This past week the second annual Italian Wine Week, Vino 2010, took place in New York City. It’s the largest Italian wine event held outside of Italy, and I was lucky enough to attend last year. This year, because of travel for my birthday, I was not able to attend many of the events, which was a disappointment, since the celebration is filled with grand tastings, seminars, tastings, panel discussions, and did I mention tastings?

So while I couldn’t make the Grand Tasting, I did make it to the Thursday night regional wine dinner event at the Waldorf Astoria hotel. This was a unique event, with 4 separate winemaker’s dinners held simultaneously in different ballrooms of the hotel. Sponsored by the Italian Trade Commission, it was an opportunity for winemakers from the regions of Tuscany, Calabria, The Veneto and Apulia to show off their regional dishes and the wines made from native regional grapes.

I was invited to attend the Apulia regional dinner, while my partner in crime Jennifer Iannolo attended the dinner celebrating Calabria, since her father was born and raised there. She’ll have a report from that dinner.

The Apulia dinner was prepared by Chef Patti Jackson from I Trulli Restaurant in New York City, and hosted by wine writer Tom Maresca, who described each wine we had throughout the course of the evening. We snacked on focaccia and other nibbles before the first course, while sipping Alberto Longo Falanghine “Le Fossette” IGT 2008. Falanghine is an ancient native varietal of Apulia, not commonly found outside the Southern Italy. This particular wine had been aged in barrel for 18 months, which imparted quite a bit of oakiness which was not so appealing. Tom Maresca explained that this is not so typical for a Falanghine. I would have liked to taste a more typical interpretation of the grape, and not one that mimics a California style.

Our Antipasto course was a mixed salad of grilled “Cefalapodi”, squid and octopus, served over endive, baby brown chickpeas, and roasted baby tomatoes. I loved this dish, not only for the fresh and tender seafood, but also for the tiny chickpeas which had a nice bite on the outside, but tender on the inside. It was served with a Tomaresca Chardonnay Puglia IGT 2008.  I found this  a nice pairing, and the Chardonnay, unlike the previous wine, was not at all oaky.

The Pasta course was a Cavatelli with Broccoli Rabe & Toasted Almonds, which is typical of the simple, honest, rustic food of Apulia. The Broccoli Rabe was not at all bitter, and the cavatelli was perfectly al dente. It was served with Cantatore di Castelforte Primitivo de Manduria “Donna Maria” DOC 2007. Primitivo is one of the most typical varietals found in Southern Italy, and is predominant in the neighboring province of Basilicata. Primitivo is a precursor, and sort of “cousin” to Red Zinfandel.

Our main course was a roasted rack of lamb with potatoes and a puree of fava beans and dandelion, served with Sampietrana Salice Salentino Riserva “Vigne delle Monache” DOC 2004, made with the Negra Amaro grape.

We finished off the dinner with Sweet Baby “Calzones” filled with Hazelnut puree, Fried Dough Rosettes topped with Vanilla Ice Cream, and Stuffed Figs. These sweets were served with A Rivera Moscato di Trani “Piani di Tufara” 2007, an appropriately sweet Moscato typical of the sweet dessert wine style, with notes of honeysuckle an melon. It was a fitting ending to the evening.

ReMARKable Palate #230: The Foods of Basilicata

On this week’s show, I attend a special dinner at Felidia Restaurant in New York City to celebrate the foods of basilicata, the region in southern Italy at the instep of the boot. The dinner was hosted by Chef Lidia Bastianich and our old friend Lou Di Palo of Di Palo’s Fine foods in Little Italy, who’s great grandfather emigrated from Basilicata. We got to taste the products of this charming land. Later in the show, I speak with my pal Chris Marquardt about the 2nd Edition of our Brooklyn Cookin’ workshop.

You can register for the workshop at www.tfttf.com/bk2010

Theme Song: “Go Fish”, by Big Money Grip, from the Podsafe Music Network.

ReMARKable Palate is a production of The Culinary Media Network. www.culinarymedianetwork.com

ReMARKable Palate #195: Slow Food in Piemonte

I report from a recent trip to Piemonte Italy, where I attended the BITEG conference, the Borso Internationale di Turismo Enogastronomico, all about wine and food tourism. While learning about the great foods of Piemonte, I met several people involved in the Slow Food organization, which got it’s start in Piemonte. We attended a taste around dinner featuring local artisanal products at the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenza.

Theme Song: “Go Fish”, by Big Money Grip, from the Podsafe Music Network.

ReMARKable Palate is a production of The Culinary Media Network. www.culinarymedianetwork.com

I’m in Piemonte for BITEG 2009, (Burso Internazionale di Turismo EnoGastronomico), and discovering the typical foods of the province. These a few quick videos shot on my handheld camera. More to come later in full CMN fashion!

The first day we had an exquisite lunch at the Grinzane Cavour Castle, which is ground zero for the celebration of the much vaunted white truffles from the Alba region.

The next day, we are treated to a cooking class with Chef Cesare Giaccone at his Villa Contessa Rossa Restaurant at the Fontanafredda Winery

We also discovered a secluded Apiary called Il Potere dei Fiori up in the hills near Ponzone, and we reached it via a hike to the top of the mountain.

Note: These really are just quick one off video blogs shot with a handheld camera. I’ll have fully edited, high quality videos of all these visits in the main video feed in the coming weeks and months.

ReMARKable Palate #174: Italian Holiday Treats with Divina Cucina

I speak with Judy Witts Francini, of Divina Cucina in Tuscany, about the foods of Siena and Firenze, and the holiday treats they enjoy there. www.divinacucina.com

Shop for holiday gifts for the food lover in your life at our Gilded Fork Boutique. Special discounts for our newsletter subscribers!

http://shop.gildedfork.com

Theme Song: “Go Fish”, by Big Money Grip, from the Podsafe Music Network.

ReMARKable Palate is a production of The Culinary Media Network. www.culinarymedianetwork.com

CMN Video: Exploring Palermo’s Capo Market

Jennifer and Chef Mark explore the stalls of Capo Street Market in Palermo, Sicily, discovering the vibrant fruits and vegetables on display. Chef Mark speaks with Culinary Tour Guide Michele Topor about the more unusual meats on offer.

A production of The Culinary Media Network. www.culinarymedianetwork.com

CMN Video: Fork in The Road – Sicily

Jennifer and Chef Mark speak with Tony May and Gianfranco Sorrentino from GRI, or Gruppo Ristoratori Italiani, about GRI’s mission to promote the image of Italian Cuisine in the United States. Each year, they visit a region of Italy to learn about fresh artisanal products. This year, the destination was Sicily, and the Culinary Media Network came along to join in on the fun! From ancient Greek ruins, to sumptuous feasts in rustic farmhouses to Medieval Palazzi and winery tours, we took a big bite out of Sicily!

A production of The Culinary Media Network. www.culinarymedianetwork.com

Mara Eli, Francesco Cafiso
“Sicilia” (mp3)
from “Made in Sicily The Songs”
(Alfredo Lo Faro)

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CMN Video: SpeckFest

We visit SpeckFest, the Annual festival celebrating Speck, a cured ham product of the SudTirol-Alto Adige region of Northern Italy that is both smoked and air cured. We then head to a factory, where we see the modern way that Speck is produced.

A production of The Culinary Media Network. www.culinarymedianetwork.com

CMN Video: Tasting Speck Alto Adige

Jennifer visits the Johannser Hof in Chiusa, Sudtirol to learn the traditional way that Speck is made. She speaks with Franz Mitterutzner, Director of the Speck Alto Adige Consoritum, about the methods and careful regulations that govern this traditional cured meat of Northern Italy. She then tastes some of Herr Brunner’s farmhouse Speck with Lou Di Palo of Di Palo’s Fine Foods.

A production of The Culinary Media Network. www.culinarymedianetwork.com

ReMARKable Palate #149: Italian Food Expert Julia Della Croce

On today’s show, I visit with Julia Della Croce, one of the pre-eminent authorities on Italian food. Julia has written 11 cookbooks, each focusing on regional Italian cookery, from Rome to the Veneto to Umbria, and books on pasta, antipasti, and even vegetarian Italian dishes. I met Julia on a recent trip to Sicily, and we shared such wonderful conversations about fresh seasonal food, I wanted to have her on the show to share some of that with you. We met again recently on a beautiful day in New York, and in addition to talking about the issues of local eating vs. importing, she shares with us some of what she’s been doing to teach school-children about growing and making food.

ReMARKable Palate is a production of The Culinary Media Network. www.culinarymedianetwork.com

Theme Song: “Go Fish”, by Big Money Grip, from the Podsafe Music Network.