Sprint 2 the Table

Appetites and Adventures

Eating Through Siena

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Today the Italian adventures continue in Siena.

I took a little recap break to post some of the dishes I’ve made.  Some – like this and this – were inspired by my travels… only I made them like your vegan-ish Italian grandmother would. 🙂

The Tuscan region was home to some of the best food on the trip.  Certainly the best gelato!

In order to get to Siena, we braved the overnight trains (not recommended without a seat reservation… using the restroom on the train also not recommended) and arrived in Siena sometime around 6am.  Thank god our room was ready early and we were able to take a nap before exploring the city.

Despite the train-lag, we got moving in time for lunch.  The view from our room had me bouncing out of bed!

For lunch we followed a Rick Steve’s recommendation that promised vegetarian fare (we were deprived of veggies after all that travel).  He was spot on – this Osteria was awesome!

The servers were very nice (and patient).  One was even wearing a Fenway Park shirt.  The veggies were just what we needed to begin the day:

We wandered through town before resting at the main piazza to enjoy a coffee while people-watching.  Followed by gelato (banana and nutella for me).

Next on the agenda was the Duomo (the tallest point you can see in the pic of our view from the hotel room).  They sell a pass for the whole artistic complex of “Opera della Metropolitana di Siena” for 10 Euro!  Sold.

In the opera museum we were able to view some incredible paintings, sheet music from operas, and sculptures.  It still blows my mind to think the history behind it all.  From the museum there is a long, winding staircase to the top of a tower offering a view that will take your breath (so will all those stairs!).

 The 10 Euro tour then took us inside the Cattedrale, followed by the Cripta below.  I was most excited about the crypt, but they must have been renovating because much of it was blocked off or not labeled (unmarked mounds containing bodies = not as exciting).

The cathedral was stunning.  I was back to my over-used phrase: This doesn’t even look real!

At this point my camera died… which didn’t stop me from making everyone pose for a pic in the Battistero (a smaller church housing works from many of the greatest Renaissance sculptors).

 Dead cameras don’t end the day – we hauled it back to out hotel to re-charge batteries – electronic and our own.  We had met a friend along the way earlier in the day who promised us a delicious dinner.

He was the chef at a restaurant we had also found via Rick Steve: Antica Osteria da Divo.  If you are ever in Siena, I highly recommend this place.  It’s a gorgeous dining room and the food is top-notch.

Beautiful setting

2007 Castello di Ama Chianti Classico

Rolled zucchini filled with pecorino cheese from Pienza and kale served over caramelized red onions

Scallops browned with citrus-bread crumbs, served over pumpkin cream and watercress

Risotto with fresh Porcini mushrooms and Saffron served table-side in a form of demi-seasoned pecorino cheese

I almost asked for seconds

Hand-rolled Senese pasta with Selvatic meat (Wildboar-Venison-Deer) sauce, “Taggiasche” olives, juniper berries and rosemary-scented crispy bread

Rolled pork stuffed with spinach and fresh pecorino cheese, truffle sauce and caramelized scallions

Rolled pan biscuit ,vanilla cream, and pear cooked in Chianti Classico with a caramel net

A picture cannot begin to do that dessert justice.  It was a work of art.

Feeling fat and happy, we took a walk back to our hotel.  The chef and waiter invited us for drinks,  but we were still tired from the train and needed to wake up early.  The next day would bring a trip to Montalcino to learn about Brunello wine.*

*This is the part of the trip where we hijacked a tour bus.  No joke.  Check back for the rest of that story. 🙂

***

Pretty please vote for my Biscoff Cookie Dough Balls by clicking here and “liking” (via Facebook) my entry in Delta’s Biscoff Bake-Off.  You can vote 1x per day!!!  Thanks for all of your votes so far!

Do you enjoy going to museums when you travel or are you more of an unorganized explorer?

What are you going to be for Halloween?

Apple Pie Milkshake

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It seems that every fast food joint has turned fall desserts into milkshakes. 

Skip the fast food sugar-bomb and make your own (much healthier) version!

Apple Pie is fantastic a la mode… it’s only natural that is become part of the la mode.

Yes, my Apple Pie Shake is green.  If you haven’t tried it yet, now is the time to toss an avocado in your smoothie.  It adds to the creamy-milkshake texture and you cannot taste it.  (Recipe at the bottom of post.)

Breakfast:

To begin my WIAW, I had a post-workout Apple Pie Shake.  Perfect beginning to a warm fall day.

Words of shake-making advice:

  • Virtually anything can be frozen – including avocados and apples
  • Guar Gum is worth the expense – a little bit goes a long way and it makes the perfect shake texture
  • Don’t skimp on vanilla and cinnamon
  • Guard your apple when taking pic from your balcony

I only turned my back for a second when I heard a big “SPLAT.”  I looked around… where’s my apple???  Hmmmm… glance down… apparently my apple grew legs and jumped off my balcony.  It’s not that bad, apple!  

Odd craving for apple sauce…

Lunch:

Today’s lunch was gourmet.  By gourmet, I mean multi-course.

First a salad of arugula and spinach with carrots, cucumber, and a hearty scoop of chipotle salsa.  I love salsa as dressing.

Followed by my leftover “pasta” (spaghetti squash from this dish) and a quick batch of this tahini sauce.

Dinner:

I didn’t realize today was going to be a “make it again” day.  Typically I don’t repeat recipes… there are so many new ideas floating around in my head!

After the tahini sauce repeat, I re-made this Wild Mushroom Soup for dinner.  It was one of my favorites last winter – someone remind me to re-make dishes more often!

Don’t judge… brown food is impossible to photograph!

I made is almost the same way; however I did use fresh parsley and roasted garlic and added lentils for bulk.

Snacks:

It was a fun snack day!  In addition to my “OMG, I cannot get sick” Emergen-C, I tried a new product: Primal Strips.

It’s meatless vegan jerky made from seitan!

Observations:

  • 11 grams of protein
  • Only 3 grams of sugar
  • Ingredient list I can pronounce
  • Texture was a little weird (chewy, which I suppose is jerky-esque), but I got over it half way through the “strip” 
  • Loved the teriyaki flavor

Verdict: I’d definitely buy it again and would love to try other flavors!

Not pictured: I made another Apple Pie Shake as a bedtime snack.  Like I said, it’s a day of repeats.

 _____________________________________________________________________________________

Apple Pie Shake

  • 1/2 large apple
  • 1/4 large avocado
  • 2 scoops vanilla protein powder
  • 1 handful spinach (optional – but I swear you can’t taste it!)
  • 1 C unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or any milk-substance)
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp ginger
  • 7-8 drops NuNaturals Pure Liquid Vanilla Stevia
  • Shake of salt
  • Shake of Guar gum (optional, but helps create milkshake consistency)
  • Ice, to taste

Put it in a blender and blend until smooth!  Pour into tumbler and drink your pie.

I received the pictured Tervis tumbler as part of the FoodBuzz Tastemaker Program.  It didn’t influence the fact that my shake was fantastic, but it did keep it nice and cold while I took a million pics of it. 🙂

***

Voting is now open on Facebook for Delta’s Biscoff Bake-Off.  Pretty please vote for my Biscoff Cookie Dough Balls by clicking here and “liking” my entry.  You can vote 1x per day!!!

As always, check out Peas and Crayons to see the tastiness everyone else ate today!

What is your favorite dessert-gone-shake?

Do you have “go to” dishes you make regularly?

“Spaghetti” and “Meat” Balls

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Last fall I tried a new type of spaghetti.

Source: steamykitchen.com

Spaghetti squash.  It blew my mind.  Who knew you could make a vegetable act like a pasta?!  The best part is that you can make it in the microwave in under 10 minutes.

If you haven’t tried it yet, you should probably do so immediately.  It’s that fantastic.  This squash-pasta takes on any flavor – have fun with it!  I’ve been known to eat it for breakfast…

The air has a nice fall crispness to it, which only makes me crave an Italian classic: spaghetti and meatballs.  (Side note: I didn’t have a single meatball in Italy!)  Post-cleanse and post-Forks Over Knives watching, I have decided to limit my intake of meat and other animal products.  So how was I to have meatballs?!

The spaghetti already had a twist… why not go experimental all the way?

Pre-Saucing

And so, Tofu-Lentil “Meat” Balls were born.  I’m not going to lie – these aren’t a perfect match for the real deal, but they are good and added some nice bulk to the dish.

I used plenty of red pepper flakes, fresh parsley, and garlic to make it feel more Italian.  The addition of liquid smoke (found at Whole Foods) was awesome.

As if they weren’t healthy enough, I baked my balls rather than fried them in oil.  That may have been more a function of my not believing they’d stay together in the pan.

As I alluded to before, the key to good spaghetti squash are the accompanying flavors.  Use your favorite sauce here to make the dish pop!  Don’t be afraid to start with a jar and add capers, roasted garlic, basil, red pepper flakes, cheese… or whatever your go-to Italian flavors are!

While we’re on the subject of balls…

Source: benjerry.com

Did you see that some grocery stores are refusing to carry Ben & Jerry’s new brilliant creation: Schweddy Balls???  I guess I get it… but come on… kids aren’t even going to “get” the joke.

Say what you will, but those fudgy rum balls are good – Schweddy Balls is B&Js most successful special edition ice cream to date.

spaghetti-squash-and-tofu-balls-300x225

“Spaghetti” and “Meat” Balls

  • 1 spaghetti squash
  • 1/2 block tofu
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 T shallot, minced
  • 2 T parsley, chopped
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1/8 tsp liquid smoke
  • 1/3 C lentils (pre-cooked)
  • S+P, to taste

Preheat oven to 350.

Cut the squash in half (can soften in microwave first).  Remove the seeds.  Place in a glass baking dish, cut side down, in about 1 in of water.  Microwave for 7-8 minutes, or until shell is tender when pierced with a fork.  (You can also do this in the oven at 350 for about 45 mins.  I thought the microwave worked fantastically.)  Remove the flesh with a fork and place in serving bowl.

Meanwhile, crumble tofu into food processor or Magic Bullet.  Add garlic, shallots, parsley, red pepper flakes, and smoke.  Blend until just combined – you don’t want to make a paste, just to be able to form a ball.  Add lentils and stir by hand to combine.

Form 1-2 T size balls and place on foil or parchment paper.  Place in oven and bake ~20 mins, until balls begin to brown.

Serve with spaghetti squash and your favorite sauce!

Makes 2 servings.

***

Voting is now open on Facebook for Delta’s Biscoff Bake-Off.  Pretty please vote for my Biscoff Cookie Dough Balls by clicking here and “liking” my entry.  You can vote 1x per day!!!

What is the best “cold weather” meal you’ve made healthier?

What do you think of the Schweddy Balls controversy?  Overkill or being responsible?

Wine-ing Down in Barolo, Italy

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Today is dedicated to one of my favorite wines: Barolo.

I didn’t know it was one of my favorites until I was able to taste some incredible bottles in Barolo, Italy.

Barolo is a teeny town about 9 miles outside of Alba.  And it is stunningly beautiful.

It’s so small that you can walk around from winemaker to winemaker, tasting as you go.  The vineyards are outside the small city center (the best are from Connubi), but the tasting rooms are in the Commune.  (Note: many times in Italy a tasting room is actually someone’s living room.)

Our first stop of the day was E. Pira & Figli.  Pira is run by a woman named Chiara – the first female maker of Barolo!  There are now more, but Chiara remains one of the only 2 organic Barolo makers.  They only produce ~12,000 bottles a year.

We were given a tour of the facility by Chiara’s sister-in-law (Chiara was being interviewed by a couple of Danish reporters).

Then we tasted!  These wines were nothing like most of the organic varieties we see in America… they were good!

We tasted 4 wines:

  • Barolo Cannubi
  • Barolo Via Nuova
  • Barbera d’Alba
  • Dolcetto d’Alba (not pictured)

This list is essentially in ranked order, with Barolo Cannubi being the “best.”  They were all good though.  Dolcetto is more of a table wine; a light and drinkable juice.  Barbera is more commonly found in America, though the price point here is about what you’d pay for a Barolo in Italy.  It is a good wine – bright and plumy, perfect with pastas and cheeses.

Barolo made from grapes grown on the Cannubi hill are considered to be of the highest quality.  It is aged 2 years in French oak and then an additional year in the bottle.  It is a big, spicy wine with some chewy fruit flavor (big reds are the way to my heart).  Perfect with flavorful dishes of steak or truffles.  Delizioso.

Check out what we found on Chiara’s shelves:

We go all the way to Italy only to find a license plate from the state we live in… seriously?!  I can’t make this stuff up.

Chiara came over to speak with us after the reporters left.  She was so sweet and full of energy an passion.  Such an open person… I’m not sure how else to describe her aura than refreshing.

Me, Chiara, and Corinne

We ate an unremarkable lunch (yes, there were a few) and then set off to the next winemaker: Scarzello.

We tasted 4 wines:

  • Barolo Cannubi
  • Barolo Vigna Merenda
  • Barbera d’Alba Superiore
  • Nebbiolo (not pictured)

The wines were fantastic, but this experience was especially amazing.  We ended up sitting around their living room table, chatting with the winemaker’s wife for a long time.  She was such a sweet women, and we spoke about everything from her son (also a winemaker) to relationships.

We bonded and cheered with a glass of the best.  These pictures are now next to the word “content” in the dictionary.

I didn’t want to leave, but we couldn’t take up her entire afternoon.  We had some time to kill and went to the town museum.  The museums was, of course, located in a castle.   It had some of the best views we saw on the trip.  I can’t say the same for the “museum” quality.

We could have hung out in the commune and tasted all night, but our driver (yes, a driver – clearly we didn’t need to drive after crashing these) arrived to take us to Serralunga, another town in the zone.  It seemed unlikely that the day could get any better… but it did!

Our Serralunga tasting was with Anselma Giacomo.  It was conducted by the sweetest women I’ve ever met, Maria.  Maria is the wife of Franco Anselma, the winemaker.

Maria gave us  lovely tour, showing us the garden she plans to build and telling us some of the history of the old town and winery (founded in early 1900).  We even got to try out an old wine corking “machine.”

We tasted 5 wines, but the 3 Barolo were especially excellent, accompanied by Nebbiolo grapes and some great meats and cheeses.

  • Dolcetto
  • Nebbiolo
  • Barbera d’Alba
  • 2006 Barolo
  • 2005 Barolo
  • 2004 Barolo Vigna Rionda Riserva

The velvety, full-bodied Riserva was my favorite.  Maria told us it was a wine to meditate with.  And so I did.  And then I meditated some more when she handed us a bowl of chocolate to taste it with.  OMG.

On to dinner!  Man Woman cannot live on meat and cheese alone.

We had reservations next to the castle at a restaurant called Schiavenza.  They too make wine (not an uncommon story over there), so we had a tasting with dinner.

Roasted peppers with sardines, omelet with ricotta and spinach, raw ball of meat (no, I didn’t eat it), and veal with tuna cream

Tajarin with ragu and plin

Beef with Barolo sauce, polenta, and carrots

Dessert Barolo is pretty amazing

It’s even better poured over ice cream and served with chocolate mousse cake

Remind me again why I came home?!  I want to move here.

***

I’m going to see Sugarland tonight!!!

What are you doing this weekend?  Any races?

Have you ever poured booze over dessert?  Chambord + ice cream is awesome.

Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Tahini Sauce

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If you follow me on Twitter, you may have noticed that I live in airports.

Last night I camped out in the St. Louis airport (side note: poor Cardinals 🙁 ).  I almost made the 5p flight.  I was the last one in when they closed the walkway door… seems like a sure thing, right?  Nope.  They made me walk right back out because they’d missed a scan and there were no more seats.  WTF?!

I had to wait another 2 hours for the next flight and didn’t get home until almost 11p.  Most of the time travel doesn’t bother me, and most of the time I love Delta… but it has been a long week and it’s super disappointing when you think you’ve made the flight.

All this to say it’s not going to be a wordy post day (this may be a relief after this marathon post).  I do have a fantastic recipe though!!

Brussel sprouts are one of the (many) things I eat now that I would have never dreamed of putting in my mouth growing up.

To say that I was a picky eater would be an understatement.

This dish would have my former self kicking me in the shins because I made a big batch of brussels and then I licked my plate.   (The only way I’d eat veggies as a kid?  Raw and swimming in ranch dressing.)  

I wouldn’t have eaten anything on this plate just 15 years ago: roasted tomatoes, lentils with fava beans (minus the liver and nice Chianti), and brussels with tahini sauce.

15 years later, I can assure you that these items are all absolutely delicious.  Look Mom, I’m all grown up!

The savory lemon-tahini sauce is perfect with the slightly sweet caramelized brussels.  A little paprika kick on the end and my taste buds are in heaven.

In conclusion, trust a former picky eater (that only adds credibility, right?) and try the brussels.  If you don’t like them, you can always add more sauce. 😉

Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Tahini Sauce

  • 1.5 C brussel sprouts, washed and halved
  • 1/2 tsp olive oil
  • Splash of apple cider vinegar
  • 1 clove of garlic, pressed
  • 2 T roasted tahini
  • Juice of 1/4 large lemon
  • 2 T water, or more until desired consistency is reached
  • 1 T fresh parsley
  • 1/4 tsp paprika
  • S+P, dash of salt to taste

For the Brussels:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  

Place the sprouts cut side down in an oven-proof pan with olive oil over medium heat.  Allow to cook until they begin to caramelize and turn golden brown.  Once browned, move pan to oven and continue to cook until the sprouts are just tender (~7-8 mins, depending on size).  Remove from oven and pour a splash of apple cider vinegar (or any vinegar) in pan to deglaze.

For the Tahini Sauce:

Mix together tahini, garlic, lemon juice.  Add water slowly, adjusting to reach desired thickness.  Add parsley, paprika, salt, and pepper to taste.

Drizzle brussels with dressing, sprinkle with a bit more paprika, and serve.  If in public, do not lick your plate.

Makes 2 servings.

***

I just got the new iPhone iOS system.  It rocks.

If you have an iPhone, have you downloaded it yet?  What do you think?

What do you love now that you wouldn’t touch as a kid?

Eggplant Rollatini, Vegan-Style

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That fact that I got back from Italy 2 weeks ago and still I cannot get enough Italian food is further proof that I was meant to be Italian.

 And that I should move there immediately.  Does anyone want to sponsor me?!

I’m not kidding.

Italians love eggplant, or melanzana.  It was one of the few readily available veggies on restaurant menus.  We learned the word melanzana quickly!

Source: agricultureguide.org

Remembering the delicious eggplant meal I had in Friuli, I decided to make a vegan Eggplant Rollatini this week.

Eggplant is at its prime in September/October, so get yours in ASAP!  To choose a good one, look for the following:

  • Firm and heavy
  • Smooth and glossy, free of blemishes
  • Stem and cap should be bright green
  • Press the skin – if it springs back quickly, it’s ripe

It’s an under-appreciated vegetable nutritionally speaking.  These pear-shaped, purple pieces of perfection are good sources of:

  • Fiber (you know you need it!)
  • Manganese
  • Copper
  • Thiamin (B-1)
  • Nasunin (antioxidant)

For this recipe I used this Tofu Ricotta from my Vegan Ricotta Pasta Bake in place of dairy ricotta.  My only modifications were to add an extra garlic clove, a tsp of red pepper flakes, and I used fresh parsley instead of thyme.

I swear to you Vegan Ricotta is good.  Try it – I dare you.

As easy as it is to make your own tomato sauce… I have to admit I started with a jarred base.  When I’m feeling especially lazy I add a jar to a warm pot as “doctor” it.  This usually means the additions of herbs (oregano and basil), red pepper flakes (never enough heat!), freshly ground pepper, garlic, and onions.  This time I also added capers for a little salty tang.

I was thrilled with how this riff on my Friulian meal came out.  The creamy “ricotta” was the perfect texture.  I loved how the lemon flavors from the ricotta came through and complimented the capers in my sauce.  Don’t skip the grilled eggplant.  It’s just as easy as baking and it helps prevent sogginess.

As with many saucy Italian dishes, it was even better the second day as leftovers.  Nom.

Eggplant Rollatini (Vegan)

  • 1 large eggplant, sliced lengthwise into ~1/3 in slices
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 4-5 large kale leaves, lightly sautéed
  • Tofu ricotta
  • Your favorite tomato sauce

Preheat oven to 375. 

Arrange eggplant slices onto wax paper.  Sprinkle with sea salt and allow to sit for ~15 mis to help remove excess moisture and bitterness.  Wipe salt off eggplant and pat dry with a towel.

Spray grill pan with vegetable spray and place eggplant slices in pan over medium-high.  Cook ~3 mins per side, until slightly softened and browned.  Remove slices from the grill pan and allow to cool.

Once cooled, line the eggplant slices with the kale and place 2-3T of ricotta on 1 end of each eggplant slice.  Roll up tightly.  Place the roll seam side down into a 8 by 8-inch pyrex dish.  Cover the rollatini with your favorite tomato sauce.  

Bake uncovered 15-20 mins, or until bubbling hot. Drizzle with good-quality extra-virgin olive oil and serve!

***

It’s 40 degrees this morning!  How did I go from getting sunburned Sunday to getting seeing frost today?!

What is your favorite veggie-tized comfort food?

Did the temps drop in your town… and are you ready for it?  I’m not!

A Michelin Star Day in Italy

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It would have been fun to post a What I Ate Wednesday from Italy…

My first in-person pomegranate tree!

… but I just couldn’t bring myself to sit down and write when there was so much to explore.

So today, 2 weeks later, I bring you: What I Ate on a Wednesday in Italy.

Breakfast:

Typical European tourist fare consists of pastries, cheese, and cured meats.  The novelty wears off after 1-2 days.

At least we know the Nutella is fresh!

Cheese selection (thankfully no stinky cheese!)

Breakfast of champions

That Robiola Rocchetta cheese was pretty amazing.  It is native to the Piedmont region and would be fantastic with the local Barolo wine.  It is a layered, creamy cheese made from goat’s, cow’s, and sheep’s milk.  It’s structure is reminiscent of a brie – pliable rind with a dense, semi-soft texture inside.

FYI – this is what you get if you order a latte in Italy:

Cup of hot milk

Lunch:

Most days this consisted of more cured meat and cheese with bread sticks… served at a wine tasting. 🙂

I should have my cholesterol checked

Snack:

We had a mandatory daily snack of gelato.

Like a kid in a candy shop…

Dinner:

My favorite meal of the trip was at Il Cascinalenuovo, and Michelin star restaurant just outside of Asti.  The restaurant is part of a family-run B&B.  We were lucky to have a tour of the kitchen with Chef Walter.

Upon arrival we were greeted by Walter’s niece, Alice.  Alice was so much fun to talk to and hosted us all evening.  Her father is the front of house and wine expert in the restaurant.

Alice with her father

Chef sat with us for quite sometime, asking about our backgrounds and telling us about his inspirations.  He admitted to being surprised that we are “young and skinny.”

He was expecting “fat old ladies.”  Direct quote – I can’t make this stuff up.

Me, Chef Walter, and Corinne

He told us the story of when he was invited to California to cook for a United Nations event where he worked alongside greats as Wolfgang Puck.  Puck introduced him to Asian-fuision and inspired one of the dishes we would be eating.  I love hearing the stories behind techniques and dishes.

The kitchen was having dinner when we arrived, so Alice showed us to the pool patio for aperitifs.

Sparkling wine, tripe, toast with fig jam and Rocchetta, salami balls, and mini-pizzas

Walter came out again to give us a kitchen tour.  He thoughtfully explained each station and process.  Chef Walter is a big fan of preparing meats sous vide.

We were even able to stand in the back to watch the first order being coordinated!

The kitchen was quite tolerant of our paparazzi-like behavior.

We sat down for dinner an elected to let Chef Walter surprise us rather than ordering off the menu.

We do know how to order well!

La tavola (the table)

This turned out to be the best meal of the trip.

The starter alone was mind-blowing: a perfectly silky pumpkin soup with Parmesan gelato.

Followed by the dish inspired by Wolfgang Puck: Sesame-encrusted Amberjack fish with julienned fresh vegetables, wasabi, and passion fruit sauce.

Next was Chef Walter’s signature dish, created in 1987.  It has become his signature dish.  Normally we’d be leery of the ingredients, but this was on a whole new plateau of deliciousness.  Corinne nearly licked her plate.  

Veal tongue and foie gras millefoglie with port wine jelly and balsamic reduction 

Check out this wine glass – the bubble ring makes it perfect to swirling/smelling.

I’m on a mission of find a set for myself!

This texture combination in the next dish was divine: quail egg, duck carpaccio, marinated porcini mushrooms served atop a bed of butter lettuce.

Last was the region’s Tajarin pasta (homemade) served with porcini and finfirli’s mushrooms.

Did I say last?!  I meant last dish before dessert.  2 girls = 3 desserts.

Chef Walter clearly knows the way to my heart.  He even made one with almond milk!!!

Pineapple carpaccio, ricotta with candied orange, and strawberries

Almond milk “panna cotta” with pistachios and candied nuts

I can’t begin to name all of this… truffles, macaroons, chocolate-covered gooseberries… it was sheer bliss

Thank god we had a driver because a food coma immediately ensued.

Thank you, Ferretto family, for an evening we’ll never forget!

***

I still swoon just thinking of this meal.

Have you ever had a meal so good it brought tears to your eyes?

Do you carefully plan your restaurant strategy when you travel?  Or do you think I’m crazy?

 

Slow Food and Curried Butternut Squash Dip

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Remembering hurts sometimes.

Morning view from our B&B

Maybe I’m being a little dramatic… but I fell in love in the Piedmont region of Italy.  Specifically in Alba.

Our first day in the region was spent bumming around the small town of Alba.  Two important things to note about Alba:

  1. Ferrero (the company that makes Nutella) is based there
  2. It is most famous for its magnificent white truffles (tartufi bianco), which are in season from October-December

Therefore, the city smells of chocolate and truffles.  How could I not fall in love?

We took our time at the B&B sleeping in and getting ready for the day.  All of the train travel, 55 lb bag carrying, and late night arrivals were taking a toll!  We arrived in the city center just in time for lunch at one of the original Slow Food restaurants – Osteria dell’Arco.

Not familiar with the Slow Food movement?  Briefly, from their website:

Slow Food is a global, grassroots organization with supporters in 150 countries around the world who are linking the pleasure of good food with a commitment to their community and the environment.

To say that it was a religious experience would be an understatement.

To begin, I was THRILLED with my massive salad topped with perfect late-season tomatos, carrots, and yellow peppers.  The glass of Nebbiolo was pretty tasty too.

Insalada Mista

We ordered a Primi to share, followed by two Secondi.

The primi was so good it almost made me cry – gnocchi with shaved black truffles.  That was the lightest, fluffiest gnocchi that I have ever put in my mouth (and we ate quite a bit on this trip).  The sauce was perfectly creamy with a touch of salt – just enough to complement the earthy, rich truffles.

The following dishes were also excellent: Brasato di vitello al barolo (braised veal in Barolo wine) and an eggplant dish with red peppers and creamy lemony ricotta.

Check out the Slow Food plate!

Post-lunch explorations took us all over the city, admiring truffles, pastas, and various meats.

We wandered into one particular truffle shop and were admiring the jars truffle-laced goodies when I did something embarrassing.  I knocked a 25 Euro jar of anchovies with white truffles off the shelf.  It shattered onto the floor and the store filled with the aroma of truffles… which gave way to the less pleasant smell of anchovies.  Call me Grace.

I apologized profusely to the man working and mentally prepared myself to have to shell out the money for the merch.  much to my surprise, the man insisted I not worry about it and – since I wouldn’t stop apologizing – he gave me a piece of truffled chocolate!

To this day I’m not sure how the next part of this story came to be.  The man – Tomi – ended up talking to us for a bit.  We told him how much we wanted to have some good white truffles, which are hard to find on menus early in the season.  It turns out it isn’t uncommon for people to buy truffles to bring to a restaurant for dinner (BYOT), and he knew of a shop where we could buy them (with his 50% off discount!!!).  The really mind-blowing part is that Tomi offered to drive us to his friend’s restaurant in the neighboring town of Teriso for dinner!

How does this stuff happen to us?!

We decided to take our chances that he wouldn’t be a mass murderer (he wasn’t – he was a very nice Japanese-transplant to Italia) and accepted his generous offer.  Off to the store to buy truffles!

Clockwise: local hazelnuts, black truffles, white truffles, samples of various truffle spreads

You lick it, you bought it!

Our very own 0.26 ounces of white truffles

.26 oz of white truffles would normally cost about 100 euro.  We got it for 50.  That’s cheap compared to what you find in the States – I just heard that a local Atlanta restaurant is offering a white truffle pasta dish for $60.  Thanks Tomi!

Profumo di Vino has the coolest menu design I’ve ever seen!

Profumo di Vino’s chef/owner, Memo, offered a delicious tasting menu… all of which i can no longer name, but I’ll do my best!  ‘Scuse the nighttime low-quality shots.

2008 Elio Grasso Barbera d’Alba

Pumpkin mousse

Encrusted poached egg (post-cut) over a potato puree

Memo shaving our truffles over his olive-oil coated tajarin

Eggs, white truffles, and a phenomenal Hilberg Barbera d’Alba.

This was incredibly tender and moist… I think he said it was quail but it seems too big?!

Molten chocolate cake. Served with a side of jalapeno gelato.

Normal people might go home after all that.  We aren’t normal.

The whole kitchen came out to talk to us and we shared drinks with a staff from the following countries: Mexico, America, Sweden, and Japan.  There may have been a push-up contest involved.  Only in Italy.

Who needs a dose of health food after that smorgasbord?  Are you seeing why I need to cleanse?  LOL!  🙂

I had a little bit of butternut squash left over and wanted to eat it in a new way.  Remembering the Butternut Rosemary Hummus I made last spring, I decided on a dip.  Curried Butternut Squash Dip.

The curry and ginger flavors with the sweetness of the squash was delicious.  I enjoyed the whole dish with carrots, red bell peppers, and celery.  Then I cleaned the bowl with my fingers.

The garnish is simply roasted butternut squash seeds.  They are just like pumpkin seeds and super easy to make:

  1. Pick them out of the “guts” and give them a good rinse
  2. Spread them out and allow to dry overnight 
  3. Coat with a bit of coconut oil and cinnamon (careful not to get them too moist)
  4. Roast them in the oven on 325 for ~30 mins, stirring once or twice
  5. Allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container

They make a great grab and go snack!

Curried Butternut Squash Dip

  • 1/2 C butternut squash, roasted
  • 2 tsp rosemary
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
  • 1/2 tsp curry powder
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
  • Juice from a wedge of lemon
  • S+P, to taste

Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.  Adjust spices and add more oil (or water) as needed.

Use as a dip for your favorite veggies and chips or as a spread on sandwiches or wraps.  Or simply eat with a spoon while standing over the blender.

***

I think the Piedmont recaps have been hard for me to begin because I’m still sad I had to leave.

Have you ever had white truffles?

What’s your favorite way to eat butternut squash?

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