Minestrone Soup Version 384

There are so many versions of Minestrone, there is no definitive one. All that matters is that you have something in the pantry and refrigerator to make it from. This is what I had that day.

Minestrone Soup (one version of many variations)

Bulk Italian style sausage, medium hot

2 Carrots, rough chop

½ large Yellow Onion, more finely chopped

2 Celery stalks, rough chop

2 Garlic cloves, finely minced

1 Potato, I prefer Yukon Gold, rough chop

1 can of diced, stewed tomatoes

Kale of Choice, ribs and all, cut up good so it breaks down

Chopped Parsley

2 cups of Broth of Choice or Water (I used half chicken broth and half water)

Salt and Pepper to taste

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Break up the bulk sausage into smaller pieces and brown it in a 3qt sauce pot on medium heat. When the sausage is browned (and make sure there is enough fat to do a little sauté), add the garlic and onion and slowly cook for about 5-8 minutes. When that’s done add all of your other ingredients to the pot and turn the heat up to high and bring this pot to a boil. Once it reached a boil, turn the heat down to a simmer and cook the soup until it gets some flavor, say 30 minutes or so. Taste for salt, pepper and flavor (it shouldn’t taste like water or tomato juice). If you want it “brothy” (if that’s a word) add some chicken/beef stock to the desired consistency.

Wine of choice, Mastro Scheidt 2017 Cuvee. It’s the all-weather, all-purpose wine.

Recipe for Italian Salsa Verde

As with Mexican style salsa, there really are no rules when it comes to Italian salsa. I’ve seen plenty of recipes that incorporate anchovies and capers, while others avoid them. Bread is another ingredient that is sometimes used and other times not. Salsa is a condiment and depending upon the application, the stronger, more contrasting flavors of salty, sour, or spicy could be used to offset or compliment another flavor in the dish.

mastro_scheidt_salsa_verde

I chose NOT to use anchovies, capers, or spicy peppers in my salsa verde. Instead, I favored citrus, copious amounts of oil, and a rustic style bread for substance. I was using the salsa verde as a spread for my confit of thigh and slow braised pork sliders, instead of barbeque sauce, aioli or pesto.

3 thick slices rustic bread, crusts left on
3 tablespoons Rice wine vinegar
1 cup Olive oil
1 clove Garlic
Salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste
1 whole bunch of Parsley
3 branches Tarragon
3 branches Marjoram

Cut your bread into small chunks and soak with the vinegar and olive oil in a shallow bowl for about 5 minutes. Mix and fold the bread so that it is completely saturated in the liquid and easy to pulverize in the food processor.

Take all the rest of your ingredients and the soaked bread mixture and place in a food processor. Pulse the mixture several times until all the ingredients are mixed well together and form loose paste.

Taste the salsa verde for seasoning and salt and pepper to taste.

Punto Part Two, Lucca

I've already sung the praises of Punto in Lucca. I found their approach to be refreshing, technically proficient, and complimentary toward traditionally Italian dishes. I could have chosen anywhere in northern Italy to finish out my last several days in Italy, I chose Lucca for two reasons, the town is lovely and Punto just changed their menu again.

I saw the menu change at Punto online and the introduction of a beef tartare to the menu, it made my decision that much easier.

Redemption!

Beef tartare in Italy was found worthy at the one place I thought it might. Punto in Lucca.

A smokey oil on the tartare carried all the flavor. Like the oil from salmon skin, silky and packed with flavor, the oiliness transferred smoke, salt and umami to the dish. I think that it almost had the scent and oiliness of cold smoked salmon. Nothing is what it appears at Punto. Looked like every other boring and unseasoned tartare I've had in Italy. I spoke again with the partner about this; we are in agreement about the boring nature of tartare in Italy. The fact that beef needs time, a Michael Mina table treatment won't work on beef. It needs time. Tuna can be quick cured at the table. The beef needs time to penetrate.

Celery risotto. Exactly as billed. No tricks. Celery was breathed all over it, almost juiced in it, so the pungency wasn't there but you knew what it was, celery. No stray celery fibers, instead, very tiny pieces of celery that were perfectly soft. Some ground black sesame garnished the dish. Beautiful presentation.

Guinea fowl was spot on the fegato on top of the farrow polenta added fat. Simple prep, but each piece was moist and flavorful

Chocolate dessert was a flavored mascarpone mousse covered in chocolate dead simple easy to do ahead. Take what I had at Le Logge in Siena, the creamy nutty goodness and soak that on here too. The mascarpone was almost cheesecake like, not so soft like a mousse, but not as thick as a dense cheesecake either.

Punto deserves respect. 

Italian Wine Notes, Tuscany and The Veneto

I wanted to drink great Sangiovese in Italy. 

One must continuing trying wines. Great wines. Lesser wines. Wines that come from a jug. Wines that I'll never remember the name; but I'll remember the experience. I make wine for a living and I don't want to develop a "cellar palate".

The pictures below are the wines I've been drinking during my travels in Italy. I don't give scores; I give basic descriptions, often the impact of the wine and my personal outlook at the time. I was probably eating something while I was drinking. These tastings are not blind, ever.

I'm only looking and reporting on the score from the major critics after the fact. I generally didn't have any idea on scores while I was purchasing. A few wine stores did post the score at the point of sale. The descriptions are varied, sometimes without a single word regarding any of the properties often assigned by critics; a simple Up or Down vote from me might do.

This is NOT an exhaustive list of wines I consumed in Italy. Stuff falls through the cracks, but it's a good representation of what I've been drinking. I might be drinking with friends, restaurant staff, the winemaker, winery owner, or alone. The list is heavily Sangiovese influenced, that is the one purposeful item I injected into my overall experience. After all, I make Sangiovese for a living.

Risottoria, Vicenza

A tour de force of risotto in Vicenza. This is a locals spot, a short drive out of the main center. Naturally, I was introduced to this restaurant by locals, this restaurant doesn't show up in the guide books or the Gambero or Michelin guides. The rule of thumb, one risotto per person. We pick them and the restaurant decides in which order to serve them. They will come out one-at-a-time.

Please take notice, the risotto has texture, yet remains loose. Individual grains have texture, "bite", not mooshy and over-cooked. There is also liquid surrounding the rice. Risotto is NOT served dry like pilaf or white rice. 

Mantovana, with crema di zucca, salsiccia cotta with rosemary fresco tritato. Great way to start off the evening. Creamy mouth feel, rosemary is mellowed out, sausage adds depth. I'm not a fan of rosemary mashed potatoes, the rosemary is just too pronounced. However, with risotto and with the lighter touch of rosemary, there isn't the pungency, only the fragrance, opening up the senses, almost as an appetizer should.

Mantovana

Mantovana

El Burielo, it had smoked meat and veggies in it. Smoke, tempered, just added perfume to this risotto. Think about adding a speck to a risotto. Spanish chorizo could be introduced here, a play on paella. Opens up a world of possibilities. Smoke is a meat flavor multiplier. There wasn't that much smoked meat in this dish, but that smoke makes you believe you've just eaten some barbecue.

El Burielo

El Burielo

Tartufato, with scagliette di ricotta fume. It's hard to beat this risotto. It's truffles for Pete's sake. A lot of them too. Really, I have not words. It's wonderful. It also removes any smoky nuances from the previous risotto.

Tartufo  

Tartufo  

Piccantino alla Puttanesca, rice with black and green olives, capers, spicy tomato sauce, anchovy, peppers. Wins the award for unique. Why is puttanesca parochially reserved only with pasta? I think risotto melds the ingredients of puttanesca better than pasta. There's an edge on pasta puttanesca (I know that's the point), sharp flavors of garlic, pepper and anchovy can be off-putting. The risotto incorporates the flavors better because of the starch in the sauce. A bite of anchovy or garlic doesn't stick out in risotto like they would with pasta. With each scoop of rice, every single ingredient is part of every bite with the same basic concentration. With pasta, many of the ingredients are at the bottom of the bowl, not homogenized around each bite of pasta. With risotto, no ingredients are left behind, homogenized evenly in the entire dish.

Puttanesca  

Puttanesca  

I finished with a lemon sorbetto in a martini glass and the sorbet was a bit loose, and certainly had egg white. I sometimes forget how much I like something bright, clean and acidic to finish off a rich meal; a rich meal with a wide variety of flavors.

Pasta is still my favorite dish in Italy, perhaps in the whole wide world. However, this stretches the boundaries for risotto as truly a main dish and a dish that can take on any combination of ingredients and styles, just like pasta can. And for the gluten free crowd, a proper risotto preparation is ten times better than any rice, whole wheat or quinoa pasta.

Osteria Le Logge, Siena

Osteria Le Logge, not 50 yards from the Campo in Siena, normally wouldn't be a restaurant I would choose, due to its proximity to a famous landmark; these places are touristy and terrible. But Le Logge is different. They are also a Brunello producer, are noted in the Gambero Rosso guide, have their own cookbook, and limit the menu to a few choices in each category to what I would consider classics. Yes, it's an institution of traditionalism, but it seems to serve them and their guests, well.

One wine with the entire meal, Gianni Brunelli 2010 Brunello di Montalcino - this is a more traditionally styled Brunello.  Not heavy on the palate with oak or fruit or tannin, but softer, more anise and earth on the nose than fruit notes. Paired up great with each dish, save the foie. I'd love to see what happened in 24 hours and how it would have developed. The food and wine were one, not only because I finished the bottle, but because this wine was crafted to be elegant and not overpowering.

Italian Ham and Eggs

Italian Ham and Eggs

To start, ham and eggs with toast. I'm poking a little fun here about my description, but upon presentation, that is the first thing in my head. The cracker of amaretto was both sweet and texturally playful in a world of oozy eggy hamey goodness. The local Proscuitto was similar to the lonza that I cured a few years back, ripe and wild flavors with great texture when sliced thin enough. The egg was sous vide and served at room temp, not hot. The liquid around the egg and the base of the plate was hot, while the egg remained cold in the center. I ate the dish with a spoon and bread. If I'd been polite and used a fork, I would have missed out on three-quarters of the dish.

Seasonal winter pasta

Seasonal winter pasta

The pasta was spaghetti "Faella" with onions, shallots, green onions, and pancetta. I've basically made this dish in Italy about 5 times or at least a version of it. This pasta confirmed that the pastas I have been cooking at the apartment have been seasonal, because of the onions, the cabbages, the chicory and lettuces that are in season. I thought I was being unoriginal with my thought process, doing a version of this pasta in Lucca and here in Siena; but I was thinking properly, seasonally. The use of cured meat also makes sense, that was the whole reason you cure in the first place, to use it in winter. No tomatoes. No squash. No eggplant. No peppers. No summer fruits and vegetables.

Spinach was fantastic in this dish

Spinach was fantastic in this dish

Lamb shoulder en croute. The lamb was thick cubed and cooked sous vide. There was no other way the lamb could have been this tender unless there was a sous vide machine involved. The spinach, however, made this dish. The spinach was sweet and has nearly none of the oxalate that dries out your mouth. The en croute was a phyllo dough applied just prior to finishing the lamb in the oven. This is continental cuisine with the use of a modern sous vide technique.

A bit of a left turn from traditional Italian

A bit of a left turn from traditional Italian

Bonus from chef. Cold chicken liver pate, dredged in curry/tandor spices, a quick grape jelly and avocado. I told the owner that this was a version of a dish I had at Robuchon with eel and avocado. The play on textures and flavors is there. Fun, yet cross cultural. The curry style spice mixture was powerful, so wine pairing will temporarily be on hold until you have a coffee or grappa.

Liquid Gianduja

Liquid Gianduja

Dessert was liquid Gianduja  puréed in cream or mascarpone with hand-torn pieces of doughy bread. Then if it wasn't rich enough, pastry cream filled cannoli and add some creamy gelato to the mix. It's sweet, rich, mouth filling and the perfect end to a really savory meal. The dessert was fantastic.

Il Campo for the 2009 Palio in Siena, my shaved head in the foreground.

Il Campo for the 2009 Palio in Siena, my shaved head in the foreground.

A delightful afternoon at Le Logge. It's hard to believe that back in 2009, not 35 yards away I was in the middle of Il Campo for the Palio. Good times.

Osteria del 36, Parma

Upon entry, I didn't see anyone at the front desk. So I made a little cough noise. I can only assume it was the owner that heard me, he clapped twice, loudly, as if to summon someone from the back to help. That's exactly what happened. The summons clap, something you won't ever hear in an American restaurant.

Incredible wine list here. Pages of stuff. Lots of big names and verticals from Tuscany. This is where traveling solo has a disadvantage, missing some great wines at reasonable prices. This is probably the reason this restaurant is on the Michelin list as an up and comer.

It's pasta, it's soup, it's good. 

It's pasta, it's soup, it's good. 

This is the first place that I noticed non-Italian music in the background.  Club beats in English no less, from Pitbull. Truly Mr. International.

To start, tortellini con brodo. It was pure. I added 2 spoonfuls of Parmigiano. There's not much to say here, it's broth, it's pasta (some meat filled, some only cheese), it's good. Look at the picture.

Time for your close-up Ms. Pasta

Time for your close-up Ms. Pasta

Wild board with pears

Wild board with pears

For my second plate, wild boar. The cut is a loin chop, bone in, with pear in a red wine reduction finished with what are small enough to be huckleberries and  a ton of butter. A true pan sauce style. The boar is gamey and wildish in texture and flavor like wild ducks. Frankly, a bit tough and chewy. The rare part near the bone is where it's at. The Italians can cook a steak perfectly rare, but pork or boar, always cooked through. The pan sauce is the bomb. I actually took bread to soak it up. If it weren't for the sauce, I would have been disappointed.

A first, Parmigiano with honey

A first, Parmigiano with honey

Parmigiano with honey. A first. The pairing doesn't clash with the pitcher of wine. No problem. Never seen honey served with Parmigiano, only w Gorgonzola. 

This is basically what I drank at Osteria 36

This is basically what I drank at Osteria 36

My pitcher of red wine is a drinker, plain and simple. It's my Jug wine. It's red, Sangiovese based and an easy going bouquet that will pair with everything I eat. This is why I made the Jug wine.

Grappa generally has a couple choices, morbide or dolce and then bianco or the caramel colored variety that has been aged in oak. The Italian purists believe that anything other than bianco is not one should drink. Basically, the oak adds color, some sweetness and mellows out the flavor. That oak treatment is something I've seen in many an American restaurant for sure. We do love oak, sweetness and mellowing. I tend to get bianco and morbide.

Grappa and the end of another meal

Grappa and the end of another meal

Was this my best dining experience in Parma? No. However, there was one very positive take-away, chunks of 24 month or older Parmigiano pair very well with wild honey and dry red wine and for that alone, I'm glad I dined here.

Another night (or two) at home

Creating my own meals are just as important in Italy as going out to dinner. I get to shop at various markets in my general area, work on my otherwise horrible Italian language skills, and walk-to-shop something I haven't done in too many years (I drive to shop for everything these days). 

Buying some basic stuff from the market; fennel, oranges, persimmon, raw onion, and treviso I can create a simple, seasonal salad. While this salad is just basically chopped stuff on a plate (because that's what it looks like), I did slice the fennel and onion about an hour ahead of time, squeezed oranges and a pinch of salt over them to allow the fennel/onion mixture to "cure" as I didn't want the harsh flavor of the onion and overly crunchy fennel, as my knife selection here isn't sharp (or I would have cut the fennel thinner)

Fresh winter style salad. 

Fresh winter style salad. 

The salad makes a great starter course to be followed up with pasta with braised fennel, onions and mortadella, topped with Parmigiano. 

Homemade pasta in Parma

Homemade pasta in Parma

Dolcetto d'Alba. Easy drinker for the week. 

Dolcetto d'Alba. Easy drinker for the week. 

Re-working a dish of leftovers, is just as important as a new dish when you're only in town for a few days at a time. You may recognize the big green cabbage roll (below) that I had earlier in the week (that's another purchase) since it's filled with pork, it's going to be tonight's protein. Beneath the cabbage roll are the denser and greener stalks of fennel as well as the whiter parts of the treviso, scraps from the salad I mentioned above. Add a little bread to the plate and bingo...another meal in the books and no waste. 

Pork filled cabbage roll with braised fennel and treviso

Pork filled cabbage roll with braised fennel and treviso

What's next in the kitchen? Don't know. I keep a supply of yogurt for breakfast along with a big hunk of Parmigiano for when I get hungry mid-day. We'll see what the market has to offer.  

Ristorante Cocchi, dal 1925, Parma

I discovered this restaurant on one of my random walks down (or was it up?) one of the main thoroughfares of Parma. Located in the Hotel Daniel, ​Ristorante Cocchi has been around for some time.

To start, Insalata Mista with warm speck and potato. Speck is a smoked ham, usually found in mountain towns. The dressing was simple, a sweet balsamic and olive oil. Solid. Normally I wouldn't order salad but it was kind of nice considering its cold outside, around 38 degrees and I walked about 2 miles to get here. Good start.

Mixed green salad with warm potatoes and speck

Mixed green salad with warm potatoes and speck

Next up, pasta with potato filling and shaved truffle. Good crack of black pepper. There was a starchiness to the sauce, which leads me to believe the pasta was placed in a sauté pan with butter and black pepper with some of the pasta water and tossed through with extra butter. Notice a bit of a brownish sauce coating the tops of the pasta., super viscous.The potato filling was good and hearty, the truffles are all about luxury and perfume. A couple elements on the plate to produce a wonderful lunch.

Pasta with truffles

Pasta with truffles

Grilled steak. Let's get something straight. My server didn't ask me how I'd like my steak because there's only one way it SHOULD be prepared, THIS WAY! No medium or well. Medium rare to rare. No sides. The sauce is olive oil and the garnish is salt. The simplicity of it all. Yes it was tender, yes it was tasty. And if it makes you feel better, I went Paleo on this course.

Filetto di Fassona

Filetto di Fassona

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The mezzo of Sangiovese from Fattoria Zerbina went with everything. 100% Sangiovese Grosso, aged in stainless steel and concrete vats, no oak, and I'm guessing not aged for more than a year. Easy to drink but not weak or thin. The wine easily paired with this whole meal. This is why I make Sangiovese, because it's good and pairs with lots of things.

Zabaione with crushed amaretto cookies. We've got a Goldilocks moment here. Too much liquor whipped in with the egg yolks and the zabaione is ruined. Not enough and it tastes like mousse custard thingy. But the zabaione at Cocchi, just right. The magic of having a crushed cookie lurking in the depths of that yellow custard is a nice surprise to, not all creamy and luxurious, but with an edge.

Zabaione with crushed amaretto cookies inside

Zabaione with crushed amaretto cookies inside

Always some grappa to finish! 

Grappa to finish

Grappa to finish

Ristorante Cocchi, Parma

Ristorante Cocchi, Parma

I enjoyed my lunch experience at Cocchi and my 2 mile walk back home. 

Ristorante Parizzi, Parma

As I mentioned in my last post, I can't always start a multi-course meal at 9:00pm. I'll be up till 2am with a heart rate nearing cardiac arrest levels trying to digest 10 courses. Which is why there are multi-course lunch options with the same menu as dinner.

One of those options is the Michelin-stared Ristorante Parizzi. 

Lonely Waffle

Lonely Waffle

To start, compliments of the chef, a Parmigiano waffle. Tasty. A good waffle. The next level would have been to sauce it with balsamic as the "syrup" or Saba because basically it's a lonely waffle that needed a partner. Balsamic infused butter? Fried chicken? (too American) Gorgonzola honey? I liked the waffle, but it needed something to pair with it.

A second amuse was a mache salad with stuff I couldn't identify. It was very good and was perfect with the Pinot. It sort of looked like and tasted like cous cous spiked with saffron and sun dried tomatoes. But I can't be sure. It was all served cold....I liked it, I just wished I asked again what was in it.

Mache Salad

Mache Salad

Slovenian Pinot, wine highlight of the day

Slovenian Pinot, wine highlight of the day

The wine for my game bird courses was a Movia 2005 Slovenian Pinot Noir and it was outstanding. 92 pts by W&S at release, this wine drinks fresh, with full-palate depth, I wouldn't have expected. Cherry skins, licorice and completed integrated and well rounded tannin structure. I would have loved to try this wine at release to compare.

Cracker sandwiches of pheasant pate were next up. The Pheasant pate was uber smooth in texture, a fitting foil for the cracker crunch. In the middle of each pate cracker sandwich, there were caramelized onions waiting for you. The appropriate contrast for the rich smoothiness of pate.  Gelatin, placed as garnish, was made with white wine and offered yet more contrast and all important acid to pate cracker sandwich. Well done overall and visually attractive.

Pheasant pate cracker sandwich

Pheasant pate cracker sandwich

Surprise! Caramelized Onion! 

Surprise! Caramelized Onion! 

Roasted quail with winter salad. The quail was delicious, moist and well seasoned. The winter salad of persimmon, fennel and pomegranate seed is a combination I expect from a 1-Star establishment at this time of year. I could have done without the chickpea cake, don't think it added much. The dish was paired spot on with the Slovenian Pinot. And since I ate the bones with my fingers, they gave me a bowl of warm water with a towel in it to clean my fingers prior to the next course. Excellent attention to detail and unexpected.

Game Bird #2...Quail

Game Bird #2...Quail

Pasta with duck and a bit of broccoli rabe was a high point. I love my pasta. If you're worried about gamy flavors, broccoli rabe will get rid of that notion in a hurry. Sharp flavors of broccoli rabe that contrast the warm, rich, wild flavors that come with rich duck pasta. I like the dish very much and could easily see cauliflower or cabbage used as the contrast to the duck. Possibly a grilled item, such as fennel, as a further flavor development.

Time for Pasta

Time for Pasta

To finish the Degustazione di Terra menu, a grand presentation of loin with foie gras. The middle of the loin was punched out and foie gras was inserted in the middle. Three sauces or garnishes surrounded the main, true center-of-plate many a chef fail at creating. Not whispers and smears of sauce, but statements of sauce. The foie and loin were balanced out. I thought for sure the foie would have been the star, it almost always is, but there was harmony here.

Highlight of the meal, Loin and Foie

Highlight of the meal, Loin and Foie

Near the end of its life for my palate

Near the end of its life for my palate

Both the duck and the loin/foie were paired with Castello di Farnetella 2007 Cabernet, Syrah, Sangiovese, Merlot from Sinalunga near Siena in Tuscany. The wine was beginning to give off a hint of oxidation and raisin notes on the nose after about 10 minutes in the glass, on a bottle that was poured to 3/4 empty. I'd say the wine was paired off better with the beef and foie than with the duck filled pasta, as the broccoli through it all off. More thought needs to go into the pasta and wine pairing because of the flavor profile.

Cheese, glorious cheese

Cheese, glorious cheese

Regional cheese selection focusing on one item and one region...Parmigiano Reggiano! Duh! 14, 24, 36 months from different areas of the province. I've experienced this type of tasting before a while back in San Francisco, when the Consortium for Parmigiano came to visit and presented to the trade. I liked the 24 month cheese for this tasting.

Pre dessert #1, Creme anglaise w lemon was light and easy dusted w chocolate. I like this Pre-Dessert compliment a lot. Refreshing, colorful and clean. Winner.

Pre-Dessert #1

Pre-Dessert #1

Chosen dessert...chocolate cannoli with candied orange and raspberry coulis. Cannoli shells are filled fresh, as they are crunchy, not soggy. Easy, one-bite cannoli. Candied fruit and crushed nuts are often served with cannoli, and there was no exception here. I don't like candied fruit inside my cannoli. I want the option to eat it separately; Parizzi gave me the option to explore the candied fruit on my own, which, I happened to really like. Great dish. Fun, exciting to look at, playful and well de-constructed.

I chose Dessert #2, Cannoli

I chose Dessert #2, Cannoli

Post dessert...In rapid fire and in order of how I consumed them: raspberry topped panna cotta was about as light and clean as Pre-Dessert #1; therefore it was devoured. Creme brûlée was not so good, I had one bite and finished. The 4 candied nuts were good so I ate them all, the single chocolate truffle was good, the single lemon ball was great. Done, done and done.

Dessert #3, Post Dessert, Dessert

Dessert #3, Post Dessert, Dessert

Sicilian Cab / Cab Franc

Sicilian Cab / Cab Franc

From the cheese course through the last dessert, the wine offered was a 2006 Planeta Burdese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc blend from Sicily. 92 pts by WE and one of their Top 100 wines on release and 91 by WS on release. Riper edge when compared to the other wines I sampled at Parizzi, with prunes, tobacco and spice. The bright fruit was gone, this was a wine that needs to be drunk sooner rather than later. I appreciate its longevity, but it was least favorite wine in the mix; Slovenian Pinot wins the wine award today.

Grappa to finish. No espresso today.

Grappa

Grappa

Service was solid, attentive but not intrusive. Everyone hustled and I never felt rushed or alone. Stemware replaced swiftly, silverware replaced swiftly, plates taken away 80% of the time by the time I placed the utensils down. Everything is brought on a cart or in a tray and placed away from the table and then brought to you from a service location in the center of the dining room. Michelin service standards here, professional.

A very good experience at Parizzi. The level of service, attention to detail, intricacies on the plate, and atmosphere all  lead to a professional dining experience in a restaurant that is expected to cater to a wider, international clientele because of their star rating. Is this better than some of the other places I've dined so far? No. Is it worse? No. It's apples and pineapples; very different dining experiences. Each with their own expectation level though. 

Some nights, I have to eat early

Eating out for dinner in Italy translates into 9:00pm for an actual sit-down multi course dinner; unless you want to go to some touristy joint on a big street. Sure there are places you can go for a cocktail and food at 6 or 7pm, but it's not the same experience fo me to eat snacks and cocktails.  

I'd rather have dinner at the apartment. Which means using my Zone of Assessment Map and hunting for items to eat and drink. I basically walked outside and shopped for everything on this plate in 10 minutes.

It makes sense to purchase Parmigiano and Prosciutto when in Emilia Romagna.  The greens are actually cabbage rolls filled with what amounts to pork rillette. The last item on the plate is basic olive oil focaccia. The wine for this particular meal is a Lambrusco like local drinker, 8% alcohol, lightly sweet, effervescent and 5eu.

For dessert, some fried dough with powdered sugar. They're gluten-free. Just kidding.

La Gatta Matta, Parma

Roughly 3 minutes walk from my apartment and on a line back to the train station, La Gatta Matta was an easy find and recommended in the Gambero Rosso guidebook.

To start, Budino of Parmigiano with shallot confit and 30 month Parma Ham. Budino of parmigiano is all about texture and shape. I still don't know if I'm a fan of budino, I know the Italians are. It could be the warm texture that I associate with dessert. Or it could be the shape, it looks like a flan or a lava cake or maybe a angel food cake. There was nothing wrong with execution, just a personal preference. The flavor of cheese was integrated well and maybe if I slathered the budino in turkey gravy on Thanksgiving, budino would suddenly turn into fancy stuffing. Not such a bad idea.

Highlight on the plate was the confit of shallot. Powerful flavor. And I love to confit things like garlic and onion. Leeks and fennel would be solid with this combo. Yes, I'm taking for granted that there was a 30 month aged Proscuitto on the plate as well. Proscuitto is on every menu, everywhere and I have it everyday. I'm in PARMA, duh.

My pasta was a chestnut and potato gnocchi with boiled cotechino and lentils. Cotechino is a special type of regional sausage I have made back in the States before and often paired with lentil. Each item is cooked separately, combined just prior to assembly on the plate. The salami melts. The lentils still have texture and loads of flavor. The gnocchi have solid mouthfeel and offer heft to the dish. Lentils and sausage sound a bid pedestrian, but add gnocchi on a pretty plate and you've got a complete meal...although I didn't stop eating. Solid punch of black pepper on the dish. Downside on this dish, literally was the dish itself. The plates should be warm and this one was stone cold. It rushes the dining experience for the plate to be cold, as it's a race against time to eat quickly cooling pasta. Paired the pasta with a local Romagna Sangiovese. Simple, well constructed and easy to drink with most foods I gather.

My final course, Guancialino (veal cheek) braised in white wine and served with polenta and pumpkin cream. The second thing I notice, after a lovely presentation, is another cold plate, which was a bummer and increases the speed at which I eat. However, outstanding dish.  Polenta is there as decoration and to soak up sauces. The polenta is good, but background noise when compared to the veal and the braising sauce. The veal itself is fork tender, with no residual fat hanging off the edges. If you generally like short ribs, these are a step above. The dark sauce on the veal is deep rich and warm the result of roasting juices from the Guancialino and wine. The second, more decorative sauce is pumpkin. The pumpkin is smooth and flavorful, akin to a pumpkin soup but cold because of its position on the plate. All in all, a splendid dish, but a bit rushed due to a cold plate.

The wine paired with the Guancialino was named Epibios by Podere Colombaiolo 2011, from just outside Siena in Tuscany. Stunning! It is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Merlot. Simply put, an awesome glass of wine. Supertuscan and probably a 3oz pour. Bright and fresh for a 2011. 4.50 eu a pour on BTG.

Survival 101: Zone of Assessment

I'm a big fan of Survivorman, Les Stroud. Bear Grylls got all the attention and the celebrity status, but Les had more appeal to me. The situations Les put himself in were real.

Your friendly neighborhood winemaker is also a survivor, both an Urban and Backwoods survivor, although the alpine surviving skills haven't been put to the test since 2010ish. Luckily my urban skills are regularly tested.

The interior of Parma

When I get to a new town, I tend to walk endlessly without a map, once I have a base to operate from. It was no different upon arriving in Parma. Drop the bags, get some walking shoes on and walk around and around. Oh, and lucky me, my apartment has this hugely convenient wall map of the city!

Pay attention to landmarks, restaurants, wine shops, laundry, ATMs, espresso bars. Then go back again, after dark and see if you can find your way around again. Some of the shops you walked by earlier probably closed, do things look differently? Remember to get food before Sunday...cause things are closed on Sunday in Italy.

Things aren't as easy as a grid system of numbered streets and roads, like we have some much of in California. Streets curve, dead-end and street names change for what seems to be no reason at all in many a international city. Parma is no different. 

Yes, there's Google Maps and it does work here in Italy, but that won't help you much if you have a dead battery.

It helps to sketch things out

More restaurant food picks in the next review. Ciao. 

Christmas Feast Part 2

While I tend to believe that Christmas starts and ends with eating only ravioli and meatballs with a glass of Cabernet, there are others in the family that may not be as enthusiastic or set in their ways as I am.

So, several dishes for Christmas are made for the other 30 or so people that come over for dinner. A long-time favorite at Thanksgiving and Christmas is our grilled and sherry braised turkey. Now, don't get me wrong, I love our grilled turkey. I love using my cast iron Dutch oven to cook the whole 20 pound bird in, basically a version of Poulet en Cocotte. But turkey speaks Thanksgiving to me, not Christmas. 

Poulet en Cocotte

Anyway, cooking the turkey on Christmas is just a good excuse to burn a lot of oak staves, sit outside, drink Sangiovese (which pairs well with turkey, I do pick at the bird when I'm carving it) and utilize my Dutch oven. 

Mastro_Scheidt_BBQ_ Turkey

There is a vegan option (no one in my family is vegan, but my family does seem to like this gross blob of jelly): Canned Cranberry. I have no wine recommendations for canned cranberry and never will.

Vegan Option

There is a gluten-free option (no one in my family is gluten-free, we are more like Gluten Plus): Potatoes and Yams.

The Terroir of Parmigiano Reggiano

As a winemaker, I am built to talk about terroir. Terroir, is the French term used to describe the place of origin, a unique set of descriptors for a wine from a specific region, vineyard, or vineyard block. Cabernet Sauvignon from a specific vineyard in Dry Creek Valley has a unique terroir different from a vineyard in Napa.

Photo by Stephanie Seacrest

In the same vein as a wine tasting, I attended a cheese tasting sponsored by the Parmigiano Reggiano Academy at Cookhouse in San Francisco. I didn’t know what to expect from a cheese tasting. I’ve been to countless wine tastings for 20 years, arranged by everyone from the local wine shop to events sponsored by a particular viticultural region. I always learn something, either about my own palate or about the wine being drunk.

Photo by David Scheidt, Parma, Italy 2009

The focus of the Parmigiano tasting was to sample Parmigiano Reggiano aged 14-18 months, 24 months (Vecchio), 36 months (Stravecchio), directly from the wheel and incorporated with food. Chef Jordan Schacter of Jordan’s Kitchen in San Francisco, prepared an entire menu of Parmigiano heavy, small plates ranging from a Parmigiano crisp pizza to Parmigiano polenta topped with sugo. My personal favorite Parmigiano inspired dish of the night? Parmigiano and mushroom accented brodo.

Why would anyone consider Parmigiano Reggiano a homogenous branded cheese from Italy?

If I were to tell a fellow wine maker or sommelier that all Cabernet Sauvignon, aged for 12 months from the Sonoma County AVA is basically the same product, I’d get some real funny looks.

But that's exactly what many of us do when we speak generically of Parmigiano. And here's why...

An accurate definition of Parmigiano Reggiano and a good enough answer for most would be that Parmigiano Reggiano is produced exclusively in the provinces of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena and parts of the provinces of Mantua and Bologna, on the plains, hills and mountains enclosed between the rivers Po and Reno, made exclusively of cow’s milk, made with natural rennet and aged a minimum of 12 months.

But the answer above only describes the minimum requirements to be called Parmigiano Reggiano.

Photo by Stephanie Seacrest

For the Parmigiano tasting at Cookhouse, the focus of the evening was on the age of the cheese, from 14 months to 36 month. Parmigiano at 36 months is certainly drier in mouth feel, has a more crumbly texture, and greater intensity of flavor that a 14 month old wheel. A 14 month Parmigiano could easily be described as creamy. Each cheese maturity level can also have different applications in the culinary world, with younger cheeses playing a supporting role in polenta, while a stravecchio parmigiano a leading role on a cheese plate with balsamico.

Beyond the sensory and maturity characteristics we focused on that evening, I began to become even more curious about the specific origins of Parmigiano Reggiano.

Photo by Stephanie Seacrest

384 dairies are responsible for all of the Parmigiano production, globally distributed, of which 34% is exported to countries like the United States. Each dairy produces milk throughout the year from various cows, in various regions, independently of each other.

Each dairy will have variations in cows, harvest, feed, temperature, etc.  Similarly in the production of wine, there are variations in soil type, fertilization, sun aspect, and temperature. Cabernet Sauvignon Clone 7 grown in Alexander Valley, while genetically the same as Cabernet Clone 7 grown in Dry Creek Valley will have dramatically different flavors even if harvested on the same day each year, even if only grown 5 miles apart. Conditions vary from region to region, town to town, winery to winery, winemaker to winemaker. In the case of Parmigiano, conditions vary from dairy to dairy and cow to cow throughout the region of Emilia Romagna.

If there are 384 dairies, how many different cheese makers are there? One for each dairy? Again, the analogy to wine makers is appropriate and accurate. No matter the minimum production standard, each cheese maker has learned a technique, timing, and “feel” differently than their counterparts at other dairies, just like wine makers.

Photo by Stephanie Seacrest

With all the potential variables for each wheel of Parmigiano, why do so many consumers and cheese mongers generalize Parmigiano Reggiano as some homogenized product; albeit hand-made and of the utmost quality? Various conditions exist in raising cattle as they do in winemaking; yet a sommelier would never consider all Cabernet Sauvignon from Sonoma County homogenized. That would be blasphemy! It’s actually a disservice to generalize and homogenize Parmigiano Reggiano into a monolithic hard Italian cheese.

A few basic distinctions when consuming and buying Parmigiano Reggiano: 

  • Milk comes from Red Cows, Brown Cows and Holsteins. Certain dairies will stamp their certified Parmigiano wheels with a secondary brand, indicating place of origin and the type of cow used for milk. Red and Brown cow milk is more highly prized and more rare than Parmigiano made from Holsteins.
  • Cows are milked throughout the year, causing seasonal variations in the milk, spring versus winter milks, and the diet of the cows from dairy to dairy can vary. Each wheel of Parmigiano is stamped by month, to ensure the 12 month minimum aging requirement, but nothing more.
  • There is no legal certification beyond 12 months of aging. Dairies, exporters, and your local cheese monger may or may not know and is under no obligation to disclose the various ages of the cheese. However, there is an obvious difference in flavor, texture, and visual appearance between a 14 month and a 36 month piece of cheese. 

After a couple hours eating, discussing, and analyzing Parmigiano Reggiano I have a new respect, understanding, and inquisitiveness about The King of Italian Cheeses and the vast kingdom of Parmigiano Reggiano.

Just as I never take Cabernet Sauvignon from Dry Creek Valley for granted, I will never take another purchase of Parmigiano Reggiano for granted either.

Photo by Stephanie Seacrest

Miles, Merlot and Italy

Of all the wines I have drunk, I can recall a few wines that have altered my opinions and broadened my experience; Ridge’s Monte Bello, an eight year vertical tasting of Opus One, and everything from Vino da Tavola to the finest Barolo in Italy.

Most American’s have a perspective on what merlot tastes like; merlot is looked down upon, marginalized, blended. I certainly have my opinion. I’ve never thought of merlot as the primary grape for making an outstanding American style Bordeaux, much less a single varietal Bordeaux. I like merlot as a varietal; I also like other varietals, zinfandel and petite sirah just to name two. I doubt merlot, zin, or petite could hold up against a great Cabernet or Pinot.

The film Sideways deepened America’s marginalization of merlot.  Miles rant about not wanting to drink “F’ing merlot” in favor of Pinot seemed appropriate, considering his love affair with the Burgundy varietal. Then there was the final irony, drinking a Château Cheval Blanc, heavily influenced by merlot; with a hamburger.

I have a friend, fellow wine aficionado and American Italian who knows her way around the world of great wines. It was a double blind tasting in Bakersfield and Lanette was pouring, explaining, and challenging the crowd that had gathered. Opinions were not something the crowd was unwilling to share; strong opinions to be sure.

I know that Lanette put something special in front of us for this double blind tasting. I know Lanette wouldn’t trick us with some plonker or over-rated trophy. I also happen to trust Lanette.

The wines had been set to the proper temperature, decanted and appropriate stemware was available. Each of the bottles we tasted was brown bagged for secrecy. We were standing, gathered around a large table, tasting among friends and peers; informal yet serious.

In most cases, with each taste, great wines reveal something, something more. Sure, I can figure out the sensory stuff with the best in the room. But that sensory evaluation is fleeting, it’s momentary, as the wine expands in the glass. The evaluation is also particular to the moment, as wine is constantly changing in the bottle. Taste the same wine a month later and the conditions change. Great wines are pervasive, they make an immediate sensory impact and a long-term personal impact; compelling the taster to seek out the wine again and again.

My first smells and tastes were probably a holdover from the truffle cheese and prosciutto de Parma I’d eaten moments earlier. So the first tastes were a throwaway, to refresh the palate.

Even though I discounted my first taste, one of the wines was certainly rich.

The second taste began to reveal what I was experiencing in that moment. Bold fruit; no-holds-barred fruit; with a monster of a back palate. This wine was not for the faint or those looking for softness. In all honesty, the second taste actually put me off a bit, it was too much, too bold. This certainly wasn’t a Pinot or Burgundy blind tasting. It had to be Bordeaux. But was this a blend or a single varietal? I know from past tastings, the likelihood of me figuring out if this wine was pure Cabernet or something else, was not likely. I’m much better at figuring out Old World versus American versus New World wines. This certainly tasted American to me, but knowing Lanette, I put the odds of this wine being American at 50/50.

Tasting again and again I began to shift my focus from sensory evaluation to personality and situational characteristics. When would I drink a wine like this and with whom? Who would appreciate this? What’s the setting? What food would pair with this wine? This is a showcase wine, not a warm-up. Any lesser wines, I don’t contemplate this much; I simply drink and move on. This had to be an epic wine.

But what was it? Who made it? Where was it from?

I get the fact that this is well crafted wine. This wine is not being tasted on its own, but side-by-side with another wine. And while I didn’t know it at the time, we were about to taste 8 other wines of high quality, side-by-side for the next couple hours.

For some reason, the crowd was very excited about this second wine. Is it rare? Is it expensive? Probably yes to both. Was I the only guy who wasn’t in on this? Then Lanette says, “this is the Latour of Italy…the Lafite of Italy.” So it was Bordeaux.

Take another sip…

Again from Lanette, “if I told you this was 100% Merlot, would that change anyone’s opinion?”

Take another sip…

I think to myself, “This wine is outstanding…this is merlot? No way…merlot doesn’t taste like this. The Lafite of Italy…What the hell have I been missing?! An Italian merlot maker? That narrows the list considerably.”

The suspense was building and Lanette was doing a wonderful job of building it.

I’m now captive, hostage to this wine. I know it’s of very high quality, from Italy, and 100% Merlot.

Do I have any sips left?

The brown bags are are torn apart to reveal…Masseto; 100% merlot from Italy and coming in at 15% alcohol.

I’ve only read about this wine; the book, a gift from my Mother about the best wines of Italy written by Bastianich. I’ve tended to favor the wines from La Spinetta, Gaja, and Pio Cesare over the years as benchmarks for the finest red wines in Italy. I would have never have guessed merlot could taste this good; this great. Nebbiolo, yes. Merlot, no.

Once the Masseto was revealed, it was quickly snatched up, but it was only the beginning of the evening. I wish I could have squirreled away another glass for later comparison. This is one of those rare opportunities where opinions are changed in an instant. Forget the preconceptions, your bias and learn something new. Merlot can be extraordinary.

At the end of the night, I had a glass of 2007 Ridge Monte Bello in my glass, a wine that made me change my perceptions regarding American oak and Cabernet Sauvignon outside of Napa Valley.  The Monte Bello was a fitting end to a provocative and enjoyable evening dedicated to changing my opinion about merlot. Italians can make a fantastic merlot; we Americans should try harder at making one too.

Thanks Lanette.

Masseto 2009

Ridge Monte Bello 2007

Hundred Acre 2009

Guado al Tasso 2009

Ramey Pedregal 2008

Opus One 2007 (twice)

Bryant Family Bettina 2009

Ricchiuti Family Farms Enzo Olive Oil

From deeply flavored beef cheek ravioli to tuna conserva salad with strong red wine vinegar (we make our own vinegar) to an olive oil cake, we put the Ricchiuti Enzo olive oil through its paces in the Mastro Scheidt kitchens. I purchased my Enzo Olive Oil from Sam's Deli in Fresno. Thanks Nick for carrying the product.

The beef cheeks were one of the first dishes I made with the Enzo. Beef cheeks have a lot of flavor and I seasoned them with probably 30 fresh sage leaves and a full fist of fresh thyme. While I didn’t add any olive oil to the searing process before braising, I used grapeseed oil, I did finish my beef cheek stuffed ravioli with a drizzle of fresh, uncooked Enzo oil. The results were solid. The flavor of the oil is still present and not simply masked as background fat. Part of that result is from not overstuffing the ravioli with meat, but rather allowing the pasta dough to show through and adding olive oil and fresh grana as condiments or complements to the dish. (Pictured:Beef cheek before being stuffed into pasta)

In a dish that is more reliant upon the flavor of the oil, the tuna and white bean salad with pickled red onions, the flavor of the oil needs to be more pronounced and the Enzo shows through with a slightly peppery back palate. The Enzo helped round out the dish, bringing the flavors together. As I did not pepper the dish, I expected the Enzo to give me the black pepper finish, that "bite" one expects from fresh press, extra virgin olive oil. I believe proper cooking is about balance, not a singular, over-the-top flavor showing through. Although parmigiano reggiano by itself is pretty damn good.

A third test was the use of the Enzo in an olive oil cake. I’ve never made olive oil cake before; I’m not a huge baker. However, olive oil cake was pretty straightforward. As long as baking reminds me that making cornbread is technically baking, I can usually handle it. I did have a couple aces up my sleeve, my special Vero Lucaro baking flour and Ventura Limoncello.

 

I used over ¾ cup of olive oil for the recipe. I’m a regular butter user, rather than olive oil so I was a bit worried about the outcome honestly. So rather than eat an entire olive oil cake by myself, I brought it over to my aunt’s house, where my mother, grandmother, and great-aunt could also try the cake. The cake went over as a big success.

I know, I know, having your 100% Italian mother and relatives judge a food product is like stacking the deck. I can assure you that if the product wasn’t prepared right, I would have heard things like, “this is nice Dave”. Since I didn’t hear any talking, only eating and my aunt making more coffee to eat with this sweet olive oil cake, I figured I’d cooked it properly.

 

The only comment I heard was, “This cake is really yellow and rich. How much butter and egg did you use?” So I took that as, olive oil cake doesn’t have an olive or worse yet, greasy flavor. After explaining how much olive oil was put in the cake, my grandma and great-aunt took over the conversation, saying that when they grew up in Fresno (think 1920’s here), their parents used olive oil for all the baking. As long as the olive oil was of “good quality, it should taste good”. So don’t take my word for it, take Grandma and my Aunt’s word for it…they’ve been cooking longer than I have.

And finally in a simple taste test of local oils, Bari (not pictured), 13 Acres, Casa Rosa, and The Ricchiuti Enzo my impromptu panel commented that the Enzo had a broad range of flavor from initially smooth to a peppery finish. The 13 Vines was clearly the most buttery of the oils, while Casa Rosa by far the most peppery.  Bari rated as a solid overall oil, not too strong, not too light; sort of Goldilocks in character.

Taking a product through its paces, like the Enzo from Ricchiuti, was a lot of fun. I am generally using between 3-5 olive oils at one time. I like the flavors, the differences, the seasonal changes. Regional Italian cuisine deserves, it demands, different styles of olive oil. The Central Valley of California just as Italy, has many different local and regional characteristics. From the pure “butter-like” flavor of 13 Acres to the more diverse range of flavors with the Enzo, the oil one uses should complement the dish.

I’m pleased to have the Ricchiuti Family Enzo olive oil in my kitchen at all times…I just need them to sell the old-school 3 liter tin! 

 

Allesina Barolo Salumi

I've been down in Bakersfield more in the last few weeks than I have in the last few years. Good thing too, there's some good quality food in the the Southern San Joaquin Valley.

Luigi's Deli has been providing high-quality products to the people of Bakersfield for over a century. One of many products they carry is Allesina Salumi from San Luis Obispo. 

After my drive back to Fresno, I sliced right into this little jewel. The smell of the outside is classic salumi, a bit gamey, moldy, yeasty...old world, old school. The inside has a wonderful combination of flavor of fat, meat and spice. All balanced. Really wonderful product.

I've been eating Creminelli products recently and they are equally as good. But the real test will be to eat them side-by-side. I'm looking forward to the challenge.

Chiaroscuro and La Folie in One Night

I’ve already talked about how good I think Chiaroscuro is on The Cured Ham a couple of times.  I'm amazed how little coverage Chiaroscuro gets from the Bay Area food scene, especially for how authentic and consistent it is. I have a special place in my heart for pasta and I feel confident that Chef Alessandro will cook better pasta than I can most nights. I’m sure Chef has off nights, but my birthday dinner was not one of them. And considering Chef's Mother was also in the kitchen, everything had to be good.

I’ve attached the meal as presented that evening. On the cheese plate, a cherry leaf wrapped goat cheese from Basilicata was the standout. A house cured lamb prosciutto had a punch of pepper to it that was unexpected. The desserts that evening were a raisin gelato (that had absolutely no chewy raisins in it), strawberry shortcake, and profiteroles. The profiteroles a.k.a. cream puffs, had nearly the same density, texture, and softness as my Italian Grandmother’s. And yes, both pasta dishes were outstanding. The rigatoni was challenging to the palate with one secret ingredient (which we had to ask Chef about. He was being sneaky about that addition and no I'm not divulging it here).

 

What I didn’t plan for that evening was a special look inside La Folie. One of my cousins is close to Chef Passot. I was allowed to view kitchen operations at the height of service. Basically a step away from the pass, as I watched Chef inspect and arrange nearly every dish. The kitchen is small, efficient, and very busy. No room for idle chit chat, only communication about their stations and timing. What a delight to watch.

After service was over, Chef sat with my cousin, a good friend, and me for nearly 45 minutes. We talked about food of course, but also family, travel, and living in the Bay Area. Chef suddenly became another friend at the table. Way cool. Chef Passot was extremely generous with his time.

I couldn’t have had a better birthday. Welcome to 40 years on Planet Earth.