Altacucina | Radicchioblog

Stemware Is An Important Element In Wine Service

July 16, 2009

There are few things that people in the wine industry seem to agree upon but one of these is the importance of glassware and its integrity. What does integrity mean in this context? It means that a wine glass was washed with hot water, no soap and dried by hand. At industry tastings and in many wine bars and restaurants, hand washing is nearly impossible but a good wine bar will run its glasses without soap which leaves a filmy residue and can affect the taste of the wine.

That said another point that many seem to agree upon when it comes to wine, is that the glass can make a difference. Most wine bars in New York tend to use glasses from a limited number of suppliers. The premier supplier is the Austrian company Riedel.

Claus Riedel, the 9th generation of the family is credited with being the first to create wine glasses tailored to specific grape varieties. These Riedel series glasses have changed the market irreversibly and have made Riedel number one. Innovation seems to be part of the Riedel gene pool. Maximilian Riedel, the 11th generation of the Riedel has also revolutionized the wine industry when he presented his “O” series. This glass has no stem or base, two elements which are crucial to our concept of the wine glass.

Sometimes it seems as if Riedel is the sole provider of glassware and decanters but this is absolutely not the case. Italy’s Luigi Bormioli for example makes a line of wonderful glasses as do Schott Zwiesel, Anchor Hocking, La Rochere, and Ravenscroft. These are just a few names of the other companies which are well known for their glassware and decanters.

Leave a Comment » | Dining, Kitchenware | Tagged: Altacucina, Luigi Bormioli, Stemware | Permalink
Posted by radicchioblog

Italian Wines For July 4 Holiday

July 2, 2009

Italy offers a wide variety of wines that will work well with holiday fare for the July 4 celebrations. Many people will be out grilling and instead of serving a big Zinfandel, why not try a Primitivo di Manduria from Apulia. Many think that the grapes are related but recent research shows that the parent grape for Primitivo is actually a Croatian grape and that the two are not at all related. What they do have in common is that they can be big, juicy wines with a peppery note that can offset barbecued meats. If Primitivo is not your cup of tea, try an Aglianico from Campania or an Aglianico del Vulture from Basilicata, another region in the South of Italy. Also, a robust and full bodied wine, it is a bit softer on the palate with more fruit and fewer meaty flavors than Primitivo. If you aren’t serving meat but pasta dishes and lighter foods, any Sangiovese based wine will work very well. Red wines from Tuscany are mostly based on different clones of Sangiovese. Some are blended with international varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Sangiovese is a fruity wine with high acidity. The acidity is what makes this such a food friendly wine. Acidity cuts through some of the heavier flavors and spices in food. Whatever you are serving, you can find an Italian wine to match. Check out these recipes for your holiday party.

1 Comment | Apulia, Basilicata, Campania, Cooking, Dining, Events | Tagged: Aglianico, Aglianico del Vulture, Altacucina, Barbecue, July 4 recipes, Primitivo di Manduria, Sangiovese | Permalink
Posted by radicchioblog

Fancy Food Show June 28 – 30: 350 Italian Companies Showcase Their Products

June 25, 2009

New York’s Fancy Food Show is on hand and many will make a pilgrimage to the Jacob Javits Center this weekend to see new products, old friends and get a feel for the market.

Oddly enough, Anna Dente, Chef at Osteria San Cesario, who we mentioned last week as part of our piece on Roman cooking in New York will be here soon than expected. She will be promoting a series of dishes on Sunday, June 28th, at the NASFT Summer Fancy Food Show at the Lotito Foods Booth #2745 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at New York City’s Javits Center.

While Anna is truly fascinating, there will be numerous other booths that attract attention this year, many with products from Italy. In fact, the Italian pavilion is the largest of any NASFT Fancy Food show, some 350 companies are exhibiting. The region of Calabria, also mentioned on this blog, is present with a variety of foods at the show as well.

The Italian Trade Commission is heavily involved in promoting Italian foods at the show and has also organized two seminars about Italian Food.

The two seminars are as follows:

IL MADE IN ITALY A TAVOLA: INGREDIENTI SALUTARI, QUALITA’ DEL CIBO E TUTELA GIURIDICA DEI PRODOTTI TIPICI NEGLI USA” (Made in Italy: healthy ingredients, quality of food, and juridical protection of Italian traditional products in the US)

WHEN: June 28, 4:30- 6pm
WHERE: Jacob Javits Convention Center, New York, Room 1E03
ABOUT: The seminar is divided into two sessions: in the first one Dr. Katherine McManus – Director of Nutrition Dept., Brigham Hospital, Boston – will talk about the healthy aspects of Mediterranean diet and Italian organic products; the second one is dedicated to Italian importers in the US. Members of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, LLP Law Office will talk about the juridical protection of Italian food products in the US .

WHY IS ITALIAN FOOD THE BEST DURING ECONOMIC HARD TIMES?”

WHEN: June 29, 4:30pm
WHERE: Jacob Javits Convention Center, New York, Room 2D08
ABOUT: The seminar is presented by Fred Plotkin, author of the best seller “Italy for the Gourmet Traveler”. The renowned Italian culinary expert writes for the New York Times, and for the trade journals “Gourmet” and “Bon Appetit”.

Leave a Comment » | Calabria, Cooking, Dining, Events, Italian Regions, Travelling | Tagged: Altacucina, Anna Dente, Fred Plotkin, Italian Pavillon, Lotito Foods, Mediterranean Diet, NASFT Fancy Food Show | Permalink
Posted by radicchioblog

Pane di Altamura in Apulia- Terroir Exists For Foods As Well

June 9, 2009

Terroir that over used word which means a combination of place, soil, climate, prevailing winds, water sources and other factors all rolled into one is just as important for some food products as it is for wine.

Sure you can buy all the ingredients you want in order to make the famous bread from Altamura. You can even import the ingredients but will it taste the same as that delicious thickly crusted bread from the Apulia region of Italy? Not by a long shot.

Pane di Altamura was the first bread to receive protected status or Denominazione Orgine Protetta (DOP) in the European Union. The bread is made from hard semolina wheat, natural yeast from a previous batch (pasta acida o lievito madre), marine salt and water.

pane

Yes wonderful sourdough breads which are similar to this bread can be made in your kitchen but this bread relies on grains harvested from a specific small area in the province of Bari, a water source with exact specifications that reflect the waters in that area, and natural yeast that comes from a previous batch of the bread and that will not travel well. It must be cooked in a specific type of oven, etc, etc, etc.

However there is no need to despair. The bread was originally made to be taken out into the hills by the local shepards and it can last for anywhere between 10 days to two weeks. The best thing to do is buy it in Italy and bring it home. The bread is sold all over the country. Delicious with a straw yellow middle, this bread really can’t be replicated at home. For the exact item, you need to go to the source.

Pane di Altamura has been famous since the 15th century and it is said that the latin poet Horace mentioned it in 27 B.C. It has two very distinct names in pugliese: U sckuanète which is the taller of the two breads and a cappidde de prèvete or a priest’s hat. Some 35 companies still make the bread in this city.

While the bread is perhaps its most famous export, a recent film called Focaccia Blues that was shown in New York this week talks about Altamura and other products, specifically a little focaccia store which was able to oust McDonalds. No violence occurred but the people of Altamura just continued eating what they have always eaten, traditional, home made specialties.

Some things cannot be copied and this inimitable bread is one of them.

2 Comments | Baking, Cooking, Travelling | Tagged: Altacucina, Apulia, Bread, DOP, Focaccia Blues, Pane di Altamura, Terroir | Permalink
Posted by radicchioblog

Radicchio – A Delicate DOP from the Veneto

June 4, 2009

Radicchio, a familiar vegetable, hails from the Veneto region. While there are a number of different kinds of radicchio, the most prestigious are two that have garnered Denominazione di Origine Protetta (DOP) status, Radicchio Rosso di Treviso and Radicchio Variegato di Castelfranco. Radicchio Rosso di Chioggia is also prized while Radicchio Rosso di Verona somewhat less so. Radicchio from Treviso is the most prestigious of all and is also the most flavorful. There are two main types of this sexy lettuce, one is called precoce and the other is tardiva. The first is harvested early and the second is harvested later, as one might imagine. Just like with wine, radicchio that has a longer “hang time” on the vine has more flavor. Radicchios from Treviso and from Castelfranco have their own trade organization, the Consorzio Tutela Radicchio Rosso di Treviso e Variegato di Castelfranco. Radicchio is a delicate vegetable and quite versatile. It changes its taste depending on how you cook it. It can be bitter when eaten raw and it can have a spicy, zesty quality to it as well. It mellows with cooking and develops sweet notes. Oddly enough, Radicchio is a member of the Chicory family and is related to the Belgian endive.

Wine pairing with radicchio can be somewhat difficult because of its bitter notes. Generally speaking, raw vegetables are hard to pair with wine while cooked vegetables fare marginally better. Often the pairing is done using the sauce that accompanies a vegetable as the guide. With cooked radicchio, for example, one might choose a white wine from the Alto Adige. Two wines by H. Lun, a producer in the Sud Tyrol come to mind, their Muller Thurgau and Riesling. H. Lun was founded in 1840 and is the oldest winery in the Sud Tyrol/Alto Adige. These wines have just enough residual sugar to offset the bitterness in the cooked radicchio without overwhelming it

Altacucina has listed a few recipes on its website which use radicchio. Here are two nice ones for summer, Red Mullet Carpaccio with Artichoke and Pink Grapefruit Salad and Flowers of Bresaola with Casatella on a bed of radicchio rosso.

Radicchio is a subtle, refined and elegant vegetable, killing it with a heavy sauce or a big bold wine while not criminal is almost blasphemy.

Leave a Comment » | Cooking, Vegetables, Wining | Tagged: Altacucina, Consorzio Tutela Radicchio Rosso di Treviso e Variegato di Castelfranco, H.LUN, Italian DOP Products, Radicchio, Radicchio Rosso di Chioggia, Radicchio Rosso di Treviso, Radicchio Rosso di Verona, Radicchio Variegato di Castelfranco, Riesling | Permalink
Posted by radicchioblog