Adventures in Umbria

 Dr. C. and I spent 6 weeks in Spello this fall, and had some lovely adventures.  On my birthday we went to one of my favorite restaurants in Montefalco, and then had the privilege of going to visit the Tili Vineyard for a wine tasting and chat with Anna Laura and Maria Palma Tili.  I can't think of a better way to have spent the day.  Our family at Enoteca Properzio arranged the wine tasting, which took place at the top of the hill outside of Spello.  Known for its beautifully crafted organic wines, Tili also presses its olives for olive oil, which was delicious.  Over 20 years ago, we first tasted their Sacreterre, and fell in love with its complexity and flavor.  

L-R: Anna Laura, Maria Palma, Marco, Pietro

Situated halfway up Mount Subasio, the sacred mountain of St. Francis, the views over the valley are spectacular.   

A new tasting room has opened with beautiful view of the valley

When we arrived, they were crushing the Sangiovese grapes for their famous Tili Rosso, one of my favorites

All of my favorite wines are in one place; what could be better?  If you haven't tasted Grecchetto, an indigenous white grape to Umbria, you need to try this one.  It is superb.  

We tasted wines, along with cheese, salumi and bread from the region.  Pairing the products of the region with the wines is the ultimate marriage.  The Italians consider wine to be food, and so it should complement whatever you are serving.  We ended our day with this beautiful sunset over the valley and promises to return next year.  

Grazie Tili Vini, and Enoteca Properzio for the invitation.  It was a magical day.  

Day 44, Quarantine Kitchen, Foccacia

Sunday I decided to make some focaccia dough, and let it rise overnight in the fridge.  This is my friend Jenny's basic recipe, but I tweaked it a bit.  I've been practicing with focaccia during this quarantine, using sourdough, then yeast, no-knead, you name it I've tried it, and I've finally hit the right note; a long slow rise in the fridge and copious amounts of really good olive oil.  For this one, I sprinkled some Romano cheese over it, then dimpled the dough, and sprinkled some chopped rosemary and Maldon salt over the top before liberally dousing it with olive oil.  I use Cuore Verde olive oil that I order from our family in Italy at Enoteca Properzio.  There is something satisfying about taking this gorgeous bread from the oven, and knowing that you've created magic with just flour, yeast, and water.

Jenny's No-Knead Focaccia

3 2/3 cups (550g) all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon active dry yeast

1 teaspoon salt

1 3/4 cups (375g) warm water

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 to 2 teaspoons flaky salt like Maldon

Optional:  chopped rosemary (about 2 teaspoons) 1/2 cup grated cheese

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, yeast, salt and water, until well combined.  Brush a bowl with extra virgin olive oil, turn the dough in the bowl, cover and let rise for 1 hour---I've done this and my suggestion is to actually refrigerate this overnight and give it a long slow rise---the focaccia rises higher and the finished product is way superior.  

The next day, pour at least 3 tablespoons of olive oil into a baking pan---mine is a 12-inch all-clad skillet, Jenny suggests a cast iron skillet, which is another choice.  You can even do this on a baking sheet if you like.  Push the dough onto the oil, and make sure it goes to the rim of the baking pan.  If it's a little slow to stretch, cover it for 15 minutes, then try again.  Once the dough is in the pan, allow it to rise, covered, for 1 hour.  

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees, push your knuckles into the dough to make indentations.  Pour the remaining oil over the focaccia, and sprinkle with the flaky salt.  Make sure to pretty much drench the dough with the oil, otherwise, it will be dry when you take it out of the oven.  Bake for 20 minutes, until the bottom is crispy and the top is golden brown.    Let the focaccia rest for about 20 minutes before cutting and serving.  

We had the focaccia with a huge pot of pasta with meatballs, click here for a recipe.  The wine glass photo is one of my favorites from Enoteca Properzio in Spello. We have our friends in Italy on our hearts as they navigate this virus.  
I urge you to check out my friend Jenny's blog--she tests every recipe, and they are keepers.  Her dinner rolls are our go-to for Thanksgiving, you'll never buy another roll again, and that's coming from a non-baker.  Stay safe and stay well.   

The Focaccia Chronicles; Quarantine Kitchen

Mix the flour, water, oil, yeast and salt together

So on my last flight from New York to San Diego, I binge-watched episodes of the Great British Baking Show, and two episodes of the Netflix series Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat.  The Fat episode takes place in Italy, and the focaccia that host Samin Nosrat made in Liguria intrigued me.  Focaccia is something I love, but frankly, knowing the time it takes with a long slow rise, coupled with the fact I'm not a baker, I don't make it at home.  But, that has all changed since we have been in self-isolation.  So the fact that I have lots of time, and the ingredients and that dinner at my Italian friends' house on Saturday night included some of the best focaccia I'd ever had, I knew that I wanted to give it a try. 
The recipe is here.  This is really simple to make. It requires an overnight rise, and then a bit of fiddling to get it into the pan.  Other than that it's pretty much a no-brainer.  Make sure to use a high-quality olive oil, I use the organic from Cuore Verde which you can buy from Enoteca Properzio.  And, use a flaky sea salt like Maldon for the finishing. 
Without further ado, here are the focaccia chronicles of days 4 and 5. 

3 hours in

Good Morning!

Rub the pan with olive oil (I used foil on the pan for ease of cleanup--my sheet pans are a mess)

Scrape onto the oiled pan

Add caption

pour oil over the dough

spread the dough over the pan

Make indentations in the dough with your knuckles

pour the brine over the dough

 

sprinkle with salt and I used some rosemary

Really hot oven

Finally!

As many of you know, here in California, we have been advised to stay home, and not go out.  I'd ask you to heed all the warnings from your state officials and the health officials at CDC and NIH.  If they say don't go out, don't do it.  Your health and the health of those that you come in contact with are paramount at this time.  Stay well everyone, and keep on cooking. 

Celebrations

For the past several years, I've celebrated my birthday here in Spello accompanied by the Angelini family and Dr. C.  This year is a BIG one, and Dr. C. surprised me by flying in our daughter, son-in-law and son Ryan for the celebration.  Let me tell you no one celebrates like the Italians! 
Chef Marco Gubbiotti prepared our dinner, and for dessert, I'd requested a gelato cake from his gelateria Amandola. (best gelato in the world) 

Marco calls this one truffle carbonara: poached egg, crostini crumbs, pancetta, and truffles

Risotto with porcini and butternut squash

Pork two ways:  chop and mini-porchetta

A few days before the celebration my brother and his wife arrived for 3 days; we toured Gubbio where our grandparents were born, and enjoyed some family time here in Spello and Montefalco. 

On the day the entourage arrived, they were still here and got to enjoy lunch together with our kids.  It doesn't get any better than family gathered around the table. 

To further celebrate our family at Enoteca Properzio sent us to the Arnaldo Caprai winery for a wine tasting.  This is one of the largest producers here in Umbria, and the setting couldn't be better. 

Sagrantino, not quite ready

To say I was overwhelmed by the weekend would be an understatement. I'm so grateful to the family at Enoteca Properzio for arranging the celebration with my family this weekend, their generosity and love are astonishing, but then this is Italy, and their passion for what they do is evident every day.  Living here is one big celebration of love, food, and family.  Ciao for now.

Nobody Knows the Truffles I've Seen

Black Truffles

Dr. C. and I landed in Rome late after a 4-hour delay in Newark.  We drove to Spello and fell into bed, tired, and happy to be in our happy place.  The days since our arrival have been a joyous reunion with the Angelini family at Enoteca Properzio, as well as long-time friends from the US, UK, and Australia. 
Umbria is famous for its truffles, although the Piedmont gets the press, the truffles here are amazing.  Our first day here, we sat at the enoteca from 11 a.m. and closed it at 9 p.m.--- I'll use the excuse that we were jet-lagged, and couldn't face the walk up the hill to our apartment. 
At aperitivo time, we were served bruschetta with freshly grated truffles---this was mind-boggling. 

Simple food is what defines Umbria; this slice of heaven on a plate is merely toasted bread, a bit of extra virgin olive oil and shaved truffles.  Everything about this dish is why I love being here; simple, flavorful and satisfying.  The other dish that we love here is fresh tagliatelle with shaved truffles.  The tagliatelle is tossed with green gold (extra virgin local olive oil) and then topped with shaved truffles. 

Mama Mia!

This pasta is served with Sagrantino, the local grape that only grows here.  When you eat this dish and drink the wine, you are eating and drinking Umbria. 
As the week has gone on, we've enjoyed drinks and meals with our family and friends here. 

Prosciutto e Melone

Lasagna

Mediterranean Salad: mache, fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, Sicilian tuna

Gnocchi

Our host and brother, Roberto Angelini with our friend travel writer Sanghyun Baik 

So come to Umbria for the truffles, stay for the hospitality.  Each night I stand on the terrace at this apartment and watch the lights in the distance on the hills, and this week there has been a full moon to light the night. 

Ciao for now.