Southern Italy is synonymous with homemade pasta, rich tomato sauce, fiery peppers and fresh, local produce. Oh yea … and wine. And Olive oil. And cheese.
Ahem.
I’m losing focus here.
What I’m trying to say is we all know southern Italy can rock a plate but until now there wasn’t even one professionally-written cookbook that was dedicated solely to our desserts.
But that, my southern Italophile friends, has changed.
My pal and author of the 2010 “My Calabria” cookbook, Rosetta Costantino stepped up to the powdered sugar-filled plate and cooked up a masterpiece. Through the collection of 75 recipes hailing from Calabria, Campania, Basilicata, Puglia, and Sicily, readers and bakers are transported to the heart of Italy’s Mezzogiorno.
As with My Calabria, Rosetta doesn’t just list ingredients and describe procedure, she delves into the history of the dessert, where it came from, where and when you’d find them in Italy and in some cases, who invented the dish!
The book is divided into regions, making it ideal for bakers of southern Italian descent to easily find their ancestors’ beloved sweets-from the famous Zeppole di San Giuseppe, Pesche con Crema (di ricotta) and oh yea… Sicilian Cannoli to the lesser-known Africano (chocolate and hazelnut cake rolls from Sicily) and Gelato al Miele di Fichi (yes-you read the right … fig ice cream!)
The pictures of both the desserts and the southern Italian landscapes are enchanting, proving one doesn’t actually have to be a baker to enjoy this book. It’s enlightening and entertaining and would make an excellent addition to any southern Italy addict’s book collection. I know it did mine.
The cookbook was released in October, 2013 and you can check it out here: Southern Italian Desserts: Rediscovering the Sweet Traditions of Calabria, Campania, Basilicata, Puglia, and Sicily.
Heading to Calabria? Why not join me on a small group tour or ask about our custom vacations and private tours.
