Risotto and spongata prescription Giuseppe Verdi

The author of the operas "La Traviata" and "Rigoletto" by Giuseppe Verdi was not only famous as a talented composer, but also as a foodie. The love of well-cooked dishes, apparently, moved on to the Maestro inherited from his father and grandfather.

Verdi was born on 10 October 1813 in the village of Roncole, in Emilia Romagna. Here his father Carlo Giuseppe Verdi owned a tavern. Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901) to make music that the composer began at the age of nine with the support of a local merchant Antonio Barezzi. He made his first music lessons that Giuseppe took in Busseto.

Many years later, after receiving recognition from the Milan public and earning a decent as Verdi's return to Busseto and buy in the surrounding area of the Villa Sant'agata. The Villa will be perfect for growing grapes, vegetables, breed cattle. Although Verdi was never a glutton, in his spare time composing operas he loved to improve the recipes of traditional cuisine to your family table. Most of them realize will be his cook Ermelinda Bernie.

But one dish is, Giuseppe Verdi would often cook on my own, this risotto–with Parma dry-cured prosciutto ham, tomatoes, spinach and asparagus. Once a friend of Verdi's, the artist Melchior Delfico, even jokingly portrayed the famous composer for cooking risotto with pan in hand.

Among the favorite products of the composer, was listed local ham called Spalla Cotta di San Secondo. It is made from pork shoulder in the town of San Secondo Parma in the vicinity of the beginning of the year 1170. Preserved a letter in which Verdi gives his friend Ricordi instruction in cooking.





It reads: "Along with this letter, you will receive a package with pork. Choose your favourite piece and remember my instructions: first, put the pork in warm water for two hours to get rid of the salt. Then put in cold water and simmer for three and a half hours or four depending on the size of the piece. The readiness check with a toothpick. If it enters easily into the meat, it is ready".



1858 Baron Verdi and Genovesi cooking

Local desserts Verdi preferred pie spongata. The first time he tried it in a candy store in Busseto when he worked on the Opera "don Carlos". The name of the cake translates as "sponge" (spugna), and indicates holes on the surface spongata, Packed with pine and walnuts, almonds, candied fruits, spices and powdered sugar.

The oldest recipe spongata refers to the XIV century, but many experts believe that such a cake was baked by the Romans. In the Middle ages it was prepared in the fall, beginning with All Saints Day.

Risotto recipe by Giuseppe Verdi

Ingredients for 4 persons

1 ½ cups Carnaroli rice

4 ½ tbsp butter

½ Cup mushrooms

½ Asparagus 100 g Parma ham

1/3 Cup canned tomatoes in own juice

3 ½ tbsp. of cream

4 cups beef broth

1 Cup grated Parmesan

½ Onion

The stages of preparation

Chop the onion. Clean, wash and chop the mushrooms. Blanch asparagus 5 minutes in boiling water. Prosciutto cut into strips, tomatoes — diced.

Melt half the butter in a wide frying pan over medium heat. Fry the onions until Golden brown. Add the rice and simmer until then, until it will become transparent. Constantly stir.

Add the mushrooms, prosciutto, asparagus, tomatoes. Pour part of the broth, stirring constantly, gradually add the remaining broth.

Cook 8 minutes and add the cream.Cook for another 8 minutes, then remove from heat, add second part of butter and grated Parmesan. Mix well. Serve immediately.

Spongata

Ingredients

for the dough 230 g unsalted butter

100 g sugar

2 eggs

2 tbsp white wine

500 g flour

0.5 tsp. salt

Ingredients for the filling

80 g raisins

80 gedrovich nuts

200 roasted walnuts

150 g of candied fruits

0.5 tsp. cloves

1 tsp cinnamon

0.5 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg

2 tablespoons breadcrumbs

250 g of honey

1 egg

The stages of preparation

Grind butter with sugar, add eggs, wine and mix well. Add flour with salt, knead the dough and put it on time out in the cold.

Preheat the oven to 200 °C. to Prepare a deep baking dish and grease it with oil. Mix raisins, nuts, zest, herbs and breadcrumbs. Heat the honey on a steam bath, add it to the walnut mixture. To leave on time. Divide the dough into two parts in the ratio of (2/3 and 1/3). Roll out bigger piece of the cake and spread on the bottom of the form. Put a layer of filling, cover the second layer of dough. To seal the edges. Grease the surface with beaten egg. Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes. To reduce the temperature to 180°C and bake for another 15 minutes. When ready to cool in the form and to bring to the table.

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