ITALIAN FLATBREAD

The Middle East has pita. Indians nosh on naan.  Italians have piadina.  Denser than a pancake but lighter than its leavened cousins, piadina is the carb of choice in Italy's Romagna region.

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Locals lunch on wraps made of this griddle-puffed flatbread.  Whether filled with  prosciutto or grilled veggies, piadina can sate  the most bread-o-philic palette.  Sweeter wraps, schmeared with nutella, are also common.

Accounts mentioning the piê go back to the 14th century.  Originally made at home by poor cooks, this flatbread has turned into a quick on-the-go meal --  Italy's answer to the burrito.

Malleable, this dough uses no yeast. No need for it to rise. Just pulse the flour, fat and wine together. Rolled into tortilla-sized circles, the piadina is ready for the griddle.

* In Italy, piadina tends to be made with lard, which is far more common in Romagna region than olive oil.  This recipe swaps out the piggy fat for a mix of olive oil and cold cubed butter.

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INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups flour
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons cold butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• circa 1/3 cup cup dry white wine

Pan-"toasted" piadina

First pulse the flour, salt and baking soda together in a food processor.  Once the dry ingredients have been mixed, turn on the food processor and pour a steady stream of olive oil into the flour.  The flour and oil will turn into a sand-like mixture.  Add the cubed cold butter and process.

Pour the dry white wine in bit by bit.  The dough will be granular in texture and, unlike a pie crust, should NOT form into a ball in the mixer.  When larger clumps start to form in the mix, dough is ready.  Put the floury mix onto a flat surface.

Using the warmth of your hands, press the loose dough together into a ball.  Knead the dough until pliable.  If the mix is too "crumbly" and won't come together into a workable dough, pulse with a bit more liquid in the mixer.  With the palm of your hands, roll dough into a log and cut into 1.5 inch rounds.  Use a rolling pin, flatten the rounds into tortilla-shaped circles.

Heat cast iron skillet or griddle pan over medium high heat.  Cook the piadina in the ungreased pan for 3-4 minutes on each side.  It will puff up slightly over the heat and start to brown.  After a minute, spin the piadina 180 degrees to ensure that it won't burn on the bottom.   Stuff with cured meats and cheeses; serve hot.

RECIPE NOTE:

Making piadina is an inexact art -- sometimes you may need a little more oil or a little more liquid. The consistency you're looking for, though, is pliable but not sticky.   

RICOTTA CAKE WITH SOUR CHERRIES

   Technically, ricotta is not a cheese.  Literally meaning "re-cooked," this fluffy latticino is actually a cheese by-product.  Made from boiling the whey generated in cheese production, ricotta is milky and a tad sweet.

Fresh ricotta being boiled and made

Many Italian cooks turn to ricotta because its lacks a strong taste.  It adds a background milkiness to a dish but won't kill other ingredients. A staple throughout Italy, ricotta's curds brighten savory plates like fresh ravioli or, whipped with sugar, fill sweets like Sicily's cannoli.