What happened to February?

Between immersing myself in the delights of chocolate and then quenching my Olympic thirst, the month just flew right by me! And what a month it was!

As March begins, I decided it was time to take care of some unfinished business and wrap February up so that I can properly focus on the month ahead.

For starters, I must take this opportunity to thank all of you for your tremendous support and encouragement for my series on the food of Piemonte. When I first thought of the idea, I had no clue as to the breadth and variety of Piemontese cooking. As much research as I did, I only scratched the surface of a culinary way of life that is spectacular and breathtaking. While I lost some steam at the end due to work constraints (regular life getting in the way once again!), for those of you are interested I encourage you to continue the journey. If you’re looking for a starting point or two, may I suggest the following two books:  Rustico by Micol Negrin and A Passion for Piedmont by Matt Kramer.

Negrin’s book is an all-encompassing look at the regional food of Italy. Every part of Italy is included, which is a nice switch from other books on regional Italian cooking that tend to ignore the smaller regions of Italy. So from that standpoint alone it’s a good investment as it provides an excellent overview of Italian cuisine in its entirety. The section on Piemonte, in particular, is impressive. While the recipes are not what I would describe as typical (you won’t find recipes for penne alla vodka or eggplant parmigiana in this one), they are authentic and true to the spirit of the region from which they originate.

As for Kramer’s book, my only wish is that I had discovered it sooner. I came across this book about a month before the Olympics when my idea for a series on Piemontese cooking was still in its infancy. By the time I ordered the book and received it, the Olympics were already underway. A Passion for Piedmont is thorough in its presentation of Piemontese cooking. It covers all topics, including cheese and wine. Like Rustico, Kramer does not cut corners nor does he oversimplify recipes. They are as true to the nature of the original as can be.

So for those of you who don’t want to leave Piemonte just yet, I wish you buon viaggio …

The next bit of business to address is my final thought regarding February’s Flavour of the Month:  Pure Chocolate by Fran Bigelow. While I did try three new recipes from the book (White Chocolate Coconut Cream Bars, Princess Pudding and Blanc et Noir), it was not nearly as many as I had hoped. The Olympics really did take my attention away from my chocolate discovery. But that’s alright. The three recipes that I did try were tremendous, and while the Blanc et Noir was somewhat complicated, especially for an untrained baker like myself, it was worth the effort. I look forward to visiting Pure Chocolate again when the occasion calls for it.

But just as the months have changed so too have my tastes. While chocolate is a part of my life on an almost daily basis, it’s time to try something new. And in order to combat some of the excesses of February (at least in the chocolate department), I’ve decided to choose something a bit lighter and dare I say it … healthier … for March’s Flavour of the Month:  A Beautiful Bowl of Soup by Paulette Mitchell. It’s not that chocolate or Piemontese food aren’t healthy, it’s just that I need to simplify a bit this month after the culinary exertions of February.

And with a cold Canadian winter wind blowing outside, I can’t imagine anything more comforting than a bowl of warm soup. So join me, my friends, and let’s see what we come up with!

Happy March!

Ciao!

Is there a fruit in the world imbued with more significance than the apple? Whether it’s Eve offering a shiny red one to Adam or your mom telling you to eat one a day, apples are more than just a simple fruit.

While Piemonte is well-known for its production of rice and wine, did you know that it is also a major producer of apples? In fact, Italy is one of the top five apple-producing nations in the world. Apples are grown in Piemonte, as well as Emilia Romagna, the Veneto, Campagna and Trentino Alto Adige.

In Piemonte, apples are grown in areas such as Cavour, Bibiana and Pinerolo. Approximately 70 per cent of the apples grown in Piemonte are of the Golden Delicious type. Another 15 per cent are of the Red Delicious cultivar. The remaining 15 per cent is comprised of a variety of apples including Gala.

The Piemontesi also turn out varieties that are designated as "Ancient Piemonte Apples". This designation has been trademarked by the Paniere of the Provincia di Torino, which recognizes the production of local products that are tied to the region’s history. There are eight antique varieties of apple that claim this designation and they have names like Buras, Calvilla bianca, Grigia di Torriana and Magnana.

As our Olympic meal slowly winds down, I decided that an apple dish would be a fitting way to begin our farewell to this region of Italy. While researching the cuisine of Piemonte, I came across a cookbook called A Passion for Piedmont by Matt Kramer. While I generally do not buy cookbooks sight unseen, I did so with this one. Call it cook’s intuition,but I just felt that this would be a treasure of Piemontesi recipes … I’m glad to say that I was right.

One of the recipes that instantly caught my eye was the Apple and Bread Crumb Cake. This is exactly the type of sweet that I would expect to see on a Piemontese table. A simple cake, it shines because of the quality of the individual ingredients, in this case, the juiciest apples and the crumbs of a rustic loaf of country bread.

The subtitle of Kramer’s book is:  Italy’s Most Glorious Regional Table. My "travels" across Piemonte during these Olympics have shown me that this title is most fitting!

Ciao!

Apple and Bread Crumb Cake

Adapted from A Passion for Piedmont by Matt Kramer.

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter
• 3 pounds, Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced (the original recipe indicates that you can also use McIntosh)
• 2-1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs (I used a typical Italian country bread. I sliced off the crust and processed the interior of the bread in the food processor to make the fresh bread crumbs.)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 6 tablespoons apricot jam
• juice of 1 lemon

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a loaf pan (8 x 4-inches). Line the bottom of the pan with waxed paper or parchment paper. Butter the paper and set the pan aside.
2. In a large skillet, melt a 1/4 of the butter. Add the apples and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the apples have softened. This should take between 15 and 20 minutes. Once the apples are cooked transfer them to a bowl.
3. In the same skillet, melt the remaining 1/2 cup of butter. Add the bread crumbs, the sugar and the cinnamon. Combine and cook over medium heat until the bread crumbs have absorbed the butter and turned golden. This should take 5 to 10 minutes.
4. Once this is done you are now ready to begin assembling the cake.
5. Sprinkle 1/3 of the bread crumbs in the bottom of the loaf pan and pat them down firmly with a spoon.
6. Spread 1/2 of the apricot jam over this layer as smoothly as possible.
7. Place half the apples over the jam, smoothing the apples out and pressing them down firmly. Sprinkle half of the lemon juice over the apples.
8. Repeat with 1/3 of the bread crumbs. Spread the remaining apricot jam over the bread crumb layer and top with the remaining apples. Press down firmly to ensure that the entire loaf pan is filled and that there are no air pockets. Sprinkle the remaining lemon juice over the apples.
9. Top with the final 1/3 of the bread crumbs. Press them down as evenly as possible.
10. Bake the cake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until it is nicely golden and bubbling at the sides.
11. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool completely. I advise keeping it in the loaf pan for at least eight hours before inverting it onto a plate. I left my cake in the pan for about 12 hours.
12. When you’re ready to remove the cake, run a thin knife all around the sides of the pan. Carefully invert the cake onto a dish. Peel the parchment paper off.
13. Serve the cake with ice cream or whipped cream.
14. Enjoy!

Note:  This cake serves 6 to 8 people. My research into apple production in Piemonte led me to www.italianfood.about.com and www.piemonte.magazine.it. You can visit those sites for more information.

Let me tell you a bit about Le Alpi … the Alps.

They are one of the great mountain ranges of Europe, present in Austria, Slovenia, Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Germany and France. It is believed that their name originates from a Celtic word meaning height. Their highest peak is Monte Bianco (Mont Blanc), which reaches 4810 metres into the sky.

Piemonte is surrounded by the Alps to the South, West and North. The squeezing together of the earth’s plates, ice ages and time have all shaped these Alps and made them what they are today. And in that shaping and carving, the Alps surrounding Piemonte were blessed with a multitude of mountain streams and lakes that teem with fish.

While the Piemontesi are meat and game lovers, they have the luxury of an abundance of fish at their disposal, including trout, perch, whitefish and pike. And while Piemontese cuisine is heavy with meat and game dishes that can be quite complex, their preparation of fish reflects the simple and uncomplicated qualities of mountain life. Most fish dishes are simple in preparation:  a few herbs, some butter and maybe a few drops of wine.

As I "travel" through Piemonte, I have been thinking about what to make for a main course. It would be so easy to fall back on a truffle dish, as this is the land of the white truffle. And of course there’s the ubiquitous meat with Barolo, or perhaps a dish or two featuring rabbit or pheasant, which are very popular in Piemonte. But I wanted something different; something that would capture the essence of what it’s like to live in a place where fresh fish is so readily available.

In Micol Negrin’s Rustico, I found that dish:  Trote all’Astigiana (Baked Trout in Wine-Butter Sauce). Along with fresh trout, sage and rosemary are placed in a baking pan surrounded by onion, lemon and my own addition of fennel. Drizzled with olive oil and some dry white wine, and then topped with a few knobs of butter, the fish is cooked at high heat for a short time. A little bit of butter is added to the pan juices to thicken them and the resulting sauce is poured over the trout. Delicate and moist, this fish represents the essence of Piemonte.

This is what it’s like to live in a land where each morning, the sun touches the mountains around you first.

Ciao!

Trote all’Astigiana (Baked Trout in Wine-Butter Sauce)

Adapted from Rustico by Micol Negrin.

• 3 lbs. rainbow trout, either 4 small trout that have been scaled, slit and gutted, or 2 trout fillets
• salt and pepper
• 4 sage leaves
• 4 rosemary sprigs
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 lemon, cut into quarters
• 1 onion, roughly chopped (optional)
• 3 or 4 green onions, cleaned and white parts only (optional)
• 1/2 a fennel bulb, roughly chopped (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Wash and dry the trout. Drizzle some olive oil in a baking pan. If you’re using the onion, green onion and fennel, toss the vegetables in a baking pan with olive oil and a bit of salt and pepper.
3. Lay the trout in the pan. Squeeze two of the lemon quarters over the fish and add the lemon quarters, along with the other two quarters to the pan to roast with the fish.
4. Scatter the sage leaves and rosemary sprigs over the fish.
5. Pour the white wine over the fish.
6. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
7. Take 4 tablespoons of the butter, and scatter pieces of the butter over the trout.
8. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the trout are cooked.
9. Carefully transfer the trout (and vegetables if you’ve used them) to a platter. Place the baking pan on the stove and heat the remaining juices over medium-high heat until they have reduced and thickened, about 5 minutes.
10. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Pour the thickened sauce over the trout and serve immediately.
11. Enjoy!

Note:  This recipe serves 4. The original recipe also calls for fresh bay leaves (4) to be scattered over the trout, but here in Toronto it’s tough to find fresh bay leaves and I didn’t want to use dried.

So we have come to the end of Day 10 of the 2006 Winter Olympics. How wondrous this journey has been! Piemonte, unfolding before our very eyes. Revealing her food to us in such a magnificent way!

As I look back at the last ten Olympic days, I am struck by the sheer beauty of these Games. The drama, the victory, the defeat … the food. And I know, deep down, that very soon I will be coming to the end of this Olympic menu. Already I see the main course on the horizon. What will it be? Meat? Game? Fish?

But before I get there … before we get there … I wanted to watch the sun set over the Alps in the company of what is considered comfort food in Piemonte:  Gnocchi alla Bava.

In a place where fresh pasta and rice are royalty, gnocchi are loyal servants. Reliable to a fault, gnocchi will never let you down. Like so many other dishes, the Piemontesi like to dress their gnocchi simply, usually with butter and cheese. And what bounty of cheese in this land! We have already tasted the Robiola … but there is also the Fontina.

Made of cow’s milk, Fontina is a semi-hard cheese that is aged in caves for up to seven months. Do not confuse Italian Fontina with what you will often find in the supermarket. While Fontina is produced in other countries including Denmark, Italian Fontina is unparalleled.

Like all great food, Fontina is best at its very simplest. And no dish in Piemontese cooking can be simpler than Gnocchi alla Bava. In Italian, bava means drool or dribble … not exactly the most appetizing of images! But in fact the gnocchi are called "alla bava" to describe how the they look after they have been tossed with the Fontina. With each forkful the luscious cheese pulls away from the gnocchi in long strands, the sight of which would make anyone drool!

There are several ways of preparing this dish. I am sure that every Piemontese cook has his or her favourite version. The method that I chose is perhaps the simplest:  potato gnocchi are removed from their cooking water and immediately tossed with diced butter and Fontina. As the ingredients are mixed the butter and Fontina melt into an incredibly creamy sauce.

Another popular method is to layer the cooked gnocchi in a greased baking dish with butter and Fontina. The dish is then popped into the oven for a few minutes to allow the butter and Fontina to melt. The dish emerges from the oven and what you end up with is a bubbling mass of golden gnocchi crusted with butter and cheese. Whichever method you choose, the Piemontesi have ensured that you cannot go wrong.

So with my bowl of Gnocchi alla Bava, I sit in my alpine perch and watch the sun as it sets on Day 10. In the distance I can hear the cheers of Canadians as they … as I … celebrate the gold medal won by the women’s hockey team. While I am blessed with Italian heritage, I am proudly Canadian.

With the sound of my national anthem around me, I dine on the simple food of the land that has embraced all the world.

Ciao!

Gnocchi alla Bava

Recipe adapted from The Silver Spoon and The Essentials of Italian Cooking.

For the gnocchi:

• 2-1/4 pounds potatoes
• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour (preferably unbleached), plus more for your work surface
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. With a sharp knife, make a cross in each potato, but do not cut through to the bottom. Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and bake until tender (about 1 hour).
3. Remove the potatoes from the oven and let cool until you are able to handle them.
4. Peel the potatoes and put them through a potato ricer. Alternatively, you can mash the potatoes with a fork or a potato masher.
5. Add the salt, flour and egg to the potato mixture.
6. With your hands, incorporate the ingredients until you can gather the mixture into a ball.
7. Transfer the gnocchi dough to a well-floured work surface.
8. Knead until you have a soft dough that is not sticky. Be careful with how much flour you add as you do not want the dough to be hard. Add only enough flour so that your dough is not sticky.
9. Once you have the dough at the right consistency, break off pieces of dough that are roughly the size of a tennis ball.
10. Flour your hands and begin rolling the balls of dough until you have long ropes that are roughly an inch in width.
11. With a sharp knife, cut the ropes of dough into gnocchi that are one inch in size.
12. Take a fork and hold it at a 45-degree angle against a work surface. Take each gnocco (the singular form of gnocchi is gnocco) and roll it down the back of the fork. As you do this you will see that the gnocchi take on the ridged impression of the fork.
13. As you roll the gnocchi, place them on a tray that has been covered with a dish cloth and sprinkled with flour. Once all your gnocchi have been cut and rolled, place the tray in the refrigerator.
14. Put a large pot of water to boil. Once it comes to the boil, salt the water generously. Remove the gnocchi from the refrigerator and cook them all at once or in batches, depending on the size of your pot.
15. The gnocchi are cooked when they rise to the top of the water.
16. Serve the gnocchi with the sauce of your choosing.

Note:  This recipe serves 4.

Many Italians will protest that authentic potato gnocchi should never be made with egg. They should only be made with potato, flour and salt. The fact is that many people in Italy use egg or egg yolk in their gnocchi dough. While I usually make gnocchi without egg, I decided to publish the recipe that includes egg for those that have not made gnocchi before. The egg helps bind the dough.

If you want to make gnocchi without the egg, omit the egg and for every 1-1/2 pounds of potato, use 1-1/2 cups of flour. 

For the Gnocchi alla Bava:

• one recipe of potato gnocchi
• 6 tablespoons butter, diced
• 4 ounces Fontina cheese, diced
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmigiano cheese (more if you really like parmigiano!)
• salt to taste

1. Place the butter and Fontina cheese in a pan large enough to accommodate the gnocchi.
2. As soon as the gnocchi are cooked, drain them and put them in the pan with the butter and Fontina. Sprinkle on the parmigiano.
3. Carefully toss the the gnocchi until the butter, Fontina and parmigiano have melted and the gnocchi are coated. Taste the gnocchi, add salt if necessary.
4. Serve immediately and sprinkle with more parmigiano if desired.
5. Enjoy!

It is beautiful to start a meal with a little tidbit, something to awaken the palate and prepare the mouth and stomach for what is to come. But if you’re like me, you always want the meal to start in earnest. The bagna caôda was delicious and I don’t think I would turn down a bit of bread with robiola, but I was ready for a first course. And in the little menu in my mind, I knew that there was only one option:  pasta.

Italy is a pasta nation. This is no surprise. Also not surprising is that every Italian takes the subject of pasta most seriously. For every house you come upon and for every family you meet, you will find a favourite type of pasta, a secret ingredient for the best pasta dough, a little trick to ensure that your pasta is cooked al dente … everyone’s an expert!

Every region, every city, every mountain town is known for its special pasta dishes. If you had to pick the pasta that Piemonte is best known for, there would be only one choice: tajarin (tah-jah-REEN).

Tajarin are long, flat noodles made of flour, eggs and water. The best pasta makers in Piemonte will often make their tajarin with egg yolks only, and sometimes even add a bit of parmigiano to the dough. While tajarin is the Piemontese word for these noodles, they are also often referred to as tagliatelle.

The Piemontesi have many opinions as to the appearance of tajarin, but they do agree on one vital detail:  tajarin must be cut by hand! How wide you cut them is up to each individual family. Some Piemontesi like their tajarin finely cut, but most will cut them between a quarter of an inch and half an inch wide. The tajarin are usually served in one of two ways:  with a butter sauce flavoured with truffles or herbs or with a sauce made of roasted or stewed meat or game.

But if I wanted to eat tajarin, I would have to make them myself. Now some of you may already know that I have never made fresh pasta dough. This is due mainly to the fact that I have a mother who, at the risk of sounding arrogant and vain, makes the best fresh pasta I have ever tasted. I simply have never had the need to make it.

This time around, however, I was going to have to make the pasta dough on my own. While my mother would be there to guide me, I realized it was time to take that first baby step towards learning how to make fresh pasta.

For the dough, I used the recipe that the women in my family have been using for years. With my mother’s guidance, I piled the flour onto the counter, made the requisite valley and dropped in my eggs, one at a time. With much trepidation I began incorporating the eggs into the dough.

This was followed by kneading. Now being a modern girl, I have come to rely on kitchen equipment doing all the hard work. Sure I’ll knead my pie dough and pizza dough a few times. But kneading something a few times and kneading something for ten minutes are two very different things. While I managed to do it, I discovered that my upper body strength is virtually non-existent! (Note to self: hit the gym!)

So after the spilling of much flour on the floor, I ended up with a ball of pasta dough that, as my mother said, looked pretty good. Now it was time to roll it out. Surprisingly, it wasn’t as complicated as I thought. While the pasta became more delicate the thinner it got, it was quite easy to work with. And before I knew it, I had sheets of smooth, silky pasta dough waiting to be cut into tajarin.

For instructions on how to cut the tajarin, I turned to a book that I have owned for awhile, but have not used nearly enough:  The Essentials of Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan. In her precise way, Hazan described how to cut the sheets of thinned pasta properly. They were to be folded lengthwise so that they were three inches wide at the base. Then, with a sharp knife, they were to be cut into strips that were a quarter of an inch wide.

Because I was overly-cautious at the beginning, some of my cuts were not smooth. This resulted in some of the tajarin looking a bit ragged. But as I became more confident, the tajarin began to look smoother. Towards the end of the cutting I became a bit impatient so the tajarin were a bit wider than a quarter of an inch. But hey … who’s measuring? Incredibly, I ended up with a tray full of beautiful tajarin. I had made pasta on my own for the first time!

While I considered more complicated sauces for this pasta, I decided on a version from Patricia Wells’ Trattoria:  Tajarin al Burro Aromatizzato (Tajarin with Rosemary-Infused Butter). Patricia explained that she had eaten this pasta at a little trattoria near Torino.

So here you go my friends! As Day 7 of the 2006 Winter Olympics fades away, we find ourselves enjoying tajarin at a little trattoria outside of Torino.

Who knows where our Olympic travels will take us tomorrow?

Ciao!

Tajarin al Burro Aromatizzato

Adapted from The Essentials of Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan and Patricia Wells’ Trattoria by Patricia Wells.

For the tajarin:

• 2 cups of all-purpose flour (use unbleached if you can find it), plus more for rolling out the pasta
• 4 large eggs

1. Place the flour on a work surface. Pile the flour into a hill, and then make a valley in the centre, wide enough to hold the 4 eggs.
2. Carefully put the eggs into the valley you’ve created in the flour.
3. With a fork, begin beating the eggs (gently) and slowly incorporating the flour.
4. Once you have incorporated as much flour as you can with the fork, begin working the flour/egg mixture with your hands.
5. If the mixture feels too wet, add a bit more flour keeping in mind that it’s easier to add flour than it is to deal with dough that has too much flour in it.
6. Once the mixture comes together in a ball, and no longer sticks to the counter, you are ready to begin kneading.
7. Flour your work surface and begin kneading by pushing forward on the dough with the heel of your hand. Fold the dough in half and then repeat the pushing forward motion. Fold the dough in half again. Keep repeating this step. Every time you fold the dough in half, turn your dough slightly either to the right or left. Keep pushing forward, folding and turning.
8. Knead the dough for 8 to 10 minutes, or until it has become smooth and soft. If at any time your dough becomes sticky, sprinkle some more flour on your work surface.
9. Once you have completed kneading your dough, you are ready to put it through the pasta machine.
10. Cut the ball of dough into small portions, 6 or 8 equal parts.
11. Spread towels on a nearby surface so that you can lay the pasta sheets down as you complete them.
12. Beginning on the lowest setting for the thinning rollers, flatten out your portion of dough slightly, brush on some flour, and put it through the thinners. Fold the dough in half and put it through the thinner again. Repeat this step two or three times until you have a fairly smooth, flattened piece of dough.
13. Move the setting for the thinning rollers up a notch. Pass the dough through the thinners. Fold the dough and pass it through again. Repeat this step two or three times.
14. Repeating the basic rolling steps, continue to thin the pasta by working your way up to the thinnest setting. Once this is done, lay the pasta sheet on the cloth. If your pasta sheet gets too long, cut it in half.
15. Once you have prepared all the pasta sheets, let the pasta dry for about 10 minutes.
16. Once the pasta has dried for about 10 minutes, fold each pasta sheet lengthwise so that it is three inches wide at the base. With a sharp knife, cut the pasta sheets into 1/4-inch strips. Unfold the strips and lay the pasta on a sheet or tray.
17. If you’re not going to use the tajarin right away, cover with a cloth and set aside.

For the Burro Aromatizzato:

• 6 tablespoons (2-1/2 ounces or 75 g) unsalted butter
• 3 to 4 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary leaves (you can also use sage)
• salt
• 1 pound (500 g) fresh tajarin (you can also use fettuccine)
• freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano

1. In a skillet, melt the butter with the rosemary.
2. Once the butter is melted, turn the heat off, cover and let infuse.
3. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Salt the water and stir.
4. Add the tajarin and cook until tender. The pasta will cook very quickly, it should take no more than 5 minutes. But keep an eye on the pasta to ensure that it does no overcook.
5. Once the tajarin are cooked, drain them and add them to the butter/rosemary sauce. Turn the heat back on and slowly combine the tajarin and the sauce. Add the Parmigiano-Reggiano, to taste, and continue combining until the tajarin are coated in butter and cheese.
6. Serve immediately with additional Parmigiano-Reggiano.
7. Enjoy!

Note:  This recipe serves 4 to 6.

As we say goodbye to Day 5 of the 2006 Torino Olympics, it’s time to continue our journey in Piemonte. Having enjoyed our bagna caôda, there’s still room for another antipasto before we settle down for the first course.

People often say that Piemonte is a region that demonstrates significant French influence both in the language and in the cooking tradition. This is likely due to the fact that Piedmont was once part of the French province of Savoy, when, in 1046, it was taken over by the House of Savoy. But the Piemontesi will surely say that they have a language and cooking tradition that is all their own.

Located in Northern Italy, Piemonte has a population of approximately 4.3 million people.  Its capital is Turin (Torino, in Italian). The region produces a significant amount of corn, barley, wheat, rye, oats and rice. In fact, sixty per cent of Italy’s rice is produced in Novara and Vercelli.

Piemonte is also well known for its white truffles, wild mushrooms, game and wines, most notably Barolo and Barbaresco. And while Piemonte is famous for these treasures, and rightly so, the region is also home to some of Italy’s most renowned cheeses, Robiola being one of them.

Robiola (pronounced roh-bee-OH-lah) is a soft cheese, usually made of cow’s milk, goat’s milk or a combination of the two. Some producers of Robiola will also add sheep’s milk to the mix. Robiolas are generally eaten fresh, and are rarely aged for longer than three months. They are often served simply, with a sprinkling of fresh herbs, and pair very nicely with wine.

While many famous cheeses are produced in large quantities, Robiola is very much an artisanal cheese. There are countless variations of Robiola including cheeses that are wrapped and aged in chestnut or cabbage leaves.

Generally-speaking, Robiola is mild in taste, although aged versions can take on a more distinct, sharp flavour. Still, Robiola is not an overpowering cheese. Served at room temperature, Robiola is soft and creamy and perfect for spreading on freshly-toasted country bread.

While Robiolas can vary in shape, most versions from Piemonte (Robiola is also produced in Lombardia), will be round and have ridges on the top and bottom.

I was fortunate enough to find Robiola at an incredible cheese purveyor in Toronto called The Cheese Boutique. While I ate some of the robiola with a bit of bread dipped in olive oil, I used most of the robiola to try a recipe for a cheese spread. The Piemontesi are fond of antipasti that make use of their locally-produced cheeses.

With this delicious spread, a freshly-baked focaccia and a glass of red wine, I happily settled down to watch the highlights of Day 5 at the Olympics.

I had no need for dessert … my dreams of Piemonte were sweet enough! 

Ciao!

Cipollata Rossa con Robiola (Robiola and Scallion Spread)

Adapted from Rustico by Micol Negrin.

• 1 red bell pepper, roasted, skin removed and coarsely chopped
• 2 scallions or green onions, white parts only, coarsely chopped
• 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (1/2 a lemon)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (plus more for brushing on bread)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 pound fresh Robiola
• loaf of your favourite bread

1. If you can’t find roasted peppers, buy a fresh red bell pepper and roast it yourself. Cut it in half, remove the seeds and place it cut side down on a baking sheet under the broiler. Broil for about 15 minutes, or until the skin is blackened. Cover the pepper with foil wrap and let sit for 15 minutes. Once it’s cool enough to handle, peel off the skin and coarsely chop the red pepper. Place it in a food processor.
2. Add the scallion or green onion, the paprika, the lemon juice and the olive oil. Process until smooth.
3. Add the robiola and the salt. Process until smooth. Taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly.
4. Turn mixture into a serving bowl.
5. Slice your loaf of bread into 1/2-inch thick slices. Toast in the oven or in a toaster. Once toasted, brush with olive oil and arrange on a serving platter. Serve with the robiola spread.
6. Enjoy!

Note:  This recipe serves 6.

Imagine, for just a moment, that you are a vegetable, washed and trimmed and waiting for what comes next.

Imagine that you are a piece of the heart of a cardoon. Or the leaf of an artichoke, perfumed with lemon after having it rubbed across your skin. Or a ruby red strip of bell pepper, painted with olive oil. Or a stalk of fennel, crisp and white and ready to impart your anise flavour.

Imagine that you are an asparagus spear, tender and green. Or a Belgian endive leaf, white with hints of gold around your edges. Imagine that you are whatever vegetable that you choose to be.

And now imagine, that waiting for you, is a bath … a hot, luxurious bath of garlic cooked until its creamy; of anchovies cooked until they have melted away and lost their pungency in favour of mellowness; and of olive oil and butter, married over the slowest heat until they have become one.

Imagine that each day, you push your way up through the soil of a place called Piemonte, which in Italian means a pie dei monti or at the foot of the mountains. And imagine that this land is called Piemonte because it lies in the embrace of the Alps and the Apennines, and that everyday you are kissed by the mountain sun.

Imagine that around you, surrounding you, are mountain plains where cattle graze; fertile valleys and hills where fruits, nuts and grapes grow; and mountain waters where the fish are still plentiful. And all of this is tended to by the people of this land, known as the Piemontesi. These people are proud and devoted to their land. They follow the same rhythms that their descendants did. They know who they are. They know where they come from.

Imagine that these people, with their traditions and history, take pleasure in what the land gives them. And in so doing, they maintain the culinary treasures they are blessed with:  meat, butter and cheese from the mountain plains; apples, pears and walnuts from the valleys; grapes from the vineyards; and trout and perch from the mountain waters. Not to mention the rice, corn, and barley.

But imagine also, that these people remember to celebrate life’s moments with their food. So that for every holiday, and every festival, there is a special dish or two that is prepared in the time-honoured way. Slowly, never rushing. Properly, never cutting corners.

And imagine that one of these dishes is bagna caôda, bagna meaning bath and caôda meaning hot. This dish is prepared by putting olive oil and butter into a pan, and allowing the butter to melt over a low heat. Once the butter is melted, the garlic is added and cooked briefly, so as not to take on any colour. And once this is done, the anchovies are added and the mixture is cooked slowly until the anchovies have melted away. And this hot bath is transferred to a pot and brought to the table and placed over a flame.

Imagine that while all the world watched Piemonte’s capital city of Torino, miles to the South, as it celebrated the opening of Olympic games with much light; fanfare; and fire, the Piemontesi gathered around their own tables and watched their own flame as it warmed the bagna caôda.

And now imagine again, that you are that vegetable, and that you are finally dipped into that liquid gold, creamy and rich with garlic and anchovies. Imagine what bliss.

Imagine.

Ciao!

Bagna Caôda

This recipe is adapted from three versions which I found in the following cookbooks:  Italian Farmhouse Cooking by Susan Hermann Loomis, Rustico by Micol Negrin and The Essentials of Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan.

• 12 anchovies (packed in oil), drained and finely chopped
• 6 cloves of garlic, finely minced
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• your choice of any assortment of raw vegetables (fennel, Belgian endive, bell peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, artichokes, cardoons — for this recipe I used fennel and Belgian endive)
• 2 to 3 red bell peppers, roasted (if you do not use fresh bell pepper, you can roast them and use the roasted bell peppers instead)

1. Clean, wash and dry all of your vegetables; arrange in a serving platter and set aside.
2. In a saucepan, heat the olive oil and butter until the butter is melted. You should do this over a low flame as you do not want the butter to burn.
3. Once the butter is melted, add the garlic and cook for about  5 minutes. Be careful that the oil and butter do not get too hot as to cause the garlic to fry. Stir often.
4. After five minutes, add the chopped anchovies and continue to cook over low heat, stirring often. Cook for 15 minutes. You’ll notice that the anchovies will begin to dissolve and melt down.
5. After the 15 minutes, stir the the bagna caoda and taste it. Be careful as it will be very hot. If you feel it needs salt and a bit of pepper, season to taste.
6. If you have a pot and flame device that will keep the bagna caôda hot, or a fondue pot, pour the bagna caôda into the pot and light the flame. Serve the vegetables with the bagna caôda for dipping.
7. If, like the Cream Puffs in Venice household you do not have one of these contraptions, the best way to serve the bagna caôda is to pour it over your platter of vegetables. Be sure to serve lots of crusty bread as well.
8. Enjoy!

Note:  This recipe serves 6. For the information about Piemonte in this post, I am indebted to Micol Negrin’s Rustico and Claudia Roden’s The Food of Italy.

"Aperti i XX Giochi olimpici invernali!"

With the these words, Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi declared the Games of the XX Olympiad open. For the next two weeks, the world’s attention will be focused on Turin, Italy, and the drama that will unfold.  Medals will be awarded, medals will be stripped away, dreams will be realized, dreams will be crushed … I love the Olympics!

Unless dough-kneading becomes an official Olympic event in my lifetime, I will never be participating in Olympic games. While I may not be a gifted athlete, I have always admired those individuals who can perform athletic feats. For me, the Olympics are the equivalent of a never-ending table laden with all the glorious dishes that I yearn for.

For this reason, come Olympics-time, I always check my schedule and mark down the dates of events I do not want to miss. This time, as I looked at my calendar, I was struck by the idea that the Olympics could be a wonderful opportunity to learn about food.

Turin (Torino in Italian) is the capital city of one of Italy’s most beautiful regions:  Piedmont. Located in northwestern Italy, Piedmont is surrounded by the Alps on three sides. It shares a border with France and Switzerland, and the Italian regions of Lombardy, Liguria, Emilia Romagna and Valle d’Aosta. Home to a rich culinary tradition that is breathtaking in scope, Piedmont is famous for being the birthplace of the Slow Food Moment and for wines such as Barolo and Barbaresco. It is a region whose inhabitants maintain their link to the land.

Why not take this opportunity to learn about the food of Piedmont, in all its glory? To help in this quest, I’ve added a list to my blog called the 2006 Winter Olympics. This list features links, which I hope you will find useful in navigating your way through the next two weeks. This list includes links to the official site of the 2006 Torino Olympics and the official site of the Region of Piedmont.

While I have not forgotten my commitment to chocolate this month, I hope that you will join me over the next few weeks as we spend some time "traveling" through Piedmont in search of food!

So pack your bags and ready your palates, the journey to Piedmont begins tomorrow …

Ciao!