Italian Treasures Newsletter: TWO OF THE MOST DELICIOUS SNACKS IN ITALY

SFOGLIATELLE

Sfogliatelle at Pantaleone Photo Credit: Pasticceria Pantaleone

I love to take credit for sharing some special place, undiscovered by tourists, that I’ve stumbled upon while lost in some Italian village, but this one goes out to my husband. While on vacation years ago in Napoli, my husband, Joe said to me, “Tomorrow I am going to take you to eat the best sfogliatelle of your life...In Salerno”. In a town such as Napoli, loaded with pastry shops, I was thinking, “Really? It’s not IN Napoli?” I doubted he could fulfill his promise and joked that he was a savory chef and didn’t know what the hell he was talking about. He proved me wrong.

For anyone who isn't familiar with this delicious confection, sfogliatelle is a crispy clam shell shaped sweet, consisting of layers of super thin dough filled with sweet semolina and ricotta. It is one of the most difficult Italian pastries to excel at, (and one of the most time consuming!), which originated on the Amalfi Coast. In the early 1700's, at the Santa Rosa Convent in the town of Conca dei Marini, a nun created the pastry to resemble a monk's hood. Sfogliatelle spread later outside of the convent to the public, and became popular in other southern Italian cities, especially Naples, and today is a signature sweet of the south, and the Pantaleone family in Salerno has perfected the recipe.

Like Napoli, Salerno can be a little rough around the edges, until you peel off its layers. Situated at the foothills of the Amalfi Coast, on the Gulf of Salerno, the city’s beautiful baroque architechture battles with random graffiti, strewn across the faces of its ancient buildings. Salerno is full of personality. Shops selling flashy Italian clothes and glittery shoes, clanging church bells competing with the sound of vespas speeding past, and sudden pop-up religious processions which include statues of saints and live bands. Just loud and unpredictable in general. It was my first visit to the city that year, and at that point I realized, this HAS to be where the most delicious sfogliatelle in the world live! Food reflects the personality of its birthplace. Whether it’s from the hands of the chef or the place the dish originated.

Pasticceria Pantaleone, Salerno

Joe led me through the winding streets until we came upon the main corso and could smell Pantaleone pastry shop was nearby. The sfogliatelle were still warm when the man behind the counter handed them to us, definitely the best way to enjoy them. So why is this particular pastry worth the ride and so friggin’ amazing? Hang on to your seats vegans… LARD. The dough is coated with lard and filled with a semolina and ricotta filling, along with bits of candied citrus from local groves that grow on the cliffs of the Amalfi Coast, just a short hike away. The result is a smoky-sweet, bacon scented pastry. It’s not what you are expecting and it is this amazing “in your face” bold taste, just like the energy of Salerno itself. (Also a great way to satisfy the craving for a savory breakfast travelling abroad, hard to come by.)

Backdoor with the bakers of Pantaleone

Each year we return to Salerno, and a few years ago, we rented an apartment which was directly next to the pastry kitchen of Pantaleone. What luck! I had no idea the apartment was near their kitchen before we arrived, as they don’t bake on the same property as their shop location, but just around the corner. Unable to resist, I snooped over to their back door one early morning as the guys were loading up the trucks with warm pastries for delivery, and I explained my love affair with their sfogliatelle. Then next thing I knew I was in their kitchen getting a private tour and tasting everything! It's moments like this, when the Italians recognize someone's passion for something, and then open their world to you even more, that make me love this country so much.

Pantaleone is located at Via dei Mercanti, 75, Salerno, Italy

Opened in 1868, they are masters of Italian desserts.

CARCIOFI ALLA GIUDIA

An ancient specialty of the Roman Jewish ghetto, fried artichokes are a must in spring!

Deep purple artichokes add an extra punch of color to the outdoor markets all over Rome in March and April, but their season is a short one, so take advantage. While carciofi alla giudia are a spring staple in Rome, you rarely see them on a menu in America or hear of anyone in the neighborhood making them at home. Bring an ancient tradition to yourtable . Grab a box cutter and get to cooking. You'll thank me after your first bite.

Ingredients:

4 Roman artichokes (purple)

  6 cups of extra virgin olive oil (for frying)

  Juice of 1 lemon

salt & pepper


Fill a medium size bowl with water and squeeze the lemon juice into the water. (Leave lemons halves to float in the bowl of water.) Start by cleaning the artichokes. Eliminate the tough outer leaves until you get to softer internal ones, (the purple part), using a box cutter or sturdy paring knife. Be careful not to nick the leaf below, proceeding gradually towards the inside. Cut away the outer leaves until the artichoke resembles the shape of a rose.

At this point, throw away the outer parts and more leathery part of the stem.

Immerse the artichokes in a bowl of water with the juice of 1 lemon, for at least 10 minutes. Remove them from the water, drain, dry, and beat them against one another to ensure that the leaves start to open. Heat oil to 300F immerse the artichokes in the hot oil and cook for 10-15 minutes. To check if they are ready, pierce the base of the artichoke with a fork. If the fork will penetrate in the artichoke, you can remove it from the oil. Drain on paper towels upside down for 20 minutes, and with a fork, open the leaves from the inside creating the look of a flower so that they adopt the characteristic shape of a rose in bloom.

At this point, sprinkle the inside of the artichokes with salt and plenty of black pepper, and let them rest for a few more minutes. Sprinkle them with water (or white wine) and dip them back in the oil, raising the temperature slightly but being careful not to burn them. Remove them after about 1 minute and put them to dry on a paper towel. Serve piping hot!

TIP: You may fry in vegetable oil, but frying the artichokes in extra virgin olive is better for digestion and adds crunch.