Naples

Casatiello.. the ultimate Pasquetta recipe

The Monday after Easter Sunday, Pasquetta​, is a holiday in Italy traditionally enjoyed with picnics, parks, and beaches to celebrate the arrival of spring. One thing that is particularly synonymous with la Pasquetta is a type of rustico, or rustic bread, Casatiello. Made in a round pan similar to an American bundt pan, the shape is said to symbolize the crown of thorns. The recipe dates to at least the 1600s and Napoletani say it is not Casatiello without sugna (or strutto in Italian) - pork fat/lard. Served as part of the antipasti on Easter day, it tastes even better the next day--on Pasquetta.

Watch Italian and English videos below for a reliable Casatiello recipe, if you dare.

Buon appetito!​

Ecco una delle ricette per pasqua che mi avete richiesto in tantissimi: il casatiello Napoletano. Il casatiello napoletano è noto anche con il nome di tortano. A napoli il casatiello è un tipico piatto che viene realizzato soprattutto per Pasqua. Buon casatiello a tutti!! ^_^

In this video you will find the recipe for Neapolitan casatiello. Do casatiello Neapolitan is very simple! in Naples as we do the casatiello for easter

All roads lead to Rome...

Italy has been all over the news of late--with the world waiting with bated breath to see who will be selected as the new Pope, and more interestingly, whether or not the new Pope will be from a country in the developing world. Speculations abound, particularly with the announcement coming as a complete surprise--didn't Pope Benedict just launch his Twitter account in December (@Pontifex)?

Then, there are the upcoming Italian parliamentary elections and the Italians are keeping things interesting--with front-runners including comedian Beppe Grillo and self-proclaimed "unwilling" candidate Silvio Berlusconi--both of whom have criminal records and some very radical solutions to solve the nation's fiscal crises. 

After living in Italy for a few years, you become a bit unfazed by this oh, so Italian combination of absurdity and chaos (have you ever driven in Naples?). Well, speaking of that, the viral video above pretty much sums up Italy for me. If you have ever spent a fair amount of time in Italy, you will see exactly what I am talking about. 

With regard to Italy's future, young Milanese filmaker Brunella Filí is working on a documentary film, Emergency Exit, on Italy's brain drain and the generation of Italian youth forced to move abroad to find work and financial stability. She is currently crowdfunding her film on Indiegogo.com and it is expected to be released later this year. It is work a click just to listen to some of the testimonials. 

In bocca al lupo Italia!