13 Comments

Hello Enrica!

So happy I found your site today. I was searching for a recipe I had saved from my aunt. When I didn’t find it, I thought I’d try google to see what I would find. Our family has several recipes that I have not found elsewhere. Our ancestors come from an area north of Genoa called Santo Stefano d’aveto. Back to initial point - our family recipe calls for adding cream cheese to the recipe and mixing it with the pesto sauce (either pine or walnuts) Then before adding to the pasta, adding in some of the water from the pasta.

I have not read all your pesto recipes but was so excited to find your site and read your story on pesto I had to comment. It is interesting to see how our family recipes may have evolved since they migrated to America in the 1850s. Ps: I was looking for rice torte recipe which appears to be a version of savory rice pie.

Ciao!

Cheryl Bacigalupi

Cbacci@gmail.com

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Thank you for this message! Yes, in some areas of East Liguria people add prescinseua, a local creamy fresh cheese. So your family recipe is really authentic!! I hope you will find other recipes you were looking for for! All my best, Enrica

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Great to hear! I’m going to look up your tours when I make it out to Genoa. I just don’t know when yet.

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Ciao, va bene anche in italiano? Io sono genovesissima, e ti ringrazio molto per aver raccontato la vera storia del pesto, assolto il burro e le noci al posto dei pinoli, e insomma tutto quello che hai scritto. Tutta la cucina "tradizionale" italiana è frutto del caso e, soprattutto, di quello che c'era a disposizione al momento, visto che i supermercati non sono esattamente luoghi storici. Grazie!

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Giustissimo!

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Received your email just as we were at MOG and thinking about lunch, and Il Genovese was great! Delicious pesto.

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Once again, Enrica, a very interesting and informative presentation. Thank you so much!!!

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thank you Kathie!!

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I enjoy learning about the origins of food and how they are prepared. Thank you.

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Thank you for reading!

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Fascinating and super-informative! One point I’m curious about. One of my readers (from Liguria) once commented that she makes pesto with a dollop of prescinsêua. But I haven’t heard that elsewhere. Any thoughts?

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Ciao Frank, your reader is saying something true! Some people, especially in the Golfo del Tigullio area, add a spoonful of prescinseua in their pesto!

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Fascinating! I would love to try this variation. Foccaccia di Recco is also made if prescinseua if I'm not mistaken? I adore the flavor. Thank you, Enrica, for this beautiful and fascinating recounting.

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