Rural poverty and food shortages drove millions of Southern Italians and Sicilians to the United States in the wake of Italy's unification. Among them were the Aiello brothers of Isola delle Femmine, Sicily, who, after landing in New Orleans, followed fishing opportunities to the West. They'd eventually settle in the town of Black Diamond, where the fertile Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta supported what became a vibrant fishing industry. Friends and family followed the Aiellos to this land of plenty, eventually renaming it Pittsburg (minus the H) to reflect its steel-industry ambitions, like its East Coast namesake.
Flip through old directories at the Pittsburg Historical Museum (as I did while researching Beneath the Sicilian Stars, which is partly set in the fishing and steel town), and after pages of Aiellos, Cardinales, and DiMaggios, you'll land on nearly as many Ferrantes.
Teresa (Ferrante) Freeman's paternal great-grandparents were part of that Isola delle Femmine immigration wave. Today, she's proud to own a home downtown where her grandparents owned a store and raised her father.
This Millennial's deep Sicilian Pittsburger roots show in her commitment to celebrating and honoring traditions, particularly those forged in the kitchen. Teresa will never forget those moments shared with her nonna, baking cookies and sharing recipe secrets she intends to pass on. She started by inviting friends and family over to teach them her grandmother's techniques, especially for her favorite cookies, cuccidati (also spelled cucidati).
Celebrated across Sicily, this classic cookie varies in name, appearance, and ingredients by region. The cuccidato (or buccellato, zucciddato, nucciddato, urciddato, or purciddato) in its simplest form serves as Sicily's well-dressed version of the fig newton. But simple is relative, considering how labor-intensive the preparation is—chopping dried fruits and nuts, zesting citrus, and spooning just the right amount between layers of shortbread dough before the whole thing is rolled and either sliced into tubes or shaped into something that resembles a bracelet. That, after you've soaked the fruits for days or even months in your favorite booze, and before you frost or ice and decorate with rainbow Jimmies, nonpareils, or confetti sprinkles.
Take a bite, and you'll discover a cookie unlike any other, one that reflects the diverse history of Italy's largest island, particularly the inclusion of figs (introduced to Sicily by the Phoenicians and Greeks) and sugar, citrus, and candied fruit (brought by the Arabs).
When Teresa received an invitation to participate in the Sons & Daughters of Italy, C. Colombo Lodge 1315 Cucidati Contest, she was prepared to share her grandmother's special recipe with hundreds of attendees. She didn't expect to win first place.
Teresa reflected on her fond memories of these Sicilian cookies, the personal reward she found in mastering her grandmother's recipe, the not-so-secret ingredients, and why everyone should try baking cuccidati.
How does making cuccidati remind you of your grandmother?
I remember as kids, she'd have us come, and we'd frost them together, doing the parts that kids love to do.
That's definitely where a lot of my love for cooking and baking started, with my grandparents—just watching them pour their passion into something that was a cultural tradition and knowing how important that was.
I think just seeing how much it brought joy to others in our family who maybe weren't making them or just enjoyed eating them—it gave me that feeling of, "Wow, I really want to be part of this. I want to have that feeling of being able to share a gift like that with others."
What part of making cuccidati do you find enjoyable, and what's most challenging?
I think the enjoyable part for me was really getting to kind of master my own version of this recipe. It's very different. Everyone makes their own versions of this cookie, and that's the point of having the contest. Everyone has their own way of putting it together. Getting to make the recipe my own, based on those traditions, on what I know we like, and on what I find important, was an enjoyable and personally rewarding part of it.
I would say the filling is my favorite part, because every time I make it, it reminds me so much of my grandmother and all the little secrets and tips she used to have and put in. It just makes me smile thinking about her and the different memories of my family over the years. And it's definitely the most rewarding part of continuing to make them year over year.
Then, the most challenging part is that it is just a grueling process. There are so many steps, and there is only so much time. I wish I could spend all my time making cookies just like my grandmother did in the latter part of her life. It's a labor of love, for sure!
Why does your grandmother's recipe stand out from others you've tried?
There are definitely a few key differences in my recipe. It's about the right ratio of dates to figs, and then making sure to use plenty of brandy. That was always Nonna's trick. Don't be shy with the brandy!
I've learned, too, as I'm making my recipe for the texture of the dough, the cookie part of it, that I like to use a lot of baking powder in mine because it gives a nice, airy, fluffy cookie. And then lastly, putting a little bit of anise in the frosting, that's another tip from my grandmother. It adds this extra complexity that I really enjoy.
What feedback did you receive from the judges?
They really enjoyed the texture and the different flavor profile.
What's your preferred technique?
I roll out a long strip of the cookie dough, use a spoon like my grandmother did to make a line of filling, and then roll it over, cut them into the right shape, and then bake them.
I know some others roll and bake them before cutting, which is smart too. It saves a little time.
Why is the cuccidato the star of the cookie trays?
It's so unique. You just don't see any other cookie quite like this. And the fact that it is so unique means that it's something we can really latch onto culturally.
I remember my grandmother making her chocolate balls and her snowballs, but cuccidati really stand out as a unique recipe within our culture. They just look so festive, too, with the sprinkles and the frosting. They invoke that feeling of Christmas.
What does it mean to observe these traditions of prior generations?
It really connects me to my heritage and my ancestors. It's why it's so important to me to learn some of these cultural recipes: sometimes you feel that if you don't know them, if you don't pass on these traditions and memories, they'll fade away.
It's definitely an honor to participate in a cultural tradition and carry it on, and to be part of the events the Sons & Daughters of Italy and other groups hold to keep these traditions alive so that people can connect with their heritage.
I promote that with my own cousins and other family members. I hosted a gathering to share my recipe and do some cookie baking together, because I cannot be the only one who thinks all of this is important and really wants to carry it forward. So I was blessed to have my cousins join me for that process.
I wasn't sure when I started planning that get-together whether I'd have a lot of people interested in joining me and taking on all of it. And to my surprise, basically everyone came. So it definitely is interesting to our generation. People do care about their heritage. They do want to know more and be part of the family and tradition.
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