Zippuli: Frying Up Tradition
Christmas Eve is around the corner and that can only mean one thing, zippuli frying up for our family’s enjoyment. Yes, a five-star cenone of succulent seafood is in the works for the vigilia but we typically whet our appetites with a lunch of zippuli. Not to be confused with the sweet pastries prepared for […]
Nonna Carmela’s Melangiani Chini
Melangiani chini, dialect for a southern Italian staple, stuffed eggplants. I have eaten countless numbers of these growing up and the mere smell of these vegetable delights turning golden brown in a frying pan conjures up wonderful memories of unforgettable moments. I don’t know of any Calabrese woman, nonna or otherwise, who doesn’t have this […]
Must-Have Mastazzoli
If you’ve ever visited a fair or festival in Italy you’ve likely seen City squares crowded with banchini (booths) where vendors are selling their wares. These often include religious articles, souvenirs and regional fare. Among them you will typically find mastazzolari selling celebratory confections known as mastazzoli Mastazzoli, typical of Soriano Calabro (a town in […]
Pining for Pignolata
While I’m always aiming to capture and maintain my cultural culinary traditions, I make a special effort during the holidays. Each year at Christmas I fire up the fryer for a festive family favourite. This dessert, like many, has several different identities, Neapolitans know it as struffoli; in Abruzzo it is cicerchiata and if you’re […]
The Way to My Heart is Through the Stomatico
My parents recently returned from a stay in the Bel Paese, specifically Calabria. This southern region from which they hail is known for certain specialties, the spreadable salumi known as nduja, smoky ricotta affumicata, citrus scented bergamotto, sticky sweet torrone and one of my absolute favourites, spicy stomatico. Stomatico (which strangely we call pan i […]
Soppressata Saturday
*header image from makeitalyfood.com There is a famous quote attributed to German aristocrat Otto von Bismarck stating “Laws are like sausages, it is better not to see them being made“. While I agree it is not the prettiest process, I disagree that it should go unseen or for that matter untested. My reasoning is twofold: […]