I am a fourth generation Italian living in America but we have done a pretty good job of holding on to our Italian traditions after so many years in America. Bagna Cauda, Raviolis and Biscotti seem to be the recipes we have clung to. You can read my past posts on Bagna Cauda (a hot Fondue made of butter, garlic and anchovies, typical of the North of Italy) and our family tradition of making homemade Beef and Spinach Raviolis by clicking the links.
Keeping with the theme of “Summers Bounty” and trying to keep up with all of the zucchini’s pouring out of the garden this time of the year, I offer you this classic recipe for Zucchini Bread.
Many of us in America have never heard of Pavlova, but it is almost the National Dessert of Australia and New Zealand. It has been hotly debated which country invented this dessert but we do know that it was concocted for the ballet dancer Anna Povlova during her tour of Australia and New Zealand. The dessert is a light base of meringue topped with fresh fruit and whipped cream. It is as ethereal as the dancer herself.
So I am back home in California after living in Italy for a year and a half. We will only be home for three months, working and visiting with friends and family before we return to Italy again. As a side point I am enjoying such novelties as a good heater in my house, a powerful shower head in a roomy bathroom and a dryer to dry my clothes!
During a recent dinner party I felt bad serving Tiramasu to our guests and leaving out my Keto crazy husband. So in an act of solidarity I got busy looking for a dessert he could have on the Keto diet. He had already bought a sugar substitute in the form of Erythritol so I was ready to create something delicious for him.
Persimmons are a fruit you either love or hate. In the Central Valley of California where I grew up, Persimmon Trees were plentiful, yet mostly unloved by most people. But how can you not admire a fruit that dares to sport a bright orange color during a time when all other fruit trees are shedding their leaves barren of fruit? In fact, I have memories of the bold, plump, orange persimmon fruit dangling on bare branches in the cold months of winter. I remember looking at this strange tree in a field of fog, barren of all leaves but the orange fruit still clings tight to its branch.
The Autumn air is crisp, the leaves are falling and the apples are ready for harvest. Its time to pack the family up and take a drive to the apple orchards and partake of the yearly tradition of picking apples.
I recently bought a new springform pan to make the Lemon Torta and have been dying to use it again. A springform pan is great for layered cakes with Savoiardi (ladyfingers) or mousse. It has a base that can be detached from the sides.
Fudge Brownies are as much of a hit in Italy as they are in America. Who can resist that moist, deep chocolate flavor? I love this recipe because you just dump all of the ingredients into a bowl and mix it up. It’s easier than using a brownie box mix! Some things in life are just delicious and easy! This recipe is another treasure from that little blue vinyl cook book I copied years ago from my mother.
