Being the 10th issue of Cosa Bolle in Pentola, your Italian Cuisine newsletter.

Folks, sorry this issue of the Newsletter is a bit late, but I was at Vinitaly last week, tasting wines and networking -- one of the highlights of the trip was a dinner I had with Alessandro Carnevale (see the profile posted in January; his current vintages are also very good). While we were walking to the restaurant his cell phone rang, and we ended up driving out to Isola Della Scala, where Gabriele Ferron was cooking up a dinner for his distributors -- in addition to growing Vialone Nano, one of the finest Italian rices, the man is a 5 star chef. The meal was extraordinary, with all sorts of risotti, including one made with iris bulbs, as well as pasta (made from rice) and a rice-based cake after the chicken pilaf. The most interesting part was talking with Gabriele, however.

His risotto technique differs somewhat from the classic technique one finds in cookbooks: He begins by browning the onion (or leek or whatever) in olive oil, never butter, and once it has browned he removes lest it burn and become bitter as he fries the rice, a process that takes about 10 minutes over a moderate flame, while stirring constantly. Then he returns the onion to the rice and adds the wine, which he has previously heated -- "if you add cold wine you shock the rice, which will flake on the outside and stay hard at the core," he says. He then lets the wine evaporate completely before adding the remaining ingredients, and the broth, which he adds all at once, rather than a ladle at a time. He then covers the rice and lets it cook gently for about 15 minutes, stirring in a little more broth at the end that combines with the starch the rice gives off, giving it a creamy texture. Then does whatever last-minute things need doing and serves it.

No butter, and no cream at the end, ever. He is able to cook his risotto this way because he knows his rice -- Vialone Nano absorbs 1.5 (if I recall correctly) times its volume in liquid, so that's what he adds. The bottom line is, you may not be able to adopt his cooking method if you are using a rice you have never tried before, but once you have a feel for the volume of water the rice will absorb to reach the degree of doneness you like, his method will give you consistently good results. And his suggestions regarding wine temperature and removing the onions from the pot after they have browned are valid in any case.

Moving onto other things, Gayle & Sharon wrote asking for a Tomato Florentine Soup recipe. To be honest, I'm not sure what this is -- In Italy, Florence is known for minestrone and ribollita, hearty winter soups with a minimum of tomatoes, and pappa al pomodoro, which really isn't a soup. But not tomato soup, which I have never been served here.

Nor is tomato soup Florentine listed in any of my Italian cookbooks. Ada Boni, however, does have a number of interesting recipes in her Talismano della Felicitá. The Italian edition is much larger than the English translation, and since they may not have been included in it, here they are:

To serve 6:

• 1 1/4 pounds tomatoes
• A bay leaf
• 2 cloves
• Half an onion
• Basil
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Salt
• 1/2 cup butter
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 quart whole milk
• Grated Parmigiano

Wash the tomatoes, chop them, and put them in a pot with the bay leaf, cloves, onion, basil, sugar and salt to taste. Cook for about 10 minutes, then put the mixture through a food mill and keep it hot.

Make a béchamel sauce with the butter, flour and milk, season it with a pinch of salt, and stir constantly as it thickens so it comes out smooth and creamy. Stir the cream into the tomato mixture, ladle it into bowls, and serve with grated cheese on the side.

To serve 6:

• 4-5 fresh tomatoes
• 2 ounces salt tongue (see your delicatessen for this), diced
• 7 brimming ladles broth
• 3 tablespoons rice flour
• 5 tablespoons grated Parmigiano
• 1 tablespoon butter

Blanch and peel the tomatoes, seed them, and cut them into thin strips. Sauté them with the butter. In the meantime bring the broth to a boil, whisk in the rice flour, and simmer it for 15 minutes.

Distribute the tomato fillets in the bowls, dot them with bits of tongue, fill the bowls with the thickened broth, dust them with the cheese, and serve.

To serve 6:

• 1 3/4 cups rice
• 2 pounds Endive
• 10 fresh tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• 1 quart boiling water
• A minced mixture made with 1/4 pound seasoned lard (see an Italian delicatessen for this, or use fat prosciutto), 1/2 an onion, a 5-inch rib of celery, a small carrot, a clove of garlic, and a small bunch parsley

Wash, coarsely chop, and drain the endive.

Blanch, peel and seed the tomatoes.

Sauté the minced mixture in the oil, and when the onion begins to brown, add the tomatoes. Simmer for about 10 minutes, then stir in the endive. Let it wilt for a few minutes, then season endive cover, and cook for a few minutes, until they wilt. Season with salt and pepper, stir in the boiling water, and cook a few minutes more, until the endive is almost done. Add the rice and continue cooking until the rice is done, taking care lest the rice overcook.

To serve 6:

• 2 1/4 pounds tomatoes
• 3 potatoes
• An onion
• A rib celery
• A bunch of parsley (enough to yield 2-3 tablespoons, minced)
• A few leaves basil
• Salt & pepper
• 1 cup whole milk
• Croutons
• 5 tablespoons grated Parmigiano

Wash and chop the tomatoes, and peel and chop the potatoes, onion, and celery. Mince the parsley. Put everything in a bot with the basil, season with salt and pepper, and simmer for an hour over a moderate flame. When the tomato is done, put everything through a food mill. Mix the milk into the purée, bring the mixture to a boil, and distribute it in the soup bowls, dotting each with croutons to taste and dusting them with the cheese.

A printer-friendly version of these recipes.

Yossi, on the other hand, asks about festivals in the Umbria/Tuscany area during July/August, while Pat wonders about wineries in the Figline Valdarno area.

To begin with festivals,

Perugia will be hosting the Mangialonga, a gastronomic extravaganza that takes place in the historic center, on July 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30.

Radda In Chianti will host, on July 18, the Festa dei Rondoni -- dedicated to sparrows, but with other things as well.

Massa Marittima, a beach town not far from Grosseto, will celebrate the festa del dolce, which should be devoted to pastries and sweets, on July 25. The area is quite pretty and well worth a day trip.

Corciano, a town in the province of Perugia, will begin its 2-week Agosto Corcianese on August 1 -- expect lots going on, especially on weekends.

Piombino, on the Tuscan coast, will celebrate the sagra del tortello from August 1-9. Again, the area is quite pretty with much to see & do, making for a good day trip.

Cortona, in the Province of Arezzo, will hold a pigeon festival on August 1.

Pitigliano, a beautiful town in the province of Grosseto (Tuscany), will host the Festa del Vino from August 10 to September 10.

Civitella in Val di Chiana will host the Farm Culture festival from August 11-15.

Finally, on August 14-15 Cortona, in the province of Arezzo, will host the Sagra della bistecca -- the steak fest.

In terms of wineries in the Fligline area, though I know some exist I've never been to any right there. If you drive west from Figline, however, you will end up in the Radda/Gaiole part of Chainti Classico, and there there's lots to see. Specifically, Montevertine, Poggerino, Riecine, Castello di Volpaia, Badia a Coltibuono and Brolio all come to mind.

Montevertine because they're very pleasant, make good wines, and have a fascinating farm culture museum. Poggerino because the wines are excellent, and Piero and Benedetta are very nice.

Riecine -- great wines, and Sean, the winemaker/partner is English, as is John Dunkly, one of the Grand Old Men of Chianti. Castello di Volpaia because its wines are good, and the winery is spectacular -- well worth paying for the tour.

Badia a Coltibuono because it's one of the most beautiful corners on earth, and also has a superb restaurant (Lorenza de'Medici lives there, and her children make the wines).

Brolio because it's beautiful, and the wines are good.

You'll find more ideas for exploring the Chianti region on the Events in Florence & Tuscany site (this also has phone numbers), Finally, don't forget San Gimignano, which is worth a special trip! The link is to a walking tour of the town, with profiles of 4 top wineries.

I had planned to discuss urban legends, but they're going to have to wait until the next issue, as will a couple more questions.

In the meantime, Happy May Day!
Kyle Phillips

Back to the Cosa Bolle Index.
If you would like to subscribe to this newsletter (it's free), visit this page