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Zuppa dei valdesi
by
Frank Fariello
Calificación: 5.0
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.%20A%20zuppa%20is%20rustic%20soup,%20typically%20the%20kind%20that%20you%20are%20meant%20to%20have%20with%20bread,%20either%20dunk%20into%20it%20while%20you%20eat%20like%20the%20Neapolitan%20zuppa%20di%20pesce%20or%20laid%20at%20the%20bottom%20of%20your%20bowl%20before%20the%20soup%20is%20ladled%20on%20top%20like%20the%20Tuscan%20zuppa%20di%20porri.%20Nancy's%20grandmother's%20zuppa,%20on%20the%20other%20hand,%20is%20an%20example%20of%20the%20medieval%20practice%20of%20actually%20making%20zuppa%20out%20of%20leftover%20bread.%20In%20her%20zuppa,%20the%20slices%20of%20old%20bread%20are%20saut%C3%A9ed%20in%20butter%20and%20simmered%20with%20enough%20broth%20to%20cover%20and%20soften%20the%20bread%20while%20it%20cooks%20until%20it%20reaches%20the%20consistency%20of%20a%20pudding,%20reminiscent%20of%20the%20Tuscan%20pappa%20al%20pomodoro%20without%20the%20tomato.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ENancy%20asked%20if%20I%20had%20ever%20heard%20of%20her%20grandmother's%20zuppa.%20I%20hadn't%20but%20the%20recipe%20intrigued%20me%E2%80%94and%20it%20also%20sounded%20delicious!%20After%20a%20bit%20of%20digging,%20I%20found%20what%20I%20think%20is%20the%20traditional%20Piedmontese%20recipe%20for%20her%20grandmother's%20dish.%20The%20full%20name%20is%20zuppa%20dei%20valdesi,%20%20also%20known%20in%20the%20local%20dialect%20as%20supa%20barbetta,%20and%20it%20comes%20from%20the%20valli%20valdesi,%20an%20area%20consisting%20of%20three%20valleys%20near%20Torino.%20The%20dish%20is%20a%20typical%20example%20of%20cucina%20povera,%20showing%20how,%20with%20a%20little%20imagination,%20the%20humblest%20of%20ingredients%20can%20be%20turned%20into%20exquisite%20eating.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EIngredients%20(for%204-6%20people)%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EDirections%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EBreak%20up%20the%20old%20bread%20(or%20grissini)%20into%20pieces.%20Saut%C3%A9%20them%20gently%20in%20half%20the%20butter%20until%20lightly%20brown%20on%20all%20sides.%20Season%20with%20one%20or%20more%20of%20the%20spices,%20mixing%20a%20few%20times%20to%20ensure%20that%20the%20bread%20is%20evenly%20coated,%20then%20add%20enough%20broth%20to%20cover.%20Simmer%20the%20bread%20in%20the%20broth,%20covered,%20for%20about%2015-20%20minutes,%20or%20until%20the%20bread%20has%20softened%20and%20the%20broth%20has%20been%20completed%20absorbed%20by%20the%20bread.%20(You%20should%20add%20a%20bit%20more%20broth%20if%20needed%20to%20keep%20the%20bread%20moist.)%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EWhen%20the%20bread%20is%20done%20simmering,%20taste%20it%20and%20adjust%20for%20seasoning.%20Top%20with%20the%20grated%20cheese%20and%20the%20other%20half%20of%20the%20butter,%20which%20you%20will%20have%20melted%20separately.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ENOTES:%20Now%20here%20is%20the%20way%20that%20Nancy%20describes%20her%20grandmother's%20zuppa:%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EFor%20us,%20typically%20after%20bagna%20cauda,%20when%20we%20have%20leftover%20bread,%20and%20it%20gets%20a%20little%20dry,%20we%20make%20%20this%20dish%20(unless,%20of%20course,%20we%20wait%20too%20long%20and%20the%20bread%20is%20like%20a%20%20brick).%20%20I%20slice%20the%20loaves%20into%20about%201%22%20slices.%20%20Then,%20in%20a%20large%20pan,%20add%20%22a%20nice%20piece%20of%20butter%22,%20as%20my%20grandmother%20would%20say.%203-4%20%20Tablespoons.%20After%20the%20butter%20melts,%20the%20bread%20gets%20arranged,%20and%20it%20%20browns%20in%20the%20butter.%20%20It's%20turned%20over,%20adding%20more%20butter,%20of%20course.%20%20Meanwhile,%20I've%20got%20about%206-8%20cups%20of%20chicken%20broth%20heating%20up%20in%20a%20pot%20%20behind%20the%20bread%20pan.%20%20When%20the%20bread's%20been%20turned%20and%20had%20a%20chance%20to%20%20brown%20a%20little,%20I%20start%20adding%20the%20broth,%20gradually.%20Kind%20of%20like%20%20risotto.%20When%20about%20half%20of%20the%20broth%20is%20absorbed,%20the%20bread%20gets%20turned%20again,%20and%20more%20broth%20added.%20%20In%20the%20end,%20I%20usually%20flip%20them%20once%20%20more.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThe%20recipe%20today%20is%20usually%20a%20bit%20more%20upscale,%20made%20with%20those%20ubiquitous%20bread%20sticks%20called%20grissini,%20but%20Nancy%20T'.'s%20grandmother's%20version%20using%20stale%20bread%20is%20actually%20how%20the%20soup%20was%20originally%20made.%20In%20the%20old%20days,%20they%20often%20layered%20the%20bread%20with%20Savoy%20cabbage%20and%20let%20it%20simmer%20slowly%20for%20a%20few%20hours%20by%20the%20fire.%20There%20are%20also%20recipes%20that%20call%20for%20some%20saut%C3%A9ed%20onion.%20One%20rather%20extravagant%20version%20calls%20for%20cured%20pork%20and%20various%20herbs%20(bay%20leaf,%20rosemary,%20sage)%20interspersed%20between%20the%20layers%20of%20cabbage%20and%20bread.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThe%20cheese%20would%20typically%20be%20Toma,%20a%20semi-hard%20cow's%20milk%20Piedmontese%20(and%20French)%20cheese,%20but%20if%20you%20can't%20find%20it,%20parmesan%20or%20grana%20padano%20would%20do.%20Or%20you%20could%20go%20for%20an%20Alpine%20cheese%20such%20as%20fontina,%20gruy%C3%A8re%20or%20Emmenthal.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ENancy%20recommends%20washing%20down%20this%20dish%20with%20some%20good,%20full-bodied%20red%20wine,%20and%20I%20would,%20too.%20It%20may%20be%20simple%20but%E2%80%94especially%20if%20you%20are%20generous%20with%20the%20cheese%20and%20butter%E2%80%94it%20is%20quite%20hearty.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThere%20is%20little%20doubt%20that%20this%20dish%20is%20quite%20ancient%20in%20its%20origins.%20According%20to%20Anne%20del%20Conte%20in%20The%20Gastronomy%20of%20Italy:%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EOf%20all%20foods,%20zuppa%20is%20the%20most%20obvious%20inheritance%20from%20the%20feudal%20system%20centered%20on%20the%20castle.%20The%20lords%20and%20ladies%20ate%20what%20was%20considered%20noble%20food.%20The%20servants%20made%20use%20of%20the%20leftovers%20from%20the%20high%20table,%20which%20included%20large%20slices%20of%20bread%20that%20had%20been%20used%20instead%20of%20plates%20to%20hold%20meat,%20fish%20and%20other%20food,%20and%20to%20these%20they%20added%20herbs,%20wild%20plants%20and%20water,%20the%20result%20being%20cooked%20at%20length.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThe%20zuppe%20of%20the%2015th%20and%2016th%20centuries%20were%20very%20thick,%20made%20with%20toasted%20bread%20layered%20with%20other%20ingredients,%20often%20cheese,%20sugar%20and%20spices,%20and%20then%20placed%20in%20the%20oven.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThe%20valdesi,%20by%20the%20way,%20were%20the%20followers%20of%20a%20religious%20movement%20known%20as%20valdismo%20that%20began%20in%20the%2012th%20century.%20It%20preached%20the%20virtue%20of%20humility%20and%20poverty,%20much%20like%20the%20Franciscans%20in%20Umbria%20who%20came%20shortly%20after%20them,%20and%20I%20suppose%20this%20'poor'%20soup%20reflects%20those%20values.%20Unlike%20the%20Franciscans,%20however,%20they%20eventually%20broke%20with%20the%20Catholic%20Church.%20The%20Chiesa%20Evangelica%20Valdese%20still%20exists%20today%20and%20have%20a%20large%20place%20of%20worship%20in%20Rome%20among%20other%20places.%20They%20are%20known%20for%20their%20progressive%20social%20views,%20promoting,%20among%20other%20things,%20gay%20and%20reproductive%20rights,%20stem-cell%20research,%20the%20right%20to%20die%20and%20secular%20government.%20William%20Paca,%20one%20of%20the%20signers%20of%20the%20US%20Declaration%20of%20Independence,%20belonged%20to%20the%20movement.%20The%20US%20branch%20of%20the%20movement%20merged%20into%20the%20Presbyterian%20Church%20in%20the%20late%2019th%20century.%3C/p%3E){kind=link}