A British Style Sweet With an Italian Twist

Before I get to the description and recipe for this British-with-an-Italian-twist sweet, we must take a minute to talk about the word “pudding”.

Date “pudding”, served alongside some fruit, goes well with a morning coffee.

I remember being quite confused hearing my friend, a lovely English lady whom I was visiting in Hampshire, ask her cat if he was ready for his pudding. Pudding for a cat?  I must have misunderstood.  My friend explained that in this context pudding simply meant a mid-afternoon treat. Not literally what I thought of as a pudding.  An English pudding, in a general sense, can also refer to an after dinner desert. Dinner is over, bring on the pudding! Again, not what we Americans think of as pudding (a milk-based custard that definitely requires a spoon), but any type of a sweet desert.   Ok, I thought that I was beginning to understand (maybe).

If only it were that simple. But it’s not, because there is also a more specific meaning to the word pudding, British style. Historically, pudding is a steamed concoction which can be either sweet or savory.  At least it was originally steamed.  These days it might just as easily be baked. The one I am most familiar with is Sticky Toffee Pudding. Though as an American I would describe that as a type of very moist, very sweet cake with a sauce on top. 

As for an Italian equivalent of a British steamed pudding, I am not aware of one.  There are wonderful custard based Italian desserts (budino, zuppa inglese, tiramisu) but these are neither steamed nor baked and so are a different thing entirely.

Call this dense, moist, sweet a pudding, a cake, or a loaf. It is delicious no matter what it’s called.

This leads me to my British-with-an-Italian-twist sweet.  I first had this at an American friend’s home in Lucca.  She referred to it as Date Pudding, the name given in the recipe from the King Arthur Baking Company.  For just a bit more confusion – King Arthur sounds like it should be a British company, but it is actually an American flour producer.  And yet…. pudding.   What she served was a wonderful, not too sweet, very moist, slightly sticky cake. No jiggly American style pudding in sight. 

 My friend had tinkered with the recipe some, substituting a whole grain flour for the King Arthur white and decreasing the sugar to make a healthier version.  Whether it was called pudding or cake it was delicious.

Because I had been experimenting with Italian farina di castagna (chestnut flour), I decided to try the recipe using half chestnut and half white flour.  Like my friend I decreased the sugar by 25% and I upped the spices a bit.  The chestnut flour added an extra dimension of nuttiness to the flavor, and added the Italian twist. The original recipe called for baking the “pudding” in a square pan, but I tried it in a loaf pan with a slight increase in baking time which worked great. I liked being able to turn it out of the loaf pan and slice it for serving

 I made this recently for a morning coffee with a friend in New Mexico.  I could not find any chestnut flour in my local stores, so substituted all white flour.  I missed the nuttiness of the chestnut flour a bit, but it was still delicious and made for a very nice mid-morning coffee treat. It seems the type of flour is quite flexible with this recipe (shh… don’t tell King Arthur, he might not be pleased).

A morning coffee with date loaf as the centerpiece. It is normal for this moist loaf to sink in the middle.

Here’s my version of the recipe, which I will call Date Loaf rather than pudding. A big thanks to King Arthur for the original and my friend in Lucca for introducing me to this treat.

 Date Loaf Recipe

1 cup pitted dates, chopped (be sure to use unsweetened dates, not the kind dipped in glucose syrup)

¾ cup sugar

1 Tablespoon butter (omit for a vegan version)

1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ rounded teaspoon ground ginger

The batter will be quite moist

1 cup boiling water

½ cup finely chopped walnuts

1 1/3 cups flour (half chestnut, half white is my go to blend)

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a loaf pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.

Chop the dates and add the sugar, butter, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and ginger.

Pour 1 cup of boiling water over the date mixture.   Let cool to room temperature.

Stir in the flour and the nuts. The batter will be wet.

Put the batter into the prepared loaf pan (it’s ok to lick the spoon since there are no raw eggs in the batter; taste and add more ginger if you want!)

Bake for 30 minutes until set but moist.   A toothpick will come out sticky but without any wet batter clinging. (Baking time may be longer if using a long, narrow European loaf pan rather than a wider US style loaf pan and shorter for an 8x8 square pan).

Cool in pan on a rack x 10 minutes.  Turn out of loaf pan and remove parchment paper.

Serve warm or at room temperature. The loaf slices best with a serrated knife.

 The date loaf is tasty served plain for a coffee or a tea gathering. It works well as a dessert too, just top with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream. Leftovers keep in the fridge for a few days.

Topped with vanilla ice cream, date loaf makes a nice dessert

Uva Fragola

Chianti Classico Wines - mostly Sangiovese grapes

Fall is harvest season in Italy.   First comes the vendemmia, the grape harvest, followed by the raccolta delle olive (olive harvest).  Both have important significance economically and culturally.  Participating in either is a combination of hard work and great fun.

 Many varieties of grapes are grown in Italy and produce excellent wines.  The names are familiar – Sangiovese, Nebbiolo, Trebbiano, Lambrusco, Pinot Grigio and Vermentino to name a few.   All of those grapes are cultivated varieties of the Vitis Vinifera species.

And then there is the Uva Fragola (Strawberry Grape). It is a different species all together, the Vitis Labrusca. Not just that, but (gasp!) it is an American grape imported into Italy in part due to its resistance to the Phylloxera insect. This is a bit controversial as some sources say it is that very resistance to Phylloxera which allowed the American grapes to carry the insect to Europe where it devastated less resistant Italian vines.  Which story is true?  I don’t know nearly enough about grapes to offer an opinion.

 What I do know is that the Uva Fragola is not a respected wine grape. In fact, the EU bans it for commercial wine production due to high levels of methane, a poison, that occur in the distillation process.  There may be some home made Fragolino about if you are brave enough to drink it. Despite not being used in wine production, the grape is still grown in Italy where it is appreciated for its unique quality - grape with an underlying strawberry flavor. 

One interesting surprise for me was finding that the Uva Fragola is actually a type of Concord Grape.  Yes, this type of grape is the source of the Welch’s Grape Jam that topped all my peanut butter sandwiches when I was a kid.  A jam I abandoned as I grew up in favor of more interesting flavors.  I have to believe that, like most things (and people) transplanted to Italy, the American Concord Grape was transformed by the Italian soil, air, water, and perhaps even the music of the language.  The Italian Uva Fragola is delicious!

September is Uva Fragola season. The big, plump, purple grapes are used in several ways.

The grapes make wonderful jams and jellies. 

I was fortunate to receive a jar made from last year’s crop, a just-sweet-enough jam filled with bits of grape.  It was nothing like the Welch’s Grape of my childhood.

This was grape jam for grownups!

Another traditional use of the Uva Fragola is in a focaccia dolce, a grape studded bread glazed with sugar. It’s a simple, straightforward snack, perfect alongside a cup of coffee, and a great use for the September grape crop.

My favorite way to consume Uva Fragola is as gelato.  I was happy when a local gelateria advertised their September-only special of Uva Fragola gelato, made using local Tuscan grapes.  With its rich color and berry flavor it is the perfect end of summer treat.  With such a short season, one must take advantage with at least a weekly gelato serving, right?

Uva Fragola grapes grown right here in the historic center of Lucca.

Last week, a friend in Lucca invited me to snip some of the ripe bunches of Uva Fragola grapes that grow along the terrace above his apartment.  I was more than happy to help with his small harvest but wasn’t quite sure what I would do with so many grapes. 

I decided to make a syrup to drizzle over soft cheese, gelato, or perhaps pancakes.  I didn’t have an exact recipe, but used a proportion of grapes to sugar suggested in a jam recipe I found on line. I just didn’t add the pectin that the recipe called for.  In a happy accident, I reduced the grape syrup enough that it thickened into more of a jelly than a syrup even without adding pectin.  Perfect on my morning toast and still good as a topping for cheese.

Here's how I made the jelly:

Remove the Uva Fragola grapes from the stems, rinse them and discard any green ones. Hint: twisting the grapes from the stem instead of pulling them avoids that little bit of stem that can cling to the grape.  Twisting also opens the skin at the top of the grape which helps them soften as they cook.

To 700 grams of grapes add 200 grams (1 cup) of sugar and 3 tablespoons of water in a heavy bottom pot.

Heat the mixture over a low to medium flame, stirring frequently, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture begins to bubble gently.

Reduce the flame to low and cook for 1 hour, stirring and scrapping down the sides of the pot every once in a while.  Be sure the flame is low enough that the mixture doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. The kitchen will smell wonderful at this point!

After cooking for one hour, crush the grapes in the pan to release all the juices and then strain to remove the skins, leaving only the juice behind.   A food mill would work here, but I don’t have one so I just crushed the grapes well with a wooden spoon to squeeze out the juices.

Return the juice to the pan, bring to a simmer, and cook on low.  Less time would result in a syrup, 45 minutes and I got jelly.  Isn’t kitchen chemistry fun!   My 700 grams of grapes made one 6 oz jar of jelly.

Rainy Day Risotto

A week or so ago we had a terrific rainstorm in Lucca. I got caught in it and, despite my big purple umbrella, came home soaking wet. I spent the rest of the afternoon sitting near my window, listening to rain fall and watching colorful umbrellas pass by. 

After a week of warm spring weather, that cold and rainy day felt as if we’d stepped back into March.  Rainy weather is perfect for staying inside, reading, and sipping a coffee.  I had a good book and my Moka pot was fired up so no complaints about the weather from me!

It was also perfect weather for my favorite Italian comfort food – risotto.  Luckily, I happened to have some great risotto ingredients in my fridge – a leek and some mushrooms.  I also always have some Arborio rice on hand, so there was no need to venture out again into the storm in order to make dinner.

Simple ingredients, but fabulous flavor!

I didn’t have a recipe for this risotto, so I just improvised as I went along.  The results were delicious and just the perfect meal for a wet and chilly evening. I am glad I made notes as I cooked, because this is a risotto I will definitely make again. Here’s the recipe:

  Mushroom and Leek Risotto (serves 2)

 ¾ cup risotto rice  (Carnaroli or Arborio)

1 and ½ oz dry white wine

2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

2 c. hot vegetable broth

2 and ½ tablespoons butter, divided

 1 medium leek, (about 1 cup sliced)

4-5 oz mushrooms , sliced fairly thin.

Bring vegetable broth to a simmer while prepping the other ingredients.  Is homemade broth  best?  Of course, but let’s be real –  a good quality store bought vegetable broth works just fine and saves a lot of time and effort.  Just be sure it isn’t too salty!

Cut the white and light green part of a leek in half lengthwise and then slice each half thinly across.   Sauté the leeks in ½ tablespoon of butter until soft.  Set aside for now.

 In medium sized heavy bottom pot, heat the olive oil and add the rice.  Toss to coat rice with oil and cook gently for ~ 2 minutes.

Next, add the wine and allow it to evaporate quickly.   This is where it starts to smell wonderful!

Once the wine evaporates, add ½ c. of the hot broth and all of the cooked leeks.  Stir well. Reduce the flame to low and stir frequently while the broth is slowly absorbed.  

 Continue adding broth in about ¼ cup increments, stirring while the rice absorbs each addition.  Always allow the broth to be absorbed before adding the next amount. Keep stirring frequently. 

 Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a large frying pan, add the mushrooms, and cook over a medium-high flame, stirring as needed to prevent sticking.  The goal is to brown the mushrooms quickly and to hold the juices in rather than allow the mushrooms to simmer in their pooled juices.  When finished they should be browned, dry, but not crispy.  Add a pinch of salt and about 5 grinds of black pepper.  Set aside for now.

 With the last ¼ cup of broth, add ¾ of the mushrooms.  Keep stirring while the last of the broth is absorbed.  Taste (cook’s benefit!) and add salt if needed.  Risotto should look creamy but not soupy or gummy.  When done, add 1 tablespoon of butter.  Stir and serve immediately.  Top each serving with a few of the reserved mushrooms.

This recipe makes a small batch of risotto, enough for two people.  It can easily be doubled.

Note that there is no cheese in this risotto.  Adding cheese during cooking tends to result in a gummy rather than creamy dish.   You can always add a bit of parmesan at the table but I think this risotto is best without any cheese at all.  Just let that mushroom flavor shine! 

A Summer BBQ: Grilled Chicken with Mango Salsa

Summertime means BBQs and this tasty chicken, soon to be topped with Mango Salsa

I remember a time when summer vacation for me meant (in a good year) a trip to Italy. Now, living most of the year in Italy, summer is the time when I head back to the US to escape the heat, humidity, and crowds of tourists that summer brings to Italy. It’s also the time when I get to visit my family, including my 4 grandchildren, in New Mexico.

Summertime fun in New Mexico means catching up with friends, backyard brunches, cocktails on the patio, family BBQs, and pool parties. And when my granddaughter Isabelle makes a special request for “that chicken with the mango on top”, well, it’s my grandmotherly duty to get busy in the kitchen.

I found a version of this chicken dish many years ago in, of all places, a Weight Watchers magazine. I’ve tinkered quite a bit with it since then and it has become one of my family’s favorites. The original recipe was called Cuban Chicken with Black Bean Mango Salsa, we just call it Grilled Mango Chicken. And my version has no beans or cilantro (mostly because some in my family don’t like them - crazy, no?),

Marinade ingredients, simple but flavorful

I’ve adjusted the marinade proportions a bit. I also use skinless, boneless chicken thighs instead of the breasts that the original recipe called for. Thighs are much easier to grill, faster, and remain so moist. The star of the dish is the salsa. Sweet, ripe mango and avocado with red onion and spices. My changes means that it no longer qualifies as a diet recipe!

Here is the recipe I use to make a family sized batch (feeds 10-12 people):

Marinate 15 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 4 - 4.5 pounds) for 6-8 hours in: 1 cup orange juice, 1/3 cup fresh squeezed lime juice, 1 and 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon finely minced garlic, 2 teaspoons cumin powder, 1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper. Be sure to open up the chicken thighs so more surface area is exposed to the marinade. Laying them flat in a couple of gallon size zip-lock baggies works great. Refrigerate until ready to grill. Grill for 15-20 minutes (I use a gas grill, but a stovetop grill pan works too).

Prepare the mango avocado salsa an hour or two before serving. Cube 2 large mangoes and 1 large avocado. Add 1/2 cup orange juice, 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, 2 tablespoons finely diced red onion, 1 teaspoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/4 teaspoon salt. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve in a big bowl and let everyone scoop some onto their grilled chicken.

Corn salad Ina Garten style

The grilled chicken pairs well with a green salad or, even better, a fresh corn salad.

I like Ina Garten’s corn salad recipe which simply dresses fresh corn, cooked until just tender, with some chopped red onion, olive oil, cider vinegar, salt, pepper, and a bit of fresh basil.

A bowl of juicy watermelon makes a perfect dessert. Tastes like summer !

All The Right Ingredients: Extra Virgin Cooking Classes in Lucca, Italy

One of the good things about having friends visit me in Lucca is the chance to recommend activities that I think will enhance their experience, things that may not be found in the guidebooks. Sometimes my suggestions include a visit to a “secret” garden, a hidden away little church, a walk beneath Lucca’s walls, or a local festival.

Another activity I like to recommend - and one of the most fun things to do when visiting Italy - is a cooking class with a local chef. Recently I had the pleasure of spending the day, along with some visiting friends, with Chef Giuseppe Mazzocchi at Extra Virgin Cooking Classes (EVCC) in Lucca. And what a day it was!

Tuscan cooking, and Tuscan olive oil, come naturally to Chef Giuseppe. I guess that is what happens when you are born and raised at your grandfather’s olive mill in a small Tuscan village! Giuseppe began to cook alongside his family and many of the recipes he shares come straight from his nonna (grandmother). More than being a talented chef and teacher, Giuseppe has a love for local culinary traditions and flavors that make his classes a wonderful window into Tuscan life.

Just one detail from the elegant dining table at EVCC (designed by the talented Liz)

If Giuseppe is the heart of the kitchen, then it is his partner Liz who lends elegance to the dining experience. Together they welcome you into their home, invite you into their kitchen, and, once the cooking is done, present an absolutely gorgeous table setting at which to enjoy lunch. Liz’s table settings are picture-worthy touches of luxury.

The class day began in Lucca’s historic center with stops at several small shops to gather supplies. Visits to an historic pastry shop, a fabulous bread baker, and the city’s best fruit and vegetable shop provided a fun start to a morning of cooking.

Then it was into the kitchen, a spacious, well-equipped, and charming workspace inside an historic Lucca home. I had a serious case of kitchen envy, especially for the long farmhouse work table, which I swear was larger than my entire kitchen.

Before we got to work cooking, Giuseppe led us through some tastings. First, three different types of extra virgin olive oil, including a local Tuscan oil. Next, a sampling of pecorino cheeses from fresh to aged to really aged, along with a local chestnut honey which perfectly complimented the cheese. There just may have been some sipping of Prosecco while we tasted. Shh. Don’t tell (usually I wait until afternoon for a Prosecco).

The menu this day started with a raw artichoke salad with a lemony dressing. The shaved artichoke rested on a base of the prettiest greens I’ve ever seen, including a variegated radicchio.

Now that’s a salad !

We had fun learning how to make, and then shape, the gnudi. Gnudi are interesting. They are essentially the filling for a ravioli, ricotta with chard (or spinach) and parmesan, but without being enclosed in a pasta shell. An egg white and some rice flour bind the soft gnudi together and then they are shaped using two spoons to form an oval that will hold together during a brief dance in some boiling water. We also made a quickly cooked tomato sauce which went over the gnudi at the end. The result was a tasty and light as air dish.

Next up - a fragrant risotto with leeks and just the right amount of truffle butter. If only I could share the scent here - it was intoxicating. We even learned the chef’s secret for preparing a risotto without the constant stirring.

Leek and truffle risotto alongside gnudi in tomato sauce

How gorgeous is this berry topped panna cotta? It tasted as good as it looked!

Dessert had been prepared ahead of time for us - a beautiful heart shaped panna cotta with a berry sauce.

Together we plated the panna cotta, topped them with berries, and added a garnish of chopped of fresh mint.

Just when we didn’t think we could eat another bite, cups of espresso came with tiny bites of sweet pastry. Somehow we managed!

After a fun morning preparing food, it was a treat to sit down to lunch at a beautiful table (thank you Liz) and share the meal we had prepared.

Lunch was accompanied by local wines, good conversation, and lots of laughter.

We all agreed that we had spent a perfect day in Giuseppe’s kitchen. We left with recipes, a EVCC apron, and good memories of a day well spent. And we all started planning our return.

Contact info: Extra Virgin Cooking Classes in Lucca with Chef Giuseppe Mazzocchi

Email: tuscancook@gmail.com