Cosa Bolle in Pentola?
The Return of Mad Cow Disease, Olive Oil,
And Valentine's Day Recipes
Being the 96th issue of Cosa Bolle in Pentola, your Italian Cuisine newsletter.
To begin with, the happiest of Carnivals and Valentines' Days to all! They come close together this year (February 12 and 14), and provide ample opportunity to celebrate first with one's friends and then with one's Significant Other. You will find Carnival recipes on site, and also Valentine's Day Recipes, for both romantic and (ahem) occasions. The wine of the week is an elegant Chianti Classico Riserva from Castello di Gabbiano. The Pic of the Week is instead from rather far afield, West Texas (see below).
Mad Cow: An Unwelcome Return
Returning to Cosa Bolle, this has been a sad week: a 20-something Sicilian woman who had begun to suffer from degenerative neurological symptoms this fall has been diagnosed with New Variant CJD, the human variant of mad Cow Disease. She's the first Italian to get it, and the initial news reports hopefully mentioned that she had taken a trip to an area of France that subsequently suffered an outbreak of mad cow disease. However, now the experts are saying that she may instead have been exposed to the disease in Sicily, and the Minister of the Interior has called for a crackdown against the illegal, mafia-run slaughterhouses that supply a significant portion of the region's beef, because they apparently ask no questions about the animals they butcher, and are also willing to slip animals that simply drop dead into the human food supply. All it takes is for an unscrupulous farmer to contact one of these slaughterhouses to dispose of a carcass, rather than have it tested and risk an unpleasant surprise (if an animal tests positive the whole heard is destroyed), and the damage is done. The problem is especially insidious because once the meat has left one of these slaughterhouses and gone through an unscrupulous middleman or two, it could end up anywhere on the island -- school cafeterias, restaurants, or at the butcher's or a supermarket, with a false certification (all EEU beef is now sold with certifications that say where the animal was born, where it was raised, and where it met its demise; we've got some German beef in the fridge right now).
The Minister of health says we can expect more cases, and there will likely be a drop in beef consumption as a result of this, with people preferring pork, poultry, or lamb, assuming they don't simply turn to fish, or become vegetarian, like a friend's daughter did when the first Mad Cow scare swept the country. The bottom line: If you visit sections of Italy where the Mob has a hand in the meat industry (Campania and on south) it's probably a good idea to avoid beef for now, unless you are buying or ordering meats from prized breeds (alas, I do not know the Sicilian equivalent of Tuscany's Chianina breed). Free-range lamb will be a perfect option, as will free-range poultry, and Southern fish is glorious.
In a somewhat lighter vein, a recent study has shown that the average European child watches 4 1/4 hours of TV per day, while 25% spend more than 5 1/4 hours glued to the tube; the study warns that there's a serious risk that all this TV will result in standardized kids. Not that one really needs a study to reach this conclusion.
Florence supports its Olive Oil, and Buying Hints
Moving towards food,
the Province of Florence recently realized that it spends more to promote the
consumption of Florentine olive oil abroad than it does at home. This is more
of a problem than it seems, because most people don't know that much about
olive oil, and consequently don't know how to tell if what they're buying is
good or not -- much of it isn't; a couple of years ago I attended a tasting of
commercial extravirgin oils including Bertolli and Carapelli, and the expert
leading the tasting found significant defects in all of them. The situation
resembles that of the wine industry 30 years ago, when Italians preferred
"genuine" farmers' wine that was amazingly harsh and acidic; now they drink
less but demand considerably better quality, and the farmers have had to learn
enology to keep pace.
To rectify the problem the Province and the Florentine Chamber of Commerce have launched a promotional program in which participating restaurants set out cruets of oil that has been approved by a tasting panel for patrons to use, while participating bakeries use the approved oil in doughs and to brush over schiacciata rather than a nondescript and tasteless oil. The program will run through October, and if it proves successful will be extended; participating establishments display placecards that have Brunelleschi's cupola in a green olive. It's a good idea, and is the sort of thing other olive oil producing regions should consider, because consumer awareness elsewhere isn't any better than it is in Tuscany.
In addition to the promotion, the Province has put out a booklet on olives; we learn that they're native to Asia Minor and that according to Greek legend were invented by Athena, who was vying with Poseidon over the right to be Athens's patron; both Gods gave humanity a gift, hers being the olive and his being the horse, and Zeus chose the one he thought more important -- the olive.
The Romans grew them extensively, but they do require care, and many groves were lost during the centuries of barbarian invasions and war that followed the Empire. In Tuscany the Medici Dukes were ardent supporters of the olive, requiring towns and cities to rent wooded or uncultivated hillsides to those willing to transform them into olive groves. Today, the province of Florence has more than five million trees, which yield close to 7,000 metric tons of oil.
As often happens in Tuscan agriculture, olives with differing qualities are blended so as to obtain a sum that is greater than the parts; the most common varieties are frantoio, moraiolo, leccino, and pendolino, which does an excellent job of pollinating the other trees. The harvest takes place in November and is done by hand; you spread a silk parachute around the tree, climb up into it with a ladder, and swipe the branches between the fingers of a gloved hand (or use a swiper) to dislodge the olives, which fall onto the parachute, from whence you transfer them to a basket. Done one tree you move on to the next, and as soon as you have collected them all (at the most within 48 hours) you take them to the press, where they're washed, dried, ground to a paste, and cold pressed to obtain an oil-and-water slurry that is then centrifuged to dispose of the water.
Speed and cleanliness are of the essence; if the olives sit for more than 48 hours or are poorly stored they can get moldy, which will result in an off oil, while any exposure to air of the oil after it comes out of the press can result in oxidation, which hastens spoilage. And then, once it's bottled it has to be kept in a cool dark place lest warmth or light hasten its demise.
Italian law divides oil into a number of categories:
- Olio Extravergine D'Oliva
- The best, produced exclusively through cold pressing. The maximum allowed acidity level is 1% and it must pass the examination of a tasting commission with a score of 6.5 or above
- What to use it for? As a condiment, over salads (with a little vinegar), drizzled into hearty soups at table, to make bruschetta, (sparingly) in marinades and so on.
- Olio Vergine D'Oliva
- A step down from Extravergine; its acidity can be up to 2%, and it must receive a score of 5.5 or above from the tasting commission.
- What to use it for? If it's good, it can be put to the same uses as the above; you can also use it for cooking.
- Olio di Oliva
- This is produced industrially by treating oils that are too acidic or suffer from other defects, and adding some virgin oil for balance. The maximum allowed acidity is 1.5%, and there is no taste test.
- What to use it for? Primarily cooking.
- Olio di Sansa di Oliva
- This is produced by treating the paste from the first pressing (called sansa) with solvents to extract the remaining oil and then adding some virgin oil for balance. The maximum allowed acidity is 1.5% and again no tasting panel.
- What to use it for? Cooking
Buying Olive Oil:
The prince of Italian extra virgin olive oils has long been considered either Ligurian or Tuscan -- the Ligurian, especially that made from Taggiasca olives, is more delicate, while the Tuscan often has a marked peppery tang that can be quite addictive. Umbrian oils are also nice, as are those made on the southern banks of Lake Garda. South Italian extra virgin oils, by contrast, tend to be heavier and more oily tasting -- fine for cooking with, but not necessarily what you want to put on your salad or drizzle over your minestrone. The problem is temperature, I heard at an olive oil conference last year -- it's too hot in the south, when the olives ripen, and the temperatures that the picked olives are subjected to during storage and pressing result in heavy-tasting oils. This was until recently; South Italian producers have begun to experiment with refrigeration and their oils are improving dramatically -- they're not yet to the level of the best Tuscan and Ligurian, but they're getting there. This bodes well for the consumer because southern olive trees are several times the size of their northern counterparts, and with high yields the producers will be able to make good oils at low prices.
In general, the better oils come in glass bottles, and their labels will say where and when they were pressed. Be careful about oils that simply say “estate bottled,” because the oil can come from elsewhere, thanks to an EEU loophole in the labeling laws Don’t worry if the oil is opaque, because it often is, nor should a bit of sediment upset you. Be wary, on the other hand, of overly green oil – that green could be from the olives, or it could be from leaves that got pressed with them. Also, be wary of an oil that is either extremely light colored, or far into the yellow (towards gold). The former could be tasteless, while the latter is almost certainly old.
How to keep olive oil when you get it home?
- Don't expose it to heat
- Don't expose it to light
- Don't keep it in a clear glass bottle
- Don't keep it in a half-empty bottle
- Do keep it cool
- Do keep it in the dark
- Do keep it in a dark bottle
- Do decant a large bottle into several smaller ones and use them one at a time.
More information on olive oil, and recipes where it plays a leading role.
Happy Valentine's Day!
Moving to food, some recipes for Valentine's Day. If you and your significant other happen to be hungry and like polenta, Livio Cerrini di Castegnate suggests these involtini, which he rather whimsically calls Messicani in his A Tavola Per Amare:
- Freshly made, piping hot polenta (make it while you're making the involtini; see instructions if need be)
- Slices of veal or veal scaloppini; figure about 4 ounces (100 g) per person
- Nutmeg
- Freshly ground pepper
- Thinly sliced pancetta to lay over the veal
- Long wooden skewers
- Sage
- 1/4 cup (50 g) unsalted butter
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- Dry white wine
- A ladle of meat broth
Put the slices of veal between two sheets of waxed paper and pound them with the flat of a wide-bladed knife to thin them, being careful not to puncture them; you'll want them to be about 2 1/2 inches wide and 4 long (6 X 10 cm).
Dust the slices with pepper and a hint of nutmeg, then lay the sliced pancetta over them. Roll the slices up to make the involtini, and stick them with pairs of skewers, sticking two-three involtini over each pair of skewers.
Heat the butter and the rosemary in a skillet, and when they begin to crackle add the involtini and brown them over a brisk flame, turning them several times. When they have browned spinkle them with dry white wine; once it has evaporated sprinkle the broth over the involtini, reduce the flame to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes, watching them to make sure they don't stick.
When 15 minutes are up add a little more broth and increase the flame while scraping the bottom of the pan to dislodge any stuck-on bits, and when the juices have concentrated some lay the involtini over a bed of polenta, spoon the juices over all, and serve.
Mr. Cerini di Castegnate says they're equally good over a bed of risotto alla Milanese, or a bed of home-made mashed potatoes, and adds that he likes them the next day, cold, as well, especially if gently reheated over the coals at a picnic.
A printer-friendly version of this recipe.
Looking for something quick and sweet?
A couple of suggestions from a recent insert in Donna Moderna, a rough equivalent of Woman's Day (it's a bit racier)
Crema di Mascarpone ai Lamponi -- Mascarpone Cream with Raspberries
To serve 2:
- An egg
- 6 ounces (150 g) mascarpone cheese (a soft, mild, creamy cheese that spreads and whips well)
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 4 ounces (100 g) raspberries
Pick out the four prettiest raspberries and set them aside. Blend the remainder, and filter the blend through a fine muslin cloth, collecting the juice while the seeds remain in the cloth.
Beat the egg yolk with the sugar in a bowl until the mixture is pale yellow and frothy. Beat the egg white to firm peaks. Fold the mascarpone and the egg white into the sugary yolk mixture, and set a tablespoon of the resultant cream aside for decorating.
Mix the raspberry juice into the remaining mascarpone and divvy everything out into two bowls. Use the reserved white cream to decorate the crema (for example, by laying it out in a spiral or wavy pattern), dot each bowl with two raspberries, and chill them lightly.
A printer-friendly version of this recipe.
Mini-Charlotte al Cioccolato -- Mini Chocolate Charlottes
To serve 4:
- 6 ounces (150 g) savoiardi or ladyfingers
- 4 ounces (100 g) bitter chocolate
- 2 egg whites and one whole egg
- 2/5 cup (100 ml) fresh cream
- A demitasse of espresso coffee (about 1/3 cup, or 1 dl)
Shave the chocolate into a bowl with 2 tablespoons of cream, and set the bowl over a pot of boiling water, turning the burner off. Let the chocolate and cream rest over the heat until the chocolate has melted.
Separate the whole egg. Beat the three whites together to firm peaks. Whisk the yolk into the hot melted chocolate (remove the bowl from the pot), and then fold in the egg whites. Finally, fold in the remaing cream.
Dip the savoiardi in the coffee and use them to line four individual portion pudding molds, and fill the molds with the chocolate mousse. Chill the charlottes for at least four hours. Come serving time, slip a moistened knife blade around the edges of the molds to release them and turn them out onto plates, giving them a sharp tap against the plate to help the puddings come free. Decorate them with more shaved chocolate or a little more whipped cream, and serve.
A printer-friendly version of this recipe.
This week's proverb is Tuscan: Tanto va la gatta al lardo che ci lascia lo zampino -- A cat who's drawn to lard will get her paw into it. In other words, if you're drawn to something you will get involved.
A presto,
Kyle Phillips
Webweaver, About Italian Cuisine
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