Long life to the Befana!

Today, January 6^th is La Festa della Befana.

All children in Italy will be singing  the nursery rhymes about Befana –

La Befana vien di notte

Con le scarpe tutte rotte

Col vestito alla romana

Viva, Viva La Befana!

The English translation is:

The Befana comes by night

With her shoes all tattered and torn

She comes dressed in the Roman way

Long life to the Befana!

It is basically the date on which the 3 wise men finally arrived at the stable in Bethlehem to offer Jesus gifts of gold, incense and myrrh. In Italy, according to Christian tradition, we celebrate an holiday called Epiphany, Epifania in Italian.

It is an extremely important part of the Christmas festivities, and Epiphany, Epifania o Festa della Befana,  is a public Holiday so government offices, post offices, banks, schools and other educational institutions are closed.

Epiphany is just as important as Christmas itself and is a big day for celebrating and exchanging presents. But to bring the presents it is not Santa Claus (Babbo Natale), but a witch called Befana, or in Venice  “Marantega”, who flies on a broomstick. She is also often covered in soot, as just like Santa Claus, she delivers presents through the chimney. It is also believed that she also sweeps the floor before she leaves as a way of sweeping away last year’s problems.

So just who is the Befana?

Legend has it that the three kings stopped to ask the Befana for directions to Bethlehem, but she didn’t know it. But she offered to put them up for the night.  The next day the wise men invited the Befana to travel with them, but she said she had too much housework to do, and did not go with them.

But the Befana could not stop thinking about the invitation and eventually decided to follow the kings to find Jesus. She carried a sack filled with bread. Whenever she saw a child, she was giving him a piece of bread hoping he might be the Christ child.

Sadly, though, Befana never managed to catch up with the wise men and never found the stable in Bethlehem. So she is still wandering through Italy on her broomstick looking for the baby and leaving goodies for children.

There is also a second legend that states that the Befana could originate from the Sabine or Roman goddess named Strina, as Romans used to give presents of sweets to celebrate the new year. Her name means “gift-bringer”.

Just like at Christmas, children leave stockings out on the evening of 5^th January hoping that the Befana will leave presents and sweets. They also often leave the witch a snack of something soft to eat, as she has hardly any teeth!

But if children haven’t been good they risk just being left a lump of coal or a stick. Nowadays days the coal is a rock candy called “carbone” made from caramel, which I always found very delicious.

Parents still use the threat of the Befana to ensure good behavior for the kids. The saying “Lo dico alla Befana!” (I’ll tell to the Befana), or the terrifying “Viene la Befana e ti porta via!” (the Befana will come and take you away)!!  Its enough to scare even the naughtiest child as the Befana is well-known to have a terrible husband who likes to devour children!! Always got me as a child…

Apart from presents, festivities take various forms around Italy. In my region, the Veneto, we lit wood bonfires or roghi or foghere,  on the night of the 5^th January to tell the future from the direction of the smoke.

The highlight in Venice, however, is definitely the Regata delle Befane, the regatta of the witches, that takes place at 11am on the Grand Canal. It’s a very fun regatta. Retired gondoliers and Bucintoro rowing club members dressed as old Befana’s  or vecie maranteghe in the Venetian dialect and race between San Tomá and the Rialto Bridge where a large stocking is hung from the parapet.

A band plays at the feet of Rialto bridge throughout the morning. 

Hot chocolate, vin brulé (warm sweet wine,  and sweet biscuits are handed out to the crowds of spectators by the Pink Lionesses rowing club as they wait for the Befane to arrive.

Around town, patisseries also sell fried doughnuts with dried fruit in and mammaluchi /fritters with raisins as a traditional treat for locals to eat along with their hot chocolate.

And as with all  the Venetian regattas, the winners are awarded silk pennants.

Stockings filled with sweets are also handed out for free to children at the Fish Market near the Rialto Bridge. Kids can have their photos taken with the Befana and everyone can have a hot chocolate, hot wine, chunk of pandoro cake or handful of peanuts for a donation to the Rialto Association.

Its also worth taking a walk over to St Mark’s square on this day, where there is a special procession of an angel and the wise men above the clock on the Torre dell’Orologio in tribute to the Madonna and child. The wise men process every hour, on the hour but can only be seen on Epiphany and in May for the Ascension so don’t miss them if you are in my hometown.

(The statues are often on display inside for visitors to the clock tower but only process twice a year).

Other cities have different traditions. If you are in Florence they have a large parades headed by the 3 wise men on horseback - La Cavalcata dei Magi. 

Rome has a large market in Piazza Navona where toys, sugar charcoal and other candies are on sale.

And in Urbania, believed  to be Befana’s official hometown, some 30,000-50,000 people attend the festivities to watch as hundreds of Befanas fly down from the main tower.

So Happy Befana.

And he is to a New Year great year. 

Giada 

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

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Simple pasta recipe : pasta cacio and pepe

The Italian food is loved by so many. Italian restaurants are opening everyday, everywhere. 

But the great thing about Italian food is that it is so easy to make it. So easy that you can have some delicious Italian food also at home.

I travel a lot with my Concerts and I'm lucky to enjoy often great meals in very nice restaurants. 

But I also love to cook my own meal. I'm very conscious about my health and even if I love to splurge here and there, when at home I like to make my own food.

It is fun, healthy and it brings back memories of my childhood in the kitchen with my grandma and my mom.

Today I share with you a recipe that is so delicious and yet so easy to make.

The minimalist recipe calls for only a few ingredients and doesn't even include garlic: Pasta Cacio & Pepe, Pasta with Cheese and Black Pepper,

It's on the menus of America's most stylish Italian restaurants and yet you can make it at home in a few minutes.

Two simple tips for great results:

1. Use great ingredients

2. Don't overcook the Pasta

INGREDIENTS

• Kosher salt
• 6 ounces pasta (such as egg tagliolini, bucatini, or spaghetti)
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed, divided
• 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
• 3/4 cup finely grated Grana Padano or Parmesan
• 1/3 cup finely grated Pecorino
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6. PREPARATIOn

1. Bring 3 quarts water to a boil in a 5 quart pot. When the water is boiling season with salt; add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until about 2 minutes before tender. it has to al dente, so better a minute less than more .
2. Drain, reserving 3/4 cup pasta cooking water. 
3. Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add pepper and cook, swirling pan, until toasted, about 1 minute.
4. Add 1/2 cup reserved pasta water to skillet and bring to a simmer. Add pasta and remaining butter. Reduce heat to low and add Grana Padano, stirring and tossing with tongs until melted. Remove pan from heat; add Pecorino, stirring and tossing until cheese melts, sauce coats the pasta, and pasta is al dente. (Add more pasta water if sauce seems dry.) Transfer pasta to warm bowls and serve.
5. For a perfect balanced meal add a insalata verde mista ( a mixed green salad with olive olive oil and vinegar, salt and pepper) .
1. Buon appetito,
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8. Giada

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

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The secret magical potion of Venice

My Venice has many legends, traditions and mysterious facts. There are so many corners of Venice that have very interesting past. Funny enough most of the tourists just pass by them without even notice them.

I always find it quite interesting. It’s like Venice is able still to keep those secrets for herself. Unless of course you are curious to find them, like me.

If you read this BLOG you know how much I love to share them with you. I love to know that you will be able to enjoy something “secret to most the of the people” next time you will be visiting my beautiful City.

Since it is Halloween, today to stay in tune with that I make you discover the "secret and almost magical potion" that cured every evil in Venice: the Teriaca.

Where?

Just opposite number 2800 in the corner between Campo Santo Stefano and the Calle del Spezier (a spezier was an "apothecary" in Venetian).

There you will find an overlooked detail from the past of Venice that still survives and tells a very interesting story.

Right there, about 5 meters from the facade of the former pharmacy there are three circular depressions in the ground. Basically three tiles with a circular engraving.

What are they?

They are circular holes that, over time, were left there by the heavy cauldrons used by the Venetian pharmacists during the preparation of the Teriaca, a potion almost magical that was said to cure a large number of illnesses.

The production of Teriaca was a carefully-planned ceremonial.

Not all apothecaries were licensed to produce Teriaca. Of the 90 in Venice at the time, only about 40 had the licence to make it.  They were known as teriacanti, who made the potion in the street itself using bronze cauldrons.  The place where these cauldrons were set into the ground can still be seen in the city.

Its most common ingredient was vipers, that was said to have restorative properties for ageing skin. But other common ingredients were the unicorn horn (actually a tooth of the fish Narvalo, that you can still see at the Correr Museum at St. Mark square) and opium.

The Teriaca  was produced once a year, in the period when vipers were captured. That is towards the end of spring and into summer.

The success of the beverage led to an increase in demand, and some apothecaries were allowed to produce it three times a year. To guarantee the quality of the product, Venice imposed strict rules.  The portions also had spices imported from the East. So when making the Teriaca each apothecary was required to put all the ingredients he intended to use on public display outside his shop for three days to guarantee their authenticity.

For the public, the best part in all this was the sight of live vipers, writhing inside the cages. When the mixing of the ingredients began, the apothecary was watched by both the public and State officials. Then, in the eyes of the Magistrate of Health, the real alchemical manufacture of decoctions began, whose virtues seemed infinite and was said to heal from plague, scorpion bites, and many other diseases.

In the seventeenth century, Venice enjoyed quiet some fame for the preparation of the Teriaca, so far that the portion was exported to Europe, Turkey and Armenia.

I’m sure you would have never say it by looking at the tile, right?

Next time you walk around Venice look down for them. 

Take a picture and share them with me. 

It will be like a Caccia al Tesoro Segreto, 

like a Secret Treasure Hunt.

From Venice with Love,

Giada

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

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