Archive for the ‘uniquely italian’ Category
Recipe: Pear, Gorgonzola and Pecan Salad
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 or lemon 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!
I Beati Paoli: Secret Society in Palermo, Sicily
I thought today might be the last Palermonday, but then I remembered that in addition to the Capuchin Catacombs (come back next Monday for those!) I also wanted to tell you about i Beati Paoli, a secret society that may or may not have existed in Palermo.
[I think it did, but then I do love secret societies and whatnot.]
I hadn’t heard anything about this group until Cherrye and I zeroed in on a restaurant in Piazza Marina that shares its name with this mysterious sect that was immortalized in Luigi Natoli’s book I Beati Paoli.
The pizza was absolutely fabulous, and it’s obviously a popular local spot as the place was packed by 8 pm–and they had only started letting in patrons about 10 minutes before. Inside, the atmosphere is also amazing; it is constructed like a cave, complete with black textured walls, lanterns lighting the way and little alcoves at every turn.
Sorry there are no food or inside photos but Cherrye and I were *starving* at that point and the cameras didn’t even make it onto the table.
Back to the group, the existence of the Beati Paoli is still in dispute, but it is commonly believed that Natoli’s book was at least part historical account with some fiction thrown in. The book takes place between 1698 and 1719 during which Sicily passed from being under Spanish rule to Piedmontese to Austrian.
Throughout this difficult time for Sicilians, the secret society is said to have fought against both the Church and the State in favor of the common man–think “rob from the rich to give to the poor” kind of thing.
There was also an element of delivering justice for the people when the throne was so far away and not doing much for them; in that sense it is also believed that i Beati Paoli may have had its origins in the“Braccio della Giustizia,” or Arm of Justice, actually sanctioned by the State; the group carried out vendettas on behalf of perceived crimes committed against both individuals and the community.
It is said that their principal meeting place was a cave in the Capo quarter near the Chiesa di Santa Maria di Gesù, also called Santa Maruzza; the church is still there but the cave entrances have been blocked off. The photo on the left is labeled “The Tribunal of the Beati Paoli” and comes from the official website of the Duomo of Palermo, which you’ve seen before on Bleeding Espresso here.
Even the group’s name is a mystery but may come from the legend that by day, its members dressed as monks of San Francesco di Paola (Saint Francis of Paola in Calabria) and sat in church pretending to pray the rosary. By night, however, the men wore black hoods (like in the photo above, except black, I suppose) and carried out their business, hiding and meeting in the hidden passageways and abandoned catacombs that still lie under the streets of Palermo.
I Beati Paoli is considered by some a precursor to the current Mafia, the roots of which are in agrarian Sicily. Although the two groups haven’t been directly linked, similar mentalities and principles, including the famed “omertà” or code of silence, show some definite overlap.
Indeed, at least one Mafia pentito (turncoat), Antonio Calderone, is quoted as saying he was told to “follow the example of the Beati Paoli” when he was initiated into the Mafia.
You probably won’t come to any concrete conclusions about the group when you’re in Palermo, but whether or not this group ever existed, the restaurant is definitely worth a stop:
Al Covo dei Beati Paoli
Piazza Marina, 50
www.alcovodeibeatipaoli.com
And as for the rest, I’m looking forward to checking out Natoli’s book.
Read more about I Beati Paoli in Roberto Savona’s excellent article here.
La Festa dei Lavoratori: Labor Day in Italy
Italy’s celebration is known as La Festa dei Lavoratori and actually has ancient roots in “Il Calendimaggio,” a holiday connected with agricultural cycles.
Read on...Happy Liberation Day Italia!
Today is one of Italy’s biggest holidays: la Festa della Liberazione or Liberation Day, celebrating the country’s liberation from fascism thanks to Allied troops at the end of World War II.
Read on...Antica Focacceria San Francesco in Palermo, Sicily
Please let’s ignore the fact that Berlusconi has fooled a majority of Italians into voting him into office a third time, OK? And also that my local party lost as well. Instead let’s move on to happier, comforting topics.
Like food.
You may be wondering where What’s Cooking Wednesday is this week. Don’t worry, it’s still going on at Shannon’s Tales from a Fairy Blogmother, but here at Bleeding Espresso, I’m shifting it to Friday when I’ll be posting my mom’s stuffing/filling/dressing recipe for La Buona Cucina Americana. Be sure to come back!
Keeping the food theme going, though, and finally getting back to my trip to Sicily, I’m going to tell you about one of Palermo’s most famous spots, the Antica Focacceria San Francesco:
The Focacceria is located on a tiny street opposite a small square anchored by the Chiesa di San Francesco d’Assisi:
See that design near the top of the church? Here’s a view from inside:
And here is some detail on the outside of the church (another here):
You can’t miss this place as you’ll probably wonder why a carabinieri car and two officers are outside. All. The. Time. Erin of The Olive Notes explains the phenomenon here. Hint: it involves something that rhymes with “The Bafia” but it’s probably not what you think, so do read Erin’s post.
The Antica Focacceria has been around since 1834 and is listed in all the guidebooks as one of *the* places you should visit in Palermo for traditional Sicilian food; luckily for Cherrye and me, our hotel was literally just around the corner–in fact, that’s where the hotel got our delicious morning pastries from.
On our first night in Palermo as we searched alto and basso for something, anything to eat before 7 p.m. (unsuccessfully), we decided against the Focacceria because (gasp!) the ala carte food looked old and crusty (I’m sure it was great at lunch though!), and also because we didn’t realize that we also had the choice of eating upstairs, which is more like a standard restaurant and overlooks the hustling bustling ala carte section below.
We made a fabulous decision to return to the restaurant section the following night, though, and were treated to an amazing dinner that cost us each under 20 euros, including a small carafe of house wine.
We started out by splitting the Sicilian sampler (as I like to call it):
Pane con milza (spleen sandwich, which yes I tried and actually liked in a small dose), sfincione (thick Sicilian pizza topped with an anchovy, tomato, spicy mixture), arancini (rice balls with various fillings), potato croquettes, pannelle (chickpea fritters), and caponata (eggplant, peppers, capers, veggie mix).
And then on to one of Sicily’s most famous dishes
made with eggplant and ricotta salata,
Pasta alla Norma:
And once we saw this dessert cart come to the next table:
We knew we’d have to get something. So we split this:
Which the waiter just pulled from the cart and gave to us–no wax doubles like in America!
This was basically an inside out cannolo drenched in chocolate syrup. *So* good, as was everything apart from the pasta, of all things, being a tad undercooked and a bit salty.
But overall, you definitely have to stop in the Antica Focacceria on a visit to Palermo.
Aside from tasty traditional Sicilian food, a fun atmosphere, cheerful service, and great prices, the portions were so big that we didn’t finish anything. Unfortunately since we were leaving Palermo by train the next morning, doggie bags were ill-advised (and yes, I would’ve asked even though they’re not the norm in Italy!).
Tragic, I know.
Antica Focacceria San Francesco
Via Paternostro, 58
90100 Palermo
091 32 02 64
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
