Befanini : The Final Sweep on the Christmas Season
“La Befana vien di notte, con le scarpe tutte rotte. Col vestito alla romana, Viva, Viva La Befana!” (“The Befana comes by night, with her shoes all tattered and torn. She comes dressed in Roman clothes, long live La Befana”) These rhyming versus in Italian may not resonate with everyone but for me they signify […]
Sant’Ambrogio: Panettone Patron
Another day, another celebration in Italy. December 7th is the Feast Day of Sant’Ambrogio (St. Ambrose) who happens to be the patron of the metropolis of Milano. On this date, that is also the Eve of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception (another highly celebrated day across the peninsula), the northern city is alive with […]
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 […]