La Terra Fortunata
From
Cosa Bolle in Pentola:
Winding down,
a couple of years ago I wrote about Jota, an
unusual bean-and-sauerkraut soup, and got a note from Fred Plotkin, who
complemented me on the piece but chided me for saying the recipe was from
Friuli rather than Friuli-Venezia Giulia, which is the region's full name. He
is of course correct; his note perked my curiosity, so I did a search on his
name with Google, and discovered that he first visited the region in 1976, when
he abandoned his Venetian vacation to help the people of Friuli-Venezia Giulia
recover from one of the most devastating earthquakes to strike Italy in recent
memory. Something about the place and the people struck a chord, and though he
did leave the region in favor of New York it keeps calling him back; I was
therefore not surprised to learn that he has assembled much of what he has
learned into a book entitled La Terra Fortunata, The Splendid Food and Wine of
Friuli Venezia Giulia.
It's an impressive volume by any measure; the first thing one has to do when presenting the foods of a region that's relatively unknown beyond its borders is provide background. Fred does a masterful job, beginning by tracing the area's history from the days when it was an easy migration route between central Europe and the coast, through its rise as a Roman center of Government, the Venetians, the Austrians, and on to the present, with all sorts of interesting asides and observations, and once we know where the Friulani are coming from he proceeds to give an overview of their cuisine, followed by notes on ingredients, all of which are again seasoned with fascinating asides. Food without a wine is like a night without a moon, and Fred next describes the region's wines, covering all the varietals, including many that even the experts know little about; this section and the profiles of individual producers at the end of the book are reason enough to warrant buying it if you are a wine lover.
But you will likely want to head for the kitchen even if you're not a cook; Fred has a way of presenting the dishes that sets the salivary glands to work, and the only problem will be figuring out where to begin: A sauce, a soup, pasta, fish, eggs, meat, fruit, dessert, coffee, or a cordial? They're all there, packed with interesting details and unexpected asides, and you may find yourself simply turning the pages as you read the book. For example, Salsa Triestina (page 124):
Triestine Sauce
This is a particular preparation I found in Trieste that goes well on salads as a dressing, but also works beautifully with boiled beef or roasted pork. Also try it on boiled potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, or carrots, or any vegetable that you think it will flatter. The sauce is light enough for even the most delicate of greens.
The use of feta cheese is due to the long presence of Greeks in Trieste. Many of them are Jews, and feta figures prominently in the cooking of Triestine Jews for that reason.
This is a recipe that relies heavily on your own preferences and the qualities of the ingredients you have at hand. If the feta cheese is dense, you will need more liquid to soften it. If it is soft, you will need less. If the cheese is tangy, use less lemon juice. If it is bland, use more lemon juice. The addition of oil is up to you. I aim to have this sauce sing with lemon and feta, and the oil is only a minor note. So you must taste the feta and the lemon juice before proceeding.
- 8 ounces / 225 g fresh feta cheese
- Juice of 1 to 2 large lemons, preferably a sweet perfumed lemon such as Meyer
- 1 teaspoon / 2 g poppy seeds, crushed in a mortar
- Delicate extra virgin olive oil or other pure vegetable oil
In a glass jar, combine the cheese, lemon juice, and poppy seeds and shake vigorously to combine. Then add a little bit of oil, just enough to give the sauce a silky texture. The sauce should be creamy and runny rather than thick. To make it thinner, add a little more lemon juice. Shake again and serve.
Note: I like this sauce without lumps of cheese. To accomplish this, I pour the shaken sauce into a bowl and then use a whisk to beat the sauce until smooth.
Practical Things:
- La Terra Fortunata, The Splendid Food and Wine of Friuli Venezia Giulia.
- By Fred
Plotkin
Published in 2001 by Broadway Books (a division of Random House)
New York, NY
ISBN 0-7679-0611-X
380 pages, with about 160 recipes that are liberally seasoned with photographs, drawings, notes and much more.
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