Learning the Language

L'italiano...la bella lingua...
Italian...the beautiful language...

There is no doubt about it - Italian is one of the most romantic of the romantic languages.  Just about everyone knows at least a few words in Italian, thanks to Dean Martin music, Godfather films and the love of Italian food.  But what if you want to really learn the language.  Maybe you want to visit Italy and would like to know some basic phrases to get you by a bit easier...maybe you want to learn this romantic language in order to woo a love interest...or perhaps you want to be able to speak to Italian friends or relatives on their level.

Learning a new language can be difficult, but there are a variety of ways that you can help yourself make it a bit easier.

1.  You already know some Italian words.
I know you do.  Really.  If you have listened to a Dean Martin song, watched a tv program or movie with Italian characters, or eaten at an Italian restaurant, you already know some words and/or phrases.  Think about it. Buongiorno (good morning/good day), arrivederci (goodbye), and ciao (hi/bye)...almost everyone knows those words.  See...you already know how to greet people in Italy!

2.  Books
An Italian-English dictionary is an important reference to have. Get a good one to have on hand. (The one I have is the Pocket Oxford Italian Dictionary.) There are tons of language learning books available on the market (and I have quite a few of them now). There are phrase books geared more toward travelers who may want to learn a few key/important phrases, such as: Come stai? (How are you?) Vorrei una pizza con funghi.  (I would like a pizza with mushrooms). Other books can help you learn grammar rules, verb conjugations, vocabulary, etc.

3. Online lessons (FREE!)
There are many places online where you can take language lessons.  Many offer some lessons for free, but also have paid "premium" content to which you can subscribe.  www.livemocha.com is where I first started taking lessons.  www.busuu.com is another great site that I use as well.  What is nice about some of these sites is that when you submit your exercises to be reviewed, they are reviewed by native speakers.  You will be asked to review some exercises of other members who are learning your native language.  In this way, it is possible to make friends in other countries and help each other learn.  I have made several friends in this way and I highly recommend it!  Some sites will have a chat function where you can send messages or chat either with text, audio or video.  This is great to help you improve pronunciation.

4. Conversation Exchange
www.conversationexchange.com is a free service to find people to talk to in order to help you learn the language.  You fill out a profile and then you can search for people who speak the language you are learning, who are also learning your native language.  You can become pen-pals and write emails to each other or get on Skype to talk...or even meet for coffee, depending if there is someone in your area looking for an exchange.

Conversing one-on-one is a great way to learn a language.  Skyping with friends that you make via the language learning sites or with a conversation exchange match-up...it's really a great way to learn to listen and speak correctly.  In fact, I would go as far as to say that unless you have some actual conversation, your language skills will not be so great.  Communication is a two way street, so unless you practice at it, you'll only get to be "so good" at the language.

5. Music, Television, and Movies
Another great way to learn how to speak, listen, and understand a new language is to hear it being spoken. Unless you live in an area where there are a lot of people speaking the language, a good way to do so is to listen to radio and music or to watch television programs and movies.

I started listening to Italian music a year before I ever set food in Italy.  I was hooked almost immediately. Radio Italia has online streaming of their shows (http://www.radioitalia.it/player.php) if you would like to hear some music (and conversation by the on-air personalities...and some advertisements).  Radio 24 is a talk-radio station that also has online streaming (http://www.radio24.ilsole24ore.com/player.php?channel=1).

www.rai.it has several television programs available to view on demand online.  They also have an app for the iPad, which is what I use to watch some of my favorite Italian television programs when I am not in Italy. Another television corporation, www.mediaset.it, also has video that you can watch online. You can also try pulling up some shows on YouTube.

Netflix has a few Italian films available to view.  I've watched several there, as well as ones that I have checked out from the library.  Amazon.com has several titles available too, but make sure that you get DVDs that are compatible with the players in your country.

5. Apps
There are tons of apps for smart phones and tablets that will help you practice Italian.  I have several on my iPhone and iPad.  Check the reviews and try them out.  I only get the free apps (because I don't like spending money when I don't have too).  There are a lot of good ones out there, just take a look around the app store.

6. Rosetta Stone (or other similar products)
These can be expensive.  I purchased Rosetta Stone and personally...I think I got more out of the online free courses and conversation exchanges with friends than I did with Rosetta.  However, that's not saying that it won't work for you.  It is definitely a good way to increase your vocabulary.  I actually stopped using it after finishing the first disc.  I may pick it back up again, just for the purpose of practicing.

Learning Italian, or any new language for that matter, takes a lot of time, practice and patience. Don't be afraid of making mistakes, because you will. Luckily, Italians are very quick to help you learn and to speak their language properly. They will not make you feel like an idiot at all, and normally will be very kind and patient.

Keep practicing and before you know it, you'll be able to speak, read, and understand la bella lingua in no time!

Tiramisu for You!

Without a doubt, one of my all-time favorite Italian desserts is tiramisu.  Translated, tiramisu means "pick-me-up", which is an apt description of this delightful dessert!  I'm sure you may have had it before at Italian restaurants.  I know it used to be my "go-to" dessert whenever I was out with friends, but it wasn't until I was in Italy that I found out that it is REALLY easy to make!

There are multiple recipes for tiramisu, but this is one that is considered the most traditional.  It only has 6 ingredients and requires no cooking whatsoever, which makes it great for the summertime when the last thing you want to do is turn on the oven or the stove!

Yes, it has eggs in it.  Yes, they aren't cooked.  If you're scared of raw eggs, don't be.  Make sure they're fresh and you should be fine.  I haven't gotten sick from using raw eggs yet.

Knock on wood.

Seriously though, you should be fine.  If you are still wigged out over it, look for pasteurized eggs and go with them.

Now, on with the show!

You'll need these:

Plus unsweetened cocoa powder, which I completely forgot to include in the picture.  (oops!)

So, the list of ingredients is:
3 fresh eggs
250 grams mascarpone 
50 grams white sugar
savoiardi (ladyfingers) - I use about 18-20 of them
strong coffee - you can brew it or use instant like I did because I didn't feel like pulling out the moka pot.  Just make sure it's fairly strong and you'll need about 1 1/2 cups worth, maybe a bit more.  I didn't measure, but if you use instant, it's easy to make more quickly!  Oh, and it needs to be tepid or cool when you use it.
unsweetened cocoa powder - enough for dusting.  Maybe a few tablespoons worth.

First thing you are going to want to do is to separate the eggs.

Beautiful bright orange yolks!  I love super-fresh eggs!

Then measure out your mascarpone...

The package I had was 500 grams, so half.  Which means I can make tiramisu TWICE!

...and your sugar.

So, you'll end up with this:

There's the cocoa!!  :)

Ok, so let's get started.

With a fork, beat the sugar into the egg yolks until it's light and fluffy.

Then, add the mascarpone and do the same until it's a nice creamy consistency, like this:

Next, beat the egg whites until they're fairly stiff.  If you have an electric mixer or hand beater, I suggest using it.  It takes a lot of elbow grease to use a whisk!

Is the coffee ready?  Good.  Add a little sugar to it and get ready to dunk some savoiardi (ladyfingers)!

Coffee, coffee, coffee!!!

Now as far as dishes are concerned, you can use a small baking dish or you could use a bowl...completely up to you.  I happened to have a disposable aluminum pan that was the perfect size, so I used that.

Ok, back to the recipe.

QUICKLY dip the cookies into the coffee.  You don't want to let them soak because they will get too mushy.  As long as they are quickly submerged and pulled out, you'll be fine.  Savoiardi are a bit drier than the ladyfingers that I've had in the US and they really soaked up the coffee fast, so just see how things go with the ones that you use.  I just quickly dunk them and put them in the pan in a layer.

Once you have a layer of the dipped cookies, place half of the mascarpone/egg mixture on top.

Starting to layer the mascarpone!

Once you have the cookies covered with a layer of the mascarpone mixture, sprinkle a little cocoa powder on top.

Place another layer of the cookies dipped in the coffee, and another layer of the mascarpone mixture.  Then give it a good sprinkling of cocoa powder, making sure that you get it all nicely and evenly covered.

Stick it in the refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours. I know, it's hard to wait that long.  Try making it before you have to go somewhere so that you aren't tempted.  That's what I did.

Cut into pieces to serve.

Try not to eat the entire pan in one sitting!

Here's the recipe in standard format:

Tiramisu
(serves 6)

6 eggs, divided
50 grams white sugar
250 grams mascarpone
strong coffee, cooled and sweetened with a little sugar (approximately 1 1/2 cups)
18 - 20 savoiardi or ladyfinger cookies
unsweetened cocoa powder

Beat the sugar into the egg yolks with a fork until light and fluffy.  Add the mascarpone and beat until smooth and creamy.  Beat the egg whites until they are fairly stiff, then mix in with the mascarpone mixture.

Quickly dip the savoiardi into the coffee and layer into the bottom of a pan.  Top with half of the mascarpone mixture and lightly sprinkle with cocoa powder.  Make another layer of dipped savoiardi, and finish with the rest of the mascarpone.  Sprinkle evenly on top with cocoa powder.  Place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours.

Schiacciata all'Olio

Schiacciata is a type of focaccia bread that is made in the Florence area of Tuscany.  There are a variety of schiacciata recipes, but my favorite is schiacciata all'Olio.  It's quite simple to make, like most Tuscan recipes.  I baked a schiacciata this morning to go with the zuppa Toscana that I made  and it was a big hit with my favorite Tuscan when he came home for lunch.  

The bread is usually around an inch or so thick, crispy on the outside and with a slight chew on the inside with plenty of air bubbles.

To make schiacciata, first dissolve 25 grams (1 teaspoon) of dry yeast in a small bowl containing 250 ml (1 cup) of warm water.

Let that sit for 5 minutes or so.  Then in a large bowl, mix together 45 grams (3 cups) of flour), 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, 70 ml (1/4 cup) of extra-virgin olive oil, and the bowl of dissolved yeast.

When the dough comes together, turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until the dough is smooth.  It should take you around 10 minutes to achieve this.

Place the dough into a large, clean bowl that you oiled with some olive oil.  Turn the dough so that it is covered with oil. 

Cover the dough and set in a warm place to raise for approximately 1 to 1 1/2 hours.  

Oil a wide baking pan with some olive oil.  I used the roasting pan from the oven, covered it with foil and then oiled it.  

Spread out the dough with your fingers so that it fits the pan.  

With your fingertips, make indentations on the surface of the dough and then drizzle the whole thing with more olive oil and sprinkle with some salt.  (I prefer to use sea salt, but any salt will work)

Let the schiacciata rest for 30 minutes while the oven is getting hot.  You'll want to heat the oven to 220°C/425°F.

Bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until it is a nice golden brown.  Pull out of the oven and drizzle with some fresh olive oil.

It's fantastic fresh out of the oven, or later when it's completely cooled.  I personally can't wait that long and normally, I will grab a piece within minutes of pulling it from the oven!  

Buon appetito!

Schiacciata all'Olio

250 ml (1 cup) warm water

25 grams (1 teaspoon) dry yeast

45 grams (3 cups) flour

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

70 ml (1/4 cup) extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra

salt for sprinkling (coarse sea salt is best)

In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water and let sit for about 5 minutes or until activated.  In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt, olive oil, and dissolved yeast.  When dough begins to come together, turn out onto a clean surface dusted with a little flour.  Knead until the dough is smooth, approximately 10 minutes.  Place dough in a clean bowl that you oiled with a little olive oil.  Turn the dough so that both sides are lightly coated with oil.  Let rise in a warm place for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.  

Oil a wide baking pan and spread out the dough using your fingers so that the dough fits the pan.  Make indentations with your fingertips on the surface of the dough, then drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.  Let rest 30 minutes.

In a hot oven (220°C/425°F), bake the schiacciata for approximately 20 minutes or until it is a lovely light golden brown color.  

Drizzle with olive oil as soon as you pull it from the oven.

Minestrone

It's winter.  It's cold.  (Ok, so it hasn't been so cold this week...but it's still winter!)  What's one of the best ways to warm up?  SOUP!  If you like a healthy, hearty soup, then you should try to make some homemade minestrone.  This recipe is, of course (it is my blog, after all), Tuscan.  I'm going to teach you how to make all of this:

into a yummy soup!

First thing's first.  When you shop for your produce, make sure you get the freshest, nicest looking vegetables that you can find.  It pays to be picky!

You're going to need the following vegetables: onion, basil, potatoes, carrot, Italian kale (cavolo nero or lacinato kale), celery, lettuce, zucchini, string beans, and plum or roma tomatoes.  (Yep, that's a lot of vegetables.  It's going to turn into a lot of soup!)

You're also going to need extra virgin olive oil, pancetta, cannellini beans, beef broth, and short pasta (I use ditalini).

Now, I hope you have a good knife, because you're going to be doing a lot of chopping!

First, chop up half of an onion and about a 1/2 cup of fresh basil leaves.

You're also going to need 2 ounces of diced pancetta.  You can find pancetta at the deli counter at most big supermarkets.  I happened to find a package of already diced pancetta at my grocery store.

Then.. dice ALL the vegetables! Ok, well not really all of them yet.  You can wait to chop the tomatoes.  I like to wait until I am just about ready to add them to the soup, because if they sit, they can get kind of gross. Oh, and don't dice the string beans.  I just cut them into pieces about an inch or so long.

When you chop the Italian kale, remove the stems, then chop up the leaves.

Then, when you're done wielding your knife, it's time to start the soup.

Turn on your burner to medium and pour about 4 or 5 tablespoons of olive oil into the bottom of a big pot.  I never measure my oil, I just eyeball it.  One less thing to wash that way.

Then add your pancetta...

...and the onion and basil.

Now stand there and breathe in the magnificent perfume you created.

You're welcome.

Saute it around a bit and then add the rest of the chopped vegetables (except for the tomatoes).  As a recap, you'll be adding: about a 1/2 pound of diced potatoes, 1 diced carrot, about a 1/2 pound or so of Italian kale, 1 diced celery stalk, 1 chopped head of lettuce, 2 or 3 small, chopped zucchini, and about 1/4 pound of string beans.

Toss in a little salt and pepper and cover.  Let it cook for about 10 minutes.  While you're waiting, go ahead and drain and rinse your can of cannellini beans and peel and chop 2 or 3 plum or roma tomatoes.  After 10 minutes, remove the lid from the pot.  It should look something like this:

Give it a stir and then add your beans and chopped tomatoes.

Next, add enough broth to cover everything.  I have no idea how much this will take for you.  I don't buy my broth, I make it myself.  If I had to guesstimate, I would suggest buying a couple of the big cartons/cans of broth.  If you don't use it all, you can use it for something else, like pasta al brodo.

Cover it up again and let it cook slowly for 2 hours.  You might need to turn the heat down to medium-low.  You will want it to just simmer slowly.  Be sure to give it a stir every so often so that nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot.  You may need to add more broth (or water) to the soup, just keep an eye on it.

After 2 hours, add about a 1/2 pound of the short pasta.  Stir it in and let it cook for 10 minutes.  When the pasta is done, the soup is ready to eat!

Dish it up and drizzle a little extra-virgin olive oil on top of each serving.

Buon appetito! 


(for those who want to print the recipe, here's a written version:)

Minestrone

4 or 5 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 oz. diced pancetta
1/2 of a medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped basil
1/2 pound yellow potatoes, peeled and diced
1 diced carrot
1/2 pound Italian kale (cavolo nero or lacinato kale), chopped
1 diced celery stalk
1 head of lettuce, chopped
2 or 3 small diced zucchini
1/4 pound string beans
2 or 3 ripe plum or roma tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 can of cannelini beans, drained and rinsed
beef broth
1/2 pound short pasta (I use ditalini)

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large pot.  Saute the pancetta, onion and basil.  Add all vegetables except tomatoes.  Salt and pepper to taste, cover and let cook for 10 minutes.  Add the tomatoes and beans, and enough broth to cover everything.  Cook slowly for 2 hours, covered, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.  Add more broth or water as needed.
After 2 hours, add the pasta and cook for 10 minutes.  When pasta is done, the soup is ready to eat.  Serve hot, drizzled with a little extra-virgin olive oil.