Today's region is very special to me, Naples, the capital of the Campania region is where I was born and raised. Today's meal and history are going to be a little more extensive than the other ones so far.
The majority of the tourists who go to Italy visit only the Central-Northern part of the country like Venice, Florence, Milano and Rome, neglecting some of the most beautiful cities in the south. They offer the most romantic places, delicious food and wine, and the most breathtaking and picturesque views and the friendliest of people.
We Neapolitans live in what one writer called a "mutual help society". From morning till night we engage in countless activities in the bustling streets, working, resting, arguing, eating and doing business.
Speed is the keynote of Neapolitan cooking, food goes straight from the pan into the mouth with minimum fuss. In Italy, pizza and spaghetti are synonymous with Naples and throughout the world they have become a synonym of Italy. Neapolitans enjoy the image that they portray…that of a pleasure-loving people enjoying good food and popular songs.
According to historians, the origin of the pizza goes back to the Neolithic Age. With the arrival of tomatoes in the sixteenth century, the pizza became a dish fit for a king. The pizza, was offered by the Borboni, at their reception in the Palace of Caserta. Ferdinand IV had them cooked in the ovens of the famous porcelain factory of Capodimonte. There are an infinite number of pizza recipes, from pizza Margherita, created in honor of the first Queen of all Italy and
combining the colors of the Italian flag by the use of red tomatoes, white mozzarella and green basil, to pizza with various kinds of fish and shellfish. Fish has an important place in Neapolitan cooking, either on its own, or with pasta and rice.
The wines of Naples deserve a chapter of their own. Tourists are rarely aware that the wines that are being offered are the same as those served in ancient Rome. The best come from Capri and Ischia. White Capri should be enjoyed with fish and it is considered by the experts to be one of the best of Europe. It improves with age up to 5 years. Ischia has red and white Epomeo and Forio D'Ischia. White, red and rosé Ravello are found along the coast of Amalfi, and red Gragnano
on the Sorrento peninsula. The famous Falerno, used by the Romans to accompany banquets which lasted for days is still produced in Campi Flegrei.
Well, we are ready to begin our culinary feast. It has been both a privilege and a pleasure to be your culinary host and guide this week.
Today's menu:
Zuppa di Vongole- Baby Clam Soup
Pizza Napoletana-Neapolitan Pizzas
Sfogliatelle Frolle-Sweet Ricotta Turnovers
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Zuppa di Vongole
4 1/2 5 lb. of baby clams (You can use Mahogany clams or little necks)
Salt and pepper
2/3 cup of olive oil
2 cloves of garlic
4 sprigs of flat Italian parsley rinsed dried and coarsely chopped
1 lb. ripe tomatoes peeled and coarsely chopped
Slices of toasted bread
Like so many Italian soups, this one is very thick and we would be inclined to call the dish, clams in tomato sauce.
Wash and dry the clams and soak them in cold, salted water for about 30 minutes to allow any remaining sand to fall to the bottom of the bowl.
Rinse thoroughly in a colander under running water.
Heat the oil in a large heavy pan and sauté 1 clove of the garlic, crushed, until it browns. Discard it. Add the remaining garlic chopped and the parsley.
Fry over very low heat for 2 to 3 minutes, then add the tomatoes.
Season with salt and raise heat to moderate and cook for 15 minutes. Add the clams and lower the heat again and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the shells have opened and the clams are ready.
Sprinkle with freshly ground pepper. Serve immediately over slices of toasted rustic Italian bread.
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Pizza Napoletana
Use this dough for a thin crusted pizzeria style pizza. If you want to double this recipe to yield more pizza do not double the yeast.
For the Crust:
3 cups unbleached all purpose flour
2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cup of lukewarm tap water
1 envelope of active dry yeast
2 tbsp. of olive oil
Place the flour and salt in a 2-quart mixing bowl and mix well. Make a hole in the center
Measure the water and pour it into a small bowl and sprinkle the yeast on the surface of the water and leave it to soften for about 2 minutes.
Now whisk to completely dissolve the yeast, then add the olive oil and whisk some more.
Pour the liquid mixture into the center of the flour and stir with a rubber spatula to form a soft sticky dough.
Turn the dough on a floured surface, and knead gently, folding it over itself and scraping it off the surface with a plastic scraper.
Avoid adding more flour to the dough or it will produce a tough pizza. Keep kneading for about 8 minutes until the dough is smooth and no longer sticky.
Form the dough into a ball and place it into an oiled bowl, then turn it upside down so that the top is now oiled.
Cover the bowl with plastic and leave to rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk You can even prepare this the night before and leave it to rise in the refrigerator overnight.
Generously flour the counter and place the raised dough on it and divide it in half, give it a round shape with a thickness of 1/8 of an inch or thicker if you so desire.
Be sure to leave the borders a little thicker.
You can even make small individual mini pizzas to be served as an appetizer.
Making a pizza, for Italians, is like a sacred process, they are ever so patient and gentle. It is important that you preheat your oven to 450F.
I suggest you bake the pizza on a pizza stone, widely available at any kitchen supply store.
Use a paddle to slide the pizza onto the stone with a swift backward stroke.
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Different Variations of Pizza
Pizza Margherita:
1/2 lb. tomatoes, peeled drained and chopped
1cup diced fresh mozzarella
8 leaves of basil finely chopped
Salt and pepper
8 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil
Grated Parmesan to taste
Pizza 4 Stagioni- 4 Seasons Pizza:
Lay two strips of dough on the pizza dough itself to form a cross. In the first corner scatter some shrimp and boiled baby squid, chopped. In the second spread a peeled tomato, drained and chopped, a couple of anchovies fillets finely chopped and some mozzarella.
In the third scatter some tomato, mozzarella and some black pitted olives, garlic, capers and oregano. In the last corner put some artichoke hearts chopped, and some prosciutto. Sprinkle the pizza with olive oil season lightly with salt and pepper and bake. (475f until cooked)
Pizza alle Cozze- Pizza with Mussels:
10 oz of Italian style whole peeled tomatoes, diced and drained
Salt and pepper
3-4 tablespoons of oregano
8 tablespoons of olive oil
1 lb. of mussels
4 cloves of garlic chopped
Basil and parsley chopped
Spread the tomatoes evenly over the pizza dough and sprinkle with salt and oregano and half of the olive oil. Bake at 475F.
Meanwhile clean and rinse the mussels thoroughly and arrange them in the pan with the remaining olive oil, garlic and parsley.
Cook over a moderate heat until they open, shaking occasionally. Shell and keep the mussels warm in their water.
As soon as the pizza comes out of the oven, scatter the mussels evenly and sprinkle with basil and parsley, and sprinkle with pepper.
Let your imagination run wild, there are no limitations to what you can top your pizza with.
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Sfogliatelle Frolle
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
7 tbsp. sugar
A pinch of salt
Ice cold water (about 7 oz)
Zest of one lemon
6 tbsp. lard or shortening
Filling:
2 cups of water
3/4 cup semolina
A pinch of salt
8 oz. ricotta, not the one from the plastic container, get it from an Italian gourmet shop
3/4 cup of sugar
1 egg, beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
A pinch of ground cinnamon
Butter
2 eggs (for brushing)
Confectioners’ sugar for sprinkling
For the pastry:
Sift the flour on a pastry board or into a bowl, add the sugar, a pinch of salt and the lemon zest and then work in enough water to make a very firm dough.
The actual quantity of water depends on the quality of flour that you are using, as well as the altitude and the humidity.
Cut the lard or the shortening into small pieces and knead into the dough. Continue kneading until the dough is smooth and pliable. Roll into a ball and wrap in plastic and put aside.
Filling: ( you can prepare the filling up to 48 hours ahead)
Bring the water to a boil in a small pan and add the semolina in a slow steady stream, whisking.
Add a pinch of salt and cook on low heat for 2 minutes. Pour into a large bowl and let cool completely.
Mix the ricotta cheese, sugar, beaten egg, vanilla and cinnamon together, then stir into the cooled semolina and beat until smooth.
Break the pastry dough into 12 pieces and roll them into ovals 1/8 inch thick. Put a little of the filling on each oval of pastry, fold over and seal the edges firmly.
Now using a glass, cut the turnovers into perfect rounds and make sure that the edges are firmly sealed.
Butter a baking sheet and arrange the turnovers on it, brush with the beaten egg yolks and bake at 375F. The turnovers should be cooked to a golden brown in about 15 minutes, if not, bake them a little longer.
Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar and serve warm or cold, but not hot. A nice Port Wine, or even a nice Chardonnay Champagne could accompany this delicious dessert.
