Presepe, the Italian Christmas Nativity Scene tradition, goes back 700 years. In this episode we first explore Via San San Gregorio Armeno in Naples, “Presepe street“, and then back to our village we visit Roberto Bertolini, a local craftsman who continues the tradition of Nativity scenes in Bagni di Lucca. I also make, as I do every year, my crib, with the inn, the market sellers and many traditional characters, using the pastori (statues) I have bought over the years or inherited from my parents.
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We had to go to Florence so as we didn't have much time for museums, we decided to visit the fantastic food market of San Lorenzo. It was not super busy as there are less tourists around. While wandering around we ended up in Piazza Santissima Annunziata on a film set where they are shooting the third season of Elena Ferrante's L'Amica geniale/My Brilliant friend.
Pappa al Pomodoro, a traditional Tuscan recipe, inspired a catchy song for a great Italian TV musical of the '60, then in a new lease of life, the song reappeared in a recent Disney movie, Luca. Spot the song if you see the movie, and cook the recipe, one of the most delicious simple Tuscan dishes! Santa Caterina 13th-century cloisters make a fantastic contemporary art space.
This tour of Lucca is just an introduction to our beautiful city and it is based on a tour Celia wrote for Tuscany Arts some years ago. It covers the essential spots but there is so much to see if you have time. We also try to include something for all ages that will tempt you to return to discover this jewel in more depth. Also, very important, we explain how to park your car!
In our last episode I make a traditional Pesto Genovese with a pestle and mortar using a secret ingredient and also explain why I use almonds instead of pine nuts. I also make a less known Sicilian version, Pesto Trapanese. DanceItalia welcomes us to Motore 592, their amazing new contemporary art space in Lucca with jazz and dance. We also meet Caitlin Chung who shows us around her photographic exhibition.
Our YouTube Channel Piazza Talk Tuscany:
This episode:
TWO PESTO RECIPES, ONE WITH A SECRET INGREDIENT | NYC Danceitalia make a home in Lucca: Motore 592
We've
been learning a new way to prune our olive trees. Roberto, our friend
and neighbour organised a workshop with friends and neighbours where he
taught us about this new technique. Since then we see olive trees under a
completely different light. Back to Le Mura we decided to cook a recipe
based on olive oil and olives: Sicilian Spaghetti with tomatoes,
breadcrumbs and basil: Pasta con olive, pomodori e mollica e basilico.
So simple but one of the most delicious pasta dishes one can think of.
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Village life has come into its own during the pandemic and the Florentines without knowing it created the perfect brunch: Asparagi alla Fiorentina, Asparagus and eggs, Florentine style.
We walked along the walls in Lucca. It was a blustery spring day but we loved being there. Back home we needed comfort food so I cooked a classic Italian dish, Sausages with Broccoli rabe.
In Tuscany they are called Salsicce con rapini and in Naples they are Salsicce con Friarielli. It is a super delicious dish.
Fresh Sausages with broccoli rabe also known as Rapini, Friarielli or Cime di Rapa
Ingredients: Serves 2 (generously)
6 Fresh Italian sausages
1 ½ Lb /750 gr of broccoli rabe
2 cloves of garlic
2 small chilli
EV Olive Oil
Water
Place the sausages in a shallow pan with a tbsp of EV Olive oil.
Over medium heat brown the sausages then pour water (about a pint) to almost cover the sausages. It will take about 45 min for the water to be absorbed by the sausages and evaporate.
In the meantime prepare the greens: save the leaves, the florets and all the soft bits. Wash and drain but they don’t need to be spun.
In another large frying pan pour a couple of tbsp of EV Olive oil, 2 cloves of garlic and the chilli (do not break them unless you like very hot greens).
On a low to medium heat when the garlic becomes golden add the greens and press them with a lid. Every so often turn them. Their volume will reduce. Season, when the stalks are soft they are ready.
Now when the sausages have absorbed all the water, remove some fat if you wish, then add the greens and toss for a minute over medium heat.
Serve
This is the new episode on our Piazza Talk Lucca channel. We made Limoncello, the traditional liqueur from Capri, Sorrento and the Amalfi coast, in one day. I used the recipe by Dario Bressanini, an Italian food scientist. He has made his own experiments and studied all the papers published on Limoncello. We also visit a World Monument, the Chain Bridge in Bagni di Lucca, that joins the villages of Fornoli and Chifenti. Recipe below.
Ingredients:
120 gr/ 4 oz Lemon zest
300 gr/ 10 oz Grain Alcohol 90 or 96 pc volume/ 190 proof
150 gr / 5 oz granulated sugar
360 gr/ 12,5 oz Water
To make a good limoncello you need good lemons. Get organic or unwaxed lemons. The zest must be edible. You can use this recipe with any citrus fruit you like: oranges, mandarins, grapefruit.
You also need grain alcohol 90 to 96 pc volume or 190 proof of close to this value.
Water you use must be unchlorinated and natural. We are lucky because our tap water comes from a nearby spring.
A brief note about proportions. I hope I don't make things confusing.
For limoncello, Bressanini says that it is much easier to use weight instead of volume and I agree with him.
The weight of the lemon zest is 40 % of the weight of the alcohol. You can see from the recipe that it works in any measurements you use. You can increase the amount of zest if you like it more lemony.
The weight of sugar is 50% of the weight of alcohol. If you like a sweeter limoncello you can increase the amount of sugar.
The weight of water is 120% of the weight of alcohol. This results in medium strength liqueur, If you like it weaker, increase the amount of water by another 10 to 20%. But be aware that if the amount of water is too high, your limoncello will freeze if you put in the freezer.
First thing, peel the lemons. Use a sharp knife or a potato peeler.
Remove the zest, making sure that you keep as little of the pith as you can. Pith makes your limoncello bitter.
Place in a jar (that you can seal later) 120 gr/ 4 oz of lemon zest.
Pour on top of it 300 gr/ 10 oz of grain alcohol
Seal with a lid, shake it for a few seconds and protect the jar from light by wrapping it in aluminium foil or place it in a cupboard.
Let it infuse for 1 day, max 3. There are many essential oils in the zest and the best ones dissolve in the alcohol in 1 day. Don't infuse for more than 3 days or the other less fragrant oils will affect the taste.
You will see that the zests becomes paler and the alcohol turns yellow/green, depending on your lemons.
Filter the alcohol into a jug, add the sugar and then the water. You will see that the mix becomes cloudy and it is a good sign. An emulsion is developing. Stir until all the sugar has dissolved. Traditionally sugar is dissolved in water on the stove. Water is heated to below boiling point until the sugar is dissolved, and then let it cool down. This step is unnecessary.
When the sugar is dissolved, decant the limoncello in a bottle. You can drink it now but it is better to let it rest for at least 3 weeks as some fragrances are still developing.
Serve it cold from the fridge or even better from the freezer.
LIMONCELLO WITH VODKA.
At the moment the studies on limoncello only include alcohol so we have to leave science and use a bit of experience.
If you cannot buy grain alcohol in your country, use vodka, the strongest you can get, 50% (100 proof). Because vodka is less strong than 190 proof alcohol, the process is less effective so we have to increase the amount of zest to get a good result.
1 bottle 750 ml vodka 80 or even better 100 proof
250 gr/ 5 oz of lemon zest or more if you like it more lemony.
1 cup of water
1 cup of sugar
Infuse the zest in the vodka for 4 days at least.
Prepare a syrup by dissolving the sugar in water below boiling and let it cool down.
Filter the vodka in a jug.
Add the amount of syrup required to reach the alcohol content you like but do it with small amounts.
We have been foraging in our garden in Northern Tuscany. We found many edible wild herbs and made a soup.
Monday 29 March 2021
I made a Pastiera a Traditional Easter cake created in ancient times in Naples but this modern version originated in the 16th century. In my video I show its preparation step by step. At the beginning of the video we also describe the agricultural life in 1233 as shown on the façade of our cathedral in Lucca.
This is the recipe:
PASTIERA
Ingredients (serves 8). I have adapted my mother’s recipe. She was doing the same with her recipe. You might have noticed that she gave the option of butter instead of lard (Strutto). I used a 26 cm (10") tin.
PASTA FROLLA/PASTRY
400 gr. (3 cups) flour + 100 gr. ( ¾ cup) if needed
100 gr. (3 ½ ounces) cold unsalted butter, diced + some butter to grease the tin
100 gr. ( ½ Cup) Granulated Sugar
4 Egg yolks + 1 egg white
A pinch of salt
FILLING
400 gr. (14 ounces) Ricotta cheese
450 gr. (1 pound) Soaked wheat for Pastiera - Grano cotto per Pastiera (Available in tins or jars in some UK and US Supermarkets and Italian Delicatessens)
450 gr. (2 ¼ cups) Granulated Sugar + 1 tbsp
5 Eggs
100 gr. (3 ½ ounces) Candied orange peel or Candied Citron (Citrus Medica) if available
1 small Lemon unwaxed, untreated
Orange flower water or orange extract (use the dose for about 1 kg - 2 pounds)
100 ml (½ Cups) Milk
A pinch of salt
2 pinches of ground cinnamon
Icing sugar to sprinkle on top
METHOD:
FILLING
With a fork, cut the butter that you have removed from the fridge an hour before, into smaller pieces. Mix the flour, butter, eggs and sugar with a pinch of salt.
Mix for a short time until the mixture appears crumbly, knead for a few minutes (do not overdo it) and shape it into a ball. Wrap it in clingfilm and place it in the fridge for at least half an hour.
Put the soaked wheat from the jar and the milk in a saucepan. Add a tbsp of sugar, a pinch of ground cinnamon and the lemon zest (1 teaspoon)
Place over a low flame and stir it occasionally with a wooden spoon to avoid it sticking to the bottom of the pan, for 15- 20 mins to allow the wheat to absorb the milk.
Leave it to cool.
In a bowl place the ricotta and stir in the sugar until it is smooth.
Add 5 egg yolks and set aside the egg whites.
Then add the orange flower water and the candied peel.
Now you need to line the cake tin with the pastry.
Take the dough out of the fridge and grease your tin with butter
Sprinkle the pastry board with some flour to avoid sticking. Extend the dough to line the cake tin and keep ⅓ to make around 10 decorative criss-cross strips about the diameter of your cake tin. The dough is not very elastic and tends to break. It doesn’t really matter as you can join bits together.
You can use a rolling pin to flatten it but I use my hand to shape it into the tin. The most important thing is to extend it from the centre and don't make it too thick.
In a bowl beat the egg whites until firm.
Add the ricotta mixture to the cooked wheat (cold by now) and then the beaten egg whites. Be careful to keep the air in the mixture.
Now with a big spoon fill the lined cake tin with the mixture and place the strips on top in a criss-cross pattern. Some people like to brush the strips with egg white to make them shiny. I can’t see the point as the pastiera is sprinkled with icing sugar before serving.
Put it in a preheated oven 180°C degrees (static) (350°F degrees) and cook for about 1 ½ hr. The strips should be golden and the open squares brown and firm.
Now let it cool down and rest.
It’s very important that the pastiera rests for a couple of days at least. Traditionally it is baked on Thursday or Good Friday and eaten obviously on Easter Sunday.
Just before serving, dust it with icing sugar.
Enjoy
Enzo & Celia - Piazza Talk Lucca
There are special pastiera cake tins. In Naples the traditional one is made of aluminium and the cake is not removed from the tin so when you buy one from the pasticceria you should get a tin (that’s how I got mine).
We made a Classic Tiramisù as described by the Accademia del Tiramisù in Treviso. The result was mouthwatering. You can watch the preparation on this video from our Piazza Talk Lucca YouTube channel. Do not forget to subscribe to our channel if you have not done so. It's free! Just press the button!
Celia and I explored Montefegatesi, a beautiful hilltop village, with a big history and stunning views. Back home I cooked a Parmigiana, a classical Italian dish. This is the video from our YouTube Channel PIAZZA TALK LUCCA. If you like the video please subscribe. It's free, just press the button. It's the best way to support our channel. Thank you.
