Chinese New Year - Year of the Tiger

In mid February, the Chinatown community will be celebrating the Lunar New Year. 2010 (Year 4707 according to the lunar calendar) will usher in the Year of the Tiger. If you were born in 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, or 1998, you need to pay special attention.

In Western cultures, the Lion is “King of the Jungle”, but to the Chinese, it’s the Tiger that deserves that particular honor. The regal stripes displayed on the tiger’s coat, symbolize the ancient opposite forces found in nature, commonly known as Yin and Yang.

The third animal in the 12-year pantheon of the Chinese astrological zodiac, the tiger is considered to be one of the most dynamic, and those born in a “tiger year” display the Yin and the Yang in every aspect of their personality. Fearless, but reckless; loving, but fickle; dependable, yet also a bit irresponsible, they exhibit a primal desire for adventure, and are often willing to risk everything in pursuit of the thrill. They have a reputation for being self-centered at times, and love to be the center of attention. Tigers hate to be ignored. At the same time, they are sensitive, and capable of great love.

Speaking of love, this year’s Chinese New Year begins on February 14th. If you would like to celebrate both Valentine’s Day and the Lunar New Year, there is nothing more romantic than cooking with your special someone. Light a fire in the fireplace, put on some sensual music and do what they do in Beijing; cook up a nice batch of Jiao Zi to share with the person you love.

In northern China, families spend New Year’s Eve together making Jiao Zi. These crescent shaped dumplings are thought to bring wealth during the coming year due to their resemblance to ancient Chinese ingots. Sometimes gold coins are hidden inside the Jiao Zi, and whoever finds it is assured of a prosperous up-coming year.

Jiao Zi are often called “Peking Ravioli” on American restaurant menus. The name was coined in the 1950’s by Boston cooking legend Helen Chen.

JIAO ZI
Yield: approximately 35 dumplings

Ingredients:
1 package Jiao Zi wrappers, or round wonton wrappers (available in the refrigerated section)
3/4 pound ground pork
1 tablespoon mushroom soy sauce (Pearl River Bridge brand is excellent)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon rice wine or dry sherry
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper, or to taste
3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 scallions, minced (use both the white and green part of the scallion)
2 cups finely shredded Napa Cabbage
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 clove garlic, minced

Place all ingredients in a medium bowl and work the mixture until well combined. Do not overwork.

Working with a few wrappers at a time, place 1 level teaspoon of the filling in the center of each wrapper. Fold the wrapper in half to form a half moon. Pinch one end of the half moon together. Starting with this end, use your thumb and index finger to form pleats in the top of the dumpling, until it is completely sealed. Stand each dumpling pleat side up on a tray, lightly dusted with flour.

Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil, and season with 2 teaspoons of salt. Add half of the Jiao Zi to the boiling water. Immediately add 1 cup cold water to the pot to keep the water from boiling too furiously. When the water returns to a gentle boil, cook the Jiao Zi about 7 minutes, until the pork is cooked through. Remove the Jiao Zi to a plate, and cook the remaining dumplings in the same manner.

Serve immediately in individual bowls with the following dipping sauce:

Dipping Sauce
2 tablespoons thin soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar,
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon minced ginger
2 teaspoons chili oil, or more to taste

Leftover Jiao Zi may be refrigerated, and pan-fried the next day. When pan-fried they are known as “Guo Tie”, or potstickers. To make potstickers, heat a wok or a non-stick skillet over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon peanut oil, or vegetable oil until it starts to shimmer. Add the dumplings one side down, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Cook the dumplings 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown on one side. Add 1/3 cup water to the pan, cover, and steam the dumplings for about 5 minutes or until all of the water is absorbed. You will hear the crackling sound as the dumplings begin to re-crisp in the oil once the water is gone. Uncover the pan, being careful of the steam. Remove the potstickers with a spatula, and serve with the same dipping sauce used for the Jiao Zi.

written by:
Jim Becker
Chinatown Guide

Fresh Fava beans at the Italian Greengrocer

It’s always so exciting to see the first of the spring vegetables. I’ve been hounding “Albie” for weeks to find out when the fresh fava beans will be available. We’ll they’re here! Both fave and dandelion greens are for me a harbinger of Spring.

FAVE FRESCHE
Look for fuzzy bright green pods that look heavy and full. Serve them raw as an antipasto, piled high in a basket along side a chunk of pecorino cheese and a paring knife. Perfect for casual company; while you’re chatting, just pull out the fat beans from their plush, cushioned pod and slip the somewhat tough and bitter outer skin off the bean. Savor the slightly bittersweet bean with the salty, sharp cheese or a piece of salami and of course…a glass of red wine. Fresh favas can also be sautéed, and they make a wonderful addition to soups, salad, pasta, risotto and frittatas.

Pasta con le Prime Fave
This simple pasta dish of braised fresh favas was served to us many years ago when we visited The Regaleali Vineyards in Sicily. My doubting friends became converts to this spring bean after tasting this dish.

If the favas are very young, they do not have to have their outer skin removed. The skin on older favas is tough and does have to be peeled. This can easily be done by removing the beans from their pod, dropping them into boiling water for a minute and simply slipping off the outer skin.

This dish serves 4 as a first course.

1 small onion, finely chopped
1/4 C. olive oil
1 1/2 C. fresh fava beans (1 1/2 lb. of pods)
S & P
1/2 C. water
3 T. Italian parsley, chopped
1/2 lb. spaghetti

Sauté the onion in the olive oil until golden. Add the favas, salt and pepper to taste, and the water. Cover and simmer over low heat until tender, 10-15 minutes. While the beans are cooking, cook 1/2 pound of spaghetti in a large amount of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain and toss with the fava bean mixture. Serve immediately.

“adapted from The Flavors of Sicily by Anna Tasca Lanza”

Fresh fava beans available at:
Alba Produce
18 Parmenter St.
Boston’s North End

What’s New in Chinatown

“Not for all the tea in China” was a common expression when I was growing up. To be sure, there is a plethora of tea in China, and it is considered to be the national drink. Moreover, world- wide, tea is consumed far more frequently than coffee.

I am thrilled to announce that at last we have a shop in Chinatown where we can purchase top quality teas. The owners of Silky Way, Kenneth Dong, Larry Wong and Donald Wong have opened a second location at 35 Harrison Avenue, near the corner of Harrison and Beach Street. The new location features a fantastic collection of antique and classical Chinese furniture, giftware and ceramics assembled by their importers in China at artisan studios located from Hainan Island in the South Seas to Beijing in the north. You’ll love their carved wooden gates, end tables, chests, trunks and even sedan chairs, which were used to carry brides, hidden from view, to their new husband’s village. You will find a wonderful selection of Tibetan antique reproductions as well as Celedon and clay tea sets, fierce looking Foo Dogs to guard your personal palace, and vases for your foyer or garden.

What has this to do with tea? Silky Way also imports high quality teas from China, Japan, and other areas of Asia. Hard to find Dragon Well, Iron Goddess of Mercy, and the favorite choice to accompany Dim Sum, Pu-Er teas are among the numerous selections. Yu Feng Huang and her husband, Michael Lau are on site to provide information, and answer questions. Both of them have years of experience importing from China, Korea and the Phillipines. Ms. Huang is also an expert in formal tea service and the Chinese Gong Fu Tea Ceremony, and is offering tastings at her tea table on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. Other times may be arranged by appointment.

Silky Way
35 Harrison Ave.
Boston's Chinatown

written by Jim Becker
Chinatown Guide

DAI GA GONG HAY FAAT CHOY!

"Happy New Year Everyone!"
In Chinatown, preparations are being made for the most important holiday of the year. Chinese New Year, also known as the Lunar New Year, or the Spring Festival, falls on a different date each year because it is based on a combination of lunar and solar movements. This usually occurs sometime from mid-January to late February. This year, it falls on January 26th. This year will be the Year of the Ox. Each year is associated with one of the twelve animals of the Chinese Zodiac system. If you were born in 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, or 1997, then you were born in the year of the Ox. 2009 is actually year 4706 according to the Chinese system. Those born in the year of the Ox are born leaders, tend to be conservative, methodical, patient and dependable. On the other hand, they can also be self-centered and stubborn, and often lack a sense of humor. They get along well with astrological roosters, snakes and rats, but not so well with tigers, sheep or dogs.

The traditions surrounding Chinese New Year all have a single objective: to bring good fortune to the family in the year to come. A paper replica of the Kitchen God known as Zao Jun hangs in all traditional Chinese kitchens, and serves as a moral compass for the family. On the 23rd or 24th day of the twelfth lunar month, Zao Jun makes his annual report to the Jade Emperor, the supreme ruler of the heavens, as to whether the family’s behavior during the past year has been naughty or nice, to use a familiar phrase. In order to “sweeten” Zao Jun’s report, people will often smear the Kitchen God’s mouth with honey, before they light him on fire and send him to the Jade Emperor in a plume of smoke. A new paper Kitchen God takes his place for the coming year.

While we westerners make resolutions for the New Year, Chinese make wishes. If the wishes are not granted, it’s the gods who are at fault. If we fail to keep our resolutions however, we have only ourselves to blame.

The days leading up to the Spring Festival are used to get rid of any unpleasant baggage from the previous year. This is the time to mend relationships, resolve differences, and pay all debts. The entire house is cleaned from top to bottom. The home is decorated with symbols of good fortune, in red or gold. Oranges, tangerines with bright green leaves attached and persimmons are placed around the house, as these fruits represent long life, lasting relationships, and wealth. A circular tray, known as the "Tray of Togetherness" is filled with sweets such as candied winter melon and lotus root, the shape of the tray suggesting familial unity. The character “fu” meaning luck is hung to the side of the door outside the home. In Northern China, the character is hung upside down because in Mandarin, the words for “upside down” and “arrive” sound the same, so if you want luck to arrive, you hang it upside down. This is not the case for speakers of Cantonese.

The “Reunion Dinner” takes place on New Year’s Eve, and it is a time when relatives from far and wide gather for a feast, usually held at the home of the oldest member of the family. Fish is always a part of this meal, as the word for “fish” sounds like the word for “abundance”. The fish is always presented whole, with the head and tail intact, signifying that this abundance will remain "unbroken". Some of the fish is saved after the meal to be eaten in the days to come, the idea being that there will be abundant surpluses for the family. Noodles are also eaten, as they are a symbol of longevity, and the longer the noodles, the better. A special New Year’s Cake called "Nian Gao"and made of rice rounds out the meal.

Children are given red envelopes known as “Hong Bao” in Mandarin or “Lai See” in Cantonese. These envelopes contain money. Two envelopes are given to each child, as happiness comes in two’s. Business owners also give these to employees. The money slipped into these envelopes should be brand - new bills.

At midnight on New Year’s Eve, all doors and windows are opened to let go of the old year.

On New Year’s Day, all brooms and brushes are put away. It is bad luck to sweep the floor, because you would be sweeping away good fortune. It is customary to don brand new clothes, preferably red, and new shoes as well. It is bad luck to wash your hair on this day, as again, you would be washing away good fortune.

It is also inauspicious to greet people who are in mourning on New Year’s Day. Everyone else should be greeted with the phrase “Gong Xi Fa Cai” (Mandarin), or “Gung Hay Faat Choy” (Cantonese), which means “congratulations, may you become wealthy”.

On New Year’s Day, a vegetarian meal is traditional, and the most popular dish is known as Lo Han Jai, or “Buddha’s Delight”. Buddhists believe that vegetarian food should be eaten during the first five days of the New Year as a form of purification. Lo Han Jai may contain many ingredients, but usually includes, wheat gluten, cellophane noodles, bamboo shoots, black mushrooms, daylily buds, gingko nuts and Faat Choy, a type of moss whose name sounds like the “become wealthy” part of the traditional New Year’s greeting.

This year, Boston’s Chinese New Year celebration will take place at the Chinatown Gate on Sunday February 1st. The event is open to the public. The festivities begin at 10am, and will include a dragon dance, a lion dance, and as always bright red ear-splitting firecrackers.

Written by Jim Becker
Chinatown Guide

Thanksgiving vegetable side dishes

At this time of year when we are in a feasting mode, one or two extra vegetable dishes are always welcome. Instead of falling back on the usual suspects of sweet potatoes and green beans why not experiment and have your friends and family sit down to a dinner of comforts and surprises. Here are a handful of recipes that just might become holiday favorites.

TORTINO DI CARCIOFI E CARDI
Cardoons are one of the vegetables very popular in Mediterranean countries but sadly neglected by Americans. They are a member of the thistle family, related to artichokes. The thistle that it produces is not edible, but the stalks, which look like giant celery with thin, feathery silver leaves along the suede-like stalks, are delicious and have a flavor similar to artichoke, though slightly sweeter. In Italy, cardoons are served raw and cooked, but the variety found here are too large to eat raw. Ours need to be pre-cooked. In this recipe they are paired with their kin - the artichoke.

N.B. Artichokes and cardoons discolor if exposed to air after peeling or trimming. A flour and water mixture called a "bianco" prevents them from discoloring during trimming and cooking. To make a "bianco", stir together 1/4 C. flour, juice of 2 lemons, and 1/2 C. cool water in a non-aluminum pot until smooth. Add enough cool water to fill the pot half-way and add the squeezed lemon halves. As you trim the vegetables, add them directly to the bianco.

1 med. cardoon head, trimmed of the bitter side leaves, zip off the strings as you might do
with celery, cut into 3 in. pieces
6 artichokes, trimmed, cut in half, choke removed and discarded
1/4 C. flour
2 lemons cut in half
2 T. Salt
6 T. butter
1 - 2 C. chicken or vegetable broth (brodo)
1/2 C. breadcrumbs
1/2 C. Parmigiano
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 C. mint, chopped

After trimming and working with the cardoon and artichoke add it to a "bianco". Heat the "bianco" to boiling over high heat. Add salt. Boil each until tender.
Artichokes about 10-15 min. Cardoons about 30-45 min. Drain in colander.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Butter a baking dish and arrange the cardoons and artichokes in overlapping rows in the baking dish. Pour the brodo over the vegetables.

Mix together the remaining butter, breadcrumbs, garlic, mint, and cheese and dot the top of the casserole with this mixture. Bake until the top is browned, about 20 min. Serve hot.


GRATIN DI FINOCCHI
The bulbous part of the base of the fennel stalk is one of the most popular vegetables in Italy and the most commonly prepared winter vegetable.

6 fennel bulbs, cleaned, trimmed, discard the fronds
5 oz. Fontina cheese, sliced into strips
2 oz. unsalted butter
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Quarter the fennel bulbs and boil them in salted water for about 10 min. - until tender. Drain. Butter an ovenproof dish and arrange one layer of fennel across the bottom, season with salt and pepper. Scatter a layer of sliced Fontina over the fennel and sprinkle with nutmeg. Dot with half the remaining butter. Cover with a second layer of fennel, season with salt and pepper, and dot with the rest of the butter and the remaining cheese. Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 20 min or until the top is browned and bubbling hot.

SCAROLA IMBOTTITA
This specialty of Naples – escarole with a deliciously piquant filling of anchovies, capers, raisins and pine nuts - is a favorite for the holiday table. If you find that stuffing the heads of escarole is a bit tedious, simply add the condiments to sautéed escarole. One 1 lb head of escarole will serve 2-3 people.

1 medium head escarole (about 1 lb)
3 T. golden raisins, soaked in warm water, drained, chopped
1/2 C. breadcrumbs from day old rustic bread
4 anchovy fillets, rinsed, drained, chopped
2 T. pine nuts
2 T. salt-cured capers, rinsed and drained
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 T. grated Pecorino Romano cheese
freshly ground black pepper
2 T olive oil
1/2 C. chicken broth

In a medium bowl, combine the raisins, breadcrumbs, anchovies, pine nuts, capers, garlic, Pecorino Romano and black pepper. Thoroughly wash the head of escarole in cold water; trim the core end and discard any tired/badly bruised leaves. Drain well. Carefully open
the leaves and sprinkle stuffing between them toward the core. Gather the leaves and tie tightly with kitchen string. Season with salt and pepper.

Place the escarole in its side in a heavy bottomed saucepan just large enough to hold it. Pour the olive oil and broth over it and bring to a boil over moderate heat, cover, reduce to a simmer and cook 10 minutes. Turn the escarole gently with tongs and cook another 10 minutes, until the liquid has evaporated and the escarole is tender. Add water to the pan if it begins to look dry.

Transfer to a serving platter, remove the string, cut into wedges and serve hot.

FEGATO AI SETTE CANNOLI
This Sicilian winter squash dish has a very misleading name “Liver from the Seven Pipes” and a wonderful story. Sette Cannoli refers to the very poor neighborhood near the Vucceria market in Palermo where there stood a fountain with seven spouts. The people were so poor that they could never afford to buy meat. Pumpkin or winter squash cooked like liver was the most they could hope for.

2 lb. piece of Butternut or Hubbard winter squash
1/3 C. olive oil
3 garlic cloves, sliced thin
1/2 C. mint leaves, chopped, saving some for garnish
1/2 C. white wine vinegar
1/2 C. sugar
Salt and pepper

Peel the squash, remove and discard the seeds, and cut the pulp into 1/2 in. slices. Saute the slices in the oil until tender and lightly browned on both sides. Arrange the slices on a serving platter and sprinkle with the garlic and the mint leaves.

To the same pan that you have cooked the squash, add the garlic, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat until the sugar melts and the sauce thickens. Pour over the squash, garnish with mint leaves and serve at room temperature.

Cardoons, artichokes, fennel and escarole can be found at:
Alba Produce
18 Parmenter St
Boston, MA 02113

Okinawan Sweet Potato

From time to time, we hear stories concerning remote areas of the globe where unusually large numbers of people live unusually long, healthy lives. This is often attributed to diet, and, in most instances, these stories turn out to be of little merit.

Recently, I became aware of a colorful new vegetable being sold in the markets of Chinatown. A little investigation led me to yet another tale of remarkable longevity in a strange and wondrous land. This time however, there seems to be some truth to the story. The product I am referring to is known by several different names, including the Japanese Sweet Potato, the Imo, the Purple Sweet Potato, and the Okinawan Sweet Potato.

The Sweet Potato is believed to have originated in Central America, and was introduced to Spain and the Philippines through Spanish explorers. From the Philippines, it made its way to China, Historical records indicate that a seedling was brought to the Japanese islands of Okinawa from China’s Fujian Province in 1605, where it quickly established itself as a miracle food. Subject to yearly typhoons that often destroyed the rice paddies, Okinawans were under constant threat of famine. The Sweet Potato, which was buried in the ground, survived these onslaughts, and provided a stable source of calories for the growing population. Today, the Okinawan diet, which includes liberal amounts of Sweet Potato, other plant foods, fish, soy products and very little meat has helped create a society that produces more Centarians than any other place on the planet. This is verified by meticulously documented birth and health records kept on the islands.

The Okinawan Sweet Potato should not be confused with the Peruvian Purple Potato, which is not a sweet potato at all, but rather a regular potato that just happens to have a blue-purple skin and purple flesh. The Okinawan Sweet Potato on the other hand, has a light brown skin, and deep lavender flesh, and, is surprisingly sweet and extremely nutritious. The color is due to anthocyanins, which act as antioxidants. They are rich in carotenoids, saponins, flavonoids, alkoloids, and tannins, and have a high vitamin E content. They are extraordinarily high in vitamin C, and are thought to contain large amounts of dioscin, an anti-inflammatory compound. There is mounting evidence that the Okinawan Sweet Potato contains a significant am ount of lycopene, the powerful anti-oxidant and carotenoid found in tomatoes that has been associated with a reduced risk of prostate cancer in many studies. A one- cup serving contains only 140 calories, and is packed with dietary fiber. In addition, the Chinese believe that the Sweet Potato is helpful in relieving the symptoms of arthritis.

In Chinatown, look for it labeled as “Japanese Sweet Potatoes” in the markets alongside other root vegetables and tubers such as Taro. My favorite preparation is an easy one; simply wash them but do not remove the skin, Slice them lengthwise, and place in an ovenproof baking dish. Drizzle with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and salt, and roast them in a 400 degree oven, flesh side down until they can be easily pierced with the tip of a knife, This can take anywhere from 20 to 45 minutes, depending on the size.

If you are lucky enough to get to Okinawa, you can try them “stone-baked” and sold from “Imo trucks” which are a fixture on Okinawan street corners. However you enjoy them, you can take comfort in the fact that you are helping yourself beat the aging process with a delicious treat from a real-life Shangri-La.

written by
Jim Becker
Chinatown Guide

GELATO

Ice cream is and always has been, more than just dessert. It came on trucks with ringing bells when we were little; it came on sticks and in cups and in cones and in frosted silver dishes at the local ice cream parlor. It was what you ate when your tonsils were removed, when you had a great day and when you had a bad day. It is also one of the first things you ate when you went to Italy. Who invented this exquisite treat and why is “gelato” the Italian version of ice cream so different?

A fixture of Italian life for centuries, the idea for gelato is thought to have started in the Mediterranean basin during the 7th century as sharbet - the Italian sorbetto, the French sorbet and the English sherbet. In Sicily, where Arabs ruled for 300 years, “Italian ice” was made by gathering snow from Mount Etna and adding fruit, honey, floral essences, almond milk or the juice of citrus fruits. But it wasn’t until the 16th century that a Florentine named Bernardo Buontalenti, invented the first gelato by freezing sweetened milk with eggs and wine to be served at the Medici’s many sumptuous banquets. The word gelato is the past participle of the Italian verb, gelare, to freeze. The craze for refreshing frozen desserts, from an aristocratic to a popular treat, spread all over Europe. In 1660, Francesco Procopio de’ Coltelli, a native of Palermo, opened the famous Café Procopio in Paris, a luxurious “ice cream parlor”, where eating gelato became a fashionable pastime. Very soon thereafter small wooden carts appeared selling gelato on every public square in Italy.

Anyone who has tasted real gelato can immediately sense how different it is to American ice cream. Though lower in fat, often 6-8% butterfat, compared to 16-18% in store bought premium ice cream, gelato has a softer, sexier consistency with intense flavor. Too much fat tends to coat the mouth, blocking the experience of the fresh natural flavors. Gelato also has less air beaten into it and is kept at a warmer freezing temperature, allowing for a dense and velvet texture. Because it is not so cold, the taste buds do not become numb and are open to accept more of the flavor.

As with most foods in Italy, each region has its own interpretation. In the North, the gelato tends to be richer, often made with an egg and cream custard base. In central Italy, the base is custard made with milk and eggs. While in the South, gelato is often made with milk thickened with vegetable starch rather than eggs.

The serious connoisseur will look for a sign saying “Produzione Propria, Nostra Produzione or Produzione Artigianale” which means that the gelato is made on the premises. But since most sellers mix their gelati from prepared bases, this doesn’t guarantee quality. One must also look for evidence that the gelato is made daily in small batches, using only the freshest ingredients with no added chemical preservatives, emulsifiers or stabilizers. Artisan made gelato is always stored in stainless-steel tubs, never in plastic containers. Fruit flavors should reflect the season and the color should never reflect food coloring, i.e. pistachio should never be bright green.

Eating gelato is a favorite Italian pastime, a typical between meal snack. According to an Italian confection industry trade report, 75% of the gelato eaten in Italy is consumed between May and September. The report also revealed that Italians eat almost nine pounds of gelato per person annually with year-round consumption on the rise. The number of gelato flavors has also increased in recent years. Some flavors like bergamot, jasmine, licorice, and persimmon are exotic while parmesan, carrot and spinach can really challenge the taste buds. Most Italians still prefer the more traditional flavors. According to a recent poll by Eurisko, an Italian consumer research institute, the most popular flavors are cioccolato, nocciola (hazelnut), limone, fragola (strawberry), crema, stracciatella (vanilla with chocolate chips), and pistachio, in that order.

Most Italians prefer to go out to a gelateria rather than buy pre-packaged gelato to eat at home. Choosing one flavor brands the customer as a tourist. In Italy the custom is to order a few flavors in a cone or cup. This can make ordering gelato a challenge, since the various flavors need to meld/melt together successfully. It’s also not unusual to add a dab of unsweetened whipped cream to the top. In Sicily, gelato is most typically eaten in a soft, sweet brioche – the best ice-cream sandwich!

Let’s join the Italians, young and old, at any time of the day in this favorite Italian pastime. It is neither decadent nor indulgent, after all there’s both less calories and fat than in ice cream. Like stopping for an espresso, it’s an opportunity to linger, chat and people-watch...and simply one of the rituals involved with eating and living and being Italian.

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When the occasion calls for a festive dessert but you’re too busy to prepare one, create a little impromptu excitement with a little gelato topped with a simple surprise.
Crema gelato with Limoncello, Strega or Tuaca; crushed amaretti or torrone.
Cioccolato gelato with dark rum and amarena cherries; Mandarino liquor and coarsely chopped candied orange peel
Limone gelato with lemon infused grappa.
Affogato (drowned) al caffe – for each serving, place 1 bountiful scoop of vanilla gelato in a glass/cup. Pour hot unsweetened espresso over the gelato and serve immediately before the gelato melts.

previously published in the North End News