Fried Zucchini Flowers with Mozzarella

Spring is almost here. Nowadays you can find vegetables and fruits all year around. But somehow I love to keep the old  Italian tradition, to eat vegetables and fruit while in season. So I love spring as it brings many delicious of them and among my favorite vegetables, spring brings the Zucchine.

Venice Rialto Market 

It may look weird to eat a flower, but believe me if you try it you will love it. I share today here, thank you to  my dear Venetian friend and celebrity Chef Marika Contaldo Seguso, one my favorite recipe to eat the zucchini flowers: stuffed with mozzarella. A real salty treat .

                                                                           
Serving 6

BATTER :

½ Cup of All Purpose flour

Iced Sparkling water

1 Liter of Sunflower oil or Peanut Oil

Salt and pepper

Preparation:

Whisk 1 cup of flour with iced sparkling water until rich a creamy consistency.

Add 1 tsp of salt and let it rest in refrigerator

ZUCCHINI FLOWERS FILLING:

6 Zucchini flowers

1C  Mozzarella Cheese cubed

2 T Parmesan Cheese

Salt and Pepper

Preparation:

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl

Remove the pistil of the flower.

Carefully stuff the flowers with the Mozzarella mixture.

Close the petals and deep in the Tempura Batter.

Deep the sliced vegetable in the batter and deep fried in very hot sunflower oil.

Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.

TIPS

Seasoning & Presentation

Sprinkle sea salt flakes.
Served with a Cream of Basil and Tomatoes.

Celebrity Chef Marika Contaldo Seguso 

 

To connect with Marika:

•  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AcquolinaCooking/

•  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/acquolinacooking/
•  www.acquolina.com

Join me on my official mailing list www.giadavalenti.com  to be part of my world of lovers of love and to to stay connected with me.

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And if you want to join me on the Giada Valenti “From Venice With Love” Cruise on the MSC Musica leaving from Venice on July 9, you can visit www.giadavalenti.com/Cruise to register and more info.

My favorite sweet treat: Galani

I'm so excited to share today the recipe of one of my favorite sweets: Galani or Crostoli. As you read on my previous BLOG, they are a typical dessert of the Venice Carnival together with the Frittelle, but with a much older origin.  

We Venetians have no doubt in recognizing the Republic of Venice as the birthplace of these sweets, but the Tuscans swear that they are their invention and call them "cenci" (rags) or “chiacchiere” (chatter). And so, almost every region in Italy, have christen them with their own name claiming in this way the paternity: from the “lattughe” (lettuce) in Brescia, to the “bugie” (lies) in Piedmont and Liguria, from the “frappe” or “flappe” in Umbria to the “sfrappole” in Romagna. Some regions have given their own spin to the recipe, that can include sprinkling them with orange zest or using anisette wine as the alcoholic base. 

All these names and variation for one very sweet thin ribbon-shaped dessert with a very ancient origins. In fact to trace the origin of these sweets, we should look back to the times of the Romans, who, during the Spring Festival, used to prepare, with the same mixture with which they made lasagne, made some cakes very similar to the modern galani, fried in pork fat and then covered with honey, known as Fritte.

Although prepared with the same recipe, the Galani, typical of the city of Venice, are strips of very very thin pasta cut in the form of ribbons, long or short, before being dipped into the hot fat. I galani are thin and brittle, while the pasta of Fritte is slightly less crumblier and thicker.

I have found out that they are called "Angel Wings” here in the United States. 

They are light, crispy and delicious.

Here is how to make them, according to the traditional Venetian recipe, thanks to my dear Venetian friend and Celebrity Chef Marika Contaldo Seguso. 

See below the links to connect with her.

Ingredients

500 gr  (1-1/2 cups) flour

70 gr (1-1/2 tablespoons) granulated Sugar

3 eggs (medium size) + 1 yolk 

70 gr (1 tbs) butter

35 gr grappa

1/3 cup of milk

Sunflower Oil

1 Pinch of salt

1 Vanilla Bean

7 gr ( 0,2 oz) cake yeast

Milk q.b.

6 SERVINGS

Preparation

In a medium size bowl whisk the eggs with the sugar and a pinch of salt until foamy.

Add the Grappa and then the sifted flour to the yeast. 

Add the vanilla seed with the butter and work the dough until it gets smooth and compact.

If necessary you can add a little milk.

Make it into a ball, wrap in kitchen film and let it rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.

Divide the dough in small portions of approximately 100 gr. (a fist size).

Roll each dough portion as thin as possible.

Cut in diamond shape with 2 parallel incision in the centre.

Fry with hot oil in a wide skillet 2-3 Galani at the time. 

Fry until golden.

Drain over a baking sheet and sprinkle with confectioners sugars before serving.

 To connect with Marika:

•  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AcquolinaCooking/

•  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/acquolinacooking/
•  www.acquolina.com

Join me on my official mailing list www.giadavalenti.com  to to be part of my world of lovers of love and to to stay connected with me.

And if you want to join me on the Giada Valenti “From Venice With Love” Cruise on the MSC Musica leaving from Venice on July 9, you can visit www.giadavalenti.com/Cruise to register and more info.

Sweet treat for Carnevale: Frittelle

There are two typical and traditional sweets made in Venice and in the Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia for Carnevale: Frittelle e Crostoli, in Venetian dialect “ Fritoe e Cristoi’.

They are easy to make and delicious. 

They were so loved by the Serenissima Republic of Venice that they were appointed at some point as "The Official Serenissima Sweets". But you can find some similar sweets all over Italy nowadays wth different names and little variations from the original recipe. The Crostoli are also called Bugie, Ganci, Chiacchiere, Frappe, Galani , Sfingi and Strappole. Frittelle are also called Zeppole or Castagnole.

Here in the USA they are often called "Angel Wings”.

Here below the recipe of Frittele, as made by my dear friend and celebrity Chef from Venice Marika Contaldo Seguso. 

See below the links to connect with her.

Serving for 4 


INGREDIENTS:
1 Golden Apple cut in small diceSunflour oil, for frying
¼ Cup Raisins or Sultanas or Currants 

2 tbs of Sweet Marsala Wine, warmed

½ Cup Pine Nuts

1 Cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

2 Eggs

2 tbs sugar

½ cup milk

½ tsp grated Lemon zest

½ tsp Orange zest

Icing sugar

PREPARATION:

Soak the raisins in the warm Marsala wine until softened.

In a medium size bowl whisk the eggs with the sugar until pale.

Add  the milk, the citrus zest and a pinch of Salt.

Combine the sifted flour with the baking powder and add to the mixture.

Fold in the apple, pine nut, and raisins with the soaking liquid.

In a wide tall skillet heat plenty of oil and when it is very hot pour a level tablespoon of the batter into the hot oil.

Leave  plenty of room between the fritters so they won't stick.

Turn on both side in order to reach a nice even golden color.

Drain over a baking sheet and dust the fritters with confectioners sugars. 

 To connect with Marika:

•  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AcquolinaCooking/

•  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/acquolinacooking/
•  www.acquolina.com

Join me on my official mailing list www.giadavalenti.com  to to be part of my world of lovers of love and to to stay connected with me.

And if you want to join me on the Giada Valenti “From Venice With Love” Cruise on the MSC Musica leaving from Venice on July 9, you can visit www.giadavalenti.com/Cruise to register and more info.

From a Turkish acrobat to an Angel: a Venice tradition

Coriandoli e stelle filanti “confetti and streamers” launched in the air by children and adults, plenty of events and masqueraded balls everyday: Carnevale, the iconic celebration that defined Venice for centuries, that started last week is still unfolding.

My beautiful hometown, the city of love with the streets of water is during this week filled by thousands of people walking around Venice wearing beautiful handcrafted masks and costumes posing for the joy of the photographers and of the thousands of tourists gathering from all over the world to experience this magical and joyful event.

Tomorrow there will be one of my favorite events “Il Volo Dell’Angelo” the “Flight of The Angel. The Event was originally held on Shove Thursday, Giovedi Grasso, but it is now held on the weekend before and marks the beginning of the carnival.

Would you like to know what it is?

The flight of the Angel 2016 

It is a traditional event that goes back to the time of the Serenissima, in the 16^th century.

During an event in honor of the Doge, a Turkish acrobat did something that stupefied the Venetians: with the only aid of a pole he walked on a rope from a boat tied in Riva degli Schiavoni to the top of St. Mark’s Tower and then from the Tower to the Doge’s Palace balcony.

It was the beginning of a tradition that has been held every year with various changes. First it was made only by professional acrobats and later by common people that wanted to show their ability and bravery.

The exhibition’s name changed from “Flight of the Turk” in “The Flight of the Angel” when for the first time an acrobat dressed with angel wings tied to a rope was let down the tower where at the end of the descent the doge himself gave the “angel impersonator” a gift.

Irene Rizzi, the 2016 Angel 

The event changed its name again into “Volo della Colombina” (“The Flight of the dove”) in 1759. In that year the acrobat dressed as the angel fell down over the horrified crowd. Since then a wooden dove substituted the men.

After the fall of the Republic, 1797, the event was banned (as many other traditions) until recent years.

Irene Rizzi the 2016 Angel 

Starting from 2001 “The flight of the Dove” become again “The Flight of the Angel” with the reintroduction of a real person instead of the wooden dove, staging the old ritual of the homage to the Doge. This announced the beginning of the Carnival of Venice with a triumph of confetti and colored air balloons.

Since 1999 after the re-installment of another traditional event “Festa Delle Marie", the winner of that competition will have the honor to be the Angel of the next year "famous flight" .

Claudia Marchiori: 2106 'Festa delle Marie" winner 

The girl winner of the 2016 edition of the “Festa delle Marie” was Claudia Marchiori and she will be this year Angel. She will be wearing a beautiful dress made also this year made by Stefano Nicolao, of the famous Nicolao Atelier of Venice.

While I’m looking forward to see this year dress here are some pictures of last year beautiful Angel, Irene Rizzi dressed also by Nicolao.

Irene Rizzi, the 2016 Angel wearing Nicolao dress after the Flight 

 On the top of the Tower a few minutes before the Flight : Mr. Nicolao last touch

Mr. Nicolao and the 2016 Angel Irene Rizzi taking a picture after the flight.

The magic of Carnevale in Venice is still so alive.

From Venice With Love,

Giada

www.giadavalenti.com

Join me on my official mailing list www.giadavalenti.com  to to be part of my world of lovers of love. 

And if you want to join me on the Giada Valenti “From Venice With Love” Cruise on the MSC Musica leaving from Venice on July 9, you can visit www.giadavalenti.com/Cruise to register and more info.