An Italian Christmas

[Angela]

I wish I had more of my grandmother in laws Neapolitan recipes. She got Alzheimer's shortly after we married, and my husband doesn't cook at all. It's a pity because she was a fantastic cook, and I love Neapolitan cuisine, more even than does my husband.

I did get the Rao's cookbook and make a lot of dishes from there.

Italian cuisine doesn't completely dominate in our household. I once did a lot of cooking from Julia Child's classic French recipes, especially for parties. They were very in vogue then. It wasn't the days of blogs or whatever, unfortunately, so I was never able to capitalize on it. Now, I prefer French bistro style cooking and I do branch out into it once in a while, and into Portuguese and Spanish cooking as well. Absolutely NOT for Christmas, however. I'd have a revolt on my hands

Reminds me to get my baccala. It will keep in the garage.

 

[Jovialis]

I wish I had more of my grandmother in laws Neapolitan recipes. She got Alzheimer's shortly after we married, and my husband doesn't cook at all. It's a pity because she was a fantastic cook, and I love Neapolitan cuisine, more even than does my husband.
I did get the Rao's cookbook and make a lot of dishes from there.
Italian cuisine doesn't completely dominate in our household. I once did a lot of cooking from Julia Child's classic French recipes, especially for parties. They were very in vogue then. It wasn't the days of blogs or whatever, unfortunately, so I was never able to capitalize on it. Now, I prefer French bistro style cooking and I do branch out into it once in a while, and into Portuguese and Spanish cooking as well. Absolutely NOT for Christmas, however. I'd have a revolt on my hands
Reminds me to get my baccala. It will keep in the garage.

We like to expand out of Italian cuisine too, when we can. We like to do the baccala in the Portuguese-style; baked with the hard-boiled egg slices, and onion.

My wife's cousin showed us this really tasty but completely decedent recipe. Basically you take a whole wheel of brie, put walnuts, raspberries, blueberries, and maple syrup on top; and then bake it till its soft and warm. It's a good one for the holidays.

My wife also cooks pasta with melted brie and chopped tomatoes and basil. It's fantastic.

People who like to cook are always pleased with me, because I like to eat everything.

 

[Angela]

We like to expand out of Italian cuisine too, when we can. We like to do the baccala in the Portuguese-style; baked with the hard-boiled egg slices, and onion.
My wife's cousin showed us this really tasty but completely decedent recipe. Basically you take a whole wheel of brie, put walnuts, raspberries, blueberries, and maple syrup on top; and then bake it, till its soft and warm. It's a good one for the holidays.
My wife also cooks pasta with melted brie and chopped tomatoes and basil. It's fantastic.
People who like to cook are always pleased with me, because I like to eat everything.

Me too. I hate picky eaters.

Do you wrap the brie in tented aluminum foil or something? 350 degree oven?

I absolutely love brie, and camembert as well, and gruyere. Well, I love all cheese, the Sardinian maggot cheese being the exception, but those are my favorite French cheeses, along with Roquefort.

 

[Jovialis]

Me too. I hate picky eaters.

Do you wrap the brie in tented aluminum foil or something? 350 degree oven?

I absolutely love brie, and camembert as well, and gruyere. Well, I love all cheese, the Sardinian maggot cheese being the exception, but those are my favorite French cheeses, along with Roquefort.

Indeed, we put it in a tin foil tray, because it may ooze out. Usually, we put it in our toaster oven, I believe at that temperature.

 

[Angela]

Indeed, we put it in a tin foil tray, because it may ooze out. Usually, we put it in our toaster oven, I believe at that temperature.

I was just wondering if you put the fruit before or after the oven, and if before if you protect them with tented tin foil.

 

[Jovialis]

I was just wondering if you put the fruit before or after the oven, and if before if you protect them with tented tin foil.

I believe the fruit goes after but you can put the syrup and walnuts with the brie in the oven.

 

[Regio X]

Tortellini in brodo is the traditional first course in many Northern Italian households on Christmas Day, or at least it used to be. It's an incredibly laborious task, but worth it.

Here an Australian woman married to a Tuscan makes them (and he helps, which never happened in our house unfortunately). She does a good job, I think, although she's pretty slow and the filling shouldn't be a ball. (Our recipe is also a bit different as we don't put as much beef; in Bologna I think they use only the capon for the meat portion of the broth.) She made 400. Given the size of my father's family, we often made 800 and more, but we had a couple of women doing it, and through long years of practice their fingers were very nimble.

More precise measurements from pasta grannies:

Master Chef Bruno Barbieri of Bologna arguing with his mother and her friend trying to get them to reveal their recipe. They do so only under duress.

You posted my favorite in childhood. I could eat several dishes of it in the same occasion.

Our was a bit different though, starting by the fact we didn't call it tortellini in brodo. But my mother's was pretty similar. The filling had chicken meat, and just a bit of nutmeg, egg, farina di pan, grated cheese, and also sage, parsley, basil, thyme, black pepper... The brodo was done with read meat with bones, chicken "carcass", sage, parsley, basil...

The pasta per se was done the same way: only flour and eggs. Then it was cooked in the strained brodo. Divine!

I haven't tasted it in years, unfortunately.

 

[Angela]

You posted my favorite in childhood. I could eat several dishes of it in the same occasion.

Our was a bit different though, starting by the fact we didn't call it tortellini in brodo. But my mother's was pretty similar. The filling had chicken meat, and just a bit of nutmeg, egg, farina di pan, grated cheese, and also sage, parsley, basil, thyme, black pepper... The brodo was done with read meat with bones, chicken "carcass", sage, parsley, basil...

The pasta per se was done the same way: only flour and eggs. Then it was cooked in the strained brodo. Divine!

I haven't tasted it in years, unfortunately.

You should try to reproduce it. There might even be a youtube or google.it post which gives measurements for a Veneto style filling. If that seems too daunting, are there no Italian import stores near you which sell them? Then you just have to make the brodo. It won't be her recipe, but you might like them.

I only make them by hand for holidays, especially now that my daughter has moved off the island and can't come home a few days ahead of time, and for one person it's a lot. For regular use, our local store employs an Italian woman who makes them by hand. They're not as good as ours, but cooked in a good brodo they're very comforting.