Bread Cake and Parmigiana

Here are two classic recipes with an Italian twist: Bread Cake and Parmigiana.

Bread Cake

Ingredients

• 300 g of stale bread
• 500 ml of milk
• 3 eggs
• 100 g of sugar
• 80 g of raisins
• 1 apple
• 1 lemon (zest grated)
• 50 g of pine nuts
• 50 g of crushed amaretti biscuits
• 30 g of butter
• A pinch of salt
• A pinch of cinnamon (optional)

Preparation

1. Begin by soaking the stale bread in milk until it is well softened.
2. In a bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar, add the grated zest of the lemon, a pinch of salt, and, if you like, a bit of cinnamon.
3. Squeeze the bread to remove excess milk and crumble it, then add it to the egg mixture and stir well.
4. To the mixture, add the apple cut into small pieces, the raisins previously soaked in warm water and squeezed, the pine nuts, and the crushed amaretti biscuits.
5. Pour the mixture into a previously buttered and floured mold.
6. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C for about 45-50 minutes or until the surface of the cake is golden.
7. Let it cool before serving.

Parmigiana

Ingredients

• 2 large eggplants
• Olive oil for frying
• Salt
• 400 g of tomato puree
• 1 clove of garlic
• Fresh basil
• 250 g of mozzarella
• 100 g of grated Parmesan cheese
• Flour, as much as needed to flour the eggplants

Preparation

1. Cut the eggplants into slices of about half a centimeter and place them under salt for about an hour to remove the bitterness and excess liquid.
2. Meanwhile, prepare a simple sauce with tomato puree, garlic, and basil, cooking for about 15 minutes.
3. Rinse the eggplants, dry them, and coat them in flour, then fry them in hot olive oil until they are golden. Place them on paper towels to remove excess oil.
4. In a baking dish, pour some sauce on the bottom, then arrange a layer of eggplants, cover with some mozzarella, grated Parmesan, and a few basil leaves.
5. Continue alternating the layers, ending with sauce and a generous sprinkle of Parmesan.
6. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C for 25-30 minutes or until the surface is well browned and bubbly.
7. Let rest for a few minutes before serving.

Curiosity

The eggplant parmigiana is a dish with controversial origins; some consider it a recipe from Southern Italy, others see it as a typical dish of Emilian cuisine. In any case, it has become a symbol of conviviality and flavor richness of Italian cooking.