In searching for a side dish from the Umbria Region of Italy, I found this delicious and easy recipe for Asparagus, Peas, and Basil (Piselli con Asparagi e Basilico) on epicurious.com (http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/asparagus-peas-and-basil-em-piselli-con-asparagi-e-basilico-em-242035). It should serve 6. I served it with a Tuscan beef stew - Peposo dei Fornaciari dell'Impruneta - which I described in a previous post.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup finely chopped shallots (about 2)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 pounds asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- peas, fresh or frozen (3/4 pound shelled fresh peas, or 1 & 3/4 pound in pods or 10 ounces of thawed frozen peas - I used the thawed frozen peas.)
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- about 3/4 cup of torn fresh basil leaves
Directions
Cook shallots in butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until just tender - about 4 minutes.
Stir in asparagus, peas, sea salt, then seal skillet with foil. (Rather than the foil, I simply used a tight cover for the skillet.) Cook over medium heat until vegetables are tender, but still slightly al dente - about 8 minutes.
Stir in basil and sea salt.
Showing posts with label Umbria. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Umbria. Show all posts
Thursday, November 3, 2016
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Trattoria la Torretta - Another Spoleto Gem
Trattoria la Torretta (http://www.trattorialatorretta.com/) was another wonderful recommendation of Signor Diotallevi, the owner of Palazzo Dragoni, our hotel in Spoleto. I had asked Signor Diotallevi to recommend restaurants where I could find the best dishes typical of Spoleto and Umbria in general. The trattoria was located at 43 via Filitteria, a couple of blocks from our hotel.
Trattoria la Torretta
We were greeted by Signor Stefano Salvucci, one of the owners of the restaurant. He was very pleasant and dapper, attired in a sharp suit. The atmosphere inside was warm and comfortable. One of the walls was antique brick and mortar, several walls were a warm light orange, and there were sections of more modern brick. The tables were covered with an elaborate dark red table cloth covered by a white cloth. There was a rose on each table. There were also a couple of tables outside, but it was too cool to dine al fresco.
Signor Salvucci
As with many of the restaurants where we dined, an English-Language menu was available.
The meal was superb.
Linda and I shared an antipasto plate called The Tastes of the House (Gli Assagini della Casa) for €10. It had seven different items, including:
- Warm eggplant medallion with fresh tomato & basil (Medaglione caldo di melanzane con pomodoro fresco e basilico)
- A small salad of spelt, rocket, cherry tomatoes, shavings of grana padano cheese and balsamic vinegar (L'insalatina di farro con la rucola, i pomodorini, le scaglie di grana e l'aceto balsamico)
- Prosciutto & melon
- Vegetable quiche (La quiche con le verdure)
- A warm sausage and vegetable tart (Sfogliata calda con verdura e salsiccia)
Linda had:
- Thinly sliced veal in a sauce of a sweet Montefalco Passito wine (La Piccatina con il Sagrantino Passito di Montefalco) for €13
- Grilled vegetables (Verdure alla Griglia) for €4. The vegetables were zucchini, eggplant and tomatoes from the trattoria’s garden.
I had Spoleto-style strangozzi pasta (Strangozzi alla Spoletina), made with fresh rather than dried pasta. for €8. Spoleto-style strangozzi is cooked in tomato sauce, garlic, red pepper, and parsley. Strangozzi is an Umbrian pasta. Another name for this pasta is strozzapreti. It means, “priest strangler.” Strangozzi also comes from a word meaning, “to strangle.” Supposedly, these names derive from the tradition of families inviting the parish priest to dinner and vying with one another to see who could best fill him with food. Strangozzi alla Spoletina is a typical dish of Spoleto. You can find a typical recipe for it at
For dessert, we both had Crescionda Spoletina, a traditional Umbrian chocolate cake, for €4 each. The ingredients were:
- eggs, milk, chocolate fondant, amaretto cookies, flour, sugar, anise, and lemon zest
- eggs, milk, chocolate fondant, amaretto cookies, flour, sugar, anise, and lemon zest
Our wine was a red 2007 Antonelli Rosso di Montefalco made from sangiovese and sagrantino grapes for €13. It was very nice.
We ended the meal with an expresso for €1 each.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Norcia & The Sibillini Mountains National Park
During our stay in Spoleto, we made an easy day trip to the gastronomically famous town of Norcia, and the nearby Sibillini Mountains National Park (Parco Nazionale dei Monti Sibillini). Norcia is famous for its pork products, truffles, lentils from nearby Castelluccio, and chocolates.
Moscatelli Tartufi
After enjoying the views for a while, we drove back down to Norcia and continued back to Spoleto. Shortly after we started down the road toward Norcia, our GPS lady, whom we had named Carmela, tried to take us back to Spoleto via a different route. I already knew from having studied the map that the GPS route would have been a mistake. Nice try Carmela.
Norcia was 44 km (27 miles) east of Spoleto. The drive took about an hour and was very easy. We arrived there about 1240. We took the SS3 about 5-6 km north from Spoleto and then took the SS685/SR209 (same road with two names) all the way to Norcia. The road was a good, 2-lane road that went through wooded valleys, small villages, etc. Just after we got onto the SS685/SR209, we went through a tunnel that was about 4 km long.
Norcia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norcia) is a town of about 4,700 people and is about 2,000 feet above sea level. It was conquered by the Romans in 290 BC. They called it Nursia. It was the birthplace of St. Benedict (founder of the Benedictines and patron saint of Europe) and his twin sister Saint Scolastica. They were born there in 480 AD. The main basilica in town is dedicated to St. Benedict.
The old center of Norcia is flat, which is unusual for Italian towns, and it is surrounded by 14th Century walls. It has suffered many earthquakes, including several that were devastating.
It is famous for its butchers, pork products, and lentils. In fact, butchers from Norcia are so well known for their skills throughout Italy, that one word for a “butcher” is a “Norcino” (man from Norcia). One story that accounts for the skill of the butchers is that the butchers learned their “surgical skill” from a well-known medical school in Norcia. Another is that the medical school learned from the butchers.
Many people emigrated from Norcia to the U.S. in the 19th Century.
We parked our car in a pay parking space just outside the walls and next to the Roman Gate (Porta Romana) through the old walls of the town. I went to a parking machine and paid €2 for 4 hours parking. The machine printed out a receipt, and I put it on the dashboard so it would be visible through the windshield.
The Roman Gate was massive and appeared to be at least 35 feet high. Toward the top were the words, “Vetusta Nursia” (Ancient Norcia).
The Roman Gate
We walked through the gate and down the corso Sertorio. There were a number of very nice food shops along this street. One of them was Moscatelli Tartufi (Moscatelli Truffles - http://www.moscatellitartufi.com/) It was full of truffles, hams, sausages, lentils, etc. One size jar of black truffles was the 50 gram size (1.76 ounces). It was selling for €45. The clerk working in the store said that the prosciutto (hams) hanging in the store were aged for at least 2 years before they were sold. On our way back to our car when we left town, I stopped back in this store and bought a bag of Castelluccio lentils for €6.50. These lentils, from the town of Castelluccio up in the nearby mountains, are perhaps the most famous in Italy. I have not been able to find them in the U.S.
Moscatelli Tartufi
Hams, Cheeses, & Wild Boar in Moscatelli Tartufi
One of the food stores displayed a box of “Cojoni di Mulo” (Mule Balls). They are not the real thing, but rather a type of salami that has the shape of the real thing. They are sold in pairs.
We walked into the small Piazza Vittorio Veneto, where there was a nice produce stand, a theater, and a memorial to fallen soldiers. Above the buildings at the rear of the piazza was a beautiful view of mountains rising up over the town.
We then stopped for lunch at the restaurant Granaro del Monte, the oldest restaurant in Umbria (http://www.bianconi.com/english/restaurant_norcia_granaro.asp). We sat at an outdoor table under awning. The temperature was perfect for dining outdoors. Our waiter was a gentleman named Franco.
Granaro del Monte
We started with Le Norcinerie, an antipasto of seven different types of cold cuts including regular prosciutto, wild boar prosciutto, and various salamis. There were also a couple of pieces of cheese. There was a fresh fig in the center of the dish. This wonderful platter cost €7.50. I had chosen this dish to taste some of Norcia’s justifiably famous pork products.
Linda had grilled sausages (Salsiccie alla Griglia) for €7.90 and rosemary potatoes (Patate al Rosmarino) for €3.50.
I had mixed mushrooms, including porcini, with garlic and parsley (Funghi Trifolati) for €3.80 and sausage and Castelluccio lentils (Salsiccie e Lenticchie di Castelluccio) for €9.90. I had chosen this dish because it combined local pork sausage with the famous Castelluccio lentils.
Our wine was a bottle of red 2007 Scacciadiavoli from Montefalco, made from Sagrantino grapes, for €14. It was very nice. “Scacciadiavoli” means, “Chase devils.”
We also had the usual bottle of mineral water.
The total cost of this wonderful meal for Linda and me was €53.70.
After lunch, we continued walking down the corso Sertorio to the Piazza San Benedetto (Piazza St. Benedict).
Among the buildings around the piazza, were the 13th Century Basilica of St. Benedict and the town hall. According to one account, St. Benedict and his twin sister were born in a house that once stood on the spot where the basilica was built. Attached to the basilica is a Benedictine monastery.
Looking up a street between the basilica and the town hall, one can see a mountain rising up over the town.
Basilica of St. Benedict
On another side of the piazza is the Castellina, a fortress built in the 16th century for the papal governors.
To the left of the Castellina is the town’s cathedral, St. Maria Argentea. Between the Castellina and the cathedral, one can see another of the mountains surrounding the town.
In the center of the piazza is a large statue of St. Benedict.
We walked out of the piazza onto via Giuseppe Mazzini and immediately came to a well-known chocolate shop, Cioccolateria Vetusta Nursia di Verucci. Above the store was an English-Language sign that stated, “We produced and we sell the bestest chocolate of the world.” We enjoyed browsing around and chatting with the two ladies working in the shop, however, didn’t purchase anything because we did not want to carry chocolates with us.
Cioccolateria Vetusta Nursia
After leaving the chocolate shop, we returned to our car via the piazza and the corso Sertorio.
Our next objective was to drive up into the Sibillini Mountains National Park (http://www.sibillini.net/en/index.html ). I had read about the park in Michael Tucker’s book, Living in a Foreign Language. I then checked it out on YouTube and elsewhere, and discovered it was as beautiful as Tucker said it was. If fact, it is even prettier in the spring when the Piano Grande, a high plain up in the mountains is carpeted with blooming flowers. This spring flowering is called, “La Fioritura” or “La Fiorita.” To get an idea of the beauty of the Piano Grande and the Fiorita, do a Flickr search on Castelluccio or see the following YouTube videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3ARGedppTI&feature=related & http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3ARGedppTI&feature=related
I also had looked at YouTube videos to check out the road to the park. It looked fine, if occasionally a bit narrow.
The distance from Norcia to where we stopped in the park above the Piano Grande was 20 km (12.4 miles). We drove on the SS685/SP476 on the west side of town and then due south about 7 km. Then we turned onto the SP477. From that point, we climbed up into the mountains. The higher up we went, the more spectacular were the views we saw - miles and miles of lush forested mountains and a long valley.
On the Drive up to the Park
During the last half of that drive, we climbed at least 700 meters (about 3,000 feet) in altitude. The drive from Norcia took us about half an hour.
When we came up over the top of the hills, we pulled over to the side of the road and got out to enjoy the spectacular views. Below us was the Piano Grande stretching for miles and surrounded by mountains. Above us was a beautiful blue sky with scattered clouds. On a hill in the distance was the small town of Castelluccio.
Piano Grande
In addition to the beauty of the Piano Grande and the surrounding mountains, we were greeted by a pleasant surprise - a number of horses, a baby mule, and an adult mule were walking nearby. They were very tame and easily approachable. They walked on the road and across the grass, and then continued on their way.
After enjoying the views for a while, we drove back down to Norcia and continued back to Spoleto. Shortly after we started down the road toward Norcia, our GPS lady, whom we had named Carmela, tried to take us back to Spoleto via a different route. I already knew from having studied the map that the GPS route would have been a mistake. Nice try Carmela.
It took us an hour and 25 minutes to get back. We saw carabinieri (police) at four different places along the side of the road between Norcia and Spoleto. We arrived back at the hotel at 1805, after an easy drive.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Porchetta Sandwiches - A Central Italian Delight
Porchetta is a type of wonderful pork that is used in sandwiches and is celebrated in central Italy (and by us). It is said to have originated in Umbria or Lazio (the region where Rome is located). It is most common in Umbria, Tuscany, and Lazio. It is also popular in some Italian communities in the U.S. and in southern Ontario, Canada - in areas such as Toronto, Hamilton, and St. Catherines. That probably accounts for why Donna, who lives in Ontario, has had great porchetta made by a friend of Italian origin. (See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porchetta).
Basically, fatty suckling pig stuffed with garlic, fennel, rosemary, salt, and pepper is slow-roasted for hours. The skin is cracklingly crispy and the meat is moist. The porchetta is served on wonderful rolls. It is generally sold from trucks.
I had read about porchetta in Michael Tucker’s book, “Living in a Foreign Language.” He had written about buying porchetta sandwiches from trucks on the via Flaminia outside of town. However, Signor Diotallevi, the owner of Palazzo Dragon, suggested that the best place to get porchetta would be to go to the Friday outdoor market and look for the porchetta truck with the longest line. We followed his advice and hit the jackpot.
The truck with the longest line was Mazocchi Serafino’s. His porchetta sandwiches were absolutely incredible. Linda, Donna, and I each had one. I can’t begin to describe how delicious they were. They cost €2 each. One could buy just the porchetta meat and not the sandwich, and pay by weight. Many people were buying just the meat.
The name “Serafino's” is inside the truck behind the counter. On the awning above the counter, it says, “Porchetta Panini Bibite.” At chest height, it says, “La Porchetta.”
In this age of social networking, even Serafino’s has a Facebook page and a blog, and there are even YouTube videos. The Facebook page has lots of complimentary posts in Italian, along with a photo of a hapless/delicious pig. The blog has very little. The YouTube video was taken in January, demonstrating that Serafino’s fans are devoted even in winter.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Ristorante Tric Trac, Piazza del Duomo, Spoleto
Our first meal on this trip to Italy was at Ristorante Tric Trac (http://www.trictrac.it/) at Spoleto’s Piazza del Duomo (Cathedral Piazza). It was recommended by Signor Roberto Diotallevi, the owner of our hotel, Palazzo Dragoni. I had asked him for recommendations of restaurants that served the best Umbrian dishes. Like all his recommendations, it was superb.
We were warmly greeted at Tric Trac, and the ambiance was very elegant. In addition to the tables inside, there were also tables outside on two platforms at the edge of the piazza.
Every dish we had was really delicious. It was a great start to the wonderful dining experiences we would have on this trip.
During the meal, we enjoyed chatting with the owners, Giuseppe D’Amelio and Spartaco Grilli, and our waiter about food and wine. The conversation was very interesting. (See the discussion below about truffles.)
Entrance to the Interior Dining Room
We started with the Antipasto Tric Trac for €14. It had three items:
- Scrambled eggs with truffles
- Crostini with tomato
- Peach with prosciutto
Then Linda and I each had Risotto with Provola Cheese and Truffles (Risotto Mantecato con Provola e Tartuffo) for €23.90.
That was enough food for Linda, but I then had a typical Umbrian dish - Guinea Hen in Salmi in a Casserole Cooked over a Slow Fire (Faraona in Casseruola Cotta a Fuoco Lento in Salmi) for €20.50. (Signor Diotallevi had recommended this dish.) The salmi sauce at Tric Trac was made with guinea hen livers, chicken livers, capers, lemon, garlic, sage, rosemary, white wine, and vinegar. (When I sent Tric Trac an email asking about the ingredients in Salmi, Signor D’Amelio replied very quickly.)
Our wine was an Umbrian red - a 2005 Antonelli Sagrantino di Montefalco for €35. Sagrantino is an indigenous Umbrian grape grown in the town of Montefalco. The wine was a perfect accompaniment to our meal.
The total cost for the meals for the three of us came to €152.60 ($206.01).
Truffles (“tartufo” - singular & “tartufi” - plural) are mushrooms that grow underground. They can cost several thousand dollars a pound. White truffles are more expensive than black truffles. Truffles are very light in weight, and shavings of truffles are placed on foods. Having truffles on a dish can add $15 or more to the cost of the dish. However, it is worth it.
Truffles are not raised, but are found in the woods. Dogs are now used to find them, although pigs were once used.The areas of Italy best know for truffles are the Piedmont, Umbria, and Tuscany. There are white truffles and black truffles. There are also truffles in France and Spain. There are summer truffles and winter truffles.
One of the owners explained the truffle seasons to us. He said that the winter truffles are best, and are available from December through February. He mentioned that the summer truffles are available in July, August, and September. He said we were approaching the end of the summer truffle season.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Palazzo Dragoni - Our Hotel in Spoleto
Our hotel in Spoleto was Palazzo Dragoni, which we selected on the basis of Trip Advisor reviews. It was terrific! (http://www.palazzodragoni.it/Inglese/indexing.htm)
Side View of Palazzo Dragoni
(I could not get a nice front view because of the narrow street. However, see the hotel's web site for a beautiful rear view and other info.)
The building was constructed in the 14th Century by the illustrious Dragoni family. It is located at 13 via del Duomo in the upper end of the town, close to the Cathedral. The hotel is owned and operated by Roberto and Erminia Diotallevi. Roberto was gracious and very helpful. His wife Erminia, who was responsible for preparing the breakfast, was charming, energetic, and talented. She delighted in making beautiful flower and plant arrangements to decoratecommon various rooms in the hotel. She collected the makings for these arrangements in nearby fields. The breakfasts she prepared were excellent. One morning, one of the items in the breakfast buffet was a marvelous blackberry tart she had made from blackberries she had picked herself. She showed us a huge bucket with blackberries she had not yet used.
An Arrangement by Erminia
The breakfast room is very comfortable and through its large glass windows, it provides a magnificent view of the Umbrian hills and the town. There is a nice salon with fireplace on the ground floor. There is also a large room for dining or special functions. There is also an elevator.
Breakfast Room with View
My wife and I stayed in room number 8, and our niece stayed in room number 3. We were all happy with our rooms and loved the hotel.
Our room was very spacious and comfortable. The bed was large with an elegant canopy over the top. The mattress was firm and comfortable. There was a small balcony, with large French doors onto the balcony.
The view from the room was superb. The view was toward the north. In the distance, we could see a range of high hills. To the center right was a large, elegant-looking mansion, at least four storeys high, with a formal garden. A massive retaining wall dropped down below two sides of the garden. Beyond that was the 12th-13th Century church and monastery of San Ponziano. To the right of the mansion was the Duomo - the Cathedral of Spoleto. (Unfortunately, the bell tower of the cathedral was covered in scaffolding.) Beyond the Cathedral and looming above it at the top of a hill was the massive fortress - La Rocca Albornoziana. Between the Cathedral and us were several massive old fir trees. To our left below us was a large section of the city of Spoleto. The buildings we could see appeared to be primarily stone buildings and some with painted walls. The buildings were colored brown, beige, pale yellow and even ochre. Immediately below us were the hotel garden and a couple of large houses.
Views from Our Room
The breakfast buffet at the hotel was very nice. It included cereals, fresh bread, pastries, a variety of fresh and dried fruits, baked apples, cheese, salami, juice, coffees, teas, and bottled water. Erminia would take orders for the coffee or tea, and provide as many refills as requested.
Signor Diotallevi was very helpful in help us in planning our itinerary for our stay in Spoleto, including trips we had planned to Gubbio and Norcia.
He was also very helpful with ideas on how to fulfill my wish to try Umbrian foods. I had prepared a list of unique Umbrian dishes I wanted to try. He looked at the list and explained which dishes might be available. Some dishes were only available during certain seasons. Others were dishes for holidays or special occasions.
At our request, he suggested a different restaurant where we could try local foods each night of our 4-nights in town. The restaurants he suggested were: Ristorante Tric Trac, Ristorante il Pentagramma, Trattoria la Torretta, and Ristorante il Panciolle. All of them were excellent.
He also suggested that the best place to get a porchetta sandwich was at one of the vendors at the weekly Friday outdoor market.
For those who are driving, there were two drawbacks to the hotel, but I would stay there again in a heartbeat and would strongly recommend it. First, it is a bit difficult to reach, and second, the parking is not the most convenient.
We had a Nuvi GPS with our rental car, but it did not always provide the best directions. The hotel’s web site has detailed directions and a map. The hotel’s directions are accurate, but navigation is still difficult because street signs are often missing or not easily visible on buildings. Before I left home, I had used Google street view to follow part of the directions to the hotel, but I still had trouble.
The GPS suggested entering the town from the southern entrance off the SS3, the via Flaminia. That did not work out and it took us a while to get things sorted out. The hotel’s directions suggested entering the town from the northern entrance off the SS3. That is the right way to go.
What I would like to see hotel owners do is to create a video of how to reach their hotel and post that video on their web site. A guest could load that video onto a smart phone or iPad and use that to help navigate.
There were one or two tight parking spaces on the narrow street outside the hotel. There was additional parking about a block away.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Spoleto
The first stop on our recent trip to Italy was Spoleto in the hills of Umbria. I had chosen Spoleto after reading Michael Tucker’s book, “Living in a Foreign Language.” Tucker and his wife, Jill Eikenberry, starred on the hit TV series, L.A. Law. Their book describes their adventures in finding and renovating a home near Spoleto, and enjoying life there. (I highly recommend the book.)
While we enjoyed our Umbrian stay very much, if you were to ask me to choose between Tuscany and this part of Umbria for a first visit, I would choose central Tuscany, specifically Siena, the Chianti Classico area, Montalcino, Montepulciano, San Gimigniano, Volterra, and Cortona - plus a compulsory stop in Florence. Why? - because of the Tuscan scenery, foods, wines, and attractions. After leaving Spoleto, we returned to revisit most of the aforementioned areas of Tuscany.
We were in Spoleto for about 3 & ½ days in late September. The weather was excellent, with high temperatures in the mid 70’s.
While we were there, we visited two other Umbrian towns - Gubbio and Norcia, as well as the Sibilline Mountains National Park near Norcia.
Spoleto (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spoleto and http://www.spoletonews.it/storia.php) is a charming hill town of about 39,000 inhabitants. It has nice shops and restaurants, and appears to have a vibrant and youthful population. Its attractions include a massive 14th Century fortress above the town; an impressive 14th Century aqueduct; some Roman ruins; Monteluco - a mountain which offers beautiful views of the countryside; and a decent weekly outdoor market.
Outdoor Market, Cathedral, Fortress, Monteluco
(In upcoming blog postings, I will describe our wonderful hotel in Spoleto, the restaurants we tried, other Spoleto experiences, and our visits to Gubbio, Norcia, and the national park.)
We were not in Spoleto for its most interesting attraction - The Festival of Two Worlds (Festival dei Due Mondi). This huge annual festival of the arts - art, theater, music, opera, and cinema - lasts for over 2 weeks. This year, it was held from June 18 to July 4. You can see the extensive schedule of events at http://www.festivaldispoleto.com/interno.asp?id=115&lang=eng and http://www.festivaldispoleto.com/interno.asp?id=121&lang=eng.
Charleston, South Carolina has a similar festival called the Spoleto Festival.
Spoleto is at least 2,500 years old. It was settled by Umbrian tribes. Two kilometers of walls from the 5th Century BC still survive. It is 1,300 feet above sea level.
From Our Hotel Room
The town was conquered by the Romans in 295 BC. The town proved to be an important ally of Rome. When the Carthaginian general Hannibal’s army defeated the Roman garrisons at nearby Lake Trasimeno, the Spoletans engaged the Carthaginians in battle and inflicted heavy casualties on them, forcing Hannibal to divert his army toward Piceno and Puglia rather than moving on Rome.
During the period of the Roman Empire, Spoleto was used as a vacation retreat by wealthy Romans, who built villas there.
The city was subsequently conquered by the Lombards and ruled by them for several centuries.
In 1155 AD, the city was destroyed by Frederick I Barbarossa, King of Germany, King of Italy, Holy Roman Emperor, etc. At the time of its destruction, Spoleto had been a very rich, prosperous city. Needless to say, its destruction had a disastrous affect on every aspect of its life.
In 1231 AD, Frederick II gave control of the city to the church under Pope Gregory IX.
In the middle of the 14th Century, the Catholic Church decided to use Spoleto as a strategic base for the reconquest of lands for the Church. In 1362, Cardinal Albornoz, who had been entrusted with heading this endeavor, commissioned the building of the massive fortification to be named after him - the Rocca Albornoziana.
Spoleto from the Fortress
During the Napoleonic occupation of Italy (1809 - 1815), Spoleto played an important role as the capital of the Department of Trasimeno. There was a great renewal of political and social activity, accompanied by a building boom. That all came to an end with the return of control to the Papacy.
Side Street off Via del Municipio
With the reunification of Italy, progress returned to the city. However, the impact of World War II and a 1958 crisis related to lignite mining caused severe economic and demographic damage to the city.
Several subsequent events led to the revival of the city. First, was the A1 expressway, which connected Umbria to Rome. Second, was the establishment of the National Experimental Theater and the Italian Center for Medieval Studies. Third, was the establishment in 1958 of the annual Festival of the Two Worlds
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Tuscan & Umbrian Dishes and Wines
We'll be going back to Umbria & Tuscany soon, so I've made a list of some food terms and some Tuscan and Umbrian dishes and wines. I've concentrated on dishes that are either regional specialties or specialties of the towns we'll be visiting. We're going to Spoleto, Norcia, and Gubbio in Umbria, and Montalcino, Montepulciano, Cortona, Siena, the whole Chianti Classico area, and San Gimignano. I've tried some of the dishes before, and I've even cooked a few, but there are a number of dishes I'd like to try for the first time. There are others I plan to avoid. Hope I haven't missed any important dishes.
Some Terms
Antipasto - appetizer - literally means “before the meal”
Bacelli - Tuscan word for fava beans
Cacio - Tuscan word for cheese
Casalinga - Home cooking
Castagne - chestnuts, used in flour and otherwise in many Tuscan dishes (see marroni)
Chiocciole - snails
Lumache - snails
Marroni - chestnuts. Rounder, more plump, and more expensive than castagne
Nepitella - a unique wild herb that is described as a cross between oregano & mint or basil & mint. Considered one of the key herbs for every Tuscan kitchen & very important in Umbria
Ricci - sea urchin
Sagra - Italian word for a food-related festival. Other names for a festival are: festa, festa popolare, and fiera. A festa or a fiera can be food oriented. I am not sure of the different connotations of these terms A festa religiosa is a religious festival.
Tramezzino - a type of sandwich. The difference between tramezzini and panini is the bread. Tramezzini use soft, slice bread (that looks like Wonderbread slices). The tramezzini are triangular in shape.
Tartufi - Truffles. Truffles are “fungal fruiting bodies.” They’re like mushrooms, but grow underground. White truffles are tartufi bianchi and black truffles are tartufi neri. They are rare, expensive, and tasty. In the past, pigs were used to hunt truffles. Now, dogs are primarily used.
Umbria
1. Umbrian Dishes
Attorta – apple-filled pastry dessert (Gubbio)
Beccaccia alla norcina – woodcock stuffed with gizzards, with sausage, butter, marjoram, thyme, and in season with white truffles (Norcia)
Brustengolo - a dessert made with corn flour(Gubbio)- Budelline – intestines
Castagnole – dessert made with eggs, sugar, yeast, flour, lard, honey, and anise liqueur in shape of chestnuts and fried (Gubbio)
Ceci e farro, minestra de – Chickpea & farro soup
Ceci e quadrucci - chick peas and quadrucci pasta soup
Ceriole/ciriole – type of rustic pasta season with a soffrito of garlic & oil
Ciauscolo - a spreadable salame, originally from the Le Marche region
Crescia – Gubbio specialty. Like focaccia bread. Can be eaten plain or stuffed with sausage, prosciutto, pecorino. Must have.
Cresciole di ciccioli – Rounded cakes that can be sweet or salted (Gubbio)
Farro - traditional grain. Used in soups salads and other dishes. Fed the Roman legions. Translated as “spelt,” but is supposedly not the same thing.
Farro al prosciutto – minestra w. soffritto, prosciutto bone & fat, olive oil, grated cheese
Fettunta (A Tuscan word for bruschetta)
Frascarelli – rich pasta soup once reserved for nursing women
Lenticchie di Castelluccio - famous lentils from the town of Castelluccio. Meaty texture.
Mazzafegati - sausages made with pork liver & other ingredients
Miele di Castagno - Chestnut honey (Spoleto)
Minestra di Cavolo Nero (Soup of Tuscan Black Cabbage)
Mungana – type of milk-fed veal
Mostaccioli – cookies made during vendemmia
Pagliata – veal intestine
Passata di fave di finocchietto selvatico – puree of beans of wild fennel
Porchetta – fantastic pork sandwhich (Norcia)
Prosciutto (Norcia)
Salumi
Strangozzi al tartufo – strangozzi pasta with truffles
Strascinati – pasta with sauted sausage mixed with eggs mix with parmesan cheese
Tortino di patate con lenticchie
Trecciole – intestines cooked on embers
Umbrici – rough, spaghetti-like pasta
Zuppa di Farro - soup with farro grain
Zuppa di Verdura (vegetable soup, includes stale bread)
Wines
In addition to Umbrian reds I’ve had, I'd like to try
Grecchetto white wine (Spoleto)
Tuscany
1. Tuscan
Acquacotta Maremmana (“Cooked Water” soup) (Maremma)
Agnello - lamb
Anatra in porchetta (also called Nana in Porchetta) - roast duck
Arista (“alla Fiorentina” or “alla Toscana”) pork roast with garlic, rosemary, olive oil, sometimes sage - name from Greek word meaning “the best”
Baccalà alla Fiorentina (Florentine-style salt cod), many variations
Bastardo - a type of salame originally from Montalcino (also called Mezzone). Principally pork with a bit of beef
Biancomangiare - a mousse/custard with ground almonds. An older version included chicken.
Biroldo - blood sausage
Bistecca alla Fiorentina (Forentine steak, minimum size of 2 lbs.) I love it!
* Bread (pane) - Tuscan bread is different from other Italian bread because it is made without salt. I have read two reasons for this:
1. During the 12th Century rivalry between Florence and the powerful maritime republic of Pisa, Pisa blocked the delivery of salt into the interior of Tuscany.
2. Salt was heavily taxed in Tuscany.
Buglione di Agnello - Lamb Casserole (Maremma)
Buristo - blood sausage
Bruschetta (see fettunta)
Budino di Riso - a rice pudding pastry
Cacciucco all’Uso della Costa Maremmana - Maremma Coast Seafood Soup (Maremma)
Caciotta - a Tuscan cheese
Cantucci (cookies, biscuits) eaten with Vin Santo
Capocollo - pork shoulder cold cut
Capponi - capons
Castagnaccio - chestnut cake
Castagne Ubbriache - literally “Drunken Chestnuts” - chestnuts in red wine
Cavalluccio - rustic biscotti
Ceci - chick peas - in lots of dishes
Cenci - fried sweet pastries usually made at Carnival time in Jan & Feb
Cervello - brain
Chianina beef from the Val di Chiana (which includes Siena, Montalcino, Montepulciano & Cortona) (http://www.val-di-chiana.com/)
Cinghiale - wild boar - used in many Tuscan dishes. Try a cinghiale ragù (sauce) over pappardelle or tagliatelle or pici pasta
Cinta Senese Pork (Siena area) - Cinta Senese pigs are a distinct breed with a white band around the fore part of the body.
Cipollata - duck sausage
Coniglio - rabbit
Crespelle alla Fiorentina - Florentine style crespelle. Crespelle are Italian crepes.
Crostini - toasted bread with various toppings - an antipasto. Similar to bruschetta & fettunta but smaller sized bread - baguette size. One of the most popular is crostini di fegato - crostini with chicken liver.
Crostoni - similar to but larger than crostini
Dolceforte - a type of sauce whose name means “sweet and strong.” It is used with meats - typically, wild boar (cinghiale) and hare (lepre). It has ingredients such as chocolate, candied fruit, sugar, raisins, onions, carrots, celery, etc.
Fagiano - pheasant
Fagioli al Fiasco - A simple cannellini bean dish. Fiasco means, “flask.”
Fagioli all’Uccelletto - cannellini bean stew with or without sausages
Faraona - guinea fowl
Farro - traditional grain. Used in soups salads and other dishes. Fed the Roman legions.
Fegatelli - pork liver
Fegato - liver
Fettunta - a Tuscan word for Bruschetta. Originally - 2 day old bread toasted and coated with olive oil & garlic. Larger than crostini. Now made with various toppings.
Ficattola - a sweet bread made with figs and often served with prosciutto
Finocchiona (Fennel-flavored salami)
Fiori di Zucca Fritti - fried zucchini flowers
Fiori di Zucchini Ripieni di Salsiccia - Fried zucchini flowers stuffed w. sausage (Siena)
Ginestrata - a soup with egg yolk, chicken broth, marsala, nutmeg, cinnamon, sugar.
Guanciale, flavorful pig’s cheek - used as a flavoring in dishes rather than eaten alone
Lampredotto - type of tripe
Maremmana beef from the Maremma (Maremma)
Marroni - type of chestnuts
Marzolino cheese (probably only available in March, as name implies)
Melatelli - apples fried in batter
Migliaccio - various dishes, including a cake dessert, made with fresh pig’s blood
Milza - spleen
Minestra di Cavolo Nero - Black cabbage soup
Nana in porchetta - roast duck
Pan Co Santi - Autumn walnut, raisin, pepper bread
Panforte (fruit and nut cake) (Siena), (Montalcino)
Pan pepato - version with spicy crust
Margherita - fruitier version with powdered sugar
Panunto - another Tuscan word for fettunta
Panzanella (Salad including stale bread)
Pappa al Pomodoro (Tomato soup)
Pappardelle sulla lepre - papardelle pasta on hare
Pappardelle al Cinghiali (can be with porcini) - pappardelle pasta with wild boar
Pasta e ceci alla Toscana - pasta & chick pea soup
Pasta e fagioli soup - Tuscan version w. cannellini beans and ditali or ditaloni pasta
Pecorino cheese - many, many types
Piccione - pigeon
Pici pasta dishes (Siena & south)
Pieducci - pig’s feet
Pinci (same as pici pasta)
Plum preserves made from plum (susina) called Coscia di Monaca (Nun’s Thigh)
Porcini mushrooms (porcini means “little pigs.”) Season is Sep - Oct
Prosciutto. A unique type of prosciutto, saltier, with very low production. For details, see http://www.florencevillas.com/newsletter/nl_21.htm#dis
Raveggiolo - a delicate, soft white Tuscan cheese
Ribollita (Reboiled soup)
Ricciarelli - almond & macaroon cookies (Siena)
Rigaglie - giblets
Risotto al Chianti - risotto with beef or sausages and chianti wine (many variations)
Salsiccie (sausages)
Salumi - various cold cuts
Salviata - sage pie, sage omelet
Sanguinaccio - blood sausage
Sbricciolona - a type of finocchiona (fennel salami)
Schiacciata - Tuscan flat bread. Various types, including sweet and with grapes.
Scottiglia - meat stew with almost any kind of meat. Originally from the Maremma.
Stiracchio - boiled beef, tomatoes, garlic, red onions, etc.
Tartufo bianco - white truffles (Montepulciano, Crete Senesi)
Tartufo nero - dark truffles
Tiramisu (Siena)
Tordo - thrush. Montalcino has a thrush festical (Sagra del Tordo) last weekend of Oct.
Torrone - nougat sweet made with honey, almonds, sugar, egg whites (Siena)
Torta di Riso - Rice tart, a dessert
Tortelli Maremmani e Sugo - Maremma Tortelli & Sauce (Maremma)
Tortino di Carciofi - Artichoke flan/omelet/souffle
Trippa alla Fiorentina (Florentine Tripe)
Umido - stew. Usually “in umido” Various types.
Zafferano (saffron) (San Gimignano)
* Zucotto - a Tuscan dessert cake with whipped cream, chocolate, and nuts. Its
name supposedly derives from the word for a cardinal's skullcap.
Zuppa del Duca (same as Zuppa Inglese). Created in Siena. It's like English trifle.
Zuppa di Fagioli alla Senese - Sienese bean soup (Siena)
Zuppa Frantoiana - Olive mill soup - typically associated with the olive harvest in late autumn
Zuppa di Lentichie col Fagiano - Lentil soup with pheasant
Zuppa di Rane - Frog Soup
Zuppa di Verdura - Vegetable soup
Zuppa Inglese (see Zuppa del Duca) - dessert
Tuscan Wines
In addition to Brunello, Chianti Classico, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, there are a couple of Tuscan wines I'd lie to try or have again.
Galestro - white made primarily from Trebbiano & Malvasia (Chianti)
Vernaccia di San Gimignano (San Gimignano)
Some Terms
Antipasto - appetizer - literally means “before the meal”
Bacelli - Tuscan word for fava beans
Cacio - Tuscan word for cheese
Casalinga - Home cooking
Castagne - chestnuts, used in flour and otherwise in many Tuscan dishes (see marroni)
Chiocciole - snails
Lumache - snails
Marroni - chestnuts. Rounder, more plump, and more expensive than castagne
Nepitella - a unique wild herb that is described as a cross between oregano & mint or basil & mint. Considered one of the key herbs for every Tuscan kitchen & very important in Umbria
Ricci - sea urchin
Sagra - Italian word for a food-related festival. Other names for a festival are: festa, festa popolare, and fiera. A festa or a fiera can be food oriented. I am not sure of the different connotations of these terms A festa religiosa is a religious festival.
Tramezzino - a type of sandwich. The difference between tramezzini and panini is the bread. Tramezzini use soft, slice bread (that looks like Wonderbread slices). The tramezzini are triangular in shape.
Tartufi - Truffles. Truffles are “fungal fruiting bodies.” They’re like mushrooms, but grow underground. White truffles are tartufi bianchi and black truffles are tartufi neri. They are rare, expensive, and tasty. In the past, pigs were used to hunt truffles. Now, dogs are primarily used.
Umbria
1. Umbrian Dishes
Attorta – apple-filled pastry dessert (Gubbio)
Beccaccia alla norcina – woodcock stuffed with gizzards, with sausage, butter, marjoram, thyme, and in season with white truffles (Norcia)
Brustengolo - a dessert made with corn flour(Gubbio)- Budelline – intestines
Castagnole – dessert made with eggs, sugar, yeast, flour, lard, honey, and anise liqueur in shape of chestnuts and fried (Gubbio)
Ceci e farro, minestra de – Chickpea & farro soup
Ceci e quadrucci - chick peas and quadrucci pasta soup
Ceriole/ciriole – type of rustic pasta season with a soffrito of garlic & oil
Ciauscolo - a spreadable salame, originally from the Le Marche region
Crescia – Gubbio specialty. Like focaccia bread. Can be eaten plain or stuffed with sausage, prosciutto, pecorino. Must have.
Cresciole di ciccioli – Rounded cakes that can be sweet or salted (Gubbio)
Farro - traditional grain. Used in soups salads and other dishes. Fed the Roman legions. Translated as “spelt,” but is supposedly not the same thing.
Farro al prosciutto – minestra w. soffritto, prosciutto bone & fat, olive oil, grated cheese
Fettunta (A Tuscan word for bruschetta)
Frascarelli – rich pasta soup once reserved for nursing women
Lenticchie di Castelluccio - famous lentils from the town of Castelluccio. Meaty texture.
Mazzafegati - sausages made with pork liver & other ingredients
Miele di Castagno - Chestnut honey (Spoleto)
Minestra di Cavolo Nero (Soup of Tuscan Black Cabbage)
Mungana – type of milk-fed veal
Mostaccioli – cookies made during vendemmia
Pagliata – veal intestine
Passata di fave di finocchietto selvatico – puree of beans of wild fennel
Porchetta – fantastic pork sandwhich (Norcia)
Prosciutto (Norcia)
Salumi
Strangozzi al tartufo – strangozzi pasta with truffles
Strascinati – pasta with sauted sausage mixed with eggs mix with parmesan cheese
Tortino di patate con lenticchie
Trecciole – intestines cooked on embers
Umbrici – rough, spaghetti-like pasta
Zuppa di Farro - soup with farro grain
Zuppa di Verdura (vegetable soup, includes stale bread)
Wines
In addition to Umbrian reds I’ve had, I'd like to try
Grecchetto white wine (Spoleto)
Tuscany
1. Tuscan
Acquacotta Maremmana (“Cooked Water” soup) (Maremma)
Agnello - lamb
Anatra in porchetta (also called Nana in Porchetta) - roast duck
Arista (“alla Fiorentina” or “alla Toscana”) pork roast with garlic, rosemary, olive oil, sometimes sage - name from Greek word meaning “the best”
Baccalà alla Fiorentina (Florentine-style salt cod), many variations
Bastardo - a type of salame originally from Montalcino (also called Mezzone). Principally pork with a bit of beef
Biancomangiare - a mousse/custard with ground almonds. An older version included chicken.
Biroldo - blood sausage
Bistecca alla Fiorentina (Forentine steak, minimum size of 2 lbs.) I love it!
* Bread (pane) - Tuscan bread is different from other Italian bread because it is made without salt. I have read two reasons for this:
1. During the 12th Century rivalry between Florence and the powerful maritime republic of Pisa, Pisa blocked the delivery of salt into the interior of Tuscany.
2. Salt was heavily taxed in Tuscany.
Buglione di Agnello - Lamb Casserole (Maremma)
Buristo - blood sausage
Bruschetta (see fettunta)
Budino di Riso - a rice pudding pastry
Cacciucco all’Uso della Costa Maremmana - Maremma Coast Seafood Soup (Maremma)
Caciotta - a Tuscan cheese
Cantucci (cookies, biscuits) eaten with Vin Santo
Capocollo - pork shoulder cold cut
Capponi - capons
Castagnaccio - chestnut cake
Castagne Ubbriache - literally “Drunken Chestnuts” - chestnuts in red wine
Cavalluccio - rustic biscotti
Ceci - chick peas - in lots of dishes
Cenci - fried sweet pastries usually made at Carnival time in Jan & Feb
Cervello - brain
Chianina beef from the Val di Chiana (which includes Siena, Montalcino, Montepulciano & Cortona) (http://www.val-di-chiana.com/)
Cinghiale - wild boar - used in many Tuscan dishes. Try a cinghiale ragù (sauce) over pappardelle or tagliatelle or pici pasta
Cinta Senese Pork (Siena area) - Cinta Senese pigs are a distinct breed with a white band around the fore part of the body.
Cipollata - duck sausage
Coniglio - rabbit
Crespelle alla Fiorentina - Florentine style crespelle. Crespelle are Italian crepes.
Crostini - toasted bread with various toppings - an antipasto. Similar to bruschetta & fettunta but smaller sized bread - baguette size. One of the most popular is crostini di fegato - crostini with chicken liver.
Crostoni - similar to but larger than crostini
Dolceforte - a type of sauce whose name means “sweet and strong.” It is used with meats - typically, wild boar (cinghiale) and hare (lepre). It has ingredients such as chocolate, candied fruit, sugar, raisins, onions, carrots, celery, etc.
Fagiano - pheasant
Fagioli al Fiasco - A simple cannellini bean dish. Fiasco means, “flask.”
Fagioli all’Uccelletto - cannellini bean stew with or without sausages
Faraona - guinea fowl
Farro - traditional grain. Used in soups salads and other dishes. Fed the Roman legions.
Fegatelli - pork liver
Fegato - liver
Fettunta - a Tuscan word for Bruschetta. Originally - 2 day old bread toasted and coated with olive oil & garlic. Larger than crostini. Now made with various toppings.
Ficattola - a sweet bread made with figs and often served with prosciutto
Finocchiona (Fennel-flavored salami)
Fiori di Zucca Fritti - fried zucchini flowers
Fiori di Zucchini Ripieni di Salsiccia - Fried zucchini flowers stuffed w. sausage (Siena)
Ginestrata - a soup with egg yolk, chicken broth, marsala, nutmeg, cinnamon, sugar.
Guanciale, flavorful pig’s cheek - used as a flavoring in dishes rather than eaten alone
Lampredotto - type of tripe
Maremmana beef from the Maremma (Maremma)
Marroni - type of chestnuts
Marzolino cheese (probably only available in March, as name implies)
Melatelli - apples fried in batter
Migliaccio - various dishes, including a cake dessert, made with fresh pig’s blood
Milza - spleen
Minestra di Cavolo Nero - Black cabbage soup
Nana in porchetta - roast duck
Pan Co Santi - Autumn walnut, raisin, pepper bread
Panforte (fruit and nut cake) (Siena), (Montalcino)
Pan pepato - version with spicy crust
Margherita - fruitier version with powdered sugar
Panunto - another Tuscan word for fettunta
Panzanella (Salad including stale bread)
Pappa al Pomodoro (Tomato soup)
Pappardelle sulla lepre - papardelle pasta on hare
Pappardelle al Cinghiali (can be with porcini) - pappardelle pasta with wild boar
Pasta e ceci alla Toscana - pasta & chick pea soup
Pasta e fagioli soup - Tuscan version w. cannellini beans and ditali or ditaloni pasta
Pecorino cheese - many, many types
Piccione - pigeon
Pici pasta dishes (Siena & south)
Pieducci - pig’s feet
Pinci (same as pici pasta)
Plum preserves made from plum (susina) called Coscia di Monaca (Nun’s Thigh)
Porcini mushrooms (porcini means “little pigs.”) Season is Sep - Oct
Prosciutto. A unique type of prosciutto, saltier, with very low production. For details, see http://www.florencevillas.com/newsletter/nl_21.htm#dis
Raveggiolo - a delicate, soft white Tuscan cheese
Ribollita (Reboiled soup)
Ricciarelli - almond & macaroon cookies (Siena)
Rigaglie - giblets
Risotto al Chianti - risotto with beef or sausages and chianti wine (many variations)
Salsiccie (sausages)
Salumi - various cold cuts
Salviata - sage pie, sage omelet
Sanguinaccio - blood sausage
Sbricciolona - a type of finocchiona (fennel salami)
Schiacciata - Tuscan flat bread. Various types, including sweet and with grapes.
Scottiglia - meat stew with almost any kind of meat. Originally from the Maremma.
Stiracchio - boiled beef, tomatoes, garlic, red onions, etc.
Tartufo bianco - white truffles (Montepulciano, Crete Senesi)
Tartufo nero - dark truffles
Tiramisu (Siena)
Tordo - thrush. Montalcino has a thrush festical (Sagra del Tordo) last weekend of Oct.
Torrone - nougat sweet made with honey, almonds, sugar, egg whites (Siena)
Torta di Riso - Rice tart, a dessert
Tortelli Maremmani e Sugo - Maremma Tortelli & Sauce (Maremma)
Tortino di Carciofi - Artichoke flan/omelet/souffle
Trippa alla Fiorentina (Florentine Tripe)
Umido - stew. Usually “in umido” Various types.
Zafferano (saffron) (San Gimignano)
* Zucotto - a Tuscan dessert cake with whipped cream, chocolate, and nuts. Its
name supposedly derives from the word for a cardinal's skullcap.
Zuppa del Duca (same as Zuppa Inglese). Created in Siena. It's like English trifle.
Zuppa di Fagioli alla Senese - Sienese bean soup (Siena)
Zuppa Frantoiana - Olive mill soup - typically associated with the olive harvest in late autumn
Zuppa di Lentichie col Fagiano - Lentil soup with pheasant
Zuppa di Rane - Frog Soup
Zuppa di Verdura - Vegetable soup
Zuppa Inglese (see Zuppa del Duca) - dessert
Tuscan Wines
In addition to Brunello, Chianti Classico, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, there are a couple of Tuscan wines I'd lie to try or have again.
Galestro - white made primarily from Trebbiano & Malvasia (Chianti)
Vernaccia di San Gimignano (San Gimignano)
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