Events

From the time of the Ancient Romans and Etruscans…

Do you like history?

Pasta. “All’uovo”, dry, long shape, short shape, stuffed one. Done with wheat, rice, barley, buckwheat, rye, maize, as well as chestnut and chickpea flours. It is well known all over the world and eaten almost everywhere. But there is some debate on who invented it. Were the Chinese, Italians or even the Arabs? Marco Polo for sure brought noodles to Italy in 1295 and described it, using terms already familiar to him, when he reported his adventures and experience in Katai (China) on his famous “Il Milione”. But many food historians say that a kind of pasta was already known in Italy for a long time ago. Etruscan tombs (VII century B.C.) and their inscriptions show they used tools significantly similar to the ones used nowadays to make pasta. Furthermore the inhabitants of Rome in the III century and the Roman poet Horace in the I century B.C. refer to “lagana” (lasagne) and other kind of noodles. Apicius as well, the famous Roman gastronome, described dished baked in the oven.

In a cookbook of the XIII century, published in Italy shortly before the return of Marco Polo from China, there are recipes for making different types of pasta, including “ravioli”, “vermicelli” and “tortelli”. So, in one way or another, pasta existed in Italy long before Marco Polo, and Pasta Museum in Rome –very interesting, when in Rome pay a visit there too!- has several manuscripts, paintings and etchings to prove it (http://www.museodellapasta.it/). In its archives and exhibition you have the opportunity of reading important documents dating as far back as 1154, which demonstrate without a shadow of doubt that the method of producing and preserving pasta had been discovered back in the XII century in as many as four different regions of Italy. A very important historical piece of information relating to pasta is a document dating from 1154, in which we read of a settlement with “several mills” by the name of Trabìa (in Sicily) and of the production and trading of pasta, which was transported by ship to “Moslem and Christian” countries.

Collective imagination refers pasta to Italy, and especially to one city: Naples. Nothing can be truer than this. The creativity of the Neapolitans, the humble and cheap price of flour, combined with the soil and climate, adapt for the cultivation of Tricum Durum (“durum wheat”, a particularly gluten rich wheat) and the drying of pasta, as well as the growing of tomatoes, with the best olive oil in the world from the near region of Puglia, made possible the unbelievable tasty marriage of these different ingredients.

Already during the “Renaissance” (XV-XVI century), Italian pasta appeared often on the daily menu. The rich Florentine accompanied it with sugar and expensive spices, but the poor had to make do eat pasta alone or with humble ingredients, such as garlic, vegetables and cheese. At that time the pasta was simple, fresh and homemade (a far cry from the many types and flavours of dried pasta that are on the market today), the invention of which must be recognized to the Neapolitans. It turned out that the Neapolitan fertile soil of the area was the ideal for the cultivation of durum wheat, which is the best flour for pasta produced on a large scale, and that the unique combination of sun and wind in this area of southern Italy was perfect for drying pasta (“pasta secca”). This was an innovation which allows it to be preserved in perfect condition for months and even for years.

The pulp mills multiplied around the city of Naples and at the end of the XVIII century the consumption of pasta in Italy was off. “Macaroni”, “spaghetti”, “tagliatelle” were among the first types of pasta to be produced on a large scale, made only of flour and water. It is to be noted that the idea of using tomato sauce to give pasta its flavour was revolutionary since it was originally eaten plain. It was eaten with the hands as only the wealthy could afford eating utensils.

At that time the pasta was considered as poor food and was usually served with tomato sauce. In the south, the tomatoes grew well as the whole wheat flour and this gave rise to this highly successful marriage. To the north the Italians preferred the “pasta all’uovo” (dough with egg). It was fresh hand-made pasta, usually with the sauce or stuffed with meat, and it was just the rich to eat it. It was only in the XX century that the development of food industry equipment allowed the large-scale industrial production of pasta the same way as with dry pasta. With Italian emigration “pasta secca” and “all’uovo”, served hot or cold, has now widespread all over the world.

Ingredients of pasta

Since the time of Cato, basic pasta dough has been made mostly of wheat flour or semolina, with durum wheat used predominantly in the South of Italy and soft wheat in the North. Regionally other grains have been used, including those from barley, buckwheat, rye, rice and maize, as well as chestnut and chickpea flours. In modern times to meet the demands of both health conscious and coeliac sufferers the use of rice, maize and whole durum wheat has become commercially significant. Grain flours may also be supplemented with cooked potatoes. Beyond hens’ eggs and water, liquids have included duck eggs, milk or cream, olive or walnut oil, wine, ink from octopus, squid or cuttlefish, and even pigs’ blood. Other additions to the basic flour-liquid mixture may include vegetables purees such as spinach or tomato, mushrooms, cheeses, herbs, spices and other seasonings. While pastas are, most typically, made from unleavened dough, the use of yeast-raised dough is also known for at least nine different pasta forms.

Typically pasta is made from an unleavened dough of a durum wheat flour mixed with water and formed into sheets or various shapes, then cooked and served in any number of dishes. It can be made with flour from other cereals or grains, and eggs (for the pasta all’uovo) may be used instead of water. Chicken eggs frequently dominate as the source of the liquid component in fresh pasta. Therefore common pasta is made by flour, salt, water or eggs, and these simple elements make the difference.

Limestone water from south of Italy appear to give minerals and link to the dough as well as during ebullition as the pasta doesn’t release important nutrients in the saturated water.

The ideal grain for flour used in pasta is the “durum wheat” (Triticum durum). This summer wheat (which is produced in southern Italy and imported from North America, the best areas in the world, for the production of Italian pasta) produces a flour rich in gluten, which yields a soft and easy dough to work with. The whole wheat flour, semolina, produces a high quality pasta which can keep the shape it has been given. If cooked “al dente” (just right), it is soft while maintaining a pleasant fragrance to the bite. It is always good to choose 100% durum wheat pasta rather than soft wheat (grano tenero) or percentages of that, because this kind of dough tends to stick during cooking and is often mellow and soft. The addition of the egg in the dough tends to strengthen the dough helping, especially for stuffed pasta, keep the filling into the dough.

The durum wheat flours are slightly yellowish color, more “grainy” to the touch and best for making dry pasta and some kind of bread. The soft wheat flours (in Italy they are selected according to the “ash”: 0.50% is 00flour high gluten type, for pizza or fresh pasta; 0.80% is 0flour type; 1.40% is wholegrain flour type) are white in color, have a consistency almost “dusty” and are more suitable for the preparation of confectionery and bakery.

The most important substances that make up the flour, depending on the wheat, are enzymes, sugars, proteins, mineral salts. The enzymes are divided into amylase and protease. The first attack the starch of the flour and produce the fundamental food for the yeast (especially for pizza, bread and bakery). The second one instead attacks the gluten, making it more elastic. The most important proteins are of two types: soluble and insoluble. The most important from the gastronomy point of view are the “gliandine” and “gluteine”, which form the gluten. Finally, it is important to know that there is also a W value that expresses the “strength” of the flour. The more “tall’ the value W (170W to over 350W), the more these flours must absorb water. The more is the amount of proteins in the flour, the more the “strength” of the flour and the percentage of water required.

The eggs must be fresh and kept at ambient temperature. They add nutritional value of amino acids and proteins. If stored in the fridge, take them out 1hour before preparation.

Nutritional and health value

Rich in proteins, vitamins, fibres and minerals, pasta is composed by complex carbohydrates. It gives the same energy of a steak but with almost no fat. Pasta contains six of the eight essential amino acids for making a complete protein; therefore if you add a bit of cheese, egg, meat or fish (the traditional ingredients you serve with pasta) you can have a complete meal. An average 100gr of dried pasta contain 300kcal, 12.5gr proteins, 1.5gr total fat, 71.7gr carbohydrates (3.5gr sugars), 3gr of fibres and 2mg sodium. The carbohydrates have a low “glycaemic index” for long lasting energy. Pasta cooked “just right” has a glycaemic index of 40, compared to rice, which is 110!

In Italy the incidence of heart attacks and cardiovascular disease is one of the lowest in the world and doctors, nutritionists and scientists agree that Italian cuisine and “Mediterranean diet” plays an essential role, with pasta and its sauce, made from extra virgin virgin olive oil, tomatoes, garlic, onions, olives, red pepper and parsley, fresh fish, vegetables and leaves of salad, fruit, vegetables and lemon juice.

Pasta is economic, fast and easy to cook and incredibly versatile. It is the perfect food “semipronto”: the time it takes to boil water and cook the pasta is enough to prepare most of the sauces. Pasta is especially nutritious and suitable for children. And is also the perfect food for athletes because it gives a lot of energy, is easy to digest and fully satisfying.

The secret to eating well is to eat the pasta as we Italians do, with only a small amount of extra ingredient, served as a first course. Accompanied by a little sauce and a sprinkling of grated cheese, nothing can’ be more ‘balanced and healthy from a nutritional standpoint. Therefore, the pasta should be included in the diet daily. For whom is under a calorie-controlled regime a portion of pasta of 75gr, accompanied by a light sauce, can contain only 200 calories.

Therefore, please try these easy recipes fused with some Asian simple spices and herbs and invite your friends for a yummy pasta enjoyment!

1. SPAGHETTI WITH CLAMS (“Spaghetti alle Vongole”)

Serves 4 Prep 10 min Cook 30 min

EASY

Easy to prepare, yet flavourful and with some tips regarding spices and final Asian fusion.

300 g Italian pasta (better spaghetti for their long shape form, matching with the sauce and clams)

250 g clams (can be frozen, if fresh and in shells, wash them carefully)

4 chili padi (better Italian “peperoncino secco”, from South of Italy; its flavour is hot, yet not burning your mouth)

2 roots of Chinese celery (coriander)

4 gloves of garlic (chopped)

Olive Extra Virgin Oil

Salt, Water for boiling pasta

White wine, ground black pepper (optional)

1. Prepare 300 g spaghetti, or other long shape pasta. Spaghetti usually need 8 to 10 minutes for boiling. If you want them just right, just take them out one minute before it. Choose Italian pasta, you will taste the difference.

2. Wash the clams carefully, especially if in shells. After washing, put them in a small bowl and cover them with water and one full tablespoon of salt. Keep for 10 minutes. This will disinfect and enhance the sea-taste.

3. Put one pot with 3-4 litres of water at high fire.

4. Fry the chopped garlic at medium fire on a pan with olive extra virgin oil. Don’t fry at high temperature. Clean it from seeds, which are unhealthy, and add the chopped chili padi. Be careful, use gloves and don’t touch your lips or eyes after chopping the chili padi!

5. Add the clams with some of the salty water and keep frying. Add white wine and black pepper.

6. When water is boiling, add half tablespoon of salt and then the spaghetti. Reduce the fire heat and stir regularly. If the sauce is getting too dry, add one scoop of water from the pot of the boiling pasta. Check the cooking temperature written on the box and take it out one minute before that.

7. Keep some water from the boiled pasta apart, then filter pasta from water and put inside the pan with the clams, together with the water you kept apart.

8. Cook them for one minute and mix. Turn off the fire and serve with chopped Chinese celery on top.

Per Serving XXX kcals, protein XXXg, carbs XXXg, fat XXXg, sat fat XXXg, fiber XXXg, sugar XXXg, salt XXXg

2. Penne with mushrooms and tomatoes (“Penne ai funghi e pomodoro”)

Serves 4 Prep 15 min Cook 30 min

EASY

Just to show you how to make it a delicious delicate vegetarian dish from the simplest natural ingredients.

300 g Italian pasta (better penne for their short shape form, matching with the sauce and the vegetables)

250 g mushrooms (white button will be perfect)

5 fresh tomatoes

2 roots of Chinese celery (coriander)

4 gloves of garlic (chopped)

Olive Extra Virgin Oil

Salt, Water for boiling pasta

Ground black pepper, dried basil or Italian herbs (optional)

1. Prepare 300 g penne, or other short shape pasta. Penne usually need 10 minutes for boiling. If you want them just right, just take them out one minute before it. Choose Italian pasta, you will taste the difference.

2. Wash the tomatoes for 10 minutes soaked in water. Wash the mushrooms. Chop them. If you chop them in small pieces the sauce will be a balance mix of flavours, if you prefer in bigger pieces it will enhance more the taste of the single pieces.

3. Put one pot with 3-4 litres of water at high fire.

4. Fry the chopped garlic at medium fire on a pan with olive extra virgin oil. Don’t fry at high temperature. Add then the mushrooms first and keep them frying for 10 minutes. Add then the tomatoes and keep frying for another 10 minutes. Add then black pepper.

5. When water is boiling, add half tablespoon of salt and then the penne. Reduce the fire heat and stir regularly. If the sauce is getting too dry, add one scoop of water from the pot of the boiling pasta. Check the cooking temperature written on the box and take it out one minute before that.

6. Keep some water –a couple of scoops- from the boiled pasta apart, then filter pasta from water and put inside the pan with the sauce of mushrooms and tomatoes, together with the water you kept apart.

7. Cook them for one minute and mix. Turn off the fire and serve with chopped Chinese celery on top.

Per Serving XXX kcals, protein XXXg, carbs XXXg, fat XXXg, sat fat XXXg, fiber XXXg, sugar XXXg, salt XXXg

3. Spaghetti “alla Carbonara” (Roman original recipe)

Serves 4 Prep 10 min Cook 30 min

EASY

One of the best and most imitated, yet wrongly made Italian pasta in the world! Avoid amateurs’ mistakes like

cream, wrong type of cheese and pasta, select the right options and make this Roman wonderfully indulgent dish your best culinary choice!

300 g Italian pasta (better spaghetti)

200 g streaked bacon (the best would be the original Roman “guanciale”)

50 g grated Parmigiano Reggiano (the original Italian cheese)

50 g grated Pecorino Romano (the original Italian cheese)

4 gloves of garlic (chopped)

Olive Extra Virgin Oil

2 eggs, room temperature

White or Red wine, according to the personal liking

Salt, Water for boiling pasta

Ground black pepper

1. Prepare 300 g spaghetti. Spaghetti usually need 8 minutes for boiling. If you want them just right, just take them out one minute before it. Choose Italian pasta, you will taste the difference.

2. Put one pot with 3-4 litres of water at high fire. Prepare two eggs in a bowl and mix the yolks and albumens. You can add 2 tablespoons of water.

3. Fry the chopped garlic at medium fire on a pan with olive extra virgin oil. Don’t fry at high temperature. Add then the bacon and keep frying for 10 minutes. Add wine.

4. When the water is boiling, add half tablespoon of salt and then the spaghetti. Reduce the fire heat and stir regularly. Check the cooking temperature written on the box and take it out one minute before that.

5. Filter pasta from water and put inside the pan with the bacon and cook for one more minute.

6. Turn off the fire. Add the eggs sauce and mix fast, being careful that the eggs form a film cover on spaghetti and not an omelette!

7. Add back pepper, Parmigiano Reggiano, Pecorino, stir and serve warm. Fantastic!

Per Serving XXX kcals, protein XXXg, carbs XXXg, fat XXXg, sat fat XXXg, fiber XXXg, sugar XXXg, salt XXXg

Fabrizio Righi is an Italian manager who settled down in Singapore and worked for International Organization Caritas Network in Humanitarian Emergency Field in Eastern Europe for many years in the Emergency, Social, Health (including Nutrition), Education, and Development fields. He worked 16 years all over Europe and knows 9 languages and the cuisines of his Continent. His favourite forte is Italian Cuisine, which he learned from his grandmother Maria Stella and which loves to share with his Community, enriched by the sound and deep background of European culinary traditions where he worked abroad and by the Asian spices and herbs from the region where he settled down last. He is also a passionate of ancient recipes from the Ancient Romans and Greeks, and of cultural gastronomy with a lot of information that you will hardly find everywhere else. He participated in the “Singapore Culinary Journey” 2013. You can find Fabrizio with his languages, culture and cuisine posts on https://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn#!/groups/124257721050152/

Different kinds of pasta

Pastas may be divided into two broad categories, dried (pasta secca) and fresh (pasta fresca). It can be divided also in durum wheat flour or pasta all’uovo which does not expand in size after cooking and is faster to cook. In contrast to fresh pasta, dried pasta needs to be dried at a low temperature for several days to evaporate all the moisture allowing it to be stored for a longer period. Once it is cooked, the dried pasta will usually increase in size by double of its original proportion.

Both dried and fresh pasta come in a number of shapes and varieties, with 310 specific forms known variably by over 1300 names having been recently documented in Italy. In Italy the names of specific pasta shapes or types often vary with locale. For example the form “cavatelli” is known by 28 different names depending on region and town. Common forms of pasta include long shapes, short shapes, tubes, flat shapes and sheets, miniature soup shapes, filled or stuffed, and specialty or decorative shapes. There are also many regional shapes.

The long shape, whose lenght and width may vary, includes the famous spaghetti, bavette, bucatini, capelli d’angelo, chitarra, fusilli lunghi, lasagnette, linguine, maccheroni, tagliatelle, vermicelli, ziti, fettuccine, pappardelle, trenette, etc…. The best sauces are the soft and light ones, with ingredients chopped in small size. It matches perfectly with olive oil, butter, cream, eggs, grated cheese, and fresh aromas.

The short shape, which is easier to cook and to eat than the long one, matches with all of the sauces. Its shapes might vary from mm –for the ones used in the soups- to some cm. The most famous forms are the benfatti, chifferini, conchiglie, eliche, farfalle, fusilli, lumache, maccheroni, penne, pipe, rigatoni, rotelle, orecchiette, gnocchetti, etc… as regarding the little size, mostly for soups, there are alfabetini, risoni, tubettini, quadretti, anellini, stelline, farfalline, ditalini, funghetti, etc…

The puff pastry, or flat shapes and sheets, include the lasagne, festonelle, pantacce, etc… they are mostly used for layers of pasta and other ingredients.

The stuffed pasta is flat sheets which contain different fillings, cut and shaped in many forms, like dumplings. The pasta is usually all’uovo, as it retains the filling much better than the dry pasta. The most famous are tortellini, ravioli, agnolotti, cappelletti and can match both with sauces and soups and meat broth. The filling can be meat, fish, seafood, vegetables, spices, cheese.

The pasta al forno are those kinds of pasta which match better incorporated into a dish that is subsequently baked. It usually includes the above lasagne, cannelloni, but also many other kinds.

The phantasy pasta like “pasta tricolore” (three different kinds of colours, red, white and green like the Italian flag, mostly given by tomato, grain and spinach) is the above pasta with dough containing pepper, chili pepper, asparagus, spinach, salmon, beans, squid ink, tomatoes, chestnuts, mushrooms, garlic, aromatic herbs, etc… Better match it with simple light sauces. There is no limit to the possibility of different kinds of pasta, therefore if you can make pasta your own, you and your stomach will feel very satisfied by your skills and creativity!

Storage and keeping

Usually pasta is already packed in plastic or cardboard packages, which protect the product from humidity. The storage of pasta depends on how far along it is processed. If you buy fresh pasta in a pasta store, especially egg pasta, use it in the same day or two and keep it in the fridge. Uncooked pasta is kept dry and can sit in the cupboard for a year. The dry pasta must be airtight and stored in a dry area. Make sure it is kept in a cool dry place. Cooked pasta is stored in the refrigerator for a maximum of five days in an airtight container. Adding a couple teaspoons of oil helps keep the food from sticking to each other and the container. If the cooked pasta is not used in the five days it may be frozen for up to two or three months. The pasta will start to dry after a period of time, but it varies with the type of pasta. Should the pasta be dried completely, place it back into the cupboard.

Warm Memories: The Italian Family Reunion Dinner

Thousands and thousands of books have been written about Italian cuisine (and the healthiest Mediterranean Diet, suggested by many nutritionists). It is considered one of the best in the world and, of course, if you might ask any Italian, he will answer that for him the Italian gastronomy does, is really the best. While this last opinion is debatable, as everybody more or less would consider his hometown cuisine the best, by the way what renders Italian cuisine world spread is the dedication, time, feeling, pleasure, creativity and art that Italians put in it. This makes the difference. We are speaking about cultural values, passion, love for art and tradition, and not about food anymore. But why is it like that?

One important factor is its variety, and its unique historical, geographical, cultural, climate, weather conditions which develop an incredible gamma of products from wine to wheat, olive oil, tomatoes, fruits, vegetables, fish and many others. But the social behaviour and relations, which enhance the artistic creativity and combination of food, are a value added which people often underestimate. One of the moments when we can realize this perfect concoction of “transversal ingredients” is during the Family Reunion Dinner. In it, the seasonal ingredients, the festivity period, the family gathering all together give a good idea of the power of fantasy and ability of the Italian gastronomy.

I always keep a warm memory of my childhood, when my grandma Maria Stella, her sister, my mother, my auntie, my siblings and a 8 year-old-me worked together for hours and days in the kitchen, preparing the dough for tortellini, the filling for them, the broth, and other food. It was all the family working together in preparation of the Christmas Dinner and this fact gave the food a sacred taste. We children were initiated to the real meaning of Italian Cuisine this way.

Christmas Dinner, as the words say, is the sum of Christmas and Dinner! Christmas is an important event, almost magical, for Italian families. At Christmas we conventionally celebrate the birth of Jesus, the Son of God for Christians, born in Bethlehem in a manger. After a preparatory period of prayer and reflection (Advent, 5 Sundays before Christmas, and the Novena, the nine days before), about midnight the believers go to church for the night vigil the night before. [This serves as a transit to the mystery of the birth of the God who became man and enters the history of mankind. Therefore, after people give the finishing touches to the crib, we are preparing for the midnight mass in a wait that aims to incarnate the present and real miracle of Jesus’s birth].

Dinner in Italy is the most typical celebration of aggregation for the family, since most members have already returned home from work, and this meeting after a hard day’s work is often expressed in rich dinners, or Cenoni (big dinners) as on this occasion. The evening of December 24 is therefore a very important moment for Italian families, because it’s a moment to be together. We will meet for dinner on Christmas Eve.

Days before the Christmas Eve you will arrange appointment with relatives, siblings and friends to meet for the special moment and preparing gifts for all members as a thought for everyone. In short, the Christmas dinner is the time when the whole family, from grandparents to grandchildren and far-away-relatives, tries to meet each other fully, at least once a year to celebrate, eat, talk and play together.

In Italy -in contrast to other European countries and North American Christians who follow the custom of most Eve dinner- you can celebrate on the evening of 24 Dec or lunch on 25 Dec, depending on the areas and regions.

[In addition, in some areas of Southern Italy and South Tyrol, Midnight between 24 and 25 December is a custom to play at home, a procession opened by a candle followed by the smallest of the family bearing the statue of the Child Jesus and the rest of the family singing Christmas Carrols like “Tu scendi dalle Stelle” (You come down from the stars), “Astro del Ciel” (Silent Night) or “Venite Fedeli” (Come here, believers); which procession ends with the arrival at the crib, kiss the little boy and the repositioning of the same over the crib of the Nativity].

Christmas therefore is not just a religious and traditional festival felt much by the faithful. Family- and modern-feast values, perceived by non-believers, added to its original value, making it a consumerism event characterized by a rich dinner and the exchange of gifts at midnight.

[There are many Christmas traditions, largely shared with and by the rest of the world: Santa Claus, La Befana, Epiphany, socks with sugar or coal, “cotechino or zampone” (knuckle sausage), cakes, panettone, nougat, champagne, the exchange of gifts, greetings each other, kissing under the mistletoe, the use of decorations, fireworks, Nativity crib statues, the game of bingo and Italian cards. These are some of the customs that are prepared before the Carnival and the subsequent period of Lent].

In Rome, my hometown, it is a characteristic to go to the charming Piazza Navona, full of markets selling everything, in St. Peter’s Basilica for the Mass and visit the Nativity, real works of art in which the Neapolitans are the undisputed masters, in churches and museums. In Italy and especially in Rome, Christmas has a unique atmosphere.

Italian cuisine has hundreds of regional dishes according to the tradition in the festivities of Christmas and New Year’s Eve, quite different one from the other, with someone emphasizing on fish, others on vegetables, and others on meat or pasta courses.

Unlike the UK cuisine, where the culinary traditions feature bright on the traditional Italian Christmas dinner platter, there’s no set meal for Christmas in Italy. Rather, each region in the country has evolved its own set of Italian Christmas dinner recipes according to its geographic position and cultural influence, and there is a lot of similarity in the nature of the dishes and the meal size in the traditional Italian Christmas dinner.

The various Italian Christmas dinner recipes include all the staple ingredients like olives, meatballs, pasta and vinegar. On the Christmas Eve or the Vigilia di Natale, the traditional Italian Christmas dinner comprises meat free meals and all kinds of fish delicacies. Some of the most popularly cooked items include roast sea bass, baccala, ravioli or tortellini di magro and bruschetta. These dishes hold the main attraction of the traditional Italian Christmas dinner, especially in Southern Italy and Sicily. On the Christmas Day or Natale, salami, Parma ham, prosecco sparkling wine, agnolotti, panettone and pandolce are popularly eaten as a part of the traditional Italian Christmas dinner. On the next day or the Boxing Day, stuffed tortelloni, meat pasta and dishes made of lentils make up a major portion of the traditional Italian Christmas dinner menu.

Each region has its own culinary characteristics and some, especially in the south, have a duty of 13 (tredici!) courses, but the only feature common to almost all regional recipes is the presence of fish (also because ‘Italy is for its ¾ a peninsula surrounded by the sea and is rich in the great products of the Mediterranean, an especially salty sea): the evening before the eel (capitone) is found on many Italian tables, particularly in Abruzzo, Lazio, Marche and Campania.

Therefore I would need to write a book, and not an article, about Italian Family Reunion Dinner! Stay calm & behave like an Italian to fully enjoy my Standard Family Reunion recipes and train on them for one year before the next Eve, and get ready for an Italian Christmas Dinner! In case if I am not with my family in Italy, please invite me…

1. TORTELLINI/RAVIOLI IN BRODO (Italian stuffed dumplings with broth)

Serves 4 Prep 60 min (including preparation of tortellini or ravioli) Cook 45 min

EASY

The warmth and health of home-prepared food. The broth is the simplest and most typical main course of the families during winter time.

2 litres of water (add more if needed during evaporation)

2 carrots, washed

2 American celery sticks, washed

1 tomato, washed

1 onion, peeled

½ tsp salt

1 potato, rosemary, marjoram, juniper, thyme, olive oil, chicken bones (optional)

1 package of Tortellini or ravioli, minced meat flavour

100 gr Grilled Parmigiano Reggiano

If you want to prepare tortellini or ravioli you need for dough:

300g flour

3 eggs

5g salt

Herbs and spices (optional)

Filling:

1 egg

100g of minced chicken meat

100g of minced beef or pork meat

50g grated Italian parmigiano

Black pepper, marjoram (optional)

1. For the Broth: wash the vegetables, peel the onion prepare a pot with two litres of water inside, put all the vegetables and boil at average temperature. In order to enhance the flavour you can fry the vegetables in olive oil first and add other herbs like rosemary, marjoram, juniper, thyme. You can add potatoes; anyway they give a turbid colour to the broth. You can add chicken bones in order to give it the chicken flavour.

2. Boil it 30 minutes, till the onion becomes transparent.

3. For tortellini or ravioli, you can buy them at any good gastronomy shop or prepare by yourself buying a rolled dough sheet or preparing with ingredients at ambient temperature. This way you can enhance the flavour of the dough with herbs and spices. Same way you can enhance the filling in them. It can be done with simple ingredients (one or two) till more complex ones of the traditional recipes.

4. If you want to prepare the filling by yourself, mix minced chicken meat and pork (or beef) together with one egg and spices.

5. Alternative filling can be with: meat (usually a mix of different meat like pork, chicken, beef, turkey, parmigiano, egg, spices and herbs); spinach, parmigiano and ricotta; crab, mascarpone, lemon, parsley and chili paddy; cheese and marjoram; herbs, ricotta, parmigiano and garlic; pumpkin cream, ham, mozzarella and parsley; many others.

6. Prepare the sheets of dough and pour the filling with your hands or a teaspoon on the left side at intervals one from each other, at imaginary squares. Leave some space from the border and in order to cover it with the right side of the dough.

7. Brush the empty space around the filling with some water.

8. Turn the right side over the left one and cover the filling. Cut with a knife and stick the faces with a fork.

9. When pour tortellini into the boiling broth, remember they require just a few minutes to be just right.

10. Serve with grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

Per Serving XXX kcals, protein XXXg, carbs XXXg, fat XXXg, sat fat XXXg, fiber XXXg, sugar XXXg, salt XXXg

2. Zampone or Cotechino with Lentils

Serves 6 Prep 30 min Cook 90 min

EASY

Zampone is ground pork stuffed in the skin of a pig’s leg. It represents the purse, while lentils represent the coins. Cotechino, differently from Zampone, is ground pork stuffed in the intestine of the pig.

300 g lentils

2 American celery sticks, washed

1 onion, cut in two halves

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

30g butter

4tsp olive oil

½ tsp salt

Black pepper, rosemary, nutmeg

Zampone or Cotechino, package

1. For the Broth: prepare the broth as in the recipe of the tortellini. Use half onion. Take away the vegetables.

2. Pour the lentils in broth, add rosemary and garlic, keep cooking and stir at average temperature for 30 minutes.

3. Fry with butter the other half onion in a pan.

4. Pour the lentils and the broth in a casserole with the fried onion, butter and olive oil.

5. Put in the oven at 160C and keep for 45’/60’. The lentils must absorb the broth but leave some liquid. Control it time by time.

6. Put the Zampone metal bag into a recipient pot, covered by water.

7. Cook it at average temperature according to the instruction on the box (usually 45’)

8. When the lentils are ready take the casserole out; you can add some black pepper and nutmeg, then stir.

9. Take the Zampone bag, bring it to the sink, cut one edge and pour out the liquid (you might use this liquid to enhance the flavour of the lentils as well but check the content of salt on the box).

10. Cut the zampone in thin slices and pour on the bed of lentils on the casserole.

11. Serve warm and with some leaves of rosemary.

Per Serving XXX kcals, protein XXXg, carbs XXXg, fat XXXg, sat fat XXXg, fiber XXXg, sugar XXXg, salt XXXg

3. Strufoli, ”Italian Honey Balls”

Serves 8 Prep 30 min Cook 30 min

EASY

Children love strufoli and families used to cook them and present to their friends when they paid visit to them!

3 cups all purpose flour

4 eggs, beaten

¼ cup butter

½ cup white sugar

½ tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp lemon zest (organic)

1 ½ cups honey

¾ cup pine nuts (or almonds)

2 ¼ punces colored candy sprinkles

Sunflower seeds oil

1. Melt the butter or margarine over low heat.
2. Mix together in a large bowl 2-1/2 cups of the flour. Add sugar, baking powder, lemon rind and salt. Make a depression in the middle. Drop into it the eggs and the melted butter or margarine. Mix with a wooden spoon and then with the hands until dough leaves the sides of the bowl. Add remaining 1/2 cup of flour as needed. Knead dough on floured surface until it isn’t sticky anymore.
3. Break off pieces of dough and roll into ropes about the size of a pencil. Cut into pieces 1/4 inch long. Roll these pieces into little balls and set aside.
4. In deep frying pan, heat oil about 2 inches deep. Fry balls until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
5. In a large saucepan over medium heat, bring 1-1/2 cups of pure honey to a boil. Let honey boil gently for about 3 minutes before adding little dough balls, stirring gently with wooden spoon until they are well-coated.
6. Remove balls from honey with a slotted spoon and place in a deep dish or mound them on a platter. Sprinkle surface evenly with nuts and multi-coloured sprinkles. Cool.

Per Serving XXX kcals, protein XXXg, carbs XXXg, fat XXXg, sat fat XXXg, fiber XXXg, sugar XXXg, salt XXXg

Fabrizio Righi is an Italian manager who settled down in Singapore and worked for International Organization Caritas Network in Humanitarian Emergency Field in Eastern Europe for many years in the Emergency, Social, Health (including Nutrition), Education, and Development fields. He worked 16 years all over Europe and knows 9 languages and the cuisines of his Continent. His favourite forte is Italian Cuisine, which he learned from his grandmother Maria Stella and which loves to share with his Community, enriched by the sound and deep background of European culinary traditions where he worked abroad and by the Asian spices and herbs from the region where he settled down last. He is also a passionate of ancient recipes from the Ancient Romans and Greeks, and of cultural gastronomy with a lot of information that you will hardly find everywhere else. He participated in the “Singapore Culinary Journey” 2013. You can find Fabrizio with his languages, culture and cuisine posts on https://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn#!/groups/124257721050152/

FINGER FOOD

Sometimes I am so surprised that in Singapore, the melting pot of food coming from all over the world, I don’t find this food: the Italian Rice Balls, which in my city –Rome- and region take their name as Suppli’ (their probable etymology is from the word “sorpresa”, which means “surprise”) and in Sicily are famous as Arancini or Arancine (depending on the area, it means “little oranges”). Even a famous Italian writer, the Sicilian Andrea Camilleri, named his tales about the Police Detective Commissario Montalbano – which character became famous in the Italian culture thanks to the novels and the series dedicated to him on RAI, RAdiotelevisione Italiana – after this marvelous finger food. Sicily, which gave a big tribute to the whole Italian Cuisine, is also at the origin of many of Italian starters. In the South Asian subcontinent, food is traditionally always eaten with hands. Foods considered street foods are frequently, though not exclusively, finger foods.

This time in fact I introduce some Italian finger food. In Italy (as well as in Spain with tapas, “montados” or “montaditos” and France with “vol au vents”) you can find them so easily in “rosticcerie” or in the “bar”, as well as in restaurants, trattorie and osterie. We use to define it “antipasti” (starters, appetizers or entrée/main course items), by the way, the word itself explains it in English, finger food is whatever you can take with your hand without the need of any cutlery (fork, knife, or spoon), therefore it is just a part of this big Italian family of “antipasti”. And its taste is salty and not sweet, otherwise it would end in the category of pastry.

Nevertheless, finger food is an important part of everyday-life in Italy. You can go to a pizzeria and order the fantastic “olive ascolane”, or “fiori di zucca” (fried pumpkin flower with a refill of hot mozzarella and anchovies), as well as “mozzarelline”, bruschetta, and much other. At the bakery you can choose among scores of pizzette, flavoured toasts, “rustici”, and other flour-based products. In the bar and rosticceria you get crazy with calzone, toasts, grilled vegetables and other food balls (not football, which drives Italian crazy as well)!

There can be different types of finger food; however you can categorize them mostly in five branches. The first one is the raw or treated food itself, like fresh mozzarelline, slices of ham, cheese, cherry tomatoes, fried chips, etc… You eat it as it is. The second type is by using wooden or plastic sticks (“spiedini”) to penetrate through different food such as barbequed meat, fish, vegetables, and fruits. A very simple one is the sequence of sausage, cheese, capsicum and pineapple on a simple stick, or little pieces of meat -like Italian arrosticini of Abruzzi- or squid. Others can be ready cooked food, such as chicken drumsticks or wings, spring rolls, fried vegetables, rice balls, panzerotti, schiacciate, crispelle, cartocciate, panelle, croquettes, food nuggets, calzoni, and are often filled with marvelous mozzarella, spinach, ricotta, ham and sauces: therefore the food might be contained also inside some dough, around or rolling on it, or even by leaves, like vine leaves in the Greek dolma. The last two groups share something in common: both have an edible base on which you put the main ingredients or some other combination of food and ready to be served. However, the difference is the base: one group can be done with fresh or raw vegetables/fruits/other (for example pieces of melon with ham on it, or green lettuce or Italian radicchio with mayonnaise and some other topping); while the last group is a cooked/ baked base with some topping on it (example: bruschetta) and can be covered by another “base” (like sandwich or Italian “panino”).

This last one in my opinion is the biggest family of the finger food, without lacking of consideration about all the others I mentioned above. In my Country creativeness spreads from pizzette bases, to bread, tarts, “cialde”, focacce, tortini with “pasta sfoglia” or “pasta brisee”, crackers, salty biscuits, crostini (croutons), piadine, etc…

And of course fantasy goes on with the toppings on these bases: vegetable purees/pastes/dips, like truffles, mushrooms, eggplants, zucchini, tomatoes, olives, etc.. ; or pickles or vegetables in oil; fresh vegetables with a bit of extra virgin olive oil, like in most of bruschetta; herbs (sage, rosemary, oregano, chili paddy, pepper, nutmeg, etc…), creamy cheese; sauces and dressings, like mayonnaise, tuna, fish, or meat sauces, combined with caviar, pâté, shrimps, artichokes, capers, olives, etc… The choice is almost a never ending one, as well as for the shape variety. The imprinting of my Country is given by some ingredients: tomato, olive oil, mozzarella, cheese: they will always be among the main ingredients also in the preparation of finger food. Therefore let’s delight with some recipes from Italy containing these ingredients: Italian Rice Balls, Mozzarelle in Carrozza and… Bruschetta!

Italian Rice Balls – Roman Supplì (Supplì al telefono – The sight of the strings dangling from somebody’s half-eaten supplì made someone think of phone lines, and hence the name). There are many versions; some of them propose to cook rice apart with water, butter and some tablespoons of tomato sauce; others to prepare the ingredients as a filling and not as a base for the fried tomato sauce. I present the one in which risotto is cooked into the tomato sauce, yet a simplified version. All of the ingredients are shown as “optional” for a more yummy result.

Serves 4 – Preparation 15 minutes – cooking 45 minutes –frying 20 minutes – A LITTLE EFFORT

300 grams of Italian rice (Avorio, or Arborio or Vialone)

1 litre of water

80 grams of butter and/or Olive oil

1/2 onion (finely chopped)

1 rib of celery (grated)

1 carrot (grated)

125 grams of minced meat (beef)

300 gr of tomato sauce

100 g provatura romana, a buffalo milk cheese similar to mozzarella (mozzarella cheese will do too, cut into small cubes)

Breadcrumbs

Oil for frying the rice balls

Salt, flour

180 g tomatoes (peeled and chopped), 50 g of peas, 50 gr white button mushrooms (chopped) – optional

30 grams of grated parmesan cheese, 2 eggs, beaten – optional

60 g of minced ham, chicken livers, red wine and pepper – optional

Direction

Wash the vegetables. Prepare the sauce: fry the onion, celery, carrot (you can use 40 gr butter in order to increase the flavour) in olive oil at low fire; add the meat and the other optional ingredients (tomatoes, peas, minced ham, and chicken livers). Add the tomato sauce and keep frying for 20 minutes. Add salt, red wine and pepper (optional).

You can put in one plate part of the solid ingredients in order to put them later in the heart of the rice ball together with the mozzarella cheese (optional).

Add the rice and boil it for about 15 minutes, adding some salt, and drain it well. You may need to add some water. Risotto must be al dente. You can add the other optional 40 gr of butter, grits and eggs during the preparation. Cool it down and add some olive oil if necessary.

Make the rice balls: Take some rice and spread it over your left palm. Put in the middle of the ball a bit of the meat sauce (if you took it apart), and one and two cubes of mozzarella (depends on the size of the cube). Shape and cover the filling into the balls with your hands. Beat a couple of eggs into a bowl and prepare another bowl with the crumbled bread.

Coat the rice balls in the flour, and then dip them into the egg mixture and after that cover them with the crumbled bread in the other bowl.

Fry in a pan with hot oil. The crust must look crispy and golden. Wipe excess oil in a paper towel. Serve hot.

Tip: another technique for crumbling the supplì is this: you might prepare a bowl with water, egg, oil, flour, and salt; soak fast the rice ball inside before covering with the crumble bread.

Mozzarella in Carrozza – (Mozzarella in a carriage – The name might be because the mozzarella is somewhere contained between eggy bread and covered by the bread slices, or because in Campania it was shaped with circle bread slices, like wheels). There are many versions; from the simplest to others where the filling might include ham, anchovies, and other.

Serves 4 – Preparation 15 minutes – frying 20 minutes – EASY

8 slices sandwich bread (wholemeal flour better), crusts removed

100 gr mozzarella cheese (dried from liquid, if any), cut into ¼-inch-thick slices

¼ cup all-purpose flour

½ cup plain dry breadcrumbs

1 large egg, beaten

3 tablespoons whole milk

Salt, preferably kosher

Vegetable oil, for frying

2 tablespoons freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese, freshly ground black pepper, ham slices, anchovies, butter – optional

Direction

Remove the crusts from the bread. Cover 1 slice of the bread with the mozzarella slices, ham slices and/or anchovies (optional) and top with another slice of bread. Carefully slice the sandwiches in half diagonally. Press down around the edge (optional).

On a large piece of wax paper, place the flour on one side, and the breadcrumbs on the other.

In a shallow bowl, mix together the egg, Pecorino (optional), milk, and salt and pepper to taste.

Dredge the sandwich triangles in the flour, cover and shake off any excess. Then dip them into the egg mixture, making sure that the sides are dampened as well. Then coat them in the breadcrumbs, coating the sides too. Let the triangles rest for 5 to 10 minutes, to let the breadcrumbs adhere well.

Heat a medium-size frying pan (large enough to hold all the triangles) over medium-high heat. Add oil to a depth of ¼ to ½ inch. When the oil is hot, add the triangles and fry until the bread has browned, 1 to 1½ minutes. Turn to the other side and fry for another 1 to 1½ minutes (flip them just once in order to avoid the mozzarella to go out). Transfer to paper towels to drain. Serve immediately.

Tip: The bread slices are cut into smaller squares, layered with mozzarella, skewered, then fried—a process that makes a pretty loaf but that also has the problem of absorbing too much oil if not carefully tended. Wipe excess oil in a paper towel. Some versions put together 2 slices of bread instead of 1, thus making a single peace done with 4 slices of bread, and indulge in more ingredients like ham, pecorino, and spices. You can fry them in butter. I noted them all as optional. Loved by children and… adults.

Bruschetta – There are many versions of bruschetta as well, with olives and other vegetables, with pâté or dips. I give you the one I like most.

Serves 4 – Preparation 20 minutes– EASY

2 tomatoes

1 rib of celery

5 cloves of garlic

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt, pepper (optional)

Bread (baguette, whole meal); you can prepare your own loaf or focaccia, also supermarket croutons work

Oregano, garlic spread, capers (optional)

Direction

Cut the bread in slices of 1/1,2 cm. Put on a layer and in the stove at a 100C temperature for 8 minutes. Control that the slices become crusty, light golden according to the taste but avoid burning. You can do the same process on a grill pan, especially if you have “pane casareccio” or homemade loaf.

Wash the vegetables. Chop 4 cloves of garlic in very small pieces and put in a bowl with olive oil. Then chop the tomatoes in small pieces and the celery in very small pieces, add them with salt, pepper, oregano, capers (optional). Keep it for 30 minutes in order to strengthen the flavour.

Serve the bread and the vegetable mix bowl with a small plate with the garlic clove. Help yourself by taking a slice of crunchy bread, rub the remaining clove of garlic according to the liking and top some bruschetta sauce on it.

Tip: The recipe is very easy, therefore its result depends on the best ingredients such as extra virgin olive oil and Italian bread, if you can find or prepare it. If you don’t want to rub garlic on the bread, a garlic spread will work. The smaller you chop the ingredients, the more you will have a mixed flavour. If you prefer some ingredient to result, just chop them not too small. The best is if you can prepare the vegetables and keep them in a jar for some time.