The last issue's comments on the teacher-hiring scandal and the Italian custom of cheating to beat the system drew a number of replies, ranging from one, in Italian, thanking me for explaining what was going on (apparently the accounts in the American press weren't clear), to one telling me I was insulting Italians and that there were bad apples everywhere. There certainly are, but we're talking about something different here. Those living in the Peninsula have to deal with an astonishingly bureaucratic government, one with layer upon layer of functionaries and officials who work for competing offices, all of whom have their turf to defend, and all of whom apply the rules as they see fit. As a result, you can easily find yourself in a bind because the apparently reasonable rules of different offices make it impossible for you to do what you want. At which point you dust off your list of acquaintances, talk to someone who knows someone, and get the thing done that way. Depending upon who you are and who the people you talk to are, you may (or may not) end up beholden to the person who arranges things, or money may change hands. For example, when I began the process of enrolling at the University of Florence, I was told by the Italian Consulate in Boston that I would be granted a student visa upon being admitted to the University. At the University I was told one of the prerequisites for admission was a permesso di soggiorno per motivi di studio (a permission to stay in Italy to study, which is issued by the police). To get it, the police told me I had to have a student visa. Which the Italian Consulate wouldn't issue until I was admitted. My father, who had been President of the association of American university programs in Rome, talked to a friend who knew people in the Ministero degli Esteri (which handles consulates, visas and such); the police got a telegram authorizing the release of the permesso di soggiorno and in short order I was enrolled. This is known as L'Arte di Arrangiarsi, the Art of Getting By.

No cheating involved in my case, but there was in a case one of Elisabetta's cousins told me about the other night. Some background: Up until the early 70s, enrollment in the Italian universities was quite limited; the prerequisite was that the student have attended a liceo (high school) rather than an istituto tecnico (a technical institute, where one learns a trade or profession). Since the licei were much tougher and only prepared students for university, the majority opted for the istituti and university enrollment was limited. One of the upshots of the student unrest that began in 1968 was the decision to allow those from istituti tecnici to enroll in the universities, while another was the removal of admissions exams. Enrollment in prestigious disciplines, for example medicine -- in Italy one enrolls directly in the chosen field, without the 4-year liberal pause -- skyrocketed. The universities weeded out as best they could by making some exams so difficult that the less gifted students simply gave up (if you fail an oral the first time, you can keep trying until you succeed or have had enough). But enough people kept at the prestigious disciplines that we now have horrendous gluts in all of them, and a university degree is no longer a guarantee of a post, especially for a doctor. So, over the past 5 years there has been a return to admissions exams. Enter Elisabetta's cousin's acquaintance: Her son wanted to enroll in something difficult to get into, and she had a degree in something quite similar (e.g. medicine and veterinary medicine). Their last names differed, so she established residency in her country home to make them seem unrelated, applied too, took the exam with him, and slipped him the answers; he got in. L'Arte di Arrangiarsi, the Art of Getting By.

There is also another aspect to cheating on (or bending the results of) the exams that assign public posts. Since exams of this sort are open to anyone who is qualified, the person who wins could live hundreds of miles away, and be completely unknown to the people already working in the lab, school, hospital, or whatever. Perhaps the directors of the school really would like to give a permanent job to a good teacher who has been subbing for them for the past 5 years, or the hospital administration wants to hire a promising doctor who has been doing volunteer work in the wards (young doctors often work full time without pay while waiting to be hired). Since the exam is open to all applicants, they tell "their" candidates to use a code phrase in the written part so they can be identified, and let them know what the questions will be at the oral. The logical solution to this situation would be to let local administrators hire the people they want for local posts. It may come to this, but were you to suggest it now, you'd likely be told you were being undemocratic, because those qualified from elsewhere would be precluded. Everyone must have a chance, runs the mantra. Thus, we continue with the fiction that the playing field is level, when it's not, and is full of pits and obstacles too, in particular corrupt commissions and bribe-paying applicants. The end result of L'Arte di Arrangiarsi, The Art of Getting By.

THE 2000 VINTAGE : Harvesting Already in mid-August!

Moving in a different direction, this has been an odd year: Very mild winter, hot as blazes in early June, cold and wet for the rest of the month and July too, and then very hot again in August. As a result of the August heat, the grape harvest is well ahead of schedule in the southern half of the country, where all the white grapes and most of the reds are already in the cellars. Further north the harvest of whites is underway too, in part because the grapes are ripe, and in part out of fears that further heat will concentrate the sugars in the grapes so much that fermentation will be difficult. And people are gearing up to bring in the reds as well, also well ahead of schedule. The quality? Those in the south are extremely optimistic, and a number have mentioned the word "great" in interviews. In Tuscany some say great things are coming, whereas others think a little rain might be nice; the general consensus is that quality is going to be a macchia di leopardo, like a leopard's spots, varying depending upon local conditions. Judgment's still out for Piemonte too, while the people who make sparkling wines in the Northeast are acting very pleased. In other words, if the weather holds and we get a little rain, things will be looking good to very good for lots of estates.

WINDING DOWN, A FEW RECIPES.

First, Gnocchetti di Melanzane, Eggplant Gnocchi, a recipe Annina posted on the It.Hobby.Cucina newsgroup a couple of years ago. She in turn got it from an old issue of La Cucina Italiana, and observes that the gnocchi are tasty and as delicate as one can expect a gnocco to be. Also, that the scampi that go into the sauce should be fresh. To serve 6 will take 90 minutes.

For the gnocchi:

2 1/4 pounds (1 k) eggplant

1 pound (500 g) boiling potatoes

2 1/2 cups (250 g) flour, plus a little more for flowering your work surface

An egg

Olive oil, salt and pepper

For the sauce:

A scant pound (400 g) zucchini

12 ounces (300 g) fresh jumbo shrimp tails, peeled

1 clove garlic, minced

A little fresh oregano and thyme, finely minced

Parsley -- just the leaves

Olive oil, salt, and pepper

Optional garnish: finely sliced grilled eggplant

Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise, score the flesh in a deep diagonal pattern, salt them, oil them, and bake them in a preheated 400 f (200 C) oven for about 20 minutes. When they are cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh with a spoon, crumble the mixture by hand, and heat it over a brisk flame in a non-stick pan to drive off excess moisture.

While the eggplant is baking and cooking, boil the potatoes, skin them, and rice them. Make a mound of the cooked-down eggplant, riced potatoes and flour on your work surface, and work the egg into it, together with a pinch each of salt and pepper. Make gnocchi 3/4 of an inch long and half that in diameter, and set them aside on a lightly floured surface while you prepare the sauce (set a pot of water to heat while you're at it).

Cut the zucchini into rounds, and sauté them in olive oil with the garlic, thyme and oregano. Cover and simmer the vegetables for 10 minutes; in the mean time the water should have come to a boil. Salt it and add the gnocchi, while adding the shrimp and fresh parsley to the zucchini. The gnocchi will rise to the surface as they become done; remove them with a slotted spoon and add them to the sauce. Check seasoning and cook the gnocchi for a few minutes in the sauce, shifting them about in the pan by shaking it as if you were turning an omelet. Serve, garnishing the dish with finely sliced grilled eggplant if you want.

A printer-friendly version of this recipe.

FROM THE FIRST ISSUE OF LA CUCINA ITALIANA

Finally, those of you who have been subscribed to Cosa Bolle for a while will recall that La Cucina Italiana celebrated its 70th birthday last year by reprinting the first issue (in tabloid rather than magazine format). At the time I commented upon the articles. There are recipes too, but I didn't get to them. Here are some of the suggestions for day-to-day fare:

La Squisita Minestra di Giuseppe Verdi -- Giuseppe Verdi's Delicious Soup

The Master was, we are told, especially fond of this soup, which he would serve his guests in Genova's Palazzo Doria, or in Villa Sant'Agata.

Set 2 1/4 pounds (1 k) of potatoes to boil in salted water, and when they are done (a skewer will go through easily) peel them and rice them. Add 1/3 cup unsalted butter, a tablespoon of flour, freshly grated Parmigiano (to taste, between 1/2 cup and a cup), and 6 egg yolks. Mix thoroughly and make so many balls about a half-inch in diameter. Fry them in hot olive oil until golden and drain them well on absorbent paper. Transfer them to a soup tureen, fill it with good broth (ideally chicken), add a little meat sauce if you like, and it's done. To serve 6 halve the quantities.

A note: this is quite traditional; Artusi gave a number of similar recipes in his cookbook, which came out in 1891.

A printer-friendly version of this recipe.

La Polenta del Reggitore -- The Reggitore's Polenta

As they point out, this is simple fare, but one could do a lot worse than the reggitore. You'll need left-over or store-purchased polenta; slice it thinly and grill it well over the coals, turning the slices a couple of times. Take half the slices and spread soft cheese over them, be it raveggiolo, mozzarella, or stracchino as you prefer (you could also use something like cream cheese). Put the remaining slices over those spread with the cheese so as to make sandwiches, heat them through over the grill, if need be, and you're set. They say to serve this as part of a luncheon, but it will also work nicely in a barbecue.

A printer-friendly version of this recipe.

Intingolo di Lesso alla Buona Moglie -- The Good Wife's Boiled Meat Sauce

Boiling meat to make broth is a common activity now in Italy, and was even more so in the past; hence a great many recipes to jazz up boiled meats of one sort or another. This one, whose title is a commentary upon the times, does look especially good. Set a half cup of first-rate olive oil in a pot, together with fresh porcini (or dried ones, steeped in warm water for 20 minutes and then drained), some parsley you've minced with a couple of shallots and a clove of garlic, a few button onions, and a quartered lemon. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then sprinkle half a ladle of broth over it and continue cooking it for a half hour. Add thinly sliced boiled meat, cook five minutes more, and serve.

A printer-friendly version of this recipe.

Un Dolce da Andarne Matti -- A Dessert to Die For

To be honest, I would find this rich. But just a little would be nice....

1/2 pound each hazelnuts or almonds, powdered sugar (without starch or other stuff added; whirl it in a blender if need be), and unsalted butter. A cup of cream heated to just shy of a boil, flavored with a little vanilla, and allowed to cool. A mold, and Savoiardi or ladyfingers to line it.

Begin by mincing the nuts till they're almost a powder. Beat the butter until it's pale and very creamy, then stir in the nuts, sugar and cream. Line a mold large enough to contain the mixture with Savoiardi or ladyfingers, add the mixture, and chill it quite thoroughly.

A printer-friendly version of this recipe.

There are also festive recipes, which we'll get to anon.

A presto, and happy Labor Day to those in the US!
Kyle Phillips
Webweaver, About Italian Cuisine

PS -- Send a card from the Italian Cuisine Post Office!

Subscribe to the Newsletter
Name	Email

Free Italian Food Newsletter!Sign Up