Deck the halls with boughs of holly. Tis the season to be jolly fa la la la, la la la la. Gorge we now on panettone – – -! What else is a girl to do but gorge! This holiday confection seems to chase her around the store? Well, I could wait and not buy one. Impossible. I could buy a few and not eat every slice. The springy tall cake, liberally speckled with raisons, dried citrus and what ever else someone had in the pantry is impossible to ignore. If you don’t eat it all it starts to get stale. Hmm, not so bad stale either. I imagine, a slightly hard piece of deliciousness, soaked in eggs that have been whisked with vanilla and cinnamon, grilled on my Nonna’s cast iron stove top grill and then bathed in real, honest to God maple syrup. Couple that with crispy bacon and it is orgasmic. OMG. Weight Watcher points be damned that is one fine seasonal breakfast, lunch, dinner or snack.
Made by Antonio Diglio in Pontelandolfo, panettone is light, flavorful and simply fabulous. There is usually none left over unless it gets hidden so I don’t eat it all in one day. Making French Toast, all of those lovely spongy holes fill with egg and a slice cooks up heavenly. Sigh….
Perhaps, I should start at the beginning. Did I enjoy panettone as a child? Not that I can remember. When did I first taste the stale crappy ones sold in supermarkets? That would have been in college. Surrounded by all those Italian American women in my dorm from Italian enclaves like Jersey City, Newark and Hoboken I was introduced to the Italian traditions that New Jersey farm girl Midge never experienced. That is also when I discovered, having imbibed in a bit of Maryjane, how stupendous panettone was doctored with jam, jelly, maple syrup, etc. Luckily, later in life when I had a couple of lira in my pocket, I unearthed panettone that was light, airy, sweet but not gooey and wonderful to eat all by itself. Now, spending holiday time in Pontelandolfo I am binging on the fresh panettone from Diglio Forno and other cakes brought to town from the capital of panettone – Milano.
Who started this tradition of culinary goodness? What follows is an obvious embellishment of the ancient legend. It was a dark and stormy night, the ides of – wait, wait, wrong legends.
The Legend of Panettone: Tis the season to rock around the great hall. A blowout of a Christmas party was happening at the 15th century Milanese court of Ludovico Il Moro. Servers carried out tray after tray of beautifully prepared food. The dessert, which was to be a surprise and an incredible joy, was slowly cooking in the oven. One young kitchen helper was left to guard the oven and make sure the dessert came out pefectly. For whatever reason, maybe he ran out side to see the snow, maybe Gabriella the serving girl stopped and flirted with him, the reason doesn’t matter – he let the dessert burn to a blackened crisp. Caspita! Desperate, the lad looked around the kitchen and remembered he had made a bread with left over dough. He had tossed in dried fruits, lemon peels and whatever edibles were around. He gulped, put it on a fancy tray, powdered it with sugar, and suggested that the cook serve it. The cook walked incredibly slowly into the great hall. Toni was cowering in the doorway. Slices were served. Compliments were tossed and the party was a success. In summary: Toni, a lowly kitchen helper, made a terrible mistake and fearing he’d be served up roasted, was saved by his quick wit and culinary creation made of leftover stuff. He saved the party and introduced the world to “L’è ‘l pan del Toni,” meaning “It’s Toni’s bread, hence the name panettone. The end.
May your holiday season be bright and filled with scrumptious panettone. If you buy one in an Italian market DO NOT SAVE IT. Why let it get stale – EAT IT TODAY. I googled what one can do with panettone and here are some ideas. Panettone bread pudding – obvious but yummy. Panettone tiramisu – hmm not so obvious. What follows is an easy way to use the bread up. On a griddle heat up slices of panettone. Toast it well on both sides. DO NOT PUT IT IN A TOASTER. I have and it warranted a call to the fire house. Put the slices on a plate and pour some Grand Marnier over it. Imagine all the liquors you could experiment with. Heating up a slice opens the door to the refrigerator and pantry because you can spread it with whatever sweet stuff you like. Or, eat it my way – make French toast and douse it in real maple syrup. Do not leave out the crispy bacon.
Enjoy the season!
Ci Vediamo
BOOKS AND PLAYS MAKE GREAT GIFTS!
CONSIDER GIFTING A WORK OF MINE. THANKS!
- Cars Castles Cows and Chaos – an outright funny Italian road trip
- An Italian Treasure Hunt – The Quest for the Crests of Pontelandolfo!
- Mamma Mia – La Befana?! – holiday play with a strong female protagonist
- Many Snows Ago – stories from the Eastern Woodland Native Americans
- Wanda, The Girl Who Cried, Witch! – a halloween tale with a moral
- The Eagle and the Old Woman – based on an Ashanti tale
- Email: 9/12 – demonstrates how sharing, grieving and even allowing a spark of humor to fly through cyberspace helped America get through the painful aftermath of 9/11.
Nonna's Mulberry Tree 