Educated Palate: Lael & Giuliano Hazan’s Blog

The art of voga alla veneta the Venetian rowing style – standing up, facing forward – is unique and rowing the gondola is a respected craft passed proudly from father to son throughout the generations. Recently, a group of women have joined the ranks of the Venetian Regattieri, and while honoring tradition, they have taken their place among the Venetian rowing champions.

There are two reasons why Italians peel peppers.  The first is that the skin is tough no matter how long the pepper is cooked.  The second, and more important, is that the skin has a bitter flavor that can permeate a dish when peppers are cooked with their skins on.

1.  Cut the pepper open by cutting along the grooves from the bottom to the top.

2.  Trim the white pith and remove the stem, core and seeds.

3.  Peel the pepper using a sawing motion with the peeler.

In the Italian region where our family is from, Emilia Romagnia, a traditional New Year’s dish is Tortellini or Cappelletti: small filled pasta that is shaped, according to some, like a Bishops hat. Cappelletti means little hats, and New Year’s, Capo di Anno, is the hat or head of the year so it is an obvious pairing. They are at their best in a homemade meat broth but they are also delicious served with a cream sauce. However you choose to enjoy them, they are a delicacy to look forward to all year long.

Pasta making authority Giuliano Hazan shows you how easy it is to make homemade pasta dough

Recently Linda Wertheimer interviewed Victor and Marcella Hazan at their home on Longboat Key for NPR’s Morning Edition series the Long View.

“Con tantissimi auguri di felicita nella vita e . . . in cucina.” (With many good wishes of happiness in life … and in the kitchen.)

Making pasta dough by hand is simple. Do not be discouraged by the length of my instructions. I have tried to describe as clearly as possible the method. With a little practice it will easily become second nature and you will have finished dough in less than 15 minutes.

In Italy Panettone, Italian Celebration Cakes, are a specialty of the season and eaten at both Christmas and New Years. Perhaps our family’s favorite panettone is the one infused with Maculan’s sweet Torcolato dessert wine. This year, they are making available one of these precious, not usually available to the public, panettoni, for you. In addition, they are including their book, Mille e un Panettone (A Thousand and One Panettone).

The recipe is so easy that, other than putting the cookies in the oven and taking them out, the kids can do most of it themselves. This is something the kids can make to give as a “gift”, and they are so tasty that even the most discriminating grandparent will be pleased.

As in all recipes Italian, everyone believes that either they or their mother makes it the best. In the case of Panettone the competition almost came to blows in the 1930’s. Trying to out produce each other, two Milanese bakeries Motta & Alemagna, learned how to make the cakes industrially. Because of the competition, the price of panettone, once only eaten by the wealthy dropped and became inexpensive enough for everyone to enjoy it at Christmas. As Italians immigrated to other parts of the world, they brought panettone with them and it now can be found everywhere.