SBS Italian Radio Recipes: Italian Food Interviews and Podcasts with Marisa Raniolo Wilkins
SBS Italian Radio has invited me on many occasions to share some of my favourite Italian recipes, regional food traditions and culinary stories with broadcaster Massimiliano Gugole who it the Audio and Language Content Producer at Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) Australia,
This page brings together those interviews so they are easy to find in one place.
If you speak Italian, you can listen to these conversations on the SBS Audio App or if you click on the links provided below. Each episode generally runs for 10–14 minutes and explores not only recipes but also some of the history, traditions and regional food culture behind them.
One exception is Zuzzu: An Ancient Sicilian Pork Terrine That Uses Everything but the Oink, runs for approximately 30 minutes. This podcast forms part of The Ugly Ducklings of Italian Cuisine, a popular series on SBS with a number of interesting and noteworthy participants. Some of the presenters are not Italian speakers and the podcasts are in English.
These are the podcasts. Use the link to listen on SBS Italian Radio
Zuzzu: An Ancient Sicilian Pork Terrine That Uses Everything but the Oink
(already published in English).
This podcast was the most popular in the series.
13 February 2024
This episode forms part of the SBS Italian Radio series The Ugly Ducklings of Italian Cuisine, celebrating traditional regional dishes that are less well known outside Italy.
SBS, the Ugly Ducklings of Italian Cuisine, a series of podcasts
Jota/ Iota a hearty thick soup from Trieste made with smoked pork, borlotti beans and sauerkraut
Read the Recipes in English
Many of these recipes have also been published in English here on All Things Sicilian and More, often with additional historical background, photographs and cooking notes.
Simply use the blog’s search function and search for SBS Italian Radio or search by recipe name or ingredient, for example:
Puntarelle
Stuffed Artichokes
Sicilian Cassata
The Ugly Ducklings of Italian Cuisine (Zuzzu)
Jota
You’ll find several detailed recipes about the same ingredient, together with the stories, traditions and regional food culture that inspired each dish.
It is worth seeing the full range of photos of the process of making Zuzzu –Sicilian Pork Terrine:
I ate Puntarelle cooked with tomatoes, garlic and anchovies as a side dish several years ago in Venice. This is the photo below:
Cooked puntarelle as presented in a restaurant in Venice
A Venetian inspiration for a simple pasta sauce or contorno
Venice Cannaregio, a view from our accomodation
Puntarelle are one of my favourite Italian vegetables, and because I now can find them in a stall at Queen Victoria Market I buy them. Although they are best known in the classic Roman salad of finely sliced shoots dressed with anchovy, garlic and olive oil, puntarelle can also be cooked to make an excellent contorno or a delicious pasta sauce.
One of a number of puntarelle salads I have made recently
A memory from Cannaregio, Venice
This dish is inspired by a meal I enjoyed in Cannaregio, one of Venice’s most authentic neighbourhoods, during my visit to the Venice Biennale in 2019. Away from the busiest tourist routes, Cannaregio still retains the atmosphere of a lived-in Venetian district, with local markets, small trattorie and canals that invite leisurely wandering.
Guglie/ Cannaregio Venezia, Venice
One of the dishes I ordered at a restaurant was a simple plate of cooked puntarelle that was tossed with tomatoes and I remembered tasting, garlic and anchovies. It was uncomplicated cooking, but memorable because puntarelle were impossible to find in Melbourne or in Adwhere I have found many vegetables that I have had difficulties finding in Melbourne.
Another person ordered the salad. This had red radicchio in it as well as tomatoes and the usual anchovy and garlic dressing.
The puntarelle salad in Venice
The results were a simple recipe with remarkable flavour. Italian cooking often demonstrates that excellent dishes require very few ingredients. In this recipe, the slight bitterness of puntarelle, the sweetness of tomatoes and the savoury richness of anchovies create a balance that is both elegant and deeply satisfying. It is a reminder that some of the most memorable meals are also the simplest.
Puntarelle in Melbourne
Recently I have been making the most of the puntarelle available from Sophia’s stall at the Queen Victoria Market. Most often I prepare the traditional salad with an anchovy and garlic dressing and have made a few of these now.
The bunches sold in Melbourne, however, usually contain fewer leaves than those I have purchased in Italy. To prepare them as a cooked vegetable, I often combine the leaves with other bitter greens such as chicory, endive or cime di rapa, which have similar flavours and cooking qualities.
One of the bunches of puntarelle I have bought in MelbourneThis bunch of puntarelle bought in Melbourne has slightly more leaves
When I was staying in an Airbnb in Venice, I also bought a bunch of puntarelle and cooked both the spears and leaves together simply in extra virgin olive oil and garlic. The Venetian bunch was much leafier than those I generally find in Melbourne, making it particularly suitable for cooking.
This is the bunch of puntarelle I bought in Venice…. very leafy.
And recently I cooked puntarelle in much the same way that I cook cime di rapa for pasta or cicoria ripassata.
A simple contorno or pasta sauce
The version I remembered from Venice included tomatoes, so I decided to recreate it at home. Because good fresh baby tomatoes taste bland during winter, I used quality tinned baby tomatoes drained of their juice instead. Their sweetness balances the gentle bitterness of the puntarelle beautifully.
Drained tinned baby tomatoes
As with all of the green leafy vegetables as I braise with garlic and anchovies and sometimes chilli, the anchovies melt into the olive oil, creating depth while the garlic provides the familiar flavour combination found throughout Italian regional cooking.
Braised/sauteed puntarelle are equally enjoyable served as a vegetable side dish or tossed through pasta. I prefer short pasta. Because the bunches I buy at the Queen Victoria Market don’t contain many leaves and chicory, endive or cime di rapa are in season, I add more green leaves as well.
In this version I added cooked cime di rapa
RECIPE: PUNTARELLE Cooked with Tomatoes, Garlic and Anchovies
Ingredients
1 bunch puntarelle, including shoots and leaves
Extra leaves of chicory, endive or cime di rapa if needed
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
6 anchovy fillets (or more) in oil cut into smaller pieces
250-300 g baby tomatoes (fresh when in season or good-quality tinned baby tomatoes)
ground black pepper or pinch of chilli flakes (optional)
salt if you need it.
For serving: 3-4 people
350g pasta
Grated pecorino or toasted breadcrumbs toasted in extra virgin olive oil if desired. (Pecorino is stronger tasting than parmesan cheese and probably better suited)
Method
Prepare the puntarelle
Wash the puntarelle thoroughly. Separate the shoots and leaves and cut into bite-sized pieces. If the quantity of leaves is limited, add some chopped chicory, endive or cime di rapa. (*On this occasion I added some already cooked cime di rapa that I had in my fridge.)
Traditionally, if serving the greens with the pasta, they are blanched in salted boiling water for five minutes or more (depending on quantity and texture). If using the mixture as a pasta sauce, reserve some of the cooking water. However, I prefer a modern method: sauté the greens directly without parboiling (once again depending on quantity and texture).
Make the sauce
Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan.
Add the anchovies and stir until they dissolve into the oil. Add the garlic until fragrant but not coloured.
Stir in the green leaves, toss around in the pan and when they wilt, add about a tablespoon of water, put on the lid and soften further. Remove them from the pan and set aside.
Add a little more oil to the pan, add the puntarelle spears and cook for a few minutes until softened but still vibrant. (**I added the cooked left over cime di rapa after I cooked the puntarelle and tomatoes).
Add the tomatoes and cook for several minutes until they soften and release their juices. Season with black pepper and chilli flakes if using.
I added the cooked left over cime di rapa after I cooked the puntarelle and tomatoes
Serve as a contorno – grilled fish or meat, roasted meats (nothing juicy).
To serve with pasta
Cook the pasta until al dente.
Transfer it directly to the pan with the puntarelle mixture, adding a little reserved pasta cooking water if necessary to create a silky sauce. Toss well and serve plain or with grated pecorino or toasted breadcrumbs, according to your preference.
Puntarelle alla Romana and Cicoria Ripassata are two classic Roman dishes that celebrate Italy’s fondness for bitter greens. Both are types of chicory.
Puntarelle
Puntarelle are a distinctive type of Italian chicory (cicoria catalogna), especially associated with Rome and the Lazio region, where they appear in markets during the cooler months.
Punterrelle, a type of chicory
I have always loved Italy’s bitter greens — cicoria, radicchio, indivia, cime did rape, dandelion — flavours that many people initially find challenging, but which Italians value for their slight bitterness. Puntarelle belong firmly within this tradition.
The plant has long serrated leaves, but the prized part is the pale green central shoots that are tender, crunchy and slightly bitter.
The shoots of the Puntarelle
Their texture and flavour make them especially refreshing when eaten raw.
Puntarelle – vegetable with some of the outer leaves removed
Puntarelle, even more so than chicory, are not a common vegetable. I have only purchased Puntarelle twice in Australia, once from Carmel and Gus’s stall at the Queen Victoria Market and now I was delighted to find it at Daniel’s stall in the B Shed Shop 23-26. The stall is called Sophia’s.
The classic Roman preparation is Puntarelle alla Romana. The shoots are sliced finely into thin strips and soaked in iced water until they curl and become wonderfully crisp – a bit like curling celery.
Curled puntarelle after being soaked in iced water
They are then dressed simply with olive oil, garlic, anchovy and vinegar or lemon juice. The flavour is sharp, savoury and refreshing at the same time. Sometimes hard boiled eggs are added to the dressed salad and this makes this dish extra suitable as a starter.
The ingredients for the dressing
Like many Italian vegetables, very little is wasted. The outer leaves are often boiled or sautéed with olive oil, garlic and chilli in the style of cicoria ripassata, much like other bitter greens prepared throughout Italy. I have added this recipe because I have mentioned that the course outer leaves are cooked and not wasted.
A mixture of leafy greens can be added with the outer leaves of the Punterelle as there are likely insufficient greens to cook in this manner.
I particularly appreciate puntarelle because they reflect something essential about Italian cooking: the ability to transform a simple seasonal vegetable into something elegant through restraint and balance rather than complexity.
For those who enjoy vegetables such as dandelion greens, chicory or radicchio, puntarelle offer a similar bitterness but with a particularly crisp texture and elegant appearance. They pair beautifully with anchovies, citrus, capers, olives and robust olive oil — flavours that appear frequently in Roman and southern Italian cooking.
ROME’S BITTER GREENS
Puntarelle alla Romana
This is one of Rome’s most characteristic salads — crisp, bitter and refreshing, with the salty sharpness of anchovy balancing the chicory beautifully.
Ingredients
1 bunch puntarelle (mine was one plant)
4 -8 anchovy fillets
1-2 garlic clove
2–3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1-2 tablespoon white wine vinegar or lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper
Preparing the Puntarelle
Separate the pale inner shoots from the outer leaves. Save the small leaves to add to the salad.
Slice the shoots finely into thin strips. Traditionally they are cut very thinly so they curl easily.
Place the strips into a bowl of iced water for about 30 minutes. This helps them curl and become crisp.
Preparing the Dressing
Traditionally, anchovies and garlic are crushed together to form a paste. Add olive oil and vinegar or lemon juice and mix well.
Alternatively, the garlic can be crushed and placed in a jar with the oil and lemon juice. The anchovies are then cut into small pieces and mixed together just before dressing the salad. I prefer to do this as it allows for a more visual presentation.
The dressing: Chopped anchovies and a mixture of extra virgin olive oil, squeezed garlic, and lemon juice
Assembling the Salad
Drain the puntarelle thoroughly and dress just before serving.
Taste and adjust seasoning carefully — the anchovies are already salty.
Punterelle alla Romana – salad
The salad is excellent with grilled fish, roasted meats or simply with bread especially when there are boiled eggs in the salad.
We had it as an accompaniment to a seafood Paella.
Cicoria Ripassata
This is one of the simplest and most satisfying ways Italians cook bitter greens. The word ripassata refers to the greens being “passed again” through the pan after boiling.
Cicoria – Chicory
Ingredients
1 large bunch cicoria or other bitter greens including the outer leaves of the Puntarelle
2–3 garlic cloves, sliced
Chilli flakes or fresh chilli to taste
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Cooking the Greens
Wash the greens thoroughly and trim any tough stems.
Boil in salted water until tender — usually about 10–15 minutes depending on the maturity of the greens.
Drain well and gently squeeze out excess water. Chop roughly if the leaves are large.
Heat generous olive oil in a frying pan.
Add the garlic and chilli and cook briefly until fragrant, but do not allow the garlic to burn.
Add the greens and sauté for several minutes so they absorb the flavours of the oil.
Taste for salt and serve warm or at room temperature.
In Rome this dish is often served alongside grilled sausages or roasted meats, especially pork – the bitterness counteracts the fatty nature of the meat.
When I was asked to share an Easter recipe for SBS Italian Radio, I immediately chose cassata Siciliana — a dessert that truly represents Sicily, its history, flavours, and identity.
For the occasion, I prepared the recipe along with some notes in Italian to accompany the radio discussion, aiming to convey not just the steps, but also the cultural meaning behind this traditional dessert.
In this post, I have also included some photos of the cassata being made. These are not on the SBS website, but they help to show the process more clearly.
The remainder of the post is in Italian and I was interviewed by Massimiliano Gugole from SBS Radio Italian.
IN ITALIAN
Quando mi è stato chiesto di condividere una ricetta di Pasqua per SBS Italian Radio, ho scelto subito la cassata siciliana — un dolce che rappresenta bene la Sicilia sapori — la sua storia, i suoi sapori e la sua identità.
Per l’occasione ho preparato la ricetta e alcune note in italiano per accompagnare la conversazione in radio, cercando di trasmettere non solo i passaggi, ma anche il significato culturale di questo dolce tradizionale
In questo post ho aggiunto anche alcune foto della preparazione della cassata. Non sono presenti sul sito di SBS, ma aiutano a vedere meglio i passaggi.
****If you would like to listen to the interview and discussion in Italian on SBS Radio, here is the link:
La cassata siciliana, nella ricetta di Marisa Raniolo Wilkins
La cassata siciliana è uno dei dolci più rappresentativi della Sicilia, soprattutto nel periodo di Pasqua. È un dolce ricco, scenografico, che racchiude storia, cultura e tradizione.
La cassata è un’opera culinaria che testimonia secoli di storia.Dalle influenze fenicie, che introdussero le mandorle, all’apporto arabo, che portò zucchero, frutta secca, marzapane e agrumi, e al contributo spagnolo, che portò il pan di Spagna. I monsù, cuochi francesi al servizio delle famiglie aristocratiche siciliane, ne perfezionarono la presentazione, mentre le suore nei conventi custodirono e tramandarono le ricette tradizionali.
Alla base troviamo il pan di Spagna, soffice e leggermente inumidito con un liquore.
Il cuore della cassata è la ricotta, preferibilmente di pecora, lavorata con zucchero fino a diventare una crema liscia e delicata.’è un gesto semplice, ma molto significativo, che appartiene alla tradizione della cassata: la ricotta non si mescola soltanto — si passa al setaccio.
Alla ricotta si aggiungono piccoli pezzi di cioccolato fondente, pistacchi e scorze di agrumi canditi.
Il dolce viene poi assemblato in uno stampo: il pan di Spagna riveste base e lati, si riempie con la crema di ricotta, si chiude e si lascia riposare in frigorifero per una notte.
Il giorno dopo si sforma e si ricopre con la pasta reale/il marzapane, spesso di colore verde chiaro, e si decora con frutta candita.
La cassata, in tutte le sue varianti, `e un emblema di celebrazione. Le pasticcerie siciliane sono rinomate per la loro maestria nella preparazione e decorazione delle cassate.
Cassata Siciliana — Ricetta Tradizionale
Consigli:
La cassata si prepara al meglio in due giorni. Si assembla il dolce il giorno prima e si lascia riposare in frigorifero per tutta la notte affinché si compatti. Anche il pan di Spagna beneficia di essere preparato in anticipo.
Note sugli Ingredienti
Ricotta
Usare ricotta soda e ben scolata, preferibilmente di pecora, naturalmente più dolce e saporita.
Spesso viene venduta in forme intere e tagliata al momento — questa è la migliore.
Evitare la ricotta confezionata in vaschetta, generalmente troppo acquosa e poco saporita. Se non avete alternative, è consigliabile scolarla per tutta la notte.
Per un ripieno più ricco, si può aggiungere un po’ di panna densa durante la lavorazione.
Frutta Candita
La frutta candita è conservata in uno sciroppo zuccherino che ne mantiene la morbidezza e ne intensifica il sapore. (Si chiama anche glacé)
Se possibile, utilizzare scorze di agrumi canditi di buona qualità oppure fette intere di arancia candita, invece della comune frutta candita mista.
Il cedro ha un ruolo importante nella pasticceria siciliana. Coltivato in Sicilia e in Calabria, si riconosce per la buccia spessa, dal verde al giallo.
Il pan di SpagnaIl ripieno – ricotta, zucchero, cioccolato , pistacchi, scorze d’agrumi canditeIl pan di Spagna tagliato in quattro strati. Il marzapane steso tra due pellicoleIl marzapane, di due colori – naturale e verde. La confettura per attaccare il pan di Spagna
PREPARAZIONE DELLO STAMPO
Lo stampo foderato, il pan di Spagna -uno stato di sotto, e due strati per rivestire i lati. L’ultimo strato di sopra per coprire il ripieno.L’ultimo strato di pan di Spagna per coprire il ripienoCon un peso di sopraLa cassata sformata è ricoperta da una glassa di marzapane. La confettura viene utilizzata per facilitare l’adesione del marzapane al pan di SpagnaQuadretti del marzapane verde per l’applicazione sui latiQuasi!Eccola!
**Sul blog All Things Sicilian And More ci sono parecchi post della Cassata con altre foto, ma scritte in Inglese.
Come la maggior parte delle ricette italiane, le quantità degli ingredienti non contano davvero. I cuochi si affidano al gusto, all’occhio e al tatto.
Ripieno di Ricotta
700 g – 800g ricotta fresca (preferibilmente di pecora)
120 g zucchero semolato
60–100 g cioccolato fondente, tritato
100 g pistacchi, tritati
60–100 g scorze di agrumi canditi (arancia, limone, cedro)
¼ cucchiaino vaniglia (o pasta di vaniglia)
¼ cucchiaino cannella
Per Assemblare
Circa 450 g pan di Spagna, fatto in casa (questo il peso quando acquistato nei negozi commerciali
Pasta reale (marzapane) per copertura
Frutta candita per decorare
½ tazza (o più) di confettura di albicocche
½–¾ tazza di liquore (o più, a piacere)
Pan di Spagna
Preparare 1–3 giorni prima.
Ingredienti
5 uova
120 g zucchero
100 g farina setacciata
Scorza di limone e/o vaniglia
Burro per lo stampo
Procedimento
Montare i tuorli con lo zucchero fino a ottenere un composto chiaro e cremoso.
Montare gli albumi a neve ferma.
Incorporare delicatamente gli albumi al composto di tuorli.
Unire la farina setacciata e gli aromi.
Versare in uno stampo imburrato e cuocere a forno moderato per circa 40 minuti, fino a doratura.
Lasciare raffreddare completamente prima di tagliare.
Ripieno di Ricotta
Lavorare la ricotta con lo zucchero fino a ottenere una crema liscia. (In alternativa, sciogliere lo zucchero in poca acqua per ottenere uno sciroppo, lasciarlo raffreddare e poi unirlo alla ricotta
Aggiungere:
vaniglia
cannella
un goccio di liquore (facoltativo)
Incorporare:
cioccolato
pistacchi
frutta candita
Mescolare delicatamente.
Pasta Reale (Marzapane)
Ingredienti
500 g mandorle pelate e macinate finemente
300 g zucchero a velo
1 albume
Vaniglia q.b.
Un pizzico di sale
Qualche goccia di colorante verde
Procedimento
Montare leggermente l’albume con il sale fino a renderlo spumoso.
Aggiungere la vaniglia.
Incorporare gradualmente mandorle e zucchero, impastando fino a ottenere un composto liscio ed elastico.
Regolare la consistenza:
aggiungere mandorle o zucchero se troppo morbido
aggiungere poca acqua se troppo duro
Avvolgere nella pellicola e conservare in frigorifero.
Quando sarete pronti per coprire la cassata:
Facoltativo:
Dividere in due parti e colorarne una di verde, oppure è decorato a larghe strisce verdi e del colore naturale del marzapane.
Stendere il marzapane tra due fogli di carta da forno.
Preparazione dello Stampo
Foderare uno stampo rotondo (da 25–30 cm) con pellicola o alluminio.
Tagliare il pan di Spagna in 4 strati.
Rivestire anche i lati dello stampo con le fette di pan di Spagna, utilizzando confettura se necessario per fissarle.
Assemblaggio della Cassata
Disporre uno strato sul fondo e spennellare leggermente con confettura di albicocche.
Inumidire con un po’ di liquore.
Riempire lo stampo con il composto di ricotta e livellare.
Coprire con l’ultimo strato di pan di Spagna.
Inumidire leggermente con liquore.
Coprire e porre un leggero peso sopra.
Mettere in frigorifero per tutta la notte.
Copertura e Decorazione
(Da fare il giorno del servizio)
Sformare la cassata.
Spalmare uno strato sottile di confettura di albicocche.
Coprire con la pasta reale stesa.
Decorare con frutta candita.
Mantenere in frigorifero fino al momento dell’uso.
The logic of the caper plant — buds, flower, fruit — reveals itself slowly, and finally there are predominately salted capers that are so much part of Italian cooking.
Watching a caper bush through its full cycle allows a deeper understanding: tight unopened buds, extravagant white flowers with violet stamens, pollinated berries that swell on long curved stalks.
Caper Bushes and the Life Cycle of Capers
Caper bushes are Capparis spinosa.
I have seen many caper bushes growing in Sicily where little else survives — in crevices, along dry-stone walls, through black volcanic soil and sun-baked earth. I lived in Trieste as a child and caper bushes grew on the walls surrounding the Church of San Giusto!
Now I am able to observe one bush thriving in a garden in Adelaide, equally at ease in heat, stone and poor soil. It receives little water, yet produces an abundance of flowers. Its restraint in growth contrasts with the dramatic display of its blooms.
Tight unopened buds, top bud ready to bloom.
A tight green bud unfurls into delicate white petals and a burst of long violet stamens. The flower lasts barely a day. In Adelaide’s heat, by mid-morning the flower softens and collapses. What follows depends entirely on pollination. And after some rain I even spotted some bees circling around the flowers.
In the photographs, the stages of the buds to capers, and caperberries are clear.
Some flowers have fallen, leaving only a slender stem.
Stamen with caper berry forming.
Others show the ovary beginning to swell — the promise of a caper berry.
A few have formed smooth, olive-shaped fruit poised on curved stalks. And these are the caper berries.
Caper berries.
Pollination is decisive. Without it, the flower falls and no berry forms. When we harvest capers — the unopened buds — we deliberately interrupt the plant’s reproductive cycle.
Buds are the capers, in various sizes.
Culinary Uses
Capers are used in a wide variety of culinary applications and are a key ingredient in many Italian dishes. Some common examples include:
Sicilian pasta con le sarde
Vitello tonnato
Caper sauces with anchovy and lemon, very suitable for fish dishes
Tomato, potato and a wide range of uncooked and cooked vegetable salads
Salsa verde
Pasta Puttanesca
Caper berries, larger and milder, suit antipasto platters, smoked fish garnishes and even cocktails in place of olives. Recently I used one instead of a green olive in a Martini!
Salting Capers: Preservation
Capers require preservation. Fresh caper buds are intensely bitter and must be cured.
Caper bushes can be found all over Sicily. The traditional Sicilian method — is dry salting rather than pickling.
The salt draws out moisture through osmosis, it reduces bitterness by leaching harsh compounds and preserves by inhibiting microbial growth.
Unlike vinegar pickling, salting concentrates and refines flavour rather than masking it.
Salt-Packed
Vinegar-Preserved
More complex flavour
Sharper, more acidic
Cleaner aroma
Vinegar can dominate
Traditional in Sicily
Common commercially
Requires rinsing
Ready to use
Before using salt-packed capers, rinse well and soak briefly (10–15 minutes or longer if needed and larger capers may require more soaking ), then gently squeeze dry.
Salted Sicilian capers – 2 sizes. the small ones are more expensive.
Three Sicilian Islands where capers Thrive and are processed for export
Across Sicily’s southern islands, Capparis spinosa demonstrates remarkable adaptability.
I found many containers of salted capers in the market in Syracuse.
Pantelleria — with its volcanic soil and fierce sun — produces intensely aromatic buds protected as Cappero di Pantelleria IGP. Dry-salting and size grading are meticulous. The smallest buds are prized for concentration and finesse. This small island lies in the Strait of Sicily, about 100 km southwest of Sicily and roughly 60 km east of Tunisia.
Lampedusa, shaped by limestone and water scarcity, preserves capers pragmatically in dry salt — no brine, no excess moisture. Here, capers reflect adaptation and subsistence Italy’s southernmost island, Lampedusa lies between Malta and Tunisia.
Salina and the Aeolian Islands balance cultivation with daily use. Dry-salting remains a common method, though brining is becoming commercially significant. Capers flavour fish, vegetables and salads — integrated into routine cooking. They also are added to sauces and I also add them to pan fried meat dishes. Salina is one of the Aeolian Islands north of Sicily, Southern Italy and is the second largest island in the archipelago.
Dry salt curing required no fresh water, used abundant sea salt, preserved buds without refrigeration and intensified flavour rather than masking it.
Capers Preserved in Vinegar
Vinegar-preserved capers are widely available, especially outside Sicily and used very much in northern Italy. After salting, they are packed in wine or distilled vinegar.
Advantages:
Convenient and ready to use
Long shelf life
Bright acidity
Consistent flavour
The trade-off is that vinegar can dominate and obscure the caper’s more delicate floral and herbal notes. Salted capers are preferred when subtlety matters; vinegar-preserved capers suit dishes that benefit from extra sharpness.
Capers in Brine are very easy to use. These are ingredients for a quick sauce.
When Capers Dominate: Caponata
Capers are used extensively in Sicilian cooking. Caponata is an iconic Sicilian favourite that many who live outside Sicily would be familiar with .
A traditional Sicilian caponata balances fried eggplant, celery, olives and agrodolce. There are many types of caponate (plural) made with various vegetables. Two most common varieties are the Palermitana (as described above) and the Catanese, which also includes peppers. While caponata contains both green olives and capers, it is the salted capers that provide the structure. Their saline intensity cuts through oil and sweetness, anchoring the dish to coastal Sicily. In Western Sicily, cooks increase the proportion of capers, shifting the dish from a gently sweet to a greater savoury profile. When I now make a caponata, I am using a greater amount of capers and am aware of the difference. With high-quality salted capers the flavour is unmistakably Sicilian.
Pesto di Capperi alla Siciliana
This pesto is simple to prepare and retains its flavour when kept in the refrigerator.
In this recipe, capers are not a background seasoning, but the defining flavour. Their salty, floral and slightly wild profile replaces basil. There are usually no set quantities in Sicilian recipes and everything is made by using eyes, taste and feel. Taste the pesto as you go and adjust to what you like.
Across western Sicily, capers are crushed with almonds, herbs and olive oil to create a textured paste with a distinctive flavour. This pesto celebrates salinity and aroma.
Spoon over grilled fish, toss through pasta, spread on bread or stir into boiled potatoes and beans.
Ingredients: adjust according to taste
4–6 tbsp salted capers, rinsed and dried
80 g blanched almonds
2 small garlic clove
A handful of flat-leaf parsley
Some mint leaves (optional)
Zest of 1/2- 1 lemon
8–12 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
Method
Pesto in Sicily is traditionally made with a mortar and pestle. I use a small food processor to make this. I carry it with me when I travel and it is with me in Adelaide at the moment.
Rinse, soak and dry capers. Soak sufficiently as you do not want the pesto to be over salty.
Crush garlic and almonds. Blend/pulse.
Add capers and pound (grind) to a coarse paste.
Work in herbs.
Add olive oil gradually to achieve a rustic texture.
Finish with pepper and some lemon zest.
Store in a glass jar. Cover with a thin layer of extra virgin olive oil to help preserve the contents.
as mentioned above experiment and add more capers in Caponata:
The subtle power of vinegar and how Italians balance flavour is something I appreciate in my own kitchen. Beyond acidity and preservation, vinegar brings balance, gives structure to a dish, and harmony in everyday cooking.Italian cuisine has always been attentive to relationships on the palate: fat is balanced with acidity, sweetness is moderated by bitterness and warm dishes are often refreshed with a sharp element. I often deglaze pans with vinegar. A small splash in a warm pan releases an aroma and sharpness that immediately awakens the senses. And it smells fantastic!
Lemon brightens flavours and highlights bitterness, but vinegar behaves differently. It softens and steadies strong tastes, preventing them from becoming overpowering. Consequently, selecting the appropriate vinegar is a deliberate decision that is part of the cooking process.
In my pantry you will find several types of vinegar — commercial red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, champagne vinegar, sherry vinegar and often homemade red wine vinegar. Over time I have learned to select each based on the dish’s requirements rather than habit. Understanding these differences is one of those small shifts that moves cooking from a mechanical to a thoughtful. process.
CHOOSING THE RIGHT VINEGAR
Red wine vinegar
Red wine vinegar is my preferred choice. Its consistent sharpness makes it a reliable ingredient for vinaigrettes, cooked vegetables, legume salads and the sweet-and-sour notes of agrodolce.
Its bold flavour is precisely its strength, allowing it to stand alongside robust ingredients without overpowering them.
White Wine Vinegar
White wine vinegar is lighter and less tannic than red wine vinegar, offering acidity without weight or colour. The acidity is expressed subtly.
I use it when working with tender leaves, fresh herbs, cucumber or zucchini and occasionally for deglazing fish or seafood when I prefer not to use wine. It is also suitable for some ceviche-style preparations, particularly for stronger-tasting fish, making it more suitable for lemon.
It also blends well into emulsified sauces such as mayonnaise or aioli, where lemon might otherwise dominate.
Sherry Vinegar
Sherry vinegar adds complexity rather than sharpness. A few drops are often sufficient.
I frequently drizzle it over simply roasted vegetables such as mushrooms, pumpkin, eggplant and beetroot, allowing their natural sweetness to complement its savoury depth. It is equally suitable for pan sauces for more strongly flavoured poultry such as duck or quail.
Sherry vinegar is the one I use when I want warmth rather than brightness.
Champagne Vinegar
Champagne vinegar possesses a restrained acidity. It is a subtle taste that supports rather than dominates.
I use it for soft tasting ingredients like lettuces, dishes with delicate herbs such as tarragon or chervil and salads that include fruit, like oranges, peaches and pears, where excessive sharpness would disrupt the balance. Champagne vinegar preserves elegance rather than overwhelming it.
Understanding Balsamic Vinegar
I am very careful with Balsamic vinegar and use it very sparingly because most varieties that are available are overly sweet and synthetic. Having tasted different batches of Balsamic Vinegar in Modena some years ago I know what I should be tasting!
Proper Balsamic Vinegar is aged. As with much of Italian cooking, its depth is shaped more by time than by intervention. No additives.
The most revered style is traditional balsamic, produced in Modena or Reggio Emilia from slowly cooked grape must and aged in a succession of wooden barrels for at least twelve years, often far longer. As the seasons pass and the liquid gently concentrates, it becomes darker, denser, and quietly complex. Only a few drops are needed — on Parmigiano Reggiano, ripe strawberries, or a finished risotto — where it deepens rather than dominates. And it is very expensive so one is frugal.
Most bottles encountered today are Aceto Balsamico di Modena IGP, is made from a blend of wine vinegar and grape must and matured for a shorter time. When well made, it is excellent to use in everyday cooking — vinaigrettes, used in agrodolce, or stirred through pan juices.
At the lower end, the type that is sold in supermarkets and labelled as Balsamic … and made in Italy…maturity is sometimes suggested rather than earned. Caramel for colour, thickeners for viscosity, and added sweetness offers quick roundness. Do the ingredients listed mention grape must? Not likely. And how many additives are listed, and is the information correct?
For this reason, many Italian cooks keep two bottles — one for daily cooking, the other patiently aged, reserved for the final moment when a dish calls for depth and quiet resonance. And they are willing to pay for it .
Homemade Red Wine Vinegar
Making homemade vinegar is a lesson in patience.
Its production is always slightly unpredictable, influenced by time, temperature and the vitality of its mother. When I am successful, in making it, the vinegar is softer and more layered than most commercial versions.
I treat it with the same respect as a high-quality extra virgin olive oil, often saving it for special salads or using it as a finishing touch, particularly with bitter leaves such as radicchio, chicory and endive.
When I have excess red wine left over, I begin another batch. Fermentation has its own schedule, and some jars take longer than anticipated. The waiting period becomes an integral part of the process.
For those who prefer not to make their own vinegar, a reputable delicatessen will often stock beautifully aged vinegars that are well worth purchasing.
RECIPE: A Traditional Method for Homemade Red Wine Vinegar
Rustic, reliable, and close to how vinegar is still produced in many homes across Italy and France.
Ingredients
750 ml–1 litre red wine (avoid heavily sulphated wines)
250–500 ml unpasteurised vinegar containing a live mother
1 small piece of rustic bread
Equipment
Wide-mouth glass jar or crock
Breathable cloth or cheesecloth
Rubber band or string
Wooden spoon
Method
Prepare the wine: Aim for an alcohol level of roughly 6–10%.
Add the starter culture: Pour the wine into the container, add the live vinegar, and drop in the bread — traditionally used to provide nutrients and encourage microbial activity.
Aerate and cover: Stir gently. Cover with cloth — oxygen is essential. Never seal airtight. When I have used a crockpot I have also used a smaller lid to keep the mother down and then covered it with gauze. I have never had problems with vinegar flies, but maybe I am just lucky!
Ferment: Store somewhere warm (18–27°C), dark, and undisturbed. Within 1–3 weeks, a gelatinous film — the mother — should form, and the aroma will shift from wine to tangy vinegar.
Taste and monitor: Begin tasting after four weeks. Most batches take 4–8 weeks, sometimes longer.
Finish: Remove the bread and bottle, or age further for deeper flavour. Always reserve some mother to start the next batch.
Practical Tips
Avoid metal lids touching the liquid.
Do not disturb the mother once formed.
Top up gradually with wine to create a continuous culture.
Discard if fuzzy mould appears; a smooth, jelly-like mother is normal.
Bitterness, Balance, and the Italian Table
Italian cuisine embraces bitterness — radicchio, chicory, scarola, and Belgian endive (witlof) are favourites in my kitchen.
Whether served raw or braised, vinegar is the quiet mediator that softens bitterness and creates equilibrium.
The following recipes reflect northern Italian traditions, where radicchio is celebrated.
A head of Firm Radicchio.
Here are a couple of recipes for radicchio.
Radicchio Agrodolce (Sweet–Sour Radicchio)
A classic example of bitterness balanced with acid and sweetness, widely associated with the Veneto region.
Firm Radicchio cut into wedges.
Ingredients
2 heads radicchio, quartered
2 tbsp olive oil
1 small red or white sliced onion or spring onion
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar or honey (I often use 1 tbsp balsamic and 1 tbsp red wine vinegar instead)
Salt and black pepper
Optional: toasted or candied walnuts, pine nuts, raisins, or currants.
Method
Heat olive oil in a wide pan.
Sauté onion until soft and lightly sweet. If using spring onion sauté less (I overcooked mine)
Add radicchio cut-side down and cook until lightly charred.
Add vinegar and sweetener; toss gently.
Cook for 2–3 minutes until slightly wilted but still structured.
Season and serve warm.
Alternative Charred Version of Radicchio Agrodolce
For a deeper flavour:
Sear the wedges vigorously without moving them.
Turn once.
Deglaze with vinegar or a vinegar-balsamic mixture.
Add a touch of honey and butter, basting the radicchio on both sides in the pan until glossy or removing it before making the glaze.
Glaze for Cooked Radicchio.
Plating Tip: Serve wedges whole, slightly overlapped, with glaze spooned toward the core for visual structure.
Candied Walnuts (Perfect for Salads with bitter leaves)
Crisp, lightly glossy, and balanced — never overly sweet.
Ingredients
1 cup walnut halves
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp butter or olive oil
Pinch of salt
About a small teaspoon of wine vinegar
Method
Toast walnuts lightly in a dry pan until fragrant.
Add fat, sugar, and salt. Once the begin to melt add the vinegar.
Stir continuously until caramelised.
Spread on baking paper and cool completely.
Radicchio Salad with Balsamic and Parmigiano
Another northern Italian classic — simple, structured, and refined.
Ingredients
Radicchio leaves, torn
Parmigiano Reggiano shavings
Toasted walnuts (optional)
Extra virgin olive oil
Good-quality red wine vinegar, balsamic, or both
Salt and black pepper
Method
Toss radicchio with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Add vinegar gradually, tasting until the balance feels right — acidity should support, not dominate.
Plating Suggestions
Use a large plate and leave some negative space.
Build height rather than spreading the salad flat.
Add contrasting textures such as shaved fennel, citrus segments, firm pears sliced, nuts and fried capers. I also use firm peaches or vanilla persimmons, although these are not traditional ingredients. However, cuisine evolves and even traditional cuisine changes.
Finish with a final gloss of olive oil and intentionally placed shaved Parmigiano.
These small decisions/ finishing touches elevate salads from rustic home cooking to quietly sophisticated.
Easter in Sicily is one of the most significant celebrations of the year, where faith, spring , history and culinary traditions converge. And among them, Cassata stands out — not just as a dessert, but as a reflection of Sicily itself: rich, layered, and shaped by many cultural histories.
Ornate cart wheeled through the streets for Processions.
Renowned for its deeply rooted Sicilian Easter customs, the island commemorates Holy Week with solemn processions, ancient rituals.
HOLY WEEK
The Easter period begins with Holy Week, from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday, when towns and cities across Sicily are marked by devotion and tradition. Churches fill with incense, music and prayer, while the streets become the stage for solemn processions that have been passed down through generations.
In Enna, celebrations continue even in the week following Easter.
Catania, Santa Agata, lit up .
On Good Friday in particular, statues depicting scenes from the Passion of Christ are carried slowly through ancient streets.
Ancient Rituals and Easter Processions in Sicily
Many of these Easter customs are not only religious but also historical, with origins that may reach further back than Christianity itself.
The religious celebrations continue in the hill town of Enna, one of Sicily’s most renowned Easter centres.
These are photos ‘Albis’ Sunday. celebrated the following Sunday after Easter Sunday. The processions, consist of all-male groups of various ages and sodalities or confraternities from different churches or fellowships. The procession travelled from Piazza Mazzini to the nearby Lombard castle in Enna.
These processions, often accompanied by confraternities in traditional dress, create an atmosphere that is both deeply spiritual and visually striking.
Processions move slowly through the town of Enna.
A priest blesses the surrounding fields during the celebrations, invoking good harvests and favourable weather. This ritual reflects an enduring connection to the land and echoes ancient agricultural traditions.
The Blessing of the fields.
One of the most striking is the procession of fifteen religious confraternities, each wearing distinctive robes and carrying sacred statues.
Processions move slowly through the town of Enna.
These brotherhoods date from the 15th to 17th centuries, reflecting the strong influence of Spanish rule on Sicilian religious life.
one of the Confraternities.
EASTER SUNDAY AND THE ARRIVAL OF SPRING
After the solemnity of Holy Week, Easter Sunday brings a sense of release and joy. It commemorates the Resurrection of Christ, but it also coincides with the arrival of spring — a season that has always held deep meaning in Sicily.
As winter recedes, the landscape begins to change. Trees bud, flowers appear and the days grow longer. This natural renewal reinforces the deeper symbolism of Easter as a time of rebirth, hope and continuity.
Cassata Siciliana: A SYMBOL OF EASTER AND CULTURAL HISTORY
Easter foods in Sicily are never incidental; they carry memory, history and meaning. Among them, Cassata Siciliana stands as the most iconic — not simply a dessert, but a reflection of the island itself: layered, complex and shaped by many cultures.
With its sponge, sweetened ricotta, candied fruit and marzipan, cassata tells a story of Sicily’s past. Arab influences introduced sugar, citrus and the art of candying fruit. The name cassata may derive from the Arabic word qas’ah, meaning a bowl or basin, referring to the mould used to shape the cake.
The sponge — pan di Spagna — points to Spanish connections. Later, French-trained chefs called monsù refined the dessert in aristocratic kitchens adding elegance and structure. Convent kitchens also played an important role, especially in the development of almond-based sweets and marzipan.
Nuns in Convents also contributed greatly to the development of Sicilian Pastries, especially those made with almonds and Marzipan.
Cassata, as we know it today, is the result of all these influences coming together.
PASTICCERIE (pastry shops)
It is also a cake that reflects Sicily’s love of colour, sweetness and elaborate presentation.
For this reason, cassata is rarely made at home in Sicily. It is usually the work of skilled pasticceri, many working in historic pastry shops that have preserved these techniques over generations. Like many elaborate Italian desserts, it is often left to those who have mastered the craft.
The result is a dessert that is both theatrical and deeply rooted in Sicilian tradition. The classic Sicilian cassata is an eye-catching, baroque-style cake, usually decorated with colourful glacé fruits and candied citrus peel.
The Other Forms of Cassata
There are other versions of cassata.
Cassata gelata – a frozen dessert made with ricotta and sponge cake
Cassata al forno – a baked pastry filled with sweetened ricotta
Cassata al forno is very much like a Baked Ricotta Cheese Cake.
Cassata at Home
While the traditional cassata may appear elaborate, its essence is simple — good ricotta, balanced sweetness and careful assembly. Making it at home is less about perfect decoration and more about understanding these elements and respecting their origins.
Over the years I have made several homemade cassate, sometimes decorating them with green marzipan and sometimes with a mixture of almond and pistachio marzipan.
CASSATA EXPLAINED
The classic Sicilian cassata is made of three main parts. First, there’s a soft sponge cake, often moistened with a splash of liqueur and used to line the mould.
Sponge cake cut into sections to assemble the cassata.
Inside is a rich, sweetened ricotta filling, made with sheep’s milk (sweeter than cow’s milk) and mixed with small pieces of candied citrus and dark chocolate.
The ricotta filling – the centre of the cassata.
Finally, the entire cake is covered with a layer of green marzipan or glassa a smooth glaze of sugar icing, then decorated with intricate patterns and colourful candied fruits.
HERE ARE Simpler and Deconstructed Versions of CASSATA
While the traditional cassata is a spectacular dessert, it is also labour-intensive.
Tastes change, and many people today prefer desserts that are lighter and less elaborate.
For this reason I often prepare simplified versions that use the same classic ingredients — ricotta, sponge, almonds and citrus — but in a more relaxed form.
One example is a deconstructed cassata, where the familiar flavours are layered in glasses rather than assembled as a formal cake. Sometimes I add fresh strawberries, which complement the ricotta beautifully.
These variations retain the essence of cassata while eliminating the complexities of traditional preparation.
Marzipan Leaves Recipe
To garnish these desserts I often prepare simple marzipan leaves, a playful reference to the decorative marzipan traditionally used on cassata.
Ingredients
100 g blanched almond meal
100 g icing sugar
1 egg white
¼ tsp vanilla extract
1 drop green food colouring
Method
Combine all ingredients and knead until smooth. If the mixture is too soft, add a little more almond meal or icing sugar.
Roll the marzipan thinly between sheets of baking paper and cut into leaf shapes.
Reimagining Cassata — Less Formal
These simplified desserts reinterpret cassata in a relaxed way. They retain the characteristic flavours of ricotta, almonds and citrus while being quicker to prepare.
Layered Cassata in a Glass
Place one or two Savoiardi biscuits or sponge cake in the bottom of a glass and lightly brush with Cointreau.
Add a layer of sweetened ricotta mixture, then another layer of sponge or Savoiardi.
Finish with marzipan leaves.
EVEN Simpler
Spoon generous layers of ricotta mixture into large wine glasses.
Add marzipan leaves and one or two dry Savoiardi biscuits that can be used to scoop up the ricotta. Serve the Cointreau separately.
Cassata on the Blog Since 2009
Cassata has appeared frequently on All Things Sicilian and More over the years. If you would like to explore further, here are some related posts:
Do I take making coffee at home too seriously? Here is a photo of the coffee-making equipment I have at home.
In times before the Corona Virus lockdown, when a group of us went to gym classes at the Melbourne City Baths we would go for a coffee and a chat after our session. Now that we are socially isolating, the same gym group catches up for a chat on Zoom.
During one of our Zoom sessions I brought out the coffee making equipment pictured above on a tray and I staged a performance of having made a coffee for each of us. There were the expected laughs but one person said that it looked as if I was hording. That was the end of that. I kept on thinking about this and wondering if I did have too many coffee makers.
I do not know if my friend knew just how important is a ritual making coffee at home.
As an Italian, I take the preparation and consumption of coffee very seriously. I have a range of macchinette da Caffè of various sizes: one, two, four and six cups. I do not have a three or five-cup machine, but if I have three people wanting coffee, I use both my one- and two-cup machines. For five people, I use my one- and four-cup machines. If I anticipate that someone may require more than one cup, I ask beforehand and prepare coffee in one or more of the larger machines.
I grind my coffee beans just before I place the ground coffee in the chosen macchinetta because freshly ground coffee is likely achieve the best flavour and aroma. If I am making coffee for one, it has to be in the one cup macchinetta, for two people, it has to be in the two cup, etc. Usually Italians are happy with just the one coffee per time and they only make the right amount because, after all, it needs to be freshly made and never rewarmed. I have had that grinder for about 30 years old.
Any left-over coffee can be saved to make a caffè freddo in summer or a granita di caffè. The left-over coffee can also be kept if there is someone in the household who mixes left over coffee with milk to eat with bread, broken into pieces and dropped in. This is no different to the French doing the same thing. My father used to have this for breakfast. Of course, he did not do this when we lived in Italy – there he would go to the bar on his way to work to have a quick coffee and a chat with the barista at the counter.
No lingering. (CremCaffè in Piazza Goldoni, Trieste). His Tailoring business was a couple of doors to the right and upstairs and our apartment was just around the corner.
CremCaffè in Piazza Goldoni, Trieste.
There was no way that my dad could continue this ritual in Australia when we came to Adelaide from Trieste in 1956.
Lucky for us, times have changed and those who wish can do this. You will not see Italians carrying takeaway coffee or sipping it as they walk along and I find it difficult to appreciate those who sit in a coffee place for a long time, chatting and having only one coffee or reading their papers or writing on their laptops. Especially if it is a small business. Some beliefs are difficult for me to dismiss. Maybe it is to do with the coffee place having a relatively quick turnover so as to make a living.
If we (father, mother and I and perhaps friends) wanted a leisurley coffee and luxurious cakes we would go to Caffe degli Specchi in Piazza Unità on the waterfront.
Trieste has numerous coffee bars.Caffe degli Specchi in Piazza Unità.
Our Napoletana coffee-maker travelled with us to Australia. At the time it was the top domestic extraction coffee-maker available before the stovetop espresso macchinette became popular. This is not a photo of what we had. This piece of equipment was discarded years ago. We also brought with us a little milk heating saucepan to heat the milk. I have memories of inviting one of our Australian neighbours for coffee. I can remember the man’s face and irrespective of the amount of warm milk we poured into the coffee, it was was much too strong. He was used to Chicory Essence.
We tried.
This is called a Napoletana.
The Napoletana has a tank for the water, the ground coffee holder and filter, a small hole for steam to escape and the server.
Once it is assembled, the part that holds the water is put on the heat to boil and once it has boiled and the steam begins to come out, the pan is flipped upside down and the boiling water trickles through.
Now back to my macchinette da caffè and do I have too many? I do not think so.
Alfonzo Pupplieni e figli (and sons) made these Coffee Macchinette.
There are the macchinette I use at home (as above) but we also have some that travel with us. We never travel overseas with out taking these. They are very light weight. These are much more modern than all my other caffettiere, the little blue Bialetti used to be my mum’s – I cannot get rid of that! Coming to think of it, that little blue Bialetti must be at least 15 years old. The ones in the photo above were made by Alfonzo Pupplieni e figli (and sons) and I notice that my research indicates that they are classified as “Vintage” and are in high demand. Good things last.
Simple BIALETTI macchinette.
This one (photo below) is heavy. It comes camping with us and gets taken when we go and sleep at friends’ houses or Airbnbs or rental holiday accommodation.
We like our “proper” coffee.
Fortunately, none of our friends drink instant coffee … or at least they do not let us know. Some friends have plunger coffee … this is not the coffee I like to drink. My partner drinks plunger coffee if he has to, but prefers coffee from the macchinetta that travels with us. He even prefers this to the coffee made from electric Coffee Machines – pod or automatic so it gets included in our luggage.
The Atomica was designed by Giordano Robbiati in 1946 in Milan Italy.
But he doesn’t like strong coffee in the morning, so he uses the distinctively designed Atomica, which makes two large cups. I never drink coffee from the Atomica. It is far too weak for my taste. This vintage coffee maker can also froth milk to make cappuccino or caffè latte. The Atomica was designed by Giordano Robbiati in 1946 in Milan Italy. I do not know the age of my Atomica but just like our car, it goes in for a regular service. This used to belong to a friend and was given to me many, many years ago.
I want to make special mention of this macchinetta. It was a gift from one of my Sicilian aunts. With this heavy macchinetta, I can make coffee for four people or six; this macchinetta must also be getting to be elderly.
I had a taste for coffee when I was pretty young. My mother made me “caffé col’uovo sbatutto” (coffee with beaten egg) for breakfast.
If it wasn’t a “uovo sbattuto” it was “un uovo all’ ostrica”…this was an egg yolk with a squeeze of lemon juice, just like having an oyster.
This with a cup of hot chocolate was breakfast.
Caffè col’uovo sbattuto
Beat an egg yolk with a few teaspoons of sugar until foamy, then pour in a little good strong coffee, and mix it up. The coffee deletes the sweetness. If I had been an adult, more coffee would have been added.
If I am going to have good coffee at home, I do want proper equipment…. and I take pleasure remembering.
Chicken with Sauerkraut is a simple dish with flavours from the Carso region of northeastern Italy, near Trieste. The Carso is a mountainous area between Slovenia and the Adriatic Sea, south of Monfalcone.
Cultural History
The recipe’s simple ingredients reflect the flavours of Hungary, Germany, Russia and Eastern European countries. These are also the flavours of Trieste: chicken, sauerkraut, onion, lardo and white wine. This is not surprising as Trieste was once part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
I first came across a version of this recipe in Fred Plotkin’s book, La Terra Fortunata, (published in 2001). I
I have previously made this dish using chicken with bones as the recipe suggests. However, I have used boneless chicken and some fatty bacon this time. Having lived in Trieste, I am well-acquainted with sauerkraut and cooking with smoked pork and pork fat. I always have jars of sauerkraut at home, particularly in winter for making dishes such as iota.
Lardo
Lardo is an Italian salume that is eaten and widely used in Italian cuisine especially in northern Italy; it is made from the thick layer of fat from the back of a pig and cured with a mixture of salt, herbs, and spices; the most esteemed Italian lardo is aged in the warm, fresh caves in the area of Carrara (famous for its marble) and no additives or preservatives are used.
Lardo Affumicato is Speck. This also is used widely in cooking of Trieste and Italian regions that used to be part of the Austrian- Hungarian Empire.
The rendered fat from the lardo or bacon is the fat used in this recipe. (Pork fat, or rendered pork fat is also called lardo in Italian and is lard in English).
THE RECIPE: Chicken with Sauerkraut
INGREDIENTS
This recipe does not require specific quantities as it relies on estimations and personal preference. I used approximately 1 kg of chicken, 5 rashers of fatty bacon and 500 g of drained and squeezed sauerkraut.
Feel free to adjust the quantities to suit your taste.
Fry the bacon/lardo in a heavy bottomed saucepan
PROCESS
Gently fry the bacon or lardo in a heavy bottomed pan over medium heat and when there is sufficient melted fat in the pan sear the chicken pieces till golden.
Fry the chicken in batches.
Fry the chicken in batches so as not to crowd the chicken pieces in the pan while searing.
Do not to crowd the chicken pieces in the pan while searing.
Once you have seared the meat, add a sliced small onion and cook it gently till softened and golden.
Seared Chicken, onion and sauerkraut .
Add some peppercorns , bay leaves and the sauerkraut and cook it gently for about 10 minutes.
Mix the ingredients together.
Add the chicken, some white wine (about 1/2 cup) and bring to a boil. Cover with a lid and cook gently for about 20 minutes. If necessary add more wine or water to keep it moist while it is cooking,
Add white wine, bring to a boil, cover and cook gently.
If you are using chicken with bones cook it for longer (30-40 mins, depending on the size of the chicken).
Travelling recently through Tyrol, Vienna and Russia, I was struck by how often Goulash appeared on menus. Whether called Gulyás in Hungary or Gulasch in Austria and Trieste, this deeply comforting dish clearly travelled widely through the former Austro-Hungarian Empire, adapting to local tastes and traditions along the way.
Curious once again about its origins, I returned to one of my favourite cookbooks on Hungarian cuisine — Cuisine of Hungary by George Lang — still one of the most detailed and informative books I own on the subject.
Gulasch in Trieste
— for many years. As a child living in Trieste, I grew up with the strong culinary influences of Central Europe. Trieste was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire until the end of the First World War, and many dishes from that period remain firmly embedded in the city’s cuisine.
Triestian Gulasch is usually made simply with beef, onions and paprika. The onions and meat are slowly browned in lard and olive oil, but bacon is generally not used. Unlike many northern European versions, Triestian recipes rarely include potatoes, peppers or additional vegetables, and they are never thickened with flour.
Some cooks add caraway seeds or a little tomato paste, but red wine is not traditional.
My Version of Gulasch
Like many home cooks, I have gradually adapted the dish over time.
I almost always cook with wine and have always added red wine to my Gulasch. Perhaps this came from my mother’s cooking; it is something I have never questioned. I also rely heavily on herbs in my kitchen, so bay leaves naturally find their way into the pot. And because I enjoy a little complexity in flavour, I use both sweet and hot paprika.
I do not add potatoes directly to the stew. Instead, I prefer to serve them separately — perhaps as patate in teccia or creamy mashed potatoes enriched with milk and butter.
More often though, I serve Gulasch with polenta, one of the great accompaniments of Triestian cooking.
In Tyrol I was also served Goulash with braised red cabbage, which worked beautifully.
I do not add potatoes to the braise and prefer to present then separately, either Patate in teccia or creamy mashed potatoes with lashings of milk and butter. However, I am more likely to present it with Polenta, a favourite accompaniment in the cooking of Trieste.
Goulash as presented in a restaurant in Tyrol. It was accompanied with braised red cabbage.
What Makes a “True” Hungarian Gulyás?
According to George Lang, a true Hungarian gulyás should contain no spice other than paprika and caraway seeds.
He insists that lard, bacon and onions are essential and famously warns:
“Never use flour. Never Frenchify it with wine. Never Germanize it with brown sauce.”
Traditionally, the only additions should be potatoes or galuska (small dumplings).
But, as with all traditional dishes, variations exist from household to household and region to region. Some cooks add tomatoes or tomato paste, garlic, green peppers or hot cherry peppers for extra heat.
That flexibility is part of the reason why this dish survived across borders and cultures.
George Lang’s Kettle Gulyás Recipe
This recipe Kettle Gulyás comes from “The Cuisine of Hungary” by George Lang (Penguin Books, 1971)
Ingredients
2 tablespoons lard (or vegetable oil)
2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
1.1 kg beef chuck or round, cut into cubes
225 g beef heart (optional), cubed
1 garlic clove
Pinch of caraway seeds
Salt
2 tablespoons paprika
1 ripe tomato
2 green frying peppers or Italian peppers
450 g potatoes
Method
Peel and roughly chop the onions.
Heat the lard in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven. Brown the beef cubes in batches, taking care not to overcrowd the pan. Remove the meat as it browns.
Add the onions and cook gently over low heat until glossy rather than browned.
Return the beef to the pot.
Crush the garlic, caraway seeds and a little salt together using the flat side of a knife.
Remove the pot briefly from the heat. Stir in the paprika and garlic mixture quickly with a wooden spoon, then immediately add warm water. George Lang warns against adding cold water at this stage because it can toughen the meat.
Cover and simmer slowly for about one hour.
Meanwhile, peel and chop the tomato, slice the peppers into rings and dice the potatoes.
After the meat has braised for an hour, add the tomato, peppers and enough water to create a soup-like consistency. Season lightly with salt and continue simmering for another 30 minutes.
Add the potatoes and cook until tender. Adjust seasoning and add hot cherry peppers if you prefer a spicier version.
Food, Memory and Empire
What fascinates me most about Goulash and Gulasch is not simply the recipe itself, but the way food travels across borders and becomes absorbed into local identity.
A Hungarian shepherd’s dish became part of the everyday cooking of Trieste, Vienna and much of Central Europe. Each place adapted it slightly, yet the essential character remained — slow-cooked meat, onions, paprika and warmth.
These are the dishes that tell stories of migration, empire, trade and memory.
And perhaps that is why I continue to cook Gulasch after all these years.
Trieste, Ponte Rosso
For my recipe of Gulasch, as cooked in Trieste see:
