1801 Italian Christmas Traditions

[QUOTE=alex and lyn]Is it still traditional to take a Panetone to every house you are invited to over the Christmas period ?
In the late '60s when I was in Florence , this certainly seemed to be the case and anyone who has read the hilarious account in Annie Hawes book 'Extra Virgin' will know why I'm asking !! :D
Also I notice that the shops are now displaying an enormous amount of different cakes for Christmas.....any particular recommendations please. :)[/QUOTE]

If you take panettone you're surely not wrong and a polite person.
But remember that panettone is only one of the many cakes you might choose.
Moreover, panettone is a milanese traditional Christmas cake and nowadays it's essentially an industrial cake.
You better look for something more "local" and "hand made".
Since you're so lucky to live in Puglia I suggest traditional Puglia cakes:
cartellate, cicerchiata, almond cakes.
If you have a look at some pasticceria you'll find a lot of them in the Christams days.

Panettone and pandoro are still good. But I am sure everybody would be happy with a Christmas Fruit Cake... or mince pies....

Paola

Indeed, it is still very kind of the guest to bring Panettone or Pandoro. Yet it is very common to bring them when being invited, and you may risk seeing yours being offered back to you over Easter, or being tossed. Last year I found out it was very "trendy" to bring the typical Christmas flower, i.e. la stella di Natale (sorry, I don't honestly know the English translation for it!).

Francesco
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What about taking a bottle of home made liqeuer? Better than cake anyday ;- )

Francesco...I believe "la stella di Natale" is the Poinsetta.

Ok then, the Poinsetta is the latest trend! :-)

Francesco
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I think the liqeur idea wins hands down - would rather have that than a Poinsetta any day!! Mine always lose their leaves so fast!

Just knew I could rely on you Kath to back me up ;-)

Instead of panettone, most Italians would love to receive a real English /American fruit cake or other special "foreign" foods.Of course wine is always a good standby. We usually give family friends a basket of local specialities for Xmas. It usually includes our own olive oil , chocoate spread and chocolate torrone from the nearby nut (nocciole) cooperative, pates such as the crostini neri (see food thread for recipe).

[QUOTE=latoca]Panettone and pandoro are still good. But I am sure everybody would be happy with a Christmas Fruit Cake... or mince pies....

Paola[/QUOTE]

Paola, you must be the first Italian I have ever come across (I`m assuming you`re Italian) who likes things with dried fruit in. All of my friends down here are disgusted at the thought of raisins & sultanas in cake! You must be very cosmopolitan! I agree that there are lots of nice things in the pasticcerie at this time of year. As for English (or do I mean Scottish?) things - I always find shortbread goes down well.

We've been in two minds what to take; there's part of us who say that "We're English, so let's take something English" (but I suspect that the Christmas pud is still being used as a door stop ;)). In the past, we have taken mince pies as gifts, but these seem to meet with a similar fate!

I had also tried shortbread as an option, but these tend to be sold in the local Conad now, so it looks a bit of a hollow gift!

This year, I will be relying on Olde Englishe Cyder (and hoping for the best!)

As an aside, I know an English couple who are running a gelateria in Lucca who are now making Christmas pud flavoured ice cream......... we'll have to see how that goes down!

[QUOTE=tuscanhills]We've been in two minds what to take; there's part of us who say that "We're English, so let's take something English" (but I suspect that the Christmas pud is still being used as a door stop ;)). In the past, we have taken mince pies as gifts, but these seem to meet with a similar fate!

I had also tried shortbread as an option, but these tend to be sold in the local Conad now, so it looks a bit of a hollow gift!

This year, I will be relying on Olde Englishe Cyder (and hoping for the best!)

As an aside, I know an English couple who are running a gelateria in Lucca who are now making [b]Christmas pud flavoured ice cream[/b]......... we'll have to see how that goes down![/QUOTE]

Just heard about brown bread ice cream last week - am still undecided...

[QUOTE=Susan P]What about taking a bottle of home made liqeuer? Better than cake anyday ;- )[/QUOTE]

Just a note if anyone is interested. I've posted quite a few liqueur recipes (as a
response to a request for fruit liqueurs) on the Kahlua thread in the food section.

I've made liqueurs as gifts for the holidays and they are happily recieved.
I usually write the recipe on a little piece of paper and attach it to the liqueur,
so my friends can make more for themselves (if they wish) after the yummy liqueur is gone.

Yes...I had heard that an English Christmas cake and Pudding are not favorites of the Italians as well !!!

Think I'll look for some nice bottles for the homemade liquer ( mind you haven't got that much and want some for ME ! ;) failing that, I'll get some of the different Italian Cakes in ...and a few extra bottles !!!.....can always send them home with the 'starving student/musician' (youngest son who is here for Christmas ...hurrah !!! :D ) if they don't get used.....he and his mates will eat anything !!!!!
Thanks for all the tips ...and Merry Christmas !! ;)

Ronald ...can we have a Christmas Smilie please !!! :rolleyes:

la "stella di natale" should be keep in a cool place (not cold and not hot) that's the only way it will keep it's leaves (italian mother in law told me after years of unsucessful poinsetta rearing!) :cool:

Was just going to start a new thread when i saw how this one was developing
So my question is what to take from England to Italian friends for Xmas-do they really like typically English stuff like Xmas pud/cake, mince pies,brandy butter etc or do they prefer their own things.Our friends are from villages or small towns not cities.
tangerines & nuts are like coals to Newcastle

What about some Scottish shortbread biscuits. Light to carry in your luggage, something British and should go down a treat.

[QUOTE=Susan P]What about some Scottish shortbread biscuits.....[/QUOTE]

We did this until we found the local supermarket selling the exact same brand! It seemed to lose it's uniqueness after that ;)

what about a lesser known whisky? The whisky in Italy is often cheaper but they don't have the same choice and a lot of my friends are suspicious of the whisky they buy here - for some reason they think it will have been infiltrated at some point and watered down. Not sure where they get that from at all :confused:

And about the shortbread - it is in the supermarkets here (Walkers usually!) but it does go down really well - particularly if you put Nutella on it :D

[QUOTE=tuscanhills]We did this until we found the local supermarket selling the exact same brand! It seemed to lose it's uniqueness after that ;)[/QUOTE]

Bet it wasn`t Marks & Spencer`s though!!

Im really glad everyone is having the same dillema (sp!!!). I want to buy my landlord and lady something nice for xmas. They are members of a vineyard club/co-operative thing so have all the wine they need, and they also make their own liquers. We thought of a nicely decorated tea-pot as they don't really drink tea too much, and it being something typically english. Not sure how this will go down though. Any really original ideas? Doesn't have to be food/drink, just something english!!

Sally :D

[QUOTE=SallyinVerona]Im really glad everyone is having the same dillema (sp!!!). I want to buy my landlord and lady something nice for xmas. They are members of a vineyard club/co-operative thing so have all the wine they need, and they also make their own liquers. We thought of a nicely decorated tea-pot as they don't really drink tea too much, and it being something typically english. Not sure how this will go down though. Any really original ideas? Doesn't have to be food/drink, just something english!!

Sally :D[/QUOTE]

How about one of those nice porcelain marmalade/jam containers that you get in quaint little hotels? Or a couple of espresso cups & saucers but in English bone china (Wedgewood or something similar)?

What about a xmas hamper. I've just been looking at some and although they could be expensive you could get a nice basket, some ribbon and fill it yourself. This is what one hamper contained but you could just pick out and buy what you thought was appropriate to your receipient.

Christmas gift basket contains the following:

- Low classic Panettone (Italian Christmas cake), wrapped by hand, made by Bauli 750 g;
- Soft Torrone (Italian Christmas nougat) with chocolate and hazelnuts, made by Bedetti 170 g;
- Gianduiotti, traditional chocolate sweets, made by Icam 240 g;
- Rovetto red wine, made by Bosca 75 cl;
- Spumante Riesling wine, made by Martini&Rossi 75 cl;
- Extra virgine oil, made by Frantoio Anfosso Davide 50 cl;
- Tomatoe and basil sauce "Gli Arcimboldi della Terra", made by Anfosso 180 g;
- Durum wheat pasta, giant Fusilli, made by Bartolini 500 g;
- Balsamic vinegar of Modena, made by Ortalli 50 cl;
- Arabic coffee 100%, Italian Espresso, made by Vergnano 250 g;
- Biologic mix, made by Eurocompany 350 g;
- Peppers in sauce, made by La Josephine 314 ml;
- Assorted Amaretti cookies, made by Virginia.

- Elegant wicker basket with a handle;
- Decorative box to protect the basket;
- Christmas ribbon;
- Individual greeting card.

Anybody else got any idea's for the ideal Italian xmas hamper

[url]www.past-times.com[/url] have some nice ideas....I know answering my own question...sorry about that but just remembered them !!! :rolleyes:
I think they ship to Europe. :cool: ..but they have a shop at Stanstead airport ( and most others ! :) )

[QUOTE=The Smiths in Puglia]How about one of those nice porcelain marmalade/jam containers.....[/QUOTE]

Hahahaha, that reminds me, we bought some Engligh tea at the "Gor Blimey it's British" shop in Stanstead (this MIGHT not be the real name of the shop :D) that were presented in little tins with Beefeaters, policemen etc... on them.

They went down a storm!

Tacky but did the job!

You could try chiken tikka massala.Isnt that supposed to be our national dish?
Seriously though I do hope Jamie Oliver isnt entirely right about Italians and food...they don't like to try anything new and only like the food that mamma used to cook...that could become just a tad annoying like living in a country populated by 7 year olds addicted to macky d's.

Perhaps some Italian feedback would set my mind at rest.

Becky