The Cooking and Cuisine of Abruzzo and Molise

[hathor]

De Cecco considers themselves to be a sort of bridge between classic artisinal pasta and mass produced pasta.  DeCecco actually uses bronze dies for extruding the pasta, but they also use heat to dry their pasta.  In my opinion, what makes DeCecco not artisinal is the wheat that they use. They strive for a very consistent product and will use wheat from all over the world to maintain that consistency. And for anyone in the US, the DeCecco product that is exported to the US must be vitamin fortified, so it is not the same product that you eat in Italy.

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Those are some really interesting points - I knew that DeCecco uses the bronze dies but not the other points.

But does the vitamin-fortified business not also apply to the Rustichella d'Abruzzo? If not, why are they exempt?

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Ghostrider: I don't know the answer to that question, for certain, but I was told that it applies to all pasta imported into the US. Maybe there is an allowance for 'artisan' style pasta, but I really don't know.

In answer to your question, Elie, it appears that Americans cannot be trusted to eat properly, and we need the gov't to make sure we get some niacin and riboflavin. I've often thought that someone must have had a ton of riboflavin on their hands, and got some pork barrel senator to write in the enriched pasta requirement. But, then again, maybe I'm just being cynical.....

[hathor]

Also spoke to a couple who sells lamb at my farmer's market about purchasing a milk-fed lamb (abbacchio) since they raise sheep in Virginia.  Apparently regulations governing the slaughter of animals are extremely restrictive.  While a friend and I could have ordered a whole animal, it would have to be sent to one of the very few meat processing facilities in this area--which is actually some distance away.  The fee for processing would have been around $75 in addition to the cost of the meat.  The head would not be returned to us.  All organs would be discarded as well. 

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What the hell?? And we Americans also can't be trusted with the head and the organs?? What is that about?? There is a great classic Abruzzo dish where you bake the two halves of the head. It is a totally gruesome preparation and presentation, but why waste any part of the animal?

On a tastier note: The other night at a friends house, we were served spaghetti with chick peas and baccala, which is an Abruzzo recipe. It's a really good combination, the starch of the chick peas absorbs flavor and some of the sharpness from the baccala.

[FoodMan]

Oof, didn't we say that about Abruzzo last month after having such a hard time with Le Marche? 

Anyways, I'll take the Baby defense on this one.  Next month doesn't look much better for me on that front.

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Well, sort of...These regions are tricky and it did not help that for some reason, none of Molto Mario episodes were actually properly labeled "Abruzzo" as opposed to his other ones.

Over all we did better in Le Marche though and managed to rip apart the Trabocchi book.

[ghostrider]

De Cecco considers themselves to be a sort of bridge between classic artisinal pasta and mass produced pasta.  DeCecco actually uses bronze dies for extruding the pasta, but they also use heat to dry their pasta.  In my opinion, what makes DeCecco not artisinal is the wheat that they use. They strive for a very consistent product and will use wheat from all over the world to maintain that consistency. And for anyone in the US, the DeCecco product that is exported to the US must be vitamin fortified, so it is not the same product that you eat in Italy.

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Those are some really interesting points - I knew that DeCecco uses the bronze dies but not the other points.

But does the vitamin-fortified business not also apply to the Rustichella d'Abruzzo? If not, why are they exempt?

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Don't know if this is the right place to continue this or if I need to start a new thread, but for now -

I did some label reading today & confirmed that Rustichella, Antico Pastificio del Gargano & other imported brands are not enriched / fortified.

Some googling later led me to this statement:

Are imported products (pasta, cereal, bread, etc.) equal in folic acid fortification to US-made ones?

- A foreign manufacturer selling product in the U.S. must comply with the same laws for folic acid fortification of enriched grain products.

- However, FDA does not require that all products be enriched. Once enriched, the FDA mandates what it must contain and in what amounts. Therefore, some imported products might not be enriched. If so, they would not be labeled enriched and would not be required to contain folic acid.

http://www.ilovepasta.org/nutrition.html

This seems to answer what I was wondering - De Cecco chooses to enrich the pasta it exports to the U.S., while other manufacturers don't, & this is all allowable under FDA regs.

[hathor]

Good research Ghostrider!

This is something that has always bugged me as well.

I do have a question, your quote states:

"- A foreign manufacturer selling product in the U.S. must comply with the same laws for folic acid fortification of enriched grain products."

Do you know if US made pasta has folic acid fortification requirements? If they do, then everything must be fortified.

I'm on a r e a l l y s l o w internet connection, or I would try and look it up myself.

[Shaya]

Shaya, these pillowy looking crepes are very delectable. Are they prepared like crepes (using batter like Crespelle) or rolled like pasta?

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Thanks, FoodMan. The scrippelle are made using a batter of one egg per person, flour and water. A little research has taught me that they are also known as scrippelle ’mbuse (which means soaked - which might explain Hathor's question above).

From what I gather they are really crespelle which, when rolled with cheese and served with broth take on the regional name of scrippelle.

That said, I have made Batali's so-called crespelle many times, and they use a small number of eggs, milk and flour. Perhaps the use of milk is his more elevated improvisation of a poor-man's dish?

[ghostrider]

Do you know if US made pasta has folic acid fortification requirements? If they do, then everything must be fortified.

I'm on a r e a l l y  s l o w  internet connection, or I would try and look it up myself.

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Hard to find a definitive, clear statement, but so far this seems key:

The agency is providing

for fortification with folic acid only in the standards of identity for

enriched cereal-grain products. Unenriched cereal-grain products

without folic acid will continue to be available.

http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~lrd/fr96305b.html

Apparently enrichment is not required, but if a mfr chooses to enrich, then rules must be followed.

This seems to apply to grain product enrichment of all sorts, not just w folic acid, but so far, hard to find documents dealing with other than folic.

[Franci]

Hi guys, how are you? So sorry I disappeared.

First, congratulations to Kevin for his new baby!

One thing I want to add to the chitarra. One side is called chitarra and the other chitarrina.

The side with wider strings is use to make short pasta for fagioli soups or similars, for what I been told, the strip of pasta to cut on the chitarra should be double the lenght of the chitarra, I usually don't bother but I heard that is the tradition.

Pontormo, of course, I have a chitarra in my cupboard

[Franci]

Shaya, these pillowy looking crepes are very delectable. Are they prepared like crepes (using batter like Crespelle) or rolled like pasta?

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Thanks, FoodMan. The scrippelle are made using a batter of one egg per person, flour and water. A little research has taught me that they are also known as scrippelle ’mbuse (which means soaked - which might explain Hathor's question above).

From what I gather they are really crespelle which, when rolled with cheese and served with broth take on the regional name of scrippelle.

That said, I have made Batali's so-called crespelle many times, and they use a small number of eggs, milk and flour. Perhaps the use of milk is his more elevated improvisation of a poor-man's dish?

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I have only seen fully covered with broth and the crepe with no milk, at least all the recipes I have encountered.

[hathor]

Ciao Franci! You have been missed! Hope you are feeling well and strong.

I think doubling the pasta on the chitarra would be more trouble than it's worth! But, to each his own.

Last night I made the faro with aspargus cream, a recipe I mention upthread. I would up having to sub orzo for the farro, but it is still a very satisfying and delicious combination. This would be a great dish to have around for vegetarians, it's very filling and nutrionally balanced. Sorry, no pictures, the camera was all the way upstairs, and we were running late for a concert!

[hathor]

The other night, as a primi for my mother's birthday dinner, I made the faro/asparagus dish. This time I took a photo. It's a sort of twist on risotto. Cook the aspargus and puree into a fine cream, cook the faro, then combine and add pecorino to make it all smooth and yummy.

[Pontormo]

Ummm.....! What a wonderful daughter you are!

I never got around to cooking from this region and you provide an incentive!

Edited May 14, 2007 by Pontormo (log)