Tags
Easter Savoury Pie, Filled Easter Pizza, Neopolitan Easter Savoury Pie, Pizza Chiena, Pizza Piena, Rustic Pizza
One of my fellow bloggers, John over at from the Bartolini kitchens, began his blogging journey in order to document his family recipes passed down from his mom and grandmothers. What better way to ensure these precious recipes wouldn’t be lost! I had left a comment on a post of his when I first discovered his blog and his reply stuck with me. I had mentioned how I loved his idea of keeping his family’s food traditions alive. He replied that by doing so, a bit of his mom and the rest of the clan lived on.
John’s remark stuck with me, you see, because I too no longer have my parents. My mom passed away when I was eight, which left my dad to raise 3 children. My dad took over as cook in our home, not because he knew how or had a dire passion towards cooking, but because he had no choice. My dad was an AMAZING cook! I’m not just saying that either. My friend Elizabeth still recalls his Stuffed Peppers as being the best! My friend Tonina commented once that his Tripe dish was out of this world (you clearly have to LOVE tripe to make such a statement!), while yet another friend thought his potato salad was the best! During my pregnancy with my first child, at 7 months pregnant, my dad passed away unexpectedly. This post is not about the devastation his death left me in, nor what a blow it was to both my siblings and myself. This post is about keeping the memory of my mom and dad alive. By cooking the foods my mom and dad used to cook and the foods my dad loved!
I seem to get nostalgic around the holidays. Because holidays are about family. And food. And I keep my mom and dad alive for my daughters by making the holiday foods I grew up with. My girls didn’t have the good fortune of knowing my parents, but they do know about our family traditions and the foods that made up those traditions. Pizza Chiena. “Chiena” in Neopolitan dialect, “piena” in Italian. Meaning a filled pie. An Easter savoury pie which is prepared on Good Friday, to be eaten the following day, thus ending the fasting of the 40 days of Lent. In the Middle Ages, Lent meant going without animal products. No meat, no eggs, no cheese, no butter, no dairy. I guess you’d call that vegan. What better way to break the fast of Lent than with a savoury filled pie of eggs, cheese, and meat!
Just as dialects vary from one region to another, from one tiny village to the next, so do the culinary dishes of Italy. While there are various versions to Pizza Chiena, or Rustic Pizza, this is how it’s made in the tiny village my parents are from. I called my Zia Maria (Aunty Mary) to get some instruction on their version. Quite simple really. Eggs, cheese and prosciutto. Depending on where you’re from, some will add sopressata, a dry, cured sausage, while others will add salami, mozzarella or provolone. My mom used to make this and I can remember waiting very impatiently to have a slice of that eggy, cheesy, salty delicacy in my little hands. Could you imagine a young child looking on as her mom baked a delicious pizza pie but having to wait until the next day to dig in?
We went to my sister’s home to make this, Zia Franca. She had made this before for my dad, whereas this was my first time. My Zia Maria wrote the recipe down for us and after deciphering her written words, we were left with a glass of this, a handful of that, a smidgen of…
Neopolitan Pizza Chiena
For the dough:
4 1/2 teaspoons of active dry yeast
1 teaspoon of sugar
1 1/4 cups of warm water
4 egg yolks
400 g of all-purpose flour, more or less
1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
Begin by stirring the yeast and the sugar into the warm water, in a large bowl. Let it sit for at least 10 minutes, until foamy. Add the egg yolks and stir until smooth. Stir in half the flour until smooth, then add the remainder and start working it with your hands. We encountered a bit of a problem here. We contemplated using whole eggs instead of just the yolks. We decided to try just with the yolks. We began with 300 g of flour, as the recipe suggested, but needed to add much more, at least 400 g in the end, maybe a little more. The dough was wet, so we just kept adding flour until we were satisfied with its consistency. Knead gently on a lightly floured surface and cover tightly with plastic wrap, allowing to rise for 1 hour. Once risen, roll out a little more than 1/2 the dough to fit the bottom and sides of your pan. We used one that was about 13 or 15 inches in diameter. You can also use a rectangular pan. Roll out the remaining dough for the top crust.
For the filling:
Caciotta cheese, 2, grated
18 eggs
Prosciutto, a piece of about 300 to 400 g
Caciotta is a mild cheese made of cow’s milk and widely used for the Neopolitan version of this pie. It is not a salty cheese, thus creating the perfect balance with the prosciutto. Here in Montreal, this cheese is made only around Easter time, mainly for this savoury pie. The entire cheese gets grated, crust and all.
Italian grocers will keep the ends of the prosciutto, the butt, which is what you want for this pie. They are also great in Pasta e Fagioli (pasta & beans). Cut off the skin and some of the fat, and chop into bite-size pieces.
Crack the eggs into a large bowl and beat with a whisk. Add the prosciutto and stir. Now for the cheese. Begin by adding half and stir together. You’re looking for a consistency that is not too liquid nor too thick (my Zia Maria’s words). So we added half of what remained and the consistency was just perfect. No need to add salt, but you can add some pepper if you like. Pour into the prepared pie crust and cover the top with the second crust. Brush the top crust with egg wash.
Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree F oven for about 1 hour and 20 minutes to 1 and 1/2 hours. Give it a look after the first hour and keep checking every 10 minutes. If you see the crust is browning too quickly, just add a piece of foil paper over the top. We didn’t have to, but every oven is different. Turn off the oven and leave it in there for about 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let it cool in the pan.
And now, the confession. We didn’t wait until the next day. We didn’t wait until it cooled in the pan. We removed it, piping hot as it was, sliced into it, releasing all the steamy heat, and bit into it. Mmmmm! All of those childhood memories came flashing before my eyes! And what bitter-sweet memories they were! Happy Easter to you and yours!
What a fantastic looking pie! Wow! Buona Pasqua to you and your family!
Grazie Darya! Buona Pasqua!
Your writing always brings on a tear from a long forgotten memory, a smile of recognition or a desire to run out and buy supplies to make your recipes! Brava, Lidia. Happy Easter.
Oh Marina! I know you understand and I know you must be feeling nostalgic this holiday! Glad I can spark some memories up for you! Thanks for your words of encouragement!
Oh my goodness! I’ve never seen meat in bread! This is fabulous!
I have been hesitant about making breads. But this is too good for me not to give it a go! Wow, Lidia!
Thanks Fae! You should give this a try, it really is quite yummy!
Oops, Happy Easter Lidia! 😀
Thanks Fae!!
You have a beautiful way of keeping memories alive.
Buona Pasqua!
Thank you Gianna, you’re so sweet! Grazie e Buona Pasqua!
The older I get, the more sentimental I become. I find myself telling my grand daughters snippets of memories about my parents and grandparents, some small thing that comes to mind, jolted to the surface by what we are doing or eating. My family too was dislocated by immigration, it means so much to be able to see where the roots of your family tree were nurtured. My blog is an effort to record our family’s recipes, seems to me your daughters would benefit from a similar project! Your traditional Easter Pie looks sensational, not the least because of its heritage. Happy Easter Lidia 🐣
Yes, sometimes a particular dish is special to us because of the history we have with it. Of course it helps if said dish is yummy! Hope you have a wonderful Easter!
Lidia, you continue to impress me! reading your lovely blog makes me happy, not only do I love your recipes, I love how you describe your family and how important it is for you to pass the Italian traditions to your kids! You remind me of my mom and grandma. You know, I never pay too much attention to our traditional recipes and now I think I should, it’s important 🙂 Great recipe Lidia, this bread looks delicious! Hope you will enjoy this beautiful long Easter weekend with your family! Happy Easter! (I’m so happy the weather was warmer today!)
Thanks Ingrid! You should record some of your family recipes, even if you do so on paper. I am always remembering some dish my dad used to make and wishing I knew howb to recreate it. The sunshine today made me happy as my girls and I walked about Little Italy… I think we can say Spring is here? Happy, happy Easter to you Ingrid, and to hubby and Little Nat!
Thank you very much Lidia! 🙂 we went for a small walk too! so beautiful!
Just now, i placed a loaf of bread, Crescia, into the oven. I found the recipe on a website last year and only when I mentioned it to Zia did she remember her Mother baking it for “her girls” when they were both very young. I guess Grandma wanted me to bake that bread! Anyway, I was in a bit of a nostalgic mood when I came here and read your post, Lidia — and was touched by what I read. These are more than just recipes that we’re sharing. I view them as a legacy that I’m passing on.
Even though it is rather large for a person living alone, if I can find the cheese, I’ll give it a try — and share it with a number of people. I’m sure it will be delicious. Thank you for your kind words when mentioning my blog and for sharing your memories and recipe with us. Buona Pasqua, Lidia!
I just looked up some images of Crescia and they looked Mmmmm soooo good! I hope you’ll be writing about it!! I agree John, we are passing on a legacy and I can only hope that my girls will look at these one day and remember, and keep it going. Thank you John for your kind words! Grazie mille!
YUMMMYYY! Happy Easter darling Lidia & to your family..see you soon for a movie night………..
Thank you my Darling!
What a beautifully written post! I have been pestering my mum to write out her recipes for my sister & me. It’s true how some dishes take you back to lovely memories. And that is a scrumptious pie 🙂 Can’t wait to try my hand at making it!
I really do hope you write those recipes down! There are so many foods my dad used to make but am unsure of exactly how he went about them.
What a beautifully written post! It’s so true how food has the power to bring back memories & take you back in time! I have been pestering my mum to write out her recipes for my sister & me. In fact I’ve been wanting to cook with her & write about it. And Lidia, that is one scrumptious looking pie! I so want to try making it! Happy Easter 🙂
Thank you so much! Hope you had a great Easter with your family!!
Oh, what a wonderful post Lidia! Your father had to be such great person for not only cooking for your family but also making some pretty complicated dishes. I found myself wondering if that had been the case in my family we may have been eating cold cereal for every meal. I never saw my Dad cook. But maybe in that same situation he would have stepped up as well! That Easter pie looks so good! I also love that the recipe called for “a glass of this and a smidgen of that!” I always crack up when I run across old recipes that have those for the directions!
Oh Melissa! He was a WONDERFUL man and my only wish is that my girls could have known him…and my mom! Funny how it’s my dad who I always go back to, but really he was the one who raised me as I was quite young when I lost my mom. You never about your dad though. When put into a situation like my dad, you never know how one can react.
You’ve told such a beautiful story here. There was also something about the photos that really made it feel like it was being made with a lot of love in a family kitchen. I love how food connects us to the ones we love.
Thank you! And it was made with love, the love of our ancestors, the love for my daughters… And how right you are about food connecting us with our loved ones!
hey cuz, great pizza chiena! that hink of prosiutto must have cost heaps cos i know what our small piece cost, great you got the recipe from zia maria that way it becomes a true spagnuolo dish
Dearest cousin… That’s what it’s all about, keeping the Spagnuolo food legacy going, no? Moving Down Under is sounding more appealing as each freakin’ cold day goes by!!!
OMG! This must be delicious!
I think so, but it’s not something my hubby enjoys. You really have to like eggy/cheesy kind of pies, which he does not. He doesn’t know what he’s missing!!
He may not know but I surely do! 😉
I think there must have been something wrong with my subscription to your blog… I’ve just changed it so I guess I’ll be receiving your posts now.
🙂
Oh boy what a touching story. Losing your mum at 8. You are a strong woman and you had a wonderful Dad who took over. What an amazing Dad. my Dad loved to cook, but he passed on some 12 years ago, but we always remember what he used to cook and how he loved good food. Thanks for sharing!
That’s what food does. It keeps our memories alive and commemorates our loved ones.
This post and your words really struck a cord with me. Beautifully written and a wonderful recipe.
Oh, thank you Maria! I have to say, I did get emotional as I wrote it. Anytime I bring up family memories, I get all nostalgic for the good old days. Or perhaps it’s just wanting so much for them to still be around, you know? For my girls…
I think maybe because food connects us. Each of my recipes conjures up happy past times, times I want to be able to remember and what better way than through taste and smell.
Oh, perfectly said Maria. Thank you!
This dish is truly a work of art. I could eat the Caciotta cheese on it’s own – it looks like the perfect compliment to the bread! Delicious, Lidia. xx Shanna
It really is a yummy treat. Unfortunately, I’m the only one who eats it in my household… or perhaps I should consider myself lucky?
Hi, Lidia – Yes consider yourself FORTUNATE. No competition for the REAL holiday treat. 🙂 Take good care! – Shanna