Sweet Milk

Oh, fried sweet milk! When I was a child and we went to the restaurant with my parents – which occurred quite seldom as the best restaurant was my granny’s home – I always wished them to order Genoese mixed fry-up (“fritto misto”). This is (and was) not a children-friendly plate actually. There are different kind of vegetables and different pieces of meat, among which some “difficult” ones such as brain. In addition to that a thick crunchy breadcrumb hides all these pieces deserving a surprise at each first bite. But, BUT, in the midst of fritto misto an unpredictable small treasure is hidden: the fried sweet milk. Yes! Probably ancient Genoese cooks took in consideration also children when preparing this dish and so, among a cutlet and a piece of cauliflower, they fried also some soft, sweet, little cubes of thick and solid custard-like cream. Those littles cubes were the one I pointed when the main plate arrived at the table of the restaurant, the ones that with anxiety and hurry I asked my mother to pick up for me, because the hotter the better, and the one I invariably argued for with my brother.