Culinary Education in Rome

If you are looking to learn a little more about food and wine, Rome is an excellent place to get an education. On a recent trip I decided to update my knowledge of Italian wine and food with a couple classes. It was time well spent, and provides excellent insight into the regional dynamics which still hold Italy in sway.

Fabiolous Cooking Day. When doing my research, I was intrigued by this program because they offered an option to do the class in Mazzano, a medieval town on the outskirts of Rome. It seemed like an excellent opportunity to see a bit more of small town Italy. Our class of eight met our instructor in the city , and from there she drove us to the site, stopping at the local markets along the way. Our lesson for the day was to be based on the available ingredients. Winding our way through the narrow alley ways of the town, there came the inevitable part where we were forced to abandon the vehicle and continue on foot. The class was held in a charming old flat with a large kitchen. I am not sure if someone lived there, or if the decorations were for our benefit. Rather than a standard school house kitchen, it felt like cooking in someone's home and that made the experience significantly more enjoyable.

When taking a one off style of class you never know what you are going to get. Sometimes, its primarily a demonstration where you're lucky to pick up a knife. In very rare cases, each individual or pair prepares each dish and eats their individual results. The most common, and the format followed here is that the group works collaboratively, with every one working on specific elements that get combined into a family style meal at the end. On the down side, if you like to cook you don't the opportunity for hands on every dish. That said, particularly in smaller groups everyone gauges how much they want to do, so it is largely up to you if you want to be the teacher's pet or stand in the corner drinking the wine. And for those recipes that you don't get hands on, paying attention and taking good notes will help you to recreate it on your own.

And since I did try to do as much as I could and take good notes, I am going to recreate those for you here. These are not official recipes from the school; they are based entirely on what I did and wrote down. So if something doesn't work out, and you know you aren't the culprit, blame me. Everything was incredible so when you are in the mood for a real Italian feast, I highly recommend this. And its a perfect excuse for guests! One note: I was not aware of how different even common preparations differed from region to region. Our instructor was Roman so we learned all of these recipes according to how she traditionally prepared them. One fascinating detail is how romans cook with garlic; they don't eat it. If garlic is in a dish, its added as a whole clove then removed. And some dishes, such as the Bruchetta, don't include it at all. So as with everything in the kitchen, make it to your taste. If you want garlic, put it in there. Just don't tell that to a Roman!

Bruchetta in the Roman Way

Slice a loaf of fresh bread. Rub the sides with garlic. Toast in the oven or broil depending on your level of patience/attentiveness. Meanwhile, dice the freshest tomatoes you can find. Tear up a handful of fresh basil (I like to use a lot so I have at least some in every bite). Drizzle with very good olive oil, add a pinch of seasalt. Combine at let sit at least 30 minutes; an hour is better. Given the simplicity of this dish, the quality of the ingredients will make the results vary wildly. So splurge.

Lasagne with sausage mushrooms and cream

Sauce

This uses a Bechemel sauce as a base. So melt about ½ stick of butter over medium low heat. Slowly add in flour stirring to make a Roux which will be a paste like consistency. Starting with 2 cups, slowly ad cream, stirring consistently. The sauce will cook on low hear for about 30 minutes. DO NOT BOIL IT. If it seems to thick, add more cream, if it seems to thin, reduce longer or add more flour.

Filling

For the mushrooms I'd stick with cremini or button.about 1lb. Saute in oil, season with salt/pepper. Remove the casings from your preferred sausage variety (I like spicy pork here) break into bits and add to the mushrooms. Continue until sausage is cooked through. Add to the bechmel and combine throughly.

Pasta

Depending on your level of ambition make it from scratch, or use pre-made. If you are lucky enough to find fresh pre-made lasagna, you get the best of both worlds. If you chose to make it from scratch do so according to your favorite standard pasta recipe. You WILL need a pasta machine for this, so do not attempt it otherwise. You can roll that dough for days and not get it to the desired thinness. Regardless of which type you use, remember that you must cook the noodles first!!

Assemble

Into a 13x9 baking dish add enough sauce to coat the bottom; not slathered, but enough so the noodles don't stick. Add a layer of noodles, a layer of sauce, and a layer of shaved Parmesan. Repeat for a total of at least 3 layers, and up to six. Top with a final layer of noodles. Bake at 350 for about 35 minutes. It should be golden and bubbly. Keep in mind, because of the nature of the sauce, this is not going to be a big thick slab of noodles and ground beef. It might seem a tad on the thin side. It's supposed to be. Remember, this is only one component of the meal!

Ravioli stuffed with Zucchini and Ricotta

Filling

Dice 3 regular sized zucchini. Saute with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat until soft. Remove from hear, combine with 1c Ricotta and 1c Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper.

Pasta

No way around it; it needs to be fresh. And yes, you are going to need a pasta machine. You can try to eke it out by hand, but it will be very hard to get it thin enough and the ravioli may be a little more like pierogies.

Assemble

If you are working off in tact sheets from a pasta maker, place a large teaspoon of filling at an even spacing on the sheet. Cover with a top sheet; then cut out the individual ravioli. Seal the ends with an egg white wash. Place into gently boiling water; remove when they start to float. These are lovely in a butter and sage sauce, or if you have left over filling, create a sauce my adding a little left over pasta water to the desired consistency. Stir. Plate the ravioli and top with the sauce.

Balsamic Chicken with Roasted Potatoes

The use of chicken thighs in this dish gives a more robust flavor. You can of course use breast meat if you prefer. Start by removing the skin and deboning the chicken, then slice the remaining meat. Place equal parts balsamic and cider vinegar into a bowl and half the amount of oil; a spoon of sugar, a pinch of salt, rosemary and garlic. Add the chicken, toss well. Let sit for at least 30 minutes. Heat a skillet over medium. Add the chicken with the marinade. Cover and cook until chicken is tender and sauce is reduced; approximately 20 minutes.

For potatoes, peel if desired and slice into rough chunks. Coat with oil, salt, pepper, rosemary. Roast at 375 for 45 minutes or until tender.

Cavatelli with Tomato Sauce

For the pasta, combine 2 parts flour to 1 part water. Combine, then knead by hand until the dough becomes elastic. Roll between the hands into a tube; finish rolling by hand on a clean surface. It should look like a pasta snake. Starting at one end, cut into chunks approximately every ½ inch. Using the middle and index fingers of the non dominate hand, press downward on each piece with almost a flicking motion. This should put a curve into the pasta. Boil til done and strain.

For the sauce, Slice onions and pancetta or bacon. Saute until the onions are soft and the pancetta starts to crisp. Add white wine, and diced tomato. Lower heat and simmer, allowing the flavors to combine. Add pasta to the sauce. Toss.

Marinated Peaches

Peel and slice 6 ripe peaches. In a bowl toss with 3 spoons brown sugar. Cover with white wine. Chill 2 hours.

Vino Roma. With the summer heat wave, I find myself cooking a lighter menu. And when it's well over 100 degrees, the last thing I want to do is open a full bodied Zinfindel. So I've abandoned most of existing stock in favor if Italian wines. The problem being that I know little to nothing about them. Many of the varietals are different form those grown in the US and apart from the language barrier the labels are a dizzying array of appellations and designations I've never understood. At least before I went to Vino Roma for a bit of education. The course is held in a small but modernly outfitted tasting room a few blocks from the sprawl of the Forum. The owner is also our instructor for the session; a Turkish expat who now calls Rome home. She has selected for us 6 wines to explore; 3 red and 3 white ranging from various regions across Italy.

With a largely North to South orientation, we learn that it is the region which determines the personality of the wine, more so that the varietal of the grape. Some grapes are only grown in certain regions whereas others may be found throughout the country but vary significantly based on the climate where they are grown. Italian wine falls into 4 categories: Table wine; IGT; DOC and DOCG. Table wine is the lowest classification and does not have restrictions based on varietal or locality. IGT graded wines are typical of the specific region from where they hail. DOC wines have even a more rigorous classification narrowing the wine to a particular village. DOCG wines are the most restrictive, with the wines hailing from an even tighter geographic area, and not exceeding specified yields.

It's been a long time since I've gone through the formal ritual when I've done a tasting. And it's immediately enjoyable to slow the pace and step mindfully through the process. Often times we rush to the first sip, and it really does add to the enjoyment of wine to get each sense involved. Our somellier makes us articulate what it is we notice about the wine. For me, I immediately begin to think of each wine in terms of the food I'd pair it with.

We began with the Zamo blanco 2011 a blend of Ribolla Gialla, Friulano, and Sauvignon Blanc by Le Vigne di Zamo vineyard in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region. It was acidic, with hints of pineapple and asian pear on the nose. Heavy mineral and grass on the palette. We then moved on to a 2010 Trebbiano d'Abbruzo by Cataldi Madonna. A full round body with mineral on the nose, as soon as I sipped it I envisioned pairing it with the traditional roman pasta of pecorina, pancetta and lava beans. Next was a 2008 Chardonnay from Planeta vineyards in Sicily. This was unlike any chardonnay I've tasted, Although it had hints of oak on the nose, it turned briny and mineral on the tongue. I thought instantly of a dish with capers and olives to compliment it. Moving on to the reds, we began with a 2006 Ciabot del Re, a Dolcetto by Piemonte's Brovia vineyard. The wine had a light body, and I detected a nose reminiscent of damp earth and rosemary, and I thought it would stand up well to duck or goose. The 2006 Toni a Multepulciano from Cataldi Madonna boasted a similar roundness to it's white counterpart. Mushrooms and damp leaves on nose dissolved into black pepper on the finish. A delightful counterpart to a roasted pork or lamb dish. Finally another wine from Planeta, the 2010 Plumbago from the Nero d'Avola varietal. I fell in love with this wine. It began with heavy dried fig on the nose, and a quality of almost slightly too ripe fruit. It was like no wine I've ever tasted. It could pair easily as a counter to a heavy meat dish or as a compliment to something sweet. And while finding quality Italian wines outside of Italy can be a challenge, I discovered that my perennial favorite, Eatly, carries and excellent selection, to include Planeta happily enough!