Food

CARNEVALE – NOT JUST FOR VENICE

Posted on February 6, 2015

If you’ve ever been in Italy before Easter, you know the joys of Carnevale. Although Venice is world renowned for it’s amazing Carnevale parties, costumes and celebrations, but other areas of Italy are also in the spirit of full on celebrating before the deprivations of Lent. The kick off for Carnevale is February 17th, this year. Venice is an exceptional exprience at this time of year, but celebrations are held all over Italy from Venice and Milan down to the villages and towns of Sicily. The celebration of Carnevale is the Italian version of Mardi Gras. of beads.

Originally, Carnevale used the costumes and masks to allow the people to mingle, the rich were not recognized and the poor could parade as if they were equal and no one would know. And, there were plenty of women who chose to dress as men, and vice versa. Today the costumes and masks continue to captivate young and old. And, each area of the country has their own way to celebrate.

In the past few years, Ivrea, which has been celebrating this way since the 1600’s has been getting more attention because part of their celebrations is to throw 400 tons of oranges. Yep, 400 TONS. This is the celebration of the town uprising against the regime in power. It’s very much like our Boston Tea Party, although much messier. Like most Italian events it is accompanied by a parade, a palio (competition) and then a huge feast, and of course, fireworks displays.

There are many cities throughout the country that have equally unique Carnevale celebrations. In Viterbo, which is just north of Rome., the commune of Ronciglione has become quite well known for their celebration. They have been celebrating for more than a century so there is a well established program. They have a “King of Carnevale” who takes over the town from the mayor and begins the parties. He’s followed by riderless horses running through town. There are days of horse races, parades with floats, parties and confetti thrown. And, of course, lots of food.

Then there is Rome. Since about 2010, Rome has re-invented their Carnevale. And, the celebration seems to be growing very quickly. Carnevale is very much for the kids and family in Rome. For them, it is a combination Halloween and Christmas and they love being in costume. There are many events to entertain the children from the Zoo having special programs, to horse shows and competitions and some racing.

Rome’s Carnevale, it has always been about the horses. The most well-known of Rome’s annual carnival events is the horse-drawn parade taking place along Via del Corso at 16.00 on 17 February. Involving more than 100 horses and carriages, the parade evokes the Berber horse race that was historically the most important event of the Roman Carnival until 1874 when it was abolished by King Victor Emmanuel II due to the death of a spectator. The finale is a really spectacular fireworks display in Piazza del Popolo.

There is always a full program of musical performances when there is a celebration in Rome and certainly there are many of all types of music available this month. Piazza del Popolo and Piazza Navona are both centers filled with children and families watching the street performers, puppet shows and throwing confetti on everyone. It’s great fun.

This year Rome Carnevale celebrates Queen Christina of Sweden on the 360th anniversary of her arrival in Rome, with a number of initiatives organised by the city in collaboration with the Swedish embassy and the Swedish Institute of Classical Studies in Rome. So you can expect many art exibitions and musical programs for this tribute.

Ahhhhh. And the food. Never forget the food. Like most things in Italy, although the sweets may be similar, each region has their own name for them. In Rome, the most popular sweet, and only available during this time is the frappe. Frappe are flat, crisp sweets often covered with powdered sugar. They are also called Frappole, Sfrappole, Flappe in central Italy, Cenci (“tatters”) orDonzelli (“young ladies”) in Tuscany, Crostoli (“crusts”) or Galani in Veneto,Lattughe (“lettuce”) in Romagna, Nastri delle Suore (“ribbons of the nuns”) in Emilia, Bugie (“lies”) in Piemonte, and Gigi in Sicily. I am drooling just thinking about those sweet crunchy treats. But, don’t forget to try the bigne, which are filled with cream, usually yellow, but sometimes you can find a cream of a different flavour; and castagnole are fried balls of dough about the size of a chestnut covered in sugar.

I have a great recipe for castagnole. They are a little like a cake doughnut. You just pop them in your mouth and it is amazing how many you can consume before you even realize it. The sugared balls are very popular, but there are also the gorgeous ones that are done by first dipping them in Alchermes, the blood-red Florentine liqueur, before the sugar coating: the ‘bath’ in the liqueur gives them a look of tiny peaches.

Here’s a recipe so you can try them yourself.

200g flour, preferably ‘00’, about 7/8ths of a cup
40g butter, about 3 Tablespoons
2 eggs
40g sugar, 1/3 cup
8 g baking powder, 2 teaspoons
Grated zest of one lemon
Oil for frying
Granulated sugar
Alchermes (optional)
Directions:

Place the flour, sugar and baking powder together in a large bowl. Create a well and add the butter and eggs and lemon zest. Begin beating the ingredients from the center and slowly incorporate the flour. (This is the same mixing process you use to make pasta!) Mix until all the flour is absorbed and a thick dough is created.

Cover and let rest for 30 minutes. Divide into four parts and roll each part out into a long cord. Cut each cord into chestnut-sized pieces.
Heat the oil for frying. Deep fry the dough until golden. Remove from the oil and place on a tray with paper towels. Let drain for 1 minute.

Quickly place in a bowl with the Alchermes (if using) and roll to lightly soak the balls. Remove from the Alchermes and place in a small paper bag with 1 cup of granulated sugar and shake to cover lightly with sugar. If you do not use the Alchermes, just put them directly into a paper bag with the sugar and coat.
They are best eaten warm, but can also be served at room temperature. I do not know how long they keep, I have never had any left over.

This entry was posted in Cooking Italian, Rome, travel, Uncategorized and tagged Campo dei Fiori, Carnevale, Carnival, Food, Frappe, Italian travel, Italy, Mauro Berardi, spices.

A New Year – Moving towards Spring

Posted on January 18, 2015

Well the New Year has started and it has taken me till mid-January to get my feet beneath me to settle in to this new year. It has been a very busy time and I am looking forward to a very dull and boring February to allow myself some breathing space and the chance to feel like I am really here. Of course, I could be in Italy.

One of my English speaking blogs from Rome just sent a newsletter saying that Rome’s politicos are at it again. They often bring a smile along with the news, even when the news is bad. Rome’s tourists could be hit with new tax hike. Visitors to Rome may soon have to rethink their budget, if plans to increase hotel tourist tax go ahead. Under these recent proposals, tourists could see up to €10 a night added to their bill, Italian media reported on Thursday.

The planned changes come just four months after city hall hiked the “accomodation tax” to between €3 and €7 a night depending on the type of hotel, while those pitching a tent have had to pay €2 for the privilege since September 1st. I’m not sure where you can even pitch a tent in Rome.

The new €10 a night rate would apply to five-star hotels in the Italian capital, for a maximum of ten consecutive nights, a city hall spokesman said. The measure needs to be discussed and voted on before it can implemented. Tourist tax rates for lower-grade hotels will stay the same. You have to laugh when the rest of the article states that “Rome is reeling from revelations of widespread corruption at city hall, allegedly led by a one-eyed former terrorist whose mafia group for years siphoned off vital funds for services. You have to love the way the Italian government works. The best news is that is will unlikely happen and if it does it will not be implemented effectively. As it is the earlier raise to 3 euro a night disappeared into the city coffers and no one can tell where it went and certainly not whether it benefitted tourism in any way.

When I talked of catching my breath, I was referring to my return from my fall trip to Italy. I returned to LA just in time for Thanksgiving. Yes, it has taken me that long to get back to a normal schedule. I arrived just in time to unpack all my goodies and begin packing gift basket orders before breaking briefly for Thanksgiving dinner (which I did not cook this year). Then, back to work, for days doing the complicated calculations of converting weights, euros and ingredients from Italian to English. While a dear friend had a end of season event for Cabi clothes at my home we did a bit of an Expressly Italian tasting of the new products. Then it was back to basket construction right up to Christmas week. I did manage to factor in a little Christmas shopping before Christmas. But, the baskets were delivered and received with great enthusiasm. Every basket was unique and tailored to the receiver as much as possible, from the basket for the man who does not cook at all, to the cook who is so experienced she is impossible to impress. Everyone seemed to be excited to try all their surprises. And, it made me realize that baskets should not be just for Christmas, but are just as exciting to receive for Easter, or birthdays or anniversaries or any time gifts. Keep that in mind.

It’s been pretty breakneck speed since Christmas as well. Our family Christmas was after Christmas in Petaluma with about 75 of us, yes, 75. Then back to work organizing the products and meeting my invaluable friend Carole who was nice enough to show up at LAX with the two suitcases of goods that were waaaaay over my maximum limit to return with when I came back in November. So, fully loaded, I have been working on the latest newsletter / price list ever since, with only short breaks for a couple of birthdays.

The newsletter just went out. Lots of Mauro Berardi’s World Famous Spices from Campo dei Fiori mixes are available. It always impresses me how far Mauro has reached with his spices. I’ve had contacts from all over the world looking to replace the spices bought from him in Rome. It is a great to know that I can bring them to people who can not make it back to Italy to get them in person. Mauro may sell spices to visitors from all over the world but he refuses to even use email. And, he has enough difficulty shipping within Italy and will never attempt to ship outside the country. I get contacted from people from Austria to Australia looking for His spice mixes. Often while the costs for shipping (and customs restrictions) make it impossible, I am able to work with ever Increasing numbers of people who revere his mixes. It is lucky for all the US and Canadian customers for sure.

I’m excited to get the honey, spices, and condiments that I have on hand sold so I can make another trip back in the spring. And, for the first time in a decade the exchange rate is not so bad. I just checked my exchange rate for transferring funds and it is currently $1.19 through the foreign exchange. which is fabulous. It’s most often been closer to $1.40. It’s exciting not to feel like you are paying a penalty for anything bought in Europe.

They put a banner at the Trevi fountain this week to commorate the passing of Anita Ekberg, the wonderful actress who waded into the Trevi Fountain in the movie “La Dolce Vita” this last week. Ironically, the fountain she waded in is currently without water. There is restoration work being done on the Trevi for the next year or so. It’s quite a shock to see that huge fountain drained and shrouded while they work on it. They have managed to make it interesting by putting a transparent walkway all the way at the back of the fountain allowing visitors to walk around the back of the fountain. Strange, but interesting. Oh, and they left a little opening at the very front so you can still toss a coin into a little water dish.

If you have visited Rome and the Trevi fountain in the past seeing it now is a shock. Having been at that spot so many times it is just such an odd feeling looking at that structure so unrecognizable. With so many monuments and fountains in Rome there are always major projects going on to restore something and usually it takes a couple years to do the work so even if a major monument is not fully visible, there are numerous others that are. This month, they finish Quattro fountane – the four fountains at the corner of XX Settembre and via delle Quattro Fontane. Four beautiful late Renaissance fountains grace the corners of the intersection. They were so filthy I was hoping they would get to them before they started falling apart. They are due to be finished by late February. I understand the city refused to allow the new Bond movie to film a nightime car chase through that intersection fearing damage to the newly restored fountains and am relieved they decided to encourage them to use CGI. I am excited to see those fountains cleaned and restored on my next trip. I’ve always loved them.

In case you are not familiar with Expressly Italian’s mission; I act as a personal shopper for you in Italy. I can bring back duty free products you’ve purchased and want again or suggest products I have found in my travels throughout the country. Even those that travel often have found that having me bring back items for them saves them much aggravation and weight in carrying luggage back with them. I have established relationships with small sources that are helping me bring you the finest products available. Often these are not easily found even by residents and expats who live there, so it’s been a great treat to show up with things that even locals have not found. It has been thrilling to find every trip brings new friends who introduce me to different products and sources and experiences. It has been an exciting learning experience and I’ve been so happy to have you along for the journey. I hope you will continue to join me.

This spring brings with it the Milan Expo 2015, which sounds so exciting and I am looking forward to visiting. There are numerous feste and sagre that I will have to choose between including the South Tyrol Festival. If you have not visited Bolzano, you should make the effort on your next trip to get to Bolzano and Brixton Bressanone. So beautiful and the food is fabulous. And, the history of the area is fascinating.

As the ‘Slow Food Movement’ makes faster progress, Italy becomes ever more important in teaching us how to eat and how to grow our foods. And, hopefully, how to slow down and enjoy eating them for a more healthful and enjoyable life.

I know that is a goal for me this year. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any comments or suggestions. Follow along with me and we’ll explore together.

This entry was posted in Campo dei Fiori, Cooking Italian, Maremma, Mauro Berardi, Rome, travel, Tuscany and tagged Campo dei Fiori, cooking Italian, Food, honey, Italian food, Italian travel, maremma, Mauro Berardi, spices, Tuscany, Umbria.

Come Along on A Shopping Day

Posted on November 13, 2014

I thought it might be fun for you to experience a day of shopping with me. Well, sort of with me, you’ll be where you are, I’ll be doing the actual running and driving here in Italy. Yesterday, I spent the day running about the Maremma, one of my favorite shopping jaunts. It’s the sea coast area of southern Tuscany. An ancient area of rough and tumble cowboys and Etruscans, about a two hour drive from Rome.

Ok, here we go. Let’s hit the road.

It was a rainy day, but we didn’t let that dampen our spirits.

You really have to watch your speed. In addition to timing

your travel from one set of cameras to another a set distance so theyy can calculate how long it took you to reach the second set to see if you went over the speed limit, there are also a few other cameras set just in case they miss whe you speed up suddenly.

Our first stop was Orbetello. By then it was really raining. But Covitto was ready for us.

Going into Covitto's — Going into Covitto

And, yes, I had to ask what Femminelle was – it is not just female but a type of fish.

They are a very special fish shop, having been there for a very long time, bringing the catch from the boat in the morning to the store to sell. Really gorgeous fish indigenous to this area only. I bought some of their bottarga, some fish broth mix, and of course, the colatura, available only here and the Amalfi Coast, where the tradition of this elixer still exists. This liquid gold is the culmination of salted anchovies laid in chestnut baskets and the liquid allowed to slowly seep through a small hole in the bottom. A long, process, but the smooth taste is worth the wait, and renowned world wide. Since they use only the best of the fished anchovies (caught between March and July) you can understand why few outside this area have had the honor of even tasting it. You need only a few drops to make a unique dish.

Here’s a recipe for Spaghetti alla Colatura — it serves 2 for a main dish

200g durum wheat spaghetti

2 tsp colatura di alici (try less the first time to be sure it’s not too ‘fishy’ for you

6 tblspn extra virgin olive oil

1 clove of garlic

Fresh parsley

2 small chili peppers

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Toss in the pasta. As pasta reaches around three-quarter’s of the way through its cooking time, in a large pan, mix the olive oil, colatura, finely sliced garlic, finely chopped parsley. Heat just very slightly over low fire. Using pasta tongs, pick the spaghetti straight from the pot, into the pan, and finish its cooking in the colatura mix, adding salted water you cooked the pasta in, if necessary. Toss well over low heat until pasta is cooked al dente. Serve immediately, garnishing with a chili pepper. That is it. Simple, fast and people will always want to know what it is that is in the special sauce.

After Orbetello, we headed to Albinia. Although flooded horribly last year, they are rebounding as Maremmans are known historically to do. Albinia is home to La Parrina, which I had not visited before this trip. It seems each trip brings new people and places into my life.

La Parrina is a real find. It is a wonderful Agriturismo, a farm, a vineyard, and a produce grower with an Antica Fattoria that has the most fabulous foods, available. I’m only bringing a small sampling. They make a bitter orange marmelade that will be fabulous on cheese, or bread or almost anything. I’m already addicted. A Kumquat jam, some fig mixtures, and they also have some really interesting mixtures of vegetable jams.

Also in Albinia, I visited a very special Alimentary, with Francesco and Maura and got some La Salva products (no time to go to La Salva) as well as some of their other local specialties like agrodolce I’ve had before.

Then it was back in the card off to Roma again. A long, but productive day. The real difficulties lie in trying to decide what I can manage to fit with all the limitations of weight and sizes I have. Terribly difficult decisions have to be made. The pre-orders are obviously first and they are going to be very, very happy. I hope that as time goes on there will be enough people trying all these really special regional products that are not available anywhere else. They are from small producers who will never be able to compete with the giants who aree able to put stabilizers and chemicals into their products so they stay fresh on shelves for years. These are products from real food for real people. And, boy,can you taste the difference. You may not be able to visit the Maremma this year, but hopefully you’ll let me show you a little of their flavors. If you are not signed up for my newsletter, please send me an email and I’ll sign you up. Write expresslyitalian@gmail.com

This entry was posted in Campo dei Fiori, Italian food, Maremma, Mauro Berardi, Rome, travel, Tuscany and tagged colatura., Food, Italian travel, maremma, sea, Shopping Italy, spices, Tuscany.

A Month of Shopping and Guess What You Got?

Posted on April 23, 2014 Updated on April 23, 2014

I hope everyone will be as excited as I am about the wonders I’ve found to bring home. Please recognize Expressly Italian is still a work in progress. I need to know the things people are most interested in, what the costs are and how to fit enough into suitcases! Any feedback is really appreciated. And, I will investigate any special requests to the fullest. Every trip I find new sources and undiscovered “prodotti tipici” (typical products) from every region. All that said, there are some exciting and unique products for you to try right now.

The Italian honey bee is a gentler bee. A little smaller than the western version, it is a good producer of ripened honey. All this explains why Italian honey is so famous and treasured. Stefano, a Sardinian bee keeper says his honeys are the best in the world and he has broods that are collecting from flowers, trees and even some from the macchia (the Sardinian scrub that covers much of the island). Stefano assures me that not only do they produce the purest honey and most flavorful you can find. I know that his Girasole (sunflower) honey will be on my morning toast for sure. But, of course the bee keepers from Florence make the same claims as do the bee keepers in Umbria. Truthfully, they are all so rich in flavor it is hard to choose. I do know they are all harvested from the wild and they are pure and so much more flavorful than mass produced, over filtered honey. You owe it to yourself to taste as many as you can to find your personal favorite. I also acquired a few propolis (bee pollen) products from Sardinia.

I have some olive oils from Umbria and Tuscany and Tivoli. Only the freshest, purest virgin oils, of course. There’s white truffle oil too.

Black truffles! I found some wonderful preserved black truffle. These special little goodies are preserved in olive oil and have good till dates that guarantee they will last into next year. So think about a special dish and it will only improve with a bit of shaved truffle on it. And, I also found a thinly sliced white truffle preserved in oil as well.

Then there are the condomenti (which really translates as flavors). There is everything from the wine jellies, to preserves from frutti di bosco, and some special cherry marmellata that will make wonderful tarts. And mostarda, the sweet spicy condiment which is great on meats, or cheese or almost anything. These condiments add some interesting tastes to many dishes and that extra layering of flavor that separates a good meal from a great dish.

Then there’s some fantastic agrodolce – with either raspberries or figs. The agrodolce can be used like a hot sauce, just a little makes a big flavor difference.

From the Maremma (southern Tuscany) there is bottarga (the fish roe that is sprinkled onto pasta for a unique taste) as well as Colatura, the anchovy essence that is made only in a few places; it is impossible to find even in most of Italy. I’m getting these products directly from the farms and families that produce them so you know the quality and flavor is unmatched.

This time I am also bringing some Tuscan beans, including cicerchia, which is the oldest cultivated legume. I’ve been told that the traveling Roman army survived on cicerchia and grain (mostly corn and wheat). The cicerchia provided the protein, the grains the carbohydrates. Cicerchia is an extremely healthy food gaining in popularity here in Italy High in protein, phosphorus, , B1 and B2 and, of course, lots of fiber it’s very healthy. Usually it is used in soups, or in pasta dishes (Italians often use beans with pasta — garbanzo beans, or savona or other cannellini types). The Cicerchia that I’m bringing is split, so the cooking time is much less and doesn’t require soaking. I’ve also got lentils, some tiny white Tuscan beans that are like a small version of a cannellini bean (they also do not require soaking). And, there’s the occhiali bean, which looks a little like (but isn’t) our black eyed pea. Any or all of the type beans make excellent Ribollita or vegetable soup,

SThese are some of the dried beans and herbs used in Tuscan bean soup.

Or, you can try a very Tuscan way to eat the beans. Cook them till they are creamy, mash them a little, add salt and pepper to taste, put onto a toasted piece of bread and drizzle with a high quality olive oil. Really yummy. You too can become a “bean eater” as the Tuscans are called.

Chocolate was one of the most requested items and I brought a number of artisanal chocolates made in Perugia as well as a few other small towns in Umbria. There is a lot of chocolate and hopefully in October, when we return, we’ll be going to the international Chocolate festival in Torino and I can really overdose. In the meantime I’ve got plenty of choices for all tastes. Including packages of Ciobar, the hot chocolate that seems more like a pudding to me.

I’ll be sending out a newsletter with all the products available and their prices shortly. Remember, the quantities are limited, so don’t hesitate to order if you want something. And, you can place your request for the fall shipment at any time. If you are not already on my mailing list, please send a note to ExpresslyItalian@aol.com and I’ll be sure you receive updates and product listings.

The dried porcini are incredibly fragrant and so are the sun dried tomatoes. Both are unlike anything I’ve found in the U.S. They have so much flavor you use less of them, so they are quite reasonably priced. And, I have a great new selection of herbs and spices from Mauro Berardi, from Campo dei Fiori in Rome.

Come share the journey as I explore all that Italy has to offer.

This entry was posted in Italian food, Italy, Mauro Berardi, Rome, travel, Tuscany, Uncategorized and tagged Campo dei Fiori, cooking Italian, Food, honey, Italy, spices Mauro Berardi.

The Tuscan Maremma in Spring

Posted on April 13, 2014 Updated on April 13, 2014

I love the Maremma. So many people visit Tuscany and think they’ve seen it all after Sienna, Florence, Orvieto and maybe a few hill towns. Nope. The western part of Tuscany by the sea is so special, it deserves much more attention than it receives. On the other hand, it’s nice not to be over run with tourists. While the whole of the Maremma covers a large area, I know the area near Grosseto and south best.

The Maremma area has almost timeless roots. The Etuscans long before the Romans lived in this area. They built cities and developed agriculture in the midst of beautiful landscapes. Many of the people still living in this area are descendants of the Etuscans, a people who lived in this part of Italy long before the Romans. While much is unknown about their civilization, the Etruscan people were known to be intelligent, gentle people with many advances in their culture and few wars. They were easily made extinct by the Romans. There are many both Etruscan and Roman ruins in this area to be explored.

Pitigliano, Manciano and Montiano are only a few of the spectacular hill towns. But it’s the sea and the towns of Porto Santo Stefano, Orbetello, Albinia and Capalbio that keep my heart in the Maremma. Orbetello is on a thin strip of land that crosses in the middle of a coastal lagoon. The isthmus joins the Argentario to the Tuscan mainland. Although Orbetello is surrounded by lagoons it is also connected to the Mediterranean.

There has been a settlement in Orbetello since the 8th century BC! Being on the sea means fishing has always been important to it’s livelihood and culture.

Lagoon Orbetello 2 — Lagoon at the edge of Orbetello

Orbetello lagoon — Orbetello and the lagoon surrounding it

Orbetello is one of the few areas in Italy still producing bottarga, which is flaked and served simply with olive oil on warm bread or grated over vegetables and salads. It is finely grated and served over spaghetti to make their most famous dish ‘spaghetti alla bottarga’.

Covitto fish market has been in Orbetello since 1940. Domenico moved from the Amalfi Coast to Orbetello and brought his idea and process for making bottarga. His was the first Botarga made in this part of Italy. It is still made the same way. Bottarga di Muggine is famously used in Sicilian dishes. Buying the whole roe sack is quite expensive, but this grated bottarga is much easier to use and less expensive. It is wonderful over salads and vegetables, but the best known use is in Spaghetti alla Bottarga. You simply add a little olive oil to a pan, heat it and add a little red pepper flakes and add cooked pasta. Take it off the heat and sprinkle the Bottarga over the pasta and a good handful of fresh chopped parsley. So simple and yet so special. It takes only a little for very rich flavor. The 40 gram jar I have will last well past the end of this year if kept in the refrigerator. Bottarga is very rich in protein and Omega 3’s with a delicate and wonderful flavor.

Botarga from Orbetello — Bottarga from Covitto

Domenico also brought with him from Cetara, the process to make Colatura di alici. Anchovy Sauce. It’s definitely part of the slow food movement.

His famous amber condiment is delicate and available only in Italy. While they use it for pastas, it is a wonderful flavor for anything that needs a little depth of flavor. This amber magic is made by taking fresh caught anchovies with salt and laying them in a wooden container called a “terzigni”. After four or five months the liquid that comes out of the bottom hole in the container is harvested. It’s quite different than the Asian fish sauces. Delicate and uniquely flavored, it adds that indefinable extra to many dishes.

For an easy Pasta dish, use a simple pasta and cook it as directed on the package. When it’s about done, heat about 4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a pan, add a clove of garlic, being sure not to brown it, along with some red pepper flakes to taste, and about 3 Tablesppons of COLATURA DI ALICI with a little pasta water. Add the drained pasta and sprinkle fresh chopped parsley over and serve. Keep the COLATURA DI ALICI handy to add additional over the top of your pasta to taste. This should generously serve 4 people.

Covitto Catch — Colvitto’s fresh catch. This fish market has been ‘the’ place buy your fish in the area since WWII.

This area of Tuscany is full of regional typical products not generally seen outside the area. The Maremma is a mixture of farm lands, cattle ranches and seaside fishing villages. It’s well worth spending some time in this area and exploring the beaches as well as the ancient ruins all around you.

From Albinia I brought back Conserve to be used with cheese or bruschetta. One I love is called Conserva del Buttero. The Tuscan cowboys, horses and the Maremma sheepdog are all parts of this interesting area. The Conserva del Buttero’s ingredients include: peppers, peaches, apples, pepperoncino, apple vinegar, lemon juice and sugar. Wow is it great. It would be fabulous with meat as well as served with pears or apples. So many uses for these conserve. I hope you’ll try some of these magnificent specialties.

Please feel free to email me at ExpresslyItalian@aol.com if you have any questions or want any additional information. I do hope you have the chance to explore this part of Italy. I ended my week with a fabulous dinner made by a long time resident of Montiano who fixed a fantastic cinghiale, with juniper berries and raspberry agrodolce sauce. Thanks Penelope, it was better than any I’ve ever had.

Cinghiale — Penelope cooked a very special cinghiale – her own recipe.

I have so much more to tell you about this special area, I’ll have to make another blog entry sometime in the near future to tell you about Albinia, the fantastic Alimentari un Mare di Sapori and explain some of the other local products.

This entry was posted in Italian food, Italy, travel, Tuscany, Uncategorized and tagged Food, Italian food, Italy, maremma, sea, travel, Tuscany.