The PA Melting Pot: Antipasti

Showing posts with label Antipasti. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

THE PA MELTING POT - Part 9-1 - SE Europe - Italy - Sicily - Videos too

(Recipes and other links about Sicily below Generic Food Photos)

The PA Melting Pot

A look at the evolution of food in southwestern Pennsylvania –

Part 9 – Southern Europeans - Italians – Sicilians

13% of western Pennsylvania’s population is Italian third only to the Germans and Irish. The immigrants who came to western Pennsylvania from 1880 up to the breakout of World War I came from southern Italy: Sicily, Calabria, Abruzzi and Campagna. In this part we will cover the Sicilians who had a large impact on foods in the area.

Sicily (an autonomous island) is located in the central Mediterranean therefore has a Mediterranean climate (thus growth of citrus fruits, olives, etc.) Mt Etna, a world famous, still active volcano, provides some of the best wines due to the soil content from the volcanic ash.

Sicily has a rich culture due to the many peoples who settled there over the years: Phoenician, Greek, Roman, Vandals, Ostrogoths, Byzantines, Arabs, Normans, Spanish and English (Bourbons). All of these cultures affected the unique Sicilian cuisine.

INFLUENCES: Arab influences on the cuisine are apricots, sugar, citrus, sweet melons, rice, saffron, raisins, nutmeg, cloves,
pepper, pine nuts, and cinnamon (along with fried preparations). Influences of German cuisine: meat dishes. The Spanish Influences include cocoa, maize, peppers, turkey, tomatoes, etc. Greek influences are fish, olives, broad beans, pistachios, eggplant, peppers, tomatoes and fresh vegetables. North African influence is couscous.

Antipasti (or starters) are very important in Italian and Sicilian cuisine. Two very Sicilian antipasti are caponata (eggplant relish) and Gato di patate (cheese and potato pie). Also unique are Arancine (popular street food) which are fried or baked bread crumb coated rice balls usually filled with meat sauce, tomato sauce, peas, or mozzarella.

Cheeses: Italy has over 300 cheeses 2^nd rival to France with over 400. Some Sicilian cheeses are Pecorino (sheep’s milk), Caciocavalla (aged cow’s milk cheese good with stronger red wines), Canestrato (similar to pecorino & served with wine and fruit), Piacentinu (Mt. Etna area sheep’s milk cheese flavored with saffron), Provola (more than one variety made from cow’s milk and comes in bulb shape; has a sharp flavor), Tumo (flavored with peppercorns or other spices & good with ham, wines and fruits) and others.

Fruits: Citrus fruits such as oranges (blood, blonde, ovale, bitter, bell-shaped, Moro, mandarin and others), lemons and limes are plentiful.

Pasta, of course, includes spaghetti ai ricci (spaghetti prepared with sea urchin), Pasta alle sarde (anchovies), Manicotti and the most famous signature dish is Pasta alla Norma (eggplant, oregano, red chili, garlic, basil, herb vinegar, plum tomatoes, pasta, grated cheese).

Secondi or main dish is mainly seafood based opon the availability of seasonal Mediterranean seafood.

Sweets are another specialty; examples include: Cassatas (cake with ricotta icing layered with candied fruit), Frutta Martorana (fruit shaped marzipan), Pignolata (is a Sicilian pastry covered in chocolate & lemon flavored syrup which hardens the pastry), Granita (semi-frozen dessert with flavorings), Sorbet and Italian Ice.

Wines: reds and whites are top quality because of the Mt. Etna soil and accompany dinner. Dessert wines such as Marsala are popular. Limoncello (a lemon liqueur) and Amaro Siciliano (herbal drink) are other Sicilian drinks.

The next column will deal with Part 10 – North Central Europeans - Poland

For recipes from 1700s to 1960s and modern day links versions, visit www.ThePAMeltingPot.com.

Christine Willard, a native of western Pennsylvania, researches and blogs about the food unique to Western Pennsylvania. She currently resides in North Carolina. Her blog can be found at www.ThePAMeltingPot.com.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Below photos are informational and recipe links

Sicilian Foods' Photos

SICILY

LINK TO WIKI on Sicilian Cuisine

LINK TO SAVEUR article on Cooking in Sicily

LINK to Martha Stewart - Sicilian Recipes

LINK TO Cooking with Nonna - Sicilian Recipes

VIDEOS

Meat Pies

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWnjXQpvy6A&ab_channel=AlfredandEszterYou%2CMe%26Sicily%21

Garlic and Oil Spaghetti

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDOxLa5x9GY&ab_channel=Buon-A-Petitti

Monday, July 21, 2014

THE PA MELTING POT: Part 9 - 3 ITALY: Campania

The Melting Pot: A look at the evolution of food in Southwestern Pa. Part 9

SOUTHERN Europeans: Italy: Part 3 – CAMPANIA

Western PA’s Italian population is 15.4%/13.2% in Allegheny/Fayette counties respectively. Every June Fayette County holds The Heart of Italy Italian Festival. Pittsburgh has one of the largest Italian-American communities in the nation.

From 1900 until the outbreak of the Great War (World War I) in 1914, an astonishing 2 million Italians immigrated to the US. All told, from 1876 until 1924, a total of about 4.5 million Italians immigrated to the United States.

After 1890, Italians began to predominate in several of Pittsburgh’s neighborhoods, such as Oakland, East Liberty, the Lower Hill, the Bluff, and Bloomfield. A number of these neighborhoods, such as Bloomfield, had formerly been home to German and Irish families.

In western PA there are enclaves of Italians in every community from New Castle to Monaca, Aliquippa and Ambridge to Coraopolis, McKees Rocks, Oakland and Morningside to New Kensington and Vandergrift to Canonsburg and Cecil to Erie. In the Pittsburgh district, the official “Little Italy” is located in Bloomfield!

Some of the Italian Immigrants from the 1870’s to 1924 were from Campania (southern Italy). Included are the cities of Naples, Avellino, Benevento, Caserta, Salerno, Capri and Ischia.

Campania mainly produces fruits, vegetables, fifty % of Italy’s nuts and is a leader in production of tomatoes.

Common cheeses produced in the area are: Burrini (cheese with butter filling), Caciocavallo (like spicy provolone), Mozzarella, Ricotta, Provolone and Scamorza (made with cow’s milk). Wine production has increased, together with the quality of the wine. Olive trees produce olive oils.

The cuisine of Campania has been influenced by the Greeks,

Romans, Spanish and French over the centuries.

CAMPANIAN FOODS: Appetizers include:

Peperoni Imbottiti (Pimentos stuffed with bread crumbs, garlic, anchovies,

and capers),

Insalata di rinforzo (cauliflower, olive and caper salad) and of

course Antipasti.

Beverages: Aperitivo (Aperitif) are enjoyed as an appetizer

before a large meal: Campari, Cinzano, Prosecco, Aperol, Spritz

and Vermouth and Digestivo (Digestives) are served after the

meal: Grappa, Amaro, Limoncello and Sambuca. And of course wine.

Regional main dishes include: Bistecca alla pizzaiola (a piece of steak served with a hot tomato sauce spiced up with herbs and peppers), Calzoni alla napoletana (tubular or square pasta stuffed with cottage & mozzarella cheeses, egg and tomato paste), Canelloni ripieni (stuffing includes beef, egg, onion, mozzarella and Pecorino cheese covered with a tomato puree, pancetta, and pecorino sauce), Fritto de pesce (mixed fish fry) and Lasagne Imbottite (pasta with ricotta cheese, meat sauce, pork, ham, hard boiled eggs and sausage).

Traditional desserts (cookies, cakes, fritters, holiday breads, pastries, pies and tarts): include: Pastiera (pastry filled with ricotta cheese and candied peel), Sfogliatella (flaky pastry filled with ricotta, sugar, and mixed candied orange/lemon bits/cinnamon), Amaretti (almond cookies), Biancomangiare (lemon flavored cream or pudding), Budino di Mascarpone (mascarpone cheese sweet pudding flavored with amaretti cookies), Coviglie al caffe (Neapolitan pudding flavored with espresso coffee), Pompelmi e arance in insalata (orange and grapefruit salad flavored with liqueur) and Scazzetta (sponge cake stuffed with pastry cream and strawberries).