Bleeding Espresso

No I’m not making candy bars (but I do love Almond Joys if you’re wondering).

For this What’s Cooking Wednesday, I want to tell you a little more about another of southern Italy’s major crops, the glorious mandorla, or as we know it, the almond.

History of Almonds

Almonds have been around quite a long time, making guest appearances in the Bible and Greek mythology among other ancient texts. One of the most popular uses of the almond in ancient times was to prevent intoxication, which is why they were often eaten throughout meals during Plutarch’s day.

Almond trees are native to the Mediterranean region from the Middle East on over; here in southern Italy, almond trees are all over the place, so it’s not surprising that we love and use the almond early and often.

Health Benefits of Almonds

Almonds are one of the healthiest foods around as they can lower LDL (”bad”) cholesterol as well as the risks of diabetes and heart and cardiovascular diseases. They may also help you lose and maintain a healthy weight, increase your energy level, and prevent gallstones. Read more about the health benefits of almonds at The World’s Healthiest Foods.

The Almond in Calabria

A common drink in Calabria and southern Italy throughout the summer is latte di mandorla or almond milk; almonds release their oils when crushed, and when mixed with milk, make a lovely, refreshing beverage. Many people also add sugar.

You will also find that many southern Italian dolci, sweets and desserts, contain almonds–my favorite are amaretti; and if you’re the drinking kind, how about some Amaretto Disaranno Originale? Yum!

And of course we all know of the tradition of giving sugared-coated almonds at weddings and other celebrations.

Not convinced of our passion for the almond yet?

We love the seed of the fruit of the almond tree so much around here, there is even a Calabrese song called Facci de n’ammendula mundata that sings its praises; the singer insists that if offered a pile of gold that weighs more than the almond, he would choose the almond because although the gold will eventually be spent, the beauty of the almond will stay with him forever.

Now that’s love.

Our Almonds

We happen to have an almond tree in our giardino–remember that P brings me the first almond blossom every year?

Well a few weeks ago when we were down in the garden with the pooches, P picked some almonds fresh off the tree, still in the green furry casings as seen above.

Throughout this post, you can see the process of shelling a fresh almond; after the above photo, P peeled the outer, yellow casing:

And here is the final result in my waiting hand:

Biting into a fresh almond reminded me a lot of crunching a water chestnut: crisp and clean. But then came the gentle flavor of almond and a slightly stronger aftertaste–a lovely, sweet reminder that I had just eaten something fresh, pure, and straight from our tree. Nothing bitter about it.

So what are you going to do with your almonds? I suggest:

• Banana Coconut Almond Bread from Susan at Food Blogga
• Easy Almond Brioche from Susan at Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy
• Polenta Olive Oil Almond Cake with Peaches in Honey-Basil Syrup from Jenn at The Left Over Queen

And by the way, all of these would go great with a Caffè Shakerato alla Cherrye!

Do you like almonds? What’s your favorite way to enjoy them?

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Ever since I published these photos, I know our good friend Gil has been wondering about whether the prickly pears (fichi d’India) are ripe, and well, I’m happy to announce, the time has arrived (see left)!

So for today’s What’s Cooking Wednesday, a quick lesson in prickly pears.

The prickly pear, or fico d’India in Italian, is the fruit that grows on the end of cacti like in the photo. Those of you in southwestern US and various other hot, cactus-bearing places know this fruit well, I’m sure, but for the rest of you, the most important thing to keep in mind:

DON’T TOUCH THESE WITH BARE HANDS.

Yeah, the “prickly” in the name might have given you that clue, but it’s not what you think. It’s not the spines on the cactus that are prickly, it’s the tiny, nearly invisible hair-like spines that are *all over* the fruit that cause the trouble–and they are nearly impossible to wash off of you once they’re on. Trust me. It’s like having pins and needles all over your hands, and so not fun.

Now, I’m not going to lie to you. I don’t clean these. This is P’s job, and although some people soak them in water beforehand is advisable, I’ve never seen him do it. He’s just really, really skilled with a knife, but I still suggest you wear gloves and watch this video to see some pros at work.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with prickly pears, you’re probably wondering what they taste like. Well, um, they’re unique. They’re sweet but not too sweet, kind of a cross between a fig and, I don’t know, a plum maybe?

One thing I can say is that they are very seedy, and no, I don’t mean like from a questionable part of town, I mean like this:

And truth be told, this is my favorite way to eat them. Fresh, seeds and all.

Another popular way to prepare them is in jams or marmalades; you’ll find countless recipes for those with a quick Google search.

But for some unique recipes, check out these from fellow bloggers:

• Prickly Pear Cactus Fruit Vinaigrette from Sara of Ms Adventures in Italy

• Prickly Pear Juice from Ilva of Lucullian Delights

• Prickly Pear Cactus Fruit Salad from Scrumptious Street

• Prickly Pear Granita from Esi of Dishing Up Delights

• And here’s a tutorial on how to clean prickly pears at Vanilla Garlic

Buon appetito!

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It’s hot, I have work out the wazoo (Not complaining! Just busy!), and there are tons of things going on in the village right now. All of this means that I haven’t been cooking very much lately, but that doesn’t mean we’re not eating–it just means we’re resorting to summer staples.

This summer, I’ve shared with you some of my seasonal favorites like:

• Tomato & Red Onion Salad
• Caprese Salad
• Proscuitto Wrapped Watermelon with Bel Paese Cheese
• Pear, Gorgonzola and Pecan Salad
• Peaches Soaked in Red Wine

But last summer I shared even more, and so, particularly for those who weren’t around at the time, here are:

My Top 5 Summer Recipes published last year, from appetizer to dessert:

(click on photo to go to the recipe)

1. Bruschetta al pomodoro

2. Pesto alla Genovese

3. Refreshing Summer Pasta Salad

4. Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes & Basil

5. Granita al caffè

Buon appetito!

Be sure to check out the other What’s Cooking Wednesday participants’ recipes!

What’s your favorite summer dish?

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No actual cooking, no, but peaches soaked in red wine are damn good and that has to count for something.

This week’s What’s Cooking Wednesday recipe comes straight from my Italian-American grandmother, who introduced me to alcohol by offering me a peach slice that had been soaking in red wine for goodness knows how long. I don’t know how old I was, but I do remember having to look *up* at the kitchen table to accept said peach slice.

To be fair, I was always smallish.

Peaches in red wine are a great simple summer dessert after you’ve enjoyed a fabulous meal and want the party to last just a little bit longer. They are also great as an afternoon pick-me-up, and depending on the strength of the wine, this could pick you up *and* spit you out. But you’ll enjoy every moment!

So the ingredients this week are few–no, not even, they’re couple.

Peaches Soaked in Red Wine

1. You need some red wine; if your father-in-law makes it like mine does, all the better. Take note of our fancy wine glasses. Yes, they are Nutella glasses. You see, we’re paesani and real wine glasses rarely make it out of the cabinet.

2. You need fresh, ripe peaches. For those of you who don’t like peaches because of the fuzz, this recipe is for you since I recommend peeling the peaches before soaking.

So peel, then remove the pit, slice and place in a glass of red wine. Let soak for as long as you can stand it. I usually let them soak for about ten to twenty minutes.

3. Enjoy each delicious slice one at a time with sips of wine in between if you like.

Notice, as well, our fancy plastic plates. What you see is what you get, faithful readers–there ain’t no fancying up peaches soaked in red wine in this house.

But they’re still pretty, don’t you think?

Tasty too.

Buon appetito!

Do you soak your fruit in alcohol? Do tell!

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Let’s hear it for pears!

I got a plate of ‘em from a neighbor, so I went looking for a way to enjoy these lovelies instead of just eating them one after another after another, etc.

So I found this recipe for Pear, raisin and gorgonzola salad, and when I saw there were pecans involved too, I knew this would be the base of this week’s What’s Cooking Wednesday recipe. Be sure to check out all participants at Shan’s Tales from the Fairy Blogmother!

I know. My fellow expats in Italy are thinking, “Now where did she find pecans?!”

The answer is “in my mailbox!”–a gift from the lovely Litlequeen. I’ve been rationing them for months.

By the by, if you don’t have or don’t like pecans, you can substitute your favorite nut, of course.

Now, this is a salad for those of you who enjoy nuts and fruits mixed in with your greens–unlike P who will only eat lettuce, olive oil, red wine vinegar and salt (not even with tomato!) and call it a side dish. Whatev.

I just used whatever lettuce I had in the fridge, but this would be great with spinach and/or arugula/rocket as well. Also feel free to experiment with the fruit–dried cranberries would go fabulously but I was too lazy to dig out the bag my mom sent me. Yes, I’m very spoiled.

I haven’t included measurements for the salad as I’ve left you room to play with the ingredients to suit your tastes.

More lettuce for you? Have at it! Crazy for raisins? Pour ‘em in!

Aren’t salads fun?!

If you look at the recipe I based this dish on, you’ll see I made quite a few adjustments. Most notably, I didn’t caramelize the pecans. I figure if I’m trying to be healthy and eat a salad, why throw in extra sugar and butter (as much as I love them, and I do)? But if you’d like to, check out the directions on the recipe page.

Another note is that I invented my own dressing; I didn’t have the orange the recipe called for so I just scrapped the whole dressing recipe as written. I hope you’ll feel free to experiment as well. There are lots of great vinaigrette recipes out there, but since they revolve around similar ingredients, one day when you’re feeling adventurous, come up with your own and then come back here and share it, OK?

Now, the recipe.

Pear, Gorgonzola and Pecan salad
with Lemon Basil Vinaigrette

For salad:

• Salad greens of your choice
• Pears, washed, sliced in half and cored
• Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
• Raisins
• Pecans

For dressing*:

• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon honey
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• salt to taste

* This makes enough dressing for about 2-3 salads depending on personal taste and the size of the salads.

1. In a small bowl, mix together lemon and honey until honey is dissolved.

2. Stir in vinegar, then oil, and adjust for salt and other ingredients.

3. If making individual salad plates (recommended), assemble as shown in the photos with pear sliced in half lengthwise and cored placed in the middle of the plate–or any way you like really. It’s your salad!

4. Be sure to brush the pear slices/halves with lemon juice so they don’t brown before serving.

5. I would also recommend serving the dressing on the side at the table but that’s personal preference. If you’re adding it to the plates, serve immediately so things don’t get soggy.

Buon appetito!

What’s your favorite/signature salad?

And if you have a favorite pear recipe, please share in the comments!

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