December 30th, 2009
We start in Rome.
When in Roma, eat artichokes alla Romana or alla Giudea. You wont regret it.
Alice and I had a Chrismas holiday together with Alice’s brother, Chris. He’d never been to Italy before so we showed him around Rome, Florence, Venice, Milan and Turin. I never get tired of going back to these places. There is always more to explore and discover, especially on a culinary level.
For our first lunch we were directed to Da Tonino, (Via del governo vecchio, 18, 00186 – Roma (RM) Italia Cell.333 5870779 )MAP
A hole in the wall kind of establishment which served good, honest and generous portions of flavoursome food. In some respects, this first lunch of my holiday was the most memorable, even more than our Christmas lunch. I have simple tastes and I’m a total sucker for food without pretense. I do appreciate talented chefs experimenting with new fusion of flavours and skillfully presenting dishes, but the simple, the rustic, the humble and the down to earth gets me much more excited.
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December 8th, 2009
Venezia
Artichokes ready for the chop. Artichoke bottoms (fondi) sitting in lemon water
I just got back from 2 weeks in Venice. This obsession with artichokes started in Venice where, in the most part, they don’t even worry about the leaves and go straight to the heart. Here they use the fondi (bases) of the artichoke. Some artichokes are left on the plant a little longer than usual just for this purpose. Although I’ve never seen a Californian artichoke in the flesh, I think they are probably suitable for this purpose too. The most typical recipe and traditional way the Venetians use these fondi is to simply boil them and dress them with olive oil garlic and parsley. They can be served hot, warm or cold. You will find them on most restaurant menus and also at cicchetti bars. Cicchetti are small portions of food, usually eaten standing at a bar anytime between breakfast and dinner. Cicchetti are similar to the Spanish Tapas and can be had as an entire meal or as a snack between meals.
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October 27th, 2009
1. Spinoso Sardo – AKA – Spinoso di Albenga
Sardinia, Liguria (Italy)
2. Spinoso di Palermo – AKA – Spinoso di Sciacca, Gela
Sicily, (Italy)
3. Verde di Putignano
Puglia (Italy)
4. Precoce Violetto di Chioggia – AKA – Violetto di Venezia
Veneto, (Italy)
5. Violetto di Toscana – AKA – Violetto
Toscana , Emiglia Romagna, Marche (Italy)
6. Moretto -AKA- Morello -similar to number 5
Liguria (Italy)
7. Verde di Castellammare
Lazio (Italy)
8. Verde di Pesaro
Marche (Italy)
9. Catanese – AKA – Violetto di Sicilia
(France, Tunisia, Algeria,Egypt,Israel, Italy)
10. Masedu – AKA – Liscio Sardo
Sardinia (Italy)
11. Mazzaferrata di Toscana – AKA – Testa di Ferro
Toscana (Italy)
12. Bianco Tarantino
Puglia (Italy)
13. A Pigna
Calabria (Italy)
14. Locale di Cuneo
Piemonte ( Italy)
15. Catalogna – AKA – Catanese & Molese tardivo
Puglia, Sicily, Basilicata (Italy)
16. Nostrano di Ascoli Piceno – AKA – Ascolano
Marche (Italy)
17. Violet de Provence -AKA – Violetto Francese
(France, Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Italy)
18. Violetto di Putignano
Puglia (Italy)
19. Violetto di Teramo
Abruzzi (Italy)
20. Precoce di Jesi
Marche (Italy)
21. Empolese -AKA- Nostrano tipo nero
Toscana (Italy)
22. Macau
(France)
23. Castellammare – AKA – Romanesco
Lazio, Campania (Italy)
24. Compagnano – AKA – Romanesco, Mazzaferrata
Lazio, Campania (Italy)
25. Romanesco a Bratee Violette – AKA – Romano, Campagnano
Lazio (Italy)
26. Mazzaferrata di Termoli
Abruzzi, Molise (Italy)
27. Blanco
La Plata (Argentina)
28. Sakiz
Irmir (Turkey)
29. Tudela
Alicante, Muricia, Rioja-Saragozza, Catalogna, Andalusia (Spain)
30. Escarot
(France)
31. Violet de Camargue
(France)
32. Nato
La Plata (Argentina)
33. Gros Camus de Bretagne
(Spain, Algeria, Marocco, Bretagne- France)
34. Camard
(France)
35. Bayrampasa
(Turkey)
Source: A.C Castelli & C.A. Castelli, The Sensuos Artichoke – Magic of the Artichoke, Castelli & Castelli, 1978 -79, p40
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