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2014ACCADEMIA ITALIANA DELLA CUCINA

A CULTURAL INSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF ITALYFOUNDED IN 1953 BY ORIO VERGANI

www.accademia1953.it

CIVILTÀDELLATAVOLAACCADEMIA ITALIANA DELLA CUCINA

INTERNATIONAL

EDITION

CdT_264_COVER_INGLESE_Acca 12/10/14 18:33 Pagina 1

DEAR ACADEMICIANS...2 The beautiful cuisine of consumerized seduction (Giovanni Ballarini)

FOCUS4 The Hotel Restaurant’s Search for a New Identity (Paolo Petroni)

CULTURE AND RESEARCH5 A vermouth, please! (Elisabetta Cocito)

7 Vegetarian and vegan cuisine (Alfredo Pelle)

9 Finocchiona sausage (Ruggero Larco)

11 The fragrance of potato croquettes (Claudio Novelli)

13 White wine or red? (Sandro Bellei)

On the cover: Graphic reproduction of a detailfrom Still Life with Fruit in a Wanli Bowl by theartist Jan Davidsz. de Heem (1606-1684).

S O M M A R I O

PAGINA 1

T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S

INTERNATIONAL EDITION

OCTOBER 2014 / N. 264

EDITOR IN CHIEFGIOVANNI BALLARINI

COPY EDITORSILVIA DE LORENZO

LAYOUTSIMONA MONGIU

TRASLATORNICOLA LEA FURLAN

THIS ISSUE INCLUDES ARTICLES BYGiovanni Ballarini,Sandro Bellei,Elisabetta Cocito,Ruggero Larco,Claudio Novelli,Alfredo Pelle,Paolo Petroni.

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MONTHLY MAGAZINEREG. N. 4049 - 29-5-1956TRIBUNALE DI MILANO

Rivista associataall’Unione StampaPeriodica Italiana

L’ACCADEMIA ITALIANA DELLA CUCINAFOUNDED IN 1953 BY ORIO VERGANI

AND LUIGI BERTETT, DINO BUZZATI TRAVERSO,CESARE CHIODI, GIANNINO CITTERIO,

ERNESTO DONÀ DALLE ROSE, MICHELE GUIDO FRANCI,GIANNI MAZZOCCHI BASTONI, ARNOLDO MONDADORI, ATTILIO NAVA, ARTURO ORVIETO, SEVERINO PAGANI, ALDO PASSANTE, GIANLUIGI PONTI, GIÒ PONTI,DINO VILLANI, EDOARDO VISCONTI DI MODRONE,

WHIT MASSIMO ALBERINI AND VINCENZO BUONASSISI.

CIVILTÀDELLATAVOLAACCADEMIA ITALIANA DELLA CUCINA

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C A R I A C C A D E M I C I . . .

BY GIOVANNI BALLARINIPresident of the Academy

D E A R A C A D E M I C I A N S …

PAGINA 2

Dear Academicians, estheticcuisine is not a new phe-nomenon. In the ostensive

haute cuisine of the Renaissance thequest for beauty sometimes super-seded the quest for goodness, some-times crossing over into incurring riskand danger: serving a splendiferousroast pheasant at the table in its glori-ous plumage is certainly neitherhealthy nor safe. Bourgeois cuisinewas much more prudent. Beauty wascombined with goodness in magnifi-cent timbales, and especially in the artof pastry making, which the greatMarie-Antoine Carême considered tobe a branch of architectural art.As an elite phenomenon of high levelcuisine, beauty has always been a con-stant artistic motif in every historicaland cultural era. Even in popular cui-sine, here and there and from time totime we can find traces of a quest for

functional beauty in food and its culi-nary transformation.In these times of rampant con-sumerism and globalization every-thing has changed. The esthetic aspectof food is no longer reserved for the“haute cuisine” of the chefs. The glob-alization of markets, the frenetic pushfor a continued increase in consump-tion and nutritional industrializationare bringing about a democratizationof beauty in food and culinary esthet-ics that deserves some brief reflection.In cuisine today art no longer merelyseeks beauty, but also seeks new se-ductive sensations that are developingnew perceptions in terms of food. Ap-pearance is one of the instruments forthe expansion of the market and it istransforming society and the very per-ception of art and beauty. The prevail-ing notion seems to be that a food ordish that is not attractive will not sell!Similarly one would not patronize arestaurant that doesn’t have someminimal element of seduction!These affirmations are supported bya good deal of evidence. One needsonly examine how food is displayedin supermarkets, the presentation ofready-to-eat meals, and the dishesserved by the more talked-about chefs.The most attractive products, even ifthey are odorless and tasteless, arepreferable to the less attractive ones,even if the latter have better taste andmore flavor. The cherry on top of thecake has become more important thanthe cake itself. Homo aestheticus hascaught up with and is overtakingHomo oeconomicus. According to Gilles

Lipovetsky (Lipovetsky G. - L’esthétisa-tion du monde - Gallimard, 2013) in-dustrial capitalism is focusing increas-ing attention on style and beauty,appealing to the tastes and sensibilitiesof the individual. The industry of con-sumption, including the food industry,systematically and democratically (inthe popular sense) incorporates theonce elite parameter of esthetics asstyle and art. The designer bag, or itsknock-off, must be available to every-one, even the much cited Vogherahomemaker, just like the once elite butlargely copied culatello salami of Zi-bello, or a dish prepared by a famouschef that the food industry has repro-duced in an endless series of frozenfoods for the enjoyment of all.In the world of food consumption, ap-pearance has entered the realm ofglobalization and profit, because theartistic stimulus is a human character-istic even in terms of nutrition. It iscertainly no accident that the originsof cuisine are related to artistic activ-ity, just as they are in the instance ofprehistoric rock painting or primitivemusical instruments.Along these same lines today we areseeing the emphasis placed on a newphenomenon. The esthetic quest forbeauty has been transformed into aquest, in constant transformation, fornew sensations, emotions and seduc-tions because art has become some-thing that must be experienced byeveryone, even in terms of nutrition.The food industry has one of the high-est levels of innovation (about 10%annually) and therefore its continuous

Good cuisine must not be the playing field for the seduction of appearances that target the consumerism of a globalized market.

The beautiful cuisine of consumerized seduction

PAGINA 3

D E A R A C A D E M I C I A N S …

renewal has benefited from the emo-tional and seductive presentation ofits new products. In our times, the tra-ditional opposition of art and the mar-ket has been overcome, even in termsof cuisine.A great cook must consider how hiscreation will be produced in his ab-sence or when it is reproduced in evena small chain of restaurants. For itspart, the food industry turns to a wellknown chef to help diffuse its productsor services. One example concerns thecelebrity chef dishes that are nowserved by some airlines.Producers of consumer goods use es-thetic seduction to impose their prod-ucts on us. They modify not only how

we see them but also how we behave.There is an eloquent link between howa supermarket displays its wares andtheir acquisition and consumption.Unbeknownst to us, today we have be-come consumers of appearance. The artistic exploitation that today evenincludes food and cuisine has been de-mocratized, giving rise to a widespreadhedonism that even the current eco-nomic crisis cannot dampen, only re-shape. The diffusion, even in cuisine,of an esthetic feeling and quest for emo-tions and their associated seductionshas made us more critical and de-manding, but it has not improved ourcuisine or nutrition. The increase ineating disorders and other nutrition

problems in our society today is all tooevident! It may not be evident to all, but weneed to be aware that the esthetic di-mension cannot be dictated solely bythe market. We must respond, withoutunderestimating the esthetic value ofa good dish or cuisine, and we mustrefer back to the traditions of peren-nial cuisine in which the goodness ofa food, dish, recipe or meal does notdepend so much on its appearance ason an harmonious balance betweensecurity, nutrition, sensory impres-sions, sense of wellbeing and last butnot least, the memory of our tradi-tions.

GIOVANNI BALLARINI

Contributions to the magazine by Academicians are notonly welcome, they are indispensible. HoweverAcademicians need to keep in mind some essentialguidelines, so that their effort and passion are rewardedby rapid and thorough publication.

� Articles: It is essential that articles be sentelectronically, in Word format (not pdf) to the followingemail address: redazione@accademia1953.it

� Article Length: To avoid cuts that are irritating forboth the writer and editor, articles should be between4,000 and 6,000 characters (including spaces). Yourcomputer provides character counts.

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� Please do not send reports on convivial dinnersheld outside the territory of your Delegation, or onthose held in the homes of Academicians or placesother than restaurants and public settings, as they willnot be published.

� By observing these simple guidelines Academicianscan be reasonably assured of rapid and accuratepublication, thereby avoiding painful cuts.

� Obviously, the Editors reserve the right to edit allarticles and publish them according to available space.

GUIDELINES FOR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE MAGAZINE

PAGINA 4

F O C U S

T he race to hire famous cooks, known as “star chefs” isunderway. In fact, it is getting more intense with luxuryobsessed hotel chains leading the charge. Even in Italy,

the race is moving along. With the exception of Rome, whichboasts a long and well established tradition of hotel restaurants,by and large the hotel restaurant finds it difficult to prosperoutside of the circle of hotel guests. If it has gotten late, andthe guest is tired, or does not wish to end up in a touristyplace, does not know the town, or more simply is not interestedin local gastronomy, he stays in the hotel. The cuisine ispassable and sometimes it may even be good. To solve theproblem, some hotels have resorted to outsourcing, entrustingthe restaurant to an external chef, but such attempts generallydo not last long. This is one of the major problems: the man-agement changes all too frequently.In reality, the outstanding hotels have other needs. They feelobligated to show off, they do not mind the expense, andspend resources on the chef as if he were an investment ininterior decorating, similar to a trademark. What does hecook? How does he cook? Is the restaurant empty? It does notmatter. Even the cash return is not essential, at least in theshort run. A well known chain of luxury hotels has entrusted

its restaurant, quite lackluster up to recent times, to a famouschef who is - as they say - a star. The chef thinks up a menuand passes it on to the resident chef. At the beginning, he mayeven help him and from time to time he will appear on thescene to check up on things and to justify the high fee that hepockets. And yet the courses on the menu may appear quirky,to the point of astonishing the guests. Are we sure that thewell heeled clients in the expensive hotels will appreciate suchthe offerings? Are we sure that they will like prawns withsherbet? Or tortellini stuffed with almost paste? Or lobsterwith peaches? Or sea urchins with ox marrow and citrus fruit?Or the inevitable licorice over beef filet? Or an incredible cu-cumber carpaccio? Perhaps the clients would appreciate goodtraditional cuisine; a real cuisine featuring local ingredients ofabsolute quality, served with appropriate tableware and superbprofessionalism? This is an external matter of good appearanceand complete trust in the “brand”. However, the clients of thehotel are just passing through and they stay a short time; at-tracting external clients requires more than just a virtual cook.By paraphrasing the poet Giovan Battista Marino one couldsay: “The purpose of the cook is to amaze… he who does not,should curry the horses”.

Bet on tradition or amaze with a famous chef?

The Hotel Restaurant’s Search for a New Identity

BY PAOLO PETRONISecretary General of the Academy

In the beginning, it was done sot-tovoce, then with more assertive-ness and finally with the self-as-

suredness of being “trendy”. Once againwe are asking the barman, not just inTurin but all over Italy, to serve us avermouth to sip with renewed pleasure.The first mention of this wine is by C.Villafranchi in his Tuscan Oenology(1773). In fact, its reputation springsfrom Piedmont from the “speziale”(pharmacist) Antonio BenedettoCarpano who was the first to produceit and publicize it in Turin under thename of “vermut” (later popularizedby the French as “vermouth”), a namechosen by adapting the German term“wermut” that denotes absinthe(artemisia absenthium), the most im-portant among the aromatic plants uti-lized for its preparation, conferring itsaroma and special bitter taste. The nov-elty was so well received that the Turin

public started coming to the modest“bouvette” in Piazza Castello that quicklybecame, and remained for almost 140years, one of the most frequented es-tablishments of the city. A basket ofthe product was sent to the reigningmonarch Vittorio Amedeo III who pro-nounced it so exquisite that he ordereda stop to the production of the rosolioliqueur produced by the court. Thenews vastly increased the success ofthe new drink that with the passing oftime became the definitive “aperitif”,consecrating Turin as its birthplace andbinding its fame to the city. The birth of vermouth fits right intothe historical scenario thatcame about after theSpanish War of Successionwhen Europe was openedto the wide distributionof strong sweet wines byEnglish merchants whohad lost their French pur-veyors. Such wines camefrom Portugal and quicklygathered acceptance andmet with great success.The new situation openedthe doors to locally pro-duced products, starting with Marsala,produced in Sicily with methods ofvinification and aging similar to thoseused in Portugal, and to newexperimental beverages such as ver-mouth. This wine product brought theadded benefit of allowing for the uti-lization of new wines, replacing thetypical flavor associated with agingwith that of the added mixture of aro-matic herbs. The mixture scored widesuccess due both to its pleasant taste

and to the lower cost of production,which led to its rapid adoption in alarge part of Europe. The preparation of vermouth is theresult of years of care and experiencein measuring the right dosage to reachthe perfect balance of taste and aroma(it should be neither too bitter nortoo scented). The starting base is whitewine (at least 75 percent, with at leastone fourth Moscato in the best mix-ture). The mixture is enriched andaromatized by adding a selection ofherbs and spices based on specific se-cret recipes that are jealously guardedin the laboratories of the various pro-

ducers. The alcohol con-tent and the sugar contentvary according to the typeof product: no less than14.5 alcohol content (onceit was 16) and 14 percentsugar for normal vermouth(red and/or white), no lessthan 18 and no more that12 percent sugar for dryvermouth. Noteworthy recipes of thetime offer suggestions forthe production of ver-

mouth. The recipe by Vialardi, thecook of the court, eventually reportedin his Treatise of Cuisine of 1854, wasimplemented by an artisan of theLanghe region and christened “CarloAlberto Reserve’ in honor of the Kingof Piedmont. The birth of “Punt e Mes”, Vermouth’sbitter version, dates back to 1870,once again on the premises of Carpano.The bizarre denomination is due to acurious habit of the frequent clients

C U L T U R E A N D R E S E A R C H

The classic aperitif that coined the definition is again becoming fashionable, thanks to the search for new aromas and tastes and innovative packaging designs.

A vermouth, please!

PAGINA 5

BY ELISABETTA COCITOAcademician, Turin Delegation

PAGINA 6

who used a gesture that was commonto the behavior of stock exchange em-ployees: thumb raised (punt) followedby the horizontal extension of thehand (mes) to order a vermouth cor-rected by half dose of china liqueur.This variant of the classical vermouthscored a high rate of favor to the pointthat it made the Carpano firm famousaround the world. Many other producers of Piedmont(Cora, Cinzano, Martini & Rossi, Calis-sano and so on) have built their successupon the production of vermouth andcontributed to its popularity in SouthAmerica, United States and all of Europe.The aromatized wine was at its zenithin the 19th century and the beginningof the new century. At that point intime, vermouth became the aperitif parexcellence, recommended for activatinggastric juices and favoring digestion,drunk all over the Piedmontese Kingdomin wine establishments, coffee houses,restaurants and living rooms.Vermouth became a true social phe-nomenon, a rite not to be missed, cel-ebrated almost everywhere includingthe home of Romilda, a character in IlFu Mattia Pascal by Pirandello. Thewriter De Amicis told about Turin and“the hour of vermouth, the hour whenthe face lights up and the premises ofthe liquor vendors become crowded”. In the second half of the twentiethcentury the consumption of vermouthbegan a slow and progressive declineuntil it almost vanished from the con-temporary bar. Deep changes alteredthe social scene: spreading urbaniza-tion was responsible for a cleavagebetween home and work, the workday with a only a short break for lunchapplied to practically all activities -the earlier closing of the work day be-fore dinner had allowed more time

for other activities, relaxation and fam-ily togetherness. People now go tobars for a hasty cup of coffee or to eata sandwich. There is no longer timefor a vermouth or for an aperitif. As we suggested, today the aromaticwine of long Piedmontese tradition,for many years bypassed and almostforgotten, is being rediscovered and iscoming back to the historical estab-lishments as well as to the modernwine bars, in the wake of the greatsuccess of cocktails. Vermouth can betasted as a standalone drink or as a re-fined long drink; it is also the foundationfor fancy cocktails and is the companionof hors d’oeuvres and finger food as anaperitif, although it also goes well withsomething sweet (perfect withchocolate) after dinner. Besides the classic brandsthat are being offered againby the main producers andexported around theworld, it is interesting totake note of the rise ofnew and innovative es-tablishments such as“speakeasies” (places thatare a sort of cult where youcan enter if you produce thepassword, just like the clandes-tine establishments in America dur-ing prohibition). In these places, theartisanal vermouth has been resur-rected through the work of the barmen(a better term is now mixologist). Smallartisanal distilleries are producing it,replacing the herbs that were utilizedin the past, difficult to find in ourtimes, with other components withthe same properties. It takes patienceto find the right balance. The searchfor new aromas and tastes as well forinnovative models of production isfully underway. Just one example: the

dry version of a vermouth recentlycome to the fore is now offered insmall spray jar. All that the lovers ofextra dry have to do is to spray a smallquantity on the surface of their drink;alcohol will cause the perfume to risebut the taste will remain hard dry. The tradition of vermouth goes back toits cradle with the opening in a trendyborough of Turin of a place devoted toexperimentation and pouring just likethe past tradition. The starting pointwas the recovery of the antique recipeof an historic brand in Turin based uponthirty herbs that is being revisited in a“modernized” version conceived to at-tract young people. The result is prom-ising: the excellent red vermouth con-

cocted by expert barmen goeshand in hand with the variant,worthy of meditation, ofherbs that are being hand-picked in the communitiesof valleys close to Cuneo. Again, in Turin the historicrestaurant Del Cambiohas recently reopened itsdoors after a careful jobof restoration. The old roomon the ground floor, wherePrime Minister Cavour would

have lunch at his favorite table,has a new complement in the mini-

malist wine bar on the first floor. Hereit is normal to see people chat and sip avermouth or an aperitif with vermouthas a base. It is a symbol of how past andpresent cross each other on differentfloors, as a metaphor for the ties thatbind one epoch to another, joined by abeverage of the eighteenth century thathas returned to claim its fame, provingthat happy intuitions, even though theyfaded for a while, come back as winnersand reclaim their status.

ELISABETTA COCITO

C U L T U R E A N D R E S E A R C H

PAGINA 7

C U L T U R E A N D R E S E A R C H

BY ALFREDO PELLEAcademician, Apuano Delegation“F. Marenghi” Study Center

We have become a people composed of alimentary tribes, each with its own idols, myths and rites.

Vegetarian and vegan cuisine

F As an introduction, I would liketo say that we Academicianshave a duty to regard that which

we consider “the cuisine of others”first and foremost by acknowledgingand understanding the motivationsthat underlie it, and then evaluatingit in accordance with our own tastes.Many factors have determined thisnew way of approaching how andwhat we eat: agricultural indu-strialization, globalization anda greater awareness of whereour food comes from.We commit a grave error whenwe conceive of food only as “fuel”

and ignore how important it is forour health and lives. Hippocrates wrote“Let your food be your medicine andyour medicine be your food”. I wouldlike to add a small qualification: I ampersonally allergic to definitive judg-ments about taste and I believe that

the philosopher Immanuel Kant hadthe best notion about our freedom toenjoy food: “Regarding taste, each in-dividual has an original idea in hisown mind”. Thus human beings have welcomedall foods and cultures to the table, wi-thout preconception or prejudice. Manyof us enjoy eating moeche (soft shellcrabs from the Venice lagoon that areeaten fried during their molting sea-son), but we refuse to try fried gra-sshoppers (I am told they are crispyand delicious), and we are (justifiably)horrified by the fact that each year 18million dogs are eaten in China. As early as two thousand years agoTitus Lucretius Caro wrote of food:“Why should certain foods be revoltingfor some people and delicious forothers?” From this point of view all ofthe innumerable nutrition trends thathave arisen have a right to exist and

PAGINA 8

be disseminated. The explosion of ethi-cal, raw, wild, vegetarian, vegan, andfruit-only diets are just the latest indi-cation that nutrition is becoming a po-litical and social factor in today’s world. Some of these alimentary trends ariseand disappear quickly, others endureand become permanent lifestyles andbehaviors. One well known gastronomicgroup organizes workshops, seminarsand meal demonstrations - events thathave become (or are trying to become)places of worship.The most widespread vegetarian dietsare based on grains, legumes, vegeta-bles and fruit (both fresh and dried)and to a lesser extent they can includedairy products and eggs for those whoenjoy them. Many products that arecommonly used in vegetarian diets arewidely available around the world:pasta, bread, rice, beans, and peas.

Other products that are not essentialto a balanced diet but are often usedin vegetarian meals quite often are notcommon in typical western diets butbelong to other culinary traditions suchas those of the Asian, Arab, Centraland South American and Mediterra-nean countries. Thus vegetarian dietsare often perceived as multi-ethnic andfree of national barriers. For example,we find grains such as kamut, milletand quinoa, dishes made with bulgar,couscous and seitan, soy and soy pro-ducts (tofu, tempeh and reconstructedvegetable proteins), edible algae anda variety of seeds (that also come inpastes like tahini), condiments suchas shoyu, miso and tamari and swee-teners such as malt.This type of nutritional trend began tospread during the early 20th centuryand followers embraced various “reli-gions” that CENSIS defines as “nutri-tional polytheism”. In this paradigmfood becomes, for many people, a do-minant theme that borders on obses-sion.Every gastronomic trend assumes a to-tally new importance. Veganism, whichwas once a “niche” phenomenon, hastaken on a whole new dimension. InItaly alone over 600,000 people practice

this new lifestyle and philosophy thatis associated with the ethical treatmentof animals. Medical science is increa-singly taking notice of this phenomenonand even the restaurant industry, whichwas initially hostile to this type of cui-sine, is slowly coming around to a morenatural approach that does not sacrificetaste. In addition, the ADA maintainsthat when well planned this type ofvegetarian diet is appropriate for allstages of the human life cycle.Born in England in 1944, veganism isa philosophy and practice based onthe opposition (when possible andpracticable) to any type of animal ex-ploitation (whether for food, clothing,display etc.). This rigid philosophicalversion of veganism is known as “ethicalveganism” as opposed to “dietary ve-ganism”, a nutritional practice that ex-cludes the consumption of any food ofanimal origin.In conclusion, we have become a peoplemade up of alimentary tribes, eachwith its own idols, myths and rites. Allthis in a western society characterizedby abundance, which seems to be seenas the true enemy. In places wherethere is hunger, and where feedingone’s family is a daily challenge seldomassociated with taste preferences, thereare very few food and nutritional fads.So we must gracefully accept the factthat there are millions of people in theworld who intentionally ignore thefact that humans are omnivorous simplybecause “What comes out of our mouthsis more important than what goes in”.However we do not and should not ac-cept these trends as “religions” whereinthose who choose not to adhere totheir practices are considered “infidels”.Recent nutritional trends - arising justa few decades ago - cannot negate ordeem erroneous almost three thousandyears of gastronomy that are associatedwith our history, our anthropology andour ethics.Evidently in terms of health and wel-lbeing, our gastronomic choices arefiltered through society and reveal ourhidden tastes.

ALFREDO PELLE

C U L T U R E A N D R E S E A R C H

PAGINA 9

C U L T U R E A N D R E S E A R C H

In the Arno valley near Florencethere are towns that have achievedworldwide fame for some of their

high quality products: Greve, in thepulsating heart of Chianti, is knownfor the excellence of its classic wine;Reggello is not only famous for its out-standing olive oil, but also for its salamisand sausages. The most typical of themis finocchiona (which is actually pro-duced in the area surrounding southernFlorence). Thanks to the sbriciolonaversion this salami this year it wasawarded the Dino Villani Prize. It is aunique salami whose motto could be“non lasciamoci infinocchiare!” - anItalian play on words that loosely tran-slates as “don’t be fooled by imitations”.This is relevant because fennel seed(finocchiella) is the main ingredientand where the salami gets its name.These seeds have a peculiar characte-ristic: they actually “anesthetize” thetaste buds, especially in the presence

of alcoholic products such as wine. Infact, fennel seeds are rich in anethole,which is nothing more than an aro-matic unsaturated ether, and as such,it possesses anesthetic properties. Thusthe proverb is based more on historythan on legend. As a way to get rid oflesser or leftover wines, even thoseturned to vinegar, unscrupulous winegrowers in and around Chianti, inclu-ding the Valdarno area, were knownto offer potential clients a hearty sampleof finocchiona before sampling thewine. After having enjoyed the salami,even the worst wine became, if notexcellent, at least palatable. It is atrick that nowadays is well known tomany, but some people still fall for it,so be careful!What is the origin of this delicious andunique salami? It was most likely “in-vented” during the Renaissance, oreven the late Middle Ages, which werefairly lean times. In fact, some literary

BY RUGGERO LARCOFlorence Valdarno Delegate

A delicate and delicious salami from Chianti made with wild fennel seeds. It is a closerelative of “sbriciolona”, a large-grained sausage that crumbles when sliced.

Finocchiona sausage

PAGINA 10

passages describe how Niccolò Ma-chiavelli was particularly fond of fi-nocchiona. It was also widely knownat the time that large portions of saltand pepper were required to preservesausage. But trying to save moneyowing to the cost of spices, especiallypepper, could result in spoiled meat.And thus the ingenious Tuscan porkbutchers, well acquainted with theunusual characteristic of wild fennelseed, which grew abundantly in thecountryside, began to add the freespice to their sausage recipes. Sincefennel seeds do not possess any pre-servative properties, we know that thespice was introduced not for conser-vation but to mask the taste of meatthat may have gone bad from beingallowed to ripen too long. But the factremains that the salami was and is agreat success. While today we no longerhave the problem of trying to maskunpleasant tastes, the addition of fennelseeds to the pork produces a delicateand delicious salami.Now let us turn to the preparation, ta-king into account the obvious differencesfrom one producer to another, of thisexcellent sausage product. Cuts of bothfat and lean pork from the cheek, jowl,stomach, and shoulder are coarselyground together and seasoned withsalt, pepper, red wine and of coursewild fennel seeds (Foeniculum vulgareMiller). The mixture is then stuffedinto a natural casing and allowed tomature for 5 or 6 days in a well venti-lated but not overly cold room, andthen left to ripen in a cellar or similarenvironment for at least five months.The size varies from producer to pro-ducer, from a little over a kilo (2.2 lbs),about the size of a medium Tuscan sa-lami with a diameter of 5 cm (2 in) toa little over 3 kilos (6.5 lbs) with a dia-meter of 10 to 12 cm (4-5 in). Non-Florentines wishing to buy a finocchionamay find themselves asked if they preferit to be “sbriciolona” or not. Sbriciolonais still a fennel seed salami, but it hasvery large grains, is seasoned a monthat most, and crumbles when sliced.Therefore while finocchiona can be

thinly sliced like salami, sbriciolona isserved in larger chunks that tend tocrumble and is eaten with a fork andknife, which is used to collect any re-maining crumbs. They are two very si-milar products, but they are organo-leptically slightly different. Only your

own taste and palate will determine ifyou prefer one or the other - or oneand the other. It is worth noting thatboth salamis should be consumed withplenty of wine - while not necessarilyof the highest quality!

RUGGERO LARCO

C U L T U R E A N D R E S E A R C H

E-mail addresses of Italian Academy of Cuisine

President: presidente@accademia1953.it

Secretary General:segretariogenerale@accademia1953.it

National Secretariat: segreteria@accademia1953.it

Editorial office: redazione@accademia1953.it

@

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C rocchè, supplì, gattò, sartù, bi-gnè, babà, ragù, brioscia, grattè(gratin): these are all terms

imported by our language from Frenchgastronomy that dictated the rules ofcuisine in Europe since the times ofthe Angioines. However, even thoughthe term crocchè, or crucchè, derivesfrom the more refined croquette, thecontemporary French lack the joy, fastand passing, of a “potato crocchè” de-voured on foot as an economical tidbituntil the evening meal. And yet, thepotato, the daughter of the New World,looked at with suspicion and initiallydestined to feed the animals, savedthe Irish people from the famine of1663. Later on, Antoine Augustin Par-mentier came to the defense of potato

and proposed it to King Luis XVI as al-ternative food during the famine of1785, even hoping to make bread fromit. The results were disappointing.“Monsieur Parmentier asserts that po-tatoes are the best product of thosefaraway places, particularly the Ger-man Loren and America, for the nou-rishment of men as well as the pastureof animals”. This acknowledgementcame from our own Vincenzo Corrado,chief of eateries for Don Michele Im-periali, Prince of Francavilla and Mol-tena, Grande First Class of Spain,Chamber Gentleman of His Majestythe King of Two Sicilies, Chevalier ofthe Distinguished Order of Saint Gen-naro etc. etc. In his Treatise on Potatoesfor Use as Food (1798) he praises Par-

C U L T U R E A N D R E S E A R C H

BY CLAUDIO NOVELLIAcademician, Naples-Capri Delegation

“You can eat a hundred, like a breath of wind!” This is how vendors advertised a typical street food in Naples.

The fragrance of potato croquettes

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mentier but right afterthat tells him, with hishabitual gracefulness,that “in spite of the factof that he labored, andwith him men of the Che-mical Faculty skilled inmaking bread, it was notpossible to remove thetenacity of the potatodough and to induce itsfermentation causing itto rise”. In fact, no matterhow he strove, the un-lucky Parmentier neversucceeded in producingbread that was somewhatacceptable. Corrado de-stroys him with good sen-se and the typical Neapolitan empirismby telling him that “good bread, quiteexcellent, can be obtained by mixinghalf wheat dough, and in the mannerthat is called for”. He then added therecipe, a model of absolute simplicity.It must be noted that at the time potatowas widely used, as Corrado himselfpoints out: “In order to follow the pre-scription of fashion, I undertake tospeak of potatoes, and by the presentbooklet to introduce a new Pythagoricfood”. It is useless to point out that all cookingmanuals codify only the existing ma-terial that has been well tested andaccepted by the tastes of the time.Among the fifty- five recipes, two areworth mentioning since we can state,with absolute certainty, that they arethe ancestors of the typical Neapolitan

street food, the “potato crocchè”, eventhough we do not know exactly whenthey left the table and entered thestreets. During that time even thename was a bit more elegant: potatoesin bignè. ‘Boil the potatoes in waterand peel them, mix them with a littlegrated parmesan and some fat fromox marrow. Mash them and add saltand pepper, mix them with one ortwo beaten eggs to bind the whole.This mixture should be cut into morsels,covered with wheat and beaten eggs,and then fried”. In another booklet,Daily Meals Variedand Served with 672 courses accordingto Seasonal Products (1809), Corradoenriches their taste and gives exactindications about the shape they musttake. Of course, he altered their nameand transformed it into “Potato

clumps”. “The potatoesshould be of the rightsize, pick ten of them,and let them boil in waterwith salt and a laurel leaf.Peel them, mash themwith a fourth of veal fat,and another fourth ofwhite cheese. Seasonthem with spices, twobeaten eggs and make amixture. Divde the mix-ture into a number of por-tions that are the lengthof a finger, cover withwheat and fry them, ser-ving with sage that is alsofried”. The crocchè, onceit arrives in the street,

that is to say in the frying stands thatmade happy the people crowding thesquares and the streets, were advertisedby the vendors and the itinerant sellerswith the colorful cry: “Make marenna,make marenna! You will eat a hundredin a breath of wind!”. Marenna is Nea-politan for “merenda” or snack. Thecry went on: “I have the patanella (frit-ters) and o’sciore, eat my fried mix,crucchè and o’sciore!” For the record,“o’sciore” was another delightful fooditem, the flower of the zucchini plant,just dipped in light batter and fried.As Mario Stefanile wrote, if Brillat Sa-varin had tasted them hot, light andfragrant, just taken out of boiling oil,with a light sprinkling of pulverizedsalt, he would not have ceased to voicehis passionate praise.

CLAUDIO NOVELLI

C U L T U R E A N D R E S E A R C H

THE ACADEMY SILVER PLATEAn elegant silver plated dish engraved with the Academy logo. This symbolic object may be presented to restaurants that displayexceptional service, cuisine and hospitality. Delegates may contact the Milan Headquarters (segreteria@accademia1953.it) for more information and orders.

PAGINA 13

E veryone is probably familiar withthis maxim, but many peopleare not aware of the many pos-

sibilities and variables that combiningfood and beverages create. Fortunately,in this case as well, a pinch of creativityand a good amount of intuition cankeep this maxim from becoming a rigidformula to be consigned to restaurantguides and sophisticated computer apps.What is more, not everyone has themeans or the vast oenological knowledgeof Pope Paul III (Alessandro Farnese,who lived from 1468 to 1549). He wassuch a wine enthusiast that his wellsupplied Lateran cellars contained winessuitable for the morning, for lunch, forafternoon, to quench one’s thirst, todrink “before retiring”, and even todrink “during a magnificent sunset” or“between the new and old season” andfinally even wines “for times of greatheat or great cold”, to “rinse one’s

mouth”, “to wash one’s eyes” and even“to wash one’s virile parts”. One canonly attribute so much to his wine drin-king habits but it is worth pointing outthat Pope Paul III died at age 81 after along and healthy life.Different meats have very specific tastes:no matter how they are prepared theirprovenance is immediately identifiable.There is a very precise “original taste”that defines their characteristics. Theinnumerable recipes for preparing meat,from the simplest to the most sophisti-cated can vary with the addition of acondiment, a sauce or a spice, but themeat’s original taste can only slightlybe modified. It would seem to be a hardand fast rule that no matter how it isprepared, red meat must always be pai-red with a red wine, or maybe a rosé,but never with a white. I would say,given oenological factors that are todayobsolete, that in cuisine as in life, everyrule is made to be broken. But seriously,I mean to say that rules should not betaken literally and that sometimes it isfun to discover the few exceptions thatconfirm the rule. Just one more examplebefore we get into specifics. If the “goldenrule” that red or rosé wines should onlybe drunk with meat and white winesonly with fish must be obeyed absolutely,we would have never discovered thepleasure of pairing stewed eel with thevery red Ferrarese wine from the forestsof Mesola; or been able to enjoy a freshwater fish fry with any of the threebubbly red Lambruscos from Modena.As we shall see there are clearly somevery contradictory exceptions. Whichjust confirms that the subject may notbe quite as “scientific” as we might hope

but that allowing room for opinion ma-kes the process more “human”. The many varieties of red meat preparedin very different ways have very dissi-milar flavors and tastes. Similarly, thewines that should be paired with thesedishes also have extremely differentbouquets, flavors, structure and vintages.A general rule that is fairly intuitivecalls for pairing simple, delicate disheswith light young wines, including rosés.And as one moves toward more com-plicated and substantial dishes it is wiseto pair them with wines that have cha-racteristics with more bite. Of all meats,for example, beef has the simplest, “clea-nest” flavor. The choice of whether toserve an ordinary wine or one withmore complete structure should be de-termined by the cook and the recipe heor she chooses. The options range froma claret or a red from the Colli Euganeito a Caldaro or a Carmignano.Ovine meat instead has a totally differentoriginal taste, and it is not to everyone’sliking. The characteristic flavor of lambmarries well with a good dry red winethat is full bodied and vinous, with mo-derate alcohol content and strong bou-quet. For example a San Giovese fromthe Pesaro hills, a San Severo, an Aglia-nico del Vulture, a Cannonau or a Cer-veteri. It goes without saying that pork is themost flavorful meat of all. And certainrecipes can really enhance its flavor. Asa result, pork absolutely must be pairedwith dry red wines that are robust andhave great character, are well aged andhave a generous flavor and bouquetthat emphasize their high notes. Andonce again, it is essential to select the

C U L T U R E A N D R E S E A R C H

BY SANDRO BELLEIAcademician, Modena Delegation

Red wine with meat, white wine with fish: in cuisine, as in life, every rule is made to be broken.

White wine or red?

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wine in accordance with the nature ofthe recipe. One could easily choosefrom a Cabernet or a Cerasuolo d’Abruz-zo, a Freisa d’Asti or the incomparablebubbly red that is the Lambrusco diSorbara. The latter is the only acceptablewine to be served with a piping hotzampone (pig foot).Horsemeat also has a particularly strongtaste that is not appreciated by everyone.As such, there are few wines that pairwell with dishes made with it. Thereforethey must be vigorous dry red winesthat are slightly fruity, have a full bouquet,complete structure and are well aged.Therefore one might select from thecellar a Cirò, a Ramandolo, an Arcugnanoor - if the recipe is an elaborate one(such as a strongly flavored stew withmany herbs and spices) why not a Barolothat is not too mature? Sweetbreads andother organ meats have very particularflavors that require soft dry rosé or redwines, preferably with a well roundedbody and delicate taste and only a fewyears of aging. One may choose fromamong wines of the Riviera del Garda, aRosatello, a Bardolino or a Traminerfrom the hills around Gorizia.For simple and delicately flavored lightmeat poultry (chicken, turkey etc.) oneshould opt for a cherry flavored or adry red wine that is appropriately full

bodied and has a harmoniously butfairly high alcohol content. For example,a Carema, or a Lagrein rosé from AltoAdige, an Aglianico from Matera or aSanta Maddalena. Dark meat poultrysuch as farm raised duck, pheasant,goose etc. are a different story. Theflavor of this meat is more complex andmarked; a slightly bitter taste is alsocharacteristic of it. One can choose fromamong the wines that pair with lighterpoultry provided that they have a bit-terish or almond aftertaste and a higherlevel of tannin. Some possibilities: Ghem-me, reds from the hills around LakeTrasimeno, Corvo, or Valtellina Supe-riore. Wild game deserves a chapter all itsown as their wine pairing differ fromwhat has been described up to now. Infact we should explain why one wineor another is a better accompanimentfor a certain recipe, or why a givenwine goes better with duck than phea-sant. The differences are minimal, subtleand often depend on one’s taste. Expe-rience is the best teacher. Only afterhaving sampled hundreds of pairingscan a sommelier or even a simple “ama-teur” gourmet be in a position to offeruseful advice. This is why it does notpay to overindulge in technical detailswhich are not only complicated but also

boring. We must rely on our oeno-ga-stronomic “intelligence” to provide sug-gestions about good pairings and maybeeven to tempt us to try new ones.Let us return to the question of game.The meat of skylark, woodcock, par-tridge, quail, dove, pheasant etc. havemarkedly different tastes. Therefore itis difficult to provide suggestions. Onecould even say with the utmost oeno-gastronomic snobbism that each typeof game requires a specific wine. Ne-vertheless, they all require red wineswhose structure is more important thantheir overtones. A few recommenda-tions: Gattinara, Nobile di Montepul-ciano, Gutturnio Colli Piacentii, Cesanesedel Piglio, Barbaresco, Buttafuoco, andTeroldego Rotaliano. As far as waterfowlare concerned (teal duck, wild duck,curlew, water crow, etc.) the specificwild taste and odor that they derivefrom their habitat must be taken intoconsideration. They should still be pairedwith red wines that are markedly aro-matic and vinous, produced if possiblein the same area where the game wascaught. Finally, wild game with “blackmeat” (venison, wild boar, hare, etc.)are prized for their refined and complexflavor. “Typical” wines are a must, highquality, austere and even aristocratic.Using the same criteria for other game,I would personally recommend a Nascodi Cagliari, a Tiferno, an Inferno Val-tellina or a Bonarda Oltrepò Pavese.So much discussion of wine leads meto conclude with an Arab legend thatwould seem to be at odds with St. Tho-mas who believed himself to be anexpert in earthly things and found itimpossible to decide which was thegreatest virtue: women or wine. Ac-cording to the legend, one day the devilappeared to a man and demanded thathe choose between doing three things:beating his wife, killing his servant orgetting drunk on wine. The poor fellowopted for what he thought was thelesser of the three evils, but the devilwon his due: While under the influenceof the alcohol, first the man beat hiswife and then killed his servant.

SANDRO BELLEI

C U L T U R E A N D R E S E A R C H