Tag: products

a territory to be discovered through its products – Italian Cuisine

Interesting gastronomic ideas in Monferrato among wines, meats, typical products and e-bike excursions

Autumn is approaching: the season of falling leaves, roasted chestnuts, mushrooms, pumpkin soup, but also the harvest and red wines. In autumn we return to organizing lunches in farmhouses in the countryside, to enjoy good food and the company of friends.

An interesting destination could be Agliano Terme, a small Piedmontese village nestled among the Monferrato vineyards, declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco. Here Barbera d’Asti reigns supreme.
Agliano Terme is among the countries with the largest area cultivated with this vine: 144 wineries, 650 hectares of vineyards in total and about 1600 inhabitants.
It is possible to organize tastings in the cellar directly from the producers. Three types of wine: Barbera d’Asti, Barbera d’Asti Superiore and Il Nizza.
To book a tasting, just go to the Barbera Agliano website and consult the complete list of producers.

And what better occasion to discover such a rich territory than a long weekend in Monferrato?
Many gastronomic products, for many a single denominator, Barbera d’Asti, a wine that is also used for the production of cured meats, pasta, desserts and signature cocktails.

Typical products and what to buy

Cured meat
Delicatessen Scam
In this historic laboratory it will be possible to buy real specialties: the culatello of Agliano, the traditional cooked salami of the Monferrato Astigiano, the drunken salami with Barbera d'Asti, the salami with truffles, lard with herbs, rolled and battened pancetta.

Fresh meat and pasta
Ponzo Butcher
There are many specialties not to be missed, such as the fassone sausage, prepared with lean meat, the raw battuta of fassone with a knife and the vitello tonnato.
Tripe in boxes, from an ancient family recipe, to be enjoyed sliced, seasoned with oil, salt and pepper.
And then agnolotti del plin, square, stuffed with meat from the butcher's shop or with various other types of filling, with different vegetables, depending on the season (artichokes, asparagus, borage, pumpkin, spinach, herbs, leeks, combined with Piedmont hazelnuts and with Raschera DOP cheese).
Tagliatelle alla Barbera, with the Barbera of the producers of Agliano in the dough.

Desserts
Renzo Pastry Bar
Paradise for gourmands, with a series of cakes and biscuits such as Baci di Agliano, Barbera cake (Barbera and chocolate among the ingredients in the dough and chocolate ganache coating), delights of Agliano with Gianduia and with rum, the Tira (sweet focaccia with raisins).

Alciati bakery
To try Carlo Alberto's bread (naturally leavened, available on Sundays and, upon reservation, other days), an ancient recipe with walnuts, anchovies and flour.
A historical anecdote: it seems that in the time of Charles Albert of Savoy this bread was used to feed the army troops in times of war.

Cocktail & Co.
La Dolce Vigna Wine Bar
Try the Barbera on the Rocks cocktail: Barbera, vodka, Cointreau, red fruit syrup and ice.

Sport & Nature

It is possible to organize excursions, trekking and e-bike routes.
Six trekking routes, developed in collaboration with the CAI of Asti, for a total of 35 km between the Unesco vineyards, interesting stages between the villages of Agliano and the cellars of the producers (on the site, in the Routes section you can download the maps) .
For those who prefer cycling, enjoyable trips to explore the area by e-bike, at a cost of 25-35 euros for half a day or 35-45 for a full day, depending on the type of bicycle. Different degrees of difficulty for excursions.
Info and contacts: Terme Bike

Where to sleep

Naturally Wine Resort, with swimming pool, surrounded by vineyards, located in a hamlet of Agliano.
La Maggiorina Case Vacanze, charming apartments in the historic center of the town, managed by Anja and Jan, a Norwegian couple who decided to settle in Agliano.
In the historic center of Agliano, La Locanda San Giacomo, a nineteenth-century residence with six rooms.
Cascina del Rosone, recently purchased by a Norwegian couple, who manage the structure (which has two apartments) and produce Barbera in amphora. Splendid location among the vineyards.
Agriturismo C’era Una Volta, in a hamlet of Agliano: produces wine (including Barbera) and beer; the restaurant offers Piedmontese cuisine upon reservation. 7 rooms available.
Agriturismo Cascina Dani, has a restaurant and some rooms available for guests; Agriturismo il Coniglio Bianco, with rooms and apartments, both located in a hamlet of Agliano.

For those who prefer to dedicate themselves to relaxation and well-being, a day at the Agliano spa.
Agliano Terme it is the seat of a thermal establishment that rises where an ancient source of salty-sulfur-magnesian water flows, the Fons Salutis, discovered in 1770. It flows at a depth of 42 meters, at a temperature of 12.8 degrees and is considered a of the most complete thermal waters in Italy, with healing properties.
Info and reservations: Terme di Agliano

Since 2014 an important appointment for the Barbera di Agliano, in collaboration with the Norwegian team of Bocuse d'Or, the Barbera Fish Festival, an event dedicated to the encounter between Barbera d’Asti and Norwegian cod. The next edition is scheduled for 8-10 October 2021.

Incoming search terms:

https://gordon-ramsay-recipe com/recipes-of-italian-cuisine/a-territory-to-be-discovered-through-its-products-italian-cuisine html

Let's try it weird: 5 new products to try this summer – Italian Cuisine

From crushable ice cream to canned gin and tonic: here are some curious ideas for a summer out of the lines

L'summer it is that wonderful season in which the uncertainty of leaving the old road for the new one seems to be a little less scary. It happens when we find ourselves choosing the destination of our holidays, or when we sit at the table of some restaurant lost in the void with the desire to dive into the local cuisine. But it also happens, much more trivially, between the lanes of the supermarket. Yes, because the hottest days of the year seem to be made for experimenting with the latest novelties on the shelves, sometimes brilliant, sometimes terrible, sometimes so terrible that they can make a triple pike and become brilliant. And so also in this strange summer 2020 the unpublished proposals certainly not lacking to give a chance to. So let's launch into this collective tasting, with the aim of being able to proudly declare "I did it, I tried that thing".

1. Porchetta chips

The new PiùGusto di casa San Carlo have been a real media-social-cultural phenomenon in recent weeks. Emerged as part of the competition "Create the new Piùgusto – Taste Hunter Edition", they bring a very high proposal that – even on paper – does not seem bad at all: the dear old chips for once give up the classic combinations with paprika and tomato for dive into the aromas of porchetta. On the other hand, the historic combination of "fried potatoes & pork" works regardless, and the result of these Piùgusto is proof of this. Although lovers of the pork they might suggest to insist even more on spiciness.

2. Meatballs – not meat

That of fake-meat, that is meat-non-meat artificially reproduced using the most disparate substances of vegetable origin, is undoubtedly one of the hottest topics of recent years, destined to accompany us for a long time on our journey – hopefully not to fail – towards a sustainable world . So Findus has decided to forge ahead, recently launching its new line in supermarkets Green Cuisine of frozen products: hamburgers, sausages and yes, also meatballs made with rehydrated pea proteins, rapeseed oil, bamboo fiber, pea flour, alcohol vinegar, tomato paste, potato starch and oatmeal. The road to the taste and digestibility of meat is still a little long, but it is still a curious proposal. Especially for nostalgic vegetarians looking for a peaceful escape from their routine.

3. An ice cream to crush

Not just cold lemon teas and ACE-flavored fruit juices for the afternoon snack. Inside a potentially pocket-sized package, but above all crushable, you can also find an excellent creamy ice cream. The proposal, in this case, comes from the Sardinian brand Bolmea, which presents its own Squeezito: an ice cream made with water from Monte Limbara and fresh milk strictly from local pastures, currently available in vanilla, strawberry and chocolate flavors. An interesting solution for "on-the-go" gourmands, to be taken out of the freezer, uncorked, tasted and possibly closed again for a second round: of course, the plastic of the spout is not a fragrant wafer, but the result is still interesting.

4. A bitter cream

For the summer of 2020, dear old Disaronno has decided to redo his look. Focusing on a new total-white look, as required by the most popular private poolside parties, but above all by changing consistency. Thus was born the Disaronno Velvet, an unprecedented creamy version of the famous amaro that will certainly appeal to lovers of various liqueur creams at the end of a meal, as a variant of the usual limoncello, meloncello, pistacchiello & co. Try it cold, or with an ice cube. Or even as a secret ingredient for a drowned ice cream.

5. The gin and tonic in a can

Speeding up waiting times in front of the bar seems to be essential in this summer under the banner of social distancing. Even if, after all the sacrifices of the quarantine, we always deserve a quality cocktail. Bombay Sapphire must have thought so too, who decided to launch his own Bombay Sapphire & Tonic: a ready-made drink mixed in a can with premium tonic, ready to be uncorked at home, in the garden, on the beach, even in clubs. Of course, as far as the percentage of alcohol by volume is concerned, it stops at 6.5%: the mind flies to the legendary alcoholpops of the 90s, and the liver thanks.

The top 10 vegan barbecue products – Italian Cuisine

Summer, friends, the grill that goes and the beer bottles that uncork. There are all the ingredients for an unforgettable evening, but perhaps vegan diners will have to settle for peppers, courgettes and grilled eggplants.
But who said that barbecue is exclusive to carnivores?

Password: exaggerate

To dispel every myth, it is good to immediately change your approach. Vegan recipes are not made to give up taste, but to respect a food choice. therefore a vegan burger can be as rich as a classic one or even contain a few more ingredients. Then go ahead with the use of sauces, spices, fried vegetables and tasty creams based on dried fruit. Even recipes that do not include the creation of a sandwich can be enriched with dressing, compotes and accompanying sauces.

Marinate? Yes thanks

If marinating may not be a priority on the traditional grill, it certainly is when we are preparing to put vegan products such as seitan and tofu on the fire. With a very delicate flavor, they do not have the fats necessary to make cooking "exciting" on the embers: therefore they expect extra help from us. We prepare in advance a marinade with asour emulsion such as that with extra virgin olive oil, lime and black pepper, aromatic like the one with extra virgin olive oil, garlic and rosemary or spicy. In the latter case, measure out extra virgin olive oil, chilli pepper and fresh garlic.

Green light for vegetables, but with style

The classic habit of greasing vegetables and burning them on the fire is for those who consider them an unimportant part of the grill. But if you are vegan, and you know their great taste, value them. Clean the courgettes and aubergines by cutting them into regular slices, while leaving the peppers and cobs whole. Cook the first pepperoni that you will remove only when they are cooked with the scorched skin that detaches from the pulp. You will peel them, remove seeds and petioles and season them with extra virgin olive oil, salt and garlic. The courgettes and eggplants, however, after they have been grilled naturally with only a small addition of coarse salt, must be seasoned with two different emulsions. Extra virgin olive oil, black pepper and thyme for aubergines, extra virgin olive oil, garlic and courgette mint. For the paniclesonce well roasted, just a pinch of salt will suffice.

In the gallery below, 10 top products for a vegan barbecue (with a little sweet surprise)