Heavenliness - Val d'Aosta, the Alps!

 If you have never been to the Italian side of the Alps, which means taking in the fabulous Val d'Aosta, you have not lived! Culturally Aosta is loaded with ancient history from BC to the beautiful Roman Amphitheater ruins to the Alpine culture and modern day. Everywhere you gaze there are mountains framing your views, the town piazza is crowned with tall glaciers in the background and you can have it all while sipping caffe in the square. I love Val d'Aosta

 

The gastronomic pleasures of this area begin with the infamous Fontina DOP. This is the queen of the alpine meadows, a cheese made from raw milk, fragrant and alive. To be labeled or considered Fontina DOP, it must be made only from cows of the Valdostana breed that forage on local grasses and meadows. This is the cheese that gave birth, to la fonduta (fondue). It was from this awesome fonduta, that was transformed into the other versions of fondue in Switzerland. If you want to savor the original, this is where you need to be! Do not forget to try Fromadzo DOP too, another very special cheese of the area, mix of goat and cow's milk. 

This area is also ultra famous for the Lard d'Arnad DOP and the Vallée d'Aoste Jambon de Bosses DOP. The prosciuto was an ancient gift for bishops and archbishops, produced in the city of Saint Rhemy-en-Bosses since the 14th century. The frigid stream of air that would come down to the valleys bordering with Switzerland and the long winter cold coupled with the manual labor of man, helped transform these raw prosciutti into authentic one-of-a-kind pieces. They are aged 12, 18 and 24 months and if you can find this ham, you must try it. 

The lard of Arnad is truly the jewel of the mountain peasant's world. Today it is found in the area for sale where previously, it was very difficult to find because it was the source of substenance during those long harsh and cold winter months. As they say, living in the mountains is about 9 months of frigid cold and 3 months of just cold. So be sure to try ultra thin slices of this served on warm crusty pieces of bread; this is something you will come back for time and again. 

A few of the brands assuring you of quality and origin are Saveurs du Val D'Aoste as well as  Alpenzu. Alpenzu is another group of the Val d'Aosta guaranteeing the origin of the products sold. While at the hotel, we were lucky to taste chestnuts in honey as part of an appetizer and while shopping we stumbled on le tegole, famous cookies of the area, another must-try!  

While traveling make sure you do the castles of the region, they are fantastic!    

Oh WOW, Val d'Aosta - Paradise Unveiled!

Just got back from a quick trip to the Val d'Aosta, and man do I have some great information for you! How can anyone not be amazed at those Alps, the Roman history of Aosta itself and the ancient door/arch to the city built 25 BC...
So hold on to your knickers because I have lots to share.  :-)

Superb Cheese Tarts from the Alps

250gm or 8oz Flour
100gm or 3.5 oz Butter unsalted
1 Egg

Butter and flour the molds diameter of 3 inches 7cms about 12 of them. Cut butter into the flour with a pinch of salt, when crumbly, add 4 Tablespoons water mix quickly and lightly then add egg and mix quickly until homogeneous. Cover and place in refrigerator for 30 minutes. Roll out on a floured board about 3mm (the thinner the better)

Filling 240ml or 8oz heavy cream

The following cheese combinations are recommended:

Swiss Emmenthal (good swiss cheese) and Brie or, Gruyere and Brie or, Fontina and Brie or, Gorgonzola dolce or piccante and Brie or, Gorgonzola and Fontina (a strong combination) or, Stilton and Brie If you are able to find Sbrinz (from Italy) this is a great one as well to combine with either Brie or Fontina

229gm or 8oz of "type one" cheese grated or finely chopped

115gm or 4oz of Brie or Fontina or type number two cheese cut into tiny squares or pieces

100 ml or 3oz Whole milk
3 Egg yolks
Parsley, salt, nutmeg

Cut cheese into cubes trimming crust off of the Brie. Divide the two cheeses evenly and place in the dough lined tart molds.

Combine milk and cream in a bowl, add the yolks mix and beat well. Add fresh grated nutmeg, a teaspoon of chopped parsley and a pinch of salt. Pour the mix into the tarts covering the cubed cheese.

Bake in a preheated oven 190 degrees Celsius or 375 F for about 20 minutes Cool 10 minutes and unmold and serve

Food Frolicking & Travel at Singing Nella's - Wine Country Barolo

La Cantinella (Canti – Nella i.e., singing Nella) was the Osteria just across the way from the old café behind and below the Barolo castle. This fun little place allowed the option of eating inside with AC or outside in the heat but in the shade of the buildings above the restaurant as well as their huge umbrellas.

Seated outside her eyes roamed from the bright yellow-orange of the Marchesi di Barolo cellars to the wine-covered hills above, the Barolo Castle and the barren parking lot in front. Melting in the heat but reveling in the scenery her mind floated from the suggestions of modern times to visions of the past. In some ways things have changed so much yet when immersed in these towns, one sees how little life really has changed, at least here drifting between the vineyards.

Lunch offered typical Piedmont dishes such as, raw hand cut and pounded Piemontese beef as an appetizer (do not shy away from this, raw meat is excellent for the body). A plate of mixed appetizers displayed Russian salad, raw meat, zucchini frittata with fondue alla Piemontese (the original fondue from Val D’Osta) and, bagna cauda, which was a big slice of blanched red pepper with green garlic sauce floating inside. Bagna cauda is famous in this region and the sauce is something you want to be sure to eat together if you are going home with your dinner partner because the garlic breath could kill a horse! (laughing, think I killed the Piglet)

The sauce is made from mashed garlic, lots of it, anchovies and olive oil (of course); the whole mix heated over a double boiler or at times served over a candle with raw veggies or served as it was that day on the pepper slices although not raw but just blanched. The fondue is another thing in and of itself!
This original fondue is prepared with Fontina, eggs, butter and milk and is a dense liquid (the cheese soaks in the milk for at least 8 hours if not longer). The milk is then tossed and the cheese is melted with fresh milk and a ton of butter and once it begins to thicken, an egg yolk or two is tossed in. Of course, this is best consumed with white truffles but hey, eating it by the spoonfuls is still a thrill and in the winter, this is a dish that outshines any cold day! So, while you all are putting kirsch in your fondues, just know that until you have tried the original here in northern Italy, you are missing out. ;-)

The rest of the meal consisted of agnolotti in butter and sage and risotto al Barolo, which is truly a local dish (just onions and wine)! They also served fresh homemade, hot bread infused with tons of oregano in a bread loaf form as well as a focaccia so her goal of limiting the bread intake that day went to the dogs! In that heat, no wine was ordered with lunch but then again, with all the little wine tasting who needed it (giggling)? To finish off the meal, a stop at the Antico Panettiere furnished a bag of local cookies or little fragile flat hazelnut “pancakes.” These contain the locally grown Piemontese hazelnuts and nice soft Amaretti cookies as well. ;-)

How can she emphasize enough the extent of excitement and depth of smiles this area can produce? To breathe-in this wine country one realizes this is not just about wine but about the substantial amount of history surrounding these great wines through the centuries. The vast amount of neat, well-cured vineyards will tantalize the dreams and emotions of any countryside lover; an unadulterated lullaby for all the senses. These hills undulate with history and passion at every turn and everywhere the eye might rest; one cannot help but get caught up in the spell. Speaking of spells, dinner at the Grinzane Cavour Castle is worth a separate post. To be continued…. ;-)