The Recipe: Dama Bianca (Fennel and Celery Salad)
I first became a fan of Ursula Ferrigno when I was working for a British publishing company. A colleague told me I'd love her books and that she was, as the Brits say, "spot on." Each and every one of Ferrigno's cookbooks is a joy. On trips to London, I'd always make a point to scour the Notting Hill shop Books for Cooks for any new Ferrigno titles.
I pitched the idea of having Ferrigno do a menu for Gourmet, lending Ruth Reichl my precious cookbooks for support, and I couldn't have been more thrilled when she gave it the go-ahead. Ferrigno's honest, thoughtful food had won her over, too.
Before I had the chance to meet Ferrigno face to face, we corresponded about the menu. One of Ferrigno's recipes was to be a Dama Bianca, translated as Woman in White-an Italian fennel and celery salad with bits of mozzarella. Though I knew Ferrigno had a sort of quirky style, I had to read twice when I came upon this sentence in her email: "When shopping for the two fennel bulbs, one should choose one male and one female bulb for balance." This was the first I'd ever heard about fennel bulb gender. I had to give her a call right away for clarification. Ferrigno explained that the male bulbs were long and slim whereas the female bulbs were bulbous-or as she put it, they "had hips." Okay, that was how you were to tell them apart, but why one of each? The male fennel, apparently, has a stronger flavor, while the female has a more fibrous texture. Combining them, according to tradition, results in the perfect marriage.
So I did what anybody would do. I googled it. And yes, there were plenty of discussions on male and female fennel. It's even reached The New York Times, who referenced Marcella Hazan on the topic-yet, interestingly, Hazan suggests it's the other way around: that the slender bulbs are the females. As much as I adore Hazan's cooking, life experience suggests that slender males and broad-hipped females is the obvious distinction.
Shooting the story with Ferrigno in London at Cucina Caldesi, the Italian cooking school, where she is a teacher, I finally ate the salad as she prepared it. I'm not sure I could taste the melding of the male and female fennel, but it was just right, so I have to acknowledge that a little old-world wisdom might very well be the secret ingredient. To this day, I haven't figured out if fennel bulb gender is fact or folklore-but I love it, and now I always make sure to sex my fennel.
Don't forget to seek out male and female fennel when making our refreshing salad.
Selected Recipes from Gourmet:
