Quick, easy and delicious soup as we head towards the end of winter. This quantity feeds 5 with leftovers.
INGREDIENTS
Half an onion
1 large carrot
3-4 celery sticks
2 potatoes
1 small tin of crushed tomatoes
2 tins lentils (or fresh soaked over night if prefer)
1 large bunch chopped chard
Salt and pepper to season
Water - enough to cover ingredients
METHOD -
Watch instagram reel for method using this link here
Cook until all vegetables are cooked but not mushy.
Ingredients -
500gr 00 flour
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
250 gr butter (cubed and room temp)
Lemon rind from 1 lemon
Method - mix the butter and flour together so it forms a crumble. Add the rest and knead away. Watch reel over at instagram for the rest https://www.instagram.com/the_little_italian_school/
Ingredients -
500gr spaghetti or linguine
2 cloves garlic (whole to remove or crushed - whichever you prefer)
1/4 (or a splash more) cup extra virgin olive oil
1kg clams
approx 400gr ripe cherry tomatoes (or any tomato you have - or none at all if you prefer in bianco)
Salt
Pasta water in case it needs to be added at the end
Watch the instagram reel as a method guide. https://www.instagram.com/p/CcY_45ylU4M/
When the pasta is cooked, grab it with the tongs and move it to the pan with the sauce, without draining it too much so some of the pasta water goes in the pan with it creating a nice sauce.
I’m not sure when it happened, I’m just glad it did. I’m glad the world has become smaller and we are all embracing each others diversities. We still have a way to go maybe, but for Italians the world looks peachy. The beauty of our culture is shining all over the globe. Apparently it’s really ‘on trend’ to be Italian.
Things were a little different for the first wave of immigrants and their children back in the 1950’s post World War 2. The struggles were real. An unknown race was flocking overseas in search for opportunities they didn’t have in Italy at the time. Italians & Italian culture was the unknown, those ‘greasy wogs’ - ‘bloody garlic munchers’.
Italian immigrants proved themselves, and earned respect. The Italians of that generation are known as hard workers - the heads down and get on with it sort. No handouts, no complaining (they couldn’t speak English anyway) and they had one goal in mind - survival. Sometimes they were called names or mistreated, but that was child’s play compared to the hardship they had left behind in Italy.
We can thank our ancestors for giving Italians a good reputation around the world, and thank gosh for travel being more affordable these days so people can see how beautiful our culture is by visiting Italy and immersing themselves in it. Italians proved themselves and now the rest of the world can’t get enough of all things Italy!
So what are the things non Italians love to love about Italians and Italian culture? According to my language students the list from a foreigner’s perspective is long. Let’s begin -
Family values
‘La famiglia’ is the most important part of an Italian’s life. ‘La mamma’ and ‘la nonna’ are two of the most respected family figures.
All ages matter - especially the children and the elderly.
There are definitely some sexist undertones still going on, but that’s a global issue. I would dare say it is a matriarchal society. In the eyes of my students, Italian women are ‘generally’ strong and confident, with a bit of ‘sass’.
Food & drink culture
For the way it brings people together, the rituals around it, the way food is spoken about in a positive light. The ‘aperol spritz’ & ‘burrata’ fads in other countries may pass (thank gosh), but the deep rooted culture around food will always remain. It runs deep in the veins.
Community, Traditions, La Piazza
The holding on to traditions and ancient (usually religious) festivals, that bring everyone together. The ‘passeggiata’ and the piazza, where people can just ‘be’ on a daily basis without the pressure of always having to ‘do’ or ‘purchase’.
People’s pride and loyalty to the town or village they are from
Italians speak of their birthplace with such love and pride. Most are able to tell you story after story with so much oomph you leave believing they live in the most special village in all of Italy.
Language
People simply love the sound - hence the name ‘la dolce lingua’ (the sweet language). It is very easy on the ear
Art, music, literature, architecture, fashion
I have bunched all of these into one. These are the things Italy used to promote to the tourist and are extremely significant. Italy is flooded with history. I can say that 99% of my students, when visiting Italy enjoy a trip to the local museum, stand in front of stunning architecture with jaws dropped, love to walk the high streets of fashion in Milan & Rome, but much prefer to immerse themselves in the everyday living of an Italian when possible. They will always tell me stories of people more than places, and the warmth they feel from Italian locals when travelling.
But everything goes in and out of fashion. People are always searching for the next best thing or something new. This trend may pass too - but I imagine that because it is the Italian people and culture stealing hearts, not just the ‘place’, foreigners will be forever pining for Italy - as though it were their first love.
This cake was delicious!
2 - 3 pears sliced and cooked in a small pan with a couple of tablespoons of sugar and a drop of water until browned.
Place them in a greased flan tin.
3 eggs
12 tablespoons sugar
grated lemon rind and the juice
1 teaspoon powdered Vanilla (or from a pod or paste)
2 heaped tablespoons yoghurt
12 tablespoons sunflower oil
1 teaspoon baking soda & 1/2 of bicarb soda
(STIR) then add
12 tablespoons 00 flour
(if you don’t have raising agents then just use self raising flour)
Bake on 175c for approx 40 minutes (or until cooked - each over is different)
Head to reels on our instagram to watch the method
allora - grab a bowl, a spoon , a cup and a whisk and in this order pop everything in the bowl and stir….
INGREDIENTS
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 cup cream ( I used thickened)
1 grated rind of a lemon
1 vanilla sachel (or from a pod, or vanilla essence - whatever you have)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarb soda
about 1 1/2 cups raspberries (blended in food processor - I used frozen)
2 1/2 cups 00 flour ( or if you use self raising you don’t have to put the baking powder or bicarb)
METHOD
Put the ingredients all in a bowl in the order written and stir. Place batter in a greased cake tin and bake for abotu 40 minutes on 175c
Sicily in a plate. Tuna is huge in Sicily and nope - no Sicilian ties on my part at all, apart from my mamma’s ‘vicina di casa’ (neighbour) who has been sharing some amazing recipes with me…..and here is one of them.
I had onions on hand, old wine that we now use as vinegar, and tuna steaks I had picked up at the supermarket. Simple, easy and delicious and great with a loaf of bread and a salad.
You’ll need -
At least two onions (I used the purple spanish ones but the white onions are fine also great)
About 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
6 Tuna steaks
3/4 bottle red wine vinigar (it will evaporate and make a nice juice)
For the method head over to the reel on our instagram account https://www.instagram.com/the_little_italian_school/
Method in summary - cut onions, place in bowl of water. Heat pan, place onions on pan and salt - lid on and let collapse. Add oil - cook a little more. Place cooked onions to the side of the pan, fry tuna steaks. Remove tuna, add red wine vinegar and let cook with the onions until it has reduced. Place your tuna back in the reduced ‘agrodolce’ (sweet and sour sauce). Enjoy x
I am lucky to have been able not only to live in Italy, but also to return to our loved ones there on a yearly basis (apart from the last two covid stricken years).
This helps to stay up to date with changes, which are happening more rapidly now because of technology, and things are definitely always evolving – yes even fairytale Italy!
There are some Italian cultural traits that are pretty standard, but of course still always ‘general’. Things like family values, meal rituals and no cappuccino after 11am are thankfully embedded in the bloodline. Then, there are the others that make us cringe when we hear them being mentioned.
No. Just no. You just won’t hear it in Italy. And it makes me cringe when I hear it. By all means, ‘ciao bella’ your heart out. Just remember it’s not an Italian saying.
Well, let’s say we are animated…and sometimes it can get loud when there’s a room full of family or friends. I also think this depends on the different Italian regions. Southern Italians are generally a little more animated than northerners.
This is definitely true, but some people more than others. It will always depend on what is being spoken about. The gestures are often more prominent when the discussion is getting heated or when someone really believes in what they are saying.
NO ! Infact the opposite! Italians love music and like most cultures have their traditional folk songs. The instruments played can vary but the most well known about overseas is the piano accordian. But no, you barely hear or see it these days like once upon a time. It still exists, a few still play it, it’s no doubt a beautiful part of history, but over the last 40 years I have seen it played once at a baptism because my friend’s brother pulled it out, blew the dust off it and belted out some tunes. The new generation don’t really dig it.
Well, I can say that this can actually be true. Pasta is a mealtime staple. Pizza is one of those things you may grab in the evening when you go out and get peckish. I think people imagine we eat huge quantities of it all in one day– and that is simply not true. Small portions are key to a balanced diet.
It is also true that what other cultures dress their pasta with, or slop on their pizza, may be the reason for weight gain, and why they think pasta and pizza are bad for you. Our condiments are generally light and delicate, and often vegetable based! On special occasions we like to lash out and may eat something fried.
This is true. It really is a way of life, and I think it’s wonderful. Infact we don’t mind displaying all of our other emotions in public either.
I wouldn’t agree with this one. Maybe our relaxed approach to life confuses everyone. Most of the people in our circle are pretty punctual, but like anyone anywhere, you’ll always get the person who is always late to everything.
This is true. The family unit is everything. Could this be why a lot of Italians seem so sassy and confident? It’s a pretty good bet it is. Family is the foundation of life and you can always count on them. If you have nothing else, you have always got your family, and they always have your back.
Just no.
This is generally true but I know many Italians who don’t drink coffee, but those who do are extremely passionate about it. The ‘pausa caffe`’ is so much more than just about the coffee. It’s about pausing, chatting, and briefly catching up on what’s been happening, so even those who don’t drink coffee may prefer a different drink to enjoy the ritual with.
Well a lot of us are, but of course not all. So I guess you could say this has a little truth to it.
If we are living in the same town as our parents that is very likely. It used to be standard, but nowadays a lot of Italian youth are leaving to find work overseas, so yes if we need to we will, and we aren’t ashamed of it! When I married we ended up living with our parents for a year or two until we could move out. Family stick together.
2 Eggs
1 Cup of ricotta
2 Tablespoons of sugar
1/4 cup milk
2 Cups Self raising Flour
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
Grated rind of a 1 lemon
Handful bluberries (or a few more if you want more)
Mix all of the wet ingredients. Add the flour and mix. At the end add the blueberries and fold through.
Heat sunflower oil in a frypan and using a tablespoon, scoop the mixture and drop into the oil. Careful not to have the oil too hot or they will burn.
Pop the cooked mini donuts onto paper towels as you cook them so they excess oil drains. Sprinkle with icing sugar to serve and eat.
We all have names we love, and some not so much. Some names are classic and are timeless while others are ‘on trend’ - in one day and out the next. When we had children we decided to stick to classic Italian names. We also chose to use the names of our parents either as first or second names, not only because we are a little traditional, but we also liked that they have a bit of family history attached. It’s not for everyone though, and not as common in Italy as it used to be.
When I was carrying my 3rd child, I knew she would be called Flavia after my mamma. Not only do I love the name, but it has a lot of meaning for us. My bis nonna (great grandmother) was also named Flavia. People would ask me, ‘but what if you’re having a boy’? In Italian that’s easy because all you have to do is change the last letter. Masculine names usually end in -o, while feminine names end in -a. There are also some boys names ending in -a but very few. Names like Nicola, Luca, Andrea, Mattia and Gianmaria.
In Italy there are some names that combine two family member’s names to form one. Names like Gianfranco, Gianmarco, Gianluigi, Gianluca, Giancarlo, Mariateresa, Maristella, Marianna and Mariangela, to name a few. Second names are not as popular in Italy as in some other parts of the world. Newborns are usually given only a first name.
Wives don’t take their husbands name in marriage either, but children take the father’s surname. When I asked my nonna why, she told me ‘because you always know who the mother is, but you don’t always know who the father is!’ I’m not sure that’s true, but it’s her theory, and it makes total sense.
Below is a list of this year’s top 25 names in Italy and there are so many beautiful ones to choose from!
Here is a list of top 10 Italian baby names of 2020
Boys names:
Leonardo
Francesco
Alessandro
Lorenzo
Mattia
Andrea
Gabriele
Matteo
Riccardo
Tommaso
Edoardo
Federico
Giuseppe
Antonio
Diego
Davide
Cristian
Nicolò
Giovanni
Samuele
Pietro
Marco
Filippo
Luca
Michele
Girls Names:
Sofia
Giulia
Aurora
Alice
Ginevra
Emma
Giorgia
Greta
Beatrice
Anna
Martina
Chiara
Sara
Nicole
Ludovica
Gaia
Matilde
Vittoria
Noemi
Francesca
Alessia
Camilla
Bianca
Arianna
Elena
