Buon Natale!

Buon natale, Merry Christmas!  I was away on a break, first cooking lots of treats at home and then tasting my three favorite S’s in Austria (schlag, schnapps, and schnitzel!) – but let’s talk about Christmas in Tuscany!

Christmas is Italy is very much a religious, family holiday, not the commercial affair that mosts of us have become used to.  The stella filante (shooting star) is a key symbol of Christmas, over the Nativity scene which is central to the holiday in most homes (and towns) I’ve been to.  As you’d expect, one of the most important parts of celebrating Christmas in Italy, is around the table.  Here is Cinzia’s table this Christmas:

And these were just the starters!  But let me give you some more specific ideas of exactly what was being served in Cinzia’s Kitchen over this holiday period….

Fagottini di pasta sfoglia con besciamella al pepe, con prosciutto e sedano, or, in english, puff pastry with ham, celery and black pepper bechamel.

Anello di riso con scampi e seppioline, or Baby squid rice with langoustines.

And what’s a meal without the pillar of Tuscan cuisine, crostini toscani?

Here’s the recipe for the crostinis, in italian and then in english:

5 alici sott’olio

2 cucchiai di capperi sotto sale o in aceto (i sotto sale vanno lavati dal sale),

1 cipolla bella grossa

5 foglie di alloro

1noce di burro

olio

una tazzina di vinsanto.

Tagliare la cipolla a fettine e metterla a rosolare nell’olio, quando è rosolata aggiungere i fegatini lavati e le foglie di alloro,fare prendere colore ai fegatini ed aggiungere il vin santo e lasciare cuocere per 20m circa il vin santo deve essere evaporato.Poi aggiungere nel robot con i fegatini i capperi,le alicie il sale deve risultare una crema. Mettere il composto in una padella a mantecare con il burro. Poi si taglia il pane a fettine e si mette in forno ad arrostire (solo per natale il pane arrostito lo bagno nel brodo di cappone questa è un usanza della mia nonna…ed molto gustosa) poi sul pane arrostito si mette il composto di fegatini.

and in english…

Crostini Toscani

1 baguette

250g (1/2 pound) chicken livers

5 anchovies in oil

2 tsp of capers (rinse the salt off if you have the onces jarred in salt)

1 big onion

5 bay leaves

1-2 tbs butter

oil

a small glass of vin santo (or you can substitute with white wine)

Chop the onion and brown in olive oil.  Wash the livers and cut off any unappetizing bits!  Once the onions are browned, add the livers and the bay leaves.  When the livers start to brown, ad the wine or vin santo and then cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, the wine should be evaporated.  Remove the bay leaves and put the rest into a food processor, along with the rinsed capers and anchovies, salt if desired, and process until it is a cream.  Melt the butter in the pan and add the paste to stir together with the better.

Cut the baguette into rounds and toast in the even – Cinzia’s grandmother used to dampen the bread first the broth from the capon at Christmas time to add extra flavour.  When the bread is toasted, spead the crostini paste and serve.

I’m always amazed at how these actually don’t taste like liver – Cinzia swears that the vin santo takes that liver taste away.

Buon appetito!