Calabria will be the toe of the Italian boot. It is located within the southwest corner of Italy, with 500 miles of coastline on the Gulf of Taranto and Ionian and Tyrrhenian Seas. Its total population is about 2 million. The countryside is mountainous, and prone to earthquakes. The red onions from Tropea are as fantastic as they get. Some people eat them raw. Does anybody out there have a wine pairing for raw onions?
Welcome back. Today, we’re going to speak about Sicilian Nougat, or “Torrone” - ” Cubbarda e Minnulata”. This is an Italian dessert which is created with honey, sugar, sesame seeds, toasted almonds and orange or lemon zest.
A Little History…
My study reveals that the cubbarda was introduced in Sicily by the Bizantines. Their name for this treat was “pastifeli”. The almond nougat, Minnulata, is produced all more than the island of Sicily. It was originally produced with 100% honey as the sweetening agent but when the Saracens introduced sugar to the island, aspect of the honey was replaced with sugar. This confection is quite well-liked because it is simple to create and takes only minutes to prepare. The recipe that follows can be a relatively easy 1 and there is often a variation to it as well.
The Recipe…
- 1 1/2 lbs. honey
- 1 1/2 lbs. granulated sugar
- 2 cups sesame seeds
- 1 cup toasted and crushed non salted pistachios and/or almonds
- zest of an orange
- A pinch of cinnamon
Generously oil a shallow pan or marble slab or counter surface. The cooked nougat will likely be poured into or onto this.
An excellent starter or side vegetable dish is Carciofi Ammollicati (Artichokes with Breadcrumbs) that also includes grated Pecorino cheese, lemons, and olive oil. Some say that artichokes are tough to pair with wine. They haven’t attempted this dish with a Vermentino di Sardegna DOC, a Vermentino di Gallura DOCG from Sardinia, or an Italian Gewurztraminer, Pinot Grigio, or Sauvignon Blanc.
Enjoy with an Italian Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio.
An option local pasta dish is Spaghetti al Ragù di Totano (Spaghetti with Squid and Tomato Sauce). Needless to say the hardest component of preparing this dish is cleaning the squid. Other ingredients consist of onion, garlic, and basil. In the event you are as much as it, save some of the squid rings for your second course. Wine pairings for the pasta dish (often created with angel hair spaghetti) contain Italian Pinot Grigio and Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi DOC or Verdicchio di Matelica DOC from The Marches.
Pour the cooked mixture into the oiled pan or onto the oiled marble. Spread the mixture in the pan till smooth and level using an oiled spatula.
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