Eataly
I can’t take credit or blame for that cute title. It’s actually the name of a sort of gourmet-mall-supermarket in Turin. We’ve been searching for a cooking class (there are tons of them advertised, but most are week long, luxury vacations with a little cooking thrown in) and someone referred us to Eataly. It didn’t actually have any classes available while we were there, but it’s a paradise for foodies to visit anyway. There are huge sections devoted to just pasta or mushrooms. There is a walk-in, temperature controlled aging cellar for cheeses, and another just for hams. While we were there, we tried a local concoction called Becirin. It’s a shot of espresso, with dark chocolate syrup and whipped cream. It’s unbelievably rich and more potent than Red Bull at keeping me wired for hours afterward.
This store got us thinking and talking about the food and wine here in Italy. There’s no other way to say it – it’s simply excellent. By that expression, I mean two things. It’s actually very simple food. The ingredients are basic – tomatoes, basil, pasta, bread, salami, cheese. No fancy sauces, but just olive oil and vinegar. However, each one seems to be the best it can be and stands on it’s own. In other words, each is excellent. Combined, they create some of the best dishes we’ve had on the trip.
We’re staying in the Piedmont area now, which is best known for wine. It’s the region that produces the great Barbaresco, Barolo, and Moscato vintages. We’ve visited a few of the local Enoteca Regionales where you can taste and buy wines, and we’ve thoroughly enjoyed them so far. However, this area also has great culinary tradition as well. We checked in to our apartment in a village of about 600 people and they gave us a list of local restaurants. There are 6 Michelin starred restaurants within 16kms. I can’t wait…
The vineyards along the road to our village:
halftime
June 3rd, 2009 at 10:02 am
I must know how to make Becirin…need something potent to wake me up for the day shift..