Wine, Spirits, Liquers and Drinks | All Things Sicilian and more

BOOK SIGNING OF SICILIAN SEAFOOD COOKING AT READINGS (and Fennel Frittata)

Christine Gordon intros Marisa @ Readings

EVENT | Thursday 17 November 2011 at 6:30pm

Marisa Raniolo Wilkins

Food, wine, book signing

Readings Hawthorn: 701 Glenferrie Rd, Hawthorn, Victoria, 3122

The event was organised by Christine Gordon.

After this event I went home and made a wild fennel frittata and had it with a bottle of Rocky Passes Estate syrah – a very fine wine and the only bottle left over from the book signing event held in Readings in Hawthorn (Sicilian Seafood Cooking).

Friends Vitto Oles & Candi Westney own and run Rocky Passes Estate and they graciously donated the wine for the Readings event.

Vitto is the viticulturist and wine-maker of exceptionally good Syrah and Candi is just as important because she is responsible for the entertainment – the music concerts, performances and art exhibitions. Both manage the cellar door and the range of appetising Argentinian/Spanish inspired morsels (tapas) that are available when you visit their winery.

Rocky Passes Estate is at the spectacular southern end of the Strathbogie Ranges, near Seymour in Victoria. If you look at their wine label you will notice two eagles – these birds are often soaring above their very attractive property.

The winery is relatively new and had its first vintage of Syrah in 2004 and every vintage since has been highly rated by James Halliday. The winery is open Sundays 11-5pm or by appointment and Tapas also served onthe last Friday of the month as well as during art openings and special events.

I love wild fennel and when I find it I use it.

I have written about frittata in a previous post and as you see it is not difficult to make. The fennel can be replaced by any wilted green vegetable, for example spinach, endives, spring onions or asparagus.

Wild greens are superb or you can use bulb fennel, but keep the greens.You can vary the amounts of vegetables but as a general guide I would use 3-4 eggs to a cup of greens. For this frittata I used 12 eggs and it fed 4 of us (we were greedy).
Remember to use a spatula to lift the cooked part of the frittata as it cooks and release the uncooked egg. Need I say that I only use free range eggs?

Then flip it over – I used a pizza tray. Finally, slide the frittata out. At the Readings book signing event I accompanied the Rocky passes with green Sicilian olives (olive schiacciate), marinaded anchovies.

Marianna Di Bartolo from Dolcetti made more fish shaped biscuits for this occasion and once again these were perfectly matched with Brown Brothers’ Zibibbo.

And once again it was an other fine celebration for Sicilian Seafood Cooking.

CHEAT FOOD FOR LAUNCH OF SICILIAN SEAFOOD COOKING AT COASIT AND READINGS: Marinaded white anchovies AND Olive Schacciate made with commercially prepared olives

I am getting so many requests for recipes about the marinaded anchovies and the squashed olives (olive schiacciate, sounds much better), two of the spuntini (little mouthfuls/ tastes) that were available for the Melbourne launch of Sicilian Seafood Cooking at COASIT.

These olives and anchovies were presented at COASIT and at the event at Readings in Hawthorn- great compliments and many requests for the recipe- a cheat recipe but very successful.

EVENT | Thursday 17 November 2011 at 6:30pm

Marisa Raniolo Wilkins

Food, wine, book signing at Readings Hawthorn: 701 Glenferrie Rd, Hawthorn, Victoria, 3122

The olives and anchovies are both called my Cheat Recipes and you will see why.

I also made caponata, the Catanese version, which includes peppers. These little offerings, together with the generous food offerings by Fiona Rigg from Fiona Louise, Marianna di Bartolo from Dolcetti and Alfredo and Lisa La Spina from Bar Idda were very much appreciated by those who attended the launch.

MARINADED WHITE ANCHOVIES

Ingredients and Processes:

I used boquerones (white anchovies) from Spain (1 kilo pack)

Drain them (they are packed in oil and vinegar), add 4 cloves of finely chopped garlic, 1 cup of finely cut parsley and 3 spring onions and cover them with extra virgin olive oil.

Leave in marinade at least one day.

This recipe is nothing new. When we first come to Australia and could not buy fresh sardines (they were used a bait, like squid used to be) my father would buy Spanish sardines packed in salt, wash them carefully, drain them and dress them in the same manner. And he was Sicilian. Sometimes he added oregano or chopped fennel fronds, sometimes capers. The anchovies were stored in the fridge ready to be placed on a fresh piece of bread whenever anyone was hungry and they were also very useful if guests dropped in unexpected.

Accompanied with a cold glass of white wine or a glass of dry vermouth (or dry marsala if we had been able to buy some in the 60’s in small town Adelaide) these marinaded anchovies were very much appreciated. And we never made a brutta figura.

By tomorrow they will be superb. In two days time, they will taste even better.

Not everything need take a long time to prepare. And some of your guests may even like them more than eating fresh sardines treated the same way – some people squirm at the mention of fresh sardines.

OLIVE SCHIACCIATE

I asked my daughter Francesca to prepare the olives for me. The following is her writing:

With two book launches to promote, one book signing, menu preparation for two cooking demonstrations, sourcing wine, book promotion, writing her blog and launch speeches plus a family wedding interstate thrown in, Mum was in need of an extra pair of hands, those I could supply.

I was a little daunted, to begin with, when I learnt my ‘job’ was to prepare 7kg of olives. Not because 7kgs of olives sounded so much and they all had to be crushed in small amounts but I hadn’t made them before and what if they are awful? How embarrassed I would feel and would they come even close to the olives my mother dressed? But there is no cooking involved and I had my instructions – it would be hard to “stuff it up” so I did it.

INGREDIENTS
(for 1 kg of olives, double up for 2kg and so on)

Sicilian Green olives in brine (These were Nocellara brand)

garlic 4/5 large cloves

orange rind from 1 orange

chilli flakes 2 tbls

fennel seeds, 2 tbls

bay leaves, 3-4

wild Fennel fronds/ leaves/green stuff (failing this, use extra fennel seeds,1 tbs)

extra Virgin olive oil, about a litre- you need enough to cover the olives

PROCESSES

Drain the brine from the olives, no need to rinse them. I used a mortar and pestle to crush the olives, a handful at a time and they don’t require much force.

Roughly chop the garlic and wild fennel fronds. Place the crushed olives into a jar or sealable plastic container and add the chilli, wild Fennel, bay leaves, orange peel and garlic and cover them completely with olive oil.

The olives need to be keep completely under oil at all times and should be stored in the fridge. I placed a plate over the olives to keep them under the oil level. The oil will solidify so the olives need to be removed from the fridge a couple of hours before eating and the oil drained off. Remember to keep and re-use the flavoured oil – great for salads and cooking.

Carlo Carli at launch of Sicilian Seafood Cooking

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LAUNCH OF SICILIAN SEAFOOD COOKING AT COASIT, Marisa Raniolo Wilkins – Pushing out the boat

One upon a time, when people talked about “launching” something, they were usually talking about ships and the launch usually involved some celebrity smashing a bottle of champagne across the bow and standing back to watch the hull slide down the slipway and into the water! Or spectators crossing themselves and praying for the vessel’s safe voyages.

My feelings of anticipation, excitement and relief were just as intense when Richard Cornish launched my book, Sicilian Seafood Cooking, at the Museo Italiano in Faraday Street Carlton, last Sunday (6 November).

And while Richard didn’t crack a bottle of champagne over the lectern, and I did not make the sign of the cross, there was certainly plenty of wine, food and bubbles to float my book out into bookstores, and a great crowd of well-wishers who to lent a hand to see it on its way. All of them need to be thanked.

First, thanks to the staff of CoAsIt and the Museo Italiano and especially to Carlo Carli who is the Coordinator of the Museo Italiano, and Rosaria Zarro, Italian Education Officer at CoAsIt, who hosted the launch in the spacious and well-equipped conference room in Faraday Street, Carlton.

Special thanks to Richard Cornish, award-winning author and journalist. I have always admired Richard and his writing and I am deeply honoured and seriously grateful to Richard for launching Sicilian Seafood Cooking.

Richard Cornish is best known to readers of Epicure (the Age) and Good Living (Sydney Morning Herald) for his articles on food, concentrating on ethical and sustainable production. Richard has also co-authored a series of books on Spanish cuisine with Frank Camorra, chef and owner of Melbourne’s Movida restaurants. The latest book MoVida Cocina is published in November 2011 so I know how busy he must be.

The Sponsors

Wine

The wine was generously provided by three producers – two of them, family companies, Coriole and Brown Brothers – and the other, a major producer of wines in Sicily, distributed by Arquilla Food and Wine.

Coriole [link to http://www.coriole.com] provided two varieties of Sangiovese, a wine whose Italian origins are most closely linked to Tuscany. Led by Mark Lloyd, Coriole has ventured further and further into the production of Italian varieties in their McLaren Vale vineyards, south of Adelaide. Coriole began with Sangiovese in 1987, and followed by Nebbiolo and Barbera. The experimentation has continued with plantings of Fiano (recently awarded Best McLaren Vale White Wine), Sagrantino and Nero d’Avola, which is yet to have a vintage – maybe next year.

Brown Brothers provided a sparkling Zibibbo, the Sicilian name for a grape originally named Muscat of Alexandria. You can never finish a meal in Sicily without being offered a glass of Zibibbo! Brown Brothers, who established their first vineyard at Milawa in the lower King Valley, grow the grapes for their Zibibbo at their Mystic Park Vineyard beside the Murray Valley Highway about halfway between Kerang and Swan Hill.

Arquilla supplied traditional Sicilian wines, Nero d’Avola and Frappato, produced by Feudi del Pisciotto. I first tasted the Feudi Nero d’Avola at my favourite Sicilian restaurant, Bar Idda, another fabulous family affair in the hands of Lisa and Alfredo La Spina, with Lisa’s brother Anthony managing the bar and the drinks.

Food

The book didn’t just float out on glasses of Sicilian wine. There was a selection of tasty finger-food (or as they are called in Italian, spuntini).

Fiona Rigg, who was the amazing food stylist for the book, made a Christmas caponata [made with celery]. Being very creative she made some sauces (cipollata and mataroccu) from the chapter Come Fare una Bella Figura from Sicilian Seafood Cooking. [link to http://www.fionalouise.com.au]

Lisa and Alfredo from Bar Idda contributed roasted peppers [link to http://www.baridda.com.au] l Iove to eat at their restaurant!

The highly capable pastry chef, Marianna DiBartolo, who owns Dolcetti, [link to http://www.dolcetti.com.au] a Sicilian-inspired pastry shop (pasticceria) in North Melbourne, made special fish-shaped biscuits for the occasion, which were perfectly matched with the Zibibbo.

I was really pleased to see the editors of two important publications at the launch: Agi Argyropoulos editor and publisher of Seafood News

[link to http://www.seafoodnews.com.au] which I contribute a recipe to every month. Agi held the publication so that he could include photos from the launch, which deserves a special thank you, and has given it a whole page in the November edition.

And Danielle Gullaci from Italianicious, [link to http://www.italianicious.com.au] the bi-monthly magazine which celebrates all things Italian, and which is publishing an article on me in the January-February 2012 issue.

Others I would like to thank for their contribution to the success of the launch, include:

UCG Wholesale Foods at 58 A’Beckett Street Melbourne for the Novara Mineral Water,

The Sicilian travel experts, Echoes Events [link to http://www.echoesevents.com] for the posters of Sicily and a special thank you to the photographers on the day,

David and Rilke Muir, directors and cinematographers for Making of Movies, [link to http://www.makingofmovies.com.au]

Valerie Sparks, [link to http://www.valeriesparks.com.au] and

Rita Price [link to http://www.weekendnotes.com/profile/125374/]

NEXT EVENT IN MELBOURNE

EVENT | Thursday 17 November 2011 at 6:30pm

Marisa Raniolo Wilkins

Readings Hawthorn: 701 Glenferrie Rd, Hawthorn, Victoria, 3122

Food, wine, book signing

*Entry is free but you must book before Monday by phoning: 9819 1917.

ADELAIDE

The Adelaide launch of Sicilian Seafood Cooking is at:

Il Mercato, 625 Lower North East Road, Campbelltown at 3.00pm

on Sunday 20 November.

Il Mercato specialises in Italian food, wine and culture.

If you wish to attend the launch please RSVP to Cynthia at Il Mercato:

CynthiaPorciello@ilmercato.com.au

Sicilian Seafood Cooking will be launched by Rosa Matto – a great friend and a cook I’ve admired and respected for as long as I have known her.

Rosa and I will be introduced at the launch by the newly appointed Minister for Education and Child Development in South Australia, Grace Portolesi MP, the Member for Hartley (which includes Campbelltown).

AND A BIG THANKS TO ALL WHO ATTENDED

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SMOKED SALMON PASTA (Pasta al salmone affumicato)

I was given a slab of Tasmanian smoked salmon recently, the type of brand that says grown in the pristine waters of Tasmania (there are several brands) but which fail to add that their method of farming (aquaculture) pollutes the pristine waters of Tasmania.

We ate much of the smoked salmon rolled and stuffed with herbs or plain with rye bread, horseradish and salad (green leafs or celeriac, or fennel) and I used the left overs for a pasta dish, pasta al salmone affumicato. You may still see this on some Italian menus (all over Italy); if I go by my age, this dish has certainly been around for a long time.

Many of the recipes for this sauce include cream. I have always used good quality unsalted butter. Vodka is common, especially if it is made in the north of Italy, but more often than not I make it with white wine. Sometimes I add lemon juice and nearly always grated lemon peel.

I like to use ribbon egg pasta, for example taglierini or tagliatelle, but farfalle or penne are also common in recipes. In the north of Italy I have also eaten it with black poppy seeds sprinkled on top, my father used to say that this was the German influence.

The sauce is prepared very quickly and egg pasta does not take too long to cook.

INGREDIENTS

egg ribbon pasta, 500g

smoked salmon, thinly sliced , 250g

extra virgin olive oil, ½ cup

spring onions, thinly sliced, 6-8

parsley, chopped, 1 cup

unsalted butter, 200 g

vodka or white wine, ½ cup

salt and freshly ground, black pepper to taste

lemon, juice of 1 and grated peel

PROCESSES

Sauté the spring onion in the oil until golden.

Add the vodka (or white wine) and evaporate. Add the parsley and allow to soften. reduce or switch off heat.

Cook the pasta and just before it is ready (al dente) add the salmon to the sauce (to warm), butter ( to melt) and seasoning. Switch off heat.
Dress the pasta, add lemon juice, place on a serving platter and sprinkle grated lemon peel on top.

I am pleased to find that there appears to be a source of smoked salmon, which is sustainable. The farm is reputed to grow salmon in natural conditions, without chemicals or antibiotics, using environmentally sustainable practices.

www.41southtasmania.com

FRAPPATO WINE from Feudi del Pisciotto, Sicily

It is a bottle of Frappato (a red Italian wine grape variety planted primarily in Sicily) from the winery called Feudi del Pisciotto. It is a very enjoyable light, but full-bodied wine.

I love the wine label on the bottle as well, and it is not just to give the bottle a pretty face. The label is part of a collection drawn by Italian stylists in order to support continued restorations and charitable works throughout Sicily.

Caltagirone, Piazza Armerina and Vittoria form a triangle and the Feudi del Pisciotto winery is located within it. Caltagirone is inland (about 70 km southwest of Catania) and is famous for its ceramics. Vittoria is very close to Ragusa, but further inland. Those who have seen the famous mosaic floors in Villa Romana del Casale would know that it is located about 5km outside the town of Piazza Armerina. (Unfortunately there is a mistake on their web page and they call it Piazza Almerina).

I enjoyed this bottle of wine at BAR IDDA.

They are still going strong those Sicilians on Lygon Street and each time I go there I enjoy their food. I like the way that Alfredo (known affectionally as Freddy, the owner and chef) successfully experiments with traditional Sicilian dishes. This time one of the many dishes on offer were the barbequed sardines with marjoram oil and the other were the cazzilli (potato croquettes) to which he added fennel seeds. You are not likely to find these variations in Sicily, but this type of fusion works – the flavours go together and are compatible (for example, unlike coriander in a Sicilian recipe).

I also like the hospitality that the staff offer, Lisa welcomes you as if you were visiting her home, Freddy comes and speaks to guests and Antony knows how to recommend a good Sicilian wine, and all the time, smile, smile, smile. And they mean it.

Avanti e Complimenti Bar Idda!

Recipe for cazzili:

CAZZILLI (POTATO CROQUETTES) and Marlin Potatoes

ROSE PETAL ICE CREAM (GELATO DI ROSE)

I have made more rosolio di rose (rose petal liqueur) and this time I used rose petals from some scented roses from my friends’ extensive garden at Euroa (Victoria). Although my friends have many roses, not many are scented or of a dark red colour, which is useful to tint the vodka to a deep, rose shade.

One of my readers used my recipe for making rose liqueur but reported that she did not feel that she needed to steep the petals for as long as I had suggested – this was certainly my experience on this occasion and the colour seem to leach out of the petals very quickly.

As you can see by the photos there were not many red petals, but I was surprised with the end colour.

The same reader used her rose petal liqueur for making cocktails. I wanted to use the liqueur like Kirsch, a dash at the bottom of a glass and topped with champagne – special enough for Christmas. I had also read several recipes where fresh rose petals had been used to make ice cream and wondered if the liqueur could be successfully used instead. And it can be.

Mainly to provide visual contrast and to fit in with the Christmas spirit I presented the ice cream with macerated berries. If I had a flower garden, or if I was able to purchase scented roses that had not been treated with any chemicals or sprayed with pesticides, I may have sprinkled a few fresh petals and on top of the ice cream instead of including the berries.

INGREDIENTS AND PROCESSES

Make a crema pasticcera (use the recipe in the post for Zuppa Inglese) but use 5 egg yolks instead of 3. I always use organic, full cream milk but for making this ice cream replace 1 cup of the milk with heavy cream.

Chill the custard overnight in the fridge.

Add ½- ¾ cup of rose liqueur to the chilled custard and stir it through gently.

Make ice cream following the manufacturer’s instructions.

Notes:

My ice cream machine is not a sophisticated, sealed unit; it is very primitive and consists of a frozen block at the bottom of a stirring apparatus, but most of the time it makes ice cream successfully. Alternatively freeze the mixture in a sealed container and during freezing stir the mixture a few times with a fork.

Because I wanted the ice cream to be a deeper shade of rose, I added about a teaspoonful of juice from the berries at the same time as the rose liqueur.

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ROSE PETAL LIQUEUR COCKTAIL (From one of my readers)

I always feel very honoured when readers try my recipes. Georgina has made rose petal liqueur and has sent me this comment, photo and her recipe for a rose petal liqueur cocktail. Thank you.

I have followed your recipe to make a lovely rose petal liqueur but have been too impatient to wait 3 months before using it! I used predominantly pink fragrant rose petals from the ‘Lorraine Lee’ and ‘Cecile Brunner’ roses growing in my garden. I did however source a couple of fragrant red roses for added colour.

I kept adding fresh rose petals to the vodka each day from the ‘Cecile Brunner’ rose which has the classic rose perfume. After a week I strained off the petals and started over with a fresh batch of petals, continuing to add more each day as they were produced by the rose bushes. After another week I filtered these and finished making the liqueur. This was only stored for another 2 weeks before I used it to make a rose petal cocktail based on one that my daughter had discovered in a bar in Cambodia.

The cocktail is made with one measure of rose petal liqueur, one measure of lemon infused vodka (I added crushed lemon grass and lemon rind to the vodka, let it steep and then strained it), one measure of lychee juice (blend fresh or tinned lychees, which have had the syrup rinsed from them, and strain off the juice), half a measure of freshly squeezed lime juice. Thoroughly chill all ingredients. Shake together with ice, pour into a cocktail glass and float some rose petals on top. Very pretty and delicious with a kick!

OTHER ROSE PETAL RECIPES:

ROSE PETAL ICE CREAM (GELATO DI ROSE)

ROSE LIQUEUR (Rosoliu/Liquore di rose)
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ZUPPA INGLESE, Italian dessert and Alchermes

I use a Florentine ancient Liquer called Alchermes (or Alkermes) to make the famous Italian dessert called Zuppa Inglese.

Zuppa Inglese is the Italian version of the English trifle that is generally made with sponge cake, moistened with fruit syrup or/and sweet sherry, layered with cream/and or custard, jam, and most times red coloured jelly made with jelly crystals.

Trifle is still being made in UK and countries like Australia (that initially inherited much of the British cuisine) especially at Christmas. Over time there have been some little variations to the recipe, for example I have often eaten trifle in Australian homes that included preserved fruit – particularly canned peaches. Recently fresh fruit has become a popular edition, particularly strawberries.

The roots of Zuppa Inglese are shrouded in mystery, with several theories about how the dessert came to Italy. Some suggest it was introduced by Italian diplomats who tasted trifle during visits to London. Others believe it emerged in the kitchens of English expatriates living in Florence in the late 1800s and early 1900s, many of whom employed Italian kitchen staff. These Italian cooks would have adapted the traditional English trifle recipe using local ingredients: , savoiardi, crema pasticcera and perhaps some signori inglesi missed some of their cooking from home and this was what their Italian kitchen maids prepared as trifle Alchermes, the ancient Florentine, red liqueur commonly used to moisten and flavour cakes.

And thus, Zuppa Inglese was born, earning its nickname “English soup” due to its layered, somewhat “messy” appearance, which some say resembles a soup more than a neatly arranged dessert.

There are many stories about how this English dessert came to be part of Italian cuisine. Some say that perhaps Italian diplomats tasted trifle on a visit to London and this may have been their interpretation of this dessert. Others say that it probably eventuated in the kitchens of the well-off English; there were many living in Florence in the late 1800’s till the lead up of the Second World War. Most of them employed Italian staff; . They had to use Italian ingredients – savoiardi (sponge fingers – mostly used in layered Italian desserts) and Alchermes the ancient Florentine, red liqueur commonly used to moisten and flavour cakes. Fresh cream was (and is) rarely used in cakes in Italy, but pastry cream called crema pasticcera (also crema inglese – crème anglaise) is very common. And it is easy to see how this sloppy mess could be called “soup”(zuppa).

I have seen modern Italian versions of recipes for Zuppa Inglese, which include red fruit (like berries) and many include chocolate. My mother’s version sometimes included grated dark chocolate on the top; I think that this was partly for decoration; I sometimes top it with cherries and torrone. Other modern versions I have seen have a sprinkling of coffee beans and I wonder if the makers are getting confused with Tiramisu, which because it contains coffee is often decorated with coffee beans.

In the Zuppa Inglese below I have placed a sprinkling of crushed pistacchio nuts and choccolate on top .

I often make Zuppa Inglese especially when I am stuck for ideas, or have little time to prepare a dessert; it is so easy to prepare and never fails to impress.

I still use the traditional way to make it. I always assemble it in layers: sponge fingers moistened with Alchermes (either homemade or purchased at a good wine shop), cover these with crema pasticcera, repeat x 2-3 layers finishing with a layer of sponge fingers.

I use a large glass bowl to assemble the layers of ingredients (it is a pretty dessert) and keep the zuppa inglese, in the fridge for at least four hours or overnight before I intend to present it – it gives the dessert time to settle and the flavours to develop. I finally cover it with a layer or tuffs of panna montata (literally meaning cream made into mountains – isn’t the Italian language marvellous!). it is also known as Chantilly cream, whipped cream with a little caster sugar flavoured with vanilla bean –Italians would never think about using plain cream in cakes.

Alchermes

At some stage during my research about Alchermes I found out that the name is likely to have been derived from the Arabic “al” (a) and “qirmiz” (worm). This is because it contains cochineal, which gives the liqueur its red colour. Cochineal used to be made with a particular insect which was crushed and dried, this produced a rich, red dye.

In the photo I have included a bottle of purchased Alchermes (32% volume). I also make my own , see link below.

Crema Pasticcera can be a litttle scary to make. This is the easier way to make the egg custard.

For a more authentic recipes see link below.

INGREDIENTS

3 egg yolks, 3 tablespoons caster sugar infused with a vanilla bean, a pinch of salt 3 tablespoons of cornflour, 1 litre of milk, rind of 1 lemon, and a cinnamon stick, a lump of unsalted butter.

PROCESSES

In a saucepan, mix the egg yolks with the sugar and slowly add the flour, salt and a little milk to make a smooth paste – a whisk could be useful. If you do not have sugar that has been infused with a vanilla bean, use a little vanilla essence (not artificial).

Add the rest of the milk and incorporate to dilute the mixture evenly.

Using a vegetable peeler remove the rind in one piece from ½ lemon. Add this to the milk mixture. Add the cinnamon stick.

Use low – medium heat, stir it constantly with a whisk or a wooden spoon and slowly bring it to the boil – the custard should have thickened. if it thickens too much, add a little more milk. Add a lunp of butter and stir it in: this will enrich the custard. Cool before using. To prevent a skin from forming, I place a piece of baking paper or butter paper on its surface until you are cready to use it.

This Zuppa Inglese looks quite impressive in a round glass bowl.

This one is topped with preserved cherries (link below), and bits of torrone.

Zuppa Inglese is the kind of dessert that’s perfect for any occasion. It’s versatile enough for a family dinner, but elegant enough to serve at a special gathering. While modern variations with berries or chocolate are delicious in their own right, there’s something about sticking with tradition that feels just right.

SEE:

In Australia I make my Alchermes with Vodka. How to make Alchermes Alkermes the liqueur to make Zuppa Inglese: ALCHERMES/ALKERMES (The liqueur used to make Zuppa Inglese)

LONG LIVE ZUPPA INGLESE and its sisters

MILLEFOGLIE or Millefeuille and CREMA PASTICCIERA or crème pâtissière

Marmellata di cigliege (Cherry jam) and Zuppa Inglese

ROSE LIQUEUR (Rosoliu/Liquore di rose)

I am partial to a cup of rose flavoured tea, add rose water in some of my cooking and I particularly like my Sirop de roses (Rose syrup, mine is made in Lebanon) which I sometimes use to give a pink tinge and rose flavour to some of my desserts: home made ice creams, panna cotta, stewed fruit compotes (especially rhubarb or figs, or pears) or fresh fruit salads.

The Old Foodie has been writing about rosewater again this week and this has reminded me about a recipe for making a rose flavoured liqueur.

I too am a lover of rose flavoured foods.

Rosolio di rose (Rosoliu in Sicilian) dates back to the 15th century and was a popular cordial, originally made from rose petals. By the 18th century it had progressively became an alcoholic drink and lemon become more favoured over rose as flavouring. The pink colour was likely to have been enhanced with cochineal.Many of the ancient Sicilian recipes use rosoliu as the generic name for liqueur, several of which are made with oranges, mandarins or lemons and some are sometimes flavoured and coloured with a little saffron.

There are recipes for making Liquore Di Rose (Rose Liqueur) – this has been popular in other parts of Italy and in other countries. Some of the recipes include other flavourings for example lemon peel, cloves or orange blossoms.

My zia Niluzza (who lives in Ragusa, Sicily) gave me this recipe for Rosoliu, a long time ago.

For extra flavour I use ½ cup of rose water (as part of the 2 cups of water) and a dash of rose syrup (coloured pink and it is sweet, therefore reduce the amount of sugar and a little cochineal. I will need to wait for a generous friend and the right season before I make my next batch, but I have thought about adding a little grated beetroot with the petals rather than using cochineal.

INGREDIENTS
4 cups of rose petals from a highly scented rose (I used a black rose for mine)
2 cups very strong vodka or grappa (we cannot buy 95° spirit in Australia as they do in Italy)
2 cups sugar
2 cups of water

PROCESSES
Place rose petals a clean jar, add alcohol, close and keep in a cool dark place for at least 2 weeks.
Prepare the sugar syrup: boil water and sugar. Cool.
Filter the alcohol mixture and add syrup. Keep it for least 3 months before using.

Glass of filtered Rosoliu, bottle of Sirop de roses and the jar I use to make the Rosoliu.

In some recipes the petals are left in the alcohol/syrup mixture and then strained at the time of serving. I left some petals in my last batch of rose liqueur and the petals partly dissolve and this is why you may notice a layer of sediment in the jar in the photo.

This is not the only liqueur I make. See my recipe for making Alchermes (or Alkermes) that I use to make the famous Italian dessert Zuppa Inglese.

ALCHERMES/ALKERMES (The liqueur used to make Zuppa Inglese)

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CARCIOFI (Artichokes and how to clean them and prepare them for cooking)

Last time I was in Sicily in winter I we saw masses of artichokes everywhere – in markets, growing in fields, sold by the roadside from the back of utes, in restaurants, and in the homes of relatives.

When my family first came to Australia, we used to notice that some Italians collected wild artichokes to eat (in Australia they are known as thistles). There were no artichokes for sale for at least a decade so they collected the buds and stripped off all leaves. Only the bases were stuffed or preserved in oil.

Artichokes are now more readily available in Australia and the quality seems to be getting better. I am now more able to find artichokes that feel crisp and dense, with a tightly clenched shape and petals that will snap off crisply when bent back. I have generally found that the purplish coloured ones to be more fibrous and I prefer the green coloured ones that look like roses.

Artichokes have been around for a long time. The Romans called the artichoke cynara, the Arabs al kharsciuf, (this sounds more like the Italian carciofo).

Artichokes contain a chemical called cynarin and it is said that it stimulates the production of bile. This is why artichokes are often used as the basis of digestivi (drinks that aid the digestion – a vital issue among Italians. There are those that prepare the stomach before food (aperitivi) and those drunk after a meal (amari, literally translated as ‘bitters’).

Many will be familiar with Cynar, the Italian artichoke-based alcoholic aperitivo manufactured by Campari in Milan. The are many amari manufactured all over Italy, but Averna, the amaro siciliano is a specialty from Caltanissetta (which is close to the centre of Sicily) and is a real indulgence.

Preparing artichokes for cooking
Artichokes in Sicily are sold with long stalks often up to 1 metre in length – do not ever discard the stalks. The stalks are particularly wonderful in risotti (plural of risotto) and braises made with artichoke. Trim the stalk with a small sharp knife to pull away the tough, stringy outer skin (just like the strings of celery) and leave the stem attached to the artichoke. This will expose the light-coloured, centre portion, which is very flavourful and tender and much appreciated by Italians.

When trimming, to prevent discolouration, squeeze the juice of half a lemon into a big bowl of water and keep cleaned artichokes submerged in the mixture. This is referred to as acidulated water. Drain the artichokes by inverting them upside down for about 5 minutes when ready to stuff or cook. Alternatively rub the surfaces with a lemon.

Preparing artichokes for stuffing
Remove the stalk so that the artichoke will sit on its base in the saucepan. Clean the stalk and pull the tough outside leaves off the base one by one until you have reached the paler less fibrous centre. Then trim about 1cm across the top. Keep them in acidulated water as you work.

Turn the artichoke upside down and bang it on a hard surface and then gently ease the leaves apart to expose the heart. If you place the artichokes in warm water you will be able to ease apart the leaves more easily. I start by easing the outer leaves and working my way to the centre.

There may or may not have a fuzzy choke (it depends on the maturity of the plant). If there is, remove the choke with a teaspoon, inserting it into the centre and carefully turning it without snapping the sides of the choke.

Preparing the base of the artichoke
Those of you who have travelled to Italy would be familiar with the spectacle of men and women preparing artichokes at vegetable markets. They sit with their mound of artichokes, skilfully paring off all the leaves with very sharp kitchen knives.
(Photos of cleaned artichokes taken in the Campo dei Fiori market in December 2009, when I was last in Rome).
These are called fondi di carciofi – they are the bases of mature artichokes. The fondi can be stuffed, braised, sautéed, added to frittata – their intense flavour and meaty texture are a definite taste sensation.

At the end of the season, when the artichokes are large and past their prime, they are trimmed even further. In Australia, we have to do this ourselves. Pare off the leaves of a mature artichoke and just leave the base (no leaves) – it will look like a very shallow cup. The texture of the base will be covered with a pattern of small dots much like the eyes of flies (like a fine etching, delicate and quite beautiful).

There are many recipes for artichokes on my blog:

ARTICHOKES from the growers

THE AMAZING ARTICHOKE

GLOBE ARTICHOKES AND JERUSALEM ARTICHOKES

Stuffed artichokes: with meat and with olives and anchovies)

CARCIOFI FARCITI (Stuffed artichokes: with meat and with olives and anchovies)

A QUICK PASTA DISH for Spring: asparagus, artichokes, peas

CANNULICCHI A LA FAVURITA – CANNOLICCHI ALLA FAVORITA (pasta with braoadbeans, peas and artichokes alla favorita)

STUFFED ARTICHOKES WITH RICOTTA AND ALMOND MEAL

CARCIOFI ALLA ROMANA

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