Pontormo

^Sounds like a man of experience! Divina, fantastic photographs--what fun!!! I've been on a mad hunt having a blast searching all around town for chili peppers from Italy in various guises. I'll say more later, but I completely forgot to pick up fresh ones while shopping today. I ended up with a tube of chili paste from Amore which I really like.

It warms my heart that they were "too easy"--for some of us. We need some contributions from parts of the world other than Europe and the United States and this is an international crowd, so, I am hopeful. (Heather & Karen, I LOVE Thiebaud's cakes...) You know, I get the impression that once someone is able to support a guess with a link, I don't need to jump in to say "Yes!", though everyone needs a gold star now and again. So, especially since I'm now indoors, away from the sun, and the little Tigger sewn on the front is not exactly adult, my hat's off to Shaya, first, for guessing the Goya. Shudder, indeed. Gives me the creeps, but I adore the artist for the things he gives us the creeps about and the way he does it. We'll call your star saffron! And, Seisei, you get Castor & Pollux for your starS! I tried your link for the Jasper Johns, but couldn't scroll down, so here they are, also at the bottom of the page, so you'll need to scroll down. * * * UNSOLVED CLUES 5. Naked sailor with long blond hair* 6. Strategically placed Tootsie Roll Pop 16. pies served on a door, ale from clay jars, and bagpipes. *Only part of him becomes food. ___________________________ Please provide a link that illustrates the work of art if at all possible. Do not cut and paste a reproduction of the image, sculpture (etc.) directly into your post. Start your response with the number of the clue. Then reply. Should you wish to provide clues of your own, conduct an image search to see if there are online reproductions; this would also help you decide whether or not the work of art might be familiar to other Society members. Nothing cinematic; go to the other game for that sort of thing. If you add a clue, please check back and confirm whether or not a response is accurate--or suits the clue, but is not the work you had in mind. Any additional clue should be designated its own, new number. If you're not superstitious, nothing's been assigned #13 yet, so start there, but skip to 17 for any further clues.

Eden: Of course the duke's January feast is something that sprang instantly to your mind! Never thought about Elvis, before! Number 9 is off the table ( ). I'm going to have to say no on number 4. No doubt there's another answer, but it's got to be a bit more literal. Bet you Docsconz and his wife would know had they a chance to linger in one of the cities they visited recently. Maybe if they bought black beans (bag, can...) upon their return home, they'd be able to make a connection... No more further hints. I'm still waiting for someone else to jump in with clues #13, 14, & 15... Anyone?

Wendy beat me to it. The nnnnyyyaukkee look fantastic, really, and who cares if the things on your plate touch ?! What a lovely ricer, too! And sausages, fresh and dried. Klary, I am really sorry you have been under the weather this week. Thank you for good-spirited blogging while fighting a cold. I admire bravery surpassing my own when it comes to sweetbreads--they actually looked good in your picture.* I wonder what you'll try next. Though you might have felt we know your Amsterdam by now, the shot of your market street at the end of the day was a revelation. I don't know how standard daily, long open-air markets are in the Netherlands. Perhaps it is a privilege that comes with living in your city. Here, the scarcity, small scale and limited hours of farmers markets makes them special and greatly anticipated. I hope some time in the future they're be so much a part of the fabric of daily life that there are dedicated urban spaces just for vendors. The poached chicken suggests a pastry-covered dish, though I haven't a clue as to why you toasted the flour. Something Middle-eastern or Eastern Mediterranean vs. the birthday cobbler? *What is it about women and offal--I know, I know plenty like and love innards to eat. Are there men out there who feel equally squeamish? Final note: I vaguely recall you bake your rhubarb compote. Or thought you do. At any rate, I had forgotten about the method I tried again this week. The texture's superior to results when compote is prepared on top of the stove.

Restaurant critic--not that I know of. However, scroll down to Commissions and Controversies for Rodin's clothed version of a statue of Balzac. Then, there's Jasper Johns who commented on critics the same way Julia Langbein writes about Frank Bruni: The Critic Smiles.

Yes, Anna! Exactly! Kerry--precisely the subject I had in mind aka Temptation of Adam and Eve--thanks for adding the information along with Cranach's painting! Shaya, you know, I was actually thinking of a GLASS of absinthe (sculpture), so I am so relieved you were able to come up with a bottle, coincidentally by the same artist (scroll down to bottom, here). Arey: Sorry you were having technical difficulties. I assume Hjshorter linked the painting you were thinking of? Ms. Shorter gets TWO gold stars**--especially for number 2, which, I'll be darned, does seem to have glasses full of white wine unless Blake was a teetottler and imposed his convictions on others. (When was the martini invented?) If anyone can think of an Italian example dating before the third quarter of the fifteenth-century--other than one I had in mind, I know two people who would kiss and anoint your feet. Or something more befitting. **Not three, though the cartoon is incredibly cute. Please, please, add your own clues to keep the game going! Meanwhile I am adding an article to one of the original clues that might help. Here's what's left: CLUES 3. Horse as a meal 4. A god as a meal 5. Naked sailor with long blond hair* 6. Strategically placed Tootsie Roll Pop 8. Ale can 9. Golden platter piled with little roasted birds, legs up in the air; two tiny lap dogs on the table licking a nearby plate *Only part of him becomes food. ___________________________ Please provide a link that illustrates the work of art if at all possible. Do not cut and paste a reproduction of the image, sculpture (etc.) directly into your post. Start your response with the number of the clue. Then reply. Should you wish to provide clues of your own, conduct an image search to see if there are online reproductions; this would also help you decide whether or not the work of art might be familiar to other Society members. Nothing cinematic; go to the other game for that sort of thing. If you add a clue, please check back and confirm whether or not a response is accurate--or suits the clue, but is not the work you had in mind. Any additional clue should be designated its own, new number, beginning with "13". I will check back tomorrow to tidy up, develop any clues that have gone untouched, etc.

Let me get this straight...12 bunches for a total of 5 Canadian dollars and not $5 each? Round here, the price has risen to $5 a bunch, $10 for 3 at the farmer's market (one vendor only) or $15 a pound at the only fancy supermarket that carries them. (Whole Foods has been cutting back on most of its fancy/trendy ingredients while moving towards the packaged/ready-for-the-oven crowd. No ramps this year thus far.)Maggie, since you've got a whole mess, I do recommend the scalloped potatoes (see my alterations above) which I made again this year. While I prefer pasta or potatoes over risotto, if you go with the rice, sauté the sliced bulbs only at the beginning as if they were shallots, before you add the rice. Sliver the greens, but reserve until your risotto is almost, but not quite done. Then add them. Scroll up and look at the Babbo site. Generally, you separate the bulbs from leaves, but incorporate both parts in your dish. Bulbs take to a good chicken stock (and butter) like fish to aromatic, winy broth. If the ramps are small, thanks to cold weather, the flavor is not going to be as overwhelming as reputation would have it. They're more like the man behind the curtain. Flavorful, but not like fistfuls of garlic. If the weather's hot and the ramps got big and leaves a bit tough, then the impact will be more potent. Snowangel, that looks glorious.

Yes! Gold star. That was quick--and one of the clues I was hoping would ring a bell. There are several other answers that would be correct, but this is the painting I was thinking of myself.

The following clues refer to works of art you may have seen as you strolled through museums or abbeys waiting for your bellies to feel empty again. Others illustrate books that protect your table from crumbs and rings. A few should be fairly easy to identify. Some are obscure. Several definitely have more than one answer. Therefore, please be as specific as possible when providing an answer that includes: a) title; b) artist(s) if known; c) date and/or d) current location should either c or d distinguish your work from several possible answers. CLUES 1. Potatoes 2. White wine at The Last Supper 3. Horse as a meal 4. God as a meal 5. Naked sailor with long blond hair* 6. Strategically placed Tootsie Roll Pop 7. Absinthe bottle 8. Ale can 9. Golden platter piled with little roasted birds, legs up in the air; two tiny lap dogs on the table licking a nearby plate 10. Enormous strawberry with spiny tail like a shooting star, ending in spiked metal ball 11. Bell pepper. Nothing else. 12. A bad apple, shared *Only part of him becomes food. ___________________________ Please provide a link that illustrates the work of art if at all possible. Do not cut and paste a reproduction of the image, sculpture (etc.) directly into your post. Start your response with the number of the clue. Then reply. Should you wish to provide clues of your own, conduct an image search to see if there are online reproductions; this would also help you decide whether or not the work of art might be familiar to other Society members. Nothing cinematic; go to the other game for that sort of thing. If you add a clue, please check back and confirm whether or not a response is accurate--or suits the clue, but is not the work you had in mind. Any additional clue should be designated its own, new number, beginning with "13". I will check back a couple of times today to see if the game catches on and how you're doing. Otherwise, I'll plan on logging in at least once every day or every other day to tidy up et al. Have fun!

I wondered if someone would start a thread on this book. I am still waiting for a copy at my public library. What I find most promising is the fact that an established, familar author conducted this experiment. Not only might it be a pleasure to read, but it sounds as if it won't get mired in sensationalism or extremes. The reason I say this is that No Impact Man has too good a publicist. His blog to book & documentary film have received a lot of hype; he may have been mentioned here already. Both The New York Times* and last night, Nightline use the same hook in titles that invite you to exclaim, "How disgusting!" Granted, Colin Beavan (looking suitably awful on ABC's Web site) and his family are conducting a more comprehensive scheme to address ecological concerns, and since he's a New Yorker with a housekeeper and a blog, the inherent hypocracies make smug observers potential book-buyers. As far as what is relevant to eGullet goes, it seems as if NIM could not cook before the project began and that his extensive library did not hold much in the way of cookbooks. Couldn't he go to the public library? Read Mark Bittman before baking whole wheat quick bread in his brownie pan or send his wife off to work with a Mason jar of sludge for lunch? I am hoping that Babara Kingsolver and her family are better cooks. The title suggests a real appreciation for food. *Article accessible for limited time. Garden Section on March 22, 2007.

Beautiful, Elie!! Eggplant are on the grocery list with plans of trying out the Lucanian stuffed eggplant for a change. After looking at your photograph and Klary's, I may need to buy extra to make a favorite, though Franci's eggplant-stuffed pasta may be one rung higher in my hierarchy of Great Things To Do With Spongy Vegetables. I just returned Jamie Oliver's cookbook to the library. He's not alone in recommending broiling the slices, but are you saying he also replaces Reggiano Parmigiana with an aged pecorino--or is that something you did to make this more Calabrian? ETA: Really doing a swell job w Italian and spelling, lately...

FYI: Stumbled upon the following from a source which may very well include other relevant, scanned texts: Foods that Will Win the War and How to Cook Them. Sigh. Interesting that the date is 1918 and not decades later. Fascinating in so many ways. Gives meaning to the use of the term "Home Economics" in schools and universities. I've only taken the time to glance through the beginning, but one of the first things that came to mind was the content of Omnivore's Dilemma when reading the list of items the US Food Administration asks American housekeepers (!) to save: A little lower down, substituting syrups for sugar is recommended.Directly below that advice is the following: food _______________ 1-buy it with thought 2-cook it with care 3-serve just enough 4-save what will keep 5-eat what will spoil 6-home-grown is best ___________________ don't waste it!

Ahhhhh! That explains a lot since I don't buy lamb very often. I had simply remembered "lamb chops" from about.com while shopping and picked some up since they were on sale. I wondered a bit about the word "cutlet" that appears later in a recipe called "Lamb Chops Calabrian Style" and does not specify which kind of chop to buy--just "bone in". I even did a google image search at one point when the 15-minute braise seemed a bit odd. * * * ETA: I just figured out that I purchased loin chops.

Shaya, Elie, I just found this: from Erica de Mane. She notes that in Campania, it's traditional to use the whey produced from making mozzarella di bufala. She finds a mixture of whole cow's milk and goat's milk (2:1) to produce something of the taste of Southern Italian ricotta. Perhaps the smaller amount of goat's milk makes the process feasilbe. I asked because the name of the pasta dish reminded of Hathor's rhapsodic posts about ricotta produced with sheep's milk. * * * P.S. Someone in the Dinner Thread recently contributed a Calabrian dish (Seagal, I think).

Klary, I do hope you're feeling better, especially by tomorrow. And Mark, once we've travelled around the globe a bit, I hope Snowangel will persuade you to take up Klary's torch. What a meal---yes, especially the quesadillas and salsa that matches IlCuoco's striking drinks.

Judith: you're really an inspiring photographer! Down in the Italian forum we have to start a retrospective thread once the 2005-2007 survey has ended, detailing what dishes were new to us when we picked up Kevin's lead and prepared meals based on local traditions of all of Italy's regions. Before we began, I had purchased fresh fava beans from my beloved vegan farmer, Heinz, once. So-so results. THEN, all of a sudden the beans started to appear in the upscale grocery chains and a month spent in Liguria introduced me to the wonders of maro. Your batch looks spectacular! I made some last week and after seeing this post, I suspect it will be dinner tonight.

Elie: That looks delicious! Do you ever make ricotta with ewe's or goat's milk? I hope you'll take Basilicata as a source of inspiration for your next batch of homemade sausage, though I guess fiery hot ones are out of the question.

There are so many recipes that call for seeded cucumbers.... * * * Regarding the inspiration for Yuki's name, thank you for the explanation. Having read the novel more than a decade ago (gorgeous; response to modernization in Japan and beautifully sensitive to female protagonists, if merciless), I hadn't a clue. Criterion has just started to release DVDs of classic Japanese films by Mizoguchi and Ichikawa. The latter directed Sasame-Yuki (Fine Snow is Japanese title), the adaptation of the novel that Abra saw. From what I understand Europeans have greater access to DVDs considered less marketable here in North America. Back to culinary matters: I look forward to seeing more posts related to your decision to cook with ingredients you are not used to buying or preparing. If any of these end up in Southern Italian food, I'd love to see where you pick up foods imported from Italy and to compare what you find to what is available in a cosmopolitan city in the United States. Also, your trips to outdoor markets are always interesting, should the spirit move you.

This topic was covered fairly recently, if inspired by a different question: Cutting an Onion. In Post 23 I share a trick I learned from a book--simpler to perform than explain, though I don't always use it. It works best if you have a paring knife with a very thin blade.

My only defense, Franci, is solidarity: ....Ah! Penne. And there I was thinking about Lorena Bobbit . ← * * * Tonight I prepared a Calabrese dinner, if in Italian-American fashion, i.e. without multiple courses. The following recipe was something I recalled while grocery shopping, so the main course was Costolette alla Calabrese with a few modifications. For example, chops browned first, two small bulbs of green garlic from the farmers market with scallion greens... I very much liked the green olives and the sauce in general as an accompaniment to the lamb, however, I think a few more adjustments might be made to the recipe to avoid cooking even thick lamb chops all the way through which is not my preference. Not dry, but. Contorni were inspired in part by this blog by a transplanted American who plated salad next to potatoes that looked just right if not unique to Calabria. And while I found this recipe for asparagus, it didn't seem quite right, so I prepared some fresh fava beans simply, drizzled them with olive oil and sprinkled on a little pecorino to complete the meal.

Out of curiosity, I tried searching with "slopit" and "Friuli" and came up with tarragon--or "dragoncello". Cf. this link and scroll down till you come to the picture on the lower right. For some reason, "sclopit" appears in English translation, "slopit" for the Italian text.But is that correct? The second link in search came across photos in an Italian culinary site where the green ("erba") may be used in greater abundance than tarragon: Coquinaria. Scroll down a bit to the brief entry by Giuliana who posts two links, the first with photograph of silvery, thin, tapered leaves, the second a drawing of a flowering plant. One member says it grows by the side of the road; April and May are times to find it. Around Rome it's known as "strigoli" or "stridoli". Flavor compared to fresh peas. This seems the most relevant link. * * * Final source consulted: an online dictionary of Friulian terms told me the plant "slopit" is what is called "bubboline" in Italian. A Coquinaria member refers to bubboli, but this is quite different. An image search (for bubboline) came up with Papaver rhoeas L. or corn poppy: Rosolaccio (scroll down). Apparently, useful information for new or expectant fathers and mothers if not IlCuoco. Nursing mothers might be able to transfer its medicinal properties to infants if petals infused and sipped in tea. It's supposed to cure the insomnia of children.

Basilicata, continued: Mangierebene offers a few recipes in English. Here's Kyle Phillips of about.com (not his best section; the link provides richer material for Calabria). Cavatelli are pictured here at The Italian taste as softened triangles more than cylinders. This recipe for the pasta is followed by one for cavatelli w turnip greens, a dish you'll find on many Web sites. Anyone know what is done with the turnip bulbs? The farmers markets around here have wonderful small, white turnips at this time of year. I believe I've linked this genealogical site before: My Italian Family; there are four recipes. Tangoitalia refers to the controversy over the regional origins of sausage that Hathor addresses. You can also find a recipe for preparing a baby goat's head.* Here's Micol Negrin's Rustico with recipes and announcement of a cooking tour to Potenza and Matera in September. Cookaround's recipes in Italian only. not so with Cibochepassione which includes pictures for the recipes in Italian, linked here. Translated into English, sans photos: here. N.B. The English text describing regions for these two sites is identical, I seem to recall. Barilla lists local food festivals. I noticed many recipes that called for these particular small, bitter onion found throughout Southern Italy: lampascioni. Finally, the most interesting--or unexpected link I came across is a scientific paper on foraged greens in Basilicata. Here's the Journal of Ethnobiology & Ethnomedicine. *I don't know about US regulations governing the slaughter of goats. However, sheep are vulnerable to a disease that is related to "Mad Cow" if something else entirely, according to the lamb specialists who sell at my farmers market. Thus, prohibitions at licensed facilities where saleable body parts are limited.

BASILICATA Before listing internet sites, I have to say that I'm more of a fan of Fred Plotkin's understated enthusiasm than rhapsodic prose, Mike . My copy of Italy for the Gourmet Traveler is of the first edition, so readers new to this forum should note there is another thread in this forum that announces a newly revised edition that I'll just have to wait and see if Amazon's pixies emphatically underscore to link pinkly. The other night, I consulted it as bedtime reading and found the description of Basilicata a little less than soporific: thrilling, even. The stuff of nightmares: The author describes the pleasure of dining on a terrace overlooking the caves which include frescoed cells or churches as well as dwellings, occupied or not. However, he also maintains that the passeggiata--evening stroll or form of civic ritual--is the most magical in all of Italy, lasting for hours. Great way to prolong a meal, moving from bar to table and on to gelato. *the word is also used for stones (pl.). * * * Italianmade has a good short list of 15 dishes, succinctly described with links to detailed information on DOP products, all in English. Most of these are stews or braises, though there are also calzones stuffed with greens, focaccia and a cheesecake made w prosciutto. (Use the link for Calabria and note on the the bottom, to the left a link to quizzes that test just how much you've learned by participating in these regional threads.) Cucina Italiana has perhaps the best in-depth English survey on Basilicata, though if you scroll all the way down to the bottom, you'll find the sections devoted to two geographical areas somewhat repetitive. The long, unbroken paragraph does not inspire reading, and if it proves of interest to either you or me, I may post a synopsis later. My original post in this thread concerning baked eggplant drew primarily from the linked text. The site offers further recipes, but only in Italian.

Mrbigjas: Okay, I see you solved your own mystery. Kevin: the plate of sausage, potatoes and mushrooms What kind of chilis did you use? Judith: Same question. (I like the "little meat" as a conceptual link to these two Southern Italian regions.) There are a couple of Italian-American grocers in the area I've never gotten around to visiting since they don't supply the exotic ingredients we've been after. However, now's a good time to look for alternative, local sausage. I don't think I've seen extensive coils. As for the sausages from Basilicata that are said to prized beyond the boundaries of the region, it's interesting to see that one of the two major types is seasoned with the fennel seed and red chili flakes that Americans expect when they buy Italian sausage. They are then aged for nearly a month, according to this site which lists the "typical" products associated with Basilicata, including those classified as DOP and IGP. Regarding DOP & IGP, apparently, we English-speakers switch the letters of the acronyms around. Here's a good, brief explanation that distinguishes between the two designations: click.

I believe you, honest, but no, I haven't come across many references to polenta for the region, just one for a simple recipe (in Italian) with tomatoes, no picture. As Franci knows from direct experience, Puglia and Basilicata share many culinary traditions, so the broccoli rabe makes sense. However, I have seen lots of recipes that call for grana (translated as "wheat berries" sometimes, though one site refers to farro. I dimly recall someone once saying "grana" is "grana" and not quite the wheat berries found in the States...) to be served with a ragu or lamb or sausage... * * * I promised to add links last week, but never completed a categorized compilation of recipe titles and synthesis of information. (Ludja's neat lists are extremely useful.) I won't bother since so much information has been posted thus far. Thank you, Franci, especially! So good to hear from you again! Once I catch up with recent posts here, I will simply provide links with minimal commentary. And, yes, Elie, I agree. Maybe it's the long delay of the growing season this year and the fact that it is now fully underway. Maybe it's the great weather or premature nostalgia now that the regional cooking threads are drawing to a close, but this thread seems to have energized us.