2/11/23
A glance at the kitchen ‘Frate Indovino’ Italian calendar and my realization dawns that we are in the midst of Carnevale 2023. A portion of the past rises inside my thoughts, still becoming part of this lifetime lived to understand. One of the marvels of where anyone spends time is the similarities with slight differences and the lessons to be gained. A simple dough of flour, scant sugar, an egg, melted butter, a splash of wine or rum becomes a pre-Lenten treat, ‘made essentially the same’ with variations depending on its region yet, named differently. In Milan, they are chiacchiere; in Tuscany, cenci; in Rome, frappe; in Veneto, crostoli; in Piemonte & Liguria, bugie. In some American /Italian-American circles, they are bow-ties. Through stories of varieties in cultures and those simple lessons, we are all capable of sitting together, with a cup of tea, coffee or glass of Vin Santo and share stories, life. What has become a distant possibility, in a purposeful reality is ‘essentially’ simple.
Round 1 of Dolci di Carnevale – in Piedmont (Piemonte) called “bugie” or lies.
