L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2021 www.italoamericano.org 30 L'Italo-Americano with every type of flour, and they range in size from the t y p i c a l g r i s s i n i T o r i n e s i , w h i c h a r e v e r y t h i n a n d crunchy, to rubatà, typical o f t h e C u n e o p r o v i n c e , w h i c h l i e s i n b e t w e e n T o r i n e s i a n d a c t u a l s o f t bread. Lombardia is home to the ubiquitous michetta, usually known as rosetta in other parts of the country: it's round, usually the size of a l o a f s l i c e a n d t y p i c a l l y u s e d f o r s a n d w i c h e s . I n Liguria, of course, you'll find focaccia. Now, I'll be honest with you, I tend not to consider focaccia a type of bread, but I suppose it is, in the end: the ingredients are the same, what changes are shape and olive oil quan- tity… anyway, focaccia can be thinner or thicker — the latter perfect to make simple s a n d w i c h e s , u s u a l l y w i t h ham, or tomato and mozza- rella — and varieties topped with olives, cooked onions or cherry tomatoes are very popular. I have a not-so- secret love for focaccia, I'd eat it with everything, inclu- ding dunked in cappuccino f o r b r e a k f a s t , t h e w a y Ligurians do. On the high hills of the Ligurian hills, l i e s t h e q u a i n t v i l l a g e o f Triora, historically known for its witches, today famous for its bread, baked for over an hour over wooden boards heavily sprinkled with bran: it comes in large, round loa- ves and is very crunchy out- side and very soft inside. In Veneto, farmers of all ages would bake a special b i s c u i t - b r e a d , t h e p a n biscottato, shaped like a leaf and very crunchy, baked this way to last longer. In Trentino Alto-Adige, you'll definitely taste rye breads similar to those prepared in Germany, but also local pan de molche, made by knea- d i n g w i t h t h e d o u g h t h e solid residues of olives, after t h e y ' v e b e e n p r e s s e d t o m a k e o i l . F r i u l i V e n e z i a - Giulia shows its profound ties with central Europe also in its most traditional bread, t h e p a n d i s o r c , m a d e with corn flour and with a tad of a sweet note to it. While traveling in Emilia- Romagna, we should defini- tely try two types of bread: the first comes from elegant Ferrara, and is called cop- pia Ferrarese, made with a l l t h e i n g r e d i e n t s y o u ' d expect for a good loaf, with the addition of a tad of lard and a spoonful of honey. But it's not the ingredients but the shape that strikes: t h e c o p p i a l o o k s l i k e a cross! Romagna, the part of t h e r e g i o n c l o s e r t o t h e Adriatic coast, is home to queen piadina: just as for focaccia, I wasn't entirely sure we should list it as a bread, but one can't speak a b o u t w h i t e a r t g o o d s i n Romagna without talking about it. So, piadina is that v e r y t h i n d i s k o f d o u g h many may confuse with a t o r t i l l a w r a p , m a d e w i t h f l o u r , l a r d ( o r o l i v e o i l ) , water, yeast and salt: it is thicker and plumper that a tortilla, but it's used in a similar manner, filled than rolled or folded. The perfect street food. In Tuscany, bread has a special characteristic: it's usually made without salt! Moving deeper into the central regions of our beau- t i f u l l a n d , w e e n c o u n t e r pan nonciato, filled with w a l n u t s a n d t y p i c a l o f Umbria. In Lazio, tradi- tion gifts us with the pane d i G e n z a n o , rustic and w h o l e s o m e , m a d e w i t h sourdough, mixed cereals and wheat flour. Molise is home to the parrozzo, made with boi- led potatoes and corn flour, while Campania is known for its pane cafone, made w i t h m o t h e r y e a s t a n d a variety of flours, added at different stages of the rising process. In Puglia, if you want good traditional bread, look no further that pane di Altamura, made with semolina flour, and charac- terized for its thick, crunchy c r u s t a n d s o f t c r u m b . I n S a l e n t o w e f i n d p u c c e , a t y p e o f b r e a d s i m i l a r t o m i d d l e - e a s t e r n b r e e d s . M a t e r a , i n B a s i l i c a t a , doesn't only have its sassi, but its own bread, the pane d i M a t e r a , m a d e w i t h d u r u m w h e a t s e m o l i n a . Calabria's most traditional bread is a surprise of flavor, as it is made with chest- nuts! O u r j o u r n e y e n d s o n I t a l y ' s i s l a n d - r e g i o n s , Sicilia and Sardegna: the first loves its muffulette, sandwich breads made with sesame seeds, the second is known for pane carasau, so thin, crunchy and delicate to be known also as carta m u s i c a , p a p e r m u s i c , b e c a u s e o f t h e n o i s e i t makes when you eat it. What an amazing tradi- tion, that of bread in Italy: n o w , w h o ' s h u n g r y a n d ready to go for a sandwich? Is there anything better than freshly baked bread? "Bread has been a staple of the Mediterranean food pyramid for millennia" Continued from page 28 LIFESTYLE FASHION FOOD ARTS ADVICE

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