GOURMET ITINERARIES from good earth to good food

Romans grew wheat and grapes in this fertile fairs offer gourmets an ideal opportunity to enjoy the food The land, but in the early middle ages Bassa and wine in the social and cultural context that generated Romagna was covered in woods and marshes; rare documents them; on those occasions, town centres become a collective from the 7th century refer to this land as Magnum Forestum. celebration of authentic and genuine produce. It is hard to It took centuries to return these lands to agriculture and find a fast-food restaurant here; visitors are much more likely they became the most fertile fields of the House of Este and to bump into one of the numerous striped and colourful of the Papal States; today, they are still the backbone of the piadina kiosks dotted around the area. flourishing farming industry of Bassa Romagna. Here the {142} rural culture of bread (or piadina) and wine have evolved over the centuries and have resulted in top quality gastronomy. The area's cuisine keeps tradition alive, but at the same time it is also open to modern trends. Traditional local produce is carefully prepared by artisans who believe in an ancient bond between men and earth; this way of thinking is also observed by farmers who sell directly to consumers. Anyone who visits will enjoy the wonderful local gastronomy in one of the many restaurants, taverns or trattoria in town centres or in the countryside; everywhere they go, they will be delighted by the food as well as by the warm hospitality that characterises this part of Romagna. Throughout the year, several traditional

· GOURMET ITINERARIES · treasures of romagna Juicy roasts are more likely to be made with chicken, rabbit or guinea fowl; they will often be served with a side ofradicchio on the table e bruciatini, which is a sauté of wild radicchio and pancetta Bassa Romagna is a land full of culture, traditions, labour, seasoned with balsamic vinegar. Freshly made piadina is the creativity and warmth. There is a centuries-long tradition of local bread substitute; piadina is a round flatbread made good food and good wine here, and the taste of its delicious with flour, water, salt and lard and baked on a terracotta produce goes hand in hand with freshness and quality. pan. This used to be associated with the poor, but today Visitors always feel like guests of honour when they sit at a it's highly appreciated for its unique taste. A more calorific table here; expect to be served the best food. The start of the speciality bread is pizza fritta, a fried flatbread which is a meal will be primi; pasta is often called minestra here. Local delicious match for both savoury and sweet flavours, like pasta is hand-made and prepared with a rolling pin by expert piadina. The choice of traditional desserts is broad too: hands. You will be spoiled for choice: cappelletti stuffed zuppa inglese (a sort of trifle), sabadoni (cakes with a chestnut {143} with cheese, tagliatelle, tagliolini (a thin type of tagliatelle), stuffing, dipped intosaba , grape must syrup), sugali (cakes strichetti (hand made bow-tie egg pasta), strozzapreti made with must) and mistochine (cakes made with chestnut (literally "priest choker", short pasta with an intricate shape flour). In Bassa Romagna a good meal will always include a best eaten with a rich meat sauce; in Villanova they even good glass of wine, which is called "e' ven" in the local dialect. make witty "strozzasindaci", "mayor choker"), velvety potato Nothing can beat a great glass of Bursôn, a full-bodied red wine gnocchi, ravioli stuffed with herbs,passatelli with broth (with produced with a local variety of grapes; Bursôn is an excellent a delicious smell of parmesan cheese and nutmeg). Local match for a naughty snack such as traditional caramelised secondi feature a wide variety of excellent meat: pork, beef, figs withsquaquerone (a soft cheese made from cow's milk), barbecued mutton, sausages, ham, salami and coppa (a type or delicious cured meat made with Mora Romagnola (a local of cured meat made with pork and spices). The exquisite beef breed of pigs). Let's not forget that in Romagna if you say of the regional breed Razza Romagnola is also excellent if that you are thirsty, you are most likely to be handed a glass of barbecued. wine to quench your thirst.

· GOURMET ITINERARIES · traditional recipes

PIADINA ROMAGNOLA This is the most famous speciality of Romagna and needs no introduction. Ingredients: 1 kg of flour, 4 g of baking soda, 300 g of lard, salt. Method: mix all the ingredients and add enough water or milk in order to achieve a firm dough. Flatten the dough with a rolling pin until you get a circular shape, make sure it's not too thin; regularly dust the rolling pin and the work surface {144} with flour. Bake the flatbread in the terracotta pan (known as testo) on high heat. Baking takes just a few moments; make sure you prick any bubbles with a fork.

sPoia In the local dialect, spoia is literally the thin sheet of pasta, ready for creating any pasta shape. Careful use of the rolling pin makes it smooth and elastic. Pasta making is almost one millennium old in Romagna and every year, at the end of August, Massa Lombarda holds a traditional popular feast which celebrates the skill of rolling pasta dough.

· traditional recipes · Ingredients: (serves 4), 4 eggs, 500 g of flour of the kind '00'. dumplings. They are traditionally eaten with capon broth, Method: the indispensable tools for making pasta are e' tulìr but they are excellent also with a meat sauce. (the board) and s-ciadùr (the rolling pin). Place the flour on the board, make a well in the centre and crack the eggs into Passatelli in brodo it. Using the tip of your fingers, mix the eggs with the flour, This delicious pasta is a traditional speciality from Romagna. incorporating little at a time; knead the dough together with Ingredients: (serves 6), 250 g of bread crumbs, 250 g of the alternated pressure of both hands. Make sure you regularly grated parmesan, 6 eggs, a small amount of nutmeg, 1.5 litres dust the work surface with flour and smooth out any lumps. of meat stock, a pinch of salt. The dough is ready when tiny bubbles start to appear. Roll Method: mix the bread crumbs, the grated parmesan, the out vigorously till you achieve a large and thin sheet of spoia. eggs, the nutmeg and the salt in a bowl. Press the dough through the traditional kitchen utensil specifically used to I CAPLe` T make passatelli; this is a round metal tool with holes and The spoia can be the starting point for cappelletti, which handles (a sort of large scale grater) which can be purchased {145} are traditionally from Romagna. They are characteristically in any kitchen utensils shop in Romagna. Passatelli should stuffed with parmesan cheese, eggs and nutmeg. They used be cut around 2-3 cm long. Bring the stock to the boil and to be the pasta of choice for the main feasts throughout cook the passatelli; they will be ready when they raise to the the year; women used to prepare them once home from surface. Serve with the stock. the early morning mass, or more rarely the evening before. During difficult financial times, people mixed a small Mistochine amount of parmesan to some cheaper raviggiolo cheese. The recipe of these cakes is very old; they used to be sold by Ingredients: for the stuffing, 1 egg, 400 g ofparmigiano street vendors in winter. They are ideal for dunking in sweet reggiano, a small amount of nutmeg. wines such as passito or vin santo. Method: cut the pasta into 5x5 cm squares, place a little Ingredients: 250 g of chestnut flour, few drops of anise bit of stuffing in the middle and fold into ring-shaped essence, water, a pinch of salt.

· traditional recipes · Method: Mix the flour, the anise essence and the salt, add zest of half a lemon, savoiardi biscuits, liquor alchermes or enough water to obtain a firm dough. Knead the dough and rosolio. roll it out, it should be about 0.5 cm thick. Cut the mistochine Method: mix egg yolks, sugar, flour, milk and grated lemon in round shapes, with a glass or a biscuit cutter. Leave them to zest in a bowl for about ten minutes. Pour the mix in a pan dry. Bake them on a metal tray and turn them until they look and cook it over a gentle heat. dry on both sides. Serve warm. Stir continuously and stop cooking when the custard starts thickening; divide it into two parts and carefully mix one Sabadoni with the cocoa powder. These traditional cakes take their name fromsaba , a grape Dip the savoiardi in the liquor and lay them in a bowl; layer must syrup. custard and savoiardi and make sure you save some chocolate Ingredients: for the stuffing, 1 kg of chestnuts, 300 g of custard for the top layer. Leave the trifle to rest for a little, chestnut flour, 250 g ofmostarda (sweet fruit pickles), then place it in the fridge and eat chilled. {146} grated zest of one lemon, saba; for the dough, 1 kg of flour, 250 g of sugar, 100 g of butter, baking powder, 4 eggs. Method: boil the chestnuts, blend them in a food processor and mix them with all the rest of the ingredients for the stuffing. Roll out the dough in a thin sheet and cut it into squares. Place a little bit of stuffing in the middle of each square and fold them. Bake the sabadoni in the oven.

Zuppa inglese This home made pudding has been prepared in Romagna since the 19th century. Ingredients: (serves 4), 4 eggs, 4 tablespoons of flour, 4 tablespoons of sugar, 50 g of cocoa powder, 500 ml of milk, traditional local produce bE¨ l e cO¨ t (oR bE¨ l A cO¨ t ) Bël e cöt is a type of sausage which looks similar to cotechino. It is made with pork meat and pigskin; it is eaten especially during the celebration of "Festa della Madonna dei Sette Dolori", which takes place in Russi on the third Sunday of September. Bël e cöt is made with various parts of the pig: the jowl, the boned head (without ears) and the skin (30- 40%). The pigskin is then chopped and minced; the purpose of pigskin is to bond all the ingredients together, because it produces the so-called inciach ("bonding agent", in dialect). The rest of the meat is chopped roughly and mixed with {109{147} the pigskin in the mincing machine; seasoning is also added and mixed with the mince. The seasoning is made with: salt, pepper, nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon. Sausages are made with either sheep or beef casing. Bël e cöt is eaten hot, traditionally on a nice slice of unsalted bread and with a glass of young wine canena nova. In Russi people appreciate the opinion of a local citizen, called Giuseppe Buscaioli, who used to recommend: "Quând che e' salâm l'è cöt l'à da èsar dur, quând ch'l'è cöt e' cudghen l'à da èsar murbi" (when salame is cooked, it's hard, but when bël e cöt is ready, it has to be tender).

· TRADITIONAL LOCAL PRODUCE · IL BIANCO DI SAN MICHELE vinegar, distillates, saba, honey, meat, traditional cakes, preserves This wine is the result of a mix of Chardonnay and other and flowers. For information about where to buy: tel. +39 0545 grapes with similar characteristic; Bianco di San Michele 280898; e-mail [email protected] is made with cool fermentation and with carefully selected yeast. If the harvest has happened in August, this young wine la canenaé nova can be consumed at the end of September, when Bagnacavallo Some consider this young wine almost like a sort of must. celebrates its patron saint, Saint Michael (September 29). Canena is produced with a variety of grapes: canena dal It's best served chilled, because low temperature will gently raspo rosso, barzemino, ciliegiolo, ancellotta, but also, if enhance the fresh flavours of fruit, which are the result of possible, negretto and curnacia, which make the wine more great quality grapes. Great with starters and with seafood. transparent. This wine is the perfect match forbël e cöt, but it can also be enjoyed with traditional cakes and biscuits, such BURS ONˆ as , , , sweet , , {148} ciambella zuccherini sabadoni tagliatelle migliaccio This ancient wine is unique because it's produced with a kind pasta margherita and tarts, as well as with trifle-style puddings of grape that is specifically from Bassa Romagna.Bursôn is such as zuppa inglese. the nickname of the Longanesi, a local family that in the Every year, Canena has dedicated celebrations in Russi, 1950s saved this grape from extinction. Cotignola and Alfonsine. Today the wine is still produced according to the tradition and it's aged in oak barrels. This full-bodied and dry wine is dolce di san michele ruby red in colour and has an intense bouquet of berries. Its This cake can only be bought during the homonymous unmistakable flavour makes it a great match for game, red patron saint celebration which happens every year during the meat, roast, truffles and strong cheese. last week of September. It's made with custard, eggs, sugar, Bursôn has received several awards and is produced by the wine walnuts, almonds and pine nuts. It's served chilled and it's makers of the consortium of producers Il Bagnacavallo, which great with a good glass of sweet wine like passito. was born to safeguard and advocate local produce, such as: wine, The detailed recipe is kept secret by the bakers of Bagnacavallo.

· TRADITIONAL LOCAL PRODUCE · Luigino, prugnolino, nocino FROGS and feuilles de cerises Frogs are one of the delicacies of the gastronomy typical of These are local spirits that were rediscovered by Angelo wetlands; they are excellent fried and are great ingredients for Babini, a member of the national association of sommelier stews and risottos. Conselice is the place where you should who has recently died. They are all part of the rural tradition. eat frogs; the town has a dedicated traditional feast which Luigino is made with lemon verbena. Prugnolino is produced celebrates frogs in the second half of September. with fruits of blackthorn that have been specifically picked from salt evaporation ponds in Cervia. Nocino is a walnut zuzizina liquor originally from Modena, but here it's produced with Zuzizina is a sausage made with the fresh meat of a young a local recipe. Feuilles de Cerises is a liquor flavoured with pig; it is seasoned with salt and pepper. cherry and sour cherry leaves; it's a French recipe which Sausages are made with sheep casing, which is called rudlé arrived here with Napoleon's army. in the local dialect, and they come in sets of three. Zuzizina can be barbecued or fried; the cooking time is quite short. {149} PGI PEACHES AND NECTARINES FROM ROMAGNA Peaches and nectarines of Romagna are registered as Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) under EC regulation 2081/92; this safeguards the uniqueness of the local peaches and nectarines. Romagna produces 60% of all nectarines in Italy and 30% of all peaches; their home is Massa Lombarda, which also has the museum of fruit farming (Museo Bonvicini). Here peaches and nectarines are produced with the higher standards, so they taste great and are healthy; they contain vitamin C, beta- carotene and potassium. They ripen from June to September. arts and craft itineraries

The TALENT OF HANDS MARSH PLANTS HANDICRAFT Largo Tre Giunchi, 1 - Villanova di Bagnacavallo In Bassa Romagna men and women keep alive the tradition Tel. +39 0545 47122; e-mail [email protected] and skills of ancient craft techniques; in their workshops they www.erbepalustri.it skilfully create beautiful artefacts that bring together craft and art. The Ecomuseo della Civiltà Palustre safeguards the heritage and the skills related to the craftsmanship of objects created {150} with marsh plants and local wood; some of these artefacts can be purchased at the museum. The museum's educational department has a busy programme of workshops and courses for groups and schools. Visitors can see experienced craftspeople create objects (such as bags, flasks, brooms, baskets, duck decoys and chairs) during the street market "La Soffitta in Piazza" (first Sunday of March, April and May) and during the village feast "Sagra della Civiltà delle Erbe Palustri" ( 2nd of September).

· arTs and crafT iTineraries · ARTISTIC CERAMICS BY ANNA TAZZARI Via Baccano Inferiore, 5 - Abbadesse di Bagnacavallo Tel. +39 0545 52870 {151} Anna Tazzari started a ceramic workshop in her house in 2002. She uses different types of clay and creates sculptures, decorative panels, plates and vases. She is skilled in a variety of techniques, amongst which Raku ceramic; Anna has exhibited her work extensively in solo and group shows and has gained awards. She created sculptures in collaboration with Tonino Guerra and worked with Gianfranco Budini on a project related to "whistling" ceramics.

· arts and craft itineraries · MACRAMÉ LACE BY EDERA TIMONCINI Via Maiano, 60 - Maiano Monti, Fusignano Tel. +39 0545 52378

Edera Timoncini, generally known as "nonna bisa", is an expert macramé lacemaker; this technique has Arab origins and came to Italy through sailors whose ships docked in Genoa. Together with her daughter Giuseppina Margotti, Edera organises very popular courses that take place on Tuesday; Tina Bedeschi was one of her students and now has her own workshop in Lugo, in via d'Azeglio 20 (tel. +39 0545 25635).

MOSAICS BY ANDREA AND MAURO HAFSI Via Piantavecchia, 31 - Voltana di Lugo Tel. +39 339 1850476 / +39 333 7956707

Andrea and Mauro Hafsi are brothers and they've been working with mosaic since the nineties. With this wonderful technique they create sculptures and design pieces such as lamps.

· arTs and crafT iTineraries · BYZANTINE EMBROIDERY BY IRMA SCUDELLARI Via Carducci, 11 - Lugo Tel. +39 0544 580869

Irma Scudellari Melandri safeguards and cultivates the art of Byzantine embroidery; she had organised several exhibitions in Italy and abroad, in order to raise awareness about this embroidery technique which reproduces the decorations of Byzantine mosaics, artworks and architecture. Irma is also the author of a book about Byzantine embroidery which is titled "Bello come un sogno d'Oriente" (Casanova Editore, Faenza, 2006). {153} IRON SCULPTURES BY GIOVANNI MARTINI Via Molino, 33 - Fusignano Tel. +39 0545 52606

Giovanni Martini has been a blacksmith for a long time, but he's also gained the attention of art critics and art lovers for his original sculptures, which are created with very interesting techniques. The way he works with iron results into lightweight shapes and surfaces that are similar to ceramic. His fascinating workshop is located inside a 16th century mill.

· arts and craft itineraries ·