L'Italo-Americano

www.italoamericano.org 32 L'Italo-Americano LA BUONA TAVOLA RECIPES COOKING TIPS SEASONAL DISHES THURSDAY, AUGUST 9, 2018 A cheese lover's dre- am: Burrata. Bur- rata was born in Apu- lia, more precisely in Andria, almost by chance: and thanks for that! We were in the mid-1950s when, because of a heavy snow- fall, Lorenzo Bianchino couldn't go and sell his milk so, in an at- tempt not to waste it, he decided to use it to make something new, using the same methods traditio- nally employed to produce man- teca, that delicious scamorza filled with creamy butter. Burrata, which is still made by hand, consists in a casing of knea- ded curd cheese and a filling of cream mixed with little pieces of mozzarella called straccetti. This soft delicacy, sweet yet li- ghtly tangy at the same time, must be consumed fresh. In Latium, burrata di latte di bufala is produ- ced, but in limited quantities; Cam- pania is known for burrini, small pockets of kneaded curd cheese filled with fresh butter. The common denominator of all these dairy products, which are truly amazing, is their kneaded curd cheese casing, which was ori- ginally created to preserve fresh butter. Because of their high calo- ric content and their easiness of transport, they were considered an excellent source of energy while traveling. Good like u'babbà… Symbol of Naples' patisserie, the babbà has very peculiar and, indeed, ancient origins! It reached Naples from Paris, city were the chefs of bourgeois families were usually sent to improve their culi- nary skills. But Parisians didn't in- vent it because, according to the legend, this sweet, rum-filled little mushroom was born off an acci- dent, caused by an angry King Stanislao Leszczynsk of Poland. Kept against his will in the Lor- raine region of France one day, while conceiving and writing im- probable political pamphlets and documents, he dropped - luckily, we may add - a bottle of his fa- vorite tipple, rum, onto a cake cal- led kugelhunpf. Nicolas Stohrer, the chef who created its distinctive shape, was probably inspired by a polish cake called babka ponczowa, called baba in French and then transfor- med into babbà by Neapolitans. In Paris again, the baba sava- rin, a baba filled with fresh fruit salad and glazed with apricot jam, was invented. The secret of this delicious cake lies in its slow leavening, which results in a soft, spongy texture, perfect to absorb liquors: rum, limoncello, sugar syrups… Simple or filled with whipped cream and fruit, babbà remains one of Naples' best known culi- nary expressions, even though its history leads us quite far from the city. From the orchard to the ta- ble, summer in jar: la giardi- niera Summer gives us large quan- tities of marvelous fresh vegeta- Fresh, creamy and delicious: burrata is a delicacy perfect for the hot days of summer VARINIA CAPPELLETTI Italian Food Culture A Culinary Journey by L'Italo-Americano bles, but what about the winter? As the saying goes, necessity is mother of all inventions, so giar- diniera was born. Carrots, celery, cucumbers, cauliflowers, zucchini, bell pep- pers, all chopped, lightly boiled and preserved in a water, vinegar, white wine and sugar brine, ready to be consumed, flavorsome and crunchy, also during the cold sea- son. There are many recipes to make giardiniera, because it is a home preparation, usually served with meat, cheeses or cold cuts. In the North, you'd have found it along fattier meats like cote- chino, or as one of the many sides of lesso piemontese. Today, giardiniera is a gour- met dish many chefs prepare with extravagance, including ingre- dients like peculiar fruits and ve- getables such as Jerusalem arti- chokes and celeriac, mixed with olive oil and apple vinegar brine. The tradition continues also on the other side of the Atlantic, in Chicago, where the Sicilian com- munity transformed giardiniera in a "local speciality," spicing it up and serving it with classic roast beef sandwiches. Whether it is made traditio- nally, with oil and chillies or with fruits and unusual vegetables, what counts is its texture, crunchy and fresh, so that every mouthful tastes like summer! Giardiniera started as a way to eat summer veggies all year round, but today has become a true gourmet dish in many starred restaurants Naples on a plate: the babbà. Truth is, it has French origins!

• Cover