Italian Drinking Chocolate

One of the best things about cold winter months is the comeback of hot chocolate. The cold is just another excuse to tuck away in an Italian café and spend the afternoon enjoying an indulgent cup of Cioccolata Calda.

Now put away all your preconceptions of hot chocolate for a moment because the Italian drinking chocolate we’re talking about here is far from the powdered version you used to seeing at the grocery store. Italian hot chocolate is much, much, thicker in consistency than American hot chocolate. Cioccolata Calda sits somewhere between our notion of hot drinking chocolate and pudding, yes, pudding. This smooth and decadent cup of hot chocolate is sure keep you warm throughout winter. Drink it alone, or use a spoon if you are so inclined.

Poderi San Lazzaro

We are so excited to have secured a small batch of Poderi San Lazzaro’s extra virgin olive oil to share with you.

This olive oil is crafted from olives that are hand-picked “pre-invaiatura”, at the moment the olives are perfectly green and ripe.  This oil has been crafted with extreme care to capture the richest concentration of the healthful properties from the olive.  Initially the flavor is fruity and slightly pungent; displaying the characteristics of expertly pressed olives.  With time, the flavor will soften and become increasingly unctuous.  This olive oil is best drizzled over grilled or poached fish and meats and enhances the flavor of them as they are cooked.

The olives were harvested in October 2011 and present a fresher more brilliant green color, reflective of the captured essence and flavor of the ripe, green olive.  The latest pressing techniques used involves the addition of cold water, resulting in a lower yield, but one that ensures freshness, prevents oxidation and maintains a very low acidity in the finished oil.  In addition these oils have been crafted with extreme care to capture the richest concentration of the healthful and beneficial elements offered by the olive.

About San Lazzaro:

The San Lazzaro Estate is located near the village of Borgo Miriam, Offida, on the Eastern/ Central coast of Italy.  This treasured area of the Marche has a historical predilection to olive oil and red wine production.  Shaping the estate into one of the finest and most innovative in the Marche region, Paolo Capriotti and his father, Lorenzo, work to tend both the vineyards and olive trees in this agriculturally thriving and pristine land.  The estate olive oil of Ponderi San Lazzaro is composed principally of three olive varieties: Leccino, Carcignola, and Sargano.  As with their vineyards, careful attention is given to hand pruning and harvesting techniques to achieve top quality fruit.

A Letter From Paul: Thanksgiving

Cari Amici,

The witches and ghosts have gone away, but the pumpkins and scarecrows are still out on the porch in honor of America’s favorite holiday (sorry 4th of July) Thanksgiving; a day that has a lot in common with Italian cuisine in general.

 While good meals with friends and families are a daily occurrence in homes across Italy, the rest of the world catches up with them come the holidays. Here in the United States of course we have the particularly food-centric holiday of Thanksgiving to focus on in late fall, which truly captures the joy of traditional recipes shared with several generations of the family around the table, the very cornerstone of Italian cooking. Recipes that have been passed down for decades are favored over anything new or innovative, certain flavors are paired religiously with others, and multiple courses play a large role in the meal. Food “rules” are very important in Italy where no one would drink milk with dinner (too heavy on the stomach) whereas in America, being the melting pot that we are, we tend to be more flexible in our rules. Come Thanksgiving however just try to add raisins to the cranberry sauce or some other travesty and see what happens! In honor of traditional meals to celebrate with, I’d like to share with you some of Italy’s favorite staples like farro (item #3483, $5.99) (cook it like you would pasta, or turn it into a farrotto in place of rice) and a slow-cooking polenta, farina mista (item #3490, $5.99). Use tomatoes from the Andolfi brothers in Naples  (item #6352, $3.29) and our own dried porcini mushrooms (item #3931, $9.99) as wonderful additions to both meals. Wishing you and yours a truly wonderful Thanksgiving.

Paul Ferrari

Roasted turkey

See some of our other Autumn favorites

Food we love~ Pasta

Like a bowl of spaghetti covered with marinara, the history of pasta is bathed in mystery. According to legend, it was Vulcanus, the Roman God of fire who created pasta.

 As the quisintenial food of Italy, pasta’s origins reach far beyond the tales of Marco Polo’s culinary souvenirs from his travels to China in the 13^th century. The first known record of noodle-like foodstuffs date back to around 400 BC, found in tombs of the Etruscans who lived in what is now the northwestern portion of Italy. This pasta (laganon) was baked not boiled however, and may have been the precursor to modern-day lasagne.

 The origins of dried pasta can more likely be traced to the Arab invasion of Sicily. By the 8^th century, large quantities of pasta were being produced inPalermo.  Ideal for long voyages on land and sea, pasta became the staple of explorers and armies, so that in no time dried pasta made its way around the world.

 Originally, pasta was made by mixing the semolina and water for hours on end by foot, until a suitable dough was formed. By the 17^th century, the population of Naples skyrocketed, and a solution for feeding the hungry masses had to be found. Ferdinando II the King of Naples hired the famous engineer Cesare Spadaccini to create the first bronze machines which could replicate the dough making process with ease.

 By the 19^th century, the industrial revolution paved the way for interchangeable bronze dies for the creation of many new pasta shapes to entice the consumer. With the emigration of many Italians to the United States, pasta found its way into the homes of many natives and newcomers alike.

 There are now over 500 pasta shapes from which to choose, and we Americans love our pasta, consuming on average 20 lbs. per person annually. In today’s face-paced world, pasta remains the perfect food: simple, nourishing, satisfying and varied, happily enjoyed by young and old alike.

La Vendemmia~ The Italian Grape Harvest of 2011

When we open a nice bottle of Italian wine, we are ready to literally savor the fruits of history, tradition, and in truth, a whole lot of hard work. While the notion of grape growing and harvesting conjures up romantic visions of charming Italian landscapes, wine production in Italy is very serious business.

 This year, the Assoenoligi ( the Italian Association of Enologists) forecasts that the 2011 wine harvest will be of excellent quality, even though there will be less quantity than in 2010 due to warmer temperatures in some parts of Italy, Sicily in particular. A warmer climate means that Italy’s grape harvest started a bit earlier this year, which is welcome news to a country which holds the position of being the world’s largest wine producer.

 La vendemmia, or grape harvest, is the most highly anticipated and celebrated agricultural event in the whole of the country. As the oldest cultivated crop on the Italian peninsula dating back thousands of years, the grape harvest takes on a very ritualistic and sacred tradition among Italian farmers. It’s a generational tradition where one may see entire families from grandparents to small children taking part in the harvest. Many towns and villages throughout the whole of Italy hold local wine festivals to celebrate their area’s varietal offerings.

 Some regions of Italy are celebrated for their wines, and with good reason. Tuscany is abundant in great red wines produced from the famed sangiovese varietal. This grape gives the wine lover many interpretations, from Chianti Classico to Rosso di Montalcino to Brunello,  and so naturally, this grape’s harvest creates a stir of activity in Tuscany in late September. Throughout the Tuscan wine growing region, you will find harvest celebrations, fairs with food, wine and music as production cellars open to the public for tastings.

 In Umbria, often called the “green heart of Italy”, varietals such as Sagrantino, Montefalco Rosso and Trebbiano abound, producing some of the most intriguing wines of Italy. Here as elsewhere ,wines are showcased with regional meat and cheeses, adding to the full flavors of each region’s culinary treasures.

Winemaking is a balance of scientific method married to the fine art of creation. While using state of the art methods, vintners assess with an almost sixth sense the best time for harvesting  to begin in order to find the most advantageous time for grape picking, when the sugar to acid ratio is at its peak. On that first day of picking, vineyards teem with workers who still pick the grapes by hand, off-loading their buckets into larger tractor wagons to speed the crop to the local wineries. The end of September into the beginning of October is a lively time in each grape growing region of Italy, and years after such hard work, dedication and skill, we get to sit down at our dinner tables to pour forth this incredible harvest.

Italians we love~ Sophia Loren

Born in Rome in 1934, Sofia Villani Scicolone grew up in Pozzuoli, just outside of Naples. The world knows her as the embodiment of Italian beauty, allure and inner strength: Sophia Loren.

 Living with her grandmother, mother and younger sister, Sophia had an early life of  impoverishment. During World War II, while trying to run for shelter, she was hit by shrapnel, wounded on the chin. Hoping to find safer surroundings, Sophia’s family moved to Naples when family members helped each other out.

 After the war, she and her family moved back to Pozzuoli where her grandmother turned her modest home into a pub, and Sophia and her sister would sing and entertain the guests, often American G.I.s stationed nearby. It was not long before Sophia had her sights on bigger opportunities.

 Beginning as an extra in the 1951 film Quo Vadis, Sophia Loren  would eventually become an international movie star, celebrated as much for her down to earth natural acting ability and comedic timing as for her captivating beauty. Stunning the world in 1961, she became the first Italian actress to win the Academy Award for Best Actress in Vittorio De Sicas’ Two Women.

 Sophia Loren is that rare combination of feminine allure which men adore, and strong, salt of the earth genuineness that women admire. Everyone loves her, and while she may know it, she has consistently embodied a modicum of humility rarely seen by famous figures. Sophia Loren encapsulates the Italian spirit, full of life loving energy, passion and happiness, and one of her greatest assets can be found in her comedic roles, where her laughter wholeheartedly sparkles.

 When asked the secret of her success, she said, “I love to eat, and I love to eat healthily. I love pasta. I love starch.  Everything you see I owe to spaghetti.”

 Is it any wonder we love her?!

Olio Nuovo Vino Vecchio

“New oil and old wine” as the famous Italian proverb goes and that’s the rule we like to live by!

Fattoria le Corti Villa

Duccio Corsini from Fattoria le Corti is preparing to harvest his olives for this year’s batch of Le Corti Olive Oil and we’re thrilled to have been able to secure a small batch for our AGF customers. The Corsini family has been in the oil business for about 500 years from their gorgeous Renaissance villa and estate just outside Florence known for superb olive oil and wine production, and the tradition is tangible. The property’s 15,000 olive trees are still picked by hand, and the fruits of the harvest are crushed on site in an authentic stone mill. Most of Corsini’s employees at harvest time take their payment in oil rather than cash, giving credence to this oil’s reputation as “liquid gold.” From ancient trees on the Le Corti estate of Principe Corsini just south of Florence, this exquisite oil is 100% organically grown and cold pressed in the stone frantoio on the property. 

Duccio Corsini and Paul Ferrari

Why all the fuss over new oil?  After the olives have been pressed for their oil, the flavor, color, and healthful properties are at its most potent.  Over time, the flavor starts to deplete and lose some of its vibrance.  Though in reality, olive oil can last up to two years, it is advised that olive oil be used within 18 months of the bottling date to ensure its quality.  We suggest serving this new oil simply drizzled over crusty bread to savor its true fruit and spice.

We’d like to give our blog readers the chance to pre-order this coveted oil before the pre-order form goes up on our website.  The oil will be harvested late October to early November and then we’ll fly it in immediately following. It varies year to year but it will likely be here mid November, and surely before Christmas. The ideal foodie gift! Very limited quantities. 

*(Because the olives have not yet been harvested, we do not know the exact size of the bottle or the pricing.  You may still submit a pre-order form and when the shipment comes in, we will be contacting you with more information and you may decide then if you would still like to purchase this unique oil.)

 

Places we love~ Italian Food Museums

How fitting that a culture which so values its food should build actual museums to specific culinary treasures such as olives, pasta, and salt! In addition to honoring its artistic and scientific achievements,Italy’s food museums are worth a visit:

 Along the Italian Riviera in Imperia, you will find the Museo Dell’ Olivo, entirely devoted to the history and cultivation of the olive. The olive and the history of the cultures along theMediterranean have been interlocked for over 6,000 years. Whether used in cooking, medicinally, or as currency, the olive and those smart enough to cultivate it have ruled empires. The museum traces the origins of olive production, trade and the impact of the sophisticated peoples who gained the knowledge to develop the olive as we know it today. Housed in a lovely old art nouveau building, admission is free to the museum with self guided tours available in several languages.

 The Museo Nazionale delle Paste Alimentari in Rome is entirely devoted to  pasta, its history, production, and consumption. For serious devotees of the food so beloved inItaly, this museum is a treasure trove of information for all things pasta. There’s a vast collection of old photographs showing humble peasants enjoying their daily spaghetti, scenes of hand made pasta hung out to dry in bright Neapolitan sunshine, and detailed diagrams of how the shape of a given pasta effects its cooking time. There’s even a “pasta theatre”, as well displays of how pasta has influencedItaly artistically and even politically through the ages.

The museum is open every day and located in the same part of Rome as the famed Trevi fountain.

 Near the town of Trapani in Sicily, you’ll find the Museo delle Saline, a museum which chronicles the glory of Sicilian salt which has been prized since ancient times. While salt extraction might seem like a rather mundane process, the museum’s displays demonstrate just what an exacting method salt harvesting is and how salt production is truly a merging of both scientific achievement and the artistry of the taste buds. Sicilian salt has a reputation for having a distinct flavor profile rich in magnesium, and Sicilians have every reason to take pride in this most important of flavor enhancers, so a museum seems wholly fitting. In sight of salt ponds still used today, the museum annually welcomes visitors from the world over.

A String of Pearls along the Mediterranean~ the Cinque Terre

What happens when gigantic mountains come crashing down to meet a sea? Well, what may at once appear to be a cataclysmic event turns out in the due course of time to create an enchanted area of the Ligurian coast, a series of 5 little hamlets perched along the Mediterranean seacalled the Cinque Terre.

  Nowadays, this area  is on the “to do” list of practically every traveler who ventures into Italy, but not so long ago, this area was secreted away and difficult to reach, thereby preserving its old world qualities. Even today, the towns of Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso are accessible only by a connecting footpath or by train. With merely 6,000 inhabitants scattered throughout the 5 villages, the Cinque Terre maintains a way of life which has disappeared from the rest of Liguria with the encroachment of modern life. So valuable is this stretch along the northwestern part of the Italian Riviera that it is against the law to over build or create roadways too close to this special area.

 At the furthest point south, Riomaggiore is named after a large river which once ran through the town requiring a series of bridges to connect one part of the hamlet to the other. Today, Riomaggiore is a great place to experience the breath-taking views of the sea while appreciating what the rigors of village fishing life must have been like in the old days.

 Manarola is the second town, filled with the precariously perched vineyards which have to be seen to be believed. Efficiently terraced for maximum planting, these grape varietals yield some of the tastiest wines in the region, a perfect complement to the fresh seafood and famed fresh basil pesto, a signature flavor in the region’s cuisine. You can visit the other towns by boat from Manarola’s harbor, giving the visitor a keen perspective on the dramatic coastline.

 The third town of Corniglia may not be for the faint of heart, for trekking the 33 flights of stairs with its 400 steps which connect it from the next town requires more than just the desire to say, “I’ve been there!”. It’s a great workout if you are ready and the reward will be some of the best vistas in the whole area. If you’d rather, the train can serve as a more gentle connection. In Corniglia, the smallest of the 5 villages, you can relax in the town square, amble about or enjoy a quiet meal.

 Perhaps the most picturesque town is the fourth, Vernazza, which can only be described as achingly beautiful. It is impossible to find a vista which is other than truly lovely. Local inhabitants are deservedly proud of this little gem, for it boasts the only real beach of the 5 towns, and its calm waters are perfect for family outings.

 What makes the fifth town Monterosso so very different from the others is that is actually has flat surfaces, and feels like a true resort town, complete with dozens of lounge chairs and umbrellas all neatly placed in long rows. If you are looking for a bit of luxury plus a place that can give you a view of the other four towns, you can see the “string of pearls” together which have made these towns national treasures. Visit our selections of Ligurian deliciacies to get a taste of this truly special part of Italy.