How To Counter The Cold In Italy

What? Rome is in a state of emergency for the cold? More and more I keep thinking that the 2012 prophecy is really going to happen. Well, after a mild winter we got blasted with a Siberian snow/ice storm here too. No morning espresso is needed to wake up before school since the frigid -13 temperatures are a sure-fire way to get those eyes open. So what have we been doing to counter the cold temperatures? Obvious: eating and drinking.

Last week despite the cold, we were able to transport ourselves to the warm, Mediterranean climate of Sicily by sipping one of the best Passito di Pantelleria that I have ever tried! As we swirled Donna Fugata's Ben Ryé Passito delicately in our mouths, we could taste an overwhelming reminiscence of sun-kissed apricots and candied orange. Our friend Marina, made her own almond biscotti (cantucci) which were the perfect pair for this toasty treat. Oh yeah.. and we threw in some fruit pasticcini too!

On Saturday night, though we would have rather drunk a cozy red wine we decided to be patriotic and choose a Piemontese white which would go well with our baked salmon. So we tried Piero Busso's Langhe DOC Bianco (50% Chardonnay 50%SavBlanc) which turned out to be the perfect choice. This winery is known mostly for its Barbaresco but this white was aromatic, crisp and pleasant for our fish dinner! A good recommendation for a Piemontese white.

I must admit...I am kind of enjoying this cold weather! It's a good excuse to stay in and drink and eat well! Stay warm!

BLAST FROM THE PAST: NOV.1 2004 TOTAL CONFUSION

Ok...talk about panic! I missed both my trains back to Saluzzo and this train station in Torino is CRAZY! Everyone is rushing around, no-one speaks English, and finally after calming down I call my boss to ask if she can speak to the Saluzzo secretary "S" and explain the situation. They tell me to go to some Svegliana or something like that (it is actually called SAVIGLIANO;)). So I try asking the green jacket info guys for Svegliana and they tell me n.3 at 7:35 which is just about now. I run with all these military soldiers who are wearing black and red suits (maybe they were the carabinieri).  ahhhhhh....

Midnight: 

My life is hilarious. So "S" picked me up form the train station in Svegliano. Then S can't speak any English but she still talks a lot anyway! So she took me to my flat and I saw that while I was gone they put sheets on the bed and provided me with the essentials. She showed me how to use the confusing keys and gave me: one placemat, two robes, towels, beer, wine, coffee, raw sugar, milk, water both natural and fizzy, one jar of marmalade, four apples, cookies and a coffee thingy for the stove...oh yeah... and toilet paper!

She showed me how to use the water heater switch but I am not sure if I am supposed to keep it on or not. Maybe when I take a shower I am should turn it off? It doesn't make much sense to me but oh well! Then I learned how to use the scary gas stove and she was laughing because I was such a chicken about it. Then I also had to practice with her how to turn on the gas "boomba?"and turn it off again. As if that wasn't enough confusion for the day, I asked her how to make coffee from one of those apparatuses which really shocked her! We went back and forth about so many things because I would just nod like I understood but of course I didn't. I don't think she understood me either!

boomba or otherwise known as bombola!

It is nice though that it is already furnished with cups, plates, etc. but maybe I should invest in a TV. I sat down and had an apple and some cookies for dinner. Much different that the quantities I have eaten until now!

EWWW! I can hear the guy above me hacking ... I can hear everything! So that is why I went outside to talk on the phone and decided to walk around Saluzzo. I think I love it. Lots of people were out and I also noticed there were lots of nice cars, children's clothes shops and lingerie shops. I came back and tried to find a wireless signal but no luck. Tomorrow I am excited to go grocery shopping and buy some stuff for the apartment. I don't have to be at school till 2:30 pm. Time to read and go to bed (my bed is two old twins put together) Hilarious!

Anna Maria Abbona Dolcetto Tasting

In Piemonte, the native grape variety Dolcetto can often be perceived as just being your average table wine. However, a few Dolcetto winemakers from the D.O.C.G. wine appellation and town called Dogliani are taking it more seriously and producing some phenomenal stuff! The first "WOW" Dolcetto that I ever tried was at Chionetti and since then my thoughts have changed about this varietal.

As I had heard through the "grapevine", there was another top-notch Dolcetto di Dogliani winemaker, famous for its superb wines and ethical philosophy. The winery is Anna Maria Abbona (not to be confused with the bigger winery Marziano Abbona). Everyone always raves about this wine both for the friendly winemakers and their attention to producing the highest quality wine which is achieved by factors like their high altitude, low yields, and resistance to increasing production. For that reason, I was very excited to attend a 5 glass tasting at our local bar in Saluzzo called Turnover.

This tasting event made me realize that the ambience can be a key factor in maximizing the "wine experience". The neon lights and the loud clubby atmosphere took a little bit away from concentrating on the sensorial elements of the wine. But it was fantastic to meet Anna Maria there with her son (who also does just about everything at the family winery) who generously brought along 5 Dolcettos from different vintages: '09, '07, '04, '01, '99, all from their oldest vines which they call Maioli. My favorites were the extremes, the youngest '09 and the oldest '99! They were completely different but both had a distinct character.

The 2009 Dolcetto Maioli was pleasant to drink as an aperitive, lighter, with a scrumptious red berry aroma and taste! As I got to the '01 Dolcetto, I actually smelled what they describe as barnyard which I thought was rare for the usually fruity and sometimes spicy varietal. The '99 was slightly barnyardy too but was fuller and better balanced. It was actually quite shocking how well it aged if you consider that they say Dolcetto should be drunk young. After having tasted this along with recently trying Forti Del Vento's '90 and '91 Dolcetto my mind is starting to change. Maybe if vinified especially well, even Dolcetto can get better with time!

Well, I now know that this will be my next visit when I go to Dogliani because their long family history, friendly attitude, and beautifully crafted Dolcettos have cast a spell on me! They distribute through Oliver McCrum Wines in California too!

GNOCCHI FAMILY RECIPE ( by Ken Savino)

In our family we traditionally made gnocchi without egg as an ingredient. However, I have moved over to the “egg” camp because it produces lighter pasta.

Ingredients

3 Potatoes (preferably Russet variety or baking potato which is high in starch –close to 2 lbs)
1 Large egg
2 cups All-purpose flour (may need more or less)
1 tsp Salt and a little white or black pepper

To Prepare

Scrub potatoes with skin on, and submerge in pot of cold, salted water. Bring to a boil and cook until fork tender. Drain potatoes and place back in dry pot and cover for a few minutes to dry out skin a bit.

Use a large cutting board or marble surface for work area. Peel potatoes while hot, cut in half or thirds to fit in ricer. Using a ricer is better than a food processor because it will remain fluffier. Spread hot, riced potato in thin layer across work area to cool. This allows moisture to escape. If left in pile, it will be wet and require too much flour.

Lightly salt and pepper potatoes (pepper optional). Gather cooled potato into a small mound, create a center well, and pour in beaten egg. Spread mixture back out on board. Begin incorporating additional flour using fork to start, then hands. Knead dough, adding flour as needed. Dough will stick to board, so scrape occasionally and mix in. When dough pulls fairly cleanly from board, the dough should be done. Roll into a smooth-surfaced ball and cover with towel.

Clear work area and lightly dust with flour. Cut a piece from dough ball to begin rolling gnocchi.

With palms flat, start in the middle, rolling back and forth, moving out to the ends. The finished shape should look like a breadstick. At this point I suggest cutting a few gnocchi and throwing them into boiling water to check for consistency. If they fall apart or lack texture and substance, go back and add more flour to the dough ball and knead again. Once you have confirmed the gnocchi is the way you like it, roll out all the dough into sticks, dust and cover with a towel.

Taking one roll from under the towel at a time, cut at a slight angle into ½ to ¾ inch pieces. Put one aside so you can use as a size reference. Using your thumb or two fingers, press into each piece and roll through a little flour. This creates a slight indentation which aids in cooking and makes it more interesting. To create the ridges, roll each piece against the tines of a fork. Once the gnocchi are cut and rolled, carefully place on a flour dusted pan and cover with towel. Repeat process.

At this point you will either cook immediately, or freeze. I find that freezing in a single layer on the pans is a preferable way to go. Once frozen, you can gather and bag for longer storage in freezer. They are much easier to handle when frozen and drop into boiling water.

Boil in a large volume of salted water, so to avoid clumping and sticking. When they rise to the surface, taste to see if flour is cooked through. Remove gnocchi from water, place in pan with sauce and lightly toss.

My favorite sauces to use are my family’s traditional tomato pork ragu and a traditional basil pesto sauce. Of course very popular options are butter & sage, gorgonzola, or in my daughter’s region of Piemonte – Castelmagno cheese sauce.

Rally In .... Montecarlo ? Sounds Good!

This weekend the World Rally Championship was held in "Montecarlo" and as we all know, Italian men love cars...especially FAST cars! I had never heard of the sport Rally before coming to Italy despite its English sounding name. Basically it is a race of souped up street cars which skid around the hairpin turns on Europe's winding roads. When I heard about the event, I knew Claudio would be fired up to go which wouldn't be so bad because I thought I could visit Montecarlo in the meantime. However, when we arrived at the town Luceram in the middle of the Maritime Alps, I realized that visiting Montecarlo was not going to happen.

I must say though, that driving through Colle di Tenda is always a spectacular site. Whenever we go towards the French Riviera we have to pass through this gorge with amazing rock faces, which is beautiful on the eyes but treacherous on the stomach. Then we stopped in Sospel, which was a quaint French Maritime Alp town. Ok... it was no Montecarlo, but perhaps a more charming place to see. I was satisfied.

The other thing I love about Rally races is that it is a good work-out! They close the streets off and so we had to walk up the steep steep mountain roads while rushing and sweating to get there before the race began. The scenery was beautiful because we were hiking through hundreds of olive trees! All in all we hiked/ran 12 km! I think driving from Cuneo through the Colle Tenda is a must while here, especially if you stop in the little mountain towns off the main street.

Ok ... I guess I better mention something about the actual race, which I must admit was a heart "racing" experience. We were camped out with some friends right on the ground at the foot of a downhill curve. No barriers, no protection. So I am going to leave you with a video of the night run.