Carnival at the table between succulent dishes and traditional desserts: the typical dishes of the Belpaese are really many and full of smells and flavors during the days of the mask and disguise festival.
Carnival at the table
In the carnival menu, lasagna excels, in particular the Neapolitan ones filled with hard-boiled eggs, ricotta, meatballs and caciocavallo. Among the many preparations in the oven there is really an embarrassment of choice especially in the South where, for example, the Sicilian 'ncasciata pasta or stuffed rice Calabrian. Two dishes that are the triumph of taste and calories. But you know, the Carnival table in the popular tradition is full of all good things because it will then be followed by the sad lean days of Lent. As for the second courses, his majesty the pig wins over all and, on the festive tables, it makes a fine show of itself in all the sauces. With sauce, in a pan, baked or roasted.
Chops, sausages, pork rinds, ribs: nothing really is thrown away from pork, especially during Carnival. There is no shortage of the classic pitta or rustic focaccia or bread dough or savory shortcrust pastry always filled with an infinite number of ingredients. From cold cuts to dairy products, to vegetables; a mix of flavors that become comfort food for gourmets who love the genuine cuisine of the past. Always among the main courses of meat, the legendary meatballs cannot be missing, which from the Alps to the islands are a must of the Italian culinary tradition. Among other things, eating this dish at Carnival is almost a symbolic gesture. A sign of wealth for the families who could afford meat and who enjoyed consuming it on the festive table, before the forty days of deprivation marked by the Lenten period.
Chiacchere, castagnole, cicerchiata… desserts for everyone
Chatter, bullshit, lies. Many names for a single dessert, the classic one of the Italian Carnival, a fried or baked delicacy covered in sugar. And then there are the castagnole, also fried and with a quick and simple recipe. How can we forget the sweet ravioli filled with ricotta, the bocconotti stuffed with jam or frangipane. Fragrant recipes, some crunchy, others soft, which are a hymn to ancient Italian pastry. In the cabaret of carnival sweets, the cicerchiata also stands out, typical specialty of the regions of central Italy such as Marche, Abruzzo and Molise.
A preparation very similar to Neapolitan struffoli. The name of this fried dessert dates back to ancient times Middle Ages and most likely derives from cicerchia, a legume with a shape similar to that of a chickpea or a pea. The cicerchiata is made of balls of dough made from flour, eggs, butter and sugar fried in olive oil. After having drained them, they are mixed with the honey and arranged in small heaps or in the shape of a crown on a plate. A delicacy with ancient origins which, according to popular beliefs, would be a harbinger of luck and prosperity.
(Photo archive italiani.it/Pixabay)
