The Daily Valet. - 12/7/22, Wednesday
✔️ The Riseof Panettone
Wednesday, December 7th Edition
By Cory Ohlendorf, Valet. Editor
How much panettone is *too* much panettone?
Presented by
Today’s Big Story
The Rise of Panettone
They're everywhere, but the Origin Story Sounds Like A Hallmark Holiday Movie
You either love it or hate it. Then again, perhaps you've never tried one. But if you haven't sliced into a heaping dome of fluffy panettone, you're not doing the holidays right.For the uninitiated, panettone is a golden sweet bread, enriched with butter and eggs. The main constants are a round base and a light, fluffy texture studded with candied citrus peels, raisins, and sometimes nuts. You can have it with coffee, you can have it as a light dessert or even breakfast. And these days, they've become so popular that you can bypass the traditional ones and opt for special ones made with swirls of purple ube or gourmet chocolate. Even Gucci makes one.Of course, it's common in Italy to set strict rules about who can call their product “traditional” or “artisanal,” and Milan's Chamber of Commerce stipulates that a “typical panettone in the Milanese artisanal tradition” must consist of at least 20 percent sultanas and candied citrus fruit.Eater just traveled to the tiny medieval village hidden inside a national park that produces world-famous Sicilian panettone. They ship them to 60 countries and have provided them for three popes. A nearly century-old sourdough starter is the foundation for a process that takes three days to complete for each panettone. Interestingly, that distinctive, dome-shaped top is the result of hanging the freshly-baked bread upside down to cool, which stretches the crumb and prevents the bread from collapsing.But where did it come from? And how'd it become a Christmas staple? Depends on who you ask. According to Tasting Table, one local legend says the panettone sits at the heart of a star-crossed love story between a medieval baker's daughter and her forbidden boyfriend. But Eatly says it was developed by a 12-year-old named Toni, who worked for the head pastry chef for the Duke of Milan. The pastry chef was distracted, and the intended dessert for the Christmas Eve feast is ruined. Toni saves the day by adding butter, sugar, and citrus fruit to the leftover bread dough—creating a cake that eventually became known as pane di Toni (or Toni's bread).
Want one?
Food52 sells a classic panettone from one of Italy’s oldest pasticceria using centuries-old traditions and a family recipe—all for an authentic, Milan-made taste.
Warnock Defeats Walker in Georgia
His Victory Secures a 51-Seat Majority for Democrats in the Senate
Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock defeated Republican challenger Herschel Walker in a Georgia runoff election Tuesday, ensuring Democrats an outright majority in the Senate for the rest of President Biden's term.This race was not only the most expensive of the entire 2022 cycle, but Warnock's victory capped off a marathon midterm election in which Democrats defied history—limiting the loss of House seats that typically greets the party that holds the White House and now gaining a seat in the Senate.But according to the Associated Press, Democrats' Georgia victory solidifies the state's place as a Deep South battleground.Voters returned Warnock to the Senate in the same cycle they reelected Republican Gov. Brian Kemp by a comfortable margin and chose an all-GOP slate of statewide constitutional officers.
FYI:
About 1.9 million runoff votes were cast by mail. A robust Election Day turnout added about 1.4 million more, slightly more than the Election Day totals in November and in 2020.
Partner
The team at MR PORTER have rounded up some of the best giftable items money can buy.
Trump’s Business Guilty of Tax Fraud
The organization was found guilty on all counts of a criminal tax fraud Scheme
As of Tuesday afternoon, the former president's company is a convicted felon. The Trump Organization was convicted over what prosecutors say was a 15-year scheme to defraud state and federal tax authorities.The conviction on all 17 counts—after more than a day of jury deliberations —stemmed from the company's practice of doling out off-the-books perks to executives: They received luxury apartments, leased Mercedes-Benzes, extra cash at Christmas, even free cable. And neither the executives nor the company paid taxes on any of it.Corporations cannot be imprisoned, so the principal sanction against the company will be a fine — and not a particularly large one (about $1.6 million). But the guilty verdict could hinder Donald Trump's ability to conduct business in New York City and, of course, there's the looming civil suit brought by the New York attorney general that's not likely to go to trial until next October.
Meanwhile:
The House January 6 committee has decided to make criminal referrals to the Justice Department—possibly of Trump or his close associates.
Apple Is Bringing Karaoke to Your Living Room
The new service lets You sing tens of millions of songs, perform duets and sing backup vocals
I'm gonna have to ask for a microphone for Christmas. Apple on Tuesday announced Apple Music Sing, a karaoke experience that will be available to subscribers later this month. Apple has long given you the lyrics on cue, but the new feature has adjustable vocals which will let you duet with the original artist or sing solo. It will work with tens of millions of songs—you just enter the lyrics view and tap on the microphone button to adjust the singer's volume. An Apple spokesperson told Mashable, “We built an on-device machine learning algorithm that can process music in real-time, finding the vocal parts and neatly isolating them from the rest of the song.”There are a few features designed to make it easier to sing with others, too. Background vocals can appear independently of main vocals, according to Apple, and there will be a duet view as well if you want to sing along with a friend—just in time for holiday parties.
Meanwhile:
Apple is scaling back the design of its first self-driving car and even delaying the launch.
In Other News
Critics are calling it “immersive,” “stunning,” and better than the original.
Have you heard about ...
Partner
Give a Little Luxury This Year
Some of the best giftable items money can buy from MR PORTER
The team at MR PORTER is made up of discerning gentlemen who have the inside track on what's cool, what's tasteful and thus, what makes for a fine gift. Especially when you're looking to impress or indulge. We asked them what they'll be giving—and hoping to receive—this holiday season. From a cozy sweater that's actually knit from silk and a leather trimmed tech kit to the perfect beer tumbler, they're the kind of gifts any man would be happy to unwrap. Plus, every item comes with the site's now-signature promise of top notch service (including free shipping and exchanges), along with luxurious packaging.
Clockwise, from top left to right:
Mouline wool and silk-blend zip-up, $355 by
; Full-grain leather tote bag, $2,500 by
and 3-in-1 leather charging organizer, $280 by
Clockwise, from top left to right:
Glass beer tumbler, $100 by Japan Best; M79 automatic stainless steel watch, $290 by Timex and Tie-dyed ribbed cashmere beanie, $395 by The Elder Statesman
Want more gift ideas?
Morning Motto
Be sure to fuel up and save yourself the trouble.
▾
Follow:
Share today’s motto:
