Yes weekend!

Yeah well I know it's not until another couple of days, but the current weather forecast for this coming Sunday (that's the 4th of July folks!) had me jumping for joy because it'll be in the mid-80's/29°C degrees! Not too hot...not too cool...but just right. There hasn't been a lot of opportunities to fire up the grill due to a period of constant rain, but what few good days we did have saw our cheap-o grill puffing smoke and good smells in the air, as in this past Yes! weekend.

Yes! piemontese beef Whopper

Yes! to ketchup and mayo

Yes! panna (cream) gelato and fresh berries

Yes! ....ice cube with icicle sticking up? No, it isn't stop-action photography, and it always happens to one cube in the whole tray. Not a Bill Nye science type of guy? Well me neither, and The Marvelous in Nature explains it all.

From Rifugio Martina to Monte San Primo (Bellagio)

Monte San Primo. Agile hikers aren't the only ones to climb up here in summer because the tell-tale aroma of ovine and caprine droppings invaded our nostrils long before reaching the top. Our intent was to go up then return on the mainly forested trail (right side of photo) that commences behind Rifugio Martina, but the ascent is so steep (average 14% grade) that I wasn't too keen on going back down through the bug-infested environment again. The top photo was taken looking back at S. Primo as we descended to connect with sentiero 1 and continue on a loop trail to the starting point. For those who may have ended up here for trails near Bellagio, take a look at this site to see what the fuss is all about and tell me that ain't gorgeous (scroll to bottom). Unfortunately, it was a hazy experience for us this past Sunday and thus the wait continues until a clear weekend comes along. In the meantime I've set our hiking goals to explore more of the area that is just 30 minutes drive from Bellagio (lightened square in the photo below).

Rifugio Martina to Monte San Primo - nearly 600 meters straight up

It is supposed to take only 60 minutes but whoever calculated that figure must one of the ungulati (hooved ones). We slowly made our way in an hour and 45 minutes in the humidity and I advise sturdy boots/shoes and even hiking poles for this trail. It almost felt like a hike in a tropical forest with all that foliage scratching across my legs, plus you can't see the very peak and just keep trudging along, expecting to get above the treeline any minute. Avoid it if there has been recent rains because it will be muddy and slippery.

View enlarged map (A = Monte San Primo)

Rifugio Martina (english). Open from mid-June to mid-September.
Google map from Bellagio to rifugio parking (B). 20-minute walk to reach the rifugio (C).

All pain and no gain is plain rubbish in my book and we try to end a day of hiking with a reward of gelato. Eupili Cafè (Via Mazzini, 68 in Pusiano) has some of the best gelato that I've ever devoured and the guy behind the counter has always been great to give us little taste samples. Here: fragola (strawberry), pistacchio and fiori di sambuco (elderflower).

Doxie World Cup

With Italy, the States and England out of the game, no point in tuning in anymore. Let's just have Doggie World Cup instead, because even if it did take a few days until he overcame his general mistrust, Mister B eventually decided that the shiny new toy was NOT something to be suspicious of. I bite ball, ball not bite back, life is good. Then it was doxie chasing ball all over the place until alpha westie wanted it for herself. Kids. The biting, however, increased. The match was going quite well until the ball got stuck between the fencing and some bottom branches of the blueberry bush, and what did the little munkey do? He started biting off the branches *bite, bite, bite* until I yelled at him to stop. Instant penalty for an offensive move on an innocent bystander.

Deboning quails

Three days after our anniversary and I'm still thinking about those Cailles ‘en sarcophage’, the quails stuffed with foie gras and truffles. Home cooks who might want to attempt this dish should know only one thing - deboning quail is EASY. In the case of Babette's Feast, all that needs to be removed is the rib cage. Heck, she even stuck their itty bitty little heads into the dish, and the dear General ate it! There's an excellent video on how to remove rib cage and leg bones, but first, rule #1: use a very sharp paring knife (I busted out my Sanelli). A boning knife was too awkward for my petite hands. Starting just to the side of the backbone, I cut through the skin and ran my knife down against the rib cage until the breast meat, carefully cutting through wing and leg joints only to separate them from the rib cage (I wanted these intact for better presentation). Repeat for the other side. To remove the flesh, gently pull away from the rib cage as shown in this video (the chef does a complete deboning procedure). If necessary, assist the process with a little help from your knife. Remove any small bones/cartillage that may have broken off.

In the event of an error message, the video can be viewed here.

Stuffing quail

Many recipes say to truss the quails after stuffing, but in Italy the toothpick keeps everything together for smaller items. I placed a small scoop of foie gras and a couple slices of truffle. In retrospect, it should have been at least 3 slices, because summer truffles aren't as intensely flavored as those in autumn. Bring up the sides and fasten with a sturdy toothpick (or truss them). Fasten the leg joints with kitchen twine and voila!

A toast to Babette's Feast and 7 years of marriage

Of all the memorable meals brought to cinematic life, Babette's Feast is the one to have whetted my appetite the most. It is a classic. But it wasn't so much for the turtle soup that got the wheels turning in my head (realistically, I wouldn't eat turtle meat), and neither for the dramatic presentation that comes when serving quails in "coffins", but because of how the movie slowly starts off in grey somber tones then explodes in gastronomic color. As the lead character of Babette deftly pulls off a sumptuous affair for a gathering of dour-faced parishioners, her culinary "mojo" is propelled to the forefront where the repast becomes not only the climax of the story, but remains a subtle aftertaste as the film draws to a close.

I cooked, I cleaned, I conquered!

Yesterday marked 7 years as MotH & Missus but instead of making reservations, I threw on my apron and started channeling Babette. Tiny quails are as common as white meat chicken at the supermarket (4 for 2.50€) and all I had to do was debone them. Pre-made puff pastry - pasta sfoglia - comes in 13-inch rounds or squares, ready to place into quiche pans or cut out into shapes. This site suggests a fine alternative to turtle soup and the rest of the article is very helpful in simplifying some of the courses without downgrading the feast to an ordinary meal. All in all, it turned out a big success *ahem* even if I ended up washing the dishes.

Cin! Cin! Veuve Clicquot Brut
Consomme a la royale
Buckwheat blinis with creme fraiche and lumpfish caviar
Quails 'en sarcophage' with truffle-infused brown sauce (cheat version of Périgourdine sauce)
Salud! Château Latour Martillac Grand Cru
Green salad (from the garden)
Goat cheese from a local producer and french Pont-l'Éveque
Charentais melon, cherries and apricots
Kugelhopf soaked with rum syrup

Dhani Tackles the Globe: Mount Everest

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBNnyqk3ApQ

Gear up and let's go! If you're already familiar with this blog, it isn't difficult to understand why I'd want to mention the upcoming segment of Travel Channel's Dhani Tackles the Globe. MotH and I are nuts for hiking, nuts for hiking gear and maps, and we try to get out as much as we can in all seasons, even in the snow. This is the first episode I've previewed where Jones isn't involved in a contact or spectator sport, but instead goes up against the most formidable opponent on earth - Mother Nature herself. Changing and often unpredictable weather, the danger of AMS (acute mountain sickness) and even compost “johns” feature in one of the greatest adventures for any mountain enthusiast. Set your watches and tune in!

Panorama of Valle Brembana from Rifugio Passo San Marco (BG)

Video of Ladurée shop in Milano

In the event of an error message, the video can be viewed here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VosRmpQsmPE

All I can think of when I watch this video clip (and really, there is no need to understand a word of it), is that now it is possible to satisfy any french pastry fix in less than an hour of travel and I don't even have to go through airport security. The downside is that Peck is right across the street and going in there almost always guarantees breaking the bank.

Update: I wasn't expecting it to be so soon, but Pat "Welshcakes Limoncello" of Sicily Scene has published an article regarding Rubber Slippers In Italy on Italy Magazine. Have a look at the link and the many other articles of interest in all things italian!

Macarons in Milan? Ma oui mon chéri!

Photo credit: KiriS ~ Laduree, Paris location ~ CC-BY-NC-ND

The reasons for going into the big city of Milano keep piling up [shopping], and the newly opened french pâtisserie Ladurée weighs in heavy because who in their right mind can resist exquisite french pastries? Certainly not I, and the first thing that I'll want to try is the "Baiser" (Kiss, not shown). The 2nd, 3rd and 4th will be the main three items in the front pictured above: Religieuses, Le Mont-Blanc and L'Ispahan, in that order. Via Spadari, 6 Milan.

Now while this post may have started out on a sweet note, the truth is I've been somewhat stressed for the next meal that I'm hoping to create. Remember Babette's Feast? Turtle soup? The Cailles en Sarcophage? I am planning to recreate that meal, minus the turtle of course, but the one thing that puzzles me in much of the recipes I've found online is the fact that the quails are roasted FIRST, then tucked into their pastry "coffins". I've watched the scene (where Babette stuffs the deboned quail with foie gras and truffles) a dozen times, and she's sticking that naked bird in there raw, before popping them into the oven.

I won't get into further detail because it'll just spoil all the fun of how I plan to pull this feast off without breaking the bank, but I want to share this photo I took soon after the MotH returned home after doing a little "honey can you pick this up after work?". I couldn't believe that he found tartufo nero estivo or the black summer truffle. The larger of the bottles has a 50g net weight while the smaller is only 25g, but the cost for each was only 5.90 euros. At that affordable price I began to think that what he had bought was bunk, so I was surprised to see this image on wikipedia where it clearly shows that summer truffles are indeed, easy on the pocket. 22€/etto (100 grams) turns out to 5.50€/25g. Not bad at all. Yes I know that Babette more than likely used truffles from the Perigord, but I'm on a budget here!

Bag it and grill: Spaghetti al cartoccio

Summer is now official in the chestnut forest. Yesterday's first seasonal barbecue (grigliata) was such a lip-smacking, finger-licking, garlic breath success that I'll be bagging our meals 'til the end of August and it won't be for the dogs. The phrase al cartoccio means "in a bag", and food cooked in this way is not only easy, but great fun to open all by yourself to reveal the delicious contents within. The dish spaghetti al cartoccio is just that, but the first time I had this, it was on a visit to the Cinque Terre in Liguria (a decade ago!) and my order was surely finished off in an oven because where there's no smoke, there's no fire. The idea of wrapping with aluminum and baking parchment came as a second thought as I don't like the taste when tomato comes in contact with foil. But enough talk, on with the food!

Antipasto: pane carasau and ash-covered goat cheese

Repeat after me: the whole of Italy has the best food ever. Pane carasau is a specialty of Sardegna but I'm able to pick up a box of half rounds at the market and there's enough for at least a party of 8. The thin, light, crispy layers were broken into segments and served with goat cheese that we buy from a local producer. The vegetable ash is safe to eat - you won't taste chimney soot in your mouth - and the entire rind is perfectly edible. Italy.is.best.ever.

Primo: Spaghetti e vongole al cartoccio

The trick is...to cook the pasta for approximately 7-8 minutes and no longer than that. The spaghetti will continue to cook over the grill in its own fragrant juices for another 5 minutes. For two people I used the following amounts, but adjust accordingly to your personal taste.

½ lb spaghetti, 2 lbs vongole bianca (tiny white clams also known as lupini), 3 large cloves garlic (minced), 3/4 cup diced tomatoes, 1/8 cup freshly chopped italian parsley, olive oil
Begin by cooking the pasta in boiling, salted water; 8 minutes. Meanwhile, saute the garlic in olive oil for a few seconds until fragrant. Do not brown. Add the tomatoes, toss and cook for a few minutes until softened. Raise the heat to medium-high and add the clams (which have been pre-soaked in water to purge any sediment), cover and cook until they open. Add the parsley. Now stir in the drained pasta and portion into two baking parchment/tin foil sheets about 22 inches long. Don't worry if you can't fit all of the clams into the packets - serve the rest as a side dish as I've done in the image below. To wrap, bring up the long sides then the shorter ends and crimp to secure. See top photo in this post. Place the pouches over hot coals for another 5 minutes.

Note on lupini clams: they are the tiniest things, not more than an inch at the widest part, but they are said to be much tastier than their bigger cousins. Personally I couldn't tell any difference, but the empty shells looked nice all piled up on a plate.

Contorno: fave e cicureddha

I can't seem to get enough of Puglia's cuisine and this is just one more example of it. Fava bean puree and boiled cicoria catalogna, a type of chicory green, along with bread cubes fried in olive oil. Oh yes, that would be like croutons! There is no secret to cooking this dish. The greens are boiled in salted water until tender. Dried fava beans are soaked overnight, boiled until softened, then drained and turned into a puree with an immersion blender. Salt, pepper and top quality olive oil is all that's needed to make it complete. And speaking of complete, a simple vase of flowers always lends a special touch to the table, doesn't it? I cut some blooms from around the yard and noticed that the peaches are quite ping pong ball size now. And in the other image, olive-rosemary focaccia and a Verdicchio from Le Marche adds finality to the completeness...ehh...until it was time to serve fresh nectarines and LASTLY, gelati. Whew! What a meal. I didn't even mention the secondo of grilled seafood kebabs because they just paled in comparison to spaghetti in a bag.

Dolce: goat milk and double chocolate gelato

Hiking Pizzino to Fraggio (Val Taleggio, Bergamo)

Pizzino (24 miles north of Bergamo)
to Fraggio (light blue line)

It shouldn't come as a surprise that I consider this to be more of a stroll because all it involves is less than 30 minutes of putting one foot in front of the other. The trail begins from Agriturismo Il Pavone in Pizzino that continues on a dirt path passing their farm, and the point of interest here is an ancient (15th century?) church - Chiesetta San Lorenzo - which sits amidst rural surroundings. So rural, in fact, and so quiet, that after I took the image below and walked around the church, I returned to see a cow in the exact same spot where I had been only minutes before. Apparently the beasts come and go as they please.

Getting to Pizzino is a natural wonder in itself since the road through Val Taleggio follows along a deep gorge that has no shortage of splashing, flowing, cascading water during spring. There is one "the Rock fountain" in particular that sits on the side of the road as a sort of ambassador to the valley. Too bad he's not spitting wine. I got the westie to pose but the doxie wasn't having any of it. To find it: here's the gps coordinates [45.88820N 9.60245E].

Hiking in Fuipiano Valle Imagna (Bergamo) - part II

Replenishing the carbs: fried teriyaki-ginger chicken wings, pancit (filipino noodles), brownie triangles with visciola (sour cherry) jam, and sweet Duroni cherries from Puglia.

This is what I consider a picnic snack — food portions that weigh light in my backpack but have greater appeal than Pringles, Gatorade and store-bought energy bars. And why the food image first? Because for non-hiking readers, the rest of this post won't make much sense at all so I figured that I'd take care of the essentials first. This loop trail follows in the opposite direction from where we had hiked above Fuipiano Valle Imagna a few days earlier, and to be honest, I felt absolutely cheated when the GPS stats revealed the actual dislivello completed (difference in height from top to bottom). It was about 487 meters...only 1598 feet! It took us a brief three ½ hours total - a piece of cake worth snacking on.

Again, the trail starts at the end of via Milano but upon reaching the 2nd fork, you take a right instead of a left. Trail 579a to Tre Faggi (FAH-jee) immediately leads into shady woods before opening out onto a pasture and watering hole for cows. Soon thereafter is where we ran into a bit of trouble when the red/white marker stones led away from the main road and up into the woods again. It was clear going in until a thick layer of fallen leaves made us lose sight of the path (that would be the red hiker below), forcing us to blindly go along until we heard voices from higher up. It was almost comedic because Maddie must've thought we were on an easter egg hunt or something - yap! yap! yap! - while Mr B was pulling hard at his leash, causing the MotH to lose his balance on the leafy incline. The doxie probably knew where to go but who's to say that he wasn't onto the scent of a fox or rabbit? Fortunately it was only a small section of woods, and upon meeting the above-mentioned hikers who knew the place like the back of their hand, we were pointed in the right direction.

The Tre Faggi or Tri Fò as they are called in bergamasc dialect, are 3 large beech trees that just beg to be part of some sort of ancient legend with the looks of their gnarled branches. From here, the loop trail changes direction and connects to 571, climbing to even greater heights above the treeline. The views at the top are incredible, and there is one tricky spot where the narrow path hugs close to the side of the mountain. Eventually it ends at the statuette of the Madonna dei Canti before finally pointing the way back down to Fuipiano.

Hiking in Fuipiano Valle Imagna (Bergamo) - part I

Il tetto della Valle Imagna (the roof of Imagna valley). We liked this hike so much that four days later I cooked up some yummy Hawaii-style eats and we went back for more. Trails around Lecco and Como may boast magical views of the lakes, but just 19 miles northwest of Bergamo the landscape is no less enchanting. This photo was taken high above the village of Fuipiano Valle Imagna (pop. 240, bottom left). We live over the mountain range in the far distance - you can barely make out the line of signal towers at the crest - so that gives an idea of how right in the middle of hiking heaven we are.

From Fuipiano Valle Imagna to Zuc di Valbona - 50 minutes

A metal crucifix marks the location which is easily seen from Fuipiano on a clear day. Once at the top, you'll have a pick of great spots to spread out a picnic lunch, but be forewarned that getting there means a very steep climb that will give your thigh, calf and derriere muscles a workout! In the photo below, you can just make out the exposed trail on the right that climbs along the face of the mountain.

Right, left, right, right. Take those directions at each fork along the way and it will lead to the above-mentioned 20% grade that ends at a storage building before finally curving up to Zuc di Valbona. Google map: to get to where the trail begins, upon reaching Fuipiano (A), drive to the end of via Milano (B). There are a couple of parking areas on the side of the road. From here an asphalt passage (authorized vehicles only) goes up to private pasture and you'll soon meet the first fork in this itinerary. This trail coasts along the 579 until it (#579) branches off into the forest after the last fork. Heading in the direction of the red arrow, the ultra steep climb soon comes into view.

15th century village Arnosto

Don't miss the nearby località of Arnosto (look for white on brown signposts) when visiting Fuipiano Valle Imagna. It has been restored to picture postcard condition and even has its own page - Amici di Arnosto - on Facebook.