Food Lover's Odyssey: July 2010

July 16, 2010

Daily Dish from Italy and Liguria: Risotto alle Due

Most people would say they worked up their appetite in the Cinque Terre by hiking the Sentiero Azzurro (Blue Path) that links the five towns of the Cinque Terre together. The hike is something one should do in a lifetime; however, I would suggest pacing yourself as the total hike is about 5 1/2 hours. The walk from Monterosso to Vernazza is about a 1 ½ hour hike with a steep incline. The views of the towns as you walk down into them will take your heaving breath away.

Since I’ve done the hike a few times, I decided instead to work up my appetite by laying under one of the colorful umbrellas along Monterosso's beach, swimming a few laps, and watching men in speedos walk by (yet another reason why I love Italy).

For dinner, I decided to stay in Monterosso. Seafood (frutti di mare) and Risotto make one of the most beautiful combinations. The rice, while not as creamy as other risotto dishes, is full of the flavors of the sea. The only problem is that you need a minimum of two people to order it. You'll usually see the dish on the menu as Risotto alle Due. I was dining solo but REALLY wanted seafood risotto. I asked the waiter if I could order it only for myself. He said YES! I was so excited, that I picked the first “risotto alle due” on the menu without looking to see that it was risotto al nero di seppierisotto ai frutti di mare instead of . Those of you that read my post on Nero di Seppie from Venice know that it’s a dish I had only planned on trying once. Risotto ai frutti di mare, on the other hand, is quite possibly my all-time favorite dish in Italy. My disappointment when I saw the dish of black rice the waiter set in front of me was worse than that of a child whose sand castle was just demolished by a wave. But, what could I do? I didn't want to say, "Oh, I made a mistake and meant to order the second risotto alle due on the menu" (called risotto alla marinara, NOT this black plate you've specially prepared for me (called risotto Lampara on the menu) So, I ate some, and some more, and some more. After my third serving, I picked the rest of the calamari out of the risotto because I was just too stuffed to finish the whole bowl.

Chef Ciak runs things from his long narrow kitchen at the back of the dining area. One side of the kitchen has all the seafood used in the dishes on ice and ready to go. The other side has stoves ablaze as “Ciak” moves swiftly from one dish to the other preparing each dish looking up only to call for a pick up. The waiters call out the orders and when Chef Ciak's finished he calls back to them to pick it up. If waiters don't pick up the order quickly enough, a louder shout comes from the kitchen.

I’ve been to Ristorante Ciak, also called La Lampara, many times before and every dish I’ve had there is delicious, but the Risotto ai frutti di mare is still my favorite. Other dishes I’ve had that are good are the spaghetti allo scoglio and spaghetti al pesto. The antipasto selection also looks good, and is on the list to try on my next visit.

Besides the delicious meal, another good thing about staying in Monterosso for dinner was the view of the beach under the moonlight.

Neapolitan Style Mussels

Asparagus and Lemon Risotto

Nero di Seppie - A Traditional Venetian Dish

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July 11, 2010

Daily Dish from Italy and Liguria: Spaghetti allo Scoglio

After working for most of June in France (a subject of several posts to come), I’m spending July in Italy. The plan was to spend 5 days in Milan. Milan was hotter than Hades, humid and smoggier than Los Angeles on a bad day. I’d try to put makeup on but was sweating it off before I even finished putting it on. After the third day of this heat and the inability to wear makeup, I chucked all my plans and got on a morning train to the Cinque Terre.

I had no reservation for a hotel or room, but I desperately needed fresh air and the sea. I called a number I had for the affitacamera (room for rent) I rented last year. They didn’t have a room but gave me a number of a friend. The friend only had an apartment. We were disconnected before I could ask what was certain to be an outrageous price. When I called back, they just told me to meet them at the COOP when I got into town. At the COOP, I was greeted by Gemmina and his “friend” who had a room available. The friend, Ilario, tossed my 50 pound suitcase, which I not-so-fondly call la bestia viola (purple beast), over his shoulder and led me to my room. Yes, I know how lucky I am--a room at the last minute, for a great price, on Sunday in the Cinque Terre AND someone to carry my over-packed suitcase up the 60 or so steps!

Two of the top reasons why I love Italy are the sea and its seafood, so my first meal in the Cinque Terre was something from the sea, Spaghetti allo Scoglio (spaghetti with crustaceans). Scoglio in Italian literally means rock, or the seashore bluffs, on or near which the crustaceans live. The dish included mussels, clams, and shrimp. The sauce’s main flavor comes from the juices that the mussels, clams and shrimp release as they cook. Olive oil, a little pinch of hot peppers (pepperoncini), and parsley finish the sauce, maybe one tomato and white wine are in the sauce, too. I had this at the Taverna del Capitano on the Marina in Vernazza. I think those yellow umbrellas to the left of the photo are from del Capitano.

While traveling through Italy, internet access isn‘t easily available, so I will keep posts short--sometimes sweet and sometimes savory--and as frequent as possible. They’ll include the regional or local dish from wherever I am in Italy and a little “dish“ on my travels.

I love Vernazza, it’s a long row of multicolored houses, with only one main street that leads from the train station straight to the cove that makes up the harbor and its rocky beach. Monterosso with its turquoise sea and umbrella-lined pebble beach is where I‘ll be tomorrow, either swimming or laying on my lettino (sun bed). I think I’ve been coming to the Cinque Terre every year for far too long because the restaurateurs recognize me. A sure sign (sigh) that it's about time I ventured out a bit. After my 4 days here, I’ll see if I can find another Ligurian town as charming as the Cinque Terre. That's gonna be a hard task, but we'll see what I can find.