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
Monday, January 31, 2011
Spaghetti with Razor Clams & Taggiasche Olives
Fresh-from-the-boat clams are generally not something that you can easily obtain in Hawaii, so when I spotted these razor clams (cannolicchi — kah-noh-LEE-kee) at the fishmonger, I simply had to try them. How fresh is fresh? Well, they were moving ever so slightly within their shells, and when I asked the woman at the counter how to cook them she told me that a tomato-based sauce served with pasta would do just fine. They taste just like regular clams, she says, and at about 14€/kilo ($8.70/lb) I picked up a half kilo bag.
My only neglect (and really, I smacked my head over this!), was that I forgot to give the clams a good soak in cold water to purge them of sand. You can really see some of that fine grit in the next photo (and yes they do have an appearance that is slightly suggestive of something), but the flavor was pretty good even if not as intensely "clam-tasting" like regular ones. Other ways to prepare them are over the grill, baked gratin-style and in soups. For this dish, the clams were gently steamed (in a separate pot) for a few minutes in order to get them to release easily from their shells. The resulting cooked meat was then quickly sautéed in a simple sauce of butter, minced garlic, a splash of white wine and italian parsley, then combined with just-cooked spaghetti and pitted taggiasche olives from Liguria.
500 grams fresh razor clams (a little over 1 pound) will yield enough for 2 servings.
Yes it's that time of year again, and lest you think that this is some kid's wild carnivalesque birthday party, I swear on my chiacchiere treats that it's not! This past Sunday we drove out to Aosta for the 8th edition of Carnavals de Montagne. The carnival of the alps is a sort of parade of parades to kick-start the numerous celebrations in Valle d'Aosta. Marching bands, lords and ladies in medieval costume, the "Giganti" (giants), and groups in traditional outfits unique to the surrounding villages were all in attendance. It was well worth the ride over.
In the event of an error message, the video can be viewed here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgYP9dVuqsU
I'm not very clear as to why the festivities begin so early in this part of Italy but perhaps it has something to do with yet another interesting side to valdostano culture. The carnival of the Coumba Freida (dialect for conca fredda or Cold Valley) takes its origins from Napoleon's crossing of the Great St Bernard Pass, and the costumed landzette reflect the uniforms of the french soldiers. Unfortunately, these strikingly outlandish and brutish characters were not present at Aosta's sfilata (parade) due to an appointment to perform on the same date in the neighboring hamlet of Valpelline. Too many carnivals, too little time? Even more reason to love Italy! The good news is that it's still possible to witness the landzettes at any of the several appearances scheduled up until Fat Tuesday. A list of dates and a description for the Coumba Freida carnivals is currently at this address: Coumba Freida Historic Carnival
I know that images speak a thousand words so if you'd like to see what these landzette characters look like, take a peek at the blog Il Carnevale di Allein. The author has stunning photos and in some you'll notice that the landzette are "harrassing" bystanders. This is not uncommon practice in other events that we've attended, and is part of the raucous spirit that is carnevale.
Under a clear sky filled with a zillion twinkling stars...so romantic! Earlier this month a friend invited us to join him and a bunch of people on a ciaspolada (snowshoe hike) guided by the light of the full moon and I really, I mean REALLY had second thoughts about going. Who in their right mind goes walking when it's a face-numbing -3°C/27°F outside? Who? I had a ready list of excuses to gracefully bow out this past Saturday, apart from simply not showing up, but what's that saying about seizing the day? Dang that Horace. And dang my pride, because after the anxiety subsided I thought might as well add "seizing the night" to the list of accomplishments too. We drove to the meeting point at our friend's restaurant on the top of the mountain (not far from where we live) and there was a gathering of about 30 people already roaring to go.
The lack of snowfall and the moon not rising until later in the evening changed the ciaspolada into a candlelit hike that turned out great, if not better, than the original plan. It took me an hour of careful negotiation on a path that crossed some icy patches but for the most part the only bothersome detail was the cold drying out my eyes. The majority of the group was way ahead of us - conditioned italian hikers are like billy goats - in a quest to reach that cauldron of vin brulé at the end of the trail. These guys had someone already there with a roaring fire and snacks to fuel up for the trip back! The return took less time because I knew that there would be an endless supply of this - tripe stew (trippa, tree-pah) - to thaw my frozen limbs. I'm not overly crazy about tripe but this was so good that we finished 3 bowls between the two of us. It had a wonderful flavor of smoked shank and was thick with pieces of meltingly soft tripe that took hardly any effort to chew. Can't say that I'd walk in subzero weather every weekend but if there's a hot meal in the deal I could just show up at chow time.
Peanut butter and grape jelly sandwiches. Peanut butter with dark chocolate. Peanut butter in cookies, milkshake, cheesecake and a whole lot of other sweet and savory things, including beer! In observation of NPB day in the states, I prepared mafé, an african groundnut stew that has a variety of recipes to be found online. While the main ingredients are comprised of a protein source and an assortment of vegetables, it is the addition of peanut butter that gives a delicate sweetness to the final dish. I used the filipino brand Lily's natural pb (found at Mabuhay on via Parmigianino in Milan). Mafé tastes even better 2-3 days after making it, and some freshly chopped cilantro over the top lends a particularly unique contrast in flavors.
12 ounces of beef along with 1½ cups each of cauliflower florets, green beans, eggplant and carrots, all cut into bite-sized pieces, make up this version. I cooked the beef on low heat with a small amount of olive oil, 1/2 cup of chopped yellow onions, 2 cloves of minced garlic and 2 dried chile peppers (crumbled) for about 60-75 minutes, adding some water from time to time to keep the mix from drying out. Doing this helps to soften up a tough cut of meat into tender morsels. After the beef is cooked, all of the vegetables and 1 cup of tomato sauce was added to the pot. Stir and bring the contents to a simmer and cook, covered, until the vegetables are tender, about 20-25 minutes. Season to taste with salt. Add 1/2 cup peanut butter (creamy or chunky) and stir to combine well. Serve over hot rice or couscous.
scribbled from the chestnut forest by Rowena... at 6:26 PM9 comments
Thursday, January 20, 2011
No more snow for January?
Since the start of the new year we have had no new snowfall in the Lecco area even if alot of it is still on the ground at higher elevation. Sunny weather for the past eight days has been nothing less than superb, making weekends especially busy with those coming in for some skiing on the slopes. The following photo was taken earlier this month when we went back for another visit to Alpe Giumello, this time with snowshoes. The westie totally dug the view.
The last 3 photos were taken at Passo Tonale (border between Lombardy and Trentino), while we were in the area for the xmas holidays.
Zuppa alla ueca | Barley soup (with a tasty surprise)
This soup of vegetables and barley, (orzo in italian or ueca in the local dialect) is a specialty of Valle d'Aosta but unfortunately I haven't been able to locate a restaurant that serves this whenever we're in the region. If anyone knows where to get seupa or zuppa alla ueca, do let me know! The surprise is a single pork rib hidden in the soup which really doesn't make any sense in relation to the name, but turns the meal into finger-lickin' goodness when you pick up that rib and bite into the meat. Recipes I've seen are all basic procedures for preparing any veggie-grain soup yet I was bothered to note that nowhere does it stress cooking the pork rib until it is fork tender. Boiling it for 30 minutes is hardly enough. A tough piece of pig is just wrong, so be aware that making this soup will require some time.
Zuppa all ueca (makes 2 very generous portions)
Note: If you cook the ribs a day (or more) ahead of time it'll cut down half the work.
2 short pieces of pork ribs or riblet (sized so that they can fit easily into a deep soup bowl) 1 bay leaf 1/8 teaspoon black peppercorns salt 1 strip bacon, chopped 1/2 cup chopped round onion (white or yellow) 1 clove garlic, minced 1/2 cup barley (rinsed and picked through for foreign particles) 1 medium carrot, diced 1 medium zucchine, diced 1 medium potato, diced 2 tablespoons chopped italian parlsey (or 1 tablespoon dried) 3 cups water (or chicken broth) 2 slices black bread, or other wholegrain bread 2 thin slices of fontina cheese butter
For the ribs: bring a small pot of water to a boil and lightly season with salt. Add the ribs, bay leaf and peppcorn. Lower heat to a simmer and cook until tender, about 2-2½ hours.
In a medium soup pot, cook the bacon along with the onions, garlic and a pat of butter until the onions are softened. Add the barley, diced carrots, zucchini, potatoes and 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil then lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes, covered. Add the cooked pork ribs and the parsley; season to taste with salt and cook for another 10 minutes.
Divide the soup between 2 deep bowls and tuck a pork rib in each. Top with a slice of bread, fontina cheese and a pat of butter. Place under a heated broiler until cheese is bubbly and melted. This dish can also be served in a deep casserole.
In the event of an error message, the video can be viewed here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBpKLqF-KA4
Fiat, Nespresso and now...Fastweb, what else? I can see no reason why he shouldn't be doing this gig for a provider of cable tv and internet (optical fiber) service. I bet the connection at his villa in Laglio is way speedier than up here in the chestnut forest.
Benvenuti in Fastweb Mr. Clooney / Welcome to Fastweb Mr. Clooney. E' un piacere / It's a pleasure.
Oh che carino! Lei sembra proprio George Clooney. Potrebbe fare la sua controfigura, sa? Oh how nice! You look just like George Clooney. You could be his stand-in, you know? Certo / Of course.
Fort Bard, the Devil's Bridge, and lardo heaven in 24 hours
“Why don't we just spend a night in Valle d'Aosta?” It doesn't take much to switch gears when the weather is so not hiking-friendly - we rent dvds and make popcorn - but the idea of being someplace else for a day other than home was too good to resist. As the smallest of the italian regions, Aosta Valley is just under 2½ hours drive from ours but we don't visit often enough. It has medieval castles and villages, roman ruins, fontina, jambon de Bosses and melt-in-your-mouth lardo that goes so well with boiled chestnuts, honey and butter. It also has the purest tasting tap water (direct from underground springs) that I've ever quenched my thirst with, so after securing last-minute reservations at a bed & breakfast not far from Pont-Saint-Martin, we piled into the car, doggies included, and headed west.
I thank my lucky stars whenever we're able to find lodging on such short notice, but this time around I could've jumped for joy. Masoun dou Caro sits at 850 mt/2800 feet above sea level, perched right on the rugged face of a mountainside. The bed & breakfast, built out of wood and stone, blends perfectly in its alpine location, yielding a panorama of Val Gressoney from a large balcony. Alfredo Vuillermoz gave us a warm welcome and a quick tour of the premises before handing over the keys...to the house. Apparently the 3-bedroom dwelling is for guests only (the owners live in another village and return to serve breakfast in the a.m.), and since we were the only ones there, had the place all to ourselves! A beautiful stone stufa (stove fireplace) was set and ready to be lit and a large 4-sided bay window looking out onto the valley gave everything a nice homey feel. But it was the roosters - dozens of hand carved figurines crammed in every inch of space on the window sill - that gave a special touch. This place is ideal for "disconnecting" from the outside world (no tv), but the icing on the cake was the invitation to try any of the several bottles of homemade grappa liquor in the kitchen. Website: Masoun dou Caro
The most obvious point of interest within proximity is Fort Bard (first image) and the tiny hamlet that sits below it. The fort actually sticks out like a sore thumb when seen from the autostrada, a ridiculous contrast of ancient and modern with automobiles zipping by at crazy speeds. The village of Bard, along with Etroubles, are the only two in the region listed among Borghi più belli d'Italia. Informational placards along the main street describe the historical buildings that still stand today.
Lardo (pork fatback), fonduta (melted fontina cheese) and zuppa valpellinentze (a soup of fontina, butter, cabbage and bread), became the reasons for going on a diet when we came back. The cuisine is no-nonsense, just like the terrain that demands hard work for it to yield. Polenta, carbonade (beef cooked in red wine), camoscio (chamois), crespelle (crepes) with prosciutto and fontina, and dark breads with thick sturdy crusts to name a few. The best meal was at Al Maniero in Issogne - that's the setup for the fonduta valdostana below - where a steaming bain marie arrived bubbling hot and you ladle the gooey cheese into a bowl and garnish it with croutons. I had to try the zuppa valpellinentze in the next image, which for all its simplicity, was the just thing to scoop into (so thick you could stand a fork in it) when the temps are freezing outside.
On Fat Tuesday he goes up in flames
Driving though the town of Pont-Saint-Martin, it's hard not to miss this demonic effigy hanging from the roman bridge that spans across the Lys river. Honestly, at first I thought it was supposed to be a rabbit, but the b&b owner told us that it's all a part of the upcoming Carnevale activities in March, and that of course it all began with a legend.
Il Ponte del Diavolo, the Devil's Bridge, came about when the townsfolk wanted to replace the old one that used to connect both sides of the village. The problem was not having enough money to do it. Along comes Martin the pilgrim and he decides to help out by cutting a deal with the devil. The catch - no surprise here - was that the first soul to cross the new bridge would belong to the devil. He built it lickety-split. Clever Martin threw some bread onto the finished bridge and a dog ran to get it. Totally pissed the devil off (could he not see that one coming?!!) and that is how Martin became a saint. On every Epiphany (Jan.6th) the devil is strung from the bridge and awaits his doom on Fat Tuesday when he is set aflame. I would love to witness it all and celebrate carnevale in Pont-Saint-Martin but I'm afraid we have other plans. This is no simple affair! A clip from youtube shows the music and fireworks, where halfway into the video il diavolo starts to burn. This year Pont-Saint-Martin's carnevale will be on March 3-9. For more information: www.carnevalepsm.it (also in english, german, french and spanish)
In the event of an error message, the video can be viewed here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRJ7--ikWXU
Winter holidays are now over, making the previous Thursday to Sunday the last of extended weekends for the season. Weatherwise it was a washout in the chestnut forest, so in a quest for sunshine, we took off on a last-minute getaway for a bed & breakfast in Val Gressoney in the Valle d'Aosta region. How did it turn out? Better than we could've hoped for, even if the sun came out for only a brief moment. Food, wine, an ancient fort and a devil under the bridge make up the rest of the trip, but first a little trivia quiz. Below I'm standing behind a massive wooden door and looking through a spioncino (spee-ohn-chee-noh), a peephole by nature of its purpose but is also known as something else. What is it?
During the christmas holidays in Ponte di Legno (Brescia) we drove over into the Trentino-Alto Adige region to what is one of our favorite places to eat: Maso dello Speck in Daiano. And for what, you might ask, makes it so important? In a delicious mouthful - speck - a wonderful smoked and salt-cured ham that the proprietors produce themselves. A platter of assorted speck and other cured meat products, a basket of bread and some cold beer would've been enough to take the edge off any hunger pangs but since we only had a merenda (snack) the last time we were here, this occasion was reason to take full advantage of ordering as much as we dared. The food is all traditional fare without fuss or pretense and served in generous portions that won't leave holes in your wallet. Too bad I didn't have room for dessert! Maso dello Speck: www.titospeck.it
Speck done several ways, pancetta, lardo, coppa, kaminwurz... A little dab of horseradish sauce adds a nicely spiked bite! This is always accompanied with bread. Speck and other cured meats are also sold next door in their shop.
Canederli (bread dumplings) with speck in broth. Country-style barley soup. These dishes are the kinds of foods that hit the spot on a cold winter day.
Baked ham shank with roasted potatoes that was a meal in itself. And yes, it comes served with a steak knife stuck in the middle of it.
After reaching your limit of consumption there is all that endless snow to walk around in, and if that is too much, then a horse-drawn carriage ride awaits those with reservations in advance. Info and reservations: tel. 347 8166918 (pickup at the maso). Adults 10€ / kids 5€.
It was inevitable that I'd write a post all to the dachshund himself because where the westie nabs first place in stepping into the sled, the doxie wins an Oscar for hopping all over it. I thought we knew everything about Mister B until the day we dragged the sled along with us. He became a dog possessed! A continuous stream of loud yips, yaps and high-pitched barks came flying out of his mouth, almost as if he was glad that for once in his daily routine, he wasn't last in the pecking order. I attached the sled to Maddie and that brought on a whole new meaning to dogsledding which put the westie up front as pack material but left the doxie someplace between cheerleader and herder? The MotH did eventually get to pull him into the sled but from the photos it is clear that Mr B is more of a chaser than anything else.
scribbled from the chestnut forest by Rowena... at 9:39 AM6 comments
Monday, January 03, 2011
2011 weather forecast looks like it's going to the dogs (wet)
Can you REALLY predict the weather for the entire year? According to the proprietor of a ligurian bed & breakfast that we stayed with last October, yes you can...it's as simple as looking at the first 12 days of January. Each day corresponds to the month on a calendar and what that day brings on the weather front bodes, more or less, the good, the bad and the ugly for all you budding rocket scientists.
In all honesty I took this info as one of those old wives tales, but after some digging on the internet, I came across an interesting article written by Tony Burton regarding weather prediction in Mexico. It is a lot more involving than the italian version and goes into a good amount of detail that mocks my mathematical skills even if I'm willing to give it a try. As it appears now (and from what the weather was like on the first 2 days of the year), January is going to be mainly sunny, February more of the same, March partial sun and clouds, April partial clouds and sun, May mirroring March, and June...does that mean I can expect snow when my tomato seedlings are ready to go out?
Edit: And just in case you're curious to see what the onions predict, here's a link for you italophiles. The Calendario delle Cipolle for 2011
My only neglect (and really, I smacked my head over this!), was that I forgot to give the clams a good soak in cold water to purge them of sand. You can really see some of that fine grit in the next photo (and yes they do have an appearance that is slightly suggestive of something), but the flavor was pretty good even if not as intensely "clam-tasting" like regular ones. Other ways to prepare them are over the grill, baked gratin-style and in soups. For this dish, the clams were gently steamed (in a separate pot) for a few minutes in order to get them to release easily from their shells. The resulting cooked meat was then quickly sautéed in a simple sauce of butter, minced garlic, a splash of white wine and italian parsley, then combined with just-cooked spaghetti and pitted taggiasche olives from Liguria.
Can you REALLY predict the weather for the entire year? According to the proprietor of a ligurian bed & breakfast that we stayed with last October, yes you can...it's as simple as looking at the first 12 days of January. Each day corresponds to the month on a calendar and what that day brings on the weather front bodes, more or less, the good, the bad and the ugly for all you budding rocket scientists.
