Wednesday 17 October 2012

Torta Mediterranea ai Fichi, Mandorle, Noci e Solleone (Sunny Fig, Almond and nut cake-very old Italian recipe!)





It's raining outside... I can smell soil and moss. The sky is too grey  and doesn't file like smiling. The birds are hiding... no love songs in the air. The only sound I hear is rain... rain on the window pane, rain on the leaves... rain, rain, rain... rain on me...


I look out of the window, wishing that I could see some blue...
I have, inside me, a universe of colours, faces, places, which hold my hand and make me smile when the sky is sad.
I am going to find refuge inside my world...
I grew up in the city, only aware of the sky, the heat, potted geraniums and, luckily, for most of my childhood I did have a garden. I can see Anna, now, skating round a fountain and hiding, to watch the white and black cat give birth inside a huge trough full of marguerites.
My mother took me to the countryside, whenever she could, and she taught me about nature, beauty, the wonder of the a scent, and the power of wild herbs. All the vegetables she bought were organic  "Senza concime!" Our very fresh fee range eggs were often brought to the house by a farmer, who came to the city to deliver the precious goods.
One day, he rang the bell. I heard voices (my mum's, mainly as, like me, she liked talking!) The door was then shut "Ci vediamo!" Then she walked into the kitchen, with a beaming smile. She was holding a beautiful basket. A layer of big leaves hid something "It's a treasure!" -my mum said. She slowly lifted the "lid" made of huge, highly scented leaves and, underneath... beautiful, magnificent, enormous figs!
My mum told me these were very special, bright purple inside, as green as a chameleon, on the outside. We washed the figs and ate some of them. Mine were as big as my hand and tasted just delicious. My mum said I shouldn't peel them, as "La pelle contiene tutte le vitamine!" ("All the goodness is in the skin!") and, just like la Nonna in Saturday Night Fever, said to John Travolta, my mum said: "MANGIA, MANGIA!" "Eat up!" to me. And I ATE!
Last Summer, encouraged by some of the local old ladies in the little town of Ogliastro (they really like me!) I decided to dry some figs. A lady called Teresa gave me step by step instructions, so, I picked a basket full of ripe figs from one of our trees and, very patiently, I put them out in the sun, hoping they would dry for me and be very delicious!




My daughter Gabriella picking figs in Italy



I watched my figs for over a week, as the sun turned them golden, juicy inside and very sugary...
                                                                 




When I took my figs with me to Bari, I only had to leave them in the hot sun for one day and WOW! They instantly were ready for the next stage! I plunged the figs in boiling water for just one minute, took them out, drained and dried them.
I cut the dried figs in half, then put some filling in each (almonds, some fennel seeds and a few "bits" of lemon peel) and... my beauties were ready to be baked!








I placed my figs in a hot oven (180C, 350F,Gas 4) until they turned golden, making sure they wouldn't go hard and very dry. This took about 15 minutes.
When the figs came out of the oven, I did just what my friends Teresa and Tittella had done with their figs: I threaded each one onto a wooden skewer, alternating with bay leaves. I am sure the ancient Romans must have done this! 






My figs looked beautiful and tasted like solid honey, mixed with sunshine, sea breeze and touch of the past. A butterfly told me so!




Torta Mediterranea ai Fichi,
Mandorle, Noci e Solleone
Ingredients:
150g ( 5 1/2oz) butter
90g (3 1/4 oz)  plain flour
3 eggs
1 tsp honey
140g (5 oz) sugar
1 tsp honey
50ml (1-2 fl oz) sweet wine
60g (3 oz)  nuts
(I used almonds and walnuts)
200g  (7 oz) dried figs
Preheat oven (180C, 350F,Gas 4)
Today, as I needed to feel sunny, I made a truly delicious cake, using dried figs, almonds and walnuts. As I prepared my ingredients, I thought that this cake (it's an Italian recipe!) would be and look like a little "treasure chest" full of sun, and sweetness, and love, mixed with a bit of past and lots of lovely thoughts.
Before I started, I prepared my ingredients, by weighing them, and chopping my figs and nuts. I chopped my nuts quite roughly, as I wanted to add crunch to my cake.





I separated my eggs (yolks in one bowl and whites in the other.) Using my electric whisk, I combined my yolks with sugar and honey, until they become zabaione like and fluffy. I was now ready to add my softened butter and Sherry. I didn't use a lot of Sherry, to prevent my ingredients from separating.
Next, I whisked my egg whites until they formed stiff peaks and put aside. I went back to my egg mixture and carefully added my chopped nuts, flour and baking powder and finally my figs. I blended the ingredients together and then gradually folded in my egg whites.






The mixture looked lovely and somehow Christmasy. By now I had visions of sugar plum fairies mixed with sea foam and almond blossom.
I baked my cake in a preheated oven. I chose to bake it in a loaf (plum cake) tin, so it could easily be sliced. It took longer than the 40 minutes it should have taken. I just kept checking, until it felt firm and looked a rich, sunny shade of gold.



 



I know that in the "olden" days this was considered a Christmas cake, but, to me, it was a cake full of honey, blossom, fruit and sunshine! It's truly delicious! I never knew figs could taste that good!

33 comments:

  1. Anna- it is great to see you.I was wondering the other day where you were. I hope the sun returns, I cannot do without it for too long. I won't be able to make this cake..I just have to eat it with my eyes! xx

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    1. Hello!

      I was in Italy for a few weeks and unable to post from our house up on the hills, in Campania!

      I actually posted a comment to your last post, which never appeared. Your cats looked fantastc and as beautiful as ever in the photos!

      Thank you for coming to say hello.

      CIAO!

      ANNA
      xx

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  2. What a lovely recepi and it's lovely to read the thougths you have of making this cake. Helas for me, the figs grow here but get not enough sunshine to ripen. I try to make it one day.
    Have a wonderful week and ofcourse with sunshine.
    greatings marijke

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    1. Hello! Nice to see you here! You can make this cake, if you want to, as dried figs can be bought in any supermarket, or food store!

      The figs I dried in Italy (I love to experiment with traditional techniques!)unfortunately got eatan very quickly, so, in order to make this cake I had to buy dried figs from one my local supermarkets! Sundried figs are much too good to be used in cooking, unless you have lots of them!

      CIAO!

      ANNA x

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  3. Hello Anna

    This cake must taste delicious. So much love and preparation has gone into making it. Thanks for sharing this story

    Helen xx

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    1. Ciao, Helen!

      I was actually surprised by the delicate flavour of this cake! I had never cooked with figs before, as, like Christa, I only eat figs straight from the tree (it's my breakfast, in Italy!)But I'll make this cake again, as I can buy dried figs from supermarkets (not as good as the stuff you get in Italy, but good enough for cooking!)

      Lovely to hear from you, lovely Helen!

      CIAO!

      ANNA
      xx

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  4. The Pie sounds delicious Anna. I never baked anything with figs before. When I find some time this week it will be my first time.

    Madelief x

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    1. Good morning!

      This cake is truly delicious and, apparently, a very old Italian Christmas recipe!

      You can buy dried figs in supermarkets. Do make this cake!

      CIAO!

      ANNA
      x

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  5. Dear Anna,
    A lovely post . I always enjoying reading about your childhood with your mama.
    The preperation of love and sunshine and happiness you put into your fig cake , it is bound to taste delicious. I am not a lover of figs, but maybe it could be done with raisens Your daughter Gabriella 's hair is gorgeous..a stunning photo and presentation.
    Thank you Anna
    happy wednesday night.
    Its started to rain here.. yipeee.!

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    1. Hi Val!

      I wish you would try this cake! The figs I used were not the ones I sun dried, as they got eaten immediately (filled with almonds... who could resist?)I bought the ones I used in my cake from TESCO! But I did dry the ones in the pics, as I was curious...

      My daughter is a real beauty. She also has the longest pair of legs ever and is blessed in every possible way! I am very proud of her! But then... I am her mum!

      Thank you for a lovely comment!

      BUONA GIORNATA!

      ANNA
      xxx

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  6. Cara bella Anna! I can read the Italian inside you! I quite well understand Italian but I cannot speak it very well! (Although when I am in Italy I chatter and chatter...) Your story is very beautiful - I know what you are talking about! Whenever in Italy I am looking out for fresh figs on trees. Usually one can smell them from afar. I would never ever be able to bring them home - I think they taste best from the tree right into the mouth! Still warm and so sweet! When I am writing this I see the beautiful landscape in magic Italy - it makes me homesick myself! I am sure the Romans did dry figs the way you did! It seems such an old way to preserve them. I absolutely adore those traditional things. I have a few recipes from my mum i.e. I always make the red cabbage, some sorts of meat just the way my grandma did. I would never ever change the recipe even if there were much better ones (of course there aren't!) Your daughter looks lovely Anna! You are just fantastic and very unique! Christa

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    1. Ciao cara Christa!

      I'm glad you appreciated my story and my pictures. Like you, I only eat figs straight from the tree (it's what Gabriella is doing in the photo!)but I do peel them, when I do, if I can't wash them, as I am usually away from the house. Once figs have been picked and put on a plate, I don't eat them!

      Christa, when I am in Italy I like to experiment with old fashioned techniques. I never knew that anywhere in Italy actually put figs out to dry. But, in Campania (in the little town where we have our house) old ladies actually do that! And how could a foodie like me miss out on trying? And yes, my figs tasted delicious! You wouldn't believe it, but I now have some guanciale, which i cured myself (it's a type of pancetta, from Rome) drying, in the garage! I don't know anyone who does that, but I actually remember my mum experimenting with pancetta or preserving her own anchovies. I know that, like me, she did it for "love" as she could, of course, easily have bought the stuff from any supermarket! It's all about being curious, I think!

      PS: my daughter is a very beautiful young girl and what really scares me is how much like me she looks ( I'm not saying that I'm very beautiful, of course, just that it's quite scary to have given birth to a little clone-plus long legs, in her case!)

      CIAO, cara amica!

      BMH&B

      ANNA
      xx

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  7. A post full of your love to Italy !!It is adorable the way that you write !Here , in the past they made this with figs, they kept all the winter and they cook a sweet soup for night , with others fruits .It was like a compost .At the photo I was thinking that was you !She must be a wonderful lady like you !Your daughter in the photo looks like that she has hair of fairy !!And of course I can smell the cake . The plate is wonderful .Welcome back 'Anna!!!
    Olympia

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    1. Ciao, Olympia!

      Thank you for the compliments. My daughter is, indeed a very beautiful and clever young girl. I am proud of her... really!

      I think dried figs must be something which, in Mediterranean countries, people must have been drying and possibly preserving, for a very long time! They are very beautiful to look at, too!

      I have never cooked with figs, but I enjoyed watching them dry, day after day. Some of the figs had to be thrown away, as they went bad, as they dried, but mostly made to the next stage. They were yummy!

      Thank you for your kind comment!

      CIAO!

      ANNA

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  8. Dear Anna - your daughter looks a lovely girl who no doubt takes after her beautiful mother.
    You have wafted me away to your mother's kitchen in Italy, where the sun is shinning and a young girl like Gabriella is helping her mother.
    The cake is definitely one to try, I am sure it must be very delicious and moist. Thank you Anna for sharing another of your delicious recipes.
    Both beautifully presented and illustrated.
    CIAO

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    1. Dear Rosemary. Gabriella and I do spend time in the kitchen. We always have done. She can cook Italian, English, Chinese and is also very clever. She speaks Italian, Spanish, English, of course and, like her mother is very eloquent and likes beautiful things. And she is a beautiful "thing!" I always say when I made her I was more talented than Botticelli (he could never paint a girl as beautiful as mine!)

      Anyway... yes... my mum's kitchen is a beautiful place for me to go... it's happy, sunny and full of love!

      Thank you for a lovely comment.

      CIAO...

      ANNA
      x

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  9. Dear Anna, what a lovely story, you tell us about your mother. She must have been a wonderful woman. I am quite moved every time. I love when she speaks Italian.

    I hope you'll soon get some sunshine.

    Thank you so much for your comment and story about the Rosetti gentleman in my poetry-blog. I cannot forget it. It must really have been a wonderful experience for you.
    I wonder if he is still there in that special house.

    Your own figs!! Amazing!! I've got no figs of my own - I can buy them of course, but they are probably not as fine as those figs you have plucked yourself.

    Ciao
    Grethe ´)

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    1. Hi Grethe!

      To be absolutely honest, I feel I must tell you that the figs in the cake are not the same as the ones in the pictures, which I dried in sunny Italy. Those were eaten very quickly, indeed.

      You can buy dried figs in supermarkets, if you wish to.

      I love your poetry blog, Grethe, as I have studied English and Italian Literature and can read and interpret poetry. I do a bit of writing (poetry) myself and I am an expert on William Shakespeare and the British Theatre. I also love Social History and lots of other things...

      The Rossetti man... I never saw again, but I know the old cottage is still there, tucked away down the end of a country lane and one day soon I will go and find it again.

      Have a lovely day!

      ANNA
      xx

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  10. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.........J'adore!! C'est just super!
    Bonne semaine!
    xxx Maria xxx

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    1. Bonjour Maria! Merci beaucoup pour avoir visiter mon blog. Bienvenue! J'aime ton chat tres beaucoup... il est très très mignon... je suis d'accord... il est beau! Comme toi, J'aime les chats et jaime le nom Belyach!

      J'espere de te revoir ici. Merci de visiter ...

      CIAO A PRESTO!

      ANNA

      xxxx

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  11. Hello again Anna, I forgot to say that I think the photo of your daughter should have a prize. It's really a beautiful and special shot.

    Anna, I admire all you young people here on the blogs, you are so clever and intelligent and I cannot stop admiring you.

    I love William Shakespeare and the theatre.In my opinion the British actors are the best in the world. It must be one of the most interesting jobs in the world to have the possibility to work with old William and that period of time. And the wonderful theatre.
    (I have such a respect for W.S. that I find it difficult to use his poetry on my blog).

    Thank you for being so generous with your comments and replies. You make people feel good.

    Have a nice autumn week-end
    Grethe ´)




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    1. Dear Grethe,

      I love Literature and Art and the Theatre. You are so right about English actors: they are very good and I also believe that it's a shame that plays and poetry should need to be translated: so much is lost in translation, really and with geniuses such as Dante Alighieri (The Divine Comedy) and Shakespeare really need to be read and interpreted, word by word. I have studied and interpreted Shakespeare and find his use of language quite unique!

      Art belongs to the world, though, so it is only fair that everything should be translated and made available to the masses.

      Don't be scared of Shakespeare, Grethe. He was an incredible writer, but he was also a man. He had a home, a wife, children and his contradictions (did you know that his Sonnets were probably written for a man? "The master-mistress of my heart..."... hmmmm...

      Shakespeare was well aware that part of his audience was made up of working class people. They were his audience and he wrote for them, too ( which explains the presence of a "fool" in many of his plays and dramas and several funny "bits" It was his way to lighten up the play and make sure that everyone was enjoying the show.) I don't think he would have wanted to intimidate anyone!

      Dear Grethe... if William was lucky enough to come back into this world, he would be terrified of us, with our cars, planes and computers! Can you imagine?

      Have a lovely evening.

      PS: I try to be nice to everyone, but I think that my weird sense of humour sometimes lets me down. Being nice to my blogging friends is easy. Everyone is nice, different and interesting in their own way. And you are, too!

      CIAO... ANNA xxx

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  12. che bel post e poi i ficu sicchi (termine e in siciliano) meravigliosiiiii buon fine settimana

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    1. Giovanna, se ti dicessi come si dice "fichi secchi" in barese, resteresti strabilita! E'una parola stranissima!

      Grazie per la visita, Giovanna. Spero che non abbia indossato i tacchi alti, ultimamente. So che non li sopporti. Viva le scarpe da tennis!

      CIAO

      ANNA

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  13. What a delicious post!

    Hundred of butterflies told me so!
    :-)

    ♥ Franka

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    1. You're funny, Franka! You noticed my butterfy!

      :-)

      ANNA
      x

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  14. A fantastic post Anna. Beautifully written and illustrated with lovely photographs. I have never peeled a fig but several people I have served them too found it very unusual not to peel them. In the summer we quite often enjoy a 'torn salad' in the garden consisting of a huge platter of torn italian ham, figs, mozzarella, basil leaves and honey. The figs are always my favourite part:)

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    1. Hello and thank you for a lovely comment. Peeling a fig is a bit like peeling a banana. The difference is that if you wash a fig, you can eat the whole thing, whereas banana skin... not even monkeys eat it! I am not a great fan of bananas, anyway, but freshly picked figs are really good and sweet. While you eat one under a tree, you can smell the foliage: very nice!

      I think figs would go very well with goat's cheese, which I love, especially the soft type. I love that "woolly" taste and aroma... very rustic! I can imagine eating figs, goat's cheese and some lovely prosciutto. I don't usually mix sweet and savoury, but I think I will try this combination... excellent as part of an antipasto!

      Happy (next) week!
      Ciao!
      ANNA

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  15. Ciao Anna, thanks a lot for your lovely comment on Ballenberg! You are right the real thing remains the real - it's chic but not shabby! I hope you will like my post which I am preparing now! It is dedicated to you and your Italian heart! It is so warm here at the moment - people are strolling on the streets like in summer time! We love it and enjoy the last moments of it! Cold weather will fall in at the weekend and tomorrow I will prepare my winter coat! Christa

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    1. Dear Christa,

      I can't wait to see your post. It will be interesting and fantastic to see an Italian house in Switzerland. Thank you for dedicating the post to me: I know it will be wonderful!

      Christa, it was foggy here, this morning and I wore a Winter coat for the first time, this year. Winter is not far and, like every season, it will bring good things.

      Thank you for being such a kind, warm person.

      Can't wait till I see your post, now!

      HUGS

      ANNA
      xx

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  16. Hello Anna, what can I say ...yum, yum, yum! The dried figs are food for the Gods, your fig cake looks divine and your daughter, even from the back looks like a mermaid or a wood nymph, or other exotic creature. They do similar things with figs in Portugal, I love it! Love Linda x

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  17. Anna, as always a beautiful, delicious post and your daughter is beautiful too! I might try your lovely cake as a Christmas cake alternative this year... love to you and Happy Advent- Jane xxx

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