Lombardia is for family

My second leg of this trip brought me to Brescia where I visited Dario and Roberto at their Pasticceria Bosco. I put on my best outfit for the visit, sipped on freshly squeezed orange juice, and picked out a few pastry to munch on before my piadina. Some of the best people I’ve ever known and I hope to one day open my home to them across the pond. I wined and dined with them as I remember five years prior. And it was all just as delightful as I remembered. 

A quick left turn took me into Milan where I dropped my bags and headed out of the city to Oriana and Steffano’s flat for a meal provided by Pontremoli. Stuffed zucchini with mortadella, parmesan, and breadcrumb. Fresh bread with pressed olive oil from the source and chicken friccase. I wanted a home cooked meal that day. I wanted to be inside the home of family eating food I was familiar with. It was emulating to say the least. Again, some of the best people I’ve ever met. 

My first meal solo on this trip was at a modern Italian spot called O|nest. Spinach Nudi and pasta sfoglia with coffee crema. Holy goodness was this NY meets in Italy in every bite.

Lugano Lago, Switzerland

Spontaneous trips traveling solo are one of the best experiences you could have. I promise, take my advise. It helps you disconnect and cleanse a bit. No external banter, nagging, annoyances that could disrupt your peace. Just you on a little journey to find good food and be near rolling mountains studded with tiny brown buildings. I walked for awhile to scope out the food scene while also taking in the fall breeze, found a statue that had my bodily structure, scoped out a McDonalds hoping to find a mini bakery, and circled back to a spot that offered pizza. The menu was inscribed on a board with pictures— usually a sign that it’s just meh and feeds into the interest of tourists. But, I was damn hungry and I went for it. Completely satisfied I devoured the entire pizza of sausage and ricotta. It was my intention to leave no crumb behind. 

Culatello & then some

CULATELLO 

There’s an eerie feeling walking into a salumi dungeon. The smell of ammonium almost suffocating as the mold spores from the exterior soil wraps the culatello (think of it like terroir). They hang from the ceiling and taper down on chains waiting to be plucked for service. It’s a raw sight but one that’s so rich in tradition. Culatello like copper, prosciutto di parma, speck, guanciale, pancetta, and salami are all of my favorites all at once. I don’t really have a preference one of the other but I hope culatello becomes as popular as the majority some day. Only about 10% of Culatello is exported beyond Italy which means their eating their weight in it- good for them. 

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Our lunch was a Michelin starred experience. I used to be obsessed with the concept of Michelin starred but now I just appreciate a place with great food sourced well and excellent reviews via word of mouth. This was a special spot, though and I was just in awe. Erbazzone or torta as I grew up calling it was placed in my hand deconstructed in the most modern way. Such a bizarre site, only because it’s something so regional and classic and rustic. To see my childhood matured in such a way through a course in the middle of parma was wild. Our main course was tortellini with drips of aged balsamic that reminded me of the chili oil I’d splash on pasta at home— no silly, this was much more exceptional. 

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ACETO BALSAMICO DI MODENA

I prefer a balsamic tasting to a wine tasting— that’s cool, right? I’ve always heard about the Aceto balsamic and now I got some in my bag straight from the source. I expected a factory of tubes, and vats, and barrels for aging but instead a blue stuccoed home with a sprawling yard and a floor of barrels lining what could once have been bedrooms. Some large and some mini blanketed with a little doiley bonnet to allow for oxidation and pest control. Juniper, oak, cherry are a few of the wood types that saturate the aging grape must. My favorite was the balsamic aged for 25 years in cherry wood barrels— my gosh it was like a decadent cherry jam. 

Parmegiano Reggiano Day Trip

Writing this before I even step foot in the airport on the US side of things. Can I believe I’m heading to Italy? Yes, I guess?! But, I’m also not quite convinced it’s happening yet. Once the travel anxiety and baby butterflies flutter in my gut then I’ll know it’s happening.

It’s funny how life weaves you through its pattern. I was ready to jet set to France and Germany with Dillon for the first time, but the world said nope! Italy is back on the docket. And, so that trip is to come in the next few months. For now my attention is deep in parmigiano, vinegar of modena acetaia, and lot’s of apertivo hours, pasta pasta pasta, and hours with family and friends I look forward to visiting.

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I’ll be writing a more extensive piece for delish about my ultimate parmeggiano reggiano experience, but here we can chat a little too. We were lucky to have a tour with a woman who had the most extensive knowledge about the process. This petit ginger with vibrant lipstick and glassy green eyes spoke the truth about parmesan as her words glided from broken Italian to English.  I asked myself- is she a scientist or agricultural engineer? I was so fascinated by her and all she knew. She grew up in a family that manufactures parmegianno reggiano. She translated this somewhat complex and sustainable process to us at a beautifully designed facility right in Parma. Out of 303 facilities each with 303 cheese masters in all of Emilia Romagna this was one that had been curated by an interiors architect. It felt like I was at a cheese retreat entirely, not a factory per say. 

Benedetto, Alexandra, and Neil are all publicists that work in conjunction with Parmegiano Reginano to give us this cultured experience. Put me on a tour or in a classroom and my mind has wandered after the 5 minute introduction only bouncing back into conversation when I hear things that grab my attention— I’m an active listener (sort of). But, I was totally engaged here. I was taken aback by the pungent smell, the copper vats that needed to air dry overnight, the double miking of cows (one night and one morning), salt baths that looked like mini lap pools, and the parmesan nursery that housed the maturing wheels for at least 12 months. 

Parmesan cheese cannot be called parmesan unless it’s 12 months of age. At this point the DOP police knock on the wheel and crack it open for inspection. 

Under the Tuscan Sun

It's not a glamorous life, but it's a good one. The sentimental feeling of driving miles up the curvy mountains of Pontremoli, Tuscany to a village the size of a small street  where your grandmother once grew up, was invaluable. It was like I set out on a mission to find the past for the present. I was so aware of everything around me too, that I felt I must capture it all at once. I never used a camera so much until this very weekend. I wanted to capture those long unforgotten memories of my grandmothers life- I know she still remembers much- and hope for one day to tell my own stories too. The curvy valley views, the sound of the rocky stream, buzzing bees, or a rooster crow created that rustic, nature vibe that many people yearn to live in this hectic lifetime. My weekend was wrapped around meeting new family and eating familiar food that I grew up craving. The connections and the emotions were finally linked together in this small village named Groppiadiloggia. 

 My cousin took me into lower Pontremoli so I could see the town. I had been hearing about this sweet called Amor- similar to pronunciation of amore, but not spelled as so- that is typical of Pontremoli. Amor is a pastry made with pastry cream whipped with butter and sandwiched between two wafer cookies and then rolled in cake crumb. I loved how fluffy the cream was and how it left a seam of fat on the roof of your mouth from so much butter! I could not appreciate food so much in this instance. The more places I travel in Italy, I truly realize the rules of eating in the country. It's like each town or city or street the size of groppiadiloggia have it's own food item to contribute to that regions cuisine. And it's so special being able to eat particular foods in the place it was concieved. 

The stream that swerves around the mountains and down into town is such a tranquil place to stare. I could slip away outside at any moment last weekend to find peace if I wanted. After dinner on Friday night my family pulled out a shoebox full of pictures and I came across this one of my grandma. She too, was sitting by the river taking in the vibrant sunlight, swooshing sounds, and fresh crisp scent of water and rock while her tiny son jumped about the slippery slopes.  I suppose it was slightly less peaceful for her, but still a place she could always link back to and a symbol of the small village she once lived in. 

 I was totally craving one meal after the next. I was always so distracted by the meer idea of the next meal. Like day and nigh we ate La Bomba Reali- the bomb of the king- and Torta di Riso or Potato. Gosh! It was so crazy. I grew up eating this food when my grandma would make it a couple times a year and now I'm here eating it from the motherland. It was so incredible finally making that link to something mysterious: torta? la bomba? where did those foods come from and why? Always why. Why do we eat torta in Pontremoli? Who thought of making a huge rice bomb filled with meat? I also thought my grandma was the only person who ever invented those things, but I was so terribly terribly wrong. She could have very well learned from those who I met last week. The little ladies tucked away in their kitchens with slippers and an apron, every single one in that village was dressed the same way. Those ladies were making history happen.

Great uncle Pietro has an apiary. As if the village people were not interesting enough, this sweet animal loving man raised bees for honey. To my happy surprise he has a laboratory under his home to produce and bottle honey for market. It just seemed all so early nineteen hundreds to me. Everything so rustic, simple and not too showy, cut down to simplicity. The honey too was way different. It tasted very floral and produced from chesnut tree bees who pollinated from their. 

The Easter morning tradition in the house of my family was to have eggs with salami. Eggs of course symbolize birth and all that Easter fun lingo. Salami too is very common to have in the spring time nearing Easter in Pizza Rustica or Easter Pie which family from my other side makes. Uncle Piertro here getting his fill before going off to tend to her baby bunnies.

Crucendo bread! It sounds like the crucendo in an orchestra under the stage at a broadway show, and is similar in context too. The bread is huge, flat, and raised a few inches off the table. The fluffy, somewhat dense bread was torn all about the long table on Easter. It was very hard to put down when eating with prosciutto crudo or roasted oil soaked peppers. I made sure I got the recipe before leaving.

Testeroli is possibly the most interesting food item from Pontremoli. Once again, the type of food only found in this particular region. All may say it looks similar to a johnny cake or taste like pasta, but it's practically neither. Flour, water and salt, poured onto a griddle and toasted on each side like a pancake. They are produced into these enormous flat round disks that get  cut into diamonds, dunked into boiling broth for a minute to soften and eaten with pesto or parmesan cheese and olive oil. Being that Pontremoli is so close to Liguria, the region known for it's DOP basil and pesto genovese, the testeroli has adapted to this sauce and quite well!

Bittersweet Oranges

I can't really explain the timing of this journey. Some students who travel abroad would say that it seemed like ages since they last slept in their beds at home, some would say it has not been long enough and they don't want to touch American soil anytime soon. As for me, I am having a hard time wrapping my head around three months of solid education and discovery. I feel like it was yesterday that I was lying in my bed at home, sick with bronchitis the days before my departure to Italy. All of the excitement about this journey coupled with the nervousness of my first big trip away from my comfortable life. (A little irony of it is that my mother also had bronchitis when she set out on her first trip to Italy; turns out, maybe history repeating itself was a good omen.)

As I sit here in my room in Brescia, clicking away, pondering my last blog, I am full of emotion.  I feel over-joyed to have met some of the greatest people on this trip. Loving, generous family, enriched my last two weekends with a sense of connection to personal history. I am blessed to have connected with a charismatic, kind, fun-loving group of people for the last three weeks at my externship, Pasticceria Bosco and I feel like I have known them my whole life. The owners are lifelong friends who connected years ago to work in the bakery. Not only was I fortunate enough to work there and to produce northern Italian pastry such as columba, Venetian brioche, fiame, pane di Spagna, chantilly and Brescian cannucini, I dined with them most evenings as well. They are the epitome of knowing what is truly important in life as they sit for hours enjoying each other's company while eating pasta or risotto from Florium in the center of Brescia, or "all you can eat" Japanese food from a local restaurant. 

I think I can look beyond food for a moment. Yes, this trip was entirely devoted to food and I am amazed by the regional cuisine, right down to the smallest village of a single town in a vast country side of a region, but there are other things to be said too. The people we connect with in our lives are there for a reason. They come, they go or they stay, but forever they will be a part of a lifetime and of who we become as individuals.  Traveling, being uncomfortable, exhausted and maneuvering a tremendous learning curve opened a world of knowledge and friendships for me here in Italy.

The cliche "saving the best for last" fits right here. Shall the future hold a fortunate return...

A Million And One Layers

waited and waited for weeks to make these precious shells. A multitude of layers ontop of the next layer surrounding polenta made with milk, sugar, candied orange peel, and agua di fiore. This recipe is simply challenging and it didn't come out as best as I wish it had. Quite honestly I'm just as thrilled to have made them and eat them too. I practically burnt my mouth rushing to crack into one, as the best part of the pastry is the very tip where all the layers bundle into a tight knob. It's so crunchy and greasy, and just perfect.

 Can you count each layer? It's like making a French croissant using the four fold method to stack pounds of butter between the layers, creating double, triple, quadruple the amount of sheets you first began with. The couple who truly make the absolute best sfogliatella are Frank and Maria at La Deliziosa Pastry Shop in Poughkeepsie, NY. There is nothing like their sfogliatella and I am thrilled to have worked for and learn under them!

I think Campania is the region of layers. The making of Casatiello (bread above) involved flipping and folding dough sprinkled with meat and cheese. Once again, it's similar to making croissants, except the time isn't as lengthy nor is the process as intense. Once the dough doubles in size, eggs are placed around the crown to bake. It becomes this huge mound of bread, perfect for Easter dinner!

I was reminded of the many pastries La Deliziosa would produce when learning about Campania. Pastiera Napoletana, Stuffoli, and Baba Rum all come from this region. The first is a wheat pie laced with beautiful lattice and best eaten on Easter. Stuffoli are mini fried dough balls- the size of a hazelnut- caramelized in honey and stacked into a mound- sold at Christmas. Baba Rum are the typical brioche- like dough that proof for many hours, baked, and then get soaked in simple syrup made of rum and orange. Babas as one would call them are eaten at any time of the year. It's typical in Naples to see jars of baba soaking in syrup or lemoncello. Have I got you running to the bakery for some?

Box of Goods

Truly delighted by the pastry shop in Brescia. The cafe vibe is just as lovely as the people and I am grateful to be here! After arriving I took a stroll down the street to scope out the work space and was granted opportunity to take away my lunch which was a box of mini pastry. You best believe I tried each one too. The bakery offers a variety of mini pastries that they have decorated beautifully; pate choux filled with pastry cream (bright yellow from the eggs here), baci di dama (typical of Piedimonte), and pasta frolla filled with pistachio cream. The brioche, which is also made in house, is layered with butter just like a croissant. Layers of flaky brioche are then filled with albicocca (apricot) jam or gianduia (similar to nutella). 

And We Must Go

It's always bittersweet leaving something behind; family, friends, pets, the comfort of your home and cozy bed. It's always that eerie feeling leaving behind an experience, or a larger part of a lifetime... like tomorrow when I depart from Ugento, Puglia. I don't know what has happened to the time between January and present. It's life that's always racing for the next thing, wanting to get there before anyone else. All the knowledge I have gained and the food that has found a peaceful spot in my belly is now satisfied with Puglia. It's up to me to carry on the next phase and what I will do with all I have earned here. It's up to me to be thankful for this adventure, grateful for the people who have walked through my life in the last few weeks, and appreciative of the place that I was able to call my temporary "home" away from home. I imagine there is no other spot in the world like Ugento.

Today we hosted a lunch at the Castello as a farewell to the town. Many wonderful influencers and business owners were invited and they were just truly the most lovely guests. Kathleen and I joyously set the table with pruned plants from the garden on this first day of spring. Tree trunks, cypress, daisies, lemon, fresh dill, and lit up candles evoked a refreshing and soothing vibe for an afternoon lunch. 

La Riviera orata, purea di sponsali e aglio

The final dishes represented bits and pieces of Italy and what we felt could nicely represent the varied cuisine. I was able to collaborate with a group of people on the appetizer course consisting of sea bream, mussels, sponsali onion puree, fried fish skin, and parsley foam. A very simple and rustic plate, yet colorful and dainty. On incident it seemed that all the courses were quite colorful too. Beet red cappellacci with robiola and guanciale, fregola with red mullet and raw artichoke salad, and goat cheese mousse with olive oil cake and pomegrainte sorbet all contributed nicely to the sunny warm afternoon. 

And, moving forward with an open mind, I embrace the challenge ahead; living on my own and working like an Italian for three weeks. With bags packed and tired eyes, I am ready to travel to the opposite coast.  I look forward to a bit of a lifestyle change while I see my way through the pastry world in this northern region. I do not know what to expect, but I look forward to filling my spare notebook with frills and tricks from the pastry shop of Brescia.

Into The Grottos

Italy has a hard time keeping savory food salty. With sweet boiled dumplings and plums stuffed inside potato dough, they are so on to something many outside Europe would be skeptical of trying. Torta di Latticini alla Lucana is "technically" a savory pie with ricotta, pecorino and saliccia but with the addition of sugar, I'm not sure what it's best for. Maybe breakfast? Regardless, it's tasty, and I guess it could mimic a sweeter version of pizza rustica.

People once hid in worn down grottos on the cliffside of Matera, housing their donkeys from a day at work while preparing meals in their small kitchens that opened to a room with a bed and one toilet. If there are mountains there are sheep; cheeses like Pecorino filliano or canestrato di moleterno, a basket aged cheese treated with salt, vinegar, oil, and sometimes char water. The cheese is leaner in the winter and fattier in the summer due to the diets of the sheep and goats in different seasons.

There is not a single piece of fish on our table scape here. But, Basilicata is positioned central to greener land that grow pera signora della valle del sinni along with all the land where sheep graze. Italy expands itself out like a jetty, so each region pretty much borders the sea on one perimeter. Basilicata is not one of those  regions, and instead of fish, the greener pastures roam with sheep and herding shepherds.

Minuich is the minimalist pasta of Bastilicata. It's the pasta that looks a bit scrappy yet tastes sort of like candelli pasta. It's this long pasta that one rolls around a metal skewer and pulls off to create a hollow- pressed too tightly- spiral. The tradition of serving this would be with a saucy ragu that soaks up all the tomato bits. It is also great in a tomato sauce of broccoli rape. It was lovely to see someone with such a sweet face cranking out pasta for hours. I wanted so badly to jump in and help her. I hope she is fed the biggest bowl of Minuich at the end of the night. Every night.

Nibbles and Bits of Baccala

Everyone says you must eat like a Roman in Rome so that means Pork Jowl, and lots of pepper and parmesan. The trio of pastas you will find on every single menu in Rome are Amatriciana, Carbonara, and Cacio e Pepe. So of course the pasta freak that I am, had to try each one on a different night out. Amatriciana is one of my favorites! Guanciale is pork jowl that must be salted for five days, hung over a fire place to smoke to continue aging for another thirty days. It's funky immensely fatty texture melts all over the stewing tomatoes. I learned about this pasta at my favorite restaurant in Rhode Island, when I was living in Newport for five months. I always fantasize about the days I would get a large takeout container of Bucatini alla Amatriciana from Pasta Beach.

I was not happy with Cacio e Pepe that I found in Rome, so perhaps when I venture back to Rome this weekend I will re-evaluate my options. My business with pasta is not over. However, Carbonara and amatriciana were classically done well, and I was satisfied. Too much heavy food in one weekend though, so I’m feeling the need for a future cleanse. 

Chestnuts are roasted in every street corner. They line the bronze pans in perfect proportions until they are roasted and tossed into a bag for the giddy tourist. I loved seeing the chestnut take control of the street food scene. We also found the Italian Jewish Ghetto in Rome which struck feelings within. Although the Jews had been in Italy long before Christ, they were greatly affected by the Holocaust of World War ll. I wonder if food was the victims scapegoat to happier days.

Rome is full of piazzas and alley ways lined with restaurants, tables and chairs outside, with awnings to cover. They are all lined up for blocks. We were on a serious look out for falafel with hummus, baba ganoush, baccala- the Jewish are notorious for it- and fried artichoke flower in the Jewish Ghetto. I don't know about my parents, but I was satisfied with that alone. I would not have imagined to eat falafel in Italy, and it was so darn good.

Well before visiting Lazio and the country of Vatican City, I pondered across a dessert; a sweet bun filled with whipped cream. I was excited to seek out those places that sold these plump sweet rolls with my favorite dessert topping. Although, when I finally got my hands on one it was after proofing the dough for nearly 3 hours and baking them until puffy and cool. The day after returning from Rome I was lucky to bake these in class. Cut a slit diagonally down the center and load in the cream! They almost remind me of hot cross buns with the candied fruit and raisins. All so very good.

Hands Of The Pugliese Woman.

Wouldn't it be a bit ironic if I hadn't spent time in Puglia learning tradition from the ones who inhabit the land? I was fortunate amongst others to take the time and watch a home cook dwindle her hands through focaccia dough, clean bearded mussels, and chat up a storm in Italian which most of us only understood little of. For two consecutive days we learned the right way to cook Pugliese food and what it meant to live in this region.

For almost two months I have slept, walked, drove, and eaten along the coast- north to south. I have lived in a new place and I have learned. But, what's more important is actually being with and watching the ones who know the heart of their culture. I was lucky to have this experience aside from the wonderful professionals who teach us day to day; even they too, can learn something new.

So, focaccia is used as a loose term in America, for those who know it as the fluffy dense pizza crust topped only with little sauce and gooey cheese. But here, focaccia is used for many different styles of bread and this focaccia happens to be the one we are familiar with. It also happens to call it's home, Puglia. It's perfectly crusty on the bottom and glutinous in the middle after three hours of proofing. Caterina worked her magic slapping the dough against the bowl to create lots of elasticity, a technique I haven't seen before. The only thing left to add to this sticky mass were tomatoes, (olives) and olive oil since Puglia is best known for the production of. I promise you it's not like anything you've ever had!

Tiella di Riso Patate e Cozze is a total mouthful. Potato, tomato, mussels, and rice with all the essense of garlic and onion too. Catarina lives in Bari- the capital of Puglia- and this one pot meal is from Bari, and Bari only. Baked specifically in a terracotta pot, the ingredients are layered on top of each-other in systemic order; aromatics, tomato, potato, cheese, mussels, rice, and potato. It's super simple, fairly inexpensive and a mild seafood dish to celebrate the coast. 

Taralli (made similarly to a bagel) are like the be all end all to the classic potato chip. It may only be me who thinks that, but they are so satisfying when you're looking for a salty snack. They are tender and crunchy and buttery, all the good characteristics of nutrition-less snacks. For some reason I really enjoy the simplest cracker- like snacks. I've always requested plain Goldfish, oyster crackers, table water crackers, and taralli from the store if I had a hankering for crunch. My grandma Chetti always knew how to perk up my tastebuds after school.

THE Imperial Clam

After picking up my dear Christopher at the airport we spent the day in Polignamo a Mare catching fish. Not really, but we did eat some raw seafood, practically fresh off the boat! We ate at a place called Da Tuccino, best known for its incredible raw seafood. Some critters I have never before seen, and some names I had to laugh at too; like carpet clams and hairy mussels. What really stumped us was the imperial clam, the one that looks like egg drop soup. Chris wasn't willing to try since we couldn't quite figure out what we were looking at, but I dabbed into it a little. We also tried raw cuttlefish and red shrimp- Gamberini di Rossi- which is very popular in Puglia to eat raw with olive oil and squeeze of lemon. Some like to suck the heads of the shrimp or prawns like they do in southern America, but I don't recommend it.

What I found unique was the shrimp cocktail. The red shrimp were cooked and served warm with an aioli that tasted of warm mayo and ketchup. The shrimp were drenched in this sauce, I couldn't even see them on the plate. I was very surprised to see something so fresh and delicate served this way.

Christopher could live by the ocean for eternity, but me, I loved these Truili houses. If I ever had the means to purchase a home in Italy, I would buy a Truili house in Alberobello. They were so precious and so imperfect with their cute slanted doors and colorful flowers scattered about. The Trulli houses are a sign of love and fertility and many have painted designs on their cone-shaped roofs. Puglia is known for craftsmanship so, many of the storefronts sell handwoven linen towels with peacocks, Truili houses, or stripes. Although a bit of a tourist area I had to buy one because it's something to remember from the area. What I also loved about this town was how the village wove together like a corn maze, but I wasn't scared to get stuck in between. The houses were so quiet and small, I fantasized families inside spending hours together drinking cafe while Sunday dinner was brewing on the stove. 

For what Puglia has to offer these are the best spots to be! Right between the ocean and a slanted doorway in Alberobello. 

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Calabrese Cuisine Is All For Peperoncino

I like the thought of eating spicy food, but I can only bear the heat so much. Thinking about pepperoncino brings me memories of Chinese dumplings dipped in chili oil. Nduja sausage is melted into candele pasta- a foot long pasta that's slightly larger than ziti- and served without cheese. You will not find spicy food eaten with cheese here, which I find very hard to understand! This is similar to how people here won't eat fish with cheese, unless your in Sicily of course. 

I could not wait to dig my fork into this meat and cheese pie. It's similar to pizza rustica, but instead Pizza con la Ricotta. It also has hard boiled eggs and sausage encased in this thick crust that was baked and flipped to crisp. There is lots of black pepper inside too. It reminds me of Easter time at home when my mothers family makes Easter Pie on Good Friday each year. The smells taunts us for hours until we are able to eat meat again at mid-night. 

"Love Is A Dream, Sweet As Milk And Liquorice."

You will find an interest for liquorice in this region as well, and some of the best know globally. The older I get the more I realize how picky I am ( at least I think) and the random things I do not like to eat. Liquorice is one of them. I never had the slightest lick of taste for licorice, it just makes me feel a bit upset. Liquorice root is quite different than the black processed kind you see in the candy aisle at Party City, but it's also much better for you too. Glycyrrhizin is a compound found in the wooden stick that is supposedly fifty times sweeter than sugar! It's supposed to aide you back to health from the common cold or liver disease.  

No Sardines In Sardinia? They Had Me Fooled

So I wonder why they named this island Sardinia. Although I am sure you can find sardines in this region, they don't play a huge role in their cuisine as they do in Sicily. The food in this region is consistent throughout. Some of the other fish common to Sardinia are shellfish like clams (arsella /vongola), mussels, and lobster. The fregola sarda is wonderful with carpet shell clams ( I can't get over the name), absolutely tender clams with toothsome pasta similar to ancini di pepe. Oh, how I miss my ancini di peppe with chicken broth and lots of grated cheese!  Fregola is a toasted Israeli cuscus that is cooked similar to a risotto. In Sardinia, they serve it over a delicate cracker-like bread called Pane Carasau. The bread is proofed twice, rolled thin like an oversized pita or naan bread, baked to a puff, and sliced through the middle. As a side anecdote, bread art dominates the region with its tiny figurines and sculptures made of pure bread. I don't know how it's possible to make bread look so perfect and detailed, but my thought is it tastes pretty tough. Imagine bread wreaths made of roses and leafy petals. Whats more ambitious are the ones that look like a replica of the nativity scene. So creative.

What we also realized is that Sardinia was the first region in Italy to grow grapes for wine production. Cannonau, Malvasia, Vernaccia are just a few. The red cannonau wine is related to the Grenache of Spain and France. The most common to drink in Sardinia with its plum, tobacco, and intense red berry notes. Malvasia wine has a honeysuckle aroma and almond flavor that's great with a super sweet dessert like Spanish Sedeas. This Spanish pastry is made with durum flour, stuffed with cheese, fried, and drenched in honey (sounds delightful). Vernaccio is a superb white, floral wine produced similarly to that of Sherry. Drink with a fondu of pecorino Sardo and crusty bread.

Melanzana: The Unhealthy Apple

The Sicilians were first to lay their hands on the eggplant in Italy. They are called dangerous by their name mela- apple and inzana- unhealthy. Since they are a nightshade veggie just as tomatoes and potatoes are, and they have harmful side effects eaten raw. They don't taste great raw anyways so why would you give up the opportunity to have fried eggplant cutlets, caponata, pasta alla norma with caciocavallo or parmigiana? Caponata is typically served room temperature with pignoli nuts (pine nuts), olives, and capers in a sauce thats both sweet and sour. It's great as a contorni (side dish) or mixed into pasta, you know that's how I eat most things. 

Sicily has some of the best food I have discovered in Italian cuisine so far and due to their diverse heritage and Arabic food ways that include aromatic and colorful ingredients. One thing that I thought stood out and varied differently from European cuisine was cuscus. It's very common to see it made in the middle east, served with vegetables and meat. Sicily was the first to serve this tiny fragment of wheat with seafood, just as we had it today. The pasta for this region varies a bit differently than the north in that the doughs are made with farina (zero) flour and water, no eggs. They are also usually extruded pastas like rigatoni served with a delicious aromatic cavolfiore (cauliflower) sauce. Then there are other pastas  like those made with everyones favorite micro fish, the sardine and anchovy. I think I have had enough of these guys before we started cooking with them. Is that terrible of me to say? If I think back on all the dishes with sardines or anchovies that we have made (and counting tomorrow and the next two weeks) I think it's amazing how many ways you can use them. They are either eaten as a side dish, meal, or used as a condiment. Fresh or salt brined, they are like the herring to Scandinavia, also something I am not so fond of.

WINE with Me:

Passito di Pantelleria are dried grapes used to make a very sweet tispy wine. Sicily, as an island off Italy, is kind of in its own world. There are so many DOC and IGP products throughout, and wine happens to make up its own huge list. Erice (white wine/ Inzolia grape/ best with shellfish), Etna (made from the volcanic ashes of Europes largest volcano), Faro ( red/ nero di avola or pinot noir grape/ best with hearty meat stews and braises). I love the marsala wine really because it's wondeful to cook with (sweet or savory). The "liquor wine" comes from Trapani Sicily with grapes harvested from Marsala.

Cibo Di Favola: A Fairy Tale Lunch At The Castello

I think it's fitting, a fairy tale meal in a castle that is. We found it hard to come up with a theme, thought thru and thru what we would do and we finally thought it be kind of charming to do an Italian fairy tale in a Castle. All I could think about was the table scape none- the less and what the guests would be most intrigued to see when they walked in. I practically picked the whole garden behind the castle to emulate the tales of each course while keeping things elegant and dainty. 

The class invited guests from the community- absolute gems- to feast at our luncheon that we must host twice during this semester. Someone narrated the four fairy tales per course. We invited Davide and his wife who own a restaurant in town and feed us copious amounts of food when dining in. We also invited Sergio from the deli, Benedetto Cavalieri from Benedetto Cavalieri Pasta factory that we visited a few weeks ago (I brought home 3 bags of free pasta), and Ugeo the pastry chef. Owners Massimo and Diana sat in along with our instructors Chef Odette and Chef Martin with lovely wife.

Gamberi al rosmarino con fagioli e arancia, paired with Falanghina, Mastroberardino, 2016

Aperitivo poured, or d'oeuvres set, and first course is on its way. Bread and Grissini decorate the table waiting to be chomped on or sopped up by the extra bits from each plate. First course was a puree of beans, topped with sautéed prawns, bitter orange slices, and candied rosemary flowers.

Papardelle con le erbe del nostro giardino, uovo crudo e limone olio al cristantemo, paired with Falanghina, Mastroberardino, 2016

Tried and tested for weeks by my peers, a chrysanthemum laminated pasta dough, with ricotta, herb oil, and confit egg yolk. Delightful I tell all. So very tender and creamy and delicious, with a touch of sophistication. 

Capretto brasato, polenta con aglio al forno, insalata di bieta e mandorle, paired with Trentangeli, Tomaresca, 2015

Although I don't eat goat because I am obsessed with them, the entire table could not be happier with it. Creamy polenta and a viscous jus highlight the brasato.

Spicchio di arancia, cioccolato e finocchio, paired with Crema Limoncello

Always dessert first, I think. I was part of the group to create this "elevated sweet." Its practically picking apart the components of a tart we were inspired by and reconstructing it. Dots of orange marmalade, peaks of whipped ganache, chocolate sponge, anise gelato, candied cedar lemon, and dehydrated orange peel, fried fennel frawn, and purple borage flower all atop a tart crescent. I love dishes like this because each component- although separate from the rest- meld together in symphony. 

Lovely way to end the study of northern Italian cuisines. Stay tuned for things are moving south!

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Sprinkle With Polenta

There are so many ways to cook Polenta in Lombardia so it's important I showcase at least one of- what I think- is super unique. It totally looks like a chicken nugget, but you will never find that in the cuisine here unless you go to McDonald's (yes Italy has those too). The Fiapon Mantovano is a sweet polenta- sugar and lemon- that has been fried to be eaten at the end of the meal. It can take on any shape you mold it to. We also had grilled polenta topped with lard and diced polenta with a buttery sauce. The important realization about Polenta is that it's served firm in Lombardia and soft in other regions like Veneto. Four main grains are Bramata, Fiorette, Fumetto, and Integrale. I remember when I was younger (and it was probably the only time she did it) my mom purchased store bought polenta and I remember thinking of the cheap taste. I thought I would never like polenta until I had it hot and creamy. Polenta is the perfect accompaniment with a brassato (braise) like Osso Bucco or goat, and often served in place of bread. 

So one of my absolute favorite pasta dishes come from this region. Pizzocheri is the name of the dish and the shape of the pasta. It looks like fettuccini that's been cut in half and doubled in thickness. Buckwheat is not for everyone's taste but with savoy cabbage, potato, and loads of bito cheese, grana padano, and browned butter with sage you won't be able to put your fork down. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. Besides Extra Virgin Garda DOP olive oil, the region bathes in butter. Butter and sage coat polenta and pasta everywhere here!

 Something I am having a hard time coming to terms with Salame d'Oca a sausage made with ground goose and wrapped in the skin on the goose too. It looks quite peculiar if you could imagine. It's similar to the concept of ground rabbit wrapped in pork trotter which I was able to taste in class today. Although it was so juicy and flavor-filled it had a slightly slimy texture due to the outer case. Some things are meant to be tried only once. I love this region though, and excited to live there at the end of my travels here.

Commensality And The Things You Don't Share

One day we will drink together, communally sharing the warm feeling of hot coffee, grappa, and cinnamon in our tummies. LA GROLLA DELL’AMICIZIA is this wooden carafe from Valle d'Aosta that stays true to its meaning of commensality. Its purpose is for all Italian friends or family to pass around and drink from, each from their own spout. What could possibly be more loving than this? Or maybe not so. Whats interesting about this vessel is that you open the top, pour in the liquid, and set it on fire. The alcohol must burn out before drinking, although the residual bit is still good too. 

Fondu of Fontina Valdostana is, without ruining your desire to try it, so stinky. It's funky and I wish I liked it, really I do but I can't bring myself to enjoy. It's an important DOP cheese and it's made only from the black or red Pezzata cows in the alpines. Along with that, you have over sixteen varieties of bacteria helping aide the aging process for three months and then, whats more, it gets buried in rock with high levels of humidity. I think I have you sold right? It's a great cheese, truly, and it works well with crusty, fluffy bread to dip. Just in case you don't like, make sure the pot is in the center of the table.

The Raviolo di Uovo is not for sharing. Everyone gets their own. I get my own. I confess that I had two of these today, and it's one of the best pasta meals I have had ever. Chef Odette Fada has "perfected" the raviolo after two decades of trial and error. The ricotta so creamy and smooth, perfect saltiness, pasta dough tender and bright yellow, and then the egg yolk that creates a natural sauce had me wanting my second piece before I finished the first. Also, running up to get the second one was a bit sneaky. It's like a plump pouch of all evil- everything bad for the cholesterol- and I suppose good for my mood. 

Every day we eat these large meals that end with a little something sweet. Baci di Dama (Lady's Kisses) are petite, delicate hazelnut cookies that have a little crunch and then melt in your mouth right away. Piemonte is famous for its nocciola spread- Nutella- and a little is smeared between these domed shaped baci for a quick treat. When Napoleon taxed chocolate in the 1800s, factories began to add hazelnut flour to their chocolate to stretch the quantity of their product. And so out of this came the Gianduia, the next thing I want to try! Nutella is so unobtrusive to anything you eat it with which is why no one ever wants to share it.

Sugar and Spice

This is the week where we venture off to some other parts of Europe that we would never expect to get a taste of. I am finding the ingredients and flavor combos from Italy's northeastern regions to be some of my favorite food. Friuli Venezia Giulia is described as a "double region" because it borders Slovenia and Austria, and definitely has some Hungarian notes in there as well. All to find in these rugged mountains and vast landscapes are mulberry bushes, cheese, and lots of prosciutto from the fattiest pigs. Smoked meats are also common here, and families would gather in the Fogolar ( room in the center of their homes) to burn these huge fires to smoke salami while staying warm. My mouth waters when I see the cotechino a sausage made from pork, wine, and lard that is so delicious. It falls apart as you eat it because it's so tender from all the fat within. It's also very similar to the spreadable ciauscolo from Marche which is why I like it. 

Cinnamon and saffron are the two most common ingredients in Friuli Venezia Giulia. I have never tasted a sweetened pasta or boiled dumpling before, but leave it to those regions closest to Italy on the northeast side where, here you will get all of that and more. Boiled dumplings filled with potatoes, onions, cinnamon, and raisins called Cialsons may make you scratch your head a bit. Sprinkle with Pecorino Romano and they should almost be more savory than sweet... almost. They are typically eaten for dinner, and then dessert you have another boiled dumpling filled with nuts and sugar and dusted with more sugar! I can see eating Sucio if they were fried, but not boiled. I am really trying to understand the textures of slimy cornmeal and spinach Paparot and goulash, but it's so hard to get used to a sweet pasta dish like Lasagne ai Semi di Papavero (see below). So very difficult.

***sweet sausage and dumplings made by the class.

Poppy Seeds and sugar, you really want to know? See the link below to learn how to make Lasagne ai semi di Papavero or Mákos Tészta . It's one of the most unique pastas you will ever try. x