| Tuesday, January 22, 2008 |
| Cooking Uses |
Amaretto is added to desserts, including ice cream, which enhances the flavor of the dessert with almonds and complements chocolate.
Savory recipes which call for it usually focus on meat, such as chicken.
Amaretti are not commonly used as an ingredient outside Italy.
The crisp texture of Saronno's macaroon lends itself to tiramisu-like creations.
Amaretti crumbs may be sprinkled on top of ice cream or gelato, and Lazzaroni adds them to their line of chocolate bars.
A few shots of Amaretto can be added to pancake batter for a richer flavor.
Happens to be one of the official flavors (i.e. "mint") of Pepperidge Farm cookies, such as Milanos. |
posted by Wine Addict @ 11:23 PM   |
|
|
|
|
| Legend |
Despite apparently clear etymology of the terms, and known history on the introduction and acceptance of almonds into Italian cuisine, more recent takes on the meanings and origins have come about, further popularized by the two major brands. Though of sometimes questionable factuality, these tales hold a sentimental place in Saronno culture.
The liqueur
In 1525, a Saronno church commissioned artist Leonardo Da Vinci and student Bernardino Luini to paint their sanctuary with frescoes. As the church was dedicated to the Virgin Mary, Luini needed to depict the Madonna, but was in need of a model. He found his inspiration in a young widowed innkeeper, who became his model and (in most versions) lover. Out of gratitude and affection, the woman wished to give him a gift. Her simple means did not permit much, so she steeped apricot kernels in brandy and presented the resulting concoction to a touched Luini.
The biscuit
The invention of amaretti has also received an amorous Renaissance treatment. In the early 1700s, a Milanese bishop or cardinal surprised the town of Saronno with a visit. A young couple, residents of the town, welcomed him and paid tribute with an original confection: on the spur of the moment, they had baked biscuits made of sugar, egg whites, and crushed apricot kernels or almonds. These so pleased the visiting bishop that he blessed the two with a happy and lifelong marriage, resulting in the preservation of the secret recipe over many generations. |
| posted by Wine Addict @ 11:23 PM |
|
|
|
|
| History |
Sicily is mostly responsible for the introduction of almonds into general Italian cuisine. Its location has encouraged contact with a variety of ethnic groups who made their presence known in the Mediterranean. Ancient and early Medieval Sicilians traded and otherwise interacted with neighboring Levant cultures to whose lands the almond was indigenous. Later, power in Sicily was taken by the Arabs or "Saracens"; their dominating presence from the 9th to the 11th centuries A.D. helped to diffuse many Arabic cultural and culinary concepts throughout the region.
Almonds became a favored component in Italian food and drink as Arab-Sicilian influence spread over the peninsular mainland, inspiring innovations. The concept reached all the way to the north of Italy, including the region of Lombardy, in which a municipality named Saronno would become famous for its almond-infused liqueur. In many regions, particularly these northernmost ones, distinct local varieties of amaretto biscotti developed. Amaretti di Sassello, unique to Liguria, are very soft and moist, like marzipan. Amaretti di Saronno, at the other end of the spectrum with a crunchy, crisp texture, became associated with the liqueur of the same town and therefore the most prominent style. |
| posted by Wine Addict @ 11:22 PM |
|
|
|
|
| Etymology |
A little bitter
The name is a diminutive of the Italian amaro, meaning "bitter", indicating the distinctive flavor lent by the mandorla amara--the bitter almond or the drupe kernel. However, the bitterness is not unpalatable, and their flavor is enhanced by sweeteners, and sometimes sweet almonds, in the final products. Therefore, the liqueur's name can be said to describe the taste as "a little bitter", and the plural, referring to the biscuits, suggests "little bitter things" or "things [that are] a little bitter".
Amare vs. amore
Conflation of the homophonous amare with amore ("love") is primarily responsible for the associations with romance. The similarity of amaretto and amoretto leads to the concept of "a little bitter love", referring to the humble but honest offering of Luini's lover. The amaretti created by the amoretti were small biscuits, like love both bitter and sweet, and presented wrapped together in pairs like a pair of sweethearts.
Name confusion
Amaretto should not be confused with amaro, a different Italian liqueur that is flavored with herbs. |
| posted by Wine Addict @ 11:22 PM |
|
|
|
|
| The Amaretto Disaronno square bottle |
 |
| posted by Wine Addict @ 11:22 PM |
|
|
|
|
| Amaretto |
| Amaretto is a sweet almond-flavoured liqueur of Italian origin. It is made from a base of apricot or almond pits, or sometimes both, with added spices and flavors. Some say it has a sweet cherry like flavor. |
| posted by Wine Addict @ 11:22 PM |
|
|
|
|
| Amaretto |
| Welcome to Amaretto |
| posted by Wine Addict @ 11:21 PM |
|
|
|
|
| about me |
|
|
| Previous Posts |
|
| Archives |
|
|
| Links |
|
|
| Template by |
|
|
|
|
