Cioccolata Calda
Not for the faint of heart, Cioccolata Calda is rich, thick, and full of real chocolate...
Cioccolata Calda
While it may not have the same recognition as Chocolate Cliente Mexicano, cioccolata calda is the decadent Italian chocolate treat you never knew you needed during the holiday season, until now. Unlike gelato, which is available year-round, cioccolata calda is only readily available in most Italian restaurants when the weather turns cool. If you aren't currently finding yourself at Catinari, where you can find arguablly the most decadent cioccolata calda, you can follow this recipe to get your chocoalte fix for the winter!
Not for the faint of heart, Cioccolata Calda is rich, thick, and full of real chocolate.
Cook Time: 15 mins Yield: Serves 2 to 4
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 cups milk
4 tablespoons sugar
1 cup chopped chocolate or chocolate chips
Instructions:
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over low heat.
Whisk in cornstarch until combined and melty. If you want the hot chocolate thicker, use the maximum amount of cornstarch.
Add in milk and sugar. Increase the heat gradually to medium-high. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Mixture will start to thicken.
Once the mixture begins to thicken, turn the heat down to low and add in the chocolate chips. Stir constantly until well melted.
Serve hot. Keep the leftovers because it is also amazing, if not better cold!
We hope you enjoyed learning how to craft your own Cioccolata Calda! To learn about all of the decadent offerings the Italian culture encapsulates, be sure to check out our full immersive Group and Private Classes!
Remembering A Spaghetti Westerner
While his name may not be at the forefront of the cinematic world, there is no denying that Bacalov has and will continue to impact the modern movie-goer through his timeless compositions...
Remembering A Spaghetti Westerner
Luis Bacalov, whose work is remembered from Italian crime movies, to spaghetti westerns, and more contemporarily, Quentin Tarantino films, died Nov. 15 at a hospital in Rome at the age of 84.
Bacalov was born near Buenos Aires but spent almost his entire life working in Italy, where he fused his take on the tango into many of his scores including “Il Postino” which would earn him not only an Oscar for best original dramatic score, but a permanent place in the hearts of spaghetti westerners around the world.
Though he was often overshadowed by famed composer and good friend, Ennio Morricone, who famously composed theme of the spaghetti western classic,“The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly” Mr. Bacalov composed some of the most memorable tracks of Italy’s 60s and 70s western boom.
Possibly the best example of his timelessness in composition is the title song for “Django” (1966), a Franco Nero movie that was so violent that it was banned in England for nearly 30 years. Quentin Tarantino took such a liking to the song that he came to be used it in the title sequence for his smash revisionist history hit, “Django Unchained,” thus joining the pair of Bacalov’s compositions used in the “Kill Bill” series.
While his name may not be at the forefront of the cinematic world, there is no denying that Bacalov has and will continue to impact the modern movie-goer through his timeless compositions.
We hope you enjoyed learning about one of the most influential spaghetti westerners, Luis Bacalov, and how his compositions changed the Italian cinema and culture. For more Italian culture, be sure to check out our highly rated, fully immersive group and private classes!
The Hidden Gems of Italy
There is a way to get in on an exclusive Italian experience once every year, so before you spend all of your hard earned money on that ticket to Italy, read on...
The Hidden Gems of Italy
If you had to make a list of places you visit every time you make a destination trip, would you happen to include a museum? If the answer is yes, you’re not alone, especially in Italy. Italian state museum revenues increased by almost 50 million euros between 2013-2016 and has seen an increased visitor rate of almost 19%. With the vast exhibitions, this shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, however it does mean that museums can be increasingly difficult to peruse without feeling like you’re standing cheek to cheek with strangers on the NYC transit system (which is your favorite pastime, right?).
There is, however, a way to get in on a more exclusive experience once every year, so before you spend all of your hard earned money on that ticket to Italy, read on.
The Fondo Ambiente Italiano (FAI) or National Trust of Italy hosts an annual “Spring Days” event in March that opens up many hidden gems of Italy including: buildings, villages, and gardens to visitors that are usually closed to the public.
This event includes 1,000 sites in 400 towns.
Among these, the art schedule includes 260 buildings and villas, 51 villages, 79 castles and towers, 90 small museums, 40 parks and natural areas, 20 archaeological areas, 7 military establishments and 20 academies, schools, and institutions, 16 industrial and business museums, 14 theaters and amphitheaters, 8 cemeteries, and 2 former psychiatric hospitals.
Arguably one of the most impressive hidden gems of Italy is the Brisighella Convent, which is so large that the nuns use scooters to get around. This alone is reason enough to start booking that trip.
To see the full list of the true hidden gems of Italy, feel free to check out the official FAI website here. This website is in Italian, however, so it would be recommended to have a translator handy! If you would like to be able to make your trip sans translator, there's no better accompaniment to experiencing these hidden gems than with your knowledge of Italian! Grazie!