Traditional recipes and novelties to experiment.
Despite the restrictions due to the pandemic, which according to Coldiretti jeopardize the consumption of 70 million kilos of pandoro and panettone and 74 million bottles of sparkling wine, there is still the desire to devote great care to the festive table.
Traditional appetizers (92%) for Christmas day: cold cuts (85%) and cheeses (83%), mainly locally produced (71%), canapés (68%), Russian salad (57%) and seafood (51%) %) among the most recommended, to be accompanied with breadsticks (63%) and various sauces (61%).
The first and second courses almost always reflect the regional gastronomic tradition (76%): from tortellini in broth in Lombardy, passing through tagliatelle with Emilian ragù, Roman cannelloni, Campania's married soup and Palermo's sfincione, up to the most common roasts ( 42%) meat loaves (37%) and capons (34%).
This is what emerges from an in-depth study conducted by Espresso Communication for Vitavigor which asked a panel of 50 chefs and foodbloggers from the Belpaese which were the ideal recipes for these family holidays to celebrate the traditions of the Christmas table.
Here are some inspirations from the chefs to better enjoy Christmas at the table.
veal cheek, accompanied by hot mashed potatoes with sautéed vegetables, green sauce
and the inevitable breadstick, a refined and elegant dish that will amaze your guests: napping the meat with the sauce is the secret to creating a perfect contrast ".
According to the
"
sartorial chef" Roberto Abbadati, founder of Mix & Food, however, "For the aperitif you cannot miss a composition of cheese breadsticks wrapped in seasonal raw ham, combined with seasonal or fresh cheeses, such as mascarpone, and an artisanal apple quince: the dish should be composed as desired, freely combining the ingredients, but respecting the different intensity of flavor of each of them ".
The proposal of chef Roberto Scarnecchia of the Trattoria della Stampa since 1956 in Rome is still different: "I thought of a reinterpretation of a dish that is part of the Roman tradition,
spaghetti with garlic, oil and chilli, with cherry tomatoes and crumbled breadsticks
: from a 'simple idea and high quality ingredients, a delight for the eyes and the palate is born ”.
How do the food bloggers think?
As mentioned, fish is the undisputed protagonist on the tables during the holidays.
For Rossella Pagano, creator of Make & Magna, “
Cod with escarole
, capers and olives is part of the Neapolitan gastronomic tradition, a must on our tables.
As a truly refined appetizer for the dinner, cod and escarole on a cream of breadsticks, gives life to an innovative and tasty course ".
Also for Antonella Iannone, founder of Passionecucina_lab, fish cannot be missing: “This year, more than ever, Christmas must be a cuddle, a happy moment, where you can breathe serenity.
My table is a mix of flavors from north to south, so everyone can agree.
The breadsticks are fantastic as an accompaniment to
the cuttlefish salad
: it gives that right touch of crunchiness to complete the dish ".
And if in the collective imagination cheesecake is one of the most popular desserts, Kucina takes care of changing the rules on the table with me: “For Christmas lunch, smoked salmon and toast must never be missing.
This year I decided to prepare a
salty cheesecake
in a jar with creamy salmon cheese on a base of crispy breadsticks, and I'm sure the whole family will agree ”.
Also original is the proposal by Mariacristina Coppeto, creator of News and Foodies, according to which "The preparation of
hummus, a
typical sauce of Middle Eastern origin, is increasingly popular in Italian cuisine and for this reason I have decided to bring a version
with red peppers
to accompany fragrant home made bread sticks ".
Patrizia Rimoldi, founder of La Gaia Cucina di Patty, also offers an exquisite appetizer: “For this special occasion I thought of
homemade potato croquettes with breadsticks and curry breadcrumbs
.
To make the recipe even more inviting, place the croquettes on a bed of white yogurt and chives sauce ”.
Marika Fabbri, Lisa Zaffagnini and Lara Zaffagnini, three cousins with a passion for cooking, founders of Cu (g) inando, instead propose their “Tagliere romagnolo, a typical dish of our culinary tradition.
We modernized this cutting board with crunchy breadsticks that contain a mix of cold cuts and cheeses: an easy-to-make appetizer idea, perfect for parties ”.
And for the former, Teresa Balzano, creator of Peppers and Potatoes, proposes a reinterpretation of the famous
pasta cu a muddica
: "A Calabrian recipe that was prepared on important occasions such as Christmas Eve, when meat was missing and it was necessary to a special dish.
Few ingredients on the list, but of the highest quality.
In this reinterpretation I replaced the breadcrumbs with fragrant crumbled and lightly toasted breadsticks ".
Finally, here are
the 10 ad hoc recipes proposed by chefs and food bloggers to better enjoy Christmas 2020
:
1. Chef Andrea Moccia (Granbaita Dolomites): veal cheek, accompanied by hot mashed potatoes with sautéed vegetables, green sauce and the inevitable breadstick.
Meat is the protagonist in a gourmet and tasty combination.
2. Chef Roberto Abbadati (Mix & Food): composition of cheese breadsticks with seasonal raw ham or culatello, combined with seasonal or fresh cheeses, such as mascarpone, and neutral or slightly mustarded artisan apple quince.
3. Chef Roberto Scarnecchia (Trattoria della Stampa since 1956): spaghetti with garlic, oil and chilli, with cherry tomatoes and crumbled breadsticks.
Few ingredients for an extraordinary result.
4. Rossella Pagano (Make & Magna): cod with escarole, capers and olives on a bed of breadsticks cream.
The softness of the cod meets the delicacy of the cream of breadsticks.
5. Antonella Iannone (Passionecucina_lab): cuttlefish salad cooked in a jar at low temperature on a bed of turnip greens cream: present the dish with the addition of turnip greens and a few crumbs of fragrant breadsticks.
6. Kucina con me: the salted cheesecake in a jar with cream cheese with smoked salmon and fennel on a base of crispy breadsticks will appeal to the whole family.
7. Mariacristina Coppeto (News and Foodies): hummus with red peppers to accompany fragrant and very fragrant breadsticks hand-rolled with oil and spices.
8. Patrizia Rimoldi (Patty's La Gaia Cucina): homemade potato croquettes with breadsticks and curry breadcrumbs on a bed of low-fat white yogurt sauce, lime juice and chopped chives.
9. Marika Fabbri, Lisa Zaffagnini and Lara Zaffagnini (Cu (g) inando): Romagna platter with a mix of cold cuts, seasonal and fresh cheeses enclosed in a basket of crispy breadsticks: an easy-to-make appetizer idea, perfect for parties .
10. Teresa Balzano (Peppers and Potatoes): reinterpretation of the “pasta cu a muddica”: spaghetti, anchovies in oil, hot pepper, extra virgin olive oil, few ingredients, but of high quality.
Replace the breadcrumbs with fragrant crumbled and lightly toasted breadsticks.