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Primavera in Bella Italia,
Springtime in Beautiful Italy
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My Little Rose Garden
Welcome to Italy in springtime. Above is a photo of my rose garden, a small scorza, a corner, as they say in Italy, of my garden. The delicate petals are heavenly as they scent the air ten feet away. Each rose bush has a name: Elle, La Pierre De Ronsard, Botticelli, Bagatelle - to name a few. Roses remind me of my Nonna Philomena. She grew them in her garden and always planted a few by the grapevines. If the rose was healthy, it was a sign that the grapevines were healthy. If the rose became ill, it forewarned that the grape vines would become infected. The farmers would then take precautions before a virus came. Roses are the flower of May as well, in honor of the Blessed Mother.
We are back to the Amalfi Coast, Rino, Dolce & Piccolo, our two small Mediterranean kitties, and me. For those of you who don't know the story, Dolce and Piccolo were given to us as a gift ten years ago. It happened one day when our neighbor, Signora Giovanna, carried over what we thought was a basket of tomatoes, but inside the basket was actually two newborn kitties who were old enough to leave their mother. I explained that I had never had a cat, was allergic, and we traveled a lot, so it was not a good idea to keep them, even though we appreciated the gift. She said, "They'll take your tears away." She was referring to my tears for the loss of my father, who had just passed away. She said, "I will leave them for just one night." And that was ten years ago. Today, Dolce, cream and white, shy and timid, along with Piccolo, red and white, lively and high-energy, are a part of our family. I can't imagine life without them.
Since the day they were given to us, they have traveled from Italy to Boston every year and made endless trips to Bologna, Montepulciano, Pompeii, Greve in Chianti, and even Florence. Our little family is happy to be back in Italy.
This week, we will travel to Montepulciano for a yearly tradition: visiting our colleagues and friends, chefs, guides, and properties, and Rino will go to the GP Motor Race and see Valentino Rossi.
Even though we returned to Italy only three weeks ago, our garden has been hoed and planted with gorgeous rosemary, basil, tomato, cucumber, sage, parsley, and celery - to name a few: Lantana bianca, a small, tender perennial, and lavender line the garden and our lemon trees continue to ripen beautiful sfusato limone, the oval lemon variety indigenous to the Amalfi Coast.
We hope you will join us soon, and in the meantime, please enjoy the recipes and happenings in bella Italia.
Lauren
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Dolce & Piccolo Traveling Together
Yes, they have passports
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Dolce & Piccolo
watching the sunset as they do every evening from their terrace in Praiano
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Festa della Repubblica
Italy celebrates Festa della Repubblica, the Republic Day, on June 2. Italians turn this holiday weekend into le ponte, the bridge, an extra-long weekend starting on Thursday before June 3. The holiday commemorates the historic institutional referendum held on June 2 to 3 in 1946. Following the end of World War II and the fall of fascism, Italians voted to abolish the monarchy and transition into a democratic republic. It is widely considered Italy's birthday of the modern Italian nation.
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Sagre in Italy,
Food Festivals In Italy
June welcomes Italy's beloved sagre, the local food festivals celebrating each region's food, wine, culture, and traditions.
Sagre are celebrated around the Saints' days too. Here are a few of the most popular ones. As the summer heats up, there is a sagra almost every day. Italians celebrate eggplant, and le sfogliatelle, the delicious pastry first created in the monastery of Santa Rosa, and there are many more.
La Festa di Sant'Antonio, the feast day of Saint Anthony, is celebrated on June 13th in Anacapri and other towns throughout Italy. This day honors the patron saint with a religious procession through this beautiful village, while local artisans sell handmade ceramics, knitted shawls, and handwoven baskets - to name a few. Pizza fritte, flash-fried dough garnished with tomato, mozzarella, and basil, is served by the nonnas dressed in Caprese costumes.
La Festa del Nodo d'Amore is held mid-June in Valeggio sul Mincio, Veneto. This is one of the bigger feasts, which takes place on the historic Visconti Bridge. Over 3,000 guests gather to eat handmade tortellini, the famous pasta called the ove knots
The Giostra del Saracino, the jousting of the Saracen pirates, takes place in Arezzo, Tuscany, on June 20th. The historic medieval tournament turns the city's Piazza Grande into a colorful stage filled with parades, colorful flags, and traditional food stalls.
Fischessen in Trieste, Friuli-Venezia Giulia takes place in late June. The three-day event brings Italian and Austrian traditions together with fresh seafood, wine, and music along the Adriatic coast.
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Zucchini are starting to bloom - squash flowers too. The delicate beauties can be sliced, diced, and stuffed. The flower petals can be stuffed with whipped ricotta and torn basil, dipped in a simple batter, and flash-fried in boiling peanut oil. Squash flowers can also be mixed with beaten organic eggs, torn basil, sea salt, and Parmigiano Reggiano, then made into an omelet.
Here is an easy and healthy recipe for your springtime table.
Scialatielli con Zucchine e Pecorino
Homemade Pasta with Zucchini & Pecorino Cheese.
Serves 10-12
For the Scialatielli:
700 g Flour
300 g Durum wheat Flour
100 g Pecorino, grated
2 Eggs
Fresh basil, to taste
Milk, as needed
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Pinch of sea salt
For the sauce:
1 Onion, chopped
5 Zucchini, chopped
150 g Pecorino cheese, grated
Sea salt and pepper, to taste
Extra virgin olive oil, as needed
2 Tbsp organic butter, if desired
In a mixing bowl, mix both types of flour, Pecorino cheese, salt, olive oil, and milk - enough to make a tough dough. Mix by hand, then turn onto a floured surface and knead until smooth. The dough should be tough, so it should be hard to knead.
Slice off fist-size pieces and pass through a pasta machine at the largest setting. You can roll it out with a rolling pin, but since the dough is so tough, a pasta machine is recommended for the best results for this local pasta. Fold and pass the dough again, repeating and reducing the setting to medium, until the dough is about ½ cm thick (usually about 4-5 times through the pasta machine).
Lay sheets of pasta dough on a floured surface and slice by hand into strips about ½ cm wide and about 6 cm long (like short, chubby tagliatelle). Toss with flour and set aside until ready to cook.
In a separate pan, heat olive oil and chopped onion and sauté until soft. Add chopped zucchini and sauté together. Add sea salt and pepper to taste (and if desired/available, a few chopped zucchini flowers). Reduce the heat to medium and cook uncovered for about 15-20 minutes. If desired, add a little pat of butter at the end to make it creamy.
Meanwhile, cook Scialatielli in boiling salted water for about 2-3 minutes. Drain and add to the pan with the zucchini. Toss together over high heat for a moment and add the Pecorino cheese. Serve immediately with a sprinkle of Pecorino cheese over the top and several leaves of torn basil.
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It's A Dream Place - Stories & Recipes of Food, Love and the Amalfi Coast
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This is my cookbook. I wrote it with a love for my love of family, food, culture, and tradition, and because I want to keep my Italian heritage alive. I hope you enjoy the stories and recipes.
Elizabeth Berg Accolade
Elizabeth Berg, award-winning New York Times bestselling author says, “This is a dream cookbook. Who in the world wouldn’t want to try ‘Catch of the Day for a Beautiful Woman of the Sea?’ But in addition to being a cookbook, it’s a slice of life from the impossibly beautiful Amalfi Coast: how it looks, how it feels, how the interactions with the people there are so soulful and rewarding. It takes a particular kind of person to attract the kinds of magical stories Lauren Birmingham Piscitelli does. And it takes something more to get chefs to give up their recipes. Call this author not only a charming writer, but a sorceress whose company in these pages we are privileged to keep.”
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Tie On Your Aprons
in our new cooking adventure
Horse & Carriage Ride in the Vineyard
Hands-On Cooking in Umbria - 5 Day
Join us in Umbria at our charming 4- Star Relais Villa for a luxurious stay with hands-on cooking, scenic tours, and a spa wellness treatment. The property is a short drive from the historical center of Perugia, set in the cuore verde, green heart, of Umbria.
During your stay, learn how to prepare Umbrian recipes with our Michelin-star chef. You will prepare Umbrian classics from antipasti, fresh pasta, main course to desserts.
https://www.cooking-vacations.com/tour/hands-on-cooking-with-chef-marco-5-day/
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Happy Cooking!!!
Cooking is love. We hope you enjoyed our newsletter.
Lauren
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Lauren writes and photographs for Tastes Of Italia Magazine, traveling through Italy's 20 regions, writing articles on food, wine, rising star chefs, and all good things Italian.
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Lauren@Cooking-Vacations.com
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Boston, MA 02116
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