Crogetti: the Carnival sweets in my home village

There are many sweets that are traditionally made during the Carnival weeks in Tuscany: crogetti (elsewhere known as cenci or chiacchiere), zeppole (small deep fried dough balls), bomboloni (doughnuts), rice fritters (not in my area), and frati (deep fried dough rings – traditional of the Maremma area and named for the fact that they have the shape of a fiar’s belt). But crogetti are certainly the carnival sweets.

They can be covered in icing sugar or honey and icing sugar, but around here many people aso put pastry cream on them.

However, on World Nutella Day, they would be perfect with Nutella on top; so, if you feel like trying your hand at this traditional recipe, here you go!

Ingredients

• 300gr of all-purpose flour
• 10gr of baking powder
• a pinch of salt
• 50gr of sugar
• orange peel
• 30gr of butter
• 2 eggs
• half a glass of vinsanto
• olive oil
• icing sugar
• honey, custard or… Nutella!

Mix the flour with baking powder, salt, sugar, finely shredded orange peel and melted butter first and then add the eggs. Slowly add the vinsanto and some more flour if necessary (i.e. if the dough is too soft), and knead until the dough is smooth and not sticky.

Let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes under a cloth, and then slice it. Roll out each slice until it is very thin (I use the machine I use to roll out fresh pasta dough). Make as many crogetti as you wish from each strip by cutting it horizontally.

Deep fry the crogetti in hot olive oil and pour icing sugar or honey and then icing sugar on top. On World Nutella Day, forget about honey and cover them in delicious Nutella!!!

Zeppole: the Carnival sweets in Pisa

As most of you know, my “second home” is Pisa, the city where we work and where we live from Monday to Friday. Northern Tuscany dffers significantly from Southern Tuscany, not only in the landscape but also in its traditions. In Pisa around Carnival time you will find cenci (if you ask for crogetti they will have no idea what you are talking about), but you will also first and foremost find rice fritters (which in my home village are traditionally served on March 19, St. Joseph’s Day and Father’s Day and not at Carnival) and zeppole.

Zeppole are usually filled with pastry cream (custard) and would be perfect filled with Nutella on World Nutella Day!

So here is the recipe!

Ingredients

•  3 eggs
• 200gr of all-purpose flour
• 75gr of sugar
• a pinch of salt
• vanilla extract
• lemon peel
• olive oil
• icing sugar (or more regular sugar)
• frying oil

Beat the eggs and slowly add sugar, salt, vanilla extract, the lemon peel (finely shredded), and three tablespoons of olive oil.  Add baking powder and flour and keep mixing until smooth. Heat the frying oil and pour small balls of dough into it  using a tea spoon. Fry until golden. Drain dry and fill them with Nutella using a piping bag or a pastry syringe. Roll the zeppole in icing or regular sugar and enjoy!

(From Manuale di Cucina)

Happy Nutella Day!

What is Tuscany like in January?

January is usually one of the coldest months of the year with February. However, there are usually a few days of winter sun, which are perfect for walks in the countryside or for visiting cities and towns!

Average temperatures range between 3°C and 10°C (37.4°F – 50°F) during the warmest hours of the day and between 0°C and 5°C (32°F – 41°F) at night. Occasionally, temperatures drop to -5°C – 0°C (23°-32°F) or below at night if we get a cold wave, like the one we have been experiencing for the past few days.

Days are still short: the sun goes down around 5pm. Trees are leafless (except for olive trees, cypres trees and some oaks) and so are vines.

Some restaurants and other tourism-related businesses might be closed after January 6th, because the second half of January is traditionlly a very slow time of the year. Of course this also means that you can get great deals, so if you decide to travel in winter, January might be a good time of the year to visit Tuscany without breaking the bank!

Once again, we would like to remind you to beware of the slippery icey roads after dark. Snow chains and winter tires are mandatory from November 1st on, so make sure your rental car is equipped if you decide to visit Tuscany in January.

Weather-related legends and popular beliefs

The coldest days of the month are usually the so-called “giorni della merla” (literally, the blackbird days), that is, January 29, 30 and 31. Snowfalls or cold waves are in fact quite common at the end of the month.

(Photo of our village under the snow by Alice Rossi)

The name of these three days comes from a legend.

The tale goes that a long time ago, January only had 28 days. Blackbirds were white then. They lived happily among the trees, and every winter they impatiently waited for the cold days to come to an end. One January, on the 28th day, a bold blackbird rejoiced and shouted to January, ” Lord, I don’t care about you anymore, winter is over!”. January was enraged by this disrespectful outburst and asked February to lend him three of its days and made them the harshest and coldest days of all! The blackbird scared and worried moved its family away from the trees to a stone chimney on the top of an old farmhouse. For three days of terrible ice and cold they hid in the chimney and when February 1st arrived with a warm sunshine, the blackbird and its family emerged no longer white, but black and sooty. This is why blackbirds are born black and February only has 28 days instead of 31!

This is not the only weather-related story as far as January is concerned, though. The first 12 days of the month are called the Calends. According to a popular belief going back to the Roman era and possibly earlier than that, you can predict what the weather will be like over the following months by looking at the weather of the first days of January. Each day corresponds to one month, so January 1st corresponds to January itself, January 2nd corresponds to February, January 3rd corresponds to March and so on. If the weather on that day is good, the weather in the corresponding month will be bad, and viceversa. I remember my great-grandmother used to mark these things down on her Frate Indovino calendar!

If you forget to keep track of the weather during the Calends, you can observe the weather on St. Paul’s Day (January 25th). There is another old saying which says “delle calende non mi curo, se a San Paolo non fa scuro“, that is, “I am not worried about the forecasts of the Calends, if the weather is good on St. Paul’s Day”. It means that if the weather is good on St. Paul’s Day, the year will be a good year.

(Photo of our village under the snow by Alice Rossi)

Another ancient tradition consists in placing 12 half walnut-shells filled with a pinch of salt on your window sill on the night between January 24th and 25th. Each shell corresponds to a month. The shell which, on the following morning, contains melted salt will indicate that the corresponding month will be dry and hot. The shells still containing salt will indicate humid, rainy months.

What is in season in January?

Not much I am afraid. If you like oranges and clementines, however, this is the best time of the year to find delicious citrus fruit, even though they are not produced in Tuscany.

As for vegetables, broccoli, cauliflowers, seakale beets, fennels, radicchio, spinach, artichokes and cardoons are all seasonal products. If you have a chance, make sure you try deep fried artichokes and cardoons or a cardoon pie (sformato di carducci).

The end of the Holidays

The first six days of the month are still festive: the Holidays officially end on January 6th, the Epiphany, which is a very important religious holiday in Italy. Traditionally, it was more “important” than Christmas Day itself. The characters of three Wise Kings were added to the Nativity Scene and presents were exchanged.

Stockings were hung by the fireplace and at night parents… no sorry… the Befana… would fill them with treats and small presents for the children. If they had been naughty, they would also get garlic and coal! I still remember the sugar coal that my mum used to place in my stocking…!

The beginning of Carnival

Soon after the Christmas holidays are over, the Carnival celebrations start. It depends on Easter of course: the earlier Easter Sunday falls, the earlier Carnival begins.
The towns and cities celebrating Carnival with pageant parades like Viareggio will start organizing events.

Bakeries and pastry shops will start selling the traditional Carnival sweets such as cenci (or crogetti as we call them in our area), fritters, and bomboloni! Watch out for “naughty kids” celebrating because you could find yourselves covered in spray foam and confetti!

The thing is that I have been very, very busy at work and I have had very little time to do much else.

First of all, the tourist season in Pisa slows down but never really stops, so we have had guests checking in and out of our Pisa holiday apartment. Not complaining: quite the opposite! Living and working in such a popular destination is a great thing but it means doing several loads of laundry, cleaning, ironing and solving the usual problems that inevitably happen when you try to get out of town to enjoy those few free hours you have decided to take to recharge the batteries.

Secondly, it’s exam time at the university and I always teach my courses during the fall term, which means that in January and February I have hordes of  students taking my exams. This is the part I like the least… when you have to read, correct and grade a test… 160 times. Or more. Yes, that’s right. Between January 18th and today I have been reading, correcting, grading, listening, meeting students who didn’t pass the test and need to retake it, meeting with students I am helping with their final thesis because they need to graduate NOW, preparing tests, photocopying tests, spending hours in the classroom while students take their tests, listening to complaining students, etc. I hate exams.

The thing most people don’t know about the Italian education system is that students attend lectures (if they want) for a course at a certain point in time and they then have 3 years to take the exam for that course. They have 6 to 9 chances every year to take the same test over and over again, until they pass. Yes, that’s how it works. Most teachers let them retake the test if they are not happy with the result. I only allow that once. On top of all of this, I have an eye infection that slows me down quite a bit, but I can’t stop so it’s taking forever to heal properly. So here you have an image of my life in Tuscany in January and February… not too appealing is it?!

Well, it hasn’t been all bad. The weather over the past few weeks was fantastic. I could go out for long, long walks with my dog almost every day. We had a real taste of spring.

I dragged my husband on a “wedding planner” mission with me the other day (I am helping Lorella of Boutique Events more and more often when she has foreign clients, and I am enjoying it a lot!). We went to San Miniato, Certaldo and to a couple of pretty churches in between the two places. Believe it or not, in 16 years of living in Pisa I had never wandered in the countryside of the inland hills. It’s beautiful! The San Miniato area is stunning.

Over the past 5 weeks, we have spent most of the time in Pisa, because I needed to be here for some engagements at the university but also because we had guests checking in on Sundays so it didn’t make sense to go back to Civitella for less than 24 hours.

I have to say that when I am away from home for more than 2 weeks I really miss it. For most people that’s hard to understand but it’s the small little things that I miss. This time it was the carnival sweets that made me homesick!! It’s that time of the year when my mother and grandmother spend quite some time frying “crogetti” (here’s something I wrote last year about Carnival in Tuscany). Of course I could buy carnival sweets in Pisa, or make them. We did buy some rice fritters (which are typical carnival sweets in Pisa, but not in southern Tuscany – we make those for Father’s Day in March), some cenci, a zeppola (sort of miniature doughnut) but the point was not to have something to eat… it’s the ritual. You know… smells and tastes that make a place your home, that bring back memories of a lifetime. That kind of things is what I missed.

I guess there are some smells and sounds that are the essence of living in a place, of a culture even. For me it’s the kitchen smells of the Sunday morning or of the Saturday morning (which is when we go over for lunch at their place now). Lasagne, wild boar stew, various seasonal sweets. It is also the sounds. I grew up with my mum either taking me to church or having me watch mass on TV with her, so church bells or the mass on TV are also some of the sounds that mean “home” to me.

And then there is that funny feeling of “missing” things. Today my entire family is gathering at one of my father’s cousins’ home for lunch. It’s that sad time of the year for pigs… They butchered theirs (they’re farmers) so they have invited the whole family over for a “preview” of the products they will be selling soon.We are in Pisa, so we’ll miss that.

My parents have two new puppies. We saw them being born but they are almost a month old now… I missed that too!

It’s also the time of the year when the garden is prepared for the spring… my balcony in Civitella is a desert!!!

So… bottom line: tomorrow is my students’ last exam day for this term and on Tuesday off we go to Civitella. And we will be there for a full week! It will be almost like taking a holiday!

Well, I can tell you that, over the last few years, many schools have started banning Carnival parties and giving their students a short break around Mardi Gras, partly to give everybody a chance to celebrate and party and partly, in my opinion, because principals are worried about the way their school is going to be messed up!

Carnival in Italy is not only about delicious sweets, costumes, confetti and streamers… it’s also about spray foam, stink-bombs and stupid tricks. We have a saying: “A carnevale, ogni scherzo vale“, meaning “at carnival, all tricks are good”, so we are used to putting up with stupid stuff at this time of the year. But still…

Walking in any high-street these days means having  to avoid teenagers running around trying to spray each other with foam… The other day, I went to the park with my dog and there were two groups of kids fighting with firecrackers and throwing fake blood at each other. I had to avoid a couple of coarse screaming girls trying to escape what I suppose was some type of rough flirtation consisting in a guy trying to clean a girl’s hair and jacket, which were covered in egg and flour…

These are the downsides of carnival… but then, walking home, I stopped at my favourite pastry shop in Pisa and the taste of the “frittelle di carnevale” made me forget all about the foam, the stink-bombs and the firecrackers! Those are definitely the positive sides of carnival!

What I also remember, though, is that 30 years ago traditional carnival  stock characters were the main inspiration for costumes. I think they are not so common anymore: now kids seem to prefer superhero costumes and the like.

Le Maschere Tradizionali, the traditional carnival stock characters, are impersonations of “human types” in a caricature style. They originated in the 16th-century tradition of the Italian Commedia dell’Arte (the Comedy of Art), “a professional form of theatre that began in Italy in the mid-16th century, and was characterized by masked “types,” the advent of the actress, and improvised performances based on sketches or scenarios”.
More on Commedia dell’Arte…

Some of the most famous characters

Pulcinella – a white outfit, a funny pointed hat and a black mask with a big nose, Pulcinella is the traditional Neapolitan carnival character. He’s chatty, a bit crazy and very lazy! He has a mandolin, he likes to sing and eat and sometimes he hits the other carnival characters with the long stick he always has with him.

Arlecchino – he was my favourite! Also known as Harlequin in English, he has a colourful outfit, a large hat and a black masque. He’s a mischievous servant, a bit of a scoundrel and swindler, but, deep down, he’s wise and good natured. His girlfriend is Colombina.

Colombina - or Columbina, is the only girl among a crowd of male carnival characters. She’s a lively and smart young female servant. She is pretty and a bit of a liar and she speaks in the Venetian dialect. She loves her young Lady Rosaura very much and she goes out of her way to make her happy. She has a white and blue dress and a large flounced skirt. She makes fun of everybody: a flirtatious and impudent character!

Pantalone – also a Venetian character and the victim of Columbina’s intrigues. He wears a red suit and a black mantel. He’s grumpy, stubborn and annoying. Pantalone doesn’t like spending his money: he’s a very tight, old Venetian merchant who complains all the time.

Dottor Balanzone, or the Doctor – he’s from Bologna and he’s all dressed in black, and has a book under his arm. He’s angry, disruptive and he doesn’t listen to anyone else from any of the fields that he claims to know about (which are many). He is pompous, and loves the sound of his own voice but he often talks nonsense.

Gianduia - he’s the traditional carnival character of Turin. He’s a witty, funny and smart peasant who is actually called Gioan d’la douja (literally, Giovanni of the wine – douja in the local dialect) because he goes to all the bars in Turin and ask for a glass of wine! Gianduia has a girlfriend, Giacometta.

Brighella – he’s from Bergamo. He has a white and green outfit. He’s a masterful liar, a smarter version of Harlequin. He’s funny and cheeky with women. His name comes from the fact that he’s a fire-eater. Brighella can play and sing and he knows how to party.

Rugantino – he’s from Lazio. He’s dressed up as a gendarme and he’s arrogant, big-headed and cruel. He’s also a fire-eater.

Stenterello – he’s from Tuscany. He has a distinctive blue jacket with chequered red and white wristband. He’s generous, smart, wise and optimist.

Scaramuccia – also known as Scaramouche, is a roguish clown character who wears a black mask and black trousers, shirt and hat. He is usually portrayed as a buffoon or boastful clown. He’s from Campania. He’s lazy and he gets beaten often. He’s big-headed but he is often quiet.

Capitan Spaventa – or the Captain, is from Liguria. He has a yellow and orange suit, a hat with feathers, a long mustache and pointed beard and he carries a long sword that he drags around making a lot of noise. He fights his battles with his witty speeches.

Sandrone - he’s from Emilia Romagna. He has a red hat and a green jacket. He has a ruddy face and he really loves wine. He’s an ignorant but smart peasant.

Carnival is almost here. For the very few of you who might not have any idea what carnival is about, I’ll just say that it an “extended Halloween without the dark side of it”!

Carnival is mostly celebrated in countries with a long Christian (mainly Catholic) tradition, even though its roots are believed to be in the Greek Dionysia and the Roman Saturnalia, when it was an occasion to subvert order, to have fun and even for debauchery.

I’m not sure about debauchery today, but what certainly happens is that people dress up in costumes and join in masquerades, street and private parties. Most cities, towns and villages organize parades, which in some cases have become world-known events. The Carnival of Venice and the Carnival of Viareggio are two well-known examples.

The word carnival probably comes from the Latin expression “carnem levare“, which literally means to “eliminate meat“. The celebrations took place before Lent, a period of fasting which precedes Easter, during which believers are supposed to get ready, through prayer, penitence and alms-giving, for the commemoration of the Passion of Christ celebrated during the Holy Week and culminating in the Easter celebrations for the Resurrection of Jesus.

The most important days are giovedì and martedì grasso (Mardi Gras), the last Thursday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday (mercoledì delle ceneri). Mardi gras generally marks the end of carnival and the beginning of Lent. In some areas though, such as in Milan, where the Ambrosian Carnival is celebrated, the last celebration is on the Saturday after Ash Wednesday.

In Italy, the Carnival of Venice and the Carnival of Viareggio are the most popular events. (I don’t know much about the former, but here is a lovely blog post on the Carnival of Venice written by Monica Cesarato, a lovely lady from the city who teaches Italian and runs a great B&B in Venice).

The Carnival of Viareggio, in the province of Lucca in Tuscany, is famous for the parade of floats and masks taking place on the Lungomare, the street that runs along the waterfront. The large figures on the pageants are made of paper-pulp and are caricatures of famous people, generally politicians, showmen and sportsmen.

In Tuscany, the tradition of carnival floats and pageants is ancient. In the 15th and 16th century, the Medici family already organized big carnival parades like this, and Lorenzo de’ Medici himself wrote some “canti carnascialeschi“, literally “carnival songs“, very popular in Renaissance Florence. The most popular one is called “Il Trionfo di Bacco e Arianna“, and the two most popular lines sum up the philosophy of fine living I believe!

Quant’è bella giovinezza,
che si fugge tuttavia!
chi vuol esser lieto, sia:
di doman non c’è certezza.

Though they’re all the joy we know,
youth and beauty don’t endure.
If you want, be happy now;
for tomorrow’s never sure.

So if you are planning on visiting Tuscany in February, you should not miss Carnevale di Viareggio. The town itself is very nice, with many art nouveau buildings, and a lot of locals, bars, pubs and restaurants.

Carnival this year begins on January 30, but the parades will start on Sunday, January 31 at 3pm and then the schedule is:

• Sunday, February 7 at 3pm
• Sunday, February 14 at 3pm
• Tuesday (Mardi Gras) on February 16 at 2pm
• Sunday, February 21 at 5pm

On Saturdays, between January 30 and February 21st, there are concerts and other events organized in Piazza Mazzini after 4pm. In addition, every neighbourhood in Viareggio organizes its own street party. Here is a list of the Carnival Parties in Viareggio and surroundings.

Carnival has its special sweets too. In Tuscany the most typical of all carnival desserts, mainly fried stuff, are “cenci” or as they are known in the Siena and Grosseto area, “crogetti“, fried pastry topped with pastry cream or honey and icing sugar. In some areas they are called “chiacchiere“. Where I come from, there is a difference. “Crogetti” are rectangular pieces of thin fried pastry dough, whereas “chiacchiere” are long strips of thicker pasta, rolled up and fried, and sprinkled with icing sugar and sometimes alchermes. Bomboloni, or doughnuts, are also very popular, and so are zeppole, small doughnuts filled with pastry cream.

Looking for a place to stay while visiting Tuscany for the Carnevale di Viareggio?

Stay at our self-catering apartment in Pisa! It’s only a short train ride to Viareggio, and no need to rent a car!