Pairing Lombardy Pastries And Desserts With Sweet Wine – I Love Italian Regional Cuisine

May 26th, 2011

Poor old Lombardy has no seacoast. So she has to make do with some of the finest lakes in all of Europe. Its capital Milan is Italy’s center of finance, fashion, and the media. Did we mention the region’s voluminous agricultural output? Expect to find fine wine and food in this lovely region.

Colomba Pasquale (Easter Dove) is a great yeast cake that ends up looking like a dove, especially if you buy a mold. Among its ingredients are egg yolks, diced candied orange and lemon rinds, milk and almonds. It’s a hands-on recipe, but if you’re lucky enough to live near a good Italian bakery you may be able to buy it at Easter. Traditional wine pairings include fizzy or sparkling (the sparkling is more fun) Asti DOCG from the neighboring region of Piedmont, the nearby red or rose Malvasia di Casorzo d’Asti DOC available in a wide variety of styles, and the Tuscan white Moscadello di Montalcino DOC. You won’t have trouble finding the Asti or probably the Moscadello. No promises for the Malvasia.

Panettone is a classic Italian Christmas cake. The Lombardy version is said to be the best and the hardest to make. To do it right, use baker’s yeast. Among the ingredients are egg yolks, melted butter, raisins (soak them and squeeze them dry), butter, and diced candied orange and lemon rinds. Italian bakeries should carry this delicacy at Christmas time. Suggested wine pairings include the red fizzy or sparkling Acqui/Brachetto d’Acqui DOCG from neighboring Piedmont (if you can find it), Asti, and Moscadello di Montalcino DOC.

Cassata alla Siciliana (Sicilian Cassata) is a cake, not to be confused with an ice-cream treat of the same name. It starts with a sponge cake and has lots and lots of ingredients including chocolate, chestnut flour, and ricotta cheese. After it’s baked you add apricot jelly, candied fruit, and more. Recommended wine pairings include the Sicilian Malvasia delle Lipari DOC which may be made in the Passito style, the Sicilian Moscato di Siracusa DOC, or the Moscato di Trani DOC from Apulia. You may have trouble finding these wines and substitute a sweet Italian Moscato.

Finally, the third option is to build your own oil drum pig roaster. For anyone with a few tools and a little space to work, this is a great option. You end up with a sturdy pig roaster for very little cost. So as the name suggests the oil drum pig roaster is indeed made from a standard oil drum. Any steel container will do, old gas cylinders and beer kegs can also be used, but by far the most popular is the standard 55 gallon oil drum.

Panzerotti ai due Formaggi (Cheese Panzerotti) are honey-coated pastry half moons whose secret is two special Italian cheeses, grated Pecorino Siciliano and a smaller amount of cubed Cacioavallo Silano. It also calls for flour, butter, orange and lemon rinds, and olive oil. Serve them hot with one of the above wines or a Sicilian Moscato di Noto DOC. You might look for the Planeta name on the label

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