Follow my trail, as I cook and eat and photograph, helping those that fear the unknown take a step outside of their comfort zone. And help those looking for new adventures make that connection.
The wind, blowing through the vineyards, the hum of traffic driving the A1, the dull roar of the Frecciarossa speeding up and down the tracks, and the frequent sound of shotguns being fired at cinghiale(wild boar). For some, this would drive them crazy, but for me, this was therapy.
Of course the smells of the countryside were also something that some people desired. During the Fall/Winter, after the harvesting of the grapes, it was the aroma of burning vines that have been trimmed for the following seasons growing period. And when the air wasn't carrying the smell of past grape vines, it was clean and clear, especially on chilly nights, when the sky was crystal clear. What I mean by clean and clear is that you could smell the cool temps. I can't explain it any more, it's just something you need to experience yourself.
I'm starting to wind down writing about my experience in Orvieto with Chef Polegri, Chef Brookmire, and Chef Alessandro. But there are still stories to write about the experience as a whole. I'm thinking it means I need to return soon, so I have more to write about this trio of people that have a true appreciation and passion for food and want nothing more than to help others learn to appreciate what they have at their finger tips.
I've traded the sounds of the countryside for the constant sounds of sirens, snow plows, and traffic. These sounds are almost deafening, because I had become used to the tranquility of the countryside. I mean the most noise that I had to deal with, even in Orvieto was the occasional rowdy group of people heading to or leaving the local bar. The new noise, it can be kind of unsettling, however what the future holds dulls the discomfort.
Until the future comes to fruition, I will continue to keep the traditions and love that I learned for product, in my heart and let my friends and family get a taste of what I learned from my friends in Orvieto. And I will plan my return to Orvieto to revisit, cook, and cleanse my soul. In the meantime, you can check out the Chef's activities via many outlets -
Maybe this will inspire you to take a trip, visit the countryside yourself, whether it be for a week, a few weeks, or a few months. Don't hesitate for too long, just take a leap and try something new. And if you absolutely have no opportunity, you have this, the Chef's cookbook. Although it's not on the US market, if there is enough interest, I may be able to arrange something.
The recipes are simple, the stories are fascinating, and the book is enticing, maybe even inspiring enough to make those who feel like they have no access to travel abroad, find a way to make a dream come true.
More writing to come. A bit more of adventures around Umbria, as well as Paris, Amsterdam, and Vienna.
Spending three months in a small town, one of the things you should do is try to get to know people. Especially people that are in the same industry as yourself. Sometimes it's easy, sometimes not so much. I did try, I really did. I had one real problem though, my addiction to gelato. This brought me to L'Officina del Gelatohttp://www.lofficinadelgelatoorvieto.com and Tommaso Parodi.
Tommaso, originally from Palermo, has been making gelato for over 20 years. And like my chef, Lorenzo Polegri is passionate about, well, everything he is involved with, Tommaso is very passionate about not only life, but his gelato. The passion that he has is revealed in the flavors and quality of his gelato.
L'Officina del Gelato is located on Corso Cavour in Orvieto. I believe he told me he has only been in Orvieto for a year now. Prior to this, he ran a gelateria in Rome, but he wanted to slow down, just a bit and get away from the hustle bustle of the big city. Even though his turn over for gelato was larger in Rome, he never let the quality be compromised. He has always used only fresh, seasonal ingredients. He makes his base as opposed to using an industrial made base and what he uses is posted on a board above the case of gelato - milk, eggs, cream, sugar, fruit, fruit juice, chocolate, and coffee.
Tommaso's beliefs are quoted -" ..... The use of raw materials of high quality allows the gelato ice-cream production exclusively from natural ingredients, with no additives because emulsifiers, artificial flavorings, vegetable fats, dyes and preservatives, replaced by vegetable fibers, fatty and milk proteins. At one time the production of ice cream was obtained using a machine called a sorbet, cooled with ice and salt, and through the freezing "manual", by means of a long stick with a spatula. Today, fortunately, something has changed ..
The basic steps of the preparation (hot) are:
Recipe / formula and dosage
mixing
pasteurization
Emulsification (if any)
maturation
freezing
Hardening (if any)
Conservation / Exposure
The preparation of a good ice cream from the study of the recipe (or formula) with the subsequent assay of raw materials and ingredients of quality."
You can taste a difference in gelato's. Once you have a gelato with a base made from scratch, using fresh, quality, and seasonal ingredients, you'll be able to detect the machine made, mass produced bases. But the big thing, knowing that there is no passion making that industrial base, no true quality control, just the press of a button, that's where the true test shines through. Knowing that Tommaso experiments and uses not only himself, but his employees and a few lucky passers by to test his new flavors before he puts them on offer for the public, shows that he will not sell his product, just because. No, he truly cares about what he sells and serves to us.
Tommaso Parodi and myself.
The other person I was able to get to know, just a bit is Antoni at Blue Bar on Via Garibaldi in Orvieto. Antoni is not like your average Italian, probably because he is French. Why or how did he end up in Italy, let alone a small town like Orvieto? He did it for his wife, Romina, who is from Orvieto.
Antoni, like Tommaso and Lorenzo, has this personality that you can't escape. He is warm and welcoming to all who enter. How you react to his hospitality determines how the rest of your night will go. But truth be told, even the coldest visitor he treats with respect and he will continue to try to get you to warm up to Blue Bar up to the point of you walking out the door.
Come in for a cafe' or cappuccino, one of the best in Orvieto. Or you can stop in, during evening apertivo. You will not be disappointed. However, like many places in Orvieto and Italy, during the afternoon, do not expect them to be open, because it is time for rest, relaxation, and rejuvenation.
Antoni and Blue Bar
I met other fascinating people, but didn't really get to know them, but they stick out in my memory. There was Slavic at Montanucci http://www.barmontanucci.it/main.php, Jimmy at Clandestino, Tiziano -"The porchetta guy" from Baschi, Palmiro -"The cheese guy", and Silviano - "The Sicilian lady killer". And if I would've spent more time at Nando(another and possibly the best bar/pasticceria around) http://www.barpasticcerianando.it, I would have gladly been able to get to know everyone there.
This is Loreonzo Polegri and Silviano - The Sicilian lady killer. I promise you girls, he's a keeper. He had the best arrancia, pera, and carciofi(with volcanic ash still on it), in the market.
Some folks in Orvieto, as I said before, can be kind of cold and unwelcoming to visitors, but I think most small towns, whether you are in Europe or the US, or anywhere in the world can have those people. This is something that you should never let throw you off or make you not want to visit, because for everyone one of those people, there are 5 people that want to know about you, where you are from, what you do, and possibly the biggest connection-WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO EAT!
I've been back in the US for a little more than a week, back at work, and almost back into the swing of things. I had a mind clearing, soul cleansing, life changing experience. An experience that although not everyone can have, I encourage you to try, at least for a week or a few weeks.
Attempting to get back to whatever some consider reality or a normal lifestyle, it's something I hope to avoid, but I did have to go back to work to start bringing pay checks back into the picture. Still, I find myself wanting to write more, because there is so much more to write about. It was three months of cooking, traveling, experiencing, loving, living, eating, drinking, and flushing out the bad to make room for all of the new and good. I am now filled with a new zest for life, a new perspective on the future, and a heart void of anger. I will do everything I can to not let that reenter my life because it makes things toxic and ugly.
That being said, let's talk about something that I learned about on my first night in Orvieto and the first BBQ in the countryside - the Gelato drawer and the Chocolate box.
Now, the story behind the gelato drawer, I don't remember word for word and it's not a deep story, but it's become tradition, and one of the many things that visitors experience and should savour on their visit to the countryside.
It's a simple story of overbuying gelato. This is not your typical gelato though. It is what we here in the US would consider ice cream bars - from ice cream sandwiches to white, dark, and milk chocolate ice cream bars on a stick, and drumsticks. There is a difference in flavor between what we have here and what they have there. Mostly because of the regulations in what ingredients they are allowed to put in their treats, compared to ours.
One evening, I believe it was a year or so prior to our groups arrival, Chef Polegri and Chef Brookmire were hosting an internship group to a BBQ at the home in the countryside. There was some shopping prior to venturing out to the house. Unknowingly by Chef Brookmire, some of the students had picked up some gelato to have after dinner, however she(Chef Brookmire) had also purchased boxes of gelato. After a few laughs from discovery of the gelato avalanche, room was made in Chef Polegri's freezer, and at that time the gelato drawer was born. Besides gelato and an occasional Zuppe Inglese, nothing else occupies the freezer. I don't think that's such a bad thing.
The drawer overfloweth with gelati!
In addition to the gelato offered in the countryside, we were introduced to the chocolate box. I can't remember how the chocolate box came to be, but I'm certainly not unhappy that it exists, and neither is anyone that has had the opportunity to reach in and sample the delicious chocolates that it holds.
What I can tell you about the box is that it is a ceramic box, originally made to hold biscotti, however because of a slight flaw during I assume was the baking process, the lid did not fit properly. Chef Polegri and Chef Brookmire loved this beautiful piece of ceramic artistry, which may I add is typical of Orvieto and the region of Umbria. This piece was made in Deruta, Italy which is located in Umbria.http://derutaitaly.com All of their pieces are hand painted and sold throughout the world. The piece that the Chef's purchased, since it had a flaw, was discounted(what luck!), so they purchased it and designated it as the chocolate box. All who enter Casa Segreta are required(unless you have some unfortunate allergy or sensitivity to chocolate or nuts) to reach in and "have a chocolate!!"
Mama mia!
These are just two of the examples of the hospitality that the Chef's offer on anyone's experience in Orvieto. And this is something that I brought back with me, but sadly, I was unable to bring back a ceramic box, so, until I am able to have a piece from Deruta, this will have to do.
Ours is more of just a box, however it holds the same chocolatey goodness as the chef's.
After a little break, some travel inside and outside of Italy, I'm back. I'd like to focus on the food that we've been working with here in Orvieto.
I've been working this over in my mind for days, and people could write chapters about Italian food. I mean, think, there are 20 regions in Italy, and each region has at least 1 specialty, most have far more than that. I was also trying to figure out how to word this without sounding like a jerk, and I think I have it. I won't criticize those that speak of authentic Italian food, in the US, because I'm certainly no expert. Cooking in Italy, just finishing culinary school, does not make one an expert by any means. I just have a small inside look at it. So, I will chat a bit about some of the great food I've made while cooking here in Orvieto.
We can start with Cinghiale or wild boar. Wild boar here, is like deer in the US. It's bountiful, although I'm not sure how because of the number of hunters and number of gunshots heard throughout the day. My only explanation is maybe they reproduce like bunnies during the off season.
There are multiple uses for boar, like almost any meat. Cure it, grind it, steaks, chops, roasts, you get it. One of the ways we use it at Ristorante Zeppelin is in a Cinghiale stew. It's a simple preparation, can't reveal the ingredients, but I can tell you that it uses great local olive oil, juniper berries, and chef's Matile Merlot. It's thick and hearty, and perfect for the weather that I hear the Midwest is experiencing right now.
Cinghiale stew with sauteed red bell peppers and salata mixta.
You also have Umbrichelli with cinghiale ragout. Umbrichelli is native to the region of Umbria, and it's a pasta made with no egg. It is thicker than spaghetti and has chew. It pairs perfectly with a ragout made with wild boar. The umbrichelli hugs the thick, warm ragout tight, so with every bite, you experience the full flavor and labor of everything that was put into this recipe.
This was one of our staff meals. This is the Umbrichelli served simply with olive oil, black truffles, and parmigiana reggiano.
One of chef's favorite things to make, which he does with vigor and confidence is his tagliatelle. Pairing that with a guanciale carbonara finishes this dish. Guanciale is cured pork cheek, rubbed with salt, pepper, sugar, and other curing spices. It's delicate, however it has a more aggressive flavor, than say your typical bacon. But in a carbonara, the flavors just marry together. For those that do not know, carbonara is a creamy, cheesy, eggy, porky sauce that, for me is like a bowl of your Mothers chicken noodle soup. It's been a life changing dish, and something I will never look at the same again. And the tagliatelle, which is native to Emilia Romagna or Marche, is an egg pasta, similar to fettuccine. The difference comes in the width. Although it may seem minor, even the slightest difference in width makes a difference. Chef Lorenzo Polegri, is accurate, but not overly accurate(wouldn't want it to look like factory made pasta), and quick with his hand cut pasta. His passion shows in the flavor or this dish.
You must be thinking, it's all pasta, pasta, pasta. Most of the time, yes, it's pasta, pasta, pasta. In the home, it's simple, quick, and filling. But the restaurant offers a second and one of the most requested is the Maiale(pork chop) al vino rosso e saltati radicchio. The pork chop with red wine and sautéed raddichio. In the below photo it is plated with a savory chick pea flan.
Maiale al vino rosso e saltati radicchio(Pork Chop with red wine and sautéed radicchio and chick pea flan)
Red wine and pork? Yes, because it works. Most food served at the restaurant is typical of Orvieto/Umbria/Etruscan cuisine, but sometimes you have to think beyond. I mean, who makes the rules? If you are a sommelier, you may question the above dish because white meat(Chicken, Pork, Fish)=white wine. Because white wine is delicate and can cleanse your mouth of the fat, etc. But here, Chef's Matile Merlot is used to essentially do a quick braise like method, after the chop is pan fried. It penetrates the fibers of the chop, giving flavor from the center to the exterior. Then as the merlot cooks away holding the chop, it begins to reduce. When you add just a touch of balsamic reduction, the richness of the reduced merlot triples, lending a tender, rich, unbelievably flavored chop. Finish this and you just want to sleep. But, you can't because you can not leave with out dessert, those are the rules.
Desserts here, are constantly changing. Sometimes traditional, more often than not, something off the cuff. But even the off the cuff desserts begin with a traditional base, but then complimented with whatever sauce the chef decides, sometimes he gives us a bit of a license to be creative. Below are examples.
Zuppe Inglese with a myriad of sauces.
Another version of zuppe inglese with chocolate/espresso sauce and a biscotti.
Ricotta/Alkermes pie.
Ricotta mousse, topped with shaved chocolate. On the side candied almonds and biscotti. Around the plate, various sweet sauces.
Chocolate mousse, topped with a sweetened ricotta, alkermes sauce, and biscotti.
Unconventional biscotti.
And let's not forget about bread. Bread come with every meal, but don't be caught eating bread with your pasta. Bread comes before the meal, traditionally with the antipasti, but if you order pasta, you use the bread to clean your plate. That is also a compliment to the chef to show that you enjoyed the sauce so much, that you don't want a drop to go to waste. So, to clarify, eat your bread with your antipasti and soup. Then eat it again after you finish your pasta, to clean your plate, Scarpini(little shoes).
Various breads and focaccia dough.
Simple rosemary focaccia.
Lumachelle(Snail bread-no, no snails in the bread).
Focaccia with zucchini, pecorino, and pachino tomato.
We had many large groups that passed through the restaurant. This is one of the things that Chef offers to the public. He will demo making tagliatelle and then serve a multi course meal to the group. He also offers small cooking classes to people passing through Orvieto and have heard of him, Ristorante Zeppelin, and his reputation. Sometimes it was one on one, sometimes two, three, or four people. These are the times we do things off the menu.
There is so much more I could write about, so many more photos I could share, but most of you reading this are my Facebook friends, and can refer back to my page to check the photos out. If you are not a Facebook friend or following my Facebook group-FORK OFF https://www.facebook.com/groups/409586672531205/?fref=ts, then please feel free to send me a request.
Remember, you can have these experiences, the choice is yours to make. And I will write more on the experience, Chef Lorenzo and Kim, Chef Carlo Alessandro, Casa Segreta, and about a few of the people I've met while here.
And if you can't swing a trip to Orvieto, there are always cookbooks, which Chef happens to have, which also has stories, recipes, and anecdotes. If you catch me before Jan. 25, let me know and I can grab copies. Thanks to my friends I already have 6 copies coming back with me.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for reading, following, and offering words of encouragement. More writings to come!
I leave you with one of my favorite and true to life scenes from the movie-The Big Night.
When you are standing in the middle of 20 acres of vines, in solace and silence, it gives you a chance to think and focus on the things we have before us and our future. It also makes you think about what you are doing in the middle of 20 acres of vines and what, if anything your little bit of trimming will do to help form next years harvest.
"We are all mortal, until the first kiss, and second glass of wine." - Eduardo Galeano
Now let's backtrack a bit, well quite a bit. We'll start with Teodolinda Banfi, the maternal Aunt of Giovanni F. Mariani Sr. He was the founder of Banfi Vintners and she was the inspiration for the firm's name. She great up alongside Cardinal Archbishop Achille Ratti, whom was elected Pope Pius XL in 1922. She was the Governess for the Archbishop and followed him to the Vatican, becoming the first lay woman to live within the walls of the Sistine Palace. She was recorded to have great knowledge in the kitchen, as well as known for her knowledge of great wine. And so the story begins, where she passed this passion on to her nephew Giovanni Mariani Sr.
The Banfi family crest.
Giovanni Mariani Sr. was born in America, in Connecticut to be exact, and at the age of 9, moved to Italy after his father was killed in a work related accident. I should probably mention that Mr. Mariani was born in 1895, so that the story comes together properly. With the passion and love for great wine, that was demonstrated by his zia Teodolinda, Banfi Vintners was established in New York City, and became America's leading wine importer.
It doesn't end there, because Giovanni's son, John, in 1978, made his contribution to the family with the birth of Castello Banfi - http://castellobanfi.com/en/home/ Then his fratello, Harry collaborated with John and they acquired the historic Bruzzone cellars in Strevi, giving way to Banfi Piedmont.
We had the pleasure of visiting Castello Banfi, the largest vineyard in Italy. With roughly 7,100 acres of land, one third is under specialized vine. The other is shared between olive groves, wheat fields, plum trees, truffle stands, forest, and scrub. Photos do not do justice to this scenic local.
I could go on and on about Banfi, but I suggest that you see it yourself. Immerse yourself in the viti and smell the uva, have a prugna, or have pranzo in the Taverna, taste the local tartufo. Seriously, even if you are not a wine drinker, one visit to this region may change your mind.
And we did enjoy a fantastic meal there, with perfect pairings.
Primo - Tagliatelle del Castello con gamberi e broccoletti. The tagliatelle was great. Typical tagliatelle resting on top of a bed of squid ink tagliatelle, with perfectly sautéed prawns and broccoli. Paired with Fontanelle Chardonnay 2013. Sounds stereotypical to pair pasta and seafood with a white, but there is a reason. I understand, we are told by people that think outside of the box to drink whatever you want, with whatever you want, however you want. But this Chardonnay truly complimented and carried the prawns and light sauce on the tagliatelle.
Secondo - Tagliata di manzo con funghi porcini e patate arrosto. Perfectly cooked beef with a flavorful porcini sauce and crispy roasted potatoes. The aroma that wafted up from the plate seriously made me weep. And paired with the infamous Castello Banfi Brunello di Montalcino 2009.
The meal didn't follow the typical Italian meal structure, which is just fine with me, because after eating what we had, the Dolce was well received.
Dolce - Crostata di ricotta con gelato al cioccolato. I am one that of course the food must have the best flavor possible, obviously. But I do enjoy a magnificent presentation, and we were fortunate to have both with this. Paired with the Florus 2011.
And of course, for digestive purposes, we had caffe corretto. Espresso with Grappa del Castello.
We slowly made our way outside for our tour of the winery, and then departed for our journey back to Orvieto. But the story doesn't end here. No, remember what I had posted at the beginning of this blog? Now it's time to move ahead to the last few days here. Where we had the great fortune to travel to the countryside, to Casa Segreta - http://www.casasegreta.com/#!, to help Chef Lorenzo trim the viti. This is the official introduction of Chef Lorenzo, because he is an integral part of this trip. I'm not going to give his entire bio, right now, because I want to focus on the uva(grapes).
As a novice wine drinker, myself included, don't really consider the amount of care that goes into the product contained in the bottle. It's something I've never considered, until now.
A little background on the vineyard. Chef has been certified as a farmer since 2012, however has been assisting with this process since he was a child. And his Grandfather has owned the land since the 20's, where he raised cattle, sheep, and grew wheat.
There are currently 20 acres of grapes - trebbiano, grechetto, vermintino, viongier, moscato, and merlot. There are two more varieties that he has as well, and for the life of me, I thought I had written them down, but can't find them. Regardless, it is quite a variety. These grapes help produce the wine for Ristorante Zeppelin - Matile, the house/table wine. But don't think that because it's table wine that the labor that goes into the process is any less intense or the love shown for the grapes is any less than those wines that are high priced, and highly prized. I suppose I'm biased, having actually had my hands in the process, but then again, look at the popularity of three buck chuck. And remember, just because you pay $50 for a bottle of wine, doesn't mean that the quality will reflect in the flavor.
After you start your initial growing process, you have time, typically your second year you will begin to see fruit, however your third year should produce a good harvest. The average lifespan of your vines will be 25 years, depending on weather or disease.
In Chef's vineyard, he uses a combination of American and Italian vines. This is a common process around Italy. The Portennesto, Rootstock, is the bottom, the American vine. The top, Marza, is the Italian vine. Obviously, over the years, this process has become easier, however none the less laborious. I searched for a video of the Italian process, but had no luck, but this video is along the same lines.
At this time, you don't just sit and wait and magically fruit appears. No, you must fertilize, manure is obviously the method of choice. You are also once or twice a week tilling the soil. Keeping a close eye on your crop, checking the growth to know when the vines need to be tied to be sure that they do not fall and to help guide them.
On your second year, in March, the vines need to really be watched and tied, and as long as all goes well, by the end of April you will see your first buds. And in order for all of this to come together, there is something that the farmers call the Rule of three 10's. You need 10 cm of bud sprouting, 10 mm of rain, and 10 degrees celsius. For example, if the night goes above 10 celsius, you could have an attack of fungus-Downy Mildew. There are other funguses that can also affect your crop, such as Noble Rot, which can destroy your crop for up to 2 years.
As the year progresses, you continue to watch and guide the vines. Then come Sept./Oct, you are ready to harvest. Currently at Casa Segreta, it is now 80% mechanical harvesting and 20% manual. There are pros and cons to both, such as cost efficiency and the amount being harvested. You still need someone to lead the mechanical, because depending on the height of the vine, someone needs to loosen up the upper fruit. There is also a matter of time efficiency. On chef's farm, 12 people to harvest 20 acres, would take a few weeks, but mechanically it takes 2 days. And a good harvest produces 4 tons of grapes per acre.
In November/December, you begin the process of trimming the vines, to help for next season's crop, which is all manual. And that is where I found myself, the other day. Not a sound, except the wind blowing through the valley, well, and an occasional helicopter. But besides that, it was just me, the vines, and my clippers. And with that, my entire thinking of what some consider to be cheap, flavorless table wine changed.
Chef/Farmer Lorenzo Polegri demonstrating the proper way to trim and clean the vine.
Our helper, Chef's pup-Clara
Grapes on the left, Olives on the right.
My work.
There is hard work put into almost every wine we drink. Is it all palatable? Is it all easy to drink? No, of course not, but there is a reason people come into Ristorante Zeppelin - http://www.ristorantezeppelin.it/eng/restaurant.html and finish multiple bottles of his wine. If they only knew that it was more than just table wine. If they only knew the long days and nights that go into cultivating and caring for the vines. I encourage you to visit a vineyard, and get your hands dirty. You'll never look at a bottle of wine the same way again.
And the day is over.
The perfect way to end a night. A fire in the hearth and a well deserved dinner. I think everyone should have one in their kitchen.
