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Everything You Need to Know About Pasta

5/6/2020

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The History of Pasta

Dispelling a myth: The popular legend that Marco Polo brought back Chinese pasta is in fact a fictional story invented at the beginning of the 20th century by Macaroni Journal, an American journal published by the pasta industry and perpetuated in Hollywood films.
Of course, the Chinese had their own evolution of noodles: The earliest written record of noodles made from wheat is from a book dated to the Han dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD).
In 2002, archaeologists found an earthenware bowl containing world's oldest known noodles made from millet flour, about 4000 years old, at the Lajia archaeological site along the Yellow River in China.
Proof that Marco Polo didn't discover pasta in China is found in a will penned in the year 1279 by Ponzio Baestone, a Genovese soldier who referenced "bariscella peina de macarone" (a small basket of macaroni). This was written 16 years before Marco Polo returned from China.
There is archaeological evidence suggesting the Etruscans made pasta as early as 400 B.C.
The Roman poet Horace wrote in 35 B.C., “I come back home to my pot of leek, peas and laganum”. Laganum was a flat dough, cooked first in water, then fried in oil, and in later years the frying was omitted.
Historians think laganum was the first sheet pasta and was used like lasagna is used today. Written in the 1st century A.D., the Roman cookbook Apicius, contains a recipe that describes layering laganum with meat and other ingredients like modern day lasagna.
The first Western mention of boiled noodles (called itriyah) is in the Jerusalem Talmud of the fifth century A.D., written in Aramaic, where the authors debate whether the boiled dough satisfied the laws about the use of unleavened bread.
In the 9th century, there are at least two written descriptions of itriyah (used as an Arab word) being used to describe the long, flat pasta called vermicelli (little worms).
In the 12th century, an Arab geographer, commissioned by the Norman king of Sicily, reported seeing pasta called itriyah being made.
From itriyah is derived the current day Sicilian dialect word for spaghetti, tria.
By 1400, pasta was being produced commercially in Italy. The pasta dough was kneaded by foot, a process that could take all day long. The dough was then extruded through bronze dies under great pressure, via a large screw press powered by two men or one horse. This pasta was dried for long storage.
In the 14th century, Sardinian merchants used the expression obra de pasta to refer to the dry pastas that they exported abroad.
Pasta came first... tomatoes were introduced in Italy in the 16th century but were not paired with pasta until the 18th century.
Thomas Jefferson was credited for bringing the first macaroni machine to America in 1789 after falling in love with macaroni in Naples.
The industrial era began at the end of the 19th century with the development of hydraulic presses, when all pastas were made from hard wheat.
The spread of pasta around the world was due in part to the immigration of Italians at the end of the 19th century, who brought their recipes and techniques to the USA and Latin America.

Drying spaghetti, Naples 1900.

Pasta press, 1950s, Naples

Modern pasta extruding

Interesting Pasta Facts

Contrary to the Great Spaghetti Tree Harvest April Fool’s Day Hoax of 1957, pasta never has grown on trees.
The average person in Italy eats more than 51 pounds of pasta every year.
The average person in America eats only 15 pounds of pasta every year.
Top-quality pasta in Italy is made from durum wheat flour, which curiously is grown in North Dakota and shipped to Italy.
The United States with a population of over 320 million people produces 1.9 million tons of pasta annually.
Italy has about 60 million people and produces 2.75 million tons of pasta annually.
Each year, over 13 million tons of pasta are produced worldwide.
To cook one billion pounds of pasta, you would need over two billion gallons of water--enough to fill 75,000 Olympic-size swimming pools.
In Italy, pasta is the first, or Primo course and stands on its own.
In Italy, meat is not served in pasta recipes, but is served as the Secundo (second) course.
In Italy, pasta may be served with certain fruits of the sea, such as mussels or octopus.
Spaghetti and meatballs doesn’t exist in Italy, aside from in tourist restaurants.
The regional Abruzzo dish, Chitarra con Pallottini, is the closest thing to spaghetti and meatballs in Italy, pairing tiny meatballs with square sided spaghetti made on a wired pasta tool called a chitarra.
Spaghetti Bolognese doesn’t exist in Italy. In the area of Bologna the dish is called Ragù con tagliatelle.
Pasta isn't always cream colored: spinach makes it green, red pasta uses tomato, dark gray or black pasta uses squid ink, orange pasta contains carrots or pumpkin, green pasta can contain spinach or basil.
There are approximately 1500 different pasta shapes in Italy, with perhaps 5 times the number of names for each pasta shape, depending on region.
The most popular shapes of pasta in the U.S. are spaghetti, penne and rotini.
Historically in France, pasta were called nouilles, macaroni and lasagnas. In Provence, they were called menudez, macarons, vermisseaux or fidiaux.
There are two types of pasta: Fresh and dried. The fresh type is typically made with eggs, but can also be made with just water or olive oil and is used immediately or can be frozen for later use.
Dry pasta is made using water, and since it contains no eggs can be stored for very long periods of time--often years. Historically, before refrigeration, dry pasta was considered a long storage food.
A little known fact is that even pasta made with eggs, if dried completely, and kept in low humidity environment, can be stored for long periods of time.
100% whole wheat pasta contains more fiber which causes it to be digested slower than regular pasta, causing a measurably higher calorie intake.
In the 1300s, Pope Benedict XII set strict quality standards for pasta.
The word pasta means "paste" in Italian, referring to the paste of water and flour created when making pasta.
The longest single strand of pasta measured 12,388’ 5” and was achieved by Lawson Inc. in Tokyo , Japan, on 20 October 2010.
The world’s record for the most pasta consumed was broken by Matt Stonie, of hot-dog eating fame. He consumed 10 pounds in 8 minutes.
The first American pasta factory was opened in Brooklyn, New York, in 1848, by Antoine Zerega. He used a horse to power his machinery and dried the pasta on the roof.
One cup of cooked spaghetti contains 200 calories, 40 grams of carbs, and less than one gram of total fat.
There is no cholesterol in pasta made with water.
Linguini means "little tongue" and Vermicelli means "little worms". Many pasta names have meanings to describe their shape.
Couscous is a type of pasta.

Cooking and Making Pasta

To cook 1 pound of pasta, you should boil at least 1 gallon of water. Most Americans don't use enough water when cooking pasta.
When cooking pasta in water, use the largest pot you have or your pasta might become a slimy, starchy mess.
You need to add sea salt to pasta water when cooking—enough to give the water the taste of the sea. A good handful will add lots of flavor to your pasta.
Adding salt also makes water boil faster.
Pasta should be added only after the water has come to a rapid boil.
Pasta can actually be “cooked” by soaking in warm water: Salt the water and stir. Add pasta let sit for 30 minutes, until the pasta rehydrates. This method is best to hydrate small pasta shapes intended to be added to soups.
You can use regular lasagna noodles in the same way as “no boil” noodles. Just be sure there is enough moisture covering the pasta when assembling your lasagna casserole.
Never add oil to pasta water, no matter what your mother told you. The oil would prevent sauces from sticking to pasta.
To prevent any pasta from sticking together, after adding the pasta to the boiling water, give the pasta and water a couple of swirls with a wooden spoon.
To cook spaghetti, do not break in half, but add to the large pot of boiling water in a fan like motion. Within seconds, use a wooden spoon or tongs to gently push the spaghetti strands down into the water. Give a couple of stirs to the water.
If you have average sized hands and grip spaghetti between your thumb and forefinger (making a circle about 1-1/4” across), that should give you enough for two servings.
Cover your pasta pot with a lid left 1-2” open along one side to prevent it boiling over.
To prevent spill-overs, place a large wooden spoon across one side of the pot, then rest the lid on top.
Pasta should be cooked al dente (to the tooth). You can test a piece of pasta by biting into it. If you still see a little white center and there still a resistance in the pasta when bitten, it is done.
Undercook pasta slightly when making a recipe that requires adding pasta to a sauté pan to finish cooking in the sauce. The liquids of the sauce will finish cooking the pasta and add flavor to it.
Store bought, dried pasta cooks in 8-12 minutes. Wheat or spinach pasta takes longer. Fresh pasta cooks quickly within 3-4 minutes.
When finishing your pasta along with a sauce in a sauté pan, add 2-3 tablespoons of the pasta cooking water to the pan. The starchy water will help the sauce thicken.
You can drain pasta with a spider or scolapasta (colander), but don’t rinse it. Rinsing would remove starch which helps sauces stick to your pasta.
Sauces should be tossed with the pasta (allowing the sauce to be soaked up by the pasta) instead of serving naked pasta with sauce sitting on top.
Anyone can make fresh pasta without a machine: Place the flour on a work surface in a volcano shaped mound. You can then make a basin in the middle of the volcano to contain eggs or water. You then use hands or a fork to mix the flour into the wet ingredients until a rough dough is formed. Knead the dough until smooth for 5-10 minutes, then roll or shape your pasta.
Fresh pasta can be made with a variety, or even a mix of flours: durum semolina, finely-milled 00 flour, all-purpose flour, buckwheat flour, wheat flour, etc. Never use bread flour to make pasta as it contains too much protein and creates too much gluten.
Fresh pasta can be laid out on sheet pans lined with cotton kitchen towels, lightly dusted with flour or corn meal, then dried for later use.
Fresh pasta, after dried, can be frozen, spread apart on sheet pans, then when rock hard, bagged for future use.
The secret to making ravioli that don’t explode when boiled is making sure that there are no air pockets in with the filling when you seal them.
Frozen, “fresh” pasta can be stored in a freezer for 3 months.
Making fresh pasta is easy to do, even by hand. You can learn to make many traditional shapes with nothing more than your hands, fingers, a rolling pin, a bench scraper and a long knife.
If a pasta dough is well worked, smooth then rested, it should not give any problems or stick when run through a pasta machine.
Fresh pasta dough should be covered and rested for one hour before running through a pasta machine.
A batch of pasta dough can be divided into 4 equal pieces, then roughly shaped and rolled into ¼” thick rectangles, ready for rolling through a pasta machine.
Pasta machines typically have numbered settings, from thickest to thinnest. You start rolling, twice on each number, from thickest to the thinnest setting that matches the type of pasta you are making. Not all pasta types should be paper thin, as a slightly thicker pasta holds heavier sauces better.
When using a pasta machine (the roller type), never clean it with water. Just lightly brush off any residue. If your pasta dough is made correctly, it will not be sticky or floury. If it feels sticky, then your pasta dough needs a little more flour, not your pasta machine.
You don’t need a machine or roller to make pasta. You can use a rolling pin to flatten your pasta and then cut your shapes with a pasta cutting roller or a knife. You can cut strips of fettuccine, squares for making ravioli or tortellini, or snakes cut into 2” long pieces for making dumpling shapes, like cavatelli.
Before cooking fresh pasta, you should dry it for at least 30 minutes.
Dust freshly made pasta with a bit of flour, then lay out in one layer on sheet pans to dry.
For long pasta, like fettuccini or spaghetti, flour the pasta and drop into loose “nests” on a sheet pan to dry.
Fresh pasta can be totally dried in 24 hours for longer storage.
Fresh pasta, after an initial drying, can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
After totally drying fresh pasta on sheet pans, they can be placed into a freezer until rock hard, then stored in plastic bags for use within 2-3 months.
Don't place sauces on top of naked pasta, instead, either finish the pasta in the saucepan or mix the sauce with the pasta in a large pasta bowl.
Which pasta to use for a recipe depends on the type of sauce:
1. Tubular shapes like penne and ziti are perfect with hearty, thick sauces like ragu.
2. Pasta with ridges, called rigate, grip sauce even better.
3. Wide, flat pastas like pappardelle are ideal for holding creamy sauces.
4. Long, round pastas like spaghetti are best with oil or tomato sauces, which coat each strand evenly.
5. Chunky vegetable or meaty sauces are best paired with larger shapes that have cups or large cavities to grip the large particles.

--Jerry Finzi

Useful Pasta Tools on Amazon

You might also be interested in...

Map of Italian Regional Pastas
Corzetti: A Regional Pasta that Really Leaves an Impression
Sugo: The "Sunday Gravy" of my Childhood
Discover Pallottine from Abruzzo
The Light Way to Make Potato Gnocchi
The Rarest Pasta in the World - Threads of God Torta Rigatoni
Piede Bolognese al Forno - Baked Standing Rigatoni Pie with Bolognese

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When I Was a Kid, I Learned that Spaghetti Grew on Trees...

4/30/2020

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I'm not a gullible man. Even as a boy, I wasn't one to believe everything I was told. I always asked questions... "Why? Where? When? How?" I read lots of books, including my entire encyclopedia set and my Atlas. I loved science and the arts. I used both sides of my brain. But as a 12-year-old watching the old Jack Parr show in 1963, I tended to to go by the old adage, "Seeing is believing"--especially if you see it on TV!

Big mistake!

What I saw was a very legitimate sounding short documentary film with a very scholarly, British voice talking about the spaghetti harvest in Switzerland, and mentioning the "tremendous scale of the Italian's... (harvest)" and the "vast spaghetti plantations in the Po valley". From that point on, until I was in my early twenties, I actually believed there was some sort of special tree or bush in Italy that produced some sort of spaghetti... fruit, pod or otherwise. It wasn't until I saw Jack Parr himself talking about the hoax on the Tonight Show in the early 1970s that I learned the embarrassing truth--a "truth" that I would argue about with my non-Italian friends growing up... "Real Italian spaghetti grows on trees!", I would insist.

Parr claimed they didn't get a single call about the segment and most people bought it hook, line and sinker. OK, so maybe I was a bit gullible. But it was a very convincing documentary film, produced originally as a serious film for, of all things, a British news show... and besides, I was only 12!

On April 1, 1957, on April Fool's Day (Pesce d'Aprile in Italian), the BBC television show Panorama aired the short "documentary" about the "spaghetti harvest" in Ticino, Switzerland, on the border of the Italian Alps. The film shows spaghetti trees ripe with long strands of spaghetti and a farming family harvesting by hand, putting the spaghetti into baskets and then carefully laying them out to dry in the "warm Alpine sun."

Some viewers bought it entirely and called BBC to find out where they could buy some of the "real spaghetti". Many British gardeners wanted to know how to buy a spaghetti bush for their own garden. Others were very angry that a joke was portrayed as a serious subject on a real news program.

Still others--like me--just tucked this into their knowledge banks, unquestioningly and carried it as a "truth" through at least part of their lives, being even more convinced every time they heard the expression "fresh pasta"... of course, that must be referring to the real stuff fresh picked from the trees! What did I know. After all, neither my Mother or Grandmother made fresh spaghetti, because spaghetti trees probably didn't grow in our climate. All I ever saw growing up was dried, boxed spaghetti--you know, the fake stuff.

The following video is the original broadcast in 1957 in England...

The following video gives a behind the scenes take on
the Spaghetti Hoax story from a member of the Panorama
production team who came up with the idea...

The next video shows a further chapter of this hoax broadcast
in 1967 in Britain explaining how the spaghetti crop was being ruined by a terrible pest--the spag-worm, or "troglodyte pasta".
("Troglodyte" refers to a person so stupid because he lives in a cave).

In 1978, San Giorgio Pasta produced a remake of the
Spaghetti Hoax for one of their TV ads.

Finally, cooking know-it-all, Martha Stewart (I'm not a fan) got into the act
in 2009 with her own little spoof about her Spaghetti Bush,
"spago officinalis" ("official string") trees.

Italian snake bean seeds on Amazon

Well, I've had a lot more culinary education since being misled by that little April Fool's prank when I was young and impressionable: my Mom and Dad taught with every loving dish they put in front of me; Grandma taught me her authenticity; having home and studio in Manhattan for so many years where varied cuisines are around every corner also taught me; In my 30s, I finally learned how to cook from Julia Child, Craig Clairborne, Marcella Hazan, Mary Ann Esposito and Pierre Franey. I now make fresh pasta with my son, Lucas from time to time. And during our Voyage throughout Italy, I never saw a single strand of spaghetti on a bush, tree or vine. Ever. (OK, so I did look, just to be sure.)

However, I have since learned that there are actually spaghetti alternatives that grow from Madre Terra. I even grew 2 foot long "snake" beans a few years ago that came pretty close. Here are a few veggie spaghetti alternatives...

Spaghetti Squash

Yellow squash, zucchini, sweet pepper "spaghetti"

Spaghetti String Beans as pasta

Long string bean "spaghetti"

Cucumber "spaghetti"

Vegetable "Spaghetti" can be made by a julienne of carrots, leek, zucchini and yellow squash

Spaghetti Squash seeds on Amazon

Premium V Slicer spiralizer on Amazon

Kitchenaid's Spiralizer Attachment on Amazon

If you want to make your own, fresh "veggie spaghetti" at home, pick up a Premium Vegetable Spiralizer from Amazon or the attachment we use for our stand mixer, the Kitchenaid Spiralizer Attachment. It's a lot easier than picking the spaghetti from the trees, collecting in baskets and spreading them out in the sun to dry...

(Damn you, Jack Parr and your dry sense of humor!)

--Jerry Finzi

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Making Italian Basket Cheese, Ricotta and Ricotta Salata

4/23/2020

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Most Italian-Americans have heard of basket cheese, that light, soft, fresh cheese (similar to ricotta) sold in Italian specialty stores every Easter which is used to make the traditional pizzagaina or pastiera di grano (wheat grain pie) recipes. In the U.S. it is rarely seen year-round and is mostly used as an ingredient. In Italy, basket cheese is is called formaggio fresca (fresh cheese) and is readily available all year long for use as both recipe ingredient and as a table cheese, just as ricotta is eaten, but with a less salty and milder flavor.

Basket Cheese Ingredients

1 gallon whole milk (or, if you can find some, use goat's milk)
1/4 teaspoon rennet
1/4 teaspoon salt (basket cheese is less salty than ricotta)

You will need:

Directions

Pour the milk into a large pot on medium heat, stir constantly to bring it 95 F, then turn off the heat.
Add the rennet and mix well, turning only in one direction for 30 seconds, then use a large spatula as a brake, placing it vertically into one side of the milk to stop its movement.
Let stand for 30 minutes without any movement. The milk will start to solidify due to the curdling effect of the rennet.
With a long chef's knife or large metal cake decorating spatula (long enough to reach the bottom of the pot), gently cut the curd in a vertical grid pattern 2" apart. Then slice at a low angle to cut the vertical columns of curd into rough cubes.
Allow to rest for 30 minutes, then using a large whisk, gently break the curd, into small bean-sized pieces. Let rest for 1 hour.
After resting, the cheese curds will have separated from the whey. Separate the cheese from the whey, press it lightly with your hands so that the bulk of the liquid comes out and put the cheese in a plastic cheese basket (in Italian, fuscelle). If you would like to make ricotta after this recipe, save the whey in the pot!
Place the basket onto a shallow plate, then cover the basket with a weight (small pot, soup can, etc.) allowing to dry for 24 hours in the refrigerator.

You can now use your basket cheese fresh as an ingredient in recipes, such as the traditional Easter pizzagaina. If you want to eat it fresh (the same day is best) you can turn the baskets upside down onto a serving plate and remove the basket. This is a mild cheese, but if you like you can sprinkle with a little sea salt or fresh ground pepper. You can also spread it on bread or crostata and drizzle with honey or balsamic and serve with with figs or fresh berries. Although it should be eaten the day it's made, you can keep it for several days by keeping the basket in a plastic container along with with an inch of milk.

Making Ricotta from the Leftover, Fresh Whey

Although my wife Lisa's ricotta recipe is great, technically, it's not a true ricotta made from whey. Making true ricotta (re-cooked, or cooked twice) is incredibly simple once you have whey leftover from cheese-making using rennet. The whey has to be fresh from the cheese-making process above.

Bring your pot of whey nearly to a boil (it needs to be around 195F). The ricotta will begin to surface.
Using a slotted spoon, collect the ricotta and place it into a cheese basket (or a cheesecloth). Don't press it if you want it to be fluffy and light. Drain over a grid for 3 hours, then refrigerate. If you want it a bit firmer and drier, refrigerate overnight with a weight on top.

Making Ricotta Salata

Ricotta salata is basically a firm, saltier version of ricotta cheese that is very similar to feta. While feta is made with rennet, ricotta salata is made from the whey leftover from cheese-making, just as normal ricotta is made. Ricotta salata needs more salt than normal ricotta and is pressed it to release any extra moisture. You need a fine mesh cheesecloth or butter muslin.

Make the ricotta as above from your whey, but add 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt to the whey before heating.
Once you gather your ricotta, lightly salt again with another 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt.
Line your cheese basket with the cheese cloth/muslin, add your ricotta into the mold, then fold over the top neatly.
Place a heavy, flat weight on top of the ricotta to press out the moisture. A soup can will work well. Make sure the bottom is elevated to drain.
Press overnight in the refrigerator, halfway through, flipping it over.
The next day, remove from the refrigerator and place on a counter to continue draining/drying in a cool, dry place, then press this time with a heavier weight for at least 5-8 hours, flipping it over every couple of hours. You want to dry out the ricotta until it is firm.
Lightly salt all sides of the cheese, then place the cheese round onto an upturned cheese basket (the bottom needs to breathe). Place your cheese and upturned basket into a larger storage container and refrigerate. If any more whey collects at the bottom, drain and dry each day.
For the next 5 days, continue lightly salting on all sides and flipping every other day.
When very firm, pat your finished ricotta salata dry and wrap in parchment paper or cheese paper and store in your refrigerator.

Ricotta salata is beautifully paired with sliced apples, pears, fresh figs or crumbled on pizza, pasta or salads.

Buon apetitto!

--Jerry Finzi

You might also be interested in...
Southern Italian Pastries: Pasticiotti versus Pasta Croce
Recipe: Babbo Finzi's Pizzagaina (Pizza Rustica)
Recipe: Lisa's Home Made Ricotta Cheese
Ricotta: Twice Cooked and Not Quite a Cheese?
Recipe: Sicilian Ricotta Cheesecake
Making Fresh Giuncata Cheese
31 Italian Cheeses: Goat, Cow, Buffalo and Sheep, Oh My!
Supermarket Parmesan Cheese Contains Cellulose: Not All That it's Grated Up to Be?
Marscarpone: More than Just Italian Cream Cheese

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Making our Pizzagaina Recipe After Easter

4/17/2020

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This year we decided to make our Pizzagaina recipe once again. We loaded up my Kindle with our recipe on GrandVoyageItaly.com and got started getting the ingredients together. As usual, my son Lucas helped with the mise en place. He is a great sous chef but nowadays is also cooking a lot of his own dishes.

With the coronavirus limitations of shopping, and certain things in our fridge missing, we decided to use up some smoked gruyere in place of the mozzarella but still used ricotta and fontina (I love its creaminess). That's the way of the Italian cucina--not letting anything go to waste. Otherwise, our recipe was the same. And each time I make this treat, I'm amazed that I got the ingredients perfectly proportioned--a difficult thing to do when writing up a recipe for other people to duplicate. This crust is just wonderful to work with and fits the spring pan perfectly, with even a little left over after making the lattice strips.

In the end, we made the pizzagaina a couple of days after Easter since we had a huge ham that we baked for Easter dinner, along with roasted potatoes, carrots and onions and garlic, along with home made apple and cranberry sauce. There was plenty of leftover ham for soup, sandwiches and the pizzagaina.

Try this recipe if you get a chance. If you prefer a more solid filling, add two more eggs when making the filling.

Buon apettito!

--Jerry Finzi

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Our Conversation with Mary Ann Esposito, Cooking Legend from PBS's Ciao Italia! - Part 3

3/30/2020

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Continued from Part 2...

Finzi: The first time our family visited Molfetta (where my father was born) we didn’t have time to meet the relatives that still live there (although we've gotten to know each other since on Facebook). What advice would you give to someone with a desire to approach long-lost relatives in Italy, especially if there is a desire to collect the heritage of recipes from their famiglia?

Mary Ann: Call or email them; send photos; plan a meeting with them; bring old family photos if you have them.

Finzi: When you first met your Italian relatives, what impressed you most?

Mary Ann: Their genuine hospitality and love of connection with you. My cousins were especially welcoming.

Finzi: I lived in France for a while and tried my best to be a decent French cook, but after experiencing the simplicity of regional Italian cooking on our voyage throughout Italy, I immediately was drawn back my Italian roots. It’s amazing to think that in centuries past, the food eaten by the Italian upper classes was in the French style. Why do you think the Cucina Povera rose to the top of Italian cuisine, with its fairly simple ingredients and basic techniques?

Mary Ann: Because that is the true Italian cooking. It was only the upper class Italians who employed chefs called monzu. These were Italians trained in France and what they cooked was truly French and not Italian.

Finzi: When my parents got married, according to my mother, she “wanted an American household”, so she didn’t teach her five children Italian. I’ve read that you took lessons on how to speak Italian. Did your mother have this same attitude to “Americanize” your family in this or any other ways?

Mary Ann: No, my mother spoke Neapolitan dialect because my Nonna Galasso--her mother--lived with us. My mother would never serve an American style TV dinner and neither would I.

Finzi: I’ve never heard you talk about having a second home in Italy. If you do, can you tell us a little about it? And if not, of all the beautiful regions and towns in Italy, where would you love to live, and can you describe your Casa dei Sogni, or Dream Home for us?

Mary Ann: I go to Italy every year but do not have a home there; if I did, it would be in Siracusa because I love this baroque town; my second choice would be Torino.

Mary Ann Esposito Foundation culinary students

Finzi: Your culinary life was influenced by two Nonne, but not everyone has an Italian grandmother to help educate them on how to prepare Italian dishes. In a way, you have become that Nonna for the millions of us who have watched you cook for nearly 30 years. Can you tell us something about your Mary Ann Esposito Foundation and your desire to pass along your passion and techniques to future Italian chefs?

Mary Ann: Thanks for asking! The foundation provides scholarships for students in culinary degree programs in universities offering the study of Italian regional foods and is also establishing a legacy library online to record for posterity, regional recipes that otherwise would be lost to time for future generations. All donations in any amount are most appreciated. Your Grand Voyage Italy readers can go to www.ciaoitalia.com and click on “foundation” to learn more and to make a donation.

Finzi: I want to really thank you for taking the time for this wonderful chat, Mary Ann. We'll be looking forward to seeing your new episodes on PBS... my TIVO is fired up to record every episode!

One last thought... For us to envision il pranzo perfetto per Maestra Esposito, what are your all-time favorite dinner courses in La Cucina Esposito?

Mary Ann:

Aperitivo: Prosecco
Antipasto: Grilled Vegetables, crostini
Primo: Cacio e Pepe
Secondo: Branzino al Limone
Contorno: Broccoli Rape
Insalata: Fennel and Orange
Formaggi e frutta: Parmigiano Reggiano, Figs, Melon
Dolce: Gelato
Digestivo con caffè, Non lo bevo

Guy Esposito on Gardening

Finzi: When I was a boy, my Dad taught me all about saving seeds and the benefits of Home Grown Tomatoes, and now my 15 year old son grows them with me. Our favorites are Eva Purple Ball, Jersey Devil and Giant Belgium. Which are your top three favorite heirloom tomato varieties, and why you like each.

Guy: Costoluto Genovese for fresh eating and preserving, intensely flavorful, deep red flesh); San Marzano are the only ones that match to those in Campania for sauce; Redorta for eating fresh, making sauces, canning or drying. It's better than San Marzano for growing in colder climates.

Costoluto

San Marzano

Redorta

Finzi: For some reason, I’ve always had less than good results with Costoluto in our garden and Redorta is one we haven’t grown. I’ll try some next season.

I’m in Zone 6a in Bucks County, Pennsylvania (April 15, last frost) and still I wish the growing season was a bit longer than it is. What are the problems growing vegetables in your short, Zone 5b growing season in New Hampshire?

Guy: We get a late start after May 31 because of such a short growing season.

Finzi: What do you consider the essential vegetables for an Italian gardener to grow, and for beginners, which do you think are the easiest?

Guy: Lettuce, zucchini and radishes are easiest and the hardest are melons and artichokes.

Finzi: Were you always a gardener or did your garden develop as Ciao Italia became a more prominent part of your lives as a couple, and what compels you to grow your own vegetables?

Guy: I have been gardening since Medical School. We are believers in farm to table food without pesticides. For good health we maintain a Mediterranean diet.

Finzi: We are also pretty much organic in our garden, but can always do better with a heathier diet. At least we make pretty much everything from scratch. I just wish we had a good fish monger near us.

My wife Lisa would love to grow huge bushes of rosemary like we saw in Italy. For me, pomegranates and olives. But of course, we can’t in our Pennsylvania climate. What don’t (or can’t) you grow in the garden that you wish you could, or would like to grow, and why?

Guy: Radicchio di Treviso and Bulbing Fennel (finocchi). Both are delicious for salads or cooking.

Radicchio di Treviso

Bulbing fennel

Finzi: I’ve watched videos on how complicated it is to grow Radicchio di Treviso. Definitely not for the home gardener!

What single vegetable or other crop has May Ann wanted you to grow that you haven’t yet, and why haven’t you grown it?

Piennolo del Vesuvio tomatoes can be stored all winter in Italy

Guy: Piennolo del Vesuvio tomatoes. It's just not hot enough here in New England and we have the wrong type of soil. .

Finzi: I love the idea of growing these but even if I could, I doubt if they would last through the winter, hanging in large bunches, the way they do in Campania.

If you could only grow one, solitary crop, which would you grow?

Guy: Lettuce! Virtually every day we eat large salads every day.

Finzi: That’s one crop I wish was possible to grow all season long. I’ve grown a variety of types, but some years, the rabbits and chipmunks get the best of them.

What are the most difficult things to grow in your garden?

Guy: Melons and sometimes tomatoes. Melons need a lot of heat and a long growing season. Some types of tomatoes we love can be prone to disease.

Finzi: I’ve also had some experience with melons, but they require a lot of attention and even watering--difficult to keep up with in drier seasons.

Is it difficult to be the husband of such a famous chef, or do you consider yourself a partner in Mary Ann’s efforts—and how involved are you in the production of the show?

Guy: Mary Ann is first and foremost my wife. I am involved with Ciao Italia as the head gardener and wine consultant. The Mary Ann you see on TV is the exact same person in real life. I am a lucky man!

Finzi: You certainly are.

Mary Ann and Guy, I want to thank you both for being so generous with your time. I’m certain our readers are going to gain a lot of wisdom from the depth and span of your knowledge, experience and passion about Italian cuisine.

Alla prossima e mille grazie!

--Jerry Finzi

Copyright, 2020 - Jerry Finzi/GrandVoyageItaly.com - All Rights Reserved
Not to be reproduced in any form without expressed, written permission.

Mary Ann (3rd from top left) and her family

In a Carnevale mood

Flirting with tomatoes in Campania

Just two gals hanging out

A vineyard stroll

With her Premio Artusi award

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Our Conversation with Mary Ann Esposito, Cooking Legend from PBS's Ciao Italia - Part 2

3/29/2020

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Mary Ann at home in front of the camera

Continued from Part 1...

Finzi: Of course, we’ve read your new book, Ciao Italia: My Lifelong Food Adventures in Italy. You've given us all some more great recipes and stories with an enormous degree of detail. Another winner, for sure. Brava, Maestra!

Speaking from an Italian-American perspective, what are the main differences between Italian cuisine and the dishes Italian-Americans served here? And regardless of their lack of authenticity, which Italian-American dishes do you really love?

Mary Ann: Regional dishes are based on local ingredients, fresh ingredients and simple preparation. Italian-American food is often based on many canned foods like beans and prepared tomato sauces and inferior, imitation cheese. Of course I love spaghetti and meatballs and chicken “parm” like anyone else.

Finzi: I grow our own string beans and especially love those yard-long heirloom beans that can plate like a green spaghetti, but I'll have to take your advice and start growing my own beans. We do make our own sauces from scratch, but most of the year used high quality canned tomatoes. In summer we do make fresh tomato sauce, which is wonderful.

Chicken “parm” is a favorite in our house, too. We love the way my wife makes it (casserole style with rigatoni) but I also make a lighter version more like a standalone corso secondo.

With Julia Child

with Jacques Pepin

All of us have our favorite cookbooks. We have a collection of yours (of course), but also from Julia Child, Nick Malgieri, Marcella Hazan and Pierre Franey. Which cookbooks couldn’t you live without? Also, what are some historic cookbooks you would recommend for people wanting to explore the history of Italian cuisine?

Mary Ann: Ada Boni’s, Italian Cooking; Waverly Root, The Food of Italy; John Keahy, Seeking Sicily; Carol Field, The Italian Baker; Pellegrino Artusi, The Science in the Kitchen and The Art of Eating Well

Finzi: We actually have one on your list--Carol Field’s Italian Baker is amazing and includes a fantastic recipe for focaccia.

What regions—or towns—have you never visited or cooked in when traveling through Italy? Which are on your bucket list, and why?

Mary Ann: I have never cooked in Friuli or Calabria and I would love to cook in Abruzzo because the food is very high quality, and I love the way they use almonds in cooking. Although I love the confetti (candy coated almonds), there is so much more to do with them.

Fried Fish Fillets with Parmesan and Almond Coating

Shopping in an Italian market

Finzi: We agree totally. We love the flavor of almonds in all manner of pastries. But to be honest, I personally never went for confetti almonds—I was always worried about breaking a tooth!

The waves of Italian Diaspora during the 19th and 20th centuries brought Italian migration to several countries around the world, merging Italian cuisine with that of their host countries. Have you ever thought of exploring the evolution of this mash-up of culinary cultures? (Examples: Brazil, Argentina, Australia, Tunisia).

Mary Ann: It is a great idea and I have thought of it. It's on our bucket list!

Finzi: I’ll be looking forward to see what you come up with. By the way, in researching my own surname’s roots, I have discovered that there are nearly as many Finzi in Brazil as in Italy! I’m in touch with many of them via Facebook—perhaps I’ll ask them for some fusion Italian-Brazilian family recipes!

Are there any other countries you like to visit and cuisines you enjoy cooking? A fusion, perhaps?

Mary Ann: I just love Ireland and their food is fantastic. I also enjoy cooking Chinese food.

Click the photo above to see our own Shepherd's Pie Recipe

Mary Ann and her Mom cook together in this classic episode. Click to see the video.

Finzi: This past Saint Patrick’s Day, I made my annual shepherd’s pie and my wife Lisa made her Irish Soda bread. Although my wife Lisa makes fantastic Chinese food, she hasn’t picked up her wok in a while. (Hint, hint.) There is such a wealth of ethic food in the world and so many influences in the regional foods of Italy!

You’ve cooked with many famous chefs over the years, but we also appreciate when you cook along with home cooks here and in Italy (I still remember the episode with your Mom). Have you thought of doing a series of shows where you feature these home cooks’ recipes?

Mary Ann: We have featured many home cooks and you will see them on our new season coming this spring. I learn a lot from them.

Finzi: My mother was a pretty good Italian cook and my Dad worked as a grocer and deli man his whole life. Because of this, my favorite heirlooms from them is Mom’s scolapasta, her large pasta pot, her ravioli pin, Dad’s meat slicer and even his retractable crayon marker he used to mark prices on cold cuts. Which kitchen heirlooms do you treasure?

Mary Ann: My nonna Saporito’s 2 ft long, thin rolling pin, her cleaver, chitarra, my mother’s scribbled notebooks on Italian foods, her apron and old cannoli forms made out of bamboo.

Finzi: Bamboo cannoli forms? I love the idea. Easy to make if you have a neighbor with overgrown patch of bamboo.

Click the photo to see Bamboo Cannoli forms on Amazon

Beside heirloom kitchen tools, my Mom left me her techniques of making “Sunday gravy”, gnocchi (click for RECIPE) with a fork and her Italian style Pot Roast (click for RECIPE). Dad taught me how to make giant deli meatballs (click for RECIPE) Thanksgiving turkey, Christmas ham and all about home grown heirloom tomatoes. What are the most important technique your family's cooks passed along to you?

Mary Ann: Use your hands! They are your best tools.

Finzi: According to my son, my pizzas and other dishes are so good that he’d like to see me open a pizzeria or restaurant, but I simply enjoy cooking for my family and friends. With both of your grandmothers cooking for professional reasons, did you ever consider “going pro” and perhaps opening your own restaurant? If “no”, why not? Personally, I would really enjoy dining in your Trattoria Ciao Italia!

Mary Ann: No, because I think of my show, Ciao Italia! as my restaurant. Opening a restaurant means a commitment to be there and I cannot do both at the same time.

Finzi: Last summer, we vacationed in Cape Ann, Massachusetts and seemed to discover Italian influences just about everywhere. When we visited the North End of Boston we considered it to be a better Little Italy than Manhattan’s Little Italy, the Bronx’s Arthur Avenue or Philly’s Italian Market district. Which “Little Italys” have you visited and what are the best features of each?

Mary Ann: I've been to most: Boston, Philadelphia, San Diego, New Orleans. Philadelphia has retained more authenticity; the rest are fading examples.

Click HERE to read the rest of our interview...

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Our Conversation with Mary Ann Esposito, Cooking Legend from PBS's Ciao Italia! - Part 1

3/28/2020

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Mom with her Big Pots

Long before my mother passed, I would visit her and Dad in their suburban New Jersey home and we would watch Mary Ann Esposito's show, Ciao Italia on their local PBS station. While I learned Mary Ann's recipe and techniques on TV, my mother passed on her own recipes and hands-on lessons in her humble New Jersey kitchen, in the same way her mother had taught her.

Mom taught me to make soups first, then stews, then how to make more complex things like light, fluffy gnocchi (I still remember how quickly her arthritic fingers tossed those gnocchi from the ends of a fork). While Mom taught me our own ricette di famiglia Finzi, Mary Ann helped me perfect techniques to help me become a pretty decent, all-around Italian home cook. She also helped me understand that Italian cuisine isn't just one thing... there are many cuisines to be explored in Italy.

Mary Ann's first book holds a place of honor in nostra cucina

I wanted to have a conversation with Mary Ann in honor of my Mother, since both of these wonderful Italian women have been a strong influence in my own life in my own Cucina. My Mother would be proud to know that I shared a few words with one of our Italian heroines.

Mary Ann is the author of 13 books on the art of regional Italian cooking. She has taught millions of fans how to cook authentic, regional, healthy and delicious dishes on her PBS show Ciao Italia, currently in production for its 29th season of episodes! Mary Ann has over 30,000 followers on Facebook and over 1,400 recipes on her Ciao Italia website. She has also made over 40 tours of Italy, 18 of which were organized as cooking classes attended by loyal home cooks.

In Italy with one of her classes

Mary Ann was gracious in affording me some of her precious time, her schedule made even busier with the recent launch of her new book Ciao Italia: My Lifelong Food Adventures in Italy, as well as her preparing for the 2020 broadcast of her new season of shows on PBS (check your local PBS listings).

So, pour yourself an espresso, sit back and enjoy our conversation. As a bonus, I also discussed gardening with her husband, Dr. Guy Esposito, the official Ciao Italia gardener.

--Jerry Finzi

Mary Ann learning about Piadina, a flat bread from Emilia-Romagna

Our Conversation...

Mary Ann in love with a vintage Capri taxi

Finzi: You’ve been on PBS continuously for 29 years… certainly an achievement for any TV cooking show. Can you explain your commitment to PBS and if you’ve ever been approached to do a show on a commercial cooking network? If you were offered a show, why didn’t you take the offer?

Mary Ann: I wanted to have a personal connection with my audience without interruption or distraction and I wanted it to be my show in my words without someone else telling me how to do it. It would have been so much easier to go to go the commercial route but I had higher goals.

Finzi: I see your point, Mary Ann. They might have re-packaged what you were bringing to the table (excuse the pun) and your menus might have been someone else’s choices, perhaps by committee. We’re happy you followed your own path.

Certainly for my family, some of our favorite episodes have included location segments filmed in Italy. Does your new season include any Italian segments? And throughout the history of your voyages, where were your favorite places to explore—and cook?

Mary Ann: Location shoots require a huge effort and lots of money but when our budget allows, we are in Italy. This year for our new season, we will be filming in Tuscany in the fall. All the regions are my favorite, but I am partial to Sicily and Campania.

Mary Ann's famous holiday bear breads

Mary Ann's Raspberry Tart

Finzi: I agree with you on this. There's something so warm and welcoming in the South--a much slower pace. For me, I felt most at home when visiting Puglia where my father was born. The people's welcoming smiles reminded me of him.

Some of my other favorite Ciao Italia episodes had you baking with the amazing pastry chef, Nick Malgieri. We love Nick because he was kind enough years ago to help me find the recipe for “pas-ah-chut”, as my Molfettese father called them (pasticiotti). What are your favorite pastries to make?

Mary Ann: Of course I love to make cannoli, fruit tarts, lots of different biscotti.

Finzi: My thing is making the Crostata di Frutta in our cucina, but my wife is the go-to gal for all sorts of cookies, cakes and pies. Happily, this year she is exploring the world of the twice-baked dolci—biscotti.

Mary Ann's Pizza with Artichoke

Pignoli and Prosciutto Pizza

I've always loved pizza and even worked at our local pizzeria for a while when I was a teen, and for nearly 20 years and I've become a fairly decent pizzaiolo at home. I’ve made Neapolitan, Chicago and Detroit deep dish, “grandma’s”, sfincione, focaccia, thin crust, etc. I think I’ve saved every one of your pizza episodes on my DVR. Which is your favorite pizza and what do you think makes it so special?

Mary Ann: I would have to say Margherita is my favorite but I love making all kinds. The important thing is to use as close to original ingredients as possible like Caputo flour for the dough, real mozzarella di Bufala and fresh basil.

Finzi: Happily, home gardens, farmers markets and the Farm to Table movement are growing in popularity. Living in the country, we often have to travel to Philadelphia or New York to get precious ingredients like mozzarella di Bufala, but we do grow our own veggies and lots of basil!

For me, baking pastry is very specific and precise, which is perhaps why my wife does that in our house. What are your thoughts on “cooking to the recipe” versus cooking the way nonne do, by taste, look and feel?

Mary Ann: I’m with you; I never cook with recipes even though I write books with precise recipes for readers based on my testing them. I think the best cooks are those who improvise.

Finzi: In my case, improvisation can make it a little difficult when I want to share one of my recipes with our GVI readers. I have to convert a pinch, a dollop, a handful, a splash or to describe how a dough should look and feel.

What I’ve always loved about your cooking is the historic and anthropological perspective you bring into the Italian kitchen. You teach that “Italian food” doesn’t really exist, but it’s really about the 20 different regional cuisines of Italy. What would you like to see as an effort to change the American view of “Italian food” as only being pizza, chicken “parm” or spaghetti and meatballs?

Mary Ann: Watch my show! Read things about regional cooking; in my just released new book CIAO ITALIA (My LIFELONG FOOD ADVENTURES IN ITALY) you will find a treasure trove of regional recipes with stories that support their origin.

Click HERE to read Part 2 of our interview...

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Shaped Breads Honor Saint Joseph and All Fathers

3/19/2020

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March 19 is a very special saint day in Italy... La Festa di San Giuseppe. This is the day that Catholics celebrate not only Saint Joseph, but all fathers. Consider this day as the Italian Father's Day...

A special tradition is making and serving Pane di San Giuseppe, a shaped bread formed into a variety of designs for loaves that will adorn La Tavola di San Giuseppe. You'd be surprised at the amazing and luscious spreads on Italian's tables for their Cena di San Giuseppe, both in private homes and for community and church groups. Traditional forms for breads are crowns, crosses, crabs, donkeys, staffs, wheat, images of St. Joseph, and braids representing the Blessed Mother. This bread has a rich texture and a slightly sweet taste. To pay homage to St. Joseph being a carpenter, breadcrumbs and sesame seeds signify sawdust fallen from his saw.

Here is a basic recipe for making Pane di San Giuseppe in a braid form...

Ingredients

2/3 cup warm milk, 110 degrees F.
1 package dry active yeast
3 cups bread flour
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon anise seed or 1 teaspoon anise extract
1 beaten egg for glaze
Sesame seeds for topping

Directions

Dissolve the yeast into the warm milk and allow to proof until it becomes foamy on top.
Place 1 cup of flour and salt into the bowl of your electric mixer and briefly mix well using a dough hook. Then add the yeast mixture and blend at low speed. Scrape down sides as needed.
Next, add the melted butter and honey, then mix for a minute or two while adding the eggs, anise seed/extract.
Gradually add more flour, little by little, scraping down sides as needed, then mix on medium until you see strands of gluten developing. Depending on humidity, you might now need all the flour. The dough should be sticky but forming into a rough, sticky ball.
Place the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for several minutes, producing a smooth ball of dough.
Transfer the dough to an bowl wiped with olive oil. Cover and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in volume.
Gently punch the dough down, then place onto lightly floured surface and cut into three equal parts.
Roll each piece of dough into ropes, each about 16-18" long.
Place the ropes parallel to each other onto a half sheet baking pan lined with a sheet of parchment. Then gently braid the ropes together, tucking under the ends. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm place to rise for another hour.
Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Once the dough is risen, brush with the beaten egg, then sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown and a straw when pierced into the middle of the bread comes out clean.
Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

--GVI

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What do Italians Eat on Fat Tuesday? Lasagna di Carnevale, of Course!

2/25/2020

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Fat Tuesday is called Mardi Gras in French but in Italy it's known as Martedì Grasso. Ash Wednesday--the beginning of Lent and fasting until Pasqua--happens the day before Martedì Grasso, which gives Italians a reason to feast and party. During Lent, Catholics are expected to give up something they love as penance. When I was a boy, the rules were very loose--giving up something you didn't like anyway was a way around the rules. But Italy is a Catholic state and many still observe full sacrifice. While some might replace meat only on Fridays with fish, others give up meat entirely during Lent. (More modern twists are giving up texting, Facebook or TV).

Broken down from the Latin, Canem Levare (meat lift), the festive celebration of Carnevale can literally be thought of as a time when meat is lifted away from meals--as a sacrifice. Carnevale in Italy starts on Giovedí Grasso, the Thursday before Fat Tuesday. During this time Italy celebrates Carnevale in towns like Venice, Viareggio and the Emilia-Romagna town of Cento. But Carnevale is widespread in Italy, just as Lent is... so just before giving up meat, they feast on it...

In Southern Italy, especially around Naples, the end of Carnevale is celebrated by eating Lasagne di Carnevale, a rich lasagna layered with a choice of meats, typically polpette (meatballs), sausage or a meat ragu. If you know how to make a lasagna (here's our Eggplant Lasagna recipe), then you know the basics of making a Lasagna Carnevale. Just layer in small meatballs or cut up large ones in small pieces or slices. You can also include slices of sweet or spicy sausage or a thick meat sauce (like our Bolognese recipe).

Guess what we are eating tonight?

--Jerry Finzi

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What Does This Have to do With Limoncello?

2/7/2020

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The key phrase on these products is "Limoncello INSPIRED creations". Barely lemon flavor. Mostly artificial flavoring. But, really now... cups?

Maybe they're scented. Nope... just the same yellow plastic cups they sell on other shelves.

Nothing to see here... pass it by.

--GVI

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