The story of our Winter Release
We were fortunate to travel to Abruzzo for the first time this summer and were blown away by the people, the scenery, and the unique cuisine.
My fascination with this region began when I started researching the Notarmuzzi family and their journey from Sulmona in the early 20th century. The rabbit hole of Ancestry provided me with addresses, city records, and immigration papers. We visited the church where my great-grandmother was baptized, the building where my great-grandfather was born, and walked the streets of the village where my family lived nearly 100 years ago.
I knew exactly where to go, but what I didn’t know is how I would feel when I got there. When we finally drove past the city limits of Rome and into the mountain roads of Abruzzo, it was clear…I would feel at home. And that feeling of home culminated with a cooking class in Rosy’s kitchen.
I found Rosy in my search to learn more about local Abruzzo cuisine. My family came to New York when they were young and left so many of their traditions behind. I wanted to connect with families from that area and bring back their cooking traditions. One experience continued to pop up in my research – Cooking with Rosy. Rosy’s goal is “to offer the unique experience of a full immersion in our genuine and authentic cooking tradition while surrounded by a family atmosphere“. It sounded perfect.
When we met Rosy and her mother, Annabella, we immediately felt like family. Mike, Luca, and I were greeted with plates of typical Abruzzese foods and pecorino wine. “After all“, said Rosy, “you need the energy to cook!“. We sat on her beautiful deck, chatting about Abruzzo, her home town, and her Nonna which inspired her to document and teach her family recipes.
Over the next ten hours (yes – TEN hours!), we connected over the kneading of pasta dough, the sampling of biscotti batter, and the frying of meatballs. We finished out the day by dining at her table, surrounded by three generations of Rosy’s family. We toasted with Montepulciano d’Abruzzo and shared our gratitude for the day. So much of this season’s box is inspired by the recipes and feeling of home we shared that day in Rosy’s kitchen.
How to best enjoy your piece of Italy
When we can, we love eating as they do in Italy by coursing our food into starters (antipasto), a first course (primo), an entree (secondi), and a sweet dessert to top it all off (dolci).
Music
First things first: music! Mike believes that no meal is complete without music so he created a Winter Playlist for everyone to enjoy. This season’s music is heavy on fellow Abruzzese-American, Dean Martin, and includes some of our holiday favorites.
Antipasto
Acciughette Piccanti Don’t be scared – try the anchovies! Abruzzo sits on the Adriatic and small fish are a mainstay of their cuisine. Nowhere is this more apparent than on the Trabocchi Coast where giant wooden platforms hang over the sea, scooping small fish from the waters below. IASA’s whole, salt-cured anchovies are plucked from the very same waters and then marinated in olive oil and chili peppers to create the perfect marriage of heat and sharp brininess of the fish.
Peperoncino Composta Every table in Abruzzo has a small bowl of pepper composta to add spice and flavor to each course. Rosy passed around a homemade composta when we gathered around her table. We weren’t able to ship that version to everyone but Mirogallo got pretty close! This version is the perfect combination of red and green peppers that are chopped by hand then packed with parsley, fennel, and olive oil from the Mirogallo farm. Delicious piled on this season’s crackers or as an addition to the Sugo al Vino Rosso.
Pane Rustico And finally, a paper-thin Italian flatbread cracker, toasted to a perfect golden brown with olive oil and Sicilian sea salt to enjoy the composta and anchovies. If you are also looking for a great Abruzzese cheese, keep an eye out for a soft pecorino or smoked scamorza.
Primi
Chitarra Pasta Our cooking class focused on chitarra pasta – the specialty of the Abruzzo region. This was difficult to find, but after a long search, we discovered Zaccagni, an artisan pasta producer.
Zaccagni pastas are made using bronze dies that are over 100 years old, then gently slow dried at low temperatures to produce the classic bronze cut texture that soaks up any sauce. The chitarra pasta shape and process are unique to the Abruzzo region, getting its name from the metal guitar-like strings that cut the pasta into its notable square shape.
Sugo al Vino Rosso Once we found the perfect pasta, we needed the sauce! Casina Rossa is a family-run business based in Abruzzo specializing in the production of local delicacies, including tomato sauces. Their newest addition captures a true regional flavor: Montepulciano d’Abruzzo red wine. This sauce tastes almost meaty due to the richness of red wine, herbs, and extra virgin olive oil and pairs perfectly with this season’s pasta.
Olivewood Spaghetti Measure When Italians like Rosy cook, they are known for saying things like “just a handful of this” or “pinch of that”, but if you are like me, you want a little more information. Enter, the spaghetti measure. Use this hand-carved tool to portion out your dry chitarra pasta.
Secondi
If you want to “eat like an Italian”, serve your secondi (main course) after you have indulged in your chitarra pasta and sugo al vino. Pork is a common dish in Italy and Abruzzo is no different. What makes Abruzzo so interesting is that its terrain has mountains, green pastures, and a coastline so fish and meat are both common dishes. This season, we wanted to share a secondi recipe that was easy to follow while honoring the flavors of the region. This porchetta recipe is just that – slow-roasted pork covered with Abruzzo’s signature spicy peppers and fennel.
Dolci
Anisetti Biscotti One of our favorite flavors of Abruzzo was the anise included in baked goods – especially the biscotti! We left Rosy’s with bags of almond and anise biscotti and have made them regularly at home ever since. When taste-testing biscotti, we thought Marella captured that essence of licorice in a delicious, handmade aniseed biscuit. In our opinion, these are best enjoyed after a dip in espresso or sweet wine.
Pelino Confetti And finally, the confetti! Pelino Candy Factory in Sulmona is the creator of the world-famous confetti, or as we know them in America, Jordan almonds. During Italian celebrations, guests are given five of these sugar-coated almonds to represent health, wealth, cheerfulness, fertility, and long life. This holiday season we are sending the same good wishes to each of you in a traditional, organza bag.
We hope your piece of Abruzzo brings you closer to one of our new favorite corners of Italy. Buon appetito!