Spaghetti ABC

Catamaran cooking class 🌊🍝
Almarano
Polignano a Mare - Puglia

Cialledda, the bread salad from Puglia.
Mussels and green peppers? They make so much sense!
And foraging in Alta Murgia Natural Park with Cucina Villana.
My next newsletter will be released on May 21. You can read it on or subscribing here: https://spaghettiabc.substack.com/subscribe

The majority of my contents are on Instagram.
You can find me as
https://www.instagram.com/spaghettiabc

The month's newsletter is in the oven and ready to be served!
Explore the Christmas menu that my family in Bari cherishes on the 24th and 25th of December. From panzerotti to baccalà, burrata, and a sprinkle of bitter herbs to aid digestion through the hearty feasts.

Let inspire yourself by three recipes, including the golden and crispy Roman-style gnocchi.

Set your alarms for Tuesday morning at 6:30 AM, as the newsletter will reach your inbox just in time for your first sip of morning coffee.
If you haven't subscribed yet, you can do so through this link: http://eepurl.com/h9PcTf

PIADINA
The famous flatbread from Emilia Romagna, to stuff with your favorite ingredients, savoury or sweet.

Ingredients for 2
125 g 0 of all-purpose flour
55 g lukewarm water
20 g extra virgin olive oil
3 g salt

Mix the ingredients in a bowl, knead until smooth and soft. Let rest tightly covered with a plate for 30 minutes.

Divide the dough into two parts and roll them out separately with a rolling pin, giving them a circular shape, about 20-22 cm in diameter.

Cook them over a nonstick or cast-iron, lightly oiled pan for about 2 minutes per side. If bubbles form during cooking, pop them with a fork. The piadina will be ready when it has reached a nice golden color.
Stuff it with your favorite ingredients and serve immediately.

In this version I've used roasted squash, baby spinach leaves, provolone cheese and balsamico PGI cream.

Recipe created for for the Week of Italian Cuisine in the World 2023, at 15-16 November, Malmö. In partnership with .

SQUASH RISOTTO WITH MUSHROOMS AND OLIVES
Creamy and velvety, this risotto is quintessentially autumn.

Ingredients for 2
For the rice
180 grams of Carnaroli rice
1 small squash (200 g)
2 cloves garlic
Rosemary
150 g mushrooms
2 spoons of black olives
30 g butter
2 spoons of grated Parmigiano Reggiano
salt
pepper
EVO oil

For the stock
1 onion
2 carrots
1 celery

Preparation of the squash
Cut the squash in half and remove its seeds.
Put inside of it the garlic cloves and rosemary to taste.
Move it in a baking tray (the peel facing outside), brush it with EVO oil and bake in a ventilated oven, 190° until soft (40 minutes).
When ready, hollow out the skin from the cooked pulp and blend it with a little EVO oil, making a cream.

Preparation of the broth
Prepare the broth, adding the onion, carrots and celery in a pot, covering them with cold water. Cook them over medium heat.

For the risotto
Slice the mushrooms and sauté them in a pan with a little of EVO oil, util crispy. Add salt and set them aside.
Remove the pit of the olives and cut them in small pieces. Set them aside.

In a large frying pan, dry toast the rice. Add a ladleful of hot vegetable stock and cook for about 6-7 minutes, adding more stock only when the previous one is absorbed. When the rice is almost fully cooked, add the cream of squash, stir and cook for a couple of minutes.
Add the Parmigiano and the butter, stirring gently. Serve, decorating with mushrooms, olives and fresh thyme.

Recipe created for for the Week of Italian Cuisine in the World 2023, at 15-16 November, Malmö. In partnership with .

AUTUMN MINESTRONE
Cozy and comforting, the most known Italian vegetable soup.

Ingredients for 3
1 small onion
1 spoon of tomato paste
2 medium carrots
1 celery stalk
150 g of squash
120 g of floury potatoes
100 g of baby spinach leaves
75 g of cooked white beans
50 g of millet
EVO oil
salt
rosemary
black pepper
Parmigiano Reggiano (optional).

Cut the squash, the potatoes, the celery and the carrots in small cubes of the same size. Slice the onion. Wash the spinach.

Cut the onion and sauté in a large pot with a small spoon of olive oil and the tomato paste for 4 minutes.
Add the celery, the carrots, the potatoes and the squash and cook for 2 minutes.
Add half litre of boiling water, the rosemary and cook until the vegetables are al dente.

After 10 minutes add the millet and the beans.
As last thing, add the leaves of spinach and cook for 5 more minutes.

The minestrone is ready! Serve it with raw olive oil, black pepper and, if you want, grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

Recipe created for for the Week of Italian Cuisine in the World 2023, at 15-16 November, Malmö. In partnership with

🇮🇹 Exciting news! I'm thrilled to announce a collaboration with the Italian Trade Agency by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation to celebrate the Week of Italian Cuisine in the World 2023! 🍷🍝 Join me on November 15th and 16th as part of the Nordic Organic Food Fair in Malmö!

I'll be hosting three cooking demos where I'll reveal the secrets behind preparing three iconic dishes from Italian cuisine: minestrone, risotto, and piadina, all while promoting the values of the Mediterranean diet. Let's cook and savor these dishes together!

🍳 I'll be joined by our special partner, Smeg Nordic, adding an Italian touch to our kitchen with their distinctive appliances and cookware, making our cooking experience even more delightful.

🌿 Additionally, I'll be showcasing products from 10 organic companies at our booth, offering inspiration and ideas for simple and healthy Italian cooking.

Don't miss out on this delicious celebration!

The land I come from is the land of olive trees. Knotty giants that have inhabited the countryside of Puglia since immemorial time. Millennia-old trees to embrace, hide within, and read our past, our farming culture, and our future among their silver branches and leaves.

In a few days, the olive harvesting season of 2023 will start, which, as you can imagine, this year, as it has been for several years now, has been particularly challenging due to climate change.

That's why it's increasingly important to talk about the culture of high-quality extra virgin olive oil. I will do it in my own way, in a newsletter dedicated to this precious ingredient, the elixir of long life and the companion of good food.

I've gathered all the guides I've written so far to understand quality EVO oil, how to buy it, and how to cook with it. Along with a conversation with Azienda Agricola De Palma about 2023 olive harvest in Puglia.

You will find it in your email inbox on Wednesday at 6:30 in the morning, Stockholm time. If you're not subscribed yet, you can do it here: http://eepurl.com/h9PcTf

In defense of green beans: an unexpected hero in the kitchen

The other day, as I was cleaning green beans, I found myself reflecting on how these humble little green pods are often overlooked. This vegetable - which is actually a legume since it's the pods of beans harvested prematurely - rarely takes on a leading role in the kitchen. I would call it the eternal supporting actor, often relegated to a modest side dish in a meat or fish plate, sometimes smothered under sauces that hide its true essence.

However, delving into the depths of my memories, the word "green beans" brings forth only fond recollections. My mother used to prepare them in large quantities, boiling them and storing them in the fridge for the perfect moment to serve them with salad tomatoes, boiled potatoes, and perhaps a tin of tuna. The key was to cook them for just a few minutes to maintain their crispness and beautiful bright green color. What could be sadder than an overcooked, limp, grayish green bean?

Now, just imagine for a moment that the green bean, for once, takes center stage at your table. How, you ask? With a dish passed down to me by my grandmother, a culinary poem composed of four ingredients: cherry tomatoes, spaghetti (or penne), Parmigiano Reggiano, and fresh basil leaves.

This dish is an embrace of sensations: the sweet and sour notes of the tomatoes meld with the pasta's sweetness, the herbaceous character of the green beans, the umami of Parmigiano Reggiano, and the enveloping aroma of fresh basil.

I'll leave my recipe for you. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do, and that it helps you see green beans with new eyes.

https://spaghettiabc.com/spaghetti-green-beans/

What is the food that makes you feel at home? What is the one that, as you prepare it, makes you feel good?
This summer, for a variety of reasons, was the summer I cooked the least. And I have missed it the most.
Therefore, when in the kitchen, with bare feet, I put my hands in the flour, chopped the almonds, sliced the zucchini, I felt, with pleasure, that I was taking care of me.

August newsletter is about homecoming and soul food (cibo dell’anima).
With 4 new recipes: roasted tomato pasta, zucchini and caper pie, spinach pancake, and dried fig and almond crostata.
You will receive it Thursday morning at 6:30 AM (Rome time zone) or by signing up here: https://spaghettiabc.us17.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=5e50f1fd2bbb1d0f750ec1fe4&id=6cf9c2be86

Zucchini time in Sweden: from community gardens (kolonilott), to farmers markets, to supermarkets, it's all a triumph of this summer vegetable.
If you've noticed, zucchini (botanical name cucurbita pepo) are not all the same but have different shapes.
In this post I want to list them, suggesting one or more typical Italian dishes for each one.
Scroll and let's dive in the zucchini world!

What is your favorite recipe with zucchini?

In Italian we says "parla come mangi" (speak as you eat), meaning that one must speak simply, as simple as our way of eating is simple.
And if one speaks simple, metaphors can help to make the listener visualize the meaning of our sentences.
In Italian, many sayings and metaphors are related to food and, when traveling to Italy or watching an Italian movie, it can be useful knowing some of them.
That's why I've dedicated my monthly newsletter to this topic.
And you will learn why and when we say CAPPERI! (capers!).

You will receive my newsletter tomorrow 6.30 AM on Rome time zone or subscribing at this link: https://spaghettiabc.us17.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=5e50f1fd2bbb1d0f750ec1fe4&id=6cf9c2be86

Autumn 2023 Italian cooking classes: new dates, new menus, in Malmö.
You can choose between:
1) pasta workshops: 3 pasta shapes to knead from scratch and enjoy with 3 different sauces
2) seasonal menu: 4 courses menu workshop to prepare, from antipasti to dessert.

Info and bookings: https://spaghettiabc.com/cooking-events/

Ci vediamo!
Flavia

Vietnamese Nuoc Mam, Swedish surströmming, and Italian "colatura d'alici" are all examples of the art of fermenting fish that can be found in different cultures.

In Italy, the tradition can be traced back to Ancient Rome when a condiment called "garum" was made by fermenting anchovies with salt in large vats. Over time, different regions developed their own variations, and "colatura d'alici" became a distinctive specialty in Cetara on the Amalfi Coast (Salerno).

The process of preparing colatura is fascinating, starting with the fishing of anchovies (alici) using a "lampara," a traditional small boat equipped with powerful lamps that attract the fish to the surface at night.

Once caught, the anchovies are meticulously cleaned, removing their heads and entrails. They are then layered with salt in special wooden barrels called "terzigni." The barrels are pressed with weights, allowing the salt to extract the liquid from the anchovies. After a minimum of 5 months, the liquid slowly seeps through the wooden barrels, resulting in a concentrated and intensely flavorful elixir: colatura d'alici.

While the Roman garum had a creamy consistency, colatura is an amber liquid with a complex and savory taste. Just a few drops of colatura d'alici can completely transform a simple spaghetti dish into a culinary experience. It can be used to season vegetables, seafood, and even drizzled over pizza for an explosion of umami goodness. It should be added raw as a final touch and never cooked or boiled.

For those seeking a plant-based version of it, Noma project offers a smoked mushroom garum. This involves crushing mushrooms with salt and rice koji, allowing them to brew for 6-8 weeks before cold smoking and bottling.

Have you ever tried the colatura? Tell me your experience!

̈mming

Info and booking here

https://www.matochchokladstudion.se/shop/kategori/kurser-4444

2 juni händer det! Flavia Giordano, , håller i en pastakurs på tillsammans med Joel Lindqvist. Pastadegen görs såklart på ägg från VARVA och även vår grundare Olof Hallström är på plats. För mer info, pris och bokning: https://www.matochchokladstudion.se/shop/kategori/kurser-4444

A pasta class farm to table!
June 2, 5 PM at

Raw ingredients are the pillar of cuisine: they really make the difference!
And if they are local, even better.
On June 2nd I am pleased to share with you my pasta knowledge, preparing together agnolotti del plin (special ravioli from Piemonte) and garganelli (a shape from Emilia Romagna that we can put in the family of fusilli) with the eggs of .co, coming from regenerative agriculture.
I will also show how to make raviolo with fondant egg yolk (big spoiler alert!).

In the kitchen with me, and will prepare 2 gorgeous sauces from local ingredients and will treat us with a lovely finger food aperitivo.
We will have also the opportunity to know more about regenerative agriculture and the holistic approach of Varva, with Olof.
A good event, in every sense of the word.

The cost of the event per person is 1.100 kr and includes the lesson on fresh pasta, making 2 shapes, to be tasted with 2 seasonal sauces (yes we eat together), an aperitif and a non-alcoholic drink.
To make reservations, click here:
https://www.matochchokladstudion.se/shop/kategori/kurser-4444

This is my last cooking event before the summer stop (I will start again in September). So, if you want to cook with me now, this is your time!

Kramissimo,
Flavia

Malmö, June 1st, 17.30 PM: Liguria Masterclass. An exclusive event to deep-dive into the wines and the culinary culture of the region.
By two passionate food and wine experts (Anna Johansson, sommelier and wine importer , and Flavia Giordano, Italian cookbook author and food educator ), a one-night trip to explore Liguria with all your senses.

Anna will guide us in the grape-world of Selvadolce, the awarded winery in the middle of the “Riviera dei Fiori” (Flowers Riviera), tasting 4 of their unique, no-ordinary wines.
Flavia will prepare 4 iconic Ligurian dishes, from antipasto to dessert, storytelling Ligurian biodiversity and ingredients.
The music of De André and Paolo Conte, the literary visions of Calvino and Montale, will transport us in a dream called Liguria.

We have only 12 spots available.
The price for the full event is 1.650 kr/person and includes the Liguria lecture, 4 glasses of Selvadolce wines and a full menu of 4 courses.

Secure your spot by sending a DM (direct message) to [email protected], then you will get payment information. Be quick 🙂

Welcome Italian food and wine lovers!

Spoiler alert…. Selvadolce wines will be again available on the Swedish market in July 2023. Attending the event is an opportunity to be tipped before any other about their release date 😉
Byracka Selvadolce

A few days ago, Nina contacted me because she wanted to organize a cooking team building.
Her team is international and they are based in all the Nordic countries.
For the last two years they couldn't properly meet: "We had too many virtual meetings on Zoom! And now that we are finally gathering together again, here in Malmö, I want to surprise them with something really special".

I listened to Nina's needs and I designed for her team a whole menu to cook from scratch, from antipasto to dessert, getting inspired from seasonal ingredients: we did a gorgeous risotto (to meet their gluten-free request) and, the members of the team who wanted to knead homemade pasta, had fun making "gnocchi sardi".
It was a beautiful reunion: the dinner around the table, in Nina's kitchen, surrounded by the delicate light of a spring afternoon, comforted by the food we prepared.

In the next days, I am planning the team building events for June, August and September.
If you are a company and want to know more about it, write me a direct message here and I will give you all the information.

A presto!
Flavia

Pastiera, the Easter dessert we prepare in Southern Italy.
A shortcrust pie from Napoli, filled with ricotta cheese, sugar and wheat, with a scent of lemon zest, orange aroma and cinnamon.

My version is prepared with farro (emmer) and it is filled with dried apricots and chocolate.
Find the recipe here: https://spaghettiabc.com/farro-pastiera-apricot-chocolate/.
Enjoy with molto amore,
Flavia

One of the pillars of Italian cuisine is tomato. And while in the summer we use it mostly raw, being able to take advantage of the season when this fruit reaches its peak flavor, in the winter it is the preserves that take center stage.

Peeled tomatoes, passata, tomato paste, sun-dried tomatoes, pomodorini: there are so many ways to process tomatoes. And there are several recipes in which to enhance each of these preparations.
In this carousel I have listed the ones I think should be in your kitchen: browse through it with me and tell me which is your favorite tomato preserve.

Ciao amici!
I’ve just released the dates of the cooking classes for this spring and summer 2023.
The air is full of scents of fresh pasta, mediterranean herbs and juicy sauces.
Choose the class your prefer and come cook with me, from scratch, your favorite Italian food.
Info and reservations > https://spaghettiabc.com/cookingclasses/

I love Milan. Every time I visit, I come home full of ideas and energy.
This last time I was in Porta Venezia area, among food stores, bakeries and wine shops.

First stop was bakery on Via Bronzetti. On the wall, many forms of bread: borbonico, saraceno, with flaxseed, from ancient grains. The pizza by the slice - topped with puntarelle and chickpea puree - has air-cells the size of craters. A neighborhood bakery where people are made to meet.
Here I found latest book, dedicated to the artisan bakeries of Italy.

A Christiania Bike parked at the entrance, the smell of cardamom and butter… at I felt I was back in Scandinavia. A place to buy hand-rolled cinnamon pastries in the morning and, at lunch, try bagels or flat-breads.

At I stood still for 10 minutes contemplating their selection of organic oils from all over Italy and bronze-drawn artisanal pastas. Traveling with carry-on luggage, I didn't pick up a single one but I treated myself to a piece of torrone from Caffè Sicilia. Their wine cellar of organic, biodynamic and natural wines, with beautifully illustrated labels is truly "design-porn".

Last stop, by night, . An essential osteria, where the "quinto quarto" (the offals) dishes reign (after all, one of the partners is from ), to be accompanied by natural Italian, French, and Slovenian wines. Also available for purchase for take-out.

And, speaking of wines, I come home with the latest book by , Italy's finest wine journalist (although she lives in the U.S.), dedicated to people who, through wine, have redeemed and revived an area. Follow her in her podcasts and articles, also in English.

As always, thank you Milan.
And for being my co-pilot in this.

Like any self-respecting holiday, Christmas has its ritual food, dishes that are consumed exclusively at that time.
And panettone does not escape this rule.

A distinctive, domed shape loaf with a beautiful round dome (to make it, the panettone, immediately after being baked, is hung and left to cool for 12 hours, upside down).
Simple ingredients (flour, eggs, milk, butter, raisins, candied oranges) testify to a peasant origin of this recipe.

According to Massimo Montanari, historian of Italian cuisine, panettone is the transformation in the popular sphere of a traditional food, such as bread, into the food of the feast. How? From savory to sweet, by adding special ingredients such as raisins and candied fruit.
And, the very presence of raisins makes us think of a medieval origin of panettone, when, before the discovery of the Americas, dried fruit or honey was used to sweeten foods.

From the Middle Ages to the present day, the recipe for panettone has evolved and there are many variations on the market today: chocolate, pistachio, caramel, coffee.
It can be served alone or accompanied by creams: custard, chocolate ganache, mascarpone cream, Nutella, etc.

In Sweden you can easily find it, both in large retailers and in deli and pastry shops that sell Italian food.
How about you, will you bring a slice of Italy to your Christmas table this year?
Write to me in the comments

Whenever I organize a cooking class or event, I like to design a different menu tailored specifically for that group of people I will be teaching to cook.
And that's also why I never shop at the same store but I choose the ingredients according to the menu I'm going to cook.

Radicchio from Treviso, puntarelle from Rome, cime di rapa from Bari, organic farro? .
Taralli, colatura d'alici (anchovy sauce from Cetara), artisanal PDO cheese? .
At .nu I buy ricotta salata, polenta, sun-dried tomatoes, and artisanal ice cream by .
At I can find taleggio cheese, buffalo mozzarella and charcuterie.
At I stop for robiola and Parmigiano Reggiano vacche rosse (red cows).
At I find burrata from Puglia, orecchiette and cucunci capers.
High-end Italian chocolate? .se.
Gourmet panettone from Sicily, jams and spreadable creams?

What about Italian extra virgin olive oil? This is a bit of a sore point. There is really very little choice in Malmö at the moment, and the market is dominated by medium-low quality industrial oils.
At I found some Italian PDO, organic, and award-winning oils in competition like and (and of course I bought them). But more can be done, Malmö! Let the flavors of the more than 400 varieties of Italian extravirgin olive oils express themselves!

Now I am curious about you: where do you buy Italian food in Malmö?

NB: no store or producer paid me to write this post. Well, actually is more the opposite.

4 recipes for your Christmas meal and the list of all my cooking classes for this winter 2023.
The monthly newsletter is here 🙂
Enjoy your reading: https://mailchi.mp/59c347b67889/an-italian-cooking-school-in-the-heart-of-malm?e

In Malmö and in Lund.
Pasta, focaccia, piadina, a whole vegetarian menu.
The cooking workshops for January-March have been released.

I’ve listened to your wishlist and I have designed them with molto amore ❤️.
Find all the info here: https://spaghettiabc.com/cooking-workshops-2023/

TALEGGIO

During one of my private cooking classes, a student confessed to me that her greatest pleasure on Fridays when leaving the office is to treat herself to a piece of Taleggio cheese. The perfect "fredagsmys" I would say.
(For the non-Swedish friends reading this post, fredagsmys means getting cosy on the sofa with some easily-prepared food).

Creamy, soft, enveloping: I really can't imagine a more "cosy" cheese than this.
That's why I want to tell you more about it in this post. Scroll to the left and let's discover it together!
What do you think about Taleggio cheese?

NB: I took this picture at Möllans Ost cheese shop, here in Malmö.

October newsletter here we are!
The subject is "Italian fusion", which, to me, means mostly "a sustainable taste".

4 new easy recipes to try and a "halloween tale" from Puglia.
Hope you like it.

Read it here and remember to subscribe (it is for free), to get your monthly Italian inspiration ❤️
https://mailchi.mp/d42c9b38aebe/italian-fusion-what-do-you-mean

Italian days at Storlien, in Sweden, by the Norwegian border 🇮🇹🇸🇪🇳🇴.

Day 1 - Puglia meets Jämtland in the kitchen, a 4 hands dinner where Southern Italian signature dishes have been reinterpreted using hyper-local Nordic ingredients.
Day 2 - pasta class, 3 Italian regions to discover by kneading. A virtual tour in the name of durum wheat.

Grazie, tusen tack to all guests who visited us, appreciating our cross-culture and cross-border food, sitting around a table. Thank you, specially for all the questions we got, because, speaking about the food we cooked, was an opportunity to celebrate our culinary heritage and passionate producers.
Vi ses!
Flavia Giordano Spaghetti ABC and Lena Flaten Flammans Skafferi