21 Comments
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Lolly Martyn's avatar

Fantastic dive and details into all the regional goodies!!!

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Michele Boyer's avatar

Love this! I cannot believe I never had panettone until my second year ('22) wintering in Italy. I thought that they were too big for just me. Uhhh, nope! Luckily, where I am in Melbourne I have a great Italian butcher who gets them in for the holidays. While it won't be the same as being there this festive season, it will help.

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Gillian Longworth McGuire's avatar

It took me a long time to figure out they were delicious! Christmas in Melbourne sounds wonderful!

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Life Lived Italian's avatar

An official Olympic panettone! At first, I thought you meant it would be an official sport of the Olympics in Milan, which seemed fair enough. At last, I thought, I'll get my medal.

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Kaaren Sl's avatar

I always order more than I should from Corti Brothers in Sacramento, California. Guaranteed happiness!

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Betty Carlson's avatar

We have a fishmonger here, of all things, who always imports a fabulous selection of panetonne for the holidays. I always indulge.

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Riana | Teaspoon of Adventure's avatar

Ooo both sound delicious! We’ll be in Italy in late February. Any chance these will still be around or are they only available at Christmas?

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Gillian Longworth McGuire's avatar

There may be a few stragglers. but. You will definitely find Carnevale sweets. In Venice we have fritelle (deep fried doughnut-like filled with ricotta or stuffed with raisins) I have a guide in my archives. In Rome there is frappe (strips of deep fried dough dusted with sugar) and castagnole (another doughnut adjacent treat)

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Riana | Teaspoon of Adventure's avatar

Thank you! Those all sound delicious. I’ll keep an eye out!

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Rick's avatar

I was on the Big Island of Hawaii for Christmas and there was a giant panettone Display in the supermarket! Buon Natale to me🎄

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Gillian Longworth McGuire's avatar

Now that is the perfect combination! 🌴🇮🇹

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Gabriela R. Proietti's avatar

There is something so comforting/Italian about the grocery store panettone display, mixed with the water bottles. A great list as well!!

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Gillian Longworth McGuire's avatar

I just love it! (Thank you 🙏)

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Jean Passanante's avatar

I love this survey of Italian Christmas cakes. My favorite pandoro is the Nuvola, from Pasticceria Ghigo in Torino. Light and tender and, as its name suggests, cloud-like.

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Michele Boyer's avatar

Ahhhh one of my all-time favorites! I have waited on line to get that deliciousness and bought it as a gift for some new Torino friends who invited me for a holiday gathering last December. Everyone at the party was ooo-ing and ahhhh-ing reverently over the 'snowball'.

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Gillian Longworth McGuire's avatar

I would love to try that!! I am woefully uneducated about Torinese cuisine

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Michele Boyer's avatar

You would LOVE it. Ghigo was recommended to me two years ago by a Chef friend from Florence as a must visit. It turned out to be right around the corner from my apartment and the lines there on Christmas week are 50 or more people. Worth it.

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Jean Passanante's avatar

It’s worth getting to know. How could anyone not love the city that brought us giandujia? And grissini?

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Gillian Longworth McGuire's avatar

Sold!

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Crystal King's avatar

I shudder to think how much they will be this year with the tariffs. In Eataly and at Formaggio in Boston, some of the best could run up to $60 in previous years. Average for good quality panettone and pandoro and pandoro was around $30-40 (with the cheapest in supermarkets around $20), but who knows what we're facing now. 😭

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Gillian Longworth McGuire's avatar

I tried to do tariff research but couldn’t get any straightforward answers. I hope they snuck some shipments in before the worst 🙏🥹 Maybe this is the opportunity for American bakers to take on a project!

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