L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, AUGUST 23, 2018 www.italoamericano.org 28 L'Italo-Americano LA BUONA TAVOLA RECIPES COOKING TIPS SEASONAL DISHES I taly may have many icons where food is concerned, but few foods are as iconic as Si- cilian Cannoli. Who can for- get the famous and dramatic killing scene in The Godfather by F.F. Coppola that starts with the phrase "bring the cannoli" (which, in fact, results as a terrible trap for the victim). Cannoli are a symbol of Sicily, the pride of Sicilian pastry chefs; a heavenly scrumptious combina- tion of a crunchy, flaky fried pastry shell filled with sweet sheep's ri- cotta and decorated with either pi- stachio nuts, candied orange peel, dark chocolate or glacé cherries. Sicilian Cannoli boast ancient origins, but obviously (as in so many traditional Italian foods) there is still much debate about what their exact origins are. According to a legend, which appears to be the most accredited, the birth of the cannoli took place at "Kalt El Nissa," the Arab name of today's Caltanissetta, (a pro- vince in the southern part of Si- cily). During the long Arab domi- nation of Sicily, numerous harems of Saracen Emirs existed. Another fact that further strengthens this hypothesis is the etymology of the term "Kalt El Nissa" which in Ara- bic means "castle of women." It is said that the Emir's concubines would devote themselves to the preparation of delicious dishes but, above all, of exquisite delicacies. Apparently they "invented" the cannolo and maybe they were in- spired by an ancient Arab dessert similar in shape to a banana, filled with ricotta, almonds and honey. Another more entertaining idea though is that the shape of the can- nolo was an obvious allusion to the "talents" of the Sultan! The re- ference to the phallic form refers to the idea of virility and the re- generative force of the earth, but it also recalls its superstitious va- lue, a symbol used against the evil eye. Another, more puritanical story, however, tells that the cannoli were prepared for the first time in a convent near Caltanissetta. On the occasion of Carnival, the nuns "invented" a dessert made of a shell or wrap, filled with a cream of ricotta and sugar and enriched with pieces of chocolate and al- mond grains known as "cucuz- zata." Combine these two theories though and we may have our an- swer! Maybe the cannolo was in- deed invented by the skilled hands of the cloistered nuns in a convent, even though the refined and sump- tuous ingredients derive from the culinary tradition of Arab wealth. Consider that the end of the Arab domination in Sicily coincided with the arrival of the Normans who managed to free the island from the Saracens. The harems were dismantled and consequently the girls were freed and, converting to Christianity, they were drawn into the convents. Here they could have reproduced some of the an- cient recipes which previously they had created to seduce the courts of the emirs. Today delicious cannoli can be found everywhere in Sicily, all year round and not only during car- nival as was once the case. The decoration differs depending on where in Sicily they are made. For example in Palermo, one end of the cannolo has glacé cherries and on the other end a slice of candied orange peel. Dark chocolate mixed into the ricotta is also popular here. In eastern Sicily it is the pistachios of Bronte that dominate the scene. In any case, the ingredient that must not change is the ricotta, which must be strictly sheep's ri- cotta and must also be extremely fresh. Cannoli are a delicacy so dear to the Sicilians that every year in Piana degli Albanesi, in the pro- vince of Palermo, they honor them with the Sagra del Cannolo. In addition to the parade of car- nival floats, you can enjoy can- noli of all sizes, from cannolicchi to cannoli of enormous dimen- sions. So, whether it was the Arabs or Sicilians, evil eye, virility or Christianity, we remain grateful today for the creation of this hi- ghly addictive pastry (Because it is pretty impossible to walk past and not eat at least one!). Cannoli (Makes circa 60 cannoli shells) The number you make de- TONI BRANCATISANO pends on the thickness of the rol- led dough and the size of your cannoli. If you don't wish to make so many, just halve the recipe for about 30 cannoli shells. The original recipe says to fry the cannoli shells in lard, (strutto) but if you do not find it or you don't like it, you can replace it with the same amount of sun- flower oil INGREDIENTS For the cannoli shells ■ 400g flour ■ 75g lard (strutto) ■ 40g caster sugar ■ 2 eggs ■ 1 egg white ■ a pinch of salt ■ 15g of bitter cocoa ■ 60ml (1/4 Cup) dry Marsala ■ 60ml (1/4 Cup) white vine- gar ■ 1.5 litres sunflower oil for frying FOR THE FILLING ■ 2 kg fresh sheep's ricotta ■ 600g sugar ■ pinch of cinnamon powder or vanilla extract TO DECORATE ■ 150g dark chocolate chips ■ Candied cherries ■ Candied orange peel ■ Pistachio nuts, chopped ■ icing sugar METHOD Mix the flour, sugar, cocoa and salt. Add the lard and mix well, then add the eggs and mix well to combine. Add the Marsala and vinegar and knead the dough until all in- gredients are incorporated. Form a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least an hour. Roll out the dough as thinly as you can. It is best to use a pasta machine if you have one. Dust the worktop and the dough frequently with a little flour, to avoid the dough becoming sticky. Cut out 10cm diameter circles using a cookie cutter, then with your hands, gently pull them into oval shapes. Wrap them around the cannoli tubes, overlapping the ends and sealing them with the egg white. Press to ensure the ends are sealed well to prevent them opening du- ring frying. Fry in plenty of hot oil (190°C), two at a time. (This de- pends on the size of your deep- fryer, but the important thing is that they are not too crowded). They will cook quickly and they should be golden brown when done. The dough should also bubble and blister. Carefully take each one out of the oil using tongs and allow to cool on absor- bent kitchen towel. When the pastry shells are cool enough to handle, twist the can- noli forms gently to release the shells and remove the cannoli mould. Repeat the process until you have fried all the cannoli. FOR RICOTTA FILLING Ricotta may be very wet and if so let it drain sitting in a colan- der over a bowl so as to eliminate excess whey. Mix the ricotta with the sugar, add the cinnamon (or vanilla ex- tract) and leave it to rest for an hour in the fridge. Push the ricotta through a wire sieve. Divide the ricotta into two bowls and add the dark chocolate chips to one of these. A few mi- nutes before serving, use a piping bag to pipe and fill the cannoli shells with the ricotta. Decorate each end as desired and sprinkle with icing sugar. Eat immediately! Cannoli are a symbol of Sicily's own decadent culinary tradition: a true delicacy!. Photo: Toni Brancatisano Cannoli: the creamy heart of Sicily

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