40th Anniversary Trip Day 4

40th Anniversary Trip Day 4 – Thursday – Italian Cooking

Interesting cloud formations over the valley this morning!

Today we’ve scheduled a cooking class at the hotel – titled “From the Land to the Table”.  At 10am we meet our chef Stefano and our fellow students – Gerry and his wife from San Diego and Jose from Napa Valley.  We all head out to the nearby village of Castelnuevo, where Stefano takes us to the market and introduces us to the vendor he uses not only for this class, but also for the hotel.

We see fresh vegetables and fruits, including the biggest tomatoes I’ve ever seen, plus multiple varieties of potatoes.  We consult on what we want to prepare, and Stefano orders the vegetables.  Then it’s on to a store where we see huge hams, other meats, cheeses (including several varieties of Pecorino, the local specialty and one of our favorites) and spices.  Once again Stefano does the honors, after which he takes us to a sidewalk café for a cappuccino.  Finally, back to the hotel where Stefano will prepare for our class while we get to rest.

 I spend a delightful couple of hours in the “wellness center” which includes a delightfully warm indoor pool with a section with whirlpool jets and a waterfall you can turn on and off at will.  Today I have the place to myself, so I enjoy playing with the options.  All the while, soft relaxing music plays.  After getting my fill of the pool I investigate the “thermarium”. Discovering a steam room, a dry sauna and an intriguing set of showers.  You push a start button and a light comes on ahead of you.  Stepping under the light you’re hit by a cool fine spray.  It stops, the next light ahead (red this time) comes on so you step forward into a heavier, warmer spray.  30 seconds later, in the blue lit area, jets at various levels hit you front and back (or on each side, depending on how you stand!)  Another red section is a fine cooling spray, then the final yellow light leads you to a strong final shower.  I complete the treatment and go back and do it again!  A great diversion.  Meanwhile Vicky’s been relaxing in the room.

At 4pm we meet Stefano, now in his chef’s uniform, and our fellow students and head to the kitchen.  It’s a private kitchen used only for the classes, and contains some devices like a hand cranked potato ricer that Stefano remembers his grandmother using.  The idea is to use gadgets we can replicate at home, rather than the hi-tech ones they use in the main kitchen.

The pictures below were taken on our balcony.  We’re not saluting – just holding onto the hat so it won’t blow away in the wind!

We’re equipped with our own aprons and chef’s hats, and for the next 2.5 hours enjoy a hands-on class learning how to make pasta from scratch, gnocchi (pronounced “nokki” which is not how I’ve ever pronounced it) a salad and finally tiramisu.  I really get into the gnocchi.  We’re supplied with 2kg of potatoes that have been boiled in their skins, and a knife to peel them.  Then it’s onto the ricer.  One person holds it up while another turns the handle, and very small pieces of potato come out the bottom.  For the second batch we also rice cooked beets and mix them in with the potatoes.  As we’ll discover later, these will produce gnocchi that are not only colorful but have a distinctive flavor.  You could also add other riced vegetables.

To the riced potatoes (with or without beets) you add a little flour and some eggs.  Then you get to knead the whole mess into a dough.  Once you have the right consistency, you roll it thin, cut it into long strips and slice each strip into small pieces.  Each piece gets a little filling, then you roll it over and use a fork to crimp the edges.  Voila!  Gnocchi (in my case not very uniform but that proves they’re hand made.  They get dropped into boiling water and they tell you when they’re done by rising to the top.

Meanwhile my colleagues have been making dough for ravioli and other pasta and I get to try that too.  It’s basically the same process except you use flour, not potatoes.  We make some ravioli (same crimping process after stuffing with a mixture of ricotta, chives and spinach) and tagliatelle which will be served with a meat sauce.

Soon Stefano brings out drinks (wine or soft drinks), various thinly sliced deli meats and cheese (2 kinds of pecorino and the best parmesan I’ve ever had) to keep his workers (us) happy.  He shows us how to make a salad of faro and vegetables, chopping them with a flair that would make a teppanyaki chef green with envy, and finally the tiramisu, layering biscuits with the mascarpone cream and fresh berries.  When they later arrive at the table, they’ll be garnished, as will everything else.

My only regret is not taking the camera to the class.  The blurb they gave us said they would be taking pictures, but they didn't, and we were so involved we didn't think about it till later.  So you don't get to see us with our hands in the dough - but we have the memories.

The class ends with each family being presented with a book of recipes, not only for what we’ve made, but for many of the kitchen’s other specialties.  We’re asked what time we would like dinner and how many tables.  We opt for one table for 6 (Jose’s wife Nancy will be joining us) and unsuccessfully try to persuade Stefano to join us and make it 7 people.  Then we’re taken up to the main kitchen and meet some of Stefano’s colleagues, after which it’s time to relax.

At 8pm we head down to the dining room, having dressed a little more formally for dinner, and discover none of the others have changed.  We have a reserved table and are served with great flair, including drinks and the delicious breads that accompany every Italian meal.  The salad arrives in a cheese flavored Italian version of a taco shell. Everything else is elegantly served, including the tiramisu, with strawberries.  Tiramisu 2 nights in a row.  I love Italia!  We become minor celebrities as Stefano comes to check on us several times, and other diners appear fascinated with our special treatment.

A great day, and a great meal to end it.  Stefano has made our feeble efforts into a gourmet feast!