Needwineforagiftbutyouneverknowwhat Page4 Page3 GOOD … · 11/7/2012 · OPEN HOUSE HOLIDAY...
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Che buono! Despite our country’s romance with all things Italian, it seems there is a serious gap when it comes to Italy’s colorful and diverse repertoire of cookies. Admittedly, it’s not as if French, Peruvi- an or Latvian cookies are flooding the markets here. But at a time when the vast array of Italian olive oils, breads, pastas, cheeses, etc., continues to be celebrated in high-end restaurants and mainstream supermarkets alike, the Italian cookie remains an anomaly. (Anyone who bakes them knows this. You hand your precious tray of Italian cookies to the recipient, who looks down at these sturdy treasures and says, eyes darting hither and yon, “Wow! I’m going to save these for later!” We all know what later means.) Besides biscotti — the au- thentic ones often criticized for approxi- mating the texture of granite or, worse still, Americanized into a variety of bizarre flavors and squishy textures — and per- haps the pizzelle, those crispy wafers that require a special appliance, the Italian cookie carousel remains familiar mostly to Italian-Americans who bake (or whose relatives do), dedicated Italophiles and those who stock their pantry with Stella D’oro. Most Americans, asked to define cuci- dati, will furrow their brows and perhaps blush. (It’s a fig cookie. And, for the record: koo-chee-DAH-tee.) Ditto for the chubby Italian lemon cookies. Sicilian sesame cookies. Cantucci (crunchy al- mond cookies). There are more. Hundreds more. “The range of Italian cookies in Italy are virtually unknown here,” agreed Francine Segan, an Italian-American and author of “Dolci: Italy’s Sweets” (Stewart, Tabori & Chang). Her book explores many Italian cookies, including amaretti and savoiardi (aka the ladyfingers you enjoy in tiramisu), and she acknowledged that she only skimmed the surface in her beautiful book. Indeed, the variety she found on her travels through Italy, she said, was “a real surprise.” Part of the problem is that these cook- ies’ flavor profiles are often lost on a cul- ture that reaches for a soft-sweet-sugar blitz. “Americans generally like chewy cook- ies,” Segan said. “To get a soft, chewy Dry? Hard? Not sweet enough? In defense of the Italian cookie (so good!) BILL HOGAN/TRIBUNE NEWSPAPERS PHOTOS; CORRINE KOZLAK/FOOD STYLING Sicilian sesame cookies, above, are classic Italian sweets, while the pine nut-fig cookies, left, represent a bridge between Italian and American tastes. By Renee Enna | Tribune Newspapers Please turn to Page 5 NW Wednesday, November 7, 2012 | Section 6 OPEN HOUSE HOLIDAY PREVIEW Visit FannieMay.com to find a retail shop nearest you! SATURDAY NOVEMBER 10TH 12:00 PM - 3:00 PM tasting Fannie May! Savings up to PLUS at FREE 40% * *Prices and discounts are exclusive of applicable shipping charges and taxes. Valid at participating Fannie May® retail shops only through 11/12/12. Items subject to availability, delivery rules and times. Offers cannot be combined and are subject to restrictions and limitations. Prices and charges are subject to change without notice. Void where prohibited. © 2012 Fannie May Confection Brands, Inc. Enter to win a FREE Gift Tower at every store! GOOD EATING CURE IT Making salumi and other meats at home isn’t as hard as you think, authors say. Page 4 STOCK UP How to build flavor in homemade turkey broth and ramp up Thanksgiving. Page 4 BRING IT Need wine for a gift but you never know what to choose? We have answers. Page 3
Transcript of Needwineforagiftbutyouneverknowwhat Page4 Page3 GOOD … · 11/7/2012 · OPEN HOUSE HOLIDAY...
Che buono!Despite our country’s romancewith all
things Italian, it seems there is a seriousgapwhen it comes to Italy’s colorful anddiverse repertoire of cookies.
Admittedly, it’s not as if French, Peruvi-an or Latvian cookies are flooding themarkets here. But at a timewhen the vastarray of Italian olive oils, breads, pastas,cheeses, etc., continues to be celebrated inhigh-end restaurants andmainstreamsupermarkets alike, the Italian cookieremains an anomaly.
(Anyonewhobakes themknows this.Youhand your precious tray of Italiancookies to the recipient,who looks downat these sturdy treasures and says, eyesdarting hither and yon, “Wow! I’m goingto save these for later!”We all knowwhatlatermeans.) Besides biscotti— the au-thentic ones often criticized for approxi-mating the texture of granite or,worsestill, Americanized into a variety of bizarreflavors and squishy textures— andper-haps the pizzelle, those crispywafers thatrequire a special appliance, the Italiancookie carousel remains familiarmostly toItalian-Americanswho bake (orwhoserelatives do), dedicated Italophiles and
thosewho stock their pantrywith StellaD’oro.
Most Americans, asked to define cuci-dati, will furrow their brows andperhapsblush. (It’s a fig cookie. And, for therecord: koo-chee-DAH-tee.)Ditto for thechubby Italian lemon cookies. Siciliansesame cookies. Cantucci (crunchy al-mond cookies). There aremore.Hundredsmore.
“The range of Italian cookies in Italy arevirtually unknownhere,” agreedFrancineSegan, an Italian-American and author of“Dolci: Italy’s Sweets” (Stewart, Tabori &Chang).Her book exploresmany Italiancookies, including amaretti and savoiardi(aka the ladyfingers you enjoy in tiramisu),and she acknowledged that she onlyskimmed the surface in her beautifulbook. Indeed, the variety she found onhertravels through Italy, she said,was “a realsurprise.”
Part of the problem is that these cook-ies’ flavor profiles are often lost on a cul-ture that reaches for a soft-sweet-sugarblitz.
“Americans generally like chewy cook-ies,” Segan said. “To get a soft, chewy
Dry? Hard? Not sweet enough?In defense of the Italian cookie
(so good!)
BILL HOGAN/TRIBUNE NEWSPAPERS PHOTOS; CORRINE KOZLAK/FOOD STYLING
Sicilian sesamecookies, above, areclassic Italiansweets, while thepine nut-fig cookies,left, represent abridge betweenItalian andAmerican tastes.
By Renee Enna | Tribune Newspapers
Please turn to Page 5
NW Wednesday, November 7, 2012 | Section 6
OPEN HOUSEHOLIDAY PREVIEW
Visit FannieMay.com to find a retail shop nearest you!
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 10TH12:00 PM - 3:00 PMtasting
FannieMay!
Savingsup to
PLUS
atFREE40%*
*Prices and discounts are exclusive of applicable shipping charges and taxes. Valid at participating Fannie May®retail shops only through 11/12/12. Items subject to availability, delivery rules and times. Offers cannot be combinedand are subject to restrictions and limitations. Prices and charges are subject to change without notice. Void whereprohibited. © 2012 Fannie May Confection Brands, Inc.Enter to win a FREE Gift Tower at every store!
GOODEATING
CURE ITMaking salumi and othermeats at home isn’t as hard
as you think, authors say. Page 4
STOCKUPHow to build flavor in homemade turkey broth
and rampupThanksgiving. Page 4
BRING ITNeedwine for a gift but you never knowwhat
to choose?Wehave answers. Page 3
