Tag: Easter

TORTA PASQUALINA?

I would not blame you if you thought that Torta Pasqualina could be a cake called Pasqualina or made by a woman called Pasqualina.

But a torta in Italian isn’t just the word for a torte or cake that’s associated with a dessert, it can also be used to describe a tart or a pie.

A torta is very often baked with a pastry shell and can be filled with sweet ingredients, but however, it is more likely to be filled with savory ingredients and mainly with vegetables. Sometimes to differentiate a savoury pastry/ torta from the sweet it is called a salty torta – torta salata. The torta may have an enclosed pastry lid or it may have a lattice top pastry covering. A small torta is called a tortino.

Now that I have the torta issue, I am going to introduce you to another complication. Tarts in Italy are also called crostata . Think of a jam tart – crostata di marmellata (jam in Italian) or an apple tart. This tart consists of a filling over a pastry base with an open top or covered with a pastry latticed top. Crostata is the Italian word, and galette is the French.

I usually think of a torta as having a more substantial filling than a crostata. Picture the huge ornate pies served during the Renaissance banquets, that could be filled with live birds, hares and other creatures. Remember the nursery rhyme about four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie? Once the live creatures were released and the entertainment was over, there was an edible torta encased at the bottom that the guests feasted on.

There are even more different names for baked pastry relating to particular Italian regions, each with their own food culture and titles for particular dishes. And within each region there would be local variations both of the dish but also the local name of that particular dish. For example, I am familiar with the particular covered pastries in Sicily that are called impanate. An impanata is a wrapper of dough that contains a lamb meat filling. It is popular during Easter (Easter spring lamb). The Impanata is especially popular at Easter in Ragusa, an Iblean city in Southern Sicily, where my relatives live.

Sicily had Arab settlers and later French and Spaniards. These cultures have meat and/or vegetable filled pastries. Think empanadas (South American /Spanish speaking countries) and pastilla or bastilla (Morocco and countries with Arab influences) and the fine pastry made by the French. The Sicilians used the term monsù cuisine for a fusion of refined French food with agriculturally-based Sicilian produce and recipes. Monsù is derived from the word monsieur – a French or French-trained male cook employed in the homes of the wealthy in Sicily (and southern Italy) during the 18th and early 19th centuries.

There are more savoury pastries in Ragusa. My relatives make and eat Scacce for Easter. A Scaccia consists of two or more layers of leavened dough around a filling – vegetables, especially eggplant and tomato and ricotta and sausage.

By now you may have guessed that Pasqua means Easter, so a Torta Pasqualina is an Easter pie. It is also a Torta di Verdura/Verdure (vegetable/vegetables). There are many variations of these torte cooked all over Italy. They are usually made with a variety of green leafy vegetables – spinach, cavolo nero, endives, chicory etc. The vegetables are braised first and then bound with eggs. Some may have a little cheese, placed into a pastry base and fully or partially covered with pastry. All these pies are very regional and with variations. The Torta Pasqualina is a variation of a Torta di Verdure that comes from Liguria. Genova is in Liguria and some call the Torta Pasqualina, a Torta Pasqualina Genovese.

This regional specialty differs from the usual Torta di Verdure because apart from containing eggs to bind the vegetable filling there are also whole eggs (or whole egg yolks) embedded in the centre of the filling and baked inside the pie. Torta Pasqualina becomes more spectacular than a Torta di Verdure and sometimes even more so when the ricotta that is part of the filling is placed in a layer on top of the green vegetables rather than being mixed in with the greens. The greater visual display is due to the eggs embedded in the white ricotta layer. When the pie is cut you will see the egg sliced through the middle. It is after all Pasqua, a festive occasion.

The original recipe for Torta Pasqualina contained artichokes with or without green leafy vegetables – silverbeet/chard, spinach. The pie is now usually made with puff pastry made with extra virgin olive oil or a mixture of butter and oil. In the past it was made with thirty-three sheets of very thin pastry, one for every year of Christ’s life. Many recipes divide the dough into seven pieces and roll it into seven layers, each layer coated with oil before the next layer is placed on top. Usually there are four layers on the bottom (needs to be thicker than the top to hold the filling) and three on top. You could try using Phyllo pastry, but I would use more than seven layers of pastry especially if the filling is substantial.

What I particularly like in the Torta Pasqualina is the use of sweet marjoram, a herb that is quite common in Liguria, especially in Genova. Nutmeg compliments ricotta and spinach, so add this as well. I have seen many recipes that do not use either marjoram or nutmeg and I dismiss those recipes.

I usually don’t weigh ingredients when I cook but if you use the following quantities for a base and pastry, you will be OK.

It will not matter if you make the pastry before the filling. Thy both can be made in advance and rest.

The filling:

1kg of silverbeet/chard/ spinach green leafy vegetables – washed cut into small bits and well drained as you don’t want too much moisture when sauté them.

8 eggs – 2 to bind the greens and 6 to place inside for a visual effect chopped sweet marjoram – to taste but is like it and use about 8 sprigs one onion and a little garlic to taste – all finely sliced/chopped.

80g grated parmesan

700g of ricotta (not from a tub)

salt, pepper, a little nutmeg

extra virgin olive oil (½ cup) and a good sized lump of butter to braise the greens – I am always generous but you don’t have to be.

Cooking the filling:

Sauté the onions and garlic, add the greens and marjoram, some salt and pepper and braise them until they wilt – 15 – 20mins

Make sure that they are not wet or the pastry will be soggy. Either evaporate the liquid while cooking the greens or drain the vegetables and then evaporate the liquid.

Leave to cool.

When ready to assemble the pie combine the vegetables with ricotta, two eggs,  nutmeg and parmesan. Check the seasoning.

For the pastry:

I like to make my own pastry, but you may prefer to use a commercial variety. I also enjoy using my fingers, however food processors work well.

In this recipe I have used standard cup measurements and approximate weight, but let your intuition guide you and vary the amounts as needed. Different flours will absorb differing amounts of liquid I have estimated the approximate amount of water which could be used. Pastry making is also influenced by the weather, use cold water, and rinse your hands to cool them under the cold-water tap and keep the pastry in a cool place when you allow it to rest.

The pastry should be compact and may not need any extra liquid, but if you feel that you will not be able to roll it out, add more oil or a little water.

400g/3 cups and 1 tbsp ’extra.

quarter teaspoon of salt, to taste

4 tablespoons good quality virgin olive oil plus a few tablespoons for  glossing the top of the torta

half a glass of water

Process:

Sieve the flour into a big bowl and mix in the salt.

Make a well in the flour and add the oil and cold water gradually.

Stir till the pastry comes together (adding a little more liquid or flour depending on which is necessary).

Knead very quickly to make a light elastic ball of dough but don’t overwork.

Cover in clingfilm and let it rest half an hour in the fridge.

I also have satisfactory results with the recipe for Pasta Frolla Fatta Con Olio (Short pastry made with oil). This is a much richer pastry and it contains eggs. Link is at the bottom of this post.

Assembling the pie:

I like to sprinkle some breadcrumbs (fresh bread is OK) to help absorb some of the moisture from the vegetables.

Cover the pastry base with the filling. Dig 6 holes in the freshly placed filling at equal distances from each other, crack an egg into each hole and on each yolk add a pinch of salt and a dollop of butter.

Gently fold the edges of the pastry and seal the pie. Paint the top of the pie with oil (or some beaten egg). Score a pattern on the top of the pie with a sharp knife. You could also consider placing a mark on the pastry where the eggs are embedded so that when you cut the pie you will be successful in cutting through the baked egg.

Cook at 180° degrees for about an hour.

The pie is either eaten warm or cold. It makes fabulous picnic food., perhaps on Pasquetta – literally “little Easter,” but is taken to mean Easter Monday.

***The link below is for a Torta di Verdura with a mix of green leafy vegetables. It also has  the recipe for the short pastry.

TORTA DI VERDURA (A vegetable flan or pie)

SCACCE (focaccia-like stuffed bread)

‘MPANATA (A lamb pie, Easter treat)

 

WAYS TO COOK RABBIT – with chocolate sauce

 I cooked rabbit in a chocolate sauce and somehow, it seemed appropriate for Easter.  Easter has passed, but rabbit or hare cooked with chocolate can be enjoyed at anytime. 

Religious Easter celebrations in Sicily go back to pagan times – the continuation of ancient rites and traditions.

Easter in Sicily is also a celebration of spring, a time for revival and new beginnings, casting away winter with particular attention to spring produce. Therefore I was not surprised when one of my favourite cousins who lives in Ragusa in Sicily told me that during the Easter lunch they ate: …  le classiche impanate di agnello,  le scacce,  la frittata di carciofo e il risotto agli asparagi.

And, as he also told me: tutto molto buono – it was all good.  For those of you who do not understand menu Italian, these particular Sicilian relatives ate two traditional Easter specialties from Ragusa –  the lamb impanate and scacce, accompanied by an artichoke frittata and an asparagus risotto … the produce is a celebration of spring.

The impanate are focaccia like pies  stuffed with lamb – spring lamb of course. 

The scacce are pastries made with a variety of fillings. The pastry is folded like in a concertina over the filling and my favourite are those that contain sheep’s milk ricotta:  the milk is at its best in spring, after the rich winter pastures. 

But probably, my favourite would have been the frittata made with young artichokes. In Australia it is often difficult to purchase young artichokes unless you grow  them yourself. Sometimes young spring asparagus (also wild asparagus) is cooked  as a frittata, but on this occasion the asparagus went into a risotto.

 He did not mention the sweets, but there would have been cassatedde half-moon shaped pockets of pastry stuffed with ricotta and/or cassata or cannoli, all made with sheep’s milk ricotta. 

I know many of you may  disagree, but for me traditional hot cross buns do not appear to be as appetising as what my Sicilians relatives ate for Easter (see below for the full descriptions and recipes).

Rabbit with Chocolate sauce

Rabbit with chocolate sauce is a Sicilian recipe, probably introduced by the Spaniards who ruled Sicily from 1282 to 1516: the Aragonese and from 1516 – 1713: the Spanish Habsburgs.

Rabbit in chocolate sauce is not traditionally cooked at Easter but in Australia it seemed appropriate.

You  begin with a rabbit(s).

As you can see, the rabbits have been cut into sections – legs and backs. I kept the front legs for another time.

The rabbit pieces have been in a marinade that is mainly a mixture of  extra virgin olive oil, chopped celery leaves,  some fennel seeds, a few cloves,  fresh bay leaves (I like bay) and 1 small chopped onion. In the past on some occasions I have also added cinnamon bark.  I left the meat in the marinade for about 3 hours, however overnight is OK too and judging by the time the rabbits took to cook they could have done with a longer time in the marinade.

You will also need more carrots and onions and celery to add to the rabbit when you cook it.

During cooking, you will  also add good quality dark chocolate, pine nuts, currants, stock, wine, a little sugar and some vinegar.  The rabbit is cooked the same way as if cooked in a sour and sweet sauce but with chocolate to enrich the sauce.

The rabbit needs browning … drain the meat from the marinade and leave as much as the solids behind … don’t crowd the pan.

The rabbit browned quite quickly.

Remove the pieces of rabbit from the pan.

Have ready some chopped celery , carrots and onions.  

Next, make a soffritto –  the aromatic base composed of sautéed carrots, celery, and onion that forms the foundation to many Italian dishes. Sauté the vegetables in some more oil.

Remove the vegetables, add about a dessert spoon of sugar to the frypan and wait for it to melt.

Traditionally only vinegar is added to the sweet and sour rabbit dish, but I also like to add wine; for my quantity of rabbit, I added about a half a cup of white wine and about a tablespoon of white wine vinegar and I also added about a half a cup of red wine that somehow seemed more appropriate with the brown colouring of the dish.

Return all of the meat and vegetables to the pan.  Add currants and pine nuts, broth/stock to cover, salt and some chocolate. I added  half a block and the rest of the chocolate at the very end to enrich the sauce. Taste it, and  depending on how much you like the taste of chocolate, add more if you wish.

Cover and cook  it slowly till the rabbit is cooked. If it is a farmed rabbit  it will take as long as cooking chicken, mine was wild rabbit and it took about three hours of slow cooking.

i served it with sweet and sour pumpkin (fegato di sette cannolli) and pears quickly fried in a little oil and butter.

For a more complete recipe see:

 

Sicilian Pumpkin with vinegar, mint, sugar and cinnamon
RABBIT AND HARE:

HARE OR RABBIT COOKED IN CHOCOLATE. LEPRE O CONIGLIO AL CIOCCOLATO (‘NCICULATTATU IS THE SICILIAN TERM USED)

RABBIT with cloves, cinnamon and red wine (CONIGLIO DA LICODIA EUBEA)

ONE WAY TO COOK RABBIT LIKE A SICILIAN

CONIGLIO A PARTUISA (Braised rabbit as cooked in Ragusa)

PAPPARDELLE (PASTA WITH HARE OR GAME RAGÙ)

LEPRE ALLA PIEMONTESE (HARE – SLOW BRAISE PIEDMONTESE STYLE

EASTER SPECIALTIES IN RAGUSA

SCACCE and PIZZA and SICILIAN EASTER

‘MPANATA (A lamb pie, Easter treat)

I  have relatives  in Sicily but  my parents and I lived in Trieste in Northern Italy. Just for interest, here are  the traditional  Easter sweets of Trieste:
Traditional Easter Sweets in Trieste in Friuli Venezia Giulia

AGGLASSATO braised meat with a thick onion sauce

In Sicily, Agglassato (also spelled Aggrassato, Agrassato or Aglassato) refers to  a traditional slow-braised meat dish in which generous quantities of onions slowly melt into a rich, satiny sauce that coats the meat with a natural glaze.

The word agglassato  suggests something glossy or glazed. It comes from the French glacer—to glaze—and in cooking it describes foods finished with a shiny coating. Cakes are glazed with icing, glacé cherries are preserved in sugar syrup, and cold pâtés or fish are often coated with a clear jelly made from stock to give them a beautiful sheen.

Despite its French origins, the dish is distinctly Sicilian. The word for meat, carne, is feminine, so the glazed meat is called carne aglassata.

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Onions- plenty of them

Like many Sicilian recipes, Agglassato reflects the island’s layered culinary history. French influence is evident in the name, yet the cooking itself remains deeply Sicilian. Traditionally, the onions are cooked in lard, sometimes combined with extra virgin olive oil, rather than butter, producing a richer and more robust flavour. It is also known as Carne Agrassata (carne meaning meat), a name commonly used in many parts of the island.

The dish appears throughout Sicily with regional variations. Veal, beef, lamb, kid and even ox tongue may be prepared this way. My father liked to cook it with ox tongue and would take over the kitchen on some Sunday mornings.

Some cooks use less onion, others add potatoes, and in south-eastern Sicily grated pecorino is often stirred through just before serving. The meat may be cooked whole and tied with string or cut into generous stew-sized pieces.

The Secret Is the Onion

The defining ingredient is not the meat but the remarkable quantity of onions.

As they cook slowly over gentle heat, the onions soften completely and gradually dissolve into a thick, velvety purée. The sauce reduces naturally, coating every piece of meat. If served cold, the onion-rich sauce sets into a delicate jelly that lightly glazes the meat—perhaps the most convincing explanation for the dish’s evocative name.

One of the pleasures of Agglassato is that the sauce is as valuable as the meat itself.

In many Sicilian homes, part of the onion sauce is removed before serving the meat and tossed through pasta as a first course. The braised meat then follows as the secondo, accompanied by seasonal vegetables.

 

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Agglassato – it has a satiny sauce

Although this particular dish may have been influenced by French cuisine, lard rather than butter is used – lard being more common in Sicilian cuisine.

Agglassato seems to be a method of cooking meat which is fairly wide spread across Sicily with a few variations. Some use less onions, others add potatoes and in some parts of Sicily, especially in the South-eastern region grated pecorino cheese is added at the end of cooking. Sometimes the meat is cooked in one piece and held together with string, at other times it is cubed as in a stew.

The sauce (without potatoes) can also be used to dress pasta – remove some of the onion sauce for the first course (pasta) then present the meat for the second course with contorni (side vegetable dishes).

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Simple recipe

The classic proportions are wonderfully straightforward:

The ratio is:

1 kg meat to 1 kg onions
200 g lard or a mixture of lard and extra virgin olive oil
salt, pepper
½ -1 glass of white wine
rosemary or sage or bay leaves, or a mixture of all
meat stock (optional)

In a pan suitable for making a stew heat the lard, add the sliced onions, and herbs. Soften the onions on low heat and then add the meat (cubed or in one piece).
Toss the meat around until it is white on the surface (unlike other stews do not brown).

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Add the wine, cover and cook it over low heat for about 70 minutes per kilo of meat, less if the meat is in small pieces. Remove the lid about 15-20 minutes if the contents look too watery and allow the sauce to thicken.

The Easter Version

In south-eastern Sicily, Agglassato is closely associated with Easter, when young kid or lamb is plentiful.

This version usually includes potatoes, whole garlic cloves, plenty of chopped parsley and, just before serving, a generous scattering of grated pecorino. The potatoes absorb the rich onion sauce, becoming almost as prized as the meat itself.

Because the age of the animal affects tenderness, cooking times vary. Young Sicilian lamb and kid generally require less cooking than older animals found elsewhere.

If you are cooking kid or lamb (this is a common recipe for Easter especially in the south east of Sicily), the following ratio of ingredients is a useful guide.

2 kg kid, or lamb on the bone, cut into stew-size pieces
800g-1kg potatoes
500g onions
100g lard or a mixture of lard and extra virgin olive oil
salt, pepper
4 cloves of garlic (whole)
1 glass of white wine
rosemary or sage or bay leaves
1 cup of parsley cut finely
meat stock (optional)
100 g grated pecorino cheese

In a pan suitable for making a stew heat the lard, add the sliced onions, garlic and herbs (but not the parsley).
Soften the onions and then add the meat.
Toss the meat around until it is white on the surface. Add the wine, cover and cook it over low heat for about 50-60 minutes. Check for moisture and add splashes of stock or water if the stew looks too dry. In Sicily kid and lamb are slaughtered as young animals and depending on the age and tenderness of your meat you may need to cook it for longer.
Peel and cut the potatoes into small chunks and add them to the stew. Add parsley and stock or water to almost cover the potatoes and cook until they are done (probably 30 minutes).
At the end of cooking sprinkle with grated pecorino.

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A Family Favourite

This dish always reminds me of my father.

He most often prepared lingua agglassata—ox tongue slowly braised in onions until beautifully tender—but from time to time he used the same method for beef or veal. The aroma of onions gently cooking for hours is one of those unforgettable kitchen memories that remains long after the meal has finished.

The photograph below shows the whole tongue after cooking. Before serving, it is lifted from the onion sauce, peeled if necessary and sliced, then returned to the rich glaze or served alongside it.

If you would like to see that family recipe, you can also read:

In a previous post I have written about how my father used to cook tongue (lingua) in this way. Now and again he would also cook meat instead of tongue

See Recipe: Carne Aglassata-  Glazed tongue in onion sauce

Below is a photo of the whole tongue (lingua)  – this is removed from the sauce and sliced before being served.

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Agglassato made with Ox Tongue

Because I have mentioned my father, and onions,  I am reminded of how he used “sweeten onions” to add to a tomato salad. this too is worth doing.

PUMARORU CA CIPUDDA (Tomatoes with onions). INSALATA DI POMODORO (Tomato salad)

SCACCE and PIZZA and SICILIAN EASTER

It always seems a time for scacce in Sicily, but particularly at Easter.

I  have  already written about scacce (focaccia-like stuffed pastries) and for suggestions of fillings and the recipe and ways to fold the pastry, see the post called: Scacce (Focaccia-like Stuffed Bread).

Scaccia-for-blog-800x413

One of the most difficult things if you are a novice at making the traditional shaped scacce is the folding of the pastry. So, why not try just forming them into these shapes below instead. Use the same fillings and pastry as described in the post Scacce ( Focaccia- like Stuffed Bread) above.

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This scaccia (singular of scacce and not a misspelling) in the photo below is round and pie shaped. The filling is made from lamb and ricotta.

The braised greens on the side could also be used in a filling – spinach or chicory or broccoli- softened/ wilted and then sautéed in garlic, chili and extra virgin olive oil (but drain well).

There is a post for impanate with a lamb filling – a typical dish for Easter.

(link)‘Mpanata (A Lamb Pie, an Easter Treat)

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The photos for these scacce (and pizza) are from a small eatery in Catania. The filling is made from slices of fried eggplant, a little bit of tomato salsa and a little bit of caciocavallo ( Sicilian cheese) –  you could try provolone (cheese) instead.

Or you could try small pasty shapes as in the photo below (circle of dough = filling  on one side= fold over to make a half moon). The pastries in the photo below are  cooling on the racks in Dolcetti pasticceria (pastry shop  in Victoria Street Melbourne). Marianna is the pastry chef and her mum is Lidia –  and she is all Sicilian. Lidia visits Dolcetti  each Saturday to make these pastries. She calls her pastries impanate.  They are fabulous and she uses a variety of fillings.

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 What about just a pizza ….. These pizzas (in the photo below) are  from Pizza D’Asporto (Rifle Range Shopping Centre, Williamstown). They are made by Sicilians and are very good – worth a visit.

Pizzas2

Or what about a Sfincione?

(link) Sfincione di Palermo (a pizza/focaccia type pie)

There are other Easter type recipes on my blog….just key in Easter or Pasqua in the search space.

Go for it! Buona Pasqua!

SPEZZATINO DI CAPRETTO (Italian Goat/ Kid stew)

Spezzatino di Capretto is a traditional Italian stew made with kid or goat. Italians tend to cook kid. It is one of those rustic dishes that rewards slow cooking, allowing the meat to become beautifully tender while absorbing the flavours of herbs, vegetables and white wine.

I am always delighted to find good-quality goat meat in Australia. Recently, I discovered some at the Farmers Market in Albury–Wodonga. The meat came from Myrrhee Premium Boer Goats, a farm on the Benalla–Whitfield Road between Benalla and Wangaratta, close to Victoria’s beautiful King Valley food and wine region.

The farm raises free-range Boer goats—the distinctive white and chestnut-brown breed—and produces both milk-fed capretto (kid goat) and chevon, the meat from older goats. I could not resist buying some of each, including their excellent goat sausages, which contain a little pork to add richness and flavour.

*In Australia, goat is still something of a rarity, but it deserves to be better known. Milk-fed capretto is delicate and tender, while chevon—the meat from older goats—has a fuller, richer flavour that is ideal for slow cooking.

Goat with two kids b
Fee Range Boar goats and kids

Capretto and the Italian Spring

In Italy, capretto is especially associated with spring and Easter. Across much of the country—and particularly in Sicily—it is a celebratory meal that has long featured on family tables during the Easter season.

The photograph below was taken in the market in Catania during spring. In Sicily, as in many parts of Italy, whole carcasses or sides of meat are traditionally displayed with the head attached. You may also notice that one hoof is often left with a little fur. My mother always explained that this reassured buyers that they were purchasing exactly the animal they had asked for.

The display also includes the innards, which are highly prized and often cleaned, seasoned, threaded onto skewers or wrapped in caul fat before being grilled.

Kid goat displayed in Catania’s market during spring, with the head attached—a long-standing Italian tradition that identifies the animal

A Simple Country Stew

Although this recipe is made with kid or goat, the same method works equally well with veal or lamb.

Many Italian spezzatini include potatoes, but I like using fennel instead. As it slowly braises, the fennel becomes sweet and silky, complementing the delicate flavour of the goat without overwhelming it.

This is uncomplicated country cooking at its best.

Ingredients
  • 1.5 kg kid/ goat, chopped into serving pieces (bone-in)
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 2 carrots, cut into large pieces
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 2–3 fresh bay leaves
  • 1 cup chopped parsley
  • 1–2 fennel bulbs, quartered
Method

Heat the olive oil in a heavy braising pan over medium-high heat. Brown the goat well on all sides until lightly caramelised. Work in batches if necessary.

Remove the meat and sauté the onion until softened. Add the garlic and cook briefly before returning the goat to the pan.

Pour in the white wine, allowing it to reduce slightly, then add the carrots, bay leaves, parsley, salt and pepper.

Cover and cook gently over low heat for at least one hour.

Add the fennel quarters and continue cooking until both the meat and fennel are tender. Depending on the age of the goat, this may take a little longer. Check the stew occasionally and add a little water or stock if necessary.

Taste and adjust the seasoning before serving.

The stew is delicious with crusty bread, creamy polenta (northern Italy choice) or roasted potatoes to soak up the fragrant cooking juices.

Other kid or goat recipes:

OVEN COOKED KID (capretto)

SLOW COOKED LEG OF GOAT WITH HOT MINT SAUCE

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ENPA (National Protection of Animals)

Nice to see this. For those of you who do no read English, in the province of Catania, Ristoworld (a network of people who are interested in food production and cuisine) is supporting ENPA in their objection to kill baby lambs, traditionally eaten at Easter.
I know my family in Ragusa used to make ‘Mpanata for Easter.
A whole lamb used to be chopped up, bones and all and once dressed with with garlic, parsley, extra virgin olive oil and seasoning was wrapped in bread pastry. They no longer make this – Unfortunately this could be because it is too much work.
There is a recipe for ‘Mpanata–  a lamb pie. It can be made with regular lamb.
Happy Easter
Marisa
                            E. N. P. A.

              Ente  Nazionale  Protezione  Animali

                                          Ente  Morale

Sezione Provinciale di Catania

Via Anapo nr. 45, Catania,  tel/fax 095270869 –  www.enpacatania.org – catania@enpa.org
COMUNICAZIONE AI MEDIA
CONTRO LA MATTANZA DI AGNELLINI PER PASQUA DUE ALLEATI  DI ECCEZIONE: ENPA E GLI CHEF RISTOWORLD
Ogni anno in Italia vengono uccisi oltre due milioni di agnellini per dare seguito alla barbara tradizione Pasquale di cibarsi di questi esserini innocenti.
Due milioni di vite che piangono dal momento stesso in cui vengono strappati alle loro mamme fino all’ultimo respiro mentre vengono sgozzati.
Chiamarla tradizione Pasquale e ricondurla ad una festività Santa  che parla di Rinascita, di amore e di purezza è raccapricciante.
Noi di Enpa Catania preferiamo chiamarla per quello che è: ingordigia.
Abbiamo accolto con estremo piacere la volontà dell’associazione di ristoratori Ristoworld di mettere in discussione questa macabra usanza, convinti che il buon esempio debba partire dal monito degli stessi addetti ai lavori. La Ristoworld non metterà nelle proprie cucine agnellini e con loro ci auguriamo che presto li seguiranno, gli altri.
Catania, 28 marzo 2013

 

MA2SBAE8REVW

SICILIAN CASSATA and MARZIPAN AT EASTER (Food and Culture in Sicily, La Trobe University)

Cassata Siciliana and marzipan (pasta reale) are among the most iconic Easter desserts of Sicily, closely tied to the island’s history, religious traditions and enduring love of elaborate sweets, and at the Food and Culture in Sicily Easter cookery workshop held by La Trobe University, I demonstrated the preparation and explained the layered history of these two classics of the Sicilian pastry tradition.

The workshop took place on 23 March 2013 as part of a broader program exploring Sicilian food, culture and history. Many participants were encountering cassata and traditional Sicilian marzipan for the first time and were pleasantly surprised by the delicate almond flavour and the richness of these historic desserts.

Food, Culture and the Mediterranean World

The session began with a lecture on the History of food and feasting in Sicily, Italy and the wider Mediterranean.

This was presented by Dr Gillian Shepherd, Lecturer in Ancient Mediterranean Studies and Director of the A.D. Trendall Research Centre for Ancient Mediterranean Studies at La Trobe University. Her talk explored literary and archaeological evidence for food production and consumption in the ancient world.

Following the lecture, I conducted a food workshop and cooking demonstration illustrating how the many cultures that ruled Sicily shaped its cuisine over centuries — including the Greek, Roman, Arab, French and Spanish influences that continue to define Sicilian cooking today.

Part of the demonstration to show how Cassata is made.

Cassata Siciliana reflects Sicily’s layered culinary history. The ingredients of ricotta, almonds, sugar, sponge cake and marzipan reveal centuries of influence, from Arab agriculture and Spanish baking to the refined pastry techniques of the French-trained monsù chefs who shaped the cassata we know today. Cassata was an ideal dessert to demonstrate this context. Its origins reflect Sicily’s layered cultural history and it has long been associated with Easter celebrations.

Although traditionally linked to Easter, cassata has also become popular at Christmas and other festive occasions.

Cassata, sliced, shows filling and marzipan layer.

Cassata and the Cultural Layers of Sicily

Cassata is often described as one of Sicily’s most iconic desserts, but it is more than a cake. It reflects Sicily’s long history as a crossroads of Mediterranean cultures, where different peoples — Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Spaniards, French and others — left their marks on the island’s cuisine.

Ancient Roots: Ricotta and the Name Cassata

Some historians trace the name cassata to the Latin caseus, meaning cheese. This connection is plausible given that ricotta, a fresh sheep’s milk cheese, forms the heart of the dessert. In Sicilian dialect the word for cheese is casu, and earlier forms such as caseata may have existed, suggesting a long-standing association between the name and the ricotta filling.

The Arab Legacy: Sugar, Almonds and Citrus

However, the most significant early influence is widely believed to be Arab. The Arabs occupied Sicily for several centuries, beginning with their invasion in 827 AD and consolidating control by 902 AD. During their rule they transformed Sicilian agriculture and introduced crops and ingredients that profoundly shaped the island’s sweets — sugar cane, almonds, citrus fruits and pistachios. They also brought a taste for desserts enriched with nuts, dried fruits and fragrant syrups.

Even the name cassata may have Arabic roots. Some scholars suggest it derives from the Arabic word qas’ah, meaning a deep bowl or basin, possibly the type of container in which early versions of the cake were shaped.

Spanish Influence: The Arrival ofPan di Spagna

Later layers were added during the long period of Spanish rule, which extended across several centuries — through the Angevins, Aragonese, Spanish viceroys and Bourbons — from the late 13th century until the mid-19th century. The sponge cake used in cassata is thought to date from this era. In Italian it is called pan di Spagna (“bread of Spain”), suggesting its Iberian connection.

The Monsù: French Refinement in Sicilian Kitchens

Another important influence came from the French-trained chefs known in Sicily as monsù. From the 18th century onwards, aristocratic households in Sicily employed these highly skilled cooks, whose name derived from the French monsieur. The monsù refined and elaborated many traditional dishes, including elaborate pastries and decorated desserts. Their techniques helped shape the more ornate cassata we recognise today, with carefully layered sponge, ricotta filling, candied fruits and the decorative covering of green marzipan (pasta reale).

Convent Traditions: Nuns and the Art of Sicilian Sweets

The refinement of these sweets also owes much to the nuns of Sicilian convents, who played an important role in preserving and elaborating the island’s pastry traditions. Within convent kitchens, sweets made with ricotta, sugar and almonds were carefully prepared for religious feasts, especially Easter. Over time, these cloistered communities perfected decorative techniques using marzipan (pasta reale) and candied fruits, contributing to the elaborate appearance and symbolic richness that cassata and other Sicilian festive desserts display today.

Like Sicily itself, cassata is not the creation of a single culture, but a dessert shaped by many hands over time.

**The photos of the mosaics are from Piazza Armerina that i visited in one of my many trips to Sicily. the mosaics are extensive in the renowned Villa Romana Del Casale, built in the mid-4th century ad as a hunting lodge. the villa boasts some of the best-preserved and extensive examples of Roman mosaics, covering approximately 3,500 square metres.

HOW Marzipan is made

Almonds and Marzipan in Sicily

Sicily produces large quantities of almonds, and almond meal is used extensively in traditional sweets and pastries.

The island is especially famous for marzipan fruit, colourful almond confections shaped to resemble fruits and vegetables. Sicilian pastry cooks have long been highly regarded throughout Italy for their skill in making these elaborate sweets.

Marzipan is also known as pasta reale, meaning “royal paste”.

Marzipan when made in the traditional method is made by cooking a strong syrup of sugar and water and then adding freshly ground almonds. The mixture is kneaded till smooth (like bread dough) and then shaped.

This is the original, traditional recipe for making Marzipan:

Over the years I have been making marzipan and adapting a recipe from Bitter Almonds, Recollections and Recipes from a Sicilian girlhood.

Maria Grammatico has a very famous pastry shop in Erice in Sicily and her recipes have been recorded by Mary Taylor Simeti.

Ingredients
2 cups (300 g) whole blanched almonds
2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar *
1/3 cup water
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
Method
In a food processor, grind the almonds with about 2 tablespoons of the sugar until very fine, almost powdery.
In a food processor or in an electric mixer, combine the nuts, the rest of the sugar, the water, vanilla, and the almond extract.
Process or mix until the paste is very smooth. Remove to a marble slab or other cold work surface dusted with confectioners’ sugar and knead briefly by hand.
Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use. Marzipan will keep almost indefinitely in the refrigerator.
A VERY EASY WAY TO MAKE MARZIPAN

Ingredients

  • 2 cups ground almonds
  • 1½ cups pure icing sugar
  • ½ cup caster sugar
  • water as needed

I like the combination of icing sugar and caster sugar, as the caster sugar adds a slight crunch that complements the ground almonds.

When using fresh almonds, I prefer their natural flavour and usually omit vanilla, almond extract or Amaretto.

Method

I mix the sugars and almond meal with my fingers and gradually add water.

It is important to add the water slowly, because a mixture that is too wet will require more almonds and sugar to correct.

I knead the mixture much like bread dough, adding a little more water if necessary until the marzipan becomes smooth and pliable.

This is a simple decoration of one of the many Cassate I have made, which shows the marzipan coating.

Cassata on This Blog

This is not the first time I have written about cassata, marzipan or Easter desserts on this blog. There are several other posts exploring these themes and their place in Sicilian food traditions.

This post provides the recipe for making cassata.

 

FOOD AND CULTURE IN SICILY: EASTER COOKERY WORKSHOP

La Trobe in the City is designed for anyone with an interest in history, literature and / or ancient cultures.

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Click on the link bellow for full details of the Lecture Series.

FOOD AND CULTURE IN SICILY: EASTER COOKERY WORKSHOP
This is one of the workshops offered as part of the lecture series.

Details of the workshop:

Saturday 23 March, 11.00am–3.00pm
Institute for Advanced Study, La Trobe University
Melbourne campus (Bundoora)

Presented by Gillian Shepherd and Marisa Raniolo Wilkins

Cost: $115 (full), $105 (discount)
Registration census date: Friday 15 March

This session will commence with a lecture on the history of food and feasting in Sicily, Italy and the Mediterranean.

Gillian Shepherd will focus on the literary and archaeological evidence for food production and consumption in the ancient world.

This will be accompanied by a food workshop.

Agrigento

Yesterday I visited La Trobe University at Bundoora to check out the venue and finalise the recipes for a demonstration/cooking class I am giving as part of the university’s lecture series on the cultures of the ancient Mediterranean.

The food that I’ll be talking about and cooking for the class reflects the ways Sicilian cuisine has been influenced by the dominant cultures of the Mediterranean from ancient times to the modern day, which includes Greek, Roman, Arabic, French and Spanish cultures.

Some of the recipes will be from my book Sicilian Seafood Cooking.

Since my cooking demonstration is planned for the weekend before Easter, it was natural to select some foods that would be prepared in Sicily at Easter, which is one of the most significant times of the year for Sicilians. Whether they were ruled by Greeks or Romans, Arabs or Spaniards, Easter in Sicily marks the start of Spring and a time of celebration.

It should be a very interesting session and I hope to see you there.
Marisa

About Gillian Shepherd:
Dr Gillian Shepherd is Lecturer in AncientMediterranean Studies and Director of the A.D. Trendall Research Centre for Ancient Mediterranean Studies at La Trobe University.

Gillian studied Classics and Fine Arts at theUniversity of Melbourne before going on to complete a PhD in Classical Archaeology at Trinity College, Cambridge, followed bya research fellowship at St Hugh’s College,Oxford.
Until her recent return to Australia to take up her position at La!Trobe University, Gillian was Lecturer in Classical Archaeology at the University of Birmingham, UK.

Her research interests are the ancient Greek colonisation of Sicily and Italy, burial customs,and the archaeology and art of Greece and Magna Graecia.

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EASTER IN SICILY – A SICILIAN FEAST IN RAGUSA – Recipes and Giuggiulena

It has been a while since I have had an Easter in Sicily and I am feeling very nostalgic about being in Ragusa. This year, a large group of my relatives in Ragusa are all going to celebrate lunch at Stefania and Aurelio’s country house, just outside Ragusa and I wish I could be with them.The country house is a stable which in the 18 Century belonged to a local Baron called La Rocca.

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Stefania and Aurelio bought the property several years ago (it also has a few surrounding buildings and land) and they are slowly converting it into a beautiful holiday home. They are using local artisans to recreate and restore many features in the original style and character. As much as possible they have kept its original outside appearance and interior features, especially the original carved wooden ceiling.

I do miss my relatives (and the feast that they will be sharing), but I also miss Spring in Sicily.

In Sicily, spring is the start of everything. It is the time when the island comes alive – flowers bloom, vines sprout and vegetables ripen. Spring is the celebration of life, which in cultural and religious terms is expressed in Easter. In Sicily Primavera (Spring) and Pasqua (Easter) are a fusion of nature and culture, family and food.

The ancient Greeks (once settlers in Sicily) also marked spring and – like the Christian Easter – their myth celebrated another resurrection from the dead through the legend of Persephone.

The Greeks considered Sicily to be Persephone’s island because, according to the myth, Pluto, the god of Hades, who imprisoned her in his underworld realm, abducted Persephone from the Sicilian town of Enna.

So Persephone’s grieving mother, the goddess Demeter, (goddess of agriculture) plunged the island into a barren winter, until Zeus, the father of the gods, struck a bargain with Pluto to let Persephone to return to land of the living for six months of the year. So it is that when Persephone is released from Hades, Demeter allowed the world to thaw and bloom before her daughter must once again return to Pluto and Hades.

The pagan traditions were slightly transformed and unofficially accepted into the rites surrounding devotion to the Christian saints. Offerings of bread, cheeses, and sweets, associated with pagan harvest rituals, are common in many of the present-day festivals.

Some of the foods the relatives will be eating are on my previous posts.

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Here are the links:
There will also be baked capretto (kid) and wild spring greens collected from their property and sauteed in virgin olive oil and garlic  (see top photos, taken at one of the other family feasts in the country house).
SCACCE – A focaccia-like stuffed bread
Franca will make scacce and sguogghiu (alternatives to scacce)

They will be buying cassata from the pasticceria (pastry shop) and making cassatedde. In Ragusa (and nearby Modica) these are little baked tarts with a pastry bottom and a ricotta, sugar, egg and cinnamon. Some add candied orange.

In the rest of Sicily, cassatedde are ravioli like pastries and fried.

Picture of cassatedde:

The pasta will be a must. Zia Niluzza will be making gnucchateddi (causunedda) all night for so many people!( She never takes off her jewellery when making pasta). She may even make large ricotta ravioli with a strong ragu made with pork and conserva (strong tomato paste).

And there will be homemade liquers: Nocello (made with green walnuts) and Mandarinetto (made with green mandarins)

And small sweets: Cotogniata (quince paste) rolled in sugar and Giuggiulena (or sesame seed torrone). It is also called Cubbaita and is said to be a legacy from the Arabs who lived in Sicily.

Giuggiulena, recipe:

INGREDIENTS

1k honey, 1 k sesame seeds, 4 cups sugar, ½ teaspoon of each: cinnamon, cloves, grated orange peel.

PROCESSES

Melt the sugar in a large saucepan on very low heat, when sugar is melted add honey. Add sesame seeds and aromatics mix well. Remove the torrone from the heat quickly (or the sesame seeds my burn). Let cool slightly.
Pour mixture onto a tray with baking paper or a marble that has been coated with oil. Spread evenly and quickly before the torrone hardens, cut into rectangular pieces before it cools and store in airtight containers.

 

Photos of Stefania and Aurelio’s country house:

Aurelio with one of his horses on the property.

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One of the many lunches at the property. On this occasion the local cheese makers were invited…..this is why there are all those men at the table. They bought cheeses for us to taste.

 

PRESNIZ and GUBANA (Easter cakes in Trieste)


In Trieste, while the Sicilian relatives were eating their celebratory desserts at Easter, we were either eating presniz or gubana (also called putiza) – both are made with similar pastry (gubana has yeast) and fillings containing different amounts of a mixture of nuts, sultanas, peel and chocolate. A little grappa or a little rum always helps.

The presniz or gubana are then placed into a round baking tin and coiled inside the tin so that when baked, the sides will join up and form a round shape when removed from the tin.

The preparation of gubana requires several steps in order to allow a sourdough to develop using very little yeast.

Pastry with yeast:
500 g flour 00
20 g of yeast
2 cups milk
130 g sugar
100 g butter
1 lemon, peel
1 egg yolk to complete
butter for the plate
3 eggs
salt
 
FOR THE FILLING:
150 g raisins,
60 g Mixture: candied citron,  candied orange, prunes, dried figs
150 g of walnuts
60 g of pine nuts
60 g almonds
100 g of dark chocolate
1 glass of grappa or brandy
2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs
30 g butter
2 eggs
grated zest of ½ orange and ½ lemon
 
Heat 4 tablespoons of milk and when it is warm, add the yeast and let it bubble.
Mix 100 g of flour with a teaspoon of sugar and the yeast dissolved in milk. Cover and allow to rise. When it has doubled in volume, add the remaining flour and remaining sugar, eggs, softened butter, a pinch of salt, grated lemon peel and milk. Work this into a dough. Allow to rest 24 hours.

Prepare the filling:

Soak the walnuts and almonds in boiling water, remove their skins and chop them finely.
Soak the raisins in alcohol for a couple of hours. Add the rest of the fruit cut into small piece sand soak for another hour.
Add grated chocolate  peel and pine nuts.
Add 1 beaten egg (beaten with a fork) and  soft or melted butter .
 
Roll out the dough on a towel in a thin rectangular shape (about 5 mm thick).
Fry the breadcrumbs in a little butter and when cool spread them over the dough.
Cover with the filling and leave a boarder around the edge (2 cm) . Roll it up on itself, in the shape of a coiled snake. Arrange on baking paper or buttered and floured baking tray.
Brush the surface with 1 beaten egg yolk, sprinkle with a little sugar and bake in a preheated oven at 190 ° C for about 45 minutes. Serve luke warm or cold (it cuts better and it is usually made well in advance of being eaten).
 

All you need to do is look at a map of Italy to understand why much of the cuisine in Trieste (Friuli-Venezia Giulia), is influenced by Austro-Hungarian and Yugoslav traditions.

The apple strudel that is celebrated throughout the year and is a standard dessert in the kitchens of Triestini, has yet again a variation of the pastry, some of the nuts, peel and chocolate, but also raw apple. My mother always used the delicious apples because they were the sweetest. In all three desserts, the pastry is rolled around the filling. See Strucolo de Pomi

One year I went to Sicily for Easter and brought a presniz for the Sicilian relatives to try. I had gone to considerable trouble, buying it from what was considered to be the best pastry shop in Trieste and handling it carefully so that it would not be damaged while travelling.

There was no enthusiasm when I put it on the table, most of the relatives were too full to try it (it was presented with coffee and liqueurs after the big Sicilian Easter lunch after all), and those who did try the presniz did not express any great enthusiasm.

Tradition and only Sicilian food is everything for most Sicilians and I could probably say the same about any other region in Italy.

The traditional desserts for Easter in most of Sicily are made with ricotta. Many have cassata, made with sponge cake, ricotta, chocolate and candied peel, others, like the Ragusani  have cassatedde, small, baked ricotta filled tarts made with short pastry (cassatedde can be different shaped ricotta filled pastries in various parts of Sicily – some versions are smaller adaptations of cassata, some cassatedde are fried instead of baked). Very different, quite delicious and perhaps as interesting as presniz and gubana.