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From FIERI Cooking Class @ Chef Central 11/16/06 with Chef Amelia
FIERI MULTI-REGIONAL ITALIAN MEAL
I. The Marche Region: Vincisgrassi (Truffled Lasagna)
Serves 8
½ C. Dried porcini mushrooms
¼ C. Unsalted butter
1 Medium yellow onion, minced
1 Carrot, minced
½ Lb. Ground pork
½ Lb. Ground beef
½ C. Dry white wine
1 T. Tomato paste
½ C. Beef broth
½ t. Salt
⅛ t. Freshly ground black pepper
Pinch ground cinnamon
½ C. Whole milk
1 C. Unbleached all-purpose flour
½ C. Semolina flour
¼ t. Salt
2 Extra-large eggs
2 T. Vin Santo or dry Marsala
2 T. Salt
2 T. Unsalted butter
1 Qt. Sauce Béchamel (recipe follows)
1 C. Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 White truffle, shaved paper thin (optional)
Make the sauce(see below).
Soak the mushrooms in warm water for 30-minutes, drain, rinse and mince.
Melt the butter in a sauté pan and cook the onion and carrot over medium heat 10-minutes.
Add the beef and pork and cook until browned.
Add the porcini and wine and cook five minutes.
Add the paste, broth, salt, pepper and cinnamon.
Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer 1½-hrs.
Add the milk and cook an additional 30-minutes, covered. Make the lasagna.
Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl and form a well in the center.
Beat the eggs and add to the well. Slowly incorporate the eggs into the flour with a fork.
If the dough is dry, add Vin Santo or Marsala.
Knead 5-minutes and rest in the refrigerator at least 30-minutes.
Cut the dough into three pieces. Roll out to very thin on a pasta machine.
Cut into 14-inch lengths. Cook the noodles, four at a time in 4-qt. boiling salted water for one minute.
Remove and shock in cold water. Pat dry and store on a kitchen towel.
Repeat the process with the remaining pasta. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Butter a 10x14-inch baking
pan. Cover the bottom with one-half cup sauce.
Cover with noodles, more sauce, Béchamel and Parmigiano.
Repeat until there are five layers. Finish with a layer of Béchamel, Parmigiano and truffles.
Dot the top with butter. Bake 40-minutes, then broil 6-inches from the element for 3-minutes. Remove
and serve warm.
Sauce Béchamel
4 T. Butter, preferably clarified
1/3 C. chopped onions
4 T. Flour
1 Qt. Half and half or heavy cream
½ t. Freshly grated nutmeg
1 Bay leaf
Salt and white pepper to taste
In a small saucepot, melt the butter and sweat the onions by cooking until translucent.
Add the flour and cook slowly for five minutes.
Add the half-and-half, stirring constantly with a whisk.
Bring to a boil, add the bay leaf and nutmeg, turn the heat down and simmer 20-30 minutes.
Season to taste with salt and white pepper and strain through Chinois or China cap.
II. Emilia Romagna Region: Piadina Romagnola (Griddle Bread from
Romagna)
Serves 6
3½ C. Unbleached flour, plus more for the counter
1½ t. Salt
2 Oz. Vegetable Shortening
2½ t. Baking soda
2 T. Minced rosemary
1 Small clove of garlic, minced
1 C. Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 t. Freshly ground black pepper
¾ C. Extra-virgin olive oil
12 Thin slices Prosciutto di Parma
Mix the flour, salt and lard in a bowl and stir in 1-C. warm water.
Turn onto the counter and knead 2-minutes.
Sprinkle with the baking soda and 1-T. water.
Knead 8-minutes, sprinkling with extra water if needed.
Shape into a flat disk, wrap and let rest 30-minutes.
Roll the dough to ⅛-inch thickness and cut out 5-inch circles.
Prick each circle three times with a fork. Heat a griddle over high heat.
Grill each piadina 2-minutes on a side or until speckled.
Mix the rosemary, Parmigiano, garlic and pepper in a bowl.
Drizzle the piadina with olive oil, sprinkle with the rosemary mixture and top with two slices of the
Prosciutto.
Serve warm.
III. Abruzzi Region: Parrozzo (Chocolate Covered Almond Cake)
2 T. (1/4 stick) Unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing the cake pan
1/3 C. plus 1 T. Unbleached all-purpose flour
1 C. plus 1 T. Blanched almonds
¾ C. Sugar
¼ t. Salt
Pinch ground cinnamon
6 Extra-large eggs
1 t. Vanilla extract
5 Oz. Bittersweet chocolate, chopped
Preheat the oven to 375º F. Butter and flour a 10-inch springform cake pan.
Spread out the almonds on an 11” X 17” baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
Cool, then grind with ¼ cup of the sugar in a food processor until powdery.
In a small bowl, sift together the flour, salt, and cinnamon.
In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the remaining ½ cup of sugar and the vanilla for 2 minutes, or
until thick and pale.
Fold in the ground-almond mixture with a rubber spatula, then fold in the flour mixture a little at a time.
In an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
Gently fold one-quarter of the egg whites into the egg yolk-almond mixture without deflating, using a
rubber spatula, then fold in the remaining egg whites.
Spoon it into the prepared cake pan and bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until a tester
inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Cool on a rack, then unmold onto a platter.
Meanwhile, melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl set over simmering water until smooth, stirring
often.
Cool to room temperature.
Using a long metal spatula, glaze the cake with the melted chocolate-butter mixture.
Serve at room temperature.
Abbruzzo
Like many of the regions on the peninsula of Italy, the landscape of Abruzzi is divided into mountains
and coastline. In one of Italy’s least populated regions, silence and serenity are pervasively alluring. In
the mountains, the austere peasant cuisine of its neighbor and former province Molise is the tradition.
On the coast, centuries of trade with the outside world and the abundance of the sea have spawned a
more bounteous cuisine. So much so that some of Italy’s finest chef exports come from this area of
Abruzzi.
Perhaps as a result of its earliest inhabitants - an Italic tribe called the Praetutii - Abruzzi was formerly
known as Aprutium. It was part of the Roman Empire until it came under Goth and Byzantine
occupation after the fall. During the next millennia Abruzzo was occupied and ruled by Lombards,
Normans, Angevins and Spaniards. The Bourbons ruled the region as part of the Kingdom of Naples
before Abruzzo and Molise joined the Kingdom of Italy in 1861 as one region called Abruzzi (plural of
Abruzzo). Molise remained a part of Abruzzo until 1963 when it became its own region.
Sustenance and utilization are the cornerstones of the mountain cuisine of Abruzzo. Lamb, goat, and
mutton are often cut into large pieces, skewered and roasted over open fires. The scraps are ground
and stuffed into casings and then aged to produce salamis. Lean mountain pigs are similarly prepared
and nothing goes to waste. The snouts, skin and ears are slowly boiled with herbs and hot chilis; then
served either warm in tomato sauce or as a cold peasant-style aspic. Potatoes are placed directly in
the smoldering embers of the fire and drizzled with green olive oil and vinegar. Scamorza cheese, from
cows grazing on mountain flowers above 4500 feet altitude is also grilled over the same glowing
embers and served at meal’s end. From the deprivation of poverty and rugged terrain a celebration
called a panarda was born. In this event, large groups of family and friends gather outdoors to partake
of a feast of up to forty dishes. As 19th century journalist Edoardo Scarfoglio once discovered at
gunpoint, it is the height of impropriety to leave the table before sampling each dish.
The coastal towns of Vasto, Ortona and Pescara are the centers of the fishing trade in Abruzzo.
Brodetta, a fish and seafood stew and guazzetto alla marinara, a medley of scampi, shrimp and cod are
two of the towns’ specialties. Two others are raw baby squid served with olive oil, onion, vinegar and
chilis and monkfish prepared alla cacciatora (hunter style). Two of Italy’s most famous chefs who left
the country to pursue their craft at the highest levels are Palumbo and Turco; one ending up in the court
of the Emperor of Japan and the other as chef to U.S. President Eisenhower.
Saffron and hot chilis are two ingredients that are recurring themes in Abruzzese cooking. The rare
stigmas of the Chinese crocus (crocus sativus), saffron is the world’s most expensive spice; coming in
at nearly $7000 per pound. A Dominican father named Sanducci is credited with bringing the bulbs from
Spain over 500 years ago and planting them in the capital city of L’Aquila. Since then L’Aquila has
become Italy’s largest producer of saffron. Chili pepper is referred to as diavolicchio (from diavolo,
meaning “devil”). The Abruzzesi use chilis in liberal doses to make simple dishes come alive.
Other culinary specialties of the region of Abruzzo are Pizza Rustica, a cinnamon scented pie stuffed
with prosciutto, cheese and eggs; pastas filled with ragu, meatballs, cheeses or hard boiled eggs; virtù
(“the virtue”), a spring soup featuring seven types of grains, legumes and herbs and seven cuts of
pork; and scapece, a ceviche-like dish of marinated fish, often skate. From the hills that surround the
villages of Torre di Nolfi and Campo di Fano comes a strain of garlic that has a deep red inner skin and
unique flavor. The bulbs are planted in November and harvested in July; at which time there are a
number of town festivals that showcase various regional garlic dishes.
Emilia Romagna
Emilia-Romagna has been dubbed "Italy's food basket". With annual productions of 2.5 billion pounds of
wheat, 220 million pounds of durum wheat, and 1.5 billion pounds of corn, it has earned the title. Aside
from the prolific production of staples, Emilia-Romagna is home to some of Italy's most treasured
culinary traditions. There is Parma; where Parma ham and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese are produced;
Modena, the balsamic vinegar capital of the world; and the capital city of Bologna, where many Italians
(especially the Bolognese) feel that Italy's best food is produced.
Emilia-Romagna is actually two regions molded into one. Emilia derives its name from the Roman road
called the Via Aemilia, which was built in 187 BC. This road connected central Italy to Venice and
Genoa and still forms the backbone of one of Italy's major modern highways. Italy's first university was
founded in Bologna in 1080, bringing in a culture that would leave its mark on the cuisine. During the
Renaissance, the Este and Farnese duchies dominated Emilia, spawning a sophisticated court cuisine,
which lasted until the 19th century. Romagna came under Byzantine rule after the fall of the Roman
Empire. The port town of Ravenna was the Western capital of the Byzantine Empire until the sixth
century. After being conquered by Lombards and Franks, Romagna became part of the papal-states.
The cuisine of Emilia and Romagna is as varied as their pasts and their geography. Emilia, with its
golden plains and Po River Valley is much closer culinarily to Northern Italian Cooking. Poaching and
braising and butter, cream and meat prevail. Romagna tends to favor spit roasting and grilling and the
use of olive oil and fresh herbs. There are, however, some points of unification- fresh egg pastas, rich
cheeses, and hams are enjoyed in both cultures. Arguably the world's best grating cheese, Parmigiano-
Reggiano, is made from evening and morning cow's milk and aged 18-36 months. An anaerobic pit-
ripened cheese called Formaggio di Fossa, has been made from sheep's milk since 1497 and is
traditionally served on November 25, the Feast of Saint Catherine. There is a symbiotic relationship
between the production of cheese and the curing of meats, especially in the case of Parma Ham and
Mortadella di Bologna (the original baloney). Egg pasta, especially tagliatelle and tortellini are native.
The story behind tagliatelle is that it was created in 1487 for the wedding of Lucretia Borgia to the Duke
of Ferrara as a tribute to the bride's golden tresses. Tortellini stuffed with veal, pork, Mortadella,
prosciutto and Parmigiano are served in capon broth on Christmas Day. In 1287, the first baker's guild
proscribing specifications for various types of bread was formed in Emilia-Romagna. Vineyards have
been planted in the Po River plains since 1700 BC. The Sangiovese grapes produce a lighter variation
of this red wine than the Tuscan version. Albana (for "gold cup") was given its name in 435 AD by the
Roman empress Galla Placidia. Other varieties of wine include Lambrusco and Trebbiano, the latter of
whose condensed must goes into the production of the world's most treasured balsamic vinegar.
Marche
Not much has changed in The Marche since the Greeks arrived there around 1000 B.C. After cultivating
the trademark grapes- Sangiovese, Verdicchio, Montepulciano and Trebbiano- they settled in the future
capital city of Ancona (from the Greek word for “elbow”- a reference to the shape of the coastline).
Today Ancona remains the only city in the region with a population of over 100,000. The rest of the
Marche is green hills, blue coastline and dense forest with a vast marshland connecting the three. The
lifestyle of the average Marchigiani is slow paced, and their cuisine reflects the spare time that they
find for themselves each day.
Like the rest of Italy, The Marche came under Roman rule during the third century B.C. By that time,
they had already developed a reputation as growers of fine grapes and vintners of fine wine. Hannibal
stopped there and ordered his horses to be massaged with wine in order to increase their strength.
After the fall of the Roman Empire, Byzantines, Goths, Franks and Lombards occupied the region. It
was the Catholic Church, however, that ultimately influenced and ruled the Marchigiani. Much of the
cuisine was influenced by the cooking of the monasteries and convents as well as that of the court of
Duke Federico of Montefeltro.
Unquestionably, the favorite son of the Marche is the famed operatic composer Gioacchino Rossini,
born in Pesaro in 1792. Perhaps no other figure in history has had as many classic dishes named in his
honor as Maestro Rossini has. His love of fine food, sometimes to excess, is legendary. Most dishes
named in his honor contain foie gras, truffles and demiglace and in keeping with regional tradition,
many are stuffed. He is said to have invented a technique for stuffing macaroni with foie gras by using
a silver syringe. This particular dish was layered with chicken giblets, cockscombs, butter, Mortadella,
Prosciutto and truffles and was prepared in honor of Bellentani, his favorite salumiere in Bologna. On
November 20, 1842, he created an elaborate dish of guinea hen in a salt pyramid to mark the premiere
of Moses in Egypt. In the words of the maestro- “To eat, to love, to sing, and to digest; in truth, these are
the four acts in this opera bouffe that we call life, and which vanishes like the bubbles in a bottle of
champagne.”
Pasta and bread are the two ubiquitous mainstays of the Marchigiani diet. Anything stuffed and fried
foods in particular accent the cuisine. The town of Ascoli Piceno is famous for their large and sweet
olives. A favorite dish involves meticulously pitting and stuffing them with pork, cheese and spices,
then breading and frying them. A most prized lamb is raised on the salt marshes, imparting a salty
flavor to the meat, which is usually braised or batter dipped and fried. The town of Acqualagna is home
to a world-famous truffle market, where one-third of Italy’s truffles are sold. Carpegna’s rosy pink
prosciutto ham is aged 14-months and has been produced in that area since Roman times. Ten percent
of Italy’s seafood comes from the Marche. In towns like San Benedetto del Tronto, fish stews called
brodetto are prepared from ancient recipes. The rule is- the more varieties of seafood; the better the
brodetto. Brodetto is so much a part of the Marchigiani culture that they established the Accademia
Marchigiani del Brodetto to create guidelines for preparing authentic brodetto. Sheep’s milk cheeses
are more prevalent than those made with cow’s milk. Casciotta is 70-80% sheep’s milk and the
remainder is cow’s milk. Michelangelo liked this cheese so much that he purchased land in Urbino just
so that he could have a steady supply. Formaggio di Fossa is a cave-ripened cheese similar to its
cousin from Emilia-Romagna. Not all the grapes grown in The Marche are devoted to wine production.
Vino cotto is prepared by reducing grape must to one-fifth its original volume, then aging in barrels. It is
used to finish some desserts and was thought in the old days to produce strength if rubbed on a baby’s
limbs. Sapa is a two-thirds reduction of grape must and is used as a topping for polenta as well as
some pastries. Vino di Visciole is made by fermenting sour cherries in Sangiovese and Montepulciano
grape must and is used as a dessert wine.
Ref:
Negrin, Micol; Rustico- Regional Italian Country Cooking; Clarkson Potter; N.Y.C., NY; 2002.
