Gingerbread Banana Muffins for Emiko

Life gifts us with the acknowledgment of like-minded people in the most unexpected moments, no matter if it is for a day or an hour. I grew to learn that I should treasure these encounters, nourish them, don't waste the chance that has been given to me so generously. For life acquires meaning because of these people, of what happens when we cross paths. 

I wrote before of how the closest people in physical terms aren't necessarily the closest to my heart. It isn't always the case, of course, but often times there is spacial distance between me and the people I care the most. I still don't know if that is a good thing or not, if cultivating friendship does require some space and some time. I don't even know if it is me, who always run away from my natural affections. Whatever the answer, I feel lucky for this realization, these encounters, this near or far friendships. 

I met Emiko at a food photography workshop that inspired me in a way I didn't believe possible. During these past few months, we shared ideas, discussed topics and worked on common projects. I got the chance to know her better and to experience a sense of like-mindness that is both reassuring and comforting. Whenever we were writing to each other, I have always felt like I was talking to an old friend with whom I am on the same wave-lenght. 

This is why, when I received the news that Emiko was expecting a baby girl I felt so happy and excited as if it were a member of my family. And I joined the choir of friends cherishing and sanding their most heart-felt congratulations for the great news. This is also why today, together with some of these friends, I am so very happy to take part to a small, joyful, virtual baby shower in Emiko's honor, to let her know that not matter how far, I am close and so very happy for her for her next, exciting adventure. All far from each other, we are virtually filling a room where a table would display our small treats and presents for the mum-to-be, to brighten her day and let her feel our closeness.  A surprise baby shower party with sweetness, chats and yes, even a bit of cheesiness. 

Italian Table Talk #6: Olive Oil and Bagnet Verd

 November.

I mentioned already how much I love the countryside in November, especially in those regions where olive oil is made. Few things are harvested in November, and olives are one of those, being possibly the most exciting harvest of the year together with the wine grapes harvest.

No other theme seemed more immediate and appropriate than olives (and olive oil) for this month's Italian Table Talk. The cultivation of olive trees, and therefore the production of olive oil, has an extreme relevance in the understanding of the foundations of Italian cuisine, and their presence or absence in a regional dish says a lot not just about the territory, but about a whole culinary system, so much so that Italy can be divided into "oil regions" and "butter (or even lard) regions".

Olive oil has been the main cooking fat and source of energies for the Italian regions of the centre/south and of those along the coast, where the climate was mitigated by the influence of the sea. This is for instance the case of Liguria, a region of the North-West consisting in a thin stripe of land along the Tirreno Sea. Introduced first by Greek and Phoenicians, the cultivation of olive trees has seen a major expansion in the Middle Ages with Benedictine monks, who cultivated olive trees in the form of a local varietal, Taggiasca. Taggiasca olives are small in size and have a delicate flavor, and are still now the main varietal in the Ligurian PDO olive oil.

Exchanges of goods between bordering regions have always been crucial for local populations, especially for those who didn't have direct access to the sea. Salt, in particular, was a most precious good, utilized for many purposes, but mainly as a preservative. "Salt ways" started from the coast and developed along the inner lands. Little by little, more and more goods started to be transported and exchanged alongside salt, and one of them is olive oil. As a matter of fact, the oil produced in Liguria started to be sold, together with salt and other goods such as preserved fish, to the people of Piedmont, who utilized it in various preparations as an alternative to butter. This is especially true for the Southern part of Piedmont, Langhe, a hilly area which wasn't high enough to justify big dairy farming, but that could count on the oil coming from the South for cooking, seasoning and preserving.

Many traditional Piedmontese recipes reflect the crucial role played by olive oil in the local cuisine. They can be sauces, called Bagnet in local dialect, which are served alongside the main (meat) dish; or they can be intingoli, oil-based sauces used as a dip for raw vegetables. These sauces or dips are made all year, but they definitely get their peak quality and flavor in November, when the new oil arrives from Liguria. One great example  of dip is bagna cauda (or caoda): it is a hot sauce made with oil, garlic and anchovies (also from Piedmont) where people dip local raw bell peppers (peperoni  from Carmagnola or from Asti), and cardoons (cardi gobbi), a fall vegetable very specific of that area –nothing else, say the purists! Bagna caoda was traditionally served in a terracotta pot with some sort of heat source ( a candle, embers, etc.) underneath. The pot was then placed at the centre of the table in order for everybody to be able to dip their vegetables and to share a meal in a very convivial and sharing atmosphere. Bagna caoda is traditionally served before the main dish with new wine, which is also ready in November.

Another typical oil-based sauce is bagnet verd. Bagnet verd is made with parsley, new oil, anchovies, garlic and some bread crumb soaked in vinegar, and it was traditionally used to go with bollito misto (mixed boil meat, usually beef from the local Fassone breed), which is another classic, fall-winter Piedmontese dish. Bagnet verd can be also used to season some oven-roasted bell peppers, or other types of meat. Modern usages have seen it appear even in risotto.

Its decisive flavor is definitely not for the faint of heart, and the strong parsley presence doesn't make it the most versatile thing, but it would definitely give a kick to a sad chicken breast or even a fish fillet, and I can imagine it going well even with legumes (or just on toast!). The original recipe comes from the Bible of Piedmontese cuisine (via Emiko), Nonna Genia.

Bagnet Verd

a big handful of parsley

1 garlic clove

2 egg yolks, hard boiled

2 anchovies (in oil or even better, in salt)

10 capers

bread crumb soaked in good vinegar

oil (extra virgin olive oil, best from Liguria)

sea salt

Simply smash all the ingredients together (either using a mortar and pestle or in a food processor), adding oil little by little until you obtain the right, creamy and smooth texture. make sure you prepare this a while ahead of serving.

Now, onto the other recipes of this episode: Giulia and her dried black olives, Emiko and her coniglio alla cacciatora (rabbit with olives), and Jasmine with her crostata all'olio (olive oil tart). We basically got the whole meal covered!

See you in a month with a Holiday Edition! Don't forget that to stay posted on Italian Table Talk you can follow the hashtag #ITabletalk on Twitter, plus:

Emiko on Twitter or Pinterest

Giulia on Twitter, Facebook or Pinterest

Jasmine on Twitter, Facebook or Pinterest

Muscat Grape Cake | Torta d’Uva e Moscato

Moody days, here in London.

I have been posting a lot of sweets, lately. Perhaps because they are the only food worth mentioning, the only recipes which actually involve a list of ingredients and instructions. The rest of our meals have been made of a lot of impromptu salads copied here and there, with not much to say about them.

On other news, we finally got our copy of Jerusalem and bookmarked the recipes we want to make first –hard to decide, really. We started from the basic hummus, and it was a great success. Oh yes, I haven't mentioned that we bought a food processor (we call it "pureerer", long story), and we are compulsively making soups and pureeing anything puree-able. I made granola bars yesterday pureeing some dates with some bananas, which is something I have been wanting to make for a long time, possibly since when we move to London, 8 months ago now (wow). Pureed carrot soup is one other new dinner staple, and now, our fridge is stacked with home-made hummus.

Home with a really bad cold, I am making the most of my free time working on my portfolio, playing with the pureerer and turning on the oven. When I am bored, I tend to lose time on Pinterest, read a book, take a nap, go for a walk or bake cakes. Because, when I am sick, I crave sugar. No chicken soup for me, just tea and cake. It is my own form of medicine.



Yesterday, I finally baked the cake I had in mind since I bought grapes for this, and froze the extras. The cake is a remake of a recipe found here. Having some leftover Moscato which wasn't fizzy anymore, plus the frozen moscato grapes, that recipe was just calling me. I made my usual twists to make it a tad healthier, but nothing grand. The cake is moist and spongy, and the grapes tend to drop to the bottom as the batter is quite loose. No panic –unless you are aiming to a pretty top, which was what I was aiming to for my photos, too, but alas it didn't happen, well then this is a recipe worth trying. It is elegant, sophisticated yet simple, and quite unique really. You might know by now that my cakes are never overly sweet, and this apply to this cake as well, making it a good option both for dessert with wine or coffee, and for breakfast or afternoon tea. I just can't think of a better use for some leftover sweet wine which has been open since a while. As for the grapes, I think sweet wine grapes are the best for baking, but any kind of sugary grape variety would do the job –even the seedless ones, if you don't fancy crunchy pits in your dessert.