All Things Italian

[ArtS]

Hi Pado,

Sorry, I've been busy with work, the birds, and finally picking up my old, smelly, noisy, Italian car from the shop :D .

Regards,

Art S.

[Pado]

Hi Pado,

Sorry, I've been busy with work, the birds, and finally picking up my old, smelly, noisy, Italian car from the shop :D .

Regards,

Art S.


Yea, those stinky old noisy FERRARI'S :D :D

But sure to post the news on the birds when you have time!

[memmey]

What no muffler and it had a body in the trunk? Got it for a good price huh?

[ArtS]

Memmey,

The mufflers don't do much and the trunk might fit a midget (oops, little person - must be PC ;) ) at best. I got the car a long time ago when they were a lot cheaper, it's neither red nor shiny but it it pretty to me and it goes like stink! :)

Regards,

Art S.

[memmey]

They are made in Modena HUH? My favorite guy was from there, the Maestro Pavarotti. I would love love to go there. I was reading about the balsamic vinegar that they make there. There is a consortium that grades it and a bottle of it begins at $100 and goes way over $500. Lambrusco and Parmesano reggiano. I am just waiting on the lotto and I'll be there. You know take a walk around and check it out...LOL:D

[ArtS]

Memmey,

I've been there, it's not very touristy and absolutely wonderful (and just because I like cars). It's very similar to Bolognia but somehow better.

If you have the opportunity to go, take it! By the way, you should be able to get by without speaking Italian, even without a guide, we had no problems, in fact it made it entertaining!

Regards,

Art S.

[Pado]

Art did you pull up next to another Ferrari, roll down your window, lean out and ask the other Ferrari Driver "Pardon Me,
Do you have any Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena?" (in an Italian accent of course).


... now half of you will get that and the other half will be left scratching your heads ! :p

[ArtS]

Pado,

No, but I do have a friend with a rolls and he keeps a bottle of Grey Poupon in the glove box just for such an occasion :D .

Regards,

Art S.

[memmey]

Did you enjoy the food? I think everyone thinks of Italy and pasta but they don't overdose on pasta. I've read that they raise alot of pork in that region. Real lambrusco not American but real Italian lambrusco, I could surely enjoy that. Oh I hope I get to go. You know that is a very wealthy area of Italy, did you find it expensive?

Pado i get it I get it I WANT SOME!!!

[ArtS]

Memmey,

The food was absolutely wonderful! There isn't very much pasta it is more closely related to northern Italian cuisine. Though there was a naples style pizza place that was amazing - the crust was a cracker that was so thin, light passed through! And the put fresh arugula on top after it was cooked - wow!

Regards,

Art S.

[musicjan]

You guys are making me want to go to Italy - soon!

[memmey]

Mario Batalli was on TV talking about his grandmother getting a bottle of tradizione (sp?) balsamic when she got married in 37 and when she died recently he said there was one-third the bottle left. He and his family have a few tiny drops on her birthday now to commemorate her life. Isn't that fabulous. I read the flavor of the real thing is cherries, oak, dried fruit, tobacco. It is double aged, what ever that means. The kind we have that is readily available is not at all like the REAL thing.
The Real deal comes in a tiny little bottle that is made especialy for the ones that quality to have the comsortium seal. FYI

[ArtS]

Memmey,

I must admit I have been a great fan of balsamic so I didn't look into this. However, as you described it, I'll have to investigate!


Jan,

Everyone talks about Rome and southern Italy. In my opinion, unless you are descended from southern Italian stock, start in Umbria, Tuscany or north. I hope you get to go, but take some offensive (as opposed to defensive) driving courses first

Regards,

Art S.

[catfish]

Italy never interested me... I dunno why, but I would love to go to Tuscany after seeing Under the Tuscan Sun (one of my FAVORITE movies of all time, especially b/c it has Sandra Oh. "Can you star 69 Italy?" oh this one

"Patti (sandra oh): I don't like these trees. They know things.
Frances (Diane Lane): And they know that we know that they know.
Patti: Yeah. Creepy Italian trees."

and you can't forget this!

"Frances: This is really bad, isn't it? (The toilet is producing steam)
Patti: Well, it's not good. Unless you want to give your butt a facial.
Frances: That's a contradiction in terms."

I need to go watch this film again..... love it.

Anyways, I want to go to greece! I would love to see the ruins and country side. . . drools.

One day I will go. john and I are planning our first expensive vacation. We are thinking tropical cruise or maybe a mediterranean cruise. . .

[ArtS]

I bought some 12 year old vinagar from Modena - it was $20, please don't tell me I just bought a $20 bottle of salad dressing...:rolleyes: . Is there anything besides salad I should try it on?

Oh, the 35 year old stuff was $225 - now that had better be good salad dressing! Maybe it's so good that Bitsey Jo would try salad with it on it :D .

Regards,

Art S.

[catfish]

is it balsamic vinegar or just vinegar?

if it is balsamic vinegar I have a recipe that feeds 18 that I can change to feeds 2 (I think). It uses Balsamic vinegar....it's a tuscan white bean soup

[Pado]

If something was in my Kitchen for 35 years I'd toss it - Art I have some really old cheese wanna buy it? :p

[memmey]

WEll.....does it say condimente on the bottle? That is for salad and the like. Now the traditione is drizzled or maybe just a tiny few drops are used. Sometimes on desserts or frittattas. Special occasion things I think.
You know a $20 bottle is probably not bad if you have never had the real stuff.
My motto is what you don't know won't hurt you..LOL

[memmey]

Oh no... the mod squad are on line. What's the best wine you have ever had. Wine of your lifetime...so far?

[catfish]

LOL I have some creamed corn that is like 10 years old... it's bulging at the ends, but what is a little botulism between friends?

[catfish]

Now I don't have expensive tastes as of yet, since my funds are limited....

But I really enjoy my cheap $35 bottle of Stonehill Port wine and the Vignole. It's cheap, but I enjoy it... but I'm not going to lie, I drink more vodka than wine.... so I'm limited in my experience with it.

[memmey]

$35 dollars in not cheap! Port wine is very nice.

[catfish]

I'm glad I'm not the only one that thinks it isn't cheap... some of my friends don't drink anything less than $75 a bottle! They always call it cheap, so I got into the habbit calling it cheap...


I love my port wine, also a good merlot is nice on occassion.

[Pado]

Memmey - Well the best tasting wine I've had was Silver Oak that was just a few weeks ago - at $100 a bottle - which is about the most I'd pay for a wine.

But I've had Crystal Champagne in Paris - that was probably the most extravagant so far for me :)

Catfish - G R O S S :D (cream corn post)

[catfish]

:eek: $100 for a bottle? wow, too rich for my blood. I think my partner would drop dead if I ever brought home a $100 bottle of wine, but he normally buys a bottle for $7.

.... mind you that bottle made me break into hives. There is nothing worse then having a drunk (i'm a cheap date), OCD, anxiety prone freak break out into hives at 11pm at night. After drinking that wine, i've never gone back to the brand even though my profs recommended it... I'm sorry I will never recommend Barefoot wine to anyone.... the name should have beena big clue....

[Pado]

Hey there is nothing wrong with a good $7 of wine - most folks couldn't tell the difference anyway ;)

On the $100 bottle of wine - well lets just say you have a way to catch up to me - I'm probably old enough to be your father so give yourself time :D

[memmey]

P was it a red? I had a Chateau Beau-Sejour (becot) 1995 and it was wonderful and not real expensive. I have dinner with 2 couples every Saturday and we have gotten together for over a year and we try wine. I'm always wanting to surprize everyone with an extra good one but my budget is pretty tight to go too crazy. Any suggestions?

[catfish]

Pado- the $7 bottle of wine tasted like watered down grape juice with a kick. I've had better cough syrup than that stufff. Mind you I only had a small glass, but it was enough to make me tipsy...

[memmey]

If I were to recommend a nice not expensive wine I guess it would an Austrailian wine. The climate is pretty stable in Austrailia and they consisitant good wine, or anything from the year 2000.

[ArtS]

Vinegar: Yes it's basamic - catfish, can I have the recepie please.

Cheese: No Pado, I'm not interested in your stinky toe cheese :D .

Wine: I generally don't spend more than $20 a bottle, however, I do buy cases of good young wine and put them in my parents basement - the 2000 French stuff is just about ready, I bought it for less than $15, I'm told it now brings $50 - $100 a bottle - better than money in the bank! The down side is that my father occasionally breaks into my stash :rolleyes: .

If anyone is interested in investing in the future, I have been told that 2005 is a very good year for French wines as well - stock up now :) .

Regards,

Art S.

[ArtS]

Memmey,

You didn't specify what type of wine you like.

Personally, I like New Zealand and the northwest (Oregon/Washington) for whites and France for reds - I like the French earthy flavors. Chile isn't too bad if you can find the right one - at the moment, I can't remember the name of the one I like.

Regards,

Art S.

[memmey]

Yea! Another wine person.
I'm partial to cabernet. I like the reds.
Here is one for your consideration that I love. The Barkly Rutherglen Durif 1993. Do you have one for me to look for and I'm on a budget so 10-20 dollars is my range. I want to open The Barkly so bad but I'm waiting. I have a glass of port most times because I'm not in the business of opening a whole bottle and drinking it all. I really like the port I got Saturday it's Heredias Ruby Special Reserve very very good and I have tried a lot of them. Don't buy Cockburns Port I don't think it is at all good.
Wine info on a p'let site....why not?

[catfish]

Okay, I'll scale it down to a recipe that serves 4. I don't think you want to make 18 servings.....

[Pado]

P was it a red? I had a Chateau Beau-Sejour (becot) 1995 and it was wonderful and not real expensive. I have dinner with 2 couples every Saturday and we have gotten together for over a year and we try wine. I'm always wanting to surprize everyone with an extra good one but my budget is pretty tight to go too crazy. Any suggestions?


I'm far from a wine connoisseur - I usually will taste what is recommended by friends - The Silver Oak was during a swanky family dinner - it was a Red.

Kenwood, Grand Archer (a Red) Is another good wine - its around $30 a bottle. We received a case of this from a friends Father who distributes it. This is when I found out you should store wine laying down to keep the cork wet and not standing up as we stored it :eek: :D -

I have a friend who is into wines - I've asked her for recommendations I'll post what she says. I asked her to keep it in the $10 - $20 range.

[memmey]

Thanks P, I appreciate it.

[Pado]

Okay, here is my friends recommendation on wine. She's a big wine person, even converted one of her pantries into a wine room - temperature controlled.


Depends on what kind of wine you are looking for. Rutherford Hill makes a really nice Merlot. You can actually get it at Costco for about $15 a bottle. You can also get very drinkable Meridian Chardonnay at Costco too.

[catfish]

Tuscan White Bean Soup
serves: 8

Ingredients:

35 oz chicken broth
51 oz navy beans, canned
~3/4 tsp dried rosemary
~2 1/4 bay leaves
~1/2 tsp salt
~1/4 tsp pepper
4.5 bacon, chopped
3/4 tbsp 1/2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion minced
4.5 garlic cloves minced
~2 tbsp parsley, minced
~3 1/4 tsp balsamic vinegar

Procedure

1. bring broth, bean, rosemary, bay leaves, and 1/4 tsp salt to boil in large covered saucepan

2. cook bacon and oil in a dutch oven over medium - high heat until fat starts to render, about 1- 2 minutes. stir in onion and 1/4 tsp salt and cook, stirring occasionally until softened and slightly browned, app. 5 -8 minutes.

3. stir garlic into dutch oven and cook until fragrant, about 15-30 sec

4. stir broth mixture into onion/bacon mixture, scraping up browned bits off bottom of dutch oven. Bring to simmer and cook for ~ 10-15 minutes

5. remove bay leaves. season with pepper, taste, add salt if necessary.

6. drizzle a small amount of balsamic vinegar across the top of soup in individual bowls, makes it very pretty and gives it a nice flavor.

Now mind you, this is a recipe I have that serves 18, so I've tried to adjust cooking times to a smaller amount. I hope you enjoy, this always sells out at our restuarant.

[marjet]

Ever tried Alsace wines? White wines from the German/France area? Yummie... (Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer...)