It's a long, long way from Hawaii to Italy. Living in the land of pasta, pizza, and wine is everything that you might imagine, but one thing remains true. You can take the girl out of the island but you can't take the island out of the girl
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Maddie just make like a pumpkin (ears go down)
And I asked nicely too, but it's clear that Mads just isn't into posing with large orange things. Maybe it would've helped if I had taped a pic of her doctor on it (she outright adores him).
As of this writing, the exchange rate from € to $ says that the almost 19 pound italian zucca cost us $12.31 or 66 cents/lb. Tax included. Oh, so that's why Maddie is peeved....she just shot me a talk bubble saying that I could've bought her 8 prosciutto bones for the same price.
...it's the beginning of the work week and an email announces that so-and-so's birthday is in exactly 2 days and well, can you come over? Oh, and it's going to be a surprise.
Spur-of-the-moment gatherings are one of the things I miss most since moving away from the islands, and I'm sure we've all experienced the sudden invite where you're caught between a yes or no. Yes, as in I know I have to wake up early for work the next day but as long as I stick to one drink only...sure. Or No, it doesn't matter what day tomorrow is because a birthday is a party and a party means food and food means....so when should I show up?
Another page in the cheese monkey chronicles
On Wednesday night we ate so much cheese and drank so much wine that I was sorry I had not worn stretchy pants - I must've put on 5 pounds just by looking at everything. Mortadella, salame, mostarda; speck (cured trentino ham), tuna-stuffed olives, pickled onions; fat, juicy grapes, clementine oranges and fresh pineapple; it was one thing after another as bread continued to be tossed [incoming!!] on the table. The host kept pulling jars of stuff out of his pantry and all I'm thinking is that with friends like these, how can you go wrong? We set the gold standard for hump day, I think.
Some sort of runny goat cheese that smelled so divine when I inhaled. Scoop to serve.
The MotH with his Eddie tshirt. Altogether there were 8 types of cheese. Whoa smelly!
You know that you're really good friends when layer after layer of cured meats are handed to you with nothing more than a simple "help yourself".
Red all evening long until it was time for cake. Jaddico was especially wonderful to me. www.tenuterubino.com/en/articles/red-wines/jaddico-red-wine-doc-brindisi.html
If the cake was any bigger than this I would have cried. Any BFF stories to share?
Or more precisely, a trip to Thailand. Looks like my chicken wishbone "wins" and wishing on falling stars are coming true. My dad has been back from Thailand for 2½ weeks but he didn't waste any time in telling his 3 daughters that if we're up for it, he'd take us all on a short trip to Thailand. I'm all for the idea but would prefer the option of a group tour/travel specialist as I am no expert on these things. Any experienced travelers out there with advice on northern Thailand? Specifically Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai? Not planning on Bangkok or Phuket. One sister would like to add Chengdu, China because of the panda bears (can't say I blame her especially after what I had read in Carlo Colombo's travelogue).
I borrowed the following images from my father as he was so good to accommodate my request to take lots of food pics. I just didn't realize that he'd go so far as to purchase crunchy garlic grubs. Hmmm...I suppose they aren't much different than potato stix?
Thai home-cooked meal
I was informed that these are bamboo grubs. Yum! They taste just like Frito Lay corn chips, and would taste good with icecream. How's about a sweet/salty crunchy flavor to your next double scoop?
Ice cream drinks at Swensen's
Not sure if this sticky rice dessert wrapped in a corn husk is the same thing, but on another site it's known as khao dome sa-lee.
Yeah like...2 weeks earlier than today's date. And just in case you're thinking I went shopping crazy again at that ethnic store in Milan, no, it isn't the case. I owe this care package to Kat of Our Adventures in Japan, as she took a huge gamble in sending all this. Tasty little snacks, chocolates, kimchi base!, miso soup packets...she put a lot of thought into the contents. My faith in the italian postal system has been restored considerably, because a happy ending isn't guaranteed when parcels get sent from another foreign country. I know there are several of you (on both sides of the pond) growling as you read this, but eh...stuff happens sometimes. Two things I'd like to add about this goodie box from Japan. 1.) Kat, you have really, really neat handwriting [she explained what everything was on individual notes and thank goodness she did because I can read only 3 languages.] 2.) The Hello Kitty postage stamps are too cute! I'm going to incorporate them into a bookmarker. Thank you!!!
O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name; Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, And I'll no longer be a Capulet.
Well Julie girl, I can't explain just why he had to be born a Montague, but I might be able to show where he does hang out when not lurking under your balcony, and let me tell you, it ain't very far. Andar per goti is the veronese version of a pub crawl. Andar (to go) per goti (for glasses of wine) can only mean one thing - a heck of a great time in the old streets where Shakespeare's tragedy took place, and this is what we set out to do in fair Verona...
One day in Verona
From dimly lit hole-in-the-walls, to osterie, to restaurants, 6 randomly chosen locations from Slow Food's guidebook share the spotlight in our quest to discover who pours the best. Salud!Cin-Cin!Okole Maluna!Kampai!Mabuhay! It was a BLAST, with only one bad apple out of the whole bunch. The wonderful thing about all this is that Verona's old center is restricted to pedestrian traffic, thus creating the perfect opportunity to what I can only describe as a great way to lose the crowds and enjoy this breathtakingly beautiful city on an intimate level. Images of Verona intermingle with glasses of Amarone, Valpolicella and Soave, punctuated with “distractions” because we all know a girl can't go to an italian city without exploring the gelato, cheese, pastry and/or shopping scene. Beginning from the tourist-packed Piazza Bra at one side of the arena (B) and finishing at another (M), the map below lists all of the spots included in our itinerary. Initially we had planned on taking the train but realized that precious time would be wasted in getting there. You just can't do Verona in less than 6 hours! The large pay-park named Arena (A) is where our journey begins and is a short distance from Piazza Bra. Loads of photos, getting chased and proposed to by a gladiator, and a video clip (yeah I know it's so disco!) is included at the end, so without further ado, let's begin the tour.
C) Vista of Santuario della Madonna di Lourdes from Ponte della Vittoria
The Adige river winds around Verona's medieval center like a snake, offering amazing views like this one from Ponte Vittoria. Tree-lined streets along on this side of the river make for a lovely stroll until we get to the first stop.
D) Trattoria Pane e Vino
Rotten eggs first. This place left me with such a bad taste in my mouth that I had to spit outside. As the owner rudely stated: "If you can speak italian then you can read the italian menu outdoors. This is a trattoria, not a place for wine and nibbles!" Well then, your name shouldn't be bread and wine, genius.
E) Ostaria A Le Petarine
With no less than half a dozen old guys hanging around indoors, I honestly can't say that I would have walked in here all by my lonesome, but this is exactly the sort of locale where you mingle with the regulars for cheap goti of wine or go for a little more depth without breaking your wallet. We ordered a glass each of Amarone and Valpolicella - 4.30€ total - and tried to decipher the local dialect as we drank and listened in on the small talk.
F) Osteria Al Duomo
Up to this point we were only drinking and taking advantage of the free bites just to see what each place was like. I wish I could have stopped the tour right here because the aroma coming out of the kitchen at Osteria Al Duomo was simply to die for! Hot, steamy waves of hearty polenta, ragu and mouth-watering victuals seemed to be directed our way where we sat at the entrance. If it weren't for a set itinerary I might have said screw the rest and let's just eat here. The chef's assistant, a pleasant young woman, acknowledged us as soon as we walked in, poured our glasses of wine and went about her cooking tasks (we had a clear view right into the kitchen). Within a few minutes another person showed up with this huge bag of taralli and we were given a bowlful. Nothing fancy, but it was the courteous service which makes gems like these so nice to return to. One thing that I took note of was the plaque on the door as you leave. URTAR (oor-TAHR) is dialect for spingere - push - which if you've already guessed I got all wrong! Hey, after the 3rd glass things were looking pretty hazy, but I was determined to save my appetite for something more. On the way to our next stop we passed a wedding group and I made like one of the guests.
G) Osteria Monte Baldo
Jackpot! The mother lode! Monte Baldo, bubbling with high energy and happy people going in and out of the premises, was exactly what I had in mind for andar per goti. A neat little display case with all sorts of 2-bite snacks greets your eyeballs as soon as you walk in. I nabbed a spot up front and center at the bar, we ordered our wine and after a bit of hesitation (I have this thing about "digging in" without asking first), one by one a delicious morsel became the makings of a miniature meal. Tiny mortadella-stuffed panini, pizzas, meatballs, tarallucci...this time I went with a white wine - Soave - which was great with baccala mantecato (codfish spread) and a hard egg with a strip of anchovy. Hard-boiled eggs were also within reach on the counter, and I noticed this offering at another osteria. We drank and munched to stave off the hunger pangs, then went on to the next stop.
H) Osteria Al Carro Armato
Three down two more to go. High ceilings, pale walls, and large windows let in the afternoon sunlight - such a contrast to the dark, intimate corners that we experienced at the previous addresses. I needed something with more substance to counter my umpteenth glass of Valpolicella and ordered a plate of nervetti (veal tendons) with onions. Delicious stuff.
I) Osteria Sottoriva
Finally, the last one! I'm sorry to say that crumb-coated meatballs and lightly seasoned chicken wings (tetteciucciidiei sp?) - delicious all the same - were all I could manage with my wine. We sat and vegetated with the full knowledge that our tour was only half over. We still had to see the main sights, buy cheese and omiyage gifts to bring home, see Juliet's house! I took over 150 photos...what a fool to think that I could finish this post in a couple of hours. Looking forward to another Andar per goti but this time with friends. If any of you expats happen on this post and want in, drop me a line!
J) Piazza delle Erbe
K) Juliet's Balcony
So I yelled, "JULIET!!!!!!!!!" And this couple turned to look straight into my lens. Perfect shot. I dunno who they are.
L) Palazzo dei Diamanti
The Diamond Palace, so named because the exterior walls consist of marble blocks carved to represent diamonds.
Pretty cool balcony eh? I do take these things for granted (yeah I'm terribly unappreciative sometimes) so I'm grateful for flickr photogs who take the time to shoot something other than what they feed their face. Tomorrow is a big day because in 10 hours we're off to see someone else's famous balcony...can you guess? And no, this is not the one I'm referring to. Check back on Sunday for a full report.
Upon learning that Chef David Chang's first cookbook (aptly named after his Momofuku empire) was scheduled for release in the latter part of October, I figured it was time to start cranking up the heat. I've been keeping my eye on this korean-american chef for awhile now, because apart from the outpouring of opinions (both good and bad) dished by foodies and critics alike, Chang's food is still something to take note of. The one item that has garnered so many gaga-gushing reviews is the Bo Ssäm, a communal feast to be shared with your bestest friends in an attack of "the Beast", an enormous piece of succulent pork (braised for at least 7 hours to melt-in-your-mouth perfection) where the presence of 'allies' proves exactly what friends are for in the first place. But wait, there's more, because along with that tender, juicy pork comes pickled korean vegetables (kimchi), korean soybean paste (ssäm jang), lots of white rice, delicate oysters on the half shell and last but not least, a pile of fresh butter lettuce leaves to wrap everything within. Wow! Just writing this turns me on so bad.
Two things. If you're going to attempt this at home, please don't leave anything out. If oysters aren't your bag, you'll be missing out on an essential part of the meal. Same goes for the pickled korean veggies. You don't like cabbage and bold flavors in general? Well then go get yourself some nuked grub from a gas station market. Bo ssäm is one of those foods where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. To quote Chang himself, "Pork, kimchi, oysters..it's the f***ing magic combination."
I followed the recipe found on NYM (link below), cutting the amounts down to 25% which gave us some leftovers. Obtaining most of the ingredients shouldn't pose a problem if you have an asian food source nearby, but I sort of had to "wing it" on the ssämjang sauce. With only gochujang/kochujang (korean chili paste) on hand, I followed a recipe for ssämjang which incorporated gochujang and a few other ingredients. If all else fails, I suppose sriracha sauce would do in a pinch, but definitely not ketchup!
Bo Ssäm recipe - New York Magazine: http://nymag.com/listings/recipe/bo-ssam Ssamjang recipe - Korean Food: http://www.trifood.com/ssamjang.html
> Braising the pork. The recipe says to braise uncovered, but I noticed that an hour into cooking time, things started looking a little dry so I put the lid on. Unless it's pancetta, much of the pork at the supermarket is totally devoid of its fatty skin, so adjust likewise if a) your pork butt or shoulder is looking pretty lean and b) check from time to time to see if it needs some water. Of the 6.5 to 7.5 hours suggested cooking time, my 2½ pound piece needed only 4 hours until it was easy to pull apart. At this point I would also like to add that the brine solution asks for a lot of salt and sugar in relation to the liquid. I found the pork slightly too salty for my taste but I've read several comments that Chang's food does lean on the salty side for some palates. Hey, it's bold flavors man! Personally, I would cut the amounts of salt and sugar by a third the next time around, and place a piece of cotenna (pork rind) on top.
The components. Clockwise from bottom: lettuce, shredded pork, noblesse oyster, pickled kimchi cabbage, pickled kimchi daikon (turnip), rice and ssamjang sauce in the center.
The order of construction, as seen on Anthony Bourdain's chowdown with Chang via youtube: pork, kimchi, oyster, with the rest of the stuff thrown on top I suppose. Any way you choose to layer is totally up to you, but boy did that ssamjang go well right on top of the oyster. This is total finger, hand, kimchi-sauce-dripping-down-your-chin food, where the sight of all that spiciness and protein will make you giddy with expectation. Anyone up for a wrap-n-roll party at my house? Chapchae and haemul pajeon? BYOB.
A Friday night mexican/tex-mex dinner with friends turned out to be such a disappointment (the dinner, not the friends), that it was imperative for me to look up a chimichanga on flickr just to see if somehow the chimi has changed since I last had one. Hey, you just never know. Obviously it hasn't, and whoever's in charge at Cactus Juice restaurant should pull it off the menu. The chimi-haha that I got looked like they had taken a 10-inch flour tortilla, added some meat in the middle and folded in three sides to form a triangle. Huh??? I realize that you can't expect another country's food to be authentic everywhere, and I easily forgave the canned salsa, bottled guacamole, fajitas not arriving on a sizzling platter, etc etc, but a triangular chimichanga was just bad, bad, and sad all around. Never again.
Not having all of the necessary ingredients to prepare a mexican feast at home, I consoled my palate with a korean meal of mixed rice, or bibimbap, a dish that I haven't had in ages. Love that gochujang sauce! Ehhh... I think it's about time to do David Chang a la Momofuku. Ready for some Bo Ssäm?
So it isn't the usual Monday morning content (where's the food Rowena?), but I was so deeply moved after watching this video that a blurb on yesterday's lunch dropped down the scale of blogging importance. Mind you, it was a korean lunch made by yours truly to erase the bad memory of a regrettable mexican dinner that I ate on Friday. I'll get to all that later on.
Back to this clip...I urge you to sit through the 8+ minutes because even if you might not understand the language, the story told by this young and beautiful Ukraine artist becomes quite clear. To quote one of the comments: "...this video is a story about Second World War 1945. Over seventy million people, the majority of whom were civilians, were killed, making it the deadliest conflict in human history. In the end she writes, "You are always with us" or "You are always near."
scribbled from the chestnut forest by Rowena... at 11:02 AM
Friday, October 16, 2009
Banh mi...with a touch of Italy
Last night it took all of 5 minutes to change my mind on what I was going to make for dinner. It was supposed to have been italian (spaghetti alla carbonara), but this fixation on asian foods and asian ingredients has sort of, I dunno, turned me into a kimchi-craving, stinky fish sauce-loving, kiss-my-garlic-breath monster?? MotH and I were doing the weekly grocery run at our favorite supermarket, Esselunga, and when I found fresh cilantro stocked among the herbs, the first thing that popped into my mind was banh mi. Ooooh...banh mi with roasted pork, liver pate, bay shrimp and lots of crisp, fresh vegetables flavored with that inimitable asian fish sauce, all of it stuffed to the gills within a crusty french roll.
What a mouthful.
It didn't take long to convince the MotH that vietnamese would be the cuisine of the evening, and along with a simple, hot vegetable broth infused with the flavor of fresh ginger, we pretty much made a mess of a meal. I didn't take any photos of our evening grinds, knowing full well that I was going to have this again, for breakfast. Is there a banh mi shop in Italy? The answer to that I do not know, but of course, wanting to add something "italian" to the deal, I added some strips of lardo (cured pork fatback) to my breakfast banh mi. If only I had a large mug of vietnamese coffee to go with it!
Can somebody please explain why this bread is called a frustina? A frustina is a whisk, but the only notable thing about this roll was that it contained strutto (lard). I have rarely seen strutto listed on other breads I've bought. These were very crusty with a soft interior within.
As far as I know, banh mi is never toasted, but as it has been SO COLD lately, I was all for a warm sandwich. The sauce is actually a cheat version of mayo...I did a sort of hollandaise in a hot water bath because some small part of me is scared of salmonella. The ingredients for hollandaise are butter, lemon juice and eggs yolks; here, I used yolks, rice oil and fish sauce. Mayo is often used but I figured a warm sauce would be better.
Whatever amount of calories there are in liver pate, I do not care. The taste is worth it!
Mixed salad goes on top of the pate, then a couple strips of lardo. Almost there...
Shredded carrots, sliced onions and bay shrimp piled on top of the lardo.
A seasoning mixture (fish sauce, sugar and lime juice) drizzled over all. This particular brand of fish sauce (incidentally it was thai), is lighter in color than the one I normally use.
Lots of cilantro, hot chile pepper (de-seeded!), and sriracha sauce packs a punch. Brave girl.
I remembered too late that I had forgotten the cucumbers. Next time. Buon appetito!
Cosa??! We're going to the most importante event of the year, no, perhaps the decennio, and here you are in tshirt and jeans? Non ci posso credere! There will be so many famous gente at George Clooney's and Elisabetta Canalis' matrimonio! When people see you vestito così, what will they think? Te l'avevo detto to wear a suit and cravatta!
[Translation in the comments. Un bacio to RonJe for allowing the use of his image. His story is better!]
Obviously this is absolute fiction (I know nothing of wedding bells for George and Elisabetta), but I've been waiting for the perfect opportunity to introduce the topic of speaking italian in a fun way. Through stat disclosures for this site, I'm aware that there are people who want to know how to pronounce italian words or at least to understand the meaning of them, but since my sights are mainly set on food and travel, it's been something that I'm usually at a loss as to how to get into. What's a person to do, then, especially when language is an essential part of learning a culture not of your own?
While there are many, many language tools available for purchase or for free use in libraries, the ones (legit) that I mention here are links that I think you'll find helpful, if not funny! In this very technically-receptive world, online visual/aural methods are quick to view or download, and other than having your own language tutor, is probably the next best way to learn proper pronunciation. I've really made a production of this because I just had to include my father-in-law, which, by the way, will speak to me in dialect (another story itself). At the end I close with Rome's high-fashion photographer, “Marcello Mastrantonioni”. His 10-minute lesson in italian hand gestures is quite the comedic act. Click on the image - and girls, the next time you're in Italy and a less than desirable italiano tries to put the move on you, you'll know the gesture that says “What do you want?”
Becoming Italian Word by Word Author Dianne Hales' beautiful blog is a delightful read that not only incorporates italian words within her posts, but also phrases that could very well come in handy should you need them. You just never know...non si sa mai!
Italian Blog: Language & Culture Another well-written blog that goes a little further in learning the language. Her writing style makes you feel very at ease and is a pleasure to read that you almost forget the whole point is supposed to be learning italian. Read about her most recent exploration of a remote place between Tuscany and Liguria - Una Gita a Zeri - and you'll understand why MotH and I are such enthusiasts for lesser known trails and hiking in general.
ItalianPod101.com - Start Mastering Italian Today Audio podcasts and a learning center with tools to help you learn italian quickly. Mentioned in both Newsweek and PC magazine, they offer a lifetime subscription and are on YouTube.
Read, listen, learn, eat italian
As mentioned earlier, my father-in-law who is very, very greedy for sweets...and cassoeula.
Italian Hand Gestures Explained
Click on the image to see more of what Marcello is gesturing about.
Oh yes there is, but here it's called lampuga and they come fished out of the mediterranean. I almost didn't notice the 3 displayed on ice because of the lack of a prominent forehead, but there was something about the color of the skin that eventually gave it away, and wowowow! Was I ever in heaven! Fresh mahimahi? In ITALY??? Whether you go by the hawaiian term, or dolphin-fish, or dorado, getting it fresh is the next best thing to...to...having your own fishing boat or being friends with someone who does.
Of course this was going to be a very important occasion, as evidenced from the collage. I wanted that fish whole, and refused the offer of having it cleaned. We got home, I took a good whiff and could tell that it was indeed, still quite fresh as there was no "fishy smell" and the flesh was quite firm. The next day I was still stoked over the whole thing that I pulled out my old chef's jacket, buttoned it up and had the MotH snap some pictures. It must be said that you know you just have to be at a decent point in your life when a FISH makes you all happy. It was only 27 ounces in total weight but after cleaning and knife work, I got a couple of barely 7 ounce fillets. I was tempted to prepare it using a Sam Choy recipe, but I decided that for the first time, simple was mo' bettah. Only thing missing was Hawaii beer.
A ginger-teriyaki sauce with bits of minced garlic was the only flavor embellishment. I did the fillets really quick over a super hot cast iron grill. The mahimahi was soooo juicy and tender, I was quite ready to weep for joy. Note the bed of finely shredded cabbage under the fish - so local-style! Rice, steamed broccoli and pickled sushi ginger for some color and pizzazz.
Castell'Arquato (Emilia-Romagna) - There has been so many chestnut-roasting events going on in Como/Lecco that you could do a Sunday drive and come across with no less than half a dozen of them, but the one that we chose to visit last week Sunday was over 2 hours away in the region of Emilia-Romagna. The distance was not too much of a deterrent because I was really looking forward to witnessing a pigiatura demonstration — that foot-happy, foot-naked stomping of wine grapes. Unfortunately, the grape massacre was scheduled much later in the afternoon and we couldn't stay, so we do hope to visit again next year, possibly organizing an overnighter in town. Castell'Arquato, I've learned, was one of the backdrops used in the film Ladyhawke, and if you can remember that movie, well....that means you still have good memory! The other spectacle of this event was a gathering of old tractors, rather cool if you're into period cars/machinery. All of the tractors were in beautiful, mint condition, and again, it's too bad that we couldn't stay longer to see them in a parade down the street. My favorite part though, was the grilled polenta that had ciccioli (pork cracklings) in them. I usually prefer fresh polenta to grilled, but this...THIS...with teeny tiny bits of fatty pork skin mixed in - holy Porky Pig! It was just so good with grilled pork sausages, and together with the previous day in Milan, was the ultimate way to end a weekend of being a bad, bad girl.
♫ Chestnuts roasting on an open fire...Jack Frost nipping at your nose ♪
