WARM APPLE FRITTERS
Early fall gifts: two cozy apple recipes plus an exclusive live cooking class with Tuscan chef Giulia Scarpaleggia this SUNDAY, at 3 PM EST!
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Hello!
Today’s letter offers a brief detour from Hungarian Food Appreciation Week because it’s peak apple season, both here and in many parts of Europe, and I have a special treat in store for you that can’t wait.
Some of you may remember that last fall, I shared a favorite book by Tuscan-born food writer Giulia Povera, Cucina Povera, with recipes for Giulia’s Nettle Gnudi and her beloved Italian Apple Cake, which has become a house favorite.
Giulia, or Juls as her friends call her, is a deeply evocative writer with a passion for cooking from the land, in the season, and in tune with her ancestors. Her book and work resonate deeply with me because she lives much like we live in Hungary—raising her daughter in a house next to her Grandmother, spending time among three generations—with a large focus on gathering, cooking, and enjoying every meal.
In more ways than one, Italy and Hungary are food adjacent—they are neighbors with shared Roman history who even shared a border for several decades (Trieste, now part of Italy, which I wrote about here, was once the crown jewel and only seaport of the Austro-Hungarian empire). More importantly, they share a sensibility about cooking with what’s available and in season, not wasting, and making something memorable and extraordinary from simple ingredients.
In central Hungary, like in Tuscany, where Giulia lives, apples are honored for their versatility, affordability, and flavor. You’ll find them in soups like Andras’ mother’s gyümölcsleves (which I’ve made 3 times already this month), rustic apple strudels, eye-catching tarts, humble cakes—and one of my absolute favorites, Apple Fritters.
Apple fritters are a cherished recipe in Giulia’s household, and she’s been generous enough to share her Grandmother’s recipe with us here. It’s not a stretch to say that her Nonna’s fritters remind me so much of Andras’ mother—Erzsébet, or Nagymama as she’s known to all of us. She is quick to deep fry all kinds of treats, from elderflower bundles battered in a light batter to fall fruits dusted in confectioner’s sugar or cinnamon.
Admittedly, I have been less brave about firing up a pot of frying oil, except on the most special occasions, but that changes now. Giulia’s description of the pleasures of eating these simple fall treats has me already hooked:
“You bite into the soft apples enshrined in a sugary batter and finish licking up your fingers.”
This Sunday, at 3 PM EST / 9 PM Central European Time, Giulia and I will be cooking together live for her audience and mine. Darlings, I am thrilled. This is about as close as we get to a European vacation at the start of the school year, and I’m not wasting it. Imagine you, me, Giulia (a renowned Tuscan cooking teacher), and plenty of her fans and followers from all over the world joining in on a shared Zoom class from her kitchen in Tuscany and mine in New York. It’s a dream of a Sunday afternoon.
We will be walking through Guilia’s Apple Fritters and my Easier Than Pie Apple Tart—which many of you may know but may have never made. The tart couldn’t be simpler and more gratifying to serve, but it’s worth making it together for the first time to learn how to fan those apples and the secrets to getting a perfect crust.
The recipe and link to join in are below for all paid subscribers, who will also have access to a recorded version afterward, so you can cook along whenever it suits you (Guilia says her guests often watch once to chat and learn, then rewatch and cook along a second time. The video is yours to revisit whenever you’d like!)
Let me know in the comments if you’ll be joining, so I can look forward to seeing you there!
As you prepare for our weekend together, I leave you with other particularly special writings from Giulia, like On Food and Hospitality and The Story of the Table that has Been in our Home for 40 Years, so you can get a feel for her world.
See you Sunday! I’ll be back soon with one more Hungarian comfort food recipe for fall days ahead.
xx
Sarah
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RECIPE I - Frittelle di mele (Apple Fritters)
Recipe and words (below) by Giulia Scarpaleggia, creator of Juls’ Kitchen and Letters from Tuscany, author of Cucina Povera. Photos by Tommaso Galli