Ingredients
Giovanni Doganieri's Notes on la Cucina Molisana in Italian (English translation follows)*
"La cucina ha conservato una nota di autenticita per la sobrieta della preparazione e per la genuinita dei prodotti. Prevalgono gli alimenti base di una volta: le paste fatte in casa e la carne ovina e suina; i sapori sono mordaci e forti, i condimenti semplici ma dal gusto pronunciato. Nella dieta attuale, come in quella contadina di epoca altomedievale, recentemente ricostruita grazie agli scavi archeologici di San Maria in Civita a Guardialfiera, sono presenti i legumi di tutte le qualita: fave, ceci, fagioli, piselli, cicerchie. Il piatto tradizionale di legumi e la pezzenta, composta da diverse varieta di legumi conditi con olio o cipolline macerate in olio. Spostandosi da un paese all' altro, sia pure con differenti espressioni dialettali, e sempre riconoscibile la medesima, ma fantasiosa e varia elaborazione delle pasta lavorate a mano per i primi piatti. Fra i primi piatti caratteristici e piu noti vanno citati i "cifu'l' e tann' d ' rap', le taccozz' o taccun' du m'lin' " con sugo di pmodore e molto peperonciono e i fusil' col ragu di agnello. Per le carni e diffusa la confezione di salami e di prosciutti di maiale, ottimi grazie all'aria di questo colline ed al segreto tranmandato da generazioni per l'essiccazione e il dosaggio degli ingredieinti. Antica e la preparazione dell carni di agnello, di capretto e di pecora. Assai ricercati sono i torcinelli, quasi sempre cotti sui carboni e realizzati avvolgendo nelle budelline di agnello pezzi di animelle e fegatino fortemente aromatizzati. Piatto secollare dei postari e la miscischia, carne di pecora insaporita con abbondante peperoncino piccante, origano, finocchio e cotta al forno. Fra i piatti caratteristici e necessario ricordare l'acquasale (pane spugnato d'acqua conditio con sale, origano e olio). Antichissimo e la preparazione dell "pizz' grandini," la pizza di granoturco, alimento base della famiglia contadina di una volta. Al granturco e dedicata la Sagra delle tolle che in Agosto si tiene a Montorio. Fra le polente vanno ricordate il "migliaccio" (farina di miglio versata in un caldaio colmo di acqua e latte bollenti con aggiunta a fine cottura di formaggio e ricotta) e la "mbaniccia" (polenta di farina di granoturco con pezzi di salsiccia soffritta). Da non dimenticare, ioltre, i due alimenti base della nostra tradizione culinaria: l'olio e il pane. E' diffusa una vera e propria arte della panificazione dalle tradizioni molto antiche. La tipica pagnotta o panello molisano, ben cotta e ben lievitata, e indispensabile per gustare a pieno il sapore delle carni e dei salami. Parlando dell' olio locale il suo sapore non trova eguali ed e indispensabile nei condimenti e nella preparazione dei piatti tipici. I dolci richiamano i sapori schietti e robusti, tipici della cucina locale. Per la maggior parte sono paste fritte, a volte cosparse di miele i cheragn'l' , o farcite di crema i zepp'l', o, ancora, ripieni con un impasto di ceci lessati, zuccherati e immersi nel mosto cotto cauciun'. Molto diffusi sono i cascatell' o h'iatun', ripieni di ricotta impastata. Vanno citate le pign'l pasquali e le scr'ppell' natalizie (impasto di farina lavorato a forma di fune che, dopo essere stato attorcigliato intorno ad un braccio, viene riversato in una padella di olio bollente; dopo cotte vengono cosparse di sale o di zucchero). A guardialfiera vengono confezionati i zazzariell' tipici dolci carnevaleschi...."
Giovanni Doganieri's Notes on la Cucina Molisana [Machine English translation by Google]*
"The kitchen has retained a hint of authenticity to the sobriety of the preparation and the genuineness of the products. Prevail food base once the homemade pastas and meat sheep and swine, the flavors are strong and scathing, the seasonings simple but pronounced flavor. In the current diet, as in that country dating back to early, thanks to the newly reconstructed archaeological excavation of St. Maria in Civita in Guardialfiera, there are pulses of all the qualities: broad beans, chickpeas, beans, peas, cicerchie. The traditional dish of vegetables and pezzenta composed of different varieties of vegetables seasoned with olive oil or macerated onions in oil. Moving from one country to others, albeit with different expressions, dialectal, recognizable and always the same, but imaginative and varied compilation of dough worked by hand to pasta dishes. Among the first and most typical dishes are known cited the "cifu'l 'tann and' d 'rap' the taccozz 'or taccun' du m'lin '" pmodore with sauce and very peperonciono and fusil 'with lamb ragu. To spread the meat and the wrapping of salami and ham with pork, great thanks to the air of this hill and the secret for generations tranmandato for drying and dose of ingredients. Ancient and the preparation of meat from lamb, goat and sheep. Much sought torcinelli are almost always cooked on the coals and made by wrapping in budelline pieces of lamb sweetbreads and liver strongly flavored, secollare the plate and postari the miscischia, mutton seasoned with plenty of hot pepper, oregano, fennel and cooked in the oven. Among the typical dishes and the need to be reminded, acquasale (bread sponge condition of water with salt, oregano and olive oil), ancient and preparation of "pizz 'Grandini," pizza, corn, the staple food of a peasant family time. In maize and dedicated to the Festival of tolerance that is held in August in Montorio. The polenta should be mentioned the "migliaccio" (made of millet flour in a boiler filled with boiling water and milk with added at the end of cooking and ricotta cheese) and "mbaniccia" (polenta flour corn with bits of sausage lightly). Do not forget, ioltre, the two basic foods of our tradition culinaria: oil and bread -- spread a real art of baking, from the very old. The typical loaf or cake of Molise, well cooked and well-leavened, and essential to enjoy the full flavor of the meat and salami . Speaking of local oil its taste is unique and indispensable and condiments in the preparation of dishes... I recall the sweet flavors honest and robust, typical local cuisine. For the most part are fried pastries, sometimes sprinkled with honey cheragn'l, or stuffed zepp'l with cream, or even stuffed with a mixture of boiled chickpeas, sugar and dipped in cooked wine (cauciun '). Very popular are the pastries or h'iatun', stuffed with ricotta mixed. Should be mentioned the Easter pign'l and scr'ppell' for Christmas (flour worked in the shape of a rope which, after being twisted around the arm, is poured into a pan of hot oil, after cotte are sprinkled with salt or sugar). A Guardialfiera are packaged zazzariell the 'typical carnival sweet ...."
*The text was taken from a tourist brochure entitled: "Il Colore del Molise, Viaggio nell Comunita Montana Cigno-Valle Biferno." It was written by Giovanni Doganieri, using Molisani dialect. For a more comprehensive list of Molisani dishes that was compiled from a variety of sources see Italy Revisited/ Cuisine of Molise (Comprehensive, IV). Please note that many traditional Molisani recipes can be found on this website by checking out the various categories, e.g., "Cookies with Nuts," "Fiadone," "Italian Breads and Pizzas" etc. Some of the recipes come with long personal notes, while others do not.
Directions
Giovanni Doganieri -- Cucina Molisana -- List*
Preserved Meats
o Salami
o Prosciutti di maiale
Corn dishes
o 'Mbaniccia, polenta flour corn with bits of sausage
o Migliaccio, made with millet flour, milk and ricotta cheese
o Pizz' grandini, flat bread made with cornmeal [For recipe see on this website "X Italian Breads and Pizzas"]
o Polenta [For recipe see on this website "X Italian Rice and Polenta Dishes"]
Vegetable dishes
o Pezzenta, different varieties of vegetables
First courses
o Cifu'l
o 'Tann d' rap'
Pasta Dishes
o le "taccozz'" or "taccun' du m'lin' con sugo di pmodore e peperonciono [For recipe see "X Italian Pasta Dishes"]
o i fusil' col ragu di agnello [For recipe see " X Italian Pasta Dishes"]
Meat Dishes
o Lamb and goat dishes
o Torcinelli, sweetbreads wrapped in budelline pieces, generally grilled [For recipe see "X Italian Meat Dishes"]
Breads
o L'acquasale, bread seasoned with oregano and oil
Sweets
o Cascatell', another word used to describe "h'iatun' now known as fiadoni which are pastries stuffed with cheese [For recipe see "Fiadoni"]
o Cauciun', chickpea-stuffed pastries [for recipe see "Fritters"]
o Cheragn'l, fritters drizzled with honey
o Crema i zepp'l, pastries filled with cream
o H'iatun', baked cheese-stuffed pastries, sometimes known as "cascatell'" [For various recipes see "Calconi"]
o Pign'l pasquali, Easter bread [For recipe see "Holiday Breads"]
o Scr'pepell' natalizie, fried yeast dough traditionally served during the Christmas holidays [For recipe see "Fritters"]
o Zazzariell', carnival fritters
*The above list of traditional foods was compiled from information given in a tourist brochure entitled, "Il Colore del Molise, Viaggio nell Comunita Montana Cigno-Valle Biferno. The tourist brochure was written in Molisani dialect by Giovanni Doganieri.... For a more comprehensive list of Molisani dishes that was compiled from a variety of sources see Italy Revisited/ Cuisine of Molise -- List -- Comprehensive (IV).
Notes
As previously noted, for a more comprehensive list of traditional foods from Molise that was compiled from a variety of sources see Italy Revisited/ Cuisine of Molise (Comprehensive, IV). For the history, culture and places of interest to visit in the province of Campobasso, Molise see Italy Revisited -- "Molise Campobasso." For the history, culture and places of interest to visit in the Town of Casacalenda, Molise see Italy Revisited -- "Molise Casacalenda." For the history, culture and places of interest to visit in the province of Isernia, Molise see Italy Revisited -- "Molise Isernia." For actual Molisani recipes check out the various categories on this website such as "Cookies with Nuts," "Fiadone," and "Italian Breads and Pizzas."
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