albiston

Best wishes then! And thanks for the recipe: saved and will be tried out soon... though not as soon as I'd like

spatch...what? Could you explain that in simple words for a bloody foreigner ?

Christmas markets are something not to be missed in December. Nürnberg has probably the largest and most famous one, not advisable if crowds get on your nerves, but even those in smaller towns have a special atmosphere, especially on the days just before Christmas. If you're here only for a few days you could concentrate on one area. A few examples: - Northern Germany and the Hanseatic cities: Hamburg, Lübeck and I'd add the capital of Mecklenburg Vorpommern, Schwerin. - Bavaria: Munich, plus Nürnberg and Bamberg, both quite charming cities. - Hamburg-Berlin-Munich: very good train connection between the three. Plus you could stop on the way to see Nürnberg and Weimar, which is charming (OK I'm being a bit partial here ) For restaurant tips, apart Michelin, I'd visite the German Gault Millau siteguide website, in German but pretty easy to navigate.

I love to visit cities with the same tactic, at least when I can take the time to do so. Interesting and it gives you a different perspective of what the city "feels like". Venice is one of the cities that IMO should only be visited this way. Almost every little sqaure, street corner, tiny church has its own special charm. Plus, getting "lost" you avoid the tourist hordes. Rome has plenty of nice places to just wander around, getting a feel of the city. But I don't think you'll find any pigs... I wouldn't exclude sheeps though There are Christmas markets, like the one in Piazza Navona, but German and Austrian ones just have a special atmosphere hard to find anywhere else. Weihnachtsmarkt is a rooted tradition in German speaking areas and also a central part of the social life especially in smaller towns. In Italy Christmas markets don't play a similar role, the social bit takes mostly place at home. Also no mulled wine on sale .

I was reading about comfit in general in the Larousse gastronomique yesterday and while going through the list of meats traditionally used for this preparation I couldn't help thinking that whole quails could make a good comfit too. Just wondering if anyone has already tried this and how the genereal process hould have to be modified for the quails, expecially in regards to cooking time I'd think. If not, is there any particular reason for this? Thanks.

Karen, since I promised to help on another thread here's my tips. Or at least the first part, I'll be adding more once I find the addresses of the last few places. I'd definitely have a look at the Jewish Ghetto: a part of traditional Roman cuisine is based on Jewish traditions and there's quite a few Jewish restaurants (not necessairly all kosher) which serve decent dishes. A great place for pizza al taglio (sheet pizza) is in the Ghetto (Zi Fenizia if I remember correctly). Another one which is much raccomended is Pizzarium in Via della Meloria,43. Pizza al Taglio is a great way to eat a cheap but tasty lunch. Also most bakers make a good Pizza Bianca, one of Rome's street foods, delicious alone but even better if stuffed with prosciutto or mortadella. Ice cream might not be something one would normally eat at Christmastime but Rome has one of the best ice cream places I've tried, Gelateria San Crispino (via San Crispino, a bit outside the center) and one I'm dying to try given the raving comments I've heard from friends, Fatamorgana, (via lago di Lesina 9). San Crispino does some great classic tastes, while Fatamorgana also has an interesting range of more creative flavours, with spices and herbs. Divina is absolutely right, Piazza Navona is a Christmas time must. It is a bit tacky maybe, but it is with no doubt a part of Roman life. My mom, born and raised there, always brought us to have alook around as me and my brother were kids, whenever we were speding Xmas in Rome. I have loads of memories there. It is actually very easy to eat badly in Rome, one just needs look at the many "menu Turistico" eateries you find in the center: avoid at all costs. Also avoid sitting in cafes (Bar in Italy) in extremely touristic areas, you can pay as much as four times wnat you would pay standing. One exception is Caffe' Greco, near piazza di Spagna, a beautifull historic cafe', worth it if only for the atmosphere. I'll be back with more

You're welcome Paul. Cracco Peck got 87 from GR, up two from last year. I was actually expecting he'd get the tre forchette too, given the very positive opinions Cracco's cooking I read in the magazine. He did go up both for Espresso and GR and rumors would want him receiving three starts from Michelin later this year. Other possible new candidates for the award are La Pergola and Vissani. I think you'll have to fight over Vittorio with Robert . I'm sure we'll all love to read your opinions about Cracco-Peck and Calandre once you come back. I'm also quite curious to see how these two fare in the eye of someone who's not Italian, especially Calandre which often gets thrashed from Italian foodies.

Ore, I don't have the guide but I'll guess. Congratulations for the 80 points (if the rumors I hear are right) your restaurant recieved, a great score in its own right and even more so when given to a newly opened restaurant. Did you celebrate?

GR could face a lawsuit after a "shoving match" with one of the contestants of the US version of the Hell's kitchen show, in which the contestant sprained an ankle needing medical treatment. article here I loved GR's comment to the whole thing, especially this bit:

the article The Berlin eating out scene has always been marked by unusual and sometimes far fetched concept restaurants, but Sehnsucht's (the restaurant's name) philosophy seems more philanthropic. Could it really, commercially, work? What do you think?

How they stand buttock to buttock, you mean ? All the prosciutti I mentioned have a slightly different preparation before salting, which gives them a different shape and influences the dry air aging process, and a different taste according to seasoning procedure and pig race. The three characteristics that vary the most are: moistness , how salty they are and in a certain sense how much "porkness" their taste has. Prosciutto di Modena is in a certain sense the lesser relative of Parma, at least when it comes to fame. It tastes quite similar to Parma to me. In Italy people love San Daniele, because it has a mellow, slightly sweet taste, similar to Parma but richer. Parma doesn't have a good reputation between Italian foodies since it is seen as a mass product going for an acceptable middle of the range quality, instead of seeking the excellence it could reach. Norcia (a town in Umbria famous for its cured meats), prosciutto di Montagna and prosciutto Toscano (which I forgot above), are more salty, and in a certain sense taste more of pork. The saltiness goes great with the local salt-less bread. Some producers in Toscana are also using the Cinta Senese race to produce a more exclusive (and expensive) version, Does it taste better? Yes. Sauris prosciutto is a mildly smoked prosciutto, unique in its kind in Italy, and is produced in small amounts. Prosciutto di Pietraroja is an almost unknown product from Campania, and probably the only typical prosciutto of Southern Italy. It undergoes a peculiar aging process which involves flattening the hams in a special wood press and a light smoking step. There's another two I didn't add to the list (carpegna and veneto prosciutto) which I never tasted. It's hard to say which one is better, but maybe I'd say San Daniele for the mellow tasting ones and Prosciutto Toscano made with Cinta Senese pigs for the saltier kind. Sauris and Pietraroja are a different thing altogether and I can't really compare them to the rest. That said, if you asked me to chose between any of these and the Spanish Jabugo I'd betray my motherland in a fraction of a second. Jabugo is just soooo delicious.

A few extra Italian hams, apart Parma and San Daniele menitoned before: Prosciutto di Sauris Prosciutto di Montagna (mountain prosciutto, made throughout central Italy) Prosciutto di Modena Prosciutto di Norcia Prosciutto di Pietraroja there's also a few non-pork traditional prosciutti, the most noteable of which is the Goose Prosciutto made in NE Italy.

OK, final and last addition to the Gambero Rosso Restaurant Guide awards. Since quite a few people asked to see the votes given to the kitchen last year, this might be interesting to some. 56 Gambero Rosso San Vincenzo [LI], Vissani Baschi [TR] 54 Le Calandre Rubano [PD], La Torre del Saracino Vico Equense [NA] 53 Arquade de l'Hotel Villa del Quar San Pietro in Cariano [VR], Combal.0 Rivoli [TO], La Madonnina del Pescatore Senigallia [AN], Paolo e Barbara San Remo [iM], Uliassi Senigallia [AN] 52 Ambasciata Quistello [MN], Da Caino Manciano [GR], Il Desco Verona, Don Alfonso 1890 Massa Lubrense [NA], Laite Sappada [bL], Mistral del Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni Bellagio [CO], Perbellini Isola Rizza [VR] 51 Antica Corona Reale da Renzo Cervere [CN], Antica Osteria del Teatro Piacenza, Arnolfo Colle di Val d'Elsa [sI], Balzi Rossi Ventimiglia [iM], Duomo Ragusa , All'Enoteca Canale [CN], Enoteca Pinchiorri Firenze, La Frasca Castrocaro Terme [FC], Da Guido - Relais San Maurizio Santo Stefano Belbo [CN], Lorenzo Forte dei Marmi [LU], Zum Löwen Tesimo/Tisens [bZ], Mulinazzo Villafrati [PA], La Pergola de l'Hotel Rome Cavalieri Hilton Roma, Dal Pescatore Canneto sull'Oglio [MN], Piccolo Lago Verbania, Il Rigoletto Reggiolo [RE], Zur Rose Appiano/Eppan [bZ], Sadler Milano, La Siriola de l'Hotel Ciasa Salares Badia/Abtei [bZ], Il Sole di Ranco Ranco [VA], St. Hubertus de l'Hotel Rosa Alpina Badia/Abtei [bZ], La Tenda Rossa San Casciano in Val di Pesa [FI], Paolo Teverini Bagno di Romagna [FC], Villa Crespi Orta San Giulio [NO]

Francesco, thanks for the interesting points. I think you really hit the crucial spot about Italian high level cooking. I'd also add that one of the big problems Italian cooking presents in this respect is that its huge diverse tradition almost completely misses a form of codification that could make it more understandable and traceable. It is somewhat ironic that some of the techniques used in top restaurants get labeled as French although, if you go back in history, they've always been there and some have actually been exported from Italy TO France. Only, to find this out, you might have to look back to rare Italian cookbooks, unknown to most. I'm not saying that the French owe their cooking to the Italians, rather than cooking methods and ideas have always travelled around Europe and the French have had the privilege to be the only ones to seriously codify theirs. Gourmet cooking today, coming from court cooking becoming that of the rich bourgeoisie, has always seen cooks move around different European countries, certainly today more than before, but still in a noticeable manner. With the people the techniques moved too. Reading this post, and looking back at the rest of the thread I think it is worth to add something. The point on how most Italians see top restaurants should be taken into consideration when looking at the Italian restaurant guides, except maybe for Michelin which caters a different reader base. The people writing these books have IMO a really hard job to do since they must please the few gourmets looking for special places but also the general public with its prejudices. It is no easy task and, with all well placed criticisms, these guides still manage to have a very important role, both informative and, in a way, educational. In a certain sense the Slow Food guide, which I find BTW incredibly useful, is the one that takes the easiest path, ignoring anything that is high gastronomy. I'd love to see the day when both the trattorie and the top restaurants will be seen only as parts of the complex that makes up Italian gastronomy and not, as too often the case today, as two opposing eating philosophies.

adiesenji, thanks for the great tips, especially the idea of plumping up by steaming, I'll definitely try them out. I was wondering if anyone has ever heard of a cold candying method. A few years ago I was visiting a friend in Genova and he had some delicious candied fruit, whole figs, mandarins and pears, with the cleanest fruit flavours I've ever tasted in candied fruit. He told me the pastry shop that makes them uses a cold method, but I was never able to find any details about that. Does anyone have a clue of how this could work?

This year's Salone de Gusto, the seventh since 1996, has now reached international proportions. No longer a purely Italian event, the Salone attracts food lovers and culinary entrepreneurs from everywhere. The 2004 edition will take place October 21-25 in Turin, inside the Lingotto Fiere complex. Salone del Gusto is sponsored by Slow Food, which was founded in the Piemonte town of Bra in 1986 in reaction to the rapid and alarming growth of world-wide standardized food. In 1989, the International Slow Food Movement began, and a Manifesto stating the association's aims and philosophy was published. Today the ISFM has offices In 83 countries and a network in Italy, France, Germany, the USA, Japan and Switzerland. Its philosophy is to follow its original goal of protecting traditional foods with projects aimed at enhancing biodiversity worldwide, through a special foundation, the Presidia and the Arca project. Since 1990 SF has had a publishing company emphasizing on tourism, wine, recipe collections and gastronomic education. Two of its most known publications are Osterie d’Italia, and the Vini d’Italia guide, published in a joint venture with Gambero Rosso magazine. Salone del Gusto. Since 1996 SdG has been one of the most interesting culinary events In Italy, with a progressive increase of participating international food artisans, cooks and wine makers. The event takes place in a series of spaces dedicated to a particular aspect of food and wine, and through a series of events. Here you’ll find a brief overview of what the Salone offers. - The Market: The market is divided between a larger Buon Paese Market, dedicated to Italy and a World Market focusing on other countries. The Buon Paese part is divided into thematic lanes, such as the Cheese Lane or Grain Lane, depending on the products on offer. The World Market is dedicated to international products, mainly from Europe, the US and Japan. In both markets a special place will be reserved for the Presidia to bring attention to the products at risk SF is supporting through special projects. - The Enoteca: A space dedicated to wine, with over 2000 products available by the glass with appropriate food to accompany them. - The Taste Workshops: Following principles of taste education, SdG offers over 200 seminars, booked in advance, with a variety of themes: food tasting, wine tasting, food-wine pairing seminars, meetings with producers among others. - Theater of Taste: Here visitors will follow demonstrations by famous Italian and International chefs. - Dinners: Throughout the SdG days, special dinners will take place with some of the best restaurants in Piemonte, some of which will be hosting chefs from Italy and Europe. - Tasting Areas: Every year particular regions have a chance to showcase their cuisine and products. This time Emilia-Romagna, Sicily, Puglia, Campania and Veneto will share the honor in the Italian Regions space, while Slovenia and Japanese Chef Teruo Sato will provide some of the highlights of the World Tables space. Have fun if you are lucky enough to be attending. We look forward to your reports and photos as of October 21st.

Francesco, I really hope you'll amnage to visit Vissani, because I'd love to read some direct experiences about him. Excluding the bad name his excessive media coverage has given him, I've heard he's improved in the last years but never managed to get any details.

Robert, I seriously have no clue what Vaccarini meant by that. It's a pretty lame excuse. I just went to the AIS homepage and saw that actually the US should have hosted the championship in 2003. I can only assume Vaccarini is referring to the war on Iraq. Still, even considering that, it sounds really exaggerated. I'm surprised that Vaccarini is still (or once more) president of the International Sommeliers Union. He was last time I had a look too, and that's about 6 years ago.

Can't help with the two more technical questions, but I'm sure there's no reason to avoid candying mandarin oranges. Treated this way they're actually quite common in Sicilian sweets and often appear on top of cassata. It could be that the Sicilian kind is slightly different from the one you mean. The taste is indeed weak but the aroma is really strong so only a part gets lost durying the process.

He's Italian, from Milan. I've read the rules of the competition some time ago, when I still was a non-professional member of the AIS, Associazione Italiana Sommelier. If I remember correctly there's two tests, a written one, on general wine knowledge, and a practical, which usually involves a tasting, one or more wine service tests and a wine-food matching. Maybe I'm missing another one or two things but you get the idea. The judges are usually former winners of the prize and well known personalities from the wine world.

There is at least another Italian red made with the same method, Graticciaia from Agricola Vallone in Puglia, who use Negramaro grapes. Never managed to try this wine but I've heard very positive comments. I vaguely remember that a few wine makers in Argentina were trying out wines made using ripasso, but I could be mistaken.

John, Thanks for the fantastic report and great photos. Arzak was one of the first great chefs that caught my attention years ago but I still haven't managed to visit the Basque County. Now I have one reason more to try and go there. BTW you might like to know that while I was looking at this thread my wife walked by and asked who the good looking guy in the photos was. Should I be jealous ?

Hmmm... OK, I like to chew the seeds with hull and all at times, I'll even munch raw spaghetti every now and then , but I usually nib the hull off. It's actually quite easy to do if the seeds are roasted properly: just bite the tip of the seed while holding and squeezing it by the sides. The hull should split open like a charm. Actually easier to show than to explain. Salted pumpkin seeds are one of the classical snacks sold at Italian fares. I must have eaten, and peeled, thousands as a child... the best way to get a kid thirsty, I can tell you!

Robert, Thanks for the answer. I perfectly understand what you (and John) mean when you talk of the problem one finds beyond the level of the “really good so-called second tier restaurants”. My choices, when it comes to eating in Italy, often land on places even lower down the line, the local trattorie serving very well made traditional dishes. Still, every now and then I do like to see what those brainy, starred, intellectual chefs are doing, both to see what the whole fuss is about and to compare these top Italian chefs to those abroad. BTW Al Soriso has not been on the list since a few years ago P.s. What disappointed you at dal Pescatore? It slightly surprises me if only because of the enthusiastic comments I’ve heard from almost everyone else I know who’s tried it.

A few further infos from the Gambero Rosso guide: - Emergenti (the rising stars, one might say): Duomo - Ragusa (86); Villa Maiella - Guardiagrele (86); Zum Lowen - Tesimo (86); All'Enoteca - Canale (85); Già sotto l'Arco - Carovigno (85); Lanterna Verde - Villa di Chiavenna (85); La Trota - Rivodutri (85); S'Apposentu - Cagliari (84); Il Canto de l'Hotel Certosa di Maggiano - Siena (82); Il Gelso di San Martino - Cazzago San Martino (82); Il Faro di Capo d'Orso - Maiori (81); L'Imbuto - Viareggio (81); Magnolia - Cesenatico (81); Il Melograno - Ischia (81). - Oscar qualita’/prezzo (best deals): Antichi Sapori – Andria; Taverna Kerkira - Bagnara Calabra (RC); Risorta Locanda del Castello - Bojano (CB); Miseria e Nobiltà – Campobasso; La Cucinotta – Caserta; Al Becco della Civetta - Castelmezzano (PZ); Cibus - Ceglie Messapica (BR); Jasmin - Chiusa (BZ); Hotel Notre Maison - Cogne (AO); D'O - Cornaredo (MI); Il Papavero - Eboli (SA); Il Cantico - Ferentillo (TR); Trattoria Pegaso - Gavardo (BS); E Parlaminté - Imola (BO); Antica Trattoria dei Mosto - Ne (GE); Alla Ruota - Negrar (VR); Il Mirto e la Rosa – Palermo; Osteria del Minestraio - Pianoro (BO); Osteria di San Cesario - San Cesareo (RM); Stazione - Santo Stefano Belbo (CN).