PaoloF

For wine lovers, we had planned tastings at two different wineries, Rocche dei Manzoni and Marchesi di Gresy. I've loved their wines for years, and the experience at both places was excellent. The cellarmaster at M di G is from New Zealand, so English is not a problem for those concerned. I'm so glad you've met Jeffrey! He's a good friend of mine, as gentle as competent! Which were your favourite wines, apart of Barbarescos? I personally like the "Merlotdasolo" and the outstanding Barbera d'Asti "Monte Colombo"...

One more thing - a lot of things, tagliolini for example are tagliolini in any language - do you think it is helpful or stupid to put in parenthesis (long thin strips of noodles) or do I just assume that EVERYONE knows what they are? Many restaurants here in Piemonte use the dialect term "tajarìn" instead of tagliolini, just to emphasize the local tradition that exiges tons of egg-yolks in your home-made dough to achieve the perfect tagliolini: thin but smooth to the palate, paired for example with butter and abundant white truffle or porcini sauce! I've also eaten tagliolini made with "polenta" flour, delicious with sausage or rabbit livers ragout...

Springtime vegetables risotto Serves 6 as Main Dish. Last year I've written(together with my two friends Mrs.Toni Hilton and Mr. Leonardo Tessiore) a bilingual cookbook whose title is "Monferratomio!". It is dedicated to the old-fashioned cookery of my countryland, the little Val Rilate Community, situated in the bigger Monferrato's wine-district area. We gathered more than 50 traditional recipes from old cooks or professional restaurateurs: try this risotto, a dish that -in my opinion- pairs very well as main course in a sunny, bright, windy, springlike Sunday like this! Match with a young, pétillant Barbera. 500 g Rice for risotto 1 Onion, minced 1 Carrot, chopped 3 Artichokes 200 g Green peas, fresh 500 g Asparagus 400 g Zucchini, cubed 1 l Veal broth 100 g Butter (for whisking) 100 g Parmigiano, grated (for whisking) 10 Fresh basil leaves -Melt some butter in a pot over a low flame; add the onion,minced, and cook for a few minutes -Add the carrot, chopped; the artichokes, cleaned and sliced; the green peas, shelled -When the vegetables are to a golden brown, add the rice -Pour the broth, one ladleful at a time, and stir, allowing the rice to absorb the liquid slowly, until nearly tender -By the middle of the cooking-time, add the remaining vegetables: the asparagus (cutting out the points, to be added at last to garnish) and the cubed zucchini -A couple of minutes before serving, take your pot out of the heat -Add the butter and the grated Parmigiano for whisking -Cover with a lid and let the risotto "rest" for 2-3 minutes -Stir carefully before serving in single plates (preferably shallow) -Garnish with the asparagus points and some fresh basil leaves Keywords: Main Dish, Intermediate ( RG2112 )

Springtime vegetables risotto Serves 6 as Main Dish. Last year I've written(together with my two friends Mrs.Toni Hilton and Mr. Leonardo Tessiore) a bilingual cookbook whose title is "Monferratomio!". It is dedicated to the old-fashioned cookery of my countryland, the little Val Rilate Community, situated in the bigger Monferrato's wine-district area. We gathered more than 50 traditional recipes from old cooks or professional restaurateurs: try this risotto, a dish that -in my opinion- pairs very well as main course in a sunny, bright, windy, springlike Sunday like this! Match with a young, pétillant Barbera. 500 g Rice for risotto 1 Onion, minced 1 Carrot, chopped 3 Artichokes 200 g Green peas, fresh 500 g Asparagus 400 g Zucchini, cubed 1 l Veal broth 100 g Butter (for whisking) 100 g Parmigiano, grated (for whisking) 10 Fresh basil leaves -Melt some butter in a pot over a low flame; add the onion,minced, and cook for a few minutes -Add the carrot, chopped; the artichokes, cleaned and sliced; the green peas, shelled -When the vegetables are to a golden brown, add the rice -Pour the broth, one ladleful at a time, and stir, allowing the rice to absorb the liquid slowly, until nearly tender -By the middle of the cooking-time, add the remaining vegetables: the asparagus (cutting out the points, to be added at last to garnish) and the cubed zucchini -A couple of minutes before serving, take your pot out of the heat -Add the butter and the grated Parmigiano for whisking -Cover with a lid and let the risotto "rest" for 2-3 minutes -Stir carefully before serving in single plates (preferably shallow) -Garnish with the asparagus points and some fresh basil leaves Keywords: Main Dish, Intermediate ( RG2111 )

A different option is the Taverna dell'Antico Agnello (The Old Lamb's Tavern), 50m far the central square of Orta. I met the manageress, Mrs. Lilli Romussi, 14 years ago just by chance during a flight from...Mumbai to New Delhi! We certainly were the only two Italians aboard and were sitting in the same row! Lilli's dream was a slice of creamy, velvety Gorgonzola and a glass of Ghemme, the local, thin, elegant variety of Nebbiolo from Novaresi Hills, after a month of lveg -but delicious!- Indian food... They serve the traditional food of local cookery (risotto&pastas; polenta, porcini, game, cheeses and obvously fresh-water fish such as pike or char) at very reasonable price. Some rooms to overnight.

Thanks for your thoughts - I too was a little worried about the heat. We'll be without the kids, so traveling will be a little easier - though cute babies are good for breaking down the language barrier, so we'll miss that. Work circumstances have dictated that we'll probably end up in Orvieto - or at least in that neighborhood. I've looked at several guide books which don't look so useful for food. Every time I pick up a guide book I flip to the food section and am turned off. Luckily, I have Egullet! The replies have been helpful, and I've gotten into some older threads on Umbrian travel, which make me excited. Thanks to the reply down thread, I'll be sure to grab a copy of Osteri d'Italia. jeff Whether a bit far from Orvieto, if you're fond of extra-virgin olive-oil, Jeff, visit the "Frantoio Marfuga" at Campello del Clitumno, close to Trevi and to Montefalco, very famous for its renowned local wine, the Sagrantino. Mr. Ettore was a very gentle guy who toured me around his olive-groves and his oil-mill. Try the "Affiorante" and a local trattoria where the best dish was the roasted pigeon... Other remarkable spots, apart of the classics, the old middle-age burghs like Acquapendente, Ficulle, Acquasparta, Bagnoregio. Don't miss Viterbo and if you plan a getaway to Tuscany the city of Arezzo, with the Piero della Francesca's frescoes in San Francesco Church, dedicated to the "Holy Cross Legend" and the outstanding "Resurrection" of Sansepolcro. But next time, consider Piemonte as unusual but very interesting destination, preferably in Fall, when weather is sweeter and the climate ideal to enjoy the pleasures of the table: I live there and can take you for granted it's a worthy trip!

I have to say I'm surprised at how few guidebooks cover the area, much less in depth. I have a list of things to see/eat a mile long between suggestions here & from the officiial Tourism Website, but if you were to go based on a guidebook, you'd see the shroud and a royal palace or two, eat some chocolate and go home ←

...two "pearls" from Asti, the Monferrato's capital... The "risotto del giorno" turned into "the LAUGH of the day... and "ACHTUNG AGNOLOTTEN!", to emphasize the formidable quality of the house raviolis...

Why don't you contact the Gourmet's School in Asti? It's run by my friend Enrico Trova: Enrico has two restaurants in California, but also opened a cooking-school in Asti, the capital of Monferrato, last October. Actually he's in Asti and we'll do a wine-tasting class together next months. Check his website: www.scuolagourmet.com He speaks perfectly English and I'm sure he'll be pleased to help and assist you!