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L'Italo-Americano
THURSDAY, AUGUST 8, 2019
LA BUONA TAVOLA
RECIPES COOKING TIPS SEASONAL DISHES
Another quintessential granita flavor is lemon© Giuseppe Anello | Dreamstime.com
Continua da pagina 26
servings.
Serve as is or—if you are feel-
ing indulgent—with a nice dollop
of whipped cream. Granita can be
served as a dessert, but I particu-
larly like it as a sweet snack in the
afternoon. The Sicilians—who are
renowned for their granite—even
have it for breakfast!
Notes
Granita di limone, or lemon
granita, is made exactly the same
way, substituting freshly squeezed
lemon juice for the espresso cof-
fee. Although, in Rome at least,
coffee and lemon are the most
commonly found types of granita,
there are other kinds.
In Catania, for example, the fa-
vorite granita is made from al-
monds. Granita can also be made
from fruit juice, typically orange,
or puréed fruit such as strawberry
or melon.
Obviously, the success of your
granita di caffè will depend on the
quality of your coffee. A nice
strong, freshly ground espresso
coffee will make it a real treat. I
am a particular fan of Pete's Cof-
fee, a brand out of the Bay Area,
but, of course, the imported Italian
espresso coffees, in particular
Caffè Illy, are particularly suited.
Just make sure that you use the
darker, "southern style" roast.
And brew your espresso very
strong—ristretto as they say in
Italian—remembering that you
will dilute the coffee a bit when
you add your sugar syrup. A good
granita di caffè should have an in-
tense coffee flavor. If you don't
have an espresso maker, no wor-
ries: you can, of course, use a sim-
ple moka coffee pot.
While gelato, sorbetto and
granita are by far the most com-
mon Italian frozen desserts, they
are not the only ones. In Rome it
is common in Summer to find
stands selling grattachecca,
shaved iced topped with different
flavored syrups. And then, there
are fancy desserts like the various
semifreddi, frozen moulds that
make for a wonderful ending to
an elegant dinner.
By the way, if you are ever in
Rome, you can have some won-
derful granita di caffè in a pleas-
ant al fresco setting at the Café
du Parc, at the end of via Mar-
morata, in the piazza Porta San
Paolo, opposite the Piramide Ces-
tia. Across via Marmorata you
will find the neighborhood of
Testaccio, with one of the best
food markets in Rome in its main
square, not to mention some of
the most authentic traditional Ro-
man trattorie. In the city center,
the Tazza d'Oro, right by the Pan-
theon, also serves an excellent
granita alongside their wonderful
espresso and cappuccino.
Frank inherited his love for
Italian cuisine and culinary tra-
dition from his grandmother,
nonna Angelina, to whom he ded-
icated his culinary blog, Memorie
di Angelina: www.memoriedian-
gelina.com
Granita al caffè is the perfect way to enjoy coffee in the hottest days of Summer© Photosimysia | Dreamstime.com
