Each year I try to post a new recipe for St. Joseph's Day, which has been celebrated on March 19 since the 10th century. La Festa di San Giuseppe is significant for two main reasons – to honor, of course, St. Joseph, for his biblical role as Jesus’ step- father, and as Father’s Day, or the festa del papa, in Italy. Even pastry shops pay tribute to St. Joseph as the patron saint of pastry chefs! 
Southern Italian Fava Bean Purée/(Maccu)
Serves: 6 | Serving Size: Approximately 1/3 cup
Prep Time: 5 minutes (plus 1 hour bean-soaking time) | Cooking Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
This recipe is from The Italian Diabetes Cookbook . Maccu is a popular dish in my ancestral homeland of Calabria, Italy. The word calabria is derived from a Byzantine term meaning “fertile land.” This region lives up to its name with rich agricultural traditions that continue today. The word maccu comes from the dialect word for “mashed” and refers to a purée that is made of fava beans, one of the world’s oldest agricultural crops. Fresh and dried fava bean dishes are served in Calabria for St. Joseph’s Day. Serve this appetizer alone, drizzled with olive oil as a side dish, or with crackers, flatbread, or Whole-Wheat Cracker Rings with Black Pepper and Fennel Seeds (see below). Use first cold-pressed olive oil and pecorino Crotonese—a high-quality, aged sheep-milk cheese from Calabria, if possible. This dish, like many popular Italian appetizers, can be served hot or at room temperature. Chickpeas and cannellini beans can be substituted for the fava beans.
2/3 cup peeled, dried fava beans, soaked in boiling water for 1 hour and drained
1 small onion, quartered
1 dried bay leaf
2 tablespoons pecorino Crotonese or Romano cheese
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (preferably first cold-pressed), divided
1 teaspoon fennel seeds, plus extra for garnish
Crushed red chile flakes, to taste
1/8 teaspoon unrefined sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1. Place beans, onion, and bay leaf in a large saucepan. Cover with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until tender, approximately 1 hour.
2. Drain beans and place in a food processor with cheese, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and fennel seeds. Purée until smooth. Taste and season with crushed red chile flakes, salt, and pepper.
3. Spoon onto a serving platter and smooth out the top with a spatula. Drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, and sprinkle crushed red chile flakes and fennel seed on top, if desired.
•Italian Living Tradition•
Many of Italy’s most beloved dishes were created to honor and commemorate the lives of saints. In the Catholic faith, St. Joseph is known as the patron saint of the family, children, the Universal Church, and pastry chefs!
Wine
Bianco Locorotondo
Taralli Integrali col Pepe e Finocchio
Makes: 18–24 bread rings | Serves: 6–8 | Serving Size: 3 bread rings
Prep Time: 15 minutes (plus 2 1/2 hours rising time) | Cooking Time: 15–20 minutes
This recipe is from The Italian Diabetes Cookbook . The southern Italian provinces of Lazio, Molise, Puglia, Basilicata, Campania, Abruzzo, and Calabria all share the tradition of serving taralli—crunchy, cracker-like breads—with appetizers. In the old days, drying out these crackers was a way of preserving them. Today, they are a matter of taste and tradition. In Calabria, these crackers are prepared for the feast of St. Anthony. Traditional shapes for these crackers include rings, ropes, braids, sticks, and horseshoes. Wrapped in clear cellophane bags with a pretty tie, taralli make elegant gifts. I like to serve them with Sicilian Sweet-and-Sour Vegetable Medley (page 6), Southern Italian Fava Bean Purée (page 16), and almost any soup, along with olives and cheese.
2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
3/4 cup lukewarm water, divided
2 cups whole-wheat flour or gluten-free baking mix, plus extra for work surface
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
1/4 teaspoon crushed red chile flakes
1/2 teaspoon unrefined sea salt
3 tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast with 1/4 cup lukewarm water.
2. Place the flour, pepper, fennel seeds, chile flakes, and salt in a large bowl. Add the yeast mixture, an additional 1/2 cup lukewarm water, and 3 tablespoons olive oil. Mix well to combine and form a dough.
3. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead energetically, adding a little more flour if needed, for about 8–10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic.
4. Oil a large bowl with remaining 1/2 teaspoon olive oil and place the dough inside. Turn dough to coat with oil, and cover with plastic wrap and clean kitchen towels. Allow to rise until doubled in size, approximately 1 1/2 hours.
5. Preheat oven to 375°F.
6. Remove dough from bowl and break off a small chunk. Roll into a 6-inch rope that is approximately the width of a pencil, and form into a circle. Pinch the ends together tightly, and place ring on an ungreased baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the dough. Cover rings with a clean kitchen towel and allow to rise until doubled in size, approximately 1 hour.
7. Brush tops of the rings with the egg white and bake until light golden, 15–20 minutes. Remove, cool on a rack, and store in a tightly covered container for up to a month.
This recipe is from The Ultimate Mediterranean Diet Cookbook . Various types of pasta with chickpeas are famous throughout Italy. Chickpeas were once a symbol of rebirth in southern Italy and other areas of the Mediterranean. Local pastas like cavatelli and lagane, which were prepared with whole-grain flour since the fourth century BCE in the region, were paired with chickpeas and served at harvest times. Cavatelli are small cave-shaped little shell-like pasta shapes ubiquitous to my ancestral homeland of Calabria, Italy where the older generation of housewives still makes them by hand. The best ones I ever tasted were the ones my aunt Zia Santina used to make.
8 ounces (225 g) chickpeas, soaked in water to cover overnight and drained
1 bay leaf
1 clove garlic
3 teaspoons unrefined sea salt or salt, divided
4 tablespoons (60 ml) good-quality extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 small chile pepper, finely chopped
¾ pound (340 g) cherry tomatoes, quartered
6 fresh basil leaves, shredded, or 1 tablespoon (4 g) finely chopped parsley
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound (455 g) cavatelli, or any small gluten-free pasta
Pecorino Crotonese or Pecorino Romano, for serving
Place the chickpeas, bay leaf, garlic clove, and 1 teaspoon salt in a large saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, and simmer, covered, adding hot water as needed, for 30 minutes. Drain and remove the bay leaf. This step can be done up to a week in advance.
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until soft, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the chile pepper, tomatoes, and basil or parsley. Stir in 1 teaspoon salt and black pepper, to taste. Allow to cook 5 minutes.
Add the cooked chickpeas to the tomato mixture, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, or until chickpeas are tender.
Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat. Season with a teaspoon of salt, add the cavatelli, stir, and reduce heat to medium-low. Allow to cook for about 10 minutes, or until pasta is al dente.
Drain the pasta and toss it with ladlefuls of the sauce. Garnish with freshly grated Pecorino and serve.
Yield: 4 servings
Mediterranean Tradition
Pairing quality, whole-grain pastas with legumes, vegetables, and cheese make great vegetarian meals in minutes!
Southern Italian Goat and Herb Stew/Pignata di Capra
This recipe is from The Ultimate Mediterranean Diet Cookbook . This savory stew has been prepared in Basilicata, Calabria, Puglia, and Abruzzo since antiquity. A true testament of farm-to-table cuisine, it was generally made with male goats or mutton because their fibrous meat was too tough to be prepared other ways. This dish can be made in its original version containing only a handful of ingredients, or in a more decadent version that incorporates the freshest seasonal vegetables, aged cheese, sausage, herbs, and spices.
1/4 cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
½ pound (225 g) yellow onions, peeled and roughly chopped
½ pound (225 g) carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch (5 cm) pieces
1 rib celery, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces
6 cloves garlic, sliced
21/2 pounds (1135 g) goat or meat cubes, from the thigh or shoulder, about 11/2inches each
1 teaspoon unrefined sea salt or salt
3 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves finely chopped
1 bunch fresh thyme, finely chopped
4 cups (950 ml) water or Beef Stock
1 bay leaf
1 pound (455 g) Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed, peeled, and cut into 2-inch (5 cm) pieces
1 cup (226 g) crushed peeled tomatoes
¼ teaspoon crushed red chile pepper
Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Add the onions, carrot, and celery, and turn to coat in oil. Reduce heat to medium-low and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, stir, and cook for 1 minute, or until it releases its aroma.
Add the goat meat and cook 3 to 5 minutes, until browned on all sides.
Season with salt and stir in rosemary and thyme. Add the stock and bay leaf. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Stir, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 2½ hours, stirring occasionally.
Add the potatoes, tomatoes, and crushed red chile pepper. Stir, and cover. Cook for another hour, or until the meat is very tender. Taste and adjust seasonings, and remove the bay leaf before serving.
Yield: 6 servings (about 6 cups)
Mediterranean Tradition
In 2014, Chef Luigi Diotaiuti and I presented a program and created a podcast call “The Goodness of Goat” for the International Association of Culinary Professionals annual conference in Chicago. We continue to promote goat through our joint efforts and consider it “the meat of the future.” Even so, it still can be a challenge to find. Call local ethnic butchers to special order, if possible. Goat meat can replace lamb or beef in many recipes. Try it grilled, roasted, or braised for a delicious and low-fat meat entrée.
On March 19, pastry shops around Italy sell zeppole di San Giuseppe, fritters filled with pastry cream. This tradition dates back to 500 AC and the Latin celebration of Baccanali, which took place on March 17th in honor of Bacchus and Silinus, respectively, the gods of wine and wheat. The Ancient Romans would consume large quantities of wine and wheat-flour fritters to celebrate the two divinities. It should come as no surprise that St. Joseph’s day, which comes two days later, often includes similar customs. The modern-day recipe for zeppole, however, was created fairly recently. It is believed that this type of fritter was invented by a convent of monks in the 19th century.
Zeppole, Neapolitan cream puffs (not to be confused with fried
The Sicilians also enjoy their own version, based on a similar recipe known as sfinge, also spelled sfincie, which comes from the word sfinj, or sfenj, meaning “sponge” in Arabic. The reason for the variation in spellings is that in Arabic there is one symbol which represents both the vowels “e” and “I”, so either way is correct for the English transliteration. Sfenj are a type of doughnut/beignet enjoyed throughout North Africa, where choux pastry, the type of pastry used to make cream puffs (profiteroles) and elairs was introduced from the Middle East. In North Africa and the Middle East the dough was often fried and dipped in a sweet syrup, which the sponge-like consistency of the dough easily absorbed.
Recipe makes 12 (2-inch) or 6 (4 –inch) fritters
Ingredients:
For the Pastry:
• 1 pinch salt
• 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 scant cup all-purpose flour
• 3 eggs
For the Filling:
• 2 egg yolks
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole milk
• Zest of 1 lemon
To finish:
• Cooking spray
• confectioners’ sugar to garnish
• sour cherry in syrup, drained
Preparation:
Add 1 cup water to a saucepan and add the salt and butter. Bring to a boil, while stirring.
Add the flour, leaving the pan on the heat, and mix the batter well using a spoon until the batter is a smooth, solid mass, all flour is incorporated, and it no longer sticks to the sides of the pan.
Then, remove the pan from the heat and transfer the batter to a bowl to cool.
Once the batter reaches room temperature, approximately 15 minutes, add the eggs, one at a time and mix together.
Once the batter is fairly light and airy, place the dough in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes.
In the meantime, prepare the pastry filling by pouring the milk into a saucepan.
Add the lemon peel and bring to a boil. Beat the egg yolks in a bowl with the sugar. Then incorporate the flour, whisking continuously.
Once the milk begins to boil, remove it from the heat and slowly add the egg, sugar and flour mixture, whisking as you go. The resulting mixture should be soft and creamy.
Then transfer the mixture to the stove over medium heat. Stir continuously until the cream becomes fairly dense and coats the back of a spoon (this could take 10-15 minutes and can be done a day ahead of time).
Once ready, transfer the cream to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap and let cool in refrigerator. Be sure to cover the bowl well so that a film doesn’t form on the surface of the cream.
Preheat the oven to 375F degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
To shape the fritters, place the fritter batter in a pastry bag with a star-shaped tip (Wilson #4B works well).
Pipe batter to form 6 (4-inch) or 12 (2-inch) rounds equally spaced apart on parchment paper.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until puffed and golden. Remove from the oven.
Once the fritters are cool enough to handle, fill another pastry bag with pastry cream.
Decorate each fritter with a little cream and place a cherry on top. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and enjoy!
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