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FettuntaGarlic bread with olive oil

In Tuscany fettunta (from 'fetta unta', oiled slice) is the ritual of November, when the olive mills press the new season's oil and families in Florence and the Chianti hills grill thick slices of bread, rub them with garlic and pour the green, peppery oil over. With a bowl of beans or a few leaves of cavolo nero, it is supper. The common mistake is rubbing garlic onto cold or barely toasted bread; it needs a rough, charred, hot surface or the garlic just slides around. Chef's tip: be generous with the oil, so it soaks into the crumb, and salt only at the very end so the flakes stay crunchy.

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Asparagi alla BismarckAsparagus with fried egg and Parmesan

Asparagi alla Bismarck is how trattorias from the Veneto to Emilia serve the first asparagus of April and May as a light evening meal: just-tender spears laid on a plate, topped with eggs fried in butter, the butter poured over and a snowfall of Parmigiano. Dip the asparagus tips into the yolk and wipe the plate with bread. Parmigiano is always made with animal rennet, so use a vegetarian Italian-style hard cheese for a vegetarian plate. The mistake to avoid is overcooking the asparagus until it droops; it should still stand up straight when you lift a spear by its base. Chef's tip: let the butter foam until it turns hazelnut brown and smells nutty before you spoon it over, which makes the whole dish taste richer.

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Uova al pomodoroEggs in tomato sauce

Uova al pomodoro, called uova in purgatorio around Naples, is the supper that kitchens from Rome down to Calabria fall back on at the end of the month or on a meatless Friday: a tin of tomatoes, a little garlic and basil, and eggs cooked gently in the sauce until set. The whites turn tender, the sauce goes sweet and thick, and a hunk of bread does the rest. The usual mistake is adding the eggs to a thin, watery sauce; they spread out, poach in pink liquid and the dish turns soupy. Chef's tip: crack each egg into a cup first, then slide it into a well in the sauce so the yolk stays whole and sits exactly where you want it.

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Zsíros kenyérLard on rye bread

Zsíros kenyér, 'fat bread', is the Hungarian village supper and wine-cellar snack, still eaten on summer evenings across the Great Plain: thick slices of rustic bread spread with pork lard, salted, dusted with sweet paprika and piled with raw red onion. It is made from pork fat, so it is not for vegetarians. Eaten with green peppers, radishes and a glass of something cold, it is plain food that is better than it sounds. The common mistake is using hard, fridge-cold lard straight from the block; it tears the bread and tastes waxy. Chef's tip: look for lard with crackling bits (tepertős zsír) or stir a few crushed pork scratchings into soft lard for the proper flavour.

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Diós tésztaWalnut and sugar pasta

Diós tészta, walnut noodles, is a sweet main course that Hungarians eat for lunch or a quick dinner, often after a bowl of bean or vegetable soup, and it is a fixture of Budapest school canteens. Hot ribbon pasta is tossed with melted butter, then with ground walnuts and sugar, so the nuts cling in a sweet, toasty coat. Children adore it; it contains nuts, so mind allergies. The common mistake is using old walnuts, which taste bitter and spoil the dish; taste one before you start. Chef's tip: toast the ground walnuts in the dry pan for a minute until they smell rich, and a little lemon zest keeps the sweetness lively.

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Pasta cacio e ovaPasta with cheese, egg and pepper

In the hill towns of Abruzzo and around Naples, pasta cacio e ova (cheese and egg) is the meatless cousin of carbonara and a classic late supper when the cupboard is nearly bare: short pasta tossed off the heat with eggs beaten with pecorino, Parmigiano and lots of black pepper until it turns into a glossy, golden coating. Children love it. Pecorino and Parmigiano are traditionally made with animal rennet, so choose a vegetarian Italian-style hard cheese if that matters to you. The common mistake is pouring the egg into a pan that is still on a high flame: it scrambles into rubbery bits instead of turning creamy. Chef's tip: keep a mug of the starchy cooking water by the hob; a splash loosens the sauce the moment it starts to tighten.

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Stracciatella alla romanaEgg and Parmesan broth

In Roman homes stracciatella is the soup of Easter week and of any cold evening when someone needs looking after: a pot of good chicken broth with eggs, Parmigiano and a scrape of nutmeg beaten in so they set into soft, ragged threads. It is light but filling, and takes ten minutes if the broth is already made. The common mistake is pouring the egg into broth at a rolling boil, which turns it into rubbery lumps; a gentle simmer gives fine, silky rags. Chef's tip: beat a spoonful of semolina into the eggs, as many Roman cooks do, so the threads hold together and the soup has a little body.

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Penne al gorgonzolaPenne with blue cheese sauce

Penne al gorgonzola is the weeknight dinner of Milan and the Piedmontese towns around Novara, where gorgonzola is made: the soft, sweet dolce kind melted with a little butter and milk into a pale, tangy sauce that coats every tube of pasta. It needs only a green salad alongside. Gorgonzola is traditionally made with animal rennet; for a vegetarian dinner choose a soft blue cheese labelled vegetarian. The most common mistake is letting the sauce boil, which splits the cheese into oil and grainy curds. Chef's tip: drain the penne a minute early and let it finish cooking in the sauce, so it drinks up the flavour instead of sitting under it.

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Húsvéti sonkaSmoked ham with eggs and horseradish

On Easter Sunday morning in Hungary the table is laid with húsvéti sonka, a whole smoked pork ham simmered slowly the day before, sliced cold and served with eggs hard-boiled in the ham's cooking water, freshly grated horseradish, spring onions and braided kalács. The cooking water then becomes the base of a bean or lentil soup the next day. Use a raw-smoked (uncooked) ham from a Hungarian or Polish butcher. Chef's tip: soak the ham overnight to draw out salt, and cool it in its cooking water so it stays juicy.

by KrazyBadal 0 views

BáránypörköltLamb stew with paprika

For Hungarians, lamb is Easter food, and báránypörkölt is the classic way to cook it for Easter Sunday or Monday: chunks of lamb stewed slowly in their own juices with a lot of onion, sweet paprika, garlic, a little tomato and green pepper, until tender in a thick, deep-red sauce. It is served with nokedli (little egg dumplings) or boiled potatoes and a cucumber salad. Chef's tip: take the pot off the heat when you add the paprika, because paprika burns in seconds and turns the whole stew bitter.

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Coratella con carciofiLamb offal with artichokes

In Rome, spring lamb (abbacchio) is the Easter meat, and nothing is wasted: the coratella, the lamb's heart, lungs and liver, is sautéed with onion, white wine and the first spring artichokes for Easter Sunday lunch or the day after. It is a classic of the Testaccio trattorie, earthy and rich, the artichokes bringing a gentle bitterness. Ask a butcher for 'lamb pluck', or use lamb's liver and heart only. White wine is traditional; use stock with a squeeze of lemon for an alcohol-free version. Chef's tip: cook the meats in the order of how long they take, lungs first, then heart, and liver last, so the liver stays tender.

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Pizza chienaEgg, ricotta and cured pork pie

Pizza chiena ('full pie', also pizza rustica or pizza piena) is baked across Campania on Good Friday and eaten after the Lenten fast ends on Easter Sunday or at the Pasquetta picnic. It is a tall pie of short pastry packed with a filling of eggs, ricotta and grated cheeses, layered with cubes of cured pork: salami, prosciutto, soppressata and sometimes fresh sausage. It is rich, so slices are thin. Chef's tip: bake it the day before and chill it overnight, as it cuts cleanly only once fully set.

120 minItalianMeat
by KrazyBadal 0 views

KalanehWild leek stuffed flatbread

In Kurdistan and Kermanshah, Newroz arrives with the first spring greens on the hillsides, and families gather wild leeks to fold into kalaneh, thin griddle breads cooked over a fire or a hot pan and soaked in melted butter. The dough is plain and soft, rolled very thin around a pile of chopped leek or chives with a little salt and pepper, so the greens steam inside as the bread blisters. Eat it hot, torn into strips, with yogurt and tea at a Newroz picnic. The common mistake is wet greens, which turn the dough soggy and make it tear; dry them well after washing. Chef's tip: brush the butter on the moment the bread leaves the pan so it soaks right in.

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Chipa so'oCheese bread with spiced beef

In Paraguay, families bake chipa in the clay tatakua ovens on Holy Wednesday so there is food for Thursday and Good Friday, when cooking stops. Chipa so'o ('chipa with meat') is a cassava-starch and cheese bread wrapped around a little filling of minced beef cooked with onion and egg, then baked until crisp outside and chewy within. It is naturally gluten free. Chef's tip: knead the dough until it no longer cracks at the edges when pressed; dry dough splits around the filling.

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Fave dei mortiBean-shaped almond biscuits

On 2 November, All Souls' Day (il Giorno dei Morti), many Italian regions, especially Lombardy, Veneto and Rome, make fave dei morti: small, pale almond biscuits shaped like broad beans. Beans were once linked with the dead and given as alms at funerals, and these sweet 'beans' replaced them; in Venice they come in pink, white and brown. They are crisp outside and chewy within. Chef's tip: press a thumb lightly into each one to make the bean's dimple; it also helps them bake evenly.

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Torcolo di San CostanzoRaisin and pine nut ring bread

Perugia celebrates its patron saint, Costanzo, on 29 January with the torcolo: a big ring of soft, lightly sweet bread with candied citron, raisins, pine nuts and aniseed, its top cut five times for the gates of the old city. Young women in Perugia once used the torcolo to test their sweethearts, and it is still eaten everywhere in town that week, often dunked in vin santo by adults. This recipe has no alcohol. Chef's tip: dust the raisins and peel with a little flour before kneading them in, so they stay evenly spread.

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Pane dei mortiFig, cocoa and almond biscuits

Pane dei morti ('bread of the dead') is baked in Milan and across Lombardy for All Souls' Day on 2 November. Bakers once made them to use up leftover biscuits, crumbling them with dried figs, raisins, almonds, cocoa and spices into a dark, chewy dough, shaped into long ovals and dusted with icing sugar. Older recipes add a glass of vin santo or white wine; this one uses orange juice. They taste of fig and spice and keep for weeks. Chef's tip: let the mixture rest overnight, which softens the crumbs and deepens the flavour.

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Pajagua mascadaBeef and cassava patties

Pajagua mascada is a Paraguayan street-food classic that appears on every table for the San Juan festival on 24 June, when bonfires burn and the night is full of games and traditional food. Minced beef is mixed with mashed cassava, onion, garlic and a little egg and flour, shaped into flat patties and fried until crisp. The name comes from Guaraní and refers to the 'chewing' of old Paraguayan cooks, who made it from leftover meat. Chef's tip: dry the boiled cassava well and remove its woody core, which keeps the patties light and crunchy.

by KrazyBadal 0 views

CiaramicolaRed Easter ring cake

Ciaramicola is Perugia's Easter cake, a ring tinted red under a cloud of white meringue and coloured sprinkles, the red and white of the city's flag. It was traditionally baked by girls on Holy Saturday for their sweethearts, and it is eaten at Easter breakfast. The red colour usually comes from alchermes, a spiced liqueur; this version uses beetroot juice and a pinch of cinnamon and clove, so it is alcohol-free. The meringue is baked until set. Chef's tip: spread the meringue right down to the base all round, so it seals in the cake and stays glossy.

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Biscotti di San MartinoRicotta-filled fennel biscuits

St Martin's Day, 11 November, is when Sicilians traditionally open the new wine, and in Palermo it is marked with biscotti di San Martino: round, hard, fennel-scented yeast biscuits shaped like little turbans. Eaten plain, they are dunked in sweet Moscato; the pastry-shop version is split, soaked in a sweet syrup and filled with ricotta cream and candied fruit. This recipe soaks them in an orange syrup, so it is alcohol-free; adults can use Moscato or Marsala. Choose a vegetarian ricotta if needed. Chef's tip: bake them twice, the second time low, so they dry right through and keep for weeks.

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Pan co' santiWalnut and raisin loaf

In Siena and the Tuscan countryside, pan co' santi ('bread with the saints') is baked for All Saints' Day on 1 November, when the new walnuts and the late grapes come in. It is a dark, lightly sweet bread dough rich with olive oil, walnuts, raisins and a surprising amount of black pepper, which gives a warm bite. It is eaten with the new wine by adults, or with roasted chestnuts. It is vegan. Chef's tip: fry the raisins and walnuts briefly in the olive oil before adding them, as Sienese bakers do; it brings out their flavour.

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Cuddura cu l'ovaEaster bread with baked eggs

In Sicily, children are given a cuddura cu l'ova at Easter: a sweet, biscuit-like bread shaped into a ring, a basket, a dove or a heart, with one or more whole eggs in their shells held in place by crossed strips of dough. They are baked on Holy Saturday and eaten on Easter Monday, Pasquetta, at picnics in the countryside. The eggs are hard-cooked in the oven, and sprinkles make them festive. Chef's tip: use eggs at room temperature and wash them gently; cold eggs crack in the oven.

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Cavallo di San MartinoShortbread horse and rider

On 11 November in Venice, children go from shop to shop banging pots and singing for San Martino, and every pastry window fills with big shortbread horses carrying the saint on horseback, cut out, iced and studded with sweets and chocolates. The biscuit is a plain, buttery pasta frolla that holds its shape well, and the fun is all in the decoration, so it's a perfect baking afternoon with children. Chef's tip: chill the cut shapes for 15 minutes before baking so the horse's legs and sword keep sharp edges.

by KrazyBadal 0 views

Olivette di Sant'AgataAlmond paste olives

Olivette are tiny green 'olives' of almond paste rolled in sugar, sold in Catania for the feast of St Agatha in early February. A legend tells that as the young saint was led to her trial she stopped to tie her shoe, and a wild olive tree sprang up on the spot and fed her. The sweets are made from ground almonds, sugar and a little water, coloured green and shaped in the palm. They are gluten free and dairy free, and children love to help shape them. Use a natural green such as matcha or spinach powder if you prefer. Chef's tip: knead the paste only until smooth, as overworking draws out the almond oil and it turns greasy.

by KrazyBadal 0 views

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