Tour Through Italy 2013 | Societi Bistro

Societi Bistro culinary Tour Through Italy 2013

10 Weeks 10 Menus 10 Exceptional Wines

Region 1 Sicilia- Wednesday 15th May to Tuesday 21st May 2013

Created with fruitiness in mind, this wine bursts with sumptuous peach and apricot flavours with a hint of litchi. Flat Roof Manor Pinot Grigio is an ideal companion to our culinary tour though Sicillia.

We start Societi Bistro’s 2013 culinary Tour Through Italy in the South, in the land of the “Casa Nostra”. The locals are a very proud people, often referring to themselves as Sicilians first, rather than Italians. This picturesque Island produces more wine than New Zealand, Austria and Hungary combined and is well known for its fortified Marsala wines. Sicilly enjoys hot summers and an abundance of fresh vegetables and fruit such as tomatoes, aubergines, citrus and artichokes. There are strong Greek and Arab influences in the islands’s cuisine, for example the use of saffron in dishes such as Arrancini, saffron risotto balls stuffed with buffalo mozzarella and deep fried.The southern Italian sweet-sour taste, know as agro-dolce, is very popular in dishes such as Caponata, finished with red wine vinegar and sugar or honey. The Island is famous for its Gelato and Cannoli, a cylindrical pastry shape filled with sweet ricotta.This is only one of many famous Dolci from the island, others include cassata, pignolata and granite.

The irresistibly sweet OBiKWA Moscato is a white wine with magical tinges of green. It’s made from the finest Muscat grapes, giving it a fresh and fruity flavour with a touch of pear. Come rain or shine, it’s an ideal companion whenever friends gather! Perfect for our tour through these regions.

In our second week of our tour we start at the toe of the ‘boot’ of Italy’s mainland into the citrus rich southern regions of Calabria & Basilicata. Calabria, in antiquity known as Bruttium, is a mountainous region that stretches along a 246km long peninsula at the southern tip of the mainland with very unique fauna and flora all over the area. As many other southern regions, the area has played hosts to many an invader, including the Spanish, Greeks, French and Albanians and there are still lingering influences to this day. Basilicata is one of Italy’s poorest regions and like much of the south, has a rich and varied cucina povera based on local ingredients. Pork and other economical meats such as chicken are served in almost every guise imaginable, with almost every recipe containing the diavlicchio, the region’s red hot chilli. Calabrian farmers grow citrus, figs, olives, almonds and chestnuts along the coast and below the mountains. The area is also home to the humble Aubergine, or Melanzane in the local dialect, that features heavily in the local cuisine. Local dishes, described as “Calabrese” are usually hot as the peperoncini (chilli peppers) are a favourite flavouring used to spike everything from salami to pasta sauces such as Puttanesca.

Northeast onto the heel of the ‘boot’, the flattest region in Italy. The Greek influence in this once Greek territory remains to be seen in Pugliese cuisine and culture to this day. Puglia is a dry area and agriculture relies heavily on the torrential rivers to irrigate the Tavoliere delle Puglie, a tableland that is one of the largest and agriculturally most productive plains in Italy. Similar to other Southern regions, the most common ingredients are garlic, chilli, peppers, tomatoes, olives, olive oil, citrus fruits, caper, anchovies, almonds and of course pasta. Orechiette (little ears) is the most common shape and is often simply served with local broccoli, olive oil, garlic and chilli. Generally pasta is made without egg and eaten with vegetable and legume sauces and the region’s peppery olive oil, a result of allowing the olives to ripen fully before pressing them for oil. Between the heel and sole of the Italian boot lies the gulf of Taranto. The inhabitants call the port “Mar Piccolo”, the “Little Sea” which has relatively warm water temperatures from spring to autumn which is good for the breeding of mussels and oysters which is prolific in the area.

Idiom’s Bianco di Stellenbosch is a pale, straw-yellow colour with a delicate floral nose. It shows elegant flavours of pears, green melons and pineapples on the nose, which combine well with a fresh, crisp acidity and a well structured mid-palate, making it anexceptional example of Pinot Grigio. This easy drinking wine pairs well with the food of Campania.

Our travels take us west to Campania – home to the one dish that is commonly accepted as ‘Italian food’ by the masses worldwide – pizza. The people are friendly, and to this day – like their forefathers, rather poor. Although the Castles in the area entertained various royal appetites, the masses had very little to eat and had to make the most out of the scraps left over by the few wealthy. This is how braising became one of the central techniques to the region’s cooking as it transforms scraps into something edible and delicious. Tomatoes arrived in Campania in the 16th century and have played a central role in the region’s cuisine, featuring in many braised dishes as the acid in the tomato helps to tenderize meat. Fresh tomato is enjoyed with basil and one of the region’s other specialities, Mozzarella di bufala (Mozzarella made from Buffalo milk, bred in Salerno and Caserta). Sorrento is famed for its beautiful and tasty lemons, not to mention Limoncello, a lemon flavoured liqueur. The sunny area also produces some excellent wines.

A rich, powerful expression of Stellenbosch Sangiovese. A wine with a tantalizing nose and complex mouthfeel. Spicy aromas of blackcurrant, tobacco and cedar wood are enhanced by sweet and sour notes of redcurrants and dark cherry on the palate. A wonderful balance of aromas and textures. We pay homage to these wild and unspoilt regions by pairing this exquisite wine.

Over the mountains to the Northeast we reach Molise, Abruzzo and up the coast Marche. Molise & Abruzzo were joined until 1963 and have much in common. All three regions have cold, mountainous regions, Adriatic coastlines and large areas of national parks. They are isolated from central Italy by the Apennine Mountains and have always had to be self sufficient. Much of Abruzzo & Molise’s coastline is very rocky and does not provide many ports, hence the cooking relies more on the produce from the land than from the sea.The inhabitants are not particularly prosperous and rely on cheaper, inexpensive ingredients in their cooking. Chilli, olives, olive oil, dried Semolina based pasta and oregano are common ingredients, as are lamb, goat and kid. Despite this, Abruzzo is the only area in Italy that produces the very expensive spice, Saffron. Marche is almost completely hilly, with the exception of the narrow strip of coastline. Along the coast the fish and seafood are prepared in numerous dishes, from simple fritto misto di pesce to traditional brodetto. In the hills, pigs are allowed to roam free and forrage at will, producing some of the world’s best hams and salami.

Idiom’s Rosso di Stellenbosch is a bright red colour with perfumed aromas of pomegranate, sweet and sour cherries and Prosciutto. The wine underwent delicate oaking in 2nd and 3rd fill barrels, which contributes to both fruity and savoury notes on the palate.The wine is medium bodied with good acidity and a dry finish, typical of Italian varietal wines and perfect for Italian dishes. This great wine makes our regional menu sing!

This week we head Southwest, over the mountains to Lazio, home to the eternal city and the Vatican, and then North to Umbria. The Lazio region is certainly dominated by Rome, but some rural areas still hold on to their old traditions. With a vast history that stretches through the ages, many different influences can be found in Roman cuisine. The cucina povera of Rome is the Italian cuisine most heavily based on offal with items such as hearts, tripe and intestines often making an appearance on the dinner table. Lamb and veal are ubiquitous, and can be found in many different guises, often just simply roasted on the spit or in veal’s case, prepared as Saltimbocca (“jump in the mouth”). Gelato shops are a common site in the capital city where locals and tourists alike are treated to a myriad of different flavours of rich ice cream. To the north, Umbria is often referred to as the ‘green heart of Italy’. The region is blessed with culinary treasures such as the black truffle found in Valnerina, an area that produces 45% of all black truffles in Italy. Umbria is also known for its lentils from Castelluccio, prized for their small size and tenderness, tobacco, olive oil and the excellent wines its vineyards produce. The capital city of Perugia is famous worldwide to chocolate lovers as the home of Perugina Baci, chocolate kisses.

Abundant raspberry, black cherry and spice with just a hint of liquorice evident. Lovely fresh raspberry and black cherry spice makes an immediate impact on the palate. Vanilla oak and nutmeg spice adds complexity to a lighter-styled palate. Pliable tannins make this a lithe, svelte wine rather than a muscular bruiser. There is delicious blackberry ripeness on the lingering aftertaste. We matched this remarkable wine, not only because it pairs well with the menu, but also because it is one of Antonij Rupert’s favourite regions of Italy.

This week we reach the North-eastern coastline and visit the two famous regions of Tuscany and Liguria. Tuscany is famed for its food, beautiful landscapes and rich artistic legacy, and has been home to names such as Dante, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Galileo Galilei, and Puccini. Simplicity is central to Tuscany’s cuisine, the quality of the ingredients are of the highest standard, cooking is often kept to a minimum and ingredients are allowed to speak to themselves. Even though Tuscans eat meat in the form of Bistecca alla Fiorentina and other hams and salami’s made from local pigs, they are often referred to as Mangia Fagioli or “bean eaters”, due to their love of borlotti and fugioli beans, which feature in Tuscan dishes such as Ribbollita. Further North up the coast lies Liguria, home to the famous Cinque Terra, and one of chef Stéfan’s fondest memories of his travels through Italy. This predominantly coastal region produces herbs, olives, grapes and has a small dairy industry sustained by the pastures on the hills beyond the coast. Genoa, home to Christopher Columbus, is the region’s capital and Italy’s largest port. Many of the impressive buildings, churches and elegant mansions of the past still remain today to bear witness to Liguiria’s glorious past. Preserved food has a long tradition in the region as sailors leaving from Genoa needed supplies to take with them on long voyages.

Our tour takes us East-wards into the valleys and hills of arguably the culinary centre of Italy. This is the home of Proscuitto di Parma, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and Balsamic vinegar di Modena. This is pig farming country, and the antipasti from the area are heavly meat orientated. Everybody loves their mother’s “Spag- Bol” which also originates from this area, more particularly the city of Bologna where it is traditionally served with Tagliatelle (often made with Spinach). It is also the wealthiest area in Italy, boasting the oldest university in the Western world. There is an extensive range of pasta available, usually the more luxurious and expensive variety made with egg and egg yolk as opposed to the simpler Semolina and water recipe used in the poorer Southern regions – Tortellini being a firm favourite.

This medium bodied Nebbiolo is light in colour with dried prunes, sour cherries, spice and forest floor on the nose. Soft oaky notes support the wine well. Big tannins, unique to Nebbiolo, gives the wine backbone and structure.We felt that a wine with such an impeccable pedigree would best represent the region of its origin.

From Emilia-Romagna we head due west to celebrate the regional cuisine of North Western Italy. These regions neighbour France, Switzerland & Austria and have kept an affinity with their neighbours – especially evident in its cuisine. In Alto Adige Canederli, bread dumplings, are preferred over pasta or gnocchi and in Aosta and Lombardy the use of dairy make the food from these areas more luxurious than the stark southern olive oil based cuisine. Lombardy has a rich agricultural tradition with the cultivation of rice (for risotto) in the Po valley as well as corn (for polenta). Milan, its large industrial capital is famed as a world fashion and design hub. It is also known for its famous dishes such as Risotto alla Milanese, Cotoletto alla Milanese and Osso Bucco alla Milanese. In Piedmont, the “land at the foot of the mountains”, which is how it translates; agricultural activities also play an important role. One of its cities, Turin, is home to the international “Slow Food” movement and the region is no stranger to gourmands visiting from the world over. Chocolate and Nougat are also synonymous with this “foodie” destination. Barolo wine produced from Nebbiolo grapes in the region are often referred to as “king of wines and wine of kings”.

Sadly our culinary tour of Italy comes to an end this week as we travel East to the regions of Veneto and Fruili, Venezia Guilia to visit Venice, the city of bridges and canals famed for all its romance.Venice is home to St. Mark’s basilica, the grand canal, piazza St. Marco, the carnival of Venice (famous Venetian masks), the Venice biennale and venetian glass. In its hey-day Venice controlled a major trading empire stretching as far as India and the spice Islands – creating a rich cuisine with black pepper, nutmeg, cloves and others – now used more sparingly in their evolution to highlight their ingredients, rather than mask them. InVenezia Guilia, in the North-Eastern corner of Italy, much of the food is traditionally peasant style with robust flavours. Pork and Venison are staples and pasta is not common but rather beans, polenta and risotto. Coffee is integral to this region – with “Illy” coffee based in the town of Trieste. The daily arrival of Coffee beans in the port ensures that there are freshly roasted beans available. Join us as we jet off to France for another epic ten weeks of armchair travel exploring the regional cuisines of France.