Archive for 2009
What’s Cooking Wednesday: Carciofi/Artichokes
One of my favorite food discoveries here in southern Italy has been the artichoke. Yes, I had eaten them a few times in the States, but, while tasty enough, they just weren’t something I sought out.
Now I very much look forward to artichokes appearing at the market, which they are starting to do now, and I’d like to tell you about them for this week’s What’s Cooking Wednesday.
These flowers of a silvery-leafed plant can be quite a bit of work depending on how you prepare them, but before we get to my favorite artichoke recipe, let’s talk more about the ‘chokes.
History of Artichokes
Carciofi originated in Sicily, where they grow wild, as they do in Calabria, and *wow* are those good!
In the 15th century, Napolitans cultivated them, and artichokes soon made their way to the Medici dinner table in Florence, where they were an instant favorite.
Choosing, Buying, and Storing Artichokes
You want artichokes that have tightly packed leaves and healthy, colorful tips–if they’re browning, that ‘choke is on its way out. If you can get them still attached to the stem, do so, as they’ll stay fresh longer (you can also peel, cook, and eat the stems as well).
To store artichokes with stems, put them in a vase with water like a flower arrangement–move over Martha Stewart! Look at my Artichoke Centerpiece!
If you can’t get them with stems, wrap the artichokes in plastic wrap and keep them in your crisper. They should last a couple days, but do try to use them as quickly as possible.
Cleaning Artichokes
Regardless of how you’ll cook them, the procedure for cleaning artichokes is the same. Snap off the stalk and tear off tough, outer leaves. Rub them with lemon to avoid discoloration and/or put them in a bowl with lemon slices.
You’ll then have to boil them, either whole or in wedges for about 30 minutes for large artichokes or 15 minutes or so for smaller ones.
Be sure to remove the hairy choke inside before serving or stuffing.
Artichoke Recipes
Artichokes can be eaten raw (the tiny, tender ones), braised with olive oil, parsley, and garlic, or stuffed with any number of fillings.
My favorite?
A great dish typical of Calabria that starts with the braising as described above and incorporates eggs, breadcrumbs, and lots of grated parmesan cheese:
I’ve given you the recipe before for Pasta with Artichokes and Eggs, but you might have missed it, and I promise you, it’s too good to miss. It’s one of my all time favorite Calabrian dishes.
Do you like artichokes?
How do you prepare them?
Calabria: Home of the Paparazzi
Did you know that the paparazzi have their origins in Calabria, one of the poorest regions in Italy?
No, not the actual cadre of photographers who follow around celebrities waiting for them to do something embarrassing or otherwise tabloid-worthy, but the term “paparazzi.”
In his 1908 travelogue, By the Ionian Sea: Notes of a Ramble in Southern Italy, George Gissing mentions the owner of the Hotel Centrale in Catanzaro, a man who unabashedly left notes on guests’ doors strongly encouraging guests to eat in the hotel’s restaurant instead of going elsewhere.
The hotel owner’s name was Coriolano Paparazzo.
Fast forward half a century, and beloved Italian director Federico Fellini was trying to pinpoint the perfect name for his overzealous photographer in the classic film, La dolce vita.
Legend has it that Fellini’s screenwriter Ennio Flaiano opened Gissing’s book “at random” and loved the name Paparazzo. Indeed, the celebrity photograher’s last name in La dolce vita is “Paparazzo,” and that’s why we call his modern, real-life colleagues “paparazzi.”
And to think it all started in a humble hotel in Catanzaro, Calabria!
By the by, the Hotel Centrale went out of business in the 1970s, but the building is still there and, in 1999, Catanzaro officials added a plaque commemorating the “paparazzi” tale.
Perhaps Cherrye can hook us up with a photo?
Now go impress your friends with this knowledge, and if you haven’t seen La dolce vita yet, here’s a great excuse to enjoy the Fellini magic.
Do you know any interesting word etymologies?
I just love that kind of thing, so do share!
P.S. Be sure to head over to Cherrye’s My Bella Vita and Robin’s My Melange where I’m sharing Travel Tips from a Lawyer!
2009 Bloggies Finalist for Best European Weblog
On Friday I got some amazing news:
Bleeding Espresso has been named a finalist in the 2009 Bloggies for Best European Weblog:
Vote for Bleeding Espresso here!
I am truly humbled and honored to represent the Bel Paese this year, and I thank all of you who nominated me from the bottom of my cuore.
We’re up against fabulous blogs Scaryduck, Iceland Weather Report, Bitchy Jones’s Diary, and one of my very favorites, last year’s winner, and perpetual finalist Chocolate & Zucchini, so it’ll be an uphill battle to win, but as the cliché goes, it truly is an honor just being nominated.
I congratulate all the finalists in this year’s Bloggies, especially my friends at Thursday Night Smackdown (Best-Kept Secret Weblog), Travellious (Best Travel Weblog), and Secret Agent Mama (Best Photography of a Weblog).
For those who are visiting here for the first time, a warm welcome from sunny southern Italy:
The best place to start learning about me and the blog is in the About section, which also includes links to more of my writing, and through my favorite posts, hand-selected and provided for you in the “Best of” tab above.
If you are so inclined, please vote for Bleeding Espresso at the 2009 Bloggies by February 2…just in time for World Nutella Day on February 5th!
Grazie mille!
Village Games: Part III
It’s been a while since P and I played “Dove cazzo è?” (Where the **** is it?), but last weekend’s photostroll with the dogs (while wearing my new official photostroll boots) gave me a perfect chance to round up some photos.
For past rounds of this game, see Village Games I and Village Games II.
The rules are:
(1) I roam the village taking random shots of things.
(2) P has to tell me where I’ve found them–all of them.
(3) Loser cooks dinner and cleans up afterwards.
I started with an easy one, just steps from our house:
Turned up the heat with the door of one of the village’s 13 churches:
Which P got immediately as this is the church nearest the house he grew up in.
Then some random ruins:
P struggled a bit but described the general area, so I gave it to him. But then, the toughest one of all:
He had no clue that it belonged to this house:
Hah! Victory was mine!
But then I remembered another photo I had and wanted to ask him about:
P solved the mystery for me as to what this was used for, so we agreed to call this third edition of Village Games a draw.
Do you know what that pointy object is/was for?
Buon weekend--any fun plans?
Love Thursday: Love Via Cappuccino Across the Miles
Last week we were hearting coffee, and now it’s cappuccino’s turn.
This gorgeous photo was sent to me by my friend Nicole, who wrote:
“I took this picture at the best Italian bakery in Northern California…and I took it with you in mind!”
How sweet is that?
Love via cappuccino across the miles!
The bakery in question, by the way, is Emporio Rulli in Larkspur, California. If you’re in the area, spread the love, drop in, and tell ’em Bleeding Espresso sent you!
Happy Love Thursday everyone!
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
Recipes
