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!

&nbs= p;

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@youthsupport.net/YSBOOKS

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
Arrange the tomato and pepper slices in a large salad bowl or serving platter. Mix together the remaining ingredients and pour over the tomatoes = and peppers just before serving.

Insalata russa

Russian Salad<= /p>
Serves 6

6 hardboiled= eggs             =             &nb= sp;            =         salt

= 4 medium-sized potatoes,boiled             =           homemade mayonnaise

= 450 g (1 lb) packet frozen mixed vegetables <= /span> 12 large black olives

= 6 anchovy fillets    &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;      8 small artichokes

Set aside the eggs and potatoes until completely cool. Prepare the mi= xed vegetables according to the packet instructions, drain and set aside to coo= l. Prepare the artichokes and set aside to cool. Finely dice the eggs, potatoes and artichokes and mix together with the vegetables. Place in a large salad bowl, add salt and spoon over the mayonnaise. Garnish with olives and ancho= vy fillets. Serve at once.

Insalata di mare

Seafood Salad<= /p>
Serves 4-5

= 250g (10 oz) squid      = ;            &n= bsp;            = ;            &n= bsp; 2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion, peeled and quartered &nbs= p;             = 4-5 leaves fresh basil

1 tablespoon chopped fresh pars= ley        &= nbsp;      1 celery stick, chopped

= 184g (6 ½ oz) tin tuna   &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;             =        175g= (6 oz)shelled prawns

1 small pimento, chopped (optional) or    freshly ground black p= epper

= juice of ½ lemon    &n= bsp;            = ;            &n= bsp;               salt

Clean the squid. Place in a large saucepan with enough water to cover, adding the onion and celery. Season with salt. Simmer for about 1 hour until the squid are tender. In a separate pan boil the prawns for about 5 minutes, drain and leave to cool. Drain the squid, discarding the vegetables, and le= ave to cool. When cold, cut into strips and mix together with the prawns. Adjust the salt if necessary. Reserving the oil, drain and flake the tuna. Mix the tuna and its oil with the other fish, and add the lemon juice, olive oil, basil, parsley, pimento or black pepper. Mix well and serve at once. <= /o:p>

Vegetables

Carciofi fritti

Fried Artichokes

Serves 4

= 5-6 artichokes     &nb= sp;            =             &nb= sp; 1 egg, lightly beaten

= juice of 1 lemon     &nb= sp;            =             o= il for frying            &= nbsp;    salt

4 lemon wedges for serving   &= nbsp;       flour for coating

Prepare the artichokes, by discarding the outside leaves, until you g= et to the very tender ones. Trim the ends, wash and cut the artichokes into ve= ry thin segments. Make about 10 slices out of every artichoke. Sprinkle the pi= eces with the lemon juice and salt. Roll the artichoke pieces in flour, then in = the egg, coating them all over. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the artichokes, until they are all a golden-brown colour. Drain them on kitchen paper and keep hot until you finish frying. Serve with lemon wedges, adding pepper if you wish.

Carciofi alla parmigiana^F =

Artichokes the <= st1:address>Parmesan Way

Serves 4

= 5-6 artichokes      &n= bsp;            = ;    25 g (1 oz) margarine

= juice of 1 lemon      &n= bsp;            = ; 2 tablespoons tomato puree

= flour for coating      &= nbsp;           &nbs= p; 400ml (14 fl oz) water

= 1 egg, lightly beaten     &nbs= p;       3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

= oil for frying      &n= bsp;        <= /p>
Prepare the artichokes as in the previous recipe. Heat the oil in a l= arge frying pan and fry the artichokes in batches. Set aside and keep hot. Melt = the margarine in a large saucepan, adding salt and the tomato puree diluted in 3 tablespoons water. Stir while it comes to the boil, then add the remaining water, mix well and simmer for about 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the he= at. Pour 2 tablespoons of the cooking liquid into an ovenproof dish. Make a lay= er of the fried artichoke, and sprinkle some of the Parmesan cheese on top. Add some more of the cooking liquid, then continue making layers in the same wa= y. When all the ingredients have been used, pour the remaining cooking liquid = on top. Cover and bake in a preheated oven, at 140 C^o (325 F^{o<=
/sup>),
gas mark 3 for about 30-40 minutes.}

Carciofi 'alla giudia'

Artichokes the = Roman Way

Serves 4

This typical Roman way of cooking artichokes is called alla giudia, a very obscure word, = unless it stands for giudea, 'the Jewi= sh way'. If you buy artichokes in Italy= , they will have the stalks, which are edible. Cut them off, peel them with a knif= e, cut them in pieces and add them to the saucepan with the remaining ingredie= nts.

8 artichokes     &nb= sp;            =          freshly ground black   pepper

= juice of 1 lemon     &nb= sp;            =    salt

= 25g (1 oz) parsley     &n= bsp;           300= ml (1/2 pint) water

= 1/2 clove garlic     &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;   100 ml (3 ½ fl oz) olive o= il

Discard a few outer leaves of the artichokes, but not too many, as you will be discarding the hard part of the outside leaves as you eat. With a v= ery sharp knife, trim the ends of the leaves, with a slanting cut, so you cut m= ore on the outside than on the inside leaves. Wash the artichokes well and leave them for a few minutes in water in which you have squeezed the lemon juice. Chop the parsley and the garlic, and add salt and pepper. Remove the artich= okes from the water, shake them dry, and open the leaves a little with your fing= ers. Sprinkle with salt, then push some of the parsley and garlic mixture in each one of the artichokes. Use a saucepan large enough to hold all the artichok= es standing up side by side, and arrange them next to each other. Pour the oil into the saucepan and a little of the water. Cover and simmer for at least = 45 minutes. Check after the first 15 minutes and add the remaining water. Spike one with a fork, right in the middle, to check if it is tender. They should= be very soft when cooked.

Carciofi al tegame

Artichoke Casserole

Serves 4

= artichokes        &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;         salt

= juice of 1 lemon             =        freshly ground black pepper

= 25 g (1 oz) parsley     &nbs= p;          2 tablespoons olive oil

= ½ clove garlic      =             &nb= sp;     100 ml (3 ½ fl oz) water

Discard the outside leaves of the artichokes, until you get to the ve= ry tender ones. Trim and wash, then cut each artichoke into quarters, and each quarter into half. Sprinkle the pieces with lemon juice. Chop the parsley together with the garlic, and add both to a large saucepan with the oil. Af= ter a few moments over moderate heat, add the artichokes, season with salt and pepper, stir, then add the water. Cover and simmer, stirring from time to t= ime, for about 30 minutes.

Carciofi bolliti alla parmigiana
Artichokes the <= st1:address>Parmesan Way,= with a Difference

Serves 4

6 artichokes     &nb= sp;            =          salt

= juice of 1 lemon      &n= bsp;            = ; freshly ground black pepper

= 25g (1 oz) butter      =               25g = (1 oz) grated Parmesan cheese

Prepare artichokes as in previous recipe, cutting each into 8 segments. Put them in a large saucepan over moderate heat, then cover with water. Squeeze in the lemon ju= ice. Bring them to the boil and simmer for about 30 minutes. Drain the artichoke= s. Spread the butter over the bottom of an ovenproof dish, mix the artichokes = with the Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper and place in the dish. Cover and bake = in a preheated oven at 220 C^O (425 F^O), gas mark 7, for 10 minutes.

Torta di carciofi^F <= /span>

Artichoke Tart
This dish is delicious served as an accompaniment to meat, or as a co= urse by itself:

Serves 6

6 artichokes      &n= bsp;            = ;                =         3 tablespoons grated Parmesan

= juice of 1 lemon      &n= bsp;            = ;            &n= bsp;                =    2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley  = ;     freshly ground black pepper

= 50ml (1 fl oz) water     &nb= sp;            =             &nb= sp;   225g (8 oz) self-raising flour

2 eggs, lightly beaten    &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;           &nbs= p; 225g (8 oz) ricotta     &nbs= p;          =

= 100 g (4 oz) margarine    &nb= sp;            =            salt

Cut the stalks off the artichokes and put them aside. Remove the outs= ide leaves until you get to the tender ones (they will be lighter in colour). T= rim the ends off. Wash and cut each into 8 segments. Sprinkle the lemon juice o= ver the artichokes, so that they do not change colour. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over moderate heat and add the parsley, then the artichokes with t= he water. Cover and cook until tender, stirring occasionally. It will take abo= ut 25-30 minutes. Remove from the heat, drain any surplus cooking liquid and a= dd the eggs, mixed with the ricotta, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Mix all these ingredients together well and leave to cool. Rub the flour and margar= ine together with the tips of your fingers until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs. Add a pinch of salt and mix with the water. Chill for 15 minut= es, then roll out on a lightly floured surface. Grease a 23 cm (9 inch) souffle dish and line the bottom and sides with the pastry. Add the cold mixture in= to the dish and cover with the remaining pastry. Bake in a preheated oven at 1= 90 (375 F^o), gas mark 5, for 30 minutes.

Asparagi

Asparagus

1 bundle asparagus     &n= bsp;            = ;            &n= bsp;    freshly ground black pe= pper

= 20 g (3/4 oz) grated Parmesan cheese   = ;          50g (2 oz) butter

Clean the asparagus and cut off a little piece from the bottom of each stem. Wash and tie them in a bundle. If you don't have an asparagus cooker, take the tallest saucepan you have with a lid and place the asparagus in it, heads up. The bundle should cook standing up. Do not cover with water, but = add enough water to cover them halfway up the stems. Bring to the boil and simm= er until tender. When they are ready, the tips will bend down. Drain and place them in a serving dish. Sprinkle the grated Parmesan cheese over the top, a= nd season with salt and pepper. Melt the butter and when very hot, pour it over the asparagus. Cover the asparagus and leave for 5 minutes in a hot place before serving.

Melanzane alla parmigiana

Aubergines the <= st1:address>Parmesan Way

Serves 4

= 1.5 kg (3 lb) aubergines     &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;        2 tablespoons tomato puree

= flour for coating     &n= bsp;            = ;            &n= bsp;        25g (1 oz) margarine

= 1 egg, lightly beaten     &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;           &nbs= p; 30g (1 1/4 oz)grated Parmesan

= oil for frying      &n= bsp;                    =             &nb= sp;     450 ml (3/4 pint) water

Scrape and wash the aubergines, then cut them in half and slice lengthwise. Season with salt, roll them in flour, then in the beaten egg. F= ry the aubergine slices in hot oil turning until golden, then drain on a piece= of kitchen paper. In a saucepan over moderate heat, boil the water, mix in the tomato puree and the margarine, and season. Boil for 15 minutes. Pour a lit= tle of this liquid in an ovenproof dish, make a layer of the fried aubergines, sprinkle with grated Parmesan, then make another layer of aubergines and continue until all the ingredients are used. Pour the rest of the cooking liquid on top. Bake in a preheated oven at 220 C^o (425 F^{o),
gas mark 7, for 15 minutes.}

Melanzane al tegame

Aubergine Casserole

Serves 4

= 1.5 kg (3 lb) aubergines     &= nbsp;           1 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

= 100 ml(3 ½ fl oz) olive oil   =             &nb= sp;            =         ½ clove garlic

1 medium-sized onion, peeled and chopped = ;    200ml (7 ½ fl oz) wat= er

Scrape the aubergines and cut them into cubes. Heat the olive oil in a deep frying pan and fry the onion until tender. Add the parsley, garlic (in= one piece, so you can remove it at the end of cooking) and the aubergines. Cook, stirring often, adding the water after about 15 minutes. Continue cooking f= or another 20 minutes or until the aubergines are soft.

Fagiolini Al Pomodoro

Green Beans with Tomatoes

I find this way of cooking green beans is a good change when you get = fed up with green beans served in butter or oil.

Serves 4

= 400g (14 oz) beans         5 ripe tomatoes, skinne= d, seeded and chopped

1 medium-sized onion,peeled and chopped =

2 tablespoons corn oil    = ;      &n= bsp;            = ;    freshly ground black pepper

Top and tail the beans, if you're using French beans, or clean and sl= ice them. Boil them in salted water until tender, and drain. In a large frying = pan over a moderate heat, cook the onion in the oil for 3-5 minutes until tende= r. Add the tomatoes, stir and cook for 10 minutes, then add the beans and seas= on. Stir occasionally and cook for a further 15 minutes.

Cardoni o cardi

Cardoons=

Cardoons look very much like a big celery, and the plant resembles the artichoke plant and is a member of the Thistle family. You eat the thick st= ems when they are still tender, before they have produced a flower. The stems a= re tied up to whiten them. Cooked in certain ways, they taste like artichokes.= In slang they are called i gobbi (a gobbo is a hunchback). I can only think that, tied up in a bund= le, then bent down to be covered with earth for blanching, they must have given somebody the idea of hunchbacks at the bottom of the garden: a change from = the usual fairies or gnomes of British origin!

Cardoni gratinati

Cardoons au Gratin

Serves 6

1 cardoon       = ;            &n= bsp;            = ;            &n= bsp;       50g (2 oz) butter<= /span>

= 25g (1 oz) grated Parmesan cheese   = ;        juice of ½ lemon          <= /p>
= 50 g (2 oz) flour      =             &nb= sp;            =             freshly ground black pe= pper

= 300 ml (1/2 pint) milk                = ;            &n= bsp;    1 teaspoon margarine

Scrape the stems or ribs of the cardoon, peeling off the outside and cutting away any prickles. Wash and cut them in sections, about 7.5cm (3 inches) long. Place them in a large saucepan with water and bring them to t= he boil, adding salt and the lemon juice. Boil for 10 minutes, then drain. Pre= pare a sauce by mixing the flour with a little of the milk. When smooth, add the remaining milk, the margarine and salt, then stir continuously over moderate heat until it thickens. Remove from the heat. Put the cardoon in an ovenpro= of dish with knobs of butter here and there, pour the sauce on the top and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese. Season with pepper. Bake in a preheat= ed oven at 215 C^o (420 F^o), gas mark 7, for 10 minutes u= ntil brown.

Finocchi gratinati

Fennels au Gratin

You can cook fennel in the same way as the cardoons. You prepare the = fennels by cutting them at the base to remove the rest of the stem, then divide them into quarters or into 6 segments. Wash these, then drop them in salted boil= ing water to cook for 10 minutes. Proceed as in the previous recipe.=

Cardoni fritti

Fried Cardoons

Serves 5-6

1 cardoon      =             &nb= sp;           1 egg, lightly beaten    =          salt

= flour for coating     &n= bsp;            = ; oil for frying

= juice of 1 lemon     &nb= sp;            =    lemon wedges for serving

Scrape the cardoon stems, peeling the outside skin, = and removing the prickles. Wash them, cut into segments, then boil in a large saucepan of salted water with the lemon juice. Boil for 10 minutes, drain a= nd roll the pieces in flour, then in the beaten egg. Heat the oil in a large f= an, then fry the cardoon and drain on kitchen paper. Serve with lemon wedges.

Cardoni alla parmigiana

Cardoons the <= st1:address>Parmesan Way

Serves 6

1 cardoon       = ;            &n= bsp;          25g (1 oz) margarine

= juice of I lemon     &nb= sp;            =     freshly ground black pepper

= flour for coating      &= nbsp;           &nbs= p; 450ml (¾ pint) water

= 1 egg, lightly beaten     &nbs= p;       35 g (1 ½ oz) grated Parmesan cheese

= oil for frying      &n= bsp;                   2 tablespoons tomato puree

Prepare and fry the cardoon as in the previous recipe. In a large saucepan, dilute the tomato puree in 200ml (7 ½ fl oz) water, add the margarine, and season. Bring to the boil, then add the water and bring to t= he boil again. Simmer for 15 minutes, then remove from the heat. Pour 5-4 tablespoons of the cooking liquid into a large ovenproof dish, then add a layer of the fried cardoon a= nd sprinkle about 2 tablespoons Parmesan on top, then some of the liquid. Cont= inue with these layers until you have used up all the ingredients. Cover and bak= e in a preheated oven at 220 C^o (425 F^o), gas mark 7, for = 15 minutes.

Cavolfiori in salsa piccante

Cauliflower in Piquant Sau= ce

Serves 4

1 medium-sized cauliflower=

For the sauce

= juice of ½ lemon    &n= bsp;            = ;   4-5 anchovy fillets

1 preserved pepper    &nb= sp;           5 tablespoons olive oil   &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;

1 gherkin

Prepare the sauce before cooking the cauliflower. Squeeze the lemon j= uice on to the pepper. (This isn't necessary if the pepper is preserved in vineg= ar.) Chop the pepper, with the gherkin and the anchovies, and mash together into= a pulp. (You can use a liquidizer if you wish.) Mix this pulp with the olive = oil. Break the cauliflower into florets and cook until tender. Drain into a serv= ing dish and pour the sauce on top, mixing gently.

Zucchine ripiene

Stuffed Baby Marrows or Courgettes

Serves 4

= 4 baby marrows or      courgettes        &= nbsp; 40g (1½ oz) breadcrumbs

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

= freshly ground black   pepper        &= nbsp;        20 g (3/4 oz) parsley   =

= 1/3 clove garlic     &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;          margarine for greasing

Choose fairly large courgettes: they must be at least 4cm (1 ½ inches) in diameter. Using an apple corer if you have one, scoop out the ce= ntre of each courgette and discard. Sprinkle the insides with salt. To prepare t= he filling, chop the parsley with the garlic, then add the breadcrumbs and oli= ve oil and season. Place the courgettes in a large saucepan over a moderate he= at, cover with water and bring to the boil. Add a little salt to the water and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain them, reserving the cooking liquid, then stuff = with the filling, being careful not to break them while you push the filling ins= ide with the end of a small spoon. Grease an ovenproof dish with a little margarine, add the courgettes with a small knob of margarine. Cover and bak= e in a preheated oven at 200 C^o (400 F^o), gas mark 6, for 1 hour and pour over the cooking liquid. When ready, cut the courgettes in ha= lf lengthwise on a serving dish. As an alternative, you can make a tomato sauc= e, as for the stuffed peppers

Zucchine in padella

= Baby Marrows in the Frying Pan

Serves 4

= 450g (1 lb) baby marrows     = ;        salt

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

1 large onion, peeled and thinly sliced

= 250 g (10 oz) very ripe tomatoes, skinned, seeded and chopped

Top and tail, wash and cut the courgettes in half. If they are very s= mall and fresh, cut them in pieces as they are, otherwise discard the middle, wh= ere the seeds are. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over moderate heat and fry the onion for 3-5 minutes until tender. Add the tomatoes and courgettes and season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for about 45 minutes, stirring often. If it gets too dry, add 100 ml (3 ½ fl oz) water. Stir often. Keep covered.

Funghi ripieni

Stuffed Mushrooms

Serves 4

= 10 large mushrooms         &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;         3 anchovy fillets, chopped

4 tablespoons olive oil    &nb= sp;            =             f= reshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley &nbs= p;    ½ clove garlic, chopped

2 tablespoons fresh white breadcrumbs

1 medium-sized onion, peeled and chopped

Choose large mushrooms. Wash the two smallest mushrooms, take off the stalks with a sharp knife, and = cut them into very small pieces. Place 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large sauc= epan and fry the parsley, garlic, onion and anchovy fillets for 5 minutes, adding a little pepper. Remove from the heat and mix= in the breadcrumbs. Now prepare the remaining mushrooms. Scrape and wash them well, sprinkle with a little salt, then fill each with some of the mixture, pressing down with your fingers. Sprinkle a few more breadcrumbs on top, wi= th a few drops of olive oil on top of each mushroom. Place them in a greased ovenproof dish. Bake in a preheated oven at 215 C^o(420 F^{o<=
/sup>),
gas mark 7, for 20 minutes.}

Funghi in padella

Mushrooms in the Pan<= /span>

In my opinion, this is the best and quickest way of cooking mushrooms= .

Serves 4

= 150 g (6 oz) mushrooms         &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;   ½ clove garlic

2 tablespoons olive oil    &nb= sp;            =             f= reshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley    salt

Scrape the mushrooms, peel the stalks, wash them and cut into quarter= s or slices. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan, with the parsley, garlic = (in one piece), pepper and salt. Cook quickly stirring often, for 10-15 minutes. Discard the garlic and serve.

Piselli al grasso e magro

Peas with Unsmoked Streaky Bacon

Fresh peas are best, but you can use frozen ones.
Serves 4

= 25g (1 oz) margarine      = ;            &n= bsp;            = ;          300g (12 oz) shelled peas

1 medium-sized onion, peeled, chopped       fresh ground black pepper

4 slices unsmoked streaky rindless bacon chopped   1 beef stock cube=

6 fresh chopped basil leaves or a pinch dry basil

= 175ml (6 fl oz) water

Melt the margarine in a large saucepan over moderate heat and fry the onion for about 5 minutes, until soft. Add the bacon and basil. Cook very slowly so that all the fat melts and the bacon is crisp. Add the peas and season. Dissolve the stock cube in the water, and stir in. Boil for 15 minu= tes, stirring from time to time. Drain and serve hot.

Piselli al prosciutto

Peas with Parma Ham=

Serves 4

= 1 beef stock cube      &n= bsp;            = ;          100g (12 oz) shelled peas

= 225 ml (8 fl oz) boiling water   &n= bsp;    3 slices prosciutto, chopped

= 50 g (2 oz) butter     =             &nb= sp;          1 medium onion,peeled and chopped

Dissolve beef cube in the boiling water. Melt butter in a large pan a= nd fry the onion in the butter until soft. Add the stock and the peas and boil quickly for 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add the ham, mixing everything thoroughly. Drain and serve hot.

Patate lessate

Boiled Potatoes

It seems ridiculous to tell anybody how to boil potatoes, but I always find it very strange that people seem to peel their potatoes before they bo= il them, while in Italy nobody does so. Why go to all the trouble of scraping = and peeling, making a mess of your hands, when you need only wash, boil and then peel them very easily? There is also the advantage that if sometimes you co= ok them a little too

long, they do not get full of water. After the potatoes are peeled, a= dd salt and pepper, a sprinkle of olive oil and mix in a little chopped fresh parsley. Shake the pan and serve at once.

Patate alla svizzera

Potatoes the <= st1:address>Swiss Way

In northern Italy, you will find that some of the cooking is influenced by the eating habits of the country across the border.

Serves 6

= 1 kg (2 lb) potatoes         &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            100 g (4 oz) margarine

= freshly ground black pepper    =              = 4 tablespoons grated Parmesan

= 100 g (4 oz) fresh pecorino or Cheddar cheese, grated<= /i>

Wash the potatoes and boil them in their skin. They will need about 5= 0-40 minutes. Prod them with a fork to make sure they are tender. When cooked, p= eel and slice. Season with salt and pepper. Take an ovenproof dish, grease with= a little of the margarine, then layer alternately with the potatoes and pecorino or cheddar cheese. Repeat= the layers until you have used up all the ingredients, placing small knobs of margarine between the layers, here and there. Cover with the grated Parmesa= n. Bake in a preheated oven at 215 C^o (420 F^o), gas mark= 7, for 20 minutes.

Patate con cipolle

Potatoes with Onions

Serves 4

= 1 kg (2 lb) potatoes         &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            4 large onions            = salt

= 40 g (1 ½ oz) margarine            =             &nb= sp; 175ml (6 fl oz) milk

= freshly ground black pepper        &= nbsp;          2 teaspoons butter

Wash the potatoes and boil them in their skin. When cooked, drain and peel them. Cut them into slices and season. Melt the margarine in a large frying pan and cook the onion until tender, stirring often. Grease a large ovenproof dish, then layer alternately the potatoes and onions, repeating u= ntil you have used them all. Pour the milk on top and add small knobs of butter. Cover and bake for 30 minutes in a preheated oven at 200 C^o (400= F^o), gas mark 6-7.

Spinaci gratinati

Spinach au Gratin

Serves 4

= 500 g (17 oz) spinach    &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;   25g (1 oz) butter     =      salt

= freshly ground black pepper    =      25g (1 oz) grated Parmesan cheese

Wash the spinach. Drain and cook in a large saucepan without adding a= ny water, stirring often until the spinach is tender. Add salt and pepper. Tip= the spinach into an ovenproof dish, add the butter and sprinkle with the Parmes= an. Cook in a preheated oven at 200 C^o (400 F^o), gas mark= 7, for 10 minutes.

Spinaci in padella

Spinach in the Frying Pan<= o:p>

Serves 4

= 500 g (17 oz) spinach         &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;        freshly ground black pepper=

2 whole = anchovies or 4 anchovy fillets 2= 5g (1 oz) butter     = ;     salt

Wash the spinach and drain well. Put the spinach in a large frying pan and cook without adding any water, stirring often until the spinach is tend= er. Clean the anchovies (if you are using the salty ones) and chop finely. If t= here is water left in the pan after the spinach is tender, drain it, then mix in= the butter, the anchovies and pepper, but only a little salt. Stir well.

Pomodori ripieni

Stuffed Tomatoes

Serves 4

4 large nearly ripe tomatoe, pink-red in colour             =    ½clove garlic

= 40g (1 ½ oz) fresh white   breadcrumbs    &= nbsp;         3 tablespoons olive oi= l

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley &nbs= p;        freshly ground b= lack pepper

Wash the tomatoes and cut them in half horizontally. Remove the seeds. Sprinkle with a little salt and turn upside down to drain. Mix the parsley = and garlic with the breadcrumbs, season and add 2 tablespoons of oil, mixing everything together. Fill the cavity of each tomato half with this mixture. Place all the filled tomatoes on a greased baking sheet or an ovenproof dish and put a few drops of olive = oil on each half. Bake in a preheated oven at 215C^o (420 F^o), gas mark 7, f= or 25 minutes. The breadcrumbs on top should be golden brown.

Pomodori ripieni con mozzarella
Stuffed tomatoes with mozzarella

Serves 4

4 large ripe tomatoes            &n= bsp;            = ;      a handful of parsley

3 tablespoons olive oil            =             &nb= sp;    ½ mozzarella

1 garlic clove =             &nb= sp;            =             &nb= sp;     salt

a small onion &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;     pepper

a few leaves of basil

Cut the tomatoes in half and remove the seeds. Finely chop up the garlic, onion, parsley= . Fry them in a pan with the olive = oil for a few minutes, then add the tomatoes for a partial cooking .Cook all togeth= er for about six minutes. Take out the tomatoes, season them with pepper and salt, adding a few basil leaves chopped up. Fill the tomatoes with the other ingredients and top about ½ an hour or a little longer if the tomato= es need it. They must be soft if you prick them with a fork. them up with small pieces of mozzarella. Place them in a greased oven tin and cook them in a moderate oven for about ½= an hour or a little longer if the tomatoes still need it. They must be soft wh= en you prick them with a fork

Peperoni

Peppers

The peppers for the following recipes can be green, yellow or red. I usually mix them, but it is up to you which ones you prefer to cook, as the yellow and red ones are sweeter than the green. Some Italians now skin their peppers because, they say, the skin can give you indigestion, but in my hom= e we eat peppers, skin and all. If you do want to skin the peppers, hold them wi= th a fork on top of a gas flame or under a grill until the skin detaches itself = from the flesh, bursting in places. Then dip the peppers in cold water and scrape the skin off with your fingers and the help of a sharp knife. Most of the s= kin will come away, but you cannot be too fussy. Personally, to go through this operation puts me off cooking peppers altogether, so I only do it for Itali= an guests! All Italians follow the fashion. Italians are very fashion- conscio= us people: not only do they feel the need to renovate their clothes every seas= on, but their body will acquire symptoms of different illnesses in different ye= ars. One year it is fashionable to eat something, next year the same thing will = be deadly poisonous to your system for one reason or another. One summer, everybody will get liver trouble, appendicitis the next, while having your blood pressure checked is an imperative weekly pastime. I am often asked wh= at my blood pressure is and my friends are astonished that I do not bother to = find out. So, now you should not eat peppers with their skin!<= /p>

Peperoni ripieni

Stuffed Peppers

Serves 4

4 large peppers, green, yellow or red &= nbsp;        fresh ground black pepper

= 1 egg, lightly beaten     = ;            &n= bsp;     2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 tablespoon olive oil    = ;            &n= bsp;            = ;      1 tablespoon tom= ato puree

= ½ clove garlic, chopped   &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;       1 teaspoon margarine

= 40g (1 ¾ oz) fresh white breadcrumbs &= nbsp;             300 ml (1/2 pint) water=

1 tablespoon cornflour    = ;            &n= bsp;            = ;            &n= bsp;     a pinch of nutmeg

= 100 g (4 oz) cooked minced meat   =             &nb= sp;            = 1 tablespoon water

Wash the peppers, remove a thin slice from the base,= cut off the tops and remove the cores and seeds from the centres. Sprinkle a li= ttle salt inside the peppers and leave them aside. To prepare the stuffing, mix together the parsley, garlic, breadcrumbs and minced meat. Season and bind = this mixture with the beaten egg. Stuff the peppers then place them upright in a greased ovenproof dish and sprinkle just a few drops of olive oil on top. C= over and cook them in a preheated oven at 200 C^o (400 F^o),= gas mark 6, for about 1 hour. Make sure they are tender and cooked through by prodding them with a fork. Cut them in half lengthwise with a sharp knife. Arrange them on a serving dish and keep hot. To prepare the sauce, mix the tomato puree with the margarine, salt and water. Boil for 15 minutes. Mix t= he cornflour with 1 tablespoon water and add it to the sauce, stirring it in w= ell. Boil for 1 minute more, then pour over the peppers and sprinkle with nutmeg= .

Peperonata^F

Casseroled Peppers

Serves 4

6 large peppers      = ;            &n= bsp;            = ;          salt

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

1 medium-sized onion,peeled and chopped

= 6 very ripe tomatoes,skinned, seeded and chopped

Wash the peppers and cut them in half, remove the seeds, then cut them into smaller pieces. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over moderate heat and cook the onion for about 5 minutes until soft, stirring it often. Add the peppers and the tomatoes to the onion, season with salt and pepper and simm= er for about 30 minutes, or until the peppers are soft. Stir occasionally. If the peppers are not soft after 30 minutes, add ½ tumbler of water, bring it to the boil, and simmer = for a further 15-20 minutes.

Frittura mista di verdura

Fried Mixed Vegetables

Frying different vegetables together makes a very tasty and interesti= ng mixture, but obviously you can also use just one type at a time. Cauliflowe= r, globe or Jerusalem artichokes, cardoons, celery, aubergines, courgettes and marrow flow= ers are all suitable for frying. Vegetables such as cauliflower, cardoons, cele= ry and Jerusalem artichokes need more preparation than the rest because, apart from cleaning, scraping and chopping, they must be boiled first, then drained, a= nd rolled in flour and beaten egg before being fried. Aubergines, courgettes a= nd marrow flowers should be washed, cut in pieces, then sprinkled with salt and left to drain for 15 minutes before being coated with flour and beaten egg = and fried. These vegetables must be cut very thinly; the courgettes in thin circles, the aubergines in thin slices, after removing the seeds. The flowe= rs are just cut in sections.

&nbs= p;

<= b>Pasta, Polenta and Pizza

Pasta

In this chapter you will find ways of preparing pasta dishes like lasagne and cappelletti that are for special occasions. But before I embark= on the recipes, I must emphasize that homemade pasta is essential for these specialities. You must be prepared to make your own or to buy fresh pasta, = if you are lucky enough to live near a shop that sells it. In this age of gadg= ets, making pasta is a very simplified task. There are many machines on the mark= et which are all very easy to operate, and once you start to make your own you will certainly not go back to packets. The machines are not expensive and t= hey last a lifetime. Strange as it may seem, in Italy some peo= ple still make their own pasta by hand. I was recently visiting a friend in Rome and saw,= to my astonishment, that her maid was making fresh pasta by hand. In days gone by, peasant girls getting ready for marriage were supposed to be expert in iron= ing and folding men's shirts, and making pasta. They would be considered experts when they could roll out the dough into a perfect circle. To roll out pasta= by hand you need a very long rolling pin, because to stretch the amount of dou= gh you get by using, say, two eggs, you will end up with a circle approximately two and a half feet in dia- meter, so your rolling pin must be at least thr= ee feet long. When I got married and came to England= , I could= not get a rolling pin the right size, so a kind uncle of my husband made me one, af= ter long and detailed explanations about its thickness and length. I think he o= nly offered to make the thing because he was fascinated by the idea of seeing w= hat I was going to do with it. Fortunately for me, he had no notion of what to expect. I was no expert rolling pin user and the shapes of my end product turned out as a mixture of oblongs with no resemblance whatsoever to Giotto= 's '0'. The result, however, once cooked, was a complete success and since then many guests have praised my efforts. You may be wondering what Giotto's 'O'= is. The story goes that Pope Benedict IX wanted some paintings done and sent a courtier to find out who were the best painters of the time. He stopped at = many artists' workshops and took from each one of them a sample of his work. Whe= n he arrived at Giotto's place and asked for one of his drawings, Giotto took a sheet of paper, dipped a brush in colour and without moving his arm drew a perfect circle, just with a twist of his hand. This he gave as a sample of = his work to the astonished Pope's messenger. When the Pope looked at all the drawings, he asked the courtier to describe how Giotto had painted that cir= cle. When he heard, the only painter he wanted at his court was Giotto. Since th= en, Giotto's 'O' has become the synonym for perfection.

How to Make Fresh P= asta

Serves 2-3

2 eggs &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;         225g (8 oz) plain flour

Fix the machine on your kitchen table. Put half of the flour into a l= arge mixing bowl. Crack the eggs one by one. When you use a number of eggs, it is always advisable to crack one egg at a time in a separate basin, in case th= ere is a bad one. Tip the cracked eggs in the middle of the flour, beat them lightly with a fork and gradually mix with the flour, adding more until you have a stiff dough. Turn on to a lightly floured board, knead and roll it w= ith your hands. Knead it roughly, then cut off one piece. If you have used 2 eg= gs to make pasta, then cut dough into 4 pieces. Use one at a time and keep the= rest in the mixing bowl, covered with a damp cloth, so it will not dry up and fo= rm a crust on top. Using some flour, roll the first piece in the machine with the rollers as far apart as possible, adding flour when needed. Roll and fold t= he pasta again a few more times, putting it through the rollers at the same opening. When the dough is smooth and elastic and not at all sticky, change= the width of the rollers to the last notch and put the pasta through. If the st= rip tears, it means it is too thin, so adjust the rollers to the next notch bef= ore repeating the operation. The strip of pasta will be thin and long. Being careful not to let it stick while you handle it, place it on the table on a clean cloth dusted with flour. Use up all the pieces of dough in the same w= ay. When you make pasta, remember to use plain flour and do not, on any account= , be tempted to add water to the eggs. This would spoil your pasta, making it brittle during cooking and less tasty. In Italy= you would be regarded as a mean person, and friends would avoid being guests in= a household where the cook puts water in the pasta! Some people add salt to t= he dough when mixing pasta, but I prefer to put it into the boiling water I co= ok it in, just as the water comes to the boil. You may also add a tablespoon of olive oil to the water which helps to prevent the pieces of pasta sticking = to one another, but if you follow the main rules, you won't find this necessar= y. To cook pasta you need a large deep saucepan, plenty of water and plenty of room for stirring. When the water boils, add the salt and drop the pasta in while you stir. Drop it in quickly, because if you hold it on top of the pan too long the steam will make it stick even before it gets into the water. B= oil fresh homemade pasta for about 2 minutes, stirring from time to time. When = you are ready to drain it, remove the pan from the heat and pour in a cup of co= ld water to stop it continuing to cook. Overcooked pasta is something Italians abhor.

Pasta verde

Green Pasta

Serves 2-3

50g (2 oz) s= pinach <= /span> 2 eggs

See recipe for making tagliatelle. Pasta verde is made by adding some cooked, drained and = very finely chopped spinach to the beaten eggs when you mix the dough.

Ragu ^F

Ragu is a basic sauce which you can use with all types of pasta. It is best to buy tomato puree in small tins because if you= do not use it all it will go dark in colour and dry up. When you open a tin, p= ut the leftover puree in a glass container or a plastic tub, cover with cling = film and keep it in the refrigerator. I do not buy puree in tubes because a lot = of it gets wasted and also trying to squeeze out the right amount in a hurry drives me mad! If you do not possess a mincer, you can use minced meat - the sauce will be thicker from the start- but see that there is not too much fa= t or gristle. You can freeze this sauce. If you are making a double quantity or = more for this purpose, divide the amount accordingly when partly frozen. Put the sauce in a freezer- proof container, leave it for a couple of hours in the = oldest part of your freezer. It will be ready to cut when it is firm to the touch.= Tip the sauce on a board and cut it into squares. Wrap each piece in foil and return it to the freezer. It will keep for months and you will be able to improvise a good dish of pasta at very short notice. If you have enough = ragu for, say, 4 persons, and you get an unexpected guest, do not panic. There i= s a way of stretching your sauce. When your pasta is cooked, put it in a large = dish still dripping a little, then mix a knob of butter with it, before pouring = on the ragu. One final word of advice: do not forget to cut the sauce before it is completely frozen. If you leave it in the freezer for a long t= ime you will need a hammer and chisel to be able to use it-which once happened = to me!

Serves 6

225 g (8 oz) stewing steak or mince&n= bsp;          freshly ground black pepper

1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped        =     250 ml (8 fl oz) water

1 medium-sized carrot, chopped            =      2 tablespoons to= mato puree

2 397 g (14 oz) tins peeled tomatoes         &= nbsp;           50g (= 2 oz) margarine

1 stick celery, chopped, or 2 celery leaves

4 fresh basil leaves,chopped, or a pinch of dry basi= l

Melt the margarine in a large saucepan and fry the onion for 1-5 minu= tes until soft. Add the carrot, celery, basil, salt and pepper. Cook for about 1 minute, stirring. Add the meat and cook for a further 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Strain the tomato juice into the saucepan through a fine siev= e, using the back of a wooden spoon to extract all the pulp. There shouldn't be any seeds in the sauce. Dilute the tomato puree with the water and add to t= he saucepan. Let the sauce come to the boil, then reduce the heat and cook gently for about 1 ½ hours, adding some water during the cooking process and stirring f= rom time to time. At this stage the sauce should not be too thick. When the mea= t is tender, remove the sauce from the heat, use a slotted spoon to lift out the meat and the vegetables and mince together. (I throw the celery away as I l= ike only the flavour and it can become a bit stringy.) Return the minced meat to the pan, stir in the liquid sauce and your ragu is ready.

Pasta in bianco (al burro)

Plain Pasta (with Butter)

Serves 1 (main course)

100 g (4 oz) p= asta per person   &= nbsp;           &nbs= p; 25g (1 oz) butter or margarine

20g (3/4 oz) grated Parmesan cheese

The easiest and quickest way of preparing any type of pasta is to ser= ve it in bianco, literally 'in white'. This means without a sauc= e of any kind. Just mix the boiled, drained pasta with the butter or margarine a= nd sprinkle the grated cheese on top. When you want to eat pasta this way it is wise not to drain it too well or it will be a little doughy. In some parts = of Italy= they just mix it with a little olive oil, but this is a dish mainly reserved for invalids. The Italians reckon that if you are not well you should eat in= bianco. Italy is full of hypochondriacs who avoid eating pasta or any other dish w= ith a sauce. 'Senza sugo per me', 'without sauce for me' (sugo is sauce, but literally means juice), is the call of anybo= dy who fears for the well being of their liver, kidney, stomach or whatever. As I've said before, in Italy everything goes in trends. At one time you were not supposed to use = too much olive oil: ‘It is too heavy; you should mix it with a little corn oil or sunflower oil' (which the year before was frowned upon). Another time you were supposed to try not to eat any butter, even with your pasta in<= /i> bianco, so a friend of mine solved the problem by using a good deal of tomato juice (boiled for half an hour) on her pasta, and then covering the top with doub= le cream! What amazes me is that so many people think they know all about ailments, tests, operations, medicines and remedies. Either they must know = the equivalent of Pears Encyclopaedia by heart, or the doctors must be f= ar more loquacious than their British counterparts, since I have not come across this phenomenon here. So, w= hen in Italy= , I must not poke scorn at them. I just listen to the real and imagin= ary illnesses and try to be very understanding. There are some tasty variations= to pasta in bianco, such as adding some very small pieces of ham, frankfurters or boiled courgettes, for example.

Salsa di magro^F

Meatless Sauce

Magro literally means ‘lean’, but in t= his instance it means 'without any meat or animal fat'. This sauce used to be t= he favourite on Fridays when they were considered meatless days in Catholic countries. It's just as good with spaghetti as with other homemade pasta. <= o:p>

Serves 5-6

50g (1 3/4 oz) = tin filleted anchovies or 75g (3 oz) = salted ones

2 x 197 g (14 oz) tin= s peeled tomatoes        &= nbsp;     50 ml (2 fl oz) olive oil

170 g (6 oz) t= in tuna (Italian or Portuguese)       12= 5ml (4 fl oz) water

4 tablespoons fre= sh parsley            &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp; ½ clove garlic

Drain the anchovies and tuna, reserving the oil. Mix together the anchovies and the tuna, add the parsley and garlic and chop until a sort of paste is formed. Put the olive oil in a saucepan over a moderate heat, add = the paste and the reserved fish oil. Fry for about 5 minutes, stirring from tim= e to time, then add the strained tomatoes with the water. Simmer for about 45 minutes. Do not put salt in this sauce as the anchovies and tuna are already quite salty. You are not supposed to use any cheese with this sauce, but it= is a matter of taste.

Salsa al pesto^F

Pesto Sauce

'Pesto' sauce gets its name from the verb pestare (to pound wi= th a pestle), because in the years before liquidizers the ingredients used to be pounded in a mortar.

Serves 4

50g (2 oz) fresh basil             =          85ml (3 fl oz) olive oil

50g (2 oz) fresh parsley             =      salt

1 clove garlic =             &nb= sp;            =         50g (2 oz) grated Parmesan cheese

Wash the basil and parsley and squeeze out the water. These herbs mus= t be chopped very finely as the end product must look like a paste, so the best = way is to use a liquidizer. Add the garlic to the liquidizer. Blend for a few moments until finely minced, transfer to a large basin, add the grated Parm= esan and, stirring with a wooden spoon, gradually add the olive oil. It should n= ot have any lumps. Season with salt. When you have cooked your pasta, add 2 tablespoons of the boiling water to the pesto, mix well then pour it on the strained pasta. Mix thoroughly.

Salsa alle vongole^F =

Cockle Sauce

Serves 4

1 kg (2 lb) cockles&= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;          200ml (7 fl oz) water

a sprig of parsley, chopped salt

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

½ clove garlic             &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;    4 tablespoons tomato puree

Wash the cockles in a bowl full of water to get rid of the sand. Scrape and rinse them several times. Put them in a large saucepan, cover and heat gently, shaking the pan. After a few moments the cockles will start to open. Remove them with a slot= ted spoon as they open. Discard any that do not open. Remove from their shells = and set aside, reserving the cooking liquid. Place the parsley in a large sauce= pan over moderate heat with the olive oil and garlic, and cook for a few minute= s. Add the cooking liquid and stir. Add the tomato puree d= iluted in the water, and season. Simmer for about 30 mi= nutes, then add the cockles and boil for a further 5 minutes. Discard the garlic. Serve with any type of pasta, but I'd particularly recommend it with spaghe= tti or fettuccine (very thinly cut tagliatelle). You are not supposed to add any cheese to pasta served with a fish sauce.

Salsa alle noci

Walnut Sauce

This sauce is traditionally eaten with spaghetti on Christmas Eve. In= my grandmother's day we had it every year, without exception.

Serves 2

50g (2 oz) walnuts &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            freshly ground black pepper

25g (1 oz) fresh parsley                  50 ml (2 fl oz) olive oil          =

grated Parmesan cheese (optional)            =      salt

Roughly chop the walnuts and parsley. Fry these ingredients in the ol= ive oil for 10 minutes, adding salt and pepper. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top= if you like.

Salsa porchetta

Porchetta Sauce

This sauce takes its name from a particular way of cooking a whole pi= glet in porchetta, stuffed with spices and herbs, mainly fennel.

Serves 2

50ml (2 fl oz= ) olive oil    &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;             =        a sprig of rosemary

about 150 g (5 oz) pork fillet, cubed&nbs= p;           65ml (2'/2 fl oz) white wine

25g (1 oz) c= hopped wild fennel or 1 teaspoon fennel seed= s

3 tablespoons grated Parmesan chees= e          fresh homemade pasta

½ clove garlic, crushed =         &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp; a small piece of pimento

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over moderate heat and fry the meat, fennel, garlic, pimento and rosemary for 5-6 minutes, then add the wine and cook for 50 more minutes, at low heat. Cook the pasta and mix the sauce with it, adding the grated Parmesan on top.

Salsa con piselli freschi

Fresh Pea Sauce

You can make this sauce with frozen peas when fresh ones are not available, but the taste of the two is quite different. You can also use sm= all pieces of fried courgettes and cream, or aubergines and cream, with grated Parmesan added.

Serves 5

4 slices unsmoked streaky bacon, diced 100ml (½ pint) water

1 medium-sized onion,peeled and chopped    freshground black pepper=

450g (1 lb) fresh peas shelled            =             &nb= sp; homemade pasta

4 chopped fresh basil leaves                  =       50g (2 oz) grated Parmesan

3 tablespoons tomato puree            =             &nb= sp;    salt

Place the bacon and onion in a saucepan and cook them very slowly unt= il the onion is soft. Add the peas and basil and stir from time to time. After about 4 minutes, dilute the tomato puree in 100 ml (3 ½ fl oz) of the water, add to the peas and season. Gradually add the remaining water. Simmer for 30 minutes. Serve with hot pasta and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Sal= sa carbonara

Charcoal Maker's Sauce

Pecorino romano is supposed to be used for this sauce and it is very strong. If you like milder cheese, I suggest you use <= i>sardo (Sardinian), but buy the best type. There is a cheap type on the market whi= ch is like blotting paper.

Serves 2

25 g (1 oz) margarine             &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;          homemade pasta

40g (1 ½ oz) grated pecorino cheese

1 medium-sized onion,peeled and chopped           1 egg, lightly beaten

4 slices unsmoked, streaky rindless bacon, diced        &= nbsp;

Melt the margarine in a large frying pan and cook the onion and bacon until the onion is soft and the bacon crisp. Meanwhile, boil the pasta, dra= in and place in a warmed serving dish. Quickly mix the egg with the pasta, then add the hot bacon and onion and mix. Spread pecorino cheese on top.

=

Salsa con salsicce   e grasso <= span lang=3DEN-GB style=3D'font-size:16.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;layout-gr= id-mode: line'>e magro
Italian Sausage and Unsmoked Bacon Sauce

Grasso e magro is fresh streaky bacon= .

Serves 4

6 slices unsmoked streaky bacon, diced          = 4 Italian sausages

homemade pasta = ;            &n= bsp;            = ;         =    50g (2 oz) grated Parmesan cheese

1 medium-sized onion,peeled and chopped    2 397g (14 oz) tins pee= led tomatoes

Place the bacon and onion in a large frying pan over moderate heat and fry very slowly, stirring very often or it will stick. When the onion is so= ft, add the strained tomatoes. Simmer for 20 minutes, then add the sausages to = the sauce. Simmer for a further 15 minutes, adding 2 tablespoons of water. Make sure the sausages are cooked before serving over pasta, sprinkled with Parm= esan cheese. There is no need to add salt, because the sausages and bacon are already salted.

Cannelloni ^F

Cannelloni are very large lasagne. They are arranged in a dish in one layer only and they have a very thin cover of white sauce on top. You can m= ake them using the same recipe as for lasagne. Just cut the squares of pasta ab= out double the size, then put in double the amount of meat and arrange them in a dish with Parmesan and a good amount of ragu (meat and tomato sauce)= on top. Cover them with the white sauce and bake them in a preheated oven at 2= 20C (425F), gas mark 7, for about 20 minutes.

Cannelloni con ricotta e spinaci^F<= o:p>

Cannelloni with Ricotta and Spi= nach

This dish freezes well - allow to cool completely, cover with foil, l= abel and freeze.

Serves 6

4 eggs for pasta                &= nbsp;    65g (2 ½ oz) grated Parmesan cheese

For the filling

450g (1 tb) s= pinach chopped      =             <= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'>     a pinch of nutmeg

100 g (4 oz) g= rated Parmesan cheese         450g (1 lb) fresh ricotta

2 eggs, tightly beaten        &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;               fresh gro= und black pepper

For the tomato sauce

2 397 g (14 oz) tins Italia peeled tomatoes        1 beef stock cube

For the white sauce

1 tablespoon cornflour            &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            1 teaspoon butter

350ml (12 fl oz) milk            &n= bsp;            = ;            &n= bsp;   salt

Prepare the filling. Cook the spinach without any water, stirring oft= en. Squeeze out any remaining water and chop again on a board or put it through a mincer. = Mix with the ricotta, salt, pepper, nutmeg, Parmesan and the eggs. Make your pa= sta and cut the strips into very large squares, the sides as large as the width= of the rollers. Boil them in plenty of salted water and follow the same rules = as for lasagne. Put a good amount of the filling into each cannellone, without sprinkling cheese on. Roll each one carefully, so that the filling does not come out, then place them in a buttered ovenproof dish, with a topping of Parmesan and a thin layer of white sauce on top. To make the white sauce, dissolve the cornflour with 2 tablespoons of the milk. Put the rest of the = milk in a saucepan over a moderate heat, with the butter and the salt. Bring to = the boil and then mix with the dissolved cornflour, stirring continuously until= it thickens. It should not be too thick, however. Pour this sauce on the cannelloni, spreading it evenly all over. To make the tomato sauce, push the pulp of the tomatoes through a sieve, into a large saucepan, add salt and b= oil for 20 minutes. Add the stock cube diluted in 2 tablespoons of boiling wate= r. Cover the cannelloni with this sauce, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bak= e in a preheated oven at 220 ^oC (425 ^oF), gas mark 7, for = 20 minutes.

Cappelletti^F<= /b>

Cappelletti are what in the shops you buy as tortellini; they have different names in different parts of Italy. Tortellini are all made by machine, while cappelletti are so called because their shape resembles a little hat, and cannot be made into this shape by machine. You start by making the filling, which you can prepare the day bef= ore.

Serves 6-7 (Makes 350 – 400 cappelleti)

homemade pasta= made with 5 eggs   =          freshly grou= nd black pepper

175 g (6 oz) b= eefsteak               &= nbsp;            =     ½ teaspoon grated nutmeg

175 g (6 oz) c= hicken breast      = ;              =    ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

100 g (4 oz) l= ean pork             =             &nb= sp;            salt

100 g (4 oz) I= talian salame      = ;              = 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan

100 g (4 oz) m= ortadella
65g (2 ½ oz) butter        &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            =   1 egg, lightly beaten

Grill the steak, the chicken breast, and the pork for a few minutes on each side. The meat does not need to be cooked completely. Cool, then mince= the meat, salame and mortadella, and mix together. Melt the butte= r in a large saucepan over moderate heat, add the minced mixture and, stirring continuously, cook for 2-3 minutes. Add salt, pepper, nutmeg and cinnamon, mixing well, then the Parmesan and the egg. As soon as you add the egg, rem= ove from the heat, and continue stirring until it is all well mixed and like a smooth paste. Place this mixture into a basin, cover and refrigerate until = you are ready to start making the cappelletti. Bring out of the fridge about 2 hours before use, or it will be stiff and hard and it will tear the fresh pasta. Now make your pasta, making it a little softer than when making tagliatelle or lasagne. If you press two bits together when you roll it, th= ey should stick. When you have the first strip ready, rest it on a board and c= ut into squares with a very sharp knife. The classic way is to cut circles of pasta, but it is a very time-consuming process and in the cutting you will = get many scraps which need recycling. So it is best to cut the pasta into 4cm (= 1 ½ inch) squares. Put a little of the filling (a knob the size of a penny) into the middle of each square, fold diagonally, so you have a triangle. Press the edges, then br= ing the two corners together one on top of the other and press lightly. The fir= st cappelletto is now made and soon you will be an expert.

A      =    B

           =             &nb= sp;            =             &nb= sp;

C   &= nbsp;     D

Cappelletti

Fold, bringing D to A. Press all around.

Twist B and C towards each other, and press the two points flat on to= p

of one another.

Sprinkle some flour on a tray and place the cappelletti on it as you = make them. If you are going to freeze them, place the filled tray in the freezer= for about 1 hour, then empty the contents of the tray into a freezer bag. Do not defrost cappelletti in advance; take them out only at cooking time or they = will stick. If you are going to use cappelletti within a couple of days after making, leave them on trays in a cool place. They will dry up, but do not worry; they will only require a little more cooking time. The main thing to avoid is letting the pasta dry up while you make them or you will not be ab= le to stick the shapes around the filling. Work with small amounts of dough at= a time and keep the rest covered in a bowl. Try not to have the kitchen too h= ot either. All this may sound rather a boring task, but I assure you, it is we= ll worth the trouble. But if you decide not to make your own cappelletti, you = can buy packets of tortellini instead. Some years ago, when I did not have a freezer and my family was numerous, I made an enormous number of cappelletti for our Christmas lunch. I left them on the dining-room table, then I had to fill another table as well. I left the light on with the curtains open whil= e we went out, and on our return I found a few inquisitive children from the neighbourhood peering in and wondering what on earth these little objects in lines were on my table. They thought we were playing some sort of war game = with extra- terrestrial toy soldiers! You can serve cappelletti either in soup o= r asciutti (dry), which means without broth, and with some kind of a=

sauce. It is best to cook them first in the same way, no matter how y= ou are going to serve them, because they need a lot of cooking. If you boil th= em directly in the broth, you would need such a lot of it as it evaporates a g= reat deal. Dissolve 1 beef stock cube (2 if you have more than 250 cappelletti) = in a large saucepan of water over high heat. Use chicken cubes if you have cappelletti in broth. Add a little salt, but not too much because the cubes= are already quite salty. When the water boils, drop in the cappelletti, stirring occasionally. Spike the middle of one with a fork to see if it is tender (p= ush the prongs where the pasta is folded). You must make sure that they are well cooked in the middle.

Cap= pelletti in brodo
Cappelletti in Broth as Soup

150ml (11 fl oz) stock        &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;        salt<= /i>

30-40 cappelletti per person            =        grated Parmesan cheese

Have ready some stock of your choice (chicken or turkey stock is best= to go with cappelletti). At Christmas, capon broth is recommended. When you ha= ve boiled the cappelletti, drain the cooking water and add boiling broth, about 2-2 ½ ladles per person. Check the salt. Serve this soup with= a little grated Parmesan.

Cap= pelletti alla panna

Cappelletti with Cream<= o:p>

Serves 4

200-220 cappelletti =             &nb= sp;          80g (3 oz) grated Parmesan cheese

80g (3 oz) butter &n= bsp;                  l25ml (1/4 pint) double cream

Cook cappelletti, then drain them into a warmed serving dish. Add the butter, cut up in shreds, and mix it in well. Pour in the cream, then put everything back into the saucepan. Heat well and quickly, stirring carefully with a wooden spoon. Keep the saucepan on the heat just long enough to warm the cream. Tip the contents b= ack into a serving dish, or make individual portions, and add grated Parmesan cheese.

Cap= pelletti al ragu

Cappelletti with Meat <= i>and Tomato Sauce

Serves 4

Make a ragu sauce as described above. Cook 200-220 cappelletti, drain the cooking water, and tip them into a large warmed serving dish. Mix with some of the ragu and cheese, mix again, add the rest of the = ragu and cheese, mix again, add the rest of the ragu and sprinkle more Parmesan cheese on top.

Lasagne^F

When you prepare lasagne, always make the sauce first.

Serves 6

3 large eggs for pasta        &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;         about 350g (14 <= i>oz) plain flour

300g (12 oz) = grated Parmesan cheese   &nb= sp;         150 ml (1/4 pint) milk

1 tablespoon cornflour            =             &nb= sp;            1 teaspoon butter

For the sauce

450g (1 lb) stewing steak            =             &nb= sp;         100g (4 oz) margarine

1 medium-sized onion, peeled and chopped   salt
3 597g (14 oz) tins Italian peeled tomatoes    2 tblsp tomato puree

1 medium-sized carrot, chopped            =           1 stick of celery, chopped

5-6 chopped fresh basil leaves or a pinch of dry basil=

Make pasta as explained above. Lay the pasta strips to dry and then c= ut them into rectangular shapes roughly 10 x 6.5cm (4 x 2 ½ inches). Ha= ve a large saucepan of water ready on the stove. Bring it to the boil, add the s= alt and pop in the lasagne one by one, being very careful that they do not stic= k to each other. It helps to stir them continuously. Boil them for 2 minutes, th= en lift them out with a slotted spoon into a bowl containing cold water. If any are sticking, now is the time to separate them carefully with your fingers, while still in the cold water. Remove the pasta from the water one by one, = and spread them out on a clean

cloth. Cook the sauce as for ragu . When you have minced the m= eat, do not put it back into the sauce. Put it in a basin, add 2 ladles of the s= auce and 1 ladle of boiling water and mix thoroughly. If you used minced meat (w= hich I don't advise unless you can't avoid it), strain the sauce at this point, remove the meat and proceed as above. This meat is the filling for the lasa= gne, while you use the sauce for the top layers. Spread out all the pieces of lasagne, sprinkle some Parmesan cheese on each one, then put a teaspoon of = meat in the middle of each piece of pasta. Roll them over and arrange them in an ovenproof dish, approximately= 25 x 20 x 7.5cm (10 x 8 x 3 inch), lined with some of the sauce on the bottom. (= Do not sprinkle cheese in the base of the dish as it will stick.) When you have arranged the first layer, sprinkle over a good amount of cheese and sauce, = then make a second layer, and so on until you have used up all the ingredients. = Do not fill the dish right to the top - leave about 1 cm (½ inch= ). If the eggs are very large, it is sometimes difficult to judge exactly how = much pasta you will make, but if you have any lasagne left, make up another small dish. Bake in a preheated oven at 190 ^oC(375 ^oF), gas mark 5, for 45 minutes, then increase the temperature to 220 ^oC = (430 ^oF), gas mark 8 to brown the top. To Freeze Lasagne= You can freeze lasagne as soon as you have finished layering the pasta, or after you have added the white sauce. Some people say the sauce is better if not frozen, but I have tried both ways and it tastes exactly the same to me. Al= low to cool completely, then cover it with foil, label and pop it into the free= zer. I make about 20 eggs of lasagne at a time, so there is always some for unexpected visitors. There is no need to defrost it either: cook it in a preheated oven at 150 ^oC (300 ^oF), gas mark 2 for 1 hour, then proceed with the normal cooking time. Instead of an ovenproof di= sh, you may like to use foil containers to cut down on washing up. In Britain= women are very lucky indeed to have men who help with the washing up. In <= st1:country-region>Italy= the only task that some men will undertake is cooking for a party, which they do just to show off because it is an eccentric thing to do. But they usually require the wife's help in the most menial chores that go hand In hand with= the actual cooking. I am unlucky in this respect because, although my husband is British, he never attempted to interfere with my Italian upbringing which m= ade me accept the fact that the kitchen was only for women. Rather than shatter= my beliefs, he provided me with a dishwasher very early on in our married life= .

Tagliatelle ^F

Prepare the sauce of your choice. Make pasta as explained above. Let = the strips dry until the pieces do not stick if you place one on top of another. Cut the length of each strip in sections of roughly 45cm (18 inches), but if you have troub= le in managing long pasta, cut the sections to about 30cm (12 inches) long. Add t= he blade to the machine and put the strips through. After they are cut, spread them out on a cloth. If you have made pasta a few hours before your meal, c= over the tagliatelle with another cloth. Keep them on a tray in a cool room and = take great care when you lift them up to cook them. They break easily=

if too dry, so it is best to lift the cloth they are spread on and ta= ke it to the boiling pan. For tagliatelle, the recipe is one egg per person and one extra. I personally think one egg is enough, without adding the extra o= ne, but if you can eat large portions or if you are going to have this dish for your main course, then do the= same as when you make tea: one per person and one for the pot! When you have strained the tagliatelle, tip them into a large dish, add grated Parmesan cheese on top, and mix well. Pour on some of the sauce you will have prepared in advance (make it very hot), and= mix again. Have some grated Parmesan in a dish and let your guests help themsel= ves to a little extra on top. You can freeze tagliatelle. If you have any lefto= vers mixed with the sauce, put them in a foil container and cover, label and fre= eze. Or make a thin layer of white sauce to cover the top. When you want to use them, follow the instructions for frozen lasagne. This dish is called pasta= al forno (baked pasta).

Ravioli

Ravioli is a dish for Easter, as the filling is made up with fresh spinach and ricotta. In these days, when everything is available at any tim= e of the year, it is not a problem to obtain the ingredients whenever you want to make this speciality. If you cannot obtain ricotta, you can use cottage che= ese, although I cannot guarantee that the taste will be the same.

Serves 4-5

3 eggs for pasta               = ;      1 egg white for brushing on the strips

about 350g (14 oz) plain     flour

For the filling

175g (6 oz) cleaned spinach          freshly ground black pepper

225g (8 oz) ricotta = &nb= sp;            =           a pinch of cinnamon

1 egg, lightly beaten    &nb= sp;            =      50g (2 oz) grated Parmesan cheese

To make the filling, cook the spinach in a saucepan, without adding a= ny water, stirring often. When cooked, squeeze out any surplus moisture and ch= op it up very finely. Mix it with ricotta, blending well together. Add the egg= to the mixture, with the salt and pepper, the cinnamon and Parmesan. Leave this mixture in a basin and cover it with a cloth. Now make pasta the usual way, rolling one strip at a time and making it the same consistency as for lasag= ne. Lay the first strip on a floured cloth on the table, put small amounts (a teaspoon or so) of the filling in straight lines on the strip of pasta, in = the middle of imaginary 4cm (½ inch) squares (see illustration), going u= p to half the length of the strip. Quickly and lightly brush the second half of = the strip with the egg, then carefully lift it over the half with the filling. = Press with the tip of your fingers all around each knob of filling, pricking carefully with a fork if there is any air trapped in. Using a pastry cutter, cut into squares. Leave the ravioli on a floured board or cloth while you b= rush the blank side with egg white, then lift over the other side,

pressing down along the imaginary lines. Press sides of ravioli with = the prongs of a fork. prepare the remainder. If you are quick in yo= ur work, you can make two strips of pasta at a time, one where you put the pie= ces of filling all along and the other for the top. You must be careful not to = let the pasta dry during the making process. Ravioli should be cooked straight = away in plenty of salted boiling water for about 10 minutes, but it is always wi= se to try one to make sure it has boiled long enough. Once cooked, drain ravio= li onto a warmed serving dish. You can freeze ravioli in the same way as cappelletti . You can serve ravioli with butter, cheese and cream or with a meat and tomato sauce. A very good way of serving ravioli is the following:=



Serves 4-5

2 397g (14 oz) tins tomato &n= bsp;          75g (3 oz) grated Parmesan cheese

juice or the pulp from 2 x 397g (14 oz) tins peeled tomatoes       <= /p>
150 ml (1/4 pint) double cream             = salt

freshly ground black pepper

Boil the tomato juice or the pulp with salt, for 15-20 minutes. Keep = hot while boiling the ravioli until tender. Season the juice with pepper and wh= en you have drained the ravioli, pour the juice on top, mixing well, and add t= he grated Parmesan. Quickly heat the cream and pour it over. Do not mix again,= but cover the dish and leave it in a hot place for about 10 minutes before taki= ng it to the table.

Agnolotti^F

Agnolotti are like outsized cappelletti. The filling is the same as f= or ravioli, only with the addition of a pinch of nutmeg. Cut the strips of pas= ta into very large squares (about 10 cm/4 inches). Fill each square with a hea= ped tablespoon of the mixture and make them in the same way as cappelletti.<= /i> You need 6-7 of these large agnolotti per person. For 4-5 portions make the same amount of filling as for ravioli, use 3 eggs for the pasta, and about = 350g (14 oz) plain flour.

Vin= cisgrassi

In some Italian regions another name for lasagne is vincisgrassi.<= /i> The only difference is that the squares of pasta are not rolled. Make the p= asta and sauce in the same way as for lasagne (page    ). When you have mince= d the meat, mix it again with the sauce. Boil the squares of pasta, then lay them= on a cloth, in a heap, and mop up the surplus water with some kitchen paper. M= ake layers in an ovenproof dish in the same way as rolled lasagne. The ingredie= nts are exactly the same but this dish is quicker to make. I only make vinci= sgrossi if I am pushed for time, because, when you have prepared everything, it see= ms a shame not to serve the classic lasagne dish.

Pol= enta

Polenta is to Italian peasants what potatoes are to the Irish. It is mostly a winter dish, something you know is going to fill you up and warm y= ou as well. They say this dish is what gives Italian people their fiery temperament. My husband says it is probably because it gives them indigesti= on. Well, I can assure you that I have enjoyed polenta many a time without regretting it, and I hope you will too. Italians living in the countryside = will still eat polenta every day in the winter, and until some years ago it used= to be cooked in a big cauldron on an open fire. Now it is cooked on more modern stoves, but the basic dish is still the

same. The way peasants eat polenta differs from the way people in the towns would serve it. A large, long, scrubbed wooden slab, kept just for polenta and for pasta-making, would be laid on the kitchen table and the polenta tipped on it in one go, spread to the thickness of 1 cm (½= ; inch), sprinkled generously with grated pecorino cheese on top, and = sauce or perhaps just pieces of sausage spread all over. The family would sit aro= und the table, fork in hand, and they would eat the portion that was in front of them. I often cooked it in this way and my children used to love eating the= ir way into the polenta by making maps of different countries. Some Italians w= ill serve polenta on individual dishes and perhaps make two layers. As one who = has had a chance of trying it from the board, I can assure you it is much tasti= er served only in one layer. So I suggest

that you use large oval serving dishes, one for each person. When you= buy yellow maize flour, make sure you ask for the 'fine' type, because there is also a type looking rather like semolina, which is used by people in northe= rn Italy= for

their polenta, and it is very different from the polenta I've describ= ed.

Serves 4

500 g (7 oz) 'fine' yellow= maize flour        =       salt

about 2.5 litres (4 ½ pints) wate= r

Put the water in a large deep saucepan to heat. There must be a lot of room for stirring, so the water should not come up to more than half the si= de of the saucepan. When the water is hot, but before it reaches boiling point, add the flour, one handful at a time, with your left hand, while with your right hand you stir continuously, using a wooden spoon, or, better, a hand whisk (not electric). Let the flour run through your fingers, like soft rai= n. There must be no lumps in the polenta and you only achieve this if you fini= sh pouring in all the flour before the water boils. If, however, you still man= age to make some lumps, remove them by pouring through a strainer and squashing th= em with the back of a spoon. While the polenta boils, be very careful, because= it will splatter a lot. Keep the heat low and let it simmer gently for about 45 minutes, stirring frequently. A few minutes before it is ready, add the sal= t. Some of the polenta will stick to the bottom of the pan but that is to be expected; just keep stirring as it goes on cooking. When cooking time is ov= er, there will be a crust around the pan which will start peeling off, and the polenta will be quite thick.Pour it on to the large dishes you have prepared and spread it quickly with a wooden spoon, discarding the bit stuck at the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle a good quantity of grated pecorino chees= e on top, together with the sauce you have prepared.

Sug= o per polenta

Sauce for Polenta<= /p>
Serves 4

Before starting to make polenta, it is best to prepare the sauce.

450g (1 lb) m= inced lean pork   &n= bsp;            = ;            &n= bsp;        salt

1 medium-sized on= ion, peeled and chopped =    fresh black p= epper

2 397g (14 oz) tins peeled tomatoes         =       2 tablespoons olive oil

6 rashers unsmoke= d streaky rindless bacon, diced

125g (5 oz) g= rated pecorino cheese

You can cut the meat in small cubes, if you prefer. Fry the onion in = the oil until soft, then add the bacon and cook it very slowly to draw the maxi= mum amount of juice from it. Add the meat and continue cooking gently, then sea= son. When the meat is nearly cooked, check the amount of juice in the pan, becau= se you must judge if there is enough to spread over a plate of polenta for the number of portions. If you think there is not much liquid, add the strained tomatoes and boil for 20 more minutes. Serve, sprinkled with pecorino chees= e.

Sug= o con salsicce

Italian Sausage Sauce

Serves 4

1 medium-sized onion, peeled and chopped      2 tablespoo= ns olive oil

4 rashers unsmoked bacon, diced                4 Italian sausages chopped

2 197g (14 oz) tins tomatoes, drained

Fry the onion, bacon and sausage in the olive oil, then add the tomat= oes and simmer for 20-25 minutes. Other ways of serving polenta are: with ragu sauce; with Italian sausages and bacon; with duck ; with game.

Pol= enta al baccala

Polenta with Dried Cod

Baccala is dried, salted cod. Don't be put off by the look of it when you go to buy it, because it looks quite different once you have prepared it. Get a piece cut from a large fish, not the small fillets = you can get in packets.

Serves 4

450g (1 lb) dried cod             &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;     4-5 celery leaves, chopped

1 medium-sized onion peeled and sliced         3 tablespoons olive oil

2 397g (14 oz) tins peeled tomatoes, drained        &= nbsp; 1 sprig of parsley

Soak the cod for 5 days in enough water to cover it, changing the wat= er each day. Cut it into pieces 5cm (2 inches) square, removing the bones at t= he same time. Usually it is filleted, but it is best to make sure. Heat the oi= l in a large saucepan with the onion, celery leaves and parsley. Cook until the onion is soft, then add the tomatoes. Simmer for 10 minutes, then add the pieces of cod and continue simmering for 1 hour. The sauce should be thick enough to be spread on the polenta without being runny. Check if it needs a= ny salt (remember the cod was salted). Flake the pieces of fish on top of the portions of polenta and spread the sauce evenly. No grated cheese is requir= ed with this sauce.

Piz= za

There is no need for an introduction to pizza, which everybody knows. Pizza Napoletona, although it originated in Naples, has become the pizza of many regions, as in different places it has= a different garnish and filling and then takes the name of the place. The bas= ic dough is the same, no matter what you call it.

Serves 4

15 g (1/2 oz) fresh yeast                &= nbsp;         150 g (14 oz) plain flour

Mix the yeast with 2 tablespoons warm water, leave it for a few minut= es until frothy, then mix with the flour, adding more water if necessary and a little salt. Make it into a soft dough, and knead it until smooth and elast= ic. Put it in a basin, cover it with a cloth and leave it in a warm place for 2= -2 ½ hours. When the dough has risen, roll it out on a lightly floured surface i= nto a circular shape about 5mm (1/4 inch) thick. Place it in a greased baking t= in and with your hands spread it out, pushing the sides out, making a higher r= idge all the way round. With the tips of your fingers, make little depressions on the dough.

Piz= za al pomodoro

Pizza with Tomatoes

Serves 4

350g (12 oz) fresh, very ripe tomatoes        &= nbsp;           &nbs= p; a few capers

150g (6 oz) mozzarella or any soft cheese, cubed    a pinch of oregano=

green and black olives, stoned and halved              small piece pimento

50g (2 oz) anchovy fillets     chopped= (optional)     <= /span> few drops olive oil

Prepare the pizza base as in the previous recipe. Sprinkle a few drop= s of olive oil on the top of the dough, then arrange the rest of the ingredients= on the top. Bake it in a preheated oven at 220-230 ^oC (425-440 oF), gas mark 7-8, for about 20-25 minutes.

Piz= za alle cipolle

Onion Pizza

Serves 4

2 tablespoons olive oil         &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;       freshly ground black pepper

2 large onions, peeled and sliced fresh chopped rosemary leaves

Prepare the pizza base Heat the olive oil and fry onions until soft, adding a little salt. Remove the onions with a slotted spoon and spread them over the dough. Sprinkle with a little more oil, some pepper and a good amo= unt of rosemary. Press them down gently with your fingers and bake as in previo= us recipe.

&nbs= p;

=

Pesce<= o:p>

Fish

During Holy Week a lot of fish is eaten because people respect the fasting of the last few days of Lent, especially Good Friday. On the Thursd= ay, which is Holy (Maundy) Thursday, a visit is made to the Holy Sepulchre: nea= rly all the churches have a scene depicting the tomb where Jesus was buried, an= d it is customary for the place to be decorated with lots of plants grown in pots especially for this occasion: wheat, barley and other cereals which have be= en sown and kept all the time in a dark room, so they consist of a mass of whi= tish thin shoots, which have grown so tall that they cascade down. On Good Frida= y in Southern Italy, they have a procession 'of the dead Christ', when they carry these = pots shoulder high. It really is an unusual and strange sight. During these days only fish will be eaten - no meat will be consumed - but all the time preparations are being made for the Easter festival. On the Saturday, the s= ign for the end of Lent is given by the joyful peal of the bells of all the churches, St Peter's in Rome giving the lead (the bells do not ring during the time of Christ's death). After that you can eat anything you like, and the ribbons from the trunks of the fruit trees in the garden (which were tied at the same time as the bells were stopped from tolling) can be untied. If you follow this cust= om your trees will give you plentiful fruit.

'Si tira la rete' ('The net is being pulled in') som= ebody shouts on the beach and a crowd of men, women and children will be drawn to= the water's edge in the general excitement to see the pulling in of the nets. I= t is a pastime, on the sandy beaches of the Adriatic coast, to go in the early morning to the harbour or to the beach to wait for the day's catch. Usually= the older fishermen and their wives will pull the nets ashore, while the more a= ble ones go further afield and stay out fishing all night. The nets are thrown = into the sea during the night, or in the evening, and in the morning they will be pulled to the shore. Two small boats will bring the ends to the beach, while the middle part will still be a long way out. Being pulled and pulled, in a rhythmic movement, accompanied by singing, the big net is gradually brought nearer and you can follow its progress by watching the movement of the corks floating on the top. When the main part of the net is very near the shore, = the sides will come together and in a last effort, the middle and largest part = of the net will be pulled in. This is where the fish have been trapped. Mullet, needles,. sardines, crabs, squid, mackerel, whiting, sole, cockles a= nd all sorts of small shells are being caught this way. The children will be there= in force, with their buckets filled with water, to c= atch the very small ones that either the fishermen do not bother to take or that escape from the net. You have to be quick if you want to buy some there and then, because all the fish will be sorted out in no time and taken to the market or to restaurants. If you manage to get some, it is a real treat to = be able to cook it straight away. The best way to treat it is to make a fri= ttura mista (a mixed fry-up). Clean all the fish, take off all the heads, = pull out the interiors, cut fins and tails. Wash it all well, and drain it. Spri= nkle it with salt, dip it in a bowl of flour and see that every fish is well coa= ted. Put a good amount of frying oil in a large frying pan and heat it. When sizzling, drop in the fish, putting together the ones of the same species. = Move the pan, rocking it gently from side to side as you fry, and after a few minutes, turn the fish on the other side. When it is golden on both sides, = lift the fish with a slice and place it on a dish where you have spread some whi= te kitchen paper. Serve it at once with a sprinkle of lemon juice, accompanied= by a green salad and crusty bread.

Bac= cala al forno

Oven-Baked Dried Cod

Serves 4

600g (1 1/4 lb) dried cod             =            100 ml (3 ½ fl oz) olive oil

2 tablespoons parsley, chopped            = freshly ground black pepper

1/2 clove garlic, chopped             =         = juice of 1 lemon

Prepare the cod as described previously. Cut the fish into 4 portions. Place in a greased ovenproof dish. Mix the parsley and garlic together with= the oil, then pour over the fish, adding a little pepper. Cook in a preheated o= ven at 200 ^oC (400 ^oF), gas mark 6, for 30 minutes. Be careful not to break the pieces of fish. Squeeze the lemon juice over the f= ish before serving.

Bac= cala arrosto

Roast Cod

Serves 4

600 g (1 1/4 lb) dried cod             = 50g (2 oz) fresh white breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley &n= bsp; 4 tablespoons milk

½ clove garlic, chopped   &nb= sp;            =          2 tablespoons olive oil

Prepare the cod as described previously. Cut the fish into 4 portions. Mix the parsley and garlic with the olive oil and the breadcrumbs. Place the fish in an ovenproof dish and spread this mixture on top of every piece. Po= ur the milk over it and cover. Bake in a preheated oven at 180^oC (= 350 ^oF), gas mark 4, for 30 minutes, then take off the lid and let the top crisp for= 10 minutes at 220^oC (425 ^oF), gas mark 7.

Bro= detto

Seafood Soup

A typical dish from L'amarissimo, the Adriatic, the most bitter of the s= eas. This is a dish best made for a number of persons, because you need as many different types of fish as you can get. In fact the experts say that the ri= ght number of varieties required is 13, but I assure you that one can make a ve= ry tasty brodetto with half that number.

Serves 6

2kg (4 lb) fish: a mixture of cod, plaice, sole, shrimps, prawns, squid, cockles mussels, lobster(optional), trout, eel mull= et (any fish that you can get will add more flavour to the dish)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley     a few celery leaves,chopped

150 ml (3 ½ fl oz) white wine        &= nbsp;         1 garlic clove

150 ml (5 fl oz) olive oil            =             &nb= sp; freshly ground black pepper

2 onions, peeled and thinly sliced        &= nbsp; slices brown toast, to serve

450 g (1 lb) very ripe tomatoes, skinned, seeded and chopped =

Clean all the fish, gutting and tailing, but leaving as many heads as= you can. Take the dorsal bone out of the squid, pull out the mouth and eyes, sc= rape the mussels and cockles and put them in a large saucepan. Cover and cook fo= r a few minutes at moderate heat, shaking the pan until the mussels and cockles open. Wash all the fish. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and cook the onio= ns until soft. Add the tomatoes, parsley and celery leaves and cook for 10 minutes. Pour in the wine and season with garlic, salt and pepper. Cook for= 15 minutes uncovered, then discard the garlic. Add the fish, in pieces, starti= ng with the species that take longer to cook, then wait a little longer and add the rest. Pour in enough water to come about 2.5 cm (1 inch) over the fish. Cover, bring to the boil and cook for 20 minutes. The water should by then = be level with the fish.

Remove the pan from the heat and leave to rest, covered, for 10 minut= es. Line individual plates with slices of toast. With a ladle, pour some of the liquid on each piece of toast, before placing the fish on top. Serve with s= ome crusty bread

and salad of your choice.

Anguilla fritta<= /o:p>

Fried Eel

Eel is a dish for Christmas Eve. The type sought for is called cap= itone, which is a large type of eel. To skin an eel, make a circular incision at t= he base of the head, hang it on a hook and carefully start peeling off the skin where you have

made the cut. As soon as you can get hold of some skin, just pull and= it will come off easily, holding it with a cloth, right down to the tip of the tail. Cut the head off.

Serves 4

500 g (17 oz) eel &n= bsp;            = ;              = fresh sage and boy leaves     = ;

flour  &nb= sp;            =             &nb= sp;                    oil for frying

freshly ground black pepper         lemon wedges for serving

Cut the eel into pieces about 2.5cm (1 inch) thick. Wash these well. Season. Wash as many sage leaves and bay leaves as you have pieces of eel. = Push a toothpick through each piece of fish to hold one sage leaf on one side an= d a bay leaf on the other. Roll the piece in flour. Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the eel, turning once or twice, until golden. Drain on kitchen paper and serve hot with lemon wedges.

Anguilla arrosto=

Roast Eel

Serves 4

500g (17 oz) = eel, cleaned         &= nbsp;           &nbs= p; 150 ml (3 ½ fl oz) olive oil

juice of 1 lemon =         &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;     freshly ground black pepper=

40g (1 ½ oz) fresh white breadcrumbs  =           salt

2-3 chopped fresh bay leaves, <= i>plus extra for roasting

Cut the eel into pieces about 5cm (2 inches) long. Prepare a marinade with the olive oil, lemon juice, breadcrumbs and the bay leaves. Mix all these ingredients together. Season the eel with salt and pe= pper and marinate for 1 ½ hours. Remove the eel pieces from the marinade with a slotted spoon and arrange the pieces on long skewers. Alternate each piece of eel with a bay leaf, then p= our over the marinade. Place the skewers on a tin so that the fish does not tou= ch the surface. Roast in a preheated oven at 160 ^oC (325 ^{oF),
gas mark 5, for 40 minutes, basting frequently.}

Tri= glie al tegame

Mullet Casserole

Serves 4

600g (1 1/4 lb) = red mullet, cleaned and gutted        ½ garlic= clove

150 ml (30 fl o= z) olive oil    =             &nb= sp;       25g (1 oz) celery, chopped

6 fresh pear-shap= ed tomatoes, skinned, <= i>seeded and chopped

2 tablespoons chopped parsley         &= nbsp;    freshly ground black pepper=

Wash the mullet well in cold water. Mix the crushed garlic, celery and parsley together. Heat the oil in a saucepan and cook the garlic mixture un= til golden. Add the tomatoes and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Th= en add the fish, season, cover and cook for a further 50 minutes.

Scampi con riso

Prawns with Rice

Serves 4

200 g (7 oz) tin peeled tomatoes, drained peeled and chopped

50g (2 oz) margarine &n= bsp;            = ;            &n= bsp;   2 tablespoons plain flour     =

1 medium-sized onion,             &= nbsp;     275g (10 oz) fresh or frozen prawn= s

200ml (7 fl oz) white wine    400g (15 oz) rice

400ml (14 fl oz) milk

Melt the margarine in a large saucepan and cook the onion until tende= r. Mix the flour in a little of the wine, and add it to the onion with the res= t of the wine. Stir and pour in the milk with the pulp of the strained tomatoes. Reduce the heat, add the prawns and simmer for 30 minut= es. Meanwhile, rinse the rice and place it in a saucepan with enough water to c= ome about 2.5cm (1 inch) above it. Bring

it to the boil and simmer it for about 15 minutes. Drain the rice, di= vide it into portions and serve with the hot prawns.

Sal= mi

Salmi of Fish

Serves 4

500g (17 oz) fish, such as sprats, mackerel, cod and haddock

3 tablespoons olive oil             = ;            &n= bsp;   juice of I lemon

½ clove garlic, crushed             =             &nb= sp; freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley; 2 tablespoons chopped sage=

Fillet the fish first. If you have large fillets, cut them up into pieces. Heat the oil in a large saucepan with all the other ingredients, ex= cept the lemon juice. Cook for 5 minutes, then add the lemon juice and the pieces offish. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer for about 30 minutes, until the fish flakes easily, adding a very small amount of water if the sauce gets t= oo dry. Stir often.

Sog= liole al vino

Sole in Wine

With a knife, ease out a bit of the skin at the tail end, on the dark side. Pull up enough to be able to hold it between two fingers. Now, with a cloth in your other hand, hold the fish firmly on the table and holding that bit of skin, pull it all off decisively and quickly. Do the same on the oth= er side. Maybe your fishmonger will do this for you, but it doesn't take long.=

Serves 4

4 large sole &= nbsp;       =             &nb= sp;            =              1 medium-sized onion

25g (2 oz) margarine=             &nb= sp;            =       200ml (7 fl oz) white wine

freshly ground black pepper            =        2 bay leaves

15g (1/2 oz) fresh chopped parsley       salt <= /span>

4 knobs of butter or margarine for spreading

Wash the sole and dry them with kitchen paper. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and spread a little butter or margarine on each one of them. Grease = an ovenproof dish large enough to accommodate the sole in one layer. Heat the margarine in a large saucepan and cook the onion until tender. Add the bay leaves and parsley. Mix well, then add the wine, and boil for a few moments. Pour this sauce over the fish and bake in a preheated oven at 210 ^{oC
(420 ^oF), gas mark 6-7, for 25}

minutes.

Calamari ripieni

Stuffed Squid

Serves4

1 kg (2 lb) squid&nb= sp;            =             &nb= sp;    1 clove garlic, crushed

a sprig of fennel, chopped            = 50g (2 oz) fresh white breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley &n= bsp;            4 tablespoons olive oil

5-6 fresh chopped basil leaves                    =      margarine

Clean the fish, removing the eyes, mouth and the dorsal bone. Peel the large sac, scrape the tentacles. Wash it well, dry it with a towel and spri= nkle with salt. Mix together parsley, basil, fennel and garlic, then mix with the breadcrumbs and olive oil. Divide this mixture between the number of squid = and stuff each one. Grease an ovenproof dish big enough to take the squid side = by side in one layer, then place a small knob of margarine on top of each one. Cover and bake in a preheated oven at 180 ^oC (550 ^oF), gas mark 4, for at least 1 hour. Some need more time to cook than others, s= o it is best to test if the flesh is tender with a fork. Then remove the lid and= bake for 5 more minutes at 220 ^oC&nb= sp; (425 ^oF), gas mark 7.

Cal= amaretti fritti

Fried Baby Squid
Serves 4

Buy the very small tender squid. Clean them by removing the soft bone (you can push it off at the pointed end). Remove the eyes, the mouth or bea= k, clean inside the sac, and scrape the tentacles. Cut them in slices, so they will look like rings. Wash them well under running water, then drain them a= nd mop up the moisture with a paper towel. Sprinkle salt on the pieces, then r= oll them in flour. Prepare a frying pan of hot oil with a cover because they wi= ll splatter, then fry them until golden on both sides. Serve with slices of le= mon, crusty bread and a salad.

Cal= amaretti alla marchigiana

Baby Squid the <= st1:address>Marchigiana Way

Serves 6

100 ml (3 fl oz) olive oil             =     1 small piece pimento, chopped

1/2 clove garlic, crushed                     =     100 ml (3 1/2 fl oz) water

2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley   200ml (7 fl oz) white wine

1 kg (2 lb) squid, cleaned             = fried bread or toast, to serve

2 anchovy fillets, chopped

In a large saucepan over moderate heat, heat the oil and the garlic. Remove the garlic as soon as it starts colouring, then add the parsley. Add= the fish, stirring. Sprinkle with some salt and add the anchovy fillets and pimento. (If you do not like pimento, substitute it with freshly ground bla= ck pepper.) Cook quickly for a few moments, then add the wine and continue coo= king until it evaporates. Now lower the heat, add the water and cover, leaving t= he fish to simmer and cook slowly. When tender, arrange the calamaretti= in a serving dish with fried bread or slices of toast.

Sto= ccafisso all'anconetana

Dried Cod the Ancona Way=

Unlike baccala, stoccafisso is not salted, just dried in the a= ir. You can buy the fish already soaked, but if you buy it dry, it will need so= aking in cold water for 4 days, changing the water twice a day.

Serves 4

1 kg (2 lb) dried cod &n= bsp;            = ;            &n= bsp;            = ; 1 pimento, chopped

1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped          1 clove garlic, crushed=

597g (14 oz) tin peeled tomatoes, chopped        &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;                milk=

300ml (10 ½ fl oz) olive oil        &= nbsp;                   1 tablespoon tomato puree

rosemary, oregano and marjoram           &nb= sp;         1 stick celery, chopped=

5-6 green or black, olives, stoned         1 medium-sized carrot,chopped

1 kg (2 lb) potatoes, peeled and sliced            =              2-3 sage leaves

When soaked, remove the bones from the fish and cut = into large pieces, then sprinkle them with salt. In a saucepan, fry the onion in two-thirds of the olive oil. When the onion is tender, add a pinch of rosem= ary, oregano, marjoram, the sage leaves, celery, carrot, pimento and garlic. Stir all these ingredients together, then pour in the tomatoes and the tomato pu= ree, diluted in a little water. Cook for about 10 minutes. Place a cooking rack = at the bottom of a large casserole, and on top place a few pieces of the fish.= On the first layer, pour over some of the sauce, and continue layering until a= ll the fish and sauce are used. Add the olives. Peel the potatoes, wash and thickly slice and season with salt. Make a last layer with the potatoes. Po= ur on top the remaining olive oil and some milk, to cover the potatoes. Simmer= for at least 2 hours. With the sugo (juice) you can

Make pasta or polenta.

Ton= no fresco

Fresh Tuna

Serves 6

1 kg (2 lb) fresh tuna, in one piece         =      freshly ground b= lack pepper

100 ml (3 ½ fl oz) olive oil                   =        salt

1 small onion, peeled and quartered         juice of 1 lemon<= /o:p>

Soak the fish in water for about 20 minutes. Put in a large saucepan = with the oil and the onion. Cook, turning it a few times, for 30 minutes. Add sa= lt and pepper and enough water to cover the fish. Cover and bring to the boili= ng point, then simmer for a further hour. When ready, lift it out and cut it i= nto slices. You can serve it hot, just squeezing some lemon juice on it, or you= can leave it to cool to serve it cold. For the cold dish, here is a sauce to accompany it:

½ clove garlic, peeled and crushed (optional)   <= /span>

1 tabl= espoon capers, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley         &= nbsp;      2 tablespoons olive oil

2 anchovy fillets, chopped            =             &nb= sp;       juice of ½ lemon

Mix together the garlic, parsley, anchovies and capers to make a past= e. Mix with the oil and lemon juice and, with a spoon, cover the top of each p= iece of fish.

Ton= no fresco al pomodoro

Tuna with Tomato<= /p>
This recipe is for tuna fish, but you can also cook other fish, such = as cod, haddock and halibut, this way.

Serves 6

1 kg (2 lb) fresh tuna, cleaned and sliced     2 anchovy-fillet= s, chopped

2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley        100 ml (3 ½ fl o= z) white wine

freshly ground black pepper            =             &nb= sp;    flour        &= nbsp;

2 tablespoons tomato puree            =               100 ml (5 ½ fl oz) olive oil=

½ onion, peeled and chopped        &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;     1 tablespoon water

1/2 bay leaf chopped

Season the tuna and coat with pieces of flour. Place the oil in a saucepan, and brown in it the pieces of fish, turning them once. Lift them = out with a slotted spoon. Add onion, anchovies and parsley to the oil. Stir for= a few moments, then pour in the wine and cook quickly. Mix the tomato puree w= ith the water and add it to the pan, together with the bay leaf and a little sa= lt and pepper. Cook for about 30 minutes. Add the fish and simmer for a furthe= r 15 minutes.Serve hot.

Tonno con piselli

Tuna and Fresh Teas

Serves 4

1 medium onion peeled and chopped            1 medium carrot chopped

397g (14 oz) tin peeled tomatoes or 8 pear shaped tomatoes skinned and chopped

a few celery leaves chopped,            =        salt

freshly ground black pepper            =        60g (2 ¼ oz) butter

500g (17oz) fresh peas, shelled            = 184g (6'/2 oz) tin tuna

Cook the chopped vegetables in the butter until tender, stirring ofte= n. Then add the peas and tomatoes, salt and pepper. Stir well, and after 5 min= utes add the tuna with the oil from the tin. Cover and simmer for a further 40 minutes.

<= b>Carne

Meat

More and more people like lean meat, but there are t= imes when I wish there was more fat on it, as there was in wartime, when we even= had to make soap with our scraps. We had forgotten what a piece of beef was lik= e: we used to get small amounts of lamb or pork shared with some farmer. The rationing system broke down in Italy= as soon as it was started and, in a typical Italian way, everything was chaos. 'Help yourself was the general attitude and you were able to eat if you had something to exchange for what you needed. A lot of bartering went on, and = we considered ourselves lucky if we were in contact with some farmers. I used = to give one loaf of bread in return for having my hair done. One day lots of people clubbed together to buy a young ox from a farmer to be= able to have some beef. Who would kill it, and how? Nobody w= as an expert and there were no weapons available. Somebody in the village may = have had a shotgun, but this would have attracted the attention of some pro-Germ= ans who could shop us for possessing firearms. A man who was a caretaker in the priest's house (there was no priest in the village) said he had some experi= ence in butchering. In fact, he had started to buy the odd lamb or pig which he = then sold by the kilogram. Did he know the difference in strength between a pig = or lamb and an ox? He said he could do it, although we later found out that th= is self-appointed butcher was in fact a cobbler. To avoid making a mess of somebody's stable, it was decided that the improvised abattoir should be in= the open air, near a tree, where the animal could be tied up. Its horns were strapped to the trunk of the tree and then Severino appeared with his weapo= n, an old wood chopper. All the people gathered to see the spectacle; someone might think of us as cruel and insensitive, but in those days you had to get your priorities right and the first thing we all aimed for was general survival. Also, seeing many people killed in very gruesome circumstances mu= st have hardened our feelings. And so, down came Severino's blow in the middle= of the poor beast's head, but the cobbler - as well as being no butcher - was lame, unsteady on his feet and short, so his blow did not make a great impa= ct against the strength of the ox, which, with a powerful jerk and a howl, fre= ed himself from the ropes and ran amok amongst us with the axe stuck in his he= ad. No bomb could have caused more panic! I found myself climbing a drainpipe to reach safety through an open window. But it all ended well. The ox fell int= o a ditch and some farmers got hold of the rope still attached to his horns and finished off the unfortunate animal, which was to be our food and soap for = the time being.

Vitellone arrosto

Pot-Roasted Beef

Vitellone is a young ox. = Rosbif, with an accent on the 'o', is supposed to be what in Britain= is called roast beef. It is in fact different both in its look and taste becau= se Italian meat has hardly any fat on it, so you have to add fat when cooking.= A popular way to treat it is to add some lardelli (little pieces of la= rd). Make small holes in it with the point of a knife and push in the pieces of = lard or fat from slices of bacon. These lardelli will help to keep the me= at tender and moist while cooking. Italian housewives are very fond of pot roasting. Some friends of mine, visiting England, were horrified when I went out with them leaving a joint in the oven, saying it would be cooked by the time we came back. 'Without keeping an eye on it?' They have to keep lookin= g at their meat or it will be too dry, or tough or burned. They cannot understand that meat does not need any attention while roasting, if you have prepared = it properly and leave it at the right temperature. There is no need to add = lardelli to the meat unless you are pot roasting a very lean piece of meat. When I w= ant to cook meat this way, I buy a piece of topside and ask my butcher not to prepare it for roasting. I cut off most of the fat attached to the meat and= tie the piece with string, so it will keep its shape.

Serves 6

1.25 kg= (2 ½ lb) topside beef  = ;            &n= bsp;            = ; salt

100 ml= (5 ½ fl oz) olive oil=                     &= nbsp; fat from 4 slices bacon=

1 clove ga= rlic        &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;          1 small whole onion

freshly= ground black pepper    &nbs= p;            &= nbsp; 200ml (7 fl oz) white wine

1 beef cub= e dissolved in300 ml (1/2 pint) boiling water=

a few marj= oram leaves     &nbs= p;           &= nbsp;          a rosemary sprig

a sage spr= ig        &= nbsp;

For the gravy

1 tablespoon flour             =              150 ml (1/4 pint) water

Make some holes in the meat about 5 cm (2 inches) ap= art, and push in the squares of fat which you have prepared, first rolling them = in salt and pepper. Wash and clean the herbs and push a few small pieces into = the holes as well. Put the oil in a casserole, add the meat and cook quickly to brown all over, turning it a few times. Season with salt and pepper, add the garlic, onion and herbs, and after 5 more minutes, the wine. Lower the heat, cover and cook very slowly. Make stock in a basin with the beef cube and wa= ter. Turn the meat often, adding a little of the stock every now and then. Cook = for at least 2 – 2 ½ hours. Try it by pushing a long needle= in: the needle should go in easily and the juice that comes out should be free = of blood. Lift out the meat, cover with foil and keep hot. Skim the fat from t= he top of the cooking liquid with a spoon, add the water to the pan, mix well = with a wooden spoon, then strain it. Return it to the pan, mix the flour with 2 tablespoons water, stir it into the gravy without any lumps, bring to the b= oil and boil for 1 minute. Serve with the roast.

Vitellone arrosto marinato

Marinated Roast Beef
An alternative to this way of roasting is to marinate the joint in red wine before cooking. Prepare in the same way, add larde= lli, then mix all the washed and chopped herbs with red, not white, wine. Pour a= ll this on the meat and leave it covered for 6-7 hours or overnight. Cook it w= ith oil in the same way as above, then season it and pour the marinade over.

Vitellone marinato o 'alla zingara'

Marinade of Beef or Beef 'the= Gipsy Way= '

Serves 6-7

1 kg (2 lb) beef (topside or any cut suitable for roasting, as long as it is tender and lean)        &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;     3 tablespoons olive oil

juice of 1 ½ lemons      &= nbsp;        50 g (2 oz) shredded Cheddar cheese,

freshly ground b= lack pepper      &= nbsp; salt

sage and rosemary leaves

Prepare the meat, cutting off any fat. If you had to remove the string for taking the fat off, tie the joint again with some cotton, so it will ke= ep its shape and be easier to cut. Sprinkle the joint with salt, wrap in foil, together with some wasted sage and rosemary leaves. Roast in a preheated ov= en for about 1 hour at 200 C^o (400 F^o), gas mark 6. Check that it is cooked on the outside, and that the flesh inside is pink red. Wh= en a skewer is inserted into the centre, the juice that comes out should be pink red. Leave to cool, remove the foil, then slice the meat very thinly. Arran= ge the slices on a large serving dish. Make one layer, then mix the olive oil = with the lemon juice, adding some pepper. Spoon this on top of the meat, making = sure you put some on each slice. Make another layer of meat and repeat the proce= ss. (If there is not enough liquid, depending on how many slices of meat you ha= ve managed to make, make a little more.) On top of the second layer, sprinkle = the shredded cheese. Cover the dish with foil, put in the fridge and leave it f= or at least 1 hour before serving. Accompany it with a green salad or mixed vegetables.

Vitellone al forno

Roast Beef

Serves 6-7

2 kg (4 ½ lb) sirloin, topside or silverside, trimmed

1 small onion, peeled and chopped            =      1 stick of celery, chopped

fat from 4 rashers of bacon         &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;        1 small carrot, chopped

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley         &= nbsp;    salt

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

For the gravy

1 tablespoon cornflour             =             &nb= sp;           300ml (1/2 pint) water

100 ml (3 fl oz) fortified wine, eg Marsala= , 'Vin Santo' or sherry

Tie the joint so it keeps its shape during cooking, and insert lar= delli (see above). In pre-foil days, this dish would be cooked in a covered p= an - now you can place it in foil, season, pour the oil on top with the vegetabl= es, close the foil tightly around it and cook in a preheated oven for 5 hours at 180 C^o (350 F^o), gas mark 3-4. When ready, lift thejo= int out of the foil and place the juice in the roasting tin. Skim off the fat. Cover the meat again with the foil and keep it hot. Mix 1 tablespoon cornfl= our with 'Vin Santo' (holy wine) or Marsala or sherry. Pour the water into the roasting tin, mix well with a woo= den spoon, strain, return to the tin, then add the dissolved cornflour. Bring it gently to the boil, stirring all the time. Slice the meat, arrange on a ser= ving dish and pour the sauce over the top. <= /p>

Salsa italiana^F

Italian Sauce

This is another delicious sauce to be served with roast beef.

1 tablespoon olive oil   &n= bsp;            = ;            &n= bsp;           a sprig of thyme

1 medium-sized onion peeled and chopped        &= nbsp;     1 bay leaf, chopped

300ml (1/2 pint) stock            &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;           100 ml (3 = fl oz) white wine

100 g (4 oz) mushrooms,thinly sliced

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over moderate heat = and add the onion. When tender, add the wine, mushrooms,thyme, bay leaf and the stock. Simmer for 15 minutes.

Involtini di vitello

Beef Rolls

Serves 4

600 g= (1 ¼ lb) tender beef (topside or ste= ak)        &= nbsp;   salt

4-5 large slices of Parma ham    &n= bsp;           = freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons wat= er        &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            sage leaves      = ;

a knob of = butter        &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;      50 g (2 oz) butter

Ask your butcher to slice the meat fairly thinly and= in approximately 9 cm (3 ½ inch) squares. You should get 2-3 pieces for each person. Flatten the slices on a board and on each one place half a sli= ce of Parma= ham. Add some large sage leaves, roll up and secure each with a toothpick. Melt the butter in a frying pan, add the rolls and season very little, because you must remember that the Parma ham is already sal= ted. Cook very slowly on every side and when they are cooked through, add the wa= ter and a very small knob of butter. Bring it to a quick boil for 1 minute, stirring often, then remove the meat. Stir the gravy in the pan, add 2 more tablespoons of water, and return to the boil. Pour on top of the meat and s= erve at once.

Carne 'in umido'

Beef Casserole

Cooking in umido is when you cook in a casserole with a tomato sauce added. Literally, umido means damp or wet. This refers to the liquid in the sauce, which will be of some consistency, but not too thick. = Often this type of cooking produces the whole meal, because the sauce will be used for the pasta course, then the meat will be eaten as the main course accompanied by some seasonal vegetables, or just some crusty bread which can mop up the remains of the sugo (juice). You can cook lots of things = this way, including game, the cheapest cuts

of any meat, fish, sausages and any leftovers.

Serves 4

600 g (1 ¼ lb) stewing or     braising steak

1 stick celery, chopped            =             &nb= sp;            =             &nb= sp;       salt
50 g (2 oz) margarine            =             &nb= sp;        fresh ground black pepper

1 medium onion peeled and chopped    1 small carrot, thinly = sliced

397g (14 oz) tin tomatoes,chopped       1 tablespoon tomato puree

a few basil leaves            =             &nb= sp;            200g (7 fl oz) hot water

Remove excess fat from the meat, wash and cut it into large cubes, 4-= 5cm (2 inches) across. Melt the margarine in a flameproof casserole and cook the onion until tender. Add the carrot, the basil leaves and celery. Stir for a= few seconds, then add the meat and season. Quickly brown the meat, turning it o= ver often. Then add the tomatoes and the tomato puree diluted in 2 tablespoons = of water. Stir and bring it to the boil. Now add the hot water, cover the pan = and simmer for 1 ½ - 2 hours, stirring from time to time. You can add potatoes to this dish. Peel 4 medium-sized potatoes, wash and thinly slice. Sprinkle with salt. Put them in the casserole over the meat, when the meat = is nearly cooked (you should be able to push a fork through it easily). Add en= ough water to come to the same level as the potatoes, then simmer for a further = 40 minutes.

Potacchio

Potacchio is a dish typical of The Marches, and of Ancona (its main town) in particular. You can use beef, lamb or chicken for this casserole -and even fish.

Serves4

600 g (1 ¼ lb) meat of your choice, trimmed and cubed <= /span>

freshly ground black pepper         = 200m1 (7 fl oz) wine, red or white

1 clove garlic (2 if very fond of it!) crushed       90 ml (5 fl oz) olive oil

397g (14 oz) tin tomatoes, chopped        =     1 tablespoon tomato puree

2 rosemary sprigs            = ;            &n= bsp;                     100 ml (3 ½ fl oz) water

Put the meat in a large saucepan over moderate heat = with the oil, garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper. Cook it until brown, stirring f= rom time to time. Add the wine, then after 5 minutes, the strained tomatoes, and the puree diluted in 2 tablespoons of water. Simmer until tender, adding the rest of the water. It will need 1 ½ - 2 hours' cooking, depending on= the meat you have used. If you use fish, put all the other ingredients in first, then add the fish. The cooking time will be 30 minutes after you have added= the fish. You do not need to add the remaining water.

San Lorenzo<= /b>

Saint Lawrence night, on the tenth of August, is the night of the falling stars. When you see a stella cadente, ma= ke a wish and it will come true, so they say! It is one of the hottest nights of= the year, during the Solleone (when the sun is in the sign of the lion),= and an ideal night to have a barbecue in a field. In my family this was a speci= al day, and we always celebrated it with special food. We ended the day with an outdoor gathering where we ate prosciutto, melon, grilled steak, salad, water melon, all washed down with a good amount of= local wine.I have often been puzzled by the origin of this celebration of the barbecue in the open: maybe it is so that people could w= atch the spectacle of the falling stars while enjoying good food? Or maybe there= was a more profound meaning to the occasion. After a lot of research and questioning, I have come up with one plausible suggestion: perhaps the traditional barbecue on that night originated from the type of horrendous d= eath incurred by Saint Lawrence. He was in fact a martyr who encountered his end= by being grilled over a great graticolo (grating) on an open fire. G= raticolo is the long-handled grill used on open fires. The legend, or maybe history, says that he remained so impassive during his ordeal that he had the streng= th to look at his killers, saying, 'Turn me around, I am done on this side.' S= an Lorenzo Day was a special day for me because my family owned a small church dedicated to him which dated back to AD 1100 - the oldest church in town. It used to be open only on that day, every year. On the days preceding this da= te, members of the family would have the task of cleaning the church, seeing th= at the bell rang, that the pictures and furniture were dusted, and water and w= ine put in the ampoules for the priest, together with a clean cloth for the alt= ar. The day would start with a Mass, then the church would remain open all day = for any visitors and would be closed again at night after the evening service, = to reopen only the following year. Our celebrations would then go on into the night, making it a memorable day, especially for the children. This was observed until war broke out, but then the church was sold, together with t= he land, and soldiers made a bonfire with its furniture. =

Bis= tecche cotte alla brace

Barbecued Steak

Serves 4

4 tablespoons olive oil             =       salt

1 garlic clove, crushed             =      freshly ground black pepper

juice of 1 lemon &nb= sp;                   &nb= sp;        500 g (1 ¼ lb) beefsteak

Put the oil in a bowl, with the garlic and the lemon juice. Cut the steak, not too thickly, into portions, allowing two pieces p= er person, season with salt and pepper and put it in the marinade, turning the slices in the liquid. Leave them for at least 2 hours. Grill on both sides = over the charcoal embers. Serve with a green salad and crusty bread. =

Agn= ello lardellato

Pot-Roasted Lamb

First, I must say that Italian lambs are killed very young and a leg of lamb is very small and lean compared to lamb sold here.<= o:p>

Serves 4-5

fat from 6 slices of streaky bacon        &= nbsp;              1 spring onion chopped<= /o:p>

1 kg (2 lb) lamb, possibly the leg         &= nbsp;               200ml (7 fl oz) w= ine

chopped fresh mixed herbs (marjoram, thyme, sage)   salt
2 tablespoons fresh white breadcrumbs        &= nbsp;    1 teaspoon butter=

1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley            freshly gro= und black pepper

Cut the bacon fat into little cubes, make holes in t= he meat at regular intervals and push in the fat (see above) Rub the skin with salt, and add a little pepper. Mix the parsley, onion and mixed herbs with = the breadcrumbs. Spread the butter on the bottom of an ovenproof dish, place the meat on top, and cover with the prepared mixture. Sprinkle a little salt and pour in the wine. Cover the dish and bake in a preheated oven for 1 hour at= 180 C^o (560 F^o), gas mark 4. Test the meat with a skewer:= if the juice is pink, leave it for another 20 minutes. Serve hot.

Testarelle arrosto

Roast Lambs' Heads

Serves 4

Roast heads are a real delicacy and you are lucky if you can get them from your butcher. They are sold split in half, and you will need one half = per person. Prick the eyes and squeeze them, or take them out with a pointed kn= ife. Clean and wash the heads very well. Dry them, then rub a crushed clove of garlic all over the meat. Sprinkle with salt and chopped sage leaves. Remove the brains, soak them and peel off the membrane. Mop up the moisture, and p= ut the brains back in place. Place the heads on a baking sheet, covering the brains with a piece of foil, and roast in a preheated oven at 180 C^{o
(360 F^o), gas mark 5, for about 30 minutes. Place under a hot gr=
ill,
turning the heads over, until they are crisp all over. Serve piping hot wit=
h a
salad or crusty bread.}

Cotolette alle cipolle^F

Sliced Beef with Onions

Serves 4

600 g (l1/2 lb) lean beef topside trimmed,    100 ml (31/2 ffoz) oli= ve oil

4 large onions, peeled and thinly sliced        &= nbsp;          100 ml (51/2 ff oz) water

freshly ground black pepper &n= bsp;            = ;             <= /span>juice of I lemon

50g (2 oz) margarine            =             &nb= sp;            =    salt

Cut the meat into fairly thin slices, flatten the pi= eces and season. Melt the margarine in a large frying pan and quickly fry the me= at, turning once. Put the meat aside and keep hot. Fry the onions in the olive = oil until tender, but not brown. Pour the liquid left over from frying the meat= in an ovenproof dish, make a layer of onions, then a layer of the slices of me= at and so on. Pour the water and= the lemon juice over the top. Cover and cook in a preheated oven at 190 C^o= (375 F^o), gas mark 5, for 45-60 minutes.

Fettine alla ‘pizzaiola’^F

Sliced Beef ‘Pizzaiola’

Serves 4

500 g (1 ¼ lb) lean beef topside, trimmed    100 ml (3 ½ fl oz) olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley         100 ml (3 ½ fl oz)white wine

½ garlic clove, sliced

400 g (1 lb) fresh pear-shaped tomatoes, skinned, se= eded and sliced, or 397g (14 oz) tin peeled tomatoes

Prepare the meat in slices as for the previous recip= e, and quickly fry them in the oil. Slice the garlic in two or three pieces, so that you can remove it when the meat is cooked. In an ovenproof dish, arran= ge in layers some meat slices, then some pieces of tomatoes and parsley. When = you have used up all these ingredients, pour the wine on the top and the juice collected in the frying pan. Cover the dish and bake in a preheated oven at= 180 C^o (560 F^o), gas mark 4- 5, for a bout 1 hour.

Cot= oletta ‘milanese’

‘Milanese’ Cutlets=

Serves 4

600g (20 oz) veal cutlets,     frying steak or chicken breasts              =         1 egg

fresh white breadcrumbs            =                 oil for frying

lemon wedges for serving            =            freshly ground black pepper

See that the meat is very thinly sliced, then flatte= n it with a mallet. Sprinkle each cutlet with salt and pepper. Beat the egg and = dip in the cutlets, then coat them with the breadcrumbs. Heat the oil in a fryi= ng pan and fry the cutlets until golden brown on both sides. As soon as you add the cutlets, lower the heat, so that they do not brown too quickly. When re= ady, lift them out on to a piece of white kitchen paper and keep them hot until = you finish frying all the cutlets. Arrange them on a serving dish with wedges of lemon. Serve them with chips or with potato puree.

Cotoletta al formaggio^F

Cheese Cutlets

Serves 4

500g (17 oz) veal cutlets,     frying steak or chicken breasts &n= bsp;

150 g (6 oz) mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced= , or any soft cheese

fresh white breadcrumbs             =             &nb= sp;         1 egg

freshly ground black pepper        &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;       oil for frying
Cut the meat very thinly, as for Cotoletta milanese above. Proceed in the same way and fry the cutlets, then arrange them on a grill pan and place a slice of mozzarella cheese on each piece. Grill until= the cheese melts. Serve at once. If you want to prepare this dish in advance, y= ou can freeze the cutlets as soon as they have cooled, but before adding the cheese. Put them in a foil dish. Make about 300 ml (1/2 pint) tomato sauce = by dissolving 1 tablespoon of tomato puree in 300 ml (1/2 pint) water. Add a little salt, a teaspoon of margarine and boil for 15 minutes. Pour this sau= ce over the fried cutlets, cool, seal, label and freeze. The sauce will prevent the cutlets from drying up when frozen. To serve, remove from the freezer, = put in a warm oven for 1 hour, then increase the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes. Remove the lid and make sure the cutlets are simmering. When ready= and very hot, place on a grill pan, with a slice of cheese on top of each one a= nd proceed to grill until the cheese melts.

Cotoletta alla parmigiana^F
Parmesan-Style Veal Cutlets

Serves 4

500 g (17 oz) veal cutlets,beefsteak or chick= en breasts

fresh white breadcrumbs            =              1 egg

50g (2 oz) tomato puree            =             &nb= sp; oil for frying

freshly ground black pepper         =        &= nbsp; 40 g (1 ¼ oz) grated Parmesan

1 litre (1 ¾ pints) water        &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;      1 teaspoon margarine

Ask the butcher to thinly slice your meat. (If you are using chicken breasts, cut them into thin slices.) Flatten the slices with a mallet. Seas= on. Put the water into a large saucepan with some salt and the margarine. Disso= lve the tomato puree in a little extra water and add to the saucepan. Bring thi= s to the boil and simmer for 30 minutes. Beat the egg and coat the meat in it, t= hen press each slice on to the breadcrumbs so that both sides are covered. Heat= the oil in a frying pan and quickly fry the meat until golden on both sides. Re= move each cooked slice and drain on kitchen paper. Keep hot while cooking the remaining meat. Cover the bottom of a deep ovenproof dish with some of the sauce, then make a layer with the slices of meat, and sprinkle over some Parmesan cheese, followed by spoonfuls of the sauce, and continue until you have used up all the ingredients. There must be enough sauce just to cover = the meat. Cover the dish and bake in a preheated oven at 180 C^o(360= F^o), gas mark 5, for 35-45 minutes.

Bistecche di maialecon finocchio^F

Pork Chops with Fennel<= /o:p>

Serves 4

4 large pork chops&n= bsp;            = ;            &n= bsp;            = ;       ½ garlic clove

a good pinch of dried fennel flowers or fennel seeds=

freshly ground black pepper             =              1 tablespoon tomato puree

100 ml (3 ft oz) = Marsala= or fortified wine     = ; 100 ml (3 fl oz) red wine

Trim the chops and season with salt and pepper. Grill them slowly unt= il cooked. When ready, lift them out of the pan on to a serving dish and keep = them hot. Put the Marsala, garlic, fennel and tomato puree dissolved in the red wine into the = pan and bring the mixture to the boil. Boil very quickly until the liquid has reduced to one-third of its original quantity. When this sauce is fairly th= ick, remove the garlic and pour over the chops. Serve at once.=

Bistecche di maiale all’italiana

Italian-Style Pork Chops

Serves 4

4 large pork = chops      a good pinch of rosemary leaves for each cho= p

½ garlic clove, slice= d        &= nbsp;           &nbs= p; freshly ground black pepper

Sprinkle the chops with salt and pepper on both sides. Wash the rosem= ary leaves and spread them over each chop, with a couple of slices of garlic. C= over with foil and cook them in the oven at 220 C^o (425 F^o= ), gas mark 7, for 20 minutes. When they are nearly done, remove the foil, and brown them for 2-3 minutes under the grill. If the chops are not too thick = you can cook them directly under the grill, turning them once or twice.<= span lang=3DEN-GB style=3D'font-size:16.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;layout-gri= d-mode: line'>

Polpettone

Meat Loaf

Serves 4

450 g (1 lb) minced meat             =             &nb= sp;        2 tablespoons milk

225 g (8 oz) fresh white breadcrums        &= nbsp;       freshground black pepper

2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley          50g (2 oz) grated Parmesan

1 large carrot, diced             =             &nb= sp;            =    1 egg, lightly beaten

a pinch of cinnamon            =             &nb= sp;            =     a pinch of nutmeg

In a basin, mix together the meat, breadcrumbs, pars= ley, carrot and spices, and season. When it is all well mixed together, add the Parmesan, then bind everything together with the egg and the milk. Shape th= is into a long thick sausage, rather like a small salame. Take a clean cloth, a small napkin or a piece of clean muslin, and wrap your polpetto= ne in it, twist the ends and tie them with some white cotton. Put it in a saucepan, cover with water, bring to the boil, and simmer for about 1 &frac= 34; hours. When ready, lift it out of the liquid and leave it to cool. Remove t= he cloth and let the polpettone cool down completely. When cold, slice it and serve it cold with mayonnaise, accompanied by a green salad and sliced tomatoes.

Polpette

Meat Balls

In every household, no matter how careful you are in planning your meals, you will have leftovers at some point or another. P= olpette are made with any leftover meat.

Serves 4-5

450 g= (1 lb) leftover meat &nb= sp;            =             &nb= sp;       salt
225 g= (8 oz) fresh white breadcrumbs             freshly ground black pepper

grated= rind of 1/2 lemon  &n= bsp;            = ;         &= nbsp;          1 egg, lightly beaten

pinch= of cinnamon     &n= bsp;            = ;            &n= bsp;             2 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan <= i>cheese         flour for coating

oil for fryi= ng

Mince the meat together, even if it is of two differ= ent kinds. Put it in a large mixing bowl, add the breadcrumbs, lemon rind, cinnamon, Parmesan, salt and pepper. Mix everything= well together and add the egg and milk to bind the mixture. Shape into small bal= ls the size of a small egg, and roll each one in the palm of your hand. Roll t= hem in some flour, then fry them in hot frying oil until brown on both sides. U= se a fish slice to turn them, not a fork, or they might break. Drain them on some kitchen paper and serve piping hot. You can serve them with a tomato sauce, which is, in fact, the most common way they are served in Italy= . To make the sauce, melt a teaspoon of margarine in a saucepan and add salt, 300 rnl (½ pint) water and 2 tablespoons of tomato puree. Bring it to the boil, and simmer for about 15 minutes. Put the polpette in with the sauce and simmer for a further= 15 minutes. Children will be encouraged to eat bread with this sugo or sauce.

Cotechino con lenticchie

Cotechino with Lentils=

This dish is cooked in some parts of Italy= in the New Year, but not necessarily on New Year's Day. Lentils are best eaten= in the winter, as are all kinds of pulses, because you can buy the ones from t= he previous harvest. By the summer

months they deteriorate and weevils can appear in th= em.

Serves 4

a cotechino weighing about 450g (1 lb)       100 = ml (3 ½ fl oz) olive oil

1 tablespoon tomato puree            =             &nb= sp;      2 onions

about 1.1 litres (2 pints) stock            =             &nb= sp; a stick of celery, chopped

275g (10 oz) lentils=             &nb= sp;            =             &nb= sp;      salt

Put the cotechino in a deep saucepan, cover it with water, add one peeled and quartered onion and the celery. Bring to the boil, then let it simmer for about 2-2 ½ hours. While the cotechi= no is cooking, prepare the lentils. Lentils are the only dry pulses which do n= ot require soaking overnight before cooking. Make sure the lentils look health= y, without any black spots on them. Wash them well, then boil them in plenty of water until tender but not squashed. Drain and rinse in boiling water, then drain again. (They need rinsing because you will notice the water they have boiled in will be quite dark in colour.) When the cotechino is cooke= d, lift it out of the broth and keep hot. Chop the other onion and cook it unt= il golden in the olive oil, then add the lentils and a little broth from the <= i>cotechino, stirring. Add the tomato puree diluted in 2 tablespoons of water, then, gradually, as much stock as necessary to simmer for about 25 minutes, stirr= ing often. You may need to add a little water if it gets too thick. Before you = add any salt, taste the lentils, because the stock will be quite salty. If you should find that it is too salty, add a little water instead. To serve, cut= the cotechino into slices, arrange on a serving dish and surround with t= he lentils. If you do not like lentils, you could serve cotechino with boiled rice. Flavour the rice, after cooking, with a few spoons of the stoc= k.

Lumache

Snails

The snail festival takes place in <= st1:place>Rome on St John's= Day, 24 June. In other parts of Italy= there is no special time for eating them, but everybody seems to agree that snails should not be picked after St Lawrence Day, 10 August. They say that maggots grow in the snails after that date and I do not think anybody wants to find that out for sure, so they stop eating them. The night of 23 June is the ni= ght when you are supposed to be able to see witches on any crossroads at midnight= . When the witches arrive, if you hold a broom upside down in your hands, they will not be able to touch you until they have counted all the bristles in the br= oom. By the time they finish this task, it will be dawn and they will have to retreat. The day before St John's Day, people in the countryside pick all sorts of wild flowers in great quantities, and mix them with walnut, oak, bay leaves and santoreggia (wild oregano). Yellow broom will abound among the flowers. They will put all these in a large tub full of water and leave it outside all night. The next morning they will ha= ve beautifully perfumed water to wash their faces with and to bath their babie= s. In some villages, in honour of the saint, the streets will be strewn with t= hese flowers and leaves and as the people walk on them, the flowers will release their fragrance. The snails that Romans eat are picked from the vineyards around Rome<= /st1:City> and they are of the best quality. Now snails are also imported from = Albania= . The wild ones are getting a little scarce so there are some farms where snails = are raised for the food market. I doubt if you can buy snails already cleaned a= nd ready to cook. Even if they are supposed to be so, I would prefer to prepare them the way I know best. You start by leaving them in a covered pot (with = some holes for air). Put a weight on the lid or the snails will find their way o= ut. Many a time I got up in the morning to find the lid lifted up and snails sliding all over the kitchen walls! Leave the snails for<= /p>
about 4 days, 5 if they are very big ones, by which = time they will have got rid of all they have eaten and they will be clean enough= to eat. Wash them several times in cold water, then put them in a bowl with so= me vinegar and salt. They will make a lot of froth, and the remaining dirt will come out. Rinse them again well, then repeat the washing in a little vinegar (2-3 spoons, no more) and rinse until the water is really clean. There must= be no sign of froth at all. Place the clean snails in a large saucepan covered= in cold water. Put the saucepan on the stove and bring the heat on very, very gently. As the snails start coming out of their shells in the cold water, b= ring the water to the boil. The secret is to heat the water so gently that they = do not realise any change in the temperature and do not go back completely in their shells before they get cooked. (I shall probably get some animal lover after me for this advice.) It= will then be easier to eat them. Boil them for about 10 minutes, drain and rinse them. Leave them aside and prepare the sauce. The snails I like best are the small ones, the size of a new penny, which grow in the cornfields on the stubble after the corn has been cut, or on long grass. During the month of July, early in the morning, you will see many people in Italy= going out to pick this type of snails. The ones on the corn are the best because = they take the taste of the plant they grow on, but you must be very careful not = to pick any from bushes that may have a bitter taste. You do not leave this ty= pe of snails for long before cooking them. One day is enough or they will die. Wash and cook them in the same way as the big ones. These smaller snails are much cleaner and are great fun to eat. I do not suppose you get to pick your own snails but many people stay in farmhouses when they go on holiday, so y= ou might just try for fun!

Serves 4

48 snails, cleaned             =             &nb= sp;              100 ml (3 ½= ; fl oz) olive oil

chopped leaves from 2 celery sticks        &= nbsp;        1 clove garlic, crushed

2 spring onions or 1 medium-sized onion, chop= ped

50g (2 oz) wild fennel, chopped        &= nbsp;           &nbs= p; 1 small pimento, chopped

6 very ripe pear-shaped tomatoes, skinned, se= eded and chopped

1 tablespoon fresh chopped mint        &= nbsp;      freshly ground b= lack pepper

2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and cook the onion until tender, then add the tomatoes, herbs and garlic and cook for ab= out 5 minutes. Remove the garlic, then season the remaining mixture and add the snails. Simmer for 30 minutes, carefully stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon so that you don't break any shell. It is not advisable to swallow any bits or to crunch some with your teeth! Serve with the appropriate tool for getting the snails out of Their shells; or you can always use a long pin. <= o:p>

Cer= velli fritti

Fried Brains

This is regarded as a great delicacy in Italy= , but it is a little difficult to obtain brains at times. You can get them from an abattoir or your butcher might be able to get you some. Lambs' brains are usually used for frying, but you can also use veal.

Serves 4

100 g (4 oz) lambs' brains per person (2 brains shou= ld be enough for 4 persons)

1 tablespoon olive oil            &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;     1 tablespoon vinegar

juice of ½ lemon            =             &nb= sp;            = 1 small onion, chopped    = ;

plain flour &nb= sp;            =             &nb= sp;            =           2 tablespoons chopped parsley

1 egg, beaten &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;     oil for frying

Soak the brains in cold water, for about 10 minutes, to eliminate the blood, then put them in a saucepan, with the onion, half the parsley, the vinegar and some salt. Bring to the boil, lift out and put them in a basin = of cold water. When they are cold, throw the water away and place on a clean cloth. Carefully remove all the membrane, then cut them into pieces. In ano= ther basin, mix these pieces with the olive oil, the lemon juice and the rest of= the parsley. Leave them there for at least an hour, until you are ready to fry them. When the time comes, lift the pieces out, roll them in the flour and = the egg and fry them in hot oil until golden all over. Serve them with slices of lemon.

Tri= ppa

Tripe

Serves 4

1.1 kg (2 lb) tripe, sliced         &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;             = 25g (1 oz) lard

a pinch of marjoram            =             &nb= sp;       1 stick celery, chopped

1 small onion, peeled and chopped         &= nbsp;       1 carrot, chopped     &nb= sp;

freshly ground black pepper        &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;       350 g (12 oz) fresh tomatoes

Heat the lard in a large frying pan and cook the oni= on, carrot and celery until tender. Add the tomatoes and cook for 15 minutes, t= hen add the marjoram and tripe and cook for a further 15 minutes. Season, then simmer for 1 hour, adding a little water if necessary. Stir often.

&nbs= p;

Pollame e Cacciagione

Poultry and Game

<= o:p>

<= o:p>

<= o:p>

Poultry

All types of poultry are popular in Italy, but a tre= at for a special occasion - like a wedding - is roast faraona (guinea fowl), which can be roasted like a pheasant and tastes a little dry but very delicate. As for chickens, an Italian housewife will use all parts of the b= ird, from the head to the feet and the entrails. When I went to a chicken farm i= n England= I was shocked to see the farmer throwing away all those bits, but he probably wou= ld have been equally as horrified if I had said I could use them.

Polio arrosto^F

Roast Chicken

Roasting a chicken is probably the easiest thing for anybody to do and it might sound a little patronising to tell you how to do= it. The reason for talking about it is that the taste of your dish will very mu= ch depend on ‘if’ and how you have prepared the bird. I say ‘if’, because I cannot forget one Christmas a friend was complaining that her butcher had not given her the turkey giblets. On the d= ay, her husband proceeded to carry out the very British task of carving at the table in front of family and guests, and what do you think came out of the bird? The giblets, still wrapped up in molten plastic! So, the first thing = I do when I buy a chicken is to take off all the string and start from scratch.<= o:p>

Serves 4

1.75 - 2kg (4 - 4 ½ lb) chicken        &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;    juice of 1 lemon <= /i>

3 tablespoons olive oil            =             &nb= sp;            =            sage leaves

freshly ground black pepper        &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;       rosemary leaves

Clean the chicken inside and out. Remove every feath= er stump which may be left, then wash well by putting the chicken in a large b= owl filled with cold water and rub inside and out with your hands. Lift it out = and dry it with kitchen paper. Put it back in the empty bowl and season it with salt, inside and out. Rub some salt on the skin, and a little pepper if you= so wish. Put the lemon juice and olive oil into a basin. Wash the sage and rosemary leaves and spread them over the

chicken. Pour over the oil and lemon mixture, cover = the bowl and leave overnight. Next morning, lift the chicken out of the marinad= e, place it on a large piece of foil, pour the liquid over it and close the fo= il around the bird. Bake it in a preheated oven at 190 C^o (575 Fo), gas mark 5, for about 1 hour, then open the foil, baste it and with a long needle see if the juice that comes out of the thick part of the thigh is st= ill pink. If it is, leave the chicken for 20 minutes longer, before removing the foil. When the foil is removed,   test again with a= fork.   Increase the temperature to 220 C^{o
(425 F^o), gas mark 7, and bake the chicken, without the foil, fo=
r a
further 20 minutes turning it over and basting it, so that the skin will cr=
isp
up all over. You can freeze a roast chicken very successfully. It saves a l=
ot
of time and nobody knows the difference! After the chicken has cooked in fo=
il
for 1 hour, take out of the oven and leave it to cool down, still in the fo=
il.
When it is completely cold, pop the foil-wrapped chicken into a cellophane =
bag,
seal, label and freeze. To defrost, remove from the freezer the night befor=
e,
then in the morning take off the foil, place the chicken in a greased baking
dish, pour the liquid on the top, cover the breast with 4 slices of unsmoked
streaky bacon. Cook it for about 25 minutes, in a preheated oven, at 180 C<=
sup>o} (550 F^o), gas mark 4, basting it a few times, then test it with a needle. If ready, increase the heat to 220 C^o (425 F^o= ), gas mark 7, and cook for another 20 minutes, removing the bacon and turning= it around on the back and sides so that it will be crisp all over. =

Polio alla cacciatora^F<= /p>
Chicken the Hunter's Way

Serves 4-5

1.5 kg (3 lb) chicken             =             &nb= sp;      200 ml (7 fl oz) white wine

½ clove garlic, crushed        &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;      397g (14 oz) tin tomatoes=

For the marinade

sage and rosemary leaves            =            juice of 1 lemon     &nb= sp;     salt

freshly ground black pepper        &= nbsp;          200ml (7 fl oz) olive oil

Clean and wash the chicken inside and out. Cut it into pieces. Cut the drumsticks in two and continue cutting pieces of about the same size. Place= all the pieces in a large bowl, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and add a good amount of washed rosemary and sage leaves. Pour the lemon juice, mixed with= one third of the olive oil, on top of the chicken. Cover the bowl and leave for= at least 6 hours or overnight. Heat the remaining oil in a very large frying p= an, and brown the chicken pieces with the garlic. Turn the meat often and when = they are brown on both sides, remove the garlic and add the wine. After about 5 minutes, add the liquid from the marinade,= with all the herbs. Stir occasionally, for a further 5 minutes, then strain in the tomatoes from the tin. Place all the ingredient= s in an ovenproof dish, cover and cook in a preheated oven at 190 C^o = (375 F^o), gas mark 5, for about 1 ½ hours. You could finish cooking the chicken in the frying pan, but if you do you must stir often, to make sure it does not stick. I prefer to put it in the oven and forget about it. You can freeze this dish very successfully.

Tac= chino allo spiedo

Turkey= Kebabs

Buy a small, compact, juicy bird - a hen is best. Cl= ean the turkey, pulling out all the feather stubble left in it. Wash it inside = and out. Wipe it dry with a towel. Serves 8

4 kg (9 lb) turkey               = ;             <= /span> sage leaves
a sprig of rosemary

350g (12 oz) streaky unsmoked rindless bacon<= o:p>

For the marinade

juice of 2 lemons &n= bsp;            = ;     a good quantity of large sage leaves

2 tablespoons olive oil

Prepare the marinade by squeezing the lemons and mix= ing the juice with the oil. Wash the sage and rosemary. Cut the turkey into sma= ll pieces, about 4-5cm (1 ½ -2 inches) across. As you do this, try to remove as many of the bones as you can. Place all the pieces in a large bowl and pour over the marinade. Cover and leave overnight. Wash the large sage leaves and cut up the bacon into squares of roughly the same size as the tu= rkey cubes, if you have a proper spit, all is well; if not, use small barbecue skewers. On the spit, alternate a piece of bacon with a sage leaf and a pie= ce of turkey, and so on. Do not push the pieces tightly; they should only just touch. If you are using small skewers, place them next to one another on a roasting tin with the ends resting on the sides. There must be a gap between the meat and the bottom of the tin. Cook in a preheated oven at 200 C^o= (400 F^o), gas mark 6, for about 40 minutes, but for an extra 10 minutes at a higher temperature if you like the meat very crisp. While cook= ing, baste the meat first with the marinade, then with the juice that collects at the bottom of the tin. When cooked, push the meat off the skewers and arran= ge the pieces on a serving dish. Make a green salad to accompany this roast. R= ub the salad bowl with a small clove of garlic and add some fennel to the sala= d.

Tacchino arrosto con ripienodi castagne

Roast Turkey with Chestnut Stuffing

Prepare the turkey's you would for the previous reci= pe, but do not cut it into pieces. Marinate it in the same way.

Serves 8

4kg (9 lb) turkey        &= nbsp;           6<= /i> slices of streaky bacon for the <= i>breast

For the stuffing

20 chestnuts &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;   1 egg, lightly beaten

20 green olives, stoned and chopped        &= nbsp;      6 sausages, skinned

a few pieces of block truffle (optional)<= /span>

Prepare the stuffing first. Boil the chestnuts until tender and peel them before they get cold. Mash them with a fork. In a large basin, mix the chestnut puree, olives, truffle and sausages to form a paste, adding the egg to bind the ingredients together. Fill the neck of the turke= y, pushing the stuffing carefully so you do not leave any air bubbles. Pull the skin to cover the opening and sew it with a needle and white cotton. If you have any mixture left, push it in the other end of the turkey. Cover the br= east with the bacon, keeping it in place with some cotton. Wrap the turkey in fo= il and cook in a preheated oven at 180 C^o (550 F^o), gas = mark 4, for about 2- 2 ½ hours. After this amount of cooking time, take t= he foil off, bake for another 20 minutes, then remove the bacon from the breas= t. Increase the temperature to 220 C^o (475 F^o), gas mark= 7, baste and turn the turkey around, so the skin will be crisp, and roast for a further 20-30 minutes.

Cap= pone arrosto farcito

Roasted Stuffed Capon

Serves 6-8

3 kg (7 lb) capon        &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;       lemon slices, to decorate

salt            =             &nb= sp;            =             &nb= sp; 4 slices streaky bacon

For the stuffing

2 tablespoons packet sage and onion stuffing<= span style=3D'mso-tab-count:1'>         =

1 capon liver or chicken liver               = 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan

a pinch of cinnamon            =             &nb= sp;            =         a pinch of nutmeg=

1 tablespoons fresh white breadcrumbs   1 egg, lightly beaten

For the marinade

juice of 1 lemon            =             &nb= sp;            =    a sprig of rosemary

100 ml (3 ½ fl oz) olive oil        &= nbsp;           &nbs= p; 1 clove of garlic, crushed

sage leaves

Clean and wash the capon. Mix the lemon juice and oil together with t= he washed sage leaves, rosemary and garlic.Sprinkle the inside of the capon wi= th salt, rub some on the skin, a= nd place it in a large bowl, pour the marinade over. Cover and leave overnight. Prepare the stuffing. Mix the sage and onion stuffing with enough boiling w= ater to make a smooth paste. Leave it to cool. Clean and wash the liver and chop= up. In a large basin, mix the liver with the breadcrumbs, sage and onion stuffi= ng, cheese, cinnamon and nutmeg. Make it into a smooth paste, using the egg to = bind it together. Lift the capon out of the marinade, stuff its neck with this m= ixture. Sew it up with white cotton. If there is any stuffing left over, push it in= the inside of the bird. Place the capon in a greased roasting tin, and pour the marinade over. Cover the breast with the bacon. Roast for about 2 hours in a preheated oven at 180 C^o (350 F^o), gas mark 4, basting from time to time with the juice from the bottom of the dish. When you can easily push a fork into the flesh and the juice that comes out is clear, re= move the bacon. Increase the heat to 230 C^o (450 F^o), gas = mark 8, and turn the capon a couple of times, so that the skin will get crisp all over. It will need about 15 minutes at a= higher temperature. Carve it, and decorate with lemon slices. <= /o:p>

Ucc= elli allo spiedo

Birds on the Spit<= /span>

You can use any small bird, and you need a good numb= er of sage leaves, unsmoked streaky bacon (1 slice per bird), salt and freshly ground black pepper. Clean, wash and dry the birds. Arrange them on kebab skewers with alternate sage leaves and slices of bacon. Baste while cooking with a little lard.

<= /o:p>

Pol= enta con uccelli

Polenta with Birds
For this dish you can use quail and other small birds.

Serves 4

2-3 birds per person             &n= bsp;            = ;            &n= bsp;   1 stick celery, chopped

3 slices streaky unsmoked bacon        &= nbsp;          &= nbsp; 1 carrot, chopped

2 397g (14 oz) tins peeled tomatoes           &nb= sp;   2 tablespoons olive oil   &nbs= p;

For the marinade

lemon juice &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;        1 onion, peeled and chopped

1 small glass brandy             =             &nb= sp;     freshly ground black pepper

Clean and wash the birds. Marinate them overnight in= a mixture of the lemon juice, brandy and onion, seasoned with salt and pepper. Fry the bacon in the oil, add the celery and carrot and the marinated birds with the liquid from the marinade. Stir and cook until tender, adding a lit= tle stock. When you easily spike a fork through them, add the tomatoes, mix wel= l and cook a further 30 minutes. Keep this hot while you make polenta (see above). Use the sugo (juice) to spread on polenta and place the birds on top= .

Pic= cioni farciti arrosto

Roasted Stuffed Pigeons

I am not going to tell you to cook the pigeons you s= ee in your garden! Pigeons for roasting are raised for the table and you can b= uy them in the best food shops. They must be young and tender birds.

Serves 4

2 pigeons

For the marinade

salt &nb= sp;            =             &nb= sp;            =             &nb= sp;         a pinch of nutmeg

freshly= ground black pepper    &nbs= p;            &= nbsp; 100 ml (3 ½ fl oz) white wine=

For the stuffing

2 chicken livers            =             &nb= sp;            =     a pinch of nutmeg

4 slices streaky bacon            =             &nb= sp;     a pinch of cinnamon

100 g (4 oz) beefsteak            =             &nb= sp;     a pinch of dried thyme

50g (2 oz) butter or margarine        &= nbsp;      1 bay leaf, chopped

1 egg, lightly beaten            =             &nb= sp;       1 onion, peeled and chopped   =

You need half a pigeon per person. Clean and wash the pigeons inside and out. Dry them. Sprinkle with some salt, pepper and a sma= ll pinch of nutmeg. Place them in a glass dish and pour the white wine on them. Cover them and leave to marinate overnight. Prepare the stuffing. Clean and slice the chicken livers. Cut the bacon into strips, discarding the rind. C= hop the steak. Melt 1 teaspoon butter or margarine in a large frying pan and sl= owly fry the onion and bacon. When the onion is tender, add the steak, increasing the heat and stirring, then add the liver. Season with salt, pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, thyme and the bay leaf. Stir and cook very quickly for 1 minute. = Now strain the liquid from this mixture, leave it aside in reserve, then mince = all the strained pieces. If you do not have a mincer, you could chop them up very finely. When minced, add the egg and a teaspoon of butter or margarine, mix well and set aside. Lift the pigeons out of the marinade, divide the stuffi= ng and stuff the necks of each bird. Take some white cotton and a needle and s= ew up the opening. If you have any stuffing left over, place it in the bird's body. Place the stuffed pigeons in an ovenproof dish, with the remaining butter, melted. Mix ½ glass of water with the reserved marinade and = pour a little over the pigeons (about 2 tablespoons on each). Cook the pigeons f= or about 30 minutes in a preheated oven at 180 C^o (350 F^{o),
gas mark 4, then pour the rest of the marinade over them, turn them around =
and
cook for a further 30 minutes. Remove the white cotton before serving. Quar=
ter
the pigeons, and serve them with a mixed salad.}

Ani= tra farcita arrosto

Stuffed Roast Duck
Serves 4

2-2.5 kg= (5-6 lb) duck      =             &nb= sp; 6 slices streaky unsmoked bacon

freshly= ground black pepper    &nbs= p;

For the marinade

1 small onion, peeled and chopped        &= nbsp;        juice of ½ lemon

2 tablespoons olive oil         a pinch of orega= no      3 sage spri= gs

4 tablespoons red wine            =             &nb= sp;            =           salt

For the stuffing

duck gizzard, heart and liver     &= nbsp;            2 tablespoons grated Parmesan

4 sage lea= ves        &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;          1/3 teaspoon cinnamon

1 slices onion            &n= bsp;            = ;            &n= bsp;      a pinch of oregano

4 tablespoons= fresh white breadcrumbs    = ;      1 egg, lightly beaten

For the gravy

300 ml(½ pint) water         &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;     ½ chicken stock cube

1 tablespoon flour mixed with 2 tablespoons w= ater

juice of 1 orange

Clean the duck and pull out all the feather stubble. If you have a gas oven, burn them off on top of a small flame, then pull out the thicker ones. Thoroughly wash the duck inside and out, dry with a paper towel and then season, in and out, with salt and pepper. Cover the breast with the bacon. = Put the duck in a large dish with a lid. Mix together all the marinade ingredie= nts and pour over the duck. Leave it for 5-6 hours or overnight, basting several times. Cover. To prepare the stuffing, clean the gizzard, pull out the inner skin and wash well, then cut off the tough inside part and chop the rest. W= ash the heart, getting rid of all the blood, and chop. Put the heart and gizzar= d in a food processor for a few moments, take it out and get rid of the pieces of hard skin which will now come away easily. Wash the liver and make sure the whole gall bag has been removed, or there will be green patches which you m= ust cut off. Beat together the liver, sage and onion, adding the shredded gizzard and heart to form= a paste. Put them in a basin, add the breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, salt, pep= per, cinnamon and oregano. Mix well, then bind this stuffing with the egg. Remove the duck from the marinade, and fill the neck cavity with the stuffing, sew= ing the opening with white cotton. If there&nb= sp; is any stuffing left, put it inside the body, together with a few wa= shed sage leaves. Grease an ovenproof dish, place the duck on it and cover the breast with the bacon. Pour the marinade over and roast it in a preheated o= ven at 180 C^o (560 F^o), gas mark 4, for 1 hour 15 minutes, basting from time to time. With a carving fork, prod the thickest part to s= ee if the duck is tender, otherwise cook it for a little longer, say another 15 minutes. Remove the bacon, prick the skin with a fork, then put the duck ba= ck in the oven for a further 20 minutes at 200 C^o (400 F^{o),
gas mark 6, turning it and basting. By this time the skin should be really
crisp and brown all over. Lift the duck on to a serving dish if you want to
take it whole to the table otherwise put it on a board to carve. Whether or=
not
you carve it, cover the duck with foil and keep it hot while you make gravy=
to
serve with it. To make gravy, pour away all the fat from the tin, just leav=
ing
a little liquid at the bottom. Add the water and stir with a wooden spoon, =
so
all the goodness left will mix with the water. Pour the smooth flour paste =
into
the tin, together with the crumbled chicken cube, orange juice salt and pep=
per.
Mix and boil it for 1 minute, then strain and pour it into a gravy jug.}

Sug= o con anitra

Duck Sauce

This sauce is ideal for polenta and pasta dishes .

Serves 5-6

2-5 kg (5-6 lb) duck             =             &nb= sp;       duck liver, chopped

2 397g (14 oz) tins Italian tomatoes      1 tablespoon tomato puree

1 medium-sized onion,peeled and chopped        400ml (14 fl oz) water=

handful each of basil, marjoram and oregano leaves      salt =

freshly ground black pepper

For the marinade

1 celery stick             &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;     juice of ½ lemon

1 carrot &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;           &nbs= p; 3 sprigs sage

1 small onion, chopped             =              1 pinch oregano

2 tablespoons olive oil=

Clean the duck. Mix together the marinade, pour it o= ver the duck, and leave overnight. When it has marinated, cut it into 10-12 pieces and put it aside. Slowly cook the chopped onion in t= he marinade until tender. Now add the chopped liver and herbs, and the duck pi= eces. Over a low heat, let the duck cook, so that its fat melts, for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the strained tomatoes and the tomato pu= ree diluted in half the water. Season. Simmer for a further 45 minutes until the meat is well cooked and the sauce fairly thick. If the duck is still hard w= hen you push a fork in, add the rest of the water and cook for a little longer.= Use this sauce on top of polenta or for a pasta dish. Place some of the pieces = of meat on top of each portion. You can also cook a young goose this way.=

Game

While France= has always been a country of fishermen, <= span lang=3DEN-GB style=3D'font-size:16.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;layout-g= rid-mode: line'>Italy= has always been a country of cacciatori, which literally means hunters, with a shotgun. Towards the end of August every year, one day is sacred to nearly all men, young and old, who can (and even cannot) use a shotgun. In fact it would be better to say ‘who have the use’ o= f a shotgun. This day is the start of the shooting season. No work or family commitments will be honoured, and every available male will be up at the cr= ack of dawn, ready to walk miles, even for the sake of sometimes coming back wi= th only a few birds in his bag. And beware of wishing a cacciatore good luck. It is unlucky. The only accepted wish is ‘In bocca al lupo'<= /i> (‘In the wolfs mouth'), to which the answer is 'Crepi il lupo' (‘Burst the wolf’). After this rigmarole, he can happily st= art on his trek. Things have changed in recent years as many parts of the count= ry have been made riserva di caccia, where shooting is forbidden, to give the animals a chance, and birds raised in captivity are = set free. Even so, the stock has been devastated. One of the reasons is that bi= rds raised by man do not acquire the experience and knowledge of defence which = wild birds have, so the foxes are multiplying at their expense. There used to be eagles on our mountains, but gradually the bigger species have disappeared = and even the smaller ones have now been decimated. Wild boar are coming back in= the woods - as is the wolf, which is now protected. At one time Italians would shoot anything that flew, except swallows, as there was, and I think still = is, a law against killing them. I have heard Australians complaining that their birds were disappearing after the Italians started to emigrate to their country. Now, shooting is allowed only about two days each week in the seas= on and many hunters are giving up this sport because of the many restrictions = that are imposed every year. Probably because of the old hunting traditions, game plays a great part in Italian cooking. All game must be well hung. Do not t= hink I am trying to put you off when I repeat a hunter's saying: 'Game is good w= hen it starts to smell.'

Con= iglio fritto

Fried Rabbit

Rabbit has always been a very acceptable and appreci= ated item on an Italian menu. Perhaps, now that beef has become so expensive, it will be worthy of some consideration also in other countries. I am talking about rabbits especially raised for the table, not the wild ones which coul= d be very tough and have a flavour of wild game.

Serves 4-5

1 rabbit &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;           &nbs= p; fresh white breadcrumbs

1 egg, lightly beaten            =             &nb= sp;       oil for frying

freshly ground black pepper        &= nbsp;         lemon slices for serving

For the marinade

100 ml (3 ½ fl oz) olive oil         &= nbsp;            sage leaves and rosemary

juice of 1 lemon             = ;            &n= bsp;            = ; oregano

Clean and wash the rabbit thoroughly. Cut it into pi= eces (3 from each leg), slice the body crossways, making sure the slices are not thicker than about 1 cm (½ inch). Prepare a marinade with the olive = oil, lemon juice, washed sage leaves and rosemary and a pinch of oregano. Sprink= le the meat with salt and pepper, place it in a deep dish and pour the marinade over it. Cover and leave for about 6 hours or overnight. Lift the pieces ou= t of the marinade and coat the meat with the egg, then roll each piece in a bowl= of breadcrumbs, making sure it is coated all over. Heat some oil in a large fr= ying pan and gently fry the rabbit pieces until golden. Turn the pieces over a couple of times and fry at medium heat to make sure the meat is well cooked= and not just brown on the surface. Serve with slices of lemon.

Con= iglio arrosto

Roast Rabbit

Prepare the rabbit by cleaning and washing it. Do not cut it. Sprinkle salt all over, rub the outside skin with a crushed clove of garlic and proceed to marinate it as explained in the previous recipe. Lift= it out of the marinade, place a washed sprig of rosemary and a few sage leaves inside. Place the rabbit on a piece of foil, pour the liquid from the marin= ade over it and close the foil. Cook for 1 ½ -2 hours in a preheated ove= n at 180 C^o (350 F^o), gas mark 4. Test if it is tender with the prongs of a long fork. Take the foil off, baste it with the liquid and = give it 15-20 more minutes at 200 C^o(400 F^o), gas mark 6, turning it once or twice so that the meat can crispen all over. It is nice = to roast some potatoes together with the rabbit. Wash the leaves from two spri= gs of rosemary. Peel and cut 4 large potatoes in quarters, sprinkle them with = salt and a little olive oil. Mix the rosemary with them and arrange them around = the rabbit, if there is room in the same tin. If not, place them in another gre= ased baking tray. They will take about 1 hour to cook. Rosemary gives an extra special flavour to potatoes.

Con= iglio in porchetta

Porchetta of Rabbit

Porchetta is a way of cooking pork, as the word suggests, but it is a very tasty way of cooking o= ther meats, including rabbit.

Serves 6

1 rabbit

rabbit liver and heart             =             &nb= sp;            = 225 g (8 oz) minced beef

4 slices rindless unsmoked bacon &n= bsp;       =           rosemary=

freshly ground black pepper        &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;       some knobs of lard

2 tablespoons chopped wild fennel leaves      3 eggs, lightly b= eaten

Clean and wash the rabbit well. Dry, and rub the out= side and inside with salt. Wash a good quantity of rosemary and sprinkle over the outside. Mix the fennel with the liver and heart and minced beef. In a larg= e frying pan, fry the bacon, add the beef mixture, season with salt and pepper and b= ind this mixture with the eggs. Remove from the heat. Fill the inside of the ra= bbit with this stuffing and sew it up with strong white cotton. Place the rabbit= on a piece of foil, dotted with little knobs of lard. Close the foil and place= it in an ovenproof dish. Cook it in a preheated oven at 180 C^o (350= F^o), gas mark 4, for about 1 ½ hours. Test if the meat is tender with the prongs of a long fork, and when it is, open the foil and cook for another 15-20 minutes, at 200 = C^o (400 F^o), gas mark 6, to brown it all over. Turn once or twice.<= o:p>

Pap= pardelle con lepre

Pappardelle with Hare<= /o:p>

Pappardelle are a type of pasta, larger than tagliatelle, and nearer = the width of lasagne.

Serves 6

1 hare &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;           &nbs= p; 1 glass white wine

4 slices rindless unsmoked streaky bacon, cho= pped        &= nbsp;

500 ml (18 fl oz) stock or stock cube dissolv= ed in water

25g (1oz) butter            =             &nb= sp;            =             2 tablespoons tomato puree

1 medium-sized onion, peeled and chopped   1 stick of celery, chopped

homemade pasta made with 6 eggs        &= nbsp;        pinch of thyme

freshly ground black pepper        &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;       grated Parmesan cheese

about 750g (1 lb 10 oz) plain flour        &= nbsp;        1 tablespoon flour    &nb= sp;

Some people cut up the hare, taking all the bones ou= t; others just cut the hare in pieces and serve it with the bones. It is obvio= usly much quicker to do the latter and it does not alter the taste of the dish. = So, clean and wash the hare and cut it into small pieces. Melt the butter in a large frying pan and cook the bacon and onion and celery. When the onion is tender, add the meat, seasoning with salt and pepper and a pinch of thyme. = Stir often, adding the flour when the meat is getting brown all over. Stir in the wine and 10 minutes later dilute the tomato puree in some of the stock. Add this to the meat, then add the remaining stock. Cover the saucepan and simm= er until the hare is cooked, about 1 ½ hours. The sugo (gravy) should by then be rather thick. If it is too thin, let it boil uncovered fo= r a short time. Make the pasta while the sauce cooks. When the sauce is ready, = boil it and serve it with grated Parmesan, the sauce from the hare and, on top of each plate, a few pieces of the meat.

Lep= re al tegame

Hare Casserole

Serves 4-5

1 hare =             &nb= sp;            =             &nb= sp;      salt

4-5 tablespoons olive oil             = freshly ground black pepper

40 g (1 ½ oz) butter         &= nbsp;           &nbs= p; 1 onion      =

200ml (7 fl oz) white wine            = 1 garlic clove

1 tablespoon tomato puree            1 stick of celery

200ml (7 fl oz) water            50 g (2 oz) ham

Clean the hare, cut it into pieces, wash and dry the pieces. Melt the olive oil and butter in a large frying pan and fry the oni= on, garlic, celery and ham for a few minutes, then add the hare and cook slowly until brown. Season it. Add a little of the wine at intervals, stirring oft= en. When all the wine is absorbed remove the garlic and add the tomato puree diluted in the water and simmer until tender.

<= o:p>

Lepre arrosto

Roast Hare

Serves 4-5

1 hare =             &nb= sp;            =             &nb= sp;            =               juice of 1 lemon

2 garlic cloves             =             &nb= sp;            =             &nb= sp; salt

2 sprigs of rosemary, finely chopped        &= nbsp;      200 ml (7 fl oz) olive oil

25g (1 oz) butter&nb= sp;            =             &nb= sp;            =         &= nbsp; 4 juniper berries

Clean the hare. Finely cut the cloves of garlic and = the rosemary, and mix with the juniper and lemon juice. Spread with the salt all over the hare and sprinkle salt inside the hare. Leave covered for two days= in the refrigerator. Place in a large saucepan over moderate heat with the oil= and butter and cover. Stir often while it cooks, adding a little water now and then. When it is cooked (test it with a long fork or a skewer), increase the heat so it will be golden brown all over.

Beccaccia al tegame

Woodcock Casserole

You can also cook pheasant this way.

Serves 2

1 woodcock &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &n= bsp;            = ;    2 tablespoons cognac

4 chicken livers, chopped            =             &nb= sp;         100 ml (3 ½ fl oz) stock

freshly ground black   pepper  &n= bsp;            = ;            1 small onion, chopped

a little thyme and marjoram, chopped        &= nbsp;    1 teaspoon butter

25 g (1 oz) lard            =             &nb= sp;            =              100 ml (31/2fl oz) white wine

1 tablespoon olive oil            &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp; 1 bay leaf, chopped     <= /span>

1 tablespoon flour            =             &nb= sp;            =             &nb= sp;    salt

Clean the bird inside and out, and mop up any surplus moisture. Sprinkle inside and out with salt and pepper, thyme and marjoram.= Fry the lard, oil and bay leaf in a frying pan for 1 minute, then add the woodc= ock to the pan. Cook it until brown all over, turning often. Pour in the cognac, cover with a lid, and simmer using a little of the stock, until the meat is well cooked. Now lift out the bird and cut it in half lengthwise. Keep it w= arm. Fry the onion. and livers in a pan with the butter, season and add the wine. Mix the flour with the remaining stock and add to the pan when the wine has evaporated. Add it gradually, stirring all the time. Cook for 15 minutes, t= hen strain everything and pour the livers and sauce over the bird, discarding t= he fat. Serve at once.

Dolci

Desserts

Italians on the whole are not great pudding or cake eaters, but they = make an exception at Christmas and Easter when panettone and colomba are consumed in great quantities. Nevertheless, there is a great variety of dessert dishes typical of Italy= and I have given a few of my favourite recipes here. A strange Italian habit, for instance, is to eat buns, doughnuts or other sweet things at breakfast time. This mostly concerns men going to work. They will leave the house after drinking an espresso coffee, go to the office or their place of work, then, after about 1-2 hours, they will have a walk to the nearest cafe to have a cappuccino or another espresso and they will eat any= bun or pastry they fancy. Some may do that on their way to work, if they cannot= get out later on. Very little milk is used for breakfast in Italian households, unless there are small children. Puddings are reserved mostly for Sundays a= nd for anniversaries and other celebrations.. Fresh fruit always appears on Italian tables to be eaten at the end of every meal. If a pudding is served, fruit will be eaten afterwards. No fruit at the end of a meal means a very = poor household, and a great punishment for a child in disgrace is to be sent to = bed without fruit. A favourite Italian dessert is cheese eaten with pears.=

Nove Maggio

Ninth of May

I call this sweet 'Ninth of May' because I invariably make it for that day, not to celebrate the end of the last war, but a family anniversary.

Serves 10

1 packet gelatine powder            = ;   4 tablespoons Amaretto liqueur

4 tablespoons cold water               50 g (2 oz) bitter chocolate=

250 g (10 oz) ricotta, crumbled     5 egg yolks             = ;      3 egg whites

150 g (6 oz) sugar &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            275ml (½ pint) double cream

Dissolve the gelatine in the cold water in a basin. Break up the chocolate into small pieces and add it to the gelatine. Place the basin in a bowl containing boiling water, so it will dissolve, stirring from time to t= ime. In the meantime, whisk the yolks and the sugar until fluffy. Beat the white= s in a separate basin until stiff peaks form. Add the liqueur to the egg yolks, = and beat well. Then stir in the gelatine. Go on whisking, until well mixed, then fold in the egg whites. Mix the ricotta with the double cream, giving it a vigorous stir with a wooden spoon. Then add to the other ingredients foldin= g it in with a spatula. Dampen a l ½ litre (3 pint) basin and pour in the mixture. Cover with foil and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving. To serve this sweet, turn it out on to a serving dish, decorating it with a little whipped cream, or cherries, or grated chocolate. You can freeze this sweet. Sometimes I make two with this amount, dividing = it into two basins. I then use one and freeze the other.

Fragole

Strawberries

If you prepare the strawberries this way you can avoid eating cream. Hull the strawberries, wash them and cut them in half. Mountain strawberries should be left whole. Sprinkle some caster sugar on them and the juice of o= ne lemon for each 400 g (1 lb) of fruit. Mix well and put in the fridge, cover= ed, for at least 2 hours before serving. An alternative to lemon juice is a gla= ss of white wine.

Budino di fragole^F

Strawberry Mousse

This is a good sweet to make if you have a glut of strawberries or if they are getting too ripe and need to be used up. It can also be made with blackberries, raspberries or blackcurrants.

Serves 4-6

450 g (1 lb) s= trawberries,     hulled        150 ml(½ pint) double cream

75 g (3 oz) c= aster sugar      =            whole strawberries for decoration

juice of ½ lem= on                       =             &nb= sp;   1 packet of gelatine

whipped cream fo= r decoration    &n= bsp;           2 egg whites    =

Place the strawberries in a food processor with the sugar, and blend = for a few moments. Add the lemon juice and mix well. Dissolve the gelatine in a basin, with 2 tablespoons cold water, then add the same amount of boiling w= ater and stir until the gelatine is dissolved. Stand the basin in hot water for a little while, stirring until the gelatine is clear. Leave it to cool, then = add it to the strawberries. Beat the egg whites until stiff, then fold them a little at a time into the cold mixture with a spatula. Whip the cream. When thick, but still of a running consistency, carefully fold into the strawber= ry mixture. Pour the mixture into a clean, damp basin or any deep dish and put= it in the refrigerator for a few hours. To serve it, turn out on to a serving = dish and decorate with a few fresh strawberries or just some whipped cream. If y= ou freeze this mousse, remove from the freezer about 2-3 hours before serving.= You can also use frozen strawberry puree. Blend the strawberries into a puree, adding 75 g (3 oz) of sugar for each 450 g (1 lb) of fruit, then freeze.

Zabaglione with Amaretto^F<=
/sup>

Marsala is the dessert wine from Marsala, in Sicily, and Amaretto is a liqueur made with almonds. You could use some med= ium sherry as an alternative together with a teaspoon of almond essence. <= /o:p>

Serves 6

4 egg yolks &n= bsp;            = ;            &n= bsp;            = ;        150 ml (¼ pint) double cre= am

4 tablespoons caster sugar            =          1 packet of gelatine

4 sponge cakes, sprinkled with Amaretto        4 egg whites

4 tablespoons Marsala and1 tablespoon Amaretto

whipped cream for decoration=

Mix together the egg yolks, the sugar and the Marsala in a large basin. Stand the basin over a saucepan of simmering water and beat the mixture wit= h a hand whisk until it is fluffy and creamy. It will increase in volume very considerab= ly, so you need a very large basin. Continue to whisk while the mixture thickens, = then remove the basin from the heat. Melt the gelatine in 2 tablespoons cold wat= er, add 2 tablespoons boiling water and mix well. Pour the gelatine into the mixture, whisk well and keep beating until cool. Leave it to get cold, but = not set, while you beat the egg whites to peaks. With a spatula, fold these in, then whip the cream to thick but still pouring consistency, and fold in. Po= ur everything into a damp basin. It must not come higher than at least 2.5 cm = (1 inch) from the top. Slice 4 sponge trifle cakes and place them on top, when= the mixture is starting to set. Cover the basin with a lid or a plate and put i= t in the refrigerator. Leave it for at least 3 – 4 hours or overnight. To serve, turn it out on to a serving dish (the sponge cakes will be at the bo= ttom now). Decorate with whipped cream. You can serve zabaglione in individual portions, in crystal cups. In this case, line the glass containers with some sponge cake, sprinkle with Amaretto and pour some of the zabaglione on top. When set, decorate with whipped cream.

Zuppa inglese

English Soup

Serves 6

5 eggs and 1 extra yolk             = ;            &n= bsp;        900 ml (1 ½ pints) milk

6 trifle sponge cakes or 12 sponge fingers      4 tablespoo= ns sugar

2 tablespoons cornflour             = ;            &n= bsp;          strip of lemon rind

3 tablespoons Marsala      &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;     small cinnamon stick

2 tablespoons Amaretto or just over 3 tablespoons Alchermes

1 tablespoon cocoa mixed with 1 tablespoon caster su= gar

Beat the eggs and the extra yolk with the sugar. In a basin dissolve = the cornflour in 2-3 tablespoons of the milk, then mix it with the eggs and, wh= ile mixing, gradually add the remaining milk, lemon rind and cinnamon stick. Pl= ace in a saucepan over moderate heat and mix continuously while it gradually co= mes to the boil and thickens. It should only just boil, before you remove it fr= om the heat. Discard the lemon and cinnamon. Pour half of the custard into a b= asin and gradually add to it the cocoa and sugar mixed together. Blend well, mak= ing sure there are no lumps. Line the bottom of an oval serving dish with the sponge cakes. If you are using the trifle sponge cakes, cut them in half. W= ith a spoon, sprinkle the Marsala and Amaretto on the cakes. Pour some of the yellow custard over them, then some of the mixture with the chocolate. Alternate the two until they a= re both used up. Refrigerate and serve when cool.

Zup= pa romana

Roman Soup

Serves 4

2 tablespoons flour =             &nb= sp;          6 tablespoons jam

500 ml (18 fl oz) milk            &= nbsp;        16 sponge fingers

2 eggs, lightly beaten            &= nbsp;        some Alchermes or Curacao

2 tablespoons sugar =                = ;       a stick of cinnamon

a piece of lemon rind            &n= bsp;         150 ml (¼ pint) double cream

Make a custard by dissolving the flour with some of the milk. Add the eggs, the sugar, lemon rind and cinnamon stick, then pour in the remaining milk. Place in a saucepan over low heat, stirring continuously until it thickens and comes to the boil. Boil for only I minute, then remove from the heat and discard the lemon rind and cinnamon stick. Spread half the jam on = the bottom of a greased ovenproof dish, then make a layer of sponge fingers sprinkled with Alchermes or Curasao, followed by a layer of the custard and half of the cream. Make another layer with 5 tablespoons of jam, the rest of the sponge fingers, custard

and cream. Keep in refrigerator before serving for at least 2 hours.<= o:p>

Torta di gelato^F

Ice Cream Cake
This is a variation of = Marsala cake. You need the same ingredients as for Marsala cake (above) and 1-2 family blocks of vanilla ice cream. =

Serves 12

Prepare everything as for the Marsala cake. When you have made the first layer of sponge cakes, spread some mixture on it, then take the block of ice cream, cut it quickly horizontally and make a layer of ice cream. Work fast, or the ice cream will melt in the process. You can make another layer of ice cream if you wish, over the next layer of mixture, but in this case you will need a deeper dish. As soon as = you put the weight on top, put the cake into the freezer. Leave the weight for a couple of hours, then the cake is ready to serve. This cake freezes very su= ccessfully.

Gelato a sorpresa^F

Ice Cream Surprise

Serves 6

4 eggs, separated&nb= sp;            =              1 block vanilla ice cream, family size

4 tablespoons caster sugar           2 tablespoons cocoa

150 ml (¼ pint) double cream

Beat the egg yolks with the sugar, until very creamy and fluffy. Put = the cocoa in a sifter and shake it over the mixture, while you go on whipping, = so you do not have any lumps. Continue until it is well blended. Whisk 3 egg whites until peaks form, then fold them in with a spatula. Whisk the cream until thickened, and gently fold in with the spatula. Cut the ice cream into slices about 1.25 cm (½ inch) thick and very quickly line the bottom= and sides of an 800 ml (1 ½ pint) basin. Pour in the mixture and freeze. You could cover the bot= tom with some more ice cream, in which case you will need another half block. W= hen you want to use this dessert, just ease the sides with a pointed knife and = turn it out on to a serving dish. Decorate it with cream, glace cherries or chocolate flakes, or anything else that you fancy.

Can= noli alla siciliana

Cannoli the <= i>Sicilian Way

Cannoli alla siciliana originated in <= /span>Sicily, but they are made= all over Italy. To make cannoli you need some moulds. You can buy them, made= of tin, but it is easy to make some at home. Buy a length of wooden dowelling,= 2 cm (¾ inch) in diameter, cut it in sections about 14 cm 1/2 inches) long, sandpaper the ends and you have your moulds. Wash the moulds and let = them dry before use.

Serves 6-8    &nb= sp;            =              For 12-13 cannoli

1 heaped teaspoon margarine

125 ml (4 fl oz) wine (white, red or fortified)=

150g (6 oz) plain flour                &= nbsp;          corn oil for frying

a little icing sugar=             &nb= sp;            =            ½ teaspoon sugar

For the filling

220 g (8 oz) ricotta=             &nb= sp;            =          grated chocolate

120 g (5 oz) caster sugar            =              ½ teaspoon vanilla essence

Melt the margarine in a bowl over a saucepan of very hot water, then = mix it with the flour, salt, sugar and make it into a stiff dough with the wine. Have some more flour handy, in case you need a little, to roll the dough in= to a ball. Cover and leave the dough to rest in a basin, covered with a cloth, f= or 1-1 ½ hours. Grease slightly the lengths of dowelling. After this ti= me, roll out the dough in thin strips and cut squares of 10 cm (4 inches) each side. Roll each piece around a piece of wood and close them by pressing with your fingers, one corner on top of the opposite one.

.

Heat the corn oil in a medium-sized frying pan. When sizzling, fry th= e cannoli on every side until golden brown. Cook 3 at a time, and turn them with the = help of a pair of tongs. Do not cook them too quickly, as they must be dry and crisp. You do not need to have the same number of moulds as the cannoli<= /i> you are making, because a few minutes after you have cooked the first batch, you can gently remove them, cool under the cold tap, dry and use them again= . To make the filling, mix the ricotta with the caster sugar, and add the vanilla essence and a little grated plain or milk chocolate. When cannoli are cold, fill them with this mixture, either using a small spoon or a large pi= ping nozzle. Dust the top with very little icing sugar. Cannoli must be e= aten very soon after they are made or they will lose their crispness.

Cannoli (a modo mio)

Cannoli (My Way)

227 g (8 oz) cream cheese             =              &= nbsp;     juice of ½ lemon<= /span>

1 large chocolate Milk Flake, crushed        &= nbsp;   100 g (4 oz) caster sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla essence    =

This is an alternative method for making cannoli, using cream cheese instead of ricotta. Make cannoli as explained above. Soften t= he cheese, beating with a wooden spoon, together with the sugar, until smooth = and creamy. Add vanilla and the lemon juice, then the chocolate. Pour in the cr= eam cheese mixture, a little at a time, and mix thoroughly. Fill the cannoli= with this mixture.

Cas= tagnole

Castagnole are eaten at Carnival time. All regions of <= /span>Italy= have a dish typical of Carnevale, and castagnole is one common to = many areas, although it may go under a different name in different places. There= are lots of variations to the recipe for making castognole. Housewives a= re always obsessed by the fact that they should rise a lot and be quite dry inside, so they keep adding their own contribution to the method which they think will help to achieve these results.

Serves 4-5

2 eggs   &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;      1 tablespoon caster sugar

self-raising flour to make a soft dough    1 tablespoon olive oil       =

cooking fat or oil for frying            =            grated rind of ½ lemo= n

2 tablespoons Mistra= (Italian aniseed liqueur)    &nb= sp; or whisky

Beat the eggs well in a large bowl with a hand whisk. Add the sugar a= nd the oil and keep whisking for a few minutes, then add the lemon rind and liqueur. Mix in the flour, using a spatula, until a soft dough, which is sm= ooth and thick but not hard, is formed. Heat the fat in a large frying pan. If t= he dough is a little sticky rub your hands in a little flour. Taking a small p= iece at a time, form into an oval shape and drop it into the boiling fat. Quickly make more castagnole and drop them in (not too many because they will swell a lot). As soon as there are enough in the pan, lower the heat and ge= ntly move the pan in a circular motion, lifting from the heat. Turn them once or twice and when they are a golden colour all over, lift them out and place on kitchen paper. Make sure you do not cook them too quickly. Castagnole should be very light and well cooked inside. Keep them hot while you cook t= he remaining batches. You will need to add some more cooking fat. Castagnol= e can be served just dusted with caster sugar or hot honey or with the follow= ing sauce.

Zab= aglione sauce for castagnole

Whisk two egg yolks with 2 tablespoons caster sugar until they are fl= uffy and light. Very slowly, and while you are still beating, add one wineglass of Alchermes, sherry, Marsala or Madeira. Heat the sauce for a few minutes, placing the bowl over a pan of very hot water, while you stir it. When hot, pour it over the portions of hot castagnole<= /i> with a spoon. Serve at once.

Cicerchiata

Serves 6-7

Same ingredients as for castognole, plus

2 tablespoons honey and 2 tablespoons sugar, mixed together

1 tablespoon cocoa&n= bsp;

This is a variation of castagnole. The name is derived = from cicerchia which is a type of bean similar to chickpeas. It is so cal= led because the pieces of pasta will be the size of a cicerchio. Make the dough in the same way as for castognole, but use a little more flour= to make it more manageable. Take a small amount at a time and roll into a thin sausage shape, then cut into pieces the size of a halfpenny coin. Fry them = and when they are golden in colour, take them out with a slotted spoon and drai= n on kitchen paper. Keep them hot until you finish flying them all. Now put the honey in a saucepan over moderate heat. Mix together well the cocoa and sug= ar. When the honey is boiling, add this mixture and stir well. Go on stirring a= ll the time until the sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture is very ru= nny. While it is boiling, tip the fried balls in the saucepan, stirring carefully with a wooden spoon until the balls are coated with the syrup. Remove from = the heat. Turn your cicerchiata out onto a damp glass dish. Press the top down with a spatula so that they look like a cake. Leave to cool, then turn= out on to a flat dish. Serve cold and cut in slices with a very sharp knife.

Fri= ttelle

Fritters

Frittelle in Italy= are made on 19 March, Saint Joseph's Day. This day is called= San Giuseppe frittellaio - Saint Joseph= , the fritter maker. In Naples they call them zeppole.

Serves 8-10

500 ml (18 fl oz) water            =             &nb= sp;            = grated rind of 1 lemon

250 ml (8 fl oz) milk            &n= bsp;            = ;            1 teaspoon vanilla ess= ence

2 tablespoons Mistra (Italian aniseed liqueur) 75 g (5 oz) butter

100 g (4 oz) sugar&n= bsp;                   = ;            &n= bsp;            = ;   6 eggs<= /p>
500 g (20 oz) self-raising     flour&nb= sp;            =             &nb= sp;    oil for frying

4-5 tablespoons clear honey    =

Mix the water with the milk, heat it in a large saucepan over moderate heat with the butter and sugar. When it boils, drop in the flour, all in one go, mixing with a wooden spoon, until it becomes a dough in the shape of a ball. Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool down. When cold, add the eggs, one at a time, beating the mixture, then add the lemon rind, vanilla = and Mistra, until the mixture is smooth and velvety. Heat the oil in a large fr= ying pan; when sizzling, take pieces of the dough in your hands (about the size = of one dessert spoon), mould them into a round shape using some extra flour an= d drop the fritters into the hot oil, turning them once, and fry them until golden. Make sure they are well cooked inside. Lift them out with a fish slice and place them on kitchen paper. Keep them hot while you fry the remainder. Ser= ve sprinkled with sugar or with melted honey. Heat the honey in a saucepan unt= il it becomes very runny, then pour some over the fritters. =

Tur= cata

Maize Flour Dessert

This pudding used to be cooked on an open fire in a revolving cake ti= n on three legs with a very long handle and a lid on which you put charcoal, for cooking the top. I still have one of those baking implements, which belonge= d to my great-grandmother. I am not sure where it gets its name from, but it may well be because it is made from maize called granturco (wheat from <= /span>Turkey= ). You can make turcata with some leftover polenta or you could cook some yellow flour first. When I want to make turcata, I make polenta the previous day, counting an extra portion, then when it is cooked, I save the extra amount in a basin until I am ready to make this. You need an 800 ml (1 ½ pint) basin full of polenta.

Serves 8-10

1 large cooking apple             &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;             = 1 tablespoons olive oil

½ 120 g (5 oz) packet dried fi= gs        &= nbsp; 75g (5 oz) brown sugar<= /p>
25 g (1 oz) shelled walnuts            =           1 teaspoon ground cinnamon=

2 5g (1 oz) shelled almond            =           50 g (2 oz) sultanas

½ teaspoon grated nutmeg            =           grated rind of ½ lemon

1 egg, lightly beaten

Tip the polenta into a mixing bowl and work it with a fork until it is smooth and creamy like custard. Peel the apple, cut it into small pieces, t= hen chop the figs, walnuts and almonds and mix all together with the sultanas a= nd the lemon rind. Mix the olive oil with the polenta and add the sugar, stirr= ing well. Add the egg and spices. Grease a 20 cm (8 inch) cake tin and tip in t= he mixture. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 C^o (350 F^o), gas mark= 4, for 1 ½ hours. Test it with a skewer which should come out just a li= ttle greasy, not sticky. When ready, leave it to cool a little before turning it= out of the baking tin.

Mon= tebianco di castagne

White peak of chestnuts

1 kg chestnut    =             &nb= sp;            =       1 litre double cream

semi -skimmed milk   &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;        3-4 marrons glace

With a sharp knife make a slit on the skin of the chestnuts, then boil them in a saucepan with = plenty of water for 1 – 1 ½ hours or until they are soft. Drain and peel them removing also the inner skin. Place the chestnuts back in the pan, cover them with milk, a pi= nch of vanilla and bring them to the boil .Cook them, with the lid on at moderate heat until = the milk has been absorbed. Strain through a sieve and make a puree. Add sugar as half of the weight. P= ut back on the stove and stir until it will all come clean from the side of the saucepan. Leave it now= to cool and mash it thoroughly. = Blend in half of the cream, that you will have whipped Turn all in a deep dish and cover with the other= half of the whipped cream. Garnish with a few pieces of marron glace, (optional). Serve very cold.

Ice Cream

'E' arrivato il gelato veneziano' yo= u could hear the children shouting, = and amid the general excitement and anticipated pleasure the deep voice of the vendor would go over the sound of the youngsters: ‘Gelato v= eneziano’. In my childhood, and for a long time afterwards, a great expectation for the day when this shout would be heard again would run amongst the younger generations every springtime. It was the beginning of the ice cream season = when a family of three brothers, all from Venice, would journey sou= th for some months every year to sell their ice creams. They took them around = in their tricycles, which had 'Gelato Veneziano' written in bold letters acros= s, and these carts had a container for the ice cream, surrounded by a space fi= lled with crushed ice. People always think that the Neapolitans make the best ice creams, but this cannot be true, as I remember nothing better than the Vene= tian ice cream.They sold small cornets, and larger cornets, but the most expensi= ve ones consisted of a very thick slice of ice cream between two wafers. It wa= s a real treat to get one of them, but the children's budget would very rarely stretch to spending the large sum of 10 soldi (which was 50 cents =3D ½ lira) to buy one. There used to be three flavours, vanilla, chocol= ate and lemon. Nothing any fancier. A long cry from Howard Johnson's 58 flavour= s of transatlantic fame! Ice cream making did not start in Italy, strange as it may sound, but in Paris, France. The person who invented it though, was an Italian from southern Italy= . He opened a restaurant and made the first ice creams there in the seventeenth century. They were very expensive to start with, but in a very short time t= hey became so popular that their price came down to a realistic level and every= body could enjoy them. Now that ice-cream makers are available to the majority, = it is relatively easy to make at home the flavours of your choice. The man was called Procopio, and the restaurant Procope, named after him, became famous= in Paris, where it prospered until some years before the Second World War, when it was turned into a caf= e.

Gelato alla crema or Fiordilatte

Dairy Ice Cream

This is the basis for many types of ice cream. You start with this pl= ain dairy ice cream and add various flavours to make different ice creams.

3 eggs     &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;         1 litre (1 ¾ pints) milk

3 extra yolks &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;   300 ml (½ pint) double cream lightly whipped

100 g (4 oz) sugar&n= bsp;      1 teaspoon vanilla essence

In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until fluffy, then add vanilla essence and mix well. Heat the milk to boiling point, then add it slowly to the eggs, mixing constantly.&nbs= p; Return to the saucepan and stir until thickened, but do not boil. Leave this mixt= ure to cool, fold in the cream then put it in an ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer's instructions. If you do not have an ice cream maker, set the freezing compartment of your refrigerator to its coldest setting. Place the mixture in a freezer tray and freeze until it starts to firm. Remove from t= he freezer, place in a large mixing bowl and whisk to break up the ice crystal= s. Repeat twice, then leave to freeze. To serve, transfer to the refrigerator = for about 1 hour to soften slightly.

Torte e Biscotti

Cakes and Biscuits

Torta per compleanno

Birthday Cake

Birthday cakes, with candles to blow out and the sin= ging of 'Buon compleanno a te' (Happy Birthday to yo= u) is a custom which was introduced in Italy= after the Second World War, but although it was adopted very readily, the type of cake used at birthdays has resisted the foreign influence. No fruit cakes f= or birthdays - in fact Italians never make fruit cakes the way they are made in the UK. I find it very amusing when Italian friends are present at a celebration where a fruit cake is cut. They look at the small pieces served= and I know in their mind they're thinking how mean people are. Only later do th= ey realize how filling a piece of good fruit cake can be and they are glad not= to have got the big piece they expected at first! A birthday cake is usually a sort of sponge cake filled with cream or a chocolate cake or a millefogl= ie (a thousand leaves).

Millefoglie

Thousand Leaves Cake<= /p>
Millefoglie is made with flaky pastry and a filling which can be of cream or fruit. If you do not want to = make the flaky pastry, buy a good brand. If you need to blanch the almonds, put = them in a saucepan and bring them to the boil. Remove from the heat and take out= one by one taking the skin off. Rinse them and dry. Spread them on an oven tray= and put them in a moderate heat until very dry and hardly coloured. Leave them = to cool then chop up in small chips.

Serves 8-10

For the pastry

350 g (12 oz) plain flour            =              300ml (½ pint) water

a pinch of salt            &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;                350g (12 oz) butter, well chilled

For the filling

3 egg yolks&n= bsp;            = ;            &n= bsp;                  100 ml (1 ½ fl oz) double cream<= o:p>

90 g (3 1/2 oz) sugar            =             &nb= sp;            =     75 g (3 oz) plain flour

500 ml (18 fl oz) milk     &n= bsp;            = ;            a small stick of cinnamon

glace cherries            &n= bsp;            = ;            &n= bsp;     a small strip of lemon rind

100 g (4 oz) blanched almonds or almond chips=

1 tablespoon = Marsala= or     any liqueur you l= ike    icing sugar<= /span>

Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl. Di= vide the butter into 4 portions. Return three quarters of the butter to the refrigerator. Put one quarter into the flour and rub in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the water and mix with a palette knife until a soft dough is formed, then turn it out on to a floured board. Knead it until all the cracks are gone. Roll the dough into an oblong shape and wrap in cling film, then refrigerate for 15 minutes. Dice the sec= ond portion of butter lightly and place in the middle of the oblong. Fold the t= op third of the oblong down, then fold the bottom third up. Roll with a rolling pin in one direction until the butter is well incorporated. Cover and set a= side for 20 minutes. Make another oblong shape and proceed in the same way with = the remaining pieces of butter. When you have used up all the butter, roll out a couple of times more, folding the pastry in three every time. Leave the pas= try to cool, while you prepare the filling for the millefoglie. Beat the= egg yolks with the sugar. Mix the flour with a little of the milk, then mix with the eggs. Give it a good whisk, then pour into a large saucepan and add the remaining milk with the Marsala, cinnamon and lemon rind. Heat slowly, stirring all the time as it thickens, until it reaches boiling point.&= nbsp; Boil for a few moments= , then remove from the heat, removin= g the lemon rind and cinnamon. Pour into a basin to cool. Stir from time to time = so a skin does not form on the top. Divide the pastry into four pieces. Grease a baking sheet. Roll out the first piece about 3 mm (¼ inch) thick int= o a circular shape about 20 cm (8 inches) in diameter. Use a pointed knife to m= ake a more regular circle. Slide the circle carefully on to the baking sheet, p= rick the surface all over with the prongs of a fork, then bake it in an oven at = 230 C^o(450 F^o), gas mark 8, until it starts turning gold= en (al)out 20 minutes). Cool down on a wire rack. Cool the oven tin before you cook the next circle of pastry. Bake the four circles, then, using all the cuttings from the first four, roll out this pastry again and make the fifth circle. When you have baked the five circles of pastry, place one on a large round dish, making sure the size and shape is the same as the others. You c= an trim with a very sharp pointed knife if necessary. Spread on this circle a quarter of the cream, place another circle on top, and so on, until you use= all the pastry. Leave a very small amount of the cream to spread very thinly ar= ound the sides of the cake, so that, with the palm of your hand, you can take so= me almond chips to stick to it. Sift a little icing sugar over the top of the cake. W= hip the remaining cream till very fluffy and decorate the cake with it, spreadi= ng it with the blade of a knife. Decorate with some glace cherries in a circle= .

Torta di cioccolato con biscotti^F<= /b>

Chocolate Cake with Biscuits

175 g = (6 oz) drinking chocolate    &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;     2 eggs, separated=

225 g (8 oz) biscuits. Rich Tea type, finely crushed= &n= bsp; 1 extra egg white

100 g (4 oz) roosted hazelnuts, crushed       175 g (6 o= z) unsalted butter

whipped cream and chocolate flakes, to serve

Add the egg yolks one by one to the butter, beating = all the time. Add the drinking chocolate and mix well to avoid getting any lump= s. Add the nuts and biscuits to the mixture. Beat the egg whites until stiff, = then fold them in with a spatula. Line any dish you want your cake to take the s= hape of with greaseproof paper and turn the mixture into it. Cover the top with another sheet of paper and pr= ess down with a lid or a plate that fits exactly into the dish. Put a small wei= ght on top and leave it overnight in the refrigerator. Next day turn it on to a serving dish and cover it with whipped cream. Decorate with chocolate flake= s.

Torta al Marsala^F

Marsala Cake
You can divide it into two smaller cakes, use one an= d freeze one. Amaretto is a favourite Italian almond-flavoured liqueur. The best is<= i> Amaretto di Saronno.

Serves 10-12

4 tablespoons caster sugar             =           100 g (4 oz) unsalted butter<= o:p>

1 glass Marsala= mixed with 1 tablespoon Amaretto  &nbs= p; 4 egg yolks

150 ml (¼ pint) whipped cream            =           24 trifle sponge cakes

2 tablespoons Amaretto       glace cherries

For the custard

1 egg &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;        1 tablespoon flour

1 tablespoon sugar             =            300 ml (½ pint) milk<= /o:p>

Start by making some custard. Beat 1 egg and 1 tablespoon of sugar together. Mix the flour with a little of the milk, then= mix the remaining milk with the egg mixture. Place in a saucepan over a moderate heat, stirring all the time, until it boils and thickens. Boil it for a few moments, then remove from the heat and set aside to cool, stirring often so= it does not form a skin on top. Beat the caster sugar with the butter until ve= ry creamy and fluffy. Add one yolk of egg at a time and go on whisking, then a= dd 2 tablespoons Amaretto. When the custard is really cold, mix it into this mix= ture. Grease a 25 x 6 cm (10 x 2 ½ inch) ovenproof dish and line with greaseproof paper. Cut the sponge cakes in half horizontally to line the bottom of the dish and sprinkle with s= ome of the Marsala and Amaretto. Evenly spread some of the cake mixture over the sponge= s. Make second layer of sponges = and sprinkle with Marsala and Amaretto, then the mixture and so on until you have finished all= the ingredients. It is best to end up with a cake layer, but this is not really essential. (If you end up with the mixture on the top layer, just put the c= ake in the fridge for a little while to make this layer set, before covering it with a sheet of greaseproof paper.) Cover with a sheet of greaseproof paper, then a lid or a flat plate that fits exactly on top of the paper. Put a wei= ght on top, and refrigerate overnight. Turn the cake out on to a serving dish a= nd decorate with whipped cream and glace cherries. To freeze this cake, cover = with the greaseproof paper, and the lid and weight, but do not refrigerate. Leav= e overnight at room temperature. Remove the lid, wrap the cake and its container in foi= l, seal, label and freeze. To serve, defrost for 6-7 hours at room temperature, then decorate.

Pan di spagna^F

Sponge Cake

Serves 8-10

5 eggs, separated             =      150 g (5 oz) self-raising flour, sifted

175 g= (6 oz) sugar     =

Beat the egg yolks and the sugar until light and flu= ffy. Add the flour gradually. Beat the egg whites until stiff, then fold them in= to the cake mixture. Grease a 25 cm (10 inch) cake tin. Tip the mixture in and bake in a preheated oven at 190 C^o (375 F^o), gas mark= 5, for about 45 minutes. After 25 minutes, check that the top is not getting t= oo brown. If it is, cover with a piece of foil. Test with a long needle to see= if it's ready: the needle should come out dry. Cool for 10 minutes in the tin, then turn out on to a wire rack to cool completely.

Torta diplomatica

Diplomatic Cake

Usually there are small cakes called diplomotici. Maybe their = name derives from the fact that they are a sort of compromise, a mixture of something taken from one sweet and some from another- a diplomatic assortme= nt! Make the flaky pastry as in the recipe for Millefoglie and a sponge = cake as in Pan di spagna above.&n= bsp; Cool. You can make a l= arge square cake and cut it into 5 cm (2inch) squares, just as they are sold in pastry shops in Italy. To make a cake for ten portions you need two large circles of flaky pastry, and a sponge cake.

Serves 10

For the cream

3 egg yolks &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp; a small stick of cinnamon

3 tablespoons sugar             =           1 tumbler Alchermes

2 tablespoons plain flour

icing sugar and candied fruit for decoration<= o:p>

500 ml (18 fl oz) milk           a str= ip of lemon rind

Beat the eggs with the sugar until light and fluffy.= In a separate basin, mix the flour with 2 tablespoons of the milk, then add th= is to the egg mixture. Mix well and place everything in a saucepan over modera= te heat with the rest of the milk, lemon rind and cinnamon. Stir continuously while the cream warms and thickens. Boil just for a second or two. Remove f= rom the heat and leave to cool, stirring from time to time. When the sponge is cold, slice it into two circles horizontally. Place one circle of the pastr= y on a large flat dish. Spread one third of the cream on it. Place the first hal= f of the sponge cake on this. Sprinkle the sponge with some of the Alchermes. Sp= read another third of the cream and on top place the other half of the sponge ca= ke, sprinkling it with Alchermes. Spread the rest of the cream, and place the o= ther circle of pastry on top. Sieve some icing sugar and add some candied fruit = as decoration.

Torta di nozze

Wedding Cake

An Italian wedding cake is often a St Honore, which = is a flaky pastry cake, with cream surrounded by bigne (profiteroles), covered in caramel.

Serves 8-10

For the pastry

175 g (6 oz) butter             =              175 g (6 oz) plain flour

150 ml (¼ pint) water

For the filling

4 eggs =             &nb= sp;            =             &nb= sp;      2 teaspoons brandy(optional)

175 g (6 oz) sugar       <= /span>        &= nbsp;          1 litre (1 ¾ pints) milk

100 g (4 oz) flour             =             &nb= sp; 2 tablespoons cocoa

For the bigne

150 ml= (¼ pint) water    &n= bsp;            = ;   75 g (3 oz) self-raising flour
50 g (1 oz) butter                     =        pinch of salt    &nb= sp;            2 eggs

For the caramel sauce

100 g= (4 oz) sugar    &= nbsp;               50 g (2= oz) melted chocolate (optional)

2 tablespoons= water

Make the flaky pastry. You will need a circle of abo= ut 30 cm (12 inches) in diameter, and l cm (1/3 inch) thick. Grease a baking s= heet and place the circle on it, with the help of a rolling pin or you may tear = it. Bake it for 15 minutes in a preheated oven at 220 C^o (425 F^=
o), gas mark 7. Leave it to cool on a wire rack. Make the bigne as descr= ibed previously. Cream together the eggs, sugar, flour and milk. Add a little br= andy if desired and mix well. Leave to cool. If you mix some cocoa into half of = the cream you will have a mixture of bigne. (Mix only a little of the cr= eam at a time with the cocoa to avoid any lumps.) Fill all the bigne when cold. Pour the rest of the cream (there will be quite a lot) on top of the flaky pastry dish and spread it evenly. Make a hot caramel sauce by melting= the sugar and the chocolate if using, in the water. When you have filled the bigne, dip one at a time into the hot caramel, then place them in a circle around = the cake on top of the cream. Put a cherry on top of every bigne, and fi= ll the middle with some whipped cream.

Ciambellone^F

Ring-Shaped Cake

Ciambellone takes its name from ci= ambella, a ring. It is, in fact, a cake in the shape of a big ring. It is baked in a cake tin with a 'funnel' in the middle, or in an ordinary tin with an uptur= ned greased object placed in the middle. This has always been my children's favourite at teatime, just as they got home from school, and now my grandchildren love it too.

150 g (6 oz) butter   =             &nb= sp;            =             &nb= sp;    2 eggs       <= /span>

about 275g (10 oz) self-raising flour     &= nbsp;       250 ml (8 fl oz) milk

275 g (10 oz) sugar             =             &nb= sp;               1 teaspoon vanilla essence

grated rind of 1 lemon             =             &nb= sp;       1 tea= spoon baking powder

Melt the butter by standing it in a basin placed in a saucepan of boiling water. In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs well, then= add the sugar and the melted butter. Mix well, adding the lemon rind, the milk = and continue mixing with a wooden spoon. Start adding a few spoonfuls of flour = and add enough to make a very soft dough. Lastly, add the vanilla essence and t= he baking powder, mixing well. Pour the mixture into a greased 20 cm (8 inch) = cake tin. Bake in a preheated oven at 200 C^o (400 F^o), gas mark 6, for 30-45 minutes. The cake is cooked if a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Place the cake on a wire rack and leave to cool. It= is good even while still warm.

Crostata^F

Lattice Jam Tart=

For the pastry

350 g (12 oz) self-raising flour        &= nbsp;           &nbs= p; grated rind of 1 lemon

2 eggs and 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten        &= nbsp;     175 g (6 oz) sugar     &nbs= p;    <= /p>
175 g (6 oz) butter or margarine

For the top

350 g (12 oz) jam of your choice        &= nbsp; 1 egg white, to glaze

Rub flour, sugar and fat together, adding the lemon = rind and mixing with the beaten eggs. Make a ball out of this dough, wrap in a cloth, and leave in a cool place for 30 minutes. Grease a 25 cm (10 inch) f= lan dish. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface and use about two-th= irds to line the bottom and sides of the dish. Spread over the jam, covering the bottom with a thick layer - not too thick or it will boil over, but you sho= uld not be able to see the pastry at all. Use the remaining pastry to make a de= corative lattice work on top and finish off the edges, all the way round, with a small roll of pastry so that the jam does not spill over when cooking. Brush the pastry w= ith the beaten remaining egg white. Bake it in a preheated oven at 190 C^{o<=
/sup>
(375 F^o), gas mark 5, for about 30 - 45 minutes. Make sure that =
the
bottom pastry is as cooked as the top. It is best to use a glass dish, so t=
hat
you can look at the bottom. Leave it to cool before cutting into slices to
serve.}

Tor= tiglione

Twisted Cake

Serves 6-8

For the pastry

100 ml= (5 ½ fl oz) water &nb= sp;            =             1 egg, lightly beaten

50 g (2 oz) butter        &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;    a pinch of salt

275 g (10 oz= ) self-raising flour

For the filling

2 large cooking apples peeled, cored and slic= ed     25 g (1 oz) curra= nts

25 g (1 oz) walnuts chopped        &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;    juice of 1 lemon

25 g (1 oz) hazelnuts or almonds, chopped        &= nbsp;     4 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon cocoa            =             &nb= sp;            =       2 tablespoons olive oil

50 g (2 oz) fresh white breadcrumbs        &= nbsp;      2 tablespoons jam

120 g (5 oz) dried figs            =             &nb= sp;            = milk

50 g (2 oz) sultanas            =             &nb= sp;            =       brown sugar

Sprinkle the apple slices with a little lemon juice = and half of the sugar. To make the pastry, heat the water and melt the butter in it. Put the flour into a basin, making a well in the centre. When the water= is warm and the butter is melted, tip it into the well. Mix quickly with a for= k, then add the egg and salt and make the dough into a ball. Heat a basin by immersing it in boiling water, dry it and place, upturned, over the dough, = and leave to rest for 30 minutes. In a basin mix the cocoa with the remaining s= ugar. Work a little of the pastry with your hands, using flour to prevent it sticking. Roll out the pastry on a cloth on a table, making it as thin as y= ou can, without tearing it. Brush the olive oil all over the pastry, sprinkle the cocoa-sugar mixture e= venly and dot the jam all over. Do not try to spread the jam or you will tear the pastry. Spread the fruit and nuts on top, leaving about 2.5 cm (1 inch) bor= der all round. Lastly, sprinkle over the breadcrumbs. Now very carefully lift o= ne corner of the cloth under the pastry and with both hands, roll it to make a sausage shape, sticking the edge together with the other side of the pastry. Brush with a little milk to help the edges stick. Twist the sausage around while you press with your hands, so there is no air trapped in it. This 'tw= ist' should give it the shape that the name tortiglione suggests. Place i= t on a large, flat baking sheet and arrange into a horseshoe shape. Brush the top with milk and sprinkle with some brown sugar. Bake it in a preheated oven at 180 C^o(350 F^o), gas mark 4, for 45 minutes. Leave it= to cool a little before cutting into slices. It is just as good warm or cold. =

Crostata alla crema

Fruit and Cream Tart

Serves 6-8

For the custard

2 eggs &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;           &nbs= p; a small strip lemon rind

2 tablespoons sugar            =             &nb= sp;            =      a small stick cinnamon

2 tablespoons cornflour            =             &nb= sp;           500 ml (18 fl oz) milk

For the crostata

225 g (8 oz) self-raisin g      flour            =             &nb= sp;     1 egg yolk

peaches, apricots or fresh fruit of your choice         = 100 g (4 oz) sugar

100 g (4 oz) butter or margarine         &= nbsp;   50 ml (2 fl oz) double cream<= o:p>

1 egg, lightly beaten
Make the custard first. Beat the eggs with the sugar. Dissolve the cornflour in 2 tablespoons of milk, then mix together with the beaten eggs and the rest of the milk. Stir well, add the lemon rind and the cinnamon and pour into a large saucepan over moderate heat. Heat, stirring constantly until the mixture comes to the boil and thickens. Remove from the heat and leave it to cool stirring from time to time. Discard the cinnamon = and lemon rind. Make the pastry by rubbing flour, butter and sugar together with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg a= nd mix into a rough dough. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry to line a greased 20 cm (8 inch) flan dish. Prick the base of the pastry and c= ook for 20 minutes in a preheated oven at 190 C^o(375 F^o), gas mark 5. Allow the pastry to cool completely, then pour in the cold cust= ard. Peel, stone and quarter the peaches or apricots (or prepare any other fruit= of your choice) and decoratively arrange on top of the custard. Finish off by decorating with some whipped cream. <= /p>
<= o:p>

Pizza 'margherita'

'Daisy' Cake

In this case the term pizza means cake. This = is a fat-free sponge cake.

5 eggs, separated &n= bsp;            = ;            &n= bsp;          1 teaspoon vanilla essence

175 g (6 oz) caster sugar             =            grated rind of ½ lemon

175g (6 oz) potato flour             =              1 teaspoon baking powder

Beat the egg yolks with sugar until thick. Add the flour, the vanilla essence, the lemon rind and baking powder. Beat the whit= es still stiff, then fold them into the batter. Grease and flour a 25 cm (10 i= nch) cake tin, about 5 cm (2 inches) deep. Pour in the mixture and bake for abou= t 15 minutes in a preheated oven at 240 C^o (425 F^o), gas m= ark 9. Reduce the heat to 160 C^o (525 F^o), gas mark 3, and bake for a further 20-25 minutes. When the cake is cooked, a skewer inserte= d in the centre will come out clean.

Piz= za Dolce Di PasQua

Easter Cake

4 eggs medium size&n= bsp;            = ;            &n= bsp;         1 teaspoon cinnamon

30 g yeast &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;          ½ grated lemon rind

300 g sugar &nb= sp;            =             &nb= sp;            =         ½ pint milk

100 g butter (unsalted)             =             &nb= sp; 200 g sultanas

½ sherry glass brandy        &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;       1.1 kg flour

2 tablespoons dry Martini

Stir the yeast in ½ glass of tepid water. Add= 100 g of flour taken from the tot= al amount. Make a dough (not sticky) and roll it into a ball. Place it in a basin standing in hot water. Cover the basin with a cloth and w= ait until it doubles its volume. = When ready make a well with the rest of the flour and put in it the other ingredients, melting the butter beforehand. Mix all into a soft dough. Take now the mixture with the yeast and mix all together, kneading it until smooth= and elastic. Put it in a large bowl, cover it with a cloth and leave it to doub= le its side. When ready, tip it = on a floured board, pat it a lot with your hands and knead it energetically. You may need a litt= le more flour. Place the dough i= n a tall greased tin, making sure that it does not come any higher than ¾ at the side. You may= need to use two tins. Leave it now for 4-5 hours in a warm place until risen. Brush lightly the top with beaten egg white, then cook it in a preheated moderate oven (180 C^o) for about 1 hour. Try with a th= in knitting needle, if it comes out clean,&nb= sp; otherwise leave it a little longer. Halfway through the cooking time place a piece of foil on= top.

Biscotti della Befana

Befana Biscuits

Makes about 60

225 g (8 oz) butter =             &nb= sp;            grated rind of ½ lemon

100 g (4 oz) sugar             =              1 teaspoon vanilla essence

350 g (12 oz) self-raising flour     1 egg, lightly be= aten

Melt the butter in a basin over hot water, then mix = with the sugar, flour, lemon, vanilla essence and lastly the egg. Roll the dough into a ball. Lightly grease a baking sheet, or two if you want to cook more biscuits at the same time, as they will not all fit on to one sheet. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry to the thickness of about 3 mm (1/8 inch). With some fancy biscuit cutters, cut out the shapes until you u= se up all the pastry. Gather up the leftover strips, roll them out again toget= her, and cut some more shapes. Bake these biscuits in a preheated oven at 160 C<= sup>o (325 F^o), gas mark 5, for 20 minutes. They should be a lovely go= lden colour.

Bigne^F

Profiteroles

These bigne can be used for savoury dishes as well as for sweet ones. You fill them, when cold, by making an incision on the side with a ve= ry sharp knife and inserting the filling with a piping nozzle. As sweets you c= an fill them with custard, or with cream, or with a chocolate mixture. You can= add a little liqueur to the filling for extra zest.

Makes 24

150 ml= (5 fl oz) water &nb= sp;            =       75 g (3 oz) self-raising flour

a pinch of salt        &= nbsp;                 =         50 g (2 oz) butter &n= bsp;            = ;            &n= bsp;

2 eggs

Heat the water, salt and butter together in a saucep= an. When the butter is melted and the water boils, remove it from the heat and = pour in all the flour at once, mixing with a wooden spoon. Return to the heat fo= r a few moments, stirring all the time, then set aside to cool. Add the eggs on= e at a time, beating well after each addition. Go on beating until the pastry is very smooth and velvety. Grease a baking sheet and put small amounts of pas= try on it with a dessert spoon. Leave plenty of room in between as they expand during baking. Bake them in a preheated oven at 220 C^o (425 Fo), gas mark 7, for 15 minutes. They should be a golden colour and firm to the touch, but if they are not, leave them for 3-4 minutes longer. Turn the oven off and leave them in for 10 minutes, say, or they might deflate. Leave the= m to completely cool on a wire rack.

Biscotti Con Mosto^F

Biscuits With Must

Mosto is the new wine when it is still cloudy, soon = after the grapes have been pressed.= These biscuits are usually made around September-October, when the must is availa= ble.

25 g (1 oz) fresh yeast             = ;       100 g sugar

15 ml water&n= bsp;            = ;            &n= bsp;           20 g aniseed

700 g plain flour&nb= sp;            =             &nb= sp; 400 ml must (or grape juice)

100 ml olive oil&nbs= p;                 &= nbsp;            egg white

Place the yeast in a basin with the water and 3 tablespoons of four. Mix well= and leave it overnight. The next morning mix it with the remaining flour, o= il, sugar, aniseed and the must. = Leave the dough to rise placing it on a floured board, covered with a cloth, in a warm place. When ready and double its original size, cut the dough in pieces, roll them in the shape of long sausages about 2-3 = cm thick. Take the middle of the sausage shape and twist the two ends together a couple of = times. Place them on a greased bakin= g tin. Brush the top with egg white. Leave them for about 1 hour, then bake them i= n a preheated oven at 200 C^o, gas mark 6, for 30-40 minutes.

Fave dei morti

Broad Beans of the Dead

The name given to these biscuits, which are a type of macaroon, comes from All Saints' and All Souls' Day, the first and second d= ays of November when they are made. These two days are also called I Morti - The= Dead – because they are dedicated to the deceased. A crowd is constantly visiting the cemeteries. Everybody goes at one time or another. There are meetings for prayers, and the chapel is open for a yearly service. The days prior to the first of November are very busy, too, and the cemeteries are crowded with people cleaning and polishing, and bringing flowers. Chrysanthemums are the November flower which will adorn the cemeteries, usu= ally the very large ball-like variety which are grown especially to be marketed = just before this date. Italians will not have chrysanthemums in their houses, be= cause of the connotation. The first time I was given an enormous bouquet of chrysanthemums, after I had my first baby, I threw them out thinking, ‘They want me dead here!’ I think these biscuits are probably m= ade at this time because the almonds have just been harvested and are at their best.

Makes 35-40

a knob of butter (the size of a walnut)   2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

100 g (4 oz) almonds            =             &nb= sp;      grated rind of ½ lemon

150 g (6 oz) sugar             =             &nb= sp;          1 egg, beaten

75g (5 oz) self-raising flour

Melt the butter in a basin standing in boiling water. Mix the almonds with the sugar, then add the flour, cinnamon, lemon rind, a= nd melted butter and the egg. Mix slowly until you get a smooth dough. Grease a baking sheet, sprinkle it with flour, then shake off the surplus. Roll the pastry into a long sausage, about 2.5 cm (1 inch) thick. Cut it into sectio= ns, then squash each piece to l cm (½ inch) thick, giving it an oval sha= pe, the shape of a broad bean. Cook in a preheated oven at 160 C^o(32= 5 F^o), gas mark 3, for about 20 minutes. They should be golden in colour.

Caffe`

Coffee=

And when you have finished an Italian dinner, treat yourself and your guests to a good cup of coffee, Italian roasted and fresh= ly ground. As an old Italian saying goes, 'Coffee should be dark as the night, strong as a man, sweet as a young lady.' A very good addition to it is a da= sh of Mistra, which acts as a digestive and will take care of any over-indulge= nce on your part!

Microwave Cooking

Since the publication of my other cookery books, mic= rowave cooking has become a very popular way of preparing a quick meal. After a ha= rd day’s work, or when you are feeling under the weather, the microwave = is certainly a very welcome addition to any kitchen. Not so when you are prepa= ring a special dinner party. To cook pasta in a microwave oven is not any quicker than to boil it in the conventional way, but there can be times when your kitchen is out of = order for some reasons and the micr= owave is your only way to cope. Then the best way is to boil a kettle of water, pour it in the largest microwave container that you possess, drop in the pasta and cook it= for about ten minutes, stirring i= t a couple of times. Try it if it should need a little more cooking. It is best= to cook enough just for two people at a time, or it will result into a gooey m= ess. The sauce can consist of a tin of strained= tomatoes, cook it in the microwave for 5 minutes. Add to this a knob= of butter and pour it on top of your pasta with some parmesan.

Italian Food Shops

A few examples –

Cambridge Delicatessen 9 Broadway Mill Road, Cambridge

Camisa & Son 61 Old Compton Street, London= W 1

Continental <= span lang=3DEN-GB style=3D'font-size:16.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;layout-g= rid-mode: line'>Specialities St<= /st1:Street> Martin's Arcade= , Birmingham

Elite Delicatessen 60 The Broadway, Tolworth, = Surrey

Fazzi Brothers Ltd 230-232 Clyde Street, Glasgow=

Frosts Food Stores= 1 Wimbledon Hill Road, Wimbledon= ,SW19

Frosts Food Stores= 141 Putney High Street, Putney, SW15

Gate Delicatessen 343 Archway Road, London= N6

Gazzono & So= n 169 Farringdon Road, London= EC1

Licata & Son 36 Picton Street, Montepellier, Bristol

Lina Stores 18 Brewer Street, London= W1

Luigi's Delicatessen 349 Fulham Road, London= SW10

Olga Stores 412 Harrow Road, London= W9

O'Sullivan Ltd 11 Duke Street, Dublin=

Parmigiani & Fi= gli 36a Old Brompton Street, London= W1

Pasta Bar 313 Fulham Road, London= SW3

Terroni Luigi &a= mp; Sons 138 Clerkenwell Road, London= EC1

Valvona e Crolla= 19 Elm Row, Edinburgh 7=

Waitrose Supermarkets

Pasta-making machines and espresso machines can be purchased from Lega Ltd, 107 Fortis Green, London N2. The price of an ordin= ary pasta machine, at the time of writing, is about £20.

=

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

Insalata russa

Insalata di mare

Carciofi fritti

Carciofi 'alla giudia'

Carciofi al tegame

Asparagi

Melanzane alla parmigiana

Melanzane al tegame

Cardoni o cardi

Cardoni gratinati

Finocchi gratinati

Cardoni fritti

Cardoni alla parmigiana

Cavolfiori in salsa piccante

Zucchine ripiene

Zucchine in padella

Funghi ripieni

Funghi in padella

Piselli al grasso e magro

Piselli al prosciutto

Pomodori ripieni con mozzarella
Stuffed tomatoes with mozzarella

Ragu ^F

Bistecche di maialecon finocchio^F