{"id":6548,"date":"2019-03-11T16:59:27","date_gmt":"2019-03-11T22:59:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/villasentieri.com\/?p=6548"},"modified":"2023-04-26T17:43:01","modified_gmt":"2023-04-27T00:43:01","slug":"calabria-dispatch-14","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/villasentieri.com\/index.php\/2019\/03\/11\/calabria-dispatch-14\/","title":{"rendered":"Calabria Dispatch #14: Gelato and Meatballs"},"content":{"rendered":"

March 11, 2019<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Forget Fellini, he\u2019s small fry.\u00a0 (See a prior post<\/a>).<\/p>\n

\"\"
Risotto, the first course for lunch on Sunday.<\/strong><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This past week was Gelato Week.<\/p>\n

\"\"
The second course of lunch on Sunday: roast pork, mashed potatoes and broccoli.<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We started out gently on Sunday the 3rd, belying what was to come next.\u00a0 We had a free morning then had lunch of Risotto followed by Rolled Stuffed Pork with Mashed Potatoes and Broccoli followed by an Orange Marmalade Crostata (from marmalade we made during conserves week) in individual butter crusts that Ryan spent the better part of a day making.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Sunday’s lunchtime dessert: orange crostata made with orange marmalade from Conserves Week.<\/strong><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In the afternoon we went to three gelaterie (plural of gelateria) to taste and critique gelati.\u00a0 Chef Juan suggested that we sample the same gelati at each shop so we had a consistent point of comparison.\u00a0 He further suggested that the two gelati be Fiordilatte and Nocciola (hazelnut).<\/p>\n

Fiordilatte is absolute simplicity, consisting of milk, cream, and sugar.\u00a0 There\u2019s not even any vanilla.\u00a0 There\u2019s no hiding poor quality when making Fiordilatte.\u00a0 In addition, Fiordilatte is the base for many different gelati so tasting that one gives a strong clue to the quality of many others, including many fruit gelati.<\/p>\n

Nocciola is flavored with hazelnut paste\u2014a very expensive nut paste if it\u2019s made well.\u00a0 Nut-based gelati are very popular in southern Italy and cost almost twice as much to make as Fiordilatte due to the cost of the nut paste.\u00a0 Tasting a nut-based gelato is a good way to see if a gelateria is cutting corners, either in quantity or quality of nut paste.<\/p>\n

\"\"
A tub of hazelnut paste. Nut gelati, when made well, cost about twice as much as more basic gelati.<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We were, in fact, allowed to order as many different gelati at each shop as we wanted.\u00a0 Most of us just ordered two, with one or two people also ordering an extra pistachio gelato to share.<\/p>\n

We got back to school late afternoon and had a few free hours before dinner.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Chef John making roasted Italian Meringue “Marshmallows” for gelato.<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Monday started with several hours of lecture about gelato, including topics like serving temperature; ideal qualities (sweetness, creaminess, fluffiness, yumminess, and stability); ideal ranges for each of the major compounds in gelato (fat, sugar, protein, solids, etc.); anti-freezing power of different ingredients in gelato; basic gelato equipment; major indicators of poor quality gelato; gelato \u201cpre-mixes\u201d (the gelato equivalent of a boxed cake mix\u2026you can guess how Chef feels about these!); and the differences between sorbetto, cremolata, and gelato.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Chef John lecturing about the science of making gelato.<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Around 11 AM we had a brief pause for a \u201cgrilled cheese\u201d sandwich of house-made Porchetta and Fontal cheese on house-made rolls, cooked in truffle butter!\u00a0 Truffle butter here is made from whole fresh truffles smooshed with butter\u2014none of the (fake) \u201ctruffle\u201d oil.\u00a0 This was just to tide us over until lunch at 1 PM which consisted of a caprese salad and focaccia followed by pasta e fagioli.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Pasta e Fagioli, part of our lunch on Monday.<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The afternoon was taken up by the production of a number of different gelato bases that were pasteurized and then refrigerated.\u00a0 The texture and flavor of the gelato improves if the mixture (called the base) is refrigerated for 24 hours before gelling.\u00a0 The following bases were made:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Fiordilatte (milk, cream, sugar, dextrose, skim milk powder [needed for extra protein] and guar gum and locust bean gum [as stabilizers])<\/li>\n
  2. Caramel<\/li>\n
  3. Nut base (to be mixed with various nut pastes for an array of gelati)<\/li>\n
  4. Strawberry Sorbetto (a sorbetto is a gelato without dairy products)<\/li>\n
  5. Lemon Sorbetto<\/li>\n
  6. Savory Peanut Gelato<\/li>\n
  7. Orange Cream Gelato<\/li>\n
  8. Coffee Gelato<\/li>\n
  9. Rum Gelato<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
    \"\"
    Strawberry sorbetto being gelled in the batch freezer.<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Don\u2019t freak out about the guar gum and locust bean gum.\u00a0 Both are really agricultural products that have been eaten for hundreds of years.\u00a0 The alternative is using egg yolks, which are used in some gelati and which are more common in northern Italian, rather than southern Italian, gelati.\u00a0 The disadvantage is that egg yolks introduce an eggy taste.<\/p>\n

    On Tuesday chef made the base for a chocolate sorbetto.\u00a0 Remember, sorbetto has no dairy products.\u00a0 When it was frozen it was absolutely delicious.\u00a0 If you didn\u2019t know, you would never imagine in your lifetime that it had no milk or cream!<\/p>\n

    \"\"
    The weather was perfect for Gelato Week. I was sitting out on the terrace by the dining room when I took this totally impromptu photo.<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Chef also made a \u201cYellow Base\u201d using egg yolks and mascarpone, which was ultimately turned into Vanilla Gelato, as well as a Strawberry Coulis that was later swiped into a simple Fiordilatte gelato.<\/p>\n

    As the day progressed, many of the gelato bases from the previous day were frozen and then, of course, eaten.\u00a0 When I say many, I mean MANY.<\/p>\n

    \"\"
    Though not specifically relevant to Gelato Week, here’s a glimpse of the cured meats we started several weeks ago during Pig Week.\u00a0 The “hanging room” is adjacent to the Pizzeria so we got to check on these during the pizza party on Friday.<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Since Tuesday was Fat Tuesday, and this being Italy, we ate well.\u00a0 In between various gelati, lunch consisted of several meatball creations.\u00a0 One was meatballs put onto a very large ring-shaped bread with lots of tomato ragu and cheese.\u00a0 The next were meatballs cooked with sweet peppers and also made into sandwiches.\u00a0 The third was meatballs and sauce on ciabatta.<\/p>\n

    \"\"
    Chef John making meatball sandwiches for us on Fat Tuesday.<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Most of the afternoon was devoted to making gelato bases.\u00a0 We each were tasked with coming up with a flavor of gelato, with swipe-ins and toppings if desired, and executing it.\u00a0 Executing gelato means math.\u00a0 There are ideal proportions for each chemical component of gelato and we had to create our formulas to achieve these proportions.\u00a0 For example, milk is not just milk, it is water, sugar, fat and protein.<\/p>\n

    \"\"
    A slice of meatball sandwich. We had lunch in the kitchen on Monday as there was lots of work to do.<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    The optimum proportions of each ingredient, according to Chef are:<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. 6-12% fat (less than ice cream)<\/li>\n
    2. 16-22% sugar, of which glucose is not more than 20% (more than ice cream)<\/li>\n
    3. 8-12% skim milk solids<\/li>\n
    4. 58-68% water<\/li>\n
    5. 32-42% dry residual<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      This adds up to more than 100% because the dry residual is not a separate category but is the combination of anything in the gelato mix that remains behind if it is dried out, e.g. milk solids, sugar, etc.<\/p>\n

      \"\"
      Meatballs with sweet peppers ready to be put into another sandwich.<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

      Coming up with a new gelato formula, then, means determining which ingredients in which proportions will produce a mix of the desired qualities.\u00a0 Of course, this is only the beginning.\u00a0 The gelato has to taste yummy, too.\u00a0 But getting the numbers correct is a step in the right direction.<\/p>\n

      \"\"
      Chef John filling our housemade ciabatta with meatballs and peppers.<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

      I chose to make Tiramisu gelato for which I needed to come up with a Mascarpone gelato base.\u00a0 I then needed to make tiny, tiny cakes flavored with espresso that were baked, dried and re-baked until crisp before being soaked in rum syrup and dropped into the gelato while it was being extruded.\u00a0 On top was a drizzle of chocolate mixed with oil so it would not get too hard.<\/p>\n

      \"\"
      Chef John making Stracciatella Gelato which is Fiordilatte with melted chocolate drizzled on top. The chocolate bits are worked into the gelato as it is portioned out.<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

      Wednesday started with an explanation of how to make Brioss (dialect for Brioche).\u00a0 These are similar to French Brioche.\u00a0 They are used for gelato sandwiches.\u00a0 Unlike American \u201cice cream sandwiches,” these are truly sandwiches:\u00a0 fluffy, slightly sweet brioche filled with different flavors of gelato, often three of them.<\/p>\n

      \"\"
      Frutti di Bosco gelato is often a berry reduction swiped into Fiordilatte gelato.<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

      Chef gelled some of the Fiordilatte base from the previous day and made Stracciatella (ragged) gelato.\u00a0 Stracciatello gelato\u00a0 is basically Fiordilatte on top of which is drizzled wisps of melted chocolate which are broken up and worked into the gelato when it is served. \u00a0\u00a0 Chef also made Frutta di Bosco (fruit of the forest) gelato (mixed berry gelato) after which Chef Juan made Masa Chablon (a chocolate coating) using white chocolate.<\/p>\n

      \"\"
      Annie, a pastry chef from the Philippines joined us for Gelato Week. She made this amazing dessert for dinner one evening.<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

      Chef then made his knock-off of Nutella, which he had made previously.\u00a0 It is simply a mixture of about 2 parts melted, high-quality milk chocolate and 1 part hazelnut paste with a pinch of sugar.\u00a0 Without a doubt I could sit and just eat tubs of this stuff.<\/p>\n

      Nut pastes in Italy are truly amazing\u2014and very expensive.\u00a0 They are basically nuts, and nuts only, ground under heavy rollers until they produce the most ethereal and wildly flavorful creamy pastes.<\/p>\n

      \"\"
      Hazelnut paste. Nut pastes in Italy are absolutely amazing creations.<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

      I had a revelatory moment when Chef made white chocolate crumble.\u00a0 This is truly amazing.\u00a0 Just take a big bar of exceedingly high-quality white chocolate and put it in the oven at 180\u00b0C until it turns light brown all over and the entire thing caramelizes.\u00a0 Let it cool, crumble it, and drizzle with a bit of salt.\u00a0 You will have no idea it is white chocolate and it is the most sublime crunchy crumble for an enormous array of desserts.<\/p>\n

      \"\"
      You have to make this Caramelized White Chocolate Crumble if you never, ever cook again in your life!<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

      In the afternoon we started gelling the gelati we mixed up the day before.\u00a0 As they were made, they were dished out for the entire class.\u00a0 Here\u2019s the rundown of what we ate:<\/p>\n

        \n
      1. White Chocolate Gelato with Caramelized White Chocolate Crumbles (see the previous paragraph)<\/li>\n
      2. Coffee Gelato with a Toasted Walnut Swipe<\/li>\n
      3. Almond Milk Tea Gelato<\/li>\n
      4. Almond Gelato with Milk Chocolate Stracciatella<\/li>\n
      5. Chocolate Sorbetto<\/li>\n
      6. Spicy Chocolate Gelato (made with the addition of pepperoncino syrup)<\/li>\n
      7. Amaretto Gelato with Chocolate and Chopped Almonds<\/li>\n
      8. Tiramisu Gelato with Rum-Infused Coffee-Flavored Cake and Chocolate Drizzle (mine)<\/li>\n
      9. Strawberry Gelato with Zabaglione<\/li>\n
      10. Savory Peanut Gelato with Italian Meringue Toasted \u201cMarshmallows\u201d<\/li>\n
      11. Orange Gelato with Chocolate-Dipped Candied Orange Peel<\/li>\n
      12. Pineapple, Ginger, Turmeric, and Basil Gelato with a Honey Drizzle<\/li>\n
      13. Red Wine Gelato with a Pecorino Cream Swipe and Candied Pancetta<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
        \"\"
        Chef John dishing out orange gelato which tastes like a fantasy version of a Creamsicle.<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

        We stopped there and continued the next day with:<\/p>\n

          \n
        1. \u00a0Vanilla Gelato topped with cubes of Pandoro (a sweet bread like Panettone without the fruit)<\/li>\n
        2. Earl Grey Tea Gelato with a Dried Fig Swipe<\/li>\n
        3. Gorgonzola Gelato with a Pear Coulis and Chopped Walnuts<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
          \"\"
          Ziti in their native form. They are meant to be broken into edible bits. Several students wanted them served without breaking. They were difficult to plate and even more difficult to eat.<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

          We didn\u2019t make it to the last one:\u00a0 Bourbon Brown Sugar Gelato which we had the next night after dinner.\u00a0 It was wonderful.\u00a0 It was just a Fiordilatte base with Bourbon poured in.\u00a0 I am definitely going to make this one!!\u00a0 I offered, multiple times, to store it in my freezer but so far that hasn’t happened.<\/p>\n

          \"\"
          We stopped at Soverato Dolci en route to the market on Friday. I had this Amarettone which is basically a chewy amaretto cookie studded with almonds.<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

          On Friday, the last day of Gelato week, we had an extended lecture about setting up a gelato business including necessary equipment, layout of an ideal gelato kitchen (or gelato lab, as it\u2019s called here), pricing models for gelato, showcasing and storage of gelato, and some business ideas.<\/p>\n

          Gelato week wrapped up with a pizza party\u2014just a party this time, no contest\u2014in the Pizzeria with the wood-burning pizza oven.\u00a0 It was a relaxing end to a very educational, but exhausting, and overly caloric week.<\/p>\n

          \"\"
          Gelato Week ended with a Pizza Party.<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

          Saturday was a free day.\u00a0 Sunday started Pastry Week, for which three new students joined us.\u00a0 Stay tuned…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

          March 11, 2019 Forget Fellini, he\u2019s small fry.\u00a0 (See a prior post). This past week was Gelato Week. We started out gently on Sunday the 3rd, belying what was to come next.\u00a0 We had a free morning then had lunch of Risotto followed by Rolled Stuffed Pork with Mashed Potatoes and Broccoli followed by an … Continue reading Calabria Dispatch #14: Gelato and Meatballs<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6588,"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-6548","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\/6548","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=6548"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/villasentieri.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6548\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8058,"href":"https:\/\/villasentieri.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6548\/revisions\/8058"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/villasentieri.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6588"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/villasentieri.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6548"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/villasentieri.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6548"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/villasentieri.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6548"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}