It's the weekend again! I need to find something else special to make.
During these times, one of the activities that definitely boost the mood is preparing some good food. If it is something leavened that goes to the oven, even better. I literally adore the smell of the hot oven that foretells something special is going to go into your belly :). You start feeling more at home, you get warm, and your taste buds start activating, your brain collects memories of your past experiences making the food tasting more than the product of its ingredients!
This time, I choose to make focaccia; the original one, the "Focaccia Genovese". Well, first, apologies to my Genoese friends if it won't feel or look exactly like yours, but in my opinion, this was quite tasty and definitely reminded me of the focaccia I ate in much warmer times in Genoa.
As usual before trying the recipe, I like to read something about it and watch several short (or not) documentaries of the local people who live and breathe a certain product. In a way, it adds to the expectations, to the sentiment you will have when eating it. In Genoa, the Focaccia (or fugassa in dialect) is an institution; you can eat it at any time: for breakfast dipped in the caffé-latte or cappuccino, as a snack, as an appetizer, you name it.
Early version of the focaccia were directly cooked on the fire (from the Latin, focus, from there --> focaccia). In the ancient Rome, focaccias were offered to the gods and in the Renaissance period they were consumed together with wine at wedding banquets. It was also food for travellers and fishermen who were baking pieces of unleavened dough directly on the base of the oven and eaten with vegetables, meats or cheeses. In the 16th century in Genoa, the consumption of simple focaccia with oil was familiar and also widespread in the church, especially during weddings. Even a bishop of the time, worried about the taking root of the habit, went so far as to prohibit consumption during funeral services.
Fortunately, the focaccia survived until our times.
This was my version!
Yes, it can be improved, but it was not bad as a first attempt!