Today is World Nutella Day—- started by Sara and Michelle in 2007. It has gone wild!
I am not a huge Nutella fan. It is too sweet. It is not on my normal shopping list of things to buy, except when they come in the cute glasses that are meant to be reused! Those I adore.
love the sponge bob ones!
My husband, as most Italians, grew up with this hazelnut-chocolate combination, often made into chocolates called Gianduia. It is especially famous up in the area of Piemonte, where the hazelnuts come from.
In keeping with my keep it simple theme for this year, one of the basic Italian joys in simple eating is bread and chocolate. A simple piece broken off a chocolate bar eaten with a piece of bread.
In Tuscany, our rustic unsalted bread is perfect for this. That I let my husband have!
For me, I made it a little more grown-up, adding a sprinkling of sea salt.
Taking it even one step farther, a local chocolate company treated me to a real special grown-up version a year or so ago.
They took a slice of a cremino, which is a firm gianduia, the hazelnut and chocolate combination which inspired Nutella, and placed slices on the bread and put it under the broiler.
Before serving, they drizzled it with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkled it with salt.
WOW, it knocked my socks off!!!
I had my first Nutella- salt epiphany from a young boy at his grandmother’s, Agnese, bread bakery. Agnese is famous for her bread made with a “mother” that is over 100 years old. I was first taken to this bakery by Faith Willinger on one of her fabulous food days. The bread has an incredible depth of flavor and lasts a week, so is sold as a huge loaf or she also makes the traditional schiacchiata, the Tuscan foccaccia, finished off by brushing the top with extra virgin olive oil and salt.
Hot from the oven, he ran into the house, tore the bread open an slathered it with Nutella.
Heaven, if you have the chance. try it on hot salty focaccia.
As I was leaving the kitchen, I noticed my husband had gone shopping ( we have been snow-bound for a week) and had bought bananas. My favorite snack growing up was peanut butter and bananas. Inspiration hit and as a last simple treat, I sliced some bananas on top of the Nutella.
I stopped here. But I am dreaming. I do have a secret stash of peanut butter. What about slathering the bread with peanut butter, then bananas, and then heat up the Nutella and drizzle on top?
Buon World Nutella Day!
Last year I did Frittelle di Riso and a homemade nutella
and the year before Fried Nutella Ravioli
YUM!!!!! I LOVE Gianduia…and agree Nutella is a little too sweet…but hard to resist. Judy…I just woke up…and now I wish I could reach into your photos for a bite!
ps…do you know the number one requested item from us when we visit friends in Italy….PEANUT BUTTER!!!
@rebecca the peanut butter we get here just isn’t the same– now there are more choices– and if I go to florence can get an american one– but when I first moved here in 84 was $9 a jar! like gasoline prices or levis!!!
There are still 364 more days in the year to enjoy Nutella!
Nutella sandwiched between 2 Le Petit Beurre cookies fro LU (or any other not-too-sweet plain cookie (biscuit) makes a good, fast dessert.
nice to have you back and I loved the photos … but please, pretty please, tell me where Agnese’s bakery is!
@laura, on the way to Carmignano— the forno is in the back of their home– where grandma started it– she kept the “mother” alive even during the war! it is fabulous– I adore the schiacchiata con i ciccoli
I must admit that nutella on foccaccia with sea salt — that does sound very tempting indeed!
Yum! Turks love, love nutella too! It’s often served for breakfast here as well as tahini and assorted jams with fresh bread.
Sea salt and banana – what great additions to a Nutella sandwich! I also have a collection of Nutella glasses that I have collected over the years 🙂
I never thought of nutella could be used as a savory. I’m going to head for that omnipresent jar of Nutella in my pantry right now to slather it on a piece of Italian bread and sprinkle it with sea salt. Buon idea.
Best, Lisa
Hello, I am Manuela, an Italian student in Lecce (Salento), and I am working on a project concerning the Italian style food programme. May you please tell me your email address? I’d like to invite you to a food festival we are organizing in late may 2012. My email is: posta@repubblicasalenina.it Thank you very much.
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