Bill Klapp
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Posts posted by Bill Klapp
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The review is something of a triple play of rambling and ill-considered food writing: the book, the review and the link to useless B. R. Myers piece in Atlantic. I wonder if anybody has ever finished reading any of the three?
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Commander's, hands-down...
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For panna cotta, it depends upon your cream to a large extent. You can find cream in the Piemonte so thick that cooking and chilling almost sets it without gelatin. In such a case, gelatin is added in small quantities (invariably sheet fish gelatin rather than good ol' Knox) , so that, in a well-made version, you cannot detect the gelatin as the cream melts in your mouth. In the U.S., if using garden-variety supermarket cream that has been processed to death, much more gelatin is required.
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The Fish McBites are DREADFUL! More bread than fish, with some strange chemical tastes. Rather like fish-flavored Stove Top Stuffing...
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Seems time to clear something up about "Alba" truffles. The town proper produces virtually none within its confines. It is downright urban, in fact. The town is famous for SELLING high-quality white truffles from the immediate area, not growing them within its confines. However, if you draw, say, a 30-kilometer (or larger) radius around the center of Alba, picking up all of the "d'Albas" like Serralunga, Monforte, Vezza, Diano, etc. (the list is almost endless, large and small), as well as the other nearby Langhe communes not bearing the Alba name, and all of the truffle-producing trees contained within that radius, and if you understand that the truffles sold in the Alba truffle market during tourist season, whether local or smuggled in from Croatia, constitute a tiny fraction of the truffles sold in northeastern Italy every year, you might be able to move beyond the "there are no Alba truffles" urban myth.
A few things are important to understand. A white truffle does not have the same soil requirements that grapes do. There is no such thing as "truffle terroir". They grow on tree roots. The important requirement is climate: enough rain, and a right balance between heat and cold at the right times of year. Thus, great truffles can come from a wide geographic area in Italy, and even from other areas in Eastern Europe and elsewhere where climatic conditions permit. The Monferrato area above Asti produces excellent truffles, and because of the centuries-old rivalry between Alba and Asti, you will often hear unsupportable claims both ways that one area has the better and more abundant truffles, or the other area gets all of its truffles from China and Eastern Europe and they are all terrible. More urban myth all the way around. Something that is true is that you are far more likely to encounter foreign or inferior-quality truffles and truffle products, not to mention ridiculous prices, in promotional events like "truffle fairs". You will usually find the best quality local truffles in the better ristoranti of northeast Italy. Locals, myself included, buy their truffles directly from the hunters or from trusted retail suppliers. My truffle man consistently harvests the best truffles that I have ever eaten (hint: try to find those from oak tree roots), at a fair price, from an area near Monforte d'Alba. In the end, the old saw about there being no great wines, just great bottles, is pretty much the story of the white truffle as well. A given tree can produce white truffles of wildly different size and quality.
The truffle conspiracy theories are better directed at Perigord black truffles. For many years, probably decades at this point, the world consumption of Perigord truffles has been a considerable multiple of the region's actual peak production capacity. Meanwhile, global warming has devastated Perigord's output, while world demand for quality black truffles and the price the truffles fetch have continued to soar. Today, there is a black truffle crisis, and buyers are scrambling to find or develop new sources of supply. Unlike white truffles, where attempts at cultivation have met with no real success, black truffles can be successfully cultivated. Somewhat ironically, black truffles are a growth industry in certain areas of the Piemonte north of Genoa, where the climate is perfect for them. Thus, not only is it still possible to find local white truffles in Alba, it will soon be possible to find Perigord-quality black truffles as well...
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Also great is Silver Spoon (not the old NYC duo), the bible of Italian cooking, which is available in English, but covers all of Italy, not just the north.
Linda, if you have the knack of making pasta, there is nothing indulgent about 40-yolk pasta! Nor is there any magic to 40, but a good idea to strive for as close to that proportion as you can for great tajarin...
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P.S. The book is out of print, as far as I know...
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I second Kramer's Passion for Piedmont heartily. I live in Neive and Torino, and I am cooking the brasato al Barolo out of his cookbook tonight! He spent a year in Bra to research and write the book, and while he is a well-respected wine writer, I have always thought that food is his greater passion. While richness is the order of the day with most Piemontese cuisine, the magic is in the low-carb nature of the cooking. Lots of veggies, and even the pasta is heavily protein, made with 40 egg yolks per kilo of flour at its finest. If you need one perfectly healthy Piemontese favorite, go for Jerusalem artichokes!
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Another interesting aspect of this is that black truffles, unlike white, can be successfully cultivated, and that demand was outstripping supply before the impact of global warming was raised as an issue. A friend from Alba recently attended a seminar on the subject, and he and I are looking into the possibility of cultivating black truffles here in the heart of white truffle country. There is already a significant crop of summer black truffles here, but, by and large, they are all smell and no taste (used fresh and shaved like white truffles, instead of cooked like Perigord black), and really, little more than a garnish evocative of the real thing.
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I agree not a F-o-F. Just tryin' to help a brother out!
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Did my research. Headed to my nearest McDonald's and ordered up a Filet-O-Fish.
Watched it come together. First came the bun. Hard to tell whether it was steamed to order or was pulled out of a holding area. I think it was being held, but not certain. The bun went into the box. One step to the left. Next one squirt from the caulking gun filled with tartar sauce. This went on the crown (top) section of the bun.
One more step to the left. Then the cheese. Half a slice. That went on the heel (bottom) section of the bun. One final step to the left. The a fried fish filet out of the holding cabinet. Also goes on the heel.
Then the box is closed and latched. Then it is tossed (two bounces) into the pick-up bin.
Opening the box. The crown of the bun is mildly wrinkled - that come from steaming.
Inside - the filet is lopsided on the heel of the bun.
Otherwise looked as I remembered it.
Taste test - bun nicely steamed. Tartar sauce had more of a mayonnaise taste than anything else, definitely lacking the fresh onion flavor of the 1968 Filet-O-Fish. The coating of the fish filet was soft, not crisp. Probably because it had been sitting in the holding cabinet for a while.
Overall impression, edible but disappointing. And expensive. $2.89 including tax. I could have gotten two D&W hot dogs and a soft pretzel for that from the guy on the corner.
I might ask for a special order with ONIONS! But will I get the reconstituted dehydrated onions that go on the cheaper burgers, or fresh onions that go on the premium burgers?
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I'm not a fan of tartar sauce. Should I order one sans sauce to try it out? If I could get cocktail sauce on it instead, I would be all set.
I go back and forth between tartar sauce/cheese and ketchup/lettuce/no cheese. I prefer the latter, but like many above, sometimes you get a jones for the messy tartar sauce and you have to do it!
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I have one of these about once a year or so. I have to scrape off a lot of the tartar sauce, though....the proportion of sauce to sandwich is way too high, methinks. To me they're kind of comfort foodish in terms of fast food; always fresh and hot, non-threatening and yummy.
In related news; I had one of the new Wendy's "premium" fish sandwiches the other day, and I did not like it at all. Far too crunchy, with a strong chemical-ish taste to the breading, (the fish itself had no flavor whatsoever), and the bun and cheese were stone cold.
Thanks for the insider McDonalds info.....I find it fascinating.
Arby's does a better job, but its offering of fish sandwiches is sporadic. Virtually none of these guys can afford to use cod anymore. A red snapper sandwich would probably be cheaper!
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Big smile on my face, Holly! As a 14-year-old kid with a work permit, I used to mix the relish and the mayo together and chop the onions. (The relish went on to perhaps even greater fame in the Big Mac "special sauce", but in my humble opinion, it never hit the high notes of the sauce of the Shoney's/Fritsch's Big Boy, from which the Big Mac was cloned.) I can also remember the cement-mixer style drums lined with an abrasive interior surface that was used to peel fresh potatoes for the FRESH fries. And before the Filet-O-Fish arrived, I can remember those15-cent burgers and dime fries, and outfits like Gino's (founded by the famous Baltimore Colt Gino Marchetti) and Burger Chef trying to keep pace. (Burger King being a burger-come-lately by comparison.) Ah, the golden age of Mickey D's!
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I have been everywhere a person can go with coffee machines over the past 50 years, and presently own a Gaggia Platinum fully automatic, a French press and multiple sizes of the Bialetti moka pot. I will confess to having access to an extraordinary artisanal coffee from Asti, Italy, which surely makes a difference, but nothing that I have ever used makes better coffee than the Bialetti. Most Italians will tell you that it is the "true" espresso. If I want a barrista-style espresso with a great crema, I will use the Gaggia now and again, but if you use a good 100% Arabica coffee, I find that the moka makes a rich, strong, smooth cup of coffee suitable for drinking by the mug, American-style...
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I am living in Italy, and have an outpost of a French outfit called Picard (apparently not Jean-Luc) nearby. Most of what is sold there is STUNNING by U.S. frozen food standards, both in its variety, the quality of ingredients and the execution. Stuff like the famous Alsatian tarte flambee with creme fraiche, lardons and onions, rather than frozen pizza. The Thai, Indian and Chinese stuff is far better than I can find in local Chinese restaurants (not a very high bar to chin!). In particular, Europe is far more committed to refrigerated and frozen vacuum-packed products than the U.S., and many of them are indistinguishable from fresh (indeed, the refrigerated items ARE fresh). For example, I can buy whole, cooked, large Ecuadorian shrimp that have been cooked and vacuum-packed on the shrimp boat and then shipped refrigerated, rather than frozen, to Italy. They are popped out of the plastic and sold on ice, ready to eat or to cook with. They are crisp, sweet and delicious, better than a lot of the fresh shrimp that I took right from the dock in the U.S.
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I thumbed it a little more, and in fairness to Plotkin, he has done some work, but in my opinion, not nearly enough. I think this book is probably much more worthwhile for the listings of food shops, enotecas and other food-driven items of interest than for the dining guidance...
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I like all of the above, but especially like "Italy for the Gourmet Traveller" by Fred Plotkin. Was more than just a restaurant guide-gives information on local food shops, regional cuisine, dishes, wine, etc. Was most helpful during a recent trip to Basilicata/Puglia, but covers all regions.
See my separate post on this before buying Plotkin's book...
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A head's up: Plotkin allegedly "revised and updated" this 1996 work in 2006. While there is evidence that he has added some new material, and perhaps revised some of the old, if you have one of the older editions (and perhaps even if you do not), take a pass on this. I did not thumb beyond the Piemonte section before I returned it. He has not gone back to Italy and done his homework, it appears, or else he did his homework much earlier than the 2006 publication date.
He still has his 1996 commentary on the ristorante Il Vicoletto in Alba. It has been a gourmet food shop, not a ristorante, for many years (run by the same family that ran the Michelin-starred ristorante, by the way, with the same chef and many of the classic dishes available to go, which make it a Michelin-starred takeout place of sorts). Worse, he still has the legendary ristorante Guido alive and well in Costigliole d'Asti. It also closed years ago, and there are now THREE Guido offspring elsewhere: Pollenzo (near Bra), Santo Stefano Belbo and Torino (a joint venture with the old Casa Vicina owners in the Eataly food emporium).
That was enough for me. This guide is either already too dated or too sloppily "revised and updated", or both, to be of any use to a serious gourmet (or anybody else, for that matter). That said, Plotkin is a good writer and has done a couple of terrific cookbooks. The original Gourmet for the Italy Traveler was also useful in its time. The 2006 edition is not.
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Maureen is correct. "In carpione" is used not only for fish in the Piemonte, but also for vegetables, fried veal or chicken cutlet and even fried eggs, all of which are marinated and served cold (well, usually room temperature) in the summertime, most often as a mixed plate.
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Having dined at Crespi, Ranco and Sorriso, I would find it impossible to put Crespi and Ranco in the same company as Sorriso, which has delivered consistent top quality for a very long time. Crespi is very good, mind you, and deserving of some of its accolades, but for my taste, a little too much flashiness and inconsistent quality of the dishes.
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Piazza Duomo is the only concensus "joke" on that list, as nearly as I can tell. I have not eaten at all of them, but I can assure you that there is nothing "funny" about Combal.zero, Villa Crespi or Guido, if you know the first thing about fine dining. And Guido had a rocky, uneven start a few years in its new location, and had to earn back the respect that the original Guido once had. And did it by pairing up Lidia's son Ugo with the chef of a predominantly seafood ristorante. Methinks that you need to get out more in Italia, fortedei...
I do get out in Italia Bill; I live there. I've seen "the dining scene" over a 35 year period, up close and personal. Don't be so condescending; it doesn't flatter you.
Alas, I have never lived for flattery around here. I am not here to defend all of GR's choices, but the beauty of the best Italian ristoranti, as well as European restaurants generally, in sharp contrast to American restaurants, is that they can evolve slowly and yet still maintain a high quality level over a very long time. Thus, many of those "usual suspects" have been concensus top ristoranti year after year. The corollary is that, given relatively high expectations of diners, it is more difficult for new ristoranti to break onto the scene and rise to the top of the charts. It is always exciting when that happens, but it doesn't happen often. For years, I have kept and updated a data base of Italian restaurant ratings which correlates all of the major Italian- and English-language guides, and the concensus chioces disappoint only when the chef quits, is sick or dies, or the ristorante is closed...
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Piazza Duomo is the only concensus "joke" on that list, as nearly as I can tell. I have not eaten at all of them, but I can assure you that there is nothing "funny" about Combal.zero, Villa Crespi or Guido, if you know the first thing about fine dining. And Guido had a rocky, uneven start a few years in its new location, and had to earn back the respect that the original Guido once had. And did it by pairing up Lidia's son Ugo with the chef of a predominantly seafood ristorante. Methinks that you need to get out more in Italia, fortedei...
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Varmint, we who have already died on eGullet salute you! I am sending you this message from the afterlife. Turn back, before it is too late! Here in the netherworld, there is nothing to eat but Smithfield's Chicken N Bar B Q (and NO SWEET TEA)! And, oh my God, the wines! Nothing but Two Buck Chuck, Yellow Tail and Gallo Hearty Burgundy, which, I believe, isn't even made on Earth anymore...
Fun Fast Food in Torino
in Italy: Dining
Posted
While I am guessing that very few are going to travel to the Piemonte to eat fast food, there is a regional burger mini-chain trying to stick it in Mickey D's eye, called M** Bun (I wonder how many Italians can fill in the asterisks with "ac"!). It takes almost no effort to eclipse the quality of McDonald's, but these guys are trying to be healthy about it, too. In a couple of their burgers, they compensate for the low fat content with 30% pork added to 70% Piemontese fassone beef. Burgers are oven-cooked medium-rare, rather than fried, and put on an artisanal ciabatta roll instead of a typical bun. The cheeseburger employs the local triple creme-style cheese known as tuma. The ubiquitous golden potatoes in Italy are fabulous for mashed and boiled potatoes but not so great for fries, so these folks wisely opted for homemade chips. You can also get a tasty free-range chicken burger and even the famous local veal tartare known as carne cruda. They even sell a new product, Torino's own run at Coke, Molecola. And all of the menu items are named in Piemontese dialect!
www.mbun.it
But even if you don't get a burger craving while here, EVERYBODY wants a gelato or two a day, and Torino is making its case, with Roma and Palermo, as Italy's leading gelato city. It is home to Grom, which has gone international, and a number of other high-end artisanal places, but my new favorite is Riva Reno, which delivers the ultralight style of gelato where the product is little more than a carrier of flavor.
www.rivareno.com/eng/