CookiesItalian.com Newsletter for July 2007

I'm a bit late with the newsletter this month. Time sure seems to go by faster and faster each day. Sandy and I have been working on an Italian wedding page for the site - relating all the traditions I remember from attending and celebrating Italian weddings. Sandy is also working on a few new Italian wedding cookie trays - should be finished by next month.

I've added a new "Italian Grandma Stories" page to the site.  This page will feature stories from our friends (you) about their Italian Grandmas and memories about growing up in an Italian, or at least part Italian, family. I posted a story about my grandma - check it out at http://cookiesitalian.com/page/1191037  Just click on the text and it should take you to the page. If it doesn't, copy the URL and paste it into your browser. Or go to the web site and click on the "Italian Grandma Stories" heading along the left side of the home page

If you have a story or memory you would be willing to share, just email it to me and I will post it. mike@cookiesitalian.com  Click on the text to send your story. You can type your story right into the email form or you can use a word processor and then copy the story and past it into the email. I'm not too big on attachments because of all the bugs and things that can get into my computer by opening them.

This is only my fourth newsletter, but if you missed the first three and are interested in the recipes they contained, you can now look up the old newsletters on the site by clicking on the Newsletter Archives heading along the left side of the home page.

One of our friends asked for a basic biscotti recipe so here is a recipe to try.
You can add nuts and other seasoning to change this basic recipe. Go ahead and experiment

VANILLA BISCOTTI

1-1/2 cups granulated sugar

3 Tbsp butter

2 eggs 

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tap salt

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups flour 

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil and spray with nonstick vegetable oil spray.

Cream together sugar and butter. Beat in eggs. Add vanilla and then the flour, baking powder, and salt

Form the dough into a 14x3x1" log. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Allow to cool before cutting. With a sharp knife cut biscotti into 1/2" slices and place cut-side down on baking sheet.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes on one side and then allow to cool. Flip biscotti over and bake again for 8 to 10 minutes. Do not allow to over-brown.

Well I've rambled on enough for this month. I hope you had a great Independence Day Celebration. Of course, July 4th is not celebrated in Italy, but a few other days are celebrated with Festas. In Palermo the Festa di Santa Rosalia is celebrated July 10-15. This celebration honors Saint Rosalie, the patron saint of Palermo. In Rome July 15th begins the Festa de' Noantri. This is a ten-day celebration held in the Trastevere neighborhood of old Rome. Folk dancing and singing and mass spaghetti eating dominate the Festa. I'm sure they enjoy Italian cookies with their coffee too! I wonder why they have long celebrations lasting for days while we only get one day off to celebrate. Maybe we should learn from the Italians.