The Lone Star State

     Once again in the name of culinary research I will be traveling to investigate yet another regional cuisine.  This time I will be hard at work in a state that was once a sovereign nation. Deep in the heart of Texas I will be attending a very special BBQ event in the capitol, Austin. Stay tuned for a full report when I return!!!



Too Much Love

Philadelphia has many iconic images.  Two of the more familiar ones are the statue in Love Park:

And the cheesesteak.

 

People living in the Delaware Valley love a good cheesesteak, wit or wit out the gooey Cheese Whiz slathered on the grilled paper thin rib eye.  In fact, there are many derivations of the classic, each vying for acclaim.  So why not hold a festival and give everyone an opportunity to decide which one is their favorite?
 

That's exactly what occurred last Saturday at the 1st ever Cheesesteak Festival held in the tailgaters' parking lot of Lincoln Financial Field in the South Philly Sports Complex.  58 vendors set up shop, rolling in with food trucks and portable grills to cook up their version of the classic sandwich.   Porkroll, brisket, jerk, Reuben, Greek feta, mac & cheese...you name it, they were all there.  Even things like cheesesteak egg rolls, pierogies, pretzels, nachos and quesadillas were there to sample.

 



It was an overwhelming success.  Perhaps a little too overwhelming.  25,000 tickets were sold on-line in advance.  The event was sold out.  And everyone showed up.  Parking at $20 a car was a nightmare.  It took some folks over an hour just to get into the lot, putting them behind all the other thousands who waited patiently to show their $20 admission ticket and get in the gate at 11am.  But that wait seemed tolerable in comparison to standing in long lines waiting to exchange a $2 food voucher ticket for a small bite of cheesesteak sample. 



 Those lines snaked for over 2 hours in some cases.  People who came enthused ended up leaving disgusted and disappointed.  One person was kind with his on-line comment, "...it was a great idea poorly executed."



 

It was just too much love all in one place.

 



Suitable for Framing

This is the take-out box from an Italian restaurant just outside Florence.  It's a work of art!  The words just above Mt. Vesuvius reads: Hot & Good."



Any Way You Slice It

     As you might suspect pizza is a very popular item in Italy.  It's on almost every menu, from the casual eatery to the fine dining establishments.  On one occasion I counted 46 different kinds of pizzas being offered at a single restaurant!


     Pizza probably got its start as a step up from the common focaccia, or flat bread that was baked in an oven.  There are documented accounts of the word appearing as far back as 997AD in Gaeta, Italy.  And remains of Italian flat bread has been calculated to be over 7,000 years old.

     But the pizza as we know it is a more recent invention.  In the late 18th Century the poor residing around Naples began to add tomatoes to their yeast baked bread and hearing of this new creation visitors began to arrive to give it a taste.  And that's when different toppings began to proliferate in an attempt to please diverse palates.  But to the purist there are really only 2 styles of pizza:  Marinara and Margherita.

     The older of the two, Marinara, is very basic, having only tomato, olive oil, garlic and oregano topping the flat bread.  The name is derived from the wives (la marinara) of sea farers who would bake the pizzas upon their husband's return to the Bay of Naples from the open sea.

     Margherita pizzas use a more modest amount of tomato topped with mozzarella cheese and fresh basil.  It is said that Raffaele Esposito baked one for the Queen Margherita of  Savoy in 1880.  She liked it because it reminded her of the tri-color flag of the fledgling nation with its red, white and green panels.

There are also some regional variants to pizza style, too.  Those baked around Naples tend to be soft and pliable, while those in Rome are thin and crispy.  Pizza al taglio is baked in rectangular trays and is sold by weight.

Suspicion confirmed

     I was immediately suspicious when the formally clad waiter in the fancy ristorante with the white linen tablecloths wasn't writing down each order for our table of 6.  So it was no surprise when he brought to my place something I hadn't ordered, nor did I want.  I had chosen for my evening meal Risotto di Mare, a creamy northern Italian dish composed of shellfish and Arborio rice.

     Risotto is a labor intensive dish requiring substantial time to prepare.  I knew that and was willing to wait for the chef in the kitchen to properly cook the short grain rice so it could slowly absorb simmering hot broth as it is added one half cup at a time, releasing the starch in the rice.  That is what creates the smooth creamy-textured base for the clams, mussels, and shrimp.

     Risotto is significantly different from just plain rice in a number of ways.  First, it matters what kind of rice is used.  Only Arborio, Cornaroli or Vialone Nano are used in Italy.  The short grained rice is cooked briefly in a soffritto of onion and butter to coat each grain in a film of fat before a splash of white wine is added and allowed to evaporate.  Then the rice is slowly flavored with broth that has been heated till is is just below the boiling point, made from either vegetables, meat, poultry, seafood or legumes.  Stirring constantly the broth releases the starch as it is absorbed.  Only after about 20 minutes is the risotto ready to receive the final touch with the addition of cold butter and grated Parmesan-Reggiano cheese, before the seafood greets the plate.

     So when the waiter reluctantly took back the plate of rigatoni and meat sauce and quickly returned with something resembling my order, I knew that it was not authentic risotto but an impostor disguised to look like the real thing.  You be the judge:



Twice Baked, Once

     Biscotti is a traditional Italian almond biscuit.  Credit for its creation is given to 19th Century pastry chef Antonio Mattei in Prato.  His recipe used only flour, sugar, eggs and almonds to make the dry, crunchy oblong cookie.  His secret was to bake the dough twice, first as a long log and then a second time after the log had been cut into inch thick strips.  

     Biscotti means just that, twice baked and the advantage of doing so was to create a biscuit that could be stored for a long time.  To soften it a bit before eating the biscotti are usually dunked in a drink, like Vin Santo.

     However, our host and chef extraordinaire, Fonzie, recommends baking the dough only once, since they don't sit around very long before being eaten.  Here is her recipe:

Biscotti with Almonds
 

Ingredients

3 cups of unsalted whole almonds, roasted in a frying pan

4 1/2 cups of "0" flour

3 1/3 cups of sugar

pinch of salt

7 eggs

orange zest

1/2 packet of yeast

4 tsp of baking powder

10 Tbsp of melted butter

Directions

On a large flat surface create a circle with the flour with a well in the middle.  Add the sugar to the well, then add the eggs.  Scoop up the flour around the mixture to hold the eggs.  Whip the eggs in the middle of the flour then add the orange zest and the melted butter.  Mix the remaining dry ingredients into the egg mixture a little at a time until fully incorporated.

Add 1/2 of the roasted almonds to the mixture.  Add more flour if dough seems sticky to make a better consistency.  Add the rest of the almonds and fold in repeatedly.  Place mixture in a large bowl to rest in the refrigerator until chilled.

Roll out the dough into long rolls approximately 1 1/2 feet long by 1 1/2 inches in diameter and lay on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.  Brush water or egg wash onto the rolls and sprinkle with sugar to taste.

Place in oven on both shelves at 350F for 30 minutes.  DO NOT bake twice!

Cut into pieces immediately out of the oven.

Recipe courtesy of Alfonsina Ricchi, Il Praeto, San Donato, Italy

English Soup

     Having a similarity to Tiramisu, Zuppa Inglese is another wonderful Italian dessert.   The name can be misleading, it is not  English Soup as the literal translation from Italian might suggest but rather a layered dessert incorporating custard, sponge cake and chocolate into something quite similar to an English trifle.

     The confusion with the name seems to lie with the use of the word zuppa, thought by some to be a shortened version of  inzuppore meaning "to dunk or sop."  Of Tuscan origin dating back to the 17th Century it continues to be a homemade dessert with sponge cake being dipped in Alchermes, an aromatic Italian herb liqueur and layered with custard.  Over the years the substitution of rum or Chambourd has been made.  The chilled layered dessert is often topped with chocolate and/or bordered with piped vanilla cream.


     Our group was treated to Fonzie's version of this sweet creation during our stay at Il Faeto in San Donato.



Life is Short

     I have always attempted to live by the wisdom of this statement:  Life is short, start with dessert.  So with that in mind I will begin my account of our Tuscan cooking class by describing Tiramisu'.

     The translation of this dessert loosely means "lift me up."  And it is a delightful way to end any meal enjoyed in Italy.  It is a coffee flavored dessert usually served chilled.  That is why we began our class by making it so it could spend some time cooling in the refrigerator while we prepared the rest of the meal.

 

     It seems that there are almost as many variations of the recipe as their are people and places that claim credit for its creation.  But one thing is generally agreed upon and that is that it first appeared in Italian cookbooks in the decade of the 1960s.  With only a handful of ingredients it isn't difficult to prepare.  Here's the recipe:

Tiramisu'
 

Ingredients

4 fresh eggs, at room temperature

12 Tbsp white sugar

1 lb. Mascarpone cheese, at room temperature

24 small biscuits (like ladyfingers)

1 c. black coffee

6-7 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

Preparation

Separate the eggs, then combine the sugar with the egg yokes, and beat with a whisk until creamy.  Then beat the egg whites with a whisk until soft peaks form.  Gently fold the cheese into the yoke mixture, followed by the egg whites.  Spread a layer of this cream mixture into your desired serving dish.

Dip the biscuits into the coffee, one at a time, then layer biscuits on top of the cream mixture.  Sprinkle with cocoa powder.  Layer with cream again, followed by biscuits, then cocoa powder.  Continue this process until all the ingredients are utilized, finishing with cream on top.  Dust with a final layer of cocoa powder.  Add chocolate chips (if desired), chill for two hours in the refrigerator, and serve.  Your tiramisu' will keep for one to two days, but no longer due to the use of the raw eggs.

Experience

     

     Experience is a great teacher and we learn best by doing.  Those two bits of wisdom guided our little cooking class on our last afternoon at Il Faeto, where Alphonsina and Enzo Ricchi hosted us at their beautiful villa in the hills of San Donato. 

     "Fonzie" is an amazing chef in her own right, having owned a restaurant in Florence for nearly 2 decades.  It was in her kitchen that we were taught the finer points of Italian cooking.



     But it was Fonzie's mother whose years of experience working with pasta guided us without speaking a single word in English.  We watched as she patiently kneaded the pasta dough until her hands told her it was just right.  

     
     Then we rolled it out, making pillows of ravioli and cutting strips of tagliatelle under her supervision.



     But the real challenge was forming the tiny and delicate tortellini.  Nonna's nimble fingers made them perfectly.  Our hands and fingers just seemed to get in the way.  Take a look at the results and judge for yourself:



Lotsa Pasta

     

     Pasta is a single word used to describe over a hundred things.  Here are some of the different names for the shapes and sizes of pasta, including their Italian translation, and the ways they can be prepared and enjoyed.

Spaghetti-little strings-Pasta strands only 1/12 of an inch thick.  Italian law states that it can only be made with durum wheat semolina flour.  It can be eaten drizzled with extra virgin olive oil or a marinara sauce.  It should never be drained in a colander but rather lifted from the water to keep it moist before the sauce is added.  True Italians never eat it with Bolognese, a meat sauce.

Linguini-little tongues-Essentially flat spaghetti that is best served with oil and herb based sauces, sometimes with seafood, but rarely with meat.

Fettuccini-small ribbons-Narrow strips traditionally served with ragu, a thick meat sauce.

Cannelloni-large tubes-Hollow tubes of  pasta that are stuffed with either a meat or cheese filling, topped with sauce and baked.

Farfalle-butterflies-Often called "bow ties" this versatile pasta can be served with sauce, added to soup or included in a cold salad.

Gemelli-twins-Strands of pasta intertwined and wrapped around each other.  Can be served either hot or cold.

Orecchiette-little ears-Can be served hot with a chunky meat sauce or cold in a pasta salad.

Penne-quills-A hollow pasta sometimes translated as "feathers" it stands up well to hearty meat and vegetable dishes but can also be served with fish or baked or even fried.

Rotini-twisted-This screw shaped pasta holds bits of meat, vegetables and cheese well.

Tagliatelle-to cut-Long ribbons of pasta traditionally served with a Bolognese sauce.

Acini di Pepe-peppercorns-Small dots of pasta used in soups.

Orzo-barley-Grain shaped pasta that looks like rice.  It can be used in soups or served as a side dish.

Conchiglie-shells-In different sizes these sea shell shaped pastas can be stuffed if large, or used to capture a chunky meat or vegetable sauce.

Ziti-wife-Originally from Naples it was served as a part of a Neapolitan wedding feast.  Ideal for baked pasta dishes.

So different yet the same

     In the book "100 Ways to Be Pasta" Giovanna Tornabene writes, 

     For us, pasta is more than just a food.  It is a part of our histories.  This simple substance, boiled in water and salt, has managed to sustain entire populations in the darkest times of poverty.  It is a good friend, a member of the family.  It is something we love.
     When we are living well, it is over a plate of pasta that friendships are born and family ties are reinforced...It is the food we identify ourselves with as Italians and the food we miss most when we travel abroad.

She offers up this advice with regard to pasta shapes:

     We Italians have more shapes for pasta than you can imagine...Short pasta shapes are used when you want to be able to stab the food with a fork, as you would if you had cut vegetables or meat in a pasta.  Long thin strands, like spaghetti and linguine, are used with light, slippery sauces that will coat them.  A rich, creamy sauce often wants a wide and substantial pasta shape, like pappardelle or festonate; otherwise the sauce will drown the pasta.  Pasta with holes, like penne and rigatoni, hold ingredients inside them, if the ingredients are small, like peas or ground meat.  And the groves on the outside of rigate, "ridged" pastas, help to hold a sauce.

Tomorrow:  The names and shapes of pasta and how best to enjoy them.

Don't worry...it's only pasta!

     Our chef/instructor Alain repeated those words of encouragement throughout our cooking class in Tuscany as we attempted to make pasta, many of us for the first time.  "Don't worry, it's only pasta!"

     The task seemed simple enough.  After all, there were only two ingredients: flour and eggs.  What could go wrong?  Take 3/4 of a cup of 00 flour and break an egg into a well that you have made in the center of the flour.  Slowly incorporate the flour into the egg using a fork horizontally, not vertically, until you have a consistent mixture of the two.  Then work it with your hands, folding and gently pressing.  But not too much!  Overworking it will lead to tough, chewy pasta and you don't want that.  Roll it into a ball and then tightly cover it in plastic wrap for about 20 minutes.  When the time is up unwrap it and work it gently with the palms of your hands and then roll it out with a rolling pin into a thin sheet.

 

     Sounds easy, doesn't it?  Well, not everyone achieved success on the first try.  But eventually the class was able to use their pasta to form ravioli and tagliatelle.  

                                                                                 

 

     Our reward was to enjoy the fruits of our labor as we sat together around a large wooden table to a feast we had created!

 



Trans-Continental Delight

     Tripe is enjoyed throughout Italy in dishes such as Trippa alla Fiorentina and Trippa alla Romana.  And while the supporting cast in those recipes can vary somewhat, the starring role belongs to the lining of the stomach of a ruminant.  Most often it is that of a cow but can also be from a pig, sheep or ox.

     Preparation of the tripe is key.  It needs to be washed thoroughly and boiled for several hours before it is sliced into strips and cooked with tomatoes, vegetables and white wine. Those who have tried it claim that it is full of flavor with a decidedly mineral taste coming from a high phosphorus and calcium content.  It is also high in cholesterol, however.

     But did you know that tripe also has a very local connection?  In addition to scrapple, hoagies and soft pretzels Philadelphia is also known for its Pepper Pot Soup made from tripe.  Legend has it that the thick peppery stew was first concocted by Baker General Christopher Ludwig of Washington's Continental Army.  During the harsh winter of 1777-78 during the encampment at Valley Forge it was Ludwig who devised the recipe to feed the troops.  It was either that or starvation.

     I think I'd need to be pretty hungry, too, before I would consider a spoonful.

Learning from a Pro

     

     While on my culinary sojourn through Italy I spent a day under the tutelage of Alain, a professional chef and our guide.  He was a member of the Food & Wine Academy of Florence.  I met him one morning in the shadow of the Duomo that towers over the city and he led our group through town to the Sant' Ambrogio Market.  It has both indoor and outdoor vendors and Alain claims it is the most authentic of the markets in the city, better than the famed Central Market that he says is just for show and more of a tourist destination than a place to purchase fresh ingredients.  And if you get there early you will see many of the top chefs and restaurateurs there shopping to supply their kitchens.

       We made our way around the outdoor vendors and sampled some of the fruits and vegetables, including something called a Tabaccheria Peach.  It was a squatty looking fruit, akin to our doughnut peach, thin skinned with a white flesh and a very juicy interior.  The name in Italian translates "snuffbox" because it has that shape if you use your imagination.  It does not travel well and is consumed locally, close to where it is grown, and it has a very short season.  It is so juicy in fact, that it is recommended that you eat it over the sink!



     Going inside we were introduced to no less than 24 regional salumi, ranging from Tuscany to Milan and everywhere else in between.  And of course there were so many shanks of prosciutto hanging that I lost count.  I also came across a cooler case of coniglio.  And although I was unfamiliar with the Italian name I did recognize the shape as rabbit.  Another popular item was tripe, cow's stomach.  I think it is what we would call an acquired taste!



     

Hey! It's Italian!

     Italian cuisine is among the best in the world.  I can say that having sampled more than my share of wonderful meals on my sojourn there in September.  But the one thing that I enjoyed almost every day was a generous helping of gelato, and in a variety of flavors.

 



     And while it might look like our American ice cream, it is distinctly different.  To add to the confusion between the two the word gelato is Italian for ice cream.

     Real Italian gelato is churned at a slower rate incorporating less air into the mixture.  Typical American ice cream consists of at least 25% air  (called overrun in the business). But gelato is more dense with less air in it, creating a more intense flavor.

 

     Both ice cream and gelato contain cream, milk and sugar, but in different proportions.  Gelato has more milk and less cream.  Our ice cream contains from 14 to 25% butterfat, gelato's number is only 4 to 9%. That translates into less coating of the taste receptors on the tongue so that the true flavor can shine through.  And gelato contains no egg yolks that are common in ice cream recipes.

     Another significant difference is in the serving temperature.  Gelato is served 10-15 degrees warmer, giving it a silkier and softer texture.  And being warmer is tends not to numb the mouth the way ice cream does, again enhancing the flavor profile.

 

     So consider gelato to be a healthy alternative to ice cream and treat yourself to a generous serving of Italy's most famous dessert!



     

Field of Flowers

     Until about 1400 years ago Campo de' Fiori was just that, a field of flowers.  Once a vegetable and flower garden it is now one of Rome's most famous open air markets, just a short walk from my apartment overlooking the Piazza Navona.

     So on one morning in a soft rain I made the early morning trip to check it out.  Open every day except Sunday it is a plethora of color with stalls bursting with fresh fruits and vegetables, spices, oils,  pasta and of course, flowers!

 

     But amid all the vendors there stands a reminder of a dark past.  Overlooking the square is a statue of Dominican Friar Bruno Giordano.  Philosopher, mathematician and astronomer, he was burnt alive on the square in 1600 for heresy.  His crime?  Advocating the Copernican theory that the sun, not the earth, was the center of the solar system.  The square in addition to being the location for public executions was also at one time a horse market twice a week on Mondays and Saturdays.



     Surrounding the market area are many small shops and markets.  At one end is La Terrina,  the fountain known to locals as "The Fishbowl."  And at the other end is the historic Taverna della Vacca, literally The Cow's Inn.

     By mid afternoon the vendors have gone and the square changes complexion, becoming a place for impromptu soccer matches. But by nightfall it is a notorious night spot frequented by drunken tourists and local rabble.

Seriously

     Italians are serious about their food.  Whether prepared at home or served at a dining establishment meals are savored and celebrated.  So it stands to reason that they are very particular with their terminology.  While in America we go to a restaurant, Italians have a more precise way to identify such places.  Here is the way they accomplish that:

Osteria-Originally a place serving serving a simple meal at shared tables, often frequented by a male dominated clientele.  The oldest known osteria was established on Bologna in 1375.  Following that tradition, today you can get pasta and grilled meats and fish without having to refer to a written menu.



Trattoria-Modest but plentiful food is provided in a casual and informal setting.  It is usually a family run operation with Nonna in the kitchen preparing regional and local fare like ribollita, carbonara or pesto.  The children wait tables at the family style service and Dad works the till.



Ristorante-More formal with table linen and a professional wait staff.  This upscale kind of place is where you will find professional types and tourists perusing the extensive menu.



In addition there are also places known as:

Taverna-similar to our American tavern, a place for a drink and a snack, usually with a rustic ambiance.



Enoteca-In addition to serving wine, the enoteca can provide a variety of panini sandwiches and light nibbles like olives and cheese.



Tavola Calda-Literally "hot table" it is the Italian equivalent to a quick service cafeteria providing a meal for those to prefer "take-away" or what we would call carry-out.



And on almost every block there are two very familiar establishments, the Pizzeria and the Gelateria.  But more on them later...