reading

MICHAEL JOSEPH

Penguin Books is part of the Penguin Random House group of companies whose addresses can be found at global.penguinrandomhouse.com.

First published 2014

The moral right of the authors has been asserted

ISBN: 978-1-405-93058-1

Nonno’s Poem

This is a nonsense poem our Nonno used to tell us as kids. It always made us giggle and we thought it would be a perfect introduction to our book, memories of fun family times in the Chiappa household.

Introduction

Wales and Italy, family and food. For us, these four things are inextricably linked and at the root of our upbringing. Whether at our family home in Wales or on holiday in the small hilltop village in northern Italy where we are from, we have always heard Dad say that la tavola (the table) is the central focus of our lives – it’s where we cook, eat and socialize.

The three of us – Michela, Emanuela and Romina – grew up living in what some might call an entourage, a brood or even a clan of family in the Welsh valleys near Merthyr Tydfil. Our first home was a set of terraced houses on the side of a hill overlooking Merthyr Tydfil, where Dad had grown up with his own aunts, uncles and cousins. We later moved into one long farmhouse with interconnecting doors, with views of Aberdare. We were in one house, where our Mum and Dad, Paola and Graziano, still live. Next door is our Uncle Laz (Dad’s brother), his wife Giulia and their two daughters Antonella and Grazia, and next to them lived our Italian grandparents, Nonno Pino and Nonna Luisa.

Nonno Pino came from a tiny village called Pilati on the top of the Apennine Mountains in Emilia Romagna between Bardi, Bedonia and Borgo Val di Taro. He lived off the land through seasonal farming jobs such as lumber jacking, carpentry and goat or pig farming – basically, anything he could put his hands to!

Our Nonna came from a middle-class family. She would often tell us how Nonno hadn’t wanted to marry her; he said he had nothing to give her and therefore she couldn’t marry him. He would say, ‘I’m a simple farmer and all I do is dig holes for potatoes.’ Her loving response was, ‘Well then, you can dig the hole and I’ll be there to place the potato.’ They soon married.

After World War II ended, Italy was in the midst of a financial depression and many Italians emigrated abroad to find better opportunities. When Dad was three years old, Nonno and Nonna decided to follow many other Bardigani to Wales, where there was already a thriving Italian community. Nonno was a plumber and, although he didn’t speak a word of English, he managed to earn a decent living working for the Italian families and never had reason to learn the language!

Our grandparents, like most people at that time, had to live a simple life but even with the most basic ingredients Nonna always rustled up delicious, hearty Italian meals. La cucina povera (peasant food) can be a rich feast if you know how! She developed clever substitutes for ingredients that they couldn’t afford – a block of Cheddar, for example, air-dried for several weeks until it is as hard as rock, can be used instead of Parmesan. Obviously the real thing is preferable but Nonna used to say that you have to make the best of what you can afford.

Our other grandparents, on Mum’s side of the family, are the Ferrari-Lanes from Porthcawl in South Wales. Nonna Anna was originally from Bettola (a little Italian town about an hour from Bardi and Piacenza) whereas Nonno Muk-a-Muk, as we called him (real name Morwood), is our Welsh/English connection. He was a master baker and owned his own café and bakery in Bridgend – this is where we get all our baking secrets. Romina takes after him and has written down all of his recipes. Nonno’s speciality was puff pastry and he made the BEST coffee puffs! He was also influenced by our Italian side – see Nonno’s Mini Sausage Rolls.

The Italian immigrant community in Wales is now very well established – so much so that there is a society called the Amici Val Ceno (Friends of the Ceno, which is the river that runs through the Bardi valley). The society hosts events throughout the year, but the highlight of the calendar is the annual Italian Picnic – La Scampagnata. On one weekend in June, friends and family congregate in a field in Wales to eat together, but this isn’t an average picnic with a few sandwiches and a blanket spread out on the grass; Italians take picnics very seriously! Everyone turns up in vans with gazebos, garden furniture and barbecues, unveiling container after container of freshly prepared food. The day is spent eating and visiting each other’s tables to see who has cooked the best and the most that year.

‘All the recipes Nonna cooked have been passed through mum to us. This book is a collection of those recipes, as well as others deciphered from Nonna’s notebooks.’

In much the same way, each summer the Welsh–Italians flock back to Bardi for some festivities – the highlight being the Festa Dell’ Emigrante, held in the town centre, where you’ll find a huge feast of local delicacies like cured meats, pasta with porcini and wild boar with polenta. The food is spread out on trestle tables and accompanied by lots of wine. There’s dancing and even the cuccagna – a greased telephone pole that teams compete to shimmy up to win prizes. The funny thing is that the locals will often hear strong Welsh accents calling out across from one end of the bar to the other.

So, as you can see, we’ve been surrounded by family and food throughout our lives. As soon as we could walk we were helping out in the kitchen. Even though we were more likely to crack eggshell into the pasta dough, or get flour all over the floor, we always had a role in the kitchen. When you’re young, it’s the best time to learn about food. And all the recipes Nonna cooked have been passed through Mum to us. This book is a collection of those recipes, as well as others deciphered from Nonna’s notebooks. And we’ve also included little tips and tricks that we hope you find useful. We don’t claim to be professional chefs and we believe that cooking should be enjoyable – so just give it a go and play around with it!

Whilst our grandparents were able to spend lots of time in the kitchen, most people today need to fit cooking into their already busy lives, and home cooking often comes lower down in the list of priorities. With this book we want to show you how you can manage both; all three of us have hectic lives and careers but we also place huge importance on our traditions and family way of life.

A traditional Italian meal has more courses than a British menu (sometimes many more!). We usually start with an antipasto, followed by the primo piatto (which is usually a pasta dish), then the secondo (meat or fish) with a selection of contorni (sides), and finishing with dolci (dessert). As well as recipes for the traditional meals we eat at Casa Chiappa, we’ve included a few that we only eat in Italy and also some Welsh-inspired recipes. After all, you can take the girl out of Wales … In our Channel 4 television series, Simply Italian, we focused on pasta, but here we share with you the whole range – from snacks, soups and salads to mains, side dishes, desserts and cakes. Good, simple, fresh Italian food, which fits into our modern lifestyles without any fuss.

About the Sisters

MICHELA (or Miki) travels the world with her job for a sports marketing agency, while juggling being a first-time mum to her daughter, Fiamma. She is always in need of quick fixes for dinner and has become an expert at fresh and tasty pasta sauces or risottos that can be rustled up from store-cupboard essentials. This lead to her having her own TV series on Channel 4 called Simply Italian and an online blog with her sisters: www.thechiappas.com. She also runs The College House, a coffee and pizza café, in Cardiff, with her husband (see here–here).

EMANUELA (or Emi) is the middle sister, and was often mistaken for Miki’s twin when they were growing up; Mum would always dress them identically! However, this is where the similarities end, as Emi is very much a home-bird. Happy with a bucket and spade when she was little, she is now equally content with a pot on the stove or anything hands-on and crafty. She is kept busy juggling her job as a full-time nanny alongside an online business making bespoke gifts for babies. Emi has become an expert in the more time-consuming and technical dishes like fresh filled pasta parcels (for example Tortelli Piacentini or Anolini) and she loves experimenting with modern twists of traditional recipes.

ROMINA (or Mina) is the youngest of the family and has inherited the family’s dark Mediterranean colouring. She is also the only family member to love maths (the rest of us are terrible with numbers) and combining this with a quirky sense of style she currently works at the head office of a luxury fashion label. With two older (louder) sisters, Mina grew up calm and collected, knowing exactly what she wanted and she doesn’t do girly fuss or drama. But don’t be fooled: behind her cool exterior, Romina has a wild side and is always the first one on the dance floor! Romina has also picked up our Nonno Mauro’s secret baking tips and always adds her splash of creativity and individuality to any party we host. So she’s the family party planner and baker who loves to entertain. Romina also heads up the wedding business the sisters have set up ‘CoHo Italian Weddings’, which offers a bespoke service to couples wanting to get married in Italy.

Store−Cupboard Essentials

Arborio rice

This is essential for risotto; the grains puff up, absorbing flavour. Most risottos can be cooked in about 20 minutes, making a tasty and quick meal. And they only use one pot.

Balsamic vinegar

Balsamic vinegar is an ever-present ingredient in the Chiappa household. If you need a quick snack, just make some ‘pooch’ from a little olive oil, balsamic vinegar and salt and use it as a dip for crunchy carrots and celery, or bread and crackers. Our Balsamic Glaze (see here) is also really simple to make; keep it to hand for antipasti or to drizzle over fresh strawberries.

Olive oil and extra virgin olive oil

Don’t ever run out! Use regular olive oil for cooking and extra virgin olive oil for dressings and for drizzling.

Onions and garlic

These form the base for so many Italian recipes. They last a long time and you should always have a ready supply.

Parmesan cheese

Lots of people have asked us how to store Parmesan so it stays fresh. Mum’s tip is to grate it and then freeze it immediately in bags. You can use it straight from frozen. Parmesan is too expensive to allow it to become mouldy in your fridge and NEVER buy pre-grated Parmesan, as it’s not nearly as good quality.

Dried pasta

Always have a couple of packets of dried spaghetti or linguine and penne or farfalle in your cupboard for impromptu visitors. You can rustle up a great pasta dish with just a few basic ingredients. See our speedy sauces recipes.

Dried pasta has a very different texture and taste from fresh pasta. However, it is wonderfully easy to store and use, and is more appropriate for certain recipes than fresh pasta. It is much more robust, so can be cooked for longer without becoming mushy. However, we would never, EVER buy ready-made tortelli or ravioli; only fresh pasta will do here. So, you see, both types of pasta – fresh and dried – have their place. Here are some of our favourite dried pasta shapes and how to use them:

★ Mezze-penne (half-penne) and conchiglie (shells) – fantastic in soups and stews (see Nonna’s Lentil Pasta Stew).

★ Pastina – probably our favourite type of dried pasta comes in many different shapes, and it is a great food to give to babies when they start to eat solids. Add to soups for extra texture. Try it in our Chicken Broth.

Pesto

Fresh pesto (see here and here) will keep for months in your fridge, provided you cover the top with a layer of olive oil. However, you can also freeze pesto in ice-cube trays. Once frozen, push the pesto cubes in to a freezer bag to save space. When you want a quick pasta dish, simply toss a frozen pesto cube onto your drained cooked pasta and heat for a couple of minutes until it has dissolved and warmed through.

Polenta

We often use instant polenta, as it is ready in less than 10 minutes. Traditional polenta is coarsely ground and takes much longer to cook. For our busy lifestyles, we find instant polenta works just as well. It’s also useful when making fresh pasta to stop the dough sticking.

Porcini mushrooms

Dried porcini can be stored for months and are brilliant if you need to make a tasty meal but don’t have any fresh ingredients. See our Cheat’s Mushroom Risotto recipe.

Stock cubes

We love home-made stocks and use it whenever we can, but good-quality stock cubes are a great substitute.

Tinned tomatoes

We keep several tins on standby in our cup-boards. Turn to here to see how many variations there are on our Classic Tomato Sauce.

Tomato purée

This will keep for ages in your fridge and will help add depth to dishes without overloading on salt.

OUR FREEZER TIPS

Breadcrumbs

If you have leftover bread, allow it to go hard then turn it into breadcrumbs by grating it or whizzing it in a food processor. Keep the breadcrumbs in a bag in the freezer, so they’re always on hand.

Frozen spinach

This is usually frozen as soon as it is picked and is packed with nutrients. It’s a great vegetable to have stored away to give a boost to a pasta sauce or risotto if you’re low on fresh supplies.

Herbs

Are you a sucker for buying fresh herbs from the supermarket, which then die before you’ve had a chance to use them? Our tip is to finely chop fresh herbs as soon as you buy them and put them into a bag or plastic container in the freezer. You can then use them straight from frozen and this will mean you always have access to fresh herbs. This trick works best with woody herbs such as rosemary and sage.

Individual portions

Miki travels a lot with work and so keeps her freezer stocked with individual meal portions for when she gets home and wants a quick fix for her rumbling tummy. She will often cook bulk supplies at the weekends and divide them

into portions for freezing. There is never a need to buy processed foods; create your own home-made ready meals! Gnocchi, tortelli, ravioli, Pasta Pie with Potato Filling, Pasta Pie with Spinach Filling, Aubergine and Mozzarella Bake (see here, here, here, here and here) are all great cooked straight from frozen.

Limoncello

This traditional Italian liqueur should always be served ice cold. We like to keep a supply ready in our freezer for any unexpected guests that might arrive!

Raspberries

Raspberries are one of our favourite fruits but they MUST be eaten fresh. If you can’t gobble them up immediately, freeze them. Emi needs something sweet after every meal. On the occasions when we don’t have a dessert, she knows there will be frozen raspberries in the freezer to munch on.

Wine ‘ice cubes’

This is really Romina’s tip, as she is the party girl who always has a supply of wine dregs after the weekend! Freeze leftover wine in ice-cube bags or trays and, whenever you need a glass of wine in a recipe, throw in a few frozen wine cubes. This way, you won’t have to open a fresh bottle of wine just for cooking.

GREAT ITALIAN INGREDIENTS

Caciotta

Soft and creamy, with a consistency a little like mozzarella but with a saltier taste, this is a delicious melting cheese from our region of Italy, Emilia Romagna. If you can’t find caciotta, Taleggio makes a great alternative.

Crodino (or Aperol)

This is a bitter but refreshing drink that is regularly served as an aperitivo in Italian bars. A little like a Campari soda, it is bright orange and has an acquired taste, but once you’ve had it a few times on holiday in Italy, it will bring back lovely memories for the rest of the year.

Funghi stock cubes

Great for adding richness and extra flavour to a porcini sauce or mushroom risotto.

Gutturnio

A chilled sparkling red wine from our region in Italy. Most wine buffs turn their noses up at this, but it’s our local wine and we love it! You should certainly try it if you get the chance.

Italian cooked ham

You might think this is the same as any other cooked ham, but it has a taste that reminds us of our Italian summer holidays. Make sure you buy it in wafer-thin slices.

Lievito Pane degli Angeli

Another great Italian ingredient for baking. Its translation means ‘Bread of the Angels’. We think it’s the ‘magic’ ingredient to transform certain cake recipes. Essentially it’s a sachet of baking powder mixed with vanilla and a little yeast.

Mostarda

A wonderful condiment used traditionally alongside boiled meats. It is made of candied fruit but don’t be fooled into thinking it’s something sweet as it’s coated in a strong mustard syrup so has quite a sweet and fiery combination. An essential and delicious ingredient for our butternut squash wedding tortelli (see here).

Ortolina

Just like tomato purée, this will last a long time in your fridge. Made with a combination of veggies (celery, carrots and tomatoes), it is completely delicious and a great addition to a pasta sauce or soup.

Pastina

This is literally ‘little pasta’, and it comes in lots of different shapes (stars, rings, squares, etc.). We often ate it in soups when we were little and we now love it in a quick broth with lots of Parmesan – all three of us lived on this at university!

Peperoncino

Often used in small amounts in our recipes, not for spice or heat but just enough to give a hint of heat and act as a natural seasoning. Cayenne pepper is a good alternative.

Rio Mare

The ultimate tinned tuna! It is preserved in olive oil and has a distinctive taste that you don’t get from tuna in brine or sunflower oil.

Eat Like an Italian

OUR FAVOURITE DISHES FOR DIFFERENT OCCASIONS

PICNIC

Every year, we Welsh–Italians living in South Wales congregate in Abergavenny to celebrate La Scampagnata – an Italian gathering. Each family brings car-loads (and even van-loads) of food, and all we do is sit around and visit each other’s ‘plot’, tasting the different recipes and delicacies … It’s not a competition, but the women secretly compete to cook the best dish! Here we’ve highlighted some recipes within the book that are perfect for big group and family gathering – dishes that can be easily transported and wrapped up for any foodie picnic:

SLIMLINE HEALTHY

Eating all’Italiana every night does not mean calorie overload. Below are some of our favourite lighter meals which are just as yummy and super healthy:

CHILDREN’S FOOD

Being brought up in an Italian household, we were taught to eat the same food as the adults. There was no kids’ menu each night for us, but Mum made sure to cook us a feast that both we and our dad would thoroughly enjoy. Our favourite meals as children, which we still enjoy eating today, are highlighted below – recipes that are easy to prepare any day of the week, can be cooked in large quantities and are full of goodness for all the family to enjoy:

CELEBRATIONS

Our celebratory meals are always filled with plenty of variety, and we’ll feast for several hours over endless courses. More often than not we will prepare the dishes ahead of time, as certain special recipes require a little more TLC to get them just right. Below are some suggestions of what we would eat on feast days like Christmas or Easter:

QUICK FIX

The following foods are recipes which we have adapted to suit our busy working lives. Nonna’s role in life revolved around the kitchen and feeding her family; night and day she’d be cooking and preparing food. Having full-time jobs means there’s not much time to spend in the kitchen, but we like to enjoy home-cooked tasty food, so here is a list of recipes that are quick and easy to prepare after a long day in the office:

★ Zesty Spring Vegetables (perfect in the summer months, when lots of fresh delicious veg are available)

★ Risotto (20 minutes to make a meal, and cooked in one pot!) (pages here–here)

DINNER PARTY

Entertaining for friends and family can be stressful when you have run out of inspiration for what to cook. We always stick to four courses: antipasto, primo (pasta), secondo (main) and dessert. We like to prepare our food for a dinner party in advance so that we can focus on being glamorous hosts rather than slaving over the stove when the guests arrive. Here is a suggestion of a menu for a dinner party that will always impress and will ensure nobody leaves your home feeling hungry:

RECIPE FLAGS

We have matched every recipe to a different category for you to find your way around this book super speedily if you’re looking for something specific. Therefore if you fancy something you can pre-prepare then flick through and look for the ‘Get Ahead’ yellow flags in the book. If you want a veggie dish, flick through and find the green flags. For each recipe we chose the most appropriate flag, so don’t assume there are only a small handful of veggie/freezable dishes … many recipes could have had multiple flags, but to keep things simple, we chose the one that we felt worked best for each dish.

A Classic

Freeze

Get Ahead

Get the Kids Involved

Healthy

Something Special

Speedy

Veggie

At about 5 p.m. (or sometimes midday at the weekend, pre-lunch), you’ll find Italians enjoying an aperitivo in a bar. An aperitivo is a pre-dinner drink served with a selection of light nibbles, antipasti, designed to ‘open’ the palate. It also provides an opportunity to relax and socialize while eating a little snack.

A typical drink for an aperitivo is prosecco (bubbles!) or a Crodino or Aperol spritz (a bright orange drink a little like a Campari soda). In the summer, Bellinis are also popular (fresh peach juice and prosecco). Most bars will serve your aperitivo with some nuts, olives, mini focaccia or a small bowl of crisps.

Milan is a city well known for its aperitivi culture and it has taken the notion of ‘nibbles’ to another level. Locals will often head to a bar after work and order an aperitivo or a cocktail. They will then help themselves to the vast selection of antipasti on display – mini mozzarella balls, fritto misto, stuffed sun-blushed tomatoes, crispy polenta … the list goes on! When Miki worked in Milan during her year abroad at university, she hunted out all the best places (see our suggestions here). As you can probably guess, she was a fan of the ‘extended’ aperitivi and often skipped dinner.

In Italian, ‘antipasto’ translates as ‘before your meal’ and it is the equivalent of a British starter. In a traditional trattoria, so many delicious antipasti can be served that we often don’t have enough room for the other courses! Antipasti can vary: they can be hot or cold, seafood or meat – where we are from it is traditional to serve plates of cured meats such as salame, coppa, prosciutto crudo, culatello and mortadella with bread or torta fritta and pickled sweet onions and mushrooms (see here and here).

At Casa Chiappa, whenever guests arrive, Mum always has some treats to hand to enjoy with a glass of wine as an aperitivo or to create a quick antipasto. It doesn’t have to be complicated: hand-torn pieces of toasted bread or focaccia dipped in an olive oil, balsamic vinegar and salt dressing; chunks of Parmesan with Italian meats; or Gorgonzola with crackers and honey.

In this chapter we’ve collected together recipes for some of our favourite antipasti so you can join in on the Italian fun! Romina often has these as canapés before her dinner parties, although they’re just as good on a buffet table. Give them a try so you can see how easy and delicious they are.

Steamed Artichokes with Lemon Salsa

CARCIOFI CLASSICI CON SALSA DI LIMONE

This is the perfect snack to keep you going while you’re waiting for your next meal. As kids, it was so much fun picking off the leaves from the artichoke and dipping them in the sauce – little did we know that we were actually eating a vegetable! It’s a great snack to share as a family, gathered around the table.

Using a pair of scissors, cut off about 1cm from the tip of each artichoke leaf. Remove the stalks with a sharp knife. Drizzle each artichoke with half a tablespoon of oil and a quarter of the lemon juice, then season with salt and pepper.

Put 250ml water in a large saucepan and bring to the boil over a medium heat. Place the artichokes in the pan, with their bases resting on the bottom. Cover with a lid and steam for 30 minutes. Keep an eye on the water and top up if necessary. To check the artichokes are cooked, carefully turn them over and press the base; if your finger leaves an indentation, then they are ready. Be careful not to burn yourself.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the cream cheese, the remaining lemon juice and the remaining oil. Season with salt and pepper and mix to combine.

We like to serve this on a big chopping board in the middle of the table so that everyone can get stuck in.

tips

Try adding a little chilli or cayenne pepper to the lemon salsa to give it some extra kick.

If the lemon salsa is too sharp, stir through some more cream cheese.

Crispy Polenta with Cheese

POLENTA CROCCANTE AL FORMAGGIO

Such a treat! When we were little, Mum would always make extra polenta and leave it to cool in the fridge. For dinner the next night she would slice it and fry it until crispy, with melted cheese on top. Sometimes she’d cut it into chunky strips before frying, which we loved to eat as an afternoon snack, or served alongside a little breaded veal or chicken.