L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 2022 www.italoamericano.org 6 NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS Continued from page 4 And Pesaro, for sure, has a lot to show to the world and a lot to offer. The city is known for being the birth- p l a c e o f G i o a c c h i n o R o s s i n i and it is also in name of this important con- nection that it has become home to one of the world's most famous opera festivals, t h e R o s s i n i O p e r a Festival which, this year, will take place between July and August. But there is not only music here: Pesaro's historical center is elegant and filled with small alleys a n d c r a f t s m e n ' s a t e l i e r s , e s p e c i a l l y t h o s e o f local ceramisti, which pro- d u c e f a m o u s c e r a m i c a pesarese, Pesaro pottery. P a l a z z o D u c a l e , C a s a R o s s i n i , a n d t h e V i l l a Imperiale are only some of the historical and architec- tural beauties to see. But we shouldn't forget that Pesaro is also a seaside town, with s o m e 7 k m ( j u s t a b o v e 4 miles) of beaches along the crystal-clear Adriatic Sea. Around the city, nature l o v e r s c a n d i s c o v e r the Parco San Bartolo, a n a t i o n a l p a r k c r e a t e d i n 1994 to valorize and protect the natural landscape and the fauna of the San Bartolo m o u n t a i n . H e r e , s t r i k i n g v i e w s o n t h e s e a a n d t h e coast can be enjoyed while t r e k k i n g a n d d i s c o v e r i n g beautiful corners of the local t e r r i t o r y . T h e p a r k a l s o includes a small promonto- ry, known for its grottos and cliffs, that was even men- t i o n e d b y D a n t e i n t h e Inferno (XXVII, 76-90). If you are planning to visit Pesaro soon, you may like to know what to order at the r e s t a u r a n t , t o o . A s y o u would expect from a city by the sea, there is a lot of fresh f i s h a n d s e a f o o d t o b e enjoyed. Minestra di seppie, or cuttlefish soup, is a tradi- tional dish of Pesaro and other towns of the area like Gabicce and Fano. It brings together, a bit like surf-and- t u r f d i s h e s p o p u l a r a b i t e v e r y w h e r e i n t h e w o r l d , ingredients of the soil and of the sea together, to create a wholesome mix of cuttlefish, peas and tomatoes and, of course, some fresh pasta to m a k e i t a l l m o r e f i l l i n g . Pesaro is also known for its t r i g l i a a l l a P e s a r e s e , o r Pesaro-style mullet. This is a bona fide cucina povera dish or, at least, it was born like that, because mullet used to b e a p r e t t y c h e a p f i s h – a l t h o u g h t h e p r e s e n c e o f other, higher-end ingredi- ents may be used to refute this view. Key here, beside the fish of course, are sage leaves and prosciutto: you clean the mullet, you add a little salt and pepper, a sage leave, then you wrap it all in a s l i c e o f p r o s c i u t t o a n d b a k e . I f y o u l i k e s e a f o o d more, we have also stuffed cuttlefish and garagoli, a type of shellfish sautéed in oil with a blend of traditional spices. In many other respects, Pesaro – and Marche in gen- eral – remains under the influence of their neighbor Emilia-Romagna. That's why you'll find here, too, cappel- letti among the most tradi- t i o n a l m a i n d i s h e s . C a p p e l l e t t i i n P e s a r o a r e similar to tortellini, but they are filled with roast pork, capon or turkey, offal, eggs, pepper, nutmeg and parmi- giano. Of course, they are served in broth. Pesaro also has a dish dedicated to its most beloved child, the can- nelloni alla Rossini: made exclusively by hand, these cannelloni are filled with chicken and veal liver, but- ter, porcini mushrooms, sage or thyme, and a pinch of salt and pepper. If you have a sweet tooth, then you should try Pesaro's traditional bostrengo, a cake made with boiled rice, dried figs, honey, corn flour, sul- tanas, alchermes, cocoa, and apples: filling and comfort- ing. But there are other deli- cacies to enjoy, like cresciole. C r e s c i o l e a r e l i k e a m i x between pancakes, or even better crepes (for their size) and frappe (or bugie) for their texture and taste: they a r e t y p i c a l o f C a r n e v a l e , crunchy and light, even if they are deep fried. Their h i s t o r y i s q u i t e c u r i o u s , because they were created as a way not to waste left over polenta: once upon a time, when corn flour and polenta were the key ingredient and dish of our diet, especially in t h e c o u n t r y s i d e , n o t a n ounce of it had to be wasted. So, it was common to use any leftovers to make little pancakes for children, that they could enjoy as a snack. To make cresciole, you need to use cooked polenta, crum- ble it and mix it with water a n d s o m e r e g u l a r f l o u r , which is then fried and cov- ered in sugar. Simple and delicious, just like so much of our cuisine. Pesaro's Town Hall (Photo: Milosk50/Dreamstime) "Pesaro's excellent candidature – Franceschini explained – is founded on a cultural project that aims at valorizing a territory incredibly rich in history and environmental beauty." Pesaro's own minestra di seppie (Photo: nblx/Shutterstock)

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