Bistefani Krumiri Classic Biscuits (300g)

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If you share my cornmeal enthusiasm, consider trying my go-to recipe for shortbread, or these violet cornmeal macarons. In the sauce, feel free to use passata in place of the tinned tomatoes, or you could even add roughly chopped fresh tomatoes. And, if you’ve haven’t got coconut milk, try using regular milk instead. Next, divide the dough into two pieces. Pull into a sausage shape, the place inside a piping bag with a star shaped nozzle. Domenico Rossi first developed the recipe in 1878 and the best 'krumiri' are still darkish in color and contain no preservatives whatsoever - www.krumirirossi.it. Cream together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well between each addition. Add the vanilla and mix again.

Their goodness, my friends, is legendary, and their history – along with that of their name – is very interesting indeed. Per avere un segno ufficiale dell’esistenza dei krumiri, però, dobbiamo aspettare il 1884, quando ricevono un premio all’ Esposizione Generale Italiana di Torino. Sei anni dopo, il sindaco di Casale Monferrato li riconosce ufficialmente come invenzione di Domenico Rossi e ne cita gli ingredienti: uova, burro, zucchero e vaniglia. Pour the flour into a large bowl with a pinch of salt, make a well in the middle and add 1 mug (300ml) of water (using the same mug you used to measure your flour, a regular cup is fine) and 1 tablespoon of oil. Use a fork to gradually mix the flour into the liquid, until it gets too hard to mix.

One by one, by hand

Fold in the dough over the filling, patting it together as you go and sealing the filling inside, then pat out to just under 25cm. Wipe out your frying pan, then gently lift the naan into it. Meanwhile, for the sauce, put a large shallow casserole pan on a medium heat. Peel and finely chop the ginger and garlic, and place in the pan with 1 tablespoon of oil, stirring regularly.

Aside from this minor hurdle, these are precisely my kind of cookie: crumbly, with the teasing crunch of cornmeal between your teeth, delicately flavored, and not too sweet. And in keeping with the regional theme, I have found them to be ideal companions to a scoop of homemade Nutella ice cream***.Krumiri are a kind of biscuit which is regarded as the particular delicacy of Casale Monferrato, the city in north-west Italy where they were invented in 1878 by the confectioner Domenico Rossi. They are made without water from wheat flour, sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla, in the form of a slightly bent, rough-surfaced cylinder. This handlebar shape is said to have been chosen in honour of the extravagantly moustachioed Victor Emanuel II, the first king of united Italy. [1] [2]

As soon as it starts to colour, stir in the mango chutney. Let it sizzle for a minute, then pour in the tomatoes, breaking them up with your spoon. As soon as they start to bubble, add the coconut milk. Bring it to the boil, then turn off the heat. Krumiri' was the name of a bedouin tribe who rescued a caravan of Europeans lost in the desert. The bedouins also carried with them a mysterious balsamic elisir. In a large roasting tray, mix the curry paste with a pinch of sea salt, 2 tablespoons of oil and 1 tablespoon of vinegar. Leftover butternut squash? Cut into chunks and microwave until tender, then mash with a little seasoning, grated ginger and garlic. Or you can grate squash raw into slaw. Or roast in chunks and throw into winter salads.

Like the King’s moustache

Casale Monferrato is mostly famous in the rest of Italy for two reasons, one of which is unfortunately a sad history related to an asbestos factory, "Eternit". The other reason, thankfully, are the delicious krumiri biscuits which were invented here (there's a whole legend connected to this, and an anthem, and lots more!) and are still produced in the small but successful family-run business in via Lanza, in the town centre. Whether true or not the creation of Signor Rossi was immediately popular and his entrepreneurial talent was soon rewarded with a bronze medal at the Universal Exhibition of Turin in 1884. On the veg front, use what you’ve got, potatoes, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, aubergine, even chunky mushrooms would work. For the naans, use whatever spice you like, it could be a pinch of cumin or fenugreek seeds, a sprinkling of curry powder or even a bit more curry paste. Or, keep it super simple and just use garlic.