Umbrian Apennines. Their appearance and fla= vour resemble so much the French Perigord, that the French retailers have been k= nown to buy the cheaper Italian truffles and sell them through the world under t= heir Perigord label.

The season for truffle finding starts in October and= goes on until the end of March. From October until December one can find the les= ser sought type, "scorzoni", so called because they have a thick skin (scorza being slang for skin). White truffles are found mostly in Northen <= /span>Italy= ,Alba in Piedmont, being the centre of the truffle market.

Truffles grow wild, about 15-20 cm down, near the ro= ots of some particular trees, like oak, beech, and hornbeam.   During the last thirty years= the “Corpo Forestale", Forestry Commission, has cultivated them artificially in especially prepared ground-it takes fifteen years from the first implant to the time truffles can he-gathered and dug up with the help= of trained dogs. Keen truffle hunters can apply for a licence to be allowed to search for truffles. They also need to pass an exam to satisfy the Commissi= on that their dog has been trained and they know how much to let the dog scrape and how to cover again the spot, without damaging the spores for the next c= rop to come through. The dog can be a mongrel or any type of dog. He must be discouraged from being interested in birds and game of any sort. The hunter will make the dog smell a truffle, then show him where to scratch, also he = will place a small tuber under the earth and will encourage the dog to find it. = He must not let the dog eat it, although that will be his first reaction. The dog is taken hunting= early in the morning, without his usual breakfast and still hungry from the meagre meal he has been given the night before, so when .after some vigorous scrat= ches he uncovers a tuber, the hunter must be very quick and whisk from under the dog' s nose the precious finding or it will disappear in a flash. The dog' s reward will come later; a plate of steaming pasta (dog pasta, naturally) an= d a well deserved rest.

Truffles look like potatoes, black outside, with a knobbly skin. When cut, they = are whitish with marble like veins. Their odour is penetrating and lingers into your nostrils, their flavour is delicate. Truffles have been known and appreciated by ancient Greeks and Romans. Because of their price they are called "diamonds of the kitchen".They enhance the taste of many dishes, very rarely are eaten as a separate treat. You can use truffles gra= ted, chopped up in small pieces to flavour to. Pasta, risotto, polenta, meat dis= hes and omelettes. You scrape, wash and cut them in very thin slices or just gr= ate a little on top of your portion. One small truffle will go a long way. A good sauce for pasta is made as follows:   In a pestle, m= ake a puree with a truffle, a small clove of garlic and a few fillets of anchovie= s, then add a couple of spoons of olive oil. Mix well, add a few drops of lemon juice and warm all up in a pan. You can use this sauce also for fish. When making a white sauce for any dish, add some grated truffle, to give it a special flavour. If you want a real treat and expense is no object, cut some truffles in very thin slices, put them in a pan with a small knob of butter= and a sprinkle of grated parmesan. When the butter is melted and all is very wa= rm use it as accompaniment to any dishes you are serving. Truffles should be u= sed fresh but it could be necessary to keep them. To preserve their delicate ar= oma, they should be wrapped in foil. Also after cleaning you can keep them on a layer of rice in an hermetically closed jar. The white variety can be kept = for a maximum of 15 days, the black for up to thirty.

Fico - Albero Divino (degli Dei)

Fig "The tree of the Gods"

The fig tree was considered "tree of the Gods" in Greece= where it was protected by specially appointed people called "psychophants&qu= ot;. Also the Romans honoured it and made it sacred to Mars. Legend says that Romulus and Remus were loo= ked after by the she wolf under the shade of a fig tree, a tree as old as Creat= ion itself as Adam and Eve hid under its branches and covered themselves with i= ts leaves.    The fig c= ame originally from Asia Minor and spread from there to many Mediterranean countries especially Egypt= and Greece= .    Figs in Roman times we= re food of the plebs and of the slaves, but it is also a remedy to many illnes= ses. It increases the strength of the young, improves the health of the old and reduces the wrinkles. It was considered a remedy for skin diseases, hoarsen= ess and an aphrodisiac. In modern times figs are useful to fight inflammations = of the respiratory apparatus. They have anti-inflammatory property for the skin and are powerful laxatives. They are rich of sugar, proteins potassium and vitamins.

Agrumi Citrus Fruits

Citrus fruits are cultivated extensively in the south of Italy= a few miles south of Rome. Mandarin, lemon and orange groves are a wonderful sight when the tr= ees are laden with fruit, but in the blossom season the pleasure they give is n= ot only to the eyes; the perfume they exude is something out of this world. Ar= ound Sorrento they are grown in terraces which date back to the Romans. At some ti= me in the growing season the fruits need protection from the strong sun, and t= his is provided by pulling a light canopy over the trees. Orange blossom always used to be a symbol for weddings and they provided an ornament for the brid= es, in the same way as for young vestal virgins in ancient Rome. Now I understand = that the custom of orange blossom has changed to any flower the bride might fanc= y, disregarding the now inappropriate comparison with the vestal virgins. The juice from fresh lemons is always handy to fight minor stomach ailments whi= ch often go with the heat of Italian summers.

Viti Vines<= /o:p>

Italy offers a variety of good and well-known wines for every occasion. Children start drinking a little wine when they are very small, usually with a little water. Although people drink<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> at every meal, there is hardly any drunkenness; I had never seen anybody really drunk until the foreign troops appeared during wartime. The = vine is cultivated all over Italy. It is said that Noah planted the first one and was the first person= to discover the pleasant uplifting effect of its fermented juice, which since = then has brought cheer and good humour to people's tables. I have even seen chic= kens having a day of euphoria when by chance they ate the remains of the lees af= ter the wine making; they were lucky not to be killed on the spot because the farmer thought they had been affected by an unknown and very infectious disease! It is said that to get an abundant crop from your vines, it is good practice to bury the remains of dead animals nearby. A cheerful poet of the last century, Olindo Guerrini, left a spiritual testament saying:

Quando morro'lungo la terra mossa,

non piantate il cipresso e la mortella,

io la mia tomba non la voglio bella,

ma giovevole altrui piu' che si possa. ...

Piantateci una vite. Il suo giocondo,

il suo celeste grappolo spremuto,

diverra'vino ghiotto e rubicondo.

E cosi' benche' morto, il mio tributo

ai vivi paghero', rendendo al mondo

qualche goccia del vin che gli ho bevuto.

When earth's disturbed upon my death

Plant not myrtle on my grave

Nor cypress beauty will I have

But joyful use of mother earth.

Plant there a vine

Whose heavenly fruit, when squeezed

Yields ruby drops of wine.

Thus my tribute to the living

I, though dead can still repay

To the world my wine I'm giving.

Formaggi Cheeses

There are many types of Italian = cheese for eating and cooking, but I will limit my list to some of the best known.=

PARMESAN cheese (Parmigiano) is made with cow's milk and is one of the best-known Italian cheeses abroad. It originated in = Parma, hence its name, a= nd the best types are reggiano and lodigiano.<= /p>

PECORINO cheese (from pecora - sheep) is made with ewe's milk, and is supposed to have a special flavour because it = is made with the milk from the sheep that have grazed on the Apennine mountain= s, which are rich in aromatic herbs. You can get all sorts of different pec= orino, from every region, each with its individual taste or peculiarity of the are= a. PECORINO ROMANO comes from the plains around Rome and has the strong= est flavour of its kind. PECORINO SARDO (from Sardinia) is mild. There is also the PECORINO SICILIANO (from Sicily) which has whole peppercorns in it. A mixture

of cow and sheep's milk makes a soft cheese to eat fresh, called CACIOTTA. Pecorino cheese will be hard enough to grate about 8-10 mo= nths after making, and it must be kept in a dry room, on wooden slabs, and turned around each day. On polenta and some pasta dishes it is the rule to have gr= ated pecorino instead of Parmigiano. Some people prefer pecorino a= ll the time, like the people living in villages, who make their own. They will very seldom buy Parmesan, except for lasagne, because you cannot make a good dish of lasagne without Parmesan.

MOZZARELLA is fresh cheese made with buffalo milk. There are quite a few buffalo herds in the plains south of Rome and around = Naples.

DOLCELATTE (sweet milk) is similar to Gorgonzola.<= /o:p>

GORGONZOLA blue cheese, takes it’s name from Gorgonzola, near Milan.

<= b>PROVOLONE= and C= ACIOCAVALLO are strong cheeses, made in the shape of a pear, from the Campani= a region.<= o:p>

MASCARPONE from Lodi (= Milan) a mild cheese, of= ten used to make sweets.

GROVIERA, an imitation of the Swiss Gruyere.

STRACCHINO is a fresh and very soft cheese from Lombard= ia.

BEL PAESE ('beautiful country'), a mild, soft, creamy cheese.

Ricotta

Ricotta is not a cheese, contrary to what some people think, because = it contains no casein. The milk and whey left over from making cheese still has enough substance to coagulate into ricotta. The ricotta you can buy is all right to use for cooking, but for eating as a dessert in its natural state,= it is often too dry and heavy. Ricotta can be eaten on its own, sprinkled with sugar, with sugar and a little liqueur, or mixed with fresh fruit cut in sm= all pieces. If you find it difficult to obtain for cooking, the best thing to u= se is plain cottage cheese, without any flavour added, or some very mild cream cheese. If you live in the country you could perhaps obtain some ewe's milk= and make your own ricotta.

You will need about 7-8 litres of ewe's milk to make a reasonable amount-a ricotta a little smaller .than the ones you see in the shops - and= you need to make cheese first. Warm the milk in a large saucepan and when it is just tepid, stir in I teaspoon of rennet (the substance that you buy from t= he chemist which will make the milk coagulate). Take the saucepan away from the heat, cover it and leave it until the milk coagulates. It will probably take more than an hour. With your hands, collect all the lumps, squashing them together to make a round of cheese about 15cm (7 inches) in diameter. squee= ze out as much liquid as you can, then strain all the liquid into another saucepan, to collect all the small pieces of cheese left, which you will ad= d to the cheese round. Put the saucepan with the strained liquid on a very low h= eat. This liquid is slowly warmed up and brought to boiling point, but it must n= ot go on boiling. It will have a thick layer of froth and curds on top. It is = then strained through a very fine sieve or colander and left to drip until there= is hardly any whey left. It is then turned out on to a plate and it will have = the shape of the colander.

Frittate Omelettes

You can make omelettes using many different ingredients for the filli= ngs. In fact, you can use almost anything: mint, asparagus, parsley, artichokes, chicory, courgettes, dandelions, sausages, mushrooms, fresh garlic leaves, spinach, beet, onions, aubergines, basil leaves, marrow flowers - no limit to what you can use to mix with the eggs = to make a very tasty dish. I am only giving ideas of the things that make good= frittate, which in the spring car have the addition of many wild herbs. I think even = my husband should be able to clean and chop the vegetables, cook them for a few minutes in a little oil, and add the beaten eggs. Maybe, in fact certainly,= he wouldn't be able to turn the omelette, but you can also eat it without turn= ing; the result will be more moist and some people prefer it that way!

FRITTATA CON CIPOLLE E POMODORI

Omelette with Onions= and Tomatoes

This is one of the omelettes I like best. It reminds me of a special = time when I was expecting my first child and my husband would not call the docto= r because he was insisting I had stomach trouble caused by eating one of these omelet= tes!

Serves 2

1 large onion or 2 medium- sized

4 very ripe tomatoes=             &nb= sp;            =         a few drops olive oil

1 tablespoon margarine            &= nbsp;           &nbs= p; 3 eggs

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Peel and thinly slice the onions. In a non-stick frying pan, cook the= m in margarine until tender. Add salt and pepper. Dip the tomatoes in boiling wa= ter for a few moments, then skin, seed and finely chop them. Add them to the onions, season with more salt if necessary and stir, cooking for 15 minutes. Beat eggs well, with salt and pepper, and add to the mixture, adding a few drops of olive oil. Stir with a spatula and spread over the base of the pan, then turn the omelette and cook on the other side.

UOVA AFFOGATE Drowne= d Eggs

Serves 4

225g (8 oz) tin peeled tomatoes        &= nbsp;    1 teaspoon margarine

8 eggs  &n= bsp;            = ;            &n= bsp;            = ;            &n= bsp;   100 ml (3 ½ fl oz) water

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Strain the tomatoes through a sieve, so you have just the pulp and ju= ice. Pour this juice into a frying pan with the water, salt, pepper and margarine and simmer for about 15 minutes. Bring rapidly to the boil, then add the eg= gs, in, one at a time. (I would crack the eggs in a basin first. You never know, you may find a bad one which would spoil everything.) Keep boiling fast unt= il the eggs are cooked.

FRITTATA AI FUNGHI   Mushroom Omelette

Serves4

100 g (4 oz) mushrooms             =             &nb= sp;          corn oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper        &= nbsp;     6 eggs

Prepare the mushrooms by wiping them clean with a damp cloth (do not = soak them, because they get full of water). Slice them thinly. Season with salt = and pepper, and fry with very little corn oil for about 10 minutes, stirring of= ten. Beat the eggs with more salt, increase the heat under the flying pan and po= ur in the eggs. Stir gently. Turn the omelette when cooked on the underside. P= lace a large flat plate on top of the pan and invert the omelette on to it. Retu= rn to the pan and cook on the other side for a couple of minutes until set. Se= rve at once.

Pane Bread

Making bread used to be a weekly task for any Italian housewife in the rural areas where you could not buy fresh bread. They would all make their loaves at the same time, line them up on a long board, cover them with a cl= ean white cloth and a blanket (the bread must not be allowed to get cold), and = take them along to a communal oven, balancing the boards on their heads. It used= to be quite normal to see people carrying things this way, especially water pitchers. It is not too difficult once you have mastered it, providing you = don't get a sudden urge to look at your feet. Bread accompanies everything you ea= t in an Italian household and children are always told off for not eating enough bread. There will also be some grissini (brea= dsticks) on the table, because diet-conscious people think this will reduce their calorie intake, but they invariably end up eating both the bread and gri= ssini. Very little brown bread is consumed and you can only buy it in a few places outside big cities. It is also difficult to find pane a cassetta,= which is similar to loaves used for toast and sandwiches. Pane al= l'olio is considered to be the best bread.

Antipasti

Antipasto is a word which means ‘before the meal’ and not ‘before the pasta’, as some people may erroneously think, and it covers a whole range of appetizers. Most antip= asti consist of a variety of preserved meats which are called carni sa= late. Here is a list of common types of carni salate which y= ou can use as appetizers.

PROSCIUTTO Uncooked, preserved hind of pork, smoked in some regions The best-known prosciutto<= /i> is ‘Parma= ham’.

SALAME Mixture = of lean pork meat and lard, finely minced together and preserved with salt, pepper = and spices in skin (gut). There are lots of differe= nt types of salame: some have garlic; some a lot of garlic; others are spiced with a particular flavour; some are finely minced and some are of a = very rough texture. The names vary with the regions. Salame Milanese is the best for a non-Italian palate, but if you are adventurous and like to try regional specialities, the shopkeeper will very gladly advise you in li= ne with your likes and dislikes. All Italian food shops sell a variety of these meats. I have at times made my own, which is not a difficult thing to do, b= ut you do need a place to hang them, which has to be at the right temperature = with proper ventilation, and this is not usually possible in modern kitchens. The best parts of the pig’s gut are used to make salami and sausages. The= end bits are cut off and cured in a special way with aromatic herbs (mainly fen= nel) and spices. They are delicious grilled. In my home town’s dialect they are called ‘ciarimboli’, which literally means little bi= ts.

SALAME DI FABRIANO= This type of salame is typical of = the town that gives its name. It is made from very finely minced lean pork, from the best cuts of meat, then mixed with a small quantity of lard, cut into v= ery small cubes. It is seasoned with salt and whole peppercorns, then pushed in= to bags of gut. This is a very good type of salame and it is more expen= sive than others.

LONZA Loin of pork, preserved i= n a similar way to prosciutto.

CAPOCOLLO Literally ‘top of the neck’, shoulder preserved more or less in the same way. These last two types have a very similar taste to prosciutto, but they are less expensive.

MORTADELLA        Like a large solame, but it is the cheapest type, made with spiced minced pork, piec= es of lard and peppercorns. It is said that mortadella was originally made with donkey meat.

COPPA (SOPPRESSA in some regions) Cooked spiced pig’s head, cut into small pieces, preserved gut. =

COTECHINO These next two preserved meats are not used for antipasti= as they need cooking, but are used in main dishes. Cotechino looks like= a small salame, but it is very different, in the fact that the main ingredient in its making is the cotico or cotenna (skin) of t= he pig. The skin is put through a mincer a couple of times, then mixed with so= me lard and the cheapest cuts from the pig, and all minced together. It is reserved with salt, pepper and spices in gut. Cotechino has to be bo= iled and is eaten hot. The most popular way of eating it is either with lentils, beans or polenta

ZAMPONE     Za= mpone is very similar to cotechino, but the meat mixture is stuffed into a pig’s leg. (Zampa is the leg of an animal, zampone mean= s a big one.) The best known is zampone di Modena= ,

<= b>How to Cu= re Parma Ham=

Have you ever wished you could make your own prosciutto, the t= ype similar to the ham from Parma that is so expensive to buy? It is not at all difficult, providing y= ou have a little patience and an unheated garage or cellar, or just a cold dry room, where you can hang it during curing time.

The best time to start it is in September-October and it will be read= y by the next summer. I remember when I was a child my parents used to get a very big, freshly killed pig from a farm, which was then brought into the house = in two halves, placed on a table and left for about two days, head down, until= all the blood was drained from the flesh. After the blood had drained from the = pig, the expert on the subject, called il norcino, would come to transform the gruesome carcass into mouth watering fare. I used to be fascinated watching him work and I can still remember it all vividly. Now t= hat you can buy whole or half pigs from many farms in the country, you can make many of those delicious things that are usually sold in delicatessens and Italian shops at home, at a fraction of the cost.You do not have to buy a w= hole pig or even half of one to make your prosciutto. You only have to ask the farmer or the butcher to provide you with the whole of a hind leg&n= bsp; of a pig, the bigger the better. The shape should be rounded at the top, showing just a bit of = the bone of the hip joint. Cut off the trotter and make a hole where you can ha= ng it from. Wash and carefully dry the leg. Rest it on a tray. Have ready a basinful of table salt and one of sea salt. Sprinkle the meat abundantly, f= irst with the table salt, making sure you reach every bit of the leg, including = the bone that shows, on all sides. A lot of the salt will fall off, but leave i= t on the tray, then sprinkle some sea salt over and under the ham, as well as on= the skin, taking special care that the salt is sticking on to the bones and in every crevice. Leave the ham for forty days, turning it over every four or = five days and adding a little more salt where it has melted.

After the forty days, lift up your ham, get a clean cloth, dip it in wine and use it to wipe = the salt off the ham. Mop up any moisture from it. Clean and dry the tray with a clean cloth, then dust the ham with ground black pepper. How much? Just make it black! Espe= cially on and near the bones. Leave the ham flat on the tray for 3-4 days. Insert a big, strong ‘S’-shape hook in the hole you made near the top en= d of the leg and hang it from the ceiling of your garage, or a dry, cool (not freezing) room. Make sure it does not touch anything. Check it every week o= r so at first, less later, and add more pepper if necessary. If there is any moisture forming wipe it with a vinegar-soaked cloth, dry it and add more pepper, lots of ground black pepper. After about a month you can cover the = ham with very fine muslin, but make sure some air gets to it.

After a minimum of six = months the ham should be ready, depending on its size and weight. You can check by cutting a small slice. The flesh should be dry. If it is moist and it has n= ot yet acquired the dark pink-red colour of prosciutto, put more pepper= on the cut and leave it for, say, another month. If you are in doubt, wait. It= is better to wait a little longer than to cut it too early. What satisfaction I felt the first time I started my own homemade ham here in = London. I proved to my husband that it could be done in difficult conditions and limited space, af= ter he had threatened to throw it away every time he walked in the garage and banged his head on it.

While you are consuming your ham, keep it covered with a cloth, especially the exposed part, and hang it&n= bsp; again. Do not put it in the fridge or freezer. Always use a very sharp knife and cut it very t= hin. When you hit the bone, sta= rt cutting on the other side. If at any time, perhaps towards the end of it, the meat gets too hard and difficult to slice thinly, wrap it up with a damp cloth (a clean cloth, wrung out), and leave = it for a day or so, renewing the operation if necessary. The flesh will soften= and will cut very easily.

Antipasto al prosciut= to

Hors d’Oeuvre with Parma= Ham

Prosciutto is the antipasto par excellence. It is the Italian answer to Scottish smoked salmon. You can serve it on its= own with crusty bread, or with melon (preferably pink flesh but any melon will = do), or, best, with fresh green or dark figs. You can roll the sliced ham into sausage shapes and alternate them on the dish with thin slices of skinned m= elon or figs.

Antipasto di bigne`

Savoury Profiteroles

Makes 2-4

Make the bigne` as for sweet bigne`.    For the filling

1 tablespoon cornflour        &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;       25g (1 oz) butter

200ml (7 fl oz) milk        &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;             = 50g (2 oz) ham, diced

a pinch of salt

Make a white sauce: mix the cornflour in a saucepan with a little of the milk until dissolved, add the remaining = milk and salt. Stir over moderate heat, until the sauce starts to thicken, then add the bu= tter and remove from the heat. Leave it to cool, stirring from time to time, so a skin does not form on top. Ad= d the ham to the cold sauce. When i= t is completely cold, fill the bigne with a piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle, or a teaspoon= .

Pizzetta al prosciutto cotto

Italian Ham Pizza

Serves 6

225g (8 oz.) self-raising       flour        &= nbsp;           salt

150g (5 oz) mild Cheddar<= /i> cheese, grated<= /o:p>

75g (3 oz) soft margarin= e        &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;   100g (4 oz) ham, diced

150ml (¼ pint) double<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> cream           &nb= sp;    50ml (2 fl oz) water &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;

3 eggs

Make a pastry by mixing together the flour, margarine and salt until = the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add some of the water, a very little at= a time, enough to make it into a soft dough. Mix well, and roll it a few times with the help of a little flour if necessary. Chill for 15 minutes. Grease = a 5 x25cm (2 x 9 inch) ovenproof dish. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surfac= e into a circle and line the bottom = and sides of the dish. To make the filling, beat the eggs well and mix toge= ther with the cheese and ham. Mix = in the cream. Pour this mixture into the pastry case and cook in a preheated oven for about= 45 minutes at 180°C (350°F), gas mark 4.

Antipasto misto

Mixed Appetizers

Artichokes preserved in olive oil, sold in jars, come in two sizes. T= he smaller ones are the best. You can also buy tinned artichokes which have be= en boiled, if you use these, drain them well, mop up any surplus liquid and po= ur a little olive oil over them. The best oil is the type called ‘Vergine’, which is th= e oil that drips from very ripe olives, without even having to be squeezed. Leave covered for 1 hour before use, then use in the s= ame way as artichokes in jars. Yo= u can use tinned anchovies which are already filleted, but, if possible, I suggest you buy the ones called acciughe salate (salted anchovies) from an Italian shop. They are pressed in a big tub, deep in salt, and you buy them= by the weight. Scrape off the salt or, even better, put one at a time under the cold tap while you brush off the salt with your fingers. Mop up the moisture with a kitchen towel. Remove the bones by pulling apart the two halves of t= he fish. Lay the fillets on a plate and sprinkle a few drops of olive oil on them. T= hey have a much nicer flavour than the tinned variety.

Serves 6-8

8 slices buttered brown bread= , cut into thin slices

100g (4 oz) anchovies or 140g (5 oz) t= in anchovy fillets, drained

8 artichokes preserved in ol= ive oil      &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;

100g (4 oz) salame, casalingo or Mi= lanese        &= nbsp;

100g (4 oz) mortadella&n= bsp;            = ;            &n= bsp; capers

100g (4 oz) capocollo        &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;         100g (4 oz) Parma ham

100g (4 oz) best salame     =             &nb= sp;         green and black olives

= Lift the artichokes out of the jar letting the surplus oil drip back. Cut each articho= ke into quarters and arrange on a platter around the edge. Place the anchovy fillets on small strips of sliced buttered bread with one or two capers on top. Use these, together with the = green and black olives, to decorate= your dish. Fill the middle of the dish with the= salted meats. You can also add 2 thinly sliced hardboiled eggs with a rolled anchovy fillet = on top of each slice.

Crostini alle acciughe<= o:p>

Toasted Bread with Anchovies

Serves 4

50g (2 oz.) = butter        &= nbsp;          1 tinned red pepper, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon anchovy paste            = ;       black and green olives

6 slices brown bread

Soften the butter (take it out of the fridge earlier) and work it a little with a fork. When soft and easy to spread, mix it with the anchovy paste. Cut each slice of bread into two triangles, and toast under the gril= l on one side only. Spread the anchovy mixture on the toast. Cut the pepper into thin strips. Put one strip on top of each piece of toast together with half= an olive. Arrange the toast on a serving dish, with black and green olives bet= ween the pieces.

Tartine salate

Savoury Toasts

Serves 4

6 large slices brown bread        &= nbsp;           &nbs= p; 6 artichokes preserved in oil
3 hardboiled eggs

140g (5 oz) tin anchovy fillets        &= nbsp;        1 tinned yellow or red pepper

1 dozen stuffed olives        &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;          50g (2 oz) butter

184g (6½ oz) tin t= una        &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;         a few capers

Cut away the crusts of the bread with a sharp knife, then cut each sl= ice into 4 triangular or square shapes. Slice the eggs with an egg slicer. Prep= are the anchovy fillets by cutting them into small strips. Cut the olives in ha= lf. Drain and flake the tuna. Remove the artichokes from the oil and cut into t= hin slices, then do the same with the pepper. Keep all the ingredients separate. Melt the butter by placing it in a basin which is standing in a pan of boil= ing water. With a fork, dip each piece of bread into the butter, so that the bu= tter coats one side only. Place the bread on the grill pan and toast until golde= n. Arrange some of the anchovies, olives, tuna, artichokes, pepper and capers = on top of each one of the pieces of toast. They can look very attractive with a little imagination. You can use some mayonnaise to decorate them, using the smallest nozzle from an icing set, or by making a forcing bag with an envel= ope: take a white paper envelope, ordinary letter size, push a couple of spoons = of mayonnaise into one of the closed corners, then cut the point with a pair of scissors and, with your hands, screw up the other end of the envelope so the sauce gets pushed through the hole in the corner. I use ready made mayonnai= se if I am short of time, but when I can, I make my own as follows:=

MAYONNAISE

1 egg yolk&= nbsp;           &nbs= p;        100 ml(3 ½ fl oz) olive oil
a pinch of salt        &= nbsp;     1 tablespoon vinegar

Place the yolk in a basin with the salt. Using a fork or a hand whisk (not an electric one because you must work slowly), and mixing constantly, = add a little oil, drop by drop. Mixing slowly is the secret of well-made mayonnaise. As you add oil, the mayonnaise will thicken. W= hen it gets too thick, add a few drops of vinegar, then add more oil until it is all used. Use the rest of the vinegar at the end to achieve the right consistency. Refrigerate until ready to use.

LEMON MAYONNAISE

Make the sauce as above, adding the juice of 1 lemon, 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, 1 tablespoon finely chopped onions and a few chopped caper= s. Mix well and keep in the refrigerator. Serve with any cold dish.=

Crostini ai fegatini

Chicken Liver Toast Fingers

Take extra care when cleaning the chicken livers, making sure you rem= ove any part which has come into contact with the bile. If any part of the live= rs shows a discoloured yellowish patch, cut that bit off. It means that in the process of drawing the chicken entrails the bag containing the bile was perforated and the liquid has spilt on to the liver. Those parts will taste very bitter.

Serves 4

6 chicken livers, any membran= e removed and chopped

4 anchovy fillets, chopped        &= nbsp;           &nbs= p; 1 level tablespoon plain   flour<= /p>
1 medium-sized onion,finely s= liced         = freshly ground black pepper=

25 g (I oz) butter<= span style=3D'mso-tab-count:3'>        &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;                  salt (optional<= /o:p>

6 slices bread &n= bsp;            = ;            &n= bsp;            = ;    chopped fresh parsley

150ml (8 fl oz) white = wine

Sauté the anchovies and onion in the butter in a small pan, and when the onion is soft, add the livers. Cook for 2 minutes, add the wine an= d cook for another 5 minutes. Mix the flour into a paste with I tablespoon of wate= r, trying to avoid making lumps. Add it to the frying pan, mixing very quickly= and constantly. The mixture will thicken. Season with pepper but taste it before putting any salt in. Often when you use anchovies you do not need any more salt. Remove the pan from the heat. Cut the bread in triangular or rectangu= lar shapes, toast and spread with the mixture. Serve at once, sprinkled with parsley.

Pâté di to= nno

Tuna Pâté

Serves 4

100g (4 oz) butter, at room temperature    &nbs= p;

184g (6½ oz) tin t= una, drained

2 hardboiled eggs =             &nb= sp;            =             &nb= sp;       juice of 1 lemon

Take the butter out of the fridge and let it get soft. When ready, wo= rk it with a wooden spoon until creamy. Cool the eggs under the cold tap, then peel them and let them get completely cold. Chop the eggs, flake the tuna, = and mash with a fork until they become a paste. Add the creamed butter to the e= gg mixture with the lemon juice. Beat until well blended. Chill until ready to use.

Antipasto in gelatina

Antipasto in Aspic Jelly

Serves 6

184g (6½ oz) tin t= una, drained and flaked

115g (4 oz) tin cocktail<= /i> sausages, drained and diced

450g (1 lb) packet frozen= or fresh mixed vegetables

340g (12 oz) tin asparagu= s        &= nbsp;            2 tablespoons mayonnaise,

24g (0.85 oz.) = packet aspic jelly        &= nbsp;   1 tablespoon vinegar

2 hardboiled eggs, thinly sliced             190g (6.6 oz) = tin prawns

2 slices of <= i>ham, diced      = ;            &n= bsp;            12 capers

12 green olives, stoned and halved    &n= bsp;

12 black olives, stoned and halved plus extra to decorate

Dissolve the aspic jelly in 2 tablespoons of cold wa= ter, then add enough boiling water to make up 500ml (18 fl oz) liquid. Stir until the jelly is dissolved, then add the vinegar. Leave to cool, but do not let= it set. Meanwhile, prepare the rest of the ingredients. If using fresh vegetab= les, wash and boil separately until tender, then drain, add salt and cut = into small pieces. The following vegetables are suitable: green beans, cauliflower, peas, asparagus, carrots, celery, fennel and artichokes. If you use frozen vegetables as I suggest, it saves a lot of time and the result is just as good. Boil the vegetables according to the instructions on the pack= et, drain and cut into small pieces. All the ingredients must be left to cool. = When really cold, mix in two tablespoons of mayonnaise and stir gently to coat evenly. Put them aside. It is very important that all the ingredients are completely cold or the mayonnaise will melt and spoil the effect of the var= ious ingredients showing through the clear, transparent jelly. Some people call = this dish ‘on the mirror’.Wet the bottom of an ovenproof dish (6cm/2½ inches deep) and tip the water out. Pour in a few tablespoon= s of the cold gelatine, tilt to cover the base, then place the dish in the refrigerator until the jelly is set. Arrange the first layer, using all the ingredients to make a decorative pattern. Cover with more gelatine and retu= rn to the refrigerator to set. Continue in the same way until you have used up= all the ingredients. Put the dish in the refrigerator overnight or for a few ho= urs before serving it to make sure it is well set. To serve, turn out on to a serving dish and decorate by piping swirls of mayonnaise (see page 61 ) aro= und its base. (If it does not turn out easily, stand the dish for a few seconds= in a bowl with hot water, then invert on to the serving platter.) Serve with crusty bread, brown bread and butter or toast. The Italian way is with crus= ty bread, asItalians never serve bread and butter.

Antipasto ricco

Rich Appetizer

Serves 6

6 round tomatoes &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;          1 lettuce

2 125g (4.41 oz) tins sardines, drained

6 hardboiled eggs, halved=         &= nbsp;           &= nbsp; mayonnaise

a few radishes        &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;         1 tablespoon capers

Cut the tomatoes in half and remove the seeds and core from the middl= e, to make hollow bowls. Place an egg half in each tomato half. Scrape, wash a= nd cut the heads of the radishes in 4 sections, leaving a couple of inches of = the leafy part showing if possible. Wash and drain the lettuce, removing the le= aves at the base, and make a bed of leaves on a serving dish. Arrange the stuffe= d tomatoes, sardines and the radishes. Decorate with the capers and piped mayonnaise.

Budino di salmone

Salmon Mousse

This mousse can also Be made with tinned tuna, or with

leftover fresh salmon. Use the leftover egg yolk to make

mayonnaise (page 61).

Serves 4

213g (7½ oz) tin s= almon drained,     &= nbsp;    freshly ground black pepper

4 anchovy fillets, drained if tinned     &nb= sp;            =           1 egg     =

3 tablespoons fresh white     breadcrumbs        =         1 <= i>egg white

chopped parsley or parsley sprigs &n= bsp;            = ;            &n= bsp; lemon wedges<= /span>

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese        &= nbsp;           ma= yonnaise

Chop the salmon very finely, together with the anchovy fillets. When it looks like a= smooth paste add the breadcrumbs and Parmesan and season. Lightly beat together the e= gg and egg white, then add to the salmon mixture, mixing well to bind. Take a clean cloth, wet it and squee= ze the surplus water out. With your hands, shape the salmon mixture like a large sausage and wrap it in the wet cloth. Twist the ends and tie with cotton. Place it in a saucepan, cover wi= th water and bring it slowly to the boil. Simmer for 45 minutes. Remove it from the water, leave it to cool for about 10 minutes, then remove the cloth and leave the mousse to cool completely. Cut into slices with a very sharp knif= e. Arrange on a serving dish and decorate with lemon wedges, fresh parsley and some mayonnaise. Serve it with mayonnaise and crusty or sliced brown bread.=

Antipasto di vongole

Cockle Appetizer

Serves 4

lkg (2 lb) cockles        &= nbsp;          1 lemon

Clean and scrape the cockles. Rinse them several times until no sand = is left. Place them in a large saucepan over a low heat and cover. Shake the p= an occasionally and as soon as the cockles open, take them out and keep them h= ot. Any cockle that does not open must be thrown away. Serve them at once, squeezing lemon juice on top. Crusty bread or brown bread are equally suita= ble to accompany them.

Antipasto ai frutti di = mare

Seafood Antipasto

Serves 6

1.5kg (3 lb) mussels        &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;         ½ wineglass white wine

1 clove garlic        &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;             = 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1 medium-sized onion, peeled = and sliced     =    fresh white breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons olive oil

Scrape the mussels well with the blade of a knife, cut off the ‘beard’ and rinse them well several times, until you are sure y= ou have removed all the grit and sand from the crevices. Put them in a large frying pan over a moderate heat and cover. Shake the pan occasionally. As t= he mussels open, take them out and put them aside until they are all open. Thr= ow away any that do not open. Discard the half of every shell which is empty. = Do not throw away the cooking liquid. Arrange the mussels in their shells on a flameproof dish. In a frying pan, place the garlic and onion with the olive= oil and fry quickly. When the garlic is changing colour, add the wine and boil = for a few moments. Remove the garlic, then add 120ml (4 fl oz) of the cooking liquid from the mussels and the chopped parsley. Boil for 3-4 minutes or un= til the amount of liquid is reduced to half. Spoon a little of this on top of e= ach mussel. Using a teaspoon spread some breadcrumbs on top of each mussel and place the dish under a hot grill to brown for 3-4 minutes. With a fish slic= e, transfer the mussels on to a serving dish. Serve at once with brown bread or crusty white.

Insalata di riso

Rice Salad

This dish can be used either as an antipasto or to accompany a= ny cold dish. It may be of interest to know that there is always a debate goin= g on in Italian households: To wash or not to wash the rice?’ It all sprin= gs from the fact that before and during the Second World War there was propaga= nda in favour of not washing rice: ‘All the goodness and nourishment will= be washed away’, or ‘Starch is good for you’, and so on. The real hidden reason was that Italy was going through a bad patch, with the sanctions imposed on us because of Mussolini’s aspiration to a ‘place in the sun’, so any new practice that would stretch our precarious food supply and help to fill us up was more than welcome and dru= mmed into our ears, until anybody who washed rice felt like a traitor to the mot= herland.

Serves 6

450g (1 lb) long-grain ri= ce        &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;                 = 2 hardboiled eggs

50g (1¾ oz) tin a= nchovies drained with oil reserved

184g (6½ oz) tin t= una, drained with oil reserved     a few capers

50g (1 oz) black or = green olives, stoned  &nb= sp;              1= tinned red pepper

2 tablespoons French mustard        &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;         2 tablesp= oons olive oil

freshly ground black pepper        &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;    salt

Chop together the eggs, the pepper, the anchovies, the tuna and the olives. Clean the rice and pick out any grains that look dark in colour. Wa= sh it, changing the water several times to get rid of the excess starch. Put i= t in a saucepan with 2.5cm (1 inch) water above the level of the rice. Bring it = to the boil, then lower the heat, cover and let it simmer for about 15 minutes until tender. Drain in a colander, and rinse under the cold tap to cool it down. Drain thoroughly. Place the rice in a large dish and toss with the ol= ive oil, so the grains will not stick. Season, mix very well, then let it cool = down completely. When cold, add the French mustard, and when t= his is uniformly mixed, add all the remaining ingredients together with the anchovy and tuna oil. Stir well. You can also add small sections of preserved artichokes, any leftover pieces of cold chicken, flakes of cold salmon or o= ther chopped meat or fish.

Coppe di riso

Rice Cups

Serves 4-5 (about 18 ‘cups’)

100g (4 oz) long-grain ri= ce        &= nbsp;            1 slice of ham, diced

225g (8 oz) self-raising flour        &= nbsp;         2 tablespoons olive oil

75g (3 oz) margarine        &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;          2 teaspoons capers

50ml (2 fl oz) water<= span style=3D'mso-tab-count:4'>        &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;             = chopped fresh parsley

a pinch of saffron        &= nbsp;                 &= nbsp;          100g<= /i> (4 oz) stuffed olives

freshly ground black pepper        &= nbsp;          salt

2 tablespoons mayonnaise, and extra for decorating

Make the pastry by mixing the flour with the margarine, until the mix= ture resembles fine breadcrumbs, then add the water. Chill for 15 minutes. Roll = the pastry, fold over a few times, sprinkling with a little flour, then roll it= out to the thickness of about 3mm (¹/₈ inch). Grease a ba= king tin. Cut the pastry with a circular cutter or a glass rim and cover the bot= tom and sides of the tin. Push the pastry well down, then prick it at the bottom with a fork. This is to prevent it rising in the middle of the cups. Bake t= hese cups in a preheated oven for 20 minutes at 210°C (425°F), gas mark = 7. When cooked, take the cups out and place them on a wire rack to cool down. = Wash the rice and put in a saucepan with water 5cm (2 inches) above the rice, th= en add the saffron. Bring it to the boil and simmer for about 15 minutes or un= til the rice is tender. Drain and tip it into a dish to cool completely. Season= . When cold, mix in the olive oil, capers,

mayonnaise, parsley and ham. Fill the pastry cups using a teaspoon an= d on top of each one place a stuffed olive. Arrange the cups on a serving dish a= nd decorate with a little mayonn= aise.

Uova a sorpresa<= span lang=3DEN-GB style=3D'font-size:16.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt'> - Surprise Eggs

The following dishes are made with hardboiled eggs that have had the yolks removed and are stuffed in special ways

UOVA CON SCAMPI        Eggs with P= rawns

Serves 4

6 hardboiled eggs =             &nb= sp;            = a few capers

184g (6½ oz) tin p= rawns        &= nbsp;       mayonnaise to decorate

Cut the eggs in half and remove the yolks, making a clean cut. Drain = the prawns and chop half of them into small pieces, then mix them well with the yolks. Fill each egg half with this mixture. Put a whole prawn on top with a couple of capers. Arrange the egg halves in a dish, decorating each with a little mayonnaise.

UOVA CON ACCIUGHE            E= ggs with Anchovies

Serves 4

6 hardboiled eggs        &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;      2 tablespoons mayonnaise

50g (2 oz) butter        &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;        4 slices of bread

4 anchovy fillets, finely cho= pped

Cut the eggs in half and remove the yolks. Then mash the yolks with a fork, adding the butter. When these two ingredients are well blended, add t= he anchovies. Mix well and add 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise. Fill the egg whites with this mixture (there will be some left over). Cut each slice of bread i= nto two triangles. Toast them one side only and spread the toasted side with the leftover mixture.

UOVA CON SALMONE             Eggs with Salmon

Use leftover salmon if you have any.

Serves 4

6 hardboiled eggs =             &nb= sp;            =           2 teaspoons capers

112g (4½ oz.) tin = salmon,    drained      2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 tablespoon parsley, chopped        &= nbsp;      a few lettuce leaves, washed and dried

12 small, whole, pickled onion= s

Cut the eggs in half and remove the yolks. Finely chop the salmon, th= en mix it With the yolks to form a paste, and use to fill the egg whites. Arra= nge the eggs on a serving dish on a bed of lettuce leaves. Mix the onions and capers with the mayonnaise and place them in the middle of the dish. Decora= te with parsley. If there is any of the salmon mixture left, spoon it out here= and there as you please.

Giardiniera di verdura<= o:p>

Mixed Pickled Vegetables<= /span>

These are preserved vegetables that you buy in jars; you can choose mushrooms, baby marrows, green, yellow and red peppers,   carrots,   artichokes,   aubergines and cucumbers, for example. They a= re first scalded in vinegar, then sealed in jars, covered with olive oil. The strong vinegar taste is modified, and the vegetables have just a trace of piquancy. They are a very useful accompaniment to ham and salame as a winter antipasto, or they can be served together with any dish when fresh vegetables are scarce. You can take a little at a time from a jar and= the rest will keep, as long as you top up with more oil.

Carciofi lessati

Boiled Artichokes

Serves 4

1 globe artichoke per person wi= th ½ teaspoon butter per artichoke, or a l= ittle olive oil and lemon juice, or mayonnaise=

2 lemons or juice of 1 lemon and a few drops of vinegar                 salt

Always choose fresh, compact, green artichokes. Trim the stems level = with the leaves, but do not throw the stems away. Prepare a large bowl of cold w= ater with some lemon juice or a few drops of vinegar. Discard the outside leaves= of the globes, but not too many, then proceed to trim the top of the leaves (c= ut off about ½ cm/¼ inch) with a very sharp knife. Shake the artichokes with your fingers so they will open a little. Wash well, then pl= ace them in the bowl of water, one at a time, so they will not discolour. Rinse them well, drain and arrange in a saucepan, heads down, with water to cover. Add salt and the juice of one lemon. Boil them for 5 minutes, then reduce the heat and let them simmer for about 45 minutes, until tender. Try= one of the outside leaves, to check if they’re done. If the base is cooked they are ready. Drain well, place them in individual dishes, and put in the middle of each one a knob of butter, if you serve them hot. If you prefer t= hem cold, leave them to cool and serve with a little olive oil and lemon juice = or mayonnaise. To eat globe artichokes, detach each leaf with your fingers, ea= ting the tender part at the base. As you get nearer to the heart, the leaves wil= l be tender all over and you can eat the lot. The stems are also edible. Peel th= em, cut into sections and proceed in the same way as for the leaves. Instead of serving artichokes whole, you can quarter them before boiling, in which case you will have to discard all the outer leaves before cooking.

Pinzimonio

Crudité Sauce

Pinzimonio is a sauce for raw vegetables.     Serves 4

2 hearts of celery             =             &nb= sp;            8 tablespoons olive oil

6 medium-sized or 4 la= rge carrots     = ;     8 radishes

2 fennels   &nb= sp;            =                        =              freshly ground black pepper

Cut the celery stems at the base, scrape and wash them. Cut the ste= ms into sections, and then into thin strips. Scrape and wash the carrots and c= ut them into strips. Clean the fennels, discarding the outside leaf, then divide th= em into 8 sections each, and wash. Scrape the radishes and cut them into quart= ers, then wash them. Rinse all the vegetables well and drain. Use one saucer per person. In each saucer mix 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Dip the strips of raw vegetables into this mixture as you eat them with crusty bread and mop up with some bread any leftover sauce.

Pane all’aglio

Garlic Bread

The best type of bread for this purpose is a crisp white loaf. Cut so= me slices and toast them on both sides. Rub a clove of garlic on the toast and sprinkle it with a little of the best olive oil. Wrap a napkin around to ke= ep it hot. Serve at once.

Olive e olio d’ol= iva

Olives and Olive Oil

Olives grow in many parts of central and southern Italy= and are indispensable in the preparation of antipasti. In many homes they are preserved in very big earthenware jars. The trees do not withstand seve= re winters, and are very precious to their owners: an olive tree takes twelve years to bear fruit, and can live for hundreds of years. It is said that the olive trees on the Mount of Olives, under which Jesus used to sit and talk to his disciples, still grow= . In the olive groves the trees are never planted near one another, and you will never find an olive tree with a straight trunk, without holes and niches. A legend says that this is because the devil, in a fit of temper, hit them ve= ry hard with his horns as he was trying to hide in an olive grove and found th= at it was impossible to do so because the trees were too far apart. Olive oil = is used in the home in many ways, not only for cooking. A little of it on a pi= ece of bread, with pepper and salt, makes a very tasty open sandwich which Ital= ians call panzanella. It is good for your hair, warmed up and rubbed into= the scalp, and for your skin - a small amount in a piece of cotton wool will he= lp to soften roughness on elbows and heels - and equal parts of olive oil and water, well beaten together, will bring relief to sunburn. There is no end = to its uses and usefulness. During the war my brother swallowed a nail, and there was not a doctor for mi= les around. It was only thanks to my mother putting him on a diet of bread soak= ed in olive oil that he escaped from this mishap in good health.

Black olives= are a good accompaniment to any antipasto or cold snack, but I think they = need a little ‘doctoring’ to make them really tasty. Put them in a colander, rinse under cold water, then drain well. Mop up any moisture with= a paper towel. Mix 450g (1 lb) olives with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, so they are well coated, and sprinkle with a generous amount of dried fennel flower= s. Mix well, cover and leave in the refrigerator for two hours before using. K= eep them stored in the refrigerator. Instead of fennel flowers, you can use cho= pped orange

rind, cut very thinly. Another alternative is to mix the olives with chopped fresh garlic leaves and basil.

Olive farcite

Stuffed Olives

Stuffed olives are very expensive, so if you can spare the time why n= ot prepare them at home? You only need a little patience. Take a very sharp, pointed knife and peel off the olives from their stone, in a continuous circular motion, rather like when you peel an orange. In this way you can t= ake the stones out and then roll back the olives to look whole again. Chop up o= ne preserved red pepper, one pimento, some capers, a couple of anchovy fillets= , a gherkin and a preserved artichoke, or anything else you may like to use. Fi= ll each olive with some of the bits you have prepared.

Arance e olive nere

Oranges= and Black Olives

Serves 4

4 large oranges        &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;      freshly ground black

100g (4 oz) black olives<= /i>        &= nbsp;                  pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil        &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;        salt<= /span>

Peel and slice the oranges, removing the pith, then cut them into sma= ll sections. Wash the olives in a colander under the cold tap. Drain them well= and dry with a paper towel. Mix together the olives and oranges, and place in a bowl. Pour over the olive oil, add pepper and a very little salt. Mix well,= and serve with crusty bread.

Arance alla griglia

Grilled Oranges

1 orange per person        &= nbsp;           &nbs= p; olive oil

sugar or salt

Peel the oranges, removing the pith, and cut them into slices ½= ;cm ( ¼ inch) thick. Arrange the slices on an enamel plate and sprinkle = them with a little sugar and a few drops of olive oil. Place the plate under a h= ot grill for a few minutes, until the sugar is all dissolved, then serve at on= ce while they are still very hot. Some people prefer to sprinkle the slices wi= th salt instead of sugar. Try both ways and see which you like best. Either way they are delicious, as an appetizer, for a quick snack or with any cold dis= h.

‘Becche’ (semi di zucca)

Marrow Seeds

The name becche is slang for marrow seeds which have be= en roasted and salted. You can see them on sale in kiosks, at football matches, parks and cinemas, and there are still street sellers who will carry a huge sack of them across their shoulder and sell them along the road in small cartons. I know one of these vendors who shouts “Passatempi’= (time fillers) to advertise h= is merchandise of becche, lupini (lupins) and nocciole (monkey nuts). To make becche you n= eed a big, ripe, yellow marrow. It must be very ripe so that the seeds are fully developed. If it is really ripe, when you cut the marrow in half the seeds = will not stick to any part of the flesh but come out clean and dry. Cut the marr= ow and take all the seeds out. Wash them well getting rid of any bits of membr= ane, until they do not feel slimy any more. Drain them and mop the surplus water with a piece of kitchen paper, but leave them a little damp. Sprinkle them = with fine table salt until they are well coated with it. Put them on a baking tr= ay, one layer only, and place the tray in a hot oven for about 15 minutes. They must not roast, but they will be ready as they start to change colour. Leave them to cool. The secret of opening the seeds easily, to take the inside of= the seed out to eat, is to hold them by the rounded part and put the pointed pa= rt between your front teeth. Put a small amount of pressure on the point (vertically) and the seed will crack open in no time.

Lupini

Lupins

Lupins are a type of pulse but are not cooked like others because they are not very nutritious. The plants grow quite tall, with big seed pods whi= ch dry in the sun before harvesting, if you walk through them they will jingle like bells. A legend says that it was because of this that they were cursed= by the Virgin Mary. During the flight into Egypt= , Mary took refuge in a field of lupins which were ready to be harvested to avoid = the soldiers who were pursuing her. The pods were making a lot of noise as she crouched in the middle of them, and fearing the soldiers would hear, Mary turned to the plants and cursed them, saying, ‘You will be of no use = to anybody. ‘ So it is that, no matter how many lupins you eat, you will never fe= el satisfied, which explains the uselessness of the plant and why they are cal= led just ‘passatempi’.

<= b>Minestre,= Risotti e Gnocchi

Soups, Risotto and= Gnocchi

Italians are very fond of soups: in nearly all the homes in the morni= ng there will be a tall saucepan simmering either with meat broth or vegetable broth or minestrone, to be ready by lunchtime. Nearly all Italian working m= en go home in the middle of the day for their lunch, as well as the children w= ho do not have afternoon school, so the housewife has the task of preparing a = meal at midday. Meat broth is strained, and some small kind of pasta cooked in it, while the meat, bollito, will be the second course, accompanied by s= ome seasonal vegetables or by a giardiniera of preserved ones in the win= ter. Some families, who have to stretch their budget, will probably have cheese after the soup or salame or ham, leaving the meat from the broth for their evening meal. It will probably be served with some sauce, together wi= th potatoes or other vegetables and bread. Soup plates vary a lot in size: Ita= lian ones are much bigger than the soup bowls you buy in England= , for example. But I always count two ladles (340ml/l I fl oz) per person, which = seems to be about the right amount.

Bought Pasta

There are so many shapes and sizes of pasta for soups or for pasta= sciutta, which literally means 'dry pasta', and describes any pasta drained and served with a sauce, in contrast to a pasta dish with liquid in it, like a soup. Leaving aside the home-made pasta, pasta bought by the kilogram comes= in many different shapes and is referred to by many different names. The best = type to look for when you buy it are the pasta all'uovo (made with eggs) which are not completely smooth but have little ridges on them. I have only noted the names that translate easily because you will find that the names = of a good
many pasta types come from southern dialect (wheat is extensively cultivate= d in the south, and hence most of the pasta factories are there), and these are untranslatable! In recent yea= rs Italian chefs have updated some traditional dishes giving them new names if= not a new appearance or taste. So now we have dishes like "STROZZAPRETI= 221; (priest stranglers) "PASTA DEL FRATE" (friar’s pasta) "MALTAGLIATI&q= uot; (badly cut) "CAPPELLI DI PRETE" (priests hats) and then BALANZONI, AGNOLONI and so on. Any strange word is good enough to give an idea of something new that is not new at all

Croutons

You need the bread to be at least one day old. Cut slices of about l = cm (1/2 inch) thick, take off the crust, cut the slices into strips about l cm (= 1/2 inch) wide, then cut these into squares. If you like, you can cut the bread into fancy shapes. The croutons may be fried in boiling oil or soaked in st= ock and browned on a greased tin in a hot oven. They should be golden in colour= . If fried, place them on some kitchen paper to drain well after cooking. <= /o:p>

Brodo di manzo

Beef Broth

This broth is the basis of many Italian soups. The secret of a good t= asty broth is to add the salt first and bring to the boil very slowly.

Serves 4

450g(1 lb) stewing beef,            = ;     1 medium-sized carrot,   ch= opped

trimmed and cut into=    2.5cm (1 inch) cubes 1 stick celery, chopped

2 litres (4 pints) water             =             &nb= sp;    1 medium-sized onion, sliced

1 medium-sized tomato, halved            = salt

Place the meat in a saucepan with the water and some salt. Very slowly heat and bring it to the boil. Add the tomato,carrot, celery and onion. Let= it simmer for about 3 hours, using a slotted spoon to remove any scum from the surface. When the broth is ready, lift out the pieces of meat, put them in a basin with one ladle of the liquid, then cover it and keep it hot. Strain t= he broth, if you want it to be clear, do not squash the vegetables, but it's u= p to you. It should not be too fatty, because you will have trimmed any fat off = the meat. Adjust the amount if necessary by adding more water and salt if the liquid has reduced too much during boiling.

Brodo di cappone

Capon Broth

When I think of capons my mind goes back to a hot Italian summer's da= y, the day of the making of capons. The figure of an old woman who came to my grandmother's farm sometime in July has stuck in my memory since I was a ch= ild. We used to call her 'the witch'. She was fat with long grey hair piled high= on the top of her head and she wore on the top a black scarf knotted at the na= pe of her neck. She was considered a sort of visiting witch who, by her magic powers, would change the cockerels into capons. It would be possible to sle= ep in peace after she had taken away their power of crowing, and our early mornings would be disturbed no more by their almost continuous chicchiri= chi. The woman had very fat, greasy hands, and a similarly greasy smile whic= h would make us children shiver with fright in case we incurred her displeasure. We= did not understand then that her magic powers lay in her basket, in the shape o= f a pair of sharp scissors, a needle and thread. She would sit on a stool under= a shady tree. The cockerels would be gathered, their legs tied with a piece of tape, and they would be waiting at her feet for the treatment which they wo= uld receive one by one, after which they would be set free, unable to move for a while, then would start jerking until they got enough strength to hop to a = spot in the shade to recover, while the woman was left with a plateful of testic= les and combs. (These are a great delicacy made into a sort of pate spread on f= resh bread. I do not think I will bother to give you the recipe!) To me, then, a mere seven-year-old, this was the height of witchcraft. <= /p>
Serves 6-7

1 capon, about 2kg (4 lb)            =             1 medium-sized onion, sliced

2.75 litres (5 pints) water             =            1 carrot, chopped

1 tomato quartered &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;       4 basil leaves

1 stick celery, chopped            =             &nb= sp;    salt

Clean the capon, washing it well inside and out. You can please yours= elf as to whether you cut it in quarters or leave it whole. Place the capon in a= large saucepan over moderate heat with salt and t= he water. Heat it slowly and bring to the boil, then add the vegetables. Cover= and simmer slowly for about 3 hours. Add more water and salt if necessary. When= the broth is ready, lift the capon out and keep hot until ready to serve. Strain the broth and use it to cook cappelletti.

Minestra con frattaglie di polio

Chicken Giblet Soup<= /p>
This soup can be made with capon, chicken or turkey broth. When making the broth as described above, include the bird's giblets (gizzard, liver and heart). When the broth is cooked, remove the giblets and cut them into very small pieces, then return to the strained broth. With this soup, homemade f= resh quadretti are a must. You need 300ml (1/2 pint) of broth and 65g (2 1/2 oz)= of pasta per serving. If you would like to try this soup and do not have chick= en broth available, buy some giblets and proceed as follows:=

Serves 4

2 sets chicken giblets &n= bsp;            = ;                 1 stick celery

1.75 litres (3 pints) water            =             2 basil leaves

2'/2 chicken stock cubes             =              homemade pasta

1 medium-sized carrot            &n= bsp;            = ;    1 medium-sized onion

grated Parmesan cheese, to serve           1 tomato    =

Clean the giblets (pull the inner skin off the gizzards) and wash them all well. Make the broth in the same way as the capon broth above. Cook the quadretti in the strained broth adding the small pieces of giblets. Serve w= ith grated Parmesan.

Riso e piselli

Thick Rice and Pea Soup

Serves 4

275 g (10 oz) rice (any type, but Italian recommende= d)

450g (1 lb) fresh peas, shelled           &nbs= p;             = salt

4 rashers rindless unsmoked bacon, diced      1 litre (1 3/4 pints) water

1 beef stock cube&nb= sp;            =             &nb= sp;   a pinch of fresh chopped basil  &n= bsp;

75g (3 oz) margarine             &n= bsp;       grated Parmesan cheese, to serve

Wash the rice. Place the bacon in a large saucepan and heat it very slowly so that the fat melts. Add the margarine and the basil, then after a= few minutes add the peas and the rice and season. Stir from time to time, until= the peas are tender. Dissolve the stock cube in the water and add to the rice. Bring it to the boil and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the rice is tender. Add more salt if necessary. Serve with Parmesan cheese. =

Stracciatella

Egg Soup

Stracciatella is an exquisite soup, and very quick to make. It is best made with beef or chicken broth, but as a la= st resort it can also be made with stock cubes. This soup also has the advanta= ge of not spoiling if not served at once. You can leave it and reheat it witho= ut the soup losing its flavour or consistency.

Serves 4

1.25 litres(2 1/4 pints) beef or chicken broth, or 3 stock cubes dissolved in water

3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese        &= nbsp;           2 eggs

3 tablespoons fresh white     bread crumbs            = ;   salt

a pinch of ground cinnamon

Beat the eggs well, add salt and pepper, the cinnamon, bread crumbs a= nd the Parmesan cheese. Mix very well, while bringing the broth to the boil. T= ake one ladle of the broth from the pan and mix it with the mixture, stirring w= ell. Tip this back into the boiling broth, stirring continuously for about 1 min= ute, while it boils. Serve at once, with croutons, toast or just as it is.<= /o:p>

Riso all’uovo<= /p>
Thick Rice and Egg Soup

Serves 4

400g (15 oz) rice&nb= sp;                &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;    2 teaspoons butter

4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese           2 eggs      &nb= sp;

Wash the rice. Put it in a large saucepan, with the salt, and enough water to come about 3cm (1 ½ inches) above the rice. When it comes to the boil, lower the heat, cover, and let it simmer for about 15-20 minutes until tender. By then there should be hardly any water left, but the rice should not be too dry either; it should look like a thick soup, so adjust w= ith a little water if necessary. If you have added any water, bring it to the b= oil again. Beat the eggs, season and add them to the rice, mixing quickly, then remove the pan from the heat at once. Add the butter, stirring constantly to mix. Serve in soup plates, with 1 tablespoon of grated Parmesan on top of e= ach portion.

Minestra di ceci

Chickpea Soup

Serves 4

450g (1 lb) chickpeas           1 sprig of rosemary

75ml (3 fl oz.) olive oil             =       4 anchovy fillets, chopped

1 clove garlic =             &nb= sp;           1 medium-sized onion,chopped

Rinse the chickpeas, being careful that there are no bits of grit or little stones, then soak them overnight in a basin. (Make sure the basin is about double the size of the amount of beans as by morning their volume will more or less have

doubled.) Place 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large saucepan ov= er moderate heat and add the garlic, onion, rosemary and anchovy fillets. When= the onion is tender, discard the garlic. Boil the chickpeas in a pressure cooker with salt for the time specified in the instruction manual. Or simmer for 1 hour or more until tender. When the beans are cooked, mix them with the oth= er ingredients, adding more boiling water as necessary to make up enough soup = for 4 servings. Serve the soup, mix 1 teaspoon of olive oil into each portion.<= o:p>

Minestrone

A mixture of spinach, beans, courgettes, peas, tomatoes, one small potato, 2 sticks of celery, a little parsley, 2 big carrots, or any other vegetables you like, can be added to make minestrone. I am not giving exact weights for the different types, because you can put in what you have avail= able without being too fussy, as long as you have the right amount when they are= all clean.

Serves4

1 kg (2 lb) mixed fresh vegetables, washed and chopp= ed &n= bsp;

1.25 litres (2 1/4 pints) boiling water          100g = (4 oz) margarine

grated Parmesan cheese, to serve                freshly gro= und black pepper

Melt the margarine in a large saucepan. Add the chopped vegetables, season and cook them very slowly, stirring from time to time. Make sure the= y do not stick to the pan. When the vegetables are tender, add boiling water to = make enough for 4 servings. Serve minestrone with toast and grated Parmesan chee= se.

Minestrone passato=

Strained Minestrone

Use the same vegetables as in the previous recipe.<= /p>
Serves 4

100g (4 oz) margarine             &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;   550 ml (1 pint) boiling water

1 kg (2 lb) mixed fresh vegetables, washed and chopp= ed

150 ml (1/4 pint) double cream          grated Parmesan cheese, to serve

freshly ground black pepper            =        salt

Make the minestrone as in the previous recipe up to the point where t= he vegetables are cooked. Remove the vegetables from the pan, and let them cool down a little. Put them in a liquidizer and blend to a smooth puree. Pour t= his puree into a saucepan, add the boiling water and the double cream. Stir wel= l, bring to the boil, check the seasoning, and serve at once with a little gra= ted cheese sprinkled on top. Remove from the heat as soon as it reaches the boi= l or the cream may curdle.

Minestra di patate=

Potato Soup

Serves 4

100 g (4 oz) m= argarine        &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;       2 beef stock cubes

4 large potatoes,= peeled and cubed       225 g (8 oz) pasta for soups

grated Parmesan cheese= , to serve    &= nbsp;      salt

freshly ground b= lack pepper

Melt the margarine in a saucepan over moderate heat and add the potat= oes, salt and pepper. Stir very often, while the potatoes cook slowly. When they= are soft, add the stock cubes dissolved in 150 ml (1/4 pint) boiling water. Bri= ng the soup to the boil again, adding enough water to make 1.25 litres (2 1/4 pints) liquid. Return to the boil, add the pasta, stirring often, and simme= r, stirring frequently, until the pasta is tender. Serve it with grated Parmes= an cheese.

Pasta e fagioli

Pasta and Beans

At the end of the summer in Italy= , you can buy fresh beans to be shelled which are quick to cook and do not require soaking like dried beans. Their taste is definitely superior and it is a tr= eat to make a soup with them, because they are on sale only for a few days. I h= ave never seen them here, but if you grow French beans in your garden it is wor= th leaving the last of the crop to use them this way. Lleave them on the plant until the pod dries up. If you do not have time to make home-made pasta quadretti, substitute packet tagliatelle cut into little squares=

Serves 4

225g (8 oz) h= ome-made pasta     &nbs= p;           =

750g (1 ½ lb)= beans, unshelled weight&nb= sp;         &= nbsp;

2 tomatoes, peele= d, seeded and chopped   &n= bsp;     100 g (4 oz) margarine

I medium-sized on= ion, peeled and chopped <= span style=3D'mso-tab-count:1'>     salt=

gra= ted Parmesan cheese, to serve              6 fresh= basil leaves, chopped

Cut up the pasta. Shell the beans and wash them. Melt the margarine i= n a saucepan over a moderate heat with the onion and basil. Cook it slowly until the onion is soft, then add the beans and salt. Stir and cook for 5 minutes, then add the tomatoes and 50ml (2 fl oz) water. Go on stirring often, until= the beans are soft, then add enough water to the soup to make 1.25 litres (2 ¼ pints). When it boils again, drop in the pasta and cook for 5 minu= tes. (If you are not using fresh home-made pasta, the cooking time will be much longer.) Adjust the seasoning, and serve at once with grated Parmesan chees= e.

Passatelli

Strained Paste Soup

Serves 3

900 ml (1 ½ pints)= broth or stock         &= nbsp;          2 eggs, beaten

3 tablespoons fre= sh white bread crumbs  &nb= sp;      1 tablespoon plain flour

grated Parmesan= cheese, to serve

Make t= he broth, not filling the saucepan more than three-quarters full. Mix the flou= r, bread crumbs and egg together to make a soft dough. Season with salt. Place= the dough, a piece at a time, in a colander with holes about ½ cm (1/4 inch) in diameter and push it thro= ugh making little tubes. Cut these into small sections with a sharp knife as th= ey are squeezed through and let them drop into the boiling broth. When .you ha= ve finished, stir and let boil for 5 minutes. Serve with a little Parmesan.

Riso e fagioli borlotti

Rice and Beans

Serves 6

300g (10 oz.) dried beans             =

2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped

4 tablespoons olive oil                       a small piece of pimento, chopped

4 slices unsmoked streaky bacon     1 stick celery, chopped

1 onion, peeled and chopped           450 g (1 lb) rice, wash= ed

Clean the beans and remove any which are broken or discoloured. Soak overnight in a large basin, taking into account that the beans will swell to double the original size. Next morning, boil the beans in a pressure cooker= for about 10 minutes, then rinse them in hot water and keep hot. Put the oil in= a large saucepan over a moderate heat, with the bacon, onion and celery. Stir= and cook slowly until the onion is soft and the bacon crisp, then add the beans, tomatoes and pimento a= nd season with salt. Continue simmering for about 20 minutes, adding 1 tumbler= of water. Add the rice and ½ litre (18 fl oz) boiling water. Stir and simmer until the rice is cooked (about 15-20 minutes). If it gets too thick, add another ½ tumbler of water. Stir often and do not let the rice stick to the bottom of the pan. This soup should be quite thick, like a risotto, so if you need to add some water to finish cooking the rice, add o= nly ½ tumbler at a time.

Minestra di cipolle

Onion Soup

Serves 6

150g (5 oz.) = butter        &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp; 4 eggs, lightly beaten

1 large onion, peeled and sliced    =          freshly ground black pepper

6 tablespoons gra= ted Parmesan cheese   =         ½ litres (2 pints) water

2 tablespoons plain flour        &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;           &= nbsp; 6 slices toast, to serve

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over moderate heat, add the onion= and cook for 3-5 minutes until soft. Mix the flour with 2 tablespoons of cold water, making a smooth paste. Boil the remaining water and gradually mix it with the paste and return to the pan, then add salt. Boil for 30 minutes. I= n a large basin, mix the eggs with the Parmesan, then add the broth to this mix= ture, a ladle at a time,stirring well. Adjust the seasoning and serve at once with toast.

Minestra di spinaci

Spinach Soup

Serves 4

500 g (1 lb) spinach             &n= bsp;         600ml (1 pint) boiling water   &nb= sp;

freshly ground black pepper         a pinch of ground cinnamon

350ml (12 fl oz) milk             &= nbsp;        2 tablespoons grated Parmesan

2 beef stock cubes &= nbsp;               salt=

Clean and wash the spinach well. Drain as well as you can. Cut it up = very small, then cook in a saucepan over moderate heat, stirring often until ten= der. Season. When the water from the spinach has evaporated, add the milk and the cubes dissolved in the boiling water. Mix the cinnamon with the Parmesan and add to the soup. Serve with croutons on top.

Minestradi fave

Broad Bean Soup

Serves 4

2 tablespoons olive oil             = ;            &n= bsp;          1 tablespoon tomato puree

1 kg (2 lb) fresh broad beans unshelled        &= nbsp; 2 small onions

100 g (4 oz) prosciutto chopped             =          2 beef stock cubes

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley            freshly gro= und black pepper

a pinch of marjoram =             &nb= sp;            =            1.2 litres = (2 pints) water =

4 slices toast, to serve    grated Parmesan or pec= orino cheese, to serve

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the onions, prosciutto, pars= ley and marjoram. Cook, stirring, until the onions are tender, then dilute the stock cubes in the boiling water and stir in the tomato puree until all dissolved. Add to the saucepan with the beans and simmer until the beans are cooked. Adjust the seasoning if necessary. Line the bottom of the soup plat= es with the toast and spoon over the soup. Serve with grated Parmesan or pecor= ino cheese.

Minestra di piselli fre= schi

Fresh Pea Soup

Serves 4

500 g (1 lb) fresh peas, unshelled         &= nbsp; 1 teaspoon tomato puree

1.1 litres (2 pints) boiling    water &nb= sp;        2 basil leaves, chopped    &nb= sp;      <= /p>
50g (2 oz) butter &n= bsp;            = ;            &n= bsp;            1 beef stock cube, crumbled

2 rashers unsmoked bacon, chopped     &= nbsp;       = salt

225 g (8 oz) small shaped pasta for soups      =

I small onion, peeled and sliced <= /i>

grated Parmesan cheese, to serve                freshly ground b= lack pepper

Rinse the peas and drain them, then mix with the basil. Melt the butt= er in a saucepan over moderate heat and add the bacon and the finely chopped onion. Fry slowly, until the onion is tender and the bacon is crisp, then a= dd the peas, mix well and season. After about 5 minutes, dilute the tomato pur= ee with a little of the water, add the beef cube, then add to the saucepan with some more water. Stir well to dissolve the beef cube. Keep stirring while t= he peas cook, adding a little more of the water (about one ladleful), and when soft add the rest of the water. Bring it to the boil and add the pasta of y= our choice. Simmer until tender, stirring often. Adjust the seasoning and serve with grated Parmesan cheese.

Risotto alla milanese

Milanese Risotto

Serves 4

450g (1 lb) Italian rice(Arborio)               = ;       1.5 litres (2 ½ pints) beef stock

a piece of beef marrow(the size of an egg)      a pinch of saffron

1 small onion, peeled and thinly sliced 100 g (4 oz) butter=

50g (2 oz) grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving

Wash the rice under cold running water and drain well. Chop the marro= w (you can buy a bone for the marrow, and don't worry if it is a smaller piece tha= n I suggest). Put the chopped marrow in a large saucepan over a moderate heat, = with the onion and one tablespoon of the butter. Cook slowly until the onion is = soft but not browned. In the meantime, bring the stock to the boil. Add the rice= to the pan with the onion and mix with a wooden spoon. Pour in a little of the boiling stock and keep stirring. Stir and add more stock as the rice swells. After 6-7 minutes, add the saffron. Keep adding stock until the rice is coo= ked (15-20 minutes). Add the rest of the butter and mix in the Parmesan. Serve = very hot; you may want to add a little more Parmesan on the top.

Risotto con funghi=

Mushroom Risotto

Serves 4

2 x 397g (14 oz) tins Italian tomatoes   65g (2 1/2 oz) margarine=

1 small onion, peeled and chopped        1 beef stock cube=

1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley &n= bsp;    100 ml (3 fl oz) boiling water

350g (12 oz) mushrooms,quartered       freshly ground black pepper<= o:p>

400g (15 oz) Italian rice (Arborio)         = grated Parmesan, to serve

Melt the margarine in a large saucepan and fry the onion and parsley = for a few minutes until the onion is soft, stirring, then add the mushrooms, sa= lt and pepper. Stir occasionally. Strain the tomatoes, pushing all the pulp through a sieve. Add the tomatoes to the pan and let everything simmer for about 1/2 hour. Add 1 beef stock cube dissolved in the hot water. Have a ke= ttle of boiling water ready. Add 150ml (1/2 pint) hot water, stir and tip in the rice.   Bring it to the boil   again,   stirring almost continuously. Let the rice = simmer and cook slowly, while from time to time you add boiling water from the ket= tle, a little at a time, so the rice will finish cooking without sticking. After about 15 minutes, test the rice to see if it is tender enough. Add more sal= t, if required. Serve with grated cheese.

Risotto al ragu

Risotto with Meat and Tomato= Sauce

Make a ragu sauce as on page 146. If you should have some r= agu in your freezer, take out the right amount and warm it slowly in a saucepan= .

Serves 6

600g (20 oz) = rice        &= nbsp;                  = 75g (3 oz) grated Parmesan cheese=

600ml (1 pint) water                 =    salt

freshly ground b= lack pepper

Wash the rice under cold running water and drain well. Put it in a saucepan with enough water to come about 5 cm (2 inches) above it. Bring to= the boil slowly and simmer for 5-6 minutes. In a separate pan, bring the rag= u sauce to the boil. Drain the partly cooked rice and add it to the ragu, = stirring with a wooden spoon. Have some water boiling in a kettle. As you stir the r= ice, add some of the water and continue adding water until the rice is cooked. Season. Serve your risotto either by putting it all in a large deep dish or= in individual portions. Add the Parmesan after the risotto is served or it will stick to the saucepan.

Risotto con spinaci

Thick Spinach and Rice Sou= p

Serves 6

500 g (1 lb) fresh spinach washed and chopped,     salt

1.2 litres (2 pints) water             =             &nb= sp;            =         75g (3 oz) butter

75g (3 oz) grated Parmesan to serve           &nb= sp; 400 g (14 oz) rice, rinsed

Place the spinach in a saucepan over a low heat and cook, stirring of= ten until soft and the moisture evaporated. When soft, add the water and the ri= ce. Simmer for about 15 minutes, then taste and add salt. Mix in the butter, th= en serve on individual plates. Sprinkle the Parmesan over and mix in with each portion.

Gnocchi di patate<= /o:p>

Gnocchi Made with Potatoes=

Gnocchi are small dumplings. In this recipe they are made from potato= es but they can also be made from semolina. You can make different sauces for gnocchi. Ragu (meat and tomato) is often used, but a very good sauce= is made with stewing lamb. Start the sauce first, then make gnocchi when the s= auce is nearly ready. If you are using frozen gnocchi, do not take them out of t= he freezer until it is time to drop them into the boiling water.

Serves 4 – Sauce -

50g (2 oz) margarine             &n= bsp;            = ;            &n= bsp; 450 g (1 lb) neck of lamb

1 onion, peeled and chopped             =            1 tablespoon tomato puree

2 x 397g (14 oz) tins Italian tomatoes        &= nbsp;    260ml (1/2 pint) water

1 stick celery, chopped             = ;            &n= bsp;            1 small carrot, chopped

a few chopped fresh basil leaves or a pinch of dry basil

For the gnocchi –

1 kg (2 lb) potatoes   &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp; 225g (8 oz) plain flour

grated pecorino or Parmesan cheese

Melt the margarine in a saucepan and add the onion, celery, carrot and basil, stirring until the onion is tender. Add the meat and season. Cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain the tomatoes through a= sieve, removing the seeds, and add to the pan. Dilute the tomato pur= ee with a little of the water, and pour it in, stirring. Return to the boil, a= dd the rest of the water, cover the pan and let it simmer for about 1 1/2 hour= s. The sauce should be like a custard, but not too thick, so adjust with a lit= tle boiling water if needed while cooking. To make the gnocchi, boil the potato= es until you can push a fork easily through them. Do not be tempted to peel the potatoes before cooking, because they will be watery, and one of the secret= s of good gnocchi is to avoid water in the potatoes. As soon as the potatoes are cooked, drain and peel them. Mash them on a board while still hot, making s= ure you do not leave any lumps. Add the flour, making a dough which you can kne= ad. Roll out the dough, taking a piece in your hands to make a sausage shape, a= bout 2cm (1 inch) thick. Use flour if necessary to help wit= h the shaping. Flatten each piece and cut into sections about 4cm (1 1/2 inches) long, with a slanting cut. Make two small depressions with your fingers into each one, so that the gnocchi hold their sauce better. Leave the gnocchi on= a floured board and quickly finish the remaining dough in the same way. Have ready a large saucepan with salted water. When the sauce is cooked and the water boiling, add the gnocchi. Return to the boil and cook for 2 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon from time to time. Lift them out of the water = with a slotted spoon, being careful not to break them. Put a couple of spoonfuls= of the sauce into individual dishes, followed by a layer of gnocchi, then spri= nkle liberally with Parmesan cheese. For gnocchi, grated pecorino cheese = is used more than Parmesan, but it is up to your preference which one you use. Make a second layer of gnocchi in the same way, without mixing, or they mig= ht stick to each other. Share the pieces of lamb on top of each portion: eat t= he meat together with gnocchi and pick the bones! To freeze gnocchi, place the= m on a floured freezer-proof tray. Fill the tray, then place it in the freezer f= or about ½ hour. When the gnocchi are frozen, pop them in a freezer bag, label, seal and return to the freezer.

Gnocchi alla romana

Gnocchi the <= i>Roman Way

The name of this dish is a bit misleading, because the gnocchi do not look at all like ordinary gnocchi. Some people call them 'semolina gnocchi'= .

Serves 6

1 litre (1 3/4 pints) milk &n= bsp;            = ; 175g (6 oz) grated Parmesan cheese

250 g (9 oz) semolina &n= bsp;                  100 g (4 oz) butter &n= bsp;    salt

2 egg yolks, lightly beaten

Heat the milk in a large saucepan over moderate heat. When hot, but n= ot boiling, pour in the semolina, one tablespoon at a time, mixing continuously with a wooden spoon. If any lumps develop, remove the pan from the heat and stir vigorously. Continue stirring, lower the heat and cook for about 10 minutes. The mixture will be quite thick. Remove from the heat, mix in half= of the butter, the egg yolks, 1 tablespoon of Parmesan cheese and salt. Stir everything well together, then tip this mixture on a damp worktop or a board (wet beforehand with a kitchen towel dipped in water). Spread with the blad= e of a wet palette

knife to the thickness of about 1 cm (1/2 inch). Leave to cool for ab= out 1 hour. When cold, cut into 5cm (2 inch) squares. Grease a shallow and wide ovenproof dish, then place the squares in layers, sprinkling grated Parmesa= n on top of each layer. Do not make more than 3 or 4 layers; if they do not fit = in, use another dish. Melt the remaining butter in a small pan, and pour it on = top of the last layer of Parmesan. Preheat the oven and bake at 200C (400F), gas mark 6, for 15 minutes until golden brown.

Crema di legumi

Cream of Pulses Soup

Pulses are edible seeds growing in pods such as beans, peas, broad be= ans, chickpeas and lentils. You can use them fresh or dry. Any of the above types are suitable for this soup. I= f you are using fresh seeds, just shell and wash them. If they are dry, you soak = them overnight, except the lentils.

Serves 4

400g (15 oz) fresh shelled or dried pulses &n= bsp;   salt

4 basil leaves               = ;            &n= bsp;            = ;    freshly ground black pepper

1.2 litres (2 pints) water            =            grated pec= orino cheese, to serve

3 beef stock cubes&n= bsp;                = ;            &n= bsp;     50ml (2 fl oz) olive oil

The fresh pulses can be boiled in a saucepan, while the soaked dried pulses must be cooked in a pressure cooker for 10 minutes. When cooked, rin= se well in hot water, then blend to a puree in a liquidizer with the basil lea= ves. Boil the water, use a little to dissolve the stock cubes, then add this to = the puree, and mix it with the rest of the water and olive oil. Season and serv= e, with grated pecorino cheese

sprinkled over the top.

&nbs= p;

Insalate e Verdure

Salads and Vegetables

Salads

Italians eat a lot of salad, summer or winter, at lunch or dinner. It= is nearly always served on its own, but never without a dressing, although it = may be served to tourists that way because that is how Italians think they like= it. No true Italian would dream of an undressed salad on his own table - fit on= ly for rabbits! Salad ingredients are always chopped small. In the summer, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers (the short type), onions and radishes will be included, while in winter chicory, endive, fennel and celery are used. Some people cut up a few leaves from a growing garlic plant to add flavour, but = if you like just a hint of garlic, rub your salad bowl with a crushed clove be= fore mixing in the salad. In Italy they never use ready - made dressings bought = in bottles - but invariably the same sort of ingredients are made up to dress a salad: vinegar and olive oil, lemon juice, salt. An Italian saying goes, 'A salad = is perfect when it has a sage to provide the salt, a miser the vinegar, a gene= rous person the olive oil and a madman to mix it!' Don't mix your salad with the dressing until just before you serve it - or it will go limp and the flavour will be spoiled.

Cooked vegetables are served in a way that in Italian we call condite, which means with somethin= g added to improve the taste, usually olive oil and salt. Not many people add vineg= ar to them. Although in every country you can now get virtually anything, there are always things which will not be popular somewhere, and so you never see them. For instance, you never see runner beans in Italy= . You never see curled parsley or garden mint for sale. You can only get wild min= t, while the other type is grown purely for the confectionery industry. Corn on the cob is not eaten boiled and is never served as a vegetable at a dinner.= It is only barbecued - roasted on charcoal – mainly at 'Ferragosto'. Ferragost= o is the summer holiday which originates from the Roman festival Feriae Augusti. This festival used to be at the beginning of the month= in honour of Augustus. Now it falls on 15 August and people take their annual holiday around this date. In August it is impossible to do anything or to f= ind anybody. You better not be ill, either! Everybody seems to be somewhere els= e. All the factories and shops are also closed for about two or three weeks. On the night of the 14th it was always the custom to make great bonfires in the countryside; you would see fires here and there, lighting up the dark night= . On these hot summer's evenings it is great fun to cook the fresh cobs of corn = in the open. You can, however, cook them just as well on an ordinary grill. The grains burst open and they become golden brown. When you buy corn, always m= ake sure it is tender and fresh. Squeeze one grain between your thumb and one finger, and a milky juice should come out. The custom of bonfires is dying = out due to the danger of bush fires, and fireworks are getting more popular. Th= e 15^th is a day to be spent either on the beach, up a mountain or by a stream, as = it is usually very hot, and it is customary to have a picnic. When Italians ha= ve picnics there is nothing skimpy or frugal about them. They manage to have an enormous meal, with all the courses that they would have at home on a speci= al day. Nothing will be missing, from an antipasto to the hot pasta dish, probably pasta al forno or lasagne, and a mixture of roast meats, and it will end= up with an oversized water melon. More water melons are consumed on this day t= han in the whole of the rest of the year, and everything will be washed down wi= th generous helpings of local wine. Picking corn to be used as animal fodder a= nd for polenta has always been quite an affair in the villages. After the corn= is cut, it is brought to the house, the leaves are removed and the corn is left outside in the sun for a few days to dry out completely. The leaves used to make up the filling of the poorer farmers' mattresses, while the better- off would have their mattresses filled with the fleeces from their sheep. When = the corn is thoroughly dry, there is a gathering in one of the houses, when peo= ple help each other to pull the grains of corn from the cobs with a gadget call= ed a furicchio. This will go on unti= l the early hours, ending with quattro salti (four jumps), an improvised = dance accompanied by the music of the village accordion virtuoso - the only incen= tive which draws the younger generation into participating in such a boring task= !

Pomodori

Tomatoes

Tomatoes play a great part in Italian cooking, especially the pear-sh= aped ones (pomodori a pera) wh= ich you buy in tins. They are tastier for sauces than any other variety. When in season, the= y are used fresh, of course, and most of the families will preserve their own. Each housewife will have her very sec= ret recipe which is passed from mother to daughter. This is mostly in the south= of Italy, where these tomatoes are grown extensively for canning. You can now buy strained tomatoes (pomodori passati). One 400g (15 oz) tin is = equal to two 397g (14 oz) tins of peeled tomatoes. You can save a lot of time usi= ng strained tomatoes in sauces. If you want to use fresh tomatoes for your sau= ces, you can use the round type, although the taste will be very different. But = one thing you must not forget: they must be very ripe. Round tomatoes are best = used for soups, for stuffing, grilling or eating raw in salads. You can grow pear-shaped tomatoes here, but to ripen properly they need a greenhouse, ev= en when we get one of those rare glorious English summers! In Italy tomatoes used in salads are never ripe, but green or just slightly pink.

Insalata delle cappuccine

Cappucina Salad<= /p>
I am sure everybody knows that a cappuccino is an espresso coffee with frothy milk and its name originates from the fact that its appearance reminds you of the habit of a cappuccino monk, a friar from the Order of St Francis of Assisi who wears a white hood. I am not so sure that many of you will know what a cappuccina is. Apar= t from being a nun from the religious order of the Cappuccine, it is also the name= of a salad. It consists of a type of lettuce with small curly leaves and has special ingredients in the mixture. In my home town there is a convent where these Cappuccine nuns live. I think it is the only order whose affiliates a= re never allowed outside, not even for a death in their family. They only go outside to the walled garden of the convent from which they cannot see any other living soul. Their work involves cultivating their vegetables, making drinks from their own fruit, and embroidering garments to order, and they p= ray most of the hours of day and night. In the church, adjoining the convent, a bell tolls at hourly intervals, all night long, calling the nuns to prayer. That bell is a nightmare for people living nearby - and I used to be one of them. The nuns live off charity, and people can call at a door with a spy h= ole and leave their donations and presents on a turning wheel. These nuns also = make a delicious salad which I will describe. They do not sell it, but make it to give away as a thank you for gifts. Cappuccina lettuce is a small-leaved variety, rather like the 'salad bowl' type, which= you cut as it is needed and it goes on growing. When this lettuce is not in sea= son, they use any salad ingredients available (including endive, chicory). This salad is delicious, and a meal in itself.&= nbsp; Clean and wash enough salad for 4 persons. Drain it well, and chop finely. Then rub a garlic clove all around the salad bowl. Sprinkle salt, a little vinegar and some olive oil in the bowl, then mix it well. Now toast 8 slices of brown or white bread. Hard boil 4 eggs and cool them under the co= ld tap, then peel them. Sprinkle some olive oil mixed with the same amount of water on the toast, then place the slices all around the salad dish. Place = the prepared salad on top of the bread, leaving a border of toast all the way round, then cut the eggs into quarters and place them in the middle of the green lettuce, in the shape of a yellow and white daisy. =

Insalata di fagioli cannellini

Bean Salad<= /p>
Fagioli cannellini are dry, thin= and long beans. They take their name from the fact that they look like cinnamon sticks (cannella). You can make= a similar salad using butter beans, for example.

Serves 4

= 250 g (10 oz) fagioli cannellini beans freshly ground black pepper

= salt        &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp; olive oil

Wash the beans. Soak them overnight. Boil the beans until tender, then rinse in boiling water. Drain and set aside to cool. Season with salt and pepper, then coat with olive oil when cold.

Insalata mista

Mixed Salad<= /p>
Rugola or ruchetta is a type of leaf tasting similar = to endive - a little bitter - which grows in the spring. In winter you can use endive.

Serves 6

1 lettuce, shredded         &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;    1/2 cucumber, chopped

1 bunch of radishes, chopped      12 leaves = of rugolo or ruchetta

6 garlic leaves, finely chopped

For the dressing

= Salt        &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;      100 ml (3 ½ fl oz) olive oil

2 tablespoons vinegar or juice of 1 lemon

Place all the salad ingredients in a large bowl and toss gently until well mixed. Thoroughly mix together the dressing ingredients and pour over = the salad just before serving.

Insalata di pomodori verdi

Green Tomato Salad

Serves 6

= 12 medium-sized green tomatoes, thinly sliced =             &nb= sp;    salt

= freshly ground black pepper        &= nbsp;         100 ml (3 ½ fl oz) olive oil

2 tablespoons vinegar or juice of ½ lemon

Arrange the tomatoes on a serving platter. Mix together the remaining ingredients and pour over the tomatoes just before serving.

Insalata di pomodori e peperoni
Tomato and Pepper Salad=

It is best to choose tomatoes which are just turning pink in colour.<= o:p>

Serves 4

5 medium-sized tomatoes, thinly sliced       =    2 tablespoons olive oil

2 large yellow or red peppers, cored, seeded and sliced=

1 ½ tablespoons vinegar  &nb= sp;            =             &nb= sp;       salt

=

Sizing hand-made paper with animal glue

<= b>ONOMASTICI – Name Days

SAPA-GRAPE SYRUP<= /o:p>

Ricotta

FRITTATA CON CIPOLLE E POMODORI

<= b>How to Cu= re Parma Ham=

Antipasto di bigne`

Pizzetta al prosciutto cotto

Antipasto misto

Crostini alle acciughe<= o:p>

Tartine salate

LEMON MAYONNAISE

Crostini ai fegatini

Pâté di to= nno

Antipasto in gelatina

Antipasto ricco

Budino di salmone

Antipasto di vongole

Antipasto ai frutti di = mare

Insalata di riso

Coppe di riso

Uova a sorpresa<= span lang=3DEN-GB style=3D'font-size:16.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt'> - Surprise Eggs

Giardiniera di verdura<= o:p>

Carciofi lessati

Pinzimonio

Pane all’aglio

Olive e olio d’ol= iva

Olive farcite

Arance e olive nere

Lupini

<= b>Minestre,= Risotti e Gnocchi

Croutons

Brodo di manzo

Brodo di cappone

Riso e piselli

Stracciatella

Minestra di ceci

Minestrone

Minestrone passato=

Minestra di patate=

Pasta e fagioli

Passatelli

Riso e fagioli borlotti

Minestra di cipolle

Minestra di spinaci

Minestradi fave

Minestra di piselli fre= schi

Risotto alla milanese

Risotto con funghi=

Risotto al ragu

Risotto con spinaci

Gnocchi di patate<= /o:p>

Gnocchi alla romana

Crema di legumi

Pomodori

Insalata delle cappuccine

Insalata di fagioli cannellini

Insalata mista

Insalata di pomodori verdi