August « 2009 « Radicchioblog

A Ligurian Treat: Trofie al Pesto

August 27, 2009

All 20 of Italy’s regions have specific culinary traditions but most have at least one or two signature dishes that are on almost every menu in the region. One of the most ubiquitous and the most delicious of Ligurian treats is their homemade squiggly pasta called trofie which are generally served with pesto. Pesto can be made in a number of ways. The basic pesto ingredients are basil, garlic, pinoli nuts, cheese and oil. In Liguria, many cooks add green beans and potatoes to the dish. You can either purchase pesto or make it at home.

The pasta is a bit more laborious but here is a great recipe from a blog by Helen Rennie. Buying trofie in New York can present somewhat of a challenge but fresh pasta producers such as Raffetto’s in the West Village or Borgattis on Arthur Avenue would be a good place to begin your search.

If all of this seems too much, you can hop over to Scuderia on 6th Avenue and order this lovely dish. A great wine to drink while eating pesto is the local Vermentino, a white wine which is made in Liguria, in parts of Tuscany and in Sardinia. The best Vermentino from Liguria come from an area called Colli di Luni. This summer dish is light and is always a crowd pleaser at dinner parties as well.

Often overlooked by tourists who opt to vacation in Tuscany, Liguria has much to offer. Renowned for its small picturesque villages perched on hills overlooking the Mediterranean, it is also a wonderful place to hike as well as scuba dive or sail. Many northern Italians tend to spend their weekends here and part of the summer. Liguria can also be a great place to vacation with young children as the sea is relatively shallow and calm close to the shoreline. On your next visit, keep Liguria in mind for a holiday jaunt. You won’t be disappointed.

Leave a Comment » | Cooking, Dining, Fresh Pasta, Ingredients, Italian Regions, Liguria, Restaurants, Travelling, Vegetables, Wining | Tagged: Liguria, Pesto, Trofie al pesto | Permalink
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Eating Pici al Ragu in Montepulciano

August 25, 2009

Pici, a thick and hand rolled spaghetti like pasta, is easy to find in a number of towns in Tuscany. One such place is the lovely hilltop town of Montepulciano. Montepulciano is located in southern Tuscany on the border with Umbria.

Pici al ragu is a fabulous local dish which can be incredibly filling and works well with the local wines, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano or the Rosso di Montepulciano. Pici are somewhat harder to find in the United States but don’t despair.

Should you choose to go to Montepulciano, this period of time is perfect as you can attend the Bravio festival, an ancient rite which was brought back in the 1970s. Strong men roll huge wine barrels up and down the hills of the city in a race to the finish line, the Duomo in Piazza Grande.

The city is divided into eight contrade (neighborhoods) and is currently in the middle of a week long holiday with renaissance costumes, drummers and flag twirlers giving exhibitions on a daily basis. Each contrada serves lunch and dinner for one week in their local headquarters. Locals dress in the colors of the contrada and the streets are decked out with flags.

Pici are on almost every menu and can be eaten with different sauces but the classic combination is with the homemade ragu. The ragu can be made with pork, beef, wild boar or sausage. While this dish sounds heavy for the summer months, it can actually be light and delicate. It is also extremely filling and therefore can be a great meal for lunch followed later in the day by a lighter dinner.

Leave a Comment » | Cooking, Tuscany | Tagged: Bravio, Montepulciano, Pici al ragu, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano | Permalink
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Two Essential Elements for a Perfect Summer in Liguria: Focaccia, Gelato

August 20, 2009

Summer in Liguria is a classic for many Northern Italians. A few hours away from Milan and Turin by train or by car, this beautiful region is well known for its’ beaches, picturesque towns and its focaccia. Many types are made throughout Liguria but perhaps the most famous is the focaccia from Recco. Made with crescenza cheese, it is sold in Recco located on the Italian Riviera which runs from Ventimiglia to La Spezia and is separated into two different zones, Levante e Ponente. Focaccia up and down the Ligurian coast is as much a part of summer in Liguria as the classic afternoon gelato. It can be bought at any of the local bakeries which line the towns along the coast. Recco’s cheesy version is the most famous but there are many types, including the simple one from Genova, those that are more like pizza, others with onions, olives, rosemary. Focaccia is also a perfect picnic food with a nice light white wine from Liguria. Vermentino and Pigato are two varietals that have made a recent splash in the United States as well.

Just as New Yorkers argue endlessly who makes the best bagel, Italians in towns up and down the coast have strong opinions on the quality of the various bakeries and gelaterias. Some years it seems that one prevails over all others but it generally depends on the quality of the dough and the oven used. One thing is certain, if you vacation in Liguria, you too will come to love focaccia. While it is sold in many other parts of the world, it never quite tastes the same as it does right after you take a swim in the Mediterranean. In any case, just as great pizza has made its way to the United States, true focaccia can not be far behind.

Leave a Comment » | Uncategorized | Tagged: focaccia, focaccia di recco, Liguria | Permalink
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Wine Bars Spread Across Italy and France

August 18, 2009

Lunch is a sacred time in most European cities but no more than in France, Italy and Spain. While people no longer have the same two hour break that they once were granted, many still take the time to enjoy a lunch at a restaurant or at home if they are lucky enough to work near their houses. Few Americans have this same luxury but one interesting fact is that on both sides of the Atlantic people are eating at some of the same types of restaurants. One very successful formula in the United States as well as in Europe is the wine bar.

Wine bars have become a common feature in the great capitals of the world and many smaller cities as well. They have even become common in airports, changing American dining forever.

A number of American airports now have a chain of wine bars called Vino Volo. The Italian name belies the fact that not all of the food on the menu is Italian nor does all the wine hail from Italy. The formula seems to be working.

New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Chicago are packed with wine bars, specialized and less so. Some only serve Italian wines, others only French or Spanish. Oddly enough the term wine bar has made it into the Italian lexicon as well as the French one. Milan’s numerous coffee bars now smartly add the words wine bar to attract tourists and Italians alike and alas Florence has become one grand wine bar much to the chagrin of many of its inhabitants.

France doesn’t want to be outdone and on a recent visit, we passed numerous wine stores that now also offer small tables to try wines and bars with the sign Vin a Verre.

Just as tapas has made its way into American’s vocabulary, it seems that the wine bar as Americans think of it has made it abroad. It seems that most everyone is happy with this arrangement. Small plates, a glass of wine and a coffee are now a perfectly acceptable lunch or dinner for that matter. While some may lament the loss of a long midday meal, they can luckily console themselves with a glass of wine while they muse about the good old days.

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Food For Thought: Evolving Ideas About Italian Cuisine

August 11, 2009

In recent conversations about Italian food in America, a few interesting themes keep popping up that have to do with what defines “authentic” Italian cuisine. Is it the origin of the chef? The ingredients? The recipe? The ambiance of the restaurant?

While this used to be easier to define, these days, everything is murky. In today’s world, many of the heads of top Italian restaurants aren’t Italian and most of the ingredients are bought locally and are no longer imported. With the greening of America, people are now quite conscious of the carbon footprint of imported goods.

Additionally, all sorts of restaurants are making new versions of Italian stalwarts. Most Italian restaurants are making their recipes with a twist and few seem to follow the original script. Some people protest changing a time honored tradition in the way a recipe is prepared.

At the end of the day though, most of these issues are personal and subjective and there is no one right answer. Everyone has a different view but one thing is sacred to all, the quality of the food and the freshness of the ingredients. That seems to be the one theme that everyone agrees upon.

As the world continues to evolve and Italian products make their way to every corner of the Earth, strict boundaries will fray and definitions of what is or is not Italian food will become more lax, we suspect.

Perhaps this is really the point then, it would be good to start using the phraseology – Italian inspired cuisine. This alerts the person ordering that dishes will be familiar but not the same as what you have had previously.

This would be the perfect way to define Italian-American cuisine as well. How many times have people noted that spaghetti and meatballs are not served together in Italy or that pizza doesn’t have oregano?

The new way of looking at this issue is that perhaps it’s okay that the cuisine in Italy is one thing and that Italian-American cuisine is something else, Italian inspired cuisine. After 120+ years of living in the U.S., shouldn’t Italian-Americans also have their own cuisine. Yes would be the resounding answer.

Traditions are quite often linked to a particular location and a certain culture. There is without a doubt, an enduring culture of spaghetti and meatballs in the United States. Should this be curtailed because you don’t see this plate on menus in Milan, of course not.

2 Comments | Dining, Restaurants | Tagged: Italian cuisine | Permalink
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Italian After-Dinner Drinks Make Inroads In US

August 6, 2009

While many Americans drink a lot of wine, beer and hard alcohol, Italians seem to drink a bit less. Wine is generally consumed with a meal, not just for its own sake and hard liquor is usually consumed after dinner not as a before dinner cocktail as you find in many American homes and restaurants.

However, it would be wrong to think there weren’t a number of Italian brandies, after-dinner drinks or digestifs, and liquors. Many of these products are available in the U.S. market.

Amaro, is well known in the United States where brands such as Averna and Ramazzotti have made a real name for themselves. Fernet Branca is also quite popular in the U.S. among chefs particularly. Cynar, a bitter from the Compari Group, has been available for many years.

Stravecchio, an Italian brandy which has also been around forever, hasn’t really caught on but you never can tell what will be the next craze. The same Fratelli Branca Distillerie which makes Fernet Branca also makes perhaps the most famous Stravecchio brandy. Traditionally, Italian brandy is made using a continuous still and is aged for around six years.

Limoncello has been around for years and even Danny Devito, the actor, makes one. An funny video of his limoncello can be seen on YouTube. There is also an entire website is dedicated to making the perfect limoncello.

Despite the popularity of some of these brands, Italian after-dinner drinks are still not that well known in the United States. Some brands such as Amaro Braulio from the Northern city of Bormio have made no headway at all.

Grappa, on the other hand, is making its way into American hearts. Nonino, one of the largest and most well known Grappa makers, continues to update brands and bring in new flavors all the time.

Most Italians use these products truly to help them digest their food whereas when the products come to America, they often become merely another source of alcohol and sometimes are used creatively to make new drinks.

Clearly, this will never be a huge part of the spirits and liquors market but like the little engine that could, this niche market will keep plugging along and growing in the long term.

1 Comment | After dinner drinks, Dining, Wining | Tagged: Amaro, Averna, Braulio, Compari Group, Cynar, Fernet Branca, Grappa, Limoncello, Nonino, Ramazzotti, Stracvecchio | Permalink
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How Does Italian Salt Compare to Other Salts? Favorably it Seems

August 4, 2009

Italian sea salts are all the rage it seems. Where you could once only find French salt or Kosher salts, Italian sea salt has claimed a place at the table and it’s about time.

Italians have been producing salt since the 1100s just outside of the town of Trapani in Sicily. Sea salt, an ancient product, can be a huge asset in the kitchen because of its potential to emphasize flavors. At one time, salt was used as currency.

There are essentially three types of salt: sea salt, rock salt and that which comes from underground mines or spring water salts. The most prestigious salts are generally the sea salts because they are the most pure and retain many of their nutrients.

Trapani is the home of the Italian salt trade today. The marine salts are made through the evaporation process whereby ocean water goes into large ponds. The salt then evaporates leaving behind the salt crystals without sacrificing the minerals that salt contains and which are fundamental for our bodies.

The evaporation and the drying of the crystals is possible because of the heavy winds blowing in this part of Sicily. These minerals include Iodine, Fluorine, Magnesium and Potassium. Sicilian salt is also very low in sodium.

Idoine in the salt is said to be good for those with Thyroid problems, for example. Apparently salt is also a hedge against some mental defects.

In other marine salts, these minerals are sometimes missing and fine table salt has none of these helpful health benefits. Marine salts and fine salt usually undergo a specific process in order to separate out the chalk in the salt. This does not happen in Italian salt.

The salt works run from Trapani to Marsala on the Eastern coast of Sicily. One very well known salt works, Sosalt, was founded in 1922. The area is quite beautiful to behold and in 1991, it was declared a natural reserve.

Leave a Comment » | Cooking, Herbs & Spices, Ingredients | Tagged: Sea salt, Sicily, Trapani | Permalink
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