Archive for April, 2011

Corzetti: The Intagliatore of Chiavari

Posted April 21, 2011 By Adri

Corzetti TitleC

This is Part 2 of a series – The Corzetti Files
For detailed information and photo essays on how to make corzetti, along with recipes, please delve further into The Corzetti Files:

Edible Art, The Corzetti Files – Part 1

The Intagliatore of Chiavari, The Corzetti Files – Part 2

Corzetti agli Spinaci con Gorgonzola, The Corzetti Files – Part 3

Where to Buy Corzetti Stamps, The Corzetti Files – Part 4

Corzetti Stampati – and a Giveaway! The Corzetti Files – Part 5



A Gold Coin
Coin Reverse The pasta we know as Corzetti started with a gold coin, the Genovino d’oro. Rome had fallen, and the curtain of The Dark Ages had descended over western Europe. Trade has fueled society for centuries, and it is trade that brought gold coins and light back to western Europe. The gold came across the Sahara from north Africa and Genoa’s harbor assured her of preeminent mercantile stature. King Conrad granted Genoa the right to mint her own gold coinage in 1252, and these pieces of almost pure gold summon up the history and wealth of The Most Serene Republic of Genoa.

 

 

Coin ObverseComing in at about 3.5 grams, the earliest of these coins feature the city gate and to honor King Conrad and his participation in the Crusades, a Crusader cross on the reverse. The coins are covered with a beautiful relief. One of the most famous coins honors the first Doge of Genoa, Simone Boccanegra, and later coins honor subsequent families and Doges. Today one must visit a museum or be fortunate enough to know a collector to view these coins, but with Liguria’s gift to the world of the pasta known as corzetti stampati (kohr-TSEHT-tee stahm-PAH-tee), the legacy of these glorious coins is alive and well and available to us all.

 

A Piece of Wood
I have an ongoing love affair with handmade pasta, and this one captivated me from the start. Imagine my delight when I discovered its history, how it was made, and that I could do it at home. All I needed was a corzetti stamp, the two piece tool that cuts and imprints the pasta. By the way, you may come across pasta in shops, in recipes or on menus called croxetti, crosetti or curzetti – these are all names for corzetti. Read more… »

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Italian Seeds

Posted April 16, 2011 By Adri

Italian Seeds 01

 

Italian cuisine is not all about pasta. Oh no. The Italians have a way with vegetables. And they grow their own. They have developed the most magnificent array, and now we in America can buy Italian seeds. Yes, now you can grow Italian. Each year I see more and more imported Italian vegetable and herb seeds at garden centers, but the go to place remains Seeds from Italy. The number of their offerings is astounding – more than thirty varieties of radicchio and chicory alone. And it just keeps getting better – by September they expect to have Italian garlic – Sulmona from Abruzzo and Berrentina Piacentina from Piacenza. The list goes on – beans, cabbages, kale, cavolo, caulifower, endive, escarole, and I’m only to E.  My favorites, however are the pumpkins, le zucche.  You’ll find a tremendous selection, and you have never seen ones like those grown from Seeds from Italy. The only thing you will regret once you peruse their catalogue of imported Italian seeds is that your backyard garden is not larger. Life is good in the garden. Start planning!


Note: You can click on any picture to see a slide show of even more pictures!

 

Pumpkin Harvest

I have no affiliation with any product, manufacturer, or site mentioned in this article.

 

Italian Seeds
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Torta Tre Monti

Posted April 12, 2011 By Adri


Torta Tre Monti-Box Front


There are good friends and then there are great friends. Anthony and Scott are great friends. A couple of weeks ago I received an email from Anthony. It was brief and to the point: “three words for you torta tre monti ever heard of this” Like I said, brief and to the point. My return email was considerably more verbose. It started with OMG. I knew the cake was all about wafers, known as cialde, and cream filling. I knew it was famous. I knew I had never seen one in any store around here. After that the details were fuzzy. The research began. And the more I learned, the more I knew I had to try one. I also learned I might have to jet to San Marino to do it.

Torta Tre Monti is the famous pastry of The Republic of San Marino, population 31,830. Situated in the hills of central Italy, San Marino, if you are ready for a brief lesson, is the last of Italy’s independent hill towns, the world’s oldest republic, and (this is how Anthony got started with this in the first place) third in the world in life expectancy – 80.3 years for men and 85.9 years for women. Must be the pastry.

As we searched, the days wore on. No Torta Tre Monti in sight. Not even a recipe. We found sources on the internet, but the pastry was always out of stock. We found inquiries from people on the internet looking for recipes, but only inquiries, no answers. Google searches led to the web site for La Serenissima Cake Factory in San Marino, home of the torte. Skillful dolciere make these pastries entirely by hand. First, thin blond wafers are baked on a bank of well seasoned irons. Such irons are rarely seen outside of Italy. We were enticed by gorgeous shots of huge vats of hot cream and fondant. The skill of the women as they fill the pastries and finish them with a crown of fondant left no doubt that we had to have one. We could wait no longer. There was only one thing to do. Anthony called his mother, Rose. Success we knew, must surely be at hand. The woman does not fail. And Rose, upon hearing the pastry lover’s dilemma decided it was time to enlist the considerable resources of her sister Santa. Italian families are like that. One for all and all for one. Don’t think for one second that Dumas came up with that one all by himself. Oh no. He got it from the Italians. Just ask any Italian mom.

The search was on in earnest, and very quickly sweet success was within reach. Enter Petrone’s Pizzelles in Erie, Pennsylvania. Santa drove right over to him in Erie, and there stood the torte in their very unique boxes. Inside – a circular multi-layered wonder composed of five super thin, ultra-crispy wafers filled with thin layers of intensely flavored smooth chocolate, hazelnut and coffee cream. Within a few days a torta arrived on everyone’s doorstep, a group affair start to finish.


Torta Tre MontiThe first thing you notice is the packaging. I had to stop and admire it before I went any further. Shades of blue, gold, yellow and green with medieval knights on horseback holding a standard. People walking along side. They do not make packaging like this in America. And yes, I saved the box. I carefully opened the box and there, wrapped in foil and weighing 9.52 ounces, was the disc of pastry. I gave thanks and then I grabbed my scissors and opened it up. This is one heck of a KitKat Bar. It is assembled so perfectly, so neatly that yes, a level says it is level. The wafers are baked to blond perfection and each of the three cream components is spread in a perfectly uniform layer. I just had to stand and admire the art and skill of the folks at La Serenissima Dolciaria. Now it was time to sample. The first thing I noticed is how easily and perfectly it sliced. No ragged edges, no mess. Perfect. And in the eating, the torta is quite neat. It would be a perfect dessert for a summer night at the Hollywood Bowl or other evening under the stars. With each bite your mouth is filled first with crunch as the wafers give way under your teeth. Then come the smooth chocolate, hazelnut and coffee creams. Each layer is filled with a different cream, so the flavors remain distinct, yet complementary to one another. The chocolate and hazelnut creams come first to the fore, followed by the intense and not too sweet coffee cream. The entire torta is finished with a border of dark chocolate fondant. A joy to behold, and a delight to consume.

When I the package arrived I felt very special. So I simply can not end this post without saying thank you Anthony, Scott, Rose and Santa. You made me feel like part of the family. We all enjoyed this Sanmarinese specialty, and even the hunt was fun.

Since 1942 La Serenissima Antica Fabbrica di Torte has made Torta Tre Monti and other pastry delights. Check out their web site to view their entire line and for more information. Be sure to watch the video. I know you will want one too. Open some Prosecco and celebrate the small principality of San Marino. Several styles of torte and other La Serenissima products are available online from Savarozza.com.


Torta Tre Monti


Note: You can click on any picture to see a slide show with even more pictures!

I have no affiliation with any product, manufacturer, or site mentioned in this article.

Torta Tre Monti-Box Back
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Nutella-Swirl Poundcake: A Most Blogged About Poundcake

Posted April 9, 2011 By Adri

Nutella-Swirl Poundcake
In October 2009 Food & Wine ran a recipe that has since become legend. From Cake Keeper Cakes by Lauren Chattman, Nutella-Swirl Poundcake is a combination of buttery rich vanilla poundcake and Nutella. With a name like that you know I at least had to stop and read the recipe. Well, I do not think I ever got any farther into that issue of Food & Wine. And I am not the only one; bloggers everywhere were making it, writing about it, tweaking it and universally extolling the virtues of this cake.


Poundcake is perhaps my Desert Island Dessert, and vanilla is my favorite. But you could hardly call what I like plain old, plain wrap or anything else plain. I like my poundcake sweet and buttery with a very heavy dose of vanilla. And this poundcake has everything I require plus an entire 13 ounce jar of Nutella. Yes the whole thing – Italy and Pietro Ferrero’s gift to the world – divine Nutella. The unique thing about this poundcake is that the Nutella is incorporated in its pristine Nutella state; it is not diluted by mixing with a portion of the vanilla poundcake batter in the manner so typical of marble cakes. No. And that means this cake leaves the oven with big luscious pockets of creamy dark Nutella. I could go on and describe how the ultra-buttery vanilla poundcake is the perfect foil for the oven-baked concentrated Nutella, or how your family will vie for the edges where the Nutella has seeped through to the crust, or how the combination of Nutella and poundcake transforms into almost more confection than cake. But if I did, it would be just that much longer until you got busy in the kitchen. Thus, I shall refrain.


The recipe has since receded into the ether, but I think it is time for a revival. Put on your Nutella tee shirt, fit your KitchenAid with the paddle attachment and get busy. There is a reason why Ms. Chattman included this among her Keepers. Make this cake. You will be glad you did. And don’t forget to keep the gold seals on the Nutella jars. You can redeem the coolest Nutella stuff with them.


A couple of Baker’s Notes: I like to slice the cake and freeze the slices for future afternoon treats.  Be sure to double wrap the slices tightly in plastic wrap.  You will be glad you did.  Although the recipe calls for a baking time of “about 1 hour and 15 minutes,” be sure to start checking this cake at 1 hour and 5 minutes to avoid overbaking. I have made this cake in several different pans. I have achieved superior results with Williams-Sonoma Goldtouch Nonstick. The cake bakes up evenly and with an absolutely sublime crust. And the nonstick properties of this bakeware are phenomenal. If you do not already own any of this bakeware, I suggest you purchase some. It is well worth the investment.

Nutella Jar

With permission from Taunton Press here is the original recipe from Cake Keeper Cakes by Lauren Chattman

Nutella Swirl Poundcake

Serves 8 to 10

4 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 jar (13 ounces, about 1 cup) Nutella

 

1.Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Grease a 9-inch by 5-inch loaf pan and dust with flour.

2. Combine the eggs and vanilla in a glass measuring cup and lightly beat. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium mixing bowl.

3. Combine the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl and cream with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice as necessary.

4. With the mixer on medium-low speed, pour the egg mixture into the bowl in a slow stream, stopping the mixer once or twice to scrape down the sides.

5. Turn the mixer to low speed and add the flour mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. After the last addition, mix for 30 seconds on medium speed.

6. Scrape 1/3 of the batter into the prepared pan and smooth with a spatula. Spread 1/2 of the Nutella over the batter and smooth with a cleaned spatula. Scrape another 1/3 of the batter over the Nutella and smooth. Scrape the remaining Nutella over the batter and smooth. Spread the remaining batter over the Nutella and smooth. Run a butter knife blade through the batter to create marbling. Do not overmix.

7. Bake the cake until it is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes, invert it onto a wire rack, and then turn it right side up on a rack to cool completely. Slice and serve.

8. Store uneaten cake in a cake keeper or wrap in plastic and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Nutella Swirl Poundcake

© Alexandra Grablewski

Note: You can click on any picture to see a slide show of even more pictures!

I have no affiliation with any product, manufacturer, or site mentioned in this article.

 

Cake Keeper Cakes

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