The Preheated Book Club is back with “Britalian” chef Anna del Conte’s memoir Risotto with Nettles. Anna is often credited as bringing Italian home cooking to England (her home since 1949), and is the author of seven cookbooks. Famously, Nigella Lawson credits her as an inspiration and mentor. American listeners may need to check local second-hand shops or search third-party sellers on Amazon for this book, which is more widely available in the UK. Read along and stay tuned for our discussion in Episode 165.

This Week’s Bake Along: Pignoli from Epicurious

Though February has historically been Pie Camp on Preheated, the hosts are celebrating the month of love this year with all-things Italian (and never fear, pie is still very much on the show’s radar!). With a variety of iconic Italian desserts, Andrea and Stefin hope to have a romantic and delicious month. First up … Pignoli!

These almond paste cookies take their name from their star ingredient, pine nuts, and only have six other ingredients. Be sure to choose an almond paste that lists its first ingredient as almonds (not sugar), and be careful not to use marzipan. The hosts think packaging may have changed since the recipe was first published in 2002; Andrea found her paste in a box, and Stefin’s came in a thin foil wrapper. Again, if almond paste is your first ingredient, that may matter more than the packaging. Bake along and share your results in our Facebook group.

Commonly Confused Desserts

You’re sure to win your your next bakery-themed quiz night after Stefin and Andrea run down a list of commonly confused desserts and set the record straight on macaroons/macarons and strudel/streusel, among others.

Previously on Preheated …

Three Years Ago: Episode 110: Third Annual Pie Month

Two Years Ago: Episode 62: Pie School is Back in Session!

One Year Ago: Episode 13: Pie School is in Session!

———————————————————————————————————— If  you’re intrigued by our podcast, make it easy on yourself and subscribe on Apple Podcasts. That way you can listen to more than one episode, and have them download automatically on your phone or tablet. You can also bake along with us and share photos in our Facebook group, Preheated Baking Podcast Listeners. Finally, if you’d like a weekly email when our episode drops with the complete show notes and recipes, sign up for our weekly newsletter.

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Florence, Italy street sign photo credit: Nick Fewings via Unsplash