Faith Willinger

Ciao Pia and Igles What a thrill to hear from you. Readers should know that Igles is a master, just the kind of chef that I love, with respect for his territory, vast knowledge and experience, and a creative approach to tradition. I can't wait to go to Ostellato to Osteria della Tamerice. I had a fantastic lunch with Igles and Pia at the Salone del Gusto in the stand of the province of Ferrara, where Igles directed the preparation of traditional dishes, served with style, and the best Ferrarese bread (which I usually despise) I've ever tasted. I think that great things are happening with American food, a focusing on artisanal ingredients, the rebirth of farmers markets. Italy has been an enormous influence, I don't think there's a restaurant in the US that doesn't have at least some Italian ingredients on the menu--extra virgin, risotto, pasta balsamico are found in non-Italian restaurants. The problem is that some chefs use these ingredients without really understanding them. But, as the Italians would say, "pazienza", patience. Thomas Keller and Nancy Oakes are stellar examples that come to mind of non-Italian restaurant chefs who use Italian ingredients with knowlege and flair. a presto Faith

Most Italians, at least the ones I encounter, don't eat pasta twice a day. In the south portions of pasta are larger and you do see people eating big platefuls. Pasta isn't that high in calories--it's the condiment that can make it a simple or rich dish. Pasta is satisfying, filling and if you eat a plate of pasta you continue with a smaller portion of meat or possibly some vegetables and cheese or fruit. Dessert is for special occasions, not an everyday conclusion to the meal. Italians really don't eat between-meal snacks. These are some of the reasons why Italians aren't obese. I'm always shocked when I visit the US to see the size and quantity of sanck foods in the supermarket. a presto Faith

I find it difficult to give a numerical evaluation to a restaurant but prefer to describe the experience. Not everyone is looking for what I am. There are so many factors that can influence my perception of a meal and a restaurant can have an off-day when I know they can do better. I am frequently finding restaurants that prepare internationally styled food using Italian and international ingredients, which I think of as guidebook cuisine. It's found all over the world, frequently on square plates. Risotto with oysters and green tea flour, or burrata with raw fish don't make a lot of sense to me. Massimiliano's cooking is based on incredible ingredients, many of them regional. Creative dishes come and go, but classic flavor cominations will always be around. I admire the creativity and skills of Massimo Bottura of Osteria Francescana. I was at Don Alfonso recently and found the menu had returned to many regional ingredients. Italy has such amazing products that I don't see why restaurants need to use stuff that's not local. There are many restaurants where one meal is enough for a lifetime. If I haven't eaten anything that makes me want to return it's not what I'm looking for. a presto Faith

Ciao Peter I loved the food at da Guido, in spite of the grim ambience. I haven't been to either of the new places but am planning to visit, if I can bear to head north. Mom's still in the kitchen, a good sign and Piemonte could certainly use a luxurious place to stay. Ugo and Piero are real pros so I'm curious to see what they're up to. Maybe the lure of truffles will tempt me. a presto Faith

Ciao Ronald and Katia You are right! There's a lot of exciting cooking going on in Sicily. A big emphasis on local ingredients, like the superior almonds and pistacchio nuts, great Sicilian vegetables like Sicilian broccoli, squash greens, fruit like fresh citron, stuff like capers and wild oregano, amazing ricotta and cheese, terrific bread, incredible wines. The Ragusa area has some interesting wines (love COS and Valle dell'Acata) and restaurants, and Modica and Noto are important gastronomic destinations. I'm crazy about La Madia in the unattractive city of Licata. a presto Faith

Ciao John I'm in love with Campania, the entire regiona and especially Naples. And all of Sicily. I've been spending some time in northern Puglia, near Foggia area and Gargano and can't wait to go back. And I make frequent trips to Rome, only 1 1/2 hours from Florence on the train. a presto Faith

Ciao Roberto I think the food at Don Alfonso has come back towards regional ingredients. There was a period a few years ago when this wasn't always the case. But I was there recently, twice, and found it better than ever. Bu the way, I adore Napoli and go there all the time, and have to eat at L'Europeo at least once on each trip. Do you know the Osteria degli Antichi Sapori on via Santa Lucia? a presto Faith Ciao Faith, as a Napoletano (now abroad) I must admit it makes me quite proud to hear such positive opinions on some of the best places in Campania. Having tried a few of these I couldn't agree more on your judgment: I had a fantastic dinner at Gennarino Esposito's place lately and I can only hope more young Italian cooks will follow his cooking style balanced between great local ingredients and traditions and a subtle creativity. The South was in the past often seen as the culinary backwaters of Italy, doyou have the feeling that it is undergoing a gastronomic renaissance in the past few years? I'm slightly confused at seeing Don Alfonso in the list above, especially considering your previous comment on creative chefs in Italy. My experience at Don Alfonso goes back to 5 or 6 years ago, but at the time the style of the plates was to my eyes very much on the creative side, with many unusual ingredient combinations. The ingredients were clearly local, but so to my eyes are many of those Vissani uses, at least judging from his recipe book. Has the cooking style of Don Alfonso changed in these few years? thanks, Alberto ←

Ciao Bruce I've never heard of or seen anyone make risotto in a pressure cooker. I have seen people add most of the water instead of stirring and adding, and lots of restaurants pre-cook the rice, then finish it at the last minute. I'm not as manic as some about stirring my risotto. A really great-quality rice, from growers like Acquarello or Principe di Lucidio or Ferron, either Vialone Nano or Carnaroli, is most forgiving and will result in a superior risotto. Although Marcella Hazan approves of bouillion cubes I despise them, and prefer to make a quick vegetable stock or to up the vegetables in the recipe and use water instead of stock, which I don't have bubbling on a back burner. I see no reason to be obsessive about all my ingredients only to use an artifical, industrial, chemical product like bouillion cubes. I have an incredible risotto pot, made of 999% silver by San Lorenzo in Milan, shaped like an upside down bowler, with a curved bottom, no corners for the risotto to stick in. And silver is the greatest conductor of heat. The risottiera, as it's called, was very, very expensive. But I figured it would last a lifetime, and it's very beautiful, designed by Afra and Tobia Scarpa. a presto Faith

Ciao Roberto The Illy machines look very interesting. I'm tempted. And I'm going to check them out and will let you know. a presto Faith Don't tell anyone I looked at the Starbucks site--may ruin my reputation as the espresso bitch.

Ciao Michael I think you'd find the best table wine outside the main cities, in wine growing regions. You'd be thrilled in Friuli, where there's a real cult of drinking wine by the glass. Check out Blasut, in Lavariano. Or, at the other end of the country, at Peppe Zullo in Orsara di Puglia--he makes his own wine from a rare grape, Tuccanese. The term vino da tavola is often used for wines outside the DOC regulation, so often some pretty pricy wines have that desgination on the label. a presto Faith

There are some chefs who are totally experimental, like Gianfranco Vissani, playing with new techniques and unheard of ingredients. I usually try to avoid them. Most of the hot young chefs stick pretty closely to regional flavors, even when they do wild and crazy things--foams, jellys, cryovak, whatever. I think that the tried and true regional flavors have stood the test of time. These are dishes that people want to eat over and over again. Although I've had many delicious innovative preparations, I've never had one that I've lusted to eat again. Massimiliano Alajmo at Le Calandre in Rubano is a great example of a creative chef working with classic concepts, impeccable ingredients, innovative techniques. Antonello Colonna at his restaurant in Labico, is another fine example of a creative chef working within a regional context. a presto Faith

Ciao Mark Italian cooking is based on vegetables, eaten in appetizers, saucing pasta and paired with rice in risotto, and of course as a side dish. You'll have to bail on eggplant parmigiana if they don't eat cheese. There are lots of vegetable dishes you can make but it depends on how strict your friends are. Peperonata, fennel salad, braised artichokes, almost any pasta or risotto, just bail on the cheese. Olive oil is okay, right? I recently tried Latini's farro pasta--I usually hate farro pasta but Latini's was terrific. And I bet the vegans would like it too. They could probably survive in Southern Italy but have a hard time in butter country. a presto Faith

Ciao Divina I don't do top 10, never assign votes to restaurants. But I will give you a list of places in regions that aren't in my book that I'm crazy about, and would like to fax myself to for lunch or dinner. Checchino in Rome da Enzo in Rome L'Europeo in Naples Osteria degli Antichi Sapore in Naples Torre del Saracino in Marina di Seiano Don Alfonso in Sant'Agata Lo Scoglio in Marina del Cantone L'Oasis in Vallesaccarda La Caveja in Pietravairano Peppe Zullo in Orsara di Puglia Pane e Salute in Orsara di Puglia Fornello da Ricci in Ceglie Messapica La Pineta in Marina di Selinunte La Madia in Licata La Gallura in Olbia a presto Faith

Ciao Ludja I have fond memories of the Sud Tirol, where I studied with master chef Andreas Hellrigl. Buckwheat cake, wine soup, canederli, in addition to Andreas's creative dishes. The product I lust for is quality speck, since it's not easy to find the truly great stuff in Florence. It was difficult for Andreas to find one that would satisfy him in Merano, he complained that they were mostly industrial. I have a copy of Andreas's cookbook on the cuisine of the Sud Tirol, but am sure that it's out of print. a presto Faith

Ciao Roberto Too many to list. The restaurants and chefs that thrill me the most express a sense of place and season. I just came back from a trip to Campania, where Gennaro Esposito of Torre del Saracino in Marina di Seiano, the Fischetti family at L'Oasis in Vallesaccarda, Berardino Lombardo at La Caveja in Pietravairano, and the Iaccarino family at Don Alfonso in Sant'Agata all express the greatest Italian traditions. I ate super-fresh fish and seafood, tiny suckling pig chops with sun-dried sweet peppers, a series of vegetable appetizers--vegetables straight from the farm, a "Vesuvius" of baked pasta, Annurca apples. Worth the voyage. a presto Faith

Ciao Roberto I love my Euromatik and knew that Illy bought the company. I've never seen the Starbucks version. I would caution anyone who gets the machine to check on service. I checked out the Starbucks web-site, finally found the espresso machines, Barista, which look very different from anything I've ever had. And I've had quite a few espresso machines. The model I currently use is called Twin, and makes 1 or 2 shots at time, convenient for a crowd. a presto Faith

It sounds like you had an exciting trip, covered a lot of territory. I think you're talking about the kind of restaurants where the cucina is an extension of the home kitchen. Not chef cuisine, but the kind of cooking that I'm crazy about, simple, based on season, with a sense of terroir. Women are frequently in the kitchen of family-owned restaurants. Staff members may go on to open their own restaurants but family members are in the business for as long as it last, which may be generations. It's not easy for immigrants to get working papers, although I do see many foreigners doing a "stage" in the most unlikely and remote kitchens. a presto Faith

Ciao Danielle You made my day! Contact me through my web-site, www.faithwillinger.com before your next trip and I'll fill you in on any updates for the area you'll be traveling in. a presto Faith PS Bad news. Giovanni, the porchetta sandwich guy at the Greve market, died.

Ciao Kelly The Italians are anarchists at heart, love to break rules. There are lots of examples of fish and cheese in the same dish in southern Italian cooking. So feel free to break any rules that you'd like, at least when eating Italian. a presto Faith

Ciao Pedro Your question is very complex, since each region, and it seems each village and town, has its own cuisine, dishes, wines. But the big divide for me is the mountains that separate Emilia from northern Tuscany, defining the northern, more European Italian butter users from the coastal and southern, more Mediterranean extra virgin users. a presto Faith There are

Ciao Rebel Rose I'm involved with Slow Food, have been a member since they began, but I have some doubts about the organization--no one ever talks about the money. They know how to use Italian government funding and regional sponsorship, with publications, dues, fees for stands and for entry to fairs, publishing empire, and more. Over 140,000 visiters at the Salone del Gusto this year. But I'm crazy about many of the things they do--think they've given new respect to farmers, gave strictly regional (and endangered, at times) products global exposure. I'm not sure how I feel about thier University--training future chefs, artisans and the press seems like they get to instill the party line across the board in the food world. I recently went to the Salone del Gusto in Torino, and, as always, learned a lot, made a lot of interesting contacts, tasted a lot of very interesting foods. Slow Food has impacted on the entire Italian food world--supermarkets feature regional cultivar beans and local fruits and vegetables by cultivar. a presto Faith

Ciao Jonathan The reason is simple. My husband is Florentine, and although we lived in Rome for 5 years, he jumped at the chance to work in the city of his birth. We bought an apartment in the center of town, with a hearth in the kitchen, perfect for grilled and roast meats that are the centerpiece of Tuscan cooking. After all my travels, tasting exciting dishes from master chefs and home cooks, super-fresh fish on the coast, I enjoy the simplicity of Tuscan meat and especially vegetable dishes, and eat most of my meals at home. I have sources for great ingredients all over Italy. When I do dine out in Florence, Fabio Picchi's restaurant Cibreo (and Fabio's nearby Teatro del Sale), Benedetta Vitali's Zibibbo, Pandemonio (a bit pricy but worth a splurge every now and then), Ruggero and, outside town, Mamma Rosa are restaurants that I'm crazy about. a presto Faith

Ciao John I'm currently working on a cookbook but it seems that most of my travels take me to southern Italy. Expect some interesting recipes. I hope to write "Eating in Italy:The South" after I'm done. And revise the north. Both projects depend, of course, on the desires of my publisher. a presto Faith

Ciao Jason There are dozens of greens, all members of the brassica family, that go by the name of broccoli, broccoletti, rape, or regional dialect variations of the above. Torquato, my vegetable muse, said they get bitter when the weather is warm, are best after a frost. Get rid of touch stems. Boil leaves in LOTS of salted water, blanch in lots of cold water when they're tender. My favorite dish with broccoli greens is pancotto. Recipe coming in my next book. I'd probably drink a young, lusty red, maybe Aglianico. I've never heard of rabaste but the word seems to derive from "rape", turnip greens. a presto Faith

Ciao Marcia Italians do eat more vegetables than Americans, and in different ways, as part of an antipasto or paired with pasta or stewed by itself or with meat or fish. And Italian vegetables are better than Italian desserts. Farmers' markets throughout the country mean that most people have access to fresh, local, seasonal produce, a key to successful vegetable cooking. When I came to Italy, in the 70s, I had never seen red radicchio, wild greens, zucchini flowers, purple artichokes to eat raw, wild mushrooms, truffles. I've turned a lot of people onto fennel pollen, a condiment worth hunting for. I've never seen the vegetable known as agretti in the US, chive-looking sourish greens that are boiled, dressed with lemon and extra virgin. There are lots of different kinds of broccoli greens that don't exist outside their areas of production. And cicerchia, a legume that's an ancient chick pea, is new to most people. But what I find so special is that each village and town has its own special vegetable--beans of all colors and shapes, farro from the Garfagnana, the riccio Fiorentino tomato, zucca barucca from Veneto are a few examples. a presto Faith