Simple thoughts

A very happy New Year anyone!!

Here are some pics of our main cathedral, in italian "Duomo", that in 2006 celebrates its 900 years.

This is what Wikipedia says about it: The Cathedral of Parma (Duomo) is a church in Parma, Emilia-Romagna (Italy). It is one of the most important Romanesque cathedrals in Europe. The construction was begun in 1059 by bishop Cadalo, later antipope with the name of Honorius II, and was consecrated by Paschal II in 1116. A basilica existed probably in the 6th century, but was later abandoned; another church had been consecrated in the 9th century in the rear part of the preceding one, under count-bishop Guibodo. The new church was heavily damaged by an earthquake in 1117 and had to be restored. Of the original building, remains can be seen in the presbytery, the transept, the choir and the apses, and in some sculpture fragments. The wide façade was completed in 1178: it has three loggia floors and three portals, whose doors were sculpted by Luchino Bianchino in 1494. Between the central and the right doors is the tomb of the mathematician Biagio Pelacani, who died in 1416. The Gothic belfry was added later, in 1284-1294: a twin construction on the left side had been conceived, but it was never begun. The interior has a Latin cross plant, with a nave and two aisles divided by pliasters. The presbytery and the transept are elevated, to allow space for the underlying crypt. The latter houses fragments of ancient mosaics which show the presence here of a cult edifice at least in the 3rd or 4th century AD. The side chapels were built to house the sepulchers of the noble families of Parma: two of them, the Valeri Chapel and the Commune Chapel, have maintained the original decoration from the 14th century. Particularly noteworthy are the capitals, also in the exterior: many of them are characterized by rich decorations with leaves, mythological figures, scenes of war, as well as Biblical and Gospel scenes. The paintings, as revealed by a capital stripped of the 16th century gold painting, were originally polychrome. Also in the interior, on the cupola ceiling, is the famous Assumption of the Virgin fresco by Correggio (1526-1530. In the right transept is the Deposition by Benedetto Antelami (1178).

For more informations about this special anniversary and some historical tips, visit the official site (sorry, only in italian) http://www.cattedrale.parma.it/

If you want to know about Correggio and his work, this is an excellent book http://www.amazon.com/Correggios-Frescoes-Parma-Cathedral-Carolyn/dp/0691037477

After a winter beginning that looked like an early spring, today the thermometer said - 6°! I felt my feet frozen while walking to work this morning, and I had shivers on my neck and back even if I was wrapped like a snowman!

To you all, your families and friends, have a peaceful and happy time!

  This is a typical parmesan dish called "anolini", a must for Christmas lunch in every family. If you want to give it a try, here's the recipe:

The great parmesan composer, Giuseppe Verdi, had a personal recipe for the anolini: he added to the mix a chicken breast and cinnamon.

This is an old recipe, as you can see:

"Anolini of Don Ferdinando of Bourbon" Things changed and Parma cuisine definitely took the upper hand when Don Ferdinando, born in Parma of Don Filippo and Luisa Elisabetta, ascended the throne. The new Duke spoke Parma dialect, knew his subjects almost on an individual basis and held audiences with everyone, without distinction. He married Marie Amelia of Austria, the sister of Marie Antoinette of France and Marie Caroline of Naples (the famous "three Marys") very German in their behavior and arrogant ways. Marie Amelia was not interested in cooking, only officers and horses, and so Don Ferdinando had to worry about "whether we eat lean or fat" as he wrote in one of his letters and "if the cook was sent for the food at Sala", the country residence preferred by the Duchess and where great economy was requested. Don Ferdinando loved Parma cooking. He dined in the homes of noblemen as well as those of his ministers, and he was very involved in two famous dinners given around Carneval by the two "in house" ministers from France and Spain in which the wife of the Spanish ambassador served 32 dishes, beating by two lengths the wife of the French ambassador. But from the memoirs and documents kept in Parma parish records, we also learn that Don Ferdinando made a habit of going to country rectories on feast days and shared with the priests their anolini and stuffed capon, for which the recipe in verse composed by Abb. Innocenzo Frugoni is perhaps the most poetic of all those that exist:

Instructions for a stuffing

Butter, bread, grated cheese,
Fresh eggs or pretty woman,
A pinch of ground cinnamon;
Make sure to mix it well,
And go easy on the salt:
That's the Recipe for a Stuffing.
Now it's time for the Cook
To roast it as he should;
Everything that is pleasurable
Is aged and ruined by fire;
Too little heat or too much is harmful:
But the same is also true in love
[...]

From C.I. Frugoni, Opere poetiche. Parma, Stamperia Reale, 1779, T. IX, p 5.

More about Sala Baganza Residence:

INDIRIZZO: Piazza Gramsci - 43038 Sala Baganza (Parma)
TELEFONO: 0521.331343
FAX: 0521.834812
EMAIL: iatsala@comune.sala-baganza.pr.it
WEB SITE: www.comune.sala-baganza.pr.it

Saturday morning I was walking out of a shop where I just bought a pijama for daddy, and I was running back to the hospital, when my ankle (the one that I injured some years ago) failed me and I found myself laying on the ground, breathless from the pain I felt on my left knee! I still feel pain, but it's much better now, even if I'm walking like a duck, and the stairs are a nightmare! And this has happened just when I have to run all day. Anyway, I realle hope to.........

While choosing pics for the previous post, I was thinking about my hometown and which are the things typical of its history. So this is the first post about what makes Parma unique.

Parma story is linked to Napoleon and his wife, Maria Luigia of Austria, to the point that it was called "the little Paris" for its bridges, the royal court and the architects and artists called to embellish the city. Maria Luigia was an artist herself, liked to write, to paint and to embroide, always looking for her identification mark. She found it in a flower, the violet, and this is the story of the perfume "La Violetta di Parma".

For more about Maria Luigia, check the site of Museo Glauco Lombardi: http://www.museolombardi.it/sitolombardi/default_eng.asp

The Duchess gave her name to a cake too, made the first time in her honor

    For the cover: 200 gr flour, 180 gr butter, 100 gr almonds, 100 gr sugar, 1 yolk.  For the filling: 3 yolks, 50 gr sugar, 40 gr flour, 1/4 lt milk, vanilla flavour, 60 gr apricot marmalade.

More about Colorno Royal Residence:

The first Fortress in Colorno was built in the XIII century to protect the region across the Po river. It belonged to noble families such as the Da Correggio and the Terzi family.
From an ancient Fortress to a refined mansion, it reached a great splendour thanks to the cultivated and nice Barbara Sanseverino who, between the XVI and XVII century, made the palace the seat of a refined court life by gathering the paintings of Tiziano, Giulio Romano, Correggio, Mantegna and Raffaello. After the decapitation and the confiscation of the property of the countess on order of the Duke Ranuccio I, in 1612 Colorno and its Fortress passed on to the Farnese family.
About 100 years after Barbara's death the Duke Ranuccio II Farnese started the works which gave the Fortress its current baroc look. Many interventions were planned by the Court architect Ferdinando Galli Bibiena: the Palace, the park and the fountains of Colorno became famous at the other Courts due to their magnificence and beauty.  The Borboni succeded the Farnese. As a matter of fact, in the night of 17 October 1732 the 17-year old Don Carlos, arrived from Spain, entered the ducal park which appeared in its magnificence, brightly lit, animated by players, singers, surprise machines and fireworks.
Since 1750, during the reign of Don Filippo of Borbone the architect Petitot and the sculptor Boudard worked in the palace; the Court Theatre regularly received Italian and French companies which stirred Carlo Goldoni who was often among the guests of the Court. The French revolution and the Napoleone's campains upset the happy court life. The palace was declared "imperial" (that is possible residence of the French emperor)and the Vienna Congress assigned it to the former empress the Austria Grand Duchess Marie Louise. During her thirty-year excellent governing she took great care both of the park and of the Palace where she often spent her days.
The Borbone succeded her after her death, who where called "the second" to distinguish them from the previous family and with them the Court life ended up.
Nowadays the Palace houses shows and exhibition and the park is open to the pubblic.

REGGIA DI COLORNO (12 KM from Parma):
info: tel.0521-313336- fax 0521-521370 reggiadicolorno@libero.it

It seems that my hometown is really ready for Christmas, or so it looks like, walking through its streets......

The only thing missing, is a very fat and red Santa singing Ohhh Ohhh Ohhh carrying his gifts..........

I took a break from my dad bedside at the hospital during the last weekend, to spend time with our friends and performe our usual Christmas cakes cooking. This cake is called "spongata" and the recipe can differ so very much from place to place, ours is very old and , most of all, a secret! Anyway, this year I took some pics .......

Here are some of the ingredients before we began the adventure.

...... raisin and candied cedar.....................

....... shreding walnuts with hubby grannie's grinder.

The filling is ready.

Mixing the spread....................

.........hubby trying to learn how to do it (sorry the pic isn't good).

The cakes are ready to be cooked (all the 82 of them!!).

With some mix left we baked a marmalade cake.

And after all that hard work, we dined together......

.....having as dessert a very good pumpkin cake our friends' son made (he's attending a school to become a chef)

On sunday afternoon we cooked the "spongate", in a very old furnace (early 1400)

......and this is the final result (don't care about the ones burnt, the firsts in are always like this coz the furnace is too hot at first, but we eat them nevertheless!!)

We top them with powder of sugar (I don't know the right word for it) and the cakes are ready to be sold or given as a gift.

The best part of all this? Spending quality time together doing something we like, doing some little talk, eating good food and thank God for our lasting friendship.