Tag Archives: patty cakes

Spring circles…

Spring circles in the kitchen and garden – eggs in purgatory, ‘lucky’ lentils, broad bean risotto fritters, a dandelion flower, melanzane fritte, orange patty cakes, fava spaghetti with spring greens…

Circles are significant in Italian folklore – the symbolism of the sun that makes things grow, the wheel of life slowly turning, the seasons in a constant cycle circling around through the dark and cold and back to light and warmth once more.

I think of Granny Maddalena’s leathery, work-worn hands sorting through the lentils to remove any tiny stones. I feel the light smoothness of lentils in my own hands now as the wheel continues to turn. Auguri fortuna e felicità questa primavera – wishing you luck and happiness this spring. 💛 Zoë xx

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the lovely simplicity of vanilla…

It seemed fitting to follow my previous post of coffee with… cake! It’s been decades since I made patty cakes or cupcakes (‘tortine‘ in Italian). I decided to make some for my cousins who, when I visited them at Christmas time, sent me home with their home-made crostoli in a paper bag. A small gesture that was unexpected and lovely.

We’re returning to their place to harvest the wine grapes they’ve been growing from cuttings Roger gave them a few years back. And so begins the process of him making the wine for this year (yes, he still does so the old-style way taught to him by Nonno Anni and older Italians!) Will share with you some of the process in my next post.

In the meantime, hope my cousins like the tortine! (With so many fancy ones about these days, I had forgotten how nice simple vanilla can be.) 💛 xx

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