Savoring Balsamic on Its Home Turf - The Province of Modena

     Some food tastes are not only delicious, they are exquisite. One example is the Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena, Italy (Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena). The Traditional Balsamic is not the balsamic that we find on supermarket shelves. It is also not the balsamic that is sometimes mistakenly or deceitfully identified by U.S. vendors as “traditional balsamic,” but is not.

 Almost every evening for years, I’ve enjoyed dressing my dinner salad with Tuscan EVOO and what I mistakenly thought was traditional balsamic. So, when I decided to visit Emilia-Romagna last month and stay in Bologna, I wanted to take a day trip to Modena and visit an “acetaia,” a balsamic production facility. 

(Modena is both a city and a province in the Emilia-Romagna Region of Italy. When referring to balsamic production, the reference is to the province. The city is its capital.)

 In researching the possibilities, I discovered Villa San Donnino (https://www.villasandonnino.it/), which Is located a few miles outside the city of Modena. It had great reviews and a list of balsamic products that included traditional balsamic. It offered free, English-language tours and tastings, and accepted advance reservations. It seemed like a great choice. The two friends I would be meeting in Bologna liked the idea. So, I made reservations for the three of us. It turned out to be the perfect choice. It would be an eye-opening, mouth-watering, and tasty experience.

 Our guide/teacher/hostess was Chiara. She did a superb job.

First, she took us up several flights of stairs to the production and aging space, seen in the photo above. There, she explained the process. Each row of barrels, called a “battery,” eventually ends up with one year’s production.

After explaining the process, she led us back to the ground floor, where we enjoyed a tasting and had the opportunity to purchase San Donnino balsamic products.

 Before the visit, I had thought I understood the different types of balsamic vinegars. I discovered that I was misinformed.

There are three main types of balsamic

1. DOP  (Protected Designation of Origin) – aged 12 years & Extravecchio - aged 25 years. This class has very strict regulations governed by a consortium. Those regulations involve the types of grapes that can be used, where the grapes are grown, prohibitions against using any additives, etc. This type can only be made from grape must – unfermented grape juice.

Villa San Donnino belongs to the Consortium of Ancient Vinegar Producers (Consorzio Produttori Antiche Acetaie). A consortium taster must taste and approve a producer’s product in order for the product to be sold as Traditional Balsamic. The decision is not up to the producer. You can find consortium rules at https://balsamico.it/en/the-product/

All Traditional Balsamics from Modena come in the same bulb-shaped 100ml bottle. The labeling is different, depending on whether the age is 12 or 25 years.

So, the Chef Jeanne Pierre “18-year traditional barrel-aged” balsamic in 750 ml bottles that I had been buying on Amazon didn’t match either the packaging or the aging of requirements of authentic Traditional Balsamic of Modena.

Before buying on Amazon, I used to buy “traditional balsamic” from a local olive oil store. They had their “traditional balsamic” in large barrels; and would put the requested amount in a bottle. Clearly, that was not traditional balsamic.

 Traditional balsamic from neighboring Reggio Emilia only comes in a tulip-shaped 100ml bottle.

 2. IGP (Protected Geographical Indication) – This type or the third type are what you find on store shelves. It has fewer regulations . It must contain at least 10% wine vinegar, and can have up to 2% natural caramel added. This type need only be aged in wooden barrels for 60 days. It can be labeled “aged” if it is aged for at least 3 years in wooden barrels.

 3. “Condiment” (Condimento) balsamic has the fewest limitations. Other flavoring can be added.

 Villa San Donnino offers a number of wonderful balsamic products – the 25-year-old and 12-year-old traditional, dark and light condiment balsamic, and a balsamic jelly. We bought a variety of items for both personal use and as gifts. Villa S.D. also offers shipping, which is not inexpensive, but is easier than carrying in one’s luggage.

In the photo below, you will see in the top center the prince of their products the 12-year-old traditional balsamic, bottled in the only permissible bottle. Below the prince is the balsamic jelly. On the left is the light-colored condiment and on the right is the dark-colored condiment. The 25-year-old emperor is not pictured because I did not buy it. Each comes in a nice box. Santa may bring some of these to loved ones.

It was very easy to get to Villa San Donnino from Bologna. We took the train to Modena. Our second-class tickets were €4.30 ($4.73), and the trip took 32 minutes. After a bit of sightseeing at the Mercato Storico Albinelli, a neat covered food market full of stalls, we took a cab from there to Villa San Donnino. The fare was about €31 ($34.10), and the six-mile ride took just over 15 minutes. The cabbie was a bit confused about the destination because he said there were two places with the same name. Fortunately, I gave him the Villa San Donnino phone nr. He called and got the correct location.

 In a conversation with the cabbie who took us back to town, he told me that he,  like many others in town, produced traditional balsamic for his family. He said he had taken over the process from his father and grandfather. Both Chiara and the cabbie mentioned that families often start a batch when a child is born, and age it until the child grows up and marries. Then it is given as a wedding gift.

 If you’re ever in Modena or have time for a day trip from Bologna, I highly recommend Villa San Donnino. To make reservations for a tasting, you can contact the Villa at bookyourvinegartour@villasandonnino.it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Piadina - A Romagna Special Sandwich

 It seems there's no end of yummy sandwiches around the world. A special sandwich of the Romagna area of Emilia-Romagna is the Piadina flat-bread sandwich.

I was lucky enough to enjoy a Piadina lunch with two friends on a sunny afternoon at Mr. Dante restaurant on the Piazza del Popolo in Ravenna.

My sandwich had piadina bread, prosciutto, the unique Emillia-Romagna squacquerone fresh cheese, and arugula. I accompanied it with a glass of Albana Secca Emilia-Romagna DOCG white wine.

The squacquerone has a texture like yoghurt. It's nice, but not exciting. However, it worked perfectly with the prosciutto and arugula.

The sandwich and wine cost a total of about $17.05.

Enjoying lunch with two great friends made the experience even more special.

I had originally chosen a restaurant that had one of the very best ratings in Ravenna. Fortunately, it was closed when we got there. It was on a side street with little atmosphere.

Mr. Dante restaurant is undoubtedly named after Dante Alighieri, the iconic Italian poet, writer, and philosopher, who spent his final days in Ravenna.

The Foods & Wines of Emilia-Romagna

     I recently visited the Italian Region of Emilia-Romagna for the first time. Prior to preparing for the visit, I knew very little about the area except its reputation for prosciutto, parmesan cheese, and balsamic vinegar. I learned that it is a culinary paradise and also has nice wines.

    Below is a list of the foods and wines that I tried.  The list is intended to give you a sense of the culinary richness of the area.

 I really enjoyed most of them. The few that didn't turn me on were the very popular Cotoletta Alla Bolognese - Bolognese Veal Cutlet, Lasagna Sfoglia alla Bolognese, Squacquerone - a very fresh cheese with a yoghurt-like consistency, and Zuppa Inglese (English Soup) - a dessert. Perhaps I should have tried the cutlet and the lasagna at a second restaurant, but there were just too many foods to try.

    I plan to do postings about some of the meals in which I enjoyed these foods.

    I was surprised by the wines. Prior to this trip, the only wine type I knew about from the region was Lambrusco, a red wine that I find too sweet. I had many very pleasant reds, mostly Sangioveses, and a few whites and dessert wines.

    While I was there, I stayed in the capital of Bologna, but made day trips by train to Modena, Parma, Ravenna, and Padua (which is in the Veneto Region). I was joined by two friends. On the day trips, I tried local food and wine specialties - like the Piadina sandwich of Ravenna or wine from the Hills of Parma.

Foods & Wines Consumed

Balsamic Vinegar - Tour & Tasting at Villa San Donnino near Modena

- Tradizionale Extravecchio – aged 25 years

- Tradizionale Affinato – aged 12 years

- Nerone dressing – aged 6 years

- Bianco white dressing

- Jelly

Cheeses

- Grana Padana

- Parmiggiano Reggiano

- Pecorino

- Pecorino from Pienza

- Riviera

- Squacquerone

Prosciutto & Salumi (cured meats)

- Coppa di Parma IGP "Ferrari Cavalier Bruno"

- Culatello di Zibello DOP "Podere Cadassa" - Parma

- Leporati Parma prosciutto -  aged 28 months

- Mortadella

- Prosciutto

- Salame Felino IGP "Gran Riserva Cavalier Bruto Umberto Boschi" - Parma

- Salami

Breads

- Crescentina rolls

- Tigelle

- Torta fritta – Fried hollow bread – a Parma specialty

Appetizers

- Tortino di Parmigiana ai Porcini -  parmesan flan with porcini mushrooms

- Tortino di Verdure con Crema di Parmigiano Reggiano 24 mesi - vegetable flan in a fondue of 24-month-old parmesan cheese 

- Tortino di Zucchine au Fonduta di Parmigiano Reggiano 24 mesi e Glassa di Alceto Balsamico di Modena - mini zucchini flan with a fondue of 24-month aged Parmesan cheese

Pastas – Primi Piatti (There are primi piatti other than pastas, but I didn’t have any.)

- Anolini in brodo di manzo e cappone - Anolini pasta in beef & capon broth with parmesan cheese

- Balanzoni in crema di Parmigiano con Granella di Pistacchio - Balanzoni pasta in parmesan cream sauce with chopped pistacchios

- Cappellacci alla carbona  con guanciale croccante -  cheese & egg ravioli with crispy bacon

- Gramigna alla Salsiccia – Gramigna pasta with sausage

- Lasagna Sfoglia alla Bolognese

- Passatelli in Brodo - hand-made passatelli pasta in broth

- Passatelli with prosciutto

- Tagliatelle al Ragu

- Tagliatelle con salsiccia brasata al sangiovese e squacquerone -  tagliatelle with sausage braised in sangiovese & squacquerone

- Tortellini alla crema di Parmigiano -  meat-filled tortellini with parmesan cream sauce

- Tortellini alla moda di Bologna con burro e julienne di prosciutto di Parma - Bologna-style tortellini with butter and Parma ham julienne

- Tortellini in brodo di Capone - Home-made tortellini in capon broth with parmesan cheese to sprinkle

- Tortellini tradizionali, crema di zafferano e prosciutto di Parma croccante - tortellini with a saffron cream sauce and crispy Parma ham

-Tortelloni (not tortellini) ripieni di zucca alla Crema di Parmigiano - tortelloni filled with butternut squash in parmesan cream sauce

- Tortelloni di Zucca con funghi porcini e olio di tartufo  -  butternut squash-filled Tortelloni with porcini mushrooms and truffle oil

Main Dishes – Secondi Piatti

- Cotolette alla Bolognese – Bologna veal cutlet

Sandwiches

- Crescentina sandwich - fried bread with grilled porchetta ham and potato croquette, caramelized onions, & hand melted provolone cheese

- Piadina with Parma ham, squacquerone, and arugula – a Ravenna specialty made with Piadina bread

Side Dishes – Contorni

- Cicoria Saltata in Padella - Sauteed chicory

- Friggione - traditional bologna dish of stewed onions and tomatoes. Incredible!

Desserts

- Gelato con Amarena -  gelato with black cherries

- Semifreddo al Pistacchio con Caramello Salato - Pistacchio semifreddo

- Tenerina di Cioccolato -  a local type of chocolate cake with a sweet mascarpone cheese

- Torta di Riso - chocolate rice cake

- Tortino di Cioccolato fondente -  a dark chocolate flan

- Zabaglione & Sbrisolona 

- Zuppa Inglese

Wine

- Albana Secca Emilia-Romagna DOCG white

- Anino Pignoletto

- Ca' Grande Sangiovese Superiore

- Cavariol Colli Bolognesi Bologna Rosso

- Finitum Cantine Zuffa Colli d'Imola Sangiovese Superiore

- La Furha del Basino Sangiovese Superiore

- Passerino (dessert wine)

- Mastalsò Romagna DOC Sangiovese Superiore

- Monte dei Vigni (Mountain of Vines), a Colli di Parma (Parma Hills) red - 75% Sangiovese and 25% Bonarda grapes

- Rubicaia Romagna Sangiovese

- Santodeno Sangiovese Appassimento

- Tenuta la Viola, il Columbarone Sangiovese Superiore from Emilia-Romagna

- Tenuta Nasano Sancaberlot (Sangiovese, cabernet sauvignon, merlot)

- Torre Ca Bianca Colli Bolognesi Rosso

- Umberto Cesari Moma Sangiovese - Cabernet Sauvignon from nearby Castel San Pietro Terme

- Vittorio Romagna Sangiovese Superiore

After-Dinner Drinks

- Limoncello

- Nocino – a nut liqueur

 

Simply Delicious Cream of Celery Soup

This cream of celery soup is extremely easy and very tasty. It requires just a little chopping. I posted a similar recipe about seven years ago. This one is a bit better and makes fewer servings - three to four instead of six. I also added an ingredient that I thought made it even better - pancetta.

The catalyst for making this soup was to use up celery left over from making potato salad. It was so tasty, I pigged out and had two servings with the rest of my dinner.

Even the most inexperienced cook should be able to produce excellent results with this recipe. I found it at  https://www.daringgourmet.com/homemade-cream-celery-soup/. If you have time, I suggest reading the whole article at that site. As that article explains, you can also use this soup as a base for other soup recipes that call for cream of celery soup.

Here's my version of the recipe:

Ingredients
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 cup yellow onion finely chopped (1 small onion)
- 2 cups finely chopped celery (5 large ribs)
- 1 large clove garlic, minced
- 1/3 cup all-purpose, unbleached flour
- 1 & 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1 & 1/2 cups whole milk (or richer taste by using some combination of milk and cream or half & half. I used 3/4 cup light milk and 3/4 cup half & half because that's what was in the refrigerator.)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped panchetta (I used the Publix chopped.)

Instructions

1. Melt the butter in a Dutch oven or heavy stock pot over medium-high heat and cook the onions, celery, panchetta, and garlic until soft and translucent, 5-7 minutes. 

2. Add flour and cook for another minute.

3. Add chicken broth and milk/cream. Stir until the mixture is smooth.

4. Increase the heat and bring it to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium, add the remaining ingredients, and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Add salt to taste.

Bleu Provence, Naples, FL - Great Food and an Amazing Wine List

A special friend and I recently had dinner at Bleu Provence (https://www.bleuprovencenaples.com/), a remarkable restaurant in Naples, FL. Not only are the food, atmosphere, and service terrific, but its wine selection and service are so good that, since 2015, it has been a winner of Wine Spectator's Grand Award, which is awarded to only 100 restaurants world wide.

We sat out on the back patio, with its very romantic atmosphere. It was partially bordered by trees and was covered.

We both had the three-course, $35 early dining menu, and a nice red wine.

The three-course meal consists of an appetizer, a main dish, and dessert. The dishes we had were all delicious.

When I started perusing the wine list to find a wine, I was very surprised at how lengthy it was. I had only seen wine lists so large at a few restaurants in my life. most notably at Antica Bottega del Vino in Verona, Italy, and at Bern's Steak House in Tampa.

Our superb waiter explained that Bleu Provence was a 2019 winner of Wine Spectator's Grand Award. When I checked the appropriate edition of Wine Spectator at home, I read that Bleu Provence, with nearly 4,000 wine selections, had received the Grand Award every year since 2015. There are only four Florida restaurants who received that award in 2019 - Bern's in Tampa, one in Palm Beach, and one in West Palm Beach.

The appetizer my friend chose was salmon marinated in citrus vinaigrette, and served with strawberries and vinaigrette. Not only was it tasty, but the serving size was generous.

My appetizer was Provençal Soup served with gruyère cheese, rouille sauce, and croutons.

We chose the same wonderful Duck Leg Confit as a main dish. It had an orange and Grand Marnier demi-glace, and was served with Mango Fries and Sweet Potatoes gratin.

For dessert, we both enjoyed the Lemon Tart Meringue.

The wine I chose was a 2015 Barruol Tiercerolles, Crozes-Hermitage Syrah from the northern Rhône. It was excellent.

The Early Dining Menu is only available from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday.

After our meal, Alex took us to visit the very impressive wine cellar.

The restaurant has been in the Crayton Cove area of Naples since 1999. The owners, Lysielle and Jacques Cariot, operate the restaurant with their three sons. They are from Provence.

During normal times, I highly recommend reservations.

Bha! Bha! Persian Bistro in Naples, FL - Wow!

I recently discovered a terrific Persian bistro in Naples, FL. In searching the Internet for a restaurant where I could treat a special friend (and myself), I ran across Bha! Bha! Persian Bistro (https://bhabhabistro.com/), which had over 4,000 mostly five-star reviews on OpenTable, TripAdvisor, Google, and Yelp. It had a great menu which was a mix of traditional Persian dishes and innovative Persian dishes. On that menu, I found four Persian dishes that protagonist Javad “Josh” Shirazi in my novel Team Triad; A Nuclear Spy Hunt – Iran had prepared as a special dinner for his wife and himself.

The experience at the Bistro exceeded all my expectations. Every bite was superb; the atmosphere was excellent; and our server Cayan provided impeccable service.

My friend and I shared an appetizer of Kashke Bademjun, an eggplant dip with lavash bread. There are two versions of this dish. The one on the menu had sliced eggplant. However, when I showed Cayan the Kindle page of my novel which described the dish I wanted, he realized I would not be getting the correct dish. He immediately went and fixed the problem. The dish was great.

My friend’s main course was an evening special - lamb shank, which was tender and delicious. It was so large that she had enough to take home for another meal. I think the sauce was a Mediterranean tomato sauce.

My main dish was Duck Fesenjune (Khoreshte Fesenjun) in a pomegranate-walnut sauce with a mango sauce accent and topped with caramelized dried fruit. In Iran, this traditional dish was originally made with duck. It is now often made with chicken. It was fantastic. I have made it with chicken several times, and was happy to learn that my preparation was in the ball park.

The duck dish came with a side of saffron-topped white rice. However, I also ordered a side of Polo ba Tahdig, which I think bistro calls Tahdik. It is a type of rice in which the bottom of the pot caramelized the rice to a crispy golden brown.

We also shared a side of Mast o Khiyar, a cucumber-yoghurt dip/salad it bears some similarities to Greek Tzatziki and Lebanese cucumber-yoghurt dip. It was flavored with dill. I loved it.

For dessert to celebrate my friend’s birthday, Cayan brought a dish of Persian rice pudding, which was part of the Team Triad dinner. We both enjoyed it.

The wine I chose to accompany our meal was a 2016 Zenato Alanera red Veronese. It is reliably good. I would like to have ordered one of the wines from the Persian Darioush Winery in the Napa Valley, but their wines are a bit expensive for my taste.

We sat outside at a table on one side of the restaurant. It was very private. It was a bit chilly outside, but the heaters next to our table eliminated the chill.

The bistro is located at 865 5^th Ave in South Naples. We found parking right behind the restaurant.

I can’t wait to return and savor other dishes on the menu. I will definitely request Cayan as our server.

Simple & Tasty Prosciutto, Avocado, Greens, & Feta Salad

I created this simple and tasty salad to accompany a flat bread pizza I made for a family dinner. I initially planned to make a terrific-sounding fresh fig and prosciutto salad I found on-line at https://www.purewow.com/recipes/prosciutto-fig-salad-board. However, when I couldn't get fresh figs, I ended up changing four of the major ingredients. This recipe serves four, but can easily be scaled up or down.

Ingredients
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1/3 cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- Kosher salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
- 6 ounces mixed arugula, watercress, kale & spinach (Publix sells this mixture)
- 2 ripe avocados, sliced. (There are great on-line videos for avocado-slicing techniques.)
- 3-4 ounces of thinly slide prosciutto torn into pieces
- 2 tbsps chopped sweet peppers (Publix sells a chopped sweet pepper mixture.)
- 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Preparation
1. Stir lemon juice, EVOO, mustard, salt, & pepper in a small bowl.

2. Place greens on a salad board.

3. Top greens with avocado, prosciutto, peppers, and feta

4. Set bowl of dressing next to salad for diners' use.