December Newsletter
A few recipes for the holidays and a discount offer.
It seems like Christmas frenzy starts earlier and earlier. Italy has also embraced Black Friday and it was an entire weekend ending today. More and more, Italy has adopted American holidays and traditions. I haven’t headed down into town yet, I am waiting for the 8th! I love the lights!
Downtown Florence has become so generic now, with international brands. I am preparing a list of historic shops and restaurants to put on your must-see lists; next year’s newsletters will focus on my favorite traditional places.
The feast of the Immaculate Conception is December 8th, the official date for the cities to light their Christmas tree.
Here is an old-school recipe for Sfince-fritters for the Immaculate Conception from Sicily. They can be served two ways: either with cinnamon sugar ( a nice addition is orange zest) or drizzled with honey and sprinkles. There are several versions around Italy and for various holidays. The secret ingredient for these sweet bites… are potatoes. Mashed potatoes make this light and delicious.
In Italy, we celebrate Patron Saint’s Day. December is filled with them. When I travel, I always check to see if there is a festival where I am going. If you want to read more about it, here is an article I wrote about it.
December 7- San Nicolo’- Bari, Puglia and San Ambrogio- Milano
December 8- Immaculate Conception ( all over Italy)
December 13- Santa Lucia- Siracusa, Sicily
December 25- Christmas
December 26- Santo Stefano
Feasting in Italy is a serious event. It is a feeding frenzy. Everyone has worked so hard this year that it’s time to relax and enjoy each other’s company. It can simply be a coffee or a drink with a friend downtown during the passeggiata. Since Christmas dinner is such an event, friends often meet up for a meal downtown.
The shops are filled with Panettone and Pandoro, the two Christmas cakes. We tried to pace ourselves and found our local bakery was selling Pandoro in slices the other day for breakfast! That is all we need. I am sure the next time we go down, he will have panettone slices. Panettone was originally only for Christmas, but now bakeries sell it all year, including savory versions.
A few days later, we decided to buy a whole Pandoro. They are shaped like a star and tall.
They are fun to open. They come with a sachet of vanilla scented powdered sugar. Open the bag the pandoro is in and dump the entire bag of sugar and then shake to coat.
I don’t buy gifts; I would rather spend time with my friends. At this point in our lives, we don’t need things. Food has always been my love language. We often meet for a lunch or drinks downtown Florence. Time spent at the table is a real gift.
If I want to give a gift, I prefer to make something that perhaps they can’t buy.I became famous for my red pepper jelly, which I made while working at Macelleria Cecchini. It’s now sold as Mostarda Mediterranea. I also love to make another spicy tomato jam from Sicily. They are both delicious with cheese.
Try this on your antipasto table. I like to pump mine up with a kick of peperoncino.
Another favorite dessert I adore making is Salame Dolce. The original recipe in my book is a simple version using butter and cocoa powder; now, it has become a rich chocolate ganache version. Both versions are delicious. I have included the richer version. You can also add chopped nuts to enrich it even more. Hazelnuts and pistachios make it beautiful.
If you would like to sign-up and get access to all the archives, my Guide to the Markets and recipes and videos. Think about becoming a paid subscriber. I am offering a discount for the holidays.
I like to have a project for the year for the substack. I created a Market Guide to Italy two years ago, and this year, I have been doing my memoir posts, the Italian Pantry, and my mentors.
Next year, I am dedicating the substack to my tips on becoming more Italian. I you can’t come and live in Italy, bring a little of Italy into your lifestyle.
In my 40 years here, I have seen Florence change so much. When I moved here in 1984, it was a culture shock. I tried to adapt and not try to live my old American life here.
We tend to eat seasonally, shop local, and take things a little slower. That doesn’t mean being late to appointments, perhaps just fewer appointments. We also spend more time with friends and family. In many ways, I learned that less is more here in Italy.
I feel like a custodian of many original recipes I have gathered over the years. I don’t want these recipes to be lost. I have created a video library and recipe PDFs, which I will share to help you master the classic recipes.
Next year will be a busy one in Italy. The Jubilee starts in January. They expect 30 million visitors to Rome, and 10 million will also visit Florence.
To help you get out of the madhouse, once a month I will share some Divine Day Trips. My husband and I love to do these. We pair a place to visit with something special to see and do with a wonderful meal and or event
Best wishes. As this year comes to an end, I am hoping for a peaceful new year.
You inspired me to make Salame Dolce. It’ll be perfect at my upcoming wine and cheese event.
Love it, merry Christmas Judi. The lights come out especially for my birthday 😌 I'm an edible present person too. The trouble is, my family are not 🫠