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The Thanksgiving day countdown is on. Historically, Thanksgiving is a day of giving thanks for and celebrating the harvest. It is a day when families and friends share a meal at a table overflowing with seasonal vegetables, turkey and pumpkin pie. This year I’m looking forward to the charitable Thanksgiving-themed lunch organized by The Rome Digest.
My grandmother from Avellino has been on my mind lately. Hours spent in her kitchen, watching her turn the simplest ingredients into the most comforting and delicious dishes. I miss her, our talks and her kitchen. I miss the smell of fresh garden tomatoes simmering in a pot on her stove top, filling the house with sweetness.
Many years ago I asked her “Why doesn’t my mom’s pasta e fagioli taste as good as yours?” She said, “When she gets to my age it will taste the same, just wait.”
She didn’t include precise measurements so here is my version of her recipe. Adjust to your taste and enjoy!
Ingredients for 2
Soak the borlotti beans overnight in water. Cook them in abundant water in a large pot. Bring to a gentle boil and cover. Cook for approximately 1 hour.
While the beans are cooking, mince 2-3 cloves of garlic, dice the chili pepper and chop the tomatoes.
When the beans are nearly cooked heat 2 to 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a separate pan. Add the minced garlic and cook it for a few minutes until it starts to color. Add the tomatoes, chili pepper, salt and 1-2 cups of water. Bring to a simmer. Cook for 10 to 20 minutes before adding the tomato to the large pot of beans.
Add the pasta and let it cook for 10-15 minutes on a low flame.
Once cooked turn off the heat and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving. Finish with chopped parsley.
Last night I dreamt of my grandparents who passed away many years ago. We were gathered around the kitchen table, laughing, talking and eating as usual. As tomorrow is All Souls’ Day, my superstitious self said “how appropriate you had a visit from the dead” so here’s to my grandparents.Thanks for the visit.
Celebrating the dead may sound morbid. I remember it as a day when we would visit the cemetery. Although it is a Catholic celebration, this festival has ancient, pagan roots. It is a day where offerings are made to the dead to honor them and the sweetness of life is celebrated.
It is also a day of beginnings. Farmers plant seeds today in hopes that the dead will bless the seeds with new life. It is a day when I recall the sweetest of Sicilian sweets La Frutta di Martorana (marzipan fruits).
Painted in vibrant colors, these marzipan fruits are said to have been created by nuns of the Martorana convent in Palermo for the archbishop’s visit on the Day of the Dead. He was awestruck by the fruit hanging from trees in the cloister. These sugary treats are now made all the year round but are given to children in memory of All Souls’ Day.
My favorite places to eat la frutta di martorana in Sicily are Cappello in Palermo and at Perlata in San Vito Lo Capo.
It is eggplant season. Market stands are piled high with the tear-shaped violet-purple-black vegetable. Caponata or capunata as my Sicilian grandparents would say is a cooked eggplant salad made with fried eggplant, celery and capers seasoned with vinegar and sugar. While variations of ingredients exist with some recipes adding raisins, potatoes and pine nuts and others including peppers, olives and carrots, I cherish my grandmother’s version.
Ingredients
Wash and dice eggplant. Sprinkle with salt and leave in a colander to drain for at least one hour. Squeeze to get rid of excess liquid. Deep fry in oil until golden brown. Drain on kitchen paper. Clean and cut celery. Fry celery until golden. Saute onion in the same oil until translucent. Dilute tomato paste with warm water and add to the sauteed onion. Season with salt. Continue to cook for 10-20 minutes over medium heat. Add sugar, vinegar, capers, olives, eggplant and celery. Sprinkle with black pepper and simmer until done, approximately 15 minutes. Serve cold.
Note: This dish tastes best the following day if you can wait!
Everyone these days is looking to eat at an authentic Italian enoteca. It is becoming increasingly harder to find one that hasn’t yet conformed to tourism and let go of its old world originality. Well, I have news for you, my hope in a good traditional enoteca experience has been restored. Le volpi e l’uva, an intimate wine bar, has an authentic and rustic Italian feel and leaves you craving for more.
After ordering the crostone al pomodoro e olive taggiasche (crusty bread topped with tomatoes and olives) the waitress recommended I have a glass of Trentino D.O.C. Marzemino Armando Simoncelli 2012. 
Complimenting the abundance of asiago cheese, tomatoes, and green olives with a drizzle of olive oil, this slightly dry and not-too-sweet wine, exceeded my expectations. The ruby red wine had genuine flavors from the ancient wine making traditions of Trentino while maintaining its young fresh and fruity taste. Its food friendly qualities put an extra crunch of energy to my meal. Delicious food, flavorful wine and great company made for a great night at at Le Volpi e e l’Uva.
A client recently said to me “I thought the feast of 7 fish was an Italian-American tradition not an Italian one, is it true?”As I sat down to my first Christmas Eve dinner in Italy, I thought of this question and am happy to say that this tradition continues in many Italian homes. I was lucky to share it with a family who I love very much. Here’s a tribute to them – thank you for making my first Italian Christmas so delicious and memorable.
Grilled capitone (eel).
Sauté of clams, mussels and shrimp.
Pasta with clam sauce.
Sea bream.
Insalata di rinforzo (cauliflower, olives, peppers, capers and anchovy salad tossed in olive oil and vinegar).
Fried calamari.
Traditional cookies (mostaccioli, rococo and biscotti alla mandorle).