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The Food of Piemonte: Le mele

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Is there a fruit in the world imbued with more significance than the apple? Whether it’s Eve offering a shiny red one to Adam or your mom telling you to eat one a day, apples are more than just a simple fruit.

While Piemonte is well-known for its production of rice and wine, did you know that it is also a major producer of apples? In fact, Italy is one of the top five apple-producing nations in the world. Apples are grown in Piemonte, as well as Emilia Romagna, the Veneto, Campagna and Trentino Alto Adige.

In Piemonte, apples are grown in areas such as Cavour, Bibiana and Pinerolo. Approximately 70 per cent of the apples grown in Piemonte are of the Golden Delicious type. Another 15 per cent are of the Red Delicious cultivar. The remaining 15 per cent is comprised of a variety of apples including Gala.

The Piemontesi also turn out varieties that are designated as "Ancient Piemonte Apples". This designation has been trademarked by the Paniere of the Provincia di Torino, which recognizes the production of local products that are tied to the region’s history. There are eight antique varieties of apple that claim this designation and they have names like Buras, Calvilla bianca, Grigia di Torriana and Magnana.

As our Olympic meal slowly winds down, I decided that an apple dish would be a fitting way to begin our farewell to this region of Italy. While researching the cuisine of Piemonte, I came across a cookbook called A Passion for Piedmont by Matt Kramer. While I generally do not buy cookbooks sight unseen, I did so with this one. Call it cook’s intuition,but I just felt that this would be a treasure of Piemontesi recipes … I’m glad to say that I was right.

One of the recipes that instantly caught my eye was the Apple and Bread Crumb Cake. This is exactly the type of sweet that I would expect to see on a Piemontese table. A simple cake, it shines because of the quality of the individual ingredients, in this case, the juiciest apples and the crumbs of a rustic loaf of country bread.

The subtitle of Kramer’s book is:  Italy’s Most Glorious Regional Table. My "travels" across Piemonte during these Olympics have shown me that this title is most fitting!

Ciao!

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Apple and Bread Crumb Cake

Adapted from A Passion for Piedmont by Matt Kramer.

  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter
  • Dscn11983 pounds, Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced (the original recipe indicates that you can also use McIntosh)
  • 2-1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs (I used a typical Italian country bread. I sliced off the crust and processed the interior of the bread in the food processor to make the fresh bread crumbs.)
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 6 tablespoons apricot jam
  • juice of 1 lemon
  1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a loaf pan (8 x 4-inches). Line the bottom of the pan with waxed paper or parchment paper. Butter the paper and set the pan aside.
  2. In a large skillet, melt a 1/4 of the butter. Add the apples and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the apples have softened. This should take between 15 and 20 minutes. Once the apples are cooked transfer them to a bowl.
  3. Dscn1201_1In the same skillet, melt the remaining 1/2 cup of butter. Add the bread crumbs, the sugar and the cinnamon. Combine and cook over medium heat until the bread crumbs have absorbed the butter and turned golden. This should take 5 to 10 minutes.
  4. Once this is done you are now ready to begin assembling the cake.
  5. Sprinkle 1/3 of the bread crumbs in the bottom of the loaf pan and pat them down firmly with a spoon.
  6. Spread 1/2 of the apricot jam over this layer as smoothly as possible.
  7. Place half the apples over the jam, smoothing the apples out and pressing them down firmly. Sprinkle half of the lemon juice over the apples.
  8. Repeat with 1/3 of the bread crumbs. Spread the remaining apricot jam over the bread crumb layer and top with the remaining apples. Press down firmly to ensure that the entire loaf pan is filled and that there are no air pockets. Sprinkle the remaining lemon juice over the apples.
  9. Top with the final 1/3 of the bread crumbs. Press them down as evenly as possible.
  10. Bake the cake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until it is nicely golden and bubbling at the sides.
  11. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool completely. I advise keeping it in the loaf pan for at least eight hours before inverting it onto a plate. I left my cake in the pan for about 12 hours.
  12. When you’re ready to remove the cake, run a thin knife all around the sides of the pan. Carefully invert the cake onto a dish. Peel the parchment paper off.
  13. Serve the cake with ice cream or whipped cream.
  14. Enjoy!

Note:  This cake serves 6 to 8 people. My research into apple production in Piemonte led me to www.italianfood.about.com and www.piemonte.magazine.it. You can visit those sites for more information.

33 Comments

Kat & Satoshi

02/26/06 at 7:23 pm

what a lovely way to end the Olympics!! Thanks for taking us on this delish journey :)

Tania

02/26/06 at 8:01 pm

Delicious! As I wipe the last crumb from my lips, I must thank you for your superb Olympic meal. I think you deserve the gold medal!

Ivonne

02/26/06 at 11:23 pm

Hi Kat!

Thanks so much. It’s hard to believe the journey is coming to an end!

Hi Tania,

Thanks … I can’t believe the Olympics are over!

Jennifer

02/27/06 at 12:43 am

I don’t know what makes me sadder, the end to the Olympics or the end to this series of your posts! This apple cake looks like a yummy way to end both.

Jeanne

02/27/06 at 10:52 am

This cake looks delish! I learned a lot through your posts and also through mine :-). I think you and I need to meet in Piedmont to eat!

Ivonne

02/27/06 at 2:49 pm

Hi Jennifer,

Well aren’t you sweet! I’m going to miss the Olympics … and the travel through Piemonte as well.

Hi Jeanne,

Just say when and where and I will gladly meet you there!

:o)

Karina

02/27/06 at 3:39 pm

What an interesting apple dish. I just never tire of apples and cinnamon.

Jenny

02/27/06 at 4:42 pm

Well done, Ivonne (the Olympic blogging series as well as this cake). This recipe looks great. I’m always a sucker for apple desserts.

Bea at La Tartine Gourmande

02/27/06 at 6:11 pm

Nice looking dessert Ivonne! I eat apples every day, and received ideas for cooked versions is always welcomed! Great informatin. When I travel to Italy, I will make sure to ask you the best spots first!

Ivonne

02/27/06 at 8:54 pm

Hi Karina,

I couldn’t agree more!

Hi Jenny,

So am I! My favourite dessert is still apple pie.

Bonjour Bea!

My friend, anytime you are travelling to Italy just let me know and I’d be glad to give you some tips.

Raspberry Sour

02/27/06 at 10:29 pm

Hi Ivonne, your post reminded me of an article in the New Yorker’s annual food issue- a profile of Dalla Ragione who uses art history (by studying old still lifes of fruit) to trace the native fruits of Italy. Along with her father, she trecks all over the country finding obscure, lone trees and rescuing them into her orchard, or fruit museum. It’s fascinating, and I’d never realized that Italy had so many varieties of fruit, especially apples and pears, which had been lost (and rather recently, mostly in the last 50 years from what I recall).

There’s a copy available here, if you, or anyone else, is interested.
http://www.booknoise.net/johnseabrook/stories/culture/pears/

Cheers, RS

hag

02/27/06 at 11:14 pm

That recipe sounds great and very easy. Thanks for sharing your Italian Olympic recipes, it has been fun and very informative.

Pmoed

02/27/06 at 11:45 pm

You get my vote too for the gold medal. What a fantastic idea to research and cook food from the Torino area. Brava!

Ceendy

02/27/06 at 11:45 pm

I am so awed with your devotion on researching Piemontesi food and tradition! It has been a remarkable series and I even got to try one of your recipes.
Finally, this farewell recipe seems simple to make yet leaves a deep impression because of its background.

Bravo, Ivonne :)

Cindy

02/28/06 at 6:34 am

As usual it looks gorgeous. I love apples, can I have a piece ?

BNA

02/28/06 at 9:37 am

Mouth-watering and informative…my favorite kind of post!

Mark

02/28/06 at 10:00 am

Ivonne:

Once I saw Apricot Jam, I knew I was hooked! :-)

They look great…

- Mark

Ivonne

02/28/06 at 7:54 pm

Hi Raspberry Sour,

Thank you for that link. I was impressed at the efforts being put forth in Piemonte to cultivate old varietals of not just apples, but many fruits.

Hi Hag,

I’m glad you enjoyed the Olympic posts!

Hi Patricia,

Thank you so much!

Hi Ceendy,

Mille grazie!

Hi Cindy,

Thank you! Merci!

Hi BNA,

I’m glad you like it!

Hi Mark,

Yes … the apricot jam got me too!

Ivonne

02/28/06 at 7:55 pm

Hi Raspberry Sour,

Thank you for that link. I was impressed at the efforts being put forth in Piemonte to cultivate old varietals of not just apples, but many fruits.

Hi Hag,

I’m glad you enjoyed the Olympic posts!

Hi Patricia,

Thank you so much!

Hi Ceendy,

Mille grazie!

Hi Cindy,

Thank you! Merci!

Hi BNA,

I’m glad you like it!

Hi Mark,

Yes … the apricot jam got me too!

Gerald

03/1/06 at 4:23 pm

Where’s the Ice Cream?? =)

Other than that, the pudding looks delicious. I had no idea Italy was a leading producer of apples.

Mona

03/1/06 at 7:00 pm

That looks so beautiful and moist.
Mmmm!

Tanna

03/2/06 at 6:21 am

I just did an apple strudel fron the flying apple site and now I think I must try this your site is beautiful and writing excellent February was perfect for the Olympics and chocolate

Tanna

03/2/06 at 12:45 pm

ooppss! I moved things around and my privious link was incorrect. I’ve corrected in this one.

Ivonne

03/2/06 at 7:43 pm

Hi Tanna,

Thanks so much for stopping by! I love The Flying Apple and I’m so glad that you like this apple cake. It’s quite simple and definitely worth trying. Let me know if you do!

Ivonne

03/2/06 at 7:52 pm

Hi Gerald,

I was surprised to read that as well. And to be honest I had no ice cream when I made this … sorry!

Hi Mona,

It was very moist! I highly recommend it!

jasmine

03/2/06 at 11:37 pm

You did an excellent job with your series–and that top photo is just gorgeous!

j

Ivonne

03/3/06 at 8:39 am

Hi Jasmine,

Thank you! Especially for the kind words about the photo … I’m not much of a photographer!

Rorie

03/3/06 at 7:34 pm

Again, Ivonne? Yet ANOTHER recipe to try that I’ve found on your blog …. it looks delicious!

Ivonne

03/3/06 at 9:31 pm

Hi Rorie,

Thanks so much!

Sweetnicks

03/4/06 at 10:52 am

I know what I’m making soon … it looks delicious. Thanks for the recipe.

Ivonne

03/5/06 at 2:11 pm

Hi Sweetnicks!

Thanks so much for stopping by! I’m glad you like the cake. It was quite simple to prepare and the results were excellent!

Lori

03/6/06 at 9:22 am

Ivonne:

I tried the apple cake and it turned out well. It’s really good if you warm it up a bit.

Thanks for the recipe!

Ivonne

03/6/06 at 6:57 pm

Hi wee Lori,

So glad it worked out!

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