In this picture our Papà del Gnoco riding a mule. He’s the symbol of our Veronese’s carnival.
No recipe this week but some pictures taken on Friday the 12th of February during the Venerdì Gnocolar parade. I followed the whole parade and had so much fun. While I was busy throwing confetti and clapping at the parade participants, my husband Michael was running up and down the street trying to take some pictures. Continue reading
It’s carnevale and while every pastry store is serving frittelle and crostoli, we in Verona also have the tradition of eating potato gnocchi. A tradition that culminates on Venerdì Gnocolar* that this year will fall on February 12nd and the parade with its allegorical floats and Papà del Gnocco, the main character of our carnival. As usual we all gather at my parents house to enjoy numerous courses of gnocchi served with different sauces. The end of the meal is always gladdened with carnival sweets such as frittelle, crostoli, favette and creme fritte**. We then spend the rest of the afternoon watching the parade passing by.
This dish is not what we usually serve on Venerdì gnocolar, but when I ran across this recipe on l’Accademia della cucina Italiana, I couldn’t resist and I tried it the next day. I was not disappointed by the results. The gnocchi have a hearty and rustic flavor enhanced and complemented by the Speck. The thyme gives a fresh touch to the preparation. Continue reading
