mizchef

posted by admin on May 30

Hi there. I hope everyone is enjoying the Memorial Day weekend. It’s beautiful here in NY, and I hope it’s beautiful where you are, too.

If you’ve stopped by before, you know I’ve written many times about traveling and eating.  Last week, I said that for a foodie, traveling is not just about visiting historical sites and such, but it’s a also a culinary adventure. That was amusingly proven to me this week.

A friend of mine visited me from Idaho this week. When I found out that she wanted to come to New York to attend an event, I offered to put her up. Well, the first thing she said (after “yes”) was, “I’m dying for a cannoli.” Well, how could I not laugh? I mean, of all things, a cannoli? And that’s all I heard for the next few weeks. Cannoli.

The fact of the matter is, you can’t get everything everywhere. You have to go to certain places to get certain things. That’s nothing new—we all know that. But when someone visits your neck of the woods, it really serves as a reminder that we shouldn’t take the things we enjoy for granted. You all in the South serve up legendary barbecue.  Maryland is known for the best crab cakes in the country. Roasted green chiles rule supreme in New Mexico. And why would you get peach pie from anywhere but Georgia?

Where Italian specialties are concerned, I grew up surrounded by them, and although the Italian community in Brooklyn is not as vast as it once was, it’s still not that difficult to get the things that have always been a part of my life (we’ll see how much longer that lasts). Now, back to the cannoli.

I knew right away where I would send her for one. I jotted down some information about things to do while she was here, how to get there, and directions to the bakery where she would get her longed-for cannoli. But did she listen to me? Noooo. Instead, she went to Park Slope and got a cannoli from a Chinese bakery. There are two things wrong with that:  She bought it outside of the Italian neighborhoods and… need I explain the other thing? The cannoli was so awful that she gave it to the birds.

The next day, she stopped at the bakery I told her to go to…and had the best cannoli she’d ever had. She even got tips from a local patron about the kinds of pastries she should try (“You should really try a lobster tail.”). Anyway, she enjoyed the cannoli so much that she bought half a dozen to bring back to her kids the next day. First, though, this box of cannoli took a trip across the Brooklyn Bridge in my friend’s backpack. Fortunately, it was cool enough that spoilage was not a concern. The real concern was if they’d survived the sojourn. They did. There was only one casualty. But the real test was whether they would make it all the way back to Idaho, through four airports and much jostling. Apparently, they made it. And whatever damage there may have been, it didn’t matter—I got word that every last crumb and dollop of cream was devoured.

For those of you who don’t know what a cannoli is, it’s a pastry dough shell shaped into a tube and filled with cream. Special cannoli tubes are used to shape the shells and, traditionally, the shells are deep-fried in lard; however, very hot oil is sometimes used instead.  The cream is usually cannoli cream, made with ricotta, sugar, and maybe vanilla extract, and you’ll often find candied fruit or chocolate chips in them. Sometimes the shell is coated in chocolate, too. The final touches on cannoli can be powdered sugar,  maraschino cherries, chocolate chips, or nothing at all. For anyone who’s interested at trying their hand at making them, there’s a recipe in my cookbook, What, No Meat?

Anyway, my point is, when you go somewhere, seek out the local specialties because as much as global commerce and cuisine have pervaded, the best of something can usually only be had in one place or region. And I’m always on the lookout for the best. And always listen to the locals when they tell you where the best is. They know what they’re talking about.

Until next week, have a healthy and happy week.

Shari Warren print, available at allpostersc.om (http://www.allposters.com/-sp/Cannoli-Posters_i1107150_.htm)