[null, {"document_url": "https://turinmamma.wordpress.com/2015/06/", "unformatted_src": "https://turinmamma.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/cropped-img_3401.jpg", "src": "https://turinmamma.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/cropped-img_3401.jpg", "formatted_filename": "cropped img", "rendered_width": 937, "rendered_height": 526}, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, {"document_url": "https://turinmamma.wordpress.com/2015/06/", "unformatted_src": "https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/t51.2885-15/s640x640/sh0.08/e35/22710999_125565664826078_7082187181732659200_n.jpg", "src": "https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/t51.2885-15/s640x640/sh0.08/e35/22710999_125565664826078_7082187181732659200_n.jpg", "alt_text": "Her exact words as I got up on one of our kitchen stools to capture her podding borlotti beans (one of per favourite ways of 'helping' in the kitchen): 'Mummy, be careful.' Ah the lengths we sometimes go to get those flat lay shots and decisive moments - contradicting my previous instructions never to do this potentially dangerous thing.\n\n#inthemaking #borlottibeans #lifewithkids #podding #thehappynow #whatitalyis #whatitalianseat #lifeandthyme #fagioliborlottifreschi #funnythingskidssay #decisivemoments #doasmummysaysnotasshedoes #turinmamma #akitcheninturin", "rendered_width": 640, "rendered_height": 426}, {"document_url": "https://turinmamma.wordpress.com/2015/06/", "unformatted_src": "https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/t51.2885-15/sh0.08/e35/p640x640/22581833_1452921414824228_5144308731030274048_n.jpg", "src": "https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/t51.2885-15/sh0.08/e35/p640x640/22581833_1452921414824228_5144308731030274048_n.jpg", "alt_text": "**[GIVEAWAY ANNOUNCEMENT]** I have pumpkins on my mind a lot right now. Partly because they are everywhere right now. Partly because, after a childhood of disliking them, I've become really fond of them. Partly because a stunning new cookbook has made me appreciate their place in northern Italian cuisine.\n\nThe cookbook in question is @valerianecchio 's Veneto: Recipes from a Country Italian Kitchen. Over the years, the locals in Valeria's home region in Italy's northeast have come up with a variety of ways of cooking with this vegetable and it is also home to two highly prized varieties of pumpkin, such as the Santa bellunese and my personal favourite, the wonderfully warty Marina di Chioggia. I used the latter to make one of the recipes in Valeria's book, the zucca in saor (fried marinated pumpkin with onions, pine nuts and sultanas) pictured here. \nTo win a copy of #venetothecookbook, simply: 1. follow @turinmamma if you don't follow me already; 2. leave a comment which includes your favourite way of cooking/eating pumpkins; 3. tag a friend. The giveaway is open to worldwide entries until Saturday 28th October at 11:59pm (GMT +1). The winner, picked randomly among all valid entries, will be announced on Tuesday 31st October. Vi auguro in bocca al lupo! / Wishing you all the best of luck! \n#giveaway #cookbookgiveaway #cucinaveneta #venetiancuisine #bookgiveaway #ohmygourd #f52grams #huffposttaste #feedfeed #bbcfood #lifeandthyme #inseason #pumpkin #zucca #vegan #vegetarian #zuccainsaor #whatitalianseat #whatitalyis #turinmamma #akitcheninturin", "rendered_width": 640, "rendered_height": 799}, {"document_url": "https://turinmamma.wordpress.com/2015/06/", "unformatted_src": "https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/t51.2885-15/sh0.08/e35/p640x640/22344760_722222171310812_91109660941090816_n.jpg", "src": "https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/t51.2885-15/sh0.08/e35/p640x640/22344760_722222171310812_91109660941090816_n.jpg", "alt_text": "Autumn in a bowl. Thoroughly enjoying the radicchio, pomegranates and walnuts now in season, often together. Stay tuned in the next couple of weeks for the results. Wishing you all a lovely weekend in the meantime. \n#autumn #autunno #radicchio #walnuts #pomegranates #noci #melograni #inseason #huffposttaste #fromthemarket #whatitalyis #feedfeed #lifeandthyme #whatitalianseat #f52grams #bbcfood #stilllife #inthemaking #comingsoon #darkfoodphotography #onmytable #mycommontable #storyofmytable #turinmamma #akitcheninturin", "rendered_width": 640, "rendered_height": 800}, {"document_url": "https://turinmamma.wordpress.com/2015/06/", "unformatted_src": "https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/t51.2885-15/sh0.08/e35/p640x640/22427047_505315703167247_2119980524272353280_n.jpg", "src": "https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/t51.2885-15/sh0.08/e35/p640x640/22427047_505315703167247_2119980524272353280_n.jpg", "alt_text": "Nothing quite says summer and hence, tomato season, is truly over when you have a glut of green tomatoes, which won't ripen, to suddenly deal with. I fried a few like @italyfoodproject recently wrote about in a post inspired by her roots in America's south and her love of Italian food. We've had so many though that I also ended up making jam, after TP's aunt suggested doing this. I'll be including this non-recipe and more accompanying photos in my autumn newsletter, which will be sent late November. Link to subscribe on my profile page. \nWishing you all a great day and happy jamming if you've also got lots of autumnal produce to preserve. Ping!\n\n#jamming #preserving #jam #greentomatojam #f52tomato #thingstodowithgreentomatoes #confetturadipomodoriverdi #confettura #greentomatoes #pomodoriverdi #f52grams #huffposttaste #feedfeed @thefeedfeed #lifeandthyme #whatitalianseat #whatitalyis #bbcfood #onmytable #vasiquattrostagioni #quattrostagioni #storyofmytable #mycommontable #harvest #raccolta #fromthegarden #dallorto #turinmamma #akitcheninturin", "rendered_width": 640, "rendered_height": 799}, {"document_url": "https://turinmamma.wordpress.com/2015/06/", "unformatted_src": "https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/t51.2885-15/s640x640/sh0.08/e35/22429885_123855568318625_8652239724057985024_n.jpg", "src": "https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/t51.2885-15/s640x640/sh0.08/e35/22429885_123855568318625_8652239724057985024_n.jpg", "alt_text": "Trying to put the pieces of this crumbly shortbread-like cake from Mantua together, known as the sbrisolona ('big crumbly one'). I fell in love with this cake after reading about it in the @gourmettraveller years ago. I'd just returned from a year of teaching in France and with the exception of the roughly chopped nuts and coarse polenta grains inside, it reminded me of the buttery sabl\u00e8 biscuits I'd enjoyed there. And, finally, a few years ago, I made it to the stunningly beautiful city of Mantua itself where I could enjoy it for breakfast and with coffee and grappa every day. Anyway, I was recently inspired to revisit the recipe for this delectably crumbly dolce and its history after reading @valerianecchio 's #venetothecookbook. Looking forward to sharing the recipe (it's very easy to make!) and its backstory soon on @italymagazine, as part of its month devoted to the region of Lombardy. \n#tortasbrisolona #cucinamantovana #cucinalombarda #sbrisolona #crumblycake #igerslombardia #igersmantova #italymagazine #f52grams #huffposttaste #darkfoodphotography #onmytable #storyofmytable #mycommontable #lifeandthyme #whatitalianseat #whatitalyis #feedfeed #lovetobake #baking #turinmamma #akitcheninturin", "rendered_width": 640, "rendered_height": 426}, {"document_url": "https://turinmamma.wordpress.com/2015/06/", "unformatted_src": "https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/t51.2885-15/s640x640/sh0.08/e35/22278175_1938301876494428_2350152709337776128_n.jpg", "src": "https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/t51.2885-15/s640x640/sh0.08/e35/22278175_1938301876494428_2350152709337776128_n.jpg", "alt_text": "On my way to teach today and am looking forward to an after school snack or 'merenda' like this one, with my favourite biscuit at the moment, amaretti morbidi made with roasted, unblanched almonds. Recipe for the blanched almond version now on the blog (link on profile page) as part of my slightly belated contribution to the #cucinaconversations roundtable on #snacks and #merende. Oh, and the winner of the @rachelaliceroddy giveaway is there too. As for the amaretti recipe using roasted and unblanched almonds, that will be in the Autumn edition of my newsletter, The Season in Food. Link to subscribe also on my profile page. Have a great day everyone! \n#amaretti #amarettimorbidi #softamaretti #biscuits #biscotti #feedfeed #bbcfood #f52grams #merenda #ontheblog #mandorle #almonds #almondy #mandorlato #cucinapiemontese #piedmontesecuisine #justpublished #huffposttaste #glutenfree #mycommontable #storyofmytable #onmytable #lifeandthyme #whatitalianseat #whatitalyis #turinmamma #akitcheninturin", "rendered_width": 640, "rendered_height": 426}, null]
June 30, 2015July 21, 2015 ~ turinmamma ~ 3 Comments For several years our cherry trees in the Monferrato hills would not bear any fruit. They had been planted over a hundred years ago by my husband’s great grandfather. We had therefore all assumed that they were at the end of their lives. To our delight though, we were proved completely wrong and have ended up picking cherries by the basketload so far this summer!

During our first cherry-picking expedition, I noticed that the cherry trees bore different varieties of fruit and leaves. These relatively light-coloured cherries, moreover, were not like any I had come across before either. Intrigued,  I asked my in-laws about them.  They explained that one was a species of sweet cherry called “graffione bianco” and the other was a variety of sour cherry called “agriotta”. Once we were back home, I took it upon myself to find out some more about these delicious drupes, their cultivation and possible culinary uses!

According to Alan Davidson’s Oxford Companion to Food, the wild ancestors of sweet (Prunus avium) and sour (Prunus cerasus) cherries originated in West Asia. Written records of cherry consumption date back to at least 300 BC in Ancient Greece.  In fact, the English cherry, French cerise, Piedmontese cirese and Turkish kiraz all derive from Kerasos (now Giresun, Turkey), the name of an ancient town in the Pontus region of Asia Minor. Pliny the Elder’s Naturalis Historia indicates that, by the 1st century AD, at least nine varieties of cherry trees had made their way to the Italian peninsula.  Their fruit was held in high esteem and the Romans played a big part in spreading their cultivation to the farther reaches of their empire.  The first site of cherry cultivation in Piedmont appears to have been in the Roman settlement of Carrerum Potentia (better known today as Chieri).

In Italy, sweet cherries are generally classed into two main groups:

The graffioni bianchi we picked belong to the bigarreau group. Like other bigarreaux, they are often used for the production of liqueur-filled chocolates. They can also be preserved in alcohol (sotto spirito)  or in their syrup (sciroppate) . In my opinion, many types of bigarreaux are delicious eaten raw. However, I have noticed many locals seem to opt for the softer and juicier guignes as a raw dessert fruit.

Sour cherries, on the other hand, are nearly always cooked and/or preserved and sweetened.  They are often classified into three categories: June 21, 2015July 21, 2015 ~ turinmamma ~ 2 Comments Blueberries are now in full season and currently gracing the stands at my local market. To my great delight, they are proving to be a big hit with my 14 month old daughter.  Just when you think she’s had a good serving of them, she’ll point to the bowl they’re in on the table and say ‘iss’ (I presume she means ‘this’) to indicate she wants more! I’m perfectly happy to oblige. I have no complaints at all if she wants seconds (and thirds!) of fruit and veggies.

Anyway, a couple of years ago, I made a cherry focaccia and I remember thinking that it would work well with blueberries too. Here is how I made my blueberry focaccia (or focaccia ai mirtilli as they say here) yesterday:



[1] I used two circular trays with a 26.5cm diameter.

[2] an egg yolk or milk could be used to coat your focaccia instead. June 14, 2015June 14, 2015 ~ turinmamma ~ Leave a comment
June 10, 2015August 18, 2015 ~ turinmamma ~ 13 Comments With a deliciously ‘inauthentic’ yoghurt and mint panna cotta recipe to follow!

As you some of you may know, I recently joined the #BloggingPiemonte group.  Members of this group have varying interests and backgrounds (I have included links to all the blogs involved in this initiative). We are,  however, united by the fact that we all live in the wonderful north-western Italian region of Piedmont and often make it the subject of our blog posts. As part of being involved, we write on a common topic periodically. This June, the topic is ‘Authenticity in Piedmont’.

Anyway, after an intense initiation into motherhood in mid-2014, late last year I returned to the blogosphere with Piedmontese recipe contributions at Turin Italy Guide. Naturally this task involves a lot of research, something I genuinely enjoy as I love food, cooking and history. Looking back, I have used many adjectives to describe the dishes I have written about. However, I have found myself drawing the line at using the word ‘authentic’. I suspect I am one of those party poopers Diana warned about when announcing this month’s topic. That is, one of those people who consider the word a loaded concept. Basically, as an amateur historian and recipe collector, I cannot accept the argument that there was, is and will only be one way to make many of the region’s signature dishes.

A cursory glance at history is more than enough to confirm that culinary customs in Italy have not remained static. Through trade, invasion and conquest, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Normans and Spaniards are just a few of many populations in the past three millennia who have contributed to the evolution of Italian cuisine.  The introduction of olives, grapes, rice, pasta, citrus fruits, and New World crops such as maize, tomatoes and potatoes are notable examples.

In an interview with the BBC, Massimo Bottura, chef patron of Modena’s Osteria Francescana said: ‘History has placed many layers upon the surface of this country and many cross-cultural influences have left their mark on its cuisine… Italian gastronomic history developed because our country was invaded, trampled and trodden on’. This is exactly what I have found with researching the history of Piedmontese recipes. They too, have developed and have been (and more than likely will continue to be) subject to evolution and change.

A case in point is the Piedmontese chocolate and amaretti pudding better known as bonet. The original version, which dates to the 13th century, did not include what is now considered an integral ingredient – cocoa. When cocoa became available in Europe after the ‘discovery’ of the Americas, it gradually began to be added to the pudding mixture.

And while we are on the subject of chocolate, what about gianduia? The cocoa-hazelnut mixture that characterises this chocolate was invented in 1806 due to the economic circumstances of the time – a blockade of the Mediterranean that rendered the costs of importing cocoa into the Savoy kingdom astronomically high. The torinese chocolate maker, Michele Prochet, had little choice but to extend the small amount of chocolate he had by mixing it with hazelnuts from the Langhe countryside. It went on to be considered a winning combination and is now a torinese icon.

Some people may also be surprised to find out that the mayonnaise in the salsa tonnata  for the Piedmontese antipasto, vitello tonnato, is a very recent addition. 19th century recipes for this dish indicate that the tuna sauce was made with tuna, anchovies, capers, olive oil and lemon juice. Later on, crushed hardboiled eggs were added to the sauce. Now those hardboiled eggs are being increasingly replaced  with mayonnaise.

In addition, I have found that people have their own unique formulas for making many other dishes here. When I was researching agnolotti, I came across so many different family recipes for the pasta dough as well as the stuffing. Panna cotta, that delectable softly-set pudding of obscure origin, can also be set, infused and served in a variety of ways, as many past and present recipes for it attest. Finding out your friends’ recipes (and secret ingredients!) for things such as ragù is one of the true pleasures of living here. Simply put, no one makes it in exactly the same way  as anyone else!

Moreover, I am amazed at the extent to which various foods that were previously unavailable and/or unknown are increasingly being grown, consumed and incorporated into dishes here. For instance, the consumption of tofu, made from Italian grown soya, is gradually becoming more common. Many vegetarians here use it as a  cheese and/or meat replacement in otherwise traditional Italian dishes. My husband, since visiting Australia and sampling the variety of Asian food my home country has to offer, has developed an appreciation of many Asian dishes and condiments and has taken to dressing his salad with extra virgin olive oil and soy sauce. Try it, they actually taste wonderful together!

The purists who insist on ‘authenticity’ may indeed cringe at the extra virgin olive oil – soy sauce pairing I described. I would not be at all surprised though if this seemingly unlikely combination becomes commonplace here at some point in the future.  As history demonstrates, Italian culinary culture and traditions have always been in a state of flux and will continue to be. For this reason, I wholeheartedly agree with the food historian Zachary Nowak when he says that taste and nutrition should determine what we eat, not culinary mythologies about authenticity.

As you have no doubt guessed from some of my previous posts, I love yoghurt and yoghurt making. I would therefore like to conclude  this defence of inauthenticity with a delicious and ‘inauthentic’ yoghurt and mint panna cotta recipe!

Buon appetito!

Yoghurt and Mint Panna Cotta




#Blogging Piemonte

You’ll probably find that my fellow bloggers have interpreted the topic of ‘Authenticity in Piedmont’ very differently. Please visit the following links to read their spin on this concept:

Eptrad ‘That’s an Authentic Start’

Turin Epicurean Capital: ‘Living Turin style’

The Entire Pizza: ‘Forced to Live Authentically in Piemonte’

Wine & Truffles: ‘Authentic Living in the Alta Langa’

Living in the Langhe: ‘How to Become Authentically Piemontese in 5 Easy Steps’

Texas Mom in Torino: ‘Authenticity: The evolution of this Texas mom to an an Italian mamma’

Simply Italiana: ‘Finding Authenticity as a Foreigner in Italy’

ItaliAnna: ‘Piemonte = Authenticity’

Bailey Alexander: “Save Yourself by Saving the Planet: the real benefits of growing a garden”

June 1, 2015July 21, 2015 ~ turinmamma ~ 2 Comments

Until recently, I had always used a yoghurt maker and UHT milk to make my weekly fix of yoghurt. Lately though, I’ve been inspired to try alternate methods of making it and to find ways of achieving a thicker consistency.

When I was growing up, I remember my grandmother’s Greek neighbour would often bring over her homemade yoghurt over for us to try. It was wonderfully thick and creamy, almost cheese-like in consistency. The yoghurt I made in my yoghurt maker just did not compare in any way. I tried prolonging the fermentation period and even experimented with different full-cream milks to no avail.

After conducting some research, I figured out why my previous efforts to achieve a thicker consistency had been in vain. My grandmother’s neighbour did not have a yoghurt maker and based on the information I came across,  I doubt she cared about extending the fermentation time. Her yoghurt would always arrive at my grandmother’s place tightly wrapped in a cloth. In hindsight, I  realise the purpose of that cloth. That is, to strain and remove all the whey from the yoghurt. This was the secret to her thick yoghurt. There was no need at all to add cream, milk powder or any other thickening agent as many recipes claim.

Here is how I’ve been making my Greek-style yoghurt:




[i] You can choose from three types of yoghurt starter: 1. A natural commercial yoghurt (preferably full cream) with a use by date as far into the future as possible; 2. From a yoghurt you have made yourself; 3. From a freeze-dried yoghurt culture (available from chemists or specialist health food shops). Follow Turin mamma on WordPress.com
 





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