Greetings; did you know that string beans, like peppers and tomatoes, are native to the Americas? I didn't until I researched the background for the collection of Italian string bean recipes that's the latest addition to the site. Spring seems to have, at last, arrived in Italy, and the pic of the week reflects this: a shot the Island of Elba, from an olive grove in Corsica.

Italy has a New Government, Permissiveness, and the Family Crisis

Returning to matters at hand, we had elections this week (May 13, 2001); the center-right coalition known as Il Polo della Libertà (the Freedom Pole) won, and now media magnate Silvio Berlusconi will have to make good on his election pledges, which include dropping taxes, increasing the minimum monthly pension to a million Lire (about 500 dollars), and a tremendous number of public works projects. Dropping taxes would be nice, as by the time they're all figured in the tax bite for the average Italian is 55-60%, which helps explain why so many people (and entire companies) file fraudulent returns, or work only for cash and pay no taxes. Upping the minimum pension will also be a good thing, because it's very difficult to make it on the 400-odd dollars a month that's the current minimum unless one can count on the assistance of family members, and not all the elderly can. The public works projects? Depends upon what they are, but some things do need doing. The problem is, how is Mr. Berlusconi going to pay for all this? Running up the deficit would be frowned upon by the EEU, and therefore isn't really an option, while he has promised to drop taxes. We shall see; since he has sworn he will get out of politics if he doesn't deliver on his pledges, everyone will be watching closely, especially the left.

The one pledge he made that nobody will object to is raising the salaries of law enforcement personnel -- the left pledged that too, and also had a plank about "certainty of punishment" for criminals. This is a real problem in Italy; a great many people think that the justice system pats criminals on the head and lets them go. Nor is this feeling entirely off the mark -- last week justices in a northern city released two teenagers who had killed a 22-year-old Nigerian prostitute simply because they "wanted to feel adult" without even convicting them: if they do community service until they become 18 they'll have clean records and it will be as if the crime never happened (for them, of course). Lest you think the release was racially motivated -- several immigrant groups complained that the ruling translates to "open season on coloreds" -- judges also just released several teens who killed a 92-year-old woman whose house they were robbing. Again, because they were underage. And in fact there has been a string of high-profile cases along these lines of late, which are leading to pressure to have teens be judged, perhaps not as harshly as many are in the US, but at least by some sort of standard that involves responsibility. After all, being tremendously forgiving of 17-year-olds and throwing the book at them as soon as they turn 18 doesn't make much sense.

But it is understandable given the Italian context, and there are a great many people who push for leniency for those over 18 as well. Why? Because of the Italian family structure; ISTAT (the national statistics office) recently announced that over the past 7 years the percentage of Italian children aged 18-30 who are living with their parents has risen from 68 to 77, which is more than double the European average. Think of it -- that's close to 4 out of 5 adult children under 30 still in the nest. The reasons are numerous, from long university programs (people are often in their mid-late 20s when they finish their studies) to tight housing, to tightness of the job market. But then a funny thing happens -- many of these youths get their degrees, find good jobs, and… continue to live at home. It's convenient, with Mom and Dad providing moral support under almost any circumstance, no expenses unless one wants to contribute, and someone else (mom, usually) to take care of cooking, laundry and cleaning. This is especially true for the sons; daughters are instead expected to help with the housework, and this explains why they are more likely to leave the nest.

Of course, an extended adolescence of this sort is really no good for anyone involved. Living under the parental roof means one is not free to do what one wants, and though most people would think of entertaining and parties in this respect, the lack of freedom also extends to rearranging the furniture, getting a pet, or even cooking something garlicky if the folks won't stand for it. And, most importantly, it becomes much more difficult to establish a serious relationship with someone. As a result, what seemed delightful to the care-free 20-year old often feels horridly smothering to the 30-year old, but by that point things have settled into a routine that is extremely difficult to break out of; many simply continue to coast with mounting frustration. Nor are things easier for the parents; as they grow older they can never really retire because they have to look after the overage adolescent who's still under their roof.

What finally drives the kids out? Marriage, often, but unions are difficult when the people involved are 30 or above (the average marriage ages for Italian men and women are now about 33 and 30, respectively, and they're climbing), and one or both of them are used to having parents take care of the day-to-day activities involved in running a household. A great many of these marriages collapse within weeks or months, at which point the most of the males hurry back to the nest (women, once out, tend to stay out). The return of a crushed-and-broken spirit is tremendously difficult for all involved, and then the family has to go through the role-reversal that occurs when the aging parents are no longer able to look after the child, but rather the child has to look after them. A very bleak picture indeed, and one that many Italian households are struggling to deal with now or will have to deal with in the future.

A possible solution? Provide young people with some sort of incentive if they'll leave the nest and strike out on their own. This is being done on a small scale by some towns, which have set up "cohabitation condos" (for want of a better term) where young couples can stay while looking for a permanent place to live once they're married, and by other towns that give young people who move in and have kids incentives and prizes of one sort or another. We'll see now if the national government does anything to address this problem.

More Politics: Germany Dumps on Italy

There have been other things in the news besides the elections of late, and some strike close to home: Last week the German press blasted Italian-made durum wheat pasta, saying that the wheat was genetically modified, and that the modification technique employed involved radiation, the implications of this all being that Italian pasta, in addition to being GM, something few Europeans want to have much to do with, is radioactive.

It turns out that the wheat is, to a degree, genetically modified: one of the standard methods for accelerating the rate of hybridization of seeds is to irradiate them with gamma rays, which induce genetic modifications, and then grow the seeds and see any of the modifications induced are positive; one then breeds the seeds from those plants and perhaps ends up with a better strain of whatever one is growing. It's important to note that the irradiated seeds do not become radioactive themselves, nor are the seeds genetically engineered in the modern sense of the term -- genetic material from elsewhere is not spliced into them. In other words, the German press was spin doctoring in the worst way.

Having had that outcry shot down with authority, the next day the German press shrieked that Italian strawberries are unsafe because they bear traces of fungicides. This is rather like discovering hot water; almost all commercially grown strawberries are treated with something to allow them to reach the market place unspoiled. Traces of fungicide may not be good for one, but they're the price one pays for enjoying strawberries unless one has a strawberry patch or can buy from a neighbor who practices organic farming, and the German press again quieted down as soon as this was pointed out.

Why all the uproar? I think they're trying to raise a smokescreen, because Germany and Austria have just requested that the EEU food people rescind the protected status of the name Parmigiano and its derivatives, which, as things stand today, can only be used by the 560-odd cheese makers who live in the Parmigiano Reggiano production area and make Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese following the rules laid down by the Consorzio that oversees production. 560 producers are too many, say the Austro-Germans, claiming a cheese made by that many cheese makers should really be considered generic, along the lines of cottage cheese or ricotta. And once Parmigiano is declared generic, they'll be able to slap the word "Parmesan" on the ersatz Parmigiano they make and sell it wherever they please, at considerably lower prices than the real Parmigiano. In other words, this is probably all a carefully orchestrated marketing ploy. If the EEU commission falls for it, what will the next legally sanctioned surrogate be?

How to be certain you're not buying a surrogate? Buy Parmigiano by the wedge, after checking that the rind has "Parmigiano Reggiano" stamped on it. And an acceptable substitute? Grana Padana is made following the same procedure, but from cattle that graze different pastures. For more information on both, and recipes too, see the Grana Padana page.

Cooking with Grace: A new Cookbook

Turning towards food, a while back I posted Grace Pilato's recipe for home-made ricotta. She's now got a book out, entitled "Cooking with Grace" (Saint Martin's Press), and if that recipe is any indication, it should be quite nice indeed. Seek it out.

Olive Recipes

I've also recently gotten a note from Lise, who has an olive tree in her back yard and wants to know what to do with the olives. Fresh from the tree, they are tremendously bitter, to the point that the people who originally went to the trouble of learning how to treat them must have been extraordinarily hungry. To draw out the bitterness you'll have to soak them, either in brine or in a solution of lye, or a combination of the two. If you choose the recipe that calls for lye, wear gloves and be careful, because lye is extremely caustic. The recipes are all drawn from Alessandro Molinari Pradelli's Il Grande Libro della La Cucina Italiana:

Olive in Acqua -- Brine-Cured Olives

This is from Puglia. You'll need:

• 2 1/4 pounds (1 k) freshly picked green olives
• 3 ounces (80 g) salt
• Several bay leaves
• Half a lemon, sliced
• A bunch of myrtle

Set the olives to soak in a ceramic bowl, covering it with a lightly weighted lid so they stay submerged. Leave them there for a month, changing the water daily.

Then drain them well and put them in a large jar. Next, heat 3 quarts (liters) of water with the salt and 3 bay leaves; when the mixture boils turn off the heat, let it cool, and pour it over the olives. Add the lemon, more bay leaves to taste, and the myrtle, cover, and put the jar in a dark place. The olives will be ready in a few months' time.

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Olive in Concia -- Olives Cured in Lye

This is from Calabria, and requires a certain amount of care: Lye is extremely caustic, and will burn you badly if you splash yourself with it. So wear gloves and be careful not to get any in your eyes. The olives will be fine if you rinse them well at the end of the curing. You'll need:

• 2 1/4 pounds (1 k) freshly picked green olives
• 3/4 ounce (20) grams crystalline lye
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 ounces (80 g) salt

Bring a pint (500 ml) of water to a boil in an iron pot, and dissolve the lye in it. Be careful when you add the lye, because it can spit and foam. Put a second pint of water in a large glass jar and dilute it with the lye solution. Add the olives and soak them until they have softened and the olive pulp comes away from the pits easily. Rinse the olives repeatedly, then wash out the jar and return them to it. Bring a quart of water to a boil with the salt and the bay leaves, let it cool, and pour the brine over the olives. Store them, covered, in a cool dark place, use them when they're ready -- I'd let them soak for about a month.

As an alternate method, you can use wood ash, ideally from olive wood. In this case, you'll want 8 ounces (200 g) of ash instead of the lye; bring a quart of water to boil in a non-reactive pot, stir in the ashes, and let the mixture sit for 24 hours. Drain off the water and mix the olives into the paste; add water to cover and let them soak for 30 days. Rinse them well and soak them overnight in cold water, then repeat the procedure.

On the second day drain the olives and transfer them to a jar. Prepare the brine discussed above, add it to the olives, and store them in a cool dark place.

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Olive Soffritte -- Sautéed Olives

These are Calabrian, and are traditionally done with black olives that are harvested and left to dry in the sun. You'll need:

• 2 1/4 pounds (1 k) olives
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Shredded hot pepper to taste
• Fresh oregano

Sauté the olives in the oil, seasoning them with the oregano and the hot pepper; serve them steaming hot.

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Olive in Insalata -- Olive Salad

This is a rather unusual recipe from Lazio. You'll need:

• 2 1/4 pounds (1 k) freshly picked black olives
• 2 tablespoons of capers, either salted or preserved in brine
• A hot pepper, shredded
• 6 salted sardine filets (the kind one can buy from a delicatessen)
• Olive oil
• 3 ounces (80 g) salt for every quart (liter) of water used in making the brine

Put the olives in a jar. Bring water sufficient to cover them to a boil, add the salt and stir it until it dissolves, then let the mixture cool and pour it over the olives. Cover them and put them in a cool dark place to sit for a month, shaking the jar daily.

When you decide to eat them, wash them well and put them in a salad bowl. Add the remaining ingredients, drizzle liberally with olive oil, and serve with crusty bread. A very tasty antipasto!

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Friselle Pugliesi

Finally, another person asks about friselle. These are a Puglian type of bread that's ring shaped; then they're half baked they're removed from the oven and divided into two halves, which are returned to the oven and allowed to bake until done, then dried completely. The result is something that one could crack a tooth on. So what do you do with them?

Finely chop a bowl of plump, sun-ripened tomatoes and set them on the table with salt, pepper, olive oil, hot pepper paste (what one finds in Puglia consists of shredded hot peppers packed in oil, and it packs a delightful wallop), freshly picked basil, and a large bowl of water.

Take a frisella and dip it in the bowl of water, holding it for a second or two before putting it on your plate. Slather it with the chopped tomatoes, and season them to taste with the various condiments and herbs. Enjoy, with a hearty, rustic white wine.

And here is Luigi Sada's recipe, drawn from la Cucina Pugliese:

• 4 cups (400 g) durum wheat flour
• 3/4 ounce (20 g) live moist yeast
• A pinch of salt
• A thin wire

Dissolve the yeast in a little warm water, then combine it with the flour and a pinch of salt to obtain bread dough. Shape the dough into 6-inch diameter rings and let them rise for a half hour, then bake them in a preheated 400 degree oven. When they're half done (firm but not hard), remove them from the oven and cut them in half horizontally with the wire, then return them to the oven to let them finish baking. When they're done whey should be quite dry.

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This week's proverb is Piemontese. I debit a sùn cùm i cunij: Debts are like rabbits.

A presto,
Kyle Phillips
Webweaver, About Italian Cuisine

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