Out of the comfort zone

If you look at the map of Bologna, you’ll see that the city has a well-defined center, which is basically a big circle. Inside this circle, there’s what is called the “historic center” (i.e. the oldest part of the city, where all the main monuments are located.) At a first sight, the center looks huge, but the truth is that it’s possible to walk all over it on foot.

Outside the boundaries of that picture, however, the city keeps expanding itself, forming what today is the seventh most populated city in Italy.

This is the official map of Bologna, presented by BolognaWecome

As I already mentioned here, I’m very lucky to live right in the center of the center – indeed where the buzz is – and either for comfort or laziness, I hardly ever leave the confines of this zone.

And, of course, there are innumerous good restaurants around here (actually, almost every one I mentioned so far), but it’s always a good surprise to literally get out of our comfort zones to discover new and exciting places.

A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure to find a well-known restaurant in town, but to which I had never been because it was “far away” from home (I get embarrassed to say that, considering that I used to live in Sao Paulo, one of the biggest cities of the world…but how things can change!)

Well, I’m talking about the excellent Al Cambio (Via Stalingrado, 150).

“Spatola” fish with beans cream and “puntarelle”

Why I loved so much that place? Simply because there a 100% Bolognese chef (Massimiliano “Max” Poggi) decided to maintain the necessary respect for the tradition, without losing the curiosity to invent, innovate and play with some of the dogmas of the city’s traditional menu. And don’t get me wrong; this is REALLY rare when it comes to Bologna.

Spaghetti with fresh sardines (“alici”), its oil (“colatura di alici”), dried tomatoes and parsley sauce

The best choice, for sure, is to leave Max lead you inside of his world – of course I’m talking about the degustation menu, which can be with 3, 5 or 7 dishes and you can choose between meat, fish or “Bolognese tradition”.

Cod fish cream (“baccalà mantecato”) with pepper sponge and tomato sauce

We have chosen the second alternative and oh my how lovely was it!

Scampi wrapped in a crunchy bread with cauliflower cream

Here are some of the stars of our 5 dishes (plus dessert!) with which the chef has amazed us.

Semifreddo with nuts and dried fruits, served with a raspberry sauce

Therefore, with this post I would like to say basically two things: the first one is that Bologna is not restricted to its historic center and if you really want to eat well, it’s worth to look for places that are a little bit far away. The second is that even in a city that takes its traditional dishes so seriously – I would say even too seriously – it is possible to dare without leaving behind the roots and the history of the place. In this case, if the chef is bravo (i.e. damn good) the sky is the limit – exactly like the city itself

Ugly, but extraordinary

In the Mediterranean Sea there is a little animal that is so ugly – I mean really ugly – that I’m sure that if it weren’t for its delicious taste nobody would have the courage to eat it.

It’s a grey white (with few pink shades) crustaceous approximately 20cm long that at one end has a little alien head and, at the other, a black stain that looks like two gigantic eyes…

The canocchia

Not yummy right? But this little thingy, the canocchia (also known as pannocchia, or panocchia, or by its scientific name Squilla mantis), is one of the tastiest examples of seafood that one can have.

A clean canocchia

Its meat presents a very mild taste – much more delicate than shrimps, for instance – and since it is very soft, it almost “melts” completely when cooked, creating a sort of cream that is one of the best pasta sauces I’ve ever tried.

Spaghetti alla chitarra with canocchie

In fact, my boyfriend knows how to cook some Linguini alle canocchie that always blows me away. In this recipe, apart from some olive oil and garlic at the beginning and a sprinkle of parsley at the end, has nothing else but the canocchie’s meat (added just at the end). It practically “dissolves”, creating this sauce that embraces each string of pasta.

Actually, the meat is so tender and sweet that eating it raw is also exceptional (I’ve written about raw fished and seafood here). And specking about that, as it happens with lobsters, the canocchie should be preferably bought alive, so that any doubt about its freshness is gone.

Their only flaw is the fact that they’re a little tricky to clean; it’s difficult to detach the meat from the exoskeleton without breaking it. But don’t worry, I can give you two options: (1) simply let it go, grab the little animals with your hands and suck out the meat (in fact this alternative is also valid when it comes to eating a canocchie dish at a restaurant, if served with the “skin”); or

After 40 minutes in the freezer it gets easier to detach the meat

…from both sides of the exoskeleton

(2) 40 minutes before preparing them, put them in the freezer. After that, the meat should be much more compact and all you have to do is to cut the laterals with some scissors and delicately detach the meat. I swear it comes out much easier.

And before concluding this post, I just would like to make a little disclaimer. In my opinion, writing about ingredients that are not found outside of Italy has good and negative sides: on one hand, I’m aware that it can be a little frustrating, because unless you come to Italy, you’ll not me able to eat them.

On the other side, I think it’s really interesting to share some curiosities and local facts that are indeed fascinating (at least to me), since even someone who’s far away can start to get more familiar with the Italian cooking. Therefore, whenever you get to opportunity to come, you’ll already be an expert! 🙂

Have a good week!

Bistecca alla fiorentina – Part II

The best bistecca alla fiorentina in town

Now that you’re already experts and know everything about it, I feel it is my duty to recommend a place, in Florence, where in my opinion the bistecca alla fiorentina reaches its top: the Buca Lapi.

Located in a little street that crosses the fancy Via de’ Tornabuoni (where all the top brand stores are) and right beside Cantinetta Antinori’s little window, the Buca Lapi is a temple of the Florentine cuisine. In fact, it is the oldest restaurant in town, having opened its doors in 1880, in the basement of Palazzo Antinori.

Behind the scenes: the open kitchen where all the action takes place

The current owner, Luciano Ghinassi, is always around, walking between the room and the kitchen (which is an open kitchen and the lucky customers that get a table at the first room can closely follow what happens inside). Mr. Ghinassi also constantly checks if the glasses of wine are full, if the meat is perfectly cooked and so on.

By the way, the service there is excellent. The waiters, speaking a very good English, are always very considerate and solicitous and for those who order the fiorentina, they even give precise instruction on how to face that lovely beast (in fact, it is allowed and recommended to such the bone at the end!).

It is also the owner who prepares the great desserts of the house, like this beautiful creme caramel and, in the photo on the back, a “magic” chocolate pie, which contains no lactose, no gluten and no sugar…! I honestly have no idea how he does it, but I can assure you that is delicious!

Cream Caramel and the “magic” chocolate pie

And before talking about the “million dollar baby” of the house, a little parenthesis: the restaurant is not recommended only for those who want to eat the famous steak. There, everyday, the clients may taste excellent Tuscan specials, such as the crostini caldi (warm bread with a yummy topping). This one is made with ricotta and sausage and was a flavour bomb:

Crostini caldi con ricotta e salsiccia

The ribollita (which is a sort of grains and vegetables soup thickened with bread), great fresh pastas and one of the best dishes I had the pleasure to eat in this year of 2015: the cinghiale con polenta (a wild boar stew, slowly cooked and served with polenta):

Cinghiale con polenta

Getting back to her, the bistecca alla fiorentina, as I said in the last post, its quality depends basically on the product (i.e. the meat) and the cooking method. Well, in this place, the meat (“chianina” type) comes necessarily from local producers picked by hand. As for the actual cooking, suffice to say that the Buca Lapi is still one of the few places in the Center of Florence that have an actual charcoal grill – as the tradition commands. Before being served, the steak receives a round of a great extra-virgin Tuscan olive oil and… that’s it.

As they say here in Italy: “è la morte sua” (something like: “it’s the best way someone could possibly imagine”).

Tender, juicy and full of flavours

Bistecca alla fiorentina – Part I

This week I woke up craving meat. And, since in the past days I’ve had the pleasure to spend some time in Florence, I thought that it was a good opportunity to talk about her, the illustrious bistecca alla fiorentina. This post will be divided in two: this one, with its history and “technical features” and another one, with the place that, in my opinion, is the best one to taste such dish in loco, the Buca Lapi. Let’s start the first part.

Bistecca alla Fiorentina – Buca Lapi (Florence)

The bistecca alla fiorentina is one of the most famous dishes of the Italian cuisine – or, more precisely, the Florence region. Its history goes back to the Medici’s era (the Medici were the family that governed the region between the 15^th and 17^th centuries) and story tells that during the festivities of Saint Lawrence’s day (San Lorenzo), on August 10, the whole town gathered together to celebrate and the Medici family offered quality meat to the people – including the most outstanding cuts.

Everything was roasted in big bonfires across the town and, during the entire year, everyone looked forward to such feast. It was such an important occasion that its main dish became one of the symbols of the Florentine (“fiorentina”) tradition.

The word bistecca, on the other hand, has an even more curious origin. Rumor has it that during one of those feasts, and still in the 15^th century, some Englishmen were also present for business reasons – the Medici were one of the most important families within the finance world. Well, what happened was that after tasting the roasted meat, had falling in love with its taste, they started to shout: “Beef steak! Beef steak!” in order to get some more of that wonderful meat. The Florentine, on the other hand, having appreciated their reaction, immediately “Italianized” the word: “Bi-stecca!”

If all this is true or not doesn’t matter, but the fact is that the real bistecca alla fiorentina has some typical characteristics: firstly, it is made of a piece of meat located in the back of the cow (more o less half down the column) and necessarily comprises the filet, the sirloin and the bone – in other words, it is the American T-Bone Steak.

And there are also some other details: it must be served rare and seasoned only with unrefined sea salt and pepper – only after it’s already ready to serve. That simple.

Before and after – and a great article from Dissapore.com

As for the entire piece of meat, the ideal is that the animal from which it is cut is killed at least two weeks before and that the meat is stored in a cold cellar for this entire period, until served. This big chunk of meat is then cut in slices of at least “one and a half fingers” height and prepared in the simplest way: grilled over charcoal, i.e., as the noblest barbecue of Italy.

See the size of the chefs? Well, now figure the size of the bistecca they serve…!!

This dish is a classic of Florence and I can’t help but smile when I see tourists – particularly Japanese – astonished and overwhelmed when the plate containing that beauty arrives in front of them.

I know that Brazilians and Americans may be used to a good barbecue. But I can guarantee that if you find the right place (that uses the right technique and has excellent meat) it will blow you away. In fact, I guarantee not only the smile when the dish arrives, but also the satisfaction when it ends.

– In the nest post, I’m going to talk about the place where I ate the best bistecca alla fiorentina in Florence, the Buca Lapi.

See you soon! A presto!

Two steps from a glass of Antinori

Oh Florence…<3

One of the coolest things about Bologna is the fact that the city is extremely well located within the north of Italy. I always recommend that people choose Bologna as their base when coming to this region because it’s cheaper and less touristic than other big Italian cities and from here, with a fast train, it’s possible to reach Milan in one hour, Venice in 1h30, Verona in 1h15 and my beloved Florence in 35 minutes.

As for the latter, I deeply love it and whenever I can I stop by – well, for one who’s used to the traffic in Sao Paulo, it’s easy to understand that for me half an hour is nothing!

One of the few problems of Florence, however, is the fact that it is full of traps for tourists, especially when it comes to restaurants. If you doesn’t keep your eyes wide open, there is a great chance that you will eat poorly and spend a lot of money. (One tip that always works: DO NOT go to restaurants that have multilingual menus – with photos! – in front of the door. There is a 99.9% of chance that the quality of the food will disappoint you).

But, of course, if you put a little effort into searching for good places, you can eat really well. And there is one place that I always go to, which can almost be considered legendary, that it’s worth the trip: the Cantinetta Antinori.

For those who are not familiar with this name, Antinori is one of the most traditional families in the Florence region; they are historic wine producers and make exceptional products that are exported all around the world (usually for a very high price…). The Cantinetta Antinori is located in an old family building, the Palazzo Antinori, where for centuries their wines have been sold. If today it’s possible to buy them in so many places in the world, originally that could only be done here, through this little window:

This is where the Antinori wines used to be sold in past.

The restaurant, that is at once chic and friendly, it’s possible to taste amazing Tuscan dishes like local cold cuts, Tuscan crostini (I LOVE the one with chicken liver – I normally don’t like them, but theirs are magic):

Crostini con i fegatini

pappardelle al ragù toscano (made with less tomatoes and different spices when compared to the Bolognese one),

Pappardelle al ragu toscano

and trippa alla fiorentina (tripe Florence style – please set aside any prejudgments and try it. It’s divine.)

Trippa alla fiorentina – please try it!!

But if I had to point out the best thing in that I would have to say that it is the fact that there – and only there – it’s possible to order just a glass their amazing wines (that may cost more than 500 dollars outside of Italy). That’s right, you can order a glass of Villa Antinori, Pian delle Vigne (my favorite), Tignanello (one of the top ones) or Solaia (THE TOP) for less than 30 euros. I’m not saying it’s cheap, but I can assure you that it’s the only place in the world where you can try these wines without having to order a whole bottle.

This is my boyfriend enjoying every second with his glass of Solaia

With that being said, when you’re in Florence and want to treat yourself well, go to this place – and, to save a little money, come back t Bologna at the end of the day

Stocking up for winter

Cotoletta alla Bolognese

Differently from Brazil, the end of the year here is chilly – very chilly. Exactly now, the first snowflakes are starting to fall and the minimum temperatures for the next days are around 5 degrees Celsius below zero.

With that said, since I’m indeed terrified of winter and considering that the perspective of wearing bikini within the next months is against the odds, today I decided to dip in one of the most substantial dishes of the Bolognese cuisine, the Cotoletta alla Bolognese.

It is made with veal or chicken breast, slightly coated with meat stock, then with breadcrumbs and fried (originally in pork fat, but nowadays also in olive oil). The meat is then covered with some slices of prosciutto and a generous handful of Parmigiano Reggiano. Everything goes then into the oven for the cheese to melt. Some people also add a little bit of tomato sauce, to give a little color.

In one of my favorite traditional Bolognese restaurants, the Grassili (Via Dal Luzzo, 3), on top of all this goodness there is also a wonderful sauce, made with the meat stock and a drop of heavy cream – just to make things even lighter.

Grassili

It is one of the most typical recipes of the city (it has been registered before the Camera di Commercio di Bologna in October 14, 2004) and the amount of calories is definitely enough to warm a whole soccer team. But, right now and with this cold, who cares?

When in Italy

The panettone is from Milan, but is everywhere, like in my beloved Florence

One of the most famous sayings in Italy is: “paese che vai, usanza che trovi” (very freely translated as: “every country has its own customs and traditions”).

Usually we hear this phrase when one faces a strange habit in a place that is not their home. And it’s not about a bad thing, but something like a positive astonishment.

Well, now with Christmas coming, I’m gonna use this saying to talk about one of the Italian’s symbol of Christmas, the panettone. But before getting into details, let me first draft a little parenthesis.

So many options!!

This fluffy wonder full of lovely air bubbles was born in Milan, but is always present in the Italian tables form north to south. Its origins, as always, is controversial; some say it was created by a man that fell in love with the baker’s daughter that, in order to make her notice him, invented a sweet bread full of fruits inside.

Others say that during a Christmas dinner, the cook of one of the most notorious families in Milan burnt the desert just before serving it and, having seeing the desperation of the man, one of his helps called Toni, suggested him to serve a sweet bread that he had prepared in that morning – the Toni’s bread, or “pan del Toni”.

Either way, I decided to write this post just to illustrate how something so familiar for us Brazilians can actually be different for the Italians. Here is a list of some Italian “panettonic” habits

1. Mascarpone – Since Christmas here is a synonym of cold weather, serving panettone with ice cream (as we use to do in Brazil) is not very common… But the Italians have found another way to sweeten up and put some cream on it: the mascarpone cream, made with this cheese, sugar and eggs. They work perfectly together, especially considering that the Italian panettone is a little dryer than the Brazilian version.

Mascarpone and panettone!

2. Sugar bag – Especially when it comes to industrialized panettones (and particularly those with a topping of almonds), it is common to find a little bag containing sugar inside the box. The kids always have fun when it’s time to open the bag, throw the sugar inside of the cellophane bag that contains the panettone and shake it all in order for the sweet snow to cover the whole bread!

Panettone covered in sugar!

3. No filling – Here, the panettone may have some versions such as the traditional one (with caramelized fruits), chocolate chips or just raisins – not to mention the pandoro, which is simply made of a fluffy dough baked in a tall baking-pan shaped as a star. However, Italians have a hard time accepting panettones with filling, such as the ones we find in Brazil. Can I just say something? It’s a shame… I would love to find a very big one, filled with brigadeiro here!

There are so many versions, but none of them with filling 😦

Venus’ bellybutton

Venu’s bellybutton

If someday in the future I was asked to tell my grandsons a story about Bologna, I know well who would be the king and the queen. The latter would definitely be a gorgeous woman all in pink, named mortadella. The king, on the other hand, would be a strong man called tortellino.

Since I haven’t yet created the whole script and I think that the grandsons will take a while to come, I take this opportunity to tell you a story (that I’ve not invented myself) about another tortellino. He’s not a king, but a symbol of Bologna – and one of my favorite dishes.

Tortellini

As it happens with so many dishes of the true gastronomic tradition, the origin of the tortellini is not exactly clear. For instance, there are some controversies regarding their birthplace, if Bologna or Modena. Also, as for the birthdate, no one is completely sure, but some say that the first record of something alike was a dish of “tortellorum”, served on Christmas, in the 7th century.

However, despite of the historical notes, one of the most interesting records regarding the tortellini is a poem dated from the 19th century. In that piece, the poet Giuseppe Ceri (1839-1925), inspired by an opera named “Secchia rapita” of Alessandro Tassoni (from Modena) in which in a war between Modena and Bologna, historical characters and gods from the Olympus fought bloody battles,

In Ceri’s creation though there were Bacchus, Mars and Venus who came to Emilia Romagna. The three of them came to help Modena in another war against Bologna and stopped to sleep in an inn in a nearby city, Castelfranco Emilia. During the night, the innkeeper, having been able to quickly see Venus naked, felt deeply in love with the goddess and, with the image of her bellybutton painted on his mind, tried to reproduce it with the pasta dough that he was preparing in the kitchen. Just like that, he created the tortellini.

Tortellini in brodo

Until today, in Bologna, the tortellino is known as Venus’ bellybutton. And even if that story is just a tale, it is undeniable that the dish itself is a true “food from the gods” – and that the tortellino is one of the main characters of the story of the town.

The treasure

Palazzo della Mercanzia, Bologna

In one of the most beautiful intersections of the town, right above the famous two towers, there is a treasure. Better saying: there, some of the most valuable pearls of the city are kept in safe.

The place, a magnificent building between two of the main Bolognese streets (Via Santo Stefano and Via Castiglione) is called Palazzo della Mercanzia, and is the headquarters of the current Camera di Commercio Industria Artigianato e Agricoltura di Bologna (Bolognese Chamber for Commerce Industry and Workmanship).

Palazzo della Mercanzia, Bologna

Someone will then ask me: “oh, cool, but… e quindi?” (Something like: “so what, Flora?”).

Quindi, there the Accademia Italiana dela Cucina deposited some of the recipes that are part of the history and culinary art of Bologna – and that are known all around the world.

The place has been chosen as the guardian temple of these treasures because, traditionally, the Camera di Commercio was responsible for the periodical publication of a sort of report on the customs and habits of the city – “Usi e Consuetudini” – and, for that reason, it has been considered the keeper par excellence of the records concerning the peculiarities of the Bolognese life.

Among the recipes that have been placed there to be preserved from changes and passed along generations, there are the “official recipes” of dishes such as “the true Bolognese tortellino”, the “tagliatella alla Bolognese”, the classic Bolognese ragù (the pasta sauce made with tomatoes slowly-cooked with meat), the green Bolognese lasagna and much more.

One of the treasure: the tortellino

If you want to take a look in some of them, the website Bologna Welcome, institutional partner of the Municipality, offers a list (in English) that can be found here.

Or, if you prefer to have an even more complete experience, visit the Palazzo della Mercanzia and ask for the beautiful ricettario (“the recipe book”, available in many languages) that is offered for free to the tourists that pass by.

Ricettario – All the recipes are there

And, to immediately beat the craving, here it is the official recipe of the ragù alla bolognese, registered on October 17, 1982.

Tagliatelle alla Bolognese – Osteria dell’Orsa

In fact, this recipe has been brought up to date a few years later, but it is not very different from the original one (that contained not-so-precise measures and explanations). Among the differences encompassed in the original recipe are: the type of meat, the use of concentrated tomato sauce and the fact that the milk had to be added little by little throughout all the cooking – instead of the stock.

Ragù alla Bolognese (Modern version)

(Serves 4 people)

Ingredients:

300g of beef (belly or shoulder) roughly chopped, 150g of bacon, 50g of carrots, 50g of celery, 50g of onion, 300g of tomato sauce or canned tomatoes, ½ a glass of dry white wine, ½ a glass of whole milk, stock, olive oil or butter, salt, pepper, ½ a glass of cream (optional).

Method:

Put the bacon (firstly diced then finely chopped) into a large pan of approx. cm. 20 until the fat starts to “melt”. Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil or 50g of butter, the finely chopped vegetables and fry them gently. Add the minced meat and stir-fry it until it sizzles (use a wooden spoon). Pour ½ a glass of wine and stir gently until it is completely evaporated. Add the tomato sauce or the canned tomatoes and let it simmer for about 2 hours, adding some stock when necessary. Finally, add the milk to temper the acidity of the tomatoes, adjusting the salt and pepper.

According to the Bolognese tradition, 1/2 a glass of cream may be added at the end of the cooking (this however is not suitable for the “tagliatelle”).

Mortadella’s cousin

Originally published in Portuguese here and kindly republished in English in the blog “More Time to Travel” (by Irene S. Levine and  Jerry Levine), here.

Nice to meet you, salame rosa.