Get the Party Started

Italy's traditional carnevale is celebrated with an array of goodies

Spring celebrations in ancient Greece and Rome were the origins of the Italian festivity known as carnevale. Notions of social class and status took a back seat at these spring celebrations as slaves and masters ate, drank, and danced together in a general atmosphere of excess. Historians have suggested (politely) that these spring parties were void of inhibitions of any kind. To get a modern appreciation of this theory, imagine what would happen if Eminem and KISS hooked up to do a joint concert in Ibiza. Then imagine what backstage would look like.
It is no wonder, then, that the Catholic Church made several attempts to eradicate this festivity. But after failure after failure, the Church finally accepted it in the Middle Ages, at which point it became assimilated into the Christian calendar. Its name was changed to "carnival," a word which is derived from the Latin "carnem levare" (to remove meat) or the Italian "carne vale" (a farewell to meat).
Ever since, Italy has generally been celebrating carnevale from mid January until Martedi Grasso, (Shrove Tuesday) although some towns and cities have extended it to cover the entire period from Epiphany to Ash Wednesday.
Owing to its ancient origins the festivity is a celebration of pleasure before the fasting and penitence that begins during the Catholic celebration of Lent, which anticipates Easter.
Each city and town has its own way of having a good time. Being in Italy at this period is like being caught up in one big party. There are the enormous parade of floats and costumes and confetti and dancing and general merriment.
Alongside the dancing and enormous parade of floats and costumes, there is the traditional food and drink.
In fact, Verona celebrates "Venerdi gnocolar" - the Fat Friday Gnocchi Cook-Off! It seems that everyone in town enjoys a generous helping of the potato dumplings. The tradition dates from the 15th century, when a Veronese doctor gave food away to the poor people of the city once a year during carnival. After his death, his will stipulated that the distribution of food continue on in the same manner.
Most bakeries throughout the country cook up a storm of cenci, the traditional fried pastry covered in powdered sugar which go by a variety of aliases: Lombard Chiacchere, Tuscan Cenci and Roman Frappe, Lattughe and Nastrini. Palermo, Sicily celebrates with cannoli, ricotta filled wafers that are now a staple of any North American-Italian bakery.
The Venice carnival offers its very own custom-made round, brown treats known as frittelle. These Apple Fritters, Venetian Style are based on flour, sugar, apples, egg, grappa, olive oil, and milk. They can be accompanied by Canaletto, a Venetian aperitif made from raspberry juice, sparkling wine or cider, sugar, lemon juice, and crushed ice.
Florentine frittelle di riso are made both for carnival and to celebrate San Giovanni, the city's patron saint. Rice, milk, sugar, eggs, sweet wine, flour, baking powder and the zest of one lemon is all that's needed for these traditional delicacies. Frittelle con Uvetta, (Fritters with raisins) are also a favourite of this elegant Italian city.
Then there are the always popular Tortelli, which come in both sweet and savoury flavours. Water, milk, salt, sweet butter, flour, eggs, raisins, vanilla extract, and raisins soaked in rum combine to create a treat that can be enjoyed as a dessert or as a midday snack.
Throughout various southern regions carnival is celebrated with a migliaccio di polenta made with corn meal, sausages, and grated cheese, while Naples has the sumptuous Lasagne di Carnevale, an extraordinarily rich lasagna with ricotta, meatballs, and a host of other ingredients that is sure to keep hunger at bay for a long while. Yet another way to prepare for the arrival of Lent is Lasagne alla Ricotta, a decadent party favourite that is filled with, to name a few, prosciutto, pancetta minced carrot, and a host of herbs, including parsley, rosemary, thyme and marjoram.
Pasticcio di Maccheroni hails from the region of Emilia-Romagna. This carnival dish is a difficult and expensive treat, but well worth the effort and cost. Bucatini or perciatelli pasta is combined with grated Parmigiano, sweetbreads, butter, truffles, prosciutto, a handful of dried porcini, the giblets of three to four chickens, and nutmeg to taste. Believe it or not, this medley of ingredients will combine to delicious perfection under a piecrust.

Publication Date: 2002-02-03
Story Location: http://tandemnews.com/viewstory.php?storyid=905