When I meet up with friends and family members and we have one of
those long, wide ranging chats, the subject of computers, online life and
social networking inevitably comes up. Everyone seems to know what an addict I
am to the various social networks I am a member of…. And the same question
seems to come up frequently: “but I heard that there are loads of trolls. Don’t
you get trolled a lot?”
I can honestly say that save for a couple of heated exchanges on
twitter which involved more bad language than abuse, I have never been trolled.
In fact, I have met so many wonderful like-minded people thanks to the online
world.
One such person is Linda Poulnott, my guest post author for this blog
post. I met Linda online initially through our admiration for Johnny Marr’s
guitar playing and songwriting. We eventually realised we had so much more in
common; we are both learning to play guitar (and love guitars in general), are
crazy about music and enjoy cooking, eating out, food and wine. The magic of
the internet means that despite the fact she lives in southern Italy and I am
in London, we were able to find each other and share our passions. Pretty
amazing, right?
Well, it certainly doesn’t stop there. Linda’s time spent in the Bay
of Naples makes her something of an expert on southern Italian cooking. Can you
imagine my delight and complete surprise when she offered to write for Snig’s
Kitchen on that very subject?
I just made up to be able to host this post from Linda, which is the
first of a series of three. I am sure you will enjoy it, and like me, can’t
wait to see the her next two posts.
Linda's photos are of her local food market. If you're anything like me, you will be most envious of the fantastic produce available. I'm drooling at my keyboard!
Anyway, over to you, Linda!
Come facette mammeta (like mother makes)
How to cook like a Neapolitan Mamma!
First of all, I’d like to thank Snigdha for giving me the chance to write a guest spot on her blog. We met through our shared enthusiasm for guitars, Johnny Marr, good music and good food! Although I’m originally from Scotland I’ve been living in the Bay of Naples for over 20 years. I’ve always been passionate about food, but when I originally came here I knew very little about traditional Italian cooking. My knowledge was based purely on the often complicated, adaptations of Italian dishes by British TV chefs, British ”Italian” restaurants and a few holidays spent in Cattolica and Rimini during the 80’s.
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Italians have always been known for their love of
good food. I've worked and travelled in many parts of the country and have to
admit that the people here in the Campania region are the most food obsessed
people I've ever met! In my opinion, they produce the best dishes in the nation.
This has always been a poor area of Italy, so for centuries people had to
become experts in, what is called, "cucina povera"(poor cuisine).
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As the years passed and I became integrated into the local community, I learned a lot and was surprised to discover that real Italian homecooking is very simple and tasty. I had to learn to cook well when I started living with my Italian partner, Antonio, 10 years ago. They say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, and nowhere is this truer than here in the Bay of Naples.
One of
my happiest moments was when Antonio told me that I was better at cooking than
his Mamma!! I didn't even believe that that was possible.
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TOP TIPS TO COOK LIKE MAMMA
1. Always
use fresh, local ingredients that are in season. The one exception is using
canned beans or chickpeas. There really is no difference in flavour and it
saves loads of time during preparation.
2. When
cooking pasta always wait until the water is boiling before adding salt and DO
NOT add oil. I've never once seen an Italian doing this. Give it a stir then
leave it. Don't put a lid on the pot either. The best way to check if it's
ready is by trying it rather than relying on packet instruction timings.
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3. Less is
more. I was pretty shocked to discover than in Neapolitan cooking very few
herbs and flavourings are added. They really like the true flavours of the food
to shine through without overpowering them. I've never seen locals mixing lots
of herbs in the same recipe or "drowning" their food with lemon juice
or balsamic vinegar. The most popular pizza in Naples is Margherita (cheese and
tomato). You very rarely see a Neapolitan with lots of pizza toppings, and
NEVER with ham and pineapple!
4. Don't
keep your tomatoes in the fridge. They tend to lose their flavour.
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5. Mozzarella
is also usually kept out of the fridge in a bowl of cold water which is changed
often.
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6. Keep the
extra virgin oil for salads and dressings. Using it to cook food will usually
overpower the dish and can make it quite bitter and peppery. Normal blended
olive oils are better.
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7. When
making risotto always keep your stock pot simmering and add a ladle at a time
to the rice and stir often.
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8. If you
want a truly genuine Neapolitan experience when eating you must learn to do the
"Scarpetta" (little shoe). This is what we call the essential, mopping
up of leftover sauce on the plate with a big chunk of bread.
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Many thanks to Linda for her lovely post, written for no incentive whatsoever than the enjoyment of readers. I look forward to hosting her future guest posts!
Many thanks to Linda for her lovely post, written for no incentive whatsoever than the enjoyment of readers. I look forward to hosting her future guest posts!
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