Bread and Water Trivia Quiz

Answer: Seawater

"Pesce all'acqua pazza" is fish of nearly any kind simmered in seawater, which may be flavored with garlic, peperoncini (small hot peppers), parsley, and other aromatics (What could be more practical than cooking fish in the water from which it came?).

The name "crazy water" derives from the fact that people stranded at sea without water would "go crazy" after drinking seawater (seawater, due to its incredibly high salt content, will wreak havoc on both mind and body if consumed in any quantity). Home chefs who do not have access to seawater may use a combination of filtered or bottled water to which sea salt (such as Fleur de Sel or Sel de Mer) has been added to taste; just go easy on the salt!

Answer: Panzanella

The legendary Italian actress Sophia Loren, remembering the hard times of her youth, has said that "As a child, during the war, when I'd see my grandmother busy preparing panzanella, I'd know right away that our household had run out of money. But I loved this kind of food so much that, in absolute childhood innocence, I'd wish those hard times would come upon us more often." This dish is sometimes known as "bread in a swamp"; making it properly requires a firm, rustic bread with a rather coarse texture (white sandwich bread simply won't work). Panzanella may also be prepared with cubes or slices of toasted or fried bread.

Answer: Cooked water

This is truly an example of the "cuisine of poverty"; many of these itinerant workers possessed only a single pot in which to cook their meals. In very lean times, they would fill the pot with water and add to it as many vegetables and aromatics as they could muster. The principal flavoring of acquacotta is a wild mint known as "mentuccia"; depending on which vegetables are available, the dish may be further enriched with carrots, tomatoes, peppers, and fava beans. The principal ingredients, however, remain...bread and water.

There is, incidentally, a Provencal equivalent of "acquacotta" known as "Aigo boulido" ("Boiled Water"); for this bit of information, I am indebted to Bruyere's excellent quiz on Provencal cuisine, q.v.

Answer: False

On the contrary, many recipes call for a cup or more of the water in which the pasta was cooked to be reserved and added to the sauce if necessary. Once the pasta has been cooked, the water thickens and retains some flavor both from the pasta itself and from the salt, which should always be added to the water for flavor (this should be done after the water comes to a boil, or it will take forever to boil). Sauces that have become too thick may be loosened by a bit of pasta water; also, a bit of the hot water added to pesto (which should never be cooked) will heat it just enough that it will blend well with the pasta.

Answer: Piedmont

Piedmont, whose capital is Turin, borders France on the west and Switzerland on the north; it was held by the French between 1778 and 1814. The earthy, herbal mayonnaise known as "bagnet", which is used on fish and cooked vegetables, has much in common with the Provencal garlic mayonnaise known as "aioli", as well as the Greek "taramasalata".

Answer: True

Not only is this true, but there are pasta sauces in which bread crumbs are the principal ingredient. For example, a pasta sauce known as "salsa povero" ("Poor sauce" or "poor man's sauce") consists entirely of bread crumbs and garlic, toasted in olive oil; the flavor is similar to pasta agli e olio, but with additional crunch.

Answer: La ribollita

La ribollita typically contains white cannelini beans, aromatic vegetables, chopped tomatoes, and greens such as cabbage, Swiss chard, or kale (in Tuscany, a black-leaf variety of kale is used, known as "cavolo nero"). This soup was typically made for factory workers, who would slowly reheat it during their morning's work.

At mealtime, it would be served over toasted or dried bread slices and drizzled with fragrant olive oil.

Answer: St. Joseph

A vast array of dishes are typically prepared for the feast of San Giuseppe, which was once a national holiday. These include breads of various shapes, such as the saint's beard, his shoes, and the various tools of his trade- saws, pliers, hammer, etc.

In Salemi, small fried croquettes are made of bread crumbs, eggs, cheese, garlic, and pepper. These are shaped like small fish and are known as "Pesce d'uova". Another typical dish is spaghetti with a sauce of fried bread crumbs and sugar.

Answer: Scacchi

A large variety of vegetables, as well as eggs, are used in this dish (which is also known as "azzime") to celebrate the coming of spring and the bounty of nature. No cheese is used, especially if the dish contains meat. Roman Jews number almost 30,000 and represent possibly the longest continuous Jewish community in the world, having inhabited the Eternal City for about 2,000 years.

Their cuisine, which is at once typically Roman and typically Jewish, includes such gems as the deep fried "carciofi alla giudia" ("Jewish-style" artichokes, which are fried until the leaves have the texture of crisp, thick potato chips with a creamy center), filetti di baccala, and grilled abbachio (baby lamb), the last of which is also served by non-Jewish Romans at Eastertime.

Answer: Granita

Granita derives its name from the granular texture of the ice. This simple, but eminently refreshing dessert is the forerunner of the more elegant sorbetto and of the so-called "Italian ices" so popular in America. Although the lemon variety is the best-known, granita need not be "di limone", there are versions featuring raspberry, watermelon, and espresso, among other flavors.