L'Italo-Americano

www.italoamericano.org 20 L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, AUGUST 10, 2017 LIFESTYLE FASHION FOOD ARTS ADVICE PAULA REYNOLDS A h, the good ol' summer time! Breezy lazy days of child-like freedom fill the weeks as attire lightens along with our moods; backyard bar-b- ques, sand sifting between toes, and blue skies rule the days, while star-filled heavens and fireflies guide the nights. The world is sun-kissed and ablaze with the season's enchanting offerings…and its heat. Lots and lots of blazing, endless, scorch- ing heat. By late summer, most of us find ourselves wondering what we thought was so great about this time of year as we mop our brow and check the daily fore- cast in hopes of some respite from the sweltering heat. I've often marveled at how our Italian friends seem to bear the sultri- ness of summer much more ele- gantly than I. With no air-condi- tioning. Unimaginable for those us in the southern United States! But as with many aspects of the Italian lifestyle, the answer seems to percolate down to food and drink – the cure-all combo for all that ails you, both real and imagined. Having sampled any number of cool delights that bring an ahhh of relief when the weather is caldo, survival until fall can become quite enjoyable! We can talk gelato or granita all day long, and they certainly do have their respected places in Italian summer-survival proto- col, but there is more - much more - to rely upon when one finds they are pretty much melt- ing under a Tuscan sun. Sip Away the Heat Too hot for caffé? Not to worry – you can have your cof- fee and stay cool when the temps on the cobbled streets soar sky- ward. Want to keep it simple? Order up a Caffé Shakerato – Italy's answer to American iced coffee. A little simple syrup and a fresh shot of espresso are shak- en with ice until a lush froth develops. Do not – repeat – do not include the ice as the drink is ceremoniously poured into a martini glass (but of course) and garnished with a dusting of cocoa or cinnamon. Feeling a lit- tle frisky? Add a splash of sam- buca or amaretto. Not hard to imagine yourself lounging under an umbrella in a gorgeous piazza when this is in your cool hand. The Shakerato's sweeter sis- ter is the Affogato – a coffee-ized version of a root beer float. And the work is minimal when it's so hot it's a chore to move. Garner the energy to pull up a couple of scoops of vanilla (or chocolate or caffé) gelato into a mug, douse with a shot of espresso, then sprinkle on some chocolate shav- ings if any energy is left. Or sim- ply walk into a bar and say, "Un affogato, per favore!" If caffeine is not on your to- do list, say thank you to Giuseppe Cipriani, the past owner of Harry's Bar in Venezia, who concocted the first Peach Bellini in 1948. Fresh peach purée combined with prosecco makes for a fantastically pleasing and refreshing drink now known world-wide. Cin-cin! Let's Move on to Things That Require a Spoon From the simple Grattachecca found on Rome's streets – shaved ice bathed in a sweet sciroppo (syrup) – to the time intensive and elegant Cassata Siciliana – Sicily's elab- orate and delish sponge cake soaked in liqueur or fruit juice, then layered with a cannoli-type filling or gelato and cloaked in marzipan – a delectable array of dolci can be found throughout Italy that will definitely help beat the heat. Or at least make you forget about it for the time it takes to indulge in one. Just don't Bellini: fresh peach purée combined with prosecco makes for a fantastically pleasing and refreshing drink now known world-wide Surviving the heat with Italy's Summer treats volunteer to make the Cassata – my personal attempt equated to a day of toil in a hot kitchen. Kind of defeats the purpose! If passing through Florence, stop off for a local treat known as Zuccotto. This cool delight is a marriage of cake, ice cream, liqueur - and maybe some choco- late - all snuggled together in a dome-shaped heap just daring you to dig in. The voting is incomplete on whether this half- round goodie is in honor of Brunelleschi's famed Florentine dome, or simply resembles a cooked pumpkin (hence zuccot- to), but there's no debate on its ability to cool a sweaty brow. And while we're on the sub- ject of creamy, cool, mouth- watering dome-shaped edibles, cue the Spuma and Tartufo – both lesser known desserts from the south of Italy consisting of delicious strata of gelato. While the Spuma (translation: foam) is designed with gelato, most typi- cally cherry, pistachio, and vanil- la, mixed with whipped cream then stacked with fruit and nut bits, the Tartufo (named after the gnarly underground mushroom due to appearance only!) is the purist form, constructed of undi- luted gelato layered with frozen fruit and a chocolate or cocoa shell. Mamma mia! In my travels throughout Italy, it seems that semifreddo can be found on most any dessert menu. The easy part is eating one; the hard part is answering the ques- tion – What's a semifreddo? Literally translated, semifreddo means half-frozen. Sounds like a nice way of saying melted. Ah, but it's not, this magical con- glomeration of frozen whipped cream and gelato. The basic foundation is plated slab-style, then dolled up any number of spectacular ways depending on the whims of the chef. This light, fluffy, and oh-so-satisfying half- frozen gem should be ordered every chance you get. Trying to label one of these aforementioned delectables as "best" would be akin to declaring any particular pasta in the same manner; it's all about preference. But one just might stand above the others considering its sim- plicity and ingredients – the humble but elegant Zabaglione of the Piedmont region in north- ern Italy. A creamy medley of egg yolks, sugar, wine and a whole lot of whisking, this dolce is a comfort-food star served stand-alone or over some lucky staple such as a crostata or torta. Pondering a recipe was enough to convince me it'd probably go the way of my Cassata experi- ence – fun but too much work in a summer-time kitchen. Thus, I keep an eye peeled for this culi- nary experience whenever I'm up north. Out of curiosity, I polled a collection of my Italian friends for consideration of a favorite cool-off treat from their region. Surprisingly, the almost unani- mous answer was cocomero fres- chissimo – good ol' fashioned chilled watermelon. Hard to beat the elegant simplicity of nature! Summer time and the living is easy — somewhat. But it can be a lot easier when cooling off with some of the best of Italy's coolest delights. Mangia (e bevi) bene! Literally translated, semifreddo means half-frozen. Sounds like a nice way of saying melted. Photo by wideonet Grattachecca found on Rome's streets – shaved ice bathed in a sweet sciroppo (syrup)

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