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Valentine’s Day Dinner:
Beet Pasta Ravioli with Ricotta and Radicchio Filling

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Beet Pasta Ravioli with Ricotta and Radicchio Filling

How do I love thee? Let me count the ravioli. Seriously, there’s no better way to say “I love you” than with a plate of handmade pasta lovingly crafted and offered as a token of your affection. After all, you put a little bit of yourself into every bite by kneading, rolling and shaping the pasta even before it is cooked. The act in itself is a delicious labor of love. Then why not take it to the next level with colored pasta and make a real statement? Those were my thoughts last year when I created these Beet Pasta Ravioli with Ricotta and Radicchio Filling for Valentine’s Day. Yes, I make other colored pasta, like these green tagliatelle colored with spinach that I did here. But these Valentine’s ravioli were begging to be red—really, really red—the color of love, of passion, of beets. In fact, for these ravioli the pasta dough is stained deep magenta-red with beets before it lovingly envelopes a creamy ricotta and radicchio filling to form pretty half-moon shaped ravioli. They look stunning on the plate, dressed in a rosy sauce of beet-tinted melted butter and scattered with toasted pine nuts and delicate wisps of shaved Parmigiano. A romantic meal never looked or tasted so good!

Beet Pasta Ravioli with Ricotta and Radicchio Filling

It took a little love on my part to get this beet pasta recipe the way I wanted it. You see, beets stain but they also bleed. That means when red pasta cooks, the color can leach into the boiling water and fade —taking the pasta from bright magenta to drab pink. But that wasn’t good enough for me and I was determined to get an intense red pasta that held up to cooking. And I did…here’s how. I use more beets than most but it works because of a few tricks I’ll share with you. First, I roast the beets so they don’t get watery like they can if you boil them. Then I puree the beets using a fine blade in my food mill, but you can also process in a food processor. Next—and most importantly—I squeeze all the liquid out of the beet puree (saving it for the sauce) in a cotton napkin I don’t mind staining until it’s dry like play dough. This creates a concentrated pigmentation agent to add to the egg before incorporating flour, so less flour is needed and the pasta dough is darker. After kneading the dough until smooth and soft, it is dark magenta and almost purplish in color. But don’t worry because some of the color will fade during boiling and the cooked ravioli will be a lovely shade of red.

Beet Pasta Ravioli with Ricotta and Radicchio Filling

You should know that while red beets color pasta dough beautifully, they can stain your hands and counter tops if you’re not careful. To avoid this, I work on washable cutting boards and wear disposable latex gloves when making the pasta dough. Once the dough is made, roll it thin—either with a rolling pin or using a pasta machine. Cut the pasta sheet into circles, dab each with a spoonful of ricotta and radicchio filling, then fold and seal the edges well to form half moon shaped ravioli. This filling comes together quickly with a mixture of ricotta cheese, egg, Parmigiano and caramelized radicchio. Radicchio is red chicory with a bittersweet peppery flavor that adds spice to the mild ricotta and compliments the beet infused pasta. I like to use Treviso radicchio, but if you can’t find it, the Chioggia variety works well too.

Beet Pasta Ravioli with Ricotta and Radicchio Filling

Once the ravioli are made the work is done leaving plenty of time to get dressed and light the candles on the table. Then, just a few minutes before serving, the pasta cooks while a quick yet sumptuous sauce is made from reserved beet juice and butter to toss the ravioli in and coat them with even more color and flavor. Arranged on plates with a smattering of toasted pine nuts and Parmigiano shavings over top, they make quite an entrance and are sure to set the mood for your romantic meal. Happy Valentine’s Day…or should I say…beet mine?

Beet Pasta Ravioli with Ricotta and Radicchio Filling

 

BEET PASTA RAVIOLI WITH RICOTTA & RADICCHIO FILLING
Ravioli di Barbabietola con Ricotta e Radicchio

Created by on February 8, 2017

Beet Pasta Ravioli with Ricotta and Radicchio Filling The pasta for these half-moon shaped ravioli is tinted deep magenta red by pureed beets then filled with creamy ricotta and caramelized radicchio. They look stunning arranged on a plate dressed in rosy beet-infused melted butter and scattered with toasted pine nuts and Parmigiano shavings.    © 2016 Deborah Dal Fovo. All rights reserved.

  • Prep Time: 2h
  • Cook Time: 10m

Ingredients

Beet Pasta Dough:

  • 6 ounces /160g red beets, trimmed
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup/120g all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
  • 1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten
  • Kosher or fine sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Ravioli Filling:

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon/14g unsalted butter
  • ½ small shallot, finely minced (2 tablespoons)
  • 2 ½ ounces/70g radicchio (preferably Treviso variety), cut into thin strips and rinsed
  • 4 ounces/113g ricotta cheese
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 2 tablespoons/6g freshly grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano Reggiano
  • Kosher or sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Sauce:

  • 1/4 cup reserved beet juice (see instructions)
  • 8 tablespoons/113g unsalted butter, cut into dice
  • 2 tablespoons pine nuts, lightly toasted
  • 2 tablespoons Shaved Grana Padano or Parmigiano Reggiano

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375F/190C degrees.
  2. NOTE: When working with red beets, wear disposable latex gloves and use cutting boards and glass bowls to avoid staining skin and work surfaces.
  3. Wash the beets well under cold water then place in center of a sheet of aluminum foil. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Wrap the foil over the beets and crimp ends together to form a leak-proof packet then set on a baking sheet. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes until beets are tender when pierced with the point of a knife then remove from oven and cool. Peel the beets, cut into pieces and puree through a food mill or in a food processor until smooth. Place the beet pulp in the center of a clean, cotton napkin (that you don’t mind staining) and squeeze out all excess liquid into a bowl (about ¼ cup) until the pulp is dry like play dough. Set beet juice aside for later use.
  4. To make pasta dough, mound the flour on a cutting board (or in bowl) and form a well in the center. Place the egg yolk, beet pulp and 1/4 teaspoon salt in the well and beat with a fork, gradually dragging in the flour, a little at a time, until a crumbly mass forms. Gather the dough into a ball with your hands and knead on a floured board for 6 to 8 minutes until soft and smooth, adding more flour as needed if sticky. Form dough into a ball then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and set aside to rest.
  5. For the filling, place olive oil, butter, and shallots with 1 tablespoon water in a skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle lightly with salt and cook until shallots are soft and moisture has evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the radicchio, season with salt and pepper and cook until wilted and lightly caramelized, stirring, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.
  6. Mix the ricotta, egg yolk and grated cheese together in a bowl until smooth then add the radicchio and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
  7. Divide the pasta dough into quarters and work with one piece at a time (keeping the rest wrapped in plastic until needed). Using a pasta machine or rolling pin on floured surface, roll the dough into a thin sheet about 1mm thick (you should see your hand in transparency through the pasta). If using a pasta machine, pass the dough repeatedly through the rollers increasing the setting each time to reduce roller thickness and thin dough.
  8. Lay the pasta sheet on a lightly floured board and cut six 3-inch circles using a floured pasta cutter or wine glass. Place a teaspoon of filling in the center of each circle then fold one side over the filling to form a half-moon shape. Press the dough around the filling with your fingers to expel air pockets and seal edges. If the dough doesn't stick together, brush it very lightly with water before sealing. If desired, use a zig-zagged pasta cutter to make a decorative edge. Arrange the ravioli in a single layer, without touching, on a floured parchment-lined baking sheet and repeat process with remaining dough and filling. (Ravioli can be refrigerated, uncovered, for a few hours.)
  9. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat then add a generous handful of kosher or sea salt. When the water returns to a boil, add the ravioli and stir gently to prevent sticking. Cook the ravioli until ‘al dente’, tender yet firm to bite, 2 to 3 minutes.
  10. While the ravioli cook, boil the reserved beet juice in a large skillet over medium-high heat until thick. Add the butter and melt, stirring to create a smooth sauce. Scoop the ravioli from water using a slotted spoon and place in the sauce. Toss ravioli in the sauce over heat for less than a minute until well coated, adding a little pasta cooking water if needed.
  11. Arrange six ravioli on each plate and drizzle with sauce. Scatter toasted pine nuts over top and sprinkle with cheese shavings. Serve immediately.
Source: Deborah Dal Fovo

 

Patience and persimmons
Persimmon and Pecan Bread

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Persimmon and Pecan Bread - Hachiya persimmon pulp is the star ingredient in this irresistibly fragrant fruit and nut bread.

It’s often said that patience is a virtue and good things come to those who wait. This is especially true when it comes to Hachiya persimmons, an obscure and misunderstood winter fruit known as kaki to the Japanese and cachi to Italians. These persimmons are often confused with the flatter Fuyu variety that is eaten firm like an apple early in the season. But Hachiya persimmons—whose inviting shiny orange, pointed forms make them tempting to enjoy when they are young—must mature and soften for weeks on end before they are edible. It makes January the perfect month to make this Persimmon and Pecan Bread when fruit that has been slowly ripening on the window sill is very soft and ready for use. Hachiya persimmon’s delicate sweetness and alluring fragrance give this simple bread an air of aristocracy that makes it ideal for afternoon tea or a luxurious breakfast in bed…and well worth waiting for.

Persimmon and Pecan Bread - Hachiya persimmons in a wooden bowl create a colorful decorative display while they ripen to perfect softness.

A seasonal fruit with oriental origins, Hachiya persimmons first appear on leafy trees in late autumn. But their beauty is not fully evident until winter when the tree sheds its leaves to reveal bare branches hung with brightly colored, heart-shaped fruit—making it look like a timely Charlie Brown Christmas tree strung with shiny ornaments. The fruit is firm and immature at this point and must ripen further to allow harsh tannins to mellow and sweetness to develop. Take them home and place on your counter or window sill and watch the change that occurs as they mature. I fill an antique wooden bowl with vibrant orange persimmons and use as a cheerful decorative item in my home while they ripen.

Persimmon and Pecan Bread - Hachiya persimmons in a row at diverse stages of ripening.

As they ripen, persimmons slowly soften and become darker in color until finally—after two to four weeks—they are mature enough to eat or cook with. You can see the change happening in stages as they go from hard, yellow-orange pointed fruit to red-orange slouchy orbs with loose, wrinkled skin. At the perfect point of ripeness, they look like water balloons—heavy, jiggly and ready to burst. Don’t be tempted to eat them before this time or you’ll experience a very unpleasant astringent aftertaste in your mouth. To speed up the ripening process, some people freeze partially ripe persimmons for 24 hours then thaw before cooking. In a pinch, this can help soften the fruit and reduce tannins, but they won’t be as sweet or mellow as naturally ripened persimmons. Be patient with persimmons and you will be rewarded!

persimmon-on-spoon

Food memories are precious things and I still recall the first time I tasted a persimmon. It was at Torre di Pisa restaurant in Milan, where I was dining with my then-boyfriend in the dead of winter. “I took the liberty of ordering you dessert since they have a very special fruit that is only available for a very short time”, said Maurizio as the waiter slid a plate in front of me. Expecting to see colorful tropical fruit, I looked down to find a wrinkly, burnt-orange blob on my plate that looked less than appealing. Slightly puzzled I asked, “What do I do with it?” Maurizio laughed, “Make a cross cut in the center and open it like a flower, then eat the inside with a spoon…like pudding.” I followed instructions and slid my knife through the paper-thin skin then repeated the motion crosswise. The persimmon fell open like four petals in a sensual display of glistening, jelly-like pulp that beckoned a taste. I dipped my spoon in and scooped some out. It was shiny and syrupy—more like soft jelly than raw fruit—and very much what in Italy we call dolci da cucchiaio or spoon desserts like creme caramel and panna cotta. When I lifted the spoon to my mouth, a delicate floral scent filled my senses like fine perfume. The taste in my mouth was…well, luscious. Silky and sweet with a hypnotic exotic fruit flavor and lingering vanilla finish. I was mesmerized and fell in love immediately (with the persimmon, not with Maurizio).

inside-persimmon

Over the years, I continued my love affair with persimmons and searched them out each winter at my neighborhood fruttivendoli in Milan. But it was only after moving to California—and once I was teaching Italian cooking and developing my own recipes—that I became intrigued with the idea of a persimmon bread. I began experimenting to get the right balance of sweetness, wet to dry ingredients, and leavening to make a moist yet light fruit bread that showcased persimmon’s delicate flavor and fragrance. The decision to add pecans, with their subtle buttery nuttiness, was the natural choice to quietly complement persimmon’s ethereal qualities without overpowering them.

Persimmon and Pecan Bread - Bright hachiya persimmon pulp is strained smooth through a sieve before adding to sweet bread batter.

The batter for Persimmon and Pecan Bread is simple and easy to prepare. Cut open ripe persimmons and scoop out the pudding-like pulp then strain it through a sieve so it’s silky smooth and free of unwanted seeds or fibers. Measure out the amount that you need for the recipe but don’t waste any leftover puree! Persimmon puree freezes well and keeps for up to 6 months. Just thaw and use like fresh to make persimmon and pecan bread well into the spring.

Persimmon and Pecan Bread - Colorful and fragrant hachiya persimmon pulp adds an exotic note to this sweet bread batter.

The secret to a light, airy bread is to mix the dry ingredients together first then add them to the wet ingredients with a few quick folding motions until just combined. Don’t overwork the batter or the baked bread will be heavy and rubbery. Then, stir in the toasted pecans and pour the thick batter into a loaf pan. Bake until you can smell a sweet, flowery fragrance wafting out of your oven and the bread is golden orangey-brown on top and set in the center.

Persimmon and Pecan Bread - Hachiya persimmons add beautiful color, fragrance and flavor to this sweet bread batter.

Persimmon and Pecan Bread - Hachiya persimmons add beautiful color, fragrance and flavor to this sweet bread batter. Some things are well worth waiting for and perfectly ripened Hachiya persimmons are one of those. Now, I look forward to winter just to patiently watch these gorgeous persimmons ripen to perfection so I can enjoy this Persimmon and Pecan Bread. I hope you will too!

Persimmon and Pecan Bread - Hachiya persimmon pulp is the star ingredient in this irresistibly fragrant fruit and nut bread.

PERSIMMON AND PECAN BREAD
Plumcake di Cachi

Created by on January 19, 2017

Persimmon and Pecan Bread - Hachiya persimmon pulp is the star ingredient in this irresistibly fragrant fruit and nut bread. This persimmon and pecan bread has a delicate, exotic sweetness and fragrance that is a pure joy during grey winter months. Use Hachiya persimmons that are fully ripened and super soft like squishy water balloons to ensure that the pulp inside is sweet and astringent tannins have mellowed.  © 2017 Deborah Dal Fovo. All rights reserved.

  • Prep Time: 30m
  • Cook Time: 55m

Ingredients

  • 1 cup/100g raw pecans
  • 1 pound/454g very soft, ripe Hachiya persimmons (about 2 or 3), or 1 cup of strained pulp
  • 2 cups/240g unbleached all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup/150g granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ cup/113g unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 325°F/165°C and place oven rack in the middle position. Butter and flour the inside of a 9-inch/23cm loaf pan.
  2. Spread the pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet and place in hot oven for 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly toasted. Remove from oven and cool completely then run a knife through the nuts once or twice to chop coarsely.
  3. Place the persimmons stem side down on a cutting board and make a cross cut in the center of each down to the stem. Open the fruit like a flower and scoop out the pulp with a spoon, scraping it off the skin and eliminating any black seeds and white fibers. Transfer the persimmon pulp to a mesh sieve set over a bowl then press it through the sieve with the back of a spoon. Scrape bottom of the sieve to capture all strained pulp and measure to obtain about 1 cup. Alternately, you can puree the pulp until smooth in a food processor. Excess persimmon puree can be frozen for future use.
  4. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
  5. Place the melted butter, eggs and vanilla in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until creamy. Add the persimmon pulp and mix until well combined.
  6. Using a spatula, fold the dry ingredients into wet ingredients until just combined and batter is smooth. Do not over mix the batter or the bread will have a rubbery consistency. Add the pecans and fold in until well distributed.
  7. Pour batter into the prepared pan then bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 55 to 60 minutes. If the bread browns too quickly before the inside is cooked, place an aluminum foil sheet over top to prevent burning.
  8. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes then remove bread from pan and cool. Serve bread warm or at room temperature cut into thin or thick slices.
  9. Note: Persimmon bread can be stored, tightly wrapped. at room temperature for about a week and freezes well.
Source: Chef Deborah Dal Fovo

 

Sweet Italian Christmas:
Panettone Filled with Whipped Cream, Chocolate and Hazelnuts

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Panettone filled with Whipped Cream, Chocolate and Hazelnuts - This easy recipe transforms classic Italian panettone into a festive, showstopping holiday dessert for elegant Christmas and New Years celebrations.

Most Italians would agree with me when I say that it wouldn’t be Christmas without Panettone. This golden dome-shaped sweet bread studded with raisins, candied orange peel and citron, that traditionally makes its appearance for Christmas and New Year, is a must to celebrate the holidays in Italy. You see them everywhere from artisan bakery windows to specialty stores and supermarkets, wrapped in colorful, decorative boxes that make them look like Christmas gifts perfect to bestow on family and friends for the holidays. In Italy, we often find ourselves with too many panettoni and don’t quite know what to do with them. I created this recipe for Panettone filled with Whipped Cream, Chocolate and Hazelnuts as a way to dress up the cake-like bread and make it even more festive. Wrapped with a shiny ribbon and sliced at the table to reveal the surprise filling inside, it makes an elegant and joyous dessert for holiday dinners.

two-panettone-2

Panettone is a sweet, yeasted bread whose elaboration is considered a true accomplishment in the pastry world. Its rich, buttery dough somehow defies gravity as it rises three times in thirty-plus hours to form a light and airy texture scented by the sweet raisins and candied citrus fruits that dot its ethereal crumb. Baked in a decorative paper mold until deep burnished brown then hung upside down to maintain its distinctive rounded dome shape and impressive height, panettone is a holiday ritual and symbol of celebration in Italy. Invented in 15th century Milan, its legend has a few different versions and all of them reflect the labor of love that panettone is to prepare. The classic version containing raisins, candied orange peel, and citron is the original Panettone Milanese, and an obligatory slice is enjoyed as is or embellished with a dollop of mascarpone cream, crema di mascarpone, as a traditional holiday dessert or snack. While there are many commercial brands available, the best panettoni are made by the specialty bakeries of Milan. Since I’m not in Milan this Christmas, I enlisted the help of my Italian baker friend Gary Rulli for this post. Gary kindly offered me the authentic artisan panettoni Milanesi he makes at his Italian caffe’ and bakery, Emporio Rulli in Larkspur, California to use for my dessert.

Panettone filled with Whipped Cream, Chocolate and Hazelnuts - The first step is to hollow out the panettone and sprinkle the bread crumb with Grand Marnier.

While this dessert is seemingly complex, it actually takes very little time and effort since the panettone is store bought. And that’s a very good thing during the holidays when time is precious. The first step to making it is to slice the dome top off the panettone and hollow out the cylindrical bread loaf to make room for the filling. I cut a circular shape in the panettone, leaving a sturdy bread border around the edges and along the bottom, then pull out the center crumb with my fingers to create the empty cavity where the filling will go. To add even more lovely citrus flavor to the dessert, I sprinkle the extracted crumb with Grand Marnier orange liqueur and let it soak in while the other ingredients for the filling are prepared.

Panettone filled with Whipped Cream, Chocolate and Hazelnuts - Shaved dark chocolate and toasted hazelnuts fill this holiday bread.

First, I toast hazelnuts in the oven and tuck them into a kitchen towel to steam before rubbing vigorously in the cloth to remove bitter skins before chopping. Then, I shave a dark chocolate bar (70% cacao preferred) into shards using the blade of my chef’s knife. Here, I also chopped some homemade candied orange peel into tiny dice to add more citrus flavor. Lastly, heavy cream is lightly sweetened with confectioners sugar and whipped until thick and billowy before the chopped ingredients and liqueur baptized panettone pieces are carefully folded in.

Panettone filled with Whipped Cream, Chocolate and Hazelnuts - The panettone bread pieces, shaved chocolate and chopped hazelnuts are folded into sweetened whipped cream for the filling.

The filling is spooned into the empty hollow of the panettone and its dome bread lid placed on top before it goes into the refrigerator to set for a couple of hours. And that’s it! Dessert is made with plenty of time to spare for last minute shopping or gift wrapping. Before serving the panettone, I dust the top with a generous snowfall of powdered sugar and garnish with extra chocolate curls shaved from the bar. Then I tie a beautiful gold ribbon around the bread and serve it on a gilt platter.

Panettone filled with Whipped Cream, Chocolate and Hazelnuts - This easy recipe transforms classic Italian panettone into a festive, showstopping holiday dessert for elegant Christmas and New Years celebrations.

Panettone filled with Whipped Cream, Chocolate and Hazelnuts - This easy recipe transforms classic Italian panettone into a festive, showstopping holiday dessert for elegant Christmas and New Years celebrations.

At the table (once the oohs and aahs have subsided), I remove the ribbon and cut the panettone into wedge-shaped slices, complete with decorative paper border, and serve it with glasses of chilled Moscato d’Asti. My Panettone filled with Whipped Cream, Chocolate and Hazelnuts is a festive, delicious and, above all, easy to prepare dessert that makes holiday entertaining effortless and enjoyable. Buon Natale e Felice Anno Nuovo a tutti! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!

Panettone Filled with Whipped Cream, Chocolate and Hazelnuts: A peek inside this festive Italian Christmas bread filled with whipped cream, chocolate and nuts. A sweet surprise!

PANETTONE FILLED WITH WHIPPED CREAM, CHOCOLATE & HAZELNUTS
Panettone Farcito

Created by on December 20, 2016

Panettone Filled with Cream, Chocolate and Nuts: A peek inside this festive Italian Christmas bread filled with whipped cream, chocolate and nuts. A sweet surprise! Traditional Italian Christmas sweet bread is made even more festive with a filling of whipped cream, chocolate shavings, chopped hazelnuts and candied orange peel. © 2016 Deborah Dal Fovo. All rights reserved.

  • Prep Time: 40m

Ingredients

  • Panettone Milanese weighing 2¼ pounds/1 kilo
  • 2 cups /500ml heavy whipping cream, cold
  • 4 tablespoons /25g confectioners sugar, plus more to garnish
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons Grand Marnier (rum or cognac can be substituted)
  • 1 3/4 ounces /50g dark chocolate, shaved or chopped into small pieces, plus more to garnish
  • ½ cup hazelnuts (almonds can be substituted)
  • 1/4 cup candied orange peel, cut into small dice (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F/180C°. Spread the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and place in center of hot oven for 5 to 7 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally. Remove from oven then place the hot nuts in the center of a clean kitchen towel. Gather the edges of the towel together to form a pouch then let the nuts steam and cool for 5 minutes. Pick up the pouch by the gathered towel ends and rub the hazelnuts against each other in the towel with your other hand to remove papery skins. Chop the nuts roughly and set aside. (If using almonds just toast and chop without removing skins).
  2. Cut the rounded dome top off the panettone in one clean horizontal slice about 1-1/4 inches in thickness, and set aside.
  3. Using a long, thin knife held vertically, cut out the center of the panettone leaving a 1-inch border around sides and a 1½ inches on the bottom, without perforating the bottom or sides of the bread. Hollow out the bread crumb from the center of the panettone then tear it into pieces and place in a bowl. Sprinkle the panettone crumb pieces with Grand Marnier and toss to coat.
  4. Using an electric mixer, whip the cream until thickened. Add the confectioners sugar and beat for another minute until light and fluffy but not dry.
  5. Fold the torn panettone pieces, chocolate, hazelnuts, and candied orange peel (if using) into the whipped cream. Fill the hollow of the panettone with the whipped cream mixture, pressing down slightly. Replace the bread dome top on the panettone and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours.
  6. Before serving, dust the top of the panettone with powdered sugar and decorate with chocolate shavings. Place on a round platter and wrap with a festive ribbon if desired. Serve cut into wedges using a serrated knife, taking care to cut through the paper wrapped base cleanly so each slice has a decorative border.
  7. Serve on individual dessert plates accompanied by a glass of moscato d'Asti or other dessert wine or liqueur.
Source: Deborah Dal Fovo

Tuscany in California: Schiacciata con l’uva
Tuscan Grape Focaccia

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Tuscan Grape Focaccia - Schiacciata con l'uva: A sweet wine harvest flatbread from Tuscany made with layers of bread dough filled and topped with wine harvest grapes and sugar. When baked, the grapes and sugar meld together to create a jammy center. Simply deliziosa!

When I lived in Tuscany, autumn’s arrival each year was heralded by a sudden flurry of activity in the countryside. The spell of summer’s lazy lull was broken by a revived energy as locals awakened from their sleepy trance eager to return to normal routine. One of the first signs of this risveglio was the annual wine harvest called la vendemmia. As if beckoned by the waving of a flag at the starting line, workers suddenly appeared in the lush yet rarely visited vineyards carpeting the hillside below my home to pick perfectly ripened clusters of grapes hanging on row after row of endless vines. There was palpable excitement in the air since it meant that those grapes would soon become our cherished local wine. This joyous time of vendemmia is welcomed each year in Tuscany like a sacred ritual with celebrations and symbolic dishes made only during the grape harvest. The most beloved is Schiacciata con l’uva, a Tuscan grape focaccia whose annual presence in bakery windows signals the jubilant start to a month long harvest season. The word “schiacciata” (pronounced ski-ah-chah-tah) means pressed or flattened and is the Tuscan name for savory flatbread otherwise known as focaccia in other parts of Italy. This sweet version, made of bread dough filled inside and out with sugar and juicy grapes that dot its golden surface like precious jewels, is a special treat to look forward to every year as much as the harvest itself.

Italian Chef Deborah Dal Fovo does some grape stomping at Amador County wine crush in California.

This year, instead of Tuscany, I celebrated the wine harvest in Northern California. Like Italy, California is blessed with many wonderful wine producing areas and luscious grapes are in abundance. I take full advantage of these grapes to honor tradition by making this Tuscan grape focaccia and teaching it to my cooking students each year. Last month, I was invited to the “wine crush” in beautiful Amador County where my friend Paul has family owned vineyards that grow many different grape varietals to produce their excellent Sobon wines. There were wines to taste and bins of freshly picked grapes to admire. I even got to do some grape stomping and channel my inner Lucille Ball! But the best part of the weekend was receiving a bag full of grapes to use for my annual Tuscan grape focaccia.

Wine grapes from Amador County California

It felt like Christmas as I opened the bag and pulled out gorgeous bunches of grapes: tightly packed clusters of blue-black Petit Sirah, dangly Cabernet Sauvignon the color of Paul Newman’s eyes, huge purple Black Muscat and delicate, fragrant Orange Muscat. There were even some little clusters of raisins—grapes that had been naturally dried by the sun—to snack on while I reveled in my fortune. You see, using good grapes is important for this bread and in Tuscany those are rigorously freshly picked red wine grapes—with their seeds—to give this bread its intense berry flavor and distinctive crunchy texture. While schiacciata con l’uva was traditionally made with uva canaiola, a grape previously used in Chianti wine, it’s now being replaced with sweet uva fragola or strawberry grapes, known as Concord in the U.S. For my sweet focaccia, I chose the Petit Sirah grapes from my stash that were so small and round they looked like blueberries.

Tuscan Grape Focaccia (Schiacciata con l'uva) - A simple sweet made with flattened bread dough infused with rosemary scented olive oil and filled with wine or concord grapes and sugar.

Tuscan grape focaccia is a rustic snack traditionally made during wine harvest for farmer feasts called sagre contadine and the simplicity of its ingredients bear witness to modest origins: bread dough, olive oil, sugar and red wine grapes (uva nera). The yeasted bread dough recipe used for savory focaccia is enhanced with sugar and rosemary infused olive oil then let rise for an hour or so. It can be made the night before and refrigerated, which also improves the flavor and texture. Once the bread dough is ready, assembly is easy. The dough is divided and flattened or “schiacciata” (hence the name) into a baking pan like a pizza base, scattered with grapes and sugar then covered by another layer of dough and sealed around the edges.

Tuscan Grape Focaccia (Schiacciata con l'uva) - A simple sweet made with two layers of flattened bread dough infused with rosemary scented olive oil then filled and topped with wine or concord grapes and sugar and drizzled with olive oil and honey. Simply deliziosa!

A second smattering of grapes and generous sprinkling of sugar covers the top layer of dough, then it’s drizzled with melted honey and olive oil and let proof while the oven heats. During proofing, the dough rises again, puffing up slightly so the grapes can be poked into the soft surface and create the dimpled effect so emblematic of focaccia. Then into a hot oven it goes where the bread crisps on the outside and the grapes and sugar melt into a jammy center on the inside that fills the focaccia with intense sweetness and flavor.

Tuscan Grape Focaccia - Schiacciata con l'uva: A sweet wine harvest flatbread from Tuscany made with layers of bread dough filled and topped with wine harvest grapes and sugar. When baked, the grapes and sugar meld together to create a jammy center with crunchy seeds. Simply deliziosa!

The result is a glorious flatbread crowned with soft, shiny grapes that adorn its golden surface like precious jewels. Once cool, (the sugary fruit center is molten!) the focaccia is cut into wedges or squares that show off its gooey filling and served as an afternoon snack or dessert. When biting into a slice, the crisp crust gives way to a chewy bread crumb laced with fruit preserves and punctuated by the surprise of grape seeds that give this bread its distinctive crunch. Tuscan grape focaccia epitomizes the simple pleasures in life and celebrates wine harvest in a uniquely delicious way. So, even if you didn’t go to Tuscany for the vendemmia, find some concord grapes at your local market and enjoy this special treat!

Tuscan Grape Focaccia - Schiacciata con l'uva: A sweet wine harvest flatbread from Tuscany made with layers of bread dough filled and topped with wine harvest grapes and sugar. When baked, the grapes and sugar meld together to create a jammy center with crunchy seeds. Simply deliziosa!

TUSCAN GRAPE FOCACCIA
Schiacciata con l’uva

Created by on November 4, 2016

Grape Focaccia - Schiacciata con l'uva: A sweet wine harvest flatbread from Tuscany made with layers of bread dough filled and topped with wine harvest grapes and sugar. When baked, the grapes and sugar meld together to create a jammy center with crunchy seeds. Simply deliziosa! Schiacciata con l’uva is a sweet focaccia filled with grapes whose anual appearance in bakery windows signals the joyous start to Tuscany’s autumn wine harvest. It’s a simple treat made from layers of bread dough stuffed and topped with juicy wine grapes and sugar that, when baked, become a jammy filling with the surprise crunch of grape seeds.   © 2016 Deborah Dal Fovo. All rights reserved.

  • Prep Time: 2h 30m
  • Cook Time: 30m
  • Total Time: 3h

Ingredients

Bread dough:

  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
  • 1½ cups/355ml warm water (100°F/40°C)
  • 1/4 ounce/7g packet dry active yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 pound/454g unbleached, all-purpose or 00 flour (about 4½ cups), plus more for board
  • 4 tablespoons/56g granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt

Filling and topping:

  • 2 pounds/1 kilo Concord or red wine grapes (with seeds), stemmed, washed and dried
  • ¾ cup/170g granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons honey, melted
  • Extra virgin olive oil to drizzle

Instructions

  1. Line two 12-inch round baking pans or one 13 x 18 sheet pan with parchment paper or grease well with olive oil.
  2. Heat the olive oil and rosemary until just warm. Cool to room temperature then remove and discard rosemary. In a small bowl dissolve the yeast and honey in ½ cup of the warm water. Let stand until foamy on surface, 5 to 10 minutes. If mixture does not foam, discard and begin again with fresh yeast.
  3. Sift together flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl or mound on a work surface. Form a well in the center of flour and pour in the yeast mixture, rosemary infused olive oil and 1 cup warm water. Stir with a wooden spoon until ingredients are incorporated and a dough forms. Turn dough onto a floured work surface and knead by hand for 10 minutes until soft, smooth and elastic or in a stand mixer fitted with dough hook for 6 minutes until dough winds up the hook like a cord, adding more flour if too sticky.
  4. Form the dough into a ball and place in a large bowl that has been rubbed with 1 tablespoon olive oil, turning once to coat both sides with oil. Place a damp kitchen towel or plastic wrap over the bowl and set aside in a warm, draft free place to rise until dough doubles in volume, 1 to 2 hours. Dough can be made the night before and refrigerated then brought to room temperature before stretching.
  5. Punch down the dough then turn onto a floured work surface and divide into 2 balls, one slightly larger than the other. Divide the larger ball in half equally then, using floured hands, flatten and stretch each piece into two 12-inch circles about 1/4-inch thick (or stretch the entire ball into a rectangle to fit the sheet pan). You can also use a rolling pin to roll out the dough. Line bottom of baking pans evenly with the stretched dough then distribute 2/3 of the grapes over top in one layer, leaving a 1-inch border around edges. Sprinkle the grapes evenly with a little more than half of the sugar and drizzle lightly with olive oil.
  6. Stretch the remaining dough in the same manner and place over the grapes to form a top layer. Seal the edges well by pinching together then gently press down on the top layer with your hands to crush some of the underlying grapes. Scatter the remaining grapes over top, poking them lightly into dough. Sprinkle with the rest of the sugar then drizzle with melted honey and olive oil. Set aside to proof for 30 minutes before baking.
  7. Preheat oven to 375°F/190°C. Bake in the center of hot oven for 30-35 minutes until golden and fragrant. Cool completely before serving cut into wedges or squares. Best eaten the same day but can be refrigerated and warmed the next day. Freezes well.
Source: Deborah Dal Fovo

 

Love & Pasta
Spaghetti all’Amatriciana

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Spaghetti all'Amatriciana - This world reknowned dish hails from the town of Amatrice and was adopted by Rome as one of its signature dishes. It's made with cured pork jowl bacon, tomatoes, chili pepper, pecorino cheese and - of course - spaghetti or bucatini. Simply deliziosa!

Everyone knows the world famous Pasta all’Amatriciana. You’ve most likely eaten it at your favorite Italian restaurant or (if you were lucky) during a trip to Rome, the city that adopted it as its own. But you probably didn’t know that this pasta dish—one of Italy’s greatest—originated in the ancient, hillside town of Amatrice located in central Italy 140 kilometers from Rome. This week, Amatrice was hit with a powerful 6.2-magnitude earthquake that destroyed the town and devastated its people. It came only days before Amatrice was to host the 50th-annual Spaghetti all’Amatriciana Festival to proudly celebrate its eponymous pasta dish. Now the town is in ruins and victims are being pulled from the rubble. So, in honor of Amatrice and its people, I dedicate this post and recipe to the pasta that carries their name in hopes that you make it at home and send your thoughts, prayers…and love their way.

amatrice-signThe city of spaghetti

If you’ve eaten Pasta all’Amatriciana in Rome, it was most likely made with bucatini, a type of fat spaghetti with a hole through the center. But the original recipe was born in Amatrice—not Rome—and strictly dictates that spaghetti—not bucatini—be used for this dish. In fact, municipal signs at the city’s entrance proudly read “Amatrice: City of Spaghetti all’Amatriciana” to distinguish the original dish from the version that was later modified by Roman cuisine.

amatriciana-ingredients

Pork cheek, pecorino, peperoncino and pomodoro

Authentic Amatriciana from Amatrice is made with four fundamental ingredients: guanciale (cured pork cheek), peperoncino (red chili pepper), San Marzano tomatoes, and pecorino (sheep’s milk) cheese. Originally, the dish didn’t have tomatoes and was known as Pasta alla Gricia, a simple pasta invented by shepherds using the few staples they could take on mountainside herding trips. Tomatoes were later added to this ancestor dish once they became available after the discovery of America and Spaghetti all’Amatriciana was born. Romans later discovered this savory, satisfying dish and made it part of their culinary culture, adding garlic or onion and other ingredients that were not originally included.

The protagonist of Amatriciana is guanciale, a cured pork cheek with sweet, flavorful characteristics that is a specialty of Amatrice. Its lard laced pork ribbons practically melt in the pan and give the sauce its distinctive taste. Often hard to find (even in other parts of Italy outside Lazio), guanciale can be substituted in a pinch with unsmoked bacon or pancetta…but the effect is not the same. Luckily, in the San Francisco Bay Area where I now live, guanciale can be found at a few places. I get good artisan guanciale from Belcampo Meat Company or Golden Gate Meat Company. The other key ingredient that gives Amatriciana its unique umami taste is pecorino sheep’s milk cheese.

before-and-after-Amatrice

The earthquake

A massive earthquake struck in the middle of the night while the people of central Italy slept. The hands of the clock tower in the town of Amatrice—one of the only buildings still standing—are frozen at the hour of 3:36 AM Italian time when the tremor occurred. Most of the town has been flattened by the earthquake and subsequent aftershocks causing more havoc. While Amatrice has been the hardest hit, other towns in the area that have been partially or completely destroyed are Pescara del Tronto, Arquata del Tronto and Accumoli. Rescue efforts have been ongoing for days but more help is needed for the people who have lost everything to this brutal force of nature.

sagra-poster-and-spaghetti

What’s love got to do with it?

Why am I talking about earthquakes on a food blog? Because I wanted to put a “familiar face” on the name of a town you’ve been hearing a lot about on the news. Amatrice has proudly given the world so much pleasure at the dinner table that a little requited love is the least we can offer in return. A thought, prayer, or goodwill in the form of making or ordering their namesake dish can go a long way.

Italians bring people together with food. This time, people are coming together and using food to help Italy in a moment of crisis. Restaurants around the world are donating proceeds of every plate of pasta Amatriciana served to aid the earthquake victims. And it doesn’t stop there. Since the spaghetti sagra in Amatrice could not take place this weekend, an online Spaghetti all’Amatriciana festival called #virtualsagra has gone viral around the web with people posting photos of their Amatriciana pasta and donating money to the cause. I hope you will make the recipe shared below and enjoy it in the name of Amatrice.

P.S.: “Ama”, the first syllable of Amatrice, means ‘to love’ in Italian.

*If you don’t want to make this pasta for yourself, here are some of the restaurants that are donating part or all of the proceeds of Pasta all’Amatriciana sales to aid earthquake victims of Amatrice and central Italy:
San Francisco Bay Area: A16, Barbacco, Barzotto, La Ciccia, Delfina, Locanda, 54 Mint, ZeroZero, Montesacro Pinseria-Enoteca, Terun, iTalico, Tosca Cafe, ZeroZero, Riva Cucina Berkeley, Beach Chalet, Lake Chalet Oakland.
Napa: Bistro Don Giovanni
Los Angeles: Caffe Pinguini, La Bruschetta, Osteria La Buca, Osteria Mamma, Osteria Mozza, Pasta Sisters, Sotto Los Angeles, Anaheim White House
New York: Il Buco, Marta, Maialino, Eataly, Tarallucci e Vino, Ristorante Rafaele, Cafe Spiaggia, Lupa

**Those wishing to make a donation directly to the Croce Rosso Italiano (Italian Red Cross) can access their website here. 

SPAGHETTI ALL’AMATRICIANA
Spaghetti with Amatriciana Sauce

Created by on August 25, 2016

Spaghetti all'Amatriciana - This world reknowned dish hails from the town of Amatrice and was adopted by Rome as one of its signature dishes. It's made with cured pork jowl bacon, tomatoes, garlic and - of course - spaghetti or bucatini. Simply deliziosa!

  • Prep Time: 10m
  • Cook Time: 15m
  • Total Time: 25m
  • Serves: 5

Ingredients

  • 1 pound /455g spaghetti
  • 4 1/2 ounces /125g guanciale (cured pork cheek) cut into 1/4 inch thick slices (unsmoked bacon can be substituted)
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes or 1 small peperoncino, finely chopped
  • 1/3 cup /80ml dry white wine
  • 2 cups /500g canned whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes, finely chopped with juices
  • 1 1/4 cups /100g freshly grated pecorino cheese
  • Kosher or sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Place 5 quarts of water in a tall pot, cover and bring to a boil. Add a generous handful of salt and keep water boiling until needed.
  2. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. Cut the slices of guanciale into small, uniform pieces about 3/8-inch square. Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet or sautepan large enough to eventually hold all the cooked pasta over medium-low heat. Add the guanciale and chili pepper and cook, stirring, until the fat turns translucent and the meat changes color without browning or crisping, 2 to 3 minutes.
  3. Add the wine and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes until the alcohol evaporates and the guanciale is soft and glazed. Using a slotted spoon, remove guanciale from pan, place in bowl and keep warm.
  4. Place the tomatoes to to skillet and season with 1-teaspoon salt and freshly ground pepper. Simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes cook down to a medium consistency sauce, 7 to 8 minutes.
  5. While the sauce simmers, cook the pasta. Add the spaghetti to the pot of vigorously boiling water and stir to prevent sticking. Cook the spaghetti until very "al dente", tender yet firm to the bite, about 2 minutes less than package directions.
  6. Add the guanciale pieces back into the simmering sauce and toss to coat. Lift the cooked spaghetti out of the water using tongs and place it directly in simmering sauce in skillet (reserving the pasta cooking water for later use).
  7. Increase heat under skillet to medium-high and toss spaghetti in the sauce until well coated, adding enough pasta cooking water to create a loose, juicy pasta, 1 to 2 minutes.
  8. Remove from heat and sprinkle 3/4 of the grated cheese over spaghetti. Toss well until the cheese is completely melted, adding more pasta cooking water if needed.
  9. Serve the spaghetti by lifting from pan with tongs and twirling into mounds on warm plates. Sprinkle remaining cheese over top.
Source: Deborah Dal Fovo