Tanya Bartolini's grandparents and great grandparents emigrated from Italy to Australia to forge a better future for their children, and along the way the whole family have adapted traditional recipes to suit what was available and delicious in their new home. Some genius adaptations have resulted, but Tanya also shares some authentic old school Italian recipes as well. I have been pestering a tight lipped Italian friend for years for her recipe for spaghetti sauce to no avail, and I was delighted to find that thankfully, Tanya shares her Nonna Ida's recipe! Tanya is obviously very generous to share her families recipes, and was kind enough to answer some questions.
Your cookbook is gorgeous!
Did you always plan to write one that showcased your family history so
beautifully?
I hadn't always planned to write a
family story/cookbook, but as I grew to learn more about my grandparents story
and my passion for food especially Italian only grew stronger I wanted to share
this with people. I only hoped that people would relate to my story and
appreciate the recipes.
The recollections from your
grandparents bought tears to my eyes! Was it difficult to hear them open up?
It was difficult at times, my
grandfather still struggled to talk about it and that's why I think he felt it
was easier to write his story down on paper for me. It is so hard to relate to
what they went through but the thought of what they endured and the fact that
they came to Australia
There are some amazing family
recipes in your book, where there any secret recipes that you were not allowed
to share?
No secret recipes at all. I think my
family were just thrilled that I had decided to write the book and happy to
share with others. My theory is that if our food encourages others to cook then
that is a good thing. Why keep good food to ourselves, it is when you share
food and recipes that wonderful memories are created not just for us but others
also.
What are your five favourite ingredients that you couldn't live without?
1. White wine
2. 00 Flour
3. Bottled tomatoes
4. Garlic
5. Rosemary
Your Nonno sounds like a
marvel in the vegetable garden! Has his talent been passed down to you? What
are your favourite herbs to grow and cook with?
Oh my goodness I only wish I was
fortunate to get the green thumb of both of my nonno's. Unfortunately no I did
not get their talents in the garden. I do grow rosemary, thyme, mint, basil and
sage and I was also growing silverbeet quite well however I only have a very
small yard and have not yet ventured into tomatoes which is on my to grow list
next. I have gotten better over time but just remembering to water them some
days can be tough.
Blending the
Cultures seems to be all about using what you have, however are there any
particular Italian items that you cannot do without?
I
love Pandoro which is an Italian cake that comes out every Christmas. There are
so many things you can do with a store bought Pandoro. Eat as is for breakfast
with a cup of coffee or make a fantastic dessert. I recently posted an Italian
Chocolate Espresso Pudding on my website http://thekitchenbench.com.au/
which uses Pandoro.
Who are your
favourite suppliers in Brisbane , or the
rest of Australia
I am really enjoying the Fine
Italian produce from Benfatti Fine Italian Foods. Ben Cleary imports in
fantastic Italian products such as bottled tomatoes from Sicily Brisbane
I love that
Blending the Cultures contains some very authentic recipes that use ingredients
such as rice bran oil, to great effect. What is the strangest ingredient you
have found in a traditional Italian recipe?
Some of the recipes you will notice
especially in the second part of the book are very traditional Italian recipes
with a very Australian twist, for example the rice bran oil inclusion. I would
have to say that my Nonno Ida's crumbed chicken which has always been one of my
favourite dishes of hers has a very surprising ingredient. Nonna puts Scotch
Whiskey in her eggs and marinates the chicken in the egg mixture. The scotch
gives the chicken a fabulous taste.
I was disappointed that there
was no recipe for Nonno Angelos liquid sunshine, Limoncello! Are you
planning a follow up cookbook with more recipes?
I have so many more recipes to
include in a second book. Recipes of my grandparents, recipes inspired by my
travels and also inspired by my family in Italy
Sounds exciting! What else is next for you?
At the moment I am very focused on
selling my book, obviously however I have many ideas of where to take The
Kitchen Bench and Italian/Australian food and traditions. I am really focused
on sharing some of the many Italian traditions that still take place here in Australia today but may have been altered
slightly over the years to either adjust to our different climate here in Australia
Would you like to win your very own copy of Blending the Cultures, by Tanya Bartolini? Just leave a comment about cooking. I would love to hear how you improved on a family recipe or what your secret ingredient is, but hey, you are the cook, it's up to you!
This is a competition of skill. The winner will be announced on the 18th of December. Make sure you have a valid email address so I can let you know, and hopefully you will receive this in time for Christmas! The prize will only be sent to an Australian address. Good luck!
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The winner of this beautiful cookbook is EMILY! Thank you to everyone that entered.
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The winner of this beautiful cookbook is EMILY! Thank you to everyone that entered.
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