Home ~ Made Chicken Pasta Noodle Soup!

"Oh the weather outside is frightful"  . . . NOT!

It's 70 degrees here today on the 8th of December!

"and my dear, you're so delightful" . . . NOT!

My dear husband is sick with a horrible cold.  Yes, he's still as delightful as one can be when one is sick.

Singing the rest of this Christmas song might have brought a 'slight' smile to my congested and stuffy-headed husband, but for a little physical assistance, I knew that it would be better if I helped nurse his head and chest cold with some humble home-made chicken broth and wonderful pasta noodles that I brought home from Italy.

Plus, I don't have a great voice for singing!

As they say in the old wives's tale, eat chicken soup to help cure the common cold.

Whether there is any truth to that wisdom or not, I know that chicken soup certainly helps 'mentally' when a loved one is under the weather.

I picked up this package of 'Spaghetti Tagliati' while on the Amalfi Coast this past October 

because I felt that this pasta shape closely represented the pasta shape for chicken soup  

that Americans are accustomed to purchasing in the market 

for 'package-ready-made' chicken soup (i.e:  Lipton's)

The recipe for homemade chicken broth follows, but in general,

fill up a HUGE pot of water and insert lots of fresh onions, carrots, celery, and 

Italian parsley . . . then add

a really good cut-up chicken (see recipe link below)

and beef (if you like) to the veggie-filled water

after several hours of cooking on low heat,

STRAIN all of the meat and veggies into a strainer 

and then filter several times through a light, paper-thin tea towel

to remove (what we call) the 'gunk' out of the broth

in order to make it clean, clear and pure broth!

Refrigerate the chicken broth overnight.

The fat will rise to the top and harden.

The next day, remove the hardened fat and discard.

this is the beautiful result that you will have!

This DOES NOT take a lot of work

and is so worth it!

While you're blogging, or reading a foodie magazine or watching a favorite foodie TV show,

get this broth going on the stove,

freeze it,

and have it on hand for whenever you might need it!

Home-made chicken broth TOTALLY outshines store-bought chicken broth!

And now here's the link to my post in 2009 for a complete step-by-step tutorial on making homemade "brodo di pollo" (chicken broth).  I hope you enjoy my family chicken broth recipe (click the link) that has been passed down through many generations!

Once you have made and/or frozen your chicken broth, 

either use the freshly made broth or heat up the frozen broth on the stove

add your favorite pasta or tortellini

cook until 'al dente' and no longer

while the pasta is cooking, 

grind some fresh Parmigiana-Regiano cheese 

to sprinkle on top of your soup!

Never use the pre-packaged, canned varieties of Parmesan sold in stores!

Freshly ground Parmigiana cheese makes such a noticeable difference!

Sprinkle the freshly grated Parmigiana on your hot chicken noodle/pasta soup!

and enjoy !!!!

Wishing you a healthy and Merry Christmas season!

And if any of your loved ones happen to catch a bad cold,

this delicious soup will help them so that they too can

 better enjoy the festivities of this wonderful holiday!!

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Santa's Sleigh is Coming From Italy This Year!

Christmas will soon be here!   And after my two-week whirlwind trip through Italy this fall, I am convinced that Santa will be flying his sleigh from Italy to our home and many other homes this year!   Here are just a few ideas for all of us that would delight others to unwrap with a little bit (and sometimes a large bit) of Italian flair:

How about a stove top espresso pot?   These traditional Italian coffee pots come in many sizes and I'm loving the 9-cup size.  This is a photo of the espresso pot in the villa we stayed in while in on the Amalfi coast.

But if Santa from Italy wants to be REALLY nice, 

he can bring this espresso machine with milk/cream steamer 

for latte's and cappuccinos!

Lavazza coffee is considered to be one of the top brands of espresso in Italy.

Santa could pack one of these in his big bag, right?

Another beverage to celebrate the holidays that would be warmly welcome is Italian wine.

This is a delicious varietal that we enjoyed during our olive oil tasting

 and limoncello class in Amalfi.

And to place all of those new Italian wines, one could ask for an Italian-made rustic wooden wine rack

In my culinary dreams is an Italian wood-burning stove outdoors in a stone structure.  

Wow, would this be a winner gift!

But since I know that is not going to happen, 

Santa can bring some Italian pizza stones instead and I would be thrilled!

Maybe there are some who would love to see some dried pastas in unique shapes that are unavailable in the States.    

So how about a food basket gift for someone you love with some pasta, olive oil, red peppers, and more?

The photos above and below were taken in Italy where one could go crazy with the huge selection.

On the right above, is a pasta shape (chitarrina) made from the traditional "chitarra" (guitar) pasta maker.  

My parents gave me one (below) as a gift for driving them all over Amalfi!  

We've already made some home-made spaghetti from it.  

It flips over to make a wider linguine pasta.

This is a gift that I'll cherish forever!

Who doesn't love gelato?  Even Santa must love this creamy treat!

These towering mountains of gelato easily tempted us in Florence.

I caved in for the blackberry gelato in this shop in Amalfi.

So Santa, hey good buddy, 

a wonderful gelato machine would be an over-the-top gift!

A bottle of very aged Balsamico vinegar would be super sweet too!

This bottle is from my cousin, Enrico Santi's vinegar cellar where he has barrels 

of 'aceto' dating back to 1965!  

How about roasting chestnuts on an open fire?

Chestnuts were sold along Amalfi Drive in huge quantities (above).

Whether imported or home-made, a little limoncello would be a 

gift to make any sweetheart pucker up!

How about a whole leg of prosciutto?

Get serious here, Roz!

I just wish prosciutto was as inexpensive here in the States as it was in Italy!

For those who would love to receive something non-food related,

there's always Italian leather goods such as a jacket from this shop in Florence.

Leather gloves in any color would be a lovely gift for either him or her, 

and wouldn't load down Santa's sleigh with extra weight!

or Italian lingerie from this shop in Florence would be nice under the tree!

or a piece or two of Italian ceramics from Amalfi (above and below)?

And then there's always something that can be given in wonderful small boxes,
such as this Italian gold jewelry (below) on the Ponte Vecchio in Florence.

I just fell in love with this bracelet, Santa . . . but it sure didn't (and won't) come home with me.
Gold is just so expensive right now, and the euro to dollar exchange rate made Italian jewelry totally untouchable for me.

With my background in the fashion industry, Santa, you know that I drool 

over Italian knits.  This sweater jacket was just so cool!

Knits with velvet with silk . . . pretty enticing stuff Santa!

So much texture on texture in solid colors . . . gorgeous clothes!

or maybe there's someone out there who would enjoy a pair of 

custom-made Amalfi leather sandals?

For the practical, but luxurious-practical person on your list, who wouldn't

love to slip into Italian bed linens?  This is on my dream wish list!

Santa, for sure, without a shadow of a doubt, maybe not for Christmas, but someday:
I truly do want this tiny little Italian Fiat that's parked behind the blue Smart car . . .
 yes, that IS how small this little red putt-putt car is!  

Can you imagine the gas mileage that this mini car gets?

but Santa, there are men out there that would prefer this red beast of a Ferrari

or at least a gift to just drive one for one hour in Modena, Italy.

But spending money like that is just not me, Santa . . .
I think an Italian scooter like these below in Positano are more fitting of my carefree lifestyle!

Oh and Santa, I know a lot of people who love to write and journal, 

so some hand-made Amalfi paper in Florentine bound bookends would be divine!

I could also seriously see giving some luxurious Italian bath soap

 to some of my dear friends!

For the collector in the family, something lovely such as this beautiful Capodimonte' flower bouquet that I picked up in Naples, would be a fine gift indeed!

The end of the stick pin shows how tiny these little porcelain flowers are!

And Santa, I know my mother would love one of the fragrances 

from the house of Dolce and Gabbana

What would Christmas be without beautiful music?

Andrea Bocelli's voice would be wonderful to listen to

sitting by the fireside with a cup of cappuccino on Christmas Eve.

Whether large or small, 

practical or luxurious,

expensive or economical,

there is certainly something from Italy 

that will make anyone happy and grateful!

Enjoy your Christmas season!

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Zuccherini ~ Italian Lemon Cookies

Zuccherini are little Italian cookies shaped like wedding rings that are customarily given to guests at weddings in Italy.  They are traditionally given from the bride and groom as gifts for good wishes to everyone, and are displayed in beautiful white baskets lined with white fabric and decorated with fresh flowers.  However, these cookies are now prepared year-round because of their popularity!

I bought a bag of these little sweet, lemon-yellow cookies while up in the mountains of Northern Italy (above) and also found them in many of the shops in Amalfi (below).  They were so delicately flavored with lemon, and not overly sweet.  I just fell in love with them, having enjoyed them from the cucina of my Nonna Stella.  One would have to find an Italian bakery to find these cookies!  My mother really loved these cookies so much that she included the recipe for zuccherini in our the family cookbook' (shown below).  

So along with other recipes that are almost identical from scouring the Web and all of my Italian cookbooks, I'm sharing this delicious recipe for all of us to prepare in our own homes.  Other than my family's cookbook, the 'book' as we often call it, I could only find two other Italian cookbooks where I found the recipe.

From my family's 'humble', non-photo, text-only, finger-smudged cookbook, "Memories of Martina",  is the following recipe for "Zuccherini" (which is misspelled in our cookbook) and which I have reduced in quantity for you in the recipe at the bottom of this post. 

Don't use 'margarine' as stated below in the recipe from my family's cookbook.  At one time it was considered 'modern' to use margarine in American kitchens, but no more.  So prepare this recipe the authentic way with olive oil, the correct way!

Also, the icing in the recipe below is a bit different, so use either recipe for the icing, just remember to add lemon juice/zest for the outstanding flavor that is enjoyed in Italy (in the second recipe below)!  But if that is too much lemon for you, than just mix sugar and water or milk.

My family's recipe below is just a little bit different than those that I found in the other cookbooks, so just compare and see which recipe or a combination is more to your taste preferences.

I also found the recipe in "Italian Holiday Cooking" by Michelle Scicolone and "Bologna Mia" by Loretta Paganini so that we can bake these cookies for Christmas and throughout the year!  

I found out that Zuccherini are some of the oldest of all Italian biscotti.  The beauty and deliciousness of these cookies is in their minimalism and simplicity. . . using only the most basic ingredients of sugar, flour, eggs. olive oil, anise seeds and a little bit of added flavor - - and for this recipe, it is lemon!

These cookies are SO EASY to make too!  You just form a 'well' of your dry ingredients, then add the eggs, olive oil and flavorings in the middle of the 'well' just as you would do to make pasta the 'old' traditional way.  With your hands, slowly incorporate the flour mixture into the eggs/olive oil mixture to make the dough.  Pull off little pieces about the size of an egg and roll them out into ropes, form them into 'rings' and pinch the two ends together where they meet.  Bake, glaze, and that's it!

Now this is super easy deliciousness!

a display of Zuccherini in Amalfi . . . I should have bought more!

the powdered sugar - lemon glaze hardens on the lemon cookies

Lemon Zuccherini

3 - 4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt (sea salt is best)
3 large eggs, room temperature
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon anise seeds
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

Glaze/Icing

1 cup powdered sugar
2 - 3 Tbsp. lemon juice (depending on how lemony you want your glaze)
Double this if you like more glaze (like I do)!


Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt onto a large cutting board.
Shape it into the form of a large well.
Into the middle of the 'well', add the eggs, olive oil, anise seeds, and lemon zest.
Incorporate all ingredients together to form a dough; do not overwork.
Place in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cut dough into egg-size balls and roll out each one into a long rope of medium thickness.
Optional:  For a more layered cookie, flatten the rope and fold it in half along the entire length of the rope.
Shape each rope into a ring.
Pinch the ends together.
Place cookies onto a well greased and floured, or parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
Bake for 15-20 minutes until lightly golden.
Prepare glaze by mixing together sugar and lemon juice.
Brush each cookie with the lemon glaze while the cookies are still warm.
OR
as my Nonna used to do:
Place the glaze ingredients in a plastic bag, insert the cookies, and SHAKE to cover the cookies with the lemon glaze!

It's OK if these cookies harden; they become perfect for dunking into coffee or wine as Italians love to do.

.........

         THANK YOU SO MUCH DIANE

        for featuring my Zuccerhini post !!!

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