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.  :-)

Etruscan pasta - Simple and Honest Cooking!

This has been the month of chocolate mousse for some reason of course I am super cheating because I have found a 2 minute package from Lindt! These are amazing and come in two if not three flavors...cannot remember (brain fart again). All you add is milk and whip (no, not me even though I have been very remiss lately with my recipes and cooking).:-)

As the hot season approaches, the desire for fresh and cool is right up there with finding a way to pay off all debt in one's life ;-) and last week I tried out an old Etruscan recipe and had to wing it.  This is not a cold pasta sauce but it is SUPER simple. All you need is fresh mint, walnuts, garlic, olive oil and the real thing, parmigiano reggiano or grana padana.

For all you seasoned cooks, you just have to guess on the portions. I used quantities I would use for two people making garlic, parsley and oil pasta.

Choose a long pasta, linguini, spaghettini, pici, spaghetti, etc.


For two:
15 - 20 leaves of fresh mint approx.
2-4 cloves garlic depending on tastes
ultra finely chopped walnuts about (4 whole ones)
olive oil extra V, enough to make a sauce to cover the pasta.

Crush the garlic into the oil and begin to saute very slowly.  Finely chop the mint and add to oil mixture and saute about one minute on very low heat take off the heat.


Cook the pasta in salted water, (must use some salt in the cooking otherwise pasta is just flavorless with the sauces).  When al dente, drain and quickly toss into the pan of garlic, oil and mint that you will have deftly put back on the fire just seconds before draining the pasta. Saute high for 2 minutes or less tossing the walnuts into the sautee mix.


Serve in warm bowls and garnish with the parmigiano. Serve with a fabulous frizzy white summer wine from the Veneto region or even a Prosecco would do well with this. Buon appetito!

Texas Roadhouse!

I just happened upon this restaurant, Texas Roadhouse while in New England and thought I had discovered the mother lode. What a fun place, where one can eat peanuts and just toss the remnants onto the floor and listen to country kicking music and yell "ye ha" every hour! If you go, you must try the rattlesnake bites, which are out of this world; not even chili poppers, so popular in So. Cal. come close to these! The steaks were cooked to perfection, the fresh hot bread is really something else (while trying to cut down on bread) served with cinnamon butter as well as, the daily assortment of awesome fresh veggies.

So for a fanatic against chains...I have to admit, this one has got me changed along with RiRa (Irish pub and grill -FAbULOuS food and cocktails)! This is one amazing restaurant and bar serving perfect Irish fare (try the Reuben with their homemade corned beef), great hand cut fries and since I was in New England, had to try their clam chowder finding it to be just perfect (as well as their potato leek soup). Most of these pubs have taken over old historic buildings and while maintaining the decor as it was when it was either a bank (or something else), they have transformed these into working bars and restaurants while preserving a part of our past, fantastic!


One last recommendation before I have to run out the door here, is Jumping Jays Fish Cafe! This is located downtown Portsmouth, NH and was the best meal I had in the 3 week vacation. The fish was unbelievable; ultra fresh, prepared with a choice of sauces and each one done to perfection. The martinis were good, the bread superb and the caesar salad was (finally) the way it should be, just olive oil, lemon, garlic, anchovy and parmigiano (nothing saucy or over dressed)! Mind you to eat here on a Friday or Saturday, you MUST make a reservation way in advance otherwise forget it. Even during the week you should make a reservation especially during the tourist season.

Portsmouth offers wonderful coffee houses, fabulous bakery items and oodles of Italian restaurants as well as the classic pub, brewery and chowder houses. The one thing I did not do with my other half was go to a great martini bar  (I was told by an insider it has the best).  The Red Door Martini Bar and martinis are not all they serve, check out their music line up, damn wish we had found out this little tip earlier, before we had to leave (guess I have a good excuse to go back)!  ;-)

Parma for Eggplant Parmigiana! (No Cheese)

Thinking about a friend who the other day decided to make eggplant parmigiana, I had to go to my "bible" cookbook Emiliana and Romagnola wanting to set it straight once and for all the difference between these dishes. 
First off, the ultra famous eggplant parmigiana served in most restaurants in the US and in cookbooks as well, is actually what is called "Parmigiana di melanzane" vs what is made in Emilia Romagna called, "Melanzane alla parmigiana." The former is from Campania (Naples province) and uses heavy amounts of mozzarella. 
Another myth to be exposed is the one when preparing eggplant, was to cover the raw slices with salt. This was supposed to force the vegetable to purge the bitter water contained within. Maybe centuries ago this plant was very bitter but today the varieties we have are far from bitter and the salting actually ruins the delicate flavor of the eggplant and is harmful so, NEVER, ever salt eggplant before use.  :-)


My favorite recipe for Melanzane all parmigiana (Emiliana recipe) is the following:
2 medium eggplant
50 gram prosciutto crudo - thick slice about 1/4 inch
1 small onion
300 gr peeled tomatoes 
50 gram butter
flour
olive oil
salt pepper
Wash and dry the eggplant, but the ends off and slice into rounds.
The slices should be about 4-5 mm in thickness.
Flour them well and fry in olive oil, dry on oil absorbing paper.
In a casserole dish, melt the butter (may substitute olive oil here is desired) together with the super finely SLICED onion. When the onion is nice and transparent, add the prosciutto cut into little cubes. Sautee for two minutes and add the tomatoes.
Salt and pepper to taste and then add the eggplant slices.
Cook over a slow flame, covered for approximately fifteen minutes.

Regional Tuscan Cooking at it's best!

During one of our lightening fast trips to Tuscany for work, we stopped in at a restaurant and locanda we had passed by in the car on numerous occasions but never had the time to stop in. This is a gem, one worth planning your trip around just to immerse yourself in an atmosphere of top notch Tuscan country living.

This is a small locale hosting rooms as well as, the restaurant and being the curious one that I am, we requested to see the rooms; such a nice surprise to find them done tastefullly and with all the amenties one might wish. Granted, it is over the autostrada and very close to the exit so if you plan on staying for a while, it might be noisy but then again, while soggiorning at Hotel Rosati, I never noticed the traffic noise and this hotel is just a few steps away. Great place for an encounter, dinner downstairs and just crawl or race to the room afterwards. Sex, languid, steamy kiss, cozy.

The decor of the dinning room is ultra classic rustic Tuscan tables, with tables out side for the hotter months. This is a wonderful place for a quick meal or for something completely sumptious, slow and satisfying. The waitresses are patient and friendly and the food is cooked to order; (grilled specialties). One of my favorites was the bruschetta done with freshly grilled/roasted tuscan bread (which as you all know is salt free not to detract from the food). If you are dinning with more than two people, order different appetizers and share, the salame, cinta senese products as well as the cinghiale are out of this world and NOT to be missed. Do not expect a wine list, when asked she trotted back with three bottles of red, all Tuscan of course, a Montepulciano Rosso, and two Brunellos and all three super reasonably priced. I just picked one, the Montepulciano red and we were super satisfied with it, a perfect marriage with the meal. Two other "not-to-miss" dishes are the fagioli al fiasco and the ceci both boiled and served piping hot in their own cooking juice and dressed with a splash of fresh pressed olive oil (yes it was November time of the olive harvests). Anything chosen from the grill is fabulous as are the pasta dishes and the deserts are all homemade (did not have room for even a glance at those).

So, next trip to Tuscany or first timers, plan a journey through Chiusi (Etruscan heaven), Sarteano (wonderful tombs to visit), Montepulciano, Perugia, Orvieto and Siena and make base camp here at the Chiusi Chianciano crossroad, (Loc. Querce al Pino) you will save a few pennies as well as find some of the best Tuscan meals to be had. Oh, and do not forget to make a stop off in Pienza at the cheese and salame shops, pick up a finocchiona and salame both made from the Cinta Senese pork...your taste buds will thank you.

La Locanda della Ribollita

Cinnamon Sugar Gnocchi

For a change of pace, try these classic gnocchi from the mountain regions of Veneto. Best wine to accompany these would be a Colle Berici Sauvignon.

This takes a while to make if you plan on making them true to nature from your own potato mix. The gnocchi recipe will be given below following the cinnamon recipe.

For 6
180 g (6 oz) butter
2 tablespoons cinnamon
2 tablespoons sugar (baker’s sugar or caster sugar suggested)
Grana Padano or Parmigiano freshly grated, (not over aged you do not want the cheese to over power the condiments)
Salt

Cook the gnocchi in a large pot of salted water and when they float to the top, let them cook for a few more seconds then drain with a slotted spoon. Mix them piping hot with the softened butter sprinkling them with the premixed cinnamon, sugar and cheese. Serve in hot bowls.

Potato Gnocchi

1 kg of potatoes (boiling potatoes)
3 egg yolks
300 g flour (10.5 oz)
Nutmeg
50 g (2oz) Grana Padano or Parmigiano freshly grated
Salt and pepper

Boil the potatoes with their skins on in salted water. Peel and mash them with a masher by hand (Do not use a Cuisinart) or use a potato squeezer (schiacciapatate in Italy) while potatoes are STILL hot, let cool.

Place the cooled purée on a working surface. With your hands, work in to this the egg yolks, salt, pepper and nutmeg as well as the cheese. Work the dough until it is creamy and smooth, then add the flour all at once and quickly work it into the dough. This must happen quickly in order to prevent the potatoes from releasing more moisture into the dough. To form the gnocchi hand roll pieces of the mixture into fat bread sticks and cut them into half inch or smaller gnocchi. Always cook these in lots of boiling salted water (a large pot).

Pears Nobile like Monet's Haystacks

Poached pears make a pretty dessert plate and are very versatile through the seasons. In winter, their flavor is heightened when accompanied by a good Gorgonzola, toasted bread and walnuts roasted with butter and salt. During the summer, serve with sweetened mascarpone and lemon peel curls.

6 firm pears with stems Juice of 1 lemon 1 Cup (240 mls) excellent red wine ¼ cup (60 mls) sugar ¼ cup (60 mls) currants 1 vanilla bean split 3 or 4 whole cloves Using a vegetable peeler, peel the pears leaving the stems. With a paring knife, cut a small slice off the bottom of the pears and stand them upright in a saucepan. Squeeze lemon juice over them, then pour on the wine and sprinkle with sugar. Add the currants, vanilla bean and cloves to the wine.

Cover and simmer for 20 minutes (or longer depending on the size and ripeness of the pears); do not allow them to become soft. Midway, turn the pears on their sides and baste several times with the wine. Transfer to serving dishes. Pour some wine syrup over each one and garnish.

A small variation on this theme is to leave them whole, unpeeled and set them upright in a baking dish like Monet’s haystacks. Drench them in wine and sugar and slow bake until they are soft and all the wine is absorbed (may take up to 4 or 5 hours, I used to use my wood oven after making bread or a roast and leave them in the oven all night) Serve warm or cold.

High Quality Food Culture

I have so many things to write but these last two months have been busy trying to organize living quarters and now we are under the push of the holidays adding more to the plate. The other day talking to Golden Piglet we began to discuss the culture in Italy of high quality food, the fact there are so many strict rules regarding food production and the food industry. Recently there was a problem with pork from Ireland and all and any shipments to Italy were stopped, the issue is this, rarely do any of these problems originate in Italy. You never hear of bad beef or pork or lamb originating from Italy. Yes this country does have its problems with pollution getting into the water veins and affecting grazing land for buffalo milk but it is something that never leaves the country for later recall.

The United States does not have a strong FDA for the protection of human consumption regarding food production and thus every two or three months there is a ground meat recall, a spinach recall, etc.

Gang, the fact is this, one eats well and healthy here in bureaucracy-land Italy and the fact remains, simple cooking, simple food for honest, healthy meals. There are no coulis of this or that, or vellutato of this or that unless you are trying hard to make some fancy thing. Some say Italian cooking is boring or predictable, others try to jazz it up with fancy sauces and interpretations on a theme but in the end, the culture for the best using the least still wins the prize and when people pull their heads out of that dark place and see the light, they will realize all the most sophisticated kitchen equipment or kitchen for that matter does not make a better meal.

I have heard some say how boring eating in Italy is, every region having their specialties and traditions and the fact that it is hard to find things a little out of the ordinary. I ask those creatures, how is it then that Italians tend to be more appreciative of what they have than what they do not? They are happy to cook a good capon, or to make another fabulous broth from scratch...simple cooking, simple food, honest flavors. With that, I leave you all to your Christmas meal planning, searching for the ultimate meal for the holidays, looking for something new and missing the whole point of the kitchen.

Cheers and happy bubbles over the holidays to all.

Su questo blog...About this Blog

English translation below

In questo blog, abbiamo l’intenzione di parlare di piacere; mangiare e bere sono per noi due atti che non devono essere semplicemente l’ingestione di sostanze alimentari. Mangiare e bere del buon vino, è e deve essere una faccenda culturale completa, a 360 gradi. Oltre al gusto, deve essere un’esperienza che deve dare piacere per mezzo anche degli altri sensi; un'esperienza completa dove anche l’ambiente ed il contesto, devono fare parte di ciò che stiamo facendo.

Non vogliamo però prenderci troppo sul serio, altrimenti che piacere sarebbe? Parleremo quindi anche di piccole avventure legate alla tavola ed ai nostri giri enogastronomici in Italia, in Europa ed anche al di fuori del vecchio continente. Solo un’altra piccola nota: per quanto riguarda i Ristoranti, citeremo solo quelli che ci sentiamo di consigliare senza riserve a chi avrà la pazienza di leggerci. I prezzi medi dei singoli locali, saranno citati, ma non avranno influenza per quanto riguarda il giudizio finale. Fare un'esperienza gastronomica di un certo rilievo, ci sembra valga qualche piccolo sforzo nell’usare il portafoglio, no? GP

The intention of this blog is to talk about pleasurable things, which for us, is about eating and imbibing well; two conscious acts not just the ingestion of food. Eating well and drinking good wine brings us full circle culturally. Besides flavor, this must be an experience giving pleasure to all the other senses; where the senses participate in what we are doing thus creating the total environment. We do not wish to take ourselves too seriously either otherwise, what kind of pleasure would that be?

We will also present small adventures tied to our gastronomic and enological escapades in Italy, Europe as well as, away from the Old World. As a side note, we will only cite restaurants we feel compelled to discuss limitlessly for those who have the patience to read about them. Prices will be listed but in no way will the price influence our final judgment of the locale. After all, a little extra effort from the pocket-book for a gastronomic experience is usually worth the effort, right? SW
There will also be some naughty stories, sex jokes, sensual recipes, sensual cooking, romantic and romance, Italy, history, passionate, travel, languid days, languid kitchens, soft lights, sexy settings, romantic settings, hot, steamy ideas.