The Terroir of Osteria Morini

2010

2 0 1 0 sapori

THE TERROIR OF OSTERIA MORINI: ITALY + NEW YORK MENTOR FROM AFAR: GIANLUIGI MORINI FAST FOOD: SPEEDY CARS AND REVERED PRODUCTS Italy’s BREADBASKET: DISCOVER EMILIA-ROMAGNA INHERENT DOMAIN: MICHAEL WHITE’S RECIPES

“One of the things we always talk about is how restaurants rise from the terroir—much the same as when you talk about wine. Restaurants rise from their location.” —Chris Cannon

Alto, Marea, and Convivio each have a “Alto has that Prada/Armani feeling.” Marea “One of the things we always talk about is how distinct style and personality, and much is on Central Park in Columbus Circle. Here, restaurants rise from the terroir—much the same of this stems from the restaurant setting Cannon and Michael White went for a truly as when you talk about wine. Restaurants rise from itself. Take Convivio in Tudor City—it has a cosmopolitan feel: “We looked at the park their location. New York has a thousand different warm, modern design with southern Italian and played off the great light. With that neighborhoods, feelings, and demographics, and so we food, very Mediterranean in style. Alto, in the gorgeous expanse of green right there, we try to tailor the restaurant not only to the neighborhood, bustling business area of East 53rd Street, is evoked an earthy, natural feeling.” Sleek, but to the terroir of Manhattan.” > extremely stylized and executes high-profile clean, and bright, it is regarded as one of northern Italian food. As Chris Cannon puts it, New York’s finest seafood establishments.

E milia - romagna OSTERIA DA MORINI 5 7 11 12 14 16 18

The Mentor Fast Track to Food Italy’s Breadbasket On the Stove Sparkling Cousin On the Road Osteria Morini is The Emilia-Romagna Nowhere in Italy is The eminently Prosecco, Italy’s own From regional named after Gianluigi towns of Bologna, food more revered gastronomical region sparkling wine, is delicacies to osterias, Morini, founder of Imola, Modena, and than in Emilia- of Emilia-Romagna is finally getting some antique markets to the renowned San Parma are home to Romagna, known as a constant source of well-deserved, Renaissance squares, Domenico restaurant fast cars, incredible Italy’s breadbasket— inspiration for Michael and long-overdue, Emilia-Romagna has in Imola. Signor food, and a rich the source of White’s recipes. attention. a wealth of delights Morini continues to history. Parmigiano-Reggiano, to discover. Chris be Michael White’s prosciutto di Parma, Cannon and Michael mentor from afar. balsamic vinegar, and White point out their tortellini. favorite restaurants, hotels, and places to visit.

sapori • 2010 3

OSTERIA DA MORINI

This new restaurant, Chris Cannon and Michael White’s first venture downtown, might just be their most ambitious to date. It overlooks a quaint square just north of little Italy and east of cobblestoned SoHo. Cannon describes it as a little square one could find somewhere in Italy, which plays perfectly into the restaurant aesthetic, modeled after a cozy, small-town trattoria.

Both Cannon and White point out that while Emilia-Romagna, where White spent eight To feed their inspiration, Cannon and White toured the word trattoria, much like brasserie and years getting his Italian culinary and cultural the area and ate in more than 15 trattorias. Emilia- bistro, has become a generic term on the education, is a region with an old soul. And Romagna’s cuisine is gutsy and soulful, the home of American restaurant scene, in Italy it is a it’s packed with trattorias. “When you go to meaty Bolognese ragù and tortellini in thick broth. The distinctive type of dining establishment. Emilia-Romagna, it feels like Italy 50 years region produces the cured meats (think prosciutto and Historically, trattorias were places where ago,” explains Cannon. “The real stuff is mortadella) and Parmesan that have become symbols working-class people went to eat, known for all around. You will see these 60-year-olds of Italian flavor worldwide. The regional cuisine itself their genuine, hearty cuisine at reasonable riding bikes in their beautiful coats—it’s like has not been fully translated in America, so the goal at prices. While real trattorias still exist in looking at a Fellini movie happening right this new establishment is to be as faithful as possible to modern Italy, they are few and far between. there in front of you.” the original flavors. >

sapori • 2010 5 While Cannon jokes that his “liver was hanging out by On the menu are such traditional dishes as the end of our trip,” the mood of a trattoria goes well Bolognese ragù; fresh, handmade pastas; beyond the menu. The ambiance is a far cry from their and fire-roasted meats, and they’re even more formal uptown restaurants, with casual seating, working on getting local Emilian wines on tap. no reservations, and communal tables. The space at Even White, an Italian veteran, is convinced: Petrosino Square required a total overhaul from the “You’re going to think you’re in Italy!” inside out. They completely refaced the building so that Their enthusiasm is palpable, and their it blends in with something you’d find in Bologna or dedication genuine. “We’re just two American Emilia—same colors, same style—and totally gutted guys in love with Italy, and we want to express the interior, bringing everything in from Italy. to people the joy that is to be found in Italian According to White, the feeling of a real trattoria takes food,” says White. “That’s what we keep years to acquire. “We junked out a farmhouse from going back to. It’s not conceptual, it’s trying the 1700s, taking it apart brick by brick, and shipped to evoke these great flavors and lightness. them all over here. The doors from the bedrooms are People are so shocked. It’s so simple, but it’s the doors of the bathrooms; the timbers on the ceiling unbelievable.” are the real thing. So many architects put fake wood beams on the ceiling. We want people to see this and say, ‘Wow!’ A cast-iron door has been welded on the front. It’s amazing!”

In addition to the raw materials, the details, too, are authentic. Says White, “We picked up old prints, soccer bandiere (scarves), antiques, and even mixed in some family memorabilia. We are serving wine in carafes— “We junked out a farmhouse from the really rustic, fun, and great. Even the tiles on the walls are original.” 1700s, taking it apart brick by brick, and shipped them all over here.”

106 2010 • sapori The Gentleman from Imola: Gianluigi Morini Michael White cut his teeth in Italy over the course of eight years, many of them spent in Imola working alongside Gianluigi Morini, the founder of San Domenico restaurant.

White’s admiration for Morini is tangible: “Not He helped me absorb these nuances. I worked only is he considered one of the forefathers of with him for many years in the restaurant— fine Italian dining, but he’s a staunch person, so many stories, such great food. You’ll find one of the last gentlemen in Italy.” the same flavors that I learned from him then in my restaurants now.” At his father’s request, Morini graduated with an accounting degree. While studying, he Morini designed his menu to be a developed an interest in theater and, later, film. contemporary take on traditional flavors. He Before he opened his restaurant, he worked brought in Nino Bergese, a grand chef who at Rome’s Experimental Cinema Center. Film had worked in prestigious restaurants in and remains one of his favorite hobbies, and he out of Italy. Bergese put in place a strictly in- has garnered almost as much respect as a house policy, making everything fresh on-site, director as he has as a chef and sommelier. from the pasta and bread to the desserts, and using only local ingredients of the highest Before he opened San Domenico, Morini quality. examined restaurants throughout Italy, and even in other countries, with the goal of Morini, Bergese, and the chefs that followed creating a made-to-order establishment maintained the highest standards for their comprising everything he liked best. In the menus—because, according to Morini, “The late 1960s, he took over one of his father’s guest should be respected. They come to take family restaurants, a 20-table place, and pleasure in our creations.” executed every detail with extreme care— San Domenico continues to set the bar for heavy fuchsia tablecloths, fine linen on the exceptional and inventive cuisine that never walls, crystal glasses, silver serving dishes, loses sight of its traditional roots, and Morini candleholders, elegant flatware, and fresh prides himself on pleasing his diners. He’s flowers every day. The look was that ofan also particularly proud of his sizable wine exclusive private club. It opened its doors to cellar, stocked with fine wines that exalt the public in 1970. the subtleties of each item on the menu to “He loves to eat; he’s a true buongustaio,” complete the experience of the guests. Says White remembers fondly. “He implanted this Morini, “I am in the business of happiness.” in me. He’s one of my mentors who really showed me Italian culture and how people eat. Ristorante San Domenico Via G. Sacchi 1 Imola 40026 +39 0542 29000 sandomenico.it

sapori • 2010 1177 Leblon_Haute_Life.indd 1 4/13/09 12:35 PM

inspiration

10 2010 • sapori E milia- R omagna Situated in north-central Italy, the region of Emilia-Romagna extends diagonally with its eastern border along the Adriatic Sea. It is named for the ancient Roman Via Aemilia that connected Rome to northern Italy, and a derivation of Romania, an area that once contained the Italian center of the Byzantine Empire.

Fertile plains and the Po River, along with its proximity to the north and the from Modena, along with some of the most beloved pastas—including rest of Europe, gave rise to extensive industry, especially motor vehicles tortellini and the infamous meaty ragù—all hail from here. The genuine and clothing production. The home of Ferrari, Ducati, and Lamborghini, quality of life has largely remained unchanged, as tourists tend to skip over Emilia-Romagna has a reputation for fast cars and big business. Emilia-Romagna en route between Florence, Venice, Milan, and Rome. Even Bologna, the largest city in the region, still has a small-town vibe and rich At the same time, gastronomic traditions of the region run deep. Parmigiano- heritage of exquisite, if simple, food. Reggiano, prosciutto di Parma, mortadella di Bologna, and balsamic vinegar

Bologna Imola Modena Parma Home to the oldest university in the Founded by the Romans, Imola Another vibrant college town with a rich The town of Parma is home to a number Western world—the University of functioned as a commercial and art and architectural heritage, Modena’s of famed Italian delicacies, including Bologna, founded in the 11th century— agricultural center, and later became main cathedral and campanile are Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, cured the town has a rich intellectual renowned for its ceramics. These days, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The prosciutto, and the headquarters of and cultural heritage. A major city the quaint town is famous for the roar foundation was begun in the 11th Barilla pasta. It also hosts a centuries- during both the Middle Ages and the of race cars. Home to the Dino Ferrari century, and the Gothic-style tower was old university and numerous palaces Renaissance, wealthy patrons brought Autodrome and the Formula One San built two centuries later. The design and churches, including a Romanesque notable artists and architects to Bologna. Marino Grand Prix, Imola is a charming inspired the construction of cathedrals cathedral containing a 16th-century The government fluctuated between dichotomy of winding medieval streets, throughout the region. Modena is also fresco by Antonio da Correggio. powerful ruling families and the papal cozy trattorias, and loud and legendary home to the stunning baroque Ducal state. Bologna’s central basilica, San automobiles. Palace, which now houses a military Petronio, threatened to overtake the academy. The façade alone is a work Vatican in size; however, the project of art, as are the frescoed ceilings and was halted, and today the basilica the so-called “Golden Hall” (Salottino looms large but clearly unfinished. d’Oro) that is coated in gilded paneling. Most notable architecturally are the Balsamic vinegar made in and around city’s portico arcades, truly unique to Modena is well known for its quality and Bologna. They run throughout town, traditional preparation. with the Portico San Luca stretching over two miles, ending in the nearby hills. As a modern Italian city, Bologna’s college-town character has remained strong. Traditionally left-leaning, it’s a hub of contemporary thought and progressive politics.

sapori • 2010 11 The BreadBasket of Italy

Balsamic Vinegar Prosciutto Vinegar was used in ancient Roman cooking and is widely cited While prosciutto refers to Italian salt-cured ham in curdling process. Curdled cheese is then broken in the Apicius, a collection of cookery recipes thought to have general, Parma is one of the regions most renowned into rice-size pieces and cooked for just under an been written in the fourth or fifth century. Sixteenth-century for its production of this meat. The process has been hour, or until the curds settle and can be packed documents explicitly mention the vinegar in Modena as a around since ancient Roman times, as evidenced in into a mold. The cheese then undergoes a salt bath condiment and precious gift. writings recounting Hannibal’s liberation of Parma for some 20 days, and after is set out to dry for Until the last decades of the 20th century, balsamic vinegar of and his gracious offerings of salt-cured pork. a year on wooden shelves, where it’s periodically the Modena region was primarily a family tradition. Then in 1979, Prosciutto begins with the leg of a pig. It is cleaned turned and cleaned. At the end of the year, the a consortium of vinegar producers in the area joined forces to and salted and, over the course of a few months, Consorzio del Formaggio Parmigiano-Reggiano, promote the product worldwide and establish a standard of gently pressed to remove the blood without breaking the international association that upholds the production that would guarantee not only authenticity of flavor any bones. During this time, it is also rubbed with a standards of this cheese, inspects each round for in accordance with tradition but also high quality. pork-derived fat that prevents the meat from drying quality, using only a hammer and the naked ear to test for consistency and cracks. Passable cheese Today, there are two authorized DOP balsamic vinegars: Aceto too quickly. In fact, temperature and humidity are gets a stamp; others can still be sold, but without Balsamico Tradizionale di Reggio Emilia and Aceto Balsamico key to prosciutto production, with cool and humid the official mark of approval. Tradizionale di Moderna. Both require that every step of the ideal conditions. Prosciutto di Parma authenticity process takes place in the geographically delineated area laws require aging of at least 12 months before The rich, grassy, buttery flavor of Parmigiano is surrounding the towns of Reggio Emilia or Modena and remain the product can be released on the market. The unmistakable. It is considered an excellent table faithful to traditional methods. characteristic pink coloring is a result of a chemical cheese that can be served on its own or with change involving nitric oxide, produced when fruit and charcuterie, in addition to being grated Balsamic vinegar begins with grapes. The traditional process bacteria and salt combine. While many prosciutto for numerous recipes throughout Italy. It’s also calls for trebbiano and lambrusco grapes, which are also used producers use nitrates and potassium in the curing traditionally drizzled with aged balsamic vinegar for local wines and have a high, naturally occurring residual process, official prosciutto di Parma regulations produced in the same region, the sweet and tangy sugar content. The grapes are pressed and the must is prohibit the use of any additives. quality of the vinegar a beautiful complement to the cooked over an open flame in an uncovered container until it saltiness of the cheese. Pairing well with fruit-heavy reduces by around 50 percent, at which point the sugar begins The flavor of prosciutto is distinctively sweet and red wines, the oil content in the cheese balances to caramelize, explaining the vinegar’s dark brown color. aromatic, and it’s traditionally served wrapped acid and tannins, making even a very tight cabernet It ferments in the winter months with the aid of budding yeast around breadsticks, called grissini, or fresh melon. more jammy and less abrasive. called Saccharomyces cerevisiae and is then transferred to On its own, prosciutto is best with a white wine, the first in a series of wooden barrels, where it is left, unsealed, such as Emilia-Romagna’s own Albana di Romagna to allow for further fermentation. DOCG, or a young, sparkling red lambrusco. Both Mortadella wines freshen the palate without overwhelming the While producers use woods like mulberry, oak, walnut, cherry, Arguably a precursor to the all-American bologna, delicate flavor of the ham. and juniper to bestow personalized, characteristic balsamic mortadella is a sausage product that originated aromas on the vinegar, the aging process is essentially the in Bologna. Made from finely ground pork and same in all cases. Each year the must is transferred from Parmigiano-Reggiano seasoned with spices that include black pepper, large barrels to smaller ones until it reaches a very dense Many Americans grew up with the quintessential myrtle berries, nutmeg, and coriander, it is stuffed consistency. The must is blended as it condenses so that each green canister of “parmesan” on their dining tables. with pistachios and sometimes olives. A similar barrel actually contains multiple vintages. The resulting vinegar The real thing, however, strictly goes by the name sausage seasoned with myrtle berries is cited is in fact much older than the minimum 12 months required Parmigiano-Reggiano, as dictated by Italian law, and in historic documents dating back to the 14th to carry the label of authentic Aceto Balsamico di Modena, or undergoes rigorous quality control before released century. The name mortadella refers to the method Balsamic Vinegar of Modena, with aging of up to 25 years in to the market. One of the most famous of the Italian of grinding the meat and spices with a mortar some cases. cheeses, Parmigiano-Reggiano is classified as and pestle. Modern-day mortadella is still made Before the finished product can be bottled and sold with a a grana, or granular, cheese, and it is cooked but according to this traditional recipe. Various pork certified DOP label, it must pass a test by five experts who not pressed. To be considered authentic, it must be products are finely processed and then cooked, not evaluate the product’s consistency and flavor. A separate panel produced in the region surrounding Parma, which cured. After that, they are ground up and seasoned inspects the production line, starting with the vineyards and comprises Reggio Emilia, Modena, Bologna, and until a smooth consistency and balanced, delicate ending with the individual barrels. Montova (actually in Lombardia, but close enough aromas are achieved. Mortadella di Bologna is produced solely in the region surrounding the The final result is thick and sweet, with a consistency closer to to the rest of the region to be considered culturally city of Bologna, and is protected and guaranteed molasses than wine, to be served not only on salads but also and traditionally in line with the eight-centuries-old by national food standards as an IGP (Indicazione atop risotto, alongside Parmesan cheese, and even drizzled on cheesemaking legacy). Geografica Protetta) product. It is traditionally berries. Parmigiano-Reggiano begins with raw milk from served on its own, with warm pizza bianca, or with only grass- or hay-fed cows. Starter whey and calf focaccia and a glass of lambrusco wine. rennet, an animal enzyme, are added to start the

12 2010 • sapori Solosole _Sapori_ad 5/7/10 10:14 AM Page 1

solosole: just sun No blending. No wood aging. Just the pure aromas and flavors of the Vermentino grape.

POGGIO AL TESORO Vermentino Solosole IGT Toscana

IMPORTED BY WINEBOW INC., NEW YORK, NY recipes

Insalata Tiepida di Asparagi Garganelli con Prosciutto, Warm Asparagus Salad Piselli e Panna Pasta Quills with San Daniele Prosciutto, Spring Peas, and Cream

Ingredients method Ingredients method

1 pound medium to thick Cook the asparagus in boiling salted water until 1 pound fresh garganelli pasta Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Stir in the asparagus with the bottoms crisp-tender, 5 to 8 minutes, depending on the or store-bought fresh or dried pasta, cook 3 to 4 minutes until almost al dente, snapped off, peeled thickness. Drain, shock under cold water, then blot garganelli or penne rigate then drain. (If using dried pasta, cook for 10 to 11 1/2 pound morel mushrooms, dry with paper towels. Cut the asparagus on the 1 1/2 cups heavy cream minutes, then drain.) Set aside. diagonal into 1 1/2-inch pieces and reserve. rinsed, stems trimmed, and 8 tbsp truffle butter In a heavy saucepan, bring the cream to a simmer patted dry Halve the large morels. Heat 4 tablespoons of olive 1/2 pound thinly sliced San over medium heat. Add the truffle butter, prosciutto, 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the Daniele prosciutto, julienned peas, and the reserved pasta. Turn the heat to high, mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 to and cook until the sauce coats the pasta, shaking 1 shallot, minced 3/4 cup peeled and blanched 4 minutes, until they start to soften. the pan vigorously to prevent sticking. Season to 2 tbsp freshly squeezed fresh peas or petite frozen taste with salt, add the truffle oil and grated cheese, lemon juice Add the shallots and continue cooking, stirring peas, defrosted and toss. Serve immediately. 1/4 cup black truffle juice occasionally, until translucent, about 2 minutes. 1 tbsp white truffle oil Remove from heat and set aside. 2 tsp Dijon mustard 1/4 cup freshly grated 1 bunch frisée with dark outer In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, truffle Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese green leaves and coarse parts juice, mustard, and about a teaspoon of salt. Slowly whisk in the remaining 4 tablespoons of olive oil of the stems removed, Prosciutto The pigs can come from one of 11 regions, but until emulsified. Combine the asparagus and separated into leaves the Parma ham can be made only in Parma. Even before the curing process mushrooms in a large bowl and toss gently with all 1/4 pound Parmigiano-Reggiano, begins, only the best hind legs of butchered pigs can be made into Parma but 1 tablespoon of the vinaigrette. Season liberally shaved ham. You know it is true Parma ham if there is a metal button near the with black pepper. bottom of the leg and the meat is branded with two stamps. (Those that Line a large plate with the frisée and spoon on the don’t make the grade are sold as prosciutto crudo.) The meat is salted twice asparagus salad. Top with the shaved Parmigiano and then cured and stored for at least 18 months. The best Parma ham is and drizzle on the remaining vinaigrette before cured in a room of wood racks—the wood absorbs the fragrance from older serving. hams and imparts it to the newer ones. Culatello is the best part of the leg, a smaller portion of meat that is sent to one small village in which it’s made.

14 2010 • sapori

Tortellini Legend has it that tortellini were invented by an innkeeper who, after dreaming about Venus, tried to re-create the beauty of her navel and ended up with this world-famous pasta shape. Stuffed with several kinds of minced meat, eggs, nutmeg, and Parmigiano, tortellini served in broth is one of the main specialties of Bologna.

Cappellacci di Zucca con Amaretti e Parmigiano-Reggiano Pasta Hats Filled with Butternut Squash, Amaretti, and Parmigiano-Reggiano, with Sage Butter Sauce

Ingredients method

1 medium-size butternut squash Preheat oven to 375°F. (about 2 pounds), split lengthwise Brush the squash with olive oil and roast flesh- filled with water, lightly mist the pasta with water, then fold each with seeds and membranes removed side down on a sheet pan until tender and lightly square in half diagonally to form a triangle, pressing outward from the 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil browned on top, about 45 minutes. Remove from filling to seal the pasta tightly. Holding each triangle with the sealed 2 large eggs the oven and, when cool enough to handle, scoop top edges up, bring the two bottom side points forward, and overlap 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano- out the flesh and discard the skin. them by about a 1/2-inch; press to seal. Set the little hats standing up on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper, and dust with a little Reggiano cheese, plus cheese for sprinkling In a large bowl, mash the squash with a potato flour or cornmeal. Leave in a cool, dry spot. Continue folding all the 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg masher or fork until smooth. Add the eggs, cheese, cappellacci. 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper nutmeg, cayenne, and 1/2 cup of the crushed amaretti cookies, and mix well. Season to taste Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the cappellacci, cook 3/4 cup finely crushed amaretti cookies with salt and pepper, cover, and refrigerate until until they rise to the surface, then cook for 1 minute longer. Remove 1 pound basic pasta, rolled on thinnest ready to use. with a slotted spoon to a large bowl and set aside. setting, or store-bought pasta sheets Working with 2 sheets of pasta on a lightly Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook 4 tbsp unsalted butter floured work surface, use a sharp knife or pizza until it turns a rich nut brown, 2 1/2 to 3 minutes. Add the sage leaves 10 fresh sage leaves cutter and ruler to cut the first sheet of pasta and turn once or twice. Drain any water that has accumulated at the 1 to 2 tbsp mostarda (optional) in half horizontally, then cut it vertically into bottom of the bowl of cappellacci. Add the cappellacci to the pan 3-inch strips to make 12 squares. Repeat with and toss to coat evenly with the butter. Transfer to a serving platter, the second sheet. Spoon a teaspoon of filling in sprinkle with cheese and the remaining 1/4 cup of amaretti cookies, the center of each square. Using a spray mister and serve immediately. Pass a small bowl of mostarda, if using.

sapori • 2010 15 wine by Jennifer Simonetti-Bryan Master of Wine Prosecco: Champagne’s Distant Cousin Finally Shines

Poor prosecco. Many critics and journalists tout it as a mere cheap sparkler, or say it’s only good enough to put in your Bellini. But while it’s true that many proseccos are modestly priced, and it is a proper pairing for juices, prosecco should be appreciated for more than just its bubbles and pocket friendliness.

I’ve often heard timid questions from consumers (and begins again. Once complete for the second fine examples at various price points even restaurant staff) about prosecco: “Is it a grape, time, the carbon dioxide dissolves into the Canella Prosecco di Villa Sandi Prosecco di or is it the name of a region?” Further confusing, it liquid, making it sparkling. Conegliano DOC Valdobbiadene DOC can be fully or lightly sparkling, and can range from Today, however, prosecco is made using Pale straw color with a Extra Dry dry to off-dry to sweet. Let me decode some of the the Charmat process (also called the tank slight tint of green and Pale straw with tiny, puzzle for you. small, frothy bubbles with frothy bubbles and method, or “Italian method”), where the intensely floral notes and delicate, fresh aromas Prosecco is the name of the grape that makes up this second fermentation is completed in a tank citrus fruits (lemon, lime), of lemon with hints of stone fruits (white peach), white flowers and mineral The art of roasting, perfected effervescent, though other varieties are often blended (as opposed to Champagne, whose second and mineral notes. On the notes. On the palate, it is fermentation happens in the bottle). in. The lovely bubbly hails from northeast Italy’s Veneto palate, it is medium-bodied quite delicate with crisp region and is a favorite in Venice, especially during with crisp acidity, well acidity, and shows finesse You may be thinking, “O.K., so what?” Well, balanced, and moderately Carnival. It’s not overly aromatic, but if you tasted it with the bubbles. It is well both methods yield a different perception long finish. A great value. balanced and, though an beside Champagne or other Italian sparklers, such as of the texture and flavors on your palate— Hi! Prosecco VSAQ extra-dry, it tastes quite dry, finishing clean and Franciacorta, made with Champagne varieties, you the Charmat process gives way to larger Pale straw color with fresh. would notice its fresh fruit aromas of delicate white bubbles for a more frothy mousse, a soft bead. Aromas of peach with some soft floral tones. white flowers and sweet Zardetto Brut Prosecco resulting in a more foamy mouthfeel, while pear drop. On the palate, DOC It is also the name of a region—Prosecco di Conegliano Champagne bubbles are smaller and feel it has an impression of Pale straw-yellow color sweetness (though it is e Valdobbiadene, classified as a Denominazione finer on the palate. with a slight green tint labeled “dry”) with nice and persistent bubbles, di Origine Controllata (or DOC). Most prosecco is Additionally, prosecco generally doesn’t balance, moderate length, with fragrant, floral and good integration of the produced here, but it can be made elsewhere. If made age on lees for extended periods of time, as aromas (acacia) with acid, flavor, and sweetness. notes of pear. On the with prosecco grapes but outside the traditional DOC, is done with Champagne. This makes the A definite crowd-pleaser! palate it is dry, though it the bottle will be labeled “prosecco”; but because it’s flavors more up front, fruity, and floral over Caposaldo Prosecco gives off an impression not a DOC, it will be classified VSAQ (forVino Spumante the yeasty, bread-like aromas for which VSAQ Brut of sweet fruit with refreshingly balanced Aromatico di Qualità, or Quality Aromatic Sparkling Champagne is known. Pale straw with greenish acidity, with a fine Wine) or IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica). undertones; fruity aroma presence of bubbles and The prosecco bottle may not always tell you with citrus, green apple, moderately long finish. Prosecco’s spumante derives from the late-ripening if it’s done in a lightly sparkling (frizzante) or and acacia flowers. A fine Great value. and persistent perlage grapes. This means they’re harvested later in the fully sparkling (spumante) style. However, creates a soft, round season and in northeast Italy, which is cool enough bottles that are dry will generally include mouthfeel. Pleasant acidity, freshness, and full-bodied for fermentation to stop before it can complete. This the word seco, and you may also see “extra flavor finish make this a traps the sugar and carbon dioxide until the weather dry,” which for Champagne ironically means versatile wine excellent for becomes warm in the spring, when fermentation it’s off-dry and sweeter than seco. an aperitivo, appetizers, or throughout dinner.

16 2010 • sapori The art of roasting, perfected

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fast + food Emilia-Romagna is home to a significant number of the fastest-car manufacturers in the world. And the majority of them are located in Modena, with Ferrari (in Maranello), Maserati, and De Tomaso (in Modena); the Fiorano Circuit F1 racetrack; and a number of museums and private collections of prestigious cars and motorbikes.

BOLOGNA PARMA Eat: Sleep: Eat: Trattoria Serghei Grand Hotel Baglioni Ristorante Osteria I Tri Siochètt Via Piella 12 Via Indipendenza 8 Strada Farnese 74 40126 Bologna 40121 Bologna 43100 Vigheffio, Parma +39 051 233533 +39 051 225445 +39 0521 968870 Run by the Pasotti family for baglionihotels.com itrisiochett.it generations, Serghei serves traditional A five-star hotel with plush modern Enjoy a heaping plate of cured Bolognese cuisine in a cozy, restaurant amenities, located in a 15th-century meats accompanied by local setting full of character—typical of palazzo in the historic center of sparkling red lambrusco wine at Bologna and the surrounding area. the city. It also houses the Carracci this casual trattoria, also featuring restaurant in a grandiose hall a crowd-pleasing pumpkin Paolo Atti & Figli tortellini. Via Caprarie 7 decorated with frescoes that are the 40127 Bologna work of the Carracci school. Il Trovatore +39 051 220425 Via Ireneo Affò 2 paoloatti.com 43100 Parma Pastries, breads, and fresh pastas +39 0521 236905 have been sold at this family-owned iltrovatoreristorante.com shop since 1880. Il Trovatore was named after the Verdi opera. The menu is full of Consorzio Gestione regional items, including nuggets Mercato delle Erbe of Parmigiano-Reggiano, large Via Ugo Bassi 25 green olives, selections of salumi, 40121 Bologna and tortelli. +39 051 230186 mercatodelleerbe.it Sleep: This large market hall is in the center Hotel Verdi of the city and overflows with stalls Viale Alberto Pasini 18 offering fresh produce, cheeses, 43100 Parma meats, pork products, fish, breads, and +39 0521 293539 other local specialties. hotelverdi.it

Gelateria Stefino A pretty hotel situated in a Via Galliera 49 quiet corner of historic Parma, 40121 Bologna overlooking the Palazzo Ducale +39 051 246736 and surrounding park. A turn-of- stefino.com the-century villa that once housed powerful noble families, the décor The fact that there’s a line even is distinguished and bedecked in at 11 p.m. tells you this is good antiques. gelato—very good gelato.

18 2010 • sapori MODENA IMOLA RAVENNA Reggio Emilia Eat: Eat: Eat: Roman Crossroads Osteria di Rubbiara Agriturismo Frascineti Ca’ de Vèn At the crossroads of Via Emilia Via Risaia 4 Via Chiesa di Pediano 2 Via Corrado Ricci 24 San Pietro and Via Roma, part of Rubbiara di Nonantola 40026 Imola 48100 Ravenna the street is covered over in glass 41015 Modena +39 0542 657016 +39 0544 30163 to reveal large stone blocks lying +39 059 548096 A family-run restaurant with cadeven.it some six-and-a-half feet below. acetaiapedroni.it farmhouse-style accommodations, The menu at Ca’ de Vèn is typical Head to balsamic vinegar producer Frascineti is located in the Imola of enotici that serve food—very These stones are fragments of the and restaurant Osteria di Rubbiara countryside and features hearty basic, relying on a few fresh Roman Via Emilia and mark the just outside of Modena. Run by the regional cuisine with nearly every pastas, salads, antipasti cold spot where the Roman settlement same family for six generations, ingredient sourced in-house. The meats, and pizza. There are no of Forum Lepidi was founded—the the laid-back and soulful spot homemade biscotti are famous. traditional secondo, dishes like junction between the two main welcomes visitors (but not cell roasted meats or fish. streets, the cardus and the phones), and even gives tours of Sleep: decumanus maximus. their vinegar cellar. Hotel Molino Rosso Sleep: Strada Statale Selice 49 Albergo Cappello Ristorante da Danilo 40026 Imola Via Coltellini 31 Via IV Novembre 41 +39 0542 63111 48121 Ravenna 41100 Modena molinorosso.it +39 059 225498 +39 0544 219813 An ancient mill turned hotel and albergocappello.it Don’t miss the tortellini stuffed residence, the hotel features Housed in a 14th-century Venetian with ricotta and herbs and sitting standard and deluxe rooms as in a wonderful sauce of—what Gothic palazzo, Albergo Cappello well as independent apartment- has only seven rooms and was else—balsamic vinegar di Modena. style accommodations with Local food, local wines—so try the designed by Gae Aulenti, the same on-site recreation facilities located woman who designed the Musée lambrusco, a sparkling ruby-red near the Ferrari racing autodrome. wine. d’Orsay in Paris. Its location is impeccable, on the tiny Piazza A. Sleep: Costa opposite the large indoor Hotel Milano market at the end of Via Cavour, Corso Vittorio Emanuele 68 the main shopping passeggiata, or 41100 Modena promenade. +39 059 223011 modenahotel.it A charming hotel in close proximity to the historic center, the botanical gardens, and the railway station. Reasonable rates and friendly family service.

ANTIQUE MARKETS Fontanellato On the third Sunday of each month except January, the streets and alleyways Ferrara around the Rocca Sanvitale in Fontanellato become crowded with market stalls Every Sunday, Ferrara comes alive with small markets that sell a little bit of everything. selling old prints, paintings, furniture, and silverware. Check out the stalls in Piazza Trento e Trieste every week (except in August), and mix with the locals looking for bargains. Parma Parma is full of antique shops and art galleries. Most of them can be found in one Faenza of the loveliest parts of the old town center, enclosed by Strada Farini, Via XXII In June and July every Tuesday afternoon and into the evening, Piazza del Popolo and Luglio, and Strada della Repubblica. If you like rummaging through unusual pieces the nearby streets are crowded with market stalls selling antiques, objets d’art, and food of antique furniture or precious lithographs covered in dust, this is the place. specialties. Modena Silver sugar bowls, old pictures, clocks dating from the 1950s, and many other unique pieces are found at the antique market of Modena. A stroll among the stalls in the Parco Novi Sad is a visual treat. The fair is usually held on the fourth Saturday and Sunday of each month, except in July and August.

sapori • 2010 19 behind the bar The Formula 1

This cocktail’s name refers to the racing heritage in Emilia-Romagna—and, of course, the Carpano.

Ingredients 2 oz Carpano Antica Formula 1 oz Villa Zarri 10-year Italian brandy 1 oz Banks Five Island Rum splash Amaro Montenegro 1/2 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice 1/2 oz simple syrup Orange twist for garnish

Directions Combine ingredients on ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with the orange twist.

20 2010 • sapori 21 From the publisher, HauteNotes is about the discovery of all things innovative HauteNotes Publisher and exciting in food and wine, art and design, and style and travel. Visit hautenotes.com. Michael Goldman

Editor-in-Chief Pamela Jouan HAUTEtaste HAUTEMIXOLOGY Design Director Jana Potashnik Santa Rita Anchovies The Blood Orange BAIRDesign, Inc. These exquisite anchovies Caipirinha Managing Editor are hand-packed in the finest 2 oz Leblon Cachaça Christian Kappner Italian olive oil according to Assistant Editor 1 blood orange traditional methods, using Stephane Henrion carefully selected fresh fish 1/4 lime harvested off the coast of Copy Editor a little town called Melito di Porto Salvo in Italy’s Reggio di Calabria. 1 tsp superfine sugar or kelly suzan waggoner Processing anchovies in is still a traditional art in Porto Salvo. Upon 1/2 oz simple syrup Contributing Writers arriving fresh to the processing facility, the fish is gutted, layered in Pamela Jouan ice barrels with salt, and weighted to bring the water and fat to the surface. Annie B. Shapero Once matured, the fish is washed, boned, and bottled. The anchovies are Photography soft, moist, and plump—with such a sweetness, they’re considered the Alta Marea Group Rolls-Royce of anchovies. People eat them right out of the jar! Cut the lime into two wedges. Cut the blood orange into equal parts. Muddle the lime, Patrick Clenet Carlo Ferrari primiziefinefoods.com blood orange, and sugar in a shaker. Fill the Annie B. Shapero shaker with ice and add cachaça. Shake vigorously. Serve in a rocks glass. Garnish Designer Potatoes with a blood orange slice. Advertising [email protected] Spanish designer Héctor Serrano has created packaging that holds Marketing Director Katherine Payne the ingredients for a traditional potato dish served on the island HAUTEmobile of Tenerife. Papa de Tenerife HauteLife is a full-circle, print- HauteLife Press Packaging was designed for to-mobile platform connecting a division of C-BON MEDIA, LLC. the Tenerife City Council as an restaurants and chefs to 321 Dean Street authentic souvenir, and it contains diners. Now you can download Suite 1 little raw potatoes, two spicy magazines, view videos, and keep Brooklyn, NY 11217 sauces made with oil and vinegar, up to date on restaurant news, www.hautelifepress.com and coarse sea salt. The outer case events, and promotions. Simply download Microsoft’s Tag [email protected] is made of lacquered aluminum Reader on your mobile at www.gettag.mobi. Throughout and features the dish’s name Subscription Inquiries HauteLife Press magazines, you’ll find “surprise” tags that picked out in perforations on the lid, which also act as ventilation for 718.858.1187 take you to exclusive offers, opportunities to dine at chefs’ the food. Serrano’s idea was to give people an experience rather than [email protected] tables, and other advantages and benefits. See a tag, snap something totally finished. Available in July 2010. or visit www.hautelifepress.com it, and stay connected. Printed and bound in the U.S.A. hectorserrano.com To introduce the HauteLife tags, we’re offering dinner for two at select restaurants within the HauteLife network. Be HauteLife Press makes every effort to ensure that the information it sure to click on the tags throughout the magazines, and publishes is correct but cannot be sign up for a chance to win. held responsible for any errors or omissions. © 2010 All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission Restaurant Locations is strictly prohibited.

Alto Convivio Marea Morini 11 East 53rd Street 45 Tudor City Place 240 Central Park South 218 Lafayette Street New York, NY New York, NY New York, NY New York, NY 10022 10017 10019 10012 t. 212.308.1099 t. 212.599.5045 t. 212.582.5100 CAPOSALDO PROSECCO.

cap_ad_Bubbly_Sapori_0410r2.indd 1 5/6/10 9:28:56 AM