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Showing posts with label Marches. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Marches. Show all posts
Friday, 8 November 2013
Monday, 7 October 2013
Friday, 8 March 2013
Fresh Mozzarella
In the midst of the current food scandals, it is getting more and more
difficult to trust what is on our plates. Horsemeat used instead of the
advertised beef? Fish incorrectly labelled? Eggs produced by battery hens but
sold as organic? We have all read these scary articles in the newspapers,
with a sinking feeling in our stomachs and our hearts.
Article Source: Articlesbase/Travel/Destinations
Author: K J S
It is however still possible to find people for whom food is a real
passion. Tasty, wholesome, fresh food. Take Samuele Frascarelli for example.
Samuele lives and works in a refuge in the Sibillini Mountains, close to Ascoli
Piceno in the heart of the Marches. A gorgeous region located in the middle of
Italy, Le Marche has been nicknamed the new Tuscany and is known for its
many succulent dishes. The cook not only prepares his share of delicious
recipes in the welcoming Capanna di Bolognola, he also makes his own cheese,
bread and cured meat. On request Samuele will produce mozzarella or ricotta in
front of guests, a riveting experience. Let's concentrate on the process of
producing mozzarella.
Both pasteurized and non-pasteurized buffalo or cow's milk can be used to
prepare this soft, versatile cheese. When made out of unpasteurized milk the
mozzarella has to be eaten on the same day, whereas the pasteurized version
will keep for a few days. A good three hours of fermentation turns the milk
into the unrefined version of the cheese. This paste is then chopped into small
chunks that are then plunged into boiling water. The temperature shock turns
the paste into a stringy lump that needs to be worked on, the water being
removed little by little, until the mass acquires the right texture. The
mozzarella can then be shaped into whatever form, although it is normally sold
as a big ball or a bag of little ones. To watch Samuele shape the cheese he has
created from scratch is quite fascinating. The last step is a short immersion
into salted water, which will give the mozzarella its taste. Try a bite before
and after and you will easily spot the difference this last part of the
process makes.
It is then time to savour the fresh cheese. The traditional way to do so would
be of course in the company of ripe, dark red tomatoes, a bunch of fresh basil
leaves, good quality olive oil and aceto di Balsamico and a sprinkling of salt
and pepper. But a slice of mozzarella arranged on top of crusty bread and
dipped into olive oil works just as well.
Article Source: Articlesbase/Travel/Destinations
Author: K J S
Monday, 4 February 2013
In The Kitchen With Gianna
Gianna is not a Michelin Star cook. She is not the proud chef of her
own restaurant. Gianna is simply an “ordinary” Italian Mamma, who loves
cooking and is extremely good at it. Everybody who has had the pleasure
of trying one of her dishes is raving about her skills: Her pizze, for
example, are a mouth-watering combination of a perfect base, genuine
mozzarella, homemade tomato sauce and fresh toppings, and reveal their
wonderful flavour after their passage in a wood fired oven.
This shy woman lives in Le Marche, a beautiful a beautiful region in the centre of Italy, perhaps less known as her Tuscany or Umbria neighbours but with a strong food culture. Gianna prefers to prepare dishes for guests in the comfort of her own home, surrounded by her beloved utensils, but will on occasions cook in the kitchen of another house should the menu require perfect timing. Other signature dishes of hers include the very simple but heavenly combination of melon and prosciutto (cured ham), pork or beef stews served with grilled vegetables or scrumptious fruit tarts to give the meal a final sweet note.
It goes without saying that she excels at preparing many pasta variations. Her ravioli
di ricotta are a must, but even more so is a specialty of the Marches:
Lasagna Vincisgrassi. Instead of being prepared with a Bolognese and
therefore beef mincemeat, veal is used for the fragrant, non-tomato
based sauce. Other ingredients include fresh vegetables in the form of
porcini mushrooms, celery, onions and carrots, as well as cream, Marsala
wine and a sprinkling of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. The recipe
originated from the pretty town of Macerata and the story surrounding
its name is interesting: Lasagna Vincesgrassi was allegedly invented by a
local chef for an Austrian general, Prince Windischgratz, who was
leading a branch of the Austrian army stationed in Le Marche at the end
of the eighteenth century. His name was given an Italian twist and has
remained ever since.
With the importance of the Slow Food movement, which incidentally was started in Italy by Carlo Petrini in the mid-eighties, authentic dishes prepared with local, preferably organic ingredients and traditional farming and cooking methods are getting more popular every day. People’s concern for what appears on their plates is growing, and easily found information is helping them with their food choices.
Given this prominent trend, Gianna’s cooking style and the succulent lasagna Vincisgrassi are here to stay for many, many more years.
Article Source: Articlesbase/Travel/Destinations
Author: K J S
This shy woman lives in Le Marche, a beautiful a beautiful region in the centre of Italy, perhaps less known as her Tuscany or Umbria neighbours but with a strong food culture. Gianna prefers to prepare dishes for guests in the comfort of her own home, surrounded by her beloved utensils, but will on occasions cook in the kitchen of another house should the menu require perfect timing. Other signature dishes of hers include the very simple but heavenly combination of melon and prosciutto (cured ham), pork or beef stews served with grilled vegetables or scrumptious fruit tarts to give the meal a final sweet note.
With the importance of the Slow Food movement, which incidentally was started in Italy by Carlo Petrini in the mid-eighties, authentic dishes prepared with local, preferably organic ingredients and traditional farming and cooking methods are getting more popular every day. People’s concern for what appears on their plates is growing, and easily found information is helping them with their food choices.
Given this prominent trend, Gianna’s cooking style and the succulent lasagna Vincisgrassi are here to stay for many, many more years.
Article Source: Articlesbase/Travel/Destinations
Author: K J S
Wednesday, 19 December 2012
Saturday, 15 December 2012
Le Marche
Why not LE MARCHE?
We invite you to watch this video about Le Marche with wonderful pictures of this rich region of culture and nature
Tuesday, 11 September 2012
Back To The Middle Ages In Italy
Article first published as BackTo The Middle Ages In Italy on Technorati.
The first Sunday
of September in the afternoon, thousands of people gather in the town of
Arezzo, Tuscany. The reason? The Giostra del Saracino (Joust of the Saracen), an incredibly popular medieval
tournament held in this lovely old city twice a year, in July as well as
September. It is said that the origins of the joust go back to the Crusades,
and its popularity varied during time, before being firmly reinstated during
the 1930s.
As you arrive,
you really have the feeling that you have stepped back in time… A great deal of
detail goes into the historical costumes, and the explosion of colours is a
pure delight. Not only are the protagonists of the tournament dressed that way,
but residents too. On the day of the event, a procession takes place from the
dome to the Piazza Grande, starting with a blessing of the Bishop in front of
the cathedral. Once everyone is gathered in the main square, the flag wavers,
known as the sbandieratori, demonstrate their skills, launching their flags
high into the sky before catching them at the last second. It is then time for
the representatives of the four districts to defy each other. They joust in
pairs, mounted on a horse, but nowadays do not throw lances at each other
anymore. Instead, the aim of the game is to hit the Saracen king, a target
carved in wood, trying to score a maximum of points in order to win the golden
lance.
There are also
several other traditional events to choose from, not only in Tuscany but also
in regions such as Umbria or Le Marche.
The Quintana of Foligno (Umbria) is one of
them. It was named after the 5th road of the Roman military camp,
dedicated to the training of lance fighting, and was later turned into a knight
jousting tournament. In 1613 it was officially instated as part of the Carnival
celebrations. The first part of the event is held in June on a Saturday night,
and the counter challenge the second or third Sunday of September. Ten knights,
representing the town quarters, are competing. Their duty is to catch with
their lance three rings of decreasing sizes, which are dangling from a gyrating
statue of Mars, the Roman God of war. All this while sitting on a horse going
at full speed.
Other
possibilities include the Palio del
Serafino in Sarnano or the Disfia del
Bracciale in Treia, both located in the Marche region. The Palio del Serafino is a reminiscence of
the 13th and 14th centuries that happens in August and
consists of a week of processions, banquets and tournaments opposing the four
different parts of the town. The Disfia
del Bracciale sees teams of two players dressed in medieval costumes and
sporting big spiky bracelets made of wood confront each other. The purpose of the
game, played against the fortified walls, is to propel a leather ball over a
high net. The match and the party that follow are the culminating point of ten
days of celebrations.
Are you ready to
join in?
Labels:
Arezzo,
banquet,
festival,
Foligno,
holiday in italy,
joust,
Le Marche,
marche,
Marches,
medieval,
Sarnano,
summer holidays,
tournament,
Treia,
tuscany,
umbria,
villa in umbria,
villas in the marche,
villas in tuscany
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