This month, John from Richmond asks…

Dear Samuele,

I’m getting a little tired of the usual Christmas food… turkey, brussels sprouts, nut roasts – that kind of thing.

I then remembered that you have a passion for food, and once showed a picture of a delicious-looking Coda alla vaccinara, in a past newsletter. It got me thinking.

Can you recommend any traditional Christmas recipes that will help me to reinvigorate this year’s festive cuisine?

Already salivating.

Yours sincerely,

John

Samuele says:

Ciao, John! And grazie mille for your question.

I’d be delighted to!

It’s quite common for each region of Italy to have its own food traditions at Christmas.

Where I’m from, Treviso, this is typically the kind of thing we would have:

Starter
surprises with bacon and radicchio from Treviso
minty artichokes with truffle vellutè

First course
pecan and Gorgonzola risotto
pumpkin ravioli with Amaretti crumbs

Second course
Young turkey stuffed with red radicchio on a port gravy, with truffle purée

Dessert
Panettone

And to finish, a glass of grappa – a kind of distilled pressed grape brandy.

I hope you manage to try some of them. They are truly delicious.

Buon Natale,

Samuele