HOLIDAY TRADITIONS

…the iconic images of our culture.
Not surprisingly, a good many of my memories concerning holidays are centered on food. As I have been pondering my own experiences, I have also been thinking about other people’s food memories as well as some of the iconic images of our culture.
My question…
Playing with this theme, I decided that it would be fun to take a quick reading of the experiences of the partners at Avanti Savoia: Doug, Ben and Vito. My question to each was, “What holiday food experiences or family traditions stand out in your mind?”
…the treasure was mostly his to relish alone.
Doug, remembering his childhood in Chicago, answered that it was a marvelous 5 pound fruitcake given to his father each Christmas by a now long defunct neighborhood bakery. Doug was the only member of his family to enjoy fruitcakes and so the treasure was mostly his to relish alone. I’ve always loved them as well, and have often wondered why they are the butt of so many jokes and yet so prevalent around the holidays. Somebody, besides me and Doug, must love them too.
…still prepared by his family much to his delight.
Ben’s reply reflected a much more contemporary take on the subject. He remembers Christmas Eve at his grandparent’s home with his aunts providing food for the celebration. A couple of dishes stand out for him. One was a layered concoction of cream cheese, cocktail sauce and crabmeat served with crackers. The other was bacon wrapped water chestnuts served with a tangy sauce. These favorites are still prepared by his family much to his delight.
…centuries of Piedmont tradition…
Now this whole conversation took an entirely different tone when I questioned the very Italian, Vito de Carolis. Vito’s experiences reflect centuries of Piedmont tradition that we Americans can only imagine. He stressed that Italian traditions are very definitely regional and are different in different parts of his country.
“must haves”
Vito states outright that he “can’t have Christmas Eve” without Cappelleti, literally “little hats”. Similar to tortellini, Vito fills this pasta with a savory mixture of cooked beef, mortadella, cheese, spinach and nutmeg. Scapece ranks high on his list of “must haves”, as well. This version consists of pieces of eel, fried with onion, garlic and sage and then marinated in white wine vinegar.
…the de Carolis family feasts
On Christmas day, at their home in the city of Turin, the de Carolis family feasts on the classic Vitello Tonnato, a carefully prepared cold veal dish with tuna sauce. Chocolate Mousse, a white Moscato wine from the Piedmont and of course, the Christmastime favorite, Panettone, which is available now from Avanti Savoia.
…a venerable collection of cookie cutters
As for me, making sugar cookies with my Dad was a holiday treat. Using an old family recipe and a venerable collection of cookie cutters, my father was an accomplished sugar cookie baker. My grandmother always made wonderful candies like Divinity and fudge, but I do not remember the children helping with these projects. I do remember the adults enjoying a “Lemon Stew” at my parents’ home. It was always served in a beautiful German tureen with matching cups, I have no idea where the name originated, but the beverage was simply hot lemonade spiked with a little bourbon.
The Puritans…even outlawed Plum Pudding
Now, I’m going to move onto the “Spirit of Christmas Past, Present and Future” all at the same time. Like most of us, I grew up with the story and imagery of Charles Dickens’ classic, A Christmas Carol, first published in 1843. The life and work of Dickens has had an enormous influence on Christmas celebrations both in Britain and America. In the early 19th century the celebration of Christmas in England was in decline. The Puritans had been highly critical of such “displays” and even outlawed Plum Pudding as “sinfully rich.” Dickens championed the idea of a joyous celebration of Christmas for all, especially the English working class as personified by Bob Cratchit. I always enjoyed any and all of the versions of A Christmas Carol that happened to be on TV, but I was intrigued and puzzled by the dramatic serving of the “Christmas Plum Pudding” at the end of the Cratchit family’s Christmas feast.
A pudding made from plums?
Certainly nothing in my family’s world even resembled this curiosity. A pudding made from plums? Somewhere in my career I became vaguely familiar with the dish, but I actually never tasted or made one until about 20 years ago. As a matter of fact, plum pudding never contained plums at all. “Plum” was a term that in the 17th century generally referred to raisins and other dried fruits which are included in the dense, rich pudding. Here is where the story gets a little more interesting and personal for me.
…the answer was yes.
One night in early December a couple of decades ago, I was finishing the last of the orders in a little restaurant in Texas. Just before we “broke down the kitchen” for the night, the captain came to me and said, “Chef, there is a very nice gentlemen with a small group of guests that have just come in the door. Could you please still serve them?” The line was still set, the oven on, the butter clarified, and the mise en place reasonably intact and so of course, the answer was yes.
…the “nice gentleman” wished to have a word with the chef.
In came the orders, out went the plates and the cleanup proceeded. In due time the captain returned and reported to me that the diners were very happy and that the “nice gentleman” wished to have a word with the chef. Out I went and introduced myself to the guests. They offered a round of gracious comments and then the “nice gentleman” introduced himself.
…this clearly was a special man with a colorful personality
In an unmistakable British accent and with the most courtly manners he introduced himself to me as Cedric Charles Dickens, the great-grandson of Charles Dickens (yes, that Charles Dickens)! In the restaurant and catering business one does meet all manner of celebrities, but this clearly was a special man with a colorful personality straight out of one of his famous great-grandfather’s novels.
He…promised me his grandfather’s recipe.
Cedric (pronounced said-drick) asked me to join them over a glass of wine, and we talked and we talked. Certainly one of the main topics was “Dickensian” food. He extolled the preparation, serving and enjoying of Christmas Plum pudding and promised me his grandfather’s recipe. Sure enough, a few days later a copy appeared of Cedric Dickens’ book, Dining with Dickens. Described as “a ramble through Dickensian foods”, the book contained not only a most generous and complimentary inscription to me, but also the original recipe for “A Christmas Pudding’ as prepared by Mrs. Cratchit herself!

A CHRISTMAS PUDDING

6 oz. breadcrumbs

6 oz brown sugar
12 oz currants

8 oz. sultanas
4 oz. muscatels
2 ½ oz mixed peel
7 oz. suet

3 oz. Guinness

pinch of salt

pinch of mixed spice

3 medium eggs

1 oz. Pussers Rum

Thoroughly mix all the dry ingredients with the suet taking care not to overmix. Break the eggs into a bowl and whisk to mix the yolk and white together, then pour in the Guinness and rum while whisking. Moisten the dry mix with all the liquor and leave until next day before placing in a cloth and steaming for 5 hours.

All that I will add is to say that I steam mine in a covered glass or ceramic bowl. I also enjoy allowing the pudding to age for at least 2 or 3 months, drizzled occasionally with a little brandy. To serve, I steam it again for at least another hour. Next, it is unmolded, placed on a tray and flambéed with brandy and has a sprig of holly stuck in the top. Although not mentioned in the original, I always have served my puddings with Hard Sauce.

HARD SAUCE

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
½ cup brandy
½ tsp. vanilla extract

Cream the butter with powdered sugar until fluffy. Add brandy and vanilla extract and mix until smooth. Offer a generous serving with Christmas Puddings or other desserts.

“Ever the best of friends”
CEDRIC CHARLES DICKENS
1916-2006

CREATING COMMUNITY

FISH Hospitality Pantries, where sharing food is just the beginning

“not all pantries are stocked as well as ours”

From our beginning, Avanti Savoia has always been fanatically dedicated to the highest quality products. We take our motto, “Culinary Treasures from around the World” very seriously. We are passionate and enthusiastic about bringing our treasures to your pantry, but we are also realistic and aware that not all pantries are stocked as well as ours.

“this is in our backyard!”

The headquarters of Avanti Savoia is located in Knox County, Tennessee, where it is estimated that some 47,000 people live in poverty. Children make up 40% of this group. This is not some remote and exotic part of the globe, this is in our backyard! We are fortunate however to have an extraordinary local organization addressing this problem.

“These are very real people”

As part of the FISH network of food pantries, Hospitality Pantries, Inc. is a non-profit, all-volunteer organization working to end hunger by providing over 12,000 food packages each month in our county alone. This is more than all other local food pantries combined. These are very real people, not just numbers. To prevent hunger and assure adequate nutrition is certainly the organization’s primary purpose, yet there are other goals as well.

“All who come for food are welcomed as guests.”

Hospitality Pantries are about relationship and people working together toward a more compassionate and just community for all people. The pantry strives to be “a hospitable, non-judgmental presence in the community that respects human dignity and privacy. All who come for food are welcomed as guests.”

“One thing is certain…you will be assured of getting some food. No one will ever be turned away.”

Not all food pantries are created equal nor do they have the same approaches to their missions. I was certainly aware that food pantries existed and had even worked at restaurants that participated in such programs. Even so, I knew very little about the day to day reality of a working food pantry. There are a number of pantries that offer only occasional assistance and many that are quite strict in their guidelines for qualifying for assistance. “One thing is certain. If you are in need of food, and you can get to one of our pantries on any given day, you will be assured of getting some food. No one will ever be turned away,” writes Beth Carroll Hunley, Hospitality Pantries Community Organizer.

“It was not long before I contacted the director”

About a dozen years ago I did a little looking around at the state of local food pantries in order to assist a “down on his luck” acquaintance. As I arranged for my friend to pick up some needed food, I spoke at length with a volunteer at the Hospitality Pantry. I was intrigued by their attitude and underlying philosophy that seemed to be in such contrast to other programs. It was not long before I contacted the founder and Director, Jim Wright and committed myself as a new (and naïve) volunteer. From the beginning of the program in the 1980’s, Jim Wright knew that feeding the hungry should be accomplished without limitations and in a non-judgmental way. He believed that people were nourished as much in the way they were treated as by the food itself. He asked volunteers to suspend judgment. To quote Mr. Wright, “Givers and receivers are united, for in helping to free others we are ourselves freed by the same spirit”. It was in the context of a new volunteer, that I began to appreciate the concept of non-judgmental welcoming that is so central to this organization’s work. Through my work with other volunteers, I began to confront my own pre-conceived attitudes and subtle prejudices. I’ve always considered myself to be relatively open minded and compassionate person; but my experience was really one of shock as I began to recognize my own personal elitism.

“distinction between the “helpers” and those that need “help” is constantly blurred”
As important as is the need for food, the pantry is also committed to be a place in the community where people from diverse backgrounds, races, heritages and economic circumstances, can come together to create true community. On a typical day the pantry is a beehive of activity and energy. It is not unusual to hear bits of Spanish, Russian, German and even Romanian spoken by the busy volunteers. People from varied circumstances are transformed by being in relationship with one another. This experience has allowed diverse members of the community to grow, learn, and enjoy one another. The distinction between the “helpers” and those that need “help” is constantly blurred as these relationships develop and artificial boundaries disappear.

“Avanti Savoia is very happy to contribute”

Donated food is only a part of the pantry’s program, because a great deal of their food must be purchased. That of course means cash and that cash comes from individuals, business interests, churches, certain foundations and the all important Gift Card Project. Avanti Savoia is very happy to contribute various food products to the Hospitality Pantries throughout the year as well as participate in their main fundraiser, the Gift Card Project. Last year over $63,000 was raised from the gift card project. For just $5, or any multiple of $5, you can spread goodwill and feed hungry families at the same time. With this gift, a family of four can be fed for three days with just a $5 gift. Please consider this meaningful gift in your holiday gift buying frenzy. We have included in this post a sample of this year’s card. For more on this vital project and other information, please visit their website at http://www.fishhospitalitypantries.org/.

A GOULISH FEAST

“Even a man who is pure in heart
and says his prayers by night,
may become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms
and the autumn moon is bright!”
“THE WOLF MAN”
Universal Pictures, 1941

Halloween 2008

“Part of our collective consciousness”
Estimates vary, but Americans celebrating this holiday add up to big business and it seems each year to be increasingly more popular. The way we celebrate Halloween has evolved over the years as well. It is not even a very old a tradition in the US, although it may seem like it has always been part of our collective consciousness.

“It’s just a good party”
Much of the impetus came with Irish immigrants in the mid-nineteenth century. Along with many other customs, they brought their celebration of All Hallows Eve, which in turn was an evolution of the Celtic Festival of the Dying Year also known as Samhain (pronounced sow-in). Not that modern Trick or Treaters care that much about the history because for most of us, it’s just a good party.

“We love to be scared”
We love to be scared or at least to pretend to be. Bram Stoker published his masterpiece Dracula, in 1897, and it has never been out of print. It was the classic Gothic horror films from Universal Pictures that instilled the images that many of us still associate with Halloween, or at least those of us of a certain age.

“Approach the feast with the proper dread”
Halloween candy sales are second only to Christmas and although trick or treating for candy remains a privilege for the young, there is no reason we all can’t enjoy a dinner party with a spooky theme. Surely, no one has excelled more than Martha Stewart at making Halloween into a modern celebration, a fact that a quick trip to her website will confirm. However, there are so many possible inspirations, planning a grown-up Halloween party is an activity that anyone can enjoy. Decorating is a blast and creepy music is a must. Here is an Avanti Savoia take on the theme. Go to the trouble of writing out your menu in a creative way so that your guests can approach the feast with the proper dread!

EYEBALL HIGHBALLS
(Vodka Martinis garnished with half a stuffed olive
frozen in circular shaped ice tray “cubes”)
TOADSKINS AND POND SLIME
(Indian crisp bread with cilantro/mint sauce)
WITCHES FINGERS AND CRYPT OOZE
(Finger shaped pretzels with blue cheese dip)
BEACH SPIDER SOUP
(Crab bisque)
DEVILED BAT
(Grilled Cornish game hens or quail with backbones removed)
STUFFED TOADSTOOLS WITH A MOST UNPLEASANT SAUCE
(Baked mushrooms with an orange Hollandaise sauce)
JACK O’LANTERN PIE
(Pumpkin pie topped with a cut out pastry face- see following recipe)




Preparing a Fresh Pumpkin
Canned pumpkin can be successfully used to make this pie. However, during the holidays when pumpkins are easily obtainable, it is a snap to prepare puree from a fresh pumpkin using the method described here. Select a fresh, firm pumpkin free from blemishes. One small pumpkin will do nicely for two or three recipes. Wash pumpkin with warm water and dry thoroughly. Lightly oil pumpkin and place it on a baking tray. Bake in 350 degree oven for one hour. Pumpkin is ready when it is soft to the touch. Remove tray from oven and allow to cool. When cooling, the pumpkin will begin to collapse. When it’s cool enough to handle carefully remove the stem and peel away the browned skin, which should come off quite easily. Split open the pumpkin and scoop out seeds and stringy fibers. Seeds may be saved for roasting. Cut the remaining flesh into chunks and finely puree in food processor. Can be prepared 2 or 3 days in advance.

Pie Crust Pastry
Pastry for one 9 inch pie

2 cups sifted all purpose flour
¼ cup butter
¼ cup shortening
4-5 Tblsp. ice water
1 egg, beaten

1. Measure sifted flour and combine with butter in food processor fitted with steel blade. Blend for a short time until mixture resembles cornmeal.
2. Add shortening and blend again until mixture looks like small peas.
3. With the food processor running, add ice water a tablespoon at a time until the dough forms a ball. Remove dough from food processor, wrap in plastic wrap and let dough rest in the refrigerator at least for an hour, although it can be prepared to this point and kept for several days ahead.
4. When ready to bake pie, roll out about 2/3 of the prepared dough with rolling pin and fit into 9 inch pie pan. Crimp edges, brush lightly with beaten egg and allow pastry to rest in refrigerator for 15 or 20 minutes before baking. Save enough dough to roll out and cut triangles for eyes and nose, also cut out a wide smile, all of which is placed on top of the pie before baking to make the “Jack O’lantern” face.


Ingredients for Pumpkin Filling
1 ½ cups fresh pumpkin puree or one 14&1/2 oz. canned pumpkin
1 Tblsp. flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsps. Ground Ginger #32065*
½ tsp. freshly grated Nutmeg #32080*
½ tsp. ground Allspice #32071*
2 tsps. Ground Cinnamon #32031
½ tsp Sel de Mer ( fine ) #35021*
1 1/3 cup half and half
2 eggs and 1 egg yolk, slightly beaten

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees

1. Combine all ingredients except eggs and refrigerate for a couple of hours. When ready to bake the pie, fold eggs into filling and pour into the pastry lined pie pan. Top with pastry face, gently place on metal cookie tray and bake in lower third of oven.

2. Bake pie for 15 minutes at 425 degrees, reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue baking for another 35 to 40 minutes until done. Serve hot or room temperature with sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

THE GARDEN THING

"A bumper crop of weeds"

MAY ‘08

My wife, Gail and I planted our first garden together in the summer of 1996. We were very excited about it and spent a great deal of time (for the next eleven years) building our soil, tending, harvesting and enjoying. Some years we managed three different seasonal plantings and Gail canned with a passion. Last spring we both faced some health issues and in truth, we were also just really tired of the hard work and daily responsibility. So, for over a year we allowed the garden to “lay fallow” and produce a bumper crop of weeds.

"A reason to escape going to the gym"

However, a good break seems to have been very beneficial, at least for us and maybe for our garden. We have in years past, cultivated thirty two-12 foot rows. Work that was mostly accomplished using hand tools and a lot of effort. I saw the hard labor as a reason to escape going to the gym and there was a real satisfaction from the work and the edible results. This year we have decided that we would invest in some better machinery including a fine new tiller. There is still plenty of exercise involved and it is certainly more practical. We have also cut down on the amount of tilling required by cultivating only the rows in which we plant.

"Certain patterns have emerged"

I have been interested to note the upsurge of interest in gardens this year partly due to the downturn in the economy. I suppose that perhaps money can be saved on groceries by growing your own, but it is not a freebie- not by a long shot. Over our previous years of experience certain patterns have emerged. A half acre of corn proved to be a 3 year exercise in frustration due to the damage from storms, droughts and marauding raccoons. At the rate at which two people can enjoy fresh corn, it is easier and more economical to just purchase it from some local farmers. Any financial savings by way of a garden will be welcome of course, but for us it is really about the fantastic flavor, quality and purity.

We are planting the crops that we have had the best experience with in the past in terms of maintenance and productivity. This year that means tomatoes, peppers, beans, okra, lettuce, onions, greens, cucumbers, eggplants, herbs and flowers.

"That vision of the bounty of beautiful produce"
JUNE ‘08

Gardens always start out as an exercise in some kind of faith. Faith that those seeds will sprout, the seedlings will grow, the bugs and diseases will give you a break and that there will be enough sunlight and rain. How else could anyone put so much work and effort into a project if there wasn’t a great deal of faith that it will succeed? Then there is that vision of the bounty of beautiful produce. Now, after a month or so this particular year’s challenges began to be apparent, as I guess they are every year.

First, we seem to have a problem with our seed crops sprouting, especially the flowers and some of the herbs. Even old reliables like sunflowers are coming up with big gaps or simply not coming up at all. The pepper sets are small and growing very slowly. Everything else seems slow and a little stunted… Hmmm… to replant or not…Hmm.The lettuces and onions are delicious.

We have plenty of fresh basil, 24 feet of in fact. We call it Vito’s Basil Patch in honor of our Italian Partner at Avanti Savoia, Vito De Carolis. There are tomatoes, cukes and okra coming along and there is still hope. I don’t think one can garden without hope.

"RAIN "

It is dry and even though I have been watering, it really is not the same as rain. I am beginning to worry about our crop of wild raspberries. There are plenty of buds but some of the leaves are withering and that means that they are thirsty! We usually harvest around the 4th of July, but for that to happen…well, you know-RAIN. We depend on well water at Cabbage Creek (that’s what we named our little mini-farm) for drinking and living as well as watering the garden. Our well has never run out but I monitor the springs and creek all year just to get a clue about the water table level and it’s not looking good. If we reach a certain point I will be very reluctant to use any more well water than necessary.

Our next issue is sunlight- in the year and a half since we have had a garden, I’m wondering if the surrounding trees have grown just enough to make shade a problem. Removing a bunch of big branches might do it, but that will require some outside assistance.

JULY ‘08

I’ve been monitoring the amount of sunlight in the garden very carefully and I’m now convinced that there is just not quite enough. We are harvesting beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants, lettuce, onions, cilantro and basil. But the amount of the harvest is not what it should be by this time of the season. I’m beginning to doubt whether or not there will be any peppers at all.

"Berry pickin’ party"

The rains have come however, and just in time. Not enough to really erase our rainfall deficit, but enough to help out the garden and bring on a decent harvest of raspberries. We look for them to be ripe the first part of July each year and sure enough, they were right on time. We had a “berry pickin’ party” a couple of days after the 4th of July with some friends and family. Baskets full of ripe raspberries are a beautiful sight. Although, I found myself down with a back ache, we did manage a good harvest and a good time. As is our tradition, we enjoyed fresh raspberry Margaritas with our guests.

As the month has slipped by, my priority in the garden has been weeding and mulching.
The weeds not only steal moisture and nourishment, they also block precious sunlight from the less tall plants. The mulching is indispensable in preventing more weed growth and the conservation of moisture along the plant rows.

Finally, the pepper plants are blooming and putting on more foliage, we will probably get a few anyway, but I doubt that they will be prolific. Some seasons we have been almost overwhelmed with the abundance of peppers. Like the old cliché, “feast or famine” this is going to be a thin year for peppers.

AUGUST ‘08
"All the hard work pays off (or sometimes not) "

Summer is half over and the hottest and most humid time of the year is here. In the northern hemisphere this time has been known as “the dog days of summer”, since the time of the Egyptians. As miserable a time as it can be, it is also the heart of the harvest time in our garden as well as the time for fall planting. We already have a row of mixed greens from which we have just now started harvesting, but within the last few days we will have planted radishes, turnips, spinach and a row of lettuce. Each year we usually plant a progression of lettuces over the season, so when one row plays out we have a new one ready to supply us with fresh salads. This is the time that all the hard work pays off (or sometimes not) and that we get to enjoy real garden bounty! We have also been fortunate in as much as the rains have come just in time the last few weeks.

"Okra"

My wife Gail has been busy caning. Beans, pickles and a particularly southern specialty, pickled okra. Okra was brought to America from Africa (some say Ethiopia, actually) and cultivation quickly spread all over the south. Besides being pickled, fresh okra is also enjoyed fried, steamed, braised, boiled and perhaps it is best known as an ingredient in some gumbos. Okra is a food that most people either love or hate. Okra does produce a viscous substance when cooked that is useful as a thickener, although some folks find it “slimy” and reject it on that basis alone. If you have access to the pods when they are very small (about 3 inches) they are delicious and less slimy when lightly steamed and served with Hollandaise sauce.

In just the last few days it is clear that the beans and cukes are on their last leg as expected this time of year. It makes the last of them even “sweeter”, knowing that their time is about over. But as one vegetable fades and takes its final bow, another fills its place. In this case our first good “mess” of mixed greens has arrived and they are excellent.

"Amaranth"

Also, even though I have not yet mentioned it, we have been harvesting and eating Amaranth greens all summer. Amaranth was once considered a weed and in practical terms, in our garden it still is- albeit a delicious and very nutritious one. We first planted it 6 or 7 years ago as a novelty and then discovered just how adapt it is in returning each year. It grows, well like a weed. But instead of just removing it from where it pops up, we eat it. Very similar in flavor and texture to spinach and interchangeable in any recipe calling for spinach, which is a good thing considering that we will probably never be able to get rid of it.

SEPTEMBER ‘08
"The garden is not going to be overgrown this year"

We are thankful that our well water has remained dependable, because we had only one significant rain during the whole month of August. As I have already noted, the 2008 season has not been our most prolific garden but still satisfying enough. Our fall crops are developing nicely, better actually than our spring plantings and the promise of fall is right around the corner. I’m already beginning to think about turning under spent rows and building the soil over the winter. No matter what we decide to plant next spring, the garden is not going to be overgrown this year.


"Like tattered curtains in an old abandoned house"

Now, it is the last few days of summer and although hardly the end of the garden, everything has changed. The formerly lush cucumber vines are pale and very dead. They flutter in the breeze like tattered curtains in an old abandoned house. In the next day or two I will pull them up and discard them. The okra has stopped producing entirely, but to my surprise the Half White Runner beans have still been making, as are the tomatoes. At long last, the peppers are finally doing great. The basil will fade soon, even though we have kept it well tended and enjoyed it often. We will probably freeze some, but it just isn’t the same as fresh.

"Moon flowers "

We are still enjoying several varieties of cutting flowers and a particular pleasure for us has been the moon flowers (Ipomoea alba). If you don’t know this beautiful ornamental, you should. In our region it is grown as an annual and blooms in the evening, so as to be pollinated by the moth population. Huge white blossoms on trailing vines makes for an impressive showing, but they have no food use and are in fact, poisonous.

"THE AUTUMN TRANSITION "

With the summer season ended, we now begin to weigh the benefits of our garden versus the drawbacks. First, the costs- as I have noted, gardening is not a free lunch, but it is a big lunch! Even if our produce was not in huge amounts, there was still plenty to eat and enough for limited canning. I’m not really sure that my wife would have found time for a monster canning season anyway.

"Committed to growing our garden organically"

Then there is the quality, which is excellent, but as with anything organic not perfectly symmetrical or without blemishes. We are committed to growing our garden organically. To us, that means growing without chemical pesticides or fertilizers. Going “green” in this sense also means less polluted soil, groundwater, rivers, streams, and creeks. In years past I have noted with alarm the increasing “bloom” of algae in our own Cabbage Creek from the wash off of chemical fertilizers from other farms further upstream. It also means less dependence on commercial produce that has to be trucked in resulting in the use of more fossil fuels.

Another very important piece of this picture is composting! We save most kitchen scraps (except flesh and bones) for the compost pile. We actually have two 10’ X 10’ pits in which we dump our scraps along with other yard waste. We harvest the composted matter from each pit alternatively and work it into our soil. This method not only provides an excellent alternative to commercial fertilizers but makes our garbage much less offensive.
Sitting in a shaded spot…sipping a little wine
Perhaps less tangible, but still very valuable to us is the simple pleasure we receive from just working the soil, tending our crops and just spending time together outside in such a beautiful setting. Some of my best memories of our gardening experience involve sitting in a shaded spot at the end of a day sipping a little wine and talking quietly with my wife Gail.

"Garden journaling"

Will we do it again next year? Absolutely! Although this post is (finally) ending here, I have been so inspired by the garden journaling experience that I plan to continue writing about it each month. I’m looking forward to sharing that collection of thoughts with you again in the early spring of 2009.

The salads of “Cabbage Creek” have long been a favorite of ours and our guests. Access to the wonderful extra virgin olive oils, balsamic and wine vinegars and other seasonings from Avanti Savoia only enhances the prospects. A salad bowl with fresh baby lettuces is always welcome with any number of variations based on this simple vinaigrette dressing.

Basic American Vinaigrette
Yields about 1 cup
Ingredients: (* available at Avanti Savoia.com)
½ cup *Red (#25001) or *White (#25002) Wine Vinegar by Claudio Rosso
2 tsp. Sel Gris Velvet sea salt* #35049
1 Tblsp. freshly ground black peppercorn* #32000
3 cloves fresh garlic, minced and mashed
½ tsp. sweet paprika* #32100
1 Tblsp. Dijon mustard
4 to 6 Tblsps. Avanti Savoia extra virgin olive oil* #10090

In a small bowl, combine salt and vinegar and beat well.
Add pepper, garlic, paprika, and Dijon. Mix well.
Next, beat in oil until smooth and toss with salad.
Do note that this is an American version, not classic Italian Vinaigrette. If you should wish to be a little more authentically Italian, try Don Vito’s Classic Italian Vinaigrette recipe from our August 12, 2008 post entitled “A Conversation Between Cooks.” The vinaigrette should not be made until just before using and the salad should not be dressed until ready to serve.

AN AVANTI SAVOIA BIRTHDAY PARTY

Cool Food for a Hot Celebration

It is a nice thing to enjoy the company of your co-workers. Ben Slocum, the young president of Avanti Savoia is one of those enjoyable people. I consider Ben to be a computer wizard, although I’m sure that he would quickly disagree. In the almost two years that I have been Avanti’s Chef Consultant, I have spent many hours working with Ben and have grown to like and respect him very much.
Computer illiterate meets cyberspace guru
Ben has become my cyberspace guru. I think it is fair to say that at the onset of my employment, I was a computer illiterate. It has been through Ben’s patient and expert instruction that I have (at least to a limited degree) joined communications in the 21st century.

This is a great time for Ben. He graduated from Tusculum College in 2004 with a degree in Business Administration and a MBA from the University of Tennessee in ’06 and now, he is the president of Avanti Savoia Imports. He is also a big sports fan, having played soccer in both high school and college. Somehow, he still finds time to be a volunteer soccer coach at the local high school.

The perfect excuse to celebrate

Other exciting news in Ben’s life is the recent purchase of a new home and his upcoming marriage to his dynamite fiancée, Erin. Ben’s recent 27th birthday was the perfect excuse (as though we needed one) to celebrate with my employer and friend. It was on a recent hot summer’s evening during a dramatic cloudburst that we gathered for the occasion.

The weather was much too hot for elaborate cooking at the party, so we decided on a cold three course menu that was mostly prepared ahead. The menu relied on our garden and a number of our good Avanti Savoia products and hopefully might suggest some party ideas of your own. Doug and Kathy Slocum (Ben’s parents) graciously hosted the party and provided some great vinos.

The Wines
Walter Hansel Winery Russian River Chardonnay ‘05
Siduri Russian River Pinot Noir ‘03
Tasmania Tuscan Cabernet Sauvignon ‘01

The Menu
(*available at Avanti Savoia, http://www.avantisavoia.com/)

Starters
Endive leaves stuffed with Pimiento*(Spanish Sweet Peppers #34500) Cheddar Cheese
Choux Paste puffs filled with White Tuna Salad*(Albo White Tuna Fillets#70010)
Fried Pappadums (Indian crisp bread) with Podina (cilantro/mint) sauce

Main Courses
Fresh Garden Salad (hand picked from our garden the morning of the Party)
Served with Chunky Tomato Balsamic*(Giusti Gold Medal #20007) Vinaigrette
(For this Vinaigrette recipe, see our July 25 ’08 post, “In Love with the Love Apple”)
Pasta Salad *(Tortiglione #60030) with Shrimp and Toasted Pecan Pesto
Layered Fruit Bowl of Watermelon, Blueberries and Oranges with
Gail’s Poppy Seed Dressing

Dessert
Double Mocha Chocolate Pound Cake (recipe to follow) with
Chocolate Buttercream *( #50015 Castagna Extra Fonente) and Wild Raspberry Coulis
Served with Bonny Doon Vineyard Framboise (Raspberry Dessert Wine)


DOUBLE MOCHA CHOCOLATE POUND CAKE with CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Baking Time: 60 to 70 minutes
Makes one 9” by 5” Loaf Cake
Ingredients: (*Available at Avanti Savoia, http://www.avantisavoia.com/)
Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees and grease and flour loaf pan.

2 oz. dark chocolate, *(Castagna Extra Fonente, #50015) coarsely chopped
2 tsp. instant coffee powder
1 cup very strong hot coffee
½ cup (one stick) butter, unsalted
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 ¾ cup dark brown sugar
2 eggs, room temp.
2 cups all purpose flour, sifted
1 tsp. baking soda
Pinch of salt
½ cup sour cream
Recipe:
Combine chocolate and instant coffee in a small bowl and add hot coffee. Set aside and allow to cool.
Cream butter, vanilla extract and sugar. Beat very well.
Add eggs and again beat very well.
Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. At low speed in mixer, add dry ingredients and mix until just smooth- do not over mix.
Add sour cream and again mix slightly.
Add cooled chocolate until the batter is just mixed. Pour into prepared pan and bake 60 to 70 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow cake to cool in pan for about 10 to 15 minutes and remove from pan. Ice with Chocolate Buttercream when completely cool.

CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM ICING
Ingredients:
7 oz. or two bars of dark chocolate,*(Castagna Extra Fondente #50015) coarsely chopped
1 ½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 ½ cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 eggs, room temp.
¼ cup cocoa powder *(Red Venezuelan Cocoa Powder #50120)
1 tsp. instant coffee powder
1 Tblsp.Bourbon
Pinch of salt
Recipe:
Melt the chocolate in a small bowl place over a pan of hot water.
Cream butter and sugar, adding sugar a little at a time. Add vanilla and beat at high speed for 3 or 4 minutes until mixture becomes very pale. Scrape down sides of bowl as necessary.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating very well after addition, then add cocoa.
Blend together instant coffee, Bourbon and salt. Beat one more time until blended.
Place Buttercream in refrigerator for a few minutes to firm it up. Ice cooled cake and place cake in refrigerator until about 30 minutes before serving.

RASPBERRY COULIS
Did you know? Coulis is a cooking term for a puree or sauce. It can be either sweet or savory, such as this sweet dessert Coulis or savory as in a tomato Coulis. There is plenty of room here for improvisation and making your own calls. For instance the amount of sugar in this recipe depends on the tartness of the particular raspberries used. Any number of flavor enhancers can also be used, such as a squeeze of lemon, lime or orange, a splash of complimentary liquor or even a pinch of salt. The important thing is not cover up the natural taste of the raspberries. So, in this recipe we will give you a very basic outline with which you can come with your own version of a delicious dessert sauce. Please note that other fruits can be substituted for raspberries.

Ingredients:
2 to 3 pints raspberries (fresh or frozen)
1 ½ cup sugar
¼ cup Chambord or other raspberry liqueur
Recipe:
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
Strain through a fine mesh sieve and taste for a balance of flavor- adjust according to your own judgment. Also, make a call concerning the consistency of the Coulis, if it is not quite thick enough, the strained sauce can be reduced a bit more.
Chill Coulis in the refrigerator for at least an hour. When ready to serve pour a small pool on your serving plate and lay a slice of the pound cake in the middle. If you really want to gild the Lily, add a dollop of whipped cream or ice cream.

Happy Birthday buddy!

NEW: Visit VitosCiao.com, an exciting new interactive forum in which Avanti Savoia’s legendary Italian partner shares his astounding knowledge of gourmet cooking and eating. Buon Appetito!

A CHEF’S MEA CULPA

Eat Only the Plants That Are Proven Safe and Accurately Identified

An interesting situation has been reported in the news media, one that has caught my attention and given me real pause for thought. A British chef, Anthony Worrall Thompson has made a significant error in his recommendation of a wild plant to be used in summertime meals. His mistake has had me thinking about two very important observations: One, the common verses scientific names for various plants and Two, the source for food information that chefs pass on to their co-workers and students and ultimately in their food.

The chef misspoke

The story is that this chef in a magazine article stated that “Henbane” would make a nice addition to summertime meals. The problem is that Thompson meant to refer to the plant commonly known as “Fat Hen”. Definitely, he misspoke. “Henbane” (Hyoscyamus niger) is toxic and according to Wikapedia, “can cause hallucinations, convulsions, vomiting and in extreme cases death”.

In an article in Healthy and Organic Living magazine it is stated, “Henbane is a very toxic plant and should never be eaten. As always, check with an expert when foraging or collecting wild plants”.

One of the problems in using only common names

What Chef Thompson meant to recommend was a plant known as “Fat Hen” (Chenopodium album) which is edible. This brings me to one of the problems in using only common names and not also referencing the scientific and therefore universal name.
For instance, neither of the names “Henbane” nor “Fat Hen” meant a thing to me. But, after a little researching, I realized that I’m totally unfamiliar with “Henbane”. “Fat Hen” however, is another name for “Lamb’s Quarter” (Chenopodium album), a plant that I’ve gathered and eaten for decades.

So, point taken- I will reference by the Latin terms for the plant family and species as I usually do. There are so many common names in so many languages that it is not only confusing to only use them, but potentially very harmful. That is my first observation, the second, (other that a real compassion for the embarrassment that the chef must have felt) is a long hard look at my own culinary use of wild plants.

You may already know of my fondness for wild mushrooms from a previous post entitled “Mushroom Paradise” in which I was careful to properly identify my mushrooms and recommend extreme caution in their harvest.

Fortune was on my side

However, I have been given real pause to think about many other plants that I have used over the years. In particular, the wild Sweet Pea or Lathyrus ochroleucus, which although I have not eaten or tried to cook, I HAVE used the pretty little blossom as a garnish with all sorts of dishes. Never again of course, but fortune was on my side as apparently my mistake has never made anyone sick.

“Chefly” arrogance

I do remember once when catering a private party in San Francisco in the early eighties, I used the blossoms to garnish a lovely cold strawberry soup. I was even confronted by one of the guests about the safety of the flower and my source for knowing that it was safe. In my “chefly” arrogance I answered that of course it was safe and that I had used it for years. I have used it for years and but the truth is I don’t remember how or who first inspired me to use it. My bad, and although not quite the faux pas of Chef Thompson, I was very wrong and have learned a most valuable lesson.

I do love foraging around for edible wild things and was a big fan years ago of the most famous proponent of wild food, Euell Gibbons. I carried around a copy of his book “Stalking the Wild Asparagus” until it was worn out. I still love wild asparagus (Asparagus officinalis) and still gather it every spring.

It is a safe bet that in the future if I mention wild foods in this blog or elsewhere it will have proper reference and identification! Eat well and safely!

Italian Cuisine

Why is the cuisine of the Italian peninsula so rich, tasty and varied?

By Don Vito De Carolis, Avanti Savoia’s Italian Partner

Part Three: The Modern Era

During the first decade of the 17th century, chef Giangiacomo Castelvetro published Brieve Racconto di Tutte le Radici di Tutte l'Herbe et di Tutti i Frutti (A Brief Account of all Vegetables, Herbs and Fruit) which was translated into English by Gillian Riley. Originally from Modena, Castelvetro moved to England because of his Protestant background. The book included an in-depth listing of Italian vegetables and fruits as well as their preparation. The chef's preparation of vegetables featured them at times as a central part of the meal, not just accompaniments. The favored preparation (still popular in Italy today) was to simmer vegetables in salted water and serving them warm or cold with olive oil, salt, freshly ground pepper, lemon juice and verjuice or orange juice. Another preparation includes roasting vegetables wrapped in damp paper over charcoal or embers with a drizzle of olive oil, again a technique still popular today in Italy. Castelvetro's book is separated into seasons with mentions of hop shoots in the spring and truffles in the winter detailing the use of pigs to hunt truffle. New World items were not mentioned in this book as they did not become popular until the 18th century.
In 1662 Bartolomeo Stefani a Gonzagas’s chef published L'Arte di Ben Cucinare. He was the last chef to publish a book of Italian high-cuisine, but the first to offer a full section on vitto ordinario (ordinary food). The book contained a section on a banquet given by Gonzagas for Queen Christina of Sweden with details for preparation prior to the banquet, preparation of the food and table settings including each guest having a setting of a knife, fork, spoon, glass, a plate instead of bowls often used up to this point and a napkin. Other books were published at this time to illustrate how the scalco (server) should manage themselves while serving their guests. An important book to take up this topic was Galatheo by Giovanni della Casa. The book instructed waiters to not scratch their heads or other parts of themselves, not to spit, cough or sneeze while serving diners. The book also instructed diners to not use their fingers while eating as well as not wipe their sweat with their napkin.
Much of what is known as Italy today was still governed by France, Spain and Austria in the 18th century. In turn it was at the beginning of the 18th century that the culinary books of Italy began to show the regionalism of Italian cuisine in order for Italian chefs to better show the pride of their regions instead of the high cuisine of France. The books written at the time were also no longer addressed to professional chefs but to bourgeois housewives and their home cook. Originating in booklet form, periodicals such as La cuoca cremonese (The cook of Cremona) written in 1794 gives a sequence of ingredients according to season along with chapters on meat, fish and vegetables. As the century progressed these books increased in size, popularity and frequency, while the price to attain them dropped well within the reach of the general populace.
The 18th century peasant diet consisted of heavy foods. Taken more this diet gave the peasantry their own identity, as well as expressing animosity toward the high cuisine of the affluent which was more refined and delicate, Even medical texts of the time written by the elite warned peasants from eating refined foods as it was poor for their digestion and their bodies required a more substantial heavy meal to suppress their hunger. It was also thought that peasants had coarse stomachs which were unable to digest refined foods. It was also thought by some that peasants ate poorly because they had become accustomed to eating rotten foods and moldy breads to survive.

In 1779 Antonio Nebbia from Macerata, in the Marche region, wrote Il Cuoco Maceratese (The Cook of Macerata). In this book, Nebbia addressed the importance of local vegetables plus pasta and gnocchi. Instead of pureed soups in the French style, they included Mediterranean vegetables along with pasta or rice. For stocks; vegetables and chicken were favored over meat. Similarly, Vincenzo Corrado wrote Il Cuoco Galante (The Polite Cook) in Naples in 1773 which featured regional vegetables and ingredients. Particular emphasis was given to Vitto Pitagorico (vegetarian food) in his words "Pitagoric food consists of fresh herbs, roots, flowers, fruits, seeds and all that is produced in the earth for our nourishment. It is so called because Pythagoras, as is well known, only used such produce. There is no doubt that this kind of food appears to be more natural to man, and the use of meat is noxious." It was also this book that the tomato took its first central role with thirteen recipes. Zuppa alli Pomidoro first appears in Corrado's book which was the early rendition of Tuscan Pappa al Pomodoro. In Corrado's 1798 edition he introduced a "Treatise on the Potato" after the popularity of the potato of France through Antoine-Augustin Parmentier's successful promotion.
In the 19th century changes could even be noticed in the writing of chef Giovanni Vialardi, chef to the first king of Italy. In his book A Treatise of Modern Cookery and Patisserie published in Turin Vialardi wrote recipes "suitable for a modest household." Many of his recipes included regional dishes from Turin including twelve recipes for potatoes. Genoese Cappon Magro is still an integral regional dish today. Published in 1829, Il Nuovo Cuoco Milanese Economico written by Giovanni Felice Luraschi feature dishes regional to Milan including Kidney with Anchovies and Lemon and Gnocchi alla Romana, also popular to this day. Gian Battista and Giovanni Ratto published La Cucina Genovese in 1871 addressed the regional cuisine of Liguria. This book contained the first recipe for pesto. La Cucina Teorico-Pratica written by Ippolito Cavalcanti mentions the first recipe for pasta with tomatoes in his conversational tone not often seen before this time. La scienza in cucina e l'arte di mangiare bene (The Science of Cooking and the Art of Eating Well), by Pellegrino Artusi, first published in 1891, is widely regarded as the canon of classic modern Italian cuisine, and its use is still widespread throughout Italy.
At the end of this long story, I want to point out that there isn’t any country in the world with such a long, and complex experience as the Italian Peninsula. For centuries it was a center of new culture, technologies, arts, wars, political experience and international trade. It is just this extraordinary combination of factors that answers the question, “Why the cuisine of the Italian peninsula so rich, varied and tasty?”
Would you like try an original recipe from the 1st century AD / 13th century AD / 17th century? Email me at vito@avantisavoia.com and let me know.
Please join us on our blog to share your thoughts concerning my opinon regarding that the cuisine of each country is the result of their history, culture and food availability.
We also hope that you will contact us with any questions or comments concerning any of Avanti Savoia’s “Culinary Treasures from around the World”.

Italian Cuisine

Why is the cuisine of the Italian peninsula so rich, tasty and varied?
By Don Vito De Carolis, Avanti Savoia’s Italian Partner
Part Two: The Italian Renaissance

The Italian Renaissance was a period of great cultural change and achievement in Europe that spanned the period from the end of the 14th century to about 1600, marking the transition between Medieval and Early Modern Europe. The European Renaissance began in Tuscany, centered in the cities of Florence and Siena and later in Venice. The Italian Renaissance is best known for its cultural achievements.

The main trade routes from the east passed either through the Byzantine Empire or the Arab lands and then on to the ports of Genoa, Pisa, and Venice. Luxury goods bought in the Levant, such as spices, dyes, and silks were imported to Italy and then resold throughout Europe. The northern section of the country was far more prosperous, with the states of northern Italy among the wealthiest in Europe. The Crusades had built lasting trade links to the Levant, and the Fourth Crusade had done much to destroy the Byzantine Empire as a commercial rival to the Venetians and Genoese. Moreover, the inland city-states profited from the rich agricultural land of the Po valley. From France, Germany, and the Low Countries, land and river trade routes brought goods such as wool, wheat, and precious metals into the region. The extensive trade that stretched from Egypt to the Baltic generated substantial surpluses that allowed significant investment in mining and agriculture. Thus, while northern Italy was not richer in resources than many other parts of Europe, the level of development, stimulated by trade, allowed it to prosper. The Italian trade routes that covered the Mediterranean and beyond were also major conduits of culture and knowledge.
The city-states of Italy expanded greatly during this period and grew in power to become de facto fully independent of the Holy Roman Empire. Apart from the Kingdom of Naples, outside powers kept their armies out of Italy. During this period, the modern commercial infrastructure developed, with double-entry book-keeping, joint stock companies, an international banking system, a systematized foreign exchange market, insurance, and government debt. Florence became the centre of this financial industry and the gold florin became the main currency of international trade. Northern Italy was divided into a number of warring city-states, the most powerful being Milan, Florence, Pisa, Siena, Genoa, Ferrara, and Venice. The northern regions of the Italian Peninsula started to show a mix of Germanic and Roman culture while the southern portion continued to reflect the influences of Arab culture. Mediterranean cuisine had been spread by the Arabs as they controlled much of the Mediterranean trade routes.

During the 15th century Maestro Martino was chef to the Patriarch of Aquileia at the Vatican. His manuscript Libro de arte coquinaria began to illustrate a cuisine with a more refined and elegant design. In his book contains a recipe for Maccaroni Siciliani which was made by wrapping dough around a thin iron rod and dried in the sun. The macaroni was to be cooked in capon stock flavored with saffron, illustrating the Arab influence. Of particularly note is Chef Martino's shedding the use of excessive spices in favor of fresh herbs. Martino's cuisine created a methodology that respected proper selection and modes of preparation. The Roman recipes mentioned in the text includes recipes for coppiette and cabbage dishes. His Florentine dishes included eggs with a Bolognese torta, Sienese torta and for Genoese recipes such as piperata, macaroni, squash, mushrooms, and spinach pie with onions.
Martino's manuscript was included in a book printed during 1475 in Venice written by Bartolomeo Platina entitled De honesta voluptate et valetudine ("On Honest Pleasure and Good Health"). Platina puts Martino's "Libro" in cultural context reflexing different regions of Italy including the Po Valley, Liguria, Campania, Piceno, Apulia, and Sicily. He speaks of ingredients coming from various regions: perch from Lake Maggiore, sardines from Lake Garda, grayling from Adda, hens from Padua, olives from Bologna and Piceno, turbot from Ravenna, rudd from Lake Trasimeno, carrots from Viterbo, bass from Tiber, roviglioni and shad from Lake Albano, snails from Rieti, figs from Tuscolo, grapes from Narni, oil from Cassino, oranges from Naples and moray from Campania. Grains from Lombardy and Campania are also mentioned as is honey from Sicily and Taranto. The wines he mentions are from the Ligurian coast, Grecco from Tuscany and San Severino and Trebbiano from Tuscany and Piceno.
The courts of Florence, Rome, Venice and Ferrara were integral to the creation of fine cooking in Italy. The court of Estes in Ferrara was a central figure to the creation of this high-cuisine. Christoforo Messisbugo steward to Ippolito d'Este published Banchetti Composizioni di Vivande in 1549. In this work Messisbugo details banquets in the first-half of the book, in the second-half of the book contains a multitude of recipes for items such as pies and tarts (containing 124 recipes with various fillings). The work does emphasize the use of Eastern spices and sugar which was at this time otherwise beginning to diminish.
In 1570, Opera was written by Bartolomeo Scappi personal chef to Pope Pius V. This was a five volume work that encompassed the most comprehensive example of Italian cooking to that date. The work contained over 1,000 recipes, with information on banquets including displays and menus as well as illustrations of kitchen and table utensils. The difference between most books written for the royal courts and this volume, is in its appeal to “modest households". Instead of game and other luxury meats this book includes instead the more available domestic animals and courtyard birds. Instructions are also included on the cleaning and use of lesser cuts of meats including tongue, head, and shoulder. The third book contains recipes for fish, or Lent cookery. Preparations for fish are simple, including poaching, broiling, grilled, or fried after being marinated. Particular attention is given to seasons in which fish should be caught and in which location. The final volume includes pies, tarts, fritters and includes a recipe for a Neapolitan pizza. This was a sweet version of the Neapolitan pizza not the savory version known today, because tomatoes had not yet been introduced to Italy. There were recipes for corn and turkey however, which were items from the New World.
In the fifteenth-century a series of foreign invasions that would continue for several decades marked the end of the Italian Renaissance. These began with the invasion by France that wreaked widespread devastation on Northern Italy and ended the independence of many of the city-states. Most damaging was the invasion by Spanish and German troops' that sacked Rome itself.

3rd part will be on line Friday September 19th 2008

Italian Cuisine

Why is the cuisine of the Italian peninsula so rich, tasty and varied?

By Don Vito De Carolis, Avanti Savoia’s Italian Partner

Part One: Early History

During my career, I have travelled for 30 years across five continents and tasted hundreds of different ethnic cuisines. I now believe that each type of cuisine is related to three distinct elements: history, culture and the availability of various foods. I enjoy history, and have read more then a hundred books learning to appreciate the culture history of societies around the world. I’m also a fan of the arts of all kinds (sculpture, painting, music, dance, gardening, poetry, architecture, etc.) Considering all my interest and experience I have been pondering the answer to the question, “Why is the cuisine of the Italian peninsula so rich, tasty and varied”?

Italian Peninsula cuisine has evolved extensively over the centuries. Traditional Italian cuisine can claim historical roots going back as far as 7th century BC. Through various influences throughout the centuries, including the customs of neighboring regions, conquerors, high-profile chefs, political upheavals as well as famous Italian travellers such as Marco Polo and Cristopher Columbus. The “melting pot” nature of all these influences have combined to form “traditional Italian food,” known today as one of the premiere cuisines in the world.
In the eighth and seventh centuries BC, the Greeks began to imigrate to southern Italy. This included settlements in Sicily and the southern part of the Italian peninsula. With this colonization, Greek culture and the ancient Greek cuisine was exported to Italy. The first “cookbook” was written by Archestratu,s a Greek-Sicilian. In a poem, he spoke of using “top quality and seasonal” ingredients of the freshest nature. During the 1st century AD it De re coquinaria by Apicio was published with 470 recipes. These included 75 sauces, 90 appetizers, 20 soups, and hundred of different recipes for the preparation of beef, pork, poultry, fish, vegetables and 30 different desserts. Suggestions are also given in this book to preserve food, and to make foie gras and Paté ( two Italian recipes and not French).
In the meantime, the city-state of Rome located in the geographic middle of the Italy grew to become one of the largest empires in history. In its twelve centuries of existence, Roman civilization came to dominate Western Europe and the Mediterranean region through conquest and assimilation. During this era, the Romans were bringing foods, spices and recipes home to Italy from all over their empire. The Romans employed the best Greek bakers to bake their breads, imported pecorini from Sicily, as the Sicilians were known for producing the best cheese. Romans were also produced excellent goats for butchering and mastered the cultivation of artichokes and leeks.

The end of the Roman Empire was hastened by waves of barbarian invaders, including the Huns, Vandals, Vikings, Lombards, Visigoths and Ostrogoths from northern Europe and Asia. These “barbarians’ eventually constituted an aristocracy of landowners and militaries. During this time the towns were smaller and considerably more primitive than they had been in Roman times. However, the agricultural estates of the Roman era did not disappear, but continued to produce an agricultural surplus that was sold in the towns. This time period begins the history of the middle-age Italian city-states such as Naples, Venice, Genoa, Pisa, Florence, Milan, Ravenna, Palermo, Pavia, Bari, and it was during this time that the Vatican state developed in Rome.

After the Byzantine invasion of Italy in the early 6th century, the areas in central-northern Italy was under Byzantine control. In this politically unstable situation, the Church often became the only stable institution and the only source of learning. Even the barbarians had to rely on clerics in order to administrate their conquests. Furthermore, the Catholic monastic orders, such as the Benedictines had a major role both in the economic life of the time, and in the preservation of the classical culture.
Muslim Arabs invaded Sicily during the 9th century, as most of what is known today as Northern Europe was being attacked by Viking raiders. The Arabs introduced spinach, almonds, rice and possibly even spaghetti! The first appearance of spaghetti may have been during the 12th century AD when the Viking / Norman king made a survey of Sicily. It was noted that he saw people making long strings made from flour and water called atriya, which eventually became trii, which is another term used for spaghetti in southern Italy. Normans also introduced casseroles, salt cod (baccalà) and stockfish which remain extremely popular today.
In the eighth and ninth centuries towns such as Amalfi and Venice began to prosper because of intra-Italian and international trade in goods including salt and spices. Salt from the Venetian lagoon was sold to other Italians and Italian traders extended their business to cities such as Alexandria and Constantinople. The 11th century signalled the end of the darkest period in the Middle Ages. Trade slowly picked up, especially on the seas, where the four Italian cities of Amalfi, Pisa, Genoa and Venice became major powers.
Food preservation techniques were a necessity, as refrigeration had not yet been invented. The two types of preservation were either chemical or physical. Meats and fish would be smoked, dried or kept on ice. Brine and salt were used to preserve items like pickles, herring and to cure pork meat. Root vegetables were also preserved in brine after they had been parboiled. Other means of preserving foods included oil, vinegar or immersing animal proteins in their own congealed, rendered fat. Liquor, honey and sugar were often used for preserving fruits,
Another cookbook, Liber de coquina was written in Naples and published during the 13th century. Dishes included “Roman-style” cabbage, a bean dish reflecting the Marca di Trevisio and a torta, all of which are extremely similar to dishes prepared today in Italy. In two other books from the 14th century, recipes are found for Roman pastella, Lasagna pie, and the use of salt from Sardinia or Chioggia again reflecting the culinary foundations of the different regions of Italy.

2nd part on line next Wednesday September 17th 2008

A CONVERSATION BETWEEN COOKS

Chef Joseph Asks Don Vito to Define “Authentic” Italian Cuisine

Vito De Carolis is about as authentically Italian as you can imagine. A native of the city of Torino (Turin), he and his wife, Daniela own a home there that is 600 years old. Vito grew up loving cooking and worked at a very early age at a small food shop named “Il Pastificio”. (See a previous blog post entitled “Where My Love for Cooking and Eating All Began”).

Cooking and eating is considered an art in Italy

He not only understands the specialties of his native Italy, (where cooking and eating is considered an art) but also possesses a commanding knowledge of many other international cuisines. I have spent my adult life working in kitchens all across North America, but I never cease to be amazed by Vito’s extraordinary insights into food, culture and cooking.

On a warm summer day recently I had the opportunity to ask him some very basic questions about food in his homeland. I always know that I’m getting ready to learn something interesting when he prefaces a statement in his rich and pleasing accent with “In the Piedmont region (or other regions) of my country…..”

Like so many of the other cuisines of the world there is not just one single Italian Cooking. There are in fact, many regional specialties throughout Italy that are quite varied. Many dishes are not just regional but reflect the tastes and flavors of specific cities as a result of the isolation that the city states experienced during the middle ages. The foods that many Americans identify as “Italian” are actually dishes that have evolved to reflect American tastes and in some cases are American creations.

Don Vito and every day Italian food

Vito defines “authentic Italian” as “local food that is eaten daily on a regular basis by typical Italian families, not the cooking that is to be found in the fancy restaurants”.

He uses as an example his Insalata Mista, an everyday mixed salad with a Vinaigrette dressing. The way this salad is served is unlike both the American custom of the salad at the beginning of the meal and the French tradition of serving salad after the entrée. Italians enjoy their salad as a side dish served along with the entrée. See the end of this post for a recipe for this salad and classic Italian Vinaigrette, using only sea salt, wine vinegar and olive oil.

Another simple dish often misunderstood by Americans is Tomato Sauce. De Carolis says, “Until about 40 years ago every Italian family possessed their own Tomato Squeezer. The best fresh tomatoes were only available in August and everyone would buy large amounts, often 10 to 20 cases at a time. The following week was a nightmare because of the hard work involved in grinding the fresh tomatoes by hand”.

A dying custom

The fresh tomatoes were then cooked with olive oil, celery, onion, carrots and basil. The finished sauce was sealed in sterilized jars and stored for use throughout the year. Because of the heat involved, this activity was usually accomplished outside. “This is a custom that is now dying out because fresh tomatoes are on the market year round and there are good commercial sauces such as the Oliveri products available through Avanti Savoia”, reflects the gentleman from Torino.

Classic Ragu is a sauce made from tomato sauce and minced beef and pork, seasoned with only thyme or rosemary. Vito notes that butcher shops to this day still package meat with large sprigs of fresh rosemary, thyme or bay leaves.

A new addition to American cooking

A comparatively new addition to American cooking is the use of Balsamic Vinegars. Up until several decades ago this product was not even available commercially. Balsamic Vinegars originated in the Modena and Reggio provinces of Emilia- Romagna and were consumed as a digestive at the end of a meal. Also, Balsamic was employed to add flavor to sauces, and with cheese or over ice cream.

It was NOT used as a salad dressing, even though younger Italians are using Balsamics with their salads possibly as a result of modern marketing. Italians still do not serve a salad containing cheese with a Balsamic Vinegar. Served with cheese alone yes, but not with a salad containing cheese. However, if you should choose to substitute Balsamic vinegar for wine vinegar in vinaigrette, use 1/3 of the amount of balsamic vinegar called for in the recipe.

An enlightening experience with a knowledgeable source

A conversation with Don Vito is always a fun and enlightening experience with a knowledgeable source. We hope that you will enjoy this information and recipes from Avanti Savoia’s Italian partner. For more detailed information on the history of Italian cuisine see our next post.

Buon Appetito!

Don Vito’s Salad with Italian Vinaigrette

In a salad combine equal parts of the following ingredients:
Fresh lettuce
Shredded Radicchio
Cucumber, chopped
Tomato, chopped
Red Onion, that has been cut into small strips, soaked in cold water one hour and drained

Classic Italian Vinaigrette:
Ingredients: (*Avaiable at Avanti Savoia)
Fine sea salt to taste (Vito recommends *Sel de Mer, fine #35021)
1 part *Red (# 25001) or *White (#25002) Wine Vinegar
3 parts extra virgin olive oil such as *Marcinase from the Puglia region (#10001)

1. In a small mixing bowl, immediately before serving; whisk salt with vinegar until
mixture begins to foam.
2. Beat in oil until smooth and toss with salad ingredients, serve and enjoy!

In Love with the Love Apple

We Still Love Them, But Know Your Source!

Lycopersicum Esculentum or “edible wolf’s peach” is a favorite of almost everyone. Our English word tomato is derived from the Nahuatl word, tomatl, and the tomatl hails from South America, where it was originally found in the vicinity of what is now Peru. Europeans took tomatoes home with them in the 1520s and the rest is history. The “pomme d’amour” is now dearly beloved by both epicureans and good ol’ boys and girls on both side of the Atlantic.

Americans tend to think of tomatoes as a universal ingredient in Italian cuisine. Not true of course, and the use of tomatoes in Italian cuisine is usually defined by regional traditions. Grown in the hothouses of the European wealthy as an ornamental annual, tomatoes were first enjoyed as cuisine in Italy and the southern Mediterranean. The northern Europeans considered the fruit poisonous, probably because of its kinship with the deadly nightshade plant. The foliage of the tomato plant is toxic however. Tomatoes are members of the Solanaceae family which also include other benign relatives such as the eggplant and potato.

The recent outbreak of the bacterial infection Salmonella which was first associated with some tomatoes has been very disturbing to me. Although hot peppers may now be the culprit, it is now even more important to be absolutely sure of your source for fresh tomatoes and other produce. Local organic farmers in areas not associated with the outbreak are the safest providers, unless you are able to grow your own, which have the most succulent flavor anyway.

Serving temperature was a big concern to the legendary Julia Child. She called tomatoes “a persnickety being” in her book “The Way To Cook,” published by Alfred A. Knopf.
She goes on to declare, “The sad fact is that tomatoes are permanently traumatized if they remain for more than a few hours at temperatures lower than 55 degrees, whether in the field or in storage. Afterward, they may turn red, and their interstices may fill with jelly, but their flavor will never develop that real taste. When fully ripe, tomatoes still do not like a cold climate. Store them at 55 degrees (like wine) at cool room temperature, since they lose their flavor when refrigerated.”

Did You Know?
Tomato skins can be tough and juice and seeds can dilute the flavor in your recipes.
Avoid this problem by skinning, juicing and seeding your tomatoes by using these techniques.
Skinning: Dip tomatoes into a pan of boiling water for a couple of minutes and then plunge them into ice water. The skin will split and can be easily removed with the blade of a paring knife. Remove the core with the tip of the knife or a tomato shark.
Juicing and Seeding: To do this quickly and effectively, peel and core fresh tomatoes
(as explained previously) and cut into quarters. Over the sink or a bowl, hold the outside of each quarter against your palm and dig your fingers into the seed chamber and squeeze gently. The pulp is then ready for chopping or other preparation.

Did You Know?
Leeks are often very sandy and must be carefully cleaned before use. Remove wilted or yellowed leaves from stalks and slice leeks in half lengthwise. Then cut the leeks into ¼ inch thick pieces. Soak the pieces in a large bowl of cool water for 10 to 15 minutes, and then remove them carefully so as not to stir up the sand that has settled in the bottom of the bowl. Place the leek pieces in a colander and rinse very thoroughly. Allow them to drain for a few moments. Then pat dry with a paper towel or spin dry in a salad spinner. Cleaned, dry leeks may be chopped further, if desired.

(*Available at Avanti Savoia, www.avantisavoia.com)

TOMATO AND LEEK SAUCE
Yields: 6 Servings
12 large ripe tomatoes ( 7 cups finely chopped )
2 large stalks celery (2/3 cup chopped)
6 cloves garlic, minced and mashed
2 medium leeks (2 cups chopped)
2 Tblsp.extra virgin olive oil Fruttato Intenso by Marcinase*
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. thyme*
1 tsp. oregano*
1 tsp. fennel seeds*
½ tsp. cayenne pepper
2 tsp. (or to taste) Sel Gris sea salt*
Pinch sugar
1 cup dry red wine
½ cup chicken stock

Peel, juice, and seed tomatoes. ( see previous instructions ) Chop by hand or puree in food processor. Set aside.
Remove strings from celery and chop. Chop leeks and wash. ( see following leek info )
Heat Marcinase extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet and add garlic and leeks. Cook over a moderate heat 3 or 4 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add celery and cook 5 minutes more.
Add tomatoes, bay leaves, thyme, oregano, fennel seeds, cayenne pepper, sea salt and sugar. Simmer for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Add wine and chicken stock. Cook 20 to 30 minutes more, check for seasoning and serve with pasta or as a sauce for seafood, chicken or veal.

OVEN ROASTED TOMATO GAZAPACHO
Yield: 8 Servings
6 large tomatoes, oven roasted with peels removed
4 bell peppers
4 cucumbers, peeled
2 stalks celery, strings removed
4 whole green onions
3 cloves garlic, minced and mashed
1 medium hot, pickled jalapeño
2 Tblsp. parsley, freshly chopped
1 tsp. oregano*
1 tsp. black peppercorns, coarsely ground*
1 Tblsp. sweet paprika*
1 tsp. (or more) Tabasco sauce
3 cups spicy tomato juice
Juice of ½ lime
Juice of ½ lemon
2 to 3 tsp. of fine Sel Gris salt from Artisan*
¼ cup Sherry Wine Vinegar *
2 Tblsp. extra virgin olive oil from Avanti Savoia*
½ cup bread crumbs (homemade if possible)
¼ cup whole cilantro leaves, stems removed (for garnish)

1. To Oven Roast Tomatoes: Heat oven to 500 degrees. Place washed tomatoes on
baking tray and broil under hot broiler for about 5 minutes until skin blackens
some what. Remove tray from oven, remove skins and stems and set aside.
2. Chop each vegetable by hand or in a food processor. Combine with other
ingredients and chill 8 hours.
3. Serve in chilled bowls garnished with a few handfuls of cilantro leaves. .

CHUNKY TOMATO AND BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE
Yields: 1 1/2 -2 cups
6 ripe tomatoes, peel, core, juice and seeds removed (see instructions)
2 cloves garlic, minced and mashed
2 Tblsp. Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 tsp. black peppercorns, coarsely ground*
¼ cup Gold Medal Balsamic Vinegar from Giuseppe Giusti*
2 Tblsp. extra virgin olive oil from Cassini*
2 tsp. (or to taste) fine Sel de Mer Sea Salt from Artisan*

1. Chop tomatoes very coarsely and place into a food processor. Blend 10 slightly
and add other ingredients. Taste for seasoning and pulse blend for a few
more seconds, do not over process as the dressing should be chunky.
Enjoy these recipes with the best summertime tomatoes available, but with an awareness of the origin complications that may be associated with the Salmonella outbreak.

Gone to Texas Part III

Part Three: THE TEXAS HILL COUNTRY

The Texas wine industry has come a ways in the last couple of centuries and the Texas hill country north of San Antonio (and west of Austin) is considered the heart of wine production. For more Texas Wine Trail Information, call 866.621.9463. The 22 wineries claim some 5 million visitors a year and many have not only tasting rooms that offer sales of their wines but lots of examples of other Texas products as well. Three wineries were all that we could squeeze (no pun intended) into our schedule. Two of the vineyards are open to the public, while the other is one of our Avanti Savoia suppliers of wine oriented products.

Leaning Oaks Vineyards located in Spring Branch, is owned by Anthony and Leatine Fasano. Leaning Oaks is responsible for a line of excellent wine conserves, sauces and marinades and their newest addition, a cocoa / spice rub. These are all- natural products made with wine but containing no alcohol or refined sugar. These are delicious sauces and conserves, not as sweet as you might imagine and so perfect with meats, cheeses and other savory combinations. On our recent visit with the Fasano’s, they made sure that we had an ample opportunity to sample their products with an assortment of cheese and crackers. We particularly enjoyed their newest sauce, Chardonnay Dressing and Marinade as a dip with fresh snow peas. The springtime weather was made even nicer by sitting amid their rows of grapevines sharing a glass of Leaning Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve 2006. This was one of the better red wines that we tasted on our trip, so it is even more of a shame that it is not yet available commercially.

Not far “up the road”, between the towns of Stonewall and Fredericksburg, we made a stop at the tasting room of Becker Vineyards. The tasting room is situated in reproduction of a 19 century German style barn at which visitors can sample the various wines made at the winery. They also boast a 3 acre field of lavender that is available for sale in potpourris, sachets, soaps, oils and other products. Overnight accommodations can be arranged on premise at their Homestead Bed and Breakfast.

The next stop was the charming town of Fredericksburg in Gillespie County. The hill country west of Austin and north of San Antonio has been the home of prosperous German settlers since the 1840’s. A fact reflected by the classic stone masonry and hearty German cuisine. I always enjoy hearing “Willkommen!” spoken with a Texas accent Founded by 19th century German emigrants, this picturesque community is home to wineries, bakeries, restaurants, museums, shops, a vibrant art scene and some 350 Bed and Breakfasts.. It is well worth a visitor’s time just to explore the historic neighborhoods to appreciate the wealth of German influenced architecture. The “doll house” like appearance of the Sunday Houses is especially appealing.

Our first stop was the Fredericksburg Winery located on Main St., in the middle of the “downtown” business district. There at the tasting bar a member of the Switzer family will guide you through sampling of their extensive wines. They will answer your questions and insist that you taste the wines from the dry to the sweet in order to fairly evaluate each. Their line of jellies and other condiments are worth tasting, we really liked the Mesquite Smoked Mustard.

Main Street in Fredericksburg is notable for its impressive width, a leftover from the days in which the settlers had to have room in which to turn around their teams of animals. Now, as then it is the center of the town’s business life and a good bit of it can be reached by walking. We enjoyed a stop at Fromage du Monde, where it seemed only natural to shop for a bit of delicious cheese to go with one of the wines we had purchased earlier. There are a number of restaurants to choose from, including several German. At the recommendation of a couple of business people with whom we had spoken, we choose Der Lindenbaum.

Der Lindenbaum Restaurant is located in an historic (and beautiful) limestone building. The interior is cozy and comfortable. We settled into a table and over a glass of Riesling and a German beer decided on the Jagger Schnitzel and the Pfeffersteak, which were both quite good. The entrees were accompanied by German potato salad, sauerkraut and a spiced red cabbage. We particularly enjoyed the red cabbage and noticed a framed letter on the wall from Ladybird Johnson expressing her appreciation of the dish as well. Although there were definitely mixed reviews on the web, we had a very pleasant experience with their take on Texas-German cuisine.

As we prepared to make an early departure the next morning we did not take the time to eat a real breakfast. Instead, we grabbed a couple of pastries and a loaf of Dark Bread at the Old German Bakery. Checking the web we again found mixed reviews but we must say that even though we did not order from the menu, our pastries were really good!

Our early departure from Fredericksburg that morning was in order to visit one the truly spectacular sights in all of the hill country, Enchanted Rock. Enchanted Rock State Natural Area is located north of Fredericksburg on the border between Gillespie and Llano counties. It was acquired by the state of Texas in 1984; although I had been exploring the area some 10 years before that when it was still in private hands. The “Rock” is a pink granite batholith covering 640 acres and rising 425 feet above ground. In the old days the only paths were footpaths unlike the marked paths now provided by the state. It was following one of these “marked” paths that eventually delivered us to a deer path going wherever it is that deer go and had the effect of turning a projected 1 ½ hour walk into a 4 ½ hour trip that included some fairly serious climbing. We weren’t exactly lost, but it was a long and hot adventure to say the least. It was also a fantastic opportunity to see the remarkable rock formations and plant life up close.

Our plan was to visit Enchanted Rock in the morning and then drive to the Ft. Worth/Dallas area and have dinner with my Aunt and Uncle early that evening. We had hoped to have a relaxed and scenic ride from the hill country to the Metroplex area. Our timing was disrupted by our extra hours hiking and we found ourselves trying to make the journey simply as quickly as possible. Lunch became a matter of practicality, and while zooming along looking for something quick and easy we happened onto to Ma & Pa’s Diner (325.372.4035) in out of the way San Saba, Texas. Because of the hundreds of acres devoted to growing pecans, the area is known as the “Pecan Capitol of the World” and we found that reflected in the awesome pecan pies offered at Ma & Pa’s.

My wife, Gail noticed the sign for the diner first and her intuition told her “this is the place”. It is definitely an unremarkable building, but Gail was sure it was the kind of authentic local cooking that we so much enjoy finding. She was right. We had our hearts set for a cheeseburger; we had been in Texas for over a week and had not yet had the chance to indulge ourselves. The description of the burger on Ma and Pa’s menu caught my eye immediately. The promise of a Jalapeno Sourdough Bun was the kicker. We placed our order, out they came and wonder of wonders, the promise was fulfilled. Big delicious buns; huge, juicy, irregular, hand shaped patties all added up to a loaded cheese burger full of fresh flavor. We were so pleased to find food so honest and so good.

A peak into the kitchen continued our delight in the cooking at our unpretentious little find. We spied a counter full of enticing pies cooling from the oven. “Mile-high” is certainly an over worked term, but these pies were indeed big, tall and beautiful. They also have a exceptional line of Jams, Jellies, Preserves, Spreads and other goodies made by Larry’s sister Sylvia Daves of Pflugerville, Texas (Treasures Past & Present.) By now, it was time to introduce ourselves to Larry Daniel, the owner. After accepting our compliments, Larry went on to share with us the story and history of the diner owned by him and his wife, Charlene.

Larry explained that the “Ma and Pa” were his parents, the late J. Lee and Lorene “Kewpie” Daniel. Kewpie raised 6 children and like so many of her generation, was known for her “table laden with delicious food and desserts.” The family has even published a cookbook of their Mother’s favorites, entitled Kewpie’s Recipes & More. “Kewpie” was the nickname given to Mrs. Daniel because of her interest in collecting the famous dolls. Her legacy is ably carried on in her family’s food business and commitment to quality. We did purchase one of those beautiful Pecan pies to share later with more members of my family and were gifted by Larry with several of his miniature pies for the road. Ma and Pa’s Diner was such a happy way to wind down a very happy vacation.
We did finally make it to My Aunt Betty and Uncle Ray’s for dinner that evening, although very late. Graciously, they waited for us and we enjoyed two very short days in their family’s company before at last it was time to return home. Beautiful weather, great food, amazing geography, Texas hospitality and the genuine warmth of my relatives’ affectation made us so grateful that we had “Gone to Texas!”