Buon Natale!

Buon Natale!

The ancient Romans are legendary for their feasts, festivals, and all around debauchery.   The greatest feast of the ancient Roman Empire was the feast of Saturn, “Saturnalia”. The lord of Saturnalia was Baccus (the god of wine), who the Romans honored for the past years grape harvest. Baccus was so highly honored widespread intoxication was common.

After weeks of “feasting, celebrating and honoring” winter solstice was marked by gift giving.  Romans gave each other gifts of fruits and nuts, tied up with bits of holly.  Children were given dolls made of dough, terra-cotta rings, and other small trinkets.

In modern day Italy the holiday season is a month long festival that starts with Advent   and ends on January 6 with the feast of Epiphany.  Babbo Natale (Father Christmas) sometimes gives presents on Christmas; however most presents arrive on the eve of Epiphany, they are brought by La Befana, an ugly, old but kindly witch, who arrives on her broomstick in the night to leave gifts and fill children's stockings with sweet treats. .   

Because the regions of Italy are so diverse, it is difficult to identify one traditional Italian Christmas food, but many ingredients used in ancient Roman feasts are still used today. Fish remains a common ingredient and many Italian American Families celebrate Christmas Eve with “ The Feast Of The Seven Fishes” .Most Christmas sweets contain nuts and honey, said to honor the fertility of the earth and to make for a sweet new year.

However you celebrate the season,  with the spirit of Baccus, Babbo and La Befana, here’s wishing you” Buon Natale” and a“Sweet New Year”!

Cicerchiata-Struffoli - Italian Honey Balls

Nanna diCicco would pile these high on the plate to form a Christmas tree, and in “True Roman Form” we promptly devoured them.

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 eggs
• Vegetable oil for deep frying
• 3 cups honey

1. Sift flour and salt on to a pastry table or bowl and make a well in the middle.
2. In a small bowl, add eggs and beat with a fork until smooth.
3. Place eggs in the well, with the tips of your fingers or with a fork, mix the eggs with the flour, incorporating a little at a time, until all is combined.
4. Knead the dough until smooth, about 5 minutes.
5. Shape dough into a ball.  Cover the dough with an overturned bowl.  Let rest for 30 minutes.
6. Cut dough into 12 pieces.  Roll each piece of dough into a 1/2 inch-thick rope. Cut the rope into 1/2 inch pieces.
7. Pour approximately 2 inches of vegetable oil into a deep heavy saucepan.
8. Heat the oil to 370°F.
9. Add enough pieces of dough to pan as will fit, being careful not to overcrowd the pan.
10. Cook, stirring once or twice, until the cicerchiata (honey balls) are crisp and golden brown.
11. Remove the cicerchiata with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Continue with the remaining pieces of dough.
12. When all the cicerchiata are fried place the honey in a large shallow saucepan.  Heat honey until it reaches a simmer.
13. Place fried cicerchiata in a large bowl, add honey a little at a time, stirring to incorporate.
14. Pile the cicerchiata on a serving plate.

Happy Italian Thanksgivng Y'all

Italians love any holiday that brings friends and family (and of course food!) together. My family is no different, and a typical Thanksgiving meal for the diCicco family is not for the faint of heart. It has a complete traditional New England style turkey dinner with all the trimmings, but that’s just one course! The rest goes something like this:




Antipasto: Italian meats, cheeses, olives, peppers, tomatoes, marinated mushroom, sliced vegetables and creamy ricotta dip – just a little snack and a glass of wine to get started.



Antipasta Freddi (Cold Appetizers): Shrimp Cocktail, Seafood Salad, Pasta and Lentil Salad – just a little snack and glass of wine to get started.



Antipasta Caldi (Hot Appetizers): Bacon Wrapped Goat Cheese Stuffed Dates, Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms, Sauted Spinach with Garlic and Roast Red Pepper, Potatoes and Artichokes with Lemon and Butter, Julies Cabbage Rolls and perhaps a nice Lasagna – just a nice warm snack and a glass of wine to get started.



By now, the Macy’s Parade is long over. Gossip and laughter from the women in the kitchen is getting louder and football in the family room is starting to gear up. It’s time to serve the next course, and “yes”, Lasanga and Cabbage Rolls are considered appetizers in my family.



Pasta Piatti (Pasta course): Grampi’s Handmade Ravioli and Gnocchi with Meatballs and Gravy, he often enlists the help of the grandchildren the night before to prepare these Italian delicacies for our “small army” sized family.- just a nice bite and a little more vino before the “real feast”



I told you it’s not for the faint of heart! We are only four hours in and the weaklings are already napping in front of the game. The children are no longer interested in what’s going on the kitchen; they’re out playing a game of tag football, taunting the neighbor’s dog, generally terrorizing the neighborhood, or texting about the horrors of family dinners. As evening approaches: “Dinner is Served”



Secondi Piatti (Second or Main Course): A toast to La Familia and a traditional New England Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings is served: Turkey, Stuffing, American Gravy, and what seems like endless side dishes. After the introduction of “Southerners” to our family one of these side dishes is often “Sweet Potato Fluff” and “yes” this brown sugar topped, bourbon infused casserole is considered a vegetable in my wife’s family.



By now, the last of the wine is being finished off, happy conversation and storytelling has started. It’s time to brew espresso and have a little sweet bite. Did I mention, “You might want to stay overnight?”



Dolce (Desserts): Pumpkin and Apple Pies, Italian Pastries and Cookies, Chocolates Nuts, Lucia’s Hazelnut Cannoli, Dark Brewed Coffee and Espresso served with Anisette.



The stories the around da tavola are getting funnier, and the laughter is almost deafening at times. While Thanksgiving Dinner maybe unique to each family, it’s a reminder for us all to be thankful.



If you want to add some diCicco family flavor to your holiday meal, pick up handmade Lasagna from Lucia’s or cook up a nice Fluff. Happy Thanksgiving Yall.



Fluff Part:

2 cups of cooked, fresh sweet potatoes

¾ cup sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter

2 eggs, well beaten

½ teaspoon freshly ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

¼ cup milk

2 tablespoons good bourbon



The cook should sample the quality of the bourbon and request all guests do the same.

This step should be repeated as needed.



Beat the sugar, salt, butter, eggs, spices, milk, into the cooked sweet potatoes until smooth and light. Pour into a buttered baking dish.



Crunchy Part:

¾ packed cup light brown sugar

1/3 cup flour

4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter, melted

¾ cup chopped pecans

Mix brown sugar and flour together. Add melted butter and pecans and mix.

Spread on Top

Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes till lightly browned.



For more info: http://www.luciastavola.com/

Mele al Forno con Amaretti e Vino

New Englanders and Italians both share a love of apples. You need look no farther than your local apple orchard, farm stand or fall festival to confirm the apple is one of New England’s favorite harvests. The apple pie contest entries at this years “Old Home Days” in Hollis were fragrant, beautiful and each touched personally by the love and care of the hands that prepared them, many from recipes handed down from generation to generation. Somehow the judges were able to determine a winner.
Just like in Hollis, festivals many festivals are also held each year in Italy to honor the harvest and the apple. Italy is the world’s sixth largest producer of apples, with apple recipes dating back to 700 BC. Even before that, Italian mythology refers to Ponoma as a wood nymph, who was left to tend the orchards near Tiber. All summer she cared for the tiny sour green apples, lovingly coaxing them to sweetness and then turning them the beautiful red and gold colors of autumn.
While New Englands apple history is not nearly as long it does date back to the pioneers who only found crab apples in the New World, but quickly imported seeds and seedlings from Europe, only to find they grew well but produced very small amounts of fruit. After the introduction of Europeans honey bees or “white mans flies” as the Native Americans called them, the orchards started to thrive.

Another piece of New England’s “Applelore” is the legend of Johnny Appleseed, a folk hero and pioneer apple farmer in the 1800s. There really was a Johnny Appleseed and his true name was John Chapmen and he was born right here in Leominster, MA. His dream was for the land to produce so many apples that no one would ever go hungry. Most historians today classify him as an eccentric but very smart businessman, who traveled about the new territories of his time, leasing land and developing nurseries of apple trees. It is estimated that he traveled 10,000 square miles of frontier country, spreading the love apples from coast to coast.

To honor Johnny and Ponoma, the recipe I would like to share combines fresh New England apples the wonderful taste of Italian wine and amaretti. It’s super simple and super tasty. Mangia!
Italian Baked Apple Ingredients

• 4 apples
• 14 amaretti cookies, crushed to a coarse crumb
• 4 amaretti cookies
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup rosa wine or 3/4 cup wine Plus 1/4 cup Ammareto
Italian Baked Apple Recipe
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Wash and core the apples, leaving a 1/2 inch of core at the bottom of each apple.
• Cut a strip of peel from each apple, working around the center of the apple.
• Combine the butter and the amaretti crumbs and divide into 4 portions.
• Spoon the amaretti crumb butter mixture into each apple.
• Place the apples in an ovenproof skillet.
• Combine the sugar and the wine.
• Pour the wine over the apples.

• Place the skillet in the oven and bake for 45 minutes, until the apples are tender.
• Transfer the apples to a serving platter.
• Top each apple with one of the remaining amaretti cookies.
• Place the skillet over medium heat, and cook the liquid remaining in the pan until slightly thickened.
• Pour the syrup over the apples.
• Serve immediately, or refrigerate overnight and reheat before serving
For More Information About The Chef and Lucia’s Tavola

http://www.luciastavola.com/

Chef Mark diCicco of Lucia's Tavola Is Top Chef

Chef Mark diCicco  of Lucia's Tavola recently was awarded Top Chef and Winner of St Joseph's Hospital’s Healthy Chef Competition.
The “Healthy Chef Competition” is a yearly event sponsored by St Joe's Hospital and St Joe's Farmer's Market to promote healthy locally produced foods.

This year’s competitors: Lucia's Tavola of Brookline NH and Florence's Italian Ristorante of Merrimack NH battled it out using the secret ingredient "tomatoes". Both teams offered their own succulent variations of the secret ingredient and prepared beautiful dishes, but in the end the panel of judges announced Lucia’s Tavola as winner.

Chef Mark diCicco and his team offered a Pollo Murattore (stone worker chicken) and a “gluten free" quinoa pasta with a spicy tomato "sciue sciue" sauce. Chef diCicco incorporated a technique using two sauté pans and a large granite rock to press the chicken into the pan. “This preparation” explained the chef “keeps the skin super crispy and presses out excess oils, leaving a moist center”.

Chef diCicco was quick to point out the heathly aspects of his dish which was gluten free and used locally sourced chicken and tomatoes. Chef diCicco also noted, the large granite rock was “locally sourced”. The granite was a hit with the audience and the Pollo Murattore was a hit with the judges.
Congratulations Chef Markoh!

Fiori di zucca fritti June 2010

Fiori di zucca fritti  ~ Fried Squash Blossoms

It’s been well documented that scents can trigger intense recollections of days long past, with food being the most common. This happens often at Lucia’s, where the smell of baking bread and slow simmered marinara are reminders of traditional Italian family dinners. Recently the one of our guests commented on how that wonderful smell took him back to Nonna’s house and asked if we ever had fried squash blossoms on the menu. While not on the menu we assured our new “paisano” that we would try to locate the flowers and prepare them just as his Nonna did, so he could share this wonderful flavor from his childhood with his children and we could share it with our guests at Luica’s.

Now the search is on and my wife has made it her mission to procure the delicate little flowers, which have a shelf life of only few days. Frying squash blossoms seemed like a mighty fine idea to a “Southern Girl” and she was undaunted even after having no luck with the larger farm stands, organic supermarkets or with our food and produce purveyors.
Localizing the search even more, she was chased from friends and neighbors gardens where the first blooms were starting to appear. Things were not looking good. Then she met Tom Mitchell of “Ledge Top Farm” at the Brookline NH Farmers Market and his first delivery of blossoms has arrived here at Lucia’s and will continue until the end of the season.
If you are lucky enough to have blossoms in your garden or find them from a local farmer you will find the crunchy saltiness of the crisp golden batter beautifully complements the sweetness of the flower itself, without overshadowing the flower's delicate flavor

The blossoms can be fried as is or stuffed with any mix of herbs and cheeses.

Ingredients
• 15 squash blossoms
• 3 ½ oz all-purpose flour
• 1 egg
• frying oil
• salt and pepper
• ½ cup San Pellegrino sparkling mineral water
Preparation
5 minutes preparation + 5 minutes cooking
In a bowl, mix the flour with the egg using a fork. Once you have a fairly smooth mixture, dilute it by slowly adding half a glass of water and continuing to stir until the batter is as smooth and thick as puree.
Carefully wash the squash blossoms removing the pistil, drain and gently dry them using paper towels.

Place a large pan on the heat and add enough oil to completely cover the blossoms when frying. In the meanwhile, dip the squash blossoms in the batter, turn them gently and, when the oil start to smoke, fry them, a few at a time, then. Once nicely golden, drain them on paper towels. Serve with warm marinara for dipping if you like. Enjoy!



The Brookline NH Farmers Market is held at the ballpark every Tuesday from 3-6 pm. There you will find Ledge Top Farm’s beautiful produce, herbs, fruits and berries, all organic and pesticide free. You can also find other local farmers, bakers and beekeepers with a variety of produce, home baked breads and brownies, local wildflower honey and lots more.

http://www.luicastavola.com/
http://www.ledgetopfarm.com/
Name our new cooking show and win dinner for two at Lucia’s

For more info

Fiori di zucca fritti

Fried Squash Blossoms

By Mark diCicco

Chef Luica’s Tavola, Brookline NH

It’s been well documented that scents can trigger intense recollections of days long past, with food being the most common. This happens often at Lucia’s, where the smell of baking bread and slow simmered marinara are reminders of traditional Italian family dinners. Recently the one of our guests commented on how that wonderful smell took him back to Nonna’s house and asked if we ever had fried squash blossoms on the menu.  While not on the menu we assured our new “paisano” that we would try to locate the flowers and prepare them just as his Nonna did, so he could share this wonderful flavor from his childhood with his children and we could share it with our guests at Luica’s.   

Now the search is on and my wife has made it her mission to procure the delicate little flowers, which have a shelf life of only few days.  Frying squash blossoms seemed like a mighty fine idea to a “Southern Girl” and she was undaunted even after having no luck with the larger farm stands, organic supermarkets or with our food and produce purveyors. 

Localizing the search even more, she was chased from friends and neighbors gardens where the first blooms were starting to appear. Things were not looking good.  Then she met Tom Mitchell of “Ledge Top Farm” at the Brookline NH Farmers Market and his first delivery of blossoms has arrived here at Lucia’s and will continue until the end of the season.

If you are lucky enough to have blossoms in your garden or find them from a local farmer you will find the crunchy saltiness of the crisp golden batter beautifully complements the sweetness of the flower itself, without overshadowing the flower's delicate flavor

The blossoms can be fried as is or stuffed with any mix of herbs and cheeses.

 Ingredients

• 15 squash blossoms
• 3 ½ oz all-purpose flour
• 1 egg
• frying oil
• salt and pepper
• ½ cup San Pellegrino sparkling mineral water

Preparation

5 minutes preparation + 5 minutes cooking

In a bowl, mix the flour with the egg using a fork. Once you have a fairly smooth mixture, dilute it by slowly adding half a glass of water and continuing to stir until the batter is as smooth and thick as puree.

Carefully wash the squash blossoms removing the pistil, drain and gently dry them using paper towels.

Place a large pan on the heat and add enough oil to completely cover the blossoms when frying. In the meanwhile, dip the squash blossoms in the batter, turn them gently and, when the oil start to smoke, fry them, a few at a time, then. Once nicely golden, drain them on paper towels.  Serve with warm marinara for dipping if you like. Enjoy!

The Brookline NH Farmers Market is held at the ballpark every Tuesday from 3-6 pm.  There you will find Ledge Top Farm’s beautiful produce, herbs, fruits and berries, all organic and pesticide free.  You can also find other local farmers, bakers and beekeepers with a variety of produce, home baked breads and brownies, local wildflower honey and lots more.

www.LuicasTavola.com

www.LedgeTopFarm.com 

Fragole al Vino - May 2010

It's strawberry picking time in New England. The smell of the fresh berries permeate the air at local farmers markets and strawberry festivals are planned all around New England. Not only do folks of New England love of these sweet and fragrant fruit, strawberries are loved and cultivated world wide with a global yearly production of over four million tons. The United States leads the way with a yearly production of over one millions tons.
Besides being pretty darn tasty, loaded with vitamin C and antioxidants there are many interesting facts about strawberries. For instance strawberries are a member of the rose family and the only fruit with its seeds on the outside. The modern garden strawberry was first propagated by French Botanist in mid 18th century, but before that early hunters and gathers enjoyed the tasty wild berries for a short time each spring.
The history of strawberries in Italy goes back to the ancient gods. According to legend when Adonis died Venus wept uncontrollably. The tears rolled down her cheek and dropped to the earth turning into heart shaped strawberries. Italians have cultivated the little berries since pre-Christan times, growing them in elaborate Roman gardens. Today Italy is the worlds fourth largest exporter of strawberries with the most desirable crops coming from an area around the crater lake “Lago di Nemi” in the Alban Hills which overlooks the city of Rome. As with many fresh fruits and vegetables, Italians have many simple preparations for the fresh harvested fruit The most common is the “Fragole al Vino”- “Strawberries with Wine”, a simple preparation of fresh berries drizzled with wine. The wine used often depends on the region of the country. In Tuscany the wine of choice is of course Chianti, in Sicily it's Marsala, in the Astigiano they use Asti a sweet sparkling wine. The use of liqueurs is also common. At Lucia's Tavola the most popular dessert is a Zabglione with Marsala, dark rum and fresh strawberries, which proves Americans love the taste of fresh fruit with wine and liquor..really whats not to love.

After your next trip to the strawberry fields or you local farmers market, try this fast,simple and delicious preparation for your harvest.

1 Quart Fresh Strawberries – cleaned and hulled
3 Tablespoons Raw Cane Sugar
2 Tablespoons Gran Gala Orange Italian Liquor or wine/liqueur of your choice
Mix together and place in refrigerator to chill
Sip Gran Gala while you wait – this is a very important step and should not be omitted
Refrigerate for at least two hours
Serve over Lady Fingers or Ice Cream
For more information about the Chef and Lucia's Tavola
http://www.luciastavola.com/

Pan Fried Pesce del Giorno (fish of the day) April 2010

Spring has finally arrived in New England bringing with it a wide variety of outdoor activities. As a child my favorite was fishing; fishing in saltwater, fishing in streams, fishing in ponds, fishing in rivers, fishing in bogs and the occasional casting practice in the family pool…..no difference as long as I was fishing. Now I fish with my son and we practice catch and release, but as a child I would hurry home with my catch of the day proud to supply the family dinner that evening.

Our house was always alive with family and friends and many evenings I would come home to find Nanna & Grampi diCicco over for a visit and to share our evening meal. Nanna was always busy in the kitchen, while Grampi sat at the table drinking wine from a coffee cup; this is still referred to as “red coffee” in the diCicco family.
Nanna was a tiny lady with blue hair, as a child I thought this was her natural color, only later in life did I discover it was a special rinse and the fashion of the day among little grey haired ladies. Nanna’s blue hair and warm smiles are wonderful childhood memories, but it was her ability to turn the simplest ingredients into a delicious meal that I remember most.

Pickerel was often the catch of the day but sometimes it was trout and on those days Nanna diCicco’s smile was even broader. Fresh trout is a staple of Northern Italian and Abruzzi style cooking, as well as a wonderful reminder of the old country for Nanna and Grampi. Grampi loved it so much he ate it from tip to tail, leaving nothing behind but the barest of bones.

The recipe I would like to share with you is the simple easy preparation my Nanna taught me and one I still use today. I have used this recipe with a variety of fish ranging from sunfish to pickerel to flounder to stripped bass. Caught fresh or bought fresh from the local market, this recipe has never let me down. Serve this fish with fresh greens, sautéed vegetables and/or herb roasted potatoes.

Pan Fried Pesce del Giorno (fish of the day)

Fresh Fish Fillets
Unbleached All Purpose Flour
Salt and Pepper
Granulated Garlic
Olive Oil
Nanna never measured and neither should you with this simple recipe.

Pat fillets dry with paper towel
Season fillets with salt, pepper and a pinch of granulated garlic
Dredge in flour

Heat sauté pan over medium to medium high heat
Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan
Place fillets in pan, skin side up
Cook time will vary depending on the thickness of the fillet
Flip the fillet when the edges start to brown
Brown skin side until fillet is cooked throughout
Plate with lemon wedges

Mangia!
At Lucia’s we often pair this dish with Orvieto, a classic Italian white wine, but feel free to enjoy it with Grampi’s favorite “red coffee”.

Benvenuto! Welcome!

Track upcoming events, wine tasting, food column, tv show and of course rants and raves from Anne & Chef Markoh!

Each Month we will publish our column "From Our Tavola To Yours" which can also be found at http://www.thefreemessenger.com/

Watch for info about our new cooking show on Facebook.

Chow per ora - Bye for now
Anne & Chef Markoh!

Stay Tuned

In the near future, Lucia's Tavola will begin to post information in this notebook.  We may post recipes, cooking tips, upcoming events and more!  Please check back frequently.