SWISS_CHEF

I know the subject of "which rice for risotto" has been covered a hunded times here in one forum or another but I have a little to add... I have eaten in several Piemontese houses since I have been down there and I keep asking which rice do you prefere for risotto... Almost everytime they tell me Roma. Only once have I even heard Carnaroli mentioned and I have never heard a Piemontese mention Valone Nano or Arborio.

HELLO KANSAS CITY!!! Ed and Melanie here. Long time KC locals, but have lived in Europe for many years now (since 1993). Anyway, here are our "nostalgic" picks: Best Everyday Restaurant (i.e. cheap and easy): Winstead's Best All-around Restaurant (cost doesn't matter): Venue ( for Ed, because I cooked there) Stephenson's Apple Farm (for Melanie, because Ed didn't cook there) Best Breakfast: The Corner, because we were usually too hung over to even notice the wait. Best Barbeque: Bryant's and BB's lawnside(Ed) Hayward's (Melanie) Best Mexican: El Taquito Best Italian: Minsky's (of all the things we miss the most the prime-cut pizza tops the list...we still have dreams about it and I try very hard to explain it to true Italian pizzaleros, but they don't get it) Best Chinese: (who cares, no one goes to KC for Chinese, get a plant ticket to SF or NYC) Best Ice Cream: Foo's Fabulous Frozen Custard in Brookside Best Cheeseburger: Winstead's Best French Fries: who cares...lets talk about onion rings! Best restaurant on the Kansas side (if your best restaurant pick was on the MO side): Sorry, everything always felt plastic on the Kansas side except maybe Tatsu's Best restaurant on the Missouri side (if your best restaurant pick was on the KS side): the Classic Cup (the original in Westport not that ridiculous thing on the plaza...back when when Dan and Charlene ran it, Chad Zimmerman made coffee and Fred Fry did the dishes) What about?????????????????????? Best soul food: Ruby's Best fried chicken: Strouds Best Bar of all time: Club Royal, also important were Jimmy's Jigger and Milton's Any of these places still around???

We are headed back this weekend and plan to crash the Olympic party next week in Turin, but the only Olympic competition I am interested in would be the Pizza Olympics! Who needs bobsledding, ice skating and the downhill slalom when you can have agnolotti, salciccia and Barbera!! I will give you a full report!

I plan to do some sniffing with my Chesapeake Bay this Fall. I am told you train the dog by planting Gorgonzola rinds in the garden. When the dog finds them he is ready for the field.

I had this conversation with my friend Paolo Fererro, a long time restaurant owner and Piemonte native. He tells me the Nebbiolo wines are much better for cooking than Barbera. Also Dolcetto is a good alternative to Nebbiolo. Aparently the Barbera has too much acid and causes the sauce to be unbalanced. It does not have to be an expensive Barolo of Barbaresco any good Nebbiolo will do.

The butcher (OK mart) in Villa San Secondo just north of Asti is famous for his agnolotti. We have tried about seven or eight different agnolotti from artisanal producers and his are by far the best. Not cheap but very good. His are mostly meat almost no filler. Edit: By the way, if you go there, he only makes it on thursday when he is closed and sells it on friday, but get there early because he sells out fast. You can also order it in advance to be sure you get some.

Here is my stinco in Barbera.

Sorry, I am playing catch-up now that I have broad band.... Salami cotto is moister and cheaper than normal salami. The flavor is very mild. I bought some for the first time in a little shop in San Martino Alfieri. Paid about 9 euros a kilo. We ate some as an anti-pasti and even used it on a pizza.

Hi Guys, I would have loved to contribute to this thread but I found myself with a 36k dial-up connection in Italy and it took me 20 minutes just to read a few e-mails so reading and posting here was out of the question. I did manage to write a few articles which I have posted. I hope you enjoy them. As it happens, we found ourselves in love with the Piemonte and a couple of days ago we bought a little house in Zanco near Asti so you will hear more from me on the subject of Piemonte. By the way, once we have it restored, our doors are open at "Casetta Lumaca" (it means "snail house", in honor of the slowfood mascot) and you are all welcome to stop by for a bite and a sip. Ed

Hi Menton, My friends in the Monferato and Langhe regions tell me it is hard to find good food in Turin and if you do it costs way too much...also, most of the foods you mentioned are from Monferato and Langhe regions..... ok, you can go see the Olympics but for everything else come see us. Ed in San Martino Alfieri

Hi Bill, Ouch what a slap in the face! The smell coming from the kitchen the other day was heavenly! What a bummer but thanks for the tip. By the way....what are your favorite haunts?

Simple??? The Barberas I have tasted in the last week are surely world-class and have price tags to match! I would love to post more on the Beverages & Wine forum but at the moment I only have a 36k telephone connection, in a rented house and I am lucky to just get the stuff posted that I have.

Funny you mention Cuneo because we were there today for the first time, on advice from my friend Boris_A. (If you are reading Boris...you are right, the arcades are FANTASTIC!) We didn't get a chance to eat a meal but we did manage to visit the famous Eredi Arione Secondo and try a Cuneesi Al Rhum. I am sure you are right about the antipasti....my writings are a result of covering the area from Alba north through Asti, to Moncalvo. I have no doubt that things could easily change in just a few kilometers off my beaten path and I am looking forward to discovering more as we venture out further. Best, Ed

Bought loads of stuff. The cheeses were fantastic. The wines even better. In fact we went home ...tasted one of the wines and the next day went to the winemaker and bought 120 bottles of it. The wine was a Barberra d'Asti from Pino d'Asti.

It has been over a week since we returned to Italy and most of my days have been consumed with planning, cooking and occasionally cleaning-up after nearly a dozen meals. With the exception of one “traditional American fried-chicken lunch” which I cooked for some Piemontese friends (they were very brave and tried everything), all of the meals I have cooked have been versions of traditional Piemontese meals. Although the Piemontese use garlic, anchovies and tomatoes in their cuisine, it is notably different from the south of Italy; the flavors are more subtle, the garlic clove and the tomato are used rather sparingly. Pasta is often made with only flour and egg yolks. And the tiny ravioli called Plin are often stuffed Castelmagno cheese. Piemontese are great cheese-makers and as in France; a cheese course is a compulsory part of a fine meal. Olive oil is the one southern ingredient that the Piemonte heartily embraces, excellent olive oil is produced in Liguria, the Piemonte’s neighbor to the south and the typical grocery store in these parts has an entire aisle entirely devoted just to olive oil. Antipasti in the Piemonte is mostly Salumi. I have yet to be served an olive or a pickled anything as an antipasti. Yesterday we were given some potato chips and a few olives with a Prosecco as an apero but the antipasti course is all about pork. Yesterday, we were fortunate enough to be invited to lunch in the home of a very fine vintner just north of Asti. Being known for his delicious Grignolino, a wine famous for serving with cured meats, he of course had to produce some outstanding salumi to showcase his wine…and he did. There was coppa and salami, tiny cacciatore salami all were excellent but there was one thing that I wasn’t prepared for….sitting in the center of the table was a tight spiral of raw sausage in a casing, just like you might see labeled “Italian sausage” anywhere in the world. “Oh” I thought “ we are going to cook it at the table….perhaps on a hot stone or something“…well, I was wrong…in the Piemonte they eat pork sausage raw! This sausage had not been treated or cured in any way. It was fresh raw pork in a natural intestinal casing.. .at first I was more than a bit hesitant….eating raw pork is contrary to everything I have ever known. “Surely this isn’t safe” I thought… but our host assured us it is produced fresh every day by the butcher in the next village and he is famous for his “Salsiccia”. Reluctantly, I tried a fork-full and I became an immediate convert! Salsiccia is made from very lean, finely ground, tender pork which is then seasoned lightly and stuffed into a casing. The flavor is delicate and delicious…I had four helpings! Later we had some cooked Salsiccia in the potato gnocchi. It was good, but I prefer my Salsiccia raw thank you!

I reached the Alps: the soul within me burned Italia, my Italia, at thy name: And when from out of the mountain’s heart I came And saw the land for which my life had yearned. I laughed as one who some great prize has earned. Oscar Wilde Piemonte is slowly becoming mine. I am not only coming to understand the “how” of the Piemonte but I am beginning to appreciate the “why”. The Savoyards are the original people of the Piemonte and it is only in the last 150 years that they have been called Italians…a moniker that quite frankly, I think they would happily and unceremoniously cast off. Piemontese are infused with a fierce sense of regionalism backed by millenniums of traditions, methods and secrets and if you are lucky enough to have time and look closely, some of it will be happily and proudly revealed to you. If Rome wasn’t built in a day then surely every aspect of the Piemonte can’t be learned and understood in a lifetime, but what an interesting lifetime it would be to try and un-ravel her tangled secrets and traditions of the land, the people and the food. On the road between Asti and Alba is a tiny shop housed in an old brick building called “Cascina del Cornale“. There are a few colorful signs to point the way and a small parking lot on the side of the building. Once you enter the courtyard, you notice they are also operating a restaurant and an “Agritourismo” (Italy’s answer to a country inn). My friend Toni tells me they have slowly expanded over the last few years to include the restaurant. During the last twenty years I have visited hundreds of little gourmet shops littering the country-side around New England and other affluent areas up and down the eastern coast of the US and when I walked into the Cornale I have to admit it was a let down. Where were the expensive German knives? Where was the La Creusette cook wear? I didn’t see any big red tins of Amoretti Biscotti! No aprons that make you look like you have a garter and stockings on….. In short what’s the point of this place! The vegetable stand at the Ipermarket down the street was 20 times bigger. The wine selection was dismal. The only thing that looked promising was the cheese counter and the Salumi selection. “How does they make a living here?” I thought……then… as if my eyes were adjusting to the darkness, I slowly began to understand. The selection was small because it represented only the very best of 50 local “Azienda Agricole Familiari” (family owned farms) of Piemonte and Liguria. They have sourced their products personally, and what they have assembled is a collection of the rarest and finest examples they have been able to find. There was no filler….there was no second best. There wasn’t much in this shop, but you can bet your life that ANYTHING you buy here will be perfect. The Salumi was all artisanale… in Italy “artisanale” translates to: “like nothing you will ever taste again in your entire life outside of Italy”.The same was true of the cheeses. All were hand-made and local, probably by friends and family. There were AOC dried beans called Gianetto di Nasino, sold in tiny 250 gr. bags tied with ribbon and sporting a hand-written “Carta D’Identita” telling me that they came from the Azienda Agricola “U Luvu” in Nasino, bag number 0182 77138 and that I should consume them by November 2006. There were at least a half-a-dozen different types of honey, but from only one producer…L’Archivolto in Gavi. Fresh brown eggs were sorted and stored in a home crafted chicken-wire cabinet under a halogen spot-light like jewels at Cartier‘s. There were hand-poured chocolates and various other confections, all were hand-made and all local. Again, not a wide selection… but nothing but the very best. I know what you are thinking….yeah right.. all that’s great if you willing to pay $5 for an apple… but honestly the prices were not bad…not bad at all. I happened to check … a wine that they charged €6.50 for only costs €6 at the winery 20 miles away! After ten minutes I began to feel ashamed of my first impressions. I began to realize exactly how much time and care must have been involved in the sourcing and assembling the kind of collection this tiny shop had. A new sense of respect flowed through me and I began to realize the difference between this place and the so called “gourmet shops” back in the States. Here before me, was a true gem, a tiny bit of the very finest that our region has to offer, very carefully selected by people who love us. As we left we were almost knocked over with a heavenly aroma coming from the kitchens….I can’t wait to try the restaurant!!! Cascina del Cornale www.cornale.it Corso Marconi, 64 12050 Magliano Alfieri (CN)

Great Idea! We (Melanie and I) will be in the Piemonte for the next few months (starting next week) solely for the purpose of researching food and wine. I expect to have plenty of time to take pictures and cook the local recipes with the local ingredients. We are looking forward to contributing!

What a great idea! I will help in any way I can while I am in Italy. Unfortunately I don't speak Italian but I would be happy to spy on the Slow Food office's front window in Bra and report all of the titles I see. There is also a fantastic book/gourmet food store in Alba that will have some interesting stuff too. They might get "twitchy" if I sit there and copy all of the detailed information, but at least I can get the titles and the authors!

Hi Ludja, I have not seen any Grittibänz men with sprigs of evergreen around here. Grampus is called "Schmutzli" here and is seen on Dec. 6th with "Samichlaus". Like the Austrian Grampus, Schmutzli's job is to hand out lumps of coal and sticks to all the naughty children.....unfortunately....Schmutzli and I know each other rather too well! Happy Holidays, Ed

The pan is actually half Swiss (the coating) and half German (the casting). I contacted the German half (who apparently is the controlling half) last summer and asked if they would like my company to distribute the pan in the US for them. Initially they wanted to talk, but later the owner went to an exhibition in Asia somewhere and met an American company that already distributes pans in the US so he decided to give him the business. I have just googled and I don't see anything that tells me the pans are available yet in the US. I have an arrangement with the Swiss portion of the consortium and I can buy and (for the moment) mail the pans to people in the US. If you are interested please PM me. As you may have read, I did this for CtznCane (you can ask him his opinion via PM) and he seems to be happy (as am I) with the pans performance. I tend to focus on quality cooking tools and to-date there is nothing that comes close to this pan that I have seen. Please note: "Swiss Diamond" pans are 100% Swiss made and have the same coating but the casting and handle are inferior. Ed

Sous vide just means vacuum-packed. Many meats you buy here in Switzerland do come sous-vide but you can't use the bag to cook in because it will pop and leak. (I have tried..even at low temperatures) Here in German-speaking Switzerland, most cuts of meat come packed in a styrofoam tray or plastic container which allows air to contact the meat, so if I want to freeze a piece of meat, I ask if it can be vacuum-packed, because it insures you will not encounter freezer-burn, but I don't cook in it. However, there are some cuts of smoked pork like Schaufele, Rippli and Rollschinken that are sold in a special, very heavy-duty vacuum-packed plastic bags that are specifically designed to be cooked in. Generally speaking, I think the concept of cooking sous-vide with anything besides smoked pork is rather new and rare in many parts of Europe. I certainly have never seen any of my Swiss family use this method. That having been said...it seems that all of my "cutting-edge" Swiss cooking colleagues seem to have invested several hundred bucks in heavy duty vacuum machines and scientific water baths with painstaking accurate temperature controls... having tasted the outcome of these experiments, all I can say is.... I am more than open-minded to this process!

Every year the local bakeries in the German part of Switzerland make Grittibänz to be eaten on St. Nicholas Day (December 6th) . They are made from a very lightly sweetened brioche dough and taste delicious. Usually they are pretty simple but some of the finer bakeries can make some that are much too pretty to eat. He originally came from the German-speaking central plain, the Basel and Neuchatel area. “Gritti” refers to the figure’s legs being apart and Bänz is the short form for Benedikt. There is some dispute about how far he dates back, but he has definitely been known since the 16th century. The widely held view is that the figure represents Santa Claus in a very simplified form. A Basel recipe for Grittibänz 500 g flour 1 tablespoon salt 70 g sugar 70 g butter 2 dl milk 1 egg 25 g yeast 1 egg for coating For the decoration: raisins, shelled almonds, candied fruit, possibly coarse granulated sugar. Cream the yeast with a little sugar in a cup. Place the flour in a bowl and mix it with salt, sugar, slightly warmed butter, lukewarm milk, the egg and the yeast to a dough. Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic. Cover and leave to rise to twice the amount in a warm place. Knead the dough again, use a knife to cut off pieces of dough in the desired size and roll out to an oval shape. Mark the head by pressing the dough together slightly and turn the head to the back to make the neck. Cut out the arms and legs with scissors and place them in the required position. Decorate the figures with raisins, shelled almonds and candied fruit and trim the hat with remnants of dough. Leave to rise and put in a cold place for 20 to 30 minutes. Before baking, brush with egg and possibly sprinkle with coarse granulated sugar. In a preheated oven, bake for 20 to 30 minutes at medium temperature.

Doing fine-like new and no scratches.

I lived in Interlaken for 4 years and I suggest: Gasthof Alte Post 3764 Weissenburg Tel. +41 (0)33 783 15 15 Fax +41 (0)33 783 15 78 On the road from Interlaken to Gstaad. Old coach stop. Very charming dining room. Very good food, served table side and you get seconds. Prices are moderate. In Interlaken there is a good wine bar: Vineria Grapperia "Per Bacco" Rugenparkstrasse 2 3800 Interlaken Have had many very fine meals at the Grand Hotel Beau Rivage Best wood-fired pizza in Interlaken is definitely: Pizzeria Horn Harderstr.35 3800 Interlaken, Schweiz Tel. ++41 33 822 92 92 Fax ++41 33 823 50 80 A bit off the beaten path, but worth it. Besure to order the antipasti. Also, a must is: Restaurant Bären Seestrasse 2 3800 Unterseen (Interlaken) Telefon: 033 822 75 26 Fax: 033 822 75 28 Traditional Swiss food in a tiny ancient chalet. Another must is the Restaurant Hirschen Hauptstrasse 11, Postfach 64 3800 Matten b. Interlaken Tel. ++41 (0)33 822 15 45 Fax ++41 (0)33 823 37 45 They grow most of their own meat and veg and source everything locally. One tip in Interlaken...skip all the restaurants on the main strip in the center of town. They are expensive and packed with tourists...except McDonalds which is full of locals. You probably knew that though.

Here in Switzerland, each of our importers usually puts on a big tasting once a year and they open up all of their wines for all of the retailers to try. Usually there are 3 to 5 hundred bottles open at once and you have five or six hours to "do your best". I can get through at least one hundred bottles and perhaps two, but I have to spit everything out. I must admit there are occasionally a few that I refuse to spit out. I usually even have a second taste and swallow that too....just for medicinal purposes and to confirm my original opinion of course! I have found that you can never expect to taste objectively if you are drunk..... but it never fails. at every tasting there is a large group of people obviously overcome by the wines. Honestly, for me the best way to try a new wine is at a table with a few friends and some good food where we can discuss it.