Siete pronti per capodanno?

Are you ready for New Year's? Although it feels really strange at still not having any snow on the ground, we're as ready as the 1300+ pounds of firewood delivered earlier this month. The Man of the House has a few vacation days coming up and so does this blog, beginning today. Wishing everyone a safe and happy 2012 from the chestnut forest.

Aint' no mountain high enough ♫ ♪ by Rubber Slippers In Italy on Flickr.

Xmas 2011: blue sky, 10°C, and not a flake of snow outside

In those conditions we could've done a bbq on the terrace and started tomato seeds in the cold frame. 50°F in December? That's a lot warmer than usual in the chestnut forest this year but regardless of how Grinch or the economic pinch stole xmas, traditions will always hold fast when it comes to the christmas day lunch. Good food, good drink, and oh, good music.

Sung to the tune of Jingle Bells

Wishing there was snow
But none as of today
Winter where'd you go?
The forest is this way
Bells on church tower ring
The sun is shining bright
What fun it is to bag the duck
And set the fire to light

Oh, jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way
Oh, what fun to make pasta dough and shape it in this way
Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way
Croxetti “coins” with pesto sauce to serve on xmas day

The best was yet to come
Say fromage and I'm undone
The vino was one big splurge
Gourmet biscuits ain't for birds
But the interesting thing to see
Was not only Italy
But England and France to tighten our pants
As we ate and drunk with glee

Oh, jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way
Oh, what fun to eat dessert - not once but twice oh YAY!
Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way
Four days to go 'til this year is o'er - Greetings all and Happy Holidays!

Nucatoli

It's a good thing that food products are required to slap labels on because without it, I would never have been able to come up with a recipe. As mentioned previously, nucatoli were unknown to me until recently. The s-shaped cookies produced by Casa Don Puglisi in Modica (actually theirs are an inverted S) had a firm bite that was perfect for dipping into dessert wine or coffee, yet tender enough to eat all by itself. I was so wow'd by them and set about searching for a recipe online, but failed to find anything that even remotely resembled those I had purchased. I came across nacatole, a typical sweet from Calabria. And also nucatuli, a filled cookie from the Aeolian islands north of Sicily. As pretty and intricate they both were, neither had the same ingredients listed on the package of sicilian nucatoli.

Recipe

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3 oz. lard (I used 2/3rds of a stick of cold butter)
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons water
8 oz. dried figs (one heaping cup, packed)
8 oz. shelled walnuts (2 1/2 cups halved or broken pieces)
8 oz. ground almond meal (2 1/2 cups)
1 cup runny honey
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
grated zest of half an orange or 2 teaspoons orange blossom water

Tip: what makes this recipe even better is using the utmost best (your favorite) dried figs that you can find. They need to be moist and flavorful. I can't say who puts out the best on the market, but if it works for you, fine. I used Fichi della Nonna (Grandmother's Figs) made by Marano in Calabria. I'm not sure what's the process, but the figs were sticky as if they had been baked in syrup, and they had extra flavorings - aromatizzati - that I suspect are nutmeg and cloves (I guess you can still keep some secrets).

Here in Italy, I've grown accustomed to weighing ingredients but still practice the habit of cups and measuring spoons. Eight ounces of dried figs is a heaping cup as mentioned in the recipe, but a few extra won't hurt. In a food processor fitted with a blade, pulse or process the figs until a coarse paste is formed. Scoop out the fig paste and set aside.

Add the walnuts to the processor and blend until it resembles coarse meal. You can try to get it to a finer texture but avoid overprocessing to the point where it begins to get oily. Place the figs, ground walnuts, almond meal, honey and cinnamon in a large saucepan. Cook on the lowest flame, stirring carefully until the honey has heated up and all of the ingredients are thoroughly combined. Do not burn. Stir in the orange zest or orange water. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

Make the outer crust: combine the flour and sugar. Add the butter and rub together with your fingers to obtain a coarse meal. Add 1/2 cup of water and work together to form a medium-compact ball. An additional 1 or 2 tbsps of water may be necessary, depending on the humidity of the flour used. On a lightly floured surface, gently knead the dough for a few seconds until smooth. Cover with a dish towel or plastic wrap; let rest for atleast 30 minutes. After the dough has rested, divide in two and roll out one half to a rectangle approximately 17 x 12 inches. Using a scalloped pastry cutter, neatly trim the edges, cutting off as little as possible. Cut the dough horizontally into 8 strips (see photo).

Preheat oven to 375°F. Working with walnut-size pieces, roll the fig-nut filling into logs about 1/2-inch in diameter, placing them down the center of the dough strip as you go. The next step is bringing up the edges of the dough around the filling and I tried 2 methods. The first (photo #2) was done by bringing up the edges at the same time. The second method (photos 3 to 5) is achieved by rolling the entire log towards the top edge of the dough strip. Then, gently using your fingertips, grasp the edge of the strip and roll it towards the bottom. Give a light tap along the whole length of the roll (photo #5) to adhere dough to filling.

Cut the the roll into 5 pieces and bend into an S-shape. Place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned on the bottom. Repeat with the remaining half of dough and filling. Makes 80 nucatoli. Cool and store in covered containers.

Joyeux Noël: shopping spree at the french market

Bonjour madame! Bonjour monsieur! For a moment there it seemed as if we had somehow miraculously crossed borders into the domain of our fromage and baguette-toting neighbors to the west, but this past weekend our feet were firmly planted in Italy. How's that for a taste of international holiday flair? If you can't go to France then France comes to you, and it was a very good thing we checked out this french market in Segrate (Milan). Usually we head over to Trentino-Alto Adige for the mercatini di natale like the ones visited in Trento and Merano - both are beautiful places to visit at any time of the year but even more enchanting during winter holidays.

I'd say that the majority of the merchants could speak italian although there were a couple that only conversed in french. Better for us, because it isn't often that MotH gets to put his french to use and for me to hear it being spoken. The products on display ran the gamut from eclairs to foie gras, and vibrantly colorful spices to scented soaps. Love lokum? We do. Tablecloths from Provence? In every color and size imaginable. But the item that especially caught my attention were bags of Oignon de Roscoff. These pink onions from Brittany are said to be gentle in flavor and capable of extended storage in a cool, dark place for a couple of months. Photos of things that we did/did not resist all in a big set on Flickr. We had the car smelling of onions, garlic, lavender, cassoulet and cheese all the way home.

Countdown to Christmas: Nucatoli from Sicily

Nucatoli, originally uploaded by Rubber Slippers In Italy on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
If you grew up hating Fig Newtons you may actually end up liking these, but if dried figs have always tickled your tastebuds, I swear you'll absolutely love this sicilian xmas cookie.

I bought a small package of nucatoli at the Banco di Garabombo xmas market in Milano when we had gone into the city earlier this month. The s-shaped cookies were nothing that I've seen before and little did I know how impressed I'd be with their great texture and flavor. Ever tried something so astonishingly good that you just gotta find out how to make it at home? Well, the list of ingredients was all I had to go on, and as much as I searched online, there was no recipe with the precise list of ingredients.

Long story short, I winged my own recipe and ended up with 80 cookies (half of which are already gone). Dipped in red wine, sweet wine, coffee, or eaten by itself, nucatoli cookies are addictive!!! I can't say that mine are as pretty as the ones shown here from confectionary workshop Casa Don Puglisi (in Modica, Sicily), but they came out exceptionally delicious. My little secret ingredient plus photos in an upcoming post. Buon Natale!

Top 10 best-loved italian dishes from the home

By the time I got around to reading the November issue of La Cucina Italiana, the votes had already been tallied. According to LCI's readers, the following represents the most popular dishes and while I've never even heard of mondeghili, I'm pleased to say that 7 out of the 10 were enjoyed in our kitchen at one time or another.

1. Tortelli di erbetta (tortelli stuffed with a filling of ricotta and beet or swiss chard leaves)
2. Mondeghili (Milan-style meat croquettes dipped in breadcrumbs and fried in butter)
3. Pizza margherita (the classic tomato, mozzarella and fresh basil-topped pizza)
4. Spaghetti al pomodoro e basilico (spaghetti with tomato and basil)
5. Fiori di zucca fritti (fried zucchini flowers)
6. Spaghetti alla carbonara (pasta with eggs, cream, pancetta, pecorino and/or parmigiano)
7. Fritto misto di pesce (mixed fish fry)
8. Salame di cioccolato (chocolate salame dessert)
9. Bruschetta (sliced bread toasted over a hot griddle)
10. Tiramisù (by now a household word for dessert lovers the world over)

If it snows, we won't know,'til it shows

I guess I should shut up and be grateful for the fact that there are no wet paw prints tracking in and out and all over the house, but the lack of snow this year is taking all the magic out of the festivities. The whole winter wonderland bit, watching flakes dance outside while we sit indoors next to the fire, getting all bundled up just to stand in the snow with a mug of hot cocoa in hand, the mighty snow plows barreling (and yeah those machines can move!) up and down our skinny mountain roads - hello, we need snow!

This year we're keeping it simple for Christmas eve dinner in anticipation of a big lunch on Christmas day. Just the four of us as we prefer it. No dressing up, casually eating at our leisure, but most importantly, having our "kids" celebrate with us. It always pains me when I can't take them along wherever we go (remember, these are dogs that go to restaurants, stay in hotels and shop in Ikea). The westie is used to being left behind, but the doxie - if the doxie starts putting on his sad face then I'm done.

La Mère Poulard biscuits: teatime for bon vivants

Too bad this is the last of the holiday french treats during a period where self-control takes an extended hike, but I didn't realize how fast these colorful tins would disappear from the shelves at Esselunga. Butter lovers rejoice! In Mère Poulard cookies you immediately taste le beurre - it's almost like biting into super buttery shortbread - only difference is that the galettes are thin and crispy. I vote for the salted butter caramel version with the chocolate chip right behind it. The palet, by comparison, is thicker with a tender crumb. And for those who prefer tiny cakes with their afternoon tea? Mini quatre-quarts are called as such because they're made of equal parts flour, butter, eggs and sugar - a pound cake by any other name.

The history behind the Mère Poulard establishment is a very interesting one that travelers-in-the-know will gladly point out has everything to do with a tidal island that looks like it came right out of a fairytale. While the bottom image is most likely CGI'd (screen-captured off an episode of the Merlin series), I dream about visiting this incredible UNESCO site in France's north-western coast one day.

Pruneaux d'Agen: not your ordinary geriatric diet

Confucius say: He who eats too many prunes, sits on toilet many moons.

Who would've thought dried plums could be something to rave about but then again, these aren't your ordinary California Sunsweets. These are french prunes from Agen, sans the pit, stuffed plump and delectable with prune purée and designed to look like fancy bonbons for the fiber-deficient. I'm standing there at the supermarket thinking what a nice stocking stuffer (for my inlaws) but what ultimately happens is that we sample a few and realize these prunes aren't for giving, these are for keeping. Bursting with sweet prune curd from the first bite, they deserve their own line - While visions of sugar plums pruneaux d'Argen danced in their heads - in Twas the night before Xmas.

I had seen an idea on the net that suggests wrapping them in bacon and frying until done but I think the prune filling is so rich and sweet that the bacon doesn't make that much of an impression. Better as is, keeping in mind Confucius' words of wisdom.

Chocolat chaud on a stick: the French do it better

Or do they? Nothing escapes being put on a stick these days so when I spotted this trio at the supermarket I thought, Awww, that's cute...they're even a registered trademark! They are just one among many of the fine gourmet treats by Le Comptoir de Mathilde, and while not the most economical of hot chocolate drinks at 3.99€ a box, into the cart they went.

http://www.lecomptoirdemathilde.com/

White, milk or dark chocolate? I'm not much into the first two but I have to say that they both make pretty decent cups of hot cocoa. The flipside of the wooden spoon even has illustrations which keeps adding to the cute factor, yet all of this attention to detail faded away once I took a look at their website. I thought this stuff was just for kids. Not. How about these for fancy choco-exotic: dark chocolate with Grand-Marnier, milk chocolate with salted butter caramel, white chocolate with raspberry, dark chocolate with espelette pepper. Vive la France! Vive le chocolat! The website is only in french (google translate helps tons) but for those planning a trip to south/southeastern France, store addresses are also listed.

How do you like them apples?

In recognition of today's date, apples, clementines and Curly were quickly assembled in a tribute to Lecco's patron saint. Having a patron saint usually means a day off for a select few (as in municipal office employees), but since we do not live in the town of Lecco itself, it was work as usual for the Moth. Still, I love the whole apple tale and had written about this sweet tradition of San Nicolò four years ago, a tale that I present here once again:

On December 6th children would receive gifts, but aside from the gifts they would also receive a puppet-like figure or pupazzo of San Nicolò. The pupazzo was made from a big red apple with a walnut or mandarin orange attached with a skewer for the face, and on top of it a red hat. Eyes were drawn on the face and a white beard attached. Now the story behind this tradition is that San Nicolò met 3 children who were so poor that he presented each one of them with a beautiful red apple. During the night, the apples turned into gold, and the children became rich.

So the question that is begging to be asked....so what's up with Curly? Well he's just here to carry on the show. Earlier this morning, local online news ran an article about two stands in downtown Lecco selling San Nicolò apples, and that one of the stands was looking to kick the competition out of the territory. Stand #1's presence (with a political bent) was affecting the sales of stand #2 (a religious association), necessitating the intervention of local police. I'm a victum of circumstance! Politics and religion have a long history of being bed partners but when it comes to apples, you had better find your own turf. Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk.

Hiking trail from Ornica to Val d'Inferno

Best viewed on black.

Whatever special quality it is about Ornica - the remote location, the mountain backdrop, the rustic chalets dotting the hillside or a combination of everything - but everytime we've gone there I look forward to a return even before we leave. Just 50 km north of Bergamo, the area maintains a quiet charm that embraces life at a slower pace, an existence entirely in rhythm with the seasons. We did this hike 2 weeks ago during a period of great fall weather.

The most direct route from Ornica to Val d'Inferno is a steep climb (trail 106) following along the stream that runs down the mountain. The easier option is the agricultural access road (vehicles of residents/farmers only) - it's longer, but the views open up wide as you go on. In the trail map above, the thicker line is the access road from the village. Parking available in a small lot after the chapel. There are a couple of tree-lined shortcuts from the parking, the first one being just after the water fountain (bottom photo), branching left off the asphalt.

Agriturismo Ferdy. Situated 5 km from Ornica near the foot of Pizzo Tre Signori mountain, the farmstay makes a good destination point. The difference in altitude from Ornica to the agriturismo is just under 500 meters. Total time and distance: approx. 2.5 to 3 hours for a round trip of almost 10 km. We found it to be a great trail for the dogs as there weren't a lot of people, so we let them run off-leash when it was all clear.

Almost there to the agriturismo. This photo doesn't do justice on how incredibly gorgeous of an area it is. Google earth illustrates our gps path in green, while the blue dots are trail 106.

What every ex-kama'aina needs for Christmas

A reusable shopping bag. From Foodland. I should be getting paid to plug this product but I don't think marketing was ever a problem from the beginning, plus I'd guess that it's already a collector's item fetching several Hamiltons on ebay. Don't they just scream out Hawaii? There's a Poke Bowl tote and a Musubi tote; both also come/came in insulated zipper-top versions as well.

I had no idea that Hawaii had finally caught up and started replacing plastic until my dad told us to use his synthetic fiber Walmart totes. My youngest sister presented these as parting gifts when we left Kauai in October, but of course only recently did I get up enough nerve to devalue their worth by actually using them. Bags from supermarkets here are about 1½ times bigger but not as colorfully ...decorative. Are you listening supermercati?

Poke Bowl tote sides.

Musubi tote sides.