 |
August 3 - August 10,2003 |
Sweeten up your day
Cooling off the summer heat with Italian fruit desserts
By Rita Simonetta
Originally Published: 2003-07-27
The Italian sweet tooth is responsible for some of the most famous and delicious desserts in the world. There's tiramisu, zabaglione and panettone, and of course, gelato, an icy treat that's just the thing for these hot days and nights.
The Italian culinary tradition has always been based on creativity, resourcefulness, and fresh-tasting ingredients. So it's no wonder that a large amount of dolce are founded on fresh-tasting fruits. Most Italian meals at home end with a platter of seasonal fruits to satisfy a sweet tooth.
Strawberries - fragole - show up in a slew of Italian dessert recipes. A member of the rose family, strawberries have been around for thousands of years, but they weren't cultivated until the Renaissance.
When selecting strawberries for your Italian dolci, choose those that are bright red with their caps intact. Smaller berries are usually more sweet and flavorful. Strawberries should be enjoyed as soon as possible after purchasing.
Low in calories and high in vitamin C, strawberries also contain anti-oxidants that have been shown to prevent some forms of cancer.
"Strawberries in White Wine" are an elegant dessert that doesn't require any large fuss so they're a great sweet for unexpected guests.
In a bowl, combine two tablespoons of granulated sugar, one cup of dry white wine, and two lemon zest strips. Add two pints of hulled and halved strawberries and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for one hour before serving in stemmed glasses.
Fragole are also the starring attraction of a tasty fruit salad that's got a refreshing kick to it. Combine one pint of fresh strawberries with two bananas (sliced), eight ounces of seedless grapes. Drizzle raspberry balsamic vinegar over fruit and mix well. Marinate for 30 minutes. Serve chilled.
Peaches are also a hot commodity in Italian fruit desserts. Prunus persica, otherwise known as the peach, hails from China and were first cultivated there for the first time about 3,000 years ago. They were revered as a potent symbol of immortality.
Page 1/...Page 2
|
| Home / Back to Top |
|
|
 |
|
|
</ td>
