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Personally I think Gwen Fisher's solution of salted cucumbers + sugar + yogurt is a pretty good answer. I also got a genuine chuckle at the suggestion of a sho

Personally I think Gwen Fisher's solution of salted cucumbers + sugar + yogurt is a pretty good answer. I also got a genuine chuckle at the suggestion of a shot of tequila + a shot of tequila + a shot of tequila.

klyrs 6y ago
It's funny, I get the same answer as George, for a different reason. Sweet pickles are a waste of sugar, salt and cucumbers. Also, the espresso + milk + lemon is a near miss... but not for his reasoning. Ricotta cheese is lemon+milk; espresso flavored ricotta sounds like a decent cannoli stuffing.
- Pamar 6y ago
  Italian here: the part where the author says "Espresso + milk is clearly popular.. and Italians often have espresso with lemon." the latter is not really true. The only person I have ever seen drinking espresso with lemon was my grandfather, who did that when he had some sort stomach problem (his theory was that this would help him get better). So it was something more like a hangover remedy, but not a real "recipe". And in any case, I never saw anyone else doing it - neither in my family or among any other person I know. I wanted to be sure, so I just googled before writing this (it would be "caffè e limone" in Italian): it is always described only as a cure for headache. Ricotta and coffee could work, but it is a bit of a stretch saying that "ricotta=milk+lemon"... you can make something (called "Cagliata") close to ricotta at home with milk and lemon, but real ricotta is prepared in a different way. See https://ricette.giallozafferano.it/Ricotta-fatta-in-casa.html https://ricette.giallozafferano.it/Ricotta-fatta-in-casa.htm...
  - klyrs 6y ago
    Hi, I'm Italian, too. Born in the states, but I'm an Italian citizen, learned to cook from Italian family here and there, and I know enough of the language to read that recipe. I stand corrected, cagliata isn't traditional ricotta... but it's creamier and sweeter, which makes for a better cannoli filling in my opinion. You'd probably be alarmed, but I've seen cannoli filled with everything from mascarpone to miracle whip... well, I won't vouch for the miracle whip but diaspora make do with the ingredients we've got (ugh, but I do not touch alfredo sauce). As for the coffee. Moretta fanese is perhaps the closest traditional Italian beverage, containing lemon and coffee. Amusingly, somebody's popularized the name "Cafè Romano" for lemon zest in coffee... but, at best, it's as Italian as alfredo sauce. In Algeria, there's a drink known as a Mazagran, which appears to be an invention by or for the French Legion. So, while this combination is not from the homeland, there are plenty of folks drinking coffee with lemon. Personally, I love citrus in black coffee. My personal favorite is peel of mandarin orange in espresso; second favorite is a sour (light roast) cold brew 3:1 with lime juice. As for tradition: do you eat risotto, gnocchi, tomatoes, zucchini, peperoncini, or fichi d'India?
    - Pamar 6y ago
      I am from Piedmont (Turin, actually). So the most traditional dishes for me would be Agnolotti and Bagna Cauda.

klyrs 6y ago

It's funny, I get the same answer as George, for a different reason. Sweet pickles are a waste of sugar, salt and cucumbers. Also, the espresso + milk + lemon is a near miss... but not for his reasoning. Ricotta cheese is lemon+milk; espresso flavored ricotta sounds like a decent cannoli stuffing.

Pamar 6y ago
Italian here: the part where the author says "Espresso + milk is clearly popular.. and Italians often have espresso with lemon." the latter is not really true. The only person I have ever seen drinking espresso with lemon was my grandfather, who did that when he had some sort stomach problem (his theory was that this would help him get better). So it was something more like a hangover remedy, but not a real "recipe". And in any case, I never saw anyone else doing it - neither in my family or among any other person I know. I wanted to be sure, so I just googled before writing this (it would be "caffè e limone" in Italian): it is always described only as a cure for headache. Ricotta and coffee could work, but it is a bit of a stretch saying that "ricotta=milk+lemon"... you can make something (called "Cagliata") close to ricotta at home with milk and lemon, but real ricotta is prepared in a different way. See https://ricette.giallozafferano.it/Ricotta-fatta-in-casa.html https://ricette.giallozafferano.it/Ricotta-fatta-in-casa.htm...
- klyrs 6y ago
  Hi, I'm Italian, too. Born in the states, but I'm an Italian citizen, learned to cook from Italian family here and there, and I know enough of the language to read that recipe. I stand corrected, cagliata isn't traditional ricotta... but it's creamier and sweeter, which makes for a better cannoli filling in my opinion. You'd probably be alarmed, but I've seen cannoli filled with everything from mascarpone to miracle whip... well, I won't vouch for the miracle whip but diaspora make do with the ingredients we've got (ugh, but I do not touch alfredo sauce). As for the coffee. Moretta fanese is perhaps the closest traditional Italian beverage, containing lemon and coffee. Amusingly, somebody's popularized the name "Cafè Romano" for lemon zest in coffee... but, at best, it's as Italian as alfredo sauce. In Algeria, there's a drink known as a Mazagran, which appears to be an invention by or for the French Legion. So, while this combination is not from the homeland, there are plenty of folks drinking coffee with lemon. Personally, I love citrus in black coffee. My personal favorite is peel of mandarin orange in espresso; second favorite is a sour (light roast) cold brew 3:1 with lime juice. As for tradition: do you eat risotto, gnocchi, tomatoes, zucchini, peperoncini, or fichi d'India?
  - Pamar 6y ago
    I am from Piedmont (Turin, actually). So the most traditional dishes for me would be Agnolotti and Bagna Cauda.