Boccondivino - Bra

It has been a few years since our last visit to Bra so we stopped by Boccondivino again...
Click on the pictures to enlarge (it's worth it).











I needed to take a test picture to start things off... so this is the bread basket ;)











This is "Lardo, salsiccia di Bra e carne cruda battuta al coltello": €8.00.











My picture of " Insalata di pomodori e fagiolini" didn't come out very well but I hope you get the idea. €4.00.











Coniglio "Grigio di Carmagnola" allArneis: €11.00.











This is "Tortino di zucchine con burro e parmigiano": €8.00.


















Our wine was a Roero Arneis from Cascina Pioiero: €11.00.


















A special treat was a glass of the 1927 Alveria sherry at €4.50.










Semifreddo al croccante e pistacchio di Bronte: €5.00.











Budino al torrone e miele: €5.00.

In summery: everything was perfect but we were surprised to see that there were only 14 covers for a Saturday lunch (about 1/3rd full).

Lanterna Blu in Gaminella

Pasquetta is the day after Easter when most Italians in our area head for the country side and have a picnic and barbecue but we were short on time and decided to visit Lanterna Blu in Gaminella.
Since we had stuffed ourselves at the Canon d'Oro the day before we decided to give the frito-misto a miss but we ate everything else. The place was packed with jovial locals, the food was just as good as the Canon d'Oro and the service was very friendly.
Antipasti:
- A soft cheese spiral rolled in prosciutto cotto
- A puff choux filled with Montemagno mousse
- Cotechino
- Insalata de carne crudaParmigiano flan
- Asparagus terrine
- Pastry nests with fonduta and a fried quail egg
- Branzino in a puff pastry shell
Primi:
- Veal lasagna
- Mushroom risotto
Secondo:
Big platters of Frito misto were offered but we gave it a miss.
Dolce:
- Pistachio cake
- Bunet
- Pineapple cake
The Wines:
- 2 bottles of Barbera Monferrato (vivace)
- 1 bottle of Malvasia
- 1 bottle of sparkling brut

30 Euros per person all inclusive (it would have been 5 euros higher if we had eaten the frito misto).

Lanterna Blu
Frazione Gaminella
15020 Mombello AL
http://www.ristorantelanternablu.it/default_eng.htm
info@ristorantelanternablu.it
Tel: 0142 944120
Fax: 0142 944120
Google map
GPS: 45.1196283, 8.2435416

Canon d'Oro in Cocconato

We had Easter lunch at Canon d'Oro in Cocconato yesterday. It was my first time at this restaurant and we had a great time. Food quality was very high and service was very friendly and presented table-side.
The courses were as follows:
Antipasti:
- Liver paté with toast points and a tiny salad
- Castelmagno cheese mousse sandwiched between dried apples
- Insalata de carne cruda with parmigiano and celery slivers
- A tiny salad with a sliver goat cheese wrapped in Bresaola
- Artichoke flan
- Asparagus with fonduta
Primi:- Agnolotti in broth
- Risotto Parmigiano
- Tajarin with vegetable sauce
Secondi:
- Guinea hen with Carrots
- Bolito (cotechino, testa, lingua, reale)
- Roast leg of lamb
- Veal roast
Dolce:
- Vanilla gelato
- Bunet
- Fresh fruit
- Lemon torte
Wines:1 bottle of Bava Cortese.
3 bottles of very nice 13.5 % house Barbera
1 bottle of Malvasia
1 bottle of a spumante brut
Bosso grappa (open bottle on the table)

Note: you can eat every course there is no "or" in this list
The total was 48 Euros per person, all inclusive.

Cannon d'Oro Hotel & Restaurant
Piazza Cavour 21
14023 Cocconato (Asti) Italy
e-mail: cannondoro@cannondoro.it
Tel. +390141.907794
Fax +390141.907024
Closed on Monday and Tuesday
http://www.cannondoro.it/
Google Map
GPS: 45.0860831, 8.0401561

Cascina Martini in Coteranzo

We have been continuing our string of fine dining and the latest restaurant on our hit-list was Cascina Martini in Coteranzo where Gianluigi Giachino bends the traditional Piemontese ingredients into stylish and fresh new creations. Amazingly there were only six covers (including us) the Thursday night we were there. The restaurant decor is what I would call sophisticated Italian country and a great deal of attention is paid on all levels without becoming fussy or pretentious. There was a 40 Euro tasting menu but we had all been spending too much time at the dinner tables over this Easter weekend so we decided to just have a starter and a main course. In retrospect I think this was a mistake and we should have ordered the tasting menu but that is how it goes, sometimes you just can't go that extra mile.

The food:
Amuse bouche was a frito misto of assorted fried things: cod balls, aubergine cubes and asparagus, accompanied by an herb frittata and thick sliced of salami.

Primi: We all ordered the delicious duck breast salad and we all very happy we did.

Secondi: Melanie ordered a orozotto made with whole wheat orzo, fresh peas and cream. It was superb. Our friends ordered the rabbit with tajarin pasta. I didn't try theirs but it smelled fantastic and sent their eyes rolling back. I ordered boccatini of veal which turned out to be large chunks of veal in two sauces and was delicious and delicate.

Dessert was a grappa for me, Melanie had a 67% dark chocolate souffle with a soft gooey center. It was perfect.

Ristorante CASCINA MARTINI
Via Gianoli
1515030 Murisengo Fraz.Corteranzo (AL)
Tel:0141.693015
Fax:0141.693015
cascinamartini@cascinamartini.com
http://www.cascinamartini.com/
Closed on Monday - dinner only - lunch by appointment
Their home page is a bit difficult to navigate but there is a really nice blog entry with lots of good pictures: here
Google map
GPS: 46.1644103, 10.0657473

Cascina Rosengana in Cocconato

Cascina Rosengana is a lovingly restored farm that has been converted into a restaurant and B&B. The food is locally grown and organic and all of a very high quality. Our waiter was Massimo and I suspect one of the owners. He spoke English well and was warm and welcoming. The dishes were presented without fuss or pretention and the whole experience was a delight.

The full menu with all the dishes listed below, grappa and coffee was €24 per person.

Our wine was Massimo's own: Barbera d’Asti Maciot “465” € 6.90/bottle.

Antipasti:

Salami crudo & cotto. (No picture)

Crispy parmesan cannolli filled with a goat’s cheese mousse.

Spinach quiche with cheese.

Carpaccio with a creamy gorgonzola sauce.

FYI: Carne Cruda Monferrina means ground or chopped raw meat (like tartar)
And Carne Cruda “Albese” means slices raw meat (like carpaccio)

Primi:

Agnolotti plin with sage and butter.

Tajarin with ground veal sauce.

Secondi:

Vitello con salsa nocciola.

Roasted Guinea hen with its sauce.

Fried potatoes and spinach was served with the meats.

Dolce:

Bavarian cream with moscato raisins.
Hazelnut torte with a thick cream sauce.
Chocolate torte with a thick cream sauce.

Our grappas and coffee were included in the price of the meal.

Cascina Rosengana

Via Liprandi 50

14023 Cocconato

Italy

Tel.: +39 0141907857

Fax: +39 0141907914

Webpage -1
Google map

GPS: 45.0830724, 8.0573741

Swiss Züpfe

This bread is traditionally baked on Friday and is supposed to last over the weekend but rarely lasts that long.

500 gr. of bread flour

1 package of dry yeast

1.5 teaspoons of salt

.5 teaspoon of sugar

75 gr. melted butter

1 egg yolk

1 cup of milk

1 egg yolk beaten with 1 teaspoon of milk and a pinch of salt for the glaze

Preparation:
Mix flour and salt in a bowl, add yeast sugar, butter, egg yolk and milk, knead until soft (10 minutes by hand)
Cover and let rise one hour until size has doubled.
Cut dough into two equal size pieces.
Braid as shown below.
Put on a cookie sheet and brush with water.
Let rise one hour.
Before baking, baste with egg yolk mixture.
Bake for 40 minutes in the lower part of a preheated oven (200° C)
Allow to completely cook before slicing.
Step 1:
Roll out 2 strings of dough...

Cross them...











Cross one over the other...











then again...











...and again...











Keep crossing and building it higher...











...and higher...











until you run out of dough then rollit over on it's side, strech it out a bit and tuck under the ends











Brush it with water and let it sit one hour...
Then brush it with a beaten egg yolk mixed with a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of milk.
Bake in a 200° C oven for 40 minutes and allow to cool completely before slicing.

Click the picture for an extreme close up...

Osso Buco with Risotto Milanese and Roasted Red Pepper Gratin

Finally I have a little down-time after Christmas so I have the chance to cook a little. Today it will be Osso Buco with Risotto Milanese and Roasted Roasted Red Pepper Gratin. Here is the recipe...

Osso Buco
Serves: 4
1/2 cup flour
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 pieces veal shank with bone
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup carrots, chopped
4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons tomato paste
3 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped
1 cup dry white wine
2 cups veal stock
2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
Gremolata:
Grated rind of 1 lemon
Grated rind of 1 orange
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped
In a large shallow platter, season flour with salt and pepper. Dredge the veal shanks in the mixture and tap off any excess. In a large heavy skillet or Dutch oven, over medium flame, heat the oil and butter. Sear the shanks on all sides, turn bones on sides to hold in marrow. Add more oil and butter if needed. Remove the browned veal shanks and set aside.
Add onion, celery, carrots, garlic, bay leaves and parsley to the pan and cook until softened. Season with salt and pepper. Raise the heat to high, add the wine and tomato paste and deglaze the pan. Return the shanks to the pan, add the stock and tomatoes, drizzle with olive oil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for about 2 hours or until the meat is tender. Baste the meat a few times during cooking. Remove the cover, continue to simmer for 10 minutes to reduce the sauce a bit.
For gremolata: combine all ingredients together in a small bowl. Strew the gremolata over the osso buco before serving.

Onions, carrots, celery and garlic are ready to go...

Veal shanks have just been browned...

Browning the vegetables...













and in the end...

Risotto Milanese
1/3 cup minced shallots
8 cups good quality chicken broth
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups Carnaroli rice
3 pinches saffron threads
4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese,
1/3 cup of whipping cream (optional and non traditional)
Salt and pepper, to taste
In a saucepan, bring chicken broth to a simmer. Keep warm over low heat.
In a large saute pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add oil and minced shallots and cook until transparent, add rice and cook for 2 minutes, stirring to coat each grain. When rice begins to make a crackling sound, add saffron threads. Add 1 cup of the warm chicken broth and cook, stirring, until the rice has absorbed the liquid. Add the remaining broth, 1 cup at a time. Continue to stir occasionally, allowing the rice to absorb each addition of broth before adding more. Test the rice for doneness, it should be al dente but creamy. Remove risotto from heat, add grated cheese and cream, salt and pepper and let it sit to rest for 2 minutes before serving.

Roasted Red Pepper Gratin
Roast, peel, stem and de-seed two large peppers.
Oil the bottom of an oven proof gratin dish with olive oil.
Cut the peppers in 2 inch strips length-wise and line the bottom of the dish.
Sprinkle with chopped olives, a few capers and some Parmesan cheese.
Add another layer of pepper and cover with breadcrumbs and another layer of Parmesan.
Grill until crusty and brown.

What is the difference between a white truffle and a black Summer truffle?

Many people are confused about the difference in quality between a white truffle and a Summer truffle. The following should give you some idea of the difference:

Here in Piemonte, 2008 white truffles are selling for about 4.5- 6.5 Euros per gram depending on size and quality.

Piemonte summer truffles can be bought locally for about .13 euros a gram (in fact, I can buy them from a neighbor for 5 Euros for 100 grams) so the difference in price locally between an Italian (even Piemontese) summer truffle and a proper white truffle is 4.57 Euros a gram or 4,570 Euros a kilo.

Roughly 40 times the price.

Where is the "Cutting-Edge" Modern Italian Kitchen?

Famous eaters of all sorts have been flocking to Spain to see chefs like Ferran Adrià cook their modern molecular gastronomy, and the result has left many asking "Where is Italy now?" and mocking the slow food movement as archaic. One quote from Stephen Shaw the founder of eGullet was: "Italy's big selling point is "We cook the same food our grandparents cooked, we hate change, our food is simple and old-fashioned, if you walk ten feet you're in a different region, hooray for Slow Food . . . "

Let us please be fair to Italy. In the context of historical cuisine, Italy has really done her share. In fact, I ask you to name one country in all of Europe (or the world) that has contributed more. It was Catherine de Medici that introduced the whole concept of chefs to France, in fact, France should get on her knees in thanks for the Italian contributions to her kitchen. In the 15th century when the most of the world was poking each other with pointy sticks the Italians were building the Sistine Chapel.

Let's also be honest, until recently, what has Spain given the culinary world besides tapas and paella? They have precious little to lose by propagating a fad.

Perhaps the Italians are just sitting the current culinary revolution out.

Don't worry, even today, when Italy cooks, the whole world watches.

French Food is Not Heavy

I often hear people say that French food is "heavy" and to be honest I can't understand what they are talking about. I have grown up with French food and cooked it all of my adult life (unfortunately, we are talking about a span of nearly half a century). Like Julia Child, my mother also attended the Cordon Bleu while she was on lay-over in Paris when she was a hostess in the 50's. I grew up with Coq au Vin, Boeuf Bourguignon and Poulet au Vin Blanc and the dish most often destroyed nowadays: Vol au Vent. I never thought of any of these dishes as heavy... quite the opposite actually, it was my grandmother's American food that always did me in. Fried Chicken with giblet gravy and mashed potatoes took all day to over-come and Thanksgiving dinner usually put me in bed for 24 hours. Yankee pot roast was another story all together.... add to that, the tremendous amounts of sugar that kept me bouncing off the walls and you really have a cuisine worth bitching about. French food never bothered me nor did I ever consider it heavy or unbalanced in any way.

In properly prepared French cuisine the sauces are balanced, so the use of cream is counter-acted by the acidity of the wine or the addition of some lemon juice. Additionally, when you eat French food you should always drink wine with it. It is part of the meal and without it, the food becomes unbalanced, probably unhealthy and certainly less enjoyable. I had an American friend who didn't like wine but professed to love fine food (especially French). He always ordered ice tea or (more often) a coke. I never understood how he could do this. I mention this only because he died at the age of 37 from a heart attack... c'est la vie.