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RECIPE OF THE MONTH INGREDIENT OF THE MONTH BABBO MENU |
DOLCI |
 by Gina DePalma, Pastry Chef THIS MONTH ZALETTI The cuisine of the Venice is varied and distinct, in large part due to its long history as a trading port. Since the founding of the city in 10th century, it became a point of intense trade between Central Europe, the Byzantine Empire, and the Orient. If it were at all possible to travel backwards in time and roam the streets of Venice during this period one would likely find Arabs, Turks, and Asians, strolling the trading stalls along with the local inhabitants. Exquisite spices, potatoes, beans, rice, sugar, raisins and coffee all found their place in Italian cuisine by entering through the Venetian gateway. In the mid 16th century, a golden grain made its way through the port of Venice from the Americas. Venetians soon discovered that cooking “maize” into a cereal was a suitable substitute for the chick-peas, buckwheat and millet used up until then. Corn, or “granturco” as it became known, was immediately adopted as a food staple, and its widespread cultivation swept across the fertile plains of the Northern Italian landscape. Cornmeal, cooked into polenta, is still a principal ingredient used in the cuisine of the Veneto, and is considered a classic accompaniment to many dishes. Gentle and delicate in flavor, soft and creamy in texture, polenta is the ultimate partner to the numerous fish dishes that dominate the region. It is no surprise that the use of cornmeal also found its way into sweets as well. One would be hard pressed not to find Zaletti, tasty cornmeal biscuits studded with raisins, in every bakery in Venice. I first learned of these little gems from Mario, who told me that the Polenta Shortbread Cookies that serve on my cookie plate at Babbo reminded him of zaletti. I set out to create my own version of this classic Italian sweet, and after a few tries, I think I got it right. The freshly grated lemon zest and the sweet currants plumped in grappa give just the right flavor to these tasty cookies. Enjoy them with a fresh, hot cappuccino and pretend that you are lolling away the day in a Venetian café. Pan di Spagna. Zaletti - Cornmeal Biscuits with Currants ¾ cup dried currants ¼ cup boiling water 3 T. Grappa 1 ¾ cups All-Purpose Flour 1 cup quick-cooking polenta or fine cornmeal ¾ cup sugar, plus additional for sprinkling on the cookies 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. baking powder 1 egg 1 egg yolk 4 oz. (1 stick) sweet, unsalted butter, melted and cooled Finely grated zest of 1 large lemon 1. Place the currants in a small bowl and pour over the boiling water and grappa. Set aside to let the currants plump and cool. 2. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, polenta, salt and baking powder. In another bowl, lightly beat the egg and egg yolk and combine them with the melted butter and lemon zest. Stir the egg mixture into the dry ingredients using a wooden spoon to form a wet dough. 3. Drain any liquid from the currants and stir them into the dough. Wrap the dough in a piece of plastic wrap and let it chill for one hour. 4. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. 6. Bake the cookies for 15 minutes or until they are golden brown and firm. Allow them to cool and store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. |
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