Tag: Romagna

Memories of an ancient Romagna – Sale & Pepe – Italian Cuisine

191308 It will be the age, the season or the holidays that are coming but, I admit, my relationship with the broth has changed. Never too much loved in the past, relegated to Christmas days and drunk in small quantities to the cry of “more tortellini and less broth”, as my children did as children. Now everything has turned upside down and I appreciate it in the form and substance of a rich and invigorating food, naturally made with excellent meat and with all the appropriate rules. To drink like this but, better still, enriched with fresh egg pasta: maltagliati, quadrucci, tagliolini or patacucci from Romagna, strichetti, passatelli, soup in the Imola bag, gross spoja and cappelletti, especially lean ones. Yes, you will say, why don't I mention the tortellino? Because we always talk about this master of the holidays, but where Emilia ends and Romagna begins, the music changes and stuffed pasta is called cappelletto, distinguishing itself from its Emilian cousin for a larger casing, with abundant filling, which demonstrates opulence and reaffirms, once again, that Emilia and Romagna, although geographically united, are two different peoples.

Together with the many territorial variants of the fat cappelletti, where the meat filling varies between western and eastern Romagna and also the seasoning, there is one of lean which is the oldest (first written mention of 1811) in which culture is alive pastoral and peasant and the filling is a delicate blend of cheeses. These were the cappelletti that were prepared on Christmas Eve for the next day, without meat. Eggs, nutmeg, grated Parmesan, ricotta and an unripe cheese such as raviggiolo or squacquerone entered the “compensation or battuto”, that is, the filling. Form the "caplèt“It was a choral work, you had to hurry so that the pastry did not dry out, then a linen cloth covered them waiting to end up in the mixed broth of beef and capon the next day. Secondly, on Christmas evening or on Boxing Day, those left to cook, after having been forced to pass in the broth, were drained and seasoned with a ragout of poultry giblets used for the broth itself. It could also happen that someone, not by chance, ended up in the dish a "caplitaz", a cappellettaccio, three times bigger than normal and whose filling was made up of pasta alone or contained a peppercorn or a grain of corn. It was all piloting the azdòra who, slyly, sent messages and only those who received them could interpret them. Once the preparation of the cappelletti was finished, in many peasant houses, with a long and thin skewer, a caplèt, called the "sintiröl", Which the older person toasted by the fireplace and then ate: it was a sacrifice on the altar of the gods of the house, the arola. We have news of this rite still in 1952.

Then the family went to Mass and on Christmas day there was a big party. The prefect of Forlì described it in 1881: “Every family makes a pasta soup with a ricotta filling which is called cappelletti. The greed for this soup is so general that everyone, and especially the priests, makes bets as to who eats a greater quantity and some get to the number of 400 or 500 ". Of course, there was a lot of hunger and only one Christmas, but the delicacy of this soup has remained unchanged over time. Adelmo Masotti, author in 1996 of the Romagnolo-Italian vocabulary and I believe a good card player, said: "a ës e caplèt uns dis mai d’nò": you never say no to aces and cappelletti. And I, who don't play cards, will dedicate myself only to this Romagna soup, sure that it will make my Christmas enjoyable. Unless I get a "caplitaz".

Villa Margherita and (beautiful) Romagna far from the sea – Italian Cuisine

An oasis of taste and elegance far from the chaos of the Riviera. For an experience of Romagna that is not a simple holiday but a total immersion in its landscape, its history, culture and flavor. And the raw material is certainly not lacking

Rimini is just over twenty kilometers away, but it really looks like another planet. Forget the Romagna of the beaches and crowds in the disco: clinging here between hills in the province of Forlì-Cesena, where the great Marco Pantani he loved pedaling before each race, there is a whole different atmosphere.

Longiano it is an ancient, placid village. Surrounded by trees and orchards – which in this period color the landscape with a beautiful foliage -, he's called balcony of Romagna because on the clearest days the horizon reaches the sea. It is a medieval village, made of cobblestones, steep streets and brick houses, and on its main street there are shops of typical and artisan products.

Rocca Malatesta

Its main attraction is Rocca Malatesta, a castle that belonged to one of the most important families of the Middle Ages, which dominated the territories of Rimini and Romagna from 1295 to 1500. "Cesena was" jealous "of the power of Rimini and for this cyclically destroyed the castle, which Rimini rebuilt more beautiful than before: that's why over the years it has become a jewel ”, says the local historian Giorgio Magnani. But in addition to its beautiful rooms, Rocca Malatesta is also worth a visit for the Tito Balestra Foundation, an interesting collection of modern and contemporary works of art, including some drawings by Goya, Matisse and Chagall, kept inside.

Villa Margherita

A few kilometers from the center, then, in the hamlet of Montilgallo, another place aspires to become the testimonial of these places still too little known: it is Villa Margherita, an ancient rural residence of 1500 surrounded by greenery, which on November 7 stops being a private residence and opens its gate to the public. Entirely renovated thanks to the interventions of archiculture of the young architects and designers of the Laprim Basta studio, Villa Margherita has been transformed into a relais with 6 super-technological but extremely welcoming bedrooms (including a suite with spa inside), a large infinity pool, an agricultural and botanical park with centenary trees and the restaurant the Elder which, directed by Giuseppe Ricchebuono, starred chef at the Vescovado di Noli, Liguria, promises to become a pole of attraction gourmet on the territory.

Under the motto of elegant, excellent, exclusive, but at the same time inclusive, refined but not luxurious, the Villa aims to draw a tourism certainly elite on the territory (the slow and sustainable one on which so much is aimed in the post Covid), but also to dialogue directly with it. And so its large agricultural park will host events managed by the Petrella theater in Longiano, exhibitions organized by the Tito Balestra Foundation, playful activities for the elderly and children.

Despite the period of uncertainty, the restaurant will also be operational immediately: it will regularly cover the lunch service, while dinner will be exclusively for the guests of the structure, guaranteeing distancing and compliance with anti-Covid regulations. After all, the same structure of the villa and the wide spaces guarantee a natural distance, in contact with nature.

"It is in times of crisis that we must invest", he recalls Luca Panzavolta, The CEO of Cia, a cooperative company headed by Conad and which with this project aims to combine enhancement of the territory with haute cuisine and rediscovery of local products. Just try one of the tasting menus to realize it: smoked trout from the Apennines, tortello di Mora Romagnola (native pig breed), cheek of Vacca Romagnola and an entire cellar of wines available (whose premises have remained intact as in 1500) .

An oasis of taste and elegance ideal for a romantic weekend, but also for ceremonies, special lunches and dinners, corporate events. Far and yet at the same time close to the sea and the coast. For a experience of Romagna that is not just a simple vacation, but a total immersion in the landscape, history, culture and flavor. And the raw material, as we have seen, is certainly not lacking.

Poderi dal Nespoli, the vocation for Sangiovese di Romagna – Italian Cuisine

The historic cellar of the Valle de Bidente, now run by Fabio and Celita Ravaioli, has Sanzve's, as the ancient black grape variety is called here, among its best references

In Romagna Doc the Sangiovese it expresses very distinct characteristics from that of Chianti, Montalcino, Sangiovese from Umbria and Marche. And if until the 1980s, here as elsewhere, it was mostly sold in bulk, today in all four provinces of the appellation (Bologna, Forlì-Cesena, Rimini and Ravenna) truly excellent winemakers operate, who in the last 30 years have cradled in the vineyard this vine to obtain wines of great value. Straightforward and elegant at the same time, with an intense ruby red color, very fragrant and persistent on the palate.

The Sangiovese of Romagna

Poderi dal Nespoli it is one of the companies that more and better have dedicated themselves, indeed have made it a real mission, to the production of high-profile wines, when there were still very few winemakers in the region engaged in bottling their grapes. So already in the mid-sixties the Prugneto, a cru of Sangiovese Superiore, obtained from a careful selection of grapes from the vineyard of the same name and aged for a small percentage in small oak barrels. It is the beginning of a long adventure to conquer the title of nobility of the Romagna vine.

The roughness and a certain angularity of Sangiovese in the bottles of Poderi dal Nespoli are rounded and smoothed in favor of a sincere elegance, which does not ignore the robust body of the company's red wines.

Here then are the other references of Romagna Doc Sangiovese dei Poderi. The Big fig it is perhaps one of the less ambitious wines of the Ravaioli brothers, yet it is already a very respectable business card. With a bouquet of red fruits, cherries and violets. Captivating is the Nespolino Rubcone IGT Sangiovese Merlot, with its screw cap. A soft wine where Merlot aged in barriques introduces the sweet and weedy notes on the primary hints of Sanzve’s.

More ambitious and important it is Borgo dei Guidi, a blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon (the latter of partially dried grapes on the plant). Perfect to combine for example with a Romagna Mora Liver accompanied by grilled vegetables.

Finally, here is perhaps the maison's best-known label, Il Nespoli Romagna Doc Sangiovese Superiore Riserva. Classic Romagna style, but also with a keen eye on the market. In short, a valid ambassador of the territory. Very pleasant to drink while still young, very remarkable if aged at least five years.

A weekend in Romagna DOC. Where to eat, sleep and what to visit

We recommend two stages in Cervia.
At the entrance to the Regional Park of the Po Delta is the ancient Salina of Cervia, probably of Etruscan origin, certainly already exploited by the Romans. Today it is still operational and open to public visits. The recommended time to visit it is sunset, under the guidance of highly trained staff. The salt pan is a world unto itself, inhabited by animal and plant species capable of living in extreme conditions.
Therefore, always in Cervia, do not miss to stop at Salt workshops, obtained from an old salt warehouse. It is not a restaurant, nor a bar, nor a bistro, but rather a large food and wine and cultural laboratory, where the most authentic local culinary tradition (several Slowfood Presidium products are offered on the menu) is transmitted with an innovative, dynamic and international spirit. . When you go, ask immediately for the tireless patron of Alessandro Fanelli and rely completely on him.

In Forlì there are many good trattorias and restaurants, where you can taste the best dishes of the regional culinary tradition. What makes the difference is therefore to discover a dish that entices you to return to the "crime scene" to find the same pleasure and relive or share the same emotion. Then try the Trattoria Petito. Our sin of gluttony is their Liver of Mora Romagnola in its net.

What to visit in one day in Forlì

Speaking of emotions during a short stay in the Romagna capital, until 31 October at i Museums of San Domenico one of the most beautiful and interesting exhibitions of recent years has been set up: Ulysses. Art and myth. It is unlikely that an exhibition so instructive and full of masterpieces that embraces artistic expressions inspired by the legendary Homeric hero from ancient Greek art to the present day will be repeated again. We are talking about at least 300 works on loan from collections and museums around the world.
On the other hand, outside the mainstream, albeit valuable, of the San Domenico Museums, a few steps from the ancient complex stands Romagnoli Palace, a historic building where one of the most curious collections of Italian art of the twentieth century is kept. Merit of the tycoon Giuseppe Verzocchi, an enlightened building contractor who has collected and commissioned works by some of our greatest painters, from De Chirico to Guttuso, from Sironi to Carrà, up to Vedova.

Sleep cradled by the hills of the Romagna hinterland.

Two places with a dream panorama and excellent hospitality are just a few kilometers from Predappio, Borgo Condé Wine Resort, a place of absolute relaxation, with rooms, suites and villas. In addition to all the services one would expect from a luxury relais.

For those who do not want to go too far, after a visit and a tasting at Poderi dal Nespoli, the maison has a Borgo dei Guidi of an Art Nouveau villa with elegant and comfortable guest rooms, all overlooking the park surrounding the complex.