In Italy, Carnival, that last blast of excess before the austerity of the Lenten season, is known for fried foods of all sorts, especially sweet ones. I grew up on Angelina’s chiacchiere, the fried dough ribbons typical of southern Italy and beyond, but in Venice and nearby Trieste, they make fritole, … Read More
Pesche grigliate (Grilled Peaches)
Regular readers will know that a typical dessert in our house is often nothing more than a piece of fresh fruit. That’s especially true in the summer, when we have such luscious peaches and cherries and melons in the market to enjoy. Still, once in a while, perhaps for Sunday … Read More
Fragole al vino rosso (Strawberries in Red Wine)
We’re in the midst of strawberry season, that blessed time of year when you can buy strawberries from local farmers that actually taste like strawberries. Imagine that! Those berries are so sweet and juicy, you can enjoy them just as they are. But if you want to dress them up … Read More
Pastiera Napoletana
It wouldn’t be a proper Easter dinner in Naples without a pastiera napoletana for dessert, as essential to the Neapolitan Easter as struffoli are to Christmas. This wheatberry and ricotta pie is wonderfully perfumed with orange blossom water, cinnamon and candied fruits, a kind of ne plus ultra version of the … Read More
Migliaccio di semolino (Semolina Cake)
Migliaccio, a crustless Neapolitan Semolina Cake, is a traditional sweet dish for Carnevale, may be less well known than the more iconic Neapolitan Carnival treats like those fried dough ribbons called chiacchiere or the lasagna di Carnevale so dear to the hearts of so many Italian-Americans, but it’s well worth discovering. … Read More
Struffoli (Angelina’s Honey Balls)
Struffoli, small balls of dough fried and then covered in honey, is the quintessential Christmas sweet of Naples and its region of Campania. Although I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, it is very dear to my heart; it was one of nonna Angelina’s signature dishes, and it never … Read More
Melanzane al cioccolato (Chocolate Eggplant)
Chocolate Eggplant? It sounds like a culinary joke or some newfangled fusion dish. In reality, melanzane al cioccolato is a perfectly orthodox if unusual dish from Campania, more specifically the Amalfi coast, traditionally made for the Ferragosto holiday on August 15. I have to admit, although I had heard of this … Read More
Spuma di ricotta alle pesche sciroppate (Whipped Ricotta with Peaches in Syrup)
I don’t have much of a sweet tooth. As I’ve mentioned before, dessert at home usually consists of a piece of fresh fruit, served au naturel. When we do feel like something a bit more elaborate, it’s likely to be something like this simple spuma di ricotta: ricotta whipped with sugar and … Read More