This year we’ve again asked our Icelandic friends, the Yule Lads, to join us at the table and help us choose our favorite ways to celebrate the season at CosituttiMarketPlace.
Photo by Eugenia Porechenskaya
Merry but mischievous the Icelandic Yule Lads welcome the holidays 13 days before Christmas. Each has their own distinct personality and habits. Naughty or nice. They can be found licking your bowl of cookie dough or the leftovers out of your pans, pilfering your sausages or sniffing around searching for a traditional Christmas bread.
The Icelandic Yule (Jule) Lads share a lot of notes with Christmas traditions in Italy and across the globe where folklore and traditions give us inspiration for a unique way to spend the holidays.
“Bowl Licker”
Yule Lad Arrives on December 17th
The 13 Yule Lads take turns visiting Icelandic children on the 13 nights leading up to Christmas. Like St. Nick, Santa Claus, Father Christmas, Babbo Natale and Befana (Italy’s Christmas Witch) the Yule Lads deliver gifts but are much more mischievous with a colorful set of Yuletide traditions.
Afer we have arranged the presepe, the Italian Christmas crèche on December 8th, we join the Yule Lads with an ancient Nordic tradition where a ceremonial log (or entire tree!) was burned in village square and in hearths during Winter solstice and Christmas celebrations.
The burning of the Yule Log can be found in many other countries including Italy where it is call the ceppo di Natale. You can burn the Yule Log in your fireplace or decorate a log for a unique center piece for your Christmas table.
If not a wooden log then follow the sweet tradition of the Italian Tronchetto di Natale a log made of rolled sponge cake covered in chocolate decorated to resemble a tree stump.
The Tronchetto cream filling is made with chestnuts, mascarpone cheese, cream, cocoa and brandy.
However there are many versions of this cake including a French version called a Bûche de Noël lled with chocolate whipped cream and fruit conserve.
There are many recipes for a Trochetto di Natale Yule Log on the internet. Here is advice for making it at its best.
1. Use the right recipe. A recipe that includes buttermilk lends a lot of pliability to the Italian sponge (also known as a Genovese cake or genoise) which needs to be carefully rolled to create the appearance of a log. The addition of buttermilk in the cake recipe will make rolling the cake a lot easier.
2. Get the temperature right. Make sure the cake is slightly warm when rolling to prevent cracks (about 16 to 20 minutes afer you remove it from the oven.) Use a clean tea towel bigger than the sheet pan used to bake the cake to control the roll.
3. Don’t overdo the filling. The right amount of filling is critical. Too much and it will spill out, too little and it won’t fill properly. The filling acts a delicate adhesive to hold the cake together in a roll, so it’s important to spread it out in an even layer.
4.Let it rest. After spreading on the filling and rolling into a cylinder shape, let the cake to rest at room temperature for a short while before frosting and decorating. This will allow the cake to absorb some of the moisture from the filling.
5. Use the right knife to cut the cake. Once you’ve made the “log,” rolled it up, and frosted its “bark,” you want it to slice well. Preserve its beautiful appearance by using a serrated bread knife to create a clean sliced swirl of cake for each plate.
On December 15th the fourth Yule Lad, Spoon Licker, makes his way down from the mountains to sneak into houses and lick the wooden spoon used to scrape the pots and pans. His collection of wooden spoons is legendary. Maybe you know someone like him. If you do then the Nonnina Spoon would make a perfect gif.
All cooks have their favorite wooden spoon and this Yule Lad inspired us to add the Nonnina Spoon to our Holiday Collection in honor of our Nonna who used it for everything from polenta to risotto, to stir sauces, batters, soups and like all Italian grandmothers who with one look and her trusty wooden spoon could turn your naughty into nice.
Beginning on December 12 , one by one the Yule Lads make their way down from the Icelandic mountains where they play pranks and cause merry mischief and mayhem in town. On December 16th the fifth Yule Lad, Potscraper, sneaks into kitchens to lick the pots clean with everything made from this sauce.
The bright flavor and intense color of organic tomatoes from the island of Sicily make a naturally sweet, slightly flavored sauce that adapts to a variety of recipes
With this tomato sauce you don’t need hours of prep to make a delicious meal.
The vintage retro bottle also makes it an ideal gift.
Potscraper” Yule Lad Arrives on December 16
On December 19: Skyr Gobbler, the eighth Yule Lad, comes to town. We wonder if he’ll gobble down our Skyr Panna Cotta.
Skyr is similar to yogurt but has a different texture because of the heirloom Icelandic cultures used to make it
Panna cotta is Italian for “cooked cream”. A molded chilled dessert popular throughout Italy typically made with heavy cream. This Christmas we’re making it with an Icelandic yogurt called skyr.
• nonstick spray
• 3 tablespoons 1% fat milk
• 1 1/4 cup 1% fat milk
• 1/2 tablespoon unflavored gelatin
• 6 tbsp sugar, divided
• 1 cup Icelandic Skyr
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 cups mixed berries
• 8 small mint leaves, for garnish Spray 8 (4- ounce) ramekins with nonstick spray. Pour 3 T of milk into small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over top; let it stand 10 minutes. Heat remaining 1 1/4 cup milk and 5 tablespoons sugar in small saucepan over medium heat. Add the gelatin mixture and stir until sugar and gelatin are completely dissolved (do not boil). Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Whisk in skyr and vanilla until smooth. Divide mixture, (about 1/3 cup each) equally among prepared ramekins, cover with plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least 6 hours or overnight.
About 30 minutes before serving, combine berries with the remaining 1 T of sugar in a medium bowl; stir occasionally with rubber spatula until juicy, at least 10 minutes. Unmold each panna cotta onto small plate; top each with 1/2 cup berries. Garnish with fresh mint leaves if desired.
On December 20 the ninth Yule Lad, comes down from the mountains Like six other of his 12 brothers he’s looking for food, in particular sausages. This Sausage-Swiper would most certainly find this recipe for Lemon Cream and Spinach Spaghetti with Italian Sausage to his liking. We’re recommending Matt Monogram Felicetti Spaghetti and a recipe from our friend Rosiel.
Born at 1000 meters in the Italian Dolomites, this pasta made with a single origin grain, is aromatic with a toothsome texture and a fragrance of farm fresh milk, creamy mashed potatoes and sweet buttery breadcrumbs with a note of sea salt. A perfect pasta for this recipe.
Lemon, Cream and Spinach Spaghetti with Italian Sausage
8 ounces Matt Monograno Felicetti Spaghetti
8 ounces mild or spicy Italian sausage, removed from casings
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil Juice & zest of 1 lemon
1 cup fresh baby spinach, coarsely chopped
4 oz heavy cream
1 egg white
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt & pepper
Directions:
In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain the pasta reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Meanwhile, add the olive oil to a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage to the pan and break it into small chunks with a wooden spoon; cook over medium heat until no longer pink and cooked through, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally so it doesn’t stick. Drain excess grease.
Stir in the baby spinach and cook until it is barely wilted about 1-2 minutes. Stir in 4 oz of heavy cream and the egg white. Add 2 tablespoons of the reserved pasta water and a pinch of coarse sea salt and ground black pepper. Turn heat to simmer. Then add the drained pasta and the Parmesan cheese. Toss to coat the pasta with the sauce, stirring occasionally until thickened. If it seems a little dry, add more pasta water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the sauce is silky and coats the pasta evenly. Remove from heat and stir in 1 tsp lemon juice. Garnish with lemon zest. Serve immediately. Offer additional grated Parmesan cheese at the table
Julboard in Iceland
Whether French charcuterie boards, antipasti tables from Italy, a bounty of smoked Delikatessen meats from Germany or Nordic ‘julbords’ the abundance of the Christmas season is at its best with this style of entertaining.
With fish and seafood dishes, cold meats and spreads, sausages and meatballs and a selection of regional cheese and cured meat each region of the world uses its geographic strengths and wealth of ingredients to make it special.
This Julboard in Iceland might include pickled herring and cured salmon, breads, ham, liver pâté, red beet salad, cheese, meatballs, sausages, pork ribs, cabbage and a fish and potato gratin.
The holiday season is in full swing and portable DIY charcuterie and cheese boxes are an impressive and easy to make gif you can customize depending on preferences and what you find at the market. Make sure to have a mix of meats (salami, prosciutto, pepperoni, artisanal ham) and cheeses (3) with different flavor profiles and textures (fresh, aged, sof and hard).
Select at least one fun or unexpected cheese like a cranberry or apricot stilton or lavender goat cheese. If you can find it an Italian La Tur, a mixed milk cheese similar to brie with a cake-like texture and a little tang, would add special note. Or an aromatic Italian truffle cheese with a taste of honey and garlic reminiscent of the earthy woods accented with pomegranate seeds.
Include a few briny olives, nuts and a small jar of Italian mostarda or deep, fruity preserves. Add crackers, flatbread or crisps (we like raisin rosemary). Tuck in a sprig of a woody fresh herbs (rosemary or thyme), dried citrus slices or a honeycomb for an extra touch of creative culinaria. It’s tempting to keep adding ingredients but the boxes are meant to be small and you want them to be visually appealing without being too fussy. You can add dried or fresh fruit or a preserved vegetables if you like but consider perishability.
Package in an 6 x 6 or 8 x 8 food grade box lined with parchment paper, tie with twine and a special tag with a list of the box's contents. You can design your box around a theme (Italian, French, Spanish, Nordic) and add a homemade tartlet and a bottle of cider or wine for a unique one of a kind gif.
Enjoy more artisan selections with recipes for holiday entertaining at CosituttiMarketPlace. Including
• Strawberry Fig Salad with Creamy Balsamic Poppy Seed Dressing - made with Guisti Crema Fig Balsamic Glaze and Siggi’s drinkable yogurt - an American brand of Icelandic skyr
• Seared Cod with Lemon, Tomato and Basil Pasta - made with Mongrano Felicetti Tagliatelle
We hope you enjoyed learning about how we’re inspired by the Christmas traditions of Iceland and how we are celebrating a blended Christmas at CosituttiMarketPlace this holiday season.
The Icelandic Yule Lads share a lot of notes with Christmas traditions in Italy and across the globe where folklore and traditions give us inspiration for a unique way to spend the holidays with useful ideas and simple to luxurious gifts from artisan partners and producers and generational families committed to preserving the culinary and cultural heritage of regional foods and lifestyles.
Buon Natale from CosituttiMarketPlace
From the land to the artisan’s hand, from generational producers, from us to you.
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