Italiano With Jodina

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E’ arrivato quel momento dell’anno (It’s that time of year) — si torna a scuola! (back to school!)

Here, to build up your repertoire, una manciata di vocaboli italiani riguardanti la scuola (a handful of Italian words related to school): Prendete nota (take note)!

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Here’s how to say them:

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1. Si torna a scuola: Back to school
2. l’educazione: education
3. l’anno scolastico: academic year
4. la scuola materna: nursery school, preschool, kindergarten
5. la scuola elementare: primary, grade, or elementary school
6. la scuola media: middle school
7. la scuola superiore: high school
8. l’universita’: university, college
9. la scuola di lingue: language school
10. la tessera dell’autobus: bus pass
11. il banco, i banchi: school desk, school desks
12. i compiti: homework
13. gli esami: tests
14. i voti: grades
15. una mela per la maestra: an apple for the teacher

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Any words you’d like to add? Jump right in — I love to hear your comments! 

~Jodina

*FALL ITALIAN CLASSES NOW ENROLLING!!*

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I recently held my first-ever official Italian cooking class.

While it’s true that I’ve been informally teaching friends and family Italian recipes, tips, and cooking techniques for years… this was my first organized class… and it was a huge success — lots of fun and laughter, and most importantly: good food!!

One of the stars of the class was the artichoke — featured in the recipe “Carciofi al cartoccio”, or Steam-Roasted  Arthchokes. Just like in Italy, artichokes in California  are plentiful this time of year.

Being that it’s my birthday week, and as a tip-of-the-hat to Italian traditions whereby on your birthday YOU treat others to something (dinner, drinks, etc) (opposite custom as in the States), I’m going to share my favorite artichoke recipe with you.

This tasty recipe will have you leccando i baffi (licking your plate, or literally “licking your whiskers”) and your friends asking for the recipe!

Info on upcoming Italian cooking classes

Jodina demonstrating the recipe in Italian cooking class

It’s easy; it’s foolproof, and here it is:

Steam-Roasted Artichokes / “Carciofi al cartoccio”

Note #1:  In Italian cooking, the term al cartoccio refers to oven-cooking food tightly sealed, usually in aluminum foil, or sometimes oven paper. The unique effect of this method is that while the food is roasting, it is also steaming because all the moisture and juices are sealed in — a technique I have dubbed “steam-roasting”.

Note #2: Within an Italian menu, this recipe would find its place as a contorno, or side dish, served alongside a secondo piatto (second course) of meat, fish, or poultry.

Ingredients (per artichoke):

• Carciofi or artichokes – 1
• Limone or lemon – ½
• Aglio or garlic – 1-3 cloves
• Olio d’oliva or olive oil – about 1 ½-2 tblsp
• Sale or salt – a pinch

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 425°

1. Grab artichoke by stem and cut off approx top 1 in, then cut off stem. If desired trim pokey bits of outer leaves.
2. Put artichoke in a bowl to catch all juices
3. To prevent browning, squeeze juice of ½ a lemon over the cut parts
4. Use hands to open out and separate the artichoke leaves a bit
5. Use knife to poke down thru the center of the choke to open it up a bit
6. Drizzle about 1 ½-2 tblsp olive oil into the cracks and crevices between leaves
7. In the middle (purple part) insert garlic clove(s)
8. Sprinkle over top a big healthy pinch of ground sea salt (or kosher salt)
9. Place in center of a piece of heavy duty aluminum foil and drizzle over the juices from the bowl and tightly wrap the artichoke. Repeat with a second piece of foil.
10. Be sure to wrap tightly to prevent the air escaping and to hold in the moisture.

Cook for approx 1 hr, 20 min

Foil-wrapped artichokes just out of the oven

When cool enough to handle, unwrap and eat. If desired, dip in melted butter.

(Optional: use roasted garlic cloves to make garlic butter.)

I’ll bet you’re on your way to the store right now for some fresh artichokes — Let me know how they turn out!

Buon appetito!

Leave comments on artichokes, Italian cooking, and anything else below!