Crostini con gorgonzola, pere & noci
Let the Italian men do the cooking.
This weekend, CBS News reported that, defying stereotypes, Italy is the only country in the world where men cook more than women.
That may come as a surprise, especially if you’re familiar with Italian men's reputation for being mammoni - mamma’s boys. I’m sure you know what I mean, but if you don’t, watch the 2001 60 Minutes special on Mammoni. Actually, watch it, even if you do know what I mean; it’s hilarious.
The source of CBS’s claim about Italian men commanding the kitchen is a recently released Gallop-Cookpad report, “A Global Analysis of Cooking Around the World,” which tracks the cooking and eating habits of people around the world, including how often people prepare and eat home-cooked meals, how much they enjoy or dislike cooking, and how factors such as gender, age, and geography play into the equation. It’s a fascinating read. And sure enough, on page 34, there’s a table illustrating that in Italy, men have a slight edge over women on meals cooked per week.
Interviewed by CBS about this shift in traditional gender roles, Professor Emiliana De Blasio from Rome’s LUISS University said, “In Italy, cooking is tradition, it’s culture, it’s love.” She went on to explain that cooking is powerful in that it has the potential to bring people together. Men want to partake in that, too, she surmised.
“In Italy, cooking is tradition, it’s culture, it’s love.”
~Professor Emiliana De Blasio, LUISS University
When I think about it, it tracks. At home, Stefano cooks more than I do. All of our male Italian friends cook, too. Alfonso makes the best parmigiana di melanzane (eggplant parmesan) we’ve ever eaten. Donato’s paccheri con sugo di polpo (pasta with octopus sauce) was a hit when Stefano and his buddies got together to watch a soccer match. When our friends Massimo and Astrid invite us to dinner, Massimo always greets us at the door wearing an apron. And, when they came to our house most recently, I was happy to yield my apron to Massimo and let him take my place next to Stefano in front of the range.
I love cooking, too. But unlike Stefano, who takes his time preparing dinner even if it means we eat at 9:30 pm, dirties every utensil we own, and leaves the kitchen looking like something exploded, I am an efficient cook. When there’s not enough time to prepare something from scratch, put everything away, and leave the kitchen clean again, I readily follow the advice of Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa, a staunch defender of occasionally assembling, rather than cooking, a meal.
“Everyone needs a few dishes you can assemble in 10 minutes, then throw in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes while you drink a glass of wine,”
~Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa
Assembling a dish is a brilliant idea, especially during the holiday season when shops are crowded, traffic is terrible, and our schedules are fuller. All it takes are a few great ingredients that pair well together.
Crostini con gorgonzola, pere e noci - crostini with gorgonzola, pear, and walnuts - is an easy yet elegant dish that can be assembled in minutes and popped into the oven. You only need some good, crusty bread, quality gorgonzola dolce, a pear, and a few walnuts. It’s a perfect antipasto for holiday entertaining, whether hosting a dinner party or bringing a dish to share with others, as we did yesterday evening.
Ingredients
4 servings
4 slices of crusty bread
1 pear
Gorgonzola dolce
A few walnuts
Instructions
Poach the pears
Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit / 180° Celsius.
Slice the bread and toast both sides in the oven.
Peel the pear and cut it into thin slices.
Place a layer of pears on the toast.
Cut the gorgonzola into thin pieces and layer it on top of the pear.
Line a baking tray with parchment paper and place the crostini in the oven for about 10 minutes or until the gorgonzola has melted.
While the crostini are in the oven, chop a handful of walnuts.
Remove the crostini from the oven and sprinkle the walnuts on top.
Serve warm.
Notes
When selecting your gorgonzola, opt for gorgonzola dolce, which is milder, creamier and sweeter than the sharper and more pungent gorgonzola piccante. Go light on the gorgonzola; it only takes a little. You don’t want to overpower the flavor of the pear.
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