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TASTE AND TRADITION

Family recipes

My Grandmas' Recipes

Grandma Elena

Having lunch or dinner with my grandmas meant tasting totally different dishes. Each one tried to carry on the culinary traditions of her own culture, one being Tuscan and the other Southern Italian.

Grandma Elena would only prepare Tuscan dishes. He favourite first courses were pasta with rabbit ragu and oven-baked lasagna with meat ragu. Among her second courses, I remember the magro, that is roast beef and peas, roast chicken and chips, shallow fried in the dripping when the meat was done, and sweet and sour game, both sweet and salty, the secret recipe she never shared with me.

As dessert we often had torta della nonna and tiramisu. Torta della nonna, that is grandmother’s cake, is a homemade double-crust tart made with deliciously scented shortcrust pastry decorated with pine nuts and icing sugar, concealing a soft and mouth-watering custard filling. Her tiramisu was special: with the classic mascarpone cheese cream she used cantucci and Vin Santo, the traditional Tuscan almond biscuits and sweet dessert wine. The crunchiness of cantucci and the scent of Vin Santo combined with the softness of the mascarpone cheese cream give a surprising result. She also made a special, crumbly pastry she called sugnino, of which I have no written recipe.

Pappardelle with rabbit ragu

Pappardelle with rabbit ragu was one of Grandma Elena’s specialities. Ingredients for 6 portions: 1 rabbit, parsley, 1 onion, white wine, extra virgin olive oil, vegetable stock, salt, pepper, grated cheese. She boned the rabbit and finely minced the meat. She sliced the onion, browned it in a pan with olive oil and added the rabbit meat. She browned everything for a couple of minutes over high heat and then simmered with white wine until reduced. She added the vegetable stock and let cook for about 45 minutes. Before turning off the heat she added salt and pepper to taste. She cooked and drained the pappardelle, sautéed them with the rabbit ragu for a few minutes and served, adding grated cheese for those who liked it. My dad loved this dish!

Roastbeef

Grandma Elena used to prepare this tasty and delicate dish in a cooking pot. She served it with peas or a vegetable flan as side dish. Ingredients: 1 kg beef, olive oil, butter, 3 carrots, 4 white baby onions, half glass white wine, 1 spoonful cognac, salt, pepper. She put olive oil and butter in a cooking pot, browned the onions and carrots, added the meat and seared it on all sides for a few minutes over high heat. At this point, she sprinkled with wine and cognac and let the alcohol evaporate. Finally, she added a glass of vegetable stock and simmered until done. She cut the roast into thin slices and covered it with the sauce made with the onions and carrots she had blended in the meantime.

Tiramisu Cantucci e vino

Tiramisu with cantuccini and Vin Santo

This tiramisu has the scent of Vin Santo and the crunchiness of cantucci, the typical Tuscan almond biscuits. It’s a delicacy that reminds me of the Sunday dinners in San Gimignano at Grandma Elena’s. Ingredients: 250 g water, 120 g flour, 250 g Vin Santo, 200 g sugar, 8 egg yolks, 400 g mascarpone cheese, 250 g sweetened whipped cream, 500 g almond cantucci. To prepare the cream, she brought the water and Vin Santo to a boil, added the yolks, sugar and flour whisked together beforehand and let cook for a few minutes before turning off the heat. Once cold, she whisked in the mascarpone cheese and whipped cream. She briefly soaked the cantucci in Vin Santo, placed them on a tray, and spread a first layer of cream over them. She alternated biscuits and cream until she finished the ingredients and put some cantucci on top as decoration. Another treat to enjoy and recommend.

Grandma Anna

Meals at Grandma Anna’s offered totally different scents and flavours!

Her typical first courses were homemade ravioli and fusilli with fresh tomato and basil sauce. Ravioli are quite easy to make and understand, whereas fusilli are rather more complicated. My mum has never managed to make them despite her having seen my grandma make them time and time again. She would cut the pasta dough in “strips” about 5 to 6 cm long, then she would place a skewer in the middle of each strip, pressing lightly and rolling to obtain a nicely tapered noodle, and finally she gently pulled the skewer out of the fusillo, an apparently easy task that we never managed to master.

As second course, she used to prepare oven-baked chicken and rabbit. Living in the countryside, she raised her own chickens and rabbits, so they were the best ever. Her speciality, however, was not meat but the vegetables. If I think about it, I can still recall the scent of her aubergines, baked or stuffed with cheese and eggs in sauce, truly delicious! My mum still makes them for me. Another speciality was roasted peppers with olive oil, oregano and capers, not to mention the many different types of omelettes.

Her desserts changed with the seasons. She loved sweets so she made them often and when she served them there was always a slice missing. She excused herself by saying that she had to make sure they were perfect before serving them. Her most appreciated desserts included the one with walnuts and apples, that my mum and aunts still bake regularly, the Christmas struffoli and the Easter pastiera, never missing from her holiday table.

With the two of them as cooks ever since I was a small child, I have come to appreciate simple, wholesome food, not very elaborate but so tasty. Every time I go back home, in Tuscany, I want to enjoy those same flavours and my mum never fails to please me.

Aubergine Parmigiana

This was my favourite dish from Grandma Anna’s kitchen. She fried the aubergines and layered them with tomato sauce, cheese and basil. Ingredients: 1 kg aubergines, 700 g fresh tomato sauce, 450 g mozzarella cheese, 80 g Parmesan cheese, 1 onion, basil, flour, peanut oil, extra virgin olive oil, sugar, salt. She cooked the tomato sauce with the onion and fresh basil, fried the aubergine slices in peanut oil and used paper towels to soak up excess oil from both sides. She spread a ladle of tomato sauce on the bottom of a roasting tin, and started making layers, alternating aubergine slices, mozzarella cheese, basil, Parmesan cheese and tomato sauce. She baked for 35/40 minutes at 180° C. Mouth-watering!

Pie with apples and walnuts

This is the cake Grandma Anna always baked for me. Ingredients: 3 eggs, 250 g sugar, 300 g flour, 100 g butter, 3 apples, 250 g walnuts, 1 lemon, juice and grated zest, 1 pinch baking powder. She beat the eggs well, added the sugar, melted butter, diced apples, chopped walnuts, lemon juice and grated lemon zest and finally the baking powder. She mixed well, poured the batter in a greased and flowered pan and baked for 30/40 minutes at 180° C. I recommend this recipe, it’s delicious!

My Grandmas' Recipes

Having lunch or dinner with my grandmas meant tasting totally different dishes. Each one tried to carry on the culinary traditions of her own culture, one being Tuscan and the other Southern Italian.

Grandma Elena would only prepare Tuscan dishes. He favourite first courses were pasta with rabbit ragu and oven-baked lasagna with meat ragu. Among her second courses, I remember the magro, that is roast beef and peas, roast chicken and chips, shallow fried in the dripping when the meat was done, and sweet and sour game, both sweet and salty, the secret recipe she never shared with me.

As dessert we often had torta della nonna and tiramisu. Torta della nonna, that is grandmother’s cake, is a homemade double-crust tart made with deliciously scented shortcrust pastry decorated with pine nuts and icing sugar, concealing a soft and mouth-watering custard filling. Her tiramisu was special: with the classic mascarpone cheese cream she used cantucci and Vin Santo, the traditional Tuscan almond biscuits and sweet dessert wine. The crunchiness of cantucci and the scent of Vin Santo combined with the softness of the mascarpone cheese cream give a surprising result. She also made a special, crumbly pastry she called sugnino, of which I have no written recipe.

 

Pappardelle with rabbit ragu

Pappardelle with rabbit ragu was one of Grandma Elena’s specialities. Ingredients for 6 portions: 1 rabbit, parsley, 1 onion, white wine, extra virgin olive oil, vegetable stock, salt, pepper, grated cheese. She boned the rabbit and finely minced the meat. She sliced the onion, browned it in a pan with olive oil and added the rabbit meat. She browned everything for a couple of minutes over high heat and then simmered with white wine until reduced. She added the vegetable stock and let cook for about 45 minutes. Before turning off the heat she added salt and pepper to taste. She cooked and drained the pappardelle, sautéed them with the rabbit ragu for a few minutes and served, adding grated cheese for those who liked it. My dad loved this dish!

Roastbeef

Grandma Elena used to prepare this tasty and delicate dish in a cooking pot. She served it with peas or a vegetable flan as side dish. Ingredients: 1 kg beef, olive oil, butter, 3 carrots, 4 white baby onions, half glass white wine, 1 spoonful cognac, salt, pepper. She put olive oil and butter in a cooking pot, browned the onions and carrots, added the meat and seared it on all sides for a few minutes over high heat. At this point, she sprinkled with wine and cognac and let the alcohol evaporate. Finally, she added a glass of vegetable stock and simmered until done. She cut the roast into thin slices and covered it with the sauce made with the onions and carrots she had blended in the meantime.

Tiramisu with cantuccini and Vin Santo

This tiramisu has the scent of Vin Santo and the crunchiness of cantucci, the typical Tuscan almond biscuits. It’s a delicacy that reminds me of the Sunday dinners in San Gimignano at Grandma Elena’s. Ingredients: 250 g water, 120 g flour, 250 g Vin Santo, 200 g sugar, 8 egg yolks, 400 g mascarpone cheese, 250 g sweetened whipped cream, 500 g almond cantucci. To prepare the cream, she brought the water and Vin Santo to a boil, added the yolks, sugar and flour whisked together beforehand and let cook for a few minutes before turning off the heat. Once cold, she whisked in the mascarpone cheese and whipped cream. She briefly soaked the cantucci in Vin Santo, placed them on a tray, and spread a first layer of cream over them. She alternated biscuits and cream until she finished the ingredients and put some cantucci on top as decoration. Another treat to enjoy and recommend.

Meals at Grandma Anna’s offered totally different scents and flavours!

Her typical first courses were homemade ravioli and fusilli with fresh tomato and basil sauce. Ravioli are quite easy to make and understand, whereas fusilli are rather more complicated. My mum has never managed to make them despite her having seen my grandma make them time and time again. She would cut the pasta dough in “strips” about 5 to 6 cm long, then she would place a skewer in the middle of each strip, pressing lightly and rolling to obtain a nicely tapered noodle, and finally she gently pulled the skewer out of the fusillo, an apparently easy task that we never managed to master.

As second course, she used to prepare oven-baked chicken and rabbit. Living in the countryside, she raised her own chickens and rabbits, so they were the best ever. Her speciality, however, was not meat but the vegetables. If I think about it, I can still recall the scent of her aubergines, baked or stuffed with cheese and eggs in sauce, truly delicious! My mum still makes them for me. Another speciality was roasted peppers with olive oil, oregano and capers, not to mention the many different types of omelettes.

Her desserts changed with the seasons. She loved sweets so she made them often and when she served them there was always a slice missing. She excused herself by saying that she had to make sure they were perfect before serving them. Her most appreciated desserts included the one with walnuts and apples, that my mum and aunts still bake regularly, the Christmas struffoli and the Easter pastiera, never missing from her holiday table.

With the two of them as cooks ever since I was a small child, I have come to appreciate simple, wholesome food, not very elaborate but so tasty. Every time I go back home, in Tuscany, I want to enjoy those same flavours and my mum never fails to please me.

 

Aubergine Parmigiana

This was my favourite dish from Grandma Anna’s kitchen. She fried the aubergines and layered them with tomato sauce, cheese and basil. Ingredients: 1 kg aubergines, 700 g fresh tomato sauce, 450 g mozzarella cheese, 80 g Parmesan cheese, 1 onion, basil, flour, peanut oil, extra virgin olive oil, sugar, salt. She cooked the tomato sauce with the onion and fresh basil, fried the aubergine slices in peanut oil and used paper towels to soak up excess oil from both sides. She spread a ladle of tomato sauce on the bottom of a roasting tin, and started making layers, alternating aubergine slices, mozzarella cheese, basil, Parmesan cheese and tomato sauce. She baked for 35/40 minutes at 180° C. Mouth-watering!

Pie with apples and walnuts

This is the cake Grandma Anna always baked for me. Ingredients: 3 eggs, 250 g sugar, 300 g flour, 100 g butter, 3 apples, 250 g walnuts, 1 lemon, juice and grated zest, 1 pinch baking powder. She beat the eggs well, added the sugar, melted butter, diced apples, chopped walnuts, lemon juice and grated lemon zest and finally the baking powder. She mixed well, poured the batter in a greased and flowered pan and baked for 30/40 minutes at 180° C. I recommend this recipe, it’s delicious!