Cri Cri are chocolate pralines of Piedmontese origin, and if you're wondering what they have to do with me recounting the cuisine of Emilia-Romagna, I'll tell you right now. On January 6 in Italy, we celebrate the Befana, which closes the festivities of the Christmas season. That day, I would wake up early while the house was…
Chocolate
The panpepato, or pampapato, is a skullcap-shaped cake.
Dedicated to the Pope, created in 1580 from an idea of Alfonso II d'Este, the Lord of the city of Ferrara, and still produced both artisanally and commercially.
Made from a mixture of cake flour, honey, bitter cocoa, toasted almonds, a mixture of spices (the composition is…
I arrange the ingredients on the table: fresh eggs from the countryside, dark chocolate, powdered sugar, flour, butter, and salt. That's all you need for Tenerina Cake. Some dishes make you travel into the past. And like Proust's Madeleine, they are tickets to a nostalgic tour aboard the Orient Express. The bar of dark chocolate I…
From my seat on the train, I watch the Emilian countryside flow gently under my eyes. It's a series of villages that seem to hold hands, grain fields, and fruits.
As I approach the town of Vignola, I see only cherry trees for which the area is famous. I am about to tell a story of secret recipes…
How many chocolate cake recipes are there?
So many, and I would like to try them all. A chocolate cake and a book I love
The recipe is from The Great Dixter Cookbook; Recipes from an English Garden. A book where cooking follows the seasons, using ingredients from the garden of Great Dixter, a historic garden home located…
Through time, some of my Christmas rituals have changed.
New habits have replaced old rituals.
When I was a child there was, above all, the great ritual of Christmas lunch and a series of minor but no less important rituals. Now that I'm married, I love to celebrate the evening of Christmas Eve when I host…
This semifreddo happily marries the taste of chocolate with the deliciousness of home made panna (whipped cream) and the freshness of strawberries in a simple recipe that is also egg-free and gluten-free. Chocolate Semifreddo with Panna and Strawberry.
Perfect for any little occasion.
It's a recipe from my family cookbook I haven't made in a long time. Sometimes,…
In season? Hot chocolate mix!
Here's something that, in winter, can't miss in my kitchen pantry. The hot chocolate mix seems to be a family traditions. Among the pages of an old family cookbook, where my grandmother Sara used to write her recipes, I found her recipe for homemade hot chocolate mix. It isn't that. What…
How do you like your cakes? The answer also depends on the occasion but, usually, absurdly sumptuous cakes for parties or simple cakes. I prefer simple cakes with a short list of ingredients and recipes I can make using a couple of bowls and essential kitchen tools. In other words, my favorite cakes are those, in Italy,…
Granola, have you ever made it?
With organic cereals flakes, to mix with the ingredients you love, you can make delicious granola: crunchy, sweet, and with olive oil. Homemade olive oil granola is perfect to start the day with something you made from scratch and know every ingredient and quantity. It is also a great snack and after-dinner…