Quantity for 2 loaves or 1 loaf and some mini brioche with leftover pastry

1 cup milk (luke warm)

1 teaspoon dry yeast

600gr flour 00

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

¾ cup sugar

1 egg

Bustina di vanillina (or some vanilla essence or lemon rind if preferred)

Filling – Fig Jam (or any jam of choice or chocolate spread)

Melt the yeast in the luke warm milk (set aside)

Beat the egg, vanilla and sugar in a bowl (large enough to slowly add the flour later)

Add evoo and beat

Add milk and yeast mixture and beat

Slowly add flour and knead until soft and elastic

Place dough in bowl covered and leave to rise for an hour to two, making sure it doubles in size or almost.

Now you will need a rolling pin and a rectangular bread tin. If you don’t have a bread tin you can use a ciambella tin.

Flour your board and place risen dough on top and knead it a little getting back to a ball shape.

Roll it out with a rolling pin, into a rectangular shape that once rolled into a log, will fit into a rectangle bread tin.

Spread your jam over it, leaving a little strip at the top of the rectangle you can wet a little with some water so it seals up when you roll it up to close the log shape.

Roll the dough into a log and place in tin lined wth baking paper or some flour

(optional – beat one egg and brush the dough with it before baking)

Oven 180 degrees Celsius and bake for about 40 minutes or if you like a crust leave a few minutes longer

My kids asked me to make these Girelle di Cannella, so Sunday morning I woke up early to enjoy the beautiful quiet and have a little bake. I also popped a picture up on my instagram story and was asked by a lot of ‘dolci’ (sweet) lovers for the recipe so ‘eccola qui’ ! (here it is). The difference between these ones and the traditional ‘Cinnamon Scroll’ is that this one is an instant dough using self raising flour, and doesn’t need time to rise. The ‘Girelle’ turn out a little more like a biscotto rather than a soft doughy bun. Traditionally these are not Italian, but like many other recipes, we tweak things and make them the way we like them. It’s fun to be creative ‘in cucina’ (in the kitchen). Our family love these with the morning glass of ‘latte e caffe`’, and we always make enough to put a few aside for nonna and bisnonna (great-grandmother) to enjoy.

For the dough

-2 cups self raising flour

-90gr chilled salted butter

-2/3 cup milk

Knead and roll into a rectangular (as best you can) thin layer (about half cm thick). You can rest it for 10-15 minutes if you like. It will be a little easier to roll out if you do.

Make the filling

-melt 60gr butter

-1 & ½ tablespoons cinnamon

-1/3 cup sugar

Spread it all over the rectangle you just made, then roll the long side of the dough inwards and all the way to the other side so you end up with a log.

Slice roll into pieces about 2cm thick. 

Bake in oven 175 degrees until brown and cooked. (approx 20-30 minutes)

Icing

-1 cup icing sugar

-dash of milk (and stir through. If you prefer more runny then add more milk, less runny add more icing sugar)

Italian Procession - Riccia, Molise

Easter in Italy is a huge celebration, and like many Italian events it is a deep rooted religious one. Like all of Italy’s traditional celebrations, ‘Pasqua’ (Easter) time comes with some delicious traditional foods that are made throughout the country’s twenty beautiful regions. The most well known are, ‘La Pastiera Napoletana’, which is an Easter pie made in Naples, and ‘La Colomba di Pasqua’ which is a sweet dry cake similar to the Christmas Panettone only shaped like a dove, representing the symbol of new life. In Molise and Abbruzzo we make sweet and savoury ‘Fiadoni’. Here is a blog I wrote last Easter with the recipe: click here

Here are some typical Italian sayings that either refer to Easter or are taken from an event that happened during the Easter period but can be used all year round.

Natale con i tuoi, Pasqua con chi vuoi!

This means, ‘Christmas with your family, easter with whoever you like!’. While Easter Sunday is usually spent with family, Pasquetta (Easter Monday) is always spent with friends and usually by having a picnic.

Lungo come una Quaresima

A long as Lent -  With the lent period lasting 40 days, this saying speaks for itself! It’s used to describe someone or something that is boring or drawn out

Felice come una Pasqua

Happy as Easter. (Happy as Larry) - With Easter in Italy being a very religious celebration because of Christ rising on Easter Sunday, you can imagine the immense joyful energy in the air. New life brings a lot of happiness!

Portare la propria croce

'To carry one’s own cross’. The saying refers to the pain and suffering by Jesus Christ as he carried his own cross, so it used to express when someone is going through a hard time. 

Essere come San Tommaso

One of the Apostles named Thomas said he didn’t believe Jesus had died and risen and said, ‘If I don't see the marks left by the nails in his hands, nor pass my fingers through his ribs, I will not believe’, so this saying is used when a person won’t believe something until they see it with their own eyes.

BUONA PASQUA A TUTTI ! (HAPPY EASTER TO ALL)

Flavia… drawing a picture for our family and friends in Italy

In all of the craziness that is happening in the world at the moment, I have been keeping my children home from school, by choice, not by a regulation. My husband and I chose to do this because we have been living what Italy is going through for the past 3 weeks through our family and friends, and were advised by all of them to keep the kids home back then. When you hear the panic in your loved ones voice, you listen very carefully.

Here is a little FREE colouring in booklet that my children put together in Italian to keep your children entertained and to add a little bit of colour to your lives in these uncertain times.

Just click on the word below to open and get started

Coloriamo ! (let’s colour!)

Joy shared around the dinner table, love of food, wine and mother earth, closeness to family and friends and being warm and hospitable are just a few aspects of the Italian culture loved by many. I don’t think there is any other place in the world that has more songs written about ‘la mamma’ than Italy! Here are a few warm and fuzzy Italian sayings that will give you a better understanding of just how important ‘la familgia’ is to us

1.    La famiglia e` tutto – Family is everything

2.    Amor di madre, amor senza limiti – (Love of mother, love without limits) A mother’s love has no limit

3.    La mamma e` sempre la mamma – (The mum is always the mum) No matter what mamma does, she’s always my mamma

4.    Chi si volta, e chi si gira, sempre a casa va finire – (He who turns round and round, always ends up home) No matter where you go, you will always end up at home

5.    A ogni uccello il suo nido e` bello – (every bird loves his own nest) -Home sweet home

6.    Una buona mamma vale cento maestre – A good mother is worth a hundred teachers

7.    Un bimbo che non gioca, felicita` ne ha poca – A child who doesn’t play has little happiness

8.    Il sangue non e` acqua – (Blood is not water) – Blood is thicker than water

9.    L’affetto verso i genitori e` fondamento di ogni virtu`- love towards your parents is fundamentally the greatest virtue

10.  Non ricordiamo dei giorni, ci ricordiamo dei momenti – We don’t remember days, we remember moments

Napoli - Naples, Italy

Ahhhh Italia ! The country of ‘la dolce lingua’, Romeo and Juliet, dramatic opera’s and lovers in the streets showing affection like no-one is looking. Funnily enough, Valentine’s Day isn’t made a huge deal of in Italy like it is in other countries. Maybe because Italians show plentiful amounts of love and affection on a daily basis to their partners, friends and family. ‘La Festa di San Valentino’ is celebrated all around the world thanks to the ancient Roman festival Lupercalia. The festival celebrated the coming of spring and men and women being paired off by lottery. Thank goodness we now celebrate it with flowers, cards and love notes to a partner most of us have chosen ourselves.

Here are a few Italian love phrases you can use to woo your sweatheart this Valentines Day!

1.     Ti amo

‘I love you’

A phrase familiar to many ears, and one we use when we want to tell our partner we love them. Ti amo isn’t a phrase we would use to tell a family member or friend we love them…they may get the wrong idea!

2.     Ti voglio bene

‘ I love you / I care about you’

This is the phrase we use to tell family members, friends and partners we love them.

3.     Sono pazzo di te (If you are female you say ‘sono pazza di te’)

‘I am crazy for you’

4.     Sono innamorato di te (if you are female you say ‘sono innamorata di te’)

‘I am in love with you’

5.     Amore mio

‘ My love’

 Used as a term of endearment to your partner but mothers also call their  child ‘amore’ like English speakers say ‘darling’.

6.     Dammi un bacio

‘ Give me a kiss’

 You can use this for anyone really! But if you want to ask your child for a kiss you  would ask for a ‘bacetto’.

7.     Ti penso sempre

‘I think about you all the time’

This phrase can be used to sign off on a love letter or email, but can also be said in conversation.

8.     Sei bellissmo (or bellissima if you are saying it to a girl)

‘You are beautiful’

This can also be used to say to anyone.

9.     Sei sempre nel mio cuore

‘You are always in my heart’

When you just want to be a sweetheart to your partner and make them feel loved

10.  Amo solo te

‘I love only you’

Another phrase to melt the heart of your lover

Campobasso, Molise- Italy

When the mouth watering aroma of fried capsicum filled the air at nonna’s house you could pretty much bet she was making her ‘Pipi e Patati Friuti’ (calabrese dialect for Peperoni e Patate Fritte - Fried capsicum and Potato), and now every time I make it it takes me back to when I was a little girl. Nonna still makes it at 95 years of age! She really is pretty damn awesome. I got her to show me how to make it after I got married and moved out.

‘Quando mi viene voglia’ (when I get the craving) I will make it at home myself. Does it ever taste like nonna’s? Well, can anything ever taste like nonna’s? So if you have a spare couple of hours and want a dish true to the Italian ‘la cucina povera’ style (poor mans food), then give it a go. It’s great to eat hot or cold, with some ‘carne alla brace’ (barbecued meat), or even as is, in a nice crusty bread roll. Either way, you won’t regret the time spent preparing it. Fried food can be quite heavy and not something Italians eat on a daily basis. These kinds of dishes are like little treats.

Here is the recipe, as good as I could jot it down while I was making it, accompanied by a couple of snaps taken in the time that I had. It feeds about 8 people so just halve the quantities if you don’t have to cook for an army like I do. It is quite labour intensive so set aside at least 2 hours (prepare yourself a nice glass or two of vino before you start), or less time if you are making less. Trust me this dish is worth the time spent cooking it.

Ingredients:

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

8 lge potatoes

8 medium capsicum

1 tin Mutti Tomato Polpa

Dried Oregano

Clove of garlic

Method:

Use a large fry pan for all of these steps. You shouldn’t have to clean or change the pan.

Cut the capsicum into strips.

Peel and cut the potato into chip like shapes and par boil.

While they are boiling, using half cup of the EVO or a little less if you prefer, simply fry the capsicum until it softens. Don’t forget to salt them. Pop them aside in a bowl big enough to fit both capsicum and potato.

Strain the potato and in the other half cup of EVO lightly fry them bit by bit and as you remove them from the fry pan pop them in the bowl the fried capsicum are in, lightly salting them as you do.

Once you have finished frying the chips, fry a bit of garlic in the remaining oil, pour in one tin of Mutti Tomato Polpa in the pan, fill the empty can with water and pour it in the pan also. Add salt and oregano and simmer until cooked (say 40 minutes or so). If the water evaporates a lot and it’s really thick and still not cooked, just add a little more and simmer a little longer.

Once the sauce is cooked, pour it over the capsicum and potato and fold everything through gently.

Enjoy with loved ones.

Rustic as can be

So apparently pasta was brought to Italy from China by Marco Polo in the 13th century. They say it derives from noodles. Hats off to the Asian cuisine. What a blessing! Because what the Italians created with it after has gone down in history!

When I think of pasta, fresh or dry, I think of way more than just food. For us Italians it’s a part of life, it’s good for you, and we eat it every single day. Here are some of thine things I think of when I hear the word ‘pasta’…. 

Mamma helping out at the school for our Cavatelli class

Eavesdropping

As a child, making pasta brought us into the kitchen on Sundays when the women of the family were chit chatting while preparing family lunch, and we would eavesdrop. They’d be updating each other on their week or reminiscing about the past, and the stories I’d love most were the ones nonna told about things that happened back in her paese in Calabria. They’d giggle and talk loudly, or lower their voice if it was a bit of juicy gossip. The ‘ragu’ (meat sauce) would be simmering away and would fill the air with an aroma that would make even a full tummy rumble. If you told them you were hungry they’d get that look of distress on their face typical of an Italian mother, and dip a bit of Italian loaf into it, and hand it to you as a snack followed by the words ‘mangia figlia’ (eat child).

Ravioli with zucchini, eggplant and mushroom

Sunday lunch

Sundays were definitely the day of the week we’d look forward to. It’s when the extended family would gather at nonna & nonno’s and we’d eat, drink and laugh for hours. Either homemade potato gnocchi or ravioli with spinach and ricotta or meat filling were nonna’s favourite fresh pasta types to make, followed by a salad with the meat from the ragu sauce. Standard. The ragu was a treat (if you like meat) because during the week the pasta was usually made with vegetable based condiments.

Sunday lunch in tavernetta (Ripalimosani, Italy)

It’s easy, good for you & covers all food groups

It truly is one of the easiest and quickest meals you can make and it covers a lot of food groups in just one plate. You don’t have to make your pasta from scratch all of the time. There’s nothing wrong with a good packet pasta. Make a quick sauce with some greens, legumes, or meat you like and you’re done. Sauces don’t have to be heavy with cream or other rich ingredients. Extra virgin olive oil and water to simmer are usually the best.

Zia in Italy preparing the tagliatelle with the Sunday lunch meat sugo

Therapy

Just like sport, knitting, reading and other hobbies, making fresh pasta can be very therapeutic. It’s kind of like a ‘zone out’ time and at the same time you create something that can be shared with family or friends. We all love a family or friend gathering full of good food, good vino and good conversation.

Nonno in Italy serving up the tubettini pasta

Cheap

Absolutely. A nice plate of pasta feeds so many people at such a small cost. Quick, easy, simple and cheap. It’s definitely a win win.

Pasta e ceci

So how on earth could anyone say that pasta is ‘bad’ for you? How do Italians live longer and stay so trim while consuming daily portions of pasta? Because we know the difference between good food and bad and won’t let the marketers of fad diets persuade us into having it any other way, especially when nonna has told you otherwise.

I often receive calls from people, telling me they are going to Italy soon, and would like to come and learn Italian. As much as I wish there was, I can honestly say that there is no fast track way or short cut to learning Italian. Learning to parrot phrases is like entering a dead end road with a car, and even if you have memorised how to ask where the bathroom is, when the native speaker answers you with  ‘in fondo, a sinistra e poi e` sulla destra’, you won’t know what he or she has said because you have only learnt a phrase.

I always remind my students they need to bare in mind that it takes us around 2 years to utter our first word when we are totally immersed in the language and culture of where we are born and raised. Speaking is one of the last things we master because we don’t want to be embarrassed by making mistakes, so here are a few tips of things you could do out of the classroom to speed up your learning.

Watch Italian movies with English subtitles

Even if you don’t understand every word, by listening and reading you are sure to pick up bits and pieces and you get to relax and enjoy a movie while you’re learning. You’ll probably also learn a little more about the Italian culture.

Read Italian books

If you are a beginner, choose some Italian short stories online by doing a google search, or buy a short story book for beginners. If you are a little more advanced choose an easy to read novel like ‘Io e Te’ by the amazing (and my favourite!) Italian author Niccolo` Ammaniti. Make sure you have a dictionary handy so you can underline and translate the bits that are new to you. The more times you see a new word and write it, the more likely you will remember it.

Do some free online learning

There are thousands of free resources online. All you have to do is search for the grammar exercises you are covering in your Italian class and you’ll be amazed at all of the extra practice you can get in. Some sites even have drop boxes so you can check your own answers.

Download some apps like Duolingo and do a little bit each day

 Even if you only spend 5 minutes on the app a day, any Italian is good Italian.

Listen to Italian music, free live radio streaming, or podcasts

Sometimes the old classics are good to listen to because the Italian is sung more clearly than some modern day Italian artists. I am sure a lot of you are familiar with the famous old song ‘Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu’ by Domenica Modugno. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qivzSaALee8 . Listen to it and learn it by heart, then get a copy of the lyrics and translate them. You’ll pick up a lot just from a song, especially if you are learning the grammar in class.

All of the above can compliment your Italian lessons in the classroom where, in my opinion, you should be learning the mechanics of the language and how it works so you are able to construct sentences. Grammar may seem a little boring while you are learning it but it is an essential part of learning how to speak a language and when you learn the rules, it all falls into place eventually. Time, patience and persistence is the key. Don’t try to run before you walk. The speaking will come, a lot later in the game, but it won’t happen overnight.

Piazza Gabriele Pepe - Campobasso - Molise

Molise. Where is Molise you ask?  Well, that’s what a lot of people ask. Once upon a time Abruzzo was the name of the region until 1963 when the province of Campobasso was split to form another region known today as Molise. As a little girl I remember hearing my father say he was Abruzzese when people would ask what region he was from, because it was easier than giving a history lesson!

One of the reasons I chose to take my students to Molise was because apart from being close to my heart, it is not a tourist destination, and I wanted to invite them into our other ‘life’ in Italy, where we still have immediate family, our best friends and godchildren, our nieces and nephews. I wanted them to experience the true taste of local Italian living. The visit turned out to be even more wonderful than I could have ever imagined and I am truly looking forward to doing it all again very soon.

Cantalupo del Sannio - Molise

Our 5 day tour of this delightfully picturesque region situated between the Adriatic Coast and the Sannio and Matese mountains, with the Abruzzo and Puglia regions above and below, I drove the students around in our Fiat 500 and they discovered a winery that was brought back to life, spent a day on a friend’s farm with his family and made pasta, took a trip to one of the highest points in the region to a cheese factory, and visited a Countess at her masseria to taste her extra virgin olive oil, along with some very long lunches of some of the finest typical Molisani dishes served with a whole lot of love and pride. The most important part of the visit was sharing our local Italian life with this very small intimate group. Does it get any better?

Here are a few pictures and a description of how our days went. I will do my best to remember the details because I was too happy living and enjoying the moments to keep a journal and stop too many times to take photos. I am certain I missed a few snaps along the way. I must mention that everything we ate and drank on this journey was either produced by the host, or by a local neighbouring farmer, and our guests could taste it with every single morsal and sip during their stay.

Enjoy!

Riccia - Molise

The students arrived a day early, which wasn’t a problem at all, because in true Italian style nothing usually is. One of the best things about this visit was that the group was small and intimate, and the visitors were considered to be our guests rather than tourists. My husband and I were the guides so we could ad lib when we wanted and add in the odd extra aperitivo, or visit somewhere spontaneously that wasn’t on the ‘agenda’. It was very relaxed and as authentically Italian as can be.

The morning after they arrived we were headed to my sister in law’s farmhouse for a visit. She’d asked us if we wanted to go and make jam as the fruit on her prune tree was ready to be picked. We stopped by at one of the towns pizzeria’s, owned and run by a family who has been baking for over 100 years. You’ve never eaten pizza quite like it. We also stopped to get a bit of prosciutto, mozzarella and parmigiano to take to her farmhouse for a little ‘spuntino’ (snack) at lunch time. On arrival we decided against making the marmellata (jam) and instead went for a short hike through the woods to stretch our legs and breathe in some fresh Molisano air.

Before our orientation that evening (when the visit officially began) we went for an aperitivo and took a stroll through the historic centre up to the Castello Monforte. Later that evening we ate at a restaurant tucked away in the underground city of Campobasso, boasting ancient stone carvings and paintings. We ate melanzane al forno with ricotta, homemade cavatelli with cinghiale, veal medallions, and then enjoyed some deserts, caffe` and of course amaro.

On day two we headed off to Ripalimosani where we took a 4wd and drove through some hillside vinyards to see how this uncultivated land had been given new life by its owners, and how the wines are produced using no preservatives or pesticides. Back at the hosts home, we tasted all of their delicious wines, from Tintilia rose and red (a typical grape from Molise), to whites including chardonnay.

I’m not sure I’d call them ‘tastes’ as the pours were extremely generous, so it was just as well we were offered platters of bread, capocollo, salsiccia, caciocavallo and other cheeses, all from local neighbouring farmers.

After our visit to the vineyard, we headed off to our friend’s horse riding property where they also have a trattoria and we enjoyed a never ending lunch that was absolutely divine. Rosaria prepared many different local delights and the antipasto was full of variety including cacio e uova (cheese and bread balls), buffalo milk mousse and fiori di zucca. My favourite were her homemade ravioli with ricotta filling and a very light pesto di pistacchio sauce. The cantucci biscotti with cherry and lemon jam she made were so good I took some home for our breakfast the next day. From the pips of the cherries she’d used to make the jam, she also made a heavenly cherry liquor enjoyed by all. Waste nothing!

Day three we took a visit to our friend Pino’s farm who greeted us that morning with an espresso made with the moka (stove top espresso maker) and a few different homemade biscotti and crostate (sweet pies). If our guests had known what his mamma was going to prepare us for lunch I know they would have refused breakfast.

We were invited into Pino’s ‘sala dei lampadari’ (the room where all of the prosciutto is hanging to be cured) where he explained to us the process of how it’s all done (in Italian of course!). We also got a chance to taste it at lunch. Pino’s mamma then took us to milk the cow and use the milk to make some fresh mozzarella, followed by a pasta making class of cavatelli (a pasta shape typical of the Molise region) with flour made from their own grain. We tasted the ricotta she had made earlier that morning and all agreed it was the best ricotta we had ever eaten! After lunch we all had ‘la zoletta’ made especially by Pino, which is a sugar cube soaked in alcohol made from a variety of different herbs found on their farm, and was just what we needed to help us digest the 6 course meal we had just devoured. Then we took off up to the top of this wonderful village to enjoy the most supurb panoramic view of Italy, all the way from East (the Adriatic coast) to West (the mountains of Campania), and while up there we visited some churches and drank fresh ice cold water that was gushing out from the mountain side.

Day four was our cheesemaking day in Agnone. Near one of the highest points of the mountains in Molise (alto Molise) we were guided by the daughter of the producers of the famous Caciocavallo cheese, fresh mozzarella, and cheeses with tartufo and peperoncino (chilli) to name a few. The family have been making cheese since 1662 and we watched as they created the cheeses in their petite factory and then headed off to view the ageing produce in their cellar, along with a tour through their very own museum where we found out about the family’s history and ended with a tasting of some of their cheese. Afterwards we drove a little further up the mountain to enjoy another very long lunch by another gorgeous family, who when we couldn’t decide on which ‘amaro’ we would like at the end of our meal, they brought us out every bottle they had (there were around 6 from memory) with some glasses so we could taste them all. One was made with the ginseng root which is grown on their land, though we were told it is hard to find.

Day 5 and our last day was with the delightfully charming countess Donna Marina at her masseria, walking through her olive grove, seeing how the extra virgin olive oil is produced, bottled and labelled by hand, and ending our day with the most wonderful olive oil tasting imaginable. We enjoyed a beautiful light lunch of olives, crostini, pasta with chickpeas, and ‘la pampanella’ which is a typical slow cooked pork rib dish from San Martino in Pensulis, followed by some biscotti and caffe. On the way home we stopped by the family farmhouse to show our guests my fathers old school, which is pictured in what I use as my logo, and was the inspiration for starting up The Little Italian School.Just as well we had a light lunch because we had our aperitivo and fairwell seafood dinner in a quaint little piazzetta in Campobasso that evening where we enjoyed local wine and the freshest fish from Termoli (a coastal fishing town in Molise) caught that morning. It was a great night but I was feeling a little emotional knowing our guests would be leaving the next day, wishing they could stay just a few days more.

I am so grateful for the way in which the hosts embraced our visitors and treated them like family from beginning to end. It couldn’t have been more perfect and we are looking forward to taking more guests to this undiscovered region of Italy that continues to deliver its local culture and traditions in the most authentic way, with so much pride, love and passion. The locals can never do enough for you. There is a saying in Italy that goes ‘Il Molise non Esiste’ meaning ‘Molise doesn’t exist’. I can tell you that it absolutely does, and it has so much to offer. I believe it’s one of Italy’s best kept secrets and kind of hope it stays that way.

Termoli - Molise