St. Joseph's Day, also known
as The Feast Of St. Joseph or La Festa di San Giuseppe
It's Traditionally held two
days after St. Patrick's Day
St. Joseph's Day has the
strongest roots and traditions in Italy and it commemorates the feast day
of St. Joseph, husband of the Virgin Mary.
Besides being celebrated by
the Catholic Church, St. Joseph's Day is commemorated by the Anglican
Community and Lutheran Church.
On Western calendars since the
10th century, St. Joseph's Day was accepted in Rome in 1479 and added to
the General Roman Calendar for celebration in 1621.
Italian-Americans hold St.
Joseph's Day with a special importance, especially those with family from
Sicily, "where St. Joseph is as important as St. Patrick is in Ireland.
St. Joseph was credited with
preventing a famine in Sicily.
The day is commonly
commemorated with a festival, special feast, parades and processions.
Traditionally, red is worn on
St. Joseph's Day.
in Italy is a part of Saint Joseph's Day
Zeppole are traditionally consumed on La Festa di San Giuseppe
Cut open the vanilla bean lengthwise.
Using the back of a knife, scrape along the inside of the vanilla bean
to collect the seeds. Scrape
seeds into a small bowl. Add the 1/2 cup
and stir to combine. Set aside.
In a medium
butter, salt, 3
tablespoons of sugar, and water over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Take
pan off the heat and stir in the flour. Return pan to the heat and stir
continuously until mixture forms a ball, about 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer
the flour mixture to a medium bowl. Using an electric hand
mixer on low
speed, add eggs, 1 at a time, incorporating each egg completely before
adding the next. Beat until smooth. If not frying immediately, cover
and reserve in the refrigerator.
enough oil into a large
frying pan to
reach a depth of 2 inches. Heat the oil over medium heat until a
thermometer registers 375 degrees F.
Using a small
or 2 small spoons, carefully drop about a tablespoon of the
dough into the
frying in batches. Turn the zeppole once or twice, cooking until golden
and puffed up, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Toss with
cinnamon-sugar. Arrange on a platter and serve immediately.