L'Italo-Americano

LA BUONA TAVOLA RECIPES COOKING TIPS SEASONAL DISHES THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2020 www.italoamericano.org 32 L'Italo-Americano o n e s . I n t i m e , t h e h a b i t moved into people's homes and fava beans, along with o t h e r l e g u m e s i n c l u d i n g c h i c k p e a s , b e g a n b e i n g cooked in those very same days, a vestige of the ancient connection thought to exist b e t w e e n t h e s e h u m b l e ingredients and the Dead. T h e R o m a n s a n d t h e e Greeks, however, didn't con- sume chickpeas and beans specifically at the beginning of November.The idea of a moment during the year to celebrate the Dead — along w i t h i t s c o n n e c t i o n w i t h beans and chickpeas — did exist in classical times, but it wasn't necessarily associated with the month of Novem- ber. Historians come to the r e s c u e h e r e , a n d e x p l a i n h o w , l i k e l y , t h e R o m a n s inherited from the Celts the c e l e b r a t i o n o f S a m h a i n (which is also at the origin of Halloween, by the way), a f e s t i v a l w h e n t h e D e a d w o u l d h a v e a c c e s s t o t h e world of the living and could communicate with them. Lo and behold, it'd take place between the 31st of October and the 1st of November. But the diffusion of chick- peas as a special meal for All Souls'day also has a rather prosaic explanation: chick- peas are abundant this time of the year, they are filling and they were considered a g o o d a l t e r n a t i v e t o o t h e r typical "cold weather" foods, like polenta or chestnuts, e s p e c i a l l y i n t h e N o r t h . However, our grandparents still knew about the myste- rious, almost esoteric con- nection between chickpeas and the Dead, so dear to our R o m a n a n d G r e e k a n c e - stors: indeed, they would let chickpeas simmer slowly on the stove while making up all the beds in the house, then leave to go to All Souls' d a y m a s s . D u r i n g t h e i r a b s e n c e , t h e s o u l s o f t h e family's Dead would return home, eat the chickpeas and rest in their old beds before w a l k i n g b a c k t o t h e Otherworld. For our recipe, I decided to use the one proposed by t h e I t a l i a n b l o g S e m i d i Sesamo (you can visit it at: https://www.semidisesamo. info), because it resembles a lot the one used by my own grandmother. Mind, though: this version uses ribs instead o f t r o t t e r s , w h i c h p e o p l e tend to like more. Zuppa di ceci e costine di maiale (from Semi di Sesa- mo) Ingredients for 8 people: 2 lbs of dry chickpeas 2 h a n d f u l s o f S p a n i s h beans 1 lbs of pork ribs (you can a s k y o u r b u t c h e r t o c h o p them in a half or dice them for you) 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil 2 medium potatoes 1 onion 1 carrot 1 celery stalk 1 clove of garlic 1 sprig of sage salt and pepper The day before, soak the chickpeas and the Spanish beans in two separate con- tainers, with a teaspoon of baking soda in each. They should soak for at least 12 h o u r s . T h e b e s t — a n d easiest — option is to soak them overnight. O n t h e d a y o f c o o k i n g , chop the onion, carrot and celery very thin and cube the potatoes. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil up and add the vegetables, the garlic, the sage, the ribs, the chickpeas and a pinch of salt. Cover everything with cold water and cook on high until the water begins to boil. Then turn down the heat, cover and let simmer for at least 3 hours. Once in a while, you can remove the excess fat from the soup using a strainer. The soup must be thick, with the potatoes and good part of the chickpeas turned into purée. Serve very hot, with some ground pepper and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. I f y o u w a n t a " l i g h t e r " version of the soup, you can cook the ribs separately in salted water, skimming the fat with a strainer every now and then, adding them to t h e c h i c k p e a s o n l y w h e n they are fully cooked. Chickpeas soup is filling and comforting, perfect for autumnal weather (Photo: Fpwing/Dreamstime) Continued from page 30

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