To begin at the beginning, the latest on Italian Food is a quick thing dedicated to broccoli, which the Romans greatly enjoyed -- at least the cabbage Pliny the Elder says is among the best sounds like broccoli -- though it seems to have been a food for the masses. I gather this because, as far as I can tell, Pliny doesn't tell the story about the Emperor Tiberius's son Drusus's gorging on cabbage until his urine turned green that several websites (and a book) attribute to him. Quite the opposite; Pliny says that a famed bon-vivant abhorred the cabbage and therefore so did Drusus, at which point the Emperor Tiberius (his father) criticized him for having overly delicate tastes.
Granted, there is a certain morbid fascination in wondering how much broccoli a guy has to eat to pee green, but what Pliny says is just as interesting, and perhaps more so because it shows Tiberius being much more down-to-earth and sensible than his kid. In any case, you will find the thing here.
The latest on the Italian Wine Review is instead a spectacular vertical of Vernaccia di San Gimignano organized by Elisabetta Fagioli at Montenidoli. We started with barrel samples and tasted all the way back through her first (quite successful) attempt at barrel fermenting, past her first Vernaccia (in 1984), and onto the first wine she made at Montenidoli, a 1971 Chianti di San Gimignano DOC. Very good it was, too.
Thinking About Old Whites
The best wine was -- we all thought -- A Vernaccia Fiore from 1991, and this leads to some interesting considerations on Italian wines. As you likely know, Italian reds come in all kinds: some are meant to be drunk immediately, for example light brash Dolcetto or Sangiovese di Romagna, some are best after a few years, for example Chianti Classico (especially the Riserva) or oaked Barbera, and some, including Barolo, Brunello, Amarone and Taurasi, can take decades to develop fully. Wine lovers know and expect this, as do Italian restaurants, which -- if they pride themselves in their wine lists -- often have older vintages of the wines that age well.
The situation changes with whites; if you go to a wine show you'll be presented with the latest vintage, still smarting from having been bottled if the event is in the spring, and if you ask about previous vintages as you eye the squalling toddler in your glass, the winemaker will shrug apologetically and say that the restaurant crowd has been trying to get him to release the new vintage since January.
To be honest, I have never understood the Italian infatuation with young white wines; while it's true that whites do develop faster than reds, and by the end of the summer that follows release (non-oaked whites are generally released the spring following the harvest, 2008 for a wine from grapes harvested in 2007) the wines are entering physical maturity, maturity is a relative term. By the end of the summer the wine will be at best an adolescent, and while it is true that some people look and are at their best in adolescence and thereafter it's a long slow slide, the vast majority are physically more attractive, not to mention more interesting to talk to, when they reach their 20s, and some continue to improve for decades.
The same is true for white wines. Some are at their best when they're so young they have little more than lively zest and forward fruit, but others, especially those made by winemakers who farm to low yields to insure concentration, continue to develop for many years, and if you open them too soon you end up drinking a pale shadow of what the wine was destined to become.
This is true even for wines that are generally drunk very young. I recently attended Alessandria Top Wines, a show featuring the wineries in the province of Alessandria that received high scores from the major wine guides. The province of Alessandria's best (in my opinion) white wine is Gavi, a wine made from the Cortese grape that is brisk to frankly acidic with lemony overtones, when young, and producer after producer has told me (I've tasted through Gavi on other occasions too) that they simply cannot sell anything but the most recent vintage: restaurant and wine shop owners aren't interested in the older wines. And this is a great pity, because it has the structure and acidity to age well for many years.
Proof?
La Sparina was pouring their current Gavi, a 2006, which was nice, in a direct key: Brassy white with brassy reflections, and a deft bouquet with pleasing floral accents mingled with bitter almonds and gunflint. On the palate ample, and fairly soft, with greenish white berry fruit supported by clean mineral acidity that flows into a clean bitter finish; it's a wine that will work well with a variety of foods.
2 stars
They were also pouring a 1995 Gavi La Villa:
Pale brassy yellow with greenish reflections, and looks quite young, actuall. Intense bouquet with pleasing bitter gunflint and hints of balsam mingled with tropical fruit and savory overtones. Quite nice, with a lot going on. On the palate it's full and bright, with powerful sour lemon fruit supported by clean bright lemony acidity that flows into a long, long citric finish. Very nice, and is the sort of wine you will greatly enjoy if you like mature whites.
88-90
There is an obvious difference in the vintages; 1995 was clearly better than 2005, and there may be differences in vineyard technique; it felt to me as if the 2005 grapes might have been harvested a little riper, and consequently with less acidity (in the past grapes were harvested when their sugar level would give a desired alcohol content, whereas now many producers wait until the grapes reach what is called maturazione fenolica or polyphenolic ripeness, with the result that sugars continue to accumulate while grape acidity drops, leading to a more alcoholic wine, less acidic (softer) wine). But there's no getting around it; the 1995 Gavi has aged very well, and those who drank it fresh out of the blocks missed out on all that it has become.
To finish up this discussion of older Italian whites, my impressions of Montenidoli's Vernaccia Fiore 1991:
Montenidoli Vernaccia Fiore Vernaccia Di San Gimignano 1991
Brassy gold with brassy highlights. The bouquet is impressive, with petroleum and minerality mingled with savory accents and some honeysuckle richness. Beautiful. On the palate it's extraordinary, with bright clean lemony fruit supported by clean slightly bitter citric acidity, and it flows into a clean savory citric finish. Extraordinary wine, and one would never guess its age were it to be presented blind. The stuff of dreams.
96
Again, the complete Montenidoli tasting is here.
Pastiera and Lamb: Happy Easter!
Moving in a very different direction, this Sunday was Palm Sunday, and next Sunday will be Easter. As is the case with every other holiday in Italy, the celebrations vary greatly from place to place. One of the most spectacular Easter pastries is the Pastiera Napoletana, a wheat berry and ricotta pie that gains grace and allure from orange water. "Nobody escapes its allure," wrote Caròla Francesconi in introducing it, "an allure due not so much to its goodness as to a subconscious love that's transmitted from generation to generation." Anything that can burrow into the regional psyche, bearing with it the "perfumes of spring," is powerful stuff, and it comes as no surprise that the descendents of Italian immigrants continue to make it in their new homelands. Aironeverde is a regular visitor to the Italian food forum, and recently posted her recipe; as usually happens on forums a couple of other people chimed in.
Her recipe:
This is approximately the way I made Pastiera di Grano (Easter wheat pie)
- Hulled wheat grains (or one-pound can of presoaked wheat)*
- 1 1/2 lbs. of the best quality whole-milk ricotta you can find
- 6 eggs (You will use 6 yolks and 4 whites.)
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- One teaspoon salt
- About 1/2 cup finely diced candied orange rind (the best quality you can find)
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup finely diced candied citron (the best quality you can find)
- About 1/4 cup finely diced candied lemon peel (the best quality you can find) (Substitute this for some of the citron if you can find it.)
- 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons orange flower water*
- 2 or more teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoons oil of orange peel*
- A very small drop of oil of lemon peel*
Crust--Follow recipes for "pasta frolla" or use commercial graham cracker crust, which is absolutely not authentic, but tastes good with the filling. See note.*
To start preparing the wheat, boil the hulled wheat grains in water until the grains burst open.
Add more water and a little salt and boil covered for about 45 minutes. Then set it aside for about two hours. (If you use unhulled hard wheat, the steps are the same, but everything will take much longer, i.e. more than an hour boiling, and overnight soaking).
Drain the soaked wheat. Measure about two cups (or a little more), which will probably be a little over a pound, or squeeze out excess liquid and use about a pound or 1 1/4 pounds. Or, if you are not preparing your own wheat from scratch, open your one-pound can of pre-soaked wheat.
Boil 1/2 cup of milk, add a little sugar, and cook the wheat in this for a few minutes. Add a little salt.
Add the candied orange, citron and lemon peel and the orange peel oil (and optional lemon peel oil) to the wheat. Set aside or refrigerate to cool.
Prepare filling as follows. Mix 1 1/2 lbs. ricotta with 1 1/2 cups sugar until uniformly mixed. Add the orange flower water, vanilla extract and cinnamon and mix well.
Beat separately 6 egg yolks and 4 egg whites. (The whites should be beaten until very light and high.) Mix the yolks into the ricotta mixture. Mix the whites into the wheat mixture. Then mix the two parts of the filling together and blend evenly.
Spoon the filling into the graham pie crusts. This filling recipe is enough to fill one large, one medium and three mini commercial pie shells.
Bake in preheated 350 F. oven until the filling is medium tan (probably more than a hour).
Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.
Quantities for the flavorings are approximate and can be adjusted according to taste.
* Re: ingredients.
The wheat grains may be available from Italian specialty food stores, especially around Easter time and in early December. They may also be available from "whole" or natural foods stores, but try to get the hulled wheat; unhulled wheat can also be used, but it requires a much longer soaking period in order to soften it. If you get unhulled, get "spring wheat," which is softer. The canned wheat is usually available from Italian specialty food stores around Easter time, and though it looks bad when it comes out of the can, it works quite well. Orange and lemon peel oils are available in Boyajian brand from many stores specializing in "gourmet" cooking ingredients and from some mail order cooking and baking supply catalogues. Orange flower water is essential to this recipe; nothing can substitute for it. You can generally find it in "gourmet" food stores, Italian specialty food stores, middle eastern and north African grocery stores, and some old-fashioned toiletries shops like Caswell-Massey and Crabtree and Evelyn.
Note:
The authentic sweet crust for this Easter specialty of Naples is called pasta frolla; it is not at all like graham cracker crusts. If you would like to make an authentic pastiera di grano napoletana, you can find recipes for pasta frolla in cookbooks containing traditional recipes of southern Italy. The filling recipe above will be very good with either the authentic pasta frolla or the graham cracker crust. Do not use standard pie crusts normally used for American fruit pies. They do not go well with this filling at all because they are too salty and tough.
Blue Moon, another forum regular, chimed in with,
This does sound VERY good...Here I go being me...I'd (that's me) have to add about 1 tablespoon rose water along with the orange blossom water.
You can find food grade rose water along-side the orange blossom water. If anyone has a hard time finding an Italian specialty store for any of these wheat berries...try your local healthfood store(s). I usually find a variety of wheat berries...in bulk(by the pound)...summer, winter, hulled, unhulled, ancient varieties, spelt, you name it, etc...
Good luck and Happy Easter to all!
I thank them both, and with regards to a pasta frolla recipe, suggest Artusi's which you will find here. And a traditional Neapolitan pastiera recipe, if you're curious.
While we're on the subject of Easter, one more lamb recipe:
Agnello Coi Carciofi, Lamb With Artichokes
Artichokes and lamb go hand-in-hand, with the bitterness of the former nicely balancing the richness of the latter, and at this time of year the markets are full of both. To serve 4:
- 2 1/4 pounds (1 k) boned lamb, cubed
- 2 eggs
- 4 artichokesù3 tablespoons olive oil
- 4/5 cup (200 ml) dry white wine
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
- The juice of 2 lemons
- Salt and pepper to taste
Heat the oil in a saucepot large enough to contain the lamb, add the garlic, and cook until it is golden but not brown. Add the cubed lamb and brown it over a brisk flame for 5 minutes, stirring the pieces to color all sides. Add the wine, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes.
In the meantime, prepare the artichokes by trimming the stems and removing the tough outer leaves (you'll find detailed instructions here). Cut the cleaned artichokes in half from top to bottom, and scoop out any fuzz you may find in the artichoke hearts. Sliver the artichokes lengthwise (figure 6-8 slices per half) and put the pieces in a bowl of water acidified with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to keep them from discoloring.
When you are done slicing, add the slivered artichokes to the lamb and continue cooking for another half hour, adding a little water of the pot looks to be drying out. At some point check seasoning.
In the meantime, beat the eggs with the remaining lemon juice to form an emulsion. Lemon. When the meat is done, turn off the burner and pour the egg-and-lemon emulsion over it, stirring carefully to evenly distribute the sauce, which will thicken thanks to the heat of the meat. Serve at once.
A wine? I'd be tempted by a white because reds and artichokes rarely work. Perhaps a Falanghina.
Election Talk
Winding down, Italy is also in the grips of election fever, and the candidates of both sides are doing their best to garner votes. A few days ago Former Prime Minister Berlusconi, head of the center-right coalition, was participating at a question-and-answer session, where a young woman asked what Mr. Berlusconi's coalition would do for those who are unable to find stable employment, and thus qualify for a mortgage and begin a family. "I suggest you marry someone rich who doesn't have those problems, like my son," replied Mr. Berlusconi, adding, "with a smile like yours you certainly can."
As you might expect, the left hooted and hollered, while at least one site posted a declaration of marriage for people to compile and send (registered mail) to Mr. Berlusconi's sons. However, Mr. Berlusconi is known for this sort of comment, and most people simply shook their heads, while the young lady in question said she got a laugh out of it. She also said she would cast her vote for him, while the left offered her a candidacy in Rome, which she has declined.
This time's proverb is Calabrese: 'U ciucciu all'irtu e l'omu allo perrùpu -- One measures the strength of a mule on a hill, and that of a man in difficult times.
Until next time,
Kyle Phillips
Editor, The Italian Wine Review
http://www.italianwinereview.com
Want to comment? Drop me a line at Kyle@cosabolle.com
PS -- Please forward this to anyone you think would enjoy it! If you would like to read past issues (nothing in them really gets stale), you'll find recent ones at Cosa Bolle.Com, http://www.cosabolle.com, and older ones at http://italianfood.about.com/blbol.htm.
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