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/
News of upcoming events, recipes, our food column,tasting notes and more, from Anne & Chef Mark diCicco. Lucia's Tavola is located in Ayer MA and serves regional and authentic Italian cuisine.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
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/
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/
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