2012 Professional development!

Alberto Vanoli

Day one - Milano

Saturday, March 24, 2012
The first days itinerary started at 7:00 p.m at night. At the Principe bar with an aperitif, we enjoyed a glass of prosecco with some hors doeuvres, included crostinies with smoked salmon, with goat cheese, prosciutto and melon, olive ascolane (stuffed fried olives), arancini (fried rice ball), pizzette (small puff pastry pizza), and the night shifted into the first dinner in Italy. Dinner took place in the hotels restaurant, Acanto. The menu was based on local regional foods of Lombardia. It was composed of appetizer family style, pasta and risotto called primi piatti, main course based on meat and dessert.

First course
The appetizers were traditional antipasto allitaliana, which comes with variety of appetizer and usually varies from regions to regions, here in the Lombardia many of them are meat based. This evening we shared plates of local cured meat, tartar of beef, insalata di nervetti - veal salad, pesce in carpione - marinated anchovies, mozzarella, and marinated vegetables

Second course

The food was a good representation of the of Lombardia. Dishes included Risotto alla milanese- Risotto cooked with saffron, Casoncelli alla bergamasca - ravioli filled with meat and sausage, dressed

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with butter, pancetta and sage, and Gnocchetti - Spinach and ricotta dumpling.

Third Course
The main course included veal shank ossobuco, breaded veal milanese style, and vegetable-cheese stuffed veal.

Fourth Course
Dessert also include typical Lombardia dish; Sbrisolonaalmond and corn meal cake. Torta paradiso - is a butter sponge cake and parfait flavored with amaretti cookies. With these dishes we enjoyed local wines. With the first two courses we had a white wine Brolettino Trebbiano di Lugana grape, and Fracia a red Nebbiolo grape.

Grom Gelateria

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Alberto Vanoli

Day Two - Langhe

Sunday, March 25, 2012
This 1st morning, we left Milan to Piemonte region. First stop was in the small village of Tresio, to take look at one of many Barbaresco producers. We visited the azienda agricola Ca del Baio Localita trestelle- Via Ferrere, 33 Tresio (CN) www.cadelbaio.com

Langhe nebibiolo
Size Area Exposure Grape Winemaking Soil
0.75-1.5 lt Tresio and Barbaresco West 100% Nebbiolo Oak barrel Calcareous marl

BarbarescoValgrande
Size Area Exposure Here we had brief look of wine cellars and tasted a few of their wine.
Tresio is a small town in the province of Cuneo in the Piemonte. The name of the town came from the Roman, it means the third, because this small town was located on the third mile on the way to France 0.75-1.5 lt Tresio West 100% Nebbiolo Oak barrel Calcareous marl

Grape Winemaking Soil

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First course
Our lunch took place in a local restaurant in the town of Tresio, the restaurant is called La Ciau del Tornavento Piazza barocco 7- 12050 tresio (CN) www.laciaudeltornavento.it Chef Maurilio prepared traditional dishes based on local ingredients from Piemonte. His dishes were simple yet beautifully presented and perfectly executed every details were carefully thought and every dish had a story to tell. Gamberetti di Sanremo imp anati nella donda gentileshrimp from Sanremo coated with local hazelnuts.
Nocciola tonda gentile delle langhe IGP Corylus avellana
Hazelnut from Piemonte

Shrimps were freshly moist and buttery in texture, the Includes the district of coating was crunchy and the province of Alssandria, Asti, Cuneo, hazelnuts complimented the Novara, Torino, Vercelli, shrimp perfectly. The chef between the Langhe hills explained that he created this the Roero hills and the dish after tasting the shrimps Monferrato. in Liguria. The taste of shrimps reminded him one of the local hazelnuts so he thought it wold be a perfect combinations. Carne cruda battuta al coltello - Tartar of beef chopped with the knife.

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A classic preparation that very simply done, use of the knife to chop the meat, gave the dish a unique texture. Vitello tonnato - Veal in tuna sauce Another traditional appetizer of Piemonte; the veal was cook to a medium temperature to retain the pink color. The sauce was coarsely prepared and served on the side of curled slice of veal

Third course
Cipolla al forno farcita di salsiccia di Bra amaretti e fonduta-oven roasted onions stuffed with sausage and cheese fondue.

Salsiccia di Bra The only sausage in Italy that is prepared by using vela as a lean component of the sausage and fatty part is pork. Seasoning are sea salt, white pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon,mace Then sausage is placed in thin mutton casing

Second course
Asparagi in tazza, uovo pochet, schiuma di parmigiano e tartufo nero - asparagus poached egg, parmigiano foam and truffle Very delicate preparation, A traditional matching of flavors, asparagus, eggs and truffle. Asparagus were placed on the bottom of the bowl, and the egg yolk was warm and runny, the egg white was whipped with milk, cream and parmigiano, then poured over the dish and baked at low temperature till texture became silky, foamy and smooth.

Every chef must have a moms recipe, this is chef Maurillio interpretation of his mothers dish. A slow roasted onions stuffed with a typical sausage from city of Bra, the stuffing had creamy mouth feel from fontina and taleggio cheeses, it had sweetness from the onions and some texture from pieces of sausage.

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Four course
Agnolotti del plin di seirass cotti nel fieno maggengo Pinched ravioli filled with aged ricotta, cooked in hay stock and dressed with alpine butter.

Seirass is a dialect word for ricotta in Piemonte. In this region, ricotta is done using the whey of local cheese sometimes with the addition of a small amount of milk then drained in conical linen cloth. Seirass de fen means ricotta aged in hay. This ricotta is traditionally done in the mountain and transported down to the valley, wrapped in hay to prevent ricotta from breaking.

Fifth course
Piccolo fritto misto alla piemontese - mix of savory and sweet fried preparations

Agnolotti is also typical from Piemonte. This particular variation of Agnolotti is called del plinwhich means pinched, because the pasta is pinched between the filling then cut to the shape of agnolotti. This dish was very delicate, the taste of the fresh and aged ricotta,combined with the alpine butter is unique and full of flavor. What made this dish so distinct was the cooking liquid. The chef boil hay and wild thyme together to make an aromatic liquid, agnolotti cooked in this water picked up all the flavor. This agnolotti were presented cleverly in a nest of hay. Fritto misto is a typical Italian dish prepared in different ways, depending on what region you are in. This one is
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from Piemonte, very unique, consist long list of different cut of meats and sweet items. The chef for this menu made only a small version of it; included lamb brain and meat, apples, semolina flour dumplings, and amaretto cookies.

Seventh Course
Minestrone di frutta e verdura, sorbetto di mele- Fruit and vegetable salad with apple sorbet. This was the perfect ending for a long meal like this one. Very fresh and refreshing. The chef mixed fruits and vegetables with moscato most. As strange it may sounds peas, carrots, cauliflower matched very well with berries and other fruits.

Sixth course
Formaggio con cogn - Cheese with wine most condiment. This dish was very good selections of local cheese, and typical condiment from Piemonte, which made with reduced grape most, quince, pears, figs, prunes and hazelnuts reduced to a sort of thin jam.

At the end of the meal, we were served a digestive liquor called cedronella, the taste reminded me the limoncello. The liquor is similarly done by infusing the leaf of lemon balm in alcohol, then mixed with simple syrup.

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Wines served with this meal were of course local wines from Piemonte; Metodo classico coppo 2005 Barbaresco Cecilia Monte 2007 Barolo Pajana Domenico Clerico 2004 Moscato dAsti Saracco 2011

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Alberto Vanoli

Day Three -Torino and Parma

Monday, March 26, 2012
After a quick walk through to historic city of Torino, we head to Eataly, you may know it from the same store recently opened in New York City. This is the original place, a market where youll find large variety of traditional italian products. The market help customers to find traditional products which they normally wont find in regular stores, making those selected items available at reasonable price (I may have to argue about this, after seeing the prices at Eataly in New York City) The philosophy behind this place is to share the goods and knowledge, also help the smaller producers to sell and promote their products.

Lets Be Smart
Seasonal product, taste better and cost less

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After a quick look of Eataly, we continued our journey to the small town of Montbore, located in the Curone valley. Here we visited a small cheese maker that produce this very historic cheese. This cheeses history goes back to the end of 1400s, it was almost extinct since the last producer was closed 30 years ago. The cheese has been brought back to life, thanks to the presidium of slow food which contracted Carolina Bracco in 1999. Ms. Braccos is the last traditional producer of this cheese. Her skill was passed on to the another producer whom studied ancient cheese making technique. The curios shape of the cheese, tiered just like a wedding cake, is inspired by the Montbore ancient tower. The cheese is made with 70% of cow milk (originally made with the Tortona caw milk, now this particular breed is almost extinct) 25% of ewes milk. The milk curd is broken two times with a wooden spoon, then place to drain into mould of three different sizes, then salted. Removed from the mould, three are stack on top of each other like a wedding cake, and left to age for two weeks to two months. The Aroma of the cheese is a distinctive animal-like fragrance, it appears milky and buttery, when you eat it towards the end chestnuts and grass-like flavor emerges. The rind is smooth and moist and becomes dry and wrinkly as the cheese ripens, the color ranges from white to straw yellow, the texture is soft and uniformed.

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Our lunch took place in the Vallenostra Agriturismo Valle Mongiardino Ligure, (AL) www.vallenostra.it The menu included variety of local dishes, again this was a very simple cuisine, home style service -typical of trattoria. All the cheese, cured meats vegetables, swine meat from cinta senese breed, the ovine meat, and timorasso wine are produced on site, every thing else on the menu are organic products coming from local farmers.
(See video??)

First course
Salmuni dei nostri con fersulla calda - Cured meat with focaccia, Insalata di fagiolane della val borbera - Large white bean salad, La torta pasqualina - the Easter cake Appetizer started with tasting of the local cheese included Ricotta, Mollano ru, mangiardina, cadetto, Montbore. Mix of home made cured meats, two types of salame and lardo, all cure meats were made locally with free-ranged pork cinta senese breed. Salad made with large white beans, buttery taste with silky thin skin. Tart is a traditional savory one, prepared with ricotta and vegetable, the chef today used artichokes.

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This course was simple yet full of flavors - gnocchi was very delicate and light. Risotto perfectly cooked. Local cheese beautifully complemented the preparations with its tingly sharp flavor.

Third course
Barberine al forno con salsine - Local cheese with home made condiments, La nostra porchetta con patate quarantine-Roasted pork with potato. The choices were one of the followings; baked cheese with fig spread and spicy pepper jam, or roasted pork was tenter and succulent, served with buttery bright yellow local roasted potato.

Fourth course
Bunet al cioccolato- Chocolate and amaretti cookies, creme caramel, Torta di mele Carla-Apple tart To finish the meal we had classic cream caramel which flavored with cocoa and amaretti cookies, and a crumbly tart topped with slices of warm local apples.

Second course
Malfatti con la nostra ricotta e ragout vegetarianoRicotta and spinach gnocchi with a vegetable ragout, risotto in salsa di Montbore-Risotto with Montbore cheese and asparagus.

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Late in the afternoon we left Piemonte and enter the region of Emilia Romagna. We went to visit a producer of traditional cured meat in Parma, followed by a tasting of their products. We visited the factory and store Fattoria di Parma via Emilia Ovest, 96, 43012 Sanguinaro,Parma www.lafattoria.it

poked and Culatello is aged for 2-3 months at 10-12C then transfer into cellars where it aged up to 18 months.

Fiocco di culatello
This is another type of cured meat, using the remaining part of the leg from the earlier production of culatello, Apply same ingredients and methods, but aged up to 12 months.

Culatello di Parma
This is a traditional product of Parma province, made from larger group of leg muscle including top-round, eyeround and bottom-rounds of hogs that are born and raised in both Lombardia and Emilia Romagna regions. The diameter is 20-25 cm and its length is about 40 cm, and weight about 4.5 kg. Those meats are aged for 12 to 18 months, the color is red with white steaks of fat. Legs are deboned, trimmed and tied, then hand seasoned with mix of aromatics such as coriander, pepper, garlic, wine, potassium nitrate, ascorbic acid and 2.1% of salt. The legs rest for 12-15 hours then seasoned again and let it rest for 72-96 hours, the twine is removed then wrapped in a pig bladder, tied again. The bladder is
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Strolghino
This is another typical cured meat from the province of Parma, made from trimmed part from the culatello production. It is a salame, 20-40 cm long depends on length of the casing, weigh about 200-300 gr. The salame has distinctive large pieces of fat, well distributed in the meat of red color. Ingredients are pork leg ,salt, pork casing and coarsely grounded pepper. Meat and fat are separated and cut accordingly. Mixed with seasoning and place mechanically in casing, then tied by hands.
Alberto Vanoli

Salame felino
This salame is about 6-7 cm diameter, 30-50 cm in length, and weigh 800-1000 gr. It has a grayish exterior color. When cut, it appears red in color with distinctive white fat, the grain is medium, and it is aged for at least 20 days up to 60 day Ingredients: meat is from the lean part of the leg and the shoulder (70-85%), and fat from jaw, lard and belly (15-30%), salt (2.4%) and black pepper and garlic, dextrose, and addition of preservatives and antioxidant. The meat is chopped with machine and fat is cut by hand, dressed with seasoning, then ground to a medium grain. Mixed and placed in casing,this casing is so called budello gentile, which is the last part of the intestine. Dried at 17-22 C and 60-83% humidity for 4-7 days. Aged at 15C with 77-90% humidity for 20 days.
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Culatta or culatello con cotenna

It is made with the same leg part of the culatello but the skin is left on, this one is not wrapped in bladder like culatello. The half of culatello covered by skin, rest of the part is protected by smeared fat, The diameter is 20-25 cm it is long 40 and weight about 5 kg it ages for 12 month up to 18 month, the color is red with white steaks of fat. After the leg is deboned and trimmed, it is tied and seasoned with salt, mix of aromatics which varies by producer to producer, and additions of potassium nitrate, and ascorbic acid. Every 2-3 days for 12-15 days the meat is massaged with salt and aromatics. It ages for 2-3 months at 10-12C then exposed part of the meat is rubbed with pork fat, then transfer in cellars where it continue to age up to 18 months.

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FIOCCO

PROSCIUTTO DI PARMA

CULATELLO

SALAME DI FELINO

STROLGHINO

GRASSO DI CULATELLO

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Day Four-Modena
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
This morning we travel to Modena to visit the acetaia agriturismo, Paltrinieri Via Verdeta 11 41030 Sorbara, (MO) www.acetaiapaltrinieri.it Modena and Reggio Emilia are the only two provinces in Italy that produce the aceto balsamico tradizionale. You will find a large variety of so called balsamic vinegar in the market, but only the specifically designed bottles can have the name of Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena and Reggio Emilia. Those bottles also have the D.O.P. label which guaranties the authenticity of the product.
DOP (Denominazione di Origine Protetta) designates a product, originating from a region, whose qualities and features are essentially or exclusively due to the geographical environment. Production, processing and nishing of the product must take place in the relevant limited area, complying with a clearly dened traditional recipe.

when it reach to 50 years. Since aceto balsamico tradizionale is done by constantly replenish older vinegar barrel with newer vinegar, after many years it become difficult to establish the proper age of the vinegar. This vinegar is made from the grape most and not from the wine. Only the aceto blasamico tradizionale D.O.P., supervised by the consortium, it can be called as such,otherwise it will be referred as condimento balsamico. Aceto balsamico I.G.P(not tradizionale) is aged balsamic vinegar most mixed with wine vinegar.
IGP (Identicazione Geograca Protetta) takes industrial development of the sector into account, by attributing more importance to production techniques with respect to territorial restrictions. IGP identies a product originating from a region, where quality, reputation, recipe and characteristics can be traced back to its geographical origin. At least one production and/or processing phase must take place in the designated zone of production.

Aceto balsamico di Modena only produced in the province of Modena with the Trebbiano grapes. These grapes only come from province of Modena.

The minimum age of Aceto balsamico di Modena is 12 years. It is also sold as extravecchio which means aged for 25 years. The same extravecchio can be tagged as riserva
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Large barrels

Final barrels

Batteria

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Process for the aceto balsamico tradizionale

First step is to reduce grape most to about 50%, this is done in an open vessel over direct flame, for about 30 hours. The reduced most is then placed in large barrels, which contains the mother vinegar, rich in acetic bacteria The yeast will convert sugar into alcohol, the bacteria will then transform the alcohol into acetic acid The process of aging the vinegar is done in a set of barrel called batteria. Batteria is a series of 6-7 barrels, yielding from 50-60 liters to 10-20 liters. These barrels are stored in the attic, usually in old farm houses, because of the hot summer in this province. Moisture in the barres will evaporate. The process of making balsamic vinegar is unique. Every year, moving small amount of vinegar from the larger barrels to the smaller ones next to them. Barrels in batteria are also replenished with new vinegar for the evaporated amount. Vinegar from the last small barrels are stored in separate raw of barrels, these are the vinegars that aged a minimum of 12 years, these vinegar they will be pour to tasted by the expert of the consortium and ready to be bottled.
(See video??)

First course
Lunch started with two classic dishes from the Emilia Romagna. Risotto alla parmigiana, Parmesan risotto drizzled with aged basamic vinegar and tagliatelle al rag Tagliatelle pasta with a typical ragu alla bolognese. Through out the meal they served tigelle with the pesto modenese. Tigelle is a little round bread cooked in a special pan. They are cooked to order and served hot. They are usually consumed by cutting them in a half and filled with pesto modenese, the melting pesto flavors the bread
Pesto modenese is prepare by pounding lardo with garlic and rosemary to a cremy consistency

The acetaia that we visited today is an Agriturismo, lunch was served after the visit to the vinegar attics. The lady in the kitchen, is a part of the family who runs the agriturismo, and she prepared traditional dishes from the region for us.
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Second course
Was two varieties of meats, pork and chicken, both cooked slowly in a pan with pancetta and milk. Both were very tender, had a rich flavor from the pancetta and butter. Milk gave the dish creamy sweet taste. The whole meal was served with bottles of sparkling lanbrusco wine

During the visit, we stopped by a few different Agriturismo. Agriturismo is very common in Italy, it usually run by family who owns the property. They provide local products, food, beverage and place to sleep. They sustain agriculture activities in order to be supported by Italian government which provide incentives and funds to promote the Italian products and economy.

Third course
Two home made desserts, chocolate cake and crumbly tarts filled with prune jam. The desserts were accompanied by grappa and nocino

Nocino is a liquor found in different areas of Italy, it obtains from the green hull of the walnuts. Usually prepared in the summer when the hull is green and soft, the hulls are rst macerate in sugar then alcohol is added. The nocino rest for 6 months before it is bottled. Nocino can be aged longer in wood barrels for more complexed avor.

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Day Five-Bologna
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
After a visit to the local market in the morning, we took a pasta class. Mina, is an native Bologna, invited us to her house where she showed us a traditional pasta making. The pasta here is referred as sfoglia, it is kneaded by hand, stretched by hand, cut and shaped by hand. The basic ratio is one egg per 100 gr of flour 00 it is kneaded for 10-15 minutes until all the ingredients are well combined. Pasta need to have feel of silky smooth texture. The typical set up for pasta making is a hard wood board approximately 2 1/2 x 4 in size, and a long rolling pin 2 -1/2 inch in diameter and long 3. After a 30 minute rest of the dough, it was stretched with this typical one meter long rolling pin. The dough was
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constantly rolled and turned until the dough stretched to the proper thickness. The sfoglia is now ready to shape into the pasta. Pasta from this region are all shaped from this large sheet of dough sfoglia. Today we had a demonstration of tagliatelle and tortelli. Other typical pasta from the region are; tagliolini, taglierini, garganelli, stricchetti, maltagliati and quadratini. Also filled pasta such as tortellini, anolini, cappelletti, and tortelloni.
(See video??)

As pasta takes its shape, we worked on the ragu at the same time. The rag done in this region is the rag alla bolognese, one of the most well know rag. In America it is so well known that any rag is referred incorrectly as bolognese. Bolognese is a style of rag typical from city of Bologna, the capital of Emilia Romagna. The proper wording should be Rag. Every rag is different, hey have its own style, method of preparation and name. This rag was done by cooking finely chopped mire poix which cooked in oil and finally processed pancetta, then beef and a small amount of sausage was added to the mire poix. Tomato, bay leaf, stock and seasoning were added and cooked for 2 hours. Mina was pointing out that how the rag alla bolognese is a traditional sauce in this region, however, everybody here have their own variation. One certain common practice is that ragu is dressing the tagliatelle but not spaghetti.
Alberto Vanoli

The following page shows photos of daily market in Bologna. Markets are common everywhere and every day they bring unbelievably fresh food to the public. If you ever wonder why food in Italy is always taste good, no-matter how fancy or simply prepared, when you stand in front of one of these market, you will understand why.
(See video??)

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Day six-Firenze
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Today nothing was on the schedule, so I visit the local market. The San Lorenzo Market in via dellAriento Firenze. It is an indoor market that you can find fresh meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, cured meat of any kinds and cheese, olive oil and dry porcini mushrooms, food court for a quick bite of local food. As the previous photo shows the market in Bologna, this market displays a larger amount of products and the quality is still top notch. I want to point out a particular product of Firenze, beef stomach and offals in general, very typical and related to the history and the people of this city. This part of the animal were served as food since ancient time. Reason is simply did not waste any food. It was commonly consume d among the poor. Today it is still a part of the Florence cuisine. I found a food stand, selling the Lampredotto. Lampredotto sandwich. I came to understand it is a very popular dish in
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all over the Firenze enjoyed by Locals and tourists. Lampredotto is a part of beef stomach, the leaner part, it is boiled with aromatics until it gets tender and sliced over tuscan bread, dressed with salsa verde, a typical green sauce made from parsley
(See video??)

And of course we could not leave the market without look at the famous Bistecca fiorentina, the T-bone steak florentine style. It is a porterhouse steak, cut 1 1/2 inch thick, weighting 1 1/2 kg. Seasoned with sea salt and cooked rear or medium rear, (they refuse to cook more done than medium rear), then slice and served over the bone

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FINOCCHIONA SALAME TOSCANO PANCETTA SOPPRESSATA

Cure meat is a typical way to start the meal, every region offer a large variety of local salumi, distinctive from one to another. The photograph on the left shows a plate with different variety of salami and prosciutto. With this appetizer, we start our meal with a sparkling wine Berlucchi Franciacorta

LARDO PROSCIUTTO TOSCANO

PROSCIUTTO DI PARMA

BOAR PROSCIUTTO

Berlucchi 61 Franciacorta
Size Area Grape Color Bouquet
half bottle (375 ml), Standard bottle (750 ml), Magnum (1,5 l), Jeroboam (3 l) Franciacorta 90% Chardonnay 10% pinot noir straw yellow with greenish highlights. crisp, fragrances of apple, pear and white owers, notes of citrus.

DEER PROSCIUTTO

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Day Seven-Perugia
Friday, March 30, 2012
Through the morning we traveled from Firenze to Umbria region. In Terni, we visit the Universita dei Sapori, it is one of the most recognized cooking school in Italy The property extend over 420 acres, in the center of Montefalco DOCG region. This hilly landscape is an ideal microclimate for vineyards and olive grooves. Wines are made exclusively from organic grown grapes. The cellar is located below the manor house. The fermentation vats receive the crashed grapes by gravity, avoiding the use of pumps. The estate offers apartments for rent and a cooking school Cucina in Cantina. This school provides course in Umbrian cuisine and wine tastings. Dinner took place at the estate, we taste specialty from the region of Umbria paired with Estate wines.

Just before dinner time, we visit the Azienda Agricola Antonelli located on the hills of Montefalco in the heart of the Umbria Region Localit San Marco, 50-06036 Montefalco (PG) www.antonellisanmarco.it

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First course
They served mix appetizers; fresh pecorino from Umbria, Lonzino cured pork loin, Frittata di cipolleonion frittata, bruschetta with their extra virgin olive oil, and pizza rustica- flat bread cut in half and filled with prosciutto Wine for this course was the Grechetto dei colli Martani doc Grape Wine making Aging Tasting note Service Temperature Size
100% grechetto Grape and skin are allowed to separate naturally, fermentation is at 18C. Wine is kept in contact with the yeast for 90 days after fermentation Stainless steel vat, bottle aging for 3 month straw yellow, Fruity and oral with notes of peach, almond and hawthorn 12C-54F 0.75 lt

Second course
pasta di farro con le prime verdure, pasta was made with Emmer wheat, it was tossed with fresh vegetables, like zucchini, eggplant and aged pecorino cheese Wine served with this dish was Montefalco rosso doc Grape
65% sangiovese, 15% sagrantino, 10% merlot, 10% cabernet sauvignon Each varietal is vinied separately, using the force of gravity. Fermentation in contact with the skins for 14 days at 25C. Malolactic fermentation take place, wine claries spontaneously, no ltration 25hl Slavonian and Allier oak casks for 9 months. The varietals are blended and the nal wine settles in bre-glass lined cement vats for 3 months, bottle aging for 6 months Deep ruby red with purple tints, cherry, plums and toasted aromas. In the mouth it is generous warm and beautifully balanced 16C-70F 0.75 lt, double magnum 3 lt

Wine making

Aging

Tasting note Service Temperature Size

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Third course
Agnelllo con patate , the last course was simple roasted lamb, served with potato. We often tasted lamb in this area and meat is always has been incredible, very tasty, moist and tender - cooked simply in oven with just herbs, sea salt and garlic. Again it remind us how important it is to start with good raw material. wine served was Montefalco Sagrantino docg Grape
100% sagrantino Vinication, using the force of gravity. Fermentation in contact with the skins for 15-20 days at 25C. Malolactic fermentation take place, wine claries spontaneously, no ltration In lightly toasted 5 hl French oak for 6 month, in 25hl Slovenian and French oak barrels for 9 months. The wine settles in bre-glass lined cement vats for 3 months, bottle aging for 12 month Deep ruby red. Complex notes of elegant fruits blackberry and plums, backed up with sweet wood. repleted with red fruit and nal tannins

Service Temperature Size

18C-64.4F 0.75 lt, magnum 1.5 lt, double magnum 3 lt

Wine making

Aging

Fiber-glass lined Cement Vats Fourth course

pere cotte nel vino, ciambelline allolio, we finish the meal with pear cooked in sagrantino, served with small cookies made with olive oil and emmer wheat. For their last

Tasting note

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course they served the dessert with a passito. Wine served with this was Sagrantino di montefalco passito Grape Wine making
100% sagrantino Vinication, using the force of gravity. Fermentation in contact with the skins for 18 days at 25C. In 10 hl Slavonian oak barrels for 15 months. The wine settles in bre-glass lined cement vats for 3 months, bottle aging for 12 month Deep ruby. Blackberry, blackcurrant and raspberry jam, delicate taste, lovely balance of sweetness and long length with persistence of red fruit 16C-70F 0.375 lt, 0.75 lt.

Aging

Tasting note Service Temperature Size

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Alberto Vanoli

Day Eight-Perugia
Saturday, March 31, 2012
We drove into one of his property, where we meet one of the truffle hunter and his dog Diana. Unfortunately this is not the season for truffle hunt, we were only able to find a handfull of truffle while we walked one hour. Umbria is well known for the black truffles but white truffles are also found in this area. The most prestigious black truffle Tuber melanostopum vittadini mature between November and March, it is also called the winter truffle. During the summer you find black summer truffle -Tuber aestivum, what we call in Italy the Scorzone. Today we hunt a few pieces of summer black truffles but because is too early in the season they did not have very strong aroma, and the color of the gleba, the pulp, was still white.
(See video??)

Some of the differences from the winter and the summer black truffles are of course price, which depending on the season, the winter truffle always more expensive, more rear and required more specific condition to grow. The winter black truffle has more deep dark brownpurplish pulp with very fine white veins, the summer ones has lighter color especially early in the season. For both truffles shapes are globular, sometimes lobate, with brown-black rind and tightly-spaced warts the external characteristics are more pronounced in the summer truffle.

Black and white truffles are found in different areas of Italy. Today we meet with Federico Balestra who is an owner of Sabatino Company. If you are using truffle in USA most likely they are imported through his company.

Truffles are hunted by dogs, which they are trained since they were puppies. These dogs are very valuable, necessary to find truffles. Today, Diana found 10-12 truffles, as mentioned before, it is too early in the season, normally she can find 3-4 pound of truffles in an hour. Black truffle, especially the summer one, is easy to find, because they grow close to the surface, no need of digging. Also like mushrooms they grow next to each other so when you find one there are many others just around it. This is not the case with the more prestigious white truffles. They are usually deeper under the ground and they grow all over the place without distinctive pattern. One of the reason for this tuber to sold so expensively is that, they are very rear and hard to find. Truffles are very delicate and required proper condition to grow, specific altitude, soil, and right Ph, humidity, water and proper exposure to the sun. They also grow next to specific trees, generally oaks and hazel tree, where they share minerals, nutrients and water through the roots.
2012 Professional developmnent !

The chart above shows the biological cycle of truffle life. It is through the mycrorhize - lamps that forms at the end of the roots, that mycelium - very fine tubes departs, when mycelium find the proper condition in the ground, they will form the truffle. When the truffle reach proper maturity it releases the characteristic aroma, animal will find and eat it, spread the spore through their feces which with the mycorrhize they will form a new tuber and continue the cycle. For black truffles, since they grow so close to the surface, spores can also be spread by sheep grazing. The dirt with spore will get stuck in between the hoof and therefore spread thought the land. Today, they were successful with the black truffle cultivation, unlike the white truffle which they havent find a away to cultivate it yet. The cultivation is quite simple process, yet it is not a guaranty that the truffle will
Alberto Vanoli

grow. As explained before it requires many specific conditions which makes all this hard to grow. The process of cultivating truffle consists in micorrhizing the roots of the plant when still young, then rely on the delicate cycle of the truffle life to do the rest.

As a conclusion of the trip, confirms the good food comes from great fresh ingredients, raised naturally, locally with passion and care. As a chef, it was revitalizing to see how much effort is put into each product they produce, we should always research for the best product, because quality of the raw material can elevate our cuisine even higher. As a teacher, I should share this philosophy with my students who are the ambassador of the future.We should teach students to understand highest quality and history of each product. Also we should introduce our customer to better foods with clear understanding of each cuisine. At the Caterina de Medici, we are promoting Italian cuisine as best it can be out side of Italy with typical recipes, research of the traditional dishes and selected ingredients. Dishes are prepared and served in our contemporary restaurant in a learning environment with our students.

Pasta cacio pepe e tartufo

2012 Professional developmnent !

Alberto Vanoli