Pontormo

Adam: Since musetto is made from the same pigs that end up as Prosciutto San Daniele, why not grind some of this to produce sausage? Mario Batali's recipe for musetto and brovade is online (see link that Mr. Bigjas provides up-thread), however, I like the additional ingredients your favored author cites: coriander as well as pepper, cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon. Chili pepper. Local white wine. Oh, yes, and the intestines of an ox.

Your husband inadvertently prepared something similar to this frittata (see photo at bottom right). * * * They eat chicken don't they? Anyone have a region-appropriate dish they'd like to share, ideally using parts? I'm planning to pick up some Friulian white wine tomorrow, so a fricasse or braise would be fine, but I have found only references online and nothing in books on my shelves.

Yes, leather shoes are better bet for men. D.C. used to be known for tremendous conservatism when it comes to fashion. Because diners often arrive at the restaurant directly from the office, or the Hill, sometimes continuing their work day at the table, you may see more cautiously chosen dark suits on men and women at some establishments. However, this city is quite diverse and there are artists, insurance underwriters, softwear engineers and so forth. No matter what, darker solid colors or soft grays, tans and beiges prevail. Pastel knits and tropical prints are out unless they're sardonic and hip, preferably worn by women who expose their collarbones and put on at least two or three necklaces. As for restaurants, look at other recent threads on this forum for comments about Jaleo and Ray's. Also move back to the beginning of the year when the city had bargains during Restaurant Week. Many of the local favorites are discussed by members who live in this area. Since the metro system is simple to use, you might find it easiest to take the train to places within the city, such as Dino's, two steps away from the Cleveland Park stop on the Red line.

Same as NYC or Seattle. Jeans and sneaks for some places, satin, diamonds and Manolos for others. Depending upon your persuasion, if you're wearing lapels and don't mind judgmental glances, a tiny flag pin's always good at some of the better steakhouses.

I had put spinach on my grocery list since both earlier reports were so tempting. If there's leftovers, try putting frico on top or in the soup. Extra saltiness always helps. Are you familiar with Lulu's Provencal Table? I'd imagine you'd like it given your enthusiasm for Paula Wolfert's stews, braises, etc. The protagonist of Olney's book prepares lots of simple pureed soups that contain few ingredients. What makes them surprisingly good are small home-made croutons made by frying the cubes lightly in olive oil. Is there too much cornmeal in your paparot to try that? * * * P.S. I DID find a local source for montasio and should have some in a week or two.

Thank you so much for responding to my early request, Kathy. I was impressed and touched by much of what you shared with us. Serving as the family's culinary archivist is a great honor. I had never seen such a collection of recipe cards before. Yes, best wishes on your move to a place of natural beauty and four seasons.

I didn't realize they were made in Friuli-Venezia Giulia since I have a dim memory of wanting to make a version of the dish for either Piemonte or Lombardia, although not with raddicchio. These look absolutely delicious--the contrast between bitter and sweet sounds especially tempting. I am glad you're finding ways to adjust dishes to accommodate your diet. Limiting courses works too, and I do recommend the basil, barley, bean & vegetable soup...

Adam Balic may supply inspiration in Post #108 here. I would love to see special regional varieties of Italian sausages for sale since you don't really buy just sweet or hot abroad. Home cooks may wish to come up with their own version of musetto, for example. It's made in Friuli-Venezia Giulia from pork parts, including the snout; there the meat's quite choice since the same pigs are raised to make the prized Prosciutto San Daniele. Oxen supply the casings. The meat is flavored with pepper, cloves, CINNAMON, chili pepper and CORIANDER and dosed with the wonderful local wine. After brief aging period (one month), it's boiled and served on a bed of bro[v]ade, shredded turnips fermented in grape must .

I'm fortunate, too...and still eating (defrosted) leftovers. However, I also wanted to say that if you find yourself with lamb shanks again, they are used for stinco in Piemonte. Mario Batali has a recipe (perhaps online?) with red onions, tons of garlic, rosemary, olives, an orange, white wine, tomato sauce and stock

Anna Del Conte uses the term "roebuck" frequently, distinguishing its meat from the venison of red deer. She also refers to chamois, a small deer with hooked horns that lives high in the mountains, when offering a recipe for stew from Alto Adige, noting that the game has less flavor at the market since it's usually from farm-raised animals. (Batali turns to Trentino for Gulyas di Capriolo, in Molto Italiano.) I had been curious myself whenever references to roebuck appeared in her books. Here are some images from a site in the UK, as well as Danish Bambi and finally, since Adam's photograph is of a stew, there's this picture.

Dean & DeLuca was quite exciting back in the late 70s and early 80s when there was little comparable in the U.S., when there were farmer's markets scattered here and there but no movement, and when the ports of major cities were dismal and deserted. I still remember that first visit in NYC when the gracious staff brought an enormous mound of French butter wrapped in cheesecloth out from storage just so we could have a little smear for a picnic we were assembling. Things have changed and D& D's franchises are now a counterpart to Neiman Marcus: very precious and pricey and a bit disconcerting for those who would not feel comfortable wearing a fur coat this far from the Artic. Still, good in a pinch. Nice to step away from the computer, walk a few blocks and fetch a chocolate eclair or find the only supplier of Aleppo pepper in town and salt-packed anchovies sold per fish. As much as I contribute to complaints about the culture and economic practices of Whole Foods (including the price of their dried porcini, ouch!), yes, the Texan business has brought us good things including those artichokes with long stems, here only briefly last year. This is getting rather OT. To return to the path, one thing that sort of surprises me is how difficult it has been to track down ingredients for some of the regions we have been exploring. As mentioned earlier, there are over 500 cookbooks devoted to Italian cuisine in English. I suspect it will take some time for the notion of regional cooking to be more fully embraced here in North America, and for farmers and distributors to accommodate new demands.

Shame on you! P.S. If they can't dance on the head of a pin, how you gonna get them on a stick?!

Hey, what are you doing outside of Italy? Actually, the guy at Cornucopia (see above) was so, so nice, I feel obligated to wait until his new shipment comes, though Kevin and Hathor are making such tempting frico in the Friuli thread. Calvert Woodley is strong on French wines and has a rather meager selection of Italian; I suspect their selection of cheeses (there's a WHOLE lot of Brie going on) would follow suit. Since I hadn't even thought of them, thanks for the reminder.

Rochelle: Your recommendation helped. While A. Litteri did not have montasio, I found their telephone number via this article. The owner of Cornucopia in Betheseda said I was two hours too late in calling since a restaurant just wiped out his supply and he places orders at noon. He promises to have it next week and reassures me that it's a regular item.

I wish either company made season-specific flavors that were available only during the months when the fruit was ripe. It would be a great marketing gimmick even if there might be a few temper tantrums thrown by the odd child who did not prefer vanilla or chocolate. Fresh peach and just peach! Peach with fresh ginger root! A very dense blueberry! Does anyone remember an amazing ice cream producer based in Iowa back in the late 80s or early 90s? Its life span was brief and it may have distributed just on the West Coast and the midwest. It made an extraordinary gianduia (see requests up-thread) and a blueberry that tasted as close as you can get to hand-churned, home made.

Sounds like it was based in part on a feature film, The Freshman, starring Matthew Broderick (sp?) and Marlon Brando. Very funny.

Angels don't have bodies. No meat on those bones and no bones, so it would be impossible to eat them. Cf. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274), Summa Theologiae, First Part, "Treatise on the Angels," Question 50: Of the Substance of the Angels Absolutely Considered (In Five Articles) * * * As for dragons, who says they're mythical? They're very, very real.

Mister BJ: I am grateful for the link to the index for Molto Mario since there are five shows on Friuli (all but #3 are tied to recipes) in the initial list with further relevent episodes in the lower depths. Now I know what to do with the leftover marscapone in the fridge. The entire meal you cooked looks wonderful, especially the soup that Kevin also prepared (see Hathor's signature line). Spinach is a favorite of mine, so thanks for the second endorsement. I also love stuffed polenta. Since I have long made a version of the dish with layers of ragu bolognese, I gather several regions do something similar, the variable determined by favored local traditions. And Hathor, your story's quite amusing. I hope you'll report back on those wines once you've opened the bottles. * * * Regarding Q2, I am very happy with the proposal. Just, ONE request for change. On the east coast and northern climates, basil is readily available once summer arrives, with at least six different stalls at the local farmer's market offering bunches. Therefore, I would prefer turning to Liguria in June and Sardegna in May. I am not sure how much seasonal crops were taken into account in matching the island with June.

Thanks, Hathor! To encourage members who have not yet sent a PM to Kevin listing their personal selections for Quarter 2 (April, May & June), I have been compiling the following overview. It is not the final word nor objectively comprehensive in scope. Nonetheless, I do hope it proves useful. (Since re-formatting a Word document here presents err, challenges, I have edited the document a little bit to ease reading after posting it. Red is used for regions we have not yet explored, green, those we've covered. However, italics are omitted for Italian words.) Anna Del Conte's Gastronomy of Italy is my primary--if not exclusive--source. Regional Specialties of Italy • Valle d'Aosta Mountainous region known especially for its Fontina. January 2006, combined with Piemonte given historical unification and affinities, although most members favored the latter. • Piemonte Butter, butter, butter and milk. Cows and the nebbiola grape rule. Barolo especially makes this region, along with Toscana, most celebrated for its wines. However, the elegant white truffle of Alba is of great significance, too. Chocolates, especially gianduia. Sformati, or savory flans; risotto; braises. Anchovies, especially in bagna caoda. Antipasti are extremely popular, more so than most secondi. Cardoons. Trout with herbs, mushrooms and red wine sauce. Herbs, especially sage, play significant role. Major city: Torino, capital of the House of Savoy. Asti. Bra & the USIG. January 2006. • Lombardia Ossobuco with Risotto Milanese perhaps its most famous combination and Gorgonzola most beloved cheese. Tortelli stuffed with pumpkin and sweet ingredients. Pizzocheri. As in Piemonte, butter prevails. Many dishes influenced by Renaissance court traditions, especially in Mantua. Veal chops, or pork, with meat flattened and breaded, flavored with sage. Marsala and sometimes grappa are used to flavor pasta fillings and sauces. Peck's in Milan, a food-lover's haven. Panettone, a studded Christmas cake, is gaining international popularity. February 2006. • Trentino-Alto Adige Northern-most region with strong ties to Austria. Rye flour. Buckwheat polenta. Mushroom polenta. Apples. Pig. Strudel. Perfect for winter. • Friuli-Venezia Giulia Contrast of cucina povera and refinement, most notable, perhaps, in soups versus Prosciutto San Daniele which many prize over the crudo of Parma. As in many humbler regions, vegetables and the pig dominate. Among the noteworthy soups the stew-like Jota may be most representative: made with pork, beans and sauerkraut or brovada, fermented turnips, in Friuli. Orzo (barley). Herb frittatas; seafood along the coast where clams and mussels are cultivated. Asparagus. Roots of Lidia Matticchio Bastianich make this region accessible for home cooks in search of recipes. March 2006. • Veneto Squid ink strands and bigoli, thick noodles made with a special form or press; otherwise, polenta and rice are favored over pasta, as in risi e bisi, rice with peas. Radicchio. Fish. Poultry, including duck with pomegranates. Padua, Vicenza and Verona as well as Venice. Region's Pinot Grigios are big among US drinkers who feel obligated to have wine instead of beer when invited to a dinner party. • Emilia-Romagna Sigh. Lasagna, tortellini and in general fresh pasta made with eggs, stuffed or not, in timbales, light broths, cream sauce. Controversy surrounds its Ragu Bolognese—here on EGullet and elsewhere. In addition to the importance of Bologna, there's also Modena with its balsamic vinegar, Ferrara with its bread, and Parma with its cheese (best in the world; this is NOT an opinion, but fact) and ham. Fruits are excellent, especially cherries, peaches and now kiwi. Region is well represented in cookbooks written in English, most notably The Splendid Table which Kevin featured in his blog last year. Warming, filling dishes suggest that November would be the first month I'd recommend for returning to this region. • Liguria Pesto Genovese! Salads, fruits and foccacia! Olives, especially prized as fruity oil. Candied fruits are also a virtue. Beside the distinctive basil, marjoram rules in dishes that honor herbs while largely avoiding spices. Porcini and other mushrooms. Mussels, though fresh fish is not as central a component of this region as one might think. "If I were to be told I could eat dishes from only one of Italy's 20 regions, I would unhesitatingly choose Liguria," writes Anna Del Conte who was born in Lombardia. I'd bargain for at least five, but would like to feature this region in June. • Toscana Celebrated for the wines of Chianti, especially, and unpretentious foods simply prepared such as grilled porcini glistening with olive oil and steaks high in the hills, squirted with lemon. Florentines are known as contrarian bean-eaters who gorge on tripe in the streets. Tourists usually buy paneforte, a dense fruit cake, when visiting Siena; they should then take the train to Lucca for some olive oil, a major component of Tuscan cuisine and go on to Prato for biscotti to dip into Vin Santo. Soups are great, especially ribollita made with beans, bread and cavolo nero. Arista, a luscious, herby pork roast; salami with figs; boar. Chestnut flour and walnuts. Along the coast: eels. Again, the region is a popular subject for Anglo-cookbook authors. • Le Marche Seafood! Its brodetto, a great fish soup may be best known, but mussels are also important here. Braised beef. Porchetta. Pecorino. Cauliflower. Apples, peaches and cherries. A great antidote to some of the regions with heavy, filling food. • Umbria Hathor's beloved region, a place to gawk, and in Assisi, a goal of pilgrims, tourists, scholars and high school students from France. Grilled meats in the open air. Salami flavored with wild fennel. Head cheese from piggies. Norcia's pig butchers and products are of renown. Boar. Black truffles and squab. Wonderful lentils. Polenta, pasta (including thick, hand-rolled strands) AND pizza. Soup called blò blò represents the rustic cooking of this region well…but there is also chocolate in Perugia should you care to indulge. • Lazio The home of Rome, center of an empire from 27 BCE until the beginning of the fourth century, and now, the trattoria. Guanciale, especially in spaghetti (or penne) alla carbonara and fettuccine Alfredo. In addition to the great pastas, there is also farro, a hulled wheat similar to spelt. Arancini, or grain balls, are made with rice or farro. Pizza is white and meats are braised, stewed or stuffed and rolled. Broccoli rabe. Artichokes with mint in the spring and pumpkin in the fall. Stracciatella. Pecorino! While Mario Batali experienced conversion somewhere on the outskirts of Tuscany, Roman influences dominate Molto Italiano. • Abruzzi Del Conte unites this region with Molise, claiming that while political administration separates the two, their cuisines are indistinguishable. Coastal areas, of course, known for fish. In mountains and inland, pork, some sheep and poultry. Chili peppers tell us we are moving south on the Italian peninsula, most notably in dishes diavoliacchio. Ventricia, as the beginning of the name implies, is made with pig's stomach, using chili peppers, wild fennel and oranges! Brodetto also prepared here, without saffron. Another soup called Le Virtu is traditionally prepared at the beginning of May, using up the vegetables left over from the previous season as one looks ahead to the riches of the next harvest. • Molise See above. Inexpensive wines from these two regions increasingly available in North America. • Puglia Major agricultural center on the southeast coast, thus vegetables dominate. Tomatoes, fennel, peppers, chicory. Raw fava beans dipped in EVOO. While some critics cannot get over what they perceive as an overpowering "burnt" taste, its red wines are now being more widely distributed worldwide. A summer month seems ideal. • Campania Home of Naples and the birthplace of pizza…and [some would say THE] ragù. One of the first regions where Indian buffalo were introduced, the prized source of mozzarella, object of a heart-wrenching moment (set in Rome, though) shared between father and son in the great masterpiece of Italian Neo-Realism, The Bicycle Thieves. Vegetables reign, with the crown perhaps worn by the tomato of San Marzano, though it should be noted that locals are sometimes called mangiafoglie, or leaf-eaters. Fritto misto. Veal rolls. Torte di vedura are made with escarole, artichokes, etc. Cheese is essential as well. Since its Christmas traditions were honored last year, it would be interesting to turn to this region in a warmer month this time around. • Basilicata Arguably the poorest region in Italy. Pig—especially in sausage. Ragù. Chestnuts. Chickpeas (ceci). Bread. Peperonata. Chilies. Hard, salty ricotta. • Calabria Natural surroundings stunning if also an area of poverty. Vegetables dominate cuisine. Chestnuts. Grapefruit and oranges. Eggplant Mushrooms. Chilies. Pasta is extremely important. Cheese is made from sheep's milk. • Sicilia Another sigh. Pastry!!! Gelati! Eggplant! Tomato! Pasta! Seafood, especially sardines, octopi and the lamentably endangered swordfish. Watermelon jelly. Elusive pistachio paste. Almonds. Apricots. The best oranges in the world, streaked with fuschia, wrapped in thin, crinkly, colorful papers as if candy. Other wonderful citrus fruits. Artichokes. Ties to Greek, Arab (spices!) & Norman worlds make this region especially interesting. Major impact on Italian-American cuisine. • Sardegna See final comments on Sicily above; island cultures are especially appealing for cooks given both their historical importance in conquest and trade, and a degree of isolation that sometimes invites idiosyncratic traditions. Here, Spanish influence is found in native dishes, although Genoa & Piemonte also invaded. Fish, though most dishes seem to have been inspired by outsiders. Its bottarga is prized. Lobster. Cassola, a local fish soup. Most important are meats, whether kid and herby game birds cooked on spits or pasta mistu in which animals are stuffed inside larger ones, one after another, like so many edible Russian dolls: a tradition brought back to Piemonte and ultimately Napoleon's court. Gender-specific roles in the traditional kitchen: men grill and women bake. While bread is extremely important, local pastas are noteworthy and include malloreddus and culingionis, a type of ravioli sauced with tomato or ragu. Local cheeses include pecorino sardo, ricotto in all stages from fresh to hard for grating, goat cheeses and an excellent feta.

In this forum's cooking thread on Piemonte, I mentioned an article on Turin that the writer Andrea Lee contributed to Gourmet. I had also mentioned Roberto Donna's assigned task during the Olympic coverage. What I did not provide is this link to the Food Section of the Washington Post. I believe that if you scroll around in that same section you'll find a quiz that I meant to bring to the attention of those who have joined Kevin in cooking their way through various regions of Italy. The writer, unfortunately, did minimal research so each region does not necessarily match up with the most "typical" of its dishes or foods. Nonetheless, it may prove fun.

Thanks for the suggestion! There isn't any now, but the owner will be back tomorrow and return my phone call. I have heard good things about this place from other cheesemongers in town and should check it out. Apparently, it is hard for distributors to get aged montasio; it tends to be imported when it is young and soft and blah. Over time as it hardens, it develops depth and is great for making frico as documented here. (Over in the Italian forum, members are cooking the foods of Friuli-Venezia Giulia during March, so I was hoping to get some soon.) I realize this is off-topic, since I am plugging something I think you ought to want to get rather than answering a question. If there is anything reading this who's sick of eating the same old bowl of Cheerios/oatmeal for breakfast every day, I urge you to go to Whole Foods at Tenleytown where Kevin, the head of the cheese department, was kind enough to order Crescenza, a Lombard cheese that he doesn't normally carry. I am afraid it won't sell because people don't know what they're missing. Crescenza is a very, very soft, runny cheese, somewhere between the consistency of yogurt and Brie. It's milky, shiny white, slightly sour and you can tell the cows at the dairy ate grass studded with herbs. Put thick slices of Ciabatta in the toaster. Pour yourself a cup of good strong coffee. Then dip your butter knife into the little plastic tub of cheese and spread it over the darkened, perforated surface of your bread. My, oh my!

I have to say that you Texans have access to some pretty amazing things, some that we don't have here in our nation's capital where the Italian population is growing daily. We do have a mushroom person at the farmer's market, but when they have porcini, the price is daunting. Out in the suburbs of Maryland, Asian grocers sometimes have them in season at more reasonable prices...but nothing resembling the beautiful ones with broad caps that one finds in Italy.

Kathy: I second snowangel's note of appreciation for reference to a book on children and eating habits. Thanks for responding to my comments. I look forward to posts...umm, later in the day.

Come on! Where are the folk from St. Louis ????? I can't believe this thread is on page three already and no one has mentioned deep-fried ravioli!!!

You probably have made your plans already. However, if you are flying to the airport in Pisa through London, feel free to send a PM so that I might supply some explicit advice pertaining to one particular airline. When there is little time between connections in London and Pisa, you will probably not get your luggage for a day or two, so plan accordingly. Since the conference is on medieval history, I am sure you know that Pisa and Lucca were the major cities in Tuscany back when Florence was not even a twinkle in its eye. In Prato, be sure to visit the Pinacoteca since there are some important Franciscan panel paintings..even if it's not as rich as the Pinacoteca in Pisa where there is room after room of important works, culminating in Donatello's reliquary bust for the skull of a martyred saint (check for the latch on the lid in back). In addition to Lippi's great fresco cycle in Prato's cathedral, see Donatello's wonderful architectural reliquary for the girdle Saint Thomas caught during the Assumption of the Virgin on a feast day ranked just below Christmas and Easter in Italy. I only ate lunch there, so haven't explored the culinary scene as much as Adam has. The pasta was fine. I agree with everyone who glows about Bologna. If you arrive on train on the right morning, the food market is immediately to your left as you leave the station.