Recipe: Le Frito de Venexia for Cee Cee

Hi Cee Cee,

I looked for a recipe for what you described but could not find anything that was Slavic. However I did find this recipe on an Italian web-site that sounds very much like what you are describing. I would just omit the pine nuts Hope this helps.

LE FRITOE DE VENEXIA (Venetian Frittelle, 1997 ItalyTravelNet)

2 3/4 cups flour
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 packets fresh yeast, dissolved in 1/2 cup tepid (baby bottle temperature) white vinegar with a pinch of salt the grated peel of one lemon
1 Tablespoon pine nuts
1 Tablespoon candied lemon peel, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup golden raisins, soaked in rum
Oil or lard for frying
Powdered sugar

Mix together flour, sugar, lemon peel in a large bowl. Make an indentation in the middle and add the yeast-salt-vinegar mixture. Mix with a wooden spoon and add some water (or milk) to obtain a soft and elastic dough.

Knead the dough at length. Then put it in a warm place for a few hours and cover it with a dishcloth.

Knead the dough again for a few minutes, then add pine nuts, raisins (with liquor) and candied lemon peel. The dough should be almost "flowing" by now.

Dip a soup spoon into boiling water, then use it to pour the dough spoonful by spoonful into an abundant amount of boiling oil, which should not be smoking.

Fry until the frittelle are golden (turn over once), remove and let drain on paper towels. Cover them with powdered sugar and serve warm, piled one upon the other in the shape of a cupola.

For a zabaglione recipe, go to Giuliano Bugialli's "Bugialli's Italy."

- Dori Sippel