What is a Frezzelle, you ask? Well, if you’re Italian, you may already know. If you just happen to like Italian food, read on.
Since I wrote about my family of Italian cooks in my memoir anthology, and the types of foods they used to make, I thought I’d share another one today. Frezzelles were part of our Italian food tradition.
Living in Florida, I can no longer find Frezzelles, but where I grew up (suburban Chicago), I could find them at many corner stores. Just the sight of them makes me long for days gone by with Grandma and Mom making me one of these. I can almost smell the garlic and oregano.
This is not a recipe post, but if you happen to find these crusty, bread delights, you can use this description as a template.
The above, doughnut-looking shape of bread is quite hard. Grandma used to rub a raw piece of garlic over its crusty middle and around the edges. Since it’s too hard to bite into, she then sprinkled water over it to soften for chewing.
We added spices and whatever food suited our fancy that day, or whatever we had handy. Add ingredients in whatever order you wish. Here we have balsamic vinegar and olive oil, a cold-cut like salami, prosciutto, capicola or sopressata, cheese like provolone or fontina, tomatoes and spices like salt, pepper, oregano. Basically, an open face Italian sub sandwich on very crusty bread. (Fonts in different color are the actual ingredients on this particular frezzelle).
There are many ways you can top this delicious Italian hard bread. I found a fantastico food blogger from Chicago who put it together much better than I. She added green olives, roasted red peppers and capers. OMG! Next time I visit back home to Chicago, I think I’ll go knock on her door for a meal. Her blog proves her to be a phenomenal Italian cook. Check out the photos of her assembly here.
Thanks for going down the food memory lane with me today. If you missed the last installment of my free memoir series, or any of the installments, click here to read.
Mmm, you’re making my mouth water!
LikeLike
Thanks for checking it out, Andrea. 🙂
LikeLike
Never had this … Lori. I just have to try one in Chicago … we can’t even get bagels in Sweden, it has started to top up on some cafes but I can buy them anywhere. I know I would enjoy this .. so you have to tell me where to find them in Chicago. Thanks for the link.
LikeLike
Hey, I don’t know of any restaurants that serve frezzelles. We buy them at the grocery store and put them together at home. They are nothing like bagels. I think Italians peasants first started making these to put stale bread to use. This tastes like Italian bread, but it’s really, really hard. Has to be softened with water. Thanks for checking it out. I was wondering if you’d heard of them.
LikeLike
Okay … never heard of – what a pity that I can’t buy them on a cafe ready made.
Interesting about the water … I have to ask Bebs, if she knows if there any cafe serving them.
LikeLike
Found a place – http://www.rosals.com/welcome/ – italian restaurang.
LikeLike
Cool! You found one. My dad grew up in that area. I’m going the link to him and see if he’s familiar with the restaurant. Thanks for sharing this.
LikeLike
If we will meet up in Chicago .. lets go there for lunch.
It seems like the restaurant has been closed for a while, just reopened.
LikeLike
Gosh, I sure do hope I can get up there to meet you. It would be so cool to meet at that restaurant.
LikeLike
Lori, I’m sure we will be able to find a great Italian restaurant in Tampa too.
LikeLike
Viveka, I’m sorry to say, there are very few good restaurants here. I don’t even know that I could recommend any. However, I just got an email from my dad about Rosal’s, and said he hears good things about it. Yay!
LikeLike
No good restaurants … ????!!! I have do a google search.
Fantastic, it’s not so fare away from our hotel, short cab ride. Will put it on the bucket list. *smile
LikeLike
Mmm, those look good! There’s nothing quite like food for triggering those memories of good times.
LikeLike
Frezzelles are new to me but look delicious. Food is such a memory hook. Just thinking about it makes me nostalgic for my own favourites, the food my body craves if I don’t feel 100%.
LikeLike
You’re so right about food. It’s a very strong memory hook. Thanks for checking it out, EllaDee.
LikeLike
OH that looks delicious! I must NOT look at these things while in bed at night with an empty tummy!
LikeLike
Good thing you didn’t check out my recipe page then. Heh. Thanks for stopping by, Aussa.
LikeLike
Funny…I just made one for myself. The garlic really does the trick.
LikeLike
Aww, not fair. I didn’t get to have one with you. 😦 You put lots of garlic.
LikeLike
Looks wonderful. I could picture some fresh mozzarella and tomatoes on it with a drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette. Yum.
LikeLike
You got the picture, Carrie. That sounds good. 🙂
LikeLike
Mine mine!
LikeLike
Don’t worry, Armetta, there’s enough to go around. 😉
LikeLike
Oh so very yummy!!!!
LikeLike
Yep, it’s so very delicious. BTW, I thought you were going to David’s Bridal for a bride’s dress at first. Heh. Glad it went well for you. I didn’t have any trouble with a bridesmaid dress when I went their either.
LikeLike
Ha, yeah no. Funny enough they called me this afternoon asking if I needed to look for one. How weird is that?
LikeLike
Ha, ha, that’s funny.
LikeLike
That looks delicious!
LikeLike
Oh, it’s a delight. Thanks for stopping by, Anneli.
LikeLike
Garlic rubbed on it, mmmm! that with prosciutto alone already makes me hungry 😀
LikeLike
Ooh, you know what might be good? Adding a tapenade. Thanks for stopping by, Andy.
LikeLike
oohh most definitely tapenade! 🙂
LikeLike