L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, JULY 26, 2018 www.italoamericano.org 28 L'Italo-Americano LA BUONA TAVOLA RECIPES COOKING TIPS SEASONAL DISHES I knew I had become truly Ita- lian once I had mastered shopping for food on a daily basis (every morning) as op- posed to a large once-weekly supermarket shop. Food shopping Italian style means encompassing the fundamentals of an Italian diet, which is buying food that one needs for that day (maybe two be- cause there will be leftovers), and buying only what is fresh and "in season." Respecting a seasonal kit- chen is the basis to following the so called healthy Mediterranean diet. One of the things I love is how this concept also helps in reducing food waste. I buy my bread every morning at my local bakery for example, but I only buy what I need for that day. That means that it isn't obligatory to buy an entire loaf of bread, I can point out the bread I want, and then just indicate the quantity I need. Perhaps you prefer the crusty heel end, or perhaps you prefer the softer, middle part of the loaf. Whatever you choose, your bread will be weighed and, like so many food items bought in Italy, you will pay by weight. While I try to choose just the amount of bread we will eat that day, I often buy too much and, although you can "re- surrect" day old bread with 10 mi- nutes in a hot oven, there are some wonderful traditional recipes in Italy that are made with stale bread, born from the cucina povera, the poor kitchen originating from poor peasant cooking.This was the age when to waste even a slice of bread (even if stale) was considered bla- sphemous and, in fact, there are many stale bread soup recipes in all parts of Italy. Certainly, the cu- cina povera was ahead of it's time if we think how we still struggle today to avoid food waste. So, a wonderful recipe to use up day old rustic Tuscan style Italian bread is Pappa al Pomodoro. It's also the perfect time of year to talk about this recipe because it's ideal to take advantage of the many va- rieties of glorious plump red toma- toes that are abundant in all the markets during the hot summer months. Pappa al Pomodoro is a "poor" dish of Tuscan cuisine. The peasant origin of this first course is testified by its ingredients: stale Tuscan bread, tomatoes, garlic, basil,Tu- scan extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. In Arezzo, this dish is tra- ditionally prepared by using onion instead of garlic, and yet in other recipes both onion and garlic are used. So, while the ingredients may be simple, they must all be of top quality. Tuscan bread is usually unsal- ted, and the reason behind this dates back to the 12th century. The rulers of Pisa were at odds with the rulers of Florence, and cut off their supply lines from the coast. This made salt prohibitively expensive. The Flo- rentines, unwilling to cave to the pressure, simply began making their bread without it, and this is now a tradition that continues to- day. The Italian word pappa transla- tes to mush, or baby food and that pretty much describes the consi- stency of the finished product: a dish that can be eaten at any age. But with amazing tomatoes, fresh basil and high quality olive oil, the flavor is anything but boring. If you ask a Tuscan the recipe, their answer will vary depending on where in Tuscany they are from and, usually, each different origin will add secret touches, all a little different from each other. Pappa al Pomodoro can be eaten hot, lukewarm or cold, and is always best served with a gene- rous drizzle of Tuscan extra virgin olive oil to give it extra flavor. TONI BRANCATISANO In all probability, the recipe da- tes back to the last half of the 19th century, when tomatoes became an ingredient for sauces and other cooked dishes in Italy. It is said to hail from Siena, and became fa- mous throughout Italy thanks to a famous Florentine writer/journalist born in 1859, Luigi Bertelli called "Vamba," who was the founder of the Giornalino della Domenica, in 1906. The following year he began writing the famous weekly Sunday series of adventures for children Il Giornalino di Gianburrasca, re- sulting in 55 stories for boys th- roughout 1907 and 1908. It was then published in a single volume in 1912. There is a famous scene where the protagonist rebels and protests about college food and life, demanding to have only Pappa al Pomodoro to eat! Pappa al Pomodoro was also celebrated in a song by Rita Pa- vone in the sixties when she star- red in a famous film adaptation of the book by Vamba. If you know this song it will probably be swim- ming around your head all day now. Today, Pappa al Pomodoro is no longer looked upon as a "poor dish," and is considered as a healthy recipe by dietitians and doctors. Many Tuscans will tell you not to even think of putting parmesan cheese on it... but I'm sorry… I love a little sprinkling of cheese and some freshly cracked black pepper just before diving in! Buon Appetito! PAPPA AL POMODORO Ingredients ■ 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil ■ 1 small onion, chopped ■ 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced ■ 1 kg fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded and roughly chopped* ■ 350g day-old Italian tuscan bread, roughly sliced into cubes ■ 750ml homemade vegetable stock ■ 1 handful of fresh torn basil leaves ■ Freshly ground black pepper ■ Grated Parmesan INSTRUCTIONS 1. In a deep saucepan, heat the olive oil over a medium-high flame. 2. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for a few minutes, until onion is translucent. 3. Add the chopped tomatoes and their juices and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, add half the basil and let cook until the toma- toes begin to soften and break down. Allow to cook for 20-25 minutes in a covered saucepan, stirring occasionally. 4. Using a wooden spoon, add the stale bread cubes and stock. Continue simmering until all the bread has absorbed as much liquid as possible, yielding a thick con- sistency. 5. Stir in the remaining basil. Season, to taste, with salt and pep- per and let the soup continue sim- mering for 10 more minutes. 6. Allow to rest for an hour before serving in warmed soup bowls. Splash with extra Olive Oil and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Garnish with a little fresh basil. *You can substitute the fresh tomatoes for polpa or passata, or roast the tomatoes before begin- ning the recipe. Pappa al pomodoro is a simple, wholesome dish typical of Tuscany. Photo: Toni Brancatisano Plenty of tomatoes and bread are at the heart of the pappa al pomodoro. Photo: Toni Brancatisano Viva la Pappa al Pomodoro!

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