{"id":7193,"date":"2019-08-24T01:00:06","date_gmt":"2019-08-24T07:00:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/villasentieri.com\/?p=7193"},"modified":"2019-12-15T16:25:56","modified_gmt":"2019-12-15T23:25:56","slug":"cooking-in-tuscany-7","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/villasentieri.com\/index.php\/2019\/08\/24\/cooking-in-tuscany-7\/","title":{"rendered":"Cooking in Tuscany #7: \u00abL\u2019Ultima Cena\u00bb di Zia Ida (Aunt Ida\u2019s \u201cLast Supper\u201d)"},"content":{"rendered":"

August 24, 2019<\/span><\/p>\n

Just to be clear, Zia Ida is still alive.<\/p>\n

She did, however, have her \u201cLast Supper\u201d (of this trip to Italy) on Wednesday August 21, 2019.\u00a0 And a fine supper it was; a fitting end to a day with personal satisfaction sixty years in the making.\u00a0 But more on that in a moment.<\/p>\n

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The kitchen of the house for sale in Benabbio next door to Zia Fidalma.<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Monday is laundry day at Zia Fidalma\u2019s (though she often does loads of laundry as the week progresses, too!).\u00a0 I made a point of getting to Benabbio a little later than usual to give Zia some time to start laundry.<\/p>\n

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A view of the town of Casoli where we had an al fresco dinner.<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For lunch we had pasta (Mezze Maniche: \u201chalf sleeves\u201d or \u201cshort sleeves\u201d which are pretty much the same as Mezzi Rigatoni) with a sauce of Onion, Eggplant, Bell Pepper, Capers, Olives, and Anchovies that Zia Fidalma had whipped up a few days earlier, along with a salad and Pecorino Cheese from Garfagnana.\u00a0 There\u2019s almost always some sort of sauce to use with pasta, if not more than one, in Zia\u2019s refrigerator at any given time.<\/p>\n

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Pasta Fritta (fried dough) at Bar Marina in Casoli.<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The ingredients of the sauce are so characteristic of Southern Italy that I started calling it La Salsa del Sud.\u00a0 It\u2019s a winner!\u00a0 Though not Tuscan, it represents the reality of Zia Fidalma\u2019s cooking today which, while focused on the traditional foods of Tuscany, contains ingredients and recipes from all of Italy and beyond.<\/p>\n

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We decimated the salumi platter at Bar Marina in Casoli.<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Interesting (for me, at least) is that this recipe is from a beloved and dog-eared copy of a cooking magazine from 2001 that is devoted to pasta.\u00a0 Zia Fidalma keeps it on the shelf with her modest collection of cookbooks and refers to it often.\u00a0 After looking through the magazine I decided that so many of the recipes were worth trying that I scanned the entire periodical to cook from when I get back to the States.<\/p>\n

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It may not look like much but Zia Fidalma has been hanging onto this periodical for more than 18 years for a reason.<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On the subject of cookbooks, though, Zia Fidalma has a favorite, one that she pulls out multiple times per week and not just for historical value.\u00a0 She still cooks from it!\u00a0 It\u2019s a 1960 reprint of Pellegrino Artusi\u2019s La scienza in cucina e l’arte di mangiar bene<\/strong> (“Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well”) originally published in 1891.<\/p>\n

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Tortelli al Ragu and Farfalle con Speck at Bar Marina in Casoli.<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Mid-afternoon we had a showing of the house that sits next to Zia Fidalma\u2019s.\u00a0 It\u2019s been for sale for seven years and, although the price has dropped, it hasn\u2019t dropped enough (in my estimation) to generate a sale any time soon.<\/p>\n

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Pizza with Capers and Anchovies, one of two we had at Bar Marina in Casoli after we were done eating…just in case!<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In the late afternoon, Zia Ida and I drove down to my apartment in Bagni di Lucca.\u00a0 Relatives were picking us up to take us to dinner, an al fresco affair at Bar Marina in the charming town of Casoli.\u00a0 Casoli is up in the mountains, on a road not unlike that to Benabbio, and the temperature was quite cool! There were nine of us and someone took responsibility for ordering family style which was a good idea.<\/p>\n

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A guy selling cheese from his van in the piazza of Corsagna.<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We started with three Antipasti: a large platter of Salumi, an array of Bruschette, and a big platter of Pasta Fritta (fried dough).\u00a0 The consensus was that we would double down on Primi Piatti (First Courses), getting LARGE BOWLS, and not order Secondi.\u00a0 We had Tortelli (like small ravioli) al Ragu (classically Tuscan), Farfalle with Speck, and Risotto with Mushrooms.\u00a0 After we finished the Primi Piatti, someone decided that we needed food to fill the interstices in our stomachs so pizza came to the table: one Margarita and one with Anchovies and Capers.\u00a0 For dessert most of us selected a slice of one of the restaurant\u2019s Torte.\u00a0 Several of us had Caff\u00e8 Corretto, corrected coffee, meaning that some sort of alcoholic beverage was added, in this case rum.\u00a0 Departing in separate cars, I was deposited in Bagni di Lucca by one set of relatives and Zia Ida was deposited in Benabbio by another.<\/p>\n

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Eggplant dusted with flour and ready to be fried for lunch.<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On Tuesday, after she did a bit of prep work, Zia Fidalma turned the preparation of lunch over tom me.\u00a0 It was really quite simple, Spaghetti con Pomarola, a simple sauce of tomatoes [from the garden] cooked with garlic and basil and pureed, and Melanzane Fritte (sliced eggplant dusted with flour and fried).\u00a0 Zia Ida also had some of Gemma\u2019s braised rabbit from Sunday.<\/p>\n

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Spaghetti with Pomarola, served for lunch with fried eggplant.<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After lunch I made pasta for the next day\u2019s \u201cLast Supper\u201d using one of Zia Fidalma\u2019s recipes.\u00a0 \u00a0It\u2019s a pretty traditional Southern Italian pasta dough, which often mixes regular flour and semolina and adds oil and water to the eggs, EXCEPT that the water was replaced by beer.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know the provenance of the recipe but it was contained in an email from a friend in Germany.<\/p>\n

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Making pasta with beer using a recipe from Zia Fidalma.<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

That evening the four of us (Zia Fidalma, Zia Ida, Massimo and myself) were meeting another set of relatives (Paola and Abramo and their daughter and son-in-law) for dinner.\u00a0 We were bringing Pizze so everyone could focus on having a fun time.\u00a0 The pizzeria, from which we planned to get pizza (Es Vedra<\/a> in Fornoli) was closed for a one-week break.\u00a0 We drove to La Lanterina, also in Fornoli that, despite the \u201cSiamo Aperti\u201d sign was most definitely not \u201cAperto.\u201d\u00a0 That brought us to the new, and untested, Da Lino in Piandigioviano (or Piano di Gioviano, depending on whether one believes the road sign or the map).<\/p>\n

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Sitting at the table at Paola and Abramo’s home.<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Corsagna is another charming Tuscan hill town (aren\u2019t they all?) but the road to Corsagna makes the roads to Benabbio and Casoli seem like child\u2019s play.\u00a0 Upon arrival in the piazza, there was a van from which someone was selling cheese.\u00a0 After a quick taste, Zia Fidalma bought a big hunk of Formaggio Fresco and a basket of Ricotta.\u00a0 Both were excellent.<\/p>\n

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Cialde were served for dessert. In the States we would call these Pizzelle but not in Tuscany.<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Abramo is a sculptor, though now retired.\u00a0 His and Paola\u2019s home is adorned with numerous built ins that he has sculpted.\u00a0 It is a cozy and utterly personal home.<\/p>\n

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Fried eggplant.<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In addition to the pizza, we had Funghi sott\u2019Olio (mushrooms in oil) that Paola put-up (does anyone even use that term anymore?) using mushrooms that she foraged and cured olives from their own trees.\u00a0 Dessert was Cialde rolled into cones filled with Gelato.\u00a0 Cialde, rolled or not, are what Americans would recognize as Pizzelle.\u00a0 Paola flavors hers with ground anise seeds and Sambucca.<\/p>\n

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Tagliatelle made with beer from one of Zia Fidalma’s recipes.<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

She offered the recipe but we forgot to ask for it before leaving.\u00a0 Massimo will follow-up!\u00a0 Paola cooked the Cialde a little more than usual before rolling them into cones so that they were nice and crispy and would stand up to Gelato.<\/p>\n

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From left to right, Zia Ida, Paola, and Paola’s daughter Valentina.<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Massimo dropped me off at the apartment before heading home to Benabbio with Zia Fidalma and Zia Ida.<\/p>\n

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Abramo and his son-in-law, Nicola.<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On Wednesday August 21st we went to the market in Bagni di Lucca, then to the butcher at Simply, then to Conad (but not the big Conad in Gallicano).\u00a0 We also made a stop at the pharmacy\u2026the one that uses beautiful paper to wrap medicines<\/a>.\u00a0 This time, however, I got my meds in a bag\u2026disappointment!<\/p>\n

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A view of the River Lima and the pedestrian-only Chain Bridge from the terrace of “Casa Pieri.”<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We headed to Fornoli and got Cappuccini and Cornetti at a bar, ran a few errands, then went to view the house in which my father-in-law and Zia Ida grew up.\u00a0 It\u2019s up for sale.\u00a0 Zia Ida hasn\u2019t been inside for about 60 years, since leaving Italy as a young teen.\u00a0 Zia Fidalma and Massimo have dubbed the house “Casa Pieri.”<\/p>\n

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A view of the front gate from the front garden of “Casa Pieri.”<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It has two bedrooms, one bath, an eat-in kitchen and a living room as well as a terrace overlooking the river and a small front porch.\u00a0 It\u2019s along the banks of the River Lima next to the chain bridge, a foot bridge that connects Fornoli to Chifenti.\u00a0 It\u2019s surrounded by a park so it\u2019s quiet as there are no roads close by.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Looking out from the Salotto (Living Room) of “Casa Pieri.”<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It needs some updating and a few additions (like heating) and the landscaping needs to be vastly improved but it\u2019s a sweet property.\u00a0 Unfortunately, it\u2019s way overpriced.\u00a0 One would need to get it for something far, far less than the current asking price to make it a worthwhile investment.\u00a0 I doubt that\u2019s likely to happen though I think the property would get a lot of use from friends and family visiting Italy.<\/p>\n

\"\"
A portion of the kitchen at “Casa Pieri.”<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We got home at 1 PM and quickly made lunch which consisted of Panini of Piadina, Prosciutto, Formaggio Fresco (from the piazza in Corsagna) and an array of condiments including Peperoncini sott\u2019Olio, Peperoni sott\u2019Olio, and Cetrioli (which means both gerkins and fresh cucumbers\u2026 gerkins in this case). \u00a0There was some of that luscious Ricotta on the side. \u00a0In common Italian usage, peperoncini are hot and peperoni are sweet.<\/p>\n

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The master bedroom at “Casa Pieri.” Zia Ida says the floor tiles are original.<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u00abL\u2019Ultima Cena\u00bb di Zia Ida started about 7 PM.\u00a0 It consisted of Tagliatelle al Ragu (using the beer-based pasta made the previous day) after that there was a Filet Mignon, Pur\u00e8 di Patate (mashed potatoes but with the addition of nutmeg) and Fagiolini con Aglio e Olio (green beans with garlic and oil).<\/p>\n

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Pan-roasted filet served at Zia Ida’s “Last Supper.”<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The night was not a late one as Zia Ida and Massimo planned to leave the house at 4:00 AM so she could make her 6:30 flight to Rome.<\/p>\n

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Zia Ida at the airport early Thursday morning. I’m not sure what to make of the fact that she seems happy to be leaving us.<\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

August 24, 2019 Just to be clear, Zia Ida is still alive. She did, however, have her \u201cLast Supper\u201d (of this trip to Italy) on Wednesday August 21, 2019.\u00a0 And a fine supper it was; a fitting end to a day with personal satisfaction sixty years in the making.\u00a0 But more on that in a … Continue reading Cooking in Tuscany #7: \u00abL\u2019Ultima Cena\u00bb di Zia Ida (Aunt Ida\u2019s \u201cLast Supper\u201d)<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7437,"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-7193","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\/7193","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=7193"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/villasentieri.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7193\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7438,"href":"https:\/\/villasentieri.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7193\/revisions\/7438"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/villasentieri.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7437"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/villasentieri.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7193"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/villasentieri.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7193"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/villasentieri.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7193"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}