Our friend and fellow chilehead Marco Budinis reports from northern Italy.
Ciao, Dave. I took these shots at a winter town festival for St. Anthony in Chiavari.
These are various kinds of pickles, and some have peperoncini, like the pickled cherry peppers in the front row. For more information on pickling peppers, go here.
The sign reads “PEPERONCINO PER SPAGHETTATE” means “peppers for spaghetti dish,” and “RISCALDAMENTO AUTONOMO” means “self heating!” They are suggesting using these cherry peppers for a spaghetti dish. Here is another use for the cherry peppers:
Peperoni Capperi Acciuga Olive
This is the way I prepare cherry peppers–an easy recipe and very nice taste. They make a very good appetizer.
Ingredients: Cherry peppers, green olives, tuna fish (the one canned with extra virgin olive oil), garlic, parsley, capers, salt, and anchovies.
Directions: Clean the cherry peppers, removing seeds and placenta. Then cook them in equal amounts of vinegar and dry white wine for 5 to 6 minutes. Remove them and drain for 1 hour on paper towels. Place all of the other ingredients in a blender and pulse them until well mixed and you get a dense cream. Stuff the peppers with the cream and put in sterile jars, adding extra-virgin olive oil.