Starbucks 'Trenta': How The New Size Compares To Your Stomach
Famous Death Row Last Meals
I first discovered taralli a year or two ago. My friend and I went out for beer and ordered an "Assortito" plate. What arrived was pure finger food heaven -- meats, cheeses, pickled vegetables, roasted vegetables, and these small pretzel-like crackers boasting the wonderful taste of fennel seed. But I drank too much to remember what they were called, and forgot until this weekend, when I once again ordered the Assortito. Memory wasn't going to stop me this time! I went home and researched.
Taralli are an Italian snack food popular in southern Italy. They look a lot like an untwisted pretzel, and are really quite close to a bagel -- formed and pinched, quickly boiled, and then baked. But whereas the bagel is soft and chewy on the inside, perfect for toppings and bread-like meals, the taralli is crisp and dense, like a cracker. With the addition of fennel seeds, which are folded into the dough, these are absolutely wonderful with the foods I mentioned above. It's not quite a sweet flavor, but one that wonderfully balances strong, savory flavors.
It takes a little time to make these -- forming the dough, working with stickiness, a 2-hour rise time -- but if you like the flavor of fennel, you must try it. (But don't go overboard and add anise. I added a little ground anise and it was way too strong for this snack.) The taste is too good to pass up -- I'm even scheming to make some small ones for my salads -- a tasty alterna-cruton.
To make the above taralli, I used the recipe noted on BreadBasketcase and LemonPi, from Maggie Glezer's Artisan Baking.
Jane Seymour's Modest And Modern Style
Broke Stars: 11 Celebrities Who Went Bankrupt
LOOK: Amazing Underwater Photos Of Dogs
Adele Five-Year Break? Singer Plans to Focus on Relationship, Write 'Happy Record'
Social Security Is Failing Even Faster Than We Thought
PHOTOS: How You Can Get The 'Miracle' Dress
Man Says Starbucks Discriminated Against Him Because He Has Half An Arm
Chris Brown, Grammys 2012: Embattled Singer Slams Critics
Janice Dickinson's Outrageous Style
Ford's clever Sports Illustrated Swimsuit ad features phantom model
3 Economic Misconceptions That Need to Die
Photos Of Dead Lacrosse Player's Injured Body Shown To Jury
Trace Adkins Reunites With College Crush, 30 Years Later
Van Gogh's Starry Night modded into beautiful interactive light and sound show (video)
PHOTOS: Model Falls At Dennis Basso Show
'Hooker Teacher' Forced To Resign, Now Can't Find Work
Lauren Scruggs Goes On Ski Vacation
WATCH AND LAUGH: Cops In 2-Hour Standoff With Empty Car
Woman's Dead Fiance Is Behind Her Disappearance: Cops
Stephen Wiltshire Draws Cities From Memory
PHOTOS: Remembering The People's Ballerina
We Meant There WERE Nukes In The Fire
2-16-2009 @3:31PM Valerie said... These things are wrapped into my childhood. When we lived on Long Island, my dad had a buddy who would bring taralli in from Brooklyn in big brown paper bags. I found an Italian bakery in Little Italy that sells them and brought him back a batch on a trip a few years ago but they weren't up to par. I guess it could be worth an afternoon in the kitchen!
Reply
2-16-2009 @6:19PM Sara said... "Taralli" is already a plural noun, you shouldn't add an "s" to it (and, basically, you shouldn't add an "s" to any foreign language word to make a plural of it). :)
Reply
2-16-2009 @6:20PM Monika said... Thanks, Sara.
So what does one piece of taralli become? :)
Reply
2-17-2009 @3:16PM inese said... Tarallo
Reply
2-17-2009 @3:16PM Monika said... Thanks, inese!
Reply