Writer Grace Flynn

As an Australian, I was quite surprised to learn that the unofficial dinner time in Italy sits somewhere between 8pm and 9pm. This was especially puzzling to me considering the rather unfortunate scoff-a-sandwich-at-your-desk lunchtime ritual so many of us Aussies partake in. How can Italian’s stave off hunger until close to what may or may not be my unofficial bedtime? The answer would be aperitivo.

Along with honouring lunch or ‘pranzo’ as the main meal of the day, one of the key ingredients to the Italian eating schedule is aperitivo. Derived from the Latin verb ‘aperire’, meaning to open, the ritual of a pre-dinner drink and snack is about opening one’s appetite up before dinner while enjoying the company of friends and family. Although it’s not an everyday event, aperitivo is always an option in Italy, taking place at around 7pm or 8pm and typically involving a bitter alcoholic beverage, like the popular negroni or americano, alongside olives, cheeses, meats and bread.

Of course, the best way to learn anything is by doing. So, if you’re looking for the best joints in Perth to dabble in the age-old practice of the Italian aperitivo, we’ve got you covered.

La Sosta

Fremantle’s La Sosta has long been a favourite spot for Italian cuisine, boasting fresh homemade pasta dishes, authentic antipasti and an extensive wine list. Meaning ‘stopover’, La Sosta is certainly a top place to stop by for an afterwork drink and nibble, Italian-style. Staying for a full meal is also a good idea. Since opening in 2012, the family-owned restaurant has expanded over two levels and features an Insta-worthy alfresco dining area overlooking the city streets.

Source La Sosta Facebook

Mummucc’

Offering delectable Italian fare, an exceptional wine list and the best martini Tania has ever had (which is no small feat!), Mummucc’ is easily one of the best spots to aperitivo in Perth. Opened by Tania’s good friend Tania Nicolo alongside her partner Ryan Bookless, the elegant wine bar is situated just a stroll away from the couples’ popular pizzeria, Monsterella. Oh, and in case you didn’t know, Mummucc’ (pronounced ‘ma-mooch’) is Abruzzese dialect for ‘dearest mother.’

Source Mummucc’ Instagram

StreetFood dal Porco

This Beaufort Street beauty is being hailed as one of Perth’s most authentic Italian trattorias. If you’re looking to indulge in some proper Italian charcoal barbequed meats like ‘Bistecca alla Fiorentina’ , arrosticini, and mouthwatering crostini alongside your favourite birra or vino (StreetFood is BYO only), look no further

Source Streetfood Dal Porco Facebook

La Madonna Nera

Led by Fiona Di Lanzo, La Madonna Nera is a cosy Italian wine bar situated on Scarborough Beach Road in Mount Hawthorn. Showcasing native Italian varieties as well as Australian drops, La Madonna Nera’s wine list is sure to impress, along with its contemporary Italian menu.

Testun

Brought to Mount Lawley by the owners of well-known Italian trattoria Threecoins, neo-Italian osteria Testun is sure to surprise with its inventive menu and bold interiors. Located on Beaufort Street, the wine bar offers classic aperitivi like limoncello spritz, vermouth and olio martini, making it a great spot for Italophiles to enjoy a Friday bevvy.

Source Testun Facebook

I am just loving the summery combinations of mango and coconut at the moment and we just grabbed a whole lot of lemons from a close by tree so I’m putting them to good use in a lot of my cooking. Enjoy these gorgeous Panna Cotta pots- perfect for your Christmas table this year. Use any jar you recycle, even if they are odd sizes ….all the cuter I say!

PANNA COTTA

PANNA COTTA

600 ml fresh cream

12gr gelatin powder (if you like it more soft just use 8 gr powder)

120g sugar

1 sachet vanillina

Rind of a lemon

Mango topping-

2 ripe mangoes

Juice of a lemon 

2 tablespoons sugar

Melt the sugar and vanilla in the cream over a low heat. Turn off heat and add the gelatine powder. Whisk through. Add the lemon rind. Pour into glasses and allow to cool before putting in fridge to set. 

For the mango topping put everything into the pan and bring to the boil gently until the liquid has evaporated and the mango is cooked. Allow to cool. Top the panna cotta and sprinkle with coconut (or not).

WATCH my instagram reel here to follow the method https://www.instagram.com/the_little_italian_school/

PETRALI - DOLCI NATALIZI - Italian Christmas Sweets

Ingredients

PASTRY

250gr 00 Flour

75gr Sugar

75gr Lard

3 egg yolks

1 x satchel vanilla

pinch of salt

zest of a lemon

(a little bit of water if too crumbly)

FILLING

175gr dried figs (ground)

75gr toasted almonds (ground)

150gr walnuts (ground)

1/4 cup vin cotto

Squeeze of honey

Teaspoon of cocoa powder

Teaspoon cinamon

Rind of an orange (or a lemon if you don’t have an orange)

NB mixture should be firm and easy to roll into balls to use for filling. Pastry should rest for half hour in fridge.

WATCH THE METHOD HERE. Cook on around 180c until golden

Here is a ‘make do recipe’ because I had some bacon left over in the fridge. The original recipe calls for Bucatini pasta and guanciale but I only had spaghetti in the store room and the bacon in the fridge. This recipe is straight from the mamma of my very close friend in Rome.

Ingredients -

1 packet of Spaghetti (or Bucatini)

1 small salad onion (or any mild onion)

Half cup white wine

250gr packet of bacon (or guanciale)

2 cans of peeled tomatoes (or Mutti polpa)

1 of the cans of tomato filled with water (rinse your cans and add to sauce)

Pecorino Romano grated (to have on top after served - if you like it)

Watch the video for the method below. Once the sauce has simmered and reduced back to a nice thickness it’s ready.

Ingredients -

8 large lemons (washed and dried)

1 litre pure alcohol (if you can’t find pure alcohol you can use vodka but use half the amount of water)

800 gr sugar

1 litre water

Method -

Peel the skins of the lemons and soak in the alcohol for about a week or a little longer if you like. Once soaked, make the sugar syrup (water and sugar) and when it cools, add the lemon infused alcohol, bottle and store in freezer.

Here’s a video with the method

Ingredients -

• 350 gr arborio rice (put in a bowl topped with water and soak for 5 minutes before use)

• 300 ml bolognese sauce pre made

• 200 ml milk

• 250 gr mozzarella

• 50 gr grated parmesan

• butter to grease pan and blotch the first layer

• salt

• pepper
  

  Watch instagram reel here for method https://www.instagram.com/p/Chlg-T3laoJ/

I just adore a sweet (but never too sweet) Italian ‘colazione’ (breakfast) of a jumbo cup of ‘latte e caffe`’ (milk and coffee) and a huge dunkable ‘biscotto da inzuppo’ (dunking biscuit).

These biscotti are also great for afternoon tea if you prefer. I made these a little thinner than usual but you can cut them thicker no problem!

Ingredients -

• 3 Eggs

• 200 g Sugar

• 1/2 Grated lemon zest, or vanilla essence

• 80 g Milk

• 150 ml Sunflower oil

• 600 g 00 flour

• 1 bag instant yeast for sweets

  (alternatively you can use self raising flour)

Watch the reel via instagram for the method. https://www.instagram.com/the_little_italian_school/

Cook on about 180c for 15-20 min

Plain. Simple. Delicious. Easy to make. Never gets old.

3 eggs

12 tablespoons sugar

12 tablespoons self raising flour

12 tablespoons sunflower oil

6 tablespoons milk

rind of two lemons grated

Mix the wet ingredients first. Add sugar. Mix. Add flour. Mix.

LEMON GLAZE

A few tablespoons of icing sugar. Squeeze the juice from the lemons into it and stir. If too runny just slowly add more icing sugar. If not runny enough add tiny amounts of more lemon juice at a time until you get ‘your’ perfect consistency

Ingredients -

500gr 00 flour

2 eggs

3/4 cup sugar

250 gr butter (cubed and room temp)

Lemon rind from 1 lemon

Method - mix the butter and flour together so it forms a crumble. Add the rest and knead away. Watch reel over at instagram for the rest https://www.instagram.com/the_little_italian_school/

Buona Pasqua a tutti!

Doing Pasqua like my maternal side this year with these Cuzzupe Calabresi - delicious Easter brioche. My 97 year old Calabrese Nonna gave them the thumbs up.

2 eggs

650gr flour (I used half 00 and half Manitoba)

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup milk

75ml sunflower oil

1 teaspoon dry yeast

Rind of a lemon

Method - head to instagram to watch also https://www.instagram.com/the_little_italian_school/

The dough should be kind of sticky so if yours looks dry add a touch of extra milk. Use flour to work the ball before you let rise the first time (overnight if you like or do it early in the morning and let rise for about 6 hours. Once shaped let them rise for another couple of hours).

Shape them and decorate them with the hard boiled egg and the cross like the traditional ones in the above pic , otherwise shape them into a twist and pop some choc drops in them like the last one like the pic below (just don’t dare call them Cuzzupe afterwards or the internet police will attack)

Oven on 180c until they are dark brown.

Enjoy dunked in some ‘latte e caffe`’ !

Sweet Brioche (Cuzzupe recipe) with Choc Chips