Massimo Bottura: "Keep your feet grounded but your mind open. Don't let them cut your wings. If you grow up too fast the wind will blow you away."

One of our last classes before the end of the year and one of our favourites, was taught by Chef Massimo Bottura who owns Osteria Francescana in Modena - voted by San Pelligrino as the best restaurant in Italy and #6 in the world. He taught us that dishes are chef's answers, they are expressions about creation that should spark interest, passion, and emotion that cry and speak to the soul not the palate. His philosophy of cooking is more about the expression, not the technique - although I'm pretty sure he's got the technique down to utter perfection. This artistic influence he believes in is essential for humanity he says because it is a means of communication. It's quite unsurprising that in 2000, Time Magazine supposedly named one of his creations one of the top 10 dishes that changed modern cuisine. His dish, ice cream foie gras terrine, was a block of his homemade foie gras, delicately carved out to be filled with 45 year old balsamic vinegar, then dipped and dressed in Napoli almonds and Piemonte hazelnuts. It is then put on a small wooden stick to imitate an ice cream bar. like a strawberry shortcake ice cream bar...but not pink.   

 While he was making this, he passed around his family's own 45 year old balsamic vinegar, which is good for digestion, and we were instructed to "chew" to incorporate the air and this way it won't feel acidic even though it is 7% acidity.

 Then we got to taste the foie gras...

"feeding hungry minds, not empty bellies"

 Next, he made a recreation of bollito misto, a typical Northern Italian dish meaning boiled mixed meats. He was inspired by the 59th Street playground in New York City where he was playing with his young son. The meat, vacuum cooked instead of boiled to keep the flavours, represented the skyscrapers, the parsley air foam was the tree tops, and the salted capers and anchovies were the people on the street. Imagine having that creativity. I wish skyscrapers motivated me to create a masterpiece.

photo thanks to Diana

He was interested in us and teaching us and his enthusiasm, passion, energy, generosity, and talent were nothing short of inspiring. 

"God made food; the devil the cooks." — James Joyce (Ulysses)

One of our classes was in the culinary school ALMA taught by Chef Bruno Ruffini. The lesson was based around the architecture of cuisine: stock. Even more basic than knowing have to make a sauce, according to Escoffier, a cook can't do anything serious without knowing a serious stock. Chef Bruno told us that we have to be worried while cooking, almost paranoid because you have to pay attention and be patient throughout the cooking process regardless of your skills. The skills don't matter in the final dish if you haven't the quality ingredients (both cut and choice) in which to make it.

These are necessarily recipes, just some good tips to consider when making stock/broth, sauces and emulsions.

FONDI DI CUCINA

a fondo is a starting point - anything can be enriched with this base.

1. FONDO BIANCO

• use veal bones which include the knees and legs with a little bit of meat attached because the richest part of the bone marrow is in tissue/collagen 
• use 1/3 vegetables to the weight of the bones (300g veg = 1 kilo bones)
• dice the mirapoix vegetables (carrots, celery, onion) into 1cm cuts and cover with cold water. Whole vegetables poked with cloves can be used to create a deeper flavour for a soup broth for example rather than a stock. But cut vegetables simmered for so long will melt and turn the broth cloudy. 
• add a bouquet grain (top leaf of the leek which is most fibrous and last longer than the white part with inside: bay leaf, parsley stems which are more aromatic and won't melt like the leaves, and a thyme sprig) tie a string around it and tie it to the pot handle like a fishing rod. Fine herbs will melt too quickly and will turn the broth bitter.
• bring to boil as fast as possible to kill bacteria (the broth can last longer for use afterwards) then simmer for 3 hours - don't boil - the vegetables need time for extracting the flavours and aromas
• don't mix during the simmering process because you don't want to incorporate the impurities. Instead, skim the top frequently.

1a. FISH FUME

• fish bone (use flat fish like flounder and sole that are delicate and basic), leek, celery, onion, jerusalem artichoke - all white vegetables
• it's better to start basic and enrich along the way to add aromas
• can use a fresh fennel spring that won't melt because it only cooks for 30-40 minutes.

2. FONDO BRUNO

• roast veal bones for 50 minutes at 200C (still the knees and legs). Toasting makes the broth brown by adding colour and a deeper flavour. The roasted bones will also be preserved for longer during cooking. Use smaller cuts because during roasting, the bones will have a protective film around them and the smaller cut will allow the browth to reach and absorb the aromas in the middle of the bones. Add trotters (raw, whole and washed, including the skin and nails for carotene) because they are rich in collagen/tendons.
• melt butter in an already heated pan and add a crushed garlic clove along with the mirapoix (use 1/3 vegetables to the weight of the bones (300g veg = 1 kilo bones)) and roast on high heat. Make sure the vegetables are evenly in a single layer because the water needs room to evaporate otherwise the vegetables will be stewed. This method coats the vegetables with a protective skin so they can cook for longer without melting. Drain on a paper towel and discard the fat. 
• Sear meat with olive oil instead of butter because butter has a lower smoking temperature
• Remember to continuously skim the sides of the pot as the simmering will cause some evaporation. If the impurities stay on the side of the pot, they will dry out, burn (effects the taste) and drop back into the pot (causing a cloudy effect).
• Add cold water (or white broth) to cover. Cold water is better for infusion because there are no alkaloids and non tannins. Can also add extra ice. Bring to a boil as fast as possible them simmer for 6 hours. 

3. GLASSA/GLACE

• After cooking the brown broth for six hours, filter it 4 times. First, with a pasta colander to get rid of the largest pieces. Second, with a china cup. Third, with a sieve. Fourth, with linen/cheese cloth. It's very simple, but requires a lot of attention. 
• Reduce over low heat. 
• Change to a smaller pot during reduction because the larger pot will be too large and burn/turn bitter with a large surface area.

With these three basic stocks, you can start to make sauces! 

Au Jus

• With the juices from roasted meat, white stock, brown stock, glace, wine or water can be added

Le SALSE

1. DEMI-GLACE

• it is reduced brown stock enriched with roasted veal meat (not added raw). 
• heat pan on low heat then add butter and when it is hot, add the meat in a thin, even layer so that the moisture has room to evaporate. Don't leave empty spaces on the pan because the butter will burn there (if butter is added to a cold pan that is then heated, the butter will melt unevenly and the first melt will burn).
• keep cleaning the sides of the pan to remove any burnt butter
• there is no ratio for meat to glassa - the more meat will be a richer sauce but it is usually 1/2 and 1/2 (i kilo glass for 1 kilo of meat)
• When the meat is just seared, put on a paper towel to drain, absorb and discard the fat. With the seared parts left in the pan, start to deglaze them with the glass (or any) stock - just a spoonful to detach them from the pan and becomes thick enough to cover a spoon. 
• Add this thick sauce to the broth and add the seared meat. The sauce will be ready when the meat is fully cooked
• Remember to skim the sides of the pan!

2. SALSA AL POMODORO

• blanch the tomatoes, peel and collect the seeds to make tomato water (seeds and skins passed through a sieve)
• cut a shallot in brunoise size -> delicately cut lengthwise then crosswise into little cubes. it is very volatile vegetable and you don't want to lose any juice or aromas on the cutting board.
• warm a pot and add extra virgin olive oil, crush garlic (skins will fall off) and the brunoise shallot - let it sweat without colouring - you don't want to roast it. 
• Add cut tomatoes when translucent without colouring, just concentrating the aromas 
• Add 1/3 of the tomato water
• Discard the garlic. 
• Season at the end becasue water will evaporate during cooking and then the salt content ratio will not be correct. 

"it's not their fault if they are out of season"

3. SALSA BéCHAMEL

• 500g fresh milk, 35g butter, 35g sifted flour
• bring milk to a boil in a pot, meanwhile melt the butter to make a roux (equal amounts of butter and flour)
• Roux: white (until melted); blonde (toasted 2-3 minutes longer); dark (clarified butter and cooked for longer - clarified butter because otehrwise it will burn). White roux should be like a paste
• Add heated milk to the roux and whisk to remove lumps. Boil 1-2 minutes and then season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. 

4. SALSA VéLOUTE

• 500g stock, 35g butter, 35g sifted flour
• same, just add stock instead of milk

5. SUPREME

• 500g stock, 250g fresh cream,  35g butter, 35g sifted flour
• After making the Véloute, add fresh cream 
• Can enrich with mushrooms and lemon juice

6. SALSA SPAGNOLA

• 500g brown stock with 1/2 roux (17g butter with 17g sifted flour)
• reduce with a spoonful of reduced tomato sauce (passed through a sieve) and steamed mushroom juice (also passed through a sieve just to get the essence of mushroom)
• let it reduce until it is of a glazed/glasse consistency.

Tip: if you are using frozen stock, reheat it upside down through a cheese cloth. the impurities will be at the bottom of the stock and you can get rid of them before the stock is completely melted.

SALSA EMULSIONATE

1. VINAIGRETTE (citronette)

• unstable. it's all about the balance between vinegar, fat and water (or lemon juice for citronette)
• dissolve salt with vinegar with a whisk (salt needs acid as it won't melt on its own in fat). Add a tip of the spoon of mustard to taste because 1. the French like it and 2. mustard seed powder acts as a stabilizer
• add extra virgin olive oil while whisking, drop by drop, because you have to break the fat. The smaller drops with a stronger/faster whisking motion will create a more stable vinegarette. Continue until it thickens

2. MAYONNAISE

• stable.
• room temperature eggs (natural stabilizer - will last longer if cooked a litte aka "denatured"), acidic water (vinegar or lemon-water), and oil (sunflower oil is preferred because extra virgin has a very strong taste however Ligurian and Garda olive oils are more mild)
• warm vinegar and water and dissolve the salt. add mustard if you like, then the yolk and whisk immediately so there is no coagulation from the water and vinegar. 
• Add the oil to emulsify, but only when the balance is even and not too oily. 
• Rebalance with a little water if it breaks
• Mayo can be mixed with tomato paste, pesto, vegetable puree, herbs, anchovy, olive paste, squid ink.....

3. HOLLANDAISE

• same was as mayonnaise but use clarified butter instead of oil. 
• serve and keep warm

4. BERNAISE

• same as above but with a reduction of brunoise shallot, vinegar and tarragon whisked together then add egg yolk, clarified butter and top with fresh tarragon

5. PALOISE 

• same as above but substitute mint for tarragon
• great with goose or lamb

6. FAYOT

• Hollandaise sauce with veal stock added 

7. CHARON

• Hollandaise sauce with tomato paste

8. MALTAISE

• Hollandaise sauce with blood orange juice, topped with juice and zest

9. SCOZZESE 

• Hollandaise sauce with brunoise vegetables mixed in

This class almost makes me want to go to culinary school. But more realistically, grateful and excited for my internship.

A Multinational Thanksgiving in Colorno, Italy

196 photos. 100 italians. 37 fist pumps. 30 alma kids. 26 unisg students. 21 drinks spilled. 16 different countries. 9 Nh-ers. 7 hours of dancing on tables. 6 creepers. 5 tutors. 4 tables full of food. 3 turkeys. 3 bottles of Prosecco. 2 professors. 2 "bomb-diggity" dj's. 1 secret ingredient. 1 crowd surfer. 1 allergic reaction. 1 american holiday. 1 tiny town pub in italy. unlimited tear-inducing laughs.


For all the Americans who felt homesick, I think this holiday in Italy really lived up to some serious expectations and surpassed any judgements foreigners have about what Thanksgiving is all about. Usually, you eat so much that you can only slouch on the couch and daze at the football on the TV. However, this year, after gorging on delicious recreations of everyone's family's favourites, the turkey-fest was filled with dancing on wooden picnic tables to infamous pop music on repeat. What a way to burn off all those calories! I had a blast. 


I'm not sure if I can include any photographs in this post or if they are too incriminating. There are fantastic videos on youtube though, if you can find them...

paper plates and plastic utensils.

never trust a skinny chef - james beard

The benefits of going to a university in the same building as a prestigious culinary school is not only getting to meet these up and coming chefs but to have class with their professors. And we were oh-so lucky to have a lecture one day with Chef Tiziano Rossetti (also the head chef of the ALMA gala dinner...) ps - he is skinny. not fat at all. but i trust him. he was fantastic.

he made for us: 

shrimp with caw-we-flahwer poached in water

risotto with sweet pumpkin, aromatic rosemary and acitdic balsamic in chicken stock 

steamed fished with chopped herbs

fried fish 

-> demonstrations of heat transfers through different mediums. 

Sweet n' Sour Sauce: 500mL, white vinegar, 200g white sugar - whisk together. easy-peasy. add ginger, radish, hotness...whatever. whatever your heart desires.

just a little bit. piccolo. 

just don't show Jules how to add salt to a dish...at least not in our apt....

it's like a rain shower.

ALMA Gala Dinner

the benefits of having a school in the same building as a culinary school, maybe the most prestigious in Italy especially, is making friends with the culinary students.

yes, we've had the students cook for us before - but it wasn't anything Arina or I couldn't do with our eyes closed. We can boil pasta. We can open jars of tomato sauce and peel back plastic wrap of pre-sliced pancetta. We were not overwhelmed with their display of Marchesi plate art work.

no, i did not choose to eat lunch at ALMA every day, wanting to have more control over my food choices and flexibility but regardless of missing out on the various foods the students are studying and the techniques they are practicing that week, I don't regret this decision. occasionally though, if a student is away or sick, we sneak in to lunch in their place. 

But, in this particular instance, some of the American ALMA kids came back from their stages across Italy for graduation and we were so kindly invited to their last gala dinner. Cooked by Chef Tiziano Rossetti with the help of the Clase Superiore, we had an elegant 5 course dinner with wine pairing. The company was fantastically full of laughs, the food was beautifully presented and our glasses were never even half empty - thank you Sommelier Course.

Crunchy chicken oysters, Broccolis, anchovies and chili pepper, cannoli with shrimps and chickpeas paired with Prosecco 52 DOCG Valdobbiadene - Santa Margherita

(chicken oyster is a nugget-sized piece of dark meat from the rear of the chicken. no seafood involved)

Endive envelope filled with truffles and carrots topped with sea scallops and truffled foam

(complimentary dish, a little bland, prosecco continued)

Cooked and Raw Mushroom Cannelloni paired with Chardonnay 2008 Maso Reiner Alto Adige - Kettmeir

Nobody liked this at all. 

Pheasant Breast in its sauce and seasonal vegetables served with Nero d'Avola - Syrah 2008 - Terrliade

Looks kinda boring, but it was cooked.

 Gorgonzola & Walnut Ice Cream

Trifle aka Zuppa Inglese served with Moscato Rosa 2007  Alto Aldige - Kettmeir

reflection.

 Nobody liked this at all. 

 No, really.

And to end....Espresso illy

As a going away gift, they were presented with engraved silver pots, which may not have fit into their already-packed suitcases, but nonetheless were very handy in being filled with beer later that night at the Pub. They may not miss Colorno, but they sure will miss the Pub.