And now, about food!

The food in Northern Italy is fantastic. It tends to be simpler, with three to five ingredients in most dishes. Some typical items are Tortelloni, tortellini, polenta, risotto and of course a lot of different pastas.

Typical or "tipico" dishes would be Tagliatelle with ragu, tortellini con brodo, tortellini con burro e salvia.

The ragu is a mix of ground beef, ground pork and spices with olive oil (no tomatoes).  Tortellini comes from one place locally-Valegio- unless you make your own. Valegio makes amazing pasta and imports their Tortelloni and tortellini into the city fresh daily. All the small markets carry it in bulk and you can buy it by the serving. You have to be able to describe how you will serve it, with broth (con brodo) or as a primi (first course) with butter and sage. Both are local specialties. 

A disclaimer on the photo below.  It is not a typical dish with Tortelloni. It was explained to me after I sent this photo to our friends, that you are only to use the tiny tortellini in soup. It sure did taste good as pictured though!

Lamb is very prevalent here in spring. We have had it several times in several dishes. I'm looking forward to braising some lamb shank soon.

The fresh fruit and veg is just amazing.  There is a huge selection in the various markets here- there are three I shop from all within half a mile of our apartment.   I'm also growing fresh herbs on our terrace and using them daily on whatever dishes I come up with.

 There is a lot of condiment use here, all from local produce.  Sun dried tomatoes in oil, black olive pate, olives, pepperoni (here it means roasted red and yellow peppers in oil).

My first experiment was with reconstituting sun dried tomatoes.  I had tried many times at home to do this with mixed results, usually too salty or too leathery.  I followed the instructions of a local and came up with the best marinated sun dried tomatoes ever.  The secret is to cook them briefly in a mix of white wine and water (50/50), then lay them out to dry on paper towels for about an hour.  After that you layer them in a jar with your choice of herbs, thin slices of garlic, capers etc.  The finished product is ready to eat in 24 hours and after the tomatoes are gone, the oil is divine for dipping crusty bread.

One evening we were invited upstairs for dinner with our friends parents (they live just above us).  It was a Calabrian meal- her father is from the south.  The antipasti included a black olive spread they called pate.  I asked our friend Chaira if she could give me the recipe and she says "my mother will teach you".  Two days later the doorbell rings- here is Chiara's mum with a big jar of black olives in hand.  She gestures upstairs and I follow her up.  In the kitchen she takes out a blender and two paring knives. We sit in companionable silence as we pit the entire jar of olives into the blender jar.  She then adds three large cloves of garlic, peeled and quartered.  She gets a bottle of olive oil from a cabinet full of bottles- all different sizes and shapes- the oil comes from a local collective they belong to so no labels.  Into the blender goes a big glug of the oil- probably at least a cup.  Pulse, pulse, whirl- add more oil from the top.  Pulse, pulse, whirl and by the time we are done she has added about 1/2 liter in total.  The pate is smooth as silk and fragrant from the olives and garlic.  She spoons some of into a small jar for me and sends me back home.  Since she doesn't speak English and my Italian is still very bad we don't converse much, but the companionship was wonderful and the cultural exchange will be a bright memory for me.

Every day I look for something new or an old favorite with fresher ingredients.  I'm sure there will be more food posts in the future.

Sunday Dinner in Italy- with a minimalist kitchen!

Our cuchina (kitchen) is a tiny galley space with very little equipment in it.  The place we are staying is a B&B with a shared kitchen so there is stuff to make coffee, tea, toast, etc. and there are plenty of beer and wineglasses.
We have purchased some additional items like sharp knives, good corkscrew, veggie steamer and grater but it still is very much a minimalist kitchen.
Inspired by all the "one pan dinner" recipes on Facebook, I decided I would try my hand at making one with fresh Italian ingredients.  Here is the result, and the recipe to go with it.

Roasted Pork Tenderloin Medallions, Roasted Mushrooms and Fennel, Brown Butter with Sage Pasta and Tomato & Basil salad.

Use 1/2 tbs fennel seed, toasted in a dry frying pan until just browned and fragrant.  Be careful not to burn them.  Grate or finely mince 2 cloves of garlic.  Place the fennel seed, garlic, salt and pepper to taste and 1/2 C olive oil in a small bowl.

I used about 3/4 lb Pork tenderloin cut into 3/4" medallions. Pat dry with paper towels and place in a large plastic bag with the fennel seed mixture.  Using the outside of the bag knead the meat until the spices adhere and the olive oil is absorbed.  This can be done ahead of time or just before cooking.  I added a fresh sprig of rosemary.

I used a disposable foil baking pan (because it what I had!) with olive oil spread liberally on the bottom.
Then I cleaned and trimmed fresh button mushrooms cut to approximate size and sliced a small fresh fennel bulb.  Toss these with more olive oil, salt and pepper.  The fennel bulb is all the spice you need.

Put the veg on one side of the pan and the meat on the other.  I added a float of red wine to the bottom to keep the pork moist at high temperature.  We have a convection oven so I preheated it to 450 and put everything in at the same time.  Cook 15 min or until the veggies are browned and the meat is at 140 using a meat thermometer.  It will continue to cook after you take it out so don't leave it in too long.  You can also grill this or saute it in separate pans if you want to brown the meat.

While the meat is cooking, halve cherry or grape tomatoes, tear a liberal amount of fresh basil and combine with salt and pepper to taste.  Dress with Balsamic vinegar and Extra Virgin Olive Oil.  Set aside.

Boil the water for the pasta as you make the salad.  Cook 100 grams of pasta per person.  I prefer to use pasta that will hold onto the sauce like Rotini or Farfalle.  Heat a frying pan with a good size blob of butter.  At least 1 tbs.  Bring the butter to brown swirling it to keep it from sticking or burning.  Add fresh sage leaves or dry sage.  The sage will quickly absorb the butter, pull the pan before the fresh sage turns brown.  Drain the cooked pasta and add it to the frying pan with the brown butter, stirring to coat.

Pull the meat from the oven, plate the meat, veggies and pasta and serve with an Italian red wine.  I suggest a nice Ripasso.  Buon Appetito!!!

The morning coffee ritual

I could buy an electric coffee maker, or get an espresso machine like I have at home.  I'm not going to do that-yet. I've learned how to use a mokachino stove top Italian coffee maker. It's a little complicated, and if you don't pay close attention it makes a mess, but it makes really good coffee.

Step one- gather the parts of the pot and any other supplies.  I love the little steel milk warmers. 

You do have to use Italian coffee, everything else is ground too coarse. 

The coffee goes loosely into the filter basket. If you pack it, it will explode!  It's all about steam pressure. 

Get the flame just wrapping the bottom of the pot. I leave the lid open until the chamber is half full just so I am in control. I think I will eventually learn the noise it makes and won't have to do this anymore. The down side to the open lid is distraction. If I go off chasing a squirrel the coffee splutters out in every direction making a ginormous mess. As a veteran squirrel chaser, I know this all too well.  

When the pot gets to half full, lower the lid and turn off the gas.  The built up pressure will finish the pot.  Now to steam the milk. 

A teeny tiny flame is all you want. Unless you like milk skin in your coffee. (Gross).

About the time the coffee finishes, the milk will be warm. Now for the tricky part. Both pots will have hot handles. One potholder per hand. Pick up the coffee and the milk and our them together into your cup until your coffee reaches the color you like your coffee to be.

Now, this process takes about 15 min total. And it's a lot to ask of someone who hasn't had their coffee yet, but it's traditional and yummy. 

Shopping for groceries Italian style

Here is a story about my first night in Verona. We arrived at about 3:30 pm. Our friend Ivan picked us up and brought us to our apartment. He said he was going grocery shopping for his family at 5:30- did I want to go? He was going to the big grocery up the hill. I said sure and after he left we did our best to come up with a list. Here's what it looked like: a Walmart/Target super center. After work and before dinner so it was crowded. Ivan shows me how to read sale signs and weigh produce and we're off!!!!
Ever see the game show where you get an empty cart and have just so much time to fill it?! That was me! Racing up and down aisles trying to finish quickly not to be an inconvenience. At one point I was trying to turn a corner and my cart went sideways in a skid. I'm sure it was hilarious to the other shoppers! Plus I'm trying (haha) to read Italian labels and make good choices. In the end, my cart was overflowing. I had to hand carry two 6 packs of 1 liter bottles of water. I wish I had been with it enough to take a picture of that cart!
As exhausted as I was, I'm amazed I didn't miss more than I did on the list!

Everyday we walk down the hill or around the corner to get supplies.  The apartment kitchen is rather small and is set up for B&B traffic, not daily living so we needed a lot of things.  There are two grocery stores near by and down the hill there is a vegetable/fruit store and a bakery.  Most things we need for everyday can be bought in these four stores.  There is a "supermarket" about .5 miles away that we went to once and the big grocery store where I went with Ivan the first night.  I'm going to sign up online for delivery of groceries from the big store which will help a lot with the heavier items like bottled water, basics like pasta and hopefully canned cat food.
What we have not been able to find so far is Oatmeal.  Today we are heading to the fancy grocery in town- they have an international selection and I'm sure we will find it there.  We will also pay three prices for it....  Oh well, gotta have what you gotta have!

I went to three stores trying to find ice cube trays. Granted Europe is not famous for using ice, but the cocktail culture is creeping in. There is a cocktail bar now in Verona (you heard right A cocktail bar). So I figured ice isn't far behind.
Finally yesterday as I was unsuccessfully looking for Ziploc bags I found these! And they work! Whoopee!! In fact they are great, the ice stays sealed so it picks up no odors and you just cut off each cube as you need it!

Foodie Warsaw

I'm finding my way here with what I think is noteworthy about a place I love- Warsaw is complicated.  It's old and new, it's fashion and food and traditions. 

There are so many big cities that all feel a bit the same.  Warsaw is always changing and becoming something new so it never bores me to be here.

Here are some of my favorite places to eat and drink in Warsaw:

Winestone in the Hotel Mercure Warszawa Grand.  A great little wine bar and café.  My first visit to Poland the only wine I could find was Hungarian or Georgian.  Now there is French, Australian and California wine available.  This café even has a Sommelier.  Pretty impressive change in 12 years!  If you are hungry try the Angus Filet with Fries and Blue Cheese dipping sauce.  They also have a very impressive selection of Vodka- of course!  would you expect anything else?

Blikle Café and Bakery on Nowy Swiat; since 1869 this chocolatier has been in business.  They were forced to close during WWII but have been continuous ever since.  Try the Hot Chocolate, Hot Wine, Potato Pancakes or a slice of cake.  Everything is excellent.

LaVanille Cupcakes, incredible Black Currant Cupcakes, a modern twist on a traditional favorite.  And they have good old Red Velvet Cake!

 

Last recommendation is for Trattoria Rucola.  A modern/traditional Italian restaurant.  Many varieties of pizza and pasta.  The key point here is fresh.  Made to order pasta and pizza with very fresh local ingredients.  Most of the herbs and greens are grown right on the front patio as you enter the restaurant.

Now of course, the obligatory paragraph about Wodka. There are the well known brands like Chopin and Belvedere and both are very good.  If you want a “real” Polish vodka experience you have to try Zubrowka and Zoladkowa Gorska. 

Zubrowka is the Bison Grass vodka that is made in the north.  The vodka is distilled with a blade of Bison Grass in the bottle.  It is a very light shade of green and tastes of vanilla and cream.  It is best served by the shot ice cold or in a traditional Polish Apple Punch of Zubrowka, apple juice and lime slices over ice.  Zoladkowa Gorska is a bitter herb and orange instilled vodka from the same region of Bialystok as Zubrowka.  The difference is that Gorska is spicy in nature and is just as good warm as it is ice cold and it is a nice sipping vodka. Both of these vodkas are available on line from Wines4Today.com if you want to try them without going to Poland!

From Minionki Cheetos to traditional Polish Potato Pancakes, you can find anything to suit your appetite in Warsaw.  In the past the restaurants were either Traditional fare; lentil or tomato soup, Chicken or Pork cutlets (usually deep fried) and lots of different ways to eat cabbage and boiled potatoes.  The other option most of the time was Pizza or Italian food which is still very popular here.

Sushi anyone? 

 

 

The beginning of the Italian Adventure

 
In September, my husband Robb and I found out he had been accepted for a research sabbatical in Italy for 7 months. What a huge change this is making in our lives.  I quit my job (early retirement!) at the end of October and the time since then has been spent preparing for the adventure.  This blog will cover a lot of different topics from our trip starting with the preparation trip we made in November.  I finished working on the 30th of October and flew to Warsaw to join Robb on a three week trip ending in our city in Italy- Verona.




I just arrived in Warsaw last night and already it feels like home again.  I love this city-!

My first visit I remember thinking it should be in black and white like the old 40's movies with everyone in long wooly coats and furry hats.  I could not have been more wrong.  Fashion is the ticket in Warsaw.  There is an astonishing number of ways to wear scarves and there are hats- many different types from real fur to fedoras.  Walking in Warsaw is much like being in Paris- everyone dresses to be seen.

Today I walked from Hotel Mercure Grand around my neighborhood.  I love this area, it combines local with global.  There is everything from Polish linens and antique jewelry shops to designer brands like Zegna, Tods, etc.  Not to mention every possible place to eat. 
Within one block of the hotel is a killer cupcake place, an Udon shop, Italian and Chinese.  All very different from the Poland I first loved 12 years ago.  Back then all you could get was Nescafe instant coffee- now there is a coffee chain on every corner including Starbucks! 
The EU has made it's mark on the country with globalization, and progress after the fall of socialism has been incredible.  It is now the healthiest economy in Europe next to Germany.
Later today I will post some photos of local street art.  Graffiti was the original way to decorate the soviet style buildings of old and it is still a thriving art form.

The city is slowly redecorating itself with new architecture and remodeling of what's left of the old buildings.  It is the one of the best walking cities in Europe- I feel so safe here.