The Pumamouse Website: Tea And Comfort: Recipes: Famiglia And Gozadeal

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This webpage is dedicated with love and eternal optimism to my paternal grandmother, Philomena.

It deeply saddens me that I never had the pleasure of knowing my Grandma Philomena as a person, for her life ended prior to the day that mine began. However, from all accounts, the woman was a veritable saint long before she went to reside with the angels. Therefore, despite my initial doubts and natural caution, and despite anyone else’s probable and logical skepticism, it is of no great surprise to me that I should sense her spirit as being ever present with me. Of course, you might very well contend that my firmly held belief is nothing more than wishful thinking. Being somewhat analytical by birth, nurture, and nature, I once held to that same cynical supposition. Admittedly, I was not easily convinced that a mere spirit could so impact my existence, but eventually the evidence could no longer be ignored. Perhaps some events in one’s life should remain undisclosed to the general public, and so I will not delve into great detail. It will suffice for me to simply note that, more than once in my lifetime, I have felt my Grandma Philomena’s strong yet gentle hand, guiding me as surely as if it were physically resting upon my shoulder, and always with the very best results. At the risk of seeming completely fanciful, this is an honest disclosure, and so I see no point in hiding the truth. Indeed, my Grandma Philomena is welcome in my mind and heart, in any form which she might choose...be it a guiding nudge of conscious, or a warning jolt of intuition, or a sudden sense of overwhelming peace...just as she would have been physically welcome in my home, had she lived to see it. I genuinely look forward to the inevitable honor of meeting her in person...or, out of “person”, as the case may be. Until that time, which hopefully will not come too soon, it is a constant comfort for me to know that my Grandma Philomena is always very near.

I have included this webpage amongst the “TEA AND COMFORT: RECIPES” webpages because it seems the most fitting place to pay tribute to my Grandma Philomena. After all, food and love have always gone very well together. I am told by my father that his mother was a excellent cook, and the few surviving recipes which were passed down from her, through my mother, and subsequently on to me would seem to prove my father’s heartfelt assertion. Furthermore, have you ever heard of an old Italian woman who did not know how to cook?

As was often the case in past generations, before practical culinary skills were widely considered as art, and long before the advent of computers, the wealth of my Grandma Philomena’s knowledge with regard to cooking was stored primarily in her head. There were no written records...no set formulas using standard measurements. It was all done on a daily basis by adding a pinch of this and a handful of that, maybe more or maybe less, depending upon the availability of ingredients and, of course, one’s sense of taste. In essence, the preparation of meals was an ever-evolving never-ending labor of love rather than an exact science. Unfortunately, due to this standard practice, many of my Grandma Philomena’s recipes were never transcribed before she left this world. However...all was not lost.

It is my firm believe that my mother’s memory can rival that of an African elephant. This statement is made with all due respect to both the good woman and the unfortunate animal. To put it in more contemporary and technical terms, a 1,000,000 GB hard drive with a Pentium 1000 processor would have nothing over my mother. Speaking candidly, my mother’s penchant for accurate recollection can sometimes be most inconvenient...
and if you do not believe me, just ask my father. However, in this case, we may all be grateful for that storehouse with which my mother has been blessed for her brain.

I should note that, like both of my grandmothers before her, my mother learned to cook by necessity through daily practice, and she rarely paused to make any written notations regarding her incredibly delicious efforts. Always busy with the daily routine of raising a family and making a loving home, (not to mention answering the telephone and acting as secretary for my father’s self-owned business), she had not the time, nor had she the need. Her recipes were measured by a pinch of this and a handful of that, and maybe more or less of something else to make it taste just right. Luckily, picking through my mother’s mental files has always been as easy as searching for a website with a major search engine. And so, whatever I know of my Grandma Philomena’s recipes, I learned in this fashion.

Perhaps the most traditional and important of my Grandma Philomena’s recipes is her recipe for “gozadeal”, which my mother had the very good sense to actually set down on paper when it was first taught to her, upon her request, by demonstration. This fact alone should suggest to you the value of my Grandma Philomena’s recipe for “gozadeal”. I do not know if this is the proper spelling of the word, because I have never found mention of a similar recipe anywhere, and I do not think it really matters. The delicious treat is meant to be eaten, not to be spelled.

An accurate definition of “gozadeal” is rather hard to provide, but I will make the effort. “Gozadeal” is a sweet egg bread, flavored with anise, originating from Italy, and traditionally prepared once each year for the celebration of Easter. Although somewhat similar in appearance and its holiday association, “gozadeal” should not be confused with “panettone”, which is a far less flavorful bread by comparison. By my estimation, "panettone" is very good, but “gozadeal” is soooooooooooooo much better.

In my Grandma Philomena’s lifetime, the dough was mixed and raised on one day, and the loaves of bread were baked on the next, during Holy Week, (the week between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday), and they were given to family and friends to be enjoyed on Easter Sunday. You read that right...the preparation and baking was a two-day-long process. Due to the extremely large number of family members and friends with which my Grandma Philomena was blessed, an enormous mass of dough was mixed in a big wooden vat (2'x5') and left overnight, covered in warm blankets to raise, then shaped into loaves and baked the next day for subsequent distribution on Easter Sunday. After my Grandma Philomena's passing, my mother assumed the annual production and perpetuated the tradition with extraordinary success, and she still performs the task on a smaller scale to this day, much to the delight of every lucky recipient.

Of course, the recipe has evolved slightly over the many decades. The convenient packaging of some ingredients has made the preparation a bit easier, yet the flavor remains the same. For example, dry yeast may now be used instead of wet, and vegetable shortening instead of lard, and small doses of anise extracts rather than large glasses of the alcoholic beverage, Anisette. However, all of the fresh ingredients are still used in their natural state to ensure the best results.

As a point of interest, I have observed that authentic old-world Italian recipes are oftentimes kept as closely guarded family secrets, which are eventually either lost to time through memory failure or finally divulged to an audience of semi-disinterested youngsters, once all of the family’s traditionalists have passed on. An authentic family recipe for “gozadeal” is certainly no exception to this general rule. However, knowing that my Grandma Philomena would have wanted as many people as possible to enjoy and mangia (eat), and with the full consent and approval of both my parents, I am including my Grandma Philomena’s “gozadeal” recipe here for your consideration. It seems only fitting that I should do so, since I was taught the task of baking the delicious breads to share with my family and friends by my mother with the hope that I might perpetuate the tradition. Although I can not bake and deliver a sample of this treat to every door throughout the world, I can at least share the unique formula here for your possible use and enjoyment. In fact, with the aid of today’s technology, the whole world wide web will now have access to this highly treasured recipe. My Grandma Philomena is nudging me to get on with it, so with sincere thanks to her and to my mother, I will endeavor to do so.

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MY GRANDMA PHILOMENA’S GOZADEAL (EASTER BREAD)

4 Cups Water (warm)
6 Packages Dry Yeast
2 teaspoons Sugar
16 Whole Large Eggs
2 Egg Yolks (save the whites)
1/2 lb. Crisco
1/2 Lemon Rind Grated
1/2 Lemon Juice Squeezed
5-6 oz. Anisette Liquor (or 2 oz. Anise Extract***)
1 oz. Vanilla Extract
1 teaspoon Anise Oil (or 2 oz. Anise Extract***)
1/2 teaspoon Salt
2 Cups Sugar
5 lbs. Flour
2 Cups Flour (as needed)
nonpareils (small pellets of colored sugar used for decoration)

***A NOTE ABOUT ANISETTE/ANISE OIL/ANISE EXTRACT: Originally, 5-6 oz. of Anisette Liquor and 1 teaspoon of Anise Oil were used in this recipe. When Anise Oil became difficult to find, 2 oz. of Anise Extract were substitued. In the rare case that Anisette Liquor was not available, more Anise Extract was added. When Anise Oil was again found, (hiding in the Pharmacy section of the grocery store), the recipe reverted to the orginal 5-6 oz. of Anisette Liquor and 1 teaspoon of Anise Oil. However, if Anisette Liquor and/or Anise Oil can not be found in your area, you may simply use 2-4 oz. of Anise Extract. (I normally use 2 oz of Anise Extract and 1 teaspoon of Anise Oil with very good results.)

Dissolve yeast in water. Add the 2 teaspoons of sugar. Add all the other ingredients in the order they are listed. Kneed well. Cut three crosses into the top of the dough to bless it while praying for its successful preparation, and cover with a clean towel. Then wrap it in a clean sheet, and then wrap it in a warm blanket and put on top of the stove to keep warm. Let it raise until double, about 2 to 3 hours. Kneed it a little and shape it into loaves. Place the loaves in greased baking pans and, if necessary, wipe each loaf with a little Crisco to keep the tops tender. Cover it all up again the same way and let it raise again until double, about another 45 minutes to 1 hour. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Remove from oven, brush with egg whites, sprinkle with sugar and colorful nonpareils, and return to oven. Total time for baking should be about 40 to 45 minutes from the time you first put the bread in the oven. (Include the minutes you spent brushing and sugaring the bread in the total time.) If the bread browns too fast, lower the heat. Be sure to bake it on the bottom rack so that, when it raises, it does not touch the top burner. This recipe is for one five-pound batch of dough which should yield three or four breads. If more is required, it is best to mix two five pound batches separately because ten pounds are too much to handle. If the dough raises well, you should be able to get six large cake-shaped loaves and two regular loaves from a double batch of this recipe.

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By the way, did I forget to mention that I am a proud American by birth, and further blessed to be of 100% Italian descent? Well, there is a big surprise for you...probably not. Although some of my hobbies and interests and my manner of expressing them might suggest otherwise, you should have been able to deduce the truth of my heritage through the obvious clues which I have knowingly scattered amongst these “TEA AND COMFORT” webpages. If you surmised the truth before viewing this particular webpage, Holmes would be proud of you. If not, Watson would surely share your shock. Who knows? Perhaps there are more surprises waiting in store for you within this website...

Enjoy the recipe!
The Pumamouse
(MaryAnne)

NEEDLEWORK

TEA AND COMFORT
Recipe: Famiglia & Gozadeal
(Famiglia: An Italian word meaning "Family")

TEA AND COMFORT