During Lent people went around egg-singing.They left home on saturday evening, and walk for miles, from farm to farm, from village to village, singing a traditional refrain in front of each door:
Soma partì da nostra ca’ (we have left our home)
fin da la prima seíra (since the first night)
per venirvi a salutè (and come to cheer you)
deve la bona seira (tell you good night)
The landlords offered eggs: eggs were a symbol of fertility, of ground getting ready to give fruits.
The groups, composed only by men carrying accordions, clarinets, and so on, came back home at dawn with a basket full of egg.
Women had to cook omelettes with onions, using the first herbs grown in the fields, or the troublesome omelette. This was also the main dish of the Easter monday pic-nic.
Women also cooked fricieu (fritters): eggs everywhere. Then there was vitel tonné (veal meat with tuna sauce) prepared in the traditional way.
The nights were still cold, so a dish of chick-peas and “costine” soup could warm up and fortify people. The roladine (meat olives) appear, from the old-time cooking, with their fresh parsley, pickled peppers and hot pepper filling.
Pears with wine are another classic dish in this egg-dinner, accompanying the last strophe.
In the end, the hazelnut cake,a very old recipe, told by mothers to daughters, accompanied by a glass of good Barolo for the last toast, which is nowmade usually with Asti sparkling wine.
Armando Gambera
A chemistry graduate from the University of Turin, he works as a secondary school chemistry teacher. For many years, he has focused his studies and research on the field of cookery, wine and cheese, especially those of the Langhe area of Italy. He contributes to Slow Food guides on the subject (‘Osteria d’Italia’, ‘Le Strade del Barolo’, ‘Barolo e Barbaresco’, ‘Guida delle Langhe e del Roero’, ‘Le ricette delle osterie di Langa’, ‘Formaggi d’Europa’). He has written books for the La Morra Municipal Cellar: ‘La cucina e i vini di La Morra’ (The cuisine and wine of La Morra), ‘La vigna in etichetta, storia del Barolo di La Morra’ (Vineyards in Labels, the History of La Morra Barolo). His monograph ‘La cucina di Alba nel Novecento’ (1900s Cuisine in Alba) features in the book edited by the Famija Albeisa, ‘Il grande libro della cucina di Alba’ (The Great Book of Alba Cuisine). He writes for magazines (Barolo & Co.; Slowfood; L’Assaggiatore; Itinerari in Piemonte). He is a Master Taster of cheeses and holds the position of Vice President of ONAF (National Organisation of Cheese Tasters); he holds lessons in wine and cheese tasting and organises cookery courses held in restaurants throughout Langa. His cookery courses have given rise to two recipe books: ‘Cucinando col vino’ (Cooking with Wine) and ‘Cucina d’autunno’ (Autumn Cooking).
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Laureato in chimica presso l’Università di Torino, è professore di chimica nelle scuole superiori. Da parecchi anni si dedica allo studio e alla ricerca nel campo della cucina, dei vini e dei formaggi, in particolare delle Langhe. Collabora alle guide del settore pubblicate dallo Slow Food ("Osteria d’Italia", "Le strade del Barolo", "Barolo e Barbaresco", "Guida delle Langhe e del Roero", "Le ricette delle osterie di Langa", "Formaggi d’Europa"). Per la Cantina Comunale di La Morra ha scritto i libri: "La cucina e i vini di La Morra", "La vigna in etichetta, storia del Barolo di La Morra". Su "Il grande libro della cucina di Alba", edito dalla Famija Albeisa, compare la sua monografia "La cucina di Alba nel Novecento". Scrive su alcune riviste (Barolo & Co.; Slowfood; L’Asssaggiatore; Itinerari in Piemonte). E’ Maestro Assaggiatore di formaggi e ricopre la carica di Vicepresidente dell’ONAF (Organizzazione Nazionale Assaggiatori di Formaggi); tiene lezioni di degustazione dei vini e dei formaggi, organizza corsi di scuola di cucina presso i ristoranti di Langa. Dai corsi di cucina ha tratto due ricettari: "Cucinando col vino" e "Cucina d’autunno".
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