Dunderi... by Gennaro Contaldo

A previous post, (6/6/12 http://andyeatsinfrance.blogspot.com/2012/06/everybody-who-produces-food-produces.html) saw me talking about a lovely quote from the mini-series "Two Greedy Italians" which aired on the BBC a few years ago now. Its two series (the word British TV uses for what we know as "seasons,") consisting of 4 episodes each, follow the exploits of two Italian chefs who have lived as expats in the UK... only to return to their motherland as seasoned vets of the cooking game- ready to eat and share their observations with the world. Sounds like a tried and true premise for cooking shows, right? It is. But these two men have so much character and poise that their true and honest selves radiate from screen immediately, sharing parts of their Italian culinary souls with their international foodie audience.

When you have a moment (or a few hours) to spare, this show is not to be missed. And if you have even more time, I highly recommend their recipes. The following gem is right out of their first episode. It took us about 35-40 minutes in all to prepare, and was a quick and hearty meal. So full of flavor, but still concise enough to prepare during the mid-week rush.

I always hesitate when watching cooking shows... "Should I try to replicate their recipes?" "Will they actually be that good?" "What if they're making it look easy, but it's actually not?"...
These are all valid questions I think, and ones I've asked myself many times before. Nevertheless, I usually take the plunge anyway.
            It is better to have cooked and lost, than never to have cooked at all! Right?


But, with Gennaro and Antonio's recipes, we actually didn't need to take a "plunge" per se... It's like trusting your very own Italian uncles implicitly.

                                                                                           ~ ~ ~

Without further ado...
You can find the recipe within this post or by clicking the following link:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/ricotta_dumplings_01916
Or you can also just watch the first episode. You'll find all the inspiration you need in those first few minutes.

The recipe on the site says it serves 4. I would say that is reasonable... but a more realistic statement would be to say that it best serves 3 very hungry (or greedy) people.
Also, one final note: Us Americans are not always used to following recipes that express the needed quantity of an ingredient in grams. If you have a scale, that would be the ideal tool with which to translate these weight measures. If not, the following conversions can work to give you a general idea:

For the flour: 125 g = 1 cup / 200 g = 1.6 cups / or 250 g = 2 cups
For the ricotta: 250 g = 1 cup

Ingredients

For the dumplings

• 200g/7oz  "00" or all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
• 225g/8oz ricotta
• 3 free-range egg yolks
• 30g/1oz parmesan, freshly grated
• pinch freshly grated nutmeg
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the sauce

• 6 tbsp olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled, cut into thick slices
• 1 chili, sliced
• 2 x 400g/14oz cans tinned plum tomatoes, each tomato chopped in half
• few basil leaves

Preparation method

1. Mix the flour, ricotta, egg yolks, parmesan, nutmeg and seasoning together in a large bowl to form a soft, moist dough.
2. Tip the mixture out onto a floured work surface and knead for 3-5 minutes. Roll the dough into a long, thin sausage shape, then cut into dumplings about 2cm/1in long.
3. Cook the dumplings for 3-4 minutes in a large saucepan of salted boiling water.
4. Meanwhile for the sauce, heat the olive oil in a frying pan and fry the garlic and chilli for one minute, then remove the pan from the heat and add the plum tomatoes.
5. Return the pan to the heat, bring to the boil and simmer for five minutes.
6. Remove the dumplings from the pan with a slotted spoon and add them to the tomato sauce.
7. To serve, spoon the dumplings onto a serving plate and sprinkle over the basil leaves.

Simple but not simplistic, is how I would describe good old-fashioned home cooking. These gnocchi-like dumplings fit that description beautifully.

  

Let's be honest, a little wine while cooking serves as the best inspiration of all. 

`    

Soft and elastic seem to be the desired consistencies for the dough. Not too sticky, but still very malleable. 

     

It's time to shape and cut. Look at him (my great, cooking partner-in-crime) go! 

We made them about 3/4" thick. 

Once the dunderi are ready and floured, prepare the quick sauce. Above, hot oil and garlic are ready to welcome the canned tomatoes into the saucepan. Gennaro is right; this is a quick and tasty way to make a sauce on-the-go. The searing oil will cook the tomato chunks and sauce quickly and evenly. 

We had a big pot of water on the burner simultaneously, and once the water reached a boil, the dumplings were added. True enough, after 3 minutes, the dumplings began to swiftly rise to the top. One by one! The ricotta and egg cook ever so quickly. 

After the tomatoes have absorbed the oil/garlic, add the boiled dunderi and basil. The chubby dumplings will absorb some of the tomato flavor too. Stir just enough, until the basil is incorporated into the sauce.

And there you have it. Prontissimo!!!

Finish off with more (a lot more) Parmesan and the truly comforting dish is ready. 

Go ahead, give it a try!

il caffè

There are so many types of coffee available in Italy. Whether you are an experienced and passionate connoisseur or a casual drinker, it is a wonderful idea to take advantage of all Italy has to offer. 

Someone once told me that the longer the foam (la crema) remains in the cup- frothy and bubbly- the better the espresso brew is. If the foam dissipates quickly, then the drinker has reason to distrust the quality of the brew. 

Whether this theory holds up in all instances of coffee, it is surely a good indicator of the quality of the machine at work and of the overall freshness of the drink. 

I didn't quite believe this until I saw it for myself. I added just a tiny bit of sugar and stirred.   Incredibly, my friend and I sat for more than half an hour, and "crema" remained until the last sip. Molto squisito!

Batzen

In the small city of Bolzano or Bozen to the German speakers...

At the Batzenhausl (Address:  Anreas Hoferstr, 30,  Bolzano, Italy) I enjoyed true comfort food: Austrian style.

But wait, I’m in Italy. How is this possible?

I was so unaware of the cultural essence of this Tyrol region of Italy before finding myself visiting this interesting region for 4 days, on a pure whim. 

According to Bolzano locals, this is the place to be for traditional pub fare, good brews, and friendly ambiance. All the while, I found myself nestled in the middle of this small city in a refurbished and modern eighteenth century home. This place, I was told, is the oldest continuously run restaurant in Bolzano.

They brew their own beer here too, the Batzen Braü selections are well known for their crisp and flavorful characters. I tried the Batzen Weisse- their wheat beer. Definitely cloudy, and very refreshing with some very pleasant floral notes… 

I was dining alone… (As I found out after a month of travelling, dining “toute seule” is not one of my favorite things to do- but essential if I was going to make sure I experienced local flavors. The corner pizza joint could only get me so far…) The waiter was very friendly, and helped me decipher the menu, which was all in German with Italian translations. My Italian, I discovered, was not that bad, but I definitely needing a helping hand if I was going to have any luck ordering at this place. After a lengthy conversation in my broken Italian and a few English words here and there, I placed a full order. Bad news is that I found the portions SO hefty (plus all the beer) that I could only get through the appetizer…

That’s okay! I’m glad I did, there’s plenty to share regarding this wonderful dish:

Semmelknödel

(or the Italian varation: Canederli)

are in broad terms, German and Austrian bread dumplings that also found in the North of Italy. These are made, like you’ve gathered, from bread, cheese, milk, eggs, and even potatoes. All are very inexpensive ingredients, but they can be garnished with other accent flavors like Speck (a type of cured beef) and other vegetables as shown below. 

Because of the hefty portions, I had mine as a main course, but they are usually a starter or an appropriate accompaniment to meat dishes. Sometimes, I heard, they can be made into soup form with a light broth. 

I can't begin to describe how delicious this knödel sampler was. Each round dumpling was flavored with different flavors and on a bed of creamy and zesty vegetable purées. My favorite one was the tan one to the far right. It was full of creamy cheese pieces (rolled into the bread, not as a filling) and on a bed of seasoned tomatoes.) A winning combination. Consequently, the red knödel was made with meaty pieces and on a bed of creamy horseradish. Very strong! 

Add some variation of coleslaw, beets, and you've got yourself some very powerful combinations. The knödel themselves are soft to bite into, and of a very solid consistency. They are not fried, so they're not greasy at all. Instead, I believe they are dunked and steamed in water or broth. 

Finally, no meal is complete with a basket of assorted breads. I had the bread in Bolzano on a few occasions, especially at my breakfast brunch every morning. They look like buns don't they? Ahh... but don't be fooled. These small breads are not soft and delicate. They're actually quite tough, but make a perfect accompaniment to sauces, savory ingredients like cured meats and cheese, and even butter and jam. The darker ones were my favorite. They were infused with fennel and other herbs. Perfect for scooping up some leftover knödel and sauce. 

Guten Appetit! 

Food... how the Romans like it

No trip to Italy, especially Rome is complete without having an apperitivo.
Imagine an all-you-can-eat buffet spread at the counter of a bar. Little plates and little forks... and unlimited trips. The only catch is you need to buy a drink. Not bad... A drink and full dinner all for 10 euros approximately. Some places do charge a cover to enter, but that guarantees a delectable selection of the best variety of salada, pastas, and crostini.

Then if you're still hungry, why not head to dinner? Pizzerias are easy to come by in Rome, but they are mostly, according to some native Romans I talked to, tourist traps. For real Roman cuisine, head outside the center, or look for Pizzerias with Italians on the terraces and menus for less than 12 euros.

Trattorie were by far my favorite kind of restaurant option in Italy. The same tourist-trap rules apply. But when you find a family-owned, friendly, and unpretentious trattoria in whatever city you find yourself in... don't let go! Trattorie are friendly family-style establishments whose focus is not high-brow cooking, but simply making local comfort foods which please the clientele day after day and keep them coming back for more. A trattoria will be less formal than a ristorante but a bit more substancial than an "osteria."

A typical Roman Piazza in the evening. People chatting, getting ready to decide where to go for a meal. 

Bruschette: Olive spread, fresh, sweet tomatoes, and artichoke spread on robust white bread.

Some typical Antipasti (appetizers) at pizzerias include these little delights, Supplì, which are made of seasoned rice, shaped into egg-shapes with cheese, then breaded and deep-fried. 

These were my favorite: Fiori di Zucca. Zucchini flowers filled with anchovies and cheese then deep-fried to a golden perfection. People may ask for the Fiori to be filled with just cheese and no anchovies. I found I liked them with anchovies- they added a burst of saltiness at the end of the mouthful which was a nice contrast to the mild cheese and batter. 

Pizza Capricciosa: mozzarella, tomatoes, artichokes, olives, ham, egg

Notice the thin crusts and sparse ingredients.

A white pizza is just as common and well-liked as a red pizza. A white pizza is just cheese and no tomato sauce. This one was a creamy and salty delight. Quattro formaggi e funghi. (four cheeses and mushrooms)

Something which completely took me by surprise was the pasta- which came at the beginning of the meal as a first course and not as an entrée (the english meaning, the main course.) The portions were always huge. Just good pasta with the sauce and that's it. By the time I was done, I didn't have any more room for the main course! (And there, you would have a wide array of meats an more delicious sauces)

Carbonara. The photo does not do it justice, the color was rich and vibrant. I can't even begin to describe how creamy the sauce was. 

What made this thick pasta so delicious was the black pepper sauce. 

The airiest, most simply delicious tiramisu. No frills, just homemade cream and strong coffee flavor. This trattoria was about 40 minutes away from the main station, Termini. 

No evening meal could be complete without a bit of citrus delight. Limoncello, the classic and well-known digestif was as good as I imagined it to be. I had never had it before, and it was a perfect cap to a delicious meal. 

I'm back! and the first post is... Italian Gelato!

Now that I am back in Boston, I have a lot of time on my hands for reflection and writing. Before leaving Nantes after living there for two years, I travelled for one month throughout Italy, Belgium, and Great Britain. In the coming weeks, I will share with you a bite of my travels... I will share with you some of the wonderful things I ate.

Because it's hard to write on the road, I took many photos, but unfortunately was not able to write much. Now is the time to catch up on all the meals worth sharing with you that I was lucky enough to discover in the last couple of months.

For this reason, the timeline will be a bit choppy, and for that I apologize. I just have so much to catch up on!

Let's waste no time. Let's start with a classic food blog entry: ice cream.

Gelato Italiano is by all accounts, just ice cream. But for some reason, the Italians do it so well. At every single Gelateria, from the most simple and tourist infested to the artisanal parlors, their ice cream never seems to disappoint. Maybe it's the insane variety of flavors. Or maybe the rich creamy-ness. Or maybe it's just the fact it's ice cream in ITALY. Whatever the reason, true Italian gelato always seems to taste heavenly. Here are a few snapshots of some of my favorite ones, and mind you, I tried a lot. I was travelling alone for a few days in Florence and then Verona. What is a girl to do?


*As always, I urge you to click on each photo for an enlarged version of it. That way you can savor each snapshot even more! Thanks!

My First Gelateria. 

Gelateria dei Neri in the Santa Croce Neighborhood in Florence.

Via dei Neri 25, 50122 Firenze, Italia

Nope, not vanilla. It was half Gorgonzola gelato and half hazelnut. 

This Gelateria is also known for its Granita, which is similar to what we know as Italian ice. 

This place, I'm told is old, traditional, family owned, and very well known with queues usually reaching the back and flowing into the street. I, though, was SO lucky and got there early. I was the only one in the shop! 

Gelateria Santa Trinita in Florence. In the Santa Trinita Neighborhood. 

Piazza Frescobaldi, 11-12/r

50125 Firenze, Italia

Coffee and White Peach. Melting fast!!! It was scalding hot that day in Florence. 

This gelateria is good, but I heard way too much English in there. Tourist trap? I don't know, but it sure was trendy, and very polished. 

And only a bridge away, Gelateria La Carraia

Piazza Nazario Sauro, 25/r Firenze, Italia 

My now FAVORITE flavor: Pistacchio. also, Chocolate, and Cherry.  

The BEST pistacchio gelato I had in Italy

Gelateria Giolitti

Via degli Uffici del Vicario, 40

00186 Roma, Italia

Historic 1900s dairy turned Gelateria and tea room, this bustling and over crowded spot DID deliver in the quality and taste department. The price and relatively long wait was worth it for the best gelato in Rome (in my humble opinion.) All the servers, dressed in black and white had to be quick and efficient in order to handle the throngs of locals and tourists alike. When Clare and I finally made it to the front, the server was actually quite nice and very polite. 

 Nocciola (hazelnut) and wait for it... Champagne sorbetto. Don't judge me on the weird combination of flavors- I just really wanted to try both!

For my last gelato in Italy I headed for 

Gelateria Artigianale Pistacchio

Via XX Settembre Verona, Italia

I couldn't leave Italy without having my favorite flavor of all time (pistacchio, of course.) This time I combined it with Lime Sorbetto. The lime was so refreshing and smooth. I couldn't get enough.