Greetings from Bologna!

A dispatch from Italy

Buongiorno.

I’ve been saying this with R-rolling enthusiasm for 12 days. Still, despite my inflections, emphatic hand movements, and direct eye contact, the greeting I receive in return is always in English.

I’m travelling through Italy – Rome to Todi (Umbria), to Emilia-Romagna currently, and next week on to the Marche.  

How the Italians know that I am not one of them baffles me. I feel like I mostly look the part. I do my best not to anglicize my interactions. I always ensure I am wearing a jaunty scarf. My friend – a born-and-bred Bolognese – said I “move” like an Italian, whatever that means, though I think she was being kind.

Me, in Parma, with a scarf and an espresso.

My brother-in-law, on the other hand, who does not speak Italian but was born and raised on Portugal’s Madeira Island, constantly gets the Italian menu and even Italian tourists will stop him to ask directions.

In true, Italiano fashion, this post comes a little late. Last week, I was deep in the Umbrian countryside of Todi, my temporary rural home only offering a whisper of wifi. Some suggest the rolling hills and misty valley views are to be appreciated without connection to the busy world, but I found it a bit frustrating, if I’m honest. I’ve now been connected my entire adult life, you can’t unplug me now. Especially without warning. Ah well, la dolce far niente.

I’m curious, are you able to completely power down?

Despite the inconvenience of being cut off from the world as I know it, I did enjoy my week tremendously in Umbria.

This whole Italian sojourn was built around attending a week-long program at Il Ghiottone – a guest house and cooking school which also offers themed experiences, which change with the months and seasons. This was (at the time of booking) the only week that offered the truffle hunt, and so here we are.

The view from the “front yard” at Il Ghiottone

NB: truffle salt and truffle oil, as I have since learned, is not even close to the real thing. It’s actually an aroma (not even an essence) that is derived from the petroleum industry (I’m really hoping this tidbit was a hiccup in translation). As for that fleck of truffle bobbing so provocatively at the bottom of your prized truffle oil bottle?  Insider’s joke it could be a mouse turd for all they know. Don’t shoot the messenger, I only report the facts. Except when they’re boring and inconvenient.

Anyway, the week also included visits to a goat farm for an outstanding cheese tasting, a natural winery, and three cooking lessons that were truly exceptional.

I’ll be sharing the ideas and recipes I learned in Umbria over the coming weeks and months, but for now, I’m offering Il Ghiottone’s excellent recipe for the lightest and crispiest (and easiest!) fried calamari, plus a cocktail recipe that was taught as a sorbetto, but I’m taking a few liberties and making it a cocktail.

Strawberry Prosecco

Strawberries are in season in Italy, deeply red and bursting with sweet juice. While I appreciate this comes a bit early for Ontario readers, at least you can save this and be ready for the local crop in June.

At Il Ghiottone we paired fresh strawberries with goat cheese, ate them plump and full for breakfast, and, made sorbetto. The below recipe is the sorbet starter, but as mentioned, without churning it, it makes an appealing cocktail base. As always, play around and have some fun – maybe use vodka or gin for a different spin with a more spirited edge.

I like the elegance of Prosecco, what a great drink to kick off a spring garden party.

For the Base

Ingredients:

• 2 quarts fresh strawberries, cleaned, hulled, and roughly quartered

• Zest of 1 lemon

• 1 cup simple syrup

• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice

How to Make It:

1. Add everything to a blender and blitz for two minutes. This will ensure a creamier base and more emulsified, satisfying, mix.

2. Strain through a fine mesh sieve. After two minutes it will likely be smooth, but it’s a good idea to do it anyway.

3. Keep the smooth puree in the fridge until ready to use (not more than a day.)

Drink:

Add the strawberry puree to a flute, top with bubbly and serve.

Calamari Fritti

I love Il Ghiottone’s method for making calamari. The coating is crispy and light, while the calamari is tender and rich. So different from the heavily battered rubber bands often served in sub-par places.

The trick, I think, is in the sparkling water.

Soaking fresh calamari in sparkling water for 20 minutes before frying keeps the squid tender. It’s an old Nona’s tale, but one that has proven itself, so don’t skip it.

Often calamari (and other fried foods) will use a heavier batter, incorporating egg yolks and cornstarch and employing the triple method of flour-egg-breadcrumb. That works in many cases (we had delicious fried zucchini blossoms at Il Ghiottone’s welcome dinner that were battered), but here the coating is more of a crisp outline, and less of a dense crust.

Makes: Enough for 6 people as a starter/snack
Chef level: easy

Ingredients:

• 1 kg whole calamari, cleaned and cut into rings about a finger-width wide (cleaning squid isn’t difficult – here’s a good video on how to do it.)

• 500g “00” flour

• 3 egg whites

• 2 cups sparkling water, divided (or more if needed)

• Canola, vegetable, or sunflower oil for frying

• Salt and pepper to taste

How to Make It:

1. Soak cleaned quid rings and tentacles in sparkling water to cover and place in fridge for 20 minutes.

2. Heat oil in a deep sauce pot to 350°F

3. Mix egg whites with 1 cup sparkling water.

4. Place flour on a plate.

5. Remove the calamari from the soaking water, discard the soaking water, and add to the egg white mixture.

6. Now roll the calamari in the flour.

7. Carefully place in the hot oil and fry until golden and crispy, about 4 minutes.

8. Drain on paper towels, sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve.

Wine Pairing:

Coming as a surprise to absolutely no one, I like brut bubbly with fried things. The whimsical juxtaposition is certainly stylish, but it’s a simple fact that fizz and fat work beautifully: the rich food tames the edges of the wine, while the nose-prickling acidity cleanses and refreshes the palate from the oil.

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