This is what BRAIN looks like.

A long weekend lead us to Torino. A very busy weekend in the city lead us to only manage a reservation at the same restaurant twice. Da Mauro's is a family run restaurant, the waitresses' average 60 years old, the rooms are always full of families, students and older patrons with near-death coughs, and a menu offering Italian specialities. And when a menu offers cervelle fritte, or fried brain, it is a must. Especially when dining with Reena who can polish off any dish, especially meat - sucking the marrow out of the bone, the head out of the shrimp, the last meat off the bone.

Gently breaded and fried, the bite was quietly crisp with a soft interior welcoming a mouthful of succulent dough. The flavour wasn't overwhelming nor was the texture mushy or gelatinous enough to be off-putting. Meaty but delicate, I curiously chewed slowly to savour the delicacy and hope that I could absorb some of the brain's proteins. Pass me another one of those bite-sized nuggets!

"One time, when I was very little, I climbed a tree and ate these green, sour apples. My stomach swelled and became hard like a drum, it hurt a lot. Mother said that if I’d just waited for the apples to ripen, I wouldn’t have become sick. So now, whenever I really want something, I try to remember what she said about the apples." - KHALED HOSSEINI, THE KITE RUNNER, 

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.

The Colorno Train Station

At first, it was a mythical place. No one had seen it; we had only heard rumours from the other Master's course that it was possible to take the train to Parma in ten minutes rather than be sardined for forty minutes into the stinky-jerky-are-we-even-in-italy-bus that only runs once every hour.

Somehow though, when I do actually go into Parma, it always ends up to be a contradiction of Italian Time. I usually leave at the last minute and when I walk out the door I realize that it is actual further than I think it is - Colorno is not that big. I end up half hotfooting and half trotting like an idiot when there aren't any passing cars to laugh at flustered ol' me.  Sweating from summer heat or soaked from blustering rain, no matter what time I arrive at the train station, I am always early. Of course I left on Italian Time and of course the train will arrive on Italian Time. What that means, is anyone's guess. Half an hour later? Forget about catching a connecting train on time. Forget about meeting up with friends on time. "on time" is relative in this country. Even when the train does come, it pitter-patters across the flat countryside, not even fast enough to flatten a coin laying on the tracks.

Might as well have taken the bus, no?

What is good about the Colorno Train Station is that the ticket machine is invariably out of service. fuori servizio. That means, it's usually a free ride. Or at least an excuse to play dumb.

What is even better about the Colorno Train Station is the amusement had while waiting for the train from the graffiti that, in acts of teenage defacement and boredom, decorate the weathered walls.

Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale Stage

Living in Italy, it is necessary to learn about balsamic vinegar. Living in Emilia Romagna, it is very easy to do so. When our schedules had a bit of a confused, empty headache, we were able to arrange a trip to Ferrarini where they make Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Reggio Emilio, a protected DOP product. This is different from Balsamic Vinegar of Modena. Unfortunately I cannot find my notes on our Balsamic Vinegar stage. 

The must (boiled, reduce grape juice) which makes balsamic vinegar is made from the grapes: Terbbiano, Occhio di Gatto, Spergola, Berzemino. 

It is aged in wooden barrels of different kinds: oak, chestnut, cherry, juniper, mulberry, ash - all give a different aroma and taste. 

the aging process is similar to the solera process we learned that Spanish sherries undergo. The barrels, starting with the largest, are filled with the youngest vinegar and then progressively move down the barrels - usually seven - to the smallest barrel where it is drawn from the oldest barrel for bottling. Each year, the barrels lose some of the vinegar due to evaporation so they are replenished. This mixes all years of the vinegar.

traditional balsamic vinegar must be aged for at least 12 years and all grapes grown and processes of production must take place in the area - just two of the requirements which makes it different from balsamic vinegar of Modena.

I'll find my notes and know more what I'm talking about - luckily arina likes to take pictures of my obsessive note-taking so i have this to look at. unluckily, i have wrinkly eczema hands and an old manicure. 

Tortelli d'Italia: a Colorno event not to be Missed

Whenever there's a town event in Colorno, it has proved to be a day not to be missed. For being a small town, and for being an Italian town, the events are extremely well organized and put together with impressive turn outs. Colorno comes alive and I can never understand where all the people who fill the cobblestoned Piazza Garibaldi come from. This past Saturday, 10 October, was no such exception with Terzo Gran Gala del Tortel Dols, the Third Grand Gala of Tortel Dols. We learned about it the previous week from pamphlets when we returned from Spain and despite ambitious plans to visit Sienna for the weekend, timing-wise I knew the trip wouldn't work out, but I also knew I didn't want to miss this all-day dedication to sweet tortelli's. Even the students that live in Parma came for it. 

chestnut, creme, ricotta filled pastries

Market stalls selling Parma area-typical cured meats, cheeses, preserved foods in jars, pastries and knick-knack home goods lined the streets leading to the piazza in the center of town which was bombarded with more stalls and giant tents covering lectured conferences led by food-industry chefs and critics, pasta-making demonstrations, and tables to sit and eat the area's specialty foods being prepared by resident volunteers. 

il famoso chef Massimo Bottura dell’Osteria Francescana e il giornalista e critico Enzo Vizzari, delle Guide de L’Espresso

busy Piazza Garibaldi in Colorno

The event was not only sponsored by neighborhood businesses but by the Brotherhood of Tortel Dols - the pasta has it's own fraternity! As we sat down under the tent to encounter the over-priced pasta so apparently typical of the region it has its own festival and brotherhood, yet having never tasted in the last eight months of living here (I guess that's the whole point of it's rediscovery and promotion) we sat at a round table next to one reserved for one of the Brotherhood "sects." Decked out in velvet robes, medallions, badges, and even tortelli-shaped hats, these men and women must have an incredibly strong affinity for this traditional pasta, rich in quirky history and cultural curiosities. 

As these costumes became more frequent within the crowd, we were able to divert our attention back to the guest of honour: tortel dols. A pile of just under a dozen ragged-edged stuffed pasta sat on a flimsy plastic plate, in a light tomato based sauce and sprinkled with Parmigiano Reggiano, some melted into the sauce while thicker clumps contrasted white like freshly powdered snow.  Biting into it was unexpectedly sweet, despite the name Tortel Dols, sweet tortelli, the prune and fig fruit flavors we distinguished are not typical pasta fillings one is accustomed to. The light tomato-based sauce doused in butter and parmesan was a savory and complimentary contrast to the firm pasta (the Italians know al dente to a tee) which enveloped the jammy filling.

culinary kudos.

Of course no meal highlighting the gastronomic specialities of Parma would be complete without some cured meat and the infamously crusty, potentially lethal Parma bread roll. Maybe not the best accompanying dish to sweet tortelli, but with bottles of Ceci lambrusco and Malvasia popping around us, some good friends who bought enough cheese and epicurean delights for the night's dinner together, along with a sunny early-fall Sunday to enjoy with no class the next morning, it was all together the perfect combination. 

Once again, Colorno out did itself, by bringing people together and reinforcing its pride in its local culture, history, and traditions seamlessly entwined in gastronomy.

According to legendary folklore, Maria Luiga, Napolean's wife who lived in the regal palace which is our University, would make tortel dols for Po River boatmen and the sweet filling represented it being made from the heart, for her sweet hearts. I think. At least this is my won interpretation. Google Translate sucks. and my Italian is embarrassingly bad.

According the website's recipe, the reason why we couldn't pinpoint the flavours or ingredients makes complete sense:

The original recipe Tortel DOLS FILED WITH THE FELLOWSHIP 
INGREDIENTS FOR 100 TORTELLI 

MUSTARD (Home-made): 
1.50 kg perry noble (a type of pear...)
1.50 kg pumpkin mustard (white cucumber) (how are these related)
1 kg of quinces 
2 lemons sliced 
3 cups of sugar for every kilo of fresh fruit 

Clean and slice the fruit. 
Allow to marinate overnight with the sugar. 
The next day, pour the sauce that has formed and boil for 
a few minutes to discover the pot and then pour it over the whole fruit. 
Continue with this for three days. 
On the fourth day boil the whole pot in discovery for two hours. 
Allow to cool and add 1 g of mustard (you buy in 
pharmacy) per kg of fruit. 
Pot. (just pot.)
The chutney will be ready after two months. (woah)

FILLING: 

6 hg mustard 
1.5 gr of breadcrumbs. 
1 liter of boiled wine (made by boiling grape juice fermented 24 hours, so it remains one of three parts) as needed 
if you prefer less sweet filling add two tablespoons of plum jam. 
Good mulled wine to warm (not boiling), and scorching the bread. 
When it is cool add the mustard, finely chopped (Including the slices of lemon). 
Mix all handmade. 
It must be a mixture too dry but rather soft, so, if necessary, add more mustard. 
Let stand a couple of days. 
To make the pastry as usual.

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. 

"It is in the nature of tourism to seek pleasure, not truth; to look for beauty, not mundanity." - Matthew Fort, our professor, and author of "Eating Up Italy: Voyages on a Vespa"

Sevilla was the last stop on our Spain Stage itinerary. We had (mostly) free time (and school time) to: 

 to make friends with the bartenders and drink incredibly cheap glasses of Spanish Riojas....

 to explore the nightlife...

to eat our fair share of tapas....hamburger style and egg....

 to eat our fair share of tapas....mushrooms....

to eat our fair share of tapas....boquerones y espinaca con garbanzo

 to go dancing...

to eat churros for breakfast (second best only to pan con tomato)...

 to eat organic solmorejo (with beets, no bread)...

to eat in a 0 km organic, andalusian-local vegetarian restaurant...

 to not afford to see a bull fight stadium via tour prices, but able to pretend we did...

 to see the beautiful sights around the city...

 to drink homemade martini rosso's and hang out in a tiny religious-themed bar

 to have a belly-aching-from-laughing good time with friends, speaking fluent Spanish of course.

Olive Overload.

On Friday, our morning lecture was amongst the olive trees. We met with the main researcher at IFAPA Centro, "Alameda del Obispo," professor Juan Manuel Caballero.  He quite possibly knows everything there is to know about olives and olive trees. The research center is focused on improving agricultural systems in Andalusia and the olive cultivation department, with their 272 different varieties of olive trees, tries to save materials and not lose genetic information for the future. They study the fruit's characterisitcs like pulp ratio, stone sizes, oil contents, acid compositions; they evaluate production depending on irrigation systems, climate conditions, and different varieties requiring different years to produce different yields; and they measure canopy volumes and external surfaces (within the cultivation density) to compare with age (years since trees were planted) and production age (maturation time). Really. Everything about olives and olive trees.

Despite our lessons standing in the shade of the silver and green glistening leaves of the olive trees with the Spanish sun penetrating through to slowly warm us from the morning cold, and despite our lengthy lectures on olive oil from the incredibly knowledgable Bosticcio prior to our trip, I still find myself staring at the innumerable different types and brands of olive oil when I am in the store. In any grocery store there is an array of olive oils to choose from: Spanish. Italian. Greek. Organic. Store-brand. Plastic jug. Glass bottle. Clear. Green. Tin-foil wrapped. Olive oil. Virgin. Extra virgin. Price variances. Quality control. How do you know which one to purchase? How have I learned so much and feel like I know nothing? It makes me feel overwhelmed and my mind goes completely blank as I stare at rows and rows of bottles. So, in an effort to put it all together, here is my breakdown of the fruity olive and it's delicious oil.

Buying Olive Oil:

The price variation is caused by years of charge (good) and discharge (bad). A good year has low prices because there is a lot of oil produced.  The law (of olive oil making) does not forbid blending differnet harvest years. Usually though companies will buy the oils to blend, rather than blending the olives themselves and in this sense, olive oil is not a seasonal product and is available year-round. Blended harvests are not a crime, therefore, but also is not a sign of top quality olive oil. Although it is rare to find, look for the origin and the harvest year presented on the label: it is a good sign of a good quality olive oil.

An olive is 48% water, 21% oil. The flesh, or pulp, contains a lot of fat so it is easier to press and extract the fatty oil more so than the oil from non-juicy nuts and seeds which require higher temperatures and chemicals to extract. It is possible to get virgin peanut oil, for example, but it is costly. Avocado, on the other hand, has a lot of pulp so its fatty oil is easily extracted and is very purely aromatic. Industrial blends of olive oils could possibly include a mix of sesame, nut, sunflower, and other olive oils. Look out for generic oils which will not specify what's included in the ingredients. Although not a bad addition, sometimes leaves are added to the oil to increase the aroma.

When looking at the colour of the olive oil, it depends on the variety of olives used and the timing on when they were picked - either unripe, ripe or even overripe. The oil turns more yellow over time whereas an oil that is more green reveals it is younger and more recently made. In contrast to the oil colour, the actual olive fruit will be pale when unripe and become darker with time. The colour of an olive oil does not determine if it is extra virgin or not - it is quality that matters. Extra virgin olive oil is 99% fat and it is the 1% difference that makes a generic vs good olive oil. Even amongst the good ones, that 1% determines which ones are more bitter, more fruity or various characteristics. 

The quality of olive oil depends on the ripeness of the fruit. As the olive grows, the sugar decreases over time and simultaneously the amount of oil increases. It is important then, to pick the olive at the optimal time of ripeness which will impact the different flavours. The amount of fiber and protein are relatively constant but will also decrease with time. Because of this, olives that are picked in November are generally ideal for extra virgin olive oils. 

The price of olive oil could depend on how the olives are picked. Olives can be hand picked which decreases the amount of damage to the oil, but this method is time and labour intensive. Another way would be to sit down and wait for the olives to join you.  This involves no labour, but there is potential for fruit damage from the fall, a possibility of bugs infecting the fruit, and fallen fruits could mean they are overripened. Nets are often used to catch fallen olives - either falling naturally or from vibrating machines. Production- and economically-wise, it is more advantageous to grow olives in Spain because in Italy, the trees are mostly on hills and do not have the easy-picking mechanism and processes. Storing the olives is also important as piles of olives on top of each other could cause pressure damage and heat fermentation so usually olives are stored and distributed among small bags. The best olive oil is from olives that are clean, undamaged, bug-less and have had no fermentation.

Generic olive oil, as opposed to extra virgin, is close to vegetable oil. It is chemically processed whereas extra virgin is made through a mechanical process. There are various reason why an olive oil is classified as generic rather than extra virgin. It could indicate the quality of the olives or the amount of time before processing. When it is not good enough to be extra virgin, the olive oil can be refined, adjusted or modified. This process takes places because otherwise, throwing out the olive oil when it could be "fixed" would be wasteful. unsustainable! This type of olive oil can be alcalized (adjusted acidity) or deautorated (taking the bad oudours with air.) Buying olive oil with infused flavours would most likely be refined olive oil because one wouldn't waste/ruin the naturally good flavours and aromas of extra virgin olive oil. 

the main test of olive oils is the acidity. extra virgin olive oil must be less than 0. this test however is not preformed in the mouth, but in a chemical analysis. 

extra virgin: < 0.8% acidity

virgin: 0.8% < X  >2.0%

lampante: >2.0% - send to the refinery

100 kilogram of olives = 15-23 kilograms of oil

One should think of the quality of the olives in olive oil the same as the quality and variety of grapes in wine. Olive oil doesn't require the same aging process - there is no reason to keep it in storage: it can be sold immediately. If one is concerned with filtered vs unfiltered olive oils, the difference is: filtered has the extracted pit/fiber/excess so it changes the way that it looks for the consumer and is better for storage, but also will find its own faults over time. 

Storing Olive Oil:

Olive oil doesn't age well because it is a delicate fruit, like any other, that loses quality over time. It will change flavour and colour so consider the age and the length of time that the olive oil is kept. Light though, is the main enemy which is why there is a difference between clear and dark glass bottles. Buying metal or aluminum tins are even better. Plastic bottles may be cheaper for the pocket but not necessarily the greatest for quality. The best olive oils are sold in small bottles because olive oil is meant to be finished relatively soon with the least amount of exposure to oxygen (which occurs every time it is opened and poured). The ideal storing temperature is 15 degrees Celsius. These details are all important to consider in the buying too because a producer with a good-quality product will be concerned with its packaging in regards to storing. 

Using Olive Oil:

Extra virgin olive oil should be used for cooked or ready to eat items - not to cook with. It is a waste of money because many of the fats, aromas, and the essential compounds are lost during cooking. 

Tasting Olive Oil:

The temperature of the olive oil should be more than room temperature - around 26-28 degrees Celsius. Aroma compounds are volatile so they are copious when warmer. This can be achieved by putting the tasting cup in the palm of the hand, covering the lid, and rubbing the bottom slightly. Olive oil is technically a fruit juice so it should remind the taster of fresh fruit. There is no fermentation, no chemical additives, no high temperatures used so the aromas should be fruity. Olive oils evoke less of a range of aromas than found in the wine wheel, which isn't to say it isn't complex. When tasting different olive oils, an apple is recommended by official tasting sesssions because of its sour and natural acidity: a granny smith apple specifically is preferred because of its typically high content of mallic acid. A tasting session should never have more than 8 oils. 

the olive is a symbol of peace and happiness.