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Christmas

Cheese flan. Tastes of the Emilia-Romagna Apennines
Cheese flan is a dish that originated in the local mountains, employing an expression we locals use to refer to the villages of the Emilia-Romagna Apennines. The dish is part of the culinary traditions of the Romagna Toscana area and the Bolognese Apennines. From there, the recipe spread to the city of Bologna…
19 April 2022
Nougat semifreddo with chocolate drops
Nougat semifreddo with chocolate drops
With nougat semifreddo, there is an almost familial connection. Semifreddo and, in general, spoon desserts make me think of the lunches that never finished when the adults stayed at the table for hours. And if the occasion was official, even we children had to remain seated until we were expressly authorized to leave the table. Those were other…
4 April 2022
Pere cotte all'alchermes
Alchermes poached pears filled with mascarpone cream
Poached pears in alchermes, and cooked fruit in general, recall me the old-fashioned cuisine. When fruit, stored in boxes for the winter, was always present on the table. Fresh and in season, or cooked. Today, I eat less fruit than I used to and, consequently, buy less. And to think that until a few decades ago, when I…
10 February 2022
Portuguese milk pudding, a traditional Italian dessert
Portuguese milk pudding, a traditional Italian dessert
What is a tradition? A habit, a repeated behavior? Be careful not to confuse ritual and tradition. Tradition has to do with the transmission of memories, knowledges, and patterns of behavior from one generation to the next. The food, cooking it, serving it,  sharing  it is part of the tradition of family and social heritage that we pass…
19 December 2021
Wrapped cotechino recipe
Wrapped cotechino, in Italian cotechino fasciato, also known as cotechino in galera (in prison) or cotechino vestito (dressed cotechino), is a traditional roast from Bologna and my family. It is a robust dish that, paired with a good red wine, is perfect for the cold season. It is a recipe for special occasions, which I cook…
12 December 2021
Panone: the Christmas cake of Bologna
Panone cake. The Christmas cake of Bologna from cucina povera
Panone and Certosino are traditional Christmas cakes from Bologna. Similar yet different. Panone was the sweet of the Bolognese countryside, while Certosino was from the city. Both recipes are ancient and belong to the Northern European tradition of cakes made with dried and candied fruit, honey, and wine. They have a rich, slightly old-fashioned flavor,…
5 December 2021
Homemade pickled vegetables
A family recipe. Homemade pickled vegetables (Giardiniera)
Pickled vegetables, in this case, sweet and sour, are called Giardiniera in Italian. A very poetic name since it evokes the word garden. Giardiniera brings to mind the colors of the dish and the vegetables from the garden. It is an ancient method of preserving vegetables in season and eating them the next. I still remember when, at…
9 November 2021
Rice Cake of Bologna
Traditional Rice Cake (Torta di Riso) of Bologna
Rice cake (Torta di riso) is typical of Bologna. Once, it was called  Torta degli Addobbi  (Cake of the Decorations). Its name comes from the religious Feast of Decorations. On that occasion, people traditionally made and served it. Feast of Decorations During the late and early medieval period, heretical theories flourished that questioned the role…
21 March 2021
Apple bread cake recipe
Apple bread cake recipe and two years of blog
Christmas is just a few days away, and I am at my desk with a cup of coffee about to write a recipe for one of my childhood apple bread cakes. This bread cake is rich in taste and ingredients like apples, walnuts, almonds, and spices. It will be the last post of the year, after two…
22 December 2020

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