First Menu Execution- Northern Italy

Here is a copy of the first menu we did for the school.  It was our first menu execution.  We were split into 2 groups north and south.  I was voted head chef and we created menu to present to the judges and our peers based on a few rules.  Things we had seen made at school and related to the section of italy.  It was pretty fun.  We will have several more of these before the end.  Kind of reminded me of my production days, all about project and time management.

Italia Nord

Quail Galantine stuffed with truffles on a saffron Potato Crisp topped with a Grappa and Balsamico Traditional pickled Onion 

Baccala Montecato con Pane Di Sepia Toast

Squash Ravioli in a Sage butter Sauce con Parmigiano Regiano and Fried Sage Leaf

Risotto  al Porcini con Balsamico Tradizionale

Persico alla Livornese con Polenta

Focaccia Genovese

Tiramisu

Italia Nord

Leek Roulade with Truffles and Toasted Hazelnuts topped with a Mele Balsamico Tradizionale

Cauliflower Montecato con Pane Di Sepia

Ricotta and Parmesan Ravioli con Burro Salvia e Parmigiano Regiano and a crispy sage Leaf

Risotto Porcini con Parmigiano Regiano e Balsamico Tradizionale

Eggplant Livornese con Polenta

Focaccia Genovese

Tiramisu

Beautiful Calabria and its bounty Blue Fin Tuna

Calabria is at the southern tip of Italy.  It is surrounded by seas.  There are 3 seas in this area of Italy.  About 200 meters off the coast the sea drops to an abyss of 3000 meters.  Just north, in the Bay of Taranto, Blue Fin Tuna Spawn.  Down by Calabria the young swim by and here there is a proliferation of small tuna.  As they round the tip of Italy and enter the Mer Tyrrhenian and are in the the area of Sicily they grow larger and are readily available there and across to Sardinia. Italy map This is the only area that has Tuna.

Conserves Week

This week we are making conserves in class.  We are conserving Tuna as well as other fishes , vegetables and fruits.

Blue Fin Tuna

 Guts of Blue Fin Tuna

Cooking The Tuna 

Tuna has been cooked

Separating the sections to prepare for conserving or jarring.

This is as far as we got on this particular project today.  We do multiple things at a time throughout the day and keep quite busy.  much of what we are learning is artisan or old world.  We are learning what has worked for centuries and why and then making wonderful traditional dishes with the ingredients as we go along.  Some of the curing times for what we produce are days others months and over a year for others.  Guess I'll have to come back next year to taste what we made.  We are now tasting what the class of last year made.  So far they did a great job.  The process may not look glamourous but the results we are getting are so entirely worth the effort we put in.

Market Visit- Soverato, Calabria Italy

This is the local market about a 20 minute drive from me.  We will be shopping for our food stuffs at these markets regularly and Im very excited to watch the continuing seasonal changes reflected in the offerings.  When I was in Rome I saw an abundance of artichokes as it was just the beginning of the season upon my arrival.  As these phase out the changes show. In the southern regions of Italy there are differences as it is about 10 degrees warmer here.  Prolific fish as I am on the sea. Oranges and clementines, huge bulbs of fennel, mushrooms that don't have an actual name, raw honey of several varieties and the list goes on.

 Awesome sun dried figs, nuts seeds, procini mushrooms (dried) cookies a bounty and a fun group of guys here.

The Food journey continues in Calabria

As I am now attending culinary classes I will be posting photos of food.  Many photos of food

Quail with saffron potatoes and a grappa soaked deep fried grape.  

Chicken breast with a marsala and cocoa sauce

Simply awesome, Octopus carpaccio with salsa verde.

 Fellow students

From a gala dinner.  Pheasant the decoration is a red colored pasta dried and curved.  The sauce a serious demi glaze or reduction.

Molten lava cake or Tortino

Chef Sabrina's hazelnut gelato with hazelnut sauce.