In Italy, there is a saying.
Natale con i tuoi,
Pasqua con chi vuoi
Christmas with your family and Easter with who ever you like.
This year that meant spending Easter alone. Lent, the 40 days before Easter, took on a whole new meaning.In Italian Lent is called Quaressima. Originally the Quaratine, was the 40 day period a boat would go into isolation when arriving into a port, when someone was ill, so as to not spread the illness. This year that collided around the world. We went into lockdown around March 8th.
This is sort of the opening season for good weather, day trips to the sea and picnics. It’s all on hold now.
The best part was a small concert by Andrea Bocelli in Milano. It was moving to see the cathedral empty, but what really got me was Amazing Grace sung outside. in an empty Milano.
Daily life goes on, the holiday is over, although today everyone would have been celebrating as well.
In Italy, tomorrow more shops will be open, an odd choice, adding the shops that sell school supplies and baby clothes.
Our village came door to door and passed out masks, so now when you leave the house it is mandatory to wear your mask.
Andrea was in the piazza near our house were we park and was stopped by the police the other day, wanting to know where he lived. You are allowed to walk 200 meters from your home. The other day we saw a couple I had never seen before going for a “hike” up near our home. We only have a few neighbors, and it wasn’t any of them. Our village has only had a few cases of the virus. One death. Then the other day another 4 cases. I am worried that people are getting slack.
It takes patience to stay home. It is not easy, especially if you live in an apartment with no outside space.
I have always felt bad my house was not my dream house as it is so tiny. Moving to the countryside in 2000 was a cultural shock as well.
But it has all turned into a blessing. Losing all my seasonal work, I count my blessings:
My house is paid for.
I have a small garden.
I have Andrea and we form a great team, we have been living like this for a long time. Most of our good friends live an hour to two hours from us.
I have always worked seasonally, so have spent a lot of down time at home planning and just being home.
I adore cooking.
I adore learing new things online.
We have water, food, electricity, heat, internet and our health.
Our Easter lunch was simple.
I think everyone has been in a baking mode. For awhile, we were without flour or yeast in the market. Bread was available, but seems like baking was the chosen therapy.
These are what Tuscans make over the holidays, sort of like Hot Crossed Buns. Pan di Ramerino sometimes written as one word pandiramerino,Rosemary-raisin rolls. I also add walnuts. It is not really sweet, but finished with a sugar and water glaze when it comes out of the oven. In Italian, Rosemary is rosemarino, but in Tuscan they twisted it.
Every meal for Easter starts with hard boiled eggs. Normally, a basket is taken to church and the eggs are “blessed” at mass. Then they are the first thing one eats to start the meal.
Blessed is Benedette in Italian, so I have always wondered, are Eggs Benedict, “blessed eggs”? I like to think so. Since Etruscan times, eggs always started a meal. There is so much symbolism at the table.
I bought a funny little plastic box from California which makes the eggs square! After you boil them, you shell them and while hot, press into this little box and they keep their shape. Something to make people laugh!
Tiny lamb chops, roasted potatoes, peas with pancetta and our eggs.
We didn’t buy any of the special yeasted breads, just had the Pan di Ramerino with some chunks of chocolate on the side. Bread and chocolate is a typical snack here.
Ingredients
- 4 cups / 500 grams Flour ( one pound)
- 7 grams dried yeast or 25 grams fresh yeast
- 1 1/4 cups water, warm
- Pinch of salt
- 2 Tbs Sugar
- 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/2 cup Raisins, soaked and rinsed
- 1/4 cup Fresh Rosemary leaves
- 1/2 cup Walnuts, chopped
- Egg, for wash before cooking
- Syrup for after cooking, 2 tbs of water and 2 tbs of sugar
Instructions
- Place the flour in a large bowl. Sprinkle in a pinch of salt.
- Make a well in the middle.
- Add the warm water, 2 tbs sugar and dissolve the yeast.
- Add the olive oil to the water mixture.
- Stir the yeast to be sure it is dissolved and then slowly stir in the flour.
- Lightly knead on tabletop.
- Grease the bowl and place the dough back into the bowl and let double in size, covered.
- Remove the dough from the bowl and place on the tabletop.
- Roll out into a square.
- Cover with raisins,chopped fresh rosemary and the walnuts.
- Roll the dough and then lightly need to incorporate all the ingredients.
- Shape into a long roll and then cut into 8 pieces and form round rolls.
- Lightly flatten.
- With a sharp knife, cut twice on each bun top to bottom and then twice left to right.
- Let rise for until doubled.
- Brush with a beaten egg yolk.
- Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.
- Boil water and sugar together for the final glaze.
- Brush on the rolls when they come out of the oven.
For today, Pasquetta, little Easter, more eggs. I am making a spring Frittata with asparagus, some foraged, some from our garden and wild borage also from the garden.
The date now that we can expect our lockdown to stop is May 4th, I am hoping people understand how serious this all is and stay home.
Check out my Patreon site if you would like to join and take my new online classes. Short videos for my favorite recipes, almost like being here. I appreciate the support!
Is that a variation on the recipe I got from you a few years ago, where you punched grapes (new grapes?) into the dough? That had rosemary in it too, but not the glaze, and it was a bread, not rolls. I don’t remember what it was called.
There is the grape Schiacchiata con l’uva made in fall, with the rosemary infused oil and grapes baked into it.
A really lovely post. Thank you so much from Melbourne!
Take care from Kansas City, Missouri USA. Can’t wait to return to Italy.
Grazie from Canada, Judy. I also found Amazing Grace very moving. I always do but Andrea’s was so special.
A beautiful post. Thank you for sharing!
Jaspers is hurting like all the places in Kansas City, but we all follow the rules to protect each other, better times are ahead. I am waiting for my basil to pop up.
Aloha, Judy–so good to hear that you are doing well and staying safe & especially that you have your own food source in your garden! I plan to watch some of your YouTubes later today and learn to make something new. Probably a vegetable dish.
My husband and I have stayed in a place close-ish to you (I think) called Fornacelle and I contacted them a few days ago to see how they were doing–all fine thank goodness, a lovely family that we consider friends as well as hosts. I can’t wait for it to be safe to travel again so we can plan a visit. Italy has been such a great source of pleasure and happiness over the years–she doesn’t deserve this!
Continue to be vigilant–you are also considered a friend, who shares so much goodness and joy through your coooking and story telling. We need you.
Deborah
We are also living in lockdown in rural Victoria , Australia, and because we are 40kms from the supermarkets , there are no shopping trips to town on a whim anymore . I have been baking our own bread but even flour is difficult to procure and restricted . However , I have enough , our Tuscan rosemary bushes are magnificent , and our supplies of dried fruit are plentiful, so it will be these delicious looking Tuscan buns for lunch today . I thank you once again. Stay safe 🙏🙏
Great post and congrats on really rockin’ your Patreon site!
Great post. Firstly, so glad that you both are doing well! We are lucky that we like to cook! Love the Pan Ramarino rolls! The look scrumptious! Yes, we do have much to be grateful for! Stay safe…