Easter was going well until, on Sunday afternoon, the internet socket decided to fall out of the wall! [Why do these things always have to happen on a holiday?] I resisted the temptation to jam it back into the hole and carry on blogging [for what use is an electrocuted blogger?] but only by sitting on my hands! So that is why I couldn't write anything yesterday, visit any of you or put the comments on till now, the electrician having just left. I'll catch up with everyone during tonight and tomorrow.
Anyway, at last I can continue the account of my Paschal adventures. At midday on Sunday it was off to Linda's for a wonderful lunch of:
antipasti of freshly marinated olives
Linda's lasagne [photo 1]
chicken cotolette [photo 2]
crown roast of lamb
various salads
fresh fruit
various Colomba cakes [photo 3]
Sicilian Easter cassate [photo 4] made by Chiara and about which I must say something:
According to Simeti, the word cassata is from Arabic qas'ah, denoting the steep-sided mould used to make the original version of this cake. There is frozen cassata [a dish much imitated, often badly, by the British]; there is a very ornate, baked version which uses both pastry and sponge cake and which probably dates back to the Arabic dish; and there is the plainer, still delicious, baked kind made by the Sicilians at Easter today. I'm sure other friends here will forgive me when I say that Chiara is the best cassata maker I know, and she's quite ferocious with a long, thin, Italian rolling pin! [I would not like to start an argument with her whilst she is wielding one!] The pasta frolla [Sicilian sweet pastry] is filled with a ricotta and honey mixture, and when the cassate are cooked they are sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar.
Linda and family also had some German guests and one thing I love about living on mainland Europe is that most people are multi-lingual and can switch easily from one language to another. I used to so miss this in the UK.
10 comments:
I like number 3 very much. Yum. By the way, how's Simi?
This sure looks tasty. Glad you didn't try and connect the socket yourself.
I would have to do lots of workouts at the gym after indulging in this, I wouldn't be able to resist.
Food Glorious Food!! Tasty and different..keep the photos and recipes coming WL
Photo number 3 looks delicious. I'm assuming cotolette is related to the English cutlet .
Having googled on this, it appears that chicken cotolette alla bolognese is what we call 'chicken parmesiana' in the UK.
Did you know that if you follow the general shape of this recipe (flour, egg, breadcrumbs) using a cheap frying steak you have what the Americans call 'chicken-fried steak'? Quite delicious...
Well dined by the sounds of things, WCLC. A true Easter celebratory feast.
When I was in Sicily I always ordered cassata and every one was totally different.
In theory I could make it but you can't get the correct glace fruit peel here.
Regards
jmb
I've only ever seen the frozen cassata you mention and it doesn't look very nice; the ones in your photo, however, look delicious. What a wonderful lunch!
Sounds like you have a wonderful Easter, Welsh. That's great. :) With lots of tasty, delicious food to boot!
As usual we over-indulged here on Easter Sunday, too. I always have more than enough food to feed the army and navy combined! (And the air force too, if they turn up!);) But that's life! I'll never be any different, even though each time I tell myself not to prepare as much! I never listen to myself!
Hi, James. Yes, Colomba cakes are good. Simi is fine, thanks, and she says she'll be blogging again just as soon as she has her spring haircut! Hi, Steve. I don't think I'd be here now if I had! Hi, Ellee. I didn't resist either. Lots of walks needed now! Thanks, Anne. I will! Ludlingtonian, the words are related, yes. Cotoletta here usually refers to the way the meat is cooked, in a breadcrumb coating. [Marcella Hazan explains the confusion well.] I didn't know that about "chicken fried steak" and will try it - thank you. Hi, jmb . Yes, cassata always varies, doesn't it? - From town to town, village to village. What kind of glace fruit peel do you get over there? Glad you like the look of the cassata in the photo, Liz. Hi, Lee. I'm just the same - if I entertain, I could feed the Roman legions! But I'd hate to have too little ...
The food looks amazing, as usual.
The first time I'd ever had chicken-fried steak was when I lived in Texas. Now I see it on more menus here in California, but back then it was a revelation.
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