Natale sera. Christmas night

I feel like we can still talk about Christmas as the man playing the saxophone on the street outside my window is still tuning away to jingle bells. 

Although some days have passed since Christmas and we are nearly ready to ring in the New Year, I feel like my festivities have not stopped. So I thought I would quickly take a minute before 2016 arrives to talk about my Christmas.

So as I mentioned to the lead up to Christmas I had planned to serve the perfect array of sweets and only a few savoury items at my house on Christmas night. This year I was excited about introducing some new British items to the mix. As my friends are familiar with how I host my Christmas parties they came prepared after long tummy filling lunches at home with an appetite for sweets. However this was the first year I was sharing it with my boyfriend, his friends and family.

For those who know me well, know that I like things to be perfect (although I have become much more relaxed in my ageing years). Before a party I like the house to be spick and span, the table to be set and organised and every detail catered for. I also like to have the candles lit, music playing and have myself fully ready before quests start to arrive, allowing myself to be an attentive host.

My boyfriend early evening told me to relax and invited me to cozy up on the couch for a minute, I thought even though I still have things to do I will appreciate the moment we have together and take the invitation to snuggle into his embrace in my pyjamas.

Of course, you know where this story is going. Brrring brrring, the door bell rings. It`s the brother, sister-in-law and child of Alessandro (Ale) who arrived an hour earlier than the 9pm invitation time. Any-way the evening kicks off from there, I`m a little caught off guard but whip myself into a frenzy and put everything quickly into place, including dressing myself! The door bells continues to ring and a flow of guests keep arriving. Everyone is wowed by the array and presentation of food. Until one friends says....ummm but Kara I`m starving and want to eat something savoury. So I start pulling out as many things that I have to offer. 

Halfway through the evening Ale tells me he is ducking out for a second to grab a bottle of champagne he left in the car. I try to persuade him to stay as the table is already filled with magnum`s and there is no absence of wine. Time passes and I notice his disappearance.  I ask a friend about his absence and remain in shock when the answer is he has returned to his family home for food. Mostly because I feel that I have poorly catered for the party. But then I take a chill pill and remember after all that I am living in Italy, and you can never have too much food. Half and hour passes and the `hero` walks in the door with two shopping bags filled with goods. I can't rememeber if there was a round of applause, I think so. It was as if he had been to the local supermarket. The two bags were filled with salami bigger than my arms, a wheel of pecorino cheese bigger than my head,  olives and various preserves and bread (the most essential item for any Italian table). Although I nearly hit him over the head with the salami I couldn't but help see the funny side of this. Like who just has that much produce lying around at home? The answer, an Italian family!

The night proceeds with lots of laughs, singing, some latin dancing, firing opening bon bon`s, celebrating, dressing up, telling stories and eating and drinking....probably too much.

For me the most precious moment of the evening was drowning the Christmas pudding with brandy with the six year old nephew. With the lights turned off and seeing the explosion of flames as the match hit the brandy was nothing less than spectacular. Seeing the sheer look of excitement on the little boys face will be something I will always treasure. Passing on and sharing my British tradition of igniting the pudding amongst my friends made living away from home on Christmas that little more tolerable.

                   

The drunk brandy Christmas pudding aflame

Ginger biscuits with gorgonzola and walnuts 

riccarelli biscuits, a Tuscan tradition at Christmas time 

Salsiccia e patate al forno (sausage and potato baked in oven)

Honestly, there is nothing extravagant about this dish.  This is as about as simple as home cooking gets.  That's not to say it's not immensely tasty.  I always enjoy retrieving a baking dish from the oven that I earlier filled with love.  In this case the love came from sausages and potatoes. I don't think there is an Italian household that at some stage has not cooked this dish. The key is to either make your own sausages or get to know a reliable butcher. This recipe requires good quality Italian pork sausages.  The potatoes soak up all of the juices from the sausages as they are cooked beneath. The fennel adds a complimentary touch!  Use some crusty bread to make sure all of the meaty pan juices don't go to waste!

What you need (to feed 6-8 people):

ten good quality Italian pork sausages

15 medium size chat potatoes 

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

two teaspoons fennel seeds

two rosemary sprigs

two smashed garlic cloves 

half a bottle of white house wine

salt and cracked black pepper

How to make:

1: Cut the potatoes in half and place evenly in a oven proof baking dish (with lid). 

2: Cover with olive oil and use hands to throughly coat potatoes.  Tear sprigs of rosemary and roughly smash garlic, add to pot and mix through.  Finish with salt and pepper, again mix through.

3: Starting in the middle of the pot, add the sausages in a circular motion. Add a few sprigs of rosemary and a little garlic.

4: Prick sausages with a fork, so they do not burst in the oven.

5: Place lid on and place in a pre-heated 180 degrees oven for approximately 45 minutes.  Remove the lid for the last 5 minutes to slightly brown sausages.

dish before placed in the oven

cooking away in the oven

Crostini con salsiccia (Crusty bread with sausage meat)

This is one of my favourite snacks that is so simple to make and is soooooooooo tasty!  I first had this delicious snack accompanied with a glass of red wine for "apertivo" in Florence.  Although not so forgiving on the waist line this snack is pure indulgence.  Make sure you buy good quality Italian sausages and not the supermarket variety.  I saw this served in Florence topped with melted provolone cheese however it is most common in Tuscany to be mixed with my favourite cream cheese "stracchino".  Drizzle with a little truffle oil for a heavenly delight.

What you need:

Two good quality homemade Italian sausages

200g stracchino cheese (a creamy, sharp flavoured cheese)

10 slices of crusty bread sliced thinly

Truffle oil for drizzling

How to make:

1: Remove the skin from the sausages and combine in a bowl with the cream cheese.  

2: Cut the bread slices to be about a centimetre thick and place in the oven for about ten minutes until crisp

3:  Spread the sausage and cheese mixture on top of each slice and place back in the oven for about five minutes

4: Drizzle with a little truffle oil and serve hot

A place in Florence to try this:

Le Volpie e Luva

Piazza de' Rossi 1

50125  Firenze

+39 055 239 8132

http://www.levolpieluva.com/Le_volpi/Home.html

Buon Apetito