Halloween with an Italian Accent
Halloween may not be so foreign to Italian culture as some might think. There are legends, rites and traditions around All Saints Day (Nov 1) and All Souls Day (Nov 2) that coincide with Halloween as we know it.
This menu highlights Autumn's ingredients with a nod to regional specialties and a "spooky" Tuscan dessert.
Although modern Halloween carries no sort of significant meaning for those in Italy, it is still a holiday that involves doing something all Italians love: celebrating.
Menu
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Chef's Travel Notes
Halloween may not be so foreign to Italian culture as some might think. There are legends, rites and traditions around All Saints Day (Nov 1) and All Souls Day (Nov 2) that coincide with Halloween as we know it.
When I lived in Italy, modern day Halloween was virtually unknown. The holiday to dress in costumes and carry on was Carnevale (Mardi Gras), the time leading up to Lent. Every year I would bring Halloween costume patterns from here and sew them for the kids to wear for their Carnevale parties in February. Needless to say, my daughter, Olivia, always won the prize for best costume! 😊
Since then, Italy imported this holiday from the USA through films, TV and pop culture of the 80s. ET by Spielberg and horror films like A Nightmare on Elm Street and Halloween introduced Italians to American’s over-the-top celebration and they have since embraced it. Now, stores feature children’s costumes, decorations and holiday cookies of ghosts and goblins. In some areas of Italy, children even have started trick-or-treating, chanting “Dolcetto o Scherzetto.” Bars and clubs organize much anticipated parties for adults clad in the goriest of costumes.
Every region has its own rituals and traditions. In Sardenia there is the day of “Su Mortu Mortu” when, at dinner, everyone must leave a little pasta on their plate for the old woman “Maria Punta Boru.” In Lombardia, a jar of fresh water was left in the kitchen so that the dead could quench their thirst. In some areas of the Veneto region it is said that the dead return to rest, so women make the beds and leave the house to allow the poor souls to rest for the whole day. In some regions, people set a place at the table for their departed love ones, while others will leave the door unlocked to welcome their spirits.
I remember hearing of people preparing picnics to be shared at gravesites. For many it is an opportunity to thank their ancestors for a chance to remember those loved ones who have passed. It is a tradition also to bring chrysanthemums to the cemetery. A note of warning to unsuspecting Americans – never, never, NEVER gift a bouquet of these flowers to an Italian! They are considered flowers of the dead and are a very bad omen. (I found out the hard way ☹)
Since no Italian holiday seems complete without food, we have designed our menu this week using ingredients that can easily be found this time of year.
Panzanella di Zucca is the popular bread salad adapted to include Brussel sprouts (believed to have been first cultivated in Italy in Roman times) and butternut squash. Varieties of winter squash ae popular throughout Italy from the northern provinces of Piedmont and Veneto down to southern Campania, Puglia and Sicily. We combine the crisp homemade croutons with spicy arugula and pumpkin seeds for crunch.
Rigatoni alla Boscaiola or “Woodsman Pasta” is a celebration of Autumn based on the most popular foraged food of the season – mushrooms. In Tuscany, we combine anise-laced sausage, mushrooms and tomatoes with a bit of cream and parmesan to recreate this well-known dish.
Fagottini di Verza, stuffed cabbage, can be found in numerous versions throughout Italy, the most renowned of which is “Capunet” from Piedmont. Softened cabbage leaves are wrapped around a filling of beef, pork and rice and slowly stewed in a flavorful light tomato sauce.
Ossi dei Morti or “Dead Man’s Bones” is so popular it has transcended this holiday and can be found in many traditional bakeries in Tuscany throughout the year. Resembling long, white, brittle bones (!), they are crisp cookies made with fresh almonds (now is the harvesting season) and hazelnuts.
Although modern Halloween carries no sort of significant meaning for those in Italy, it is still a holiday that involves doing something all Italians love: celebrating. In the US, it could be bobbing for apples, carving jack-o-lanterns, or begging for candy door-to-door, while in Italy, it could be coming around the table for a big meal in honor of deceased relatives. The more I learn about the customs of Italy, the more I find comfort in discovering that “Tutto il mondo è paese,” literally translating to – all the world is a village. Or that in some ways, we really are not that different after all.
Boo!
Christianne