Bom dia!

Whoops! Unable to post before leaving, this notice simple serves to say hello from Lisbon. Be back next month!

Old MacDonald had a farm...

"E-i-e-i-o..."

And on his farm he had a vending machine, selling fresh dairy products directly to the consumer, every blessed day. We learned of this milk distributor through word-of-mouth and I just had to see to believe. Self-service milk?!? It came via dispenser-type setup: place your bottle under the spout, drop 1 euro into the slot and voila! — raw, unpasteurized milk so sweet that you might be tempted to suspect that the automated milking devices were attached to the cows just one stall over. In the 2nd photo below you see part of the small wooden building that houses both milk dispenser and a rotating vending machine that offers farm fresh butter, yogurt, and various cheeses. I used some of the milk to make an egg custard pie and there was a palatable richness to it — what a treat!

Great for those who get a kick out of dropping coins into a machine in return for a prize, I just love the idea of this small co-op enterprise which is within walking distance from central Lecco. How resident neighbors handle the "country smells" is beyond me, but unless someone within the vicinity has a preference for the just-add-water powdered variety, it would be hard to deny the fact that you can't get it any fresher than this. Moooo!

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I understand why milk is required to be pasteurized in the United States, but as a consequence most of us miss out on the pleasures of fresh, raw milk (unless you live on a farm). I'm jealous!
alan | Homepage | 06.19.07 - 8:37 am

Isn't that the best?! I've seen those fresh milk vending machines on hikes in N. Italy. We were really sorry we didn't have a container the last time.
Susan in Italy | Homepage | 05.22.07 - 1:56 pm

Oh man, that's so cool! I wish we had one in Hawaii so I could buy my milk from someplace other than Costco, heehee!
Kathy | Homepage | 05.22.07 - 8:14 am

Oh, I so wish that we had a farm like that around here. And what a novel idea! A vending machine for fresh milk! I've never heard of such a thing. Sounds wonderful.
Carla | Homepage | 05.21.07 - 8:49 am

This is cool, reminds of the rice vending machines that I've seen around Japan. And Lani Moo, what a blast from the past!
Kat | Homepage | 05.21.07 - 7:17 am

Cooool! This reminds me of going on a field trip to visit Lani Moo. I don't remember getting to taste any fresh milk, boo!
myra | Homepage | 05.21.07 - 12:45 am

This is so so cool! Reminds me of when I used to go and get fresh milk at the farm, ages ago! Does not make me feel younger, duh!
bea | Homepage | 05.20.07 - 9:04 pm

Ooh, how cool! i wonder if there is something like that around here! when we were in piedmonte, there was a whole circuit of farms like that which you could visit, but the ones we found mostly sold cheese (i'm NOT complaining about that by any means!). very cool!
ps: sorry that the pig palio didn't happen, but it looks like you had a good time nonetheless!
jackie | Homepage | 05.20.07 - 7:55 pm

Wow - what a great find! Are the other dairy products similarly dispensed? (Without packaging that is) Gosh, it'd be hard to stick with my skim milk with milk like that so close to home!
Cathy | Homepage | 05.20.07 - 3:27 pm

OMG I to need try this!!! That just sounds so cool, I want that vending machine installed in my backyard...one that dispenses cheese, truffles and spam.
Steamykitchen | Homepage | 05.20.07 - 2:32 pm

R.I.P.

Once again on the topic of snakes, although this time, the only way I was able to venture this close was because the creature was DEAD. And no, it wasn't me or the dog that killed it. From the looks of it, this is a biscia d'acqua that I had written about earlier. I don't know if it's the very same serpent that put some thrills and chills in our day last week, or the one that was hanging around in the middle of the path to the pizzeria one evening, but I actually felt sorry for it. How it came to be, lifeless, on the side of the road as if exiled from the Garden of Eden, is a mystery. There were no markings of an obvious 'road kill'. Perhaps, like a fish out of water, being away from its usual habitat proved too difficult to survive.

43° Sagra dell'Asparago

Cilavegna, Pavia (Lombardia) — Ahhh! The first vegetable celebration of the season, the much-touted white asparagus, with bundles and bundles handsomely displayed for purchase. Cilavegna is duly proud of its prized crop: thick, tender spears with a subtle and delicate flavor. Whether anyone knew that white asparagus was recognized for medicinal properties in ancient times didn't matter. Visitors eagerly lined up and parted with their euros for a sack of the violet-tipped stalks. We bought some ourselves to take home (8 euros for almost 2 pounds). A smart thing to have "grocery shopped" before venturing on to fill our stomachs with all things asparagus.

On the menu...
It was self-service at the food area, like queuing at a cafeteria. Of the dishes that looked most promising, we tried asparagus in risotto, in ravioli with melted butter and sage, with turkey smothered in asparagus sauce, and Asparagi alla Bismark (right). It was honest, simple fare, but I could just imagine my arteries saying their prayers as my husband described the way they put the plate together. — "First they put the asparagus on the plate, then a ladle of melted butter, then the fried eggs, and then a ladleful of cheese!" Quick! Quick! More red wine to counteract the high cholesterol levels. To finish, a couple of Sorbetto all'Sparago which tasted of the main ingredient alright, but had a consistency more to that of mousse. It was light, sweet, creamy asparagus complimented by a cloud of whipped cream. The wheels are turning in my head. I have such a penchant for unusual flavors and asparagus gelato could possibly work here.

And now for the bad news...
There was supposed to have been the Palio dei Maiali, where guys in medieval costume ride astride domesticated hogs for fame n' glory to the finish line. Well, this year it was a NO GO! Unfortunately, the powers-that-be who grant permission for these sort of events (involving animals) denied the seal of approval. A petition was at hand for those demanding the return of the pig races and I'm hoping that the signatures, along with my husband's, will help make a pig big difference for the following year. Otherwise, it will be, in the words of Porky Pig, "I believe, I believe, I believe...That's all folks!"

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Spring rolls around every year with the news, "the asparagus is coming, the asparagus is coming!" and every year, I have the same response. Oh, I wish I could love it. Asparagus is the one food in the whole food that I don't enjoy, but your pictures are just so lovely, and your attitude towards it so positive, that I'm going to have to try it, just like I do every spring, yet another time. Someday, my taste buds will change.

Thank you for another entertaining post.
Christina | Homepage | 05.17.07 - 7:01 am

I wish I could get those here...no such luck. They are so beautiful with purple tips!
Steamykitchen | Homepage | 05.16.07 - 2:12 pm

Hi Rowena,
Those aparagus look so beautiful; I never have seen those with the violet tips! 8 euro for 2kg, we paid something like 4 euros/kg when we last bought ours. I have never seen them cooked up with the eggs & cheese. That's new for me! Too bad for the pig races, maybe it will be settled for next year.
barbara | Homepage | 05.16.07 - 12:39 pm

I've never had white asparagus (do they taste any different then green?) - but they sure are beautiful! Love the poster too!
Cathy | Homepage | 05.16.07 - 5:43 am

Awww, I wanted to watch your video of the pig races...maybe next year. And I've never seen white asparagus with violet tips before. Cool!
Kat | Homepage | 05.16.07 - 1:14 am

I love asparagus and this is just the perfect time of year for it. It actually grows wild around here...but not the white variety, just the green (as far as I know). You are brave to try the asparagus dessert...mind you, you may be onto something. Let me know if you make that gelato.
Carla | Homepage | 05.15.07 - 11:55 pm

I LOVE ASPARAGUS FAIRS!!!!
Have you ever been to the one in Cantello, between Varese and Switzerland? Just magic...
Piperita | Homepage | 05.15.07 - 5:34 pm

100 ways to celebrate Italy

Festival delle Sagre - Asti

As the spring season rolls along and eases into summer, there is even more reason for fun and games all over Italy. That frog race in Fermignano? Just a warm-up! I've compiled a list of upcoming sagre that seem like real winners, with loads to eat and lots to cheer for! Why 100? Purely for lofty ambition. There is no way to experience them all in a reasonable amount of YEARS. A drop-down menu to the left will keep track of events we've been able to partecipate in, and how many more we need to go in order to reach the goal. Calculating at 2 outings per month, could this mean a serious blog commitment for another 4 years?!! Aiyaaaaaaa! Well, maybe a little less if we shoot for 9 per season to make up for lost time, then I can finally put my well-worn rubber footwear to rest.

43° Sagra dell'Asparago - Cilavegna (Lombardia) *2nd Sunday in May
Famous for its white asparagus, the sagra not only has some interesting plates on the tasting menu (asparagus sorbetto??!), it also hosts the setting for the Palio dei Maiali. Men in period costume ride pigs ala "cowboy", trotting and squealing to the finish line.

Corsa delle Botti - Nizza Monferrato (Piemonte) *1st Sunday in June
Can you imagine a bunch of guys beating an old wine barrel to the finish line with a stick? A good thing the barrels are empty, otherwise Elvis should be singing "All Shook Up".

L'Assedio di Canelli - Canelli (Piemonte) *3rd weekend in June
The Siege of Canelli. My husband has experienced this medieval reenactment once before and raves about it. The town is transformed into an era back in time (1613) with over 1000 inhabitants dressed in period costume. Visitors are immediately involved as they become the "aliens" here. This could mean possible subjection to random search warrants by guards, inquisitions without warning, and being locked into a pillory if you have one too many at the bar. Read the detailed program of the link given below, it KICKS BUTT!
Historical Commemoration - THE SIEGE OF CANELLI - Year 1613

Palio della Capra d'Oro Cavriana (Lombardia) *7 of July at 5pm
I'll never tire of animal races...ever. This one for the golden goat sounds like a lot of fun, and something that I'm sure Maddie would definitely enjoy.

Sagra del Jambon - Saint-Rhemy-en-Bosses (Aosta) *5-8 of July
Juniper, thyme and herbs perfume this local prosciutto, but being so close to the french border, it takes on a different name. Holds the D.O.P. seal of authenticity.

Sagra della ‘Nduja - Spilinga (Calabria)
A salame soft enough that you can spread it on toast. And it's spicy HOT! Susan wrote about this fiery specialty from Calabria. I want to attend this, but it's a long way from Lecco. Until they organize a simultaneous event in a sister city, foodies of all things piccante can check it out the weekend at the beginning of August.

Notte di Note - Bolbeno (Trentino-Alto Adige) *2nd Saturday in August
Night of Notes — Music is the theme here, performed by celtic harpists, folk musicians, and traditional bands of the area. The one feature that caught my eye however is capuss, the local specialty of a mixture of bread, herbs and seasonings which is wrapped in grape leaves before being boiled. I'm curious to see if I came close with my attempt at this dish.

Tortellata Cremasca - Crema (Lombardia) *around 12-16 of August
Fancy taking part in 3000 kilos of tortelli? These can be relished sitting at one of the many benches in piazza Moro, or to take home if you like. The filling is an interesting blend of amaretti, cedro (a type of citron), mint, raisins, nutmeg, biscotti and grana cheese. Served with melted butter, sage and more grated grana. YUM.

Sagra della Trippa al Formaggio - Serra Sant'Abbondio (Le Marche) *12/13 August
That's tripe and cheese...tripe and cheese. I've never had tripe, let alone with cheese, and repeating this 3x convinces me that I must.try.this.dish. Held at frazione Castel S. Maria.
Sagra dei Vincisgrassi - Castelraimondo (Le Marche) *14/15 August
Similiar to lasagna, except the ragu has minced chicken livers/giblets. If I don't get to this sagra, I'll certainly order it at a restaurant. There is supposed to be truffles in it too.
Sagra del Bostrengo - Appechio (Le Marche) *14/15 August
The info says..."a sagra dedicated to the very greedy". Sounds like me. Bostrengo is a sweet made with chocolate, boiled rice, sugar and pinenuts.
41° Sagra delle Cozze - Pedaso (Le Marche) *12-15 August
I am betting that le cozze, or mussels, will be prepared in every way imagineable for this event. Mussels and a glass of a chilled white wine of the region; can't go wrong with that.
Sagra del Cinghiale - Cantiano (Le Marche) *17 August
Wild boar, which I presume will be featured in many typical dishes of the region. Held at localita San Crescentino.
Sagra del Gambero di Fiume - Cantiano (Le Marche) *18 August
River shrimp, or crayfish. They're not available at our fish monger, so this is something to anticipate as I'm curious to see how the shrimps are prepared.
21° Sagra de lu Scartocciu - Serrapetrona (Le Marche) *17-20 August
I have no idea what scartocciu is, but since this will be the 21° edition, then it must be, in Martha's words, a good thing!

Sagra del galletto e del pollo alla Marengo - Bosco Marengo (Piemonte)
I doubt that we'll go to this one as it coincides with the following sagra, but if you like Chicken Marengo and are fans of Napoleon Bonaparte (and I don't mean the movie), then this poultry-fest usually occurs the first weekend of September.

Il Cacio al Fuso - Pienza (Toscana) *1st weekend in September
Cheese, or should I say the love of cheese, is the reason for leaning toward this event instead of Napoleon's chicken. The game involves rolling a round of cacio cheese toward a spindle in the middle of a square. Whoever gets closest to the pin, wins! Part of the program for the Cacio cheese fair, it will be an opportunity to stock up on what the region has to offer. Plus it gives Maddie a chance to be surrounded in her idea of food heaven.

Sagra della Lumaca - Molini di Triora (Liguria) *2nd Sunday in September
This sagra also includes a Snail Race. The snails are set to creep across the finish line on a wooden plank. For the kids obviously, and those young at heart. There's a great photo of the particular lumaca here. Noted by Slow Food, they are said to be exquisite.

Gran premio del Biciclo Ottocentesco - Fermignano (Le Marche) *September
This bicycle race is supposedly the only one of its kind in the world. Recall seeing actor Kevin Kline on that odd-looking high wheel in the movie Wild Wild West with Will Smith? These bicycles from the late 1800's become star attractions in a joyous weekend event that culminates in a 3056 meter race in the town of Fermignano. For anyone visiting the Pesaro-Urbino area, the actual race will be held on Sept. 2 with preliminaries beginning at 5:20pm. Here's a useful link to the program schedule (italian).

Sagra del Gorgonzola - Gorgonzola (Lombardia) *19-23 September
We like both dolce (sweet) and stronger piccante. I've been meaning to duplicate a calzone that I once had at Cafe Pesto on the Big Island - japanese eggplant, artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, and rosemary gorgonzola sauce. The flavors came together surprisingly well.

Sagra del Totano - Isola di Capraia (Toscana) *1-4 November
I love the page for this event. Squid and all its relative species are delicious, but I admit the main thing that appealed to me is the location — an island surrounded by blue sea.

Ssssssssss...

Maddie leave it ALONE!!!

I knew it was bound to happen sooner or later, but today on our daily walks, Maddie sniffed out a biscia d'acqua, a harmless type of snake whose usual habitat is around water although they're also known to hide in cool, dark crevices. She was not bitten. Perhaps from the heavy rains a few days ago, the slithering reptile was flooded out of place from overflowing streams that spilled down the mountainside. Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera with me — not that I would have sidled right up and asked it to say "cheese".

Snakes are not common in Hawaii, and that's the way the Dept. of Agriculture would like to keep it. My husband says if Maddie had been struck by a vipera, a most lethal species of snake, she would have gone legs-up within moments. I'm still exhilirated from sighting a snake in the wild, even if the sight of me throwing a BIG stick at a small defenseless reptile must have looked ridiculous!

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YIKES!! Thank God it was a harmless one. But *shudder* I couldn't handle seeing one in the wild so upclose. I've handled snakes before, but these were tame ones. Aww Maddie, I'm glad nothing happened to her. Or you!
Christine | Homepage | 05.10.07 - 11:12 am

Yikes: you and wildlife! i am glad that no one was harmed, and that maddie escaped unbitten! be careful!!
jackie | Homepage | 05.09.07 - 4:03 pm

Hi Rowena,
I'm so relieved that the snake in question was harmless and that Maddie was not hurt. She was lucky. I have never seen 17 years in France. Not even a Vipera, but they do exist, too.
Have a nice day and take care.
barbara | Homepage | 05.09.07 - 1:01 pm

Ohno! I'm glad Maddie wasn't hurt though...hopefully she'll rememeber to stay away from snakes next time. On the subject of unwanted creatures, I just saw the fattest mongoose ever in Manoa today, it was soo creepy looking with those bloodly red eyes, shudder!

I demand another photo of Maddie - she is too cute not to post!
Kathy | Homepage | 05.09.07 - 9:55 am

I'm in agreement with just about everyone here. Snakes really aren't my thing. We see them only on the rarest occasion around here and I'm quite fine with that.
Carla | Homepage | 05.09.07 - 8:01 am

Oohh...naughty Maddie! i haven't seen those type of snakes here, but i'm okay with it since i'm terrified of any snakes!
eliza | Homepage | 05.09.07 - 7:28 am

I bet you looked a lot less ridiculous than I would've running, arms flailing and screaming with fear if I'd seen it! Snakes, even harmless ones, scary the crap outta me. I'm so glad Maddie wasn't bitten. I hope she learned to leave it alone though.
stacy Simpson | Homepage | 05.09.07 - 5:36 am

In summer we see them everywhere here. The drought is bringing them closer to Melbourne, along waterways.
kitchen hand | Homepage | 05.09.07 - 4:21 am

Thank goodness she wasn't bitten! Though I can understand your excitement at seeing one. I freaked out seeing one on a hike.
Kat | Homepage | 05.09.07 - 1:18 am

Crescia sfogliata

These are the cresce sfogliate mentioned earlier in a post on What to eat in Le Marche. Before I even did a web search on what goes into these things, I knew there would be one ingredient that shamelessly inflates cholesterol levels and I'll get right to the point. The ingredient in question is strutto, or rendered pork fat... otherwise known as LARD.

Throughout all of last week I made several attempts at devising a satisfactory recipe, referring to a number of italian sources. The first problem though, was that none of the recipes had precise measurements to go on, only the list of ingredients which mainly read like this: flour, eggs, salt, pepper, lard, water, and baking soda. The second problem was how much strutto to use? Achieving the final product is much like the making of danish or croissant dough — you need a thin layer of fat in between the multiple layers of dough. But with lard as the obvious replacement for butter, you can understand my reluctance to use too much of it. On the 1st batch, the thinnest of smears randomly spread about on the rolled dough was not enough; I ended up with flaky round crackers. The 2nd batch was better, but my idea to use less eggs and replace some of the all-purpose flour with wholewheat yielded a slightly chewy, dense round. The 3rd turned out more to my liking, but still not quite exactly like the ones we purchased from the market in Le Marche. Maybe it's the water? Dough conditioners? There's still that unmistakable oomph from the pork fat though, and if it that doesn't scare you, then try this recipe for four 8-inch discs.

Recipe for crescia sfogliata
2 cups all-purpose flour or grano tenero "00"
1 teaspoon fine salt
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon water
About 5-6 tablespoons lard

Combine the flour, salt, pepper, and baking soda in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center and add the eggs and water. Using your hands, work the ingredients until it comes together. Turn out on a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Add more flour (sparingly) to the work surface only if it is absolutely necessary. Shape the dough into a ball; cover and let rest on the work surface for one hour.

Roll the dough out into a rectangle approximately 14 x 18 inches in size. Spread the lard evenly over the entire surface, and beginning from the wide end, proceed in jellyroll fashion to form a log. Stretch this out to the length of 22 inches. Cut into 4 even sections.


Forming the discs: The photo above illustrates how to coil the lengths of dough into a bun. Again, on a lightly floured surface, roll out to form 8 to 8 ½-inch rounds. Cook on a heated cast-iron skillet or piastra with a ridged-bottom surface until golden on each side.

To serve: Cut in half and layer with a combination of grated or crumbled cheese, coldcuts, salame, or grilled vegetables. Sandwich the halves together and reheat on a nonstick surface at medium to low heat, turning once until cheese melts. Serve hot!

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Lard, or strutto (STROO-toh), is readily available in the major supermarkets (Esselunga, Bennet, Auchan, etc.), but might also be found in the smaller grocers too. They're usually located in the section for prepackaged pancetta and other meats, but could also be sitting next to the butter in the dairy compartment.

I'd also like to follow-up on the chinese bing that was mentioned in a comment from Lucy. She has kindly pointed me to an image link here, followed with a recipe! For those who might want to give it a try, she says that "the key is to let the dough rest for 10 minutes or more between each step." They can be stored in the freezer, and need only 3 minutes in the toaster to heat up. She also noted that premade ones are in the frozen section of most Chinese groceries. Mille grazie and mahalo to Lucy!
~rowena~ | 05.08.07

Mmm...looks like you had great results. It makes me hungry just looking.
Carla | Homepage | 05.08.07 - 8:46 am

Yay - you did it! Unfortunately, I've yet to find a source for lard around here (except for that canned stuff, and I honestly can't tell the difference between it and Crisco). I've only looked in my usual haunts to date, so looks like the time has come to widen the search!
Cathy | Homepage | 05.08.07 - 4:32 am

You're my hero, Rowena. May I ask where you bought the lard?
Ivonne | Homepage | 05.08.07 - 12:26 am

Wow, crescia sfogliata in a lombardy kitchen! yay! sounds like your attempts yielded great results, if the pictures have anything to do with it! next time we need more food time, away from the frogs!
jackie | Homepage | 05.08.07 - 12:24 am

How delicious they look!
Steamykitchen | Homepage | 05.07.07 - 10:29 pm

Small world. The Chinese have a traditional flat bread called "bing" which is made exactly the same way, but without eggs and with chopped scallions scattered onto the rectangle of dough before rolling. These days, vegetable oil is used instead of lard.
Lucy | 05.07.07 - 5:11 pm

They look great! may as well eat the real thing!
Kat | Homepage | 05.07.07 - 3:16 pm

I'm not afraid of the pork fat! Eating it, at least.
Sara, Ms. Adventures in Italy | Homepage | 05.07.07 - 2:56 pm

Project Yard and Garden: The Aromatic Hedge

I love these kinds of mornings, when after a long day and a long night of constant rain and intermittent hail, the sun comes out at a gentle pace, giving everything a fresh, clean look. As I was sweeping the terrace free of wet leaves, the broom accidentally brushed the lavender plants, releasing a most incredible fragrance. At that moment I remembered, oh yeah, I better transplant the pineapple sage into the ground today, the nursery worker had advised us that we should do so right away.

But first... the dog needs to go for her walk, then maybe I'll get back to this post and what is becoming quite the aromatic hedge...

Hours later...

The only thing that irks me about the yard is the cheap wire fencing that encloses it. For some reason (other than poor taste?), the developer decided it would suffice, and it does, but in a sort of why-don't-we-just-add-some-chickens-to-the-yard sort of way. I tried that idea with the french hens. My husband wouldn't hear of it.

The master plan: a hydrangea here, another hydrangea there, a rosemary bush... these, we figured, would grow large enough to help camouflage "the cage". Then within the span of 2 weeks, other plants began finding a home along one side of the wired grid, all standing in line with the rosemary: chile pepper "a cuoricino" (the small chiles have a slightly elongated heart shape), "Black Fire" chile (the plant has a purplish-black hue), thyme and regular sage. Climbing rosebushes take up residence in one corner, a yellow and a red, and there is still the pineapple sage [Salvia splendens] and a wild fennel to fuss with. The pineapple wanna-be is what got me started on this post; it's not much to look at, but rub the leaves with your fingers and inhale. The scent is unbelievably true to the real thing, and I was immediately reminded of the famous white pineapple of Maui. There's quite a bit of info on the web; how to care for it, ways to cook with it, a pina colada to make with it!, but can anyone please tell me if they've done anything but use it in a recipe?

Mind-altering properties or simply the placebo effect?

This article is what spurred my interest onto the slight possibility of growing something other than a sweet-smelling kitchen herb. Not that I'd really give a hooha to the matter. My concerns are for the dog. She has already gotten a "spanking" from biting the tomato plants and regular sage, but if she takes a keen liking to the pineapple one... I just may have to keep her out of the cage.

Salvia splendens - Wikipedia
Gardening tips
Pineapple Sage Pound Cake
Pineapple Sage Pina Colada

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Updated pictures on our pineapple sage.
~rowena~ | 10.17.07

FYI: Pineapple sage tastes nothing of the fruit -- I chewed several leaves just to be sure. The pina colada recipe was good, but nothing out of the ordinary tastewise. Mint leaves would have worked better.
~rowena~ | 05.07.07

You know, I think I've seen this at the garden center before, but it just sounded a little strange. I'm still not so sure I'd really put it to use, but it sure looks pretty. The only sages I've ever grown have had blue/purple blossoms. I do like the sounds of the pound cake, though...
Cathy | Homepage | 05.05.07 - 6:00 am

With plants like pineapple sage, don't you wish you had a "smell-o-vision" feature to the website? Isn't it lovely stuff? Let us know how the pineapple sage piña colada works.
Christina | Homepage | 05.05.07 - 5:05 am

I've never heard of pineapple sage, can you eat it? and does it taste like pineapple? Looking forward to more of your garden posts!
Kat | Homepage | 05.04.07 - 1:06 pm

Creste di gallo

There are a select few of the less noteworthy foodstuffs that I've been curious to work with, and these are just one of them. Identified the specimens yet? They are cockscombs, that innocuous part of a chicken that I have never imagined as something remotely edible. I'm familiar with chicken feet from the islands (even if I never tried them), but that thing on top of its head? My husband sings praises over le creste, for his mother cooked these "delicacies", if you want to call it that, when he was a child.

The first thing to do after purchasing my prize was to call my mother-in-law, the family expert on these sort of things. "Ci-a-o-o-o TESORO!" she exclaimed. Did she just call me precious? More than delighted to share her cooking wisdom, she advised me to prepare them in umido, a style of braising that uses a small amount of liquid and includes finely chopped onions, carrots, celery, tomato paste, wine, and seasonings. She went on to say that le creste are usually served as a second plate, but with my meager 200 grams — "Tesoro, you have enough for only one serving." — I realized that I needed to find a way to stretch my limited supply.

Enter the idea of risotto, but when I came across an Alain Ducasse original requiring cockscombs as one of the ingredients (besides truffle juice, calf's foot jelly, and a Breton lobster), well that was that, and I decided to make risotto bianco with a ragu topping that was a combination of italian, french, and the cooking advice of Mamma.

It didn't rock my tastebuds.

Plain risotto and a french-inspired ragu seemed like a grand idea in my head but I expected cockscombs to have a unique, distinct flavor to them. They barely hinted of giblets, and tasted rather ho-hum? Borrowing from the culinary finesse that is Ducasse, I simmered the combs in chicken broth and nervetti (calf's foot aspic) until tender, then finished them briefly in the style of mamma. To the risotto bianco I added mascarpone instead of heavy cream at the end. The finishing touch was a drizzle of truffle oil over all.

My husband actually liked the results, but I think another problem was that I couldn't get past the visuals; with nothing to wow my palate, appreciating the dish was a challenge. I'd be willing to give this a try again, but only the way mamma would prepare it.

Recipe references:
Risotto Bianco
An original from Alain Ducasse

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Hi Ro!! I must say, you've taken something rather "interesting" and unexpected and turned it into something truly spectacular. The end product looks delish. This is coming from a rather squemish, non-adventuresome kind of eater too. I'm learning so much from you and I'm inspired and getting excited to be in Italy. Just a little over 4 months to go! Aloha!
Lettie | 05.04.07 - 12:40 am

Oh my gosh - you caught me totally by surprise. It's such a beautiful picture (at least it was before I knew what it was a picture of !), but I'd never have guessed... I was thinking it was some sort of pasta!!
Cathy | Homepage | 05.03.07 - 9:41 pm

Wow rowena! i love your mother-in-law's reaction to your dilemma: "Tesoro, you have enough for only one serving." here's where i have to go with my vegetarian-side, but you are brave for trying it! the finished result is beautiful!
jackie | Homepage | 05.03.07 - 4:57 pm

Hi Rowena,
I wasn't sure what was in the tray (it doesn't ring a bell seen like that), until you told us. Maybe there are foods that don't appeal, but when well prepared and seasoned, might surprise us. I'm sure that you don't get "chicken skin", when trying new foods! Take care,
barbara | Homepage | 05.03.07 - 2:36 pm

All I can say is brave, brave, brave.....goes where others fear to tread! You go girl!
Pasticciera | Homepage | 05.03.07 - 10:45 am

Holy Chickenparts!
Even if I prefer to personally reply to each comment when appropriate, all of YOU GREAT OUTSPOKEN READERS who visit this blog have really taken me by surprise! I will admit, the subject selected was fueled by impish humor, and to write for the purpose of leaving everyone speechless, (or should that be cluckless?) is something that I live for. So then, I suppose it'll be a tad blasé if I wrote my thoughts on uhm..."mountain oysters"? I am not eating chicken feet. BTW, the cockscombs were a little over 4.50 euro per/lb, or whatever is the current $ equivalent.
~rowena~ | 05.03.07 - 9:41 am

I thought it was a plate of ginger--as you find on the side of sushi platters. Hope you didn't spend a fortune on your meager 200 grams!
Poppy | 05.03.07 - 9:11 am

Sorry to say this but ewwww...lol. The colors are nice but there's no way I could eat that. Very interesting though, and very impressive you'd even try it! I wonder how the first person to eat that decided it might be tasty? hehe
stacy Simpson | Homepage | 05.03.07 - 7:22 am

The top image caught my eye first, before reading, and I wondered what kind of lovely pink and gold fruit that could possibly be. But alas . . . not fruit.

This post made me laugh. Thanks for having such great humor about a dish you clearly didn't love.
Christina | Homepage | 05.03.07 - 6:55 am

If i'm not mistaken, i saw a show about adrian fera cooked cookscomb in his restaurant, El Bulli in PBS series, Gourmet Diary of a Foodie. Very interesting, but like you i can't get past the visual! Though, i don't mind eating duck feet's skin, duck's tongue!
eliza | Homepage | 05.03.07 - 6:13 am

Cockscomb seems weird.. Perhaps you could give it another shot and buy enough cockscomb to try your mother-in-law's method. :-) Would be interesting to know about a new dish.
piccola | 05.03.07 - 4:36 am

Fascinating! I had no idea one could even eat cockscombs, although I don't know why not... many other "parts" are consumed by various cultures. They look lovely...but not quite sure they'd be my thing.
Carla | Homepage | 05.03.07 - 12:38 am

rowena, that photo of gallina thingys looks like a great canadian autumn day! but oh my god i, i, think i'm gonna be si.... and let me guess.... it tastes like chicken lol!
whozyerdanny | 05.02.07 - 11:52 pm

It's a beautiful photo but a disgusting image if you know what I mean! I don't think I could eat those either.
Sara, Ms. Adventures in Italy | Homepage | 05.02.07 - 2:26 pm

Eww, please don't tell me when you serve this one to me..that way I'll eat it.
Kat | Homepage | 05.02.07 - 1:49 pm