{"id":6175,"date":"2019-01-22T15:27:27","date_gmt":"2019-01-22T22:27:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/villasentieri.com\/?p=6175"},"modified":"2023-04-26T16:38:06","modified_gmt":"2023-04-26T23:38:06","slug":"calabria-dispatch-5-pizza-tre-volte-pizza-three-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/villasentieri.com\/index.php\/2019\/01\/22\/calabria-dispatch-5-pizza-tre-volte-pizza-three-times\/","title":{"rendered":"Calabria Dispatch #5: Pizza Tre Volte (Pizza Three Times)"},"content":{"rendered":"

January 22, 2019<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Friday was market day.\u00a0 The mercatino (little market) in Soverato, about 15 minutes from the school, is truly compact but the quality and variety of the products on offer are amazing.\u00a0 We bought lots of produce and fish for the school.\u00a0 Many of us also bought things for ourselves.\u00a0 Outings to the markedt are planned for almost every Friday.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Beautiful vegetables at the mercatino in Soverato<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I bought ricotta infornata, little cylinders of fresh sheep\u2019s milk ricotta that had been baked.\u00a0 The ricotta was made by the vendor using milk from her own sheep.\u00a0 She also baked the cheese herself.<\/p>\n

\"\"
The cheese monger from whom I bought ricotta infornata<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After the market we went to a restaurant\/kitchen supply store.\u00a0 A number of students needed chef coats so it was a logical stop.\u00a0 I looked at the other items on offer and made mental notes about the prices of items that I need\u2026ok \u201cwant\u201d not \u201cneed!\u201d\u00a0 Some of the items are not available in the States, like a deep saut\u00e9 pan with a wicked curve, perfect for finishing pasta in a sauce.\u00a0 I see two of these in my future.\u00a0 Other items can be had in the States on the web, like silicone molds and a chitarra for pasta, but being able to see and touch them makes a big difference.\u00a0 I suspect I\u2019ll be visiting this store most Fridays when we go to the market.<\/p>\n

\"\"
More gorgeous produce at the mercatino<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We got back about 1:30 and had lunch.\u00a0 The first course was a trifecta of braised mackerel, crisped sous vide octopus with cannellini bean puree, and shrimp crudo (made with gamberi rossi) accompanied by a hazelnut puree.\u00a0 This was followed by a Panzanella (bread and tomato salad) that was made the previous day.<\/p>\n

\"\"
An antipasto of shrimp crudo, sous vide octopus, and braised mackerel<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After lunch we went to the Pastry Lab to roll out dough for Pizza Fritta.\u00a0 Pizza Fritta is deep-fried pizza dough (very thin at the school though sometimes overly thick in restaurants) with an array of toppings that usually includes tomato sauce, fior di latte, and extra-virgin olive oil among others.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Though most of the dough for pasta fritta was rolled by hand I got to use this nifty “sheeter” after Chef Juan demonstrated its use<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Chef made a Nutella knock-off that was way better than the real thing.\u00a0 It was just a mixture of about 40% melted milk chocolate and 60% roasted pureed hazelnuts with a pinch of salt.\u00a0 This was used to make a sweet Pizza Fritta along with a generous sprinkling of powdered sugar.\u00a0 Tasting everything is a necessity!<\/p>\n

\"\"
Preparing my pizza for wood-fired pizza night<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We had a few free hours before we had to show up in the room with the wood-burning pizza oven to try our hands at making pizza.\u00a0 I opted for topping mine with \u2018nduja, buffalo mozzarella, extra-virgin olive oil and oregano in addition to a bit of tomato sauce and \u201cpizza cheese.\u201d\u00a0 It was quite the hit, with Chef Juan and two of the other staff reaching for pieces as soon as I cut it.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Tending to my pizza<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After everyone had made at least one pizza each, I suggested that we have a pizza play-off pitting Chef Juan against Mariana (his wife) and Ryan against Erlyn.\u00a0 Ryan and Erlyn are two of the kitchen assistants.\u00a0 The winner of each round was to be pitted against the other.\u00a0 Folks started to go to bed early and although we had the first two rounds, we never got to the finals.\u00a0 This was probably a good thing given that the judging was quite variable.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Il Pizzaiolo:\u00a0 Chef Juan at the ready with pizza peel<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

During pizza making and eating, Ryan was our DJ, playing current international songs but then veering into Italian ones.\u00a0 L\u2019Italiano<\/a> is one of my favorites but I couldn\u2019t explain it enough for Ryan to recognize it.\u00a0 I played it for him the next day.\u00a0 It has since been added to his playlist which makes me quite happy.<\/p>\n

Saturday morning was very busy with prep: chopping, slicing, dicing, gutting and cleaning.\u00a0 I think I am now an expert at cleaning anchovies having done many dozen (twist off the head and pull carefully to remove the guts while still attached to the head; use a finger to open the fish along the belly; peel out the spine; separate the filets; remove the dorsal fin from one of the filets; remove any remaining pectoral and ventral fins; rinse in 3.5% salt water; line up in a tray; repeat.)<\/p>\n

\"\"
A little octopus bruschetta to fend off hunger<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We also had to lollipop frogs\u2019 legs which is kind of like making drumettes from chicken wings.\u00a0 We also had to tunnel-bone quail which entails removing all bones except the furthest bones in the wings and legs without cutting the skin or making any incisions.\u00a0 One goes through the neck and body cavity openings that are already present in the butchered quail.\u00a0 The same technique can be applied to any bird.\u00a0 I think it\u2019s a great skill to have but I can\u2019t imagine when I\u2019ll tunnel-bone any fowl unless I decide to get into the Turducken business!<\/p>\n

All this took 4 \u00bd hours in the kitchen before our first break.<\/p>\n

\"\"
This is one of the butcher shops at the mercatino. It is on wheels and goes to different markets.<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In the afternoon we were shown the preparation of and tasted (*)<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. *Pasta alla Vongole made with Pasta alla Chitarra con Scorza di Arancia (Pasta with Clams made with Orange Zest Pasta cut on the Chitarra<\/li>\n
  2. Rana Pescatrice (monkfish cooked in fumetino\u2014a fragrant stock) [we ate this a day later]<\/li>\n
  3. *Orecchiette con Rapa e Salsiccia (Orecchiette Pasta with Broccoli Rabe and Sausage)<\/li>\n
  4. Ossobuco (we ate this another day)<\/li>\n
  5. *Gnocchi Sardi con Salsa alla Erbe (Saffron gnocchi with a bacon, tomato and herb sauce)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Sometime during the afternoon Chef made pistachio gelato for everyone.\u00a0 We have an entire week coming up where we learn to make gelato!!<\/p>\n

    \"\"
    Pistachio gelato<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    For dinner five of us made sandwiches and salad for the group.\u00a0 The sandwiches were focaccia with cooked ham, salami, buffalo mozzarella, tomato, basil, salt, and olive oil.\u00a0 Dessert was puff pastry stuffed with pastry cream and topped with white chocolate ganache.<\/p>\n

    Sunday was another busy day.\u00a0 We observed chef prepare three types of risotto, each of which we ate prior to 10:30 AM(!):<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Risotto alla Milanese (saffron risotto)<\/li>\n
    2. Risotto alla Parmigiana con Porri e Aceto Balsamico (Parmesan cheese risotto with saut\u00e9ed leeks and balsamic vinegar)<\/li>\n
    3. Risotto Nero al Mare (cuttlefish ink risotto with seafood)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Chef\u2019s technique is a little different from mine and I will need to try it his way.\u00a0 He does not stir when the wine is added, preferring to let it evaporate undisturbed.\u00a0 He keeps more liquid in the rice during cooking than I do.\u00a0 At the end, he adds cheese and butter, as I do, but his butter is frozen and he uses a classic French technique to \u201cfluff up\u201d the risotto.\u00a0 I don\u2019t fluff my risotto but I guess I\u2019ll learn!<\/p>\n

      The Ossobuco from the previous day was finished and served with the Risotto alla Milanese, sprinkled with Gremolata (finely minced garlic, parsley, and lemon zest).<\/p>\n

      Chef started to marinate the dozens and dozens of anchovies that we had cleaned the previous day.\u00a0 We also tested a portion of baccala (salted cod) that had been soaking for a few days to see if it was ready to cook but it was still too salty so it went back in the fridge under water.<\/p>\n

      Chef pan-roasted broccoli florets that had been briefly blanched.\u00a0 They were later turned into a simple sauce for mafalde pasta that we had for lunch.<\/p>\n

      The afternoon saw the preparation of:<\/p>\n

        \n
      1. Italian meringue (which is different from both French meringue and Swiss meringue)<\/li>\n
      2. Caramel sauce<\/li>\n
      3. P\u00e2te \u00e0 Bombe (a beaten egg yolk and hot syrup base for many desserts)<\/li>\n
      4. Glassa Nera (glassy candy coating)<\/li>\n
      5. Tiramisu (both in a large dish and in a martini glass, which was very cool)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        In the afternoon we got to be hands-on again, pulling mozzarella this time.\u00a0 The mozzarella is aging under fresh water as I write this and will ultimately be put in salt water for a day or so before being used.<\/p>\n

        \"\"
        Chef John shaping mozzarella<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

        All day Monday was spent in the Pastry Lab watching Chef Juan demonstrate the preparation of a number of fundamental pastry-making components (like a fruit coulis and tempered chocolate) followed by the creation of Spumone (not like the American spumoni) and a different variation on Tiramisu.\u00a0 On Monday evening we had our third pizza session since Friday!\u00a0 This one involved the use of the electric pizza oven.<\/p>\n

        \"\"
        Making pizza for the electric pizza oven<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

        It pretty much followed the format of the wood-oven pizza session with each of us making one pizza and sharing, followed by a few additional ones.<\/p>\n

        I chose to make pizza with \u2018nduja, a fried egg, fresh pepperoncino and pepperoncino oil in addition to a little tomato sauce and pizza cheese (as it is called here).\u00a0 The pizza sat on the table too long as the oven needed to be cleaned so it stuck when getting it on the peel.\u00a0 Rather than pitch it, Chef Chris made it into a large dumpling-shaped calzone.\u00a0 It was a big hit.\u00a0 One of my classmates named it Il Mostro, The Monster.\u00a0 Chef Juan thought it was the perfect breakfast!<\/p>\n

        \"\"
        Il Mostro (The Monster): a calzone with ‘nduja, fried egg, fresh pepperoncino, pepperoncino oil, tomato sauce, and cheese<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

        I made another one that did not stick to the peel and came out of the oven flat.\u00a0 It was equally good but, interestingly, somewhat different in taste and texture having been baked flat as opposed to closed.<\/p>\n

        \"\"
        My second “electric pizza” with ‘nduja, fried egg, fresh pepperoncino, pepperoncino oil, tomato sauce and cheese<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

        In my next post, I\u2019ll describe what we did in the Pastry Lab before the Pizza session as well as talk about our trip to Sicily.<\/p>\n

        Ciao a tutti!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        January 22, 2019 Friday was market day.\u00a0 The mercatino (little market) in Soverato, about 15 minutes from the school, is truly compact but the quality and variety of the products on offer are amazing.\u00a0 We bought lots of produce and fish for the school.\u00a0 Many of us also bought things for ourselves.\u00a0 Outings to the … Continue reading Calabria Dispatch #5: Pizza Tre Volte (Pizza Three Times)<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6191,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wprm-recipe-roundup-name":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-description":"","wpupg_custom_link":[],"wpupg_custom_link_behaviour":["default"],"wpupg_custom_link_nofollow":[],"wpupg_custom_image":[],"wpupg_custom_image_id":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[363],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6175","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-people-and-places"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/villasentieri.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6175","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/villasentieri.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/villasentieri.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/villasentieri.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/villasentieri.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6175"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/villasentieri.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6175\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8056,"href":"https:\/\/villasentieri.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6175\/revisions\/8056"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/villasentieri.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6191"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/villasentieri.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6175"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/villasentieri.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6175"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/villasentieri.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6175"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}