Archive for February, 2009
Guest Post: Author of Passeggiata, GG Husak
Today I have the pleasure of introducing you to G.G. Husak, author of Passeggiata: Strolling through Italy. G.G. and her husband Al make a yearly pilgrimage to Italy in March, enjoying the Bel Paese from the inside, and this book is the result of their trips.
G.G. writes that Italy has become comfortable and familiar for them “even though we know ours is a fringe position and that, as visitors, we have the luxury of a romantic and imaginative perspective. Still, we are pleased that we can stand at a counter in a café in a small town and drink cappuccino with the local folks, pretending that, in our jeans and black jackets, we blend in. We feel as if we belong, at least for the moment.”
The book is a collection of tales from their stroll, or passeggiata, through various Italian cities and towns, and the following is
G.G.’s take on Italian coffee:
Returning to Italy means a return to the best espresso and cappuccino in the world. One of our simple pleasures is watching the owner of a small café prepare the espresso or cappuccino as we lean over the bar. We smell the coffee beans, feel the steam, and hear the froth of milk.
Instead of a complex language describing the size, additions, and ratios of our drink ingredients, in Italy, we simply ask for a caffé or cappuccino, not wet or dry, not small or large.
We know that if we sit at a table in a cafe and have our coffee served to us, it may cost several dollars, but if we stand at the counter, drinking the same coffee without table service, it will be 50 cents.
We know that ordering “coffee” or “caffè” will bring us a cup of espresso, rather than American style coffee. If we want a lighter drink, coffee with milk, we order a cappuccino or latte.
We know that Italians drink espresso, rather than cappuccino or latte, later in the day, adding milk only in the mornings. Waitpeople have gotten used to visitors like us enjoying both in the afternoons. In a café we know to leave a small coin beside the cup as a tip, even if we are served standing.
We are accustomed to seeing loose sugar in a bowl on the bar with a couple of communal spoons, no little bags of sanitized sugar and no sugar substitutes. There is also no mess, no torn wrappers, no empty powdered cream containers, no paper to-go cups and no wooden or plastic stir sticks. You get a cup, a saucer and a spoon.
Occasionally an office or shop worker from down the block will come in and get a small tray of coffees, presumably for coworkers, and leave with a round tray and several ceramic espresso cups. Later they will bring back the empties.
Recently in Rome, I was shocked to see my first ever take-out coffee shop, with a sign advertising cups “to-go.” I guessed that they were targeting the tourists. But thinking of the waste of paper and plastic that we have unfortunately come to see as normal in many coffee shops at home, I can’t imagine that Italy would ever go down that road.
What do you think?
Do Starbucks and the like have a chance in Italy?
Love Thursday: Hearting Chicken
Faithful reader and new blogger Ann of Only in Maine recently sent me the following email entitled “I heart Bleeding Espresso”:
I could not resist sending you these two shots because they so made me think of your Love Thursdays – and really, what says love better than raw meat? Or actually in this case chicken? Some people send you cappuccino, I send chicken……
I couldn’t *not* post them to share with everyone, so here you go:
I *so* heart chicken too, Ann. Thanks for thinking of me!
Happy Love Thursday everyone!
What’s your favorite chicken recipe?
Snap, Crackle, Pop Italian Style: Chiacchiere for Carnevale
Munching on chiacchiere for Carnevale is one of my almost-springtime traditions here in Calabria. In case you’re not sure what they are:
Chiacchiere: The traditional pastry for Carnevale.
Known by a ridiculous number of names throughout Italy such as Cenci (rags/tatters), Bugie (lies), Guanti (gloves), Nastri delle suore (nuns’ ribbons), Fritelle, Crostoli, Frappe, and often called Lovers’ Knots in English, these fried, powdered-sugar-dusted treats are just what the dottore ordered after a long, hard winter.
Maybe not so heart smart, but hey, that’s why they’re a treat, right?
Here in my corner of Calabria, they’re called “Chiacchiere,” which I like to think of as “chit chat” — these definitely make noises as you crunch into them (and you probably make some noises too as you shift wildly to avoid sprinkling your entire self with powdered sugar in the meantime).
A kind of Italian “snap crackle pop,” kinda sorta.
Some recipes call for rum, whiskey, brandy, grappa, anise, or the like, and many are tied in knots, but the ones I’ve seen around here are just strips, so those are the instructions below.
P’s mom doesn’t make these, so I borrowed this recipe from my dear friend Mary Amabile Palmer’s Cucina di Calabria: Treasured Recipes and Family Traditions from Southern Italy (a cookbook that I cannot recommend highly enough):
Recipe for Chiacchiere for Carnevale
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 3 large eggs, well beaten
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- zest of 1 small lemon
- 1 to 2 teaspoons milk
- Vegetable oil for frying
- Powdered sugar for dusting
1. In large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar.
2. Add eggs and vanilla and mix thoroughly.
3. Add flour, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest and mix well.
4. Place mixture on lightly floured surface and knead for 6 to 8 minutes until the dough is soft, smooth, and elastic. If dough is hard, add 1 to 2 teaspoons of milk.
5. Form dough into ball, place in greased bowl, turn to coat, and then cover with towel and let stand for 10 minutes.
6. Roll out into sheets, 1/8 thick. (I’ve seen other recipes that recommend folding the dough over and doing this a few times, but you can use your judgment.)
7. Cut dough into 3 by 5 inch strips. Put a small slit in the center of each strip and twist slightly.
8. Deep fry strips of dough for 1 to 3 minutes until puffed and golden. Remove from oil and place on paper towels to drain.
9. When cool, sprinkle with powdered sugar.
I don’t think I have to tell you that I think these are great with espresso, do I?
Buon appetito e Buon Carnevale!
Have you had these fried treats? What do you call them?
Living a Dog’s Life on Human Chairs
I don’t know what it is about human chairs, but my girls just love sitting in them– especially in the winter when I’ve warmed one up already.
This is Stella, caught keeping my seat warm:
Here the girls discuss whether House is devastatingly handsome, an arsehole, or perhaps both:
And this is just gratuitous Luna, because how cute is she?
Do your furry friends keep your seats warm too?
It’s Carnevale Time in Venice!
One of the most colorful, celebrated, famous festivals in Italy is happening right now until February 24 in Venice: Carnevale.
During Carnevale, aside from the usual romantic alleyways and gondola rides through the Grand Canal, Venezia offers something extra special throughout the period before Lent begins for Catholics. This year’s theme is “Sensation: 6 senses for 6 districts” and will highlight the various areas of the city.
I’ve written all about Carnevale in Venice over at Italy Magazine, so please do have a look to read about the history and traditions of Carnevale and see videos of past celebrations:
Now perhaps you want to know about what Italians eat during Carnevale? Well, hang tight! What’s Cooking Wednesday is only a couple days away….
But for now, tell me:
Have you celebrated Carnevale in Venice,
New Orleans, Rio de Janeiro, or elsewhere?
Michelle Kaminsky is an American attorney-turned-freelance writer who lived in her family's ancestral village in Calabria, Italy for 15 years. This blog is now archived.
Calabria Guidebook
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