Le Stage

The Restaurant

Exactly 52 days ago I began my stage here in Acuto. I just completed my last day of work and I am filled with mixed emotions. If I had to describe my experiences here in one word I would have to say it has been very interesting.

Like every other person who goes to work regularly I had my good days and even a few really great days and I most definitely had my bad days. But hey- C’est la Vie!

Bad days would consist of things like: Pure boredom- I simply hate being bored-, Chef loosing his mind on someone or several people- he made people cry on a couple occasions. Unorganization in the kitchen, the guys I worked with being moody (why are males that work in kitchens always so bloody moody?), Chef’s wife loosing her mind on someone or something, peeling copious amounts of chestnuts until my thumbs were nearly bleeding, and did I mention boredom?- I would rather peel chestnuts than be bored.

Things that would happen on good days: Lots to get done, negative energy kept to a minimum, wine served with dinner, organization in the kitchen, Julia getting to make something new, Lots to do=Lots to learn, eating something delicious a meal or otherwise, Julia being inspired by an ingredient or dish, Chef creating a masterpiece, Chef letting you take a big bite of that masterpiece, Chef telling me he is impressed with my mad skills, and getting sent home early wasn’t so bad either.

Our work days ranged from about 8 hours (very rarely- maybe happened twice) to about 14 or 15 hours, I would say the average day was 12 hours. There were also a few weeks that I would work Mondays (our day off) so I those 14 days straight got kind of intense.

gigantic white truffle!

 The language barrier proved to be both challenging and beneficial. Sometimes I was thankful for it- when people are yelling and getting mad with each other, I don’t care to hear exactly what they are saying. Also, if someone was pissing me off in the kitchen it was very easy to tune them out. In terms of general instruction in the kitchen it wasn’t bad at all- I did my best to speak in very broken Italian and Chef and the cooks were very patient with me. Lots of charades made things easy- and mildly entertaining. There were times when I wished I knew the language but most of all I could have got to know chef and the people I worked with more. I was also very intrigued by the conversations chef had with people outside the restaurant, at events and such as his fans, guests and media personalities would ask him questions. Having said all that, if chef talked slow enough I could figure out what he was saying- I could get the gist of it anyways. It is has been remarkable how I have been able to get to know chef just by watching him work and create his dishes the way he does. It’s as if each dish demonstrates a different part of his personality.

While leaving the restaurant tonight I gave chef some Maple Sugar from Canada (I also gave him some Inniskilin ice wine when I arrived) and also a little thank you letter that a friend translated into Italian. He was very touched by the note, he said he was going to put it on the wall. Needless to say, saying goodbye was a little tougher than I thought it would be.

I learned, I listened, I experienced, I laughed, I cried, I completed what I set out to do and I ate and I drank.

One last weekend in Rome then I head to Prague- let’s see what the Czech’s cuisine has to offer!

Then to London- Hello Indian food!

And finally home- I look forward to enjoying a Poutine and a Great Canadian Beer- Moosehead!- or maybe Kokanee, I can’t decide.

So Long Acuto!- Where the hills are dotted with olive trees.

Burnt Herb Foccacia

 Rosemary, Sage, Thyme, Marjoram, Fennel, Tarragon, Fig, Laurel (similar to bay- the herb that was used in traditional Greek head wreaths).

Smokin’ on a hot grill/flat top…

The foccacia dough is placed on top of the smokin’ herbs and then is flipped onto another pile of burning herbs.

The loaves that are now coated in burnt herbs are put into the oven to cook through.

The result: soft and slightly chewy interior with a glorious crust… the foccacia is filled with the aroma and flavours of herbs. No need for butter or oil here- it’s a pleasure to smell and to taste. 

When in Rome Part Due

From Luxury to Make-shift.

I accompanied Chef and his 2 ex-sous chefs to an event in Rome where “two world wide known chefs interpret Italian and Turkish cuisine”. So Chef Tassa was clearly the Italian chef of the night and the other half of the menu was by a Turkish chef. The event was held in the financial district of Rome in a large, beautifully decorated room. The first event I did in Rome with chef the kitchen facilities were pristine and top of the line (see blog entry When in Rome). This time around- not so much. The “kitchen” was literally outside covered by several party tents standing in a row. It was equipped with 4 ovens, 2 large burners, 1 gigantic deep fryer, several prep tables, a deep freezer with a piece of plexi-glass as a lid and that’s about it. No sink. Ya that’s right, no sink.

Chef's in the "kitchen"

While doing some last minute prep in the kitchen the head count for the night went down to 200. My task of the day was to portion 200 portions of lamb tartare in ring molds. When service began the head count went down to only 130 people.

The first course had both the Italian and Turkish dishes on the same plate. We served a salt cod and potato crepinette (fried, filled pastry) and a vegetable millefogile (layers of potato, eggplant, zuchinni, red pepper, herbs) and the Turkish chef served a yufka roll (also a fried pastry with white Turkish cheese- similar to feta) and a hot bulgur salad that was dressed with pomegranate and garnished with tomato and green onion.

"Kitchen" from one end..

And from the other end...venue to the right

Masi manning the fryer..

Lovin' the attention..

The main courses went out separately, Italy went first- lamb tartare with chefs infamous onion and mozzarella sauce- like his “lasagna” dish he serves in the restaurant and similar to the one he served at the Gambero Rosso- When in Rome. Sans white truffle this time around. With only 130 guests and all the extra hands in the kitchen service was wonderfully organized and quick. On the Italian side anyways. This Turkish chef really didn’t seem to grasp the urgency of plating over 100 plates in a timely fashion, she thought she could plate every individual plate herself taking about 3 minutes per plate- haha, good joke lady. The chef of this “kitchen” or facility had to take control and with all hands on deck we got all her plates out promptly. She wasn’t very happy about the fact that she lost control over plating her own dish but that’s just not the way a catering event like this works. If we would’ve done it her way, we would STILL be waiting for this course to go out. I finally meet a successful female chef and she is not so bright, thanks a lot! It makes the rest of us look really great, especially in a country where females are already lumped together under the ‘useless’ category.

Hot Bulgur Salad

Dessert also went out on the same plate. We served a variation of the “pre-dessert” that is served at the restaurant. This course was very exciting for me as I have been getting my hands dirty in pastry a lot at the restaurant chef has put his trust in me when it comes to dolce. Also, at the last minute, well when we got to the facility and chef learned of this bulgur wheat he decided to add it to the dessert course. So, we borrowed some bulgur wheat from the Turkish chef and cooked it with sugar to make it ever-so-slightly sweet. This bulgur wheat is larger than I have ever seen it before, I first mistaken it for Israeli couscous it was that big. This was probably the best call chef has made since I got here. I have always enjoyed the flavours of the pre-dessert, they are meant to be, however the dish has always been lacking texture so this made the dish a star. As the sous chef was eating he said “this is genius, perfect, perfect…”

What was our dessert you ask?:

Fresh chestnut gelato – pretty sure my thumbs are still scarred from peeling all those f*cking chestnuts for this- whipped ricotta, roasted almond milk, candied orange zest and FINALLY sweetened bulgur wheat. The gelato is so creamy and not very sweet- you’re welcome chef!- the ricotta cream is half cream and half fresh ricotta with a touch of sugar in a CO2 can in order for it to look whipped, the combo to die for.. with a subtle hit of orange and almond… mmmmmmm and then the bulgur brings the perfect bite and the perfect addition of sugar, it’s like an orgasm in your mouth.

Turkish dessert: Sweet potato that was drenched in simple syrup/thick sugar water, a few slices of this were sprinkled with toasted almond slices and fresh pomegranate seeds, then topped with an additional hit of simple syrup. I only had one bite of this and it was pretty tasty but too sweet for my palate; Not to mention I was WAY too busy eating our Chestnut-Ricotta-ORGASMO-Dessert! I personally think that chef should put the bulgur on the dessert in the restaurant but he didn’t.

I have enjoyed the variations we have had in Rome, the luxury was great but dealing with the cracks in the tents while it poured rain as we plated dessert with dirty hands was fun too. 

Fettuccine Vaniglia

Vanilla Fettuccine

Glorious.

 Ya, that’s right- handmade fettuccine in a vanilla-tomato-pecorino sauce. This is one of the pasta course served at the restaurant and everything about it is divine. At first I was unsure of the combination, vanilla in pasta sauce? But if you are half the fan of vanilla as I am, you will enjoy it.

The fettuccine is made in house of course and dried by the breeze that comes over the hills and through the valleys below Acuto. The vanilla sauce is a very simple 2-step process which captivates all of your senses- I follow the empty pan to the dishwasher every time. Sometimes chef yells at me for nearly licking the pan, but the flavours of this dish is worth the risk.

Step One: Small tomato’s – not quite as small as cherry tomato’s but smaller than your typical vine-ripened tomato- are sliced in half to expose the flesh and seeds and spread out on a sheet pan over parchment paper with the skin side down, seeds up. The parchment paper is important here to catch all of the juices that will be released; otherwise they will cook onto the pan and go to waste- you want every last drop! The tomatoes are sprinkled with salt and sugar and a generous dose of olive oil. Baked in the oven around 175°C/350°F for about 2 hours. The goal here is to somewhat caramelize the tomatoes, some of the smallest ones will blacken a bit- this is a good thing, and some of the juices will be lingering throughout the somewhat shrivelled tomatoes. But you do not want the tomatoes to dry out, not at all, they should still be nice and wet. Some of the water around the seeds will evaporate and the goodness will reduce along with the sugar, salt and olive oil. This can be done ahead of time and even stored in your fridge for a while.

Beginning Stages...

Step Two: Over medium heat a nice glug of olive oil is poured into the pan along with a clove of garlic- not minced, not even smashed or crushed, just whole. Simmered lightly then added to this is a whole vanilla bean that has been sliced lengthwise (about a half a vanilla bean per serving) followed by about a ¼ cup of the roasted tomatoes. Swivel this around in the pan for a few moments… the faint smell of garlic is soon overwhelmed by an intense waft of vanilla and cooked tomato. The smell of this dish alone is to die for. Add 4-5 torn fresh mint leaves. Boil the fettuccine in salted water until it is cooked al dente, bring the fettuccine to the pan of simmering tomatoes, garlic, mint and vanilla along with the dripping pasta water. Spike the pan with more olive oil and toss the whole together, being sure to coat every last crevice of pasta, the sauce will thicken as the fettuccine is strung through the sauce. Using a rasp (a fine grater) grate about 2-3 tablespoons of pecorino cheese over the fettuccine, toss one last time. Twirl the fettuccine in all of its glory into large warm bowls, top with a little more pecorino and serve immediately. Don’t toss the pan in the sink, if you have a chunk of bread, be sure to soak it up quickly and eat before you guests see- it is the moment you have been waiting for.

Simmering away..
just before adding mint and pasta

This dish is quite rich so I suggest serving it in small portions before a main course, or just as a decadent treat for yourself. It is the ultimate comfort food. Be sure to master it before you serve it to loved ones, this is what I plan on doing anyways.

FORNO

Forno in English means oven and it is also what is referred to in Italy as a bakery. I love this style of bakery. The bread is baked in HUGE pieces- dense country loaves, slabs of soft and airy yet slightly crunchy foccacia, with out without tomato, and a small array of Panini/small bread= buns. You order your bread over the counter and they cut off the size of bread which you desire and the price is determined by weight. Here in Acuto at the Forno the bread is simply wrapped in newsprint. I think this is a great system, you can buy enough bread for one sitting, for a couple days, a week, whatever suits your fancy. The Forno in Acuto also acts as a small grocer so you can buy freshly sliced prosciutto and other meats, fresh cheeses including balls of fresh mozzarella, even a few fresh pastries. Today I bought 2 generous pieces of foccacia Bianca (no tomato), 4 large slices of Proscuitto, a large ball of fresh mozza and 500ml of purreed tomato’s for €6. The Mozza itself was €3.15- a splurge that was well worth it.

 I was intrigued by this particular mozzarella... it is usually stored in its watery brine in a plastic bag. This mozza was in separate thick paper bags which were all submerged in the same watery brine bath. So when you ordered one the extra water was shaken off then the wet paper bag was put into a plastic bag. This trick ensured that the cheese does not absorb too much water and become watered down- it works wonderfully. This mozza was more dense than the other fresh mozzarella I have had here. And trust me- I’ve made my rounds. I can’t say it was significantly better but the texture was recognizably different. Oh wow I love this cheese, I seriously can NOT get enough of it. I try to ration it, but when I know it’s in my fridge the temptation is far too strong. I love the way it somewhat peels apart, I love it’s mild yet obvious flavours, I love it with tomato, I love it with basil, I love it on bread, I love it with this olive oil, I love it cold, I love it hot and melty, I could just take a huge bite out of it like an apple. I will do that before I leave this country- eat fresh mozzarella like an apple.

The Fruit and Vegetable market in town is great as well, you can get most fruit and veg that you would get in your run of the mill grocer in North America. However, most of the fruit and veg is grown locally and the selection also includes the Italian favourites- artichokes, broccolini, chicory, cactus fruit (not sure of the correct name), things like this. Today I bought 3 tomatoes, a local navel orange, a huge pear and a lemon for €1.50.

I Love Chocolate!

This Pic is for you Mom!

About a month supply of Baci...

 We went to Perugia, Home of the famous Baci Chocolate, which means Kiss. It is a couple hours North of Rome, population 160,000. It is a beautiful place with the centre of the city elevated to overlook other parts of the city and rolling hills; I have been told it is comparable to Tuscany.

I was asked on Saturday if I would like to come to a chocolate festival. There is no way I could ever say no to such an offer; so Monday morning we took off for Perugia to take part in this marvellous celebration.

Streets flooded with vendors
and chocolate lovers

The centre of the city was covered in chocolate vendors from all over the world. Some had free samples, some had demonstrations and games, others just sold there goodies to the public. The Lindtt tent had a taste-test game, if you won, you got a free full-sized chocolate bar. Us cooks were up for the challenge, and 2 out of 3 of us won a bar. Needless to say the one who failed never heard the end of it for the rest of the day. The bar I got for winning is one of Lindtt’s newest creations and it didn’t last long. It’s dark chocolate with a sprinkle of caramel pieces and salt. Yum. The caramel wasn’t overly rich or sweet and had a pleasant crunch too it. Just enough salt is dusted over to enjoy a sweet and slightly savoury taste over dark chocolate - that I would imagine was around 70% which is not very bitter.

Cute- Cheese and Salami Chocolate

I should have bought the Scotch Bonnet and Rum!

I tried a piece of dark chocolate from Venezuela, it was intensely bitter at first, it made my mouth salivate it was so bitter. This was very intriguing to me so I continued and by the last bite the flavour had nicely settled and somewhat rounded out. The milk chocolate from Venezuela was delicious… since the chocolate itself was so bitter the added milk made it perfect and not too sweet for my palate.

There was also a stand with Mexican chocolate, here they offered us: a roasted cocoa bean which they dipped in a fresh lime and then in cocoa powder. This was very interesting in flavour. It was crunchy and slightly smoky tasting from being roasted and the lime and cocoa powder made for great seasoning and balance.

Brut was intriguing to me...

The best investment I made this day was chocolate covered coffee beans. These are not unheard of, you can get them at most bulk food stores but I just love them. The beans are roasted and crunchy and the chocolate so creamy. I got a mixed pack of white, milk and dark- the dark is the best.

Cocoa pod and roasted cocoa beans

Not every flavour I had at the chocolate festival was satisfying, one of the samples was a VERY sweet cherry covered in dark chocolate. It was just gross. I have also never been a fan of orange and chocolate. I tried a piece of this at Lindtt, orange and pistachio- another new one- I thought maybe with the pistachio I would enjoy the orange. But no, the orange is far too overpowering for me and the flavour of it stuck with me for too long. However, if you are into orange chocolate this might be a different story for you.

Centre Square

As much as I enjoyed the chocolate festival and admiring the interesting chocolates the vendors were selling, I would love to see Perugia without the streets being flooded with tents and Disney-like advertisements. I will go back one day and sit in the square to enjoy a Baci!

Side streets of Perugia

Caprese Salad

Caprese in Perugia. Best.

I LOVE Caprese Salad for 5 reasons:
Fresh Mozzarella Cheese, Sliced Tomatoes, Fresh Basil, Olive Oil, Salt.
All of the above were made to be paired with each other. And yes, I do believe that each of those ingredients deserves to be capitalized, that’s just how good they are.

Fresh Mozzarella in Italy, I have learned, is much better than any of the junk you can buy at the grocery store in Canada- unless you are shopping at a very pricey place and the imports are legit. It’s better simply because it’s slightly seasoned and it’s not watered down. I look for any excuse to eat a ball of this cheese, a caprese being my first choice of course but several foods work very well as a vessel in which to eat it. Like this one...

A Quick Lunch..
Hot garlic-ized carrots with salumi, foccacia and Fresh Mozzarella.

 The flavours of a caprese are perfectly complimentary- the sweetness and acid of the tomatoes perfectly compliment and pair with the mild richness of the mozzarella. The basil provides the perfect addition of liquoricey and green-leaf flavour. While the olive oil brings out the earthiness and tang needed to satisfy every corner of your palate. Of course a couple pinches of salt brings the Caprese family together.

I finally had my beloved Caprese while visiting Perugia, at the cutest little family run restaurant. We were greeted by a little lady in an apron as she rushed around to bring us menus and the other tables their food. A few moments later her husband appeared to take care of the front of house while she remained in the kitchen- yet still running the food to tables and chatting with the customers.

Roberto post lunch..
Found this gem on a side street in downtown Perugia

Thinking:
"F*ck off with the Camera! I'm trying to eat this cheese!"

 This Caprese was slightly different; there was no basil on it! I couldn’t help but be disappointed until I took my first bite. The tomatoes had a light sprinkle of dried oregano which complimented the tomatoes and cheese alike. The mozzarella in this caprese in particular was the star. It was a gigantic piece of cheese, but I must say I loved the ratio…I was able to enjoy a big bite of cheese with each tomato.

Didn't stand a chance...