dorpsch

Ore definitely did a great job by keeping this blog going...for better or worse he's Italcook's most valuable marketing tool in the U.S. right now. I've posted the pictures of my experience here in Italia thus far; the 2 month stage I did at La Locanda di Bu (the same place Ore staged) before beginning the Italcook program just a couple of weeks ago. Much of what you'll see is probably similar or the same as what Ore chronicled, and I don't expect to achieve his level of "bravo-ness", but I'm posting everything I photograph nonetheless for anyone who'd like to take a look. I don't mean to supplant Hathor's showcasing of pictures, as I'm sure they're better than mine. Dorpsch My photo record

Mex-Toro, will you be attending the slowfood program in January?

Don't get me wrong, I don't mean to bash Illy. They make coffee of admittedly the highest standard. I suppose part of it is the nostalgia of the idea of drinking coffee from a southern producer seeing as I had my best espressos there, and have never made it to Trieste.

Well, there's always Illy for starters. It is available everywhere, and is generally considered the best of the big time espresso roasters. It's aforementioned reputation leads to its being often overpriced. If you have the right equipment and technique though, you should be satisfied with its results. Another cheaper option I have come to like is Kimbo. Firstly I like the fact that it hails from Napoli rather than Trieste because I find espresso better the further south you go. It's not as well known as Illy, but you can find it easily online by searching "Caffe Kimbo". Recently I have been turned on to a brand called Passalacqua, also from Napoli. The only place I know of in the U.S. to get it is called Caffe Italia Enterprises in Waterbury, CT. You can call them to order, and they have a link to Passalacqua's website on their website. Currently they only stock the "Vesuvius" beans. I was directed to the brand because I was told it is served in a lot of Napoli espresso bars. I have found it to be very good, and would recommend it. It's all I drink now. It goes for $25 for a kilo from Caffe Italia Enterprises, which is a good price.

I have to agree that when I make suppli type balls, I prefer to use day old or older risotto because it has congealed more after sitting at refrigerator temperature for some time. A method that I find works is to take the leftover risotto, use sufficient egg and bread crumbs to create a nice binding effect without being too dense, avoid overstuffing the balls and letting them get too big, and then refrigerate them after I've formed them for another 20-40 minutes before final preparation.

Ore, Nice blog man, I stumbled across this when searching for info. about the Slow Food Institute. I'm enrolled for January '05. Reading this has made me that much more excited about going, but I'm almost afraid to read on because I don't want to know too much before my own experience begins. Too late I suppose, I've read every post. Good luck on the stage; I probably won't be able to resist coming back to hear about your stage, if you ever get a chance to post another email where you are.