Terra Madre October 2004
Each evening, we would visit a different
Agriturismo farm for dinner. The first night our group of
eight ate together at our Kiwi farm. Our meal consisted of
polenta with a tuna and anchovy sauce, picked vegetables
in a tomato sauce, tortellini soup, green salad, pork ribs
and potatoes. It was a great meal after a long travel day.
While I am on the subject of dinner, the next night we ate
with about 10 other people from our bus at Agriturismo Borgogno
in Pinerolo. This was a large complex with many guest rooms.
We had another nice meal consisting of polenta with melted
gorgonzola, sliced beef with a special garlic mayonnaise
sauce, risotto, veal, a wonderful green salad, and a chocolate
caramel dessert. Our third night a group of about 25 went
to a local apple farm Cascina Mombello just outside of Pinerolo.
We had a wonderful meal and this family was so generous and
hospitable. The meal started with a number of antipasta dishes
like pickled zucchini with onions and rosemary, salami, apples
with cream and walnuts, pickled peppers and olives, and ricotta
with an apple sauce. They also served ravioli and then a
huge platter with pork cutlets, sausage, and fried fish.
The other side of the platter was filled with warm sweets
such as amaretto cookies, fried apple slices, and apple filled
lady fingers. Then they served a whipped cream cake which
seemed like too much but was too delicious to not partake.
They finished the meal with after dinner drinks like grappa,
cognac, and their own apple brandy which I then purchased.
It was a memorable evening.
A couple of other food notes: in Florence we ate at a great
little restaurant called Trattoria Sostanza which serves
wonderful fresh tortellini, baked chicken, grilled steak,
and amazing desserts. On the piazza della Republica there
is a100 plus year old patisserie called Gilli's with the
most beautiful pastries and chocolates. I wish I had rented
an apartment while visiting so I could have prepared meals
with ingredients from Florence's market. What an amazing
place -- the meat, wine, and upstairs produce was fabulous!
We also ate lunch at a Slow Food recommended Trattoria in
Turin called Toricelli where pigs feet and artichokes were
sampled.
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