Quatro Fromaggio and Other Disgraces on the Menu

Canederli, the Italian Knödel

2012-01-22T11:06:00.000-08:00

Canederli are bread dumplings only found in the north-east of Italy (Trentino-Alto Adige, Friuli, and part of Veneto), where they are served as a first course or as a main entree. Variations of canederli are common in all south-eastern Europe, where they are also served as an accompaniment to meat stews and roasts. The word 'canederli', in fact, derives from the German and Austrian 'knödel' (dumplings)... read more

Pasta Calendar Quiz - The Results!

2012-01-14T21:11:00.000-08:00

Thanks to all who played the Pasta Calendar Quiz. If you're like me and like numbers, you may enjoy this quick update. Spoiler warning! This post will give the correct answers.

Surprisingly only 43% of the people who played answered correctly to all questions. Another 25% did quite well, though, with just 1 error, 21% made 2 mistakes, 9% made 3, and 2% made 4. Nobody got them all wrong... read more

Amaretti and Amaretto

2012-01-11T22:36:00.000-08:00

Amaretti cookies and Amaretto liqueur are both well known in Italy, and have been gaining popularity worldwide. The word 'amaretto' comes from the Italian 'amaro' (bitter) in reference to the sharp flavor of bitter almonds. Despite the name, both products are predominantly sweet, and their bitterness only enhances the flavor depth. Amaretti cookies are a treat to eat on their own, or they are used as an ingredient in desserts and even in some savory dishes. The Amaretto liqueur is a classic accompaniment to coffee at the end of a meal, or used in cocktails, long drinks and to flavor hot chocolate. This article considers both the cookie and the liqueur, starting from their key ingredient: bitter almonds... read more

Polenta Taragna

2012-01-04T08:34:00.000-08:00

In previous posts, we talked about Cucina Povera, the cuisine of the poor, now becoming "fashionable" in high-end restaurants. This is the case also for polenta - one of the simplest dishes ever conceived.

Now traditionally made with cornmeal, different types of polenta have been feeding the masses since Roman times, well before the discovery of the Americas and the subsequent introduction of corn into Europe. Earlier polentas were made with millet, rye, spelt, barley, chickpeas, chestnuts or wheat flours... read more

Caldarroste (Roasted Chestnuts)

2011-12-23T08:05:00.000-08:00

Nicknamed 'caldarroste' in Italian, roasted chestnuts are a great segue in the series of seasonal classics. Traditionally, caldarroste are fire-roasted in a holed pan, but they can also be made at home - in the oven or, as described in this recipe, on the stove... read more

Pasta Calendar 2012

2011-12-16T23:29:00.001-08:00

Pasta shapes are aesthetically pleasing. They are warm, they're playful, even comforting. And they have interesting names, if you think about it. In the Pasta Names Explained article, I went through the most common pasta cuts and gave an explanation of the origin of their names in the form of a literal translation.

As 2011 wraps up, I decided to create a downloadable Pasta Calendar 2012, featuring 12 high resolution pictures of some of the most interesting types of pasta - one for each month of the year. The calendar (available with Australian, Canadian, Italian, US, or UK holidays) is free for everyone, but to download your copy you will have to answer a simple quiz :). It's really just for fun - I hope you'll enjoy the game and that you'll like the calendar. Happy Holidays!

Loading...

Vin Brulé (Mulled Wine)

2011-12-09T08:09:00.000-08:00

Most European countries have their variation of the British mulled wine, a drink made with red wine and spices, served hot during winter. Northern Italy's version, popular around Christmas and especially in Christmas markets, is called Vin Brulé (from the French word brûlé, burnt).

The practice of mulling wine goes back to medieval times, probably as a way to use up low quality or spoiled wines. Mulled wine has then remained popular as a comforting winter drink and as a remedy for colds and flus. Its curative effects have then found confirmation in the anti-inflammatory properties of red wine and in the high content of antiseptics and antioxidants of cloves and cinnamon... read more

Pomegranate with Grappa

2011-11-10T00:05:00.000-08:00

If you've only tasted grappa a few times and you found it a bit too dry, you will enjoy this spectacular after-dinner treat of pomegranate seeds soaked in pure grappa.

The sweetness and the tartness of the pomegranate perfectly balance the harshness of the grappa, which becomes sweeter and more palatable. In return, the grappa lends some of its alcohol to the seeds, giving them a pleasant "kick"... read more

Search Queries

2011-11-03T08:58:00.000-07:00

One of the most interesting aspects of keeping a blog is to look up the statistics on how people come across it. Aside from being referred by other websites, many visitors stumble upon the blog by using search engines. When they do, the exact sentence that they typed in into the search bar is collected in the statistics (although anonymized).

This atypical post contains the verbatim transcripts of some of the most interesting search queries that I have seen over the 15 months of running Quatro Fromaggio and Other Disgraces on the Menu. Some of these queries led to relevant articles and hopefully the visitors found them interesting. Some other queries instead brought up pages that did not satisfy the visitor at all. For some of those, this post also tries to provide some answers. In a way, this post was written by the viewers themselves! ... read more

Baked Shells Pasta with Ricotta and Spinach

2011-10-24T22:07:00.000-07:00

As mentioned in the Pasta 101 article, baked pastas have an important role in Italian cuisine. For this cooking style, larger cuts of pasta are layered or stuffed with filling and baked in a pan along with a sauce. The most known examples are lasagna (sheets of egg noodles, layered with Bolognese sauce and Parmesan), and cannelloni (pasta tubes with ricotta and spinach or meat filling, covered in béchamel and/or tomato sauce)

Quatro Fromaggio and Other Disgraces on the Menu

Canederli, the Italian Knödel

Pasta Calendar Quiz - The Results!

Amaretti and Amaretto

Polenta Taragna

Caldarroste (Roasted Chestnuts)

Pasta Calendar 2012

Vin Brulé (Mulled Wine)

Pomegranate with Grappa

Search Queries

Baked Shells Pasta with Ricotta and Spinach

The Boom of Limoncello

Spaghetti alla Norma

Ravioli: the Food of Kings and Peasants

Frittatona di Cipolle

Saffron and Leek Risotto

Bell Pepper Pasta

Pesto, Potatoes and Green Beans Pasta

Panino, the Italian Sandwich

Seven Links

Asparagi alla Milanese

Insalata di Riso

Birthday Blog

Tortiglioni all'Arrabbiata

The Italian Courses

Home-style Pizza

The Magic of Autogrill

Bruschetta

Pasta Names Explained

Aperitivo

Rice Demystified

Spaghetti Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino

Cooking Pasta 101

Olive Oil Facts

Pasta with Gorgonzola

Antipasto

There's Milk and Milk

Pizzoccheri della Valtellina

Wine and Italy

Pasta e Fagioli

Breakfast or Colazione?

Eating Vegetarian

Potato Gnocchi with Tomato Sauce

Is Water Just Water?

Risotto with Porcini Mushrooms

"Italian" Dressing?

The Mystery of Bread

Gelato vs. Ice Cream

Formaggio Cheese

Pasta 101

Pizza

Espresso Myths

Preface