day 9 :

wednesday, 23 may

We took a trip to Riseria Gazzani, a rice mill that has been in operation since 1648. They produce some rice using modern equipment, but they also sell rice made using traditional pestle-and-morter equipment. We took a tour and saw both methods of rice production. On the way out, we stopped in their shop and purchased two kinds of rice: Carnaroli, and the local specialty, Vialone Nano Veronese.

Afterwards, we drove back to Verona, walked around the city, and learned some of the city's history from Jean-Carlos.

We were free to choose where to go for lunch, so we ate at Bottega del Vino in Verona, a 300 year old establishment. The food and wine was excellent, and there were some great sayings on the interior wooden beams. For example: Dio mi guardi da chi non beve vino (God protects me from those who do not drink wine).

Wednesday Dinner

• Branzino marinato (Thinly sliced sea bass marinated in lemon juice)
• Linguine agli scampi (Linguine with scampi)
• Coda di rospo al cartoccia (Monkfish baked in a pouch with juniper berries)
• Tiramisú

• Branzino Marinato
  • Don't use Chilean sea bass for this, it's too fatty.
  • You can get your fish grocer to skin the fish for you.
• Linguine agli scampi.
  • The scampi we had in Italy was wonderful, but scampi are difficult to find in the U.S., so Giuliano published his recipe with shrimp.
• Coda di rospo al cartoccia
  • Monkfish is also called "the poor man's lobster."
  • Be sure to remove the spine and skin.
  • Use the wide sheets of aluminum foil; it makes it much easier to create the pouch.
• Tiramisu
  • Soak the ladyfingers through, but don't leave excess coffee in them. Let them drain when you lift them out of the coffee. Watch out, they get soft quickly, and might fall apart!
  • If you don't have Strega (which this recipe calls for), you can use Yellow Chartreuse alcohol instead.
  • Giuliano finds that Galbani is the brand of marscapone that works best for this recipe.
  • As you're adding the marscapone, don't try getting it completely smooth, or you'll end up overwhipping it. To smooth: start the mixer slow, go fast, and alternate until smooth.
  • Don't bother using the KitchenAid splatter guard - it doesn't work. Just cover the mixer with a towel instead.
  • It's important to spread the top layer of cocoa evenly; use a sifter or a sieve.
• Diplomatico. We made this dessert ahead of time for Friday's meal. It's another dessert without a published recipe, so here it is. Giuliano said this is one dessert that you can do almost anything to and it will still turn out - hence, its name.

Diplomatico
by Giuliano Hazan

12 eggs
1/4 cup, plus 2 Tbsp. sugar
1 cup espresso
1 cup water
1/4 cup rum
16 oz. semi- or bitter-sweet chocolate
2 10-oz. poundcakes, sliced 1/2" to 3/4" thick

1. Melt the chocolate using a double-boiler.
2. Completely line the bottom and sides of a 9x9" pan with poundcake.
3. Mix together the espresso, 2 Tbsp. sugar, water, and rum.
4. Using a pastry brush, generously soak the cake with the coffee-rum mixture.
5. Beat the egg yolks and 1/4 cup sugar together until creamy and pale yellow.
6. Mix the egg and sugar mixture with the melted chocolate.
7. Whip the egg whites until frothy and firm, but not overwhipped and dry.
8. Using a wide spatula, fold the whites carefully into the chocolate mixture, using a circular motion to preserve the air pockets. You want a light, fluffy mixture. You need to have faith that it'll mix, so keep going until evenly colored. (Persistence is the key to making a nice light mousse.)
9. Pour the mouse into the pan, up to the top of the side walls.
10. Cover the top with the rest of the pound cake.
11. Using a brush, soak the top layer with more of the coffee mixture.
12. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 24 hours.
13. When ready to serve, remove from pan, frost with whipped cream, and decorate with strawberries.

Wednesday Snack

• Pecorino toscano - Red crust cheese.
• Pecorino di grotto - Cheese aged in a cave.
• Pecorino di fosse - Cheese aged in a hole in the ground.
• Pane casareccio - Rustic bread.

General things learned that night:

• You can clean fish and fish smell from wooden cutting boards using a lemon. Just cut the lemon and scrub all over the board.
• Knives: you can either straighten or sharpen a knife. You straighten it when you run the blade along a knife steel. You can straighten the blade of your knives every day without harm. You probably need to sharpen a blade every 6 or 9 months. Giuliano prefers home sharpening kits over sending his knives out - his knives usually come back smaller than before!
• Onions: when your recipe calls for sliced onion, cut your onion in half first by making a lengthwise cut. Then with the flat side of the onion on your cutting board, make cuts across the grain. By cutting this way, the onions will cook more easily and be more tender.
• Good kinds of pasta: Latini, Rustichella d'abruzzo (available at Whole Foods Market)
• Lael mentioned a good Italian food website called esperya.com.