Unicorn (Unicorn@Indenial.com)
Sat, 30 Jan 1999 10:04:30 -0500
Reader Anne Heinrich of Adelaide, South Australia (isn't 'South
Australia' redundant?) tells us she received the following food funny
from www.jokeaday.com
Dave relates this true Thanksgiving story: I'd put something in the
microwave and set the timer for 1 minute (1:00). As soon as the timer
started counting down, the 'Judi' in our family said, "Hey your
microwave is broke, too, just like mine at home. Every time you put
in one hundred, it jumps right to 59... 58... 57..."
Panettone can be found all over Italy, where it is a popular breakfast
item usually eaten with a cup of coffee. According to at least one
legend, it originated in the city of Milan as the result of a young
man's passion for a young lady. The story says that the bread was
originally called 'pan de tonio', or 'Tony's bread" and that Tony was
a baker in 15th century Milan whose greatest asset was not his
business, but his beautiful daughter Adalgisa. She had caught the eye
of a young man from a wealthy family by the name of Ughetto della
Tela, who feared that his family would never accept the daughter of a
commoner. On the other hand, if she were the daughter of a wealthy
man, his family would probably look the other way. So he devised a
plan. Young Ughetto sold his hunting falcons and bought Tony the
finest flour, raisins, and exotic lemons (for candied peel) and hoped
for the best. Ughetto's investment paid off and Tony's business boomed,
turning Tony into a wealthy man, and Adalgisa into an acceptable bride
for our young suitor.
Today almost all Italians eat panettone, especially at Christmas time,
and the Motta and Alemagna companies of Milan sell over 200 million
panettoni in December alone. All thanks to a love-struck and
enterprising young man.
Panettone
3 packages or cakes (3 Tbs, 45 ml) active dry
or compressed yeast
1/4 (60 ml) cup sugar
1/3 cup (80 ml) lukewarm water
6 egg yolks
1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
1/2 tsp (2 ml) freshly grated lemon peel
1/2 tsp (2 ml) salt
2 to 3 cups (500 to 750 ml) flour
8 Tbs (1/4 lb, 100 g) butter, softened at room temperature
1/3 cup (80 ml) diced candied citron
1/4 cup (60 ml) white raisins (sultanas)
1/4 cup (60 ml) dark raisins
2 Tbs (30 ml) melted butter
Combine the yeast, lukewarm water, and 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of the sugar
in a small bowl, stirring to dissolve, and allow the yeast to "proof"
for 5 minutes, until the liquid bubbles. Transfer the yeast mixture
to a large bowl and stir in the egg yolks, vanilla, lemon peel, salt,
and the remaining sugar. Add 1 1/2 cups (375 ml) of the flour 1/2 cup
(125 ml) at a time, mixing it with your hands until the dough forms a
rough ball. The dough will still be sticky at this point. Mix the
soft butter into the dough, 1/3 at a time. The dough should become
heavy and stringy and fall in large blobs when lifted. Add 1/2 cup to
1 cup more flour a little at a time, mixing with your hands until the
dough firm and oily but no longer sticky. Knead on a floured surface
for about 10 minutes, until it is smooth and shiny. Shape into a bowl
and place in a large bowl. Dust with a little flour and cover the
bowl with a pot lid and place in a warm spot to rise for 30 to 45
minutes, until doubled in volume. Punch the dough down and knead in
the citron and raisins, form into a ball, and place on a buttered
baking sheet. Cut a cross in the top of the loaf with a sharp knife.
Generously butter one side of a sheet of brown paper about 25 inches
(60 cm) long and 5 inches (12 cm) wide. Wrap the paper around the
ball of dough, forming a collar about 8 inches (20 cm) across,
fastening the end of the paper with a pin or paper clip. Allow the
dough to rise again, until doubled in volume. Brush the top of the
dough with melted butter. Bake in the middle of a preheated 400F
(200C) oven for 10 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350F (180C)
and brush the top with more butter. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes longer,
until the top is crisp and golden. Cool on a wire rack, removing the
paper collar when the loaf is cool enough to handle. Serve cut into
thick wedges. Will stay fresh for several days if carefully wrapped
in aluminum foil or plastic wrap. Makes one loaf.
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.0b3 on Sun Jan 31 1999 - 09:00:03 EST