L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 2020 www.italoamericano.org 20 L'Italo-Americano A sk the average non-Italian to give you a run- d o w n o n I t a l - ian cuisine and chances are it will sound like this: "Spaghetti…with meat- b a l l s , F e t t u c c i n i A l f r e d o , lasagna for sure…and pep- peroni pizza…!" We'll spare the culinary critique of how…shall we say… deficient" this list can be. Thankfully, Italy and her glorious regional specialties offer so much more to excite the palate and delight the stomach. There is one region, how- ever, that is perchance lack- ing credit where credit is d u e … P i e d m o n t / Piemonte. A northernmost p r o v i n c e , P i e d m o n t s i t s m i r t h f u l l y t u c k e d i n t h e north-west cuff of the boot, sharing the largest portion of its border with France. The capital city of Turin is potentially the best-known in the region, her accolades t o i n c l u d e F i a t a n d T h e Shroud. However, there are many gastronomic wonders to be found throughout the s m o r g a s b o r d o f c u l i n a r y r i c h n e s s t h a t i s t h e Piemontese palate. If credentials are needed before we embark on this savory run-down, Piemonte h a s t h e m . T h e f a c t t h a t N u t e l l a , t h e c h o c o l a t e y hazelnut wonder-child of the spreadables world, is the c r e a t i o n o f a n a t i v e P i e m o n t e s e i s s u f f i c e f o r m a n y , b u t i t g o e s m u c h deeper than that! The Slow Food Movement, recog- n i z e d w o r l d - w i d e n o w , began in 1986, the brain- child of Carlo Petrini of B r a , P i e d m o n t . A p r o f e s - sional gourmet, Petrini had the foresight to recognize t h e a v a i l a b i l i t y o f l o c a l l y grown, clean food and wine was in jeopardy at the hands of corporate chains. At-risk w e r e t h e q u a i n t , l o c a l l y o w n e d t r a t t o r i a s a n d t h e clean, seasonal food they provided...as well as the her- itage that went with them. The rest is history — and a s u c c e s s f u l o n e a t t h a t . N o t a b l e , t o o , a r e t h o s e yummy-crunchy breadsticks we all love known as grissi- ni - the invention of a bread maker in Torino – and of course, the well-known and highly revered white truf- fles of Alba. I t s c u l i n a r y v e t t i n g i n place, how best to narrow a v i c a r i o u s t a s t e t e s t o f P i e m o n t e s e e a t a b l e s t o something meaningful yet doable? Perhaps the best way is to imagine ourselves as guests at a family table i n v i t i n g l y s e t f o r a f u l l course meal. The laughter and chat melt into "oooh's and ahhh's" as the antipasti are presented. Sure hope you're hungry! ANTIPASTI One must stir the appetite for all that is to come, and a Piemontese-style stirring is more like a whirling dervish of possibilities. The options are vast. Nevertheless, most menus provide a selection manageable enough to fall one notch below impossible. S h a r i n g a b o r d e r w i t h F r a n c e i s l i k e s h a r i n g a dorm room with your for- eign best friend — some of the cool stuff is going to rub o f f o n y o u . " L a c u i s i n e française" is definitely an influence when it comes to Piedmont's cheese offerings. Luxurious, small production cheese rules the day. The foothills of the Alps provide rich pasture, and many a c l a s s i c o r i g i n a t e s h e r e . C r e a m y , F r e n c h - i n s p i r e d Robiola provides just the r i g h t t a n g a t o p a t o a s t y b r u s c h e t t a … o r p e r h a p s reach for the heady, crumbly Castelmagno, its bread- l i k e a p p e a r a n c e i n i t i a l l y PAULA REYNOLDS T h e P i e m o n t e s e p a l a t e : r i c h , traditional, and delicious LIFE PEOPLE PLACES HERITAGE Making ravioli: in Piemonte, the best are ravioli al plin! (Photo: Dreamstime) Continued to page 22

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