chi ben mangia, ben beve,
chi ben beve, ben dorme,
che ben dorme, ben vive,
chi ben vive, ben muore,
chi ben muore va in cielo:
dunque per morire bene
e andare in cielo
bisogna mangiare bene
WHO EATS WELL, DRINKS WELL,
WHO DRINKS WELL, SLEEPS WELL,
WHO SLEEPS WELL, LIVES WELL,
WHO LIVES WELL DIES WELL,
WHO DIES WELL GOES TO HEAVEN:
SO TO GO TO HEAVEN YOU HAVE TO EAT WELL.
Candied fruit peel or candied fruit is found in many traditional Italian desserts, adding moisture, concentrated bursts of flavor, and a lovely aroma. Fine Italian candied fruits and peels are artisan products made by a long, labor-intensive process.
If, for whatever reason, you don’t like candied fruit, then by all means leave it out of any recipe—or substitute dried apricots, golden raisins, or other dried fruit instead.
Most Italian desserts are made with 00 flour.
Italy and the United States categorize flour differently. In the United States, flour is defined by the amount of protein it contains. In Italy, flour is defined by how finely it is ground: ranging from 2—which is coarsely ground—to 1, then 0, and finally the very fine 00 that is used for bread, pizza, and desserts.
Italian 00 is like our cake or pastry flour in texture, but has a higher protein content, so it bakes more like our all-purpose flour.
Technically, the recipes in this book will “work” if you substitute all-purpose flour for the 00 flour; however, if you want to obtain both the texture and rise of Italian 00 flour, substitute a 1:1 ratio mix of all-purpose flour and cake flour.
In the United States, gelatin is most commonly found in powder form and sold in envelopes (1 envelope is about ¼ ounces or 7 grams, which is roughly 2¼ teaspoons). In Italy it is most commonly found in sheets of various sizes and weights.
If you are using sheet gelatin instead of powdered, follow the package directions for use and conversions. As you’ll note, sheet gelatin must be softened in cold water before use. In general, use the same gram weight of standard supermarket-brand sheet gelatin as powdered gelatin (1 envelope gelatin powder equals about 7 to 8 grams of sheet gelatin).
If you like, use an Italian leavening for sweets that is called lievito per dolci in place of double-acting baking powder. Several companies make it, most notably Paneangeli and Bertolini. It often comes with a pinch of vanilla, so you can use less in the recipe. One envelope is sufficient for one average cake.
Mosto cotto is a dense, sweet, cooked must syrup made from wine grapes. It has been a popular sweetener, especially in southern Italy, since ancient Greek times. In Abruzzo, Calabria, Puglia, Sicily, and other parts of southern Italy it is used in various cookie recipes and to sweeten cuccia, a cooked wheatberry dessert eaten on December 13 to celebrate Santa Lucia Day.
Italy has exceptionally delicious nuts, and many Italian sweets, such as torrone, panforte, marzipan, and gianduia, feature nuts. There are hundreds of nut-based desserts in Italy and I’ve included dozens in this book including Almond Biscotti (page 18), Honey-Walnut Chocolate Glazed Pie (page 92), and Almond Granita (page 106).
Each region of Italy has its own specialty nuts and several nuts have been given special IGP designation (protected geographic status). The same nut—hazelnuts, for example—are so different that two types, each of which has been awarded IGP status: the hazelnuts of Piedmont (tonde gentile delle Langhe) as well as the hazelnuts of Campania (nocciola di Giffoni or tonda di Giffoni).
Be sure to buy only the best-quality nuts, and to check the expiration date, as nuts go stale quickly. Taste them before use to double-check that they are still fresh. Store nuts in the freezer or refrigerator in an air-tight container.
For best results, toast nuts before using to release all their flavor and aroma. It’s best done in the oven for a more uniformly toasted, drier, and more flavorful nut. Usually 10 minutes at 350°F (180°C), until golden and fragrant, does the trick.
Many recipes call for nut flours, like hazelnut or almond flour. Nut flours can be found in gourmet shops or purchased online. Or you can make your own. Toast the nuts whole in the oven, let cool to room temperature, then finely grind in a small food processor or coffee grinder. Just take care not to over-grind or you’ll begin to create nut butter.
Many traditional Italian desserts like Traditional Tiramisù (page 131) and “Instant” Chocolate Cake (page 75) call for raw eggs. Raw egg whites add volume and raw yolks add richness and moisture.
There are several options if you’d prefer not to use raw eggs:
Pasteurized shell eggs such as Safest Choice brand are my favorite choice for a totally safe raw egg product. They have been specially pasteurized while still in the shell to destroy salmonella bacteria.
Powdered egg whites work well as a substitute for raw egg whites. Reconstitute the egg-white powder and whip just as you would fresh uncooked egg whites.
Cook the eggs, yolks, or whites with sugar and a bit of water over a pot of simmering water until they reach a temperature of 160°F (71°C).
You can substitute whipped cream for egg whites.
In Italy, many home cooks grate a vanilla pod on a Microplane and use the resulting specs instead of pure vanilla extract. I find it an easier technique than scraping the inside seeds, plus it uses the entire bean.
For any of the recipes here, you may substitute grated vanilla pod for vanilla extract. Depending on the quality of the vanilla pod you are using, 1 tablespoon extract equals about ½ grated pod.
To roll out dough:
I learned a fabulous tip in Italy.
When rolling out dough, instead of putting flour on a work surface to keep the dough from sticking, spread out clean white cotton canvas cloth instead. It works miracles.
The dough doesn’t stick or dry out from absorbing the extra flour. Plus—and this is a big deal for me—clean-up is much easier. No little stuck-on bits of flour all over the place. Just toss the cloth in the washing machine when you’re done and enjoy your dessert! It’s inexpensive and available at any fabric store. Try it when making the Sweet Chickpea Baked Ravioli (page 138) or Carteddate (page 164).
All refrigerated ingredients, like eggs, milk, and butter should be used at room temperature.
Italians are not generally the type of cooks that measure ingredients very precisely—except that they always weigh flour and key ingredients when baking. For best results, weigh all key ingredients.
For non-key ingredients, I have used the highly imprecise “handful” where the precise, exact measure is not critical and can be adjusted to the cook’s taste.
For those of you who prefer precision here’s a conversion chart:
ONE SMALL HANDFUL = ¼ TO 1/3 CUP
HANDFUL = ½ CUP
LARGE HANDFUL = ¾ TO 1 CUP
VENICE’S CORNMEAL COOKIES, RED WINE RINGS, AND ABSURDLY ADDICTIVE HONEY COOKIES
