Lentils, Sausages & Red Underwear – Italian New Year Traditions

Article first published as Lentils, Sausages & Red Underwear: Italian New Year Traditions on Technorati.

Christmas has come and gone already. The last remains of the panettone and croccante have been eaten on Boxing Day, and these few days between the celebrations of the birth of Jesus and the arrival of the New Year are a bit subdued. People lucky enough to be on holiday sleep in and go for walks, or take advantage of the sales in their favourite shops. The ones who had to go into work find that not much is going on. It is as if time is standing still.

On December 31^st, this all changes. The preparations for New Year's Eve start and there is a feeling of excitement in the air again. Leaving the current year behind and looking forward to the new one always bring a fresh burst of optimism and happiness. If you are celebrating at home with family and friends, you will most probably be cooking “cotechino e lenticchie”. This is a traditional dish featuring fresh pork sausages and lentils. Both ingredients are important: eating pork and lentils means that the coming year will be a prosperous one for you. As you prepare this recipe for the big night, its fragrant aroma filling your kitchen, and when later on you enjoy the delicious taste of it, you cannot help but believe that this belief is indeed true.

The best way to buy cotechino is raw, as opposed to pre-cooked, as it will give even more flavour to the casserole. As for the lentils, the best one are said to come form Castelluccio di Norcia, a lovely village located in stunning Umbria. This dish is so popular that should you decide to go out you will find it on the menu in many restaurants, either in its usual form or revamped for the occasion.

Another interesting tradition is to wear read underwear for good luck. But beware: not any old or simply already worn red underwear will do. No, it has to be new, and to have been given as a gift to you. One may wonder how much of the shops turnover sales of red underwear account for at the end of the year!

In some regions, people will also eat pomegranate, another symbol of prosperity and abundance, or chuck old objects out of the window (the latter mostly in the south).

As for the following traditions, they are shared with many other countries: to kiss under the mistletoe, fireworks at midnight and to welcome the New Year with a glass sparkling wine. The most popular choices are a bottle coming from the Franciacorta wine region (Lombardy), Prosecco (Veneto) or simply the local "spumante" or "frizzante".

Happy New Year!

new photos of Casa Bramasole

we're really proud to show you the new photos of
CASA BRAMASOLE

Umbria Jazz 2012

http://www.umbriajazz.com/mediacenter/FE/home.aspx


This year comes Sting!
Maybe our clients in Casa Bramasole will enjoy this oportunity!

A Week in Casa Bramasole

 
















Article first published as A Week In Casa Bramasole  on Technorati.


More and more articles are being published about the way social media now affects our lives. Twitter and Facebook are still the leaders, but new possibilities are emerging every day. We tend to spend more and more time interacting with our virtual "friends" online. But how about our real life friends? Do we still have time for them? How would you say an experience such as described below compares with how popular one can be on social networks?
Our group of four friends were driving through the dark oak forest. We finally came to a clearing and there it was, the house! We got out of the car and took the time to admire the myriad of lights around Lake Trasimeno below us. We then looked for the key that would open the beautiful Umbrian property in front of us and quickly found it. We had of course seen lots of photos of Casa Bramasole but the reality surpassed what we had been expecting. We immediately felt welcome as we entered the old converted farmhouse, while retaining its original features of old beams, terracotta tiles and brickwork. The colourful flowers and fresh fruit waiting for us in the dining room were a nice and thoughtful addition.
As we entered the spacious kitchen, we realised that this was where we would spend most of our stay. On top of the two dishwashers, massive fridge and freezer, a surprise was waiting for us: a Pavoni coffee machine! This completed the feeling of belonging that we had experienced as we had first walked into Casa Bramasole. Once the bedrooms, all different, were attributed, we set out on a complete tour of our home for the week. All the rooms were absolutely gorgeous and fireplaces could be found in the kitchen, bedrooms and living room. We were ravenous by then and the oak logs were quickly thrown into the barbecue on the terrace. We did not even wait for the fire to completely turn to embers to cook the impressive steaks we had bought on the way in Tuoro. The result was heavenly: Tender and juicy meat, eaten with tomato and garlic bruschette.
The following morning we fully discovered the unbelievable view on the lake below and the nearby hills. We were very lucky with the weather and were able to enjoy the outdoor swimming pool and to eat outside, except for one evening when we gathered around the big wooden table and ate by candlelight. The whole week was a culinary festival: mushroom risotto, steaks alla Fiorentina, homemade pasta filled with ricotta and basil, zabaione, berry tiramisu and apple tart, accompanied by local white and red wines. That last dessert we savoured in the TV room, just so we could say we had used all of these stunning rooms at least once. This part of the house was once a pigsty and the original arrow slits gives it a special atmosphere.
As we were about to leave we all stated how much we would love to come back. Perhaps this time in the winter? If only for the opportunity to snuggle up on one of the big leather sofas in the living room, with logs blazing in that enormous fireplace.

Il Paradiso

These are the impressions of a client of us staying in Casa Bramasole in 2011:

leamontini.ch/casa-bramasole 

Bistecca alla Fiorentina

Article first published as Bistecca alla Fiorentina on Technorati.

Tuscany is famous for its many wonderful aspects. Stunning landscapes of rolling hills, cypress trees, fields of poppies and sunflowers and glorious sunsets. Old barns and farms converted to magnificent properties while retaining their original features. Glimpses of life in the Middle Ages and even the Romanesque and Etruscan eras through its impressive and well-preserved cities. Nature in most of its forms with a gorgeous coastline and sandy beaches, majestic mountains, parks and reserves. Art everywhere and well-being for the body and the mind through luxurious spas.

Then of course there is the Tuscan cuisine and one of the trademark dishes of this fantastic area in Italy is the simple but delight for the senses "bistecca alla fiorentina" (beefsteak Florentine style). It is so famous that it even has its own Facebook page. What is so special about it? Well, first this is a T-bone or porterhouse steak that obligatorily comes from either the Chianina or Maremmana breeds of cattle if you want to stay true to the tradition.

The Chianina breed is the most common one. It was in earlier times raised as draught cattle but is now principally used for meat. It is the largest and a very old cattle breed, having been raised in the regions of Tuscany, Umbria and Lazio for over 2'000 years. The Maremmana breed gets its name from the region where it is reared in western central Italy, and has an unusual skeletal build that gives the animal its distinctive appearance.

The preparation of this huge and thickly cut piece of meat – usually meant to feed two people – is very simple, but for the desired result it is crucial that one uses the best ingredients and pays attention to all the details. You will be able to find slightly different versions calling an extra ingredient or two such as a hint of honey or a drizzle of first class olive oil. However, for the base recipe you will need only sea salt, crushed black pepper corns and garlic. The salt and pepper are sprinkled on both sides prior to cooking, but for the garlic, it depends on the chosen way. You may rub it before the steak is seared or added afterwards on the side that has just been cooked. The same goes for that drizzle of olive oil.

The seasoned steak should be put on a wood- or charcoal-fired grill for the best outcome, but should you not have one available searing in a hot frying pan can also be done. The meat has to remain quite rare, and you will be surprised at the mind-blowing burst of flavours once you start enjoying it. As a side dish, Tuscan beans or a crispy green salad are best, and a nice glass of red wine will be the finishing touch.