BY VERONICA LAVENIA
Italian Notebook is a window to Italy, live from Italy. Food recipes, destinations to discover the treasures of Italian food, practical advice on how to eat like a true Italian, and selecting the best organic seasonal ingredients are all elements of Lavenia’s vibrant column.
The dry fruit is one of the main ingredients typically used in the cuisine of Southern Italy, particularly in Sicily. The Sicilian pistachio, grown in Bronte, a small village situated under the slopes of Mount Etna, the highest active volcano of Europe and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of the finest in the world and is often referred to as “green gold”.
Sicilian pistachios have a special structure thanks to the volcanic soil, which makes it particularly green and tasty. As you’ll see with this recipe, the pistachios create a soft, nutty flavor with the perfect balance of salt. A side of soft cheese makes for an ideal appetizer.
SUPPORT ARTISANS AROUND THE WORLD
Makes approximately 20 Italian pistachio cookies (if using medium size stencils)
Ingredients (*use organic if available)
110 g (4 ¾ oz) unsalted butter softened
100 g (1 cup) Kamut flour
100 g ( 1 cup) pistachio flour (if flour is not readily available, grind pistachios in food processor until flour forms)
10 leaves of fresh thyme chopped finely
a generous pinch of salt
1 egg
Directions
Knead all the ingredients to form a smooth dough. Place in refrigerator for 20 minutes.
Roll out the dough and cut the shapes you want.
Bake at 350° for 10 minutes.
ABOUT THE WRITER
I was born and still live in Italy. My mother and my father passed down their love for travel, passion for cooking and organic sustainable food to me.
I have a University Degree in Spanish Languages and Literatures and a Phd in Iberian and Ibero-American Languages and Literatures. While I was teaching Spanish Language at University (Faculty of Economics) and after writing Gianni Clerici’s authorized biography (best Italian Tennis Journalist, Tennis Hall of Fame in 2006), I began writing about my passion for cooking. My literary education is the essential ingredient for a methodological approach to professional food writing.
My first cookbook “Dolci Leggerezze”, published in Italy, is about homemade dairy and gluten-free cakes and pies. Recipes born out of a personal experience that helped me discover how useful is to share tasty and healthy alternatives, also suitable for those who do not suffer from allergies. Some of my recipes were also published in Italian food magazines.
I believe in the value of home cooking as an instrument of culture, knowledge and education. To cook in a simple, tasty and healthy way you don’t need cooking classes. All you need is passion and curiosity. Knowing the ingredients, their seasonality and origin, means to cook in a conscious way. Knowledge makes the difference.
Feature photo by Giuseppe Giustolisi