My mamma’s kitchen
by Giuseppe PALADINO
My “mamma” always
said to me that Calabrian villagers eat with the seasons. They use only the
very freshest ingredients to get the
best results from your recipes. Although I come from a poor background as a
Calabrian farmer’s boy, I actually have a very rich gastronomical culture. The
countryside where I lived for my first 15 years of my life, equipped an
extraordinary supply of fresh ingredients ( vegetables, fish and meat) that was
cooked in the authentic home-style recipes. This manner makes it one of the
simplest and healthy cuisines of the Italy. I have many memories about my
childhood of wonderful feasts, family gatherings. I can still remember the
comforting aromas of meals being prepared by my mamma and Grandmamma in our own kitchen, and the spoor of fresh
calabrian pasta, which my mamma made by hand weekly on Sunday morning. You
cannot imagine the aromas that
“farrezuoli” with lamb ragout and spicy breadcrumbs releases. You should to
prepare it, I’m sure you will love this dish. My dad, every day, he rose with
sunrise and headed off to work all day in the fields. His work permitted our
family to have a lot of cultivar of fresh vegetables. Twice for month my mom
rose at 5:00 am to bake sourdough bread. Still nowadays, he raises the sourdough daily with her
incredible hands. This kind of bread is unknown for many people, but who tasted
at least once in his/her life I’m sure that he cannot have got any bread left.
My family was always pleased to have fresh bread. So he baked about 20 kilos of
wheat flour each time without kneading machine just using her own arms. She is
an exceptional woman and mamma. The loaves were about 4 kilos, a strong crusty
on the outside and deliciously soft and hole ( created by sourdough yeast) on
the inside. The bread was eaten with every meal and used in many dishes,
including “pancotto” and on the side with several calabrese salami PDO such as
“soppressata, salsiccia and ‘Nduja”. The hot oven was used to bake more than
just bread. Local green peppers was
roasted and lamb were baked at this time as well. Peppers was served peeled
with garlic and extra virgin olive oil. If you like you can add some fresh
mint. In Calabria, it is traditional to have “farrezuoli” and a roast for the
main meal of the day on Sundays.
Maria’s
Sourdough bread
Bread sponge:
100 g of bread starter ( room temperature),
130 g of Flour,
120 ml of warm water ( about 30°C).
Dough:
300 g of bread sponge,
1000 g of wheat flour,
450 ml of warm water,
50 g of salt,
20 g of caster sugar.
Method:
the bread sponge ( first day)
1. Put
the starter in a bowl ( 1 ½ liter) and
add the flour and the water.
2. Stir
well with a wooden spoon. My mother used to make it with her hands.
3. Cover
the bowl with a plate or cloth.
4. Wrap
with towels or a blanket to keep it warm
and leave in the warmest part of your kitchen.
1. Put
the flour in a large container and put the sponge over.
2. Dissolve
the salt and the sugar in the warm water, then add it on the dough while mixing
hardly.
3. I
would give you an advice: use your
hands, both.
4. Mixing till the dough begins to come together
and clean the sides of the bowl. The dugh have to be firm, smooth and springly.
5. Let
it raise, then shape the loaves. For this recipes you can make 2 loaves.
6. With
a knife divide the risen dough into two equal pieces. Flour the dough as needed
to prevent sticking, but handle it gently; do not punch it down.
7. Gently
transfer the two shaped loaves to a lightly floured cloth ( my mama always make
this process). Let raise again for about one more hour or more. It depends
about the room temperature. On winter it takes more than summer.
8. Bake
them in a pre-heated oven at 200°C ( 400°F) until the loaves are well browned
all over. It takes about 50 mins.
9. Cool
completely on a rack before slicing.
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