L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, AUGUST 8, 2024 www.italoamericano.org 22 L'Italo-Americano L ook, today I'm go- ing to be very hon- est with you. I like pizza, focaccia, arancini, and roast chicken like any quintessential Everywoman and Everyman. But if you ask me what's my favorite comfort food, what re- ally makes me feel better when I'm having a bad day, the answer is gnocchi with loads of butter, sage, and lash- ings of parmigiano. Because, honestly, you can't beat the sheer texture and flavor over- load of a good plate of home- made potato gnocchi. Here in my region, Pie- monte, we enjoy them espe- cially with cheeses and but- ter, as you'd expect from an area of Italy half occupied by mountains and hills: gnocchi alla bava, with luscious fon- tina, butter and parmigiano, but also gnocchi with gor- gonzola and cream and, of c o u r s e g n o c c h e t t i c o n Raschera or with Castelma- gno, two of our most famous Alpine cheeses. But gnocchi are not the prerogative of cold, Northern regions like mine, as they are enjoyed — and beloved — everywhere the peninsula. They are also not necessarily made with potatoes, which may, in fact, come as a sur- prise to many. I w a s h a p p y t o c o m e across, recently, a very infor- mative and enjoyable article on the Gambero Rosso website, where food journal- ist Luca Cesari guided his readers through the history and varieties of this cher- ished Italian primo piatto. Through Cesari's words, we find out that our pleasant- ly chewy dumplings have an intriguing history, a variety of forms and that, unlike durum wheat pasta, they can be easi- ly prepared at home with a few basic ingredients. About that, I am going to be honest, making them is quite labor- intensive, but if you have the time, you should definitely give it a go, because packaged g n o c c h i y o u f i n d a t t h e supermarket, even when they are good quality, have noth- i n g t o d o w i t h t h e r e a l , homemade thing. Historically, the concept of gnocchi dates back to ancient times, with the earliest ver- sions likely made from sim- ple doughs of cold water and f l o u r , f o r m e d i n t o s m a l l s h a p e s , a n d t h e n b o i l e d . These early gnocchi were likely quite dense and hard, and it's from this characteris- tic, very likely, that we got the word gnocco, which means "knot." The first detailed recipes for gnocchi appeared in the Renaissance, documented by chefs Cristoforo Messi- sbugo and Bartolomeo Scappi, who would make them with a mixture of flour, breadcrumbs, hot water, and eggs, pressed on the back of a g r a t e r t o f o r m s m a l l dumplings. These gnocchi were typically served with butter, cheese, and spices, and sometimes even sweet- ened with sugar. This method of preparation persisted for centuries, with variations including additional cheese and egg yolks. By the late 18th century, a variation known as gnocchi a l l ' a c q u a ( w a t e r dumplings) or gnocchi bignè emerged: the dough was sim- ilar to modern choux pastry, and made from water (or milk), butter, flour, and eggs. The mixture was then shaped into small cylinders or dia- monds, boiled until puffed up, then served with butter a n d c h e e s e : t h i s v e r s i o n remained popular into the early 20th century. Needless to say, however, t h e m o s t i c o n i c — a n d , I think, consumed — of all gnocchi are potato gnoc- chi, now synonymous with gnocchi in general. Despite t h e i r m o d e r n p o p u l a r i t y , they only became widespread after the late Renaissance when potatoes were intro- duced to European cuisine. After an initial resistance, the potato was gradually incor- porated into gnocchi recipes b y t h e l a t e 1 8 t h c e n t u r y , along with a variety of other ingredients. By the late 19th century, however, simpler versions consisting only of potatoes and flour became common. Pellegrino Artu- si's 1891 cookbook details both complex and simple potato gnocchi recipes, as a reflection of this moment of culinary change. O f c o u r s e , d i f f e r e n t regions of Italy developed their unique types of gnoc- chi. For instance, in North- e r n I t a l y , e s p e c i a l l y i n regions influenced by Ger- man cuisine, c a n e d e r l i , which are made with bread, became a staple: initially they were small and served dry, but eventually grew in size and were often served in broth. The addition of ingre- dients like milk, rice, butter, and spices diversified them greatly, and today they are usually made with spinach, with speck (cured, smoked ham typical of Alto Adige), or even sweet. Roman gnocchi, or gnoc- chi alla romana, are dis- tinct for being baked rather t h a n b o i l e d , a n d b e c a u s e they are made from a semoli- na mixture similar to polen- t a , w h i c h i s s p r e a d o u t , cooled, cut into pieces, and b a k e d w i t h b u t t e r a n d cheese. This method first appeared in the mid-19th century and changed over time, with semolina eventu- ally replacing flour as the main ingredient by the early 20th century. Now that you know every- thing there is to know about gnocchi, it's time to make them. The recipe below is taken from Il Cucchiaio d'Argento and serves four to five people. Ingredients: 2.2 lbs potatoes (about 5 medium potatoes) 2 1 / 2 c u p s a l l - p u r p o s e flour 1 large egg Salt Optional: a pinch of nut- meg Instructions: Prepare the Potatoes: Rinse the potatoes and boil them with their skins on for about 30 minutes or until tender. Drain them, let them cool slightly, then peel and mash them while still warm. Make the Dough: Place the mashed potatoes on a floured work surface. Add flour, a pinch of salt, and the optional nutmeg. C r a c k t h e e g g i n t o t h e mixture and combine with a fork, then knead with your hands until a soft, non-sticky dough forms. Add more flour if needed, but be careful not to add too much, or the gnocchi will be tough. Gnocchi, the humble dumplings with a long history LUCA SIGNORINI Potato gnocchi (above) are the most well-known gnocchi around, but we have more varieties in Italy! (Photo: Martiapunts/Dreamstime) LA BUONA TAVOLA RECIPES COOKING TIPS SEASONAL DISHES OPEN 8AM - 5PM MONDAY TO SATURDAY. SUNDAY CLOSED

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