“Romeo, oh Romeo, where forth art thou Romeo?”

Those famous words from Juliet to her lover in Verona, Italy as penned by Shakespeare in his classic melodrama “Romeo and Juliet”.  The heroine of that story underscores this month’s movie theme for “Food ‘n Flix”:  “Letters To Juliet”.

Also set in Verona, Italy, a young American woman is inspired by the real-life activity of people writing letters to Juliet and inserting them into the walls of Juliet’s courtyard.  ‘Secretaries of Juliet’ reply to those who wrote the letters.   The story unfolds about the romantic lives of two women, one young and one in mid-life and how their endeavors play out in the hills of Italy.  Of course it all ends happily, but if you’re interested in more of the details of the film, click on this {link}.

OK, so I began to think about what might be a typical dish that originated from Verona, Italy.  Not knowing much about the city’s cuisine, I did some research.  I discovered that Tiramisu was created in Verona, that unforgettably sweet peaches and cherries flourish there, that Valpolicella wine and some of Italy’s finest extra-virgin olive oil are both produced in Verona and finally, there is a traditional gnocchi recipe that is sweetened with sugar and cinnamon, known as: “Gnocchi con Zucchero e’ Cannella”, an Italian dish that I have never tasted, nor ever heard of.  So to help me get out of my comfort zone and try something new, I chose this unusual recipe.  I really wanted to make a peach mascarpone cheesecake, but I didn’t want to turn on the oven and bake in this 100 degree summer heat that we’re experiencing this week.  More of Verona, Italy’s specialty dishes and foods can be found at this {link}.

I also found that there are several ways to make this gnocchi.  One way is for dessert and the other method is for an entree version.  Mr. M. and P. (meat and potatoes) would have nothing to do with the entree recipe and so I made both versions to keep him happy.  I don’t know what I’m going to do with him sometimes.

 

 

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Gnocchi con Zucchero e’ Cannella

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  • Author: Roz
  • Prep Time: 0 hours
  • Additional Time: 0 hours
  • Cook Time: 0 hours
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Ingredients

Units Scale

  • Potato gnocchi – 16 oz. or about 50 dumplings
  • 8 oz. melted butter
  • 5 tsp. sugar
  • 1 ground cinnamon

Instructions

  1. In salted, boiling water, cook the gnocchi for about 10 minutes or until they rise to the top of the water.
  2. Strain the cooked gnocchi and discard the water.
  3. Place the gnocchi in a medium-size pasta bowl.
  4. Pour in the melted butter.
  5. Add the sugar and cinnamon.
  6. Stir gently.

For the savory entree version of this recipe, simply follow the recipe above, but also ADD:
8 Tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Stir in gently with the other ingredients.

The verdict:  Mr. M. and P. said it was just OK, but not to worry about making it again. I felt that the entree version was acceptable, but know that there are so many other Italian recipes that are so much better!  But I don’t think Southern ‘greens’ are a big deal either and I know Southerners who drool over the word alone.  I did, however, enjoy the dessert version without the Parmesan cheese, and could easily enjoy this as a warm, late-night treat!  It needs to be noted that Italians do not eat or enjoy super-sweet desserts, but rather prefer fruit and cheese at the end of a meal, or something subtle in sweetness such as in this gnocchi!

I’m glad I learned about and tried something new!  That’s always fun and interesting, don’t you think?

Food‘nFlix