White, milk or dark, chocolate is a much appreciated and loved food, consumed by adults and children and we can find it all over the world with different tastes and characteristics. In the winter it certainly becomes the main ingredient of pastry making and of our little moments of break. We generally associate it with sweet flavors and pastries but its versatility also makes it excellent for many savory preparations such as appetizers, first and second courses, especially using dark chocolate with high percentages of cocoa (75% and above).
Some time ago it was not surprising to find cocoa in savory dishes because it was used like any spice to enrich dishes. Some ancient traditional recipes have been handed down and still maintain their peculiar characteristics today. In Tuscany since the Renaissance period, wild boar has been prepared in dolceforte, in which the meat is cooked with a sauce made from onion, garlic, cocoa, chocolate, pine nuts and raisins: a tasty dish in which game and chocolate go perfectly together.
Another traditional dish is the cremaschi tortelli, originating from Crema around 1800, they are seasoned with sage, butter and parmesan but their real peculiarity is the filling with cocoa macaroons, citron, raisins and marsala combined with salt, grana padano , nutmeg and egg creating an explosion of flavors. Another example is Venetian tortelli, filled with spinach, onion, egg, butter, stale bread, chocolate chips, cinnamon and raisins.
There is also no shortage of fish main courses, among which we find a pillar of tradition: cappuccina cod, typical of the Friulian regions and also adopted in nearby Veneto. This dish was born in the monasteries from the inventiveness of the Capuchin friars from whom it takes its name. In this recipe the fish is cooked first in a pan and then in the oven, with spices and aromas including onions, raisins, pine nuts, cinnamon, breadcrumbs and bitter cocoa.
The mole cocoa-based is one of the most representative dishes of Mexican cuisine, still very widespread today. It is a very tasty sauce, made with chilli pepper, cinnamon, sultanas, chocolate, almonds and tomatoes, widely used to season different types of meat, from pork to chicken to the traditional turkey. It is usually served with rice and tortillas. It is said that in the pre-Columbian period this dish was prepared as an offering to the gods.
We also find cocoa in the filling of courgette flowers together with courgette pulp, or in combinations with particular mature or blue cheeses, as taught by chef Antonino Cannavacciuolo or the famous pastry chef Ernst Knam, up to its use to embellish risottos or directly in fresh pasta dough. Each region has its own traditions made of different doughs and fillings that make up the great gastronomic variety of our country. Moving around the country some ingredients may change, but for us fresh pasta is a "religion". Starting from this tradition, you can add a little bitter cocoa to the dough to discover a new culinary experience, and cocoa tortelli, gnocchi and tagliatelle appear on the table.