Biscotti Da Inzuppo and Gennaro’s Cucina

Gennaro’s Cucina: Hearty Money-Saving Meals from an Italian Kitchen, written by Gennaro Contaldo, features over 90 heritage recipes alongside beautiful photography and helpful tips. A few highlights include Chisciol (Cheesy Buckwheat Pancakes), Gnocchi alla Gratirouela (Egg and Parmesan Gnocchi), Testaroli (Lunigiana Pasta), Verza Ripiena (Stuffed Whole Cabbage), and Panadine Sarde (Sardinian Mini Meat Pies). I will also be sharing his recipe for Biscotti Da Inzuppo (Old-Fashioned Dunking Cookies) following the review.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from Interlink Books in exchange for my honest review. All comments and opinions are my own. This post contains Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase something through the link, I may receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.

Gennaro’s Cucina is currently available for pre-order and set to release on October 3rd, 2023.

Gennaro Contaldo

Gennaro Contaldo is an acclaimed chef, food writer, restauranteur, and TV personality. He grew up in Minori on the Amalfi coast and started working in restaurants at the age of eight.

He was the co-host of the series Two Greedy Italians with Antonio Carluccio, regularly appeared on Saturday Kitchen, and is also the author of many other books:

• Gnocchi al Limone (Lemon Gnocchi) and Gennaro’s Limoni
• Carbonara di Salmone Affumicato (Smoked Salmon Carbonara) and Gennaro’s Fast Cook Italian
• Ndundari con Salsa di Pomodoro e Basilico and Passione
• Pappardelle con Ragu di Funghi Misti and Gennaro’s Pasta Perfecto
• Panini All’Olio (Italian Olive Oil Rolls) and Panetteria

Gennaro’s Cucina

Gennaro begins Gennaro’s Cucina with a short introduction focusing on Cucina Povera and cooking with the seasons. There is a heavy emphasis on using up leftovers and minimizing waste.

Chapters are divided based on ingredient: Rice, Polenta, and Grains; Beans and Legumes; Bread; Potatoes; Eggs; Pasta; Vegetables; Meat and Fish; and Sweet Treats.

The photography is provided by David Loftus with food styling by Pip Spence. Many of the recipes are paired with half to full page photo of the finished dish.

Measurements are listed in US Customary and Metric. Titles are written in Italian with the English translation underneath. Each recipe has a headnote with background information, serving ideas, yield, helpful tips, and ingredient notes.

Biscotti Da Inzuppo (Old-Fashioned Dunking Cookies)

Biscotti Da Inzuppo is the very last recipe in the book and such a wonderful ending. These Old-Fashioned Dunking Cookies come together easily for a perfect pairing alongside warm milk or a Caffé Latte.

Simply bring together the soft dough (no resting times!), cut and form into individual ovals, sprinkle with a little sugar, and bake until golden.

Sift the flour before adding to the mixture to help create a more soft dough and blend more evenly. I used all-purpose flour, but you can also make the cookies with “00” pasta flour.

The Biscotti Da Inzuppo are best the day they are baked, but will last for up to a week in an airtight container at room temperature.

Other Dishes

I also made Passatelli in Brodo (Breadcrumb and Parmesan Pasta), Canderli Agli Spinaci (Canderli with Spinach), Pallotte Cacio e Ova (Cheese and Egg Balls), and Tortelli al Magro (Tortelli filled with Swiss Chard).

Like many of the recipes in this book, this Passatelli in Brodo (Breadcrumb and Parmesan Pasta) is such a comforting use for leftovers- in this case, stale breadcrumbs. The breadcrumbs are combined with Parmesan, eggs, nutmeg, and lemon to form a dough. They are then pressed through a potato ricer and cooked in chicken stock.

I have made the Speck version, but the vegetarian Canderli Agli Spinaci (Canderli with Spinach) is now going into the regular rotation. Pieces of bread and spinach are formed into dumplings and simmered in vegetable stock. They are delicious with butter and a little grated Parmesan.

The Pallotte Cacio e Ova (Cheese and Egg Balls) come from the Abruzzo region. A mixed assortment of leftover cheese is paired with stale bread, eggs, and garlic, then formed into balls and fried until golden. They are served with a quick and easy tomato sauce.

The Tortelli al Magro (Tortelli filled with Swiss Chard) was my personal favorite. This meatless, half moon-shaped pasta is filled with a Swiss chard (or spinach) and ricotta mixture. After boiling until tender, they are paired with a light melted butter and crisp sage sauce.

Gennaro’s Cucina is a great pick for those interested in Italian cuisine using everyday pantry staples. There is an incredible variety of dishes for every season, highlighting both meat and vegetables. Some recipes come together quickly in as little as 30 minutes while others require a bit more prep.

Most of the ingredients are readily available in larger American grocery stores. A few items that may require further searching include risotto rice, pearled spelt, pancetta, barley flour, chickpea flour, Scamorza cheese, beef tripe, lamb neck, and pasta flour.

Biscotti Da Inzuppo (Old-Fashioned Dunking Cookies) Recipe

Excerpt from Gennaro’s Cucina

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Biscotti Da Inzuppo (Old-Fashioned Dunking Cookies)

A recipe for Biscotti Da Inzuppo (Old-Fashioned Dunking Cookies)! These lightly sweetened cookies are perfect for pairing with warm milk or a caffé latte.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Italian

Keyword biscotti, cookie, dessert, Italian, Italy

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

0 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 15 Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 envelope (1/2 ounce, 16 gram) Paneangeli baking powder or 4 teaspoons regular baking powder
• 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) lukewarm milk 105-115˚F, 40-46˚C
• 1 cup scant (180 grams) sugar plus extra for sprinkling
• 2 eggs
• Pinch sea salt
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1/3 cup (80 milliliters) olive oil
• 4 1/2 cups (550 grams) all-purpose flour or "00" pasta flour sifted

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350˚F (180˚C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Stir the baking powder into the lukewarm milk and set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and eggs for about 5 minutes until creamy.
• Stir in the salt, lemon zest, and olive oil, then gradually fold in the sifted flour and the baking powder/milk mixture.
• Mix together well to make a soft dough, then tip onto the work surface and knead for 10 minutes.
• Shape the dough into a 3 foot (1 meter) long sausage, approximately 1 1/2 inches (4 centimeters) wide, then cut into approximately 2 1/2 inch (6.5 centimeter) lengths. You should end up with 15 pieces.
• With your hands, flatten and length each piece slightly, rounding off the ends.
• Space the shaped pieces of dough out onto the prepared baking sheet, sprinkle with a little sugar, then bake in the oven for 20 minutes, until lightly golden.
• Remove from the oven, leave to cool completely on the baking sheet, then serve.
• These cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week (if they last that long!).