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Purim, also known as Jewish Mardi Gras, begins at sundown Saturday. Although the festival is a minor one, it is a historical story about how the beautiful Queen Esther saved the Jewish people from the murderous wicked Haman.
In Italy, Jews make fried treats called castagnole. The dough is fried in hot oil and explodes like firecrackers.
Chef Andrea Luca Rossi, who is from Venice, told me during Lent, Italians make Galani, which are thin squares of sweet dough fried in oil.
I wanted to learn how to make it, as well as Budino, a Nutella pudding which is quickly becoming a popular dessert in Center City restaurants.
Pastry chef Kylie Fitzgibbons and Andrea arrived in my kitchen schlepping a big copper pot and the ingredients for these treats. She uses Andrea’s mother’s recipes.
“I just love food,” the vivacious 22 year-old Fitzgibbons, who is from Lancaster, said. “I graduated from Le Cordon Bleu in Orlando [Fla.] and loved the hands-on experience of pastry because it is so much fun.”
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Kylie spent a year-and-a-half in the Sunshine State and finished her bachelors degree online. Although she is making dolci for Andrea’s restaurant, Cichetteria 19 Bar & Restaurant on Rittenhouse, she also is the guest relations coordinator at The Ritz-Carlton Hotel on South Broad Street.
Kylie turned out to be a natural before the camera. Photographer Ilana Bagel and I helped her rehearse her introduction and she nailed it in one take.
Although Kylie specializes in desserts of all kinds, she also loves the delicious homemade meals she grew up on in Lancaster. She may live in Center City, but she remains close to her family.
“Every Wednesday night, my mother or uncles host a family dinner,” she said. “They take turns and I often hop the train for home.”
Kylie showed me how to make the dough for the Galani and stir the big copper pudding pot for the Budino. I suggested we add some unsweetened cocoa powder to the mix. It worked as the pudding came out delicious.
Budino
Ingredients:
4-1/2 cups of whole milk
1 cup of sugar
4 tablespoons of cornstarch
1 heaping tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder
6 egg yolks
4 tablespoons of Nutella
Directions:
Place the milk in a 4-quart pot and simmer gently.
Combine the sugar, cornstarch and cocoa powder in a large bowl. Blend well. Add the Nutella and egg yolks and whisk well.
Tamper the egg mixture with the hot milk by pouring it gently into the egg yolks mixture, whisking constantly so the eggs do not scramble. Whisk the mixture until smooth and place back into the pot.
Whisk on medium heat until the mixture thickens. Allow it to cool.
Pour the cooled mixture into 10 small ramekins. Place in the refrigerator to chill. Serve with whipped cream.
Serves 10.
Note from Phyllis: We added a generous pour of Grand Marnier to the mixture.
Galani
Ingredients:
1/2 cup of flour
1/4 cup of sugar
2 tablespoons of butter, melted
2 eggs
1 cup of white wine
Enough vegetable oil to coat the bottom of a pot
Directions:
Place flour and sugar on the counter. Make a well in the center of the counter. Add the melted butter and eggs and mix well with your hands. Slowly add the wine and knead until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. Allow the dough to rest for one hour.
Heat the oil. Cut the dough in half and roll it paper thin. Cut the dough into 2-inch squares. Fry the squares until they pop and are golden brown. Drain them on paper towels. Repeat until all of the squares are fried.
Allow the squares to cool.
Makes about 24 squares.
Note from Phyllis: You can dust them with confectioners’ sugar or do what we did — dusted them with sifted cocoa powder and cinnamon. SPR
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