Pasqualina’s Table, Our Family’s Traditional Italian Desserts …The Gluten-Free Way

When you hear the word ‘Italy’, art, culture, fashion, architecture, and especially food come to mind because, let’s face it, if there is one thing Italy is know for, it’s the food, and desserts are a very big part of the history of Italian food. Italian desserts are not only incredibly delectable, but they have become a fine art – decadent, flavorful, and classic.

In Italy, desserts and pastries are considered an art form, a vocation, and an integral part of history and tradition, which come from passion, emotion and sentiment. In fact, there is something magical about the preparation of Italian desserts. The flavors and colors are beautifully blended with each dessert having its own story and meaning, evoking memories and special moments of life combined with all of our senses – sight, smell, taste, and touch. Like all food in Italy, desserts also vary according to the season and region, with each region having it’s own specialty and recipe.

When our family and friends gather for a lunch or dinner, we spend quite a bit of time savoring our food, drink, and our time around the table, where sharing memories and storytelling takes place. But the greatest part, you never have to wonder if a ‘dolce’ or dessert will be served at the end because the answer will always be, ‘si’ (yes!), ending our night on a sweet note. They are always enjoyed without guilt or hesitation – a bonus for those of us with a major sweet tooth.

Baking is a science, and it’s what we like to call ‘Kitchen Chemistry,’ with each ingredient playing a key part to create the structure, flavor, and color of the end result of a dessert. Make one small change, and the whole recipe could fail. After many trials and tribulations, and lots of laughter in between, we were finally able to convert some of our favorite traditional family desserts into gluten-free deliciousness.

I believe that ‘the table is where all the magic happens.’ It’s where love, affection, warmth, memories, story-telling and laughter occur, all wrapped up with sweets, of course!

As always, I am exited to share them and may they bring you and your family the same joy and happiness as they have in mine.

Pasqualina