The Cooking and Cuisine of Campania

[Pizza Napoletana]

Talking about calzoni fritti, here are some of mines (please note in the background of the picture a pizzetta frtta topped with tomato):

and here some pizzette da I made last year and were fried at a lower temperature:

[Pontormo]

Pizza, those look really good!

* * *

Just want to add another plug for Franci's eggplant-stuffed pasta.

I second Shaya's endorsements. You have NO idea how fabulous they are. Since eggplant parmigiana is a favorite dish of mine, I was tempted to just go ahead and bake some instead, especially since I love leftovers in a sub sprinkled with red chili flakes. However, this beat expectations---even good on the first day despite the fact that eggplant's always better the next. Eaten with the most amazing fagiolini, simply dressed, on the same plate.

Very time-consuming, though. The embarrassing Jumbo shells actually speeded up the process somewhat since they were easy to fill.

My only problem was in frying the eggplant. Normally, I do not bother to coat eggplant slices with flour. I don't salt, rinse and dry them either when I buy my supply at the farmers market since they aren't bitter and become tender in a blink of an eye. However, I decided to follow this part of the recipe and ended up wasting a LOT of oil. Even when I shook off excess flour before sliding slices into the hot oil, a lot came off and eventually formed algae-like clusters that eventually turned black and sank to the bottom of the pan before smoking. With a kilo of eggplant, I ended up emptying two pans of the icky stuff before reverting to flourless slices for the little that remained.

Edited October 5, 2006 by Pontormo (log)

[Pizza Napoletana]

The other day we had a "bake off" competition in the office. Well every week Wednesday a member of each team in my department needs to bake a cake on a theme chosen by the winner the previous week. The theme this week was Gateau..

So, inspired by a tart made by a great pastry chef in the Sorrento Costiera, I have created the following:

Caramelised William Pears topped Gateau, on a Lemon and Gran Marnier scented sponge cake case, filled with vanilla scented ricotta, lemon zest and chocolate chips on an Hazelnut short crust pastry base. Obviously I won ;-)

I was not really happy about the look of the pear topping, but the taste and texture of the whole thing was great, and I had never made it before, without following a recipe, it came out great...

Edited October 7, 2006 by Pizza Napoletana (log)

[Kevin72]

Good lord, PN! Who would even want to go up against you in a bake off competition?

[NYC Mike]

PN, those calzone look amazing!

I can't keep out of the Naples at Table book and the children just love the dishes too.

Its starting to get colder down here and that means soup! We made the Zuppa di Fagioli e Scarola or what my grandmother used to call Escarole Soup . It was fantastic. My oldest son is the type that picks the green specs of parsley from ravioli filling and even he ate and enjoyed this soup.

We also made the Coviglia al Caffe which was also very good even if the pic didn't come out as well.

A question on Sfogliatelle. The ones I am used to eating from bakeries have this layered outside shell. It almost looks like a fanned deck of cards. Does anyone know how this is achieved?

-Mike

[Pizza Napoletana]

A question on Sfogliatelle.  The ones I am used to eating from bakeries have this layered outside shell.  It almost looks like a fanned deck of cards.  Does anyone know how this is achieved?

-Mike

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Hard Work!!!!

Seriously, it is quite hard. You nedd to roll the pastry very thin, every time brushing both sides with lard. then you need to roll the pastry over itself as to form a stick. Cut it in small cilinders. then it becomes real complicated... (it is easy from this point but I can think of words to explain it...)

Ciao

[Pizza Napoletana]

This is one I made today:

Calzone al Forno

And this is a cross section (Please note the airy/fluffy crumb):

Edited October 15, 2006 by Pizza Napoletana (log)

[docsconz]

This is one I made today:

Calzone al Forno

And this is a cross section (Please note the airy/fluffy crumb):

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That looks wonderful! Calzones don't come any better looking (and I imagine tasting) than that.

My two favorite Italian pastries are sfogliatelle and cannoli. I would have a hard time choosing between the two. A top-notch sfogliatella is hard to find, but may beat a top-notch cannolo. An ordinary cannolo is probably better than an ordinary sfogliatella, though.

[docsconz]

I have to admit that I have fallen way behind on this thread and am only now going back to see some of the other platings. Amongst other dishes there are quite a few amazing looking calzones out there as well. It has been some time since I have had a good one.

My father was a General Practioner (M.D.) in Brooklyn. He had a patient who hailed from around Naples, who was a pizzaiolo and had his own pizza place in Brooklyn (Lenny's on 5th Ave. and 16th St.(?)). In addition to excellent pizze he made wonderful calzones. My father was retired but would still take care of a few older patients including him and his family. Whenever he would come by the house for a medical visit he would always bring a few fresh pizze and some calzones. Those were the days!

[Kevin72]

Much as I love Emilia-Romagna cooking, for the Holidays there's certain dishes from Campania I've been making over the years that have become tradition and it just wouldn't be right not to make them. One dish I make to start up the feasting season is gatto, the savory potato "cake" that is, yes, a take off from the French gateaux (sp?). Mashed potatoes and ricotta are mixed together with salami and eggs, then layered with mozzarella cheese and finally baked. It's usually offered as a festive, feast-meal contorno, but I think there's so much going on it deserves to be the main, with maybe a tart salad on the side (that is, if you manage to restrain yourself better than we did and not go back for seconds instead of the salad!)

Edit: Forgot about the gatto discussion on page 3 of the thread. Sorry for the redundancies.

Edited December 11, 2006 by Kevin72 (log)

[Pizza Napoletana]

Much as I love Emilia-Romagna cooking, for the Holidays there's certain dishes from Campania I've been making over the years that have become tradition and it just wouldn't be right not to make them.  One dish I make to start up the feasting season is gatto, the savory potato "cake" that is, yes, a take off from the French gateaux (sp?).  Mashed potatoes and ricotta are mixed together with salami and eggs, then layered with mozzarella cheese and finally baked.  It's usually offered as a festive, feast-meal contorno, but I think there's so much going on it deserves to be the main, with maybe a tart salad on the side (that is, if you manage to restrain yourself better than we did and not go back for seconds instead of the salad!)

Edit:  Forgot about the gatto discussion on page 3 of the thread.  Sorry for the redundancies.

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Nice looking Gattó. Just one thing: where did you get the info on the inclusion of ricotta??? First time I ever heard it and my Grandunt was a Gattó queen.

Ciao

[Kevin72]

It's a Mario Batali recipe from his Italian Holiday cookbook. I make no claims on authenticity on this recipe (or for that matter, anything I make these days ).

[FoodMan]

It's a Mario Batali recipe from his Italian Holiday cookbook.  I make no claims on authenticity on this recipe (or for that matter, anything I make these days  ).

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Very nice! So are we celebrating X-mas early?

Actually also if I am not mistaken, both of Schwartz in "Naples at Table" and Kaspar in "Italian Country Table" include ricotta as well.

[Kevin72]

Not celebrating early, just kicking off the Holiday gorging season.

[JasonZ]

Here I am, thinking about mild Calorie Restriction, and you're doing heavenly items like this!! Beautiful food, gorgeous photos!!

[Pizza Napoletana]

It's a Mario Batali recipe from his Italian Holiday cookbook.  I make no claims on authenticity on this recipe (or for that matter, anything I make these days  ).

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Very nice! So are we celebrating X-mas early?

Actually also if I am not mistaken, both of Schwartz in "Naples at Table" and Kaspar in "Italian Country Table" include ricotta as well.

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Althought I do not agree 100% with Schwartz adaption of the authentic recipe to American ready available ingredients, is book is largely based on the "Bible" of traditional Neapolitan cooking (J.C. Francesconi "La Cucina Napoletana") and the recipe of Gattó di Patate in "Naples at Table" DO NOT (RIGHTLy SO) include ricotta.

I know Batali has a great reputation in US, but for what I have seen and read, plus the meal I had at "Il Posto" in NYC, personally I do not think much of his cooking and recipes authenticity (e.g. Jalapeno Chilli pepper with a delicate meat such as crab....).

Ricotta IS NOT INCLUDED by anyone in Naples making their Gattó.

Edited December 12, 2006 by Pizza Napoletana (log)

[Kevin72]

The much praised (by me at least) fried calzone:

Stuffed with garlicky escarole, chilies, anchovies, olives, capers, and ricotta (though I use and prefer feta). Normally there's currants and pine nuts in there, but I like the bitter, salty onslaught of this version.

I guess the calzone gods heard me bragging about it or something; both split open when they were turned over in the oil. One lost a good measure of its filling in the process and had to be patched back together and finished in the oven.

[Pizza Napoletana]

The much praised (by me at least) fried calzone:

Stuffed with garlicky escarole, chilies, anchovies, olives, capers, and ricotta (though I use and prefer feta).  Normally there's currants and pine nuts in there, but I like the bitter, salty onslaught of this version. 

I guess the calzone gods heard me bragging about it or something; both split open when they were turned over in the oil.  One lost a good measure of its filling in the process and had to be patched back together and finished in the oven.

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Hi Kevin,

Well done on the pizzette di scarola.

Again I have to point out that No Cheese it is used in the original version (what do you guys have with ricotta everywhere , especially the commercial "granural" stuff).

Regarding the raisins and pine nut version, it does indeed exist but more often is made as a "filled focaccia" oven baked, a lard base dough, put in a square pan, topped with the scarola etc filling and topped and sealed with another piece of dough.

By the way, in Naples Ricotta means a creamy, most often Bufala milk made, cheese, not the prepacked industrial version.

Marry Christmas to you all...

Ciao

Edited December 25, 2006 by Pizza Napoletana (log)

[Pontormo]

Pizza Napoletana:

Buon Natale anche a Lei!

Kevin represents only one of a number of eGullet-home cooks in North America--and at least two European countries that are not peninsulas--who have developed a strong appreciation for Italian food, whether on their own, or as a consequence of travel, living abroad, watching television, or falling in love with an Italian. Perhaps we developed a passion for Dante, Giorgione, Umberto D, furniture designed by Memphis, or maybe even bicycling while growing up in a midwestern college town surrounded by quarries. Many of us do not have Italian backgrounds and are not fluent in your native language.

We are learning a lot, making do with what we have, sometimes in places where the supply of Korean, Japanese or Mexican groceries is substantial, but there is no Tipo 00 to be found. Cardoons? Forget it! Bottarga? Boh--let alone a wealth of artisanal products you might take for granted back home or even in the U.K. (From what I understand, Alberto may be having a harder time in the capital city of Scotland than I have in the capital of The United States.) Nonetheless, it's fun to try new things, experiment, document meals and see what others have done. I can only speak for myself, but I can say that I enjoy the genuine spirit of comaraderie and collaboration.

It was wonderful when Franci participated on a regular basis since she represents the point of view of an Italian with culinary training who is knowledgeable of a wide range of dishes prepared outside of her own native Puglia. She speaks her mind, yet often finds just the right way to teach me something I had not read in the sources at my disposal in North America. I think she might have even expressed disapproval or corrected a thing or two with grace. Perhaps my memory is inventive, but I am thinking in terms of how easy it is to instruct or offer a different point of view without a harsh, supercilious tone.

Your advice is welcome. Backhanded compliments? Well, I'm not sure that's what you're offering here, but you seem to have come to bury Caesar as you praise him. Why not be pleased that people in different parts of the world are cooking your own food?

As far as ricotta goes, I don't know how many water buffaloes were brought to North America during the Middle Ages. There is certainly not a sufficient number of meals prepared by residents of Boise, Idaho to keep a fresh-cheesemaker in business were she to specialize in sheep's milk ricotta. This factor is not unrelated to the reason it is hard to find a sharp, aged cheddar in Siena. I can readily buy a very good ricotta made from cow's milk at my farmer's market; Foodman makes his own. (Ada Boni's translated book on regional cooking suggests cottage cheese if there's no ricotta around.) Most people are perfectly satisfied with store-brands and will buy whatever is at the supermarket to make a very inauthentic lasagna with dried pasta, mozzarella and a tomato sauce they make themselves, with lots of garlic and fresh basil. They could care less about authenticity or whether their dish is faithful to Neopolitan or Bolognese practices. It tastes good to them and it's how their mother-in-law makes it--only better.

As for YOUR posts about ricotta in everything, I searched online and found that you made a valuable point about the gatto' di patate. That's the kind of insider information that is useful to have. As for the calzones, would it be fair to say that there is not one right way to prepare them? Here's one that doesn't involve greens, but eccola! The recipe calls for ricotta. While including the word "ricotta" in my search, I managed to find only one recipe for pizzette di scarola, and sure enough: no ricotta.

The type I've had in Italian-American street fairs were filled with mozzarella and tomato sauce. I never saw greens except in filled pies the size of large American pizzas. So, the published recipe Kevin used introduces something that might be less familiar to cooks in this country.

Edited December 26, 2006 by Pontormo (log)

[Pizza Napoletana]

Pizza Napoletana:

Buon Natale anche a Lei! 

Kevin represents only one of a number of eGullet-home cooks in North America--and at least two European countries that are not peninsulas--who have developed a strong appreciation for Italian food, whether on their own, or as a consequence of travel, living abroad, watching television, or falling in love with an Italian.  Perhaps we developed a passion for Dante, Giorgione, Umberto D, furniture designed by Memphis, or maybe even bicycling while growing up in a midwestern college town surrounded by quarries.  Many of us do not have Italian backgrounds and are not fluent in your native language.

We are learning a lot, making do with what we have, sometimes in places where the supply of Korean, Japanese or Mexican groceries is substantial, but there is no Tipo 00 to be found.  Cardoons?  Forget it!  Bottarga?  Boh--let alone a wealth of artisanal products you might take for granted back home or even in the U.K.  (From what I understand, Alberto may be having a harder time in the capital city of Scotland than I have in the capital of The United States.)  Nonetheless, it's fun to try new things, experiment, document meals and see what others have done.  I can only speak for myself, but I can say that I enjoy the genuine spirit of comaraderie and collaboration.

It was wonderful when Franci participated on a regular basis since she represents the point of view of an Italian with culinary training who is knowledgeable of a wide range of dishes prepared outside of her own native Puglia.  She speaks her mind, yet often finds just the right way to teach me something I had not read in the sources at my disposal in North America.  I think she might have even expressed disapproval or corrected a thing or two with grace.  Perhaps my memory is inventive, but I am thinking in terms of how easy it is to instruct or offer a different point of view without a harsh, supercilious tone.

Your advice is welcome.  Backhanded compliments?  Well, I'm not sure that's what you're offering here, but you seem to have come to bury Caesar as you praise him.  Why not be pleased that people in different parts of the world are cooking your own food? 

As far as ricotta goes, I don't know how many water buffaloes were brought to North America during the Middle Ages.  There is certainly not a sufficient number of meals prepared by residents of Boise, Idaho to keep a fresh-cheesemaker in business were she to specialize in sheep's milk ricotta.  This factor is not unrelated to the reason it is hard to find a sharp, aged cheddar in Siena.  I can readily buy a very good ricotta made from cow's milk at my farmer's market; Foodman makes his own.  (Ada Boni's translated book on regional cooking suggests cottage cheese if there's no ricotta around.)  Most people are perfectly satisfied with store-brands and will buy whatever is at the supermarket to make a very inauthentic lasagna with dried pasta, mozzarella and a tomato sauce they make themselves, with lots of garlic and fresh basil.  They could care less about authenticity or whether their dish is faithful to Neopolitan or Bolognese practices.  It tastes good to them and it's how their mother-in-law makes it--only better.

As for YOUR posts about ricotta in everything, I searched online and found that you made a valuable point about the gatto' di patate.  That's the kind of insider information that is useful to have.  As for the calzones, would it be fair to say that there is not one right way to prepare them?  Here's one that doesn't involve greens, but eccola! The recipe calls for ricotta.  While including the word "ricotta" in my search, I managed to find only one recipe for pizzette di scarola, and sure enough: no ricotta.

The type I've had in Italian-American street fairs were filled with mozzarella and tomato sauce.  I never saw greens except in filled pies the size of large American pizzas.  So, the published recipe Kevin used introduces something that might be less familiar to cooks in this country.

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Pontorno,

My intervention, I believe in a polite manner, had the scope of clarifying some possible misunderstanding that could have arose from reading Kevin post.

Calzoni con ricotta a cicoli are as classic as the one with Scarola. The two together, however are not authentic and people off course can do as they please as far as they know that what they are doing is NOT authentic. I have visited the States twice,quite exstensivly, and could see that the word authentic is abused for things that were never conceive back in Naples. That is the root of any "corrective " post that I have written and I will continue to write in the future. I am sorry if this irritates you, but I can assure you that I will continue to do it as far as it continues to protect the knowledge of authentic Neapolitan cusine.

Going back to Kevin post, he said that he used Feta (good to make a point about his version) instead of the ricotta cheese , I and many I believe, would have assumed that ricotta then was included in the authentic recipe.... Well, no ricotta is included in Naples with escarole.

Off course there is a main version with ricotta (the main Calzone fritto is filled with Ricotta, mozzarella, and Cicoli, which is meat scraps from the production of homemade rendered lard), but pointing out at recipes on the internet would not be a very strong backing about your point (for example the recipe in the link you have included talk about ham instead of Cicoli, whilest if cicoli are not available, an authentic and best substitute would be Salame Napoli). This is even more frustating for me as even in Naples some places start selling calzoni filled with cheeper "Gammon" as Salami would have been to expensive...

Christmas pizzette fritte are made with scarola and there is one way to make them. Calzoni in general, could be filled either with scarola etc or with the above ricotta/salame filling. The focaccia type then would have included pinuts and raisins , and here we can say that some people also make it this way when making the filling for small pizzette, but again would not be authentic.

Finally, my small point about Bufala Ricotta (which by the way it is available in NYC quite easily), was inspired from a discussion with an old lady on the plane London to Naples, where she mention that the ricotta available abroad and even in other parts of Italy is always the industrial, sand like (her words) stuff.

No offence made, but I cannot undertsand why people would argue with someone else making sure that a so easily accesable piece of information contain the right authentic corrections... (for istance someone could have done your google search and found this post and believe that pizzette with scarola in Naples included ricotta...

Again have an happy Saint Stefan day.

Ciao

[Kevin72]

Franci in an earlier post mentioned being perplexed by the notion of the all seafood feast of 7, 9, or 13 courses that Italian Americans serve, and a couple of authors also mention that it really has become much more of an Italian American thing than "true Italian". There are still traditions of eating seafood of course on Christmas Eve, but sticking ritualistically to a set number would seem to have gone by the wayside.

Here's my somewhat Neapolitan-inspired Christmas Eve seafood feast, which now both my own family and my in-laws start getting excited about if I'm coming to visit. I guess I'm courting bad luck, since my feast only had five fishes. Well, six if you count the anchovies used as the base in the greens.

To snack on during the day, I made a batch of struffoli, little puffs of dough that are fried and drenched in honey.

They got lost amongst the many other superior cookies and goodies that everyone else made, and to me they lose alot of their charm after the first day, when they get tough and stale-tasting.

Sweet and sour shrimp:

This would I guess be more Venetian-inspired than Neapolitan-inspired. I'm quite proud of this variation, though, and like it even more than the more traditional version with sole. My wife's brother and wife arrived when I was cooking this and they said they could smell it from the end of the street!

Clams "aragonate", clams with a breadcrumb topping. These are a favorite of mine.

Stuffed broiled smelts:

Stuffed with ricotta (wheeeeeee!). I made these for my father-in-law on a lark a couple years back and he really liked them. They're a pain, but worth it. Everyone who tries them is surprised by how good they are.

Spaghetti with spicy lobster sauce, one of the best things I make:

Stuffed calamari, braised greens:

By the way, if you ever are in a situation where you can't find broccoli rabe, regular broccoli or broccolini braised with kale makes a good substitute.

Those who recall my tribulations last year will note the absence of baccala on this year's table.

[Shaya]

Kevin, what an amazing meal. Your family is very lucky. I can just taste that lobster pasta, it looks so juicy and flavorful, and those shrimp look amazing. Bravo.

[FoodMan]

I second that Kevin, whatr a wonderful Neapolitan-inspired meal! I really have to finally get off my butt and try stuffed calamari one of these days. As Alton Brown puts it, these suckers are practically shaped to be stuffed .

[Kevin72]

Stuffed calamari are really amazing. I'm not sure what chemical reaction occurs while they cook, but the stuffing winds up tasting very meaty and sausage-like. Very much worth the effort.

[Pontormo]

Again, Kevin, amazing. Were I forced to choose, I'd settle for the stuffed clams followed by the spaghetti with lobster, but since I've only had the standard calamari rings, I'd like just one squid, too.

Regarding our discussion of numbers, do take a peek at this thread in the French forum that includes references to 13 desserts on Christmas Eve in Provence.

BTW, got this on sale yesterday: two pounds of it! I wonder what I'll make...