Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Archive for the ‘Italy’ Category

Magic and Pasta: Poschiavo + Gioie di Fattoria

Posted in Italy, Pasta, Producer Profile, Switzerland, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 20, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

“Life is a combination of magic and pasta.”

- Federico Fellini

Gioie di Fattoria Bucatini and Tomato Passata with Parmigiano ReggianoA couple of years ago, I traveled to Bologna to visit a cousin. Based a little ways outside the main city, the family home was situated amidst a gently rolling landscape populated with apricot trees and vineyards. While I was there, I thought to myself that if I ever left the United States for retirement, it might just be to Italy. The weather was wonderful – hot enough to make you want to swim but not hot enough to be unbearable and the food was out of this world! There were a number of firsts on that trip, including my first taste of limoncello. However, one of my most memorable food experiences was tasting fresh tortellini made by a lady just down the road. (more…)

Read Full Post »

Parmigiano Reggiano: Burglars, Banks and A Fifth Generation Family

Posted in Cheese, Italy, Producer Profile, tagged , , , , , , , on January 6, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

Parmigiano Reggiano is essential to the economy in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. That may not be so surprising in and of itself but, did you know that the local banks there accept cheese as collateral? Cravero Parmigiano ReggianoIn 2009, Credito Emiliano had two climate controlled warehouses where they stored roughly 440,000 wheels of Parmigiano. All total, those wheels were worth approximately $187 million.

Parmigiano Reggiano was also considered sufficiently valuable to be the target of a heist. In February of 2009, thieves tunneled into a parm warehouse and stole 570 wheels before they were caught. Honestly, one wonders how well thought out the plan was, considering each wheel of parm weighs about 80-lbs. and bears a unique serial number (much like money) to identify it. The funniest part of the story, however, was the remark made by the vault manager after the cheese had been recovered: “Thank heavens we caught the robbers before they grated it!”* (more…)

Read Full Post »

Marrons Glacés: Learning From the Master

Posted in Candy & Confections, Italy, Producer Profile, Travelogues, tagged , , , , , , , , on December 14, 2010 | Leave a Comment »

Emily recently traveled to Genova to learn how to glacée candied fruits and chestnuts with the Romanengo family. 

Pietro Romanengo fu StefanoI carefully fished the candied chestnut out of the pot of hot sugar syrup, watching its outer layer become glossy with white icing. Marcello leaned in to inspect my work.

“Bella,” he said. “Bella.”

I appreciated the encouragement. Marcello, who works for the Genovese confectioner Pietro Romanengo fu Stefano, has been making marrons glacés for 30 years. I had been in Italy learning this craft for just over a day—not even a blip when you consider that Romanengo has been in business for 230 years! (more…)

Read Full Post »

Sweet Essentials – Traditional Italian Holiday Breads

Posted in Breads, Crackers & Snacks, Cakes & Cookies, Christmas, Italy, tagged , , , , , on December 7, 2010 | Leave a Comment »

Perbellini PanettoneFor those with even a remote connection to Italian heritage, panettone and pandolce are essential components of the Christmas holiday. Enjoy either of these traditional breads at the end of the meal paired with a glass of sweet wine such as Recioto di Soave or Moscato d’Asti. (more…)

Read Full Post »

Un Grande Vino: I Clivi Magnums

Posted in Beverages, Italy, Producer Profile, Wine, tagged , , , , , , on November 2, 2010 | 1 Comment »

“Questo è un grande vino,” said Ferdinando Zanusso, referring to his ’99 Galea Bianco.

’99 Galea Bianco Magnum

The Zanussos produce wines under the name I Clivi in Friuli, Italy, and this past September, I stayed with them to help with the grape harvest. The night before I left, Ferdi led me through a vertical tasting of 10 vintages of I Clivi wines. (more…)

Read Full Post »

Part II: VinItaly ’10 – Memorable Tastings

Posted in Beverages, Italy, Travelogues, Wine, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on June 29, 2010 | Leave a Comment »

To read Part I of Gemma’s post, please click here.

—————————————————–

Alessandro of Valli Unite

Alessandro of Valli Unite

One of the most memorable tastings I had at VinItaly was with Valli Unite, a cooperative I visited in 2006, located in the hills outside of Tortona (essentially in the DOC Gavi growing area). Dreadlocked Alessandro, who now greets me on a first name basis, excitedly mentioned that in 2009 he made all of his wines without added sulfur. He recalled all of the questions and concerns that I have had over the years about sulfur usage. After some successful initial trials with Barbera and Dolcetto, he is confident enough to move forward with a more natural, minimalist approach in the cellar. This courage impressed me a great deal as did his desire to express as much terroir as possible in his wines. One of the questions that I like to ask growers is with regard to the future of their wines and their farming practices. Some producers express an ambition to sell more wine, expand into additional markets and find new exporters. Others talk about trying natural yeast fermentations, yield-reducing practices and no-sulfur cuvées. The latter type of grower is the one with whom I definitely want to establish a relationship. One can ascertain very quickly and easily who is thinking, trying, experimenting and who is merely responding to the market. (more…)

Read Full Post »

Part I: VinItaly ’10 – Checking In with Our Growers

Posted in Beverages, Italy, Travelogues, Wine, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on June 22, 2010 | Leave a Comment »

Le bellissime colline di Verona

Le bellissime colline di Verona

During the second week of April, I had the opportunity to attend VinItaly – one of the largest and most well-attended trade shows for wine professionals – and two smaller, organic off-shoot shows: VinNatur and Vini Veri. These tastings brought growers, suppliers, sommeliers, and wine buyers together near picturesque Verona. It was a very special opportunity to taste wines alongside the growers, a process that is important in gaining a true understanding of the wines on our shelves and the farming behind them. Attending a show like VinItaly is the next best thing to actually visiting a producer. (more…)

Read Full Post »

Guanciale: A New Staple for Your Pantry (or Freezer)

Posted in Italy, Meats & Charcuterie, tagged , , , , , , , , , on June 10, 2010 | Leave a Comment »

Guanciale = pork jowl

Guanciale done three ways...

I wish I could say that my first introduction to guanciale was in Rome, perhaps at one of those little family restaurants in a tiny alley just off the Campo dei Fiori…

The Pasta alla Carbonara was so amazing I just had to ask what
was in it. They explained to me that the secret ingredient
that makes carbonara better in Italy was guanciale.

Alas… no. (more…)

Read Full Post »

A Special Find: Saladini Knives

Posted in Gifts & Wares, Italy, Producer Profile, tagged , , , , , , , on April 25, 2010 | 2 Comments »

Saladini knife: coltello da tavola curvo

Saladini knives were an accidental discovery for us – a happy case of being in the right place at the right time!

Ihsan and Valerie, owners of Formaggio Kitchen, were on a trip in Italy to find new cheeses. One night, they happened to be staying in Verona and ended up going to the restaurant 12 Apostoli. Ihsan decided to order a steak. Before the steak arrived, the waitstaff provided everybody at the table with the cutlery necessary to eat their main course. Ihsan was presented with a stunningly beautiful steak knife: it was stainless steel and the handle was made out of horn. This was our first introduction to Saladini knives. (more…)

Read Full Post »

Just In: Robiole from Eros Buratti

Posted in Cheese, Italy, Producer Profile, tagged , , , , on February 26, 2010 | Leave a Comment »

Eros Buratti, owner of La Casera

When two people from a small village in Piedmont came into our shop to buy some cheese, we quickly realized that they lived in the same town as one of our favorite stagionature: Eros Buratti. Talking with them brought back visions of my visit with Eros and reminded me how special our relationship with the Buratti family is.

Eros and his family run a shop even smaller than Formaggio Kitchen in Intra, a small town in the Piedmont region of northern Italy.  In the very, very beginning his father had a store front displaying freshly killed poultry.  Now, 50 years later, it remains an entirely family-run operation with a focus on collecting, aging and retailing regional cheeses.  On my last visit, I was introduced to their entire organization: Eros, his mom (Carla), his cousin Jair, Jair’s wife, and 3 other employees from the town. (more…)

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 241 other followers

%d bloggers like this: