Greetings my wine-guzzling friends. As I mentioned in my first post, I’m starting over with wine and you’re all (all two of you) invited along for the ride. I’ll be exploring wine for the first time, all over again with a new attitude and fresh perspective inspired by my recent trip to Italy, one of the largest and oldest wine producing regions in the world.

It’s my belief that the key to learning about wine is more than just analyzing grapes and comparing flavor profiles. Instead, we need to look deeper into the different regions, cultures, and lifestyles behind the bottle; because in many parts of the world, wine truly is a style of life. Not just a life with style.

For example, in Italy wine is an everyday constant. It’s ingrained in the people and embedded in the culture. This is more apparent right now with harvest than any other time of year, as growers and winemakers work to bring in their grapes just as their families have done for generations before them.

One evening in Italy, my wife and I sat down for a home cooked meal with our tour guide Paolo and his friend Valerio. Valerio is a winemaker. Just like his father before him, and his father before him. He never considered doing anything else. It’s what he knows and loves. He can speak for hours on the subject of Grignolino (a red Italian wine grape variety) and it’s magical ability to cure hangovers!

Our local wine culture doesn’t quite have the history that Italy does, but there are still plenty of opportunities to learn more about wine from the perspective of the people and places that produce it.

My recommendation, before you crack open that next bottle of wine; look at the label and then get online to find out more about the winery that made it and the region the grapes came from. That info alone should provide more talking points around the dinner table than how the wine tastes like blackberries and smells like a cigar box.

For a little more historical perspective on wine lookup A History Of The World In Six Glasses, which explores the significant role that wine along with five other beverages (beer, spirits, coffee, tea, and Coca-Cola) have played in the world’s history. Interesting stuff. Cheers!

** Marcus Pape has worked in media and design for over 10 years with an extensive background in all forms of visual communication. As a proclaimed vinophile Marcus hopes to leverage his abilities to inspire interest in wine, recently launching WineCHATr.com – an online resource for the growing wine community, where both popular wine bloggers and businesses come together to connect and share information on wine.

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Categories:	Italian • Travel • books • wine	Leave a Comment
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It’s Columbus Day and we’re celebrating by dishing up one of our favorite seasonal paste (that’s plural for pasta, lo sai) -  Porcini Ravioli With Sage Brown Butter. Porcini mushrooms are now in season, so we went to our favorite forager at the farmers market yesterday and picked up some of these forest beauties.

If you’ve never had porcini mushrooms (also known as King Boletes) they are large, but exceptionally tender and flavorful fungi. When cooked up they are so silky smooth and delicate that I refer to them as vegan foie gras. They truly are a delicacy.

Porcini are wonderful on their own – sauteed in a little olive oil with a sprinkle of a good quality salt (such as Murray River, sel gris or fleur de sel) – but they are also divine in ravioli with a simple sage brown butter sauce.

If using pre-made sheets of pasta this dish is surprisingly easy to make. Don’t be discouraged! It only requires a little sauteing, a bit of patience in forming even little mounds, then cutting around those mounds. Easy! Not even close to navigating oceans and discovering new worlds like our old Italian friend did.

Other great pasta recipes to mangiare:

Mark Bittman’s Pasta With Fast Sausage Ragú
Carbonara Sauce With Fettuccine from Cooking during Stolen Moments
Pasta e Fagioli from Full of Beans
Homemade pappardelle con porcini from Paul’s Cooking…
Baked rigatoni with spinach, ricotta, and fontina from Evil Chef Mom

Photo by mastermaq

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Categories:	Cooking tips • Italian • Pasta & Grains	Leave a Comment
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My Aunt Dolores always makes this wonderful pasta salad for her barbecues and I’m adding it to my repertoire this summer as well. It doesn’t really have a name, so I’ll call it Mediterranean Pasta Salad, as it contains a lot of the yummy goodness from that region: Kalamata olives, Roma tomatoes, fresh basil, Balsamic vinegar… It’s slightly different each time, depending on what ingredients you happen to have around. The shape of the pasta can change too, though it’s best to use a variety that can “hold” the dressing otherwise it will dry out too quickly.

In this case, I happened to have some nice broccoli flourets on hand, some lovely ripe tomatoes, fresh tarragon, and a beautiful red onion. For the dressing, mix in a bit of aioli (mayonnaise can be used) to coat but not drench the noodles. This will give it a nice creaminess. Then add Balsamic vinegar, some sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, and mix well. Adjust to your personal tastes: if you want it creamier, add more aioli; richer, add more Balsamic. Toss in a bit of extra virgin olive oil before serving for added flavor.

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Categories:	Italian • Mediterranean • Salads • Sauces	Leave a Comment
Tags:	Italian • Mediterranean • pasta salad • salad • side dishes

Italy holds a special place in my heart. I spent six months there in college, and those six months I still consider the best in my life. Maybe because it was the first time I’d gone abroad alone and thus, quickly learning to fend for myself; maybe it was learning a new language, then surprising myself when I actually spoke it; maybe it was all that wine and delicious foods I discovered. I’m sure it was all those things and more. I know it was the friendships I formed (both American and Italian), friendships that I still maintain today (thank you, Facebook!).

Italy became one of those places I consider home. Even though I’ve not been there in twenty years I still think of #10 Via Patricio as home. So when I heard about the April 6 earthquake in Abruzzo, I shuddered. Fortunately none of my friends were affected by the devastation, but many cannot say the same. Hundreds of lives were lost, thousands were hospitalized, and tens of thousands more have been displaced.

Here in the Northwest (Seattle and Portland) restaurants are rallying together in an effort to support the victims of the quake in Abruzzo. On June 24, restaurants participating in the “Big Night for Abruzzo” will donate a portion of their sales to the victims of the L’Aquila earthquake.

Participating Seattle Area Restaurants Include: Barolo, Bella Italia, Bella Napoli, Branzino, Cafe Lago, Caffe Fiore, Caffe Umbria, Caffe Vita, Calabria Ristorante, Cantinetta, Ciao Vito, Europa Bistro, Firenze, Gaspare, Hunt Club @ The Sorrento Hotel, Il Bistro, Il Terrazzo “Carmine”, La Rustica, La Spiga, La Vita é Bella, Mamma Melina, Marcello, Mio Posto, Mondello, Paradiso, Piccolino, Pizzeria Guido, Pizzutos, Procopio, Pulcinella, Restaurant Zoe, Ristorante Luciano, Salumi, Salvatore, Sorrentino, Tavoláta, The Mark, The Pink Door, Trinacria, Troiani, Tulio, Tutta, Bella, Via Tribunali, Vince’s

Participating Portland, Oregon Area Restaurants: Ciao Vito, Nostrana, Salute

Major Sponsors Include: Caffe Vita, Dinerware, Ferrari of Seattle, Gravity Payment, Peroni, Rosella Produce, Stoneway Concrete, Vi Wines, Vio Vi Juice of Blood Orange

Date: Wednesday, June 24th, 2009
Location: Please See List Above
Time: Varies Depending on Location
More Info Please Email: yuasa@caffevita.com

For more information about the L’Aquila earthquake click here.

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Categories:	Events • Italian	Leave a Comment
Tags:	abruzzo • earthquake • fundraiser • Italy • l'aquila earthquake

I recognize that it’s not quite summer, but when we have a bout of fine weather there are certain foods that just scream al fresco dining.  My aunt Dolores has a beautiful backyard in Portola Valley, filled with flowers and blooming trees, and throughout the warm months she hosts the most amazing barbecues. She and her family spent many summers in Tuscany, so there’s always a touch of Italy on the menu. One of her staples, and the thing I look forward to the most (in addition to her killer grilled ribs!) is a colorful tomato salad – something I could fill up on alone it’s so delicious. I hesitate to call it a Caprese salad as there are always additional ingredients that push it just beyond the usual tomato-basil-mozzarella boundaries: pine nuts, red onion, avocado or Kalamata olives…sometimes it has it all.

In addition to fresh ingredients, there are three keys to making this simple salad beyond fabulous: excellent ripe tomatoes and really good, high-quality olive oil and balsamic vinegar. How beautiful is the simplicity of a vibrant and fresh salad! This one is a mouth-pleaser for sure.

Fresh sliced tomatoes, as red as you can get them!
Lots of fresh basil, sliced into ribbons
Fresh mozzarella, sliced
Pitted and sliced Kalamata olives, or any good-quality olive
High-quality extra virgin olive oil
High-quality balsamic vinegar
Cracked black pepper

Toss, serve and sit back to enjoy the mmmmmm’s.

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Categories:	Italian • Salads • Uncategorized	Leave a Comment
Tags:	barbecue • barbeque • basil • BBQ • caprese • kalamata olives • mozzarella • olives • salad • Summer • summer salad • tomatoes

Photo by: PhillipC

I poured my morning cup of coffee, grabbed my stack of food magazines, and went to sit in my Springy sun-filled (finally) sun room.  Before I could put my coffee down, my May 2009 issue of La Cucina Italiana slipped off the top of the pile and landed wide open to a beautiful spread of Il Palio in Siena, Italy. My heart leapt. Siena is the beautiful town where I spent the best six months of my life. And Il Palio is the glorious horse race that has occurred twice each summer for more than 350 years in the Piazza del Campo. Il Palio is a dangerous race where jockeys ride bareback, where 90 degree corners must be turned, and where horse – not man – is winner. In fact, a horse can win even if the rider falls off.

Unfortunately, I’ve never been to either race because at the time I felt sunning myself in in the Greek isles was more fun (it was fun, but I should have scheduled in at least one race). Seeing the pictures of Siena and the Piazza del Campo brought back so many memories of friendship, food, love, and even politics:

• The fountain where darling Daniele professed his love me, only to have me turn him down. Poor guy. I was gentle, though.
• The corner of the square where my girlfriends and I, sitting on our coats studying, were trampled by a swarm of journalists. At the center of the swarm was the Soviet dissident Andrei Sakharov. Coats and homework were trampled, but at least we had an interesting excuse to give our professor!
• The little café where we’d sip aqua minerale con gas (sparkling water) and nibble on the free bread sticks.
• Long laughs over wine or sangria at Bar Centrale or Re Artu.

The article also reminded me of the wonderful meals our friend Claudio would make us. Many of which I still cook to this day: Penne con Panna e Salciccia (penne with cream and sausage). He taught us the delectability of pasta drizzled simply with garlic infused olive oil, which seemed to be our standard meal at the end of the month when the money ran out. He also taught us that we were using far too little salt in our pasta water, and that, no, not all pasta is the same.

Best of all, the article reminded me of the times I’d sit in the Piazzo del Campo thinking of all the laughs, the professed loves, the glasses of wine sipped, and friendships that had formed over the centuries in that same little spot where I sat.

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Categories:	Italian • Travel	2 Comments
Tags:	il palio • Italy • siena • Travel

We tasted this creamy little delight the other evening at the Rising Stars event and I can’t seem to get it out of my head. It was prepared by McCaw Hall’s restaurant SAVOR, which wasn’t even part of the awards, but to me this dish was a winner.

Asparagus Panna Cotta.

It was served with fresh asparagus ribbons that were lightly dressed with a champagne, shallot and Dijon vinaigrette; an interesting flavorful hollandaise and tapioca maltodextrin powder; then topped with a crisp delicious square of housemade Guanciale bacon.

Mmm, mmm!

Kelly Gaddis, Executive Chef at SAVOR and creator of this divine dish, was kind enough to send me the recipe, which I am sharing with you all. You will love it!

What a lovely thing to serve for a spring brunch. It’s already on my Easter menu.

Click here for the recipe:

A traditional Panna Cotta recipe:

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Categories:	Italian • Veggies	1 Comment
Tags:	asparagus • asparagus panna cotta • brunch • Italian • panna cotta • vegetables

This chicken sandwich combines so many ingredients that I adore. It tastes like a bite of Italy with its fresh mozzarella, tomato, basil and pesto – all crammed in a buttery rosemary focaccia just lightly toasted. With a creamy pesto mayonnaise and tender grilled chicken breast this sandwich makes the perfect weekend lunch or easy dinner.

Chicken Pesto Focaccia Sandwich

One chicken breast
Small tomato, sliced
Red onion, sliced
Fresh basil, or organic salad greens
Fresh mozzarella, sliced
Low-fat mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Pesto
Focaccia bread, sliced half

Grill chicken breast, then set aside to cool. Mix about 1/4 cup of low fat mayonnaise with 1 tablespoon pesto (homemade or store bought), or to desired taste. Slice focaccia lengthwise and toast lightly. Spread pesto mayonnaise on both sides of bread. Place chicken breast on bottom slice and add sliced onion, tomato, mozzarella, and fresh basil or salad greens. Top with the last piece of bread.

Makes one large sandwich.

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Categories:	Cheese • Italian • Meat & Poultry • Veggies	2 Comments
Tags:	chicken • chicken pesto • chicken sandwich • focaccia • lunch • pesto • sandwich

Photo: pink_fish13

I return home from work (hungry), check the mailbox and find my newest issue of Gourmet magazine. There on the cover is a delicious grilled sandwich bulging with juicy ham, its bread toasted to crisp perfection. When I flip through the pages (which, by the way, reading a food mag is never a good idea to do when you are hungry) I am reminded of the sandwiches we used to get in Siena, Italy. After school my girlfriends and I would head to Bar Centrali for panini and cokes (okay, sometimes wine). When I first arrived in Italy I could barely speak a lick of Italian, but I quickly mastered the art of ordering my “panino.”

“Prosciutto crudo, fontini é fungi con salsa rosa é salsa verde, per favore!”

Raw cured ham, fontina cheese, mushrooms with red and green sauce grilled to perfection on a big fancy panini grill. I’m still not really sure what the red and green sauces were (tomato- and pesto-esque), but they were divine in their mystery. Best of all, I felt oh so Italian when I placed the order! I ate that same sandwich almost daily for six months straight. Whether I ate the same version because I was so in love with it (completely) or just scared to learn a new string of ingredients (probably) I’ll never quite know (or admit).

Oh, so young, so naive! If I were there again I’d be ordering a different panino each day. Choosing from amongst the cured meats and cheeses that hung over the bar.

I’ve never been able to reproduce that same panino, and I don’t think I actually want to, as the memory of that one great panino would somehow be sullied. I will always miss that sandwich, though not nearly as much as I miss the time spent with my wonderful girlfriends. Nothing comes close to either.

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Categories:	Cheese • Italian • condiments	2 Comments
Tags:	Bar Centrale • fontina • grilled sandwich • Italy • panini • panino • prosciutto • prosciutto crudo • sandwich • siena

When we were starving college students in Italy (starving because we spent all our money on weekend get-a-ways and clothes at Benetton) my friends and I would sit for hours in one of the little restaurants in the Piazza del Campo and sip caffè lattes and nibble on grissini. In America this would be like going to a coffee shop, ordering the cheapest drink on the menu and eating all the packages of crackers on the table. But in Italy the free “crackers” are better. Much better.

The most common type – grissini stirato (straight) – are long, crisp, pinky-finger-width breadsticks that are often found on tabletops in tall glasses.  Grissini were the brain-child of Don Baldo Pecchio who created them for Vittorio Amedeo II, the Duke of Savoy. As a small child the Duke suffered from food poisoning, ironically caused by bread, which at the time was under-baked and thus prone to pathogens. Remembering the small, thin breads his mother made him as a child when he ailed from similar intestinal disfunctions, Don Baldo ordered the Court’s master baker to create thin twice-baked sticks. Keeping them thin and twice baking the bread killed any micro-organism, thus making them clean and safe to eat. It’s said that these hygienic “miracle” breadsticks cured the Duke, who then grew to become the first Savoy King.

Grissini
Adapted from a recipe found in Cooking Light, January 2003

1  package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
1  cup warm water (100° to 110°)
3  cups bread flour, divided
1 1/4  teaspoons  salt
Cooking spray
1  teaspoon water
1  large egg white, lightly beaten
1/2  cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese (optional)
1  tablespoon cracked black pepper
2  teaspoons cornmeal, divided

Dissolve yeast in 1 cup warm water in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add 2 3/4 cups flour and salt to yeast mixture; stir until a soft dough forms. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 8 minutes); add enough of remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel tacky).

Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 45 minutes or until doubled in size. (Gently press 2 fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough.)

Punch dough down. Cover and let rest 5 minutes. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; roll into a 12 x 8-inch rectangle.

Combine 1 teaspoon water and egg white, stirring with a whisk; brush evenly over dough. Sprinkle dough with cheese and pepper. Lightly coat dough with cooking spray; cover with plastic wrap. Gently press toppings into dough; remove plastic wrap.

Sprinkle each of 2 baking sheets with 1 teaspoon cornmeal. Cut dough in half lengthwise to form 2 (12 x 4-inch) rectangles. Cut each of the rectangles crosswise into 12 (1-inch) strips.

Working with 1 strip at a time (cover remaining strips to prevent drying), gently roll each strip into a log. Holding ends of log between forefinger and thumb of each hand, gently pull log into a 14-inch rope, slightly shaking it up and down while pulling. (You can also roll each strip into a 14-inch rope on a lightly floured surface.) Place the rope on a prepared pan, curving into a series of shapes so that the rope fits on pan.

Repeat procedure with remaining strips, placing 12 on each pan. Lightly coat ropes with cooking spray. Cover and let rise 20 minutes or until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 450°.

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Categories:	Baked Goods • Italian	3 Comments
Tags:	Baked Goods • bread sticks • breadsticks • grissini • Italian bread • italian breadsticks • Italy • Piedmont • recipe • Savoy King • Torino • Turin