L'Italo-Americano

www.italoamericano.org 32 L'Italo-Americano LA BUONA TAVOLA RECIPES COOKING TIPS SEASONAL DISHES THURSDAY, JUNE 14, 2018 I f you can't get to Sicily this summer, why not bring a little bit of Sicily into your kit- chen? If you've ever had an authentic Sicilian granita you will know what I am talking about and if you haven't, but you love Italian sorbet or gelato, then you will fall in love with this icy treat. It's certainly a perfect way to cope with the summer's high tempera- tures, and you'll be happy to know there is no exact time of the day to enjoy it – How does granita with brioche sound for breakfast? The two popular and traditional break- fast flavors are almond or coffee. I can't think of a better way to start the day, quite honestly. The ingredients to make Sicilian granita are not many and the pro- cess isn't complicated. You don't even need to own a fancy ice- cream maker. Whoever thought that something so wonderful could come from mixing water, sugar and lemon juice? A Sicilian granita is a cross between a creamy ice cream and an icy sorbet. The origins of the granita date back to the Arab domination in Sicily, when the Arabs brought what was the recipe of sherbet or sharbat, an iced drink typical of the Middle East flavored with fruit juices and flower petals. The sherbet usually had as main ingredients: roses, sandalwood, le- mon, orange or pineapple. In Sicily, in the Middle Ages a strange profession existed, that of the nivaroli, men who in winter went to collect the snow on Mount Etna, on the Peloritani Mountains and on the Hyblaean Mountains. Throughout the year, they kept it to use it in the warm months. The snow was kept in holes made and lined with bricks or stones, called niviere, and the snow contained in them was used in the summer to prepare ice cream. These niviere can be defined as the precursors of today's freezers. Some noble fa- milies owned houses with natural ravines to protect the snow from the heat and prevent it from mel- ting. In the summer, the snow was picked up, compacted and solidi- fied, then grated, placed in a glass and covered with fruit and flower syrup. Today this preparation is wi- dely used in Rome and takes the name of grattachecca romana. During the 16th century, a change was made to the conserva- tion of snow. It was discovered that salt was able to lower the freezing point. Thus was born the idea of a well, consisting of a wooden vat (mastello) that contained a zinc bucket inside (pozzetto) with a crank that allowed it to turn. In the gap between the vat and the bucket the salt was mixed with the snow, thus permitting a greater refrige- ration. Ingredients such as water, sugar, honey, lemon juice or coffee were put into the zinc bucket and, as it was "cranked" to turn, granita was formed. This method allowed a creamier consistency to be ob- tained. In the twentieth century, the natural well was finally replaced by the ice cream maker. Today, granita in Sicily can be found in many flavors: lemon, al- mond, black mulberry, pistachio, chocolate or coffee. It is usually served with the addition of whip- ped cream and must be rigorously eaten accompanied by a soft warm brioche. Both the black mulberry and the almond granita are part of the list drawn up by the Region of Sicily as traditional, authentic Italian pro- ducts. While everyone will have their favorite flavor, I thought I'd share two popular recipes, lemon and coffee. Traditionally from Messina in Sicily, Granita di Caffè is enjoyed at breakfast time in Sicily during the hot summer, although is also enjoyed as a light dessert after lunch or dinner, or just for the per- fect "pick-me-up" when you need an injection of caffeine. Before moving to Italy, I was never a cof- fee lover, much preferring a very British cup of tea. The first time I had a good Italian coffee was the first time I visited Florence, where my twin sister was living at the time. This was over 20 years ago and we were at the beautiful and The ingredients to make Sicilian granita are not many and the process is not complicated. You don't even need to own an ice cream maker. Photo: Toni Brancatisano TONI BRANCATISANO Summer is here: keep the heat at bay with a traditional granita Siciliana historical Café Rivoire in Piazza Signoria. Lisa ordered a Caffè Freddo Shakerato, which is an iced coffee with no milk, prepared and shaken in a cocktail shaker. It arrived in a fancy cocktail glass and it just looked too gorgeous not to taste! Thus was born my love of coffee and although I now love it in all its forms, the cold versions are always a favorite from spring through to autumn, and a perfect way to start my day. I like to keep a container of Gra- nita di Caffè always on hand in the freezer during the summer. Don't forget the freshly whipped cream and this too will probably quickly become your coffee go- to in summer! Granita di Caffè ■ 500ml brewed espresso cof- fee ■ 50g sugar ■ 125ml cream, whipped and lightly sweetened with 1 teaspoon of icing sugar. 1. Make the coffee, and stir in sugar while coffee is still boiling hot to ensure it dissolves. 2. Pour coffee into a freezer- proof bowl, and set aside to allow to cool to room temperature. 3. Place in the freezer. Stir with fork every 20 - 30min to give your granita a 'granular' texture. Con- tinue doing this until desired con- sistency is achieved. 4. Serve in glasses with swee- tened whipped cream. I like to put the cream in the bottom of the glass, and the Granita di Caffè on top, but you can also use a piping bag to pipe some cream on top for a more decorative look if you like. If serving this as a dessert, garnish with a couple of dark chocolate covered coffee beans! Granita al Limone ■ 500ml freshly squeezed le- mon juice, filtered. ■ 500mls water ■ 250g sugar 1. Pour the water into a sauce- pan and bring to a boil. Add the sugar. When the sugar has com- pletely melted and the liquid has become transparent, turn off the heat and let the syrup cool down. 2. Cut the lemons in half, squeeze them and filter the juice with the help of a sieve. You will need to get 500ml of filtered juice. 3. Add the lemon juice to the cold sugar syrup and mix the mix- ture well with a whisk 4. Put the lemon granita mix- ture into a plastic or metal contai- ner and cover. Place it into the freezer. 5. After half an hour, remove the mixture from the freezer and stir it vigorously using a fork to break the ice crystals that have formed. 6. Repeat this process every half hour (or every quarter of an hour if you see that the mixture tends to freeze quicker) for another two to three times, until your lemon granita is of the desi- red consistency. 7. Serve in glasses and garnish with a slice of lemon Note: You can keep lemon granita in the freezer for 15 days. If the granita freezes too much, you can break the ice coarsely and put it in a mini food processor to chop it more finely. For a successful lemon granita in Italy, it is advisable to use Sor- rento lemons or good organic le- mons that are less acidic than other varieties and, if you want to add an extra touch to your granita, you can add a glass of vodka or gin to the original mixture!

• Cover