Dumpling; dummy...

I don't eat out often in America and so far that trend continues in Italy.  I'm lucky because the food at the farm has been great so far; this is Italy after all.  I've been blessed to be here during the holidays when food is the centerpiece of so much.  We often have potlucks where the whole farm community gets together to share food and friendship.  We even prepared a Christmas Eve dinner of traditional American holiday ingredients and items.  However, I did dine out yesterday when I travelled to Cortona.  Cortona is an ancient city near the border of  Umbria on the eastern slopes of Tuscany.  It is said to be one of Italy's oldest towns with origins to the 4th century BC.  It is a typical fortified, Tuscan hilltop town with serpentine streets and spectacular 2-mile views in nearly all directions.  I visited with some other Americans here at the farm who have been coming to Italy for nearly a decade.  Their intimate knowledge of Cortona was to my benefit when they chose a favorite restaurant.  La Grotta opens at noon, and we were the first customers of the day.  The restaurant competition in Italy is intense as nearly all of them keep their prices affordable, without sacrificing the details of service and decor.  With so much to choose from I went with the item that struck me first.  The dish I had was gnocchi of ricotta and spinach with a truffle sauce.  It was perfectly prepared and I savored every bite.  As it turns out, gnocchi is just Italian for dumpling and does not have to be made with potatoes.  Although potato gnocchi is the most common, we often associate gnocchi as strictly potato pasta in American.  Details like this are often lost when one culture incorporates words, techniques, foods or traditions from another culture.  Hope your brain enjoys this dish of knowledge as much as I enjoyed the actual gnocchi..... 

Representin' VA

Like a lot of people who work with food, I was inspired by my mother.  I have very fond memories of helping her in the kitchen at a young age.  So young in fact that I recall standing on a chair just to gain a view of the contents of the mixing bowl.  I think baking with kids is a great way to allow them to help in the kitchen and gain some real knowledge of math and measuring.  It's safer than cooking because you are generally removed from the heat source and have a limited need for knives.  Plus, what better way to clean a spatula or bowl than by a child's tongue licking it?  Now, as I spend most of my life away from my mom and her kitchen, she sends the goodies to me.  This holiday was no exception as I received my Christmas cookies on the 23rd.  This holiday in Europe marks the 3rd continent, including Antarctica, on which I have received my gift of homemade cookies from Virginia.  I can't always be home for the holidays, but my mom always discovers a way for home to be with me.  For Christmas I attended a homemade meal of gnocchi and ragu at a local Italian's home.  I was proud to offer the platter of my mom's homemade treats as a dessert offering.  The guests were amazed at how fresh the sweets were after having traveled from Virginia.  That's a credit to my mom's packaging ability.  They were even more amazed at how good the cookies and peanut butter fudge tasted.  Those compliments honor my mother's ability at the cutting board or in front of the stove.  Mom, thanks for the inspiration and a special thanks for the box of goodies!

How to shave a pig...a dead one that is

So this week I had my intimate introduction to proper Italian butchering and salumi processing. And what an introduction it was! Because of my slow learning curve and the timely fashion of dealing with dead animals I worked 54 hours out of 78 hours; including a 19 hour marathon. I can't really begin to explain how much I learned in that time frame. The pigs arrived slaughtered and cleaned, but the rest was up to us. I worked primarily under the farm's butcher Riccio, but Piero, the master butcher who used to work here, showed up to help as well. I actually caught myself just watching Piero work at times. He is a master and I don't use that term lightly either. His motions were so precise and fluid that they inspire me. Riccio has worked with three different master butchers and is incorporating ideas and techniques from all to create his own program. Some methods don't change and are very traditional. It is an honor for me to be included in the making of these products that we will feature at the market tomorrow and in the future. The processing is divided into two types of meat/salami; fresh and aged. The aged products require very special care and handling since time, temperature and humidity are the components that create the desired flavor and texture. We make proscuitto, and two types of aged salumi in addition to cappicola. The fresh division includes real soppresatta, ribs, liver, spleen, pork chops and fresh sausage. We use a combination of pig and cow intestines for our salumi depending on the type. Despite the stages of exhaustion I endured, the process was amazing. I am actually looking forward to the next time so I can learn even more and apply what I already know. But, the best part of course is eating the results of our labor. Yum!

Let me see your salami!

Thought I'd share my new favorite spot in Italy.  I found it while strolling through Siena the other day.  Siena is the closest city to me, only 20 minutes by car.  The old part of the city is a labyrinth of narrow alleys and corridors.  It was actually designed to confuse enemy invaders and I imagine it is still working to disorient tourists.  

I'm standing in front of a salumi shop; the bike is merely a decoration.  Given my fondness for food, I could not resist.  The aroma of the curing meats and cheeses was intoxicating.  I witnessed new shapes and sizes of salumi, all handcrafted on the premises.  I chose the cingahle (ching-ga-lay) proscuitto and a local young pecorino cheese.  The cingahle is the local wild boar and is used in nearly all the same manners as we (Americans) use pork.  The Italians have a long and rich history of wild boar hunting and actually bred some of the bull terrier dogs to aid in controlling the fierce beast before administering the death-blow.  Needless to say it was truly delicious.  I used my elementary Italian to explain to the young butcher that I am living on a nearby farm and learning to make salumi.  Despite this intimate connection we shared around curing meat, we would not allow pictures to be taken inside.  Sorry, you're stuck with me and the shop window....

Ciao Amici!

Hello from Italy.  Clearly I have not had enough time to update my blog and all the happenings here in the Tuscan countryside. A farmer's work is never dome you know!  Really things are great.  I am busy learning new skills and a new language as well.  The maintenance around the farm can be staggering and we know that what was not done today will certainly be there tomorrow.  In addition to household chores, cooking and cleaning, there are chickens, pigs, cows and sheep to tend to.  Everyday presents a new challenge.  It can be weather; lots of rain so far, mechanical problems with the fences or equipment, escaping pigs, birthing mothers, sick animals or basic training of the new staff and volunteers.  My Italian is progressing well and I am quite proud of my ability to tour through Siena or the countryside and speak their language.  I begin to butcher next week and that will present even more challenges, but unparalleled excitement.  Stay tuned.....

Keep on Truckin'

As much as I appreciate truck stops all across America, I cannot tolerate their food.  Dare I even call it that.  Need we fuel our vehicles and our bodies at the same location?  I say no, but more and more American drivers are saying yes.  Even more ironic?  The fact that corn is supplying a greater amount of the fuel in the store and at the pump too.  We are what we eat, and grow, and subsidize, and pump these days too.  So, being the road food warrior that I am, I take matters into my own hands.  This delicious treat of yogurt, granola and raspberries provided me with the necessary energy for my own long haul.  Prepared the night before my departure, it was a welcomed sight to the selection at the "Flying J" truck stops plastered along I-70.  But, on a warm note, there is one particular truck stop that is a must see.  Not because of its food, but its arsenal.  White's Truck Stop along I-81 is a classic and offers something that I've never seen at another one anywhere.  Seriously, and if you're ever in Virginia; and I hope you are, check it out in person.  Or electronically now...

Appetizer....

And so begins my adventure of blogging.  What better way to start, than with a cheese platter of course?  Consider this just an appetizer of a six month culinary and cultural adventure on which I am about to embark.  I can't really say when or where the main dish will be served, but; be warned, the menu will change often.  Portion sizes are not limited and guests my visit the buffet as often as they wish.  No need to obtain a clean plate....