March 8th marks a special day for women.

International Women’s Day – Celebrate femininity and female friendship with mimosa flowers and special recipes

March 8 – International Women’s Day, or La Festa Della Donna as it is called in Italy – is a kind of BFF day that celebrates femininity and female friendship.

It’s not celebrated to the same extent here in the United States, but it’s definitely a great day as a woman traveling to Italy!

Every man passing by will smile and greet you warmly, saying “Aguri!” (Happy celebrations) There’s a festive atmosphere all around, and you’ll find groups of girlfriends sipping espresso, meeting for long lunches, and gathering in groups for a night of celebration. Since mimosa blooms in central Italy in March, it is the honorary flower of the holiday and women everywhere carry small bouquets of these tiny yellow flowers, which they sell or give away to shopkeepers, waiters and even newsagents.

Interestingly, although it is an important day in Italy, Festa della Donna actually has its roots in two events that occurred outside of Italy. One event was the formation of America’s first women’s union, sparked by a strike by garment workers in New York City on March 8, 1857.

And 60 years later, Russian women led strikes demanding “bread and peace” during the Russian Revolution. In 1945, the Italian Women’s Union declared that this special day, March 8, should be set aside to celebrate womanhood throughout the country. Festa delle Donne is celebrated on various dates in different cities of Italy. But in 1946 they officially settled on March 8th.

Chefs and home cooks across Italy have created edible dishes at Festa della Donna that mimic the beautiful colors and shapes of the mimosa flower. Here are two of my favorite things I discovered while researching my books Dolci and Pasta Modern. Start with a delicious pasta dish that looks like mimosa blossoms, and finish with a lovely mimosa-shaped layer cake, the unofficial dessert of the holiday.

Mimosa Tagliatelle

Serves 4

Small, delicious saffron-flavored fish meatballs piled onto spinach pasta look like a mimosa bouquet.

1/2 pound cod
Garlic, a few cloves
2-3 slices of white bread, crust removed
6 to 8 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg
1 envelope saffron powder or a few saffron strands
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup brandy
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 pound spinach tagliatelle or other long spinach pasta

Place the raw cod in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Add 1 minced garlic clove, bread, Parmesan cheese, egg, saffron, salt and pepper to taste. Form into marble-sized balls.

Heat the oil and butter in a frying pan, add 2 cloves of garlic, and heat until the garlic is golden and fragrant. Discard the garlic, add the fish balls, and cook for 2 minutes, shaking the pan and rotating the balls. Add the brandy and cook for a few seconds to remove the alcohol, then stir in the cream, season with salt and pepper and add more brandy, if desired. Meanwhile, boil the pasta in salted boiling water until al dente, drain, top with sauce and serve with fish balls.

BFF Cake Mimosa Cake

Serves 10

A very moist cake filled and covered with creamy custard. The cake will stay fresh in the fridge for several days and will actually taste better over time. It’s the perfect make-ahead snack and even freezes amazingly.

cake:

Butter and flour for the pan
4 large eggs
1 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
8 large yolks
7 ounces, generous 1 1/3 cups cake flour
1/4 cup potato or corn starch

For charging:

1 1/4 cups whole milk
2 1/4 cups heavy cream, divided
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
8 large egg yolks
Portion 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar.
2 ounces, about 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon, all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sweet citrus liqueur, such as Cointreau or Limoncello

cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter and flour two 8 1/2-inch springform cake pans.

Place the eggs and sugar in a standing mixer and beat on high speed until the mixture has quadrupled in volume, 10 to 15 minutes. Then add the yolks and beat vigorously for another 5 minutes. The mixture should be thick enough to write.

Sift the flour and potato starch into the mixture. Using a spatula, carefully fold in the flour from bottom to top. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until light golden, about 30 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

For charging:

Heat milk, 1 1/4 cups heavy cream, and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat until bubbles begin to form at the edges. Remove from heat.

In a bowl, beat yolks and 1 cup sugar with an electric hand mixer until pale yellow. Beat in the flour a little at a time until smooth.

Place yolk and flour mixture in saucepan and heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens, about 4 minutes.

Pour the mixture into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until very cold, at least 4 hours.

When ready to assemble the cake, whisk the remaining cup of heavy cream until whipped and fold into the pastry cream.

Place the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat, add the liqueur and stir. Let cool and set aside to moisten the cake layers.

assemble:

Cut the top and sides of both cakes to remove the cooked portion. Next, carefully cut each cake in half lengthwise, making 2 layers per cake, or 4 layers total. Cut one layer into cubes. Reserve your cube.

Place the golden-bottomed layer on a serving plate. Soak with 1/3 of the liqueur syrup and then spread with 1/3 of the filling. Repeat with the next two layers, spreading the filling over the top and sides of the cake. Press reserved cubes into top and sides of cake. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Written and contributed by Francine Segan

For more information about Francine’s books, talks, and cooking classes, visit: www.FrancineSegan.com