As you may have read in our last blog entry, Piping For The Soldiers, we love to travel as a family and feel that it is one of the most important experiences that we can give to our children.  Our trip to see the beaches of Normandy really got us thinking about our place in the world and reminded us of an extraordinary experience we had on a family trip to Italy.

A few years ago, actually ten, The Bosca family was spending a spring vacation in Florence, Italy (definitely a family favorite)!  Mario and Nicholas were 6 and 3   respectively and we were enjoying a fun filled visit full of weapon museums for Nicholas and Ferrari stores for Mario.  To Chris and I it was a time of feeling a bit strange to be Americans out in the world.  To many Europeans, Americans were not very popular and we wondered what people were thinking or feeling about having us there.  We found ourselves wondering where we really fit in and how the image of Americans was changing.  It was a wonderful trip with an undertone of uncertainty.

After a day of comparative gelato-ing  (a family expression), seeing cool stuff in the Bargello, walking through the Central Market, having more gelato, eating Panini on the curb in the Piazza Signoria, playing some soccer in the piazza with some Italian students, and having a short rest, we went to a favorite Pizzaria down the street from our apartment.

Upon entering it was clear that we were the only Americans dinning there that night.  We were seated and Chris and I had a delicious Chianti and the boys were feeling very lucky to have been able to order their favorite Fantas.  Now I will say here that our darling children are not absolutely perfect as their grandparents might tell you, but they do have very nice table manners and they know how to act in an adult situation.  We were talking and laughing amongst ourselves but I was a little uncomfortable due to the man a few tables over who was watching us very closely.  I tried to ignore him the best I could but I felt his eyes on us as I ate my way through my gorgonzola pizza.  Chris, Mario, and Nicholas all became aware of his stares and we could not figure out what we were doing that was causing him to watch our every move.

At the end of his dinner, the gentleman approached out table.  He was elderly and dignified looking, and he was accompanied by what looked to be his grandson.  He asked us if we were Americans.  We had already been feeling defensive, so we answered yes with some hesitation.    He spoke in English, perfect but heavily accented with French.   He said:

“thank you for being Americans, and for all that America has done for the world in the past, all that you are doing at the present, and all that you will do in the future.”

I was so stunned I could not answer.  How I wish that I could go back and tell him how much I appreciated his words.  He quietly left us with our jaws on the floor.  I felt such strong emotions.  Of course we cannot always know that what we, as a nation, are doing is correct, and will have the best influence on the course of history, and many times we may do the wrong thing.  But we do stand for our values, often with courage and bravery.

Knowing what is really right and wrong in the world today seems to be more complicated and less black and white to me all the time.  This man’s viewpoint was very clear and very passionate.   It was born out of his personal experience in WWII.   He made us feel both humble and proud at the same time.   We can’t go back in time, but today we would like to thank this man, and the French for remembering.

Vin Santo is a desert wine served with Biscotti Di Prato.  Biscotti are very hard – dip the biscotti into the wine to soften as well as to add flavor- and what a sweet/aromatic flavor it is!

Vin Santo is aged at least 3 years in barrels (traditionally chestnut, but now mostly oak).  This type of wine will keep for several years but it does not really improve with age the way some wines can.  I have kept this unopened bottle (pictured above) for a long time- probably too long, but I can’t bring myself to open it yet.  It is from my very good friend Valerio.  I have known Valerio for more that 25 years now.  He is a leather accessories maker who does work for Bosca as well as for the big European luxury brands- making the most beautiful wallets on earth.  Valerio’s father was a wine maker for the Antinori Vineyard.  On his own land in Tuscany he grew Sangiovese grapes for Chianti and Trebbiano grapes for Vin Santo, and there he made his own wine in his spare time.

This dedication to one’s work – where vocation and avocation intermingle with the mid-day meal , slow winter afternoons when the vines have been pruned and the fall’s pressing are fermenting is so classically Italian.  I want to put it in a bottle and save it for all future generations.  Saving this bottle, gifted to be many years ago by Valerio, is my way of doing that.

Like his father with wine, Valerio is an artisan who puts his heart and soul into his work.

Now I indulge by dipping my biscotti into a glass of Vin Santo from I Veroni or Colle Bereto.  I am fortunate to have two great friends from both these vineyards.  Luca and Bernardo are masters of their craft;  both put themselves into their work just as Valerio’s father did.

Bosca is about “Italian Design, American Functionality.”  With our daily work we are tapping into this life of the artisan and bringing it home to America.  Whether it is through food, wine, leather, or travel, we hope that you will enjoy life in a creative, original way in 2012.

He would ride around the kitchen on my back in a little baby-backpack while I cooked… the making of the biscotti always seemed extra special for him. This very same son, who is now 6′ 2″, still asks me when we are going to make the Christmas biscotti. I love that. Even though there is no association with biscotti and the holidays in Italy, for me there always will be.

Making them is easy. You don’t have to be a real baker for success. This recipe is for the genuine and historically correct article and are very different from the Americanized version that are widely available now in many coffee shops. These biscotti are hard- really hard. They are always served with a sweet desert wine like Vin Santo or Aleatico so that they can be moistened before enjoying.

BISCOTTI DI PRATO (adapted from a recipe of Giuliano Bugialli*)

• 2 oz  blanched almonds
• 6 oz  unblanched almonds
• 4 cups unbleached flour (just get rid of all the bleached flour in your house)
• 2 cups sugar
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of saffron (but don’t be too stingy here)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 egg white beaten (for glazing the cookies)

Toast all the almonds in a 375 oven for 15 minutes. Combine 1 oz of each of the blanched and unblanched almonds and grind these finely. Chop the balance of the almonds into coarse pieces. Combine the remaining ingredients, adding the flour slowly. Knead for 10-15 minutes. Add all of the almonds and knead for another 2-4 minutes. Divide the dough into 8 equal parts. Roll the parts into logs that are about ¾ inch in diameter. Brush the dough with egg white. Bake for 20 minutes at 375. Remove and slice at 45 degree angles into pieces that are about 1-2” long. Bake for an additional 35-40 minutes at 275. The biscotti will be very dry and hard, and this is correct.

STORAGE; Wait until they are fully cooled before you store them. Keep them in a air-tight container.

TO ENJOY; I recommend the tradition Italian pairing of biscotti with some Vin Santo. Dip to moisten and then consume.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS.

*FOOTNOTE; For those of you who are not familiar with Giuliano Bugialli, he was a ‘Celebrity Chef’ before the term was coined…(at least in my family). He is widely known for his knowledge about the histories of the Italian traditions. Bugialli not only provides direction for some amazingly delicious traditional Italian fare but the background of the regional specialties being prepared.

Stop- don’t leave- don’t stop reading!!  It’s not crazy- I promise (and it is certainly not a made up recipe just to find reasons for you to order more of our Bosca Tuscan Olio Nuovo- Olive oil pressed in the month of November from one vineyard in Tuscany and rushed here in first class seats… (OK- I did make up that last part)).

I know that it sounds weird. It is weird. Even in Italy it is anachronistic, but it is a real thing from the Rome area.

First, Popovers…

If you have not had these you have missed one of life’s great eating experiences.  Popovers rise magically in the oven, with a golden brown top, and a consistency that brings to mind pudding, but is really in the bread zone. Add butter and a bit of jam– STRAWBERRY is the best, but take your pick.

Ingredients & Directions;

• 1 C flour

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1 C milk

• 2 eggs

In a bowl, beat all ingredients together gently with a fork or hand rotary mixer. Beat JUST until mixed. Too much will reduce volume. Fill greased custard cups 1/2 full. Bake at 425 for 20 min then reduce heat to 350 and bake for 15 more minutes.

Super Easy!

Now the Oranges…

With a sharp knife cut the top and bottom to expose the fruit, and then carefully slice off the rest of the skin. Slice the orange in to thin-ish slices. Arrange them as artfully as you can (you can probably do better than I) on a plate or platter and drizzle with olive oil and grind some fresh black pepper over the fruit.

That’s it.

Use really good oil that will stand up to the strong taste of the oranges, but don’t worry- the round, smooth taste/texture of the oil and the bright, acidy flavor of the oranges really do work together.

I promise you won’t be disappointed when you try it!

We usually get a very early start for the tannery, leaving by train before the sun has yet to rise. We look at every skin individually; grading according to color, finish, tannage, etc.

The inspection process is physical– meaning long days of looking over skins, moving them onto different pallets for grades 1, 2, and 3…just the thing to work up a proper appetite. And since it’s always more fun to do each with a partner, I was lucky to have my wife accompany me this time around!

One of our favorite places to dine, La Posta has been a Bosca food-staple for years and years. Even when my wife started to travel to Italy on her own– at first for Language school many years ago–I suggested that La Posta was the perfect place to catch a light meal on a regular basis and feel at home every time.

Linguini Con Vongole (linguini pasta with clams) became her favorite dish, and Courtney became a favorite of the owner Sr. Vincenzo and a waiter by the name of Simone. Simone continues to take care of us. He likes me fine, but his eyes light up when he sees Court. He knows immediately that she has come for her fix of Linguini con Vongle, or as Simone says “Ah Signora- Vongola!” It is not even a question, “Vongola” is understood! So to keep my wife happy, (and not running off to Italy in search of one of her favorites), I prepare it for her every now and again.  Last night, being one of those nights. We were snuggled up in front of a movie, eating a huge plate of Vongole, savoring every last bite on our plates.

When our oldest son and his friend came home from the high school football, we decided to play nice and warm up what was left.   The boys were silent as they ate–their expressions said it all- the Vongole was a huge hit!

This is my recipe but, I think, very much like the dish served at La Posta.

Here is how we did it.

• 2 cloves of garlic (I buy local, organic garlic-it really is better.) You might like three cloves of garlic but try it this way first- you don’t want to overwhelm the delicate taste of the clams.
• 3-4 Tbsp. chopped parsley (flat leaf is the official line, though I like both flat and curly and often prefer curly).
• Olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan (This is a good place to use really good Tuscan oil like the Bosca oil we offer.  The oil is a key co-star in the taste of this dish.)
• Coarse salt- don’t be shy about it- 2 tsp at least
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• A tiny bit of dried basil if you feel like it. It’s not necessary in my opinion, but you will see it is in other recipes.
• 24 small to medium clams*
• 1 pound dry linguini shaped pasta
• 1 shallot
• ½ cup good white wine (remember- if you wouldn’t want to drink it you shouldn’t cook with it!)

Follow these steps:

1. Heat the oil gently. Smash one clove of garlic with the side of a chef’s knife and heat in the oil until soft. Crush it is bit more with a fork, and then remove.
2. Chop the other clove and the shallot finely and heat in the oil- careful not to burn the garlic!
3. Add in most of the chopped parsley, the salt, and the red pepper flakes.   Cook for about a minute
4. Add in the wine and the clams. Cover and cook for seven minutes.**
5. Move the clams around a couple of times so that they are bathed in the liquid.
6. Remove the clams when they pop open.
7. Remove the meat from about a third of the shells.
8.  Cook the pasta al dente and drain.
9. Add the pasta into the saucepan and toss.
10.  Serve with tongs into warmed shallow bowls. Placing a few of the loose clams in each bowl along with all of the clams that remain in their shells.  Check in each bowl to see that there is a bit of liquid in the bottom. There should be just a bit- but not swimming in liquid. Spoon in a little extra if need be.
11.  Toss a bit of the remaining parsley over the top of each dish.  Very little is needed, but gives the plate a nice little pop of color.
12. This dish does not need any grated parmesan or other embellishment. We usually eat this as our main course- even when we are in Italy and it is considered a prima piatta but it is very nice followed by a simple grilled fish.

*Clams- even farm raised ones, are dirty and sandy. You really need to scrub them with a brush and clean water, and then soak them for about an hour in salted water to draw out any other sand in the clams.

**I made the sauce in my new favorite saucepan- a birthday present from my wife.  It is a 3 ½ quart braiser by Le Creuset. It is enameled cast iron.  Everyone has seen these things in stores, but if you have not cooked with one- ya gotta try it. They are amazing.

Olio Nuovo, or “new” oil is just that- the olives are picked, sorted, placed in brine, and pressed.  That’s it- just as soon as it has been pressed it is Olio Nuovo.

What is so great about Olio Nuovo? Olio Nuovo is the air, gray spring rain, new green shoots, the summer, the long slanted rays of a late day in the fall, hay,  grass, and stone all in one bottle. On a practical level the Olio Nuovo is piquant-  peppery, actually. It has a bit of a bite; This is just the start of your addiction.

To make a proper Fettunta, you’ll need:

•  Slices of good white peasant or “Italian” bread.
• 1-2 cloves of fresh garlic.  (This really needs to be fresh)
• Coarse salt
• Newly pressed extra-virgin olive oil (ahem… think Bosca…)

Directions:

1. Slice your bread in thick pieces-  about  1/3 to ½ inches thick.
2. Toast the bread lightly. Many recipes say to “toast to a golden brown” etc. Admittedly “golden brown” sounds good- especially for breakfast in my experience, however,  Fettunta is lightly toasted.
   The toasting is best done over a wood fire if possible. Here is a case where the wood fire really does impart a detectable flavor. Plus it is fun if you can do it. Don’t let it stop you if you don’t have a wood fire though- use the broiler. Set the rack about 6-8 inches from the heat source so that the toasting occurs gently.
3. Rub one (toasted) side thoroughly with garlic.
4. Brush with oil and sprinkle with salt.  After that… my advice is to simply enjoy the fragrance of this food as much as the taste in your mouth. It can make your senses swirl and dance. Really. Bread, garlic, oil, and salt. That’s it.

SPECIAL NOTES: If you are toasting the bread in the broiler toast both sides of the bread lightly and remove. If you are toasting over a wood fire toast one side, rub this side with garlic and oil, then toast the other side. This accomplishes heating the garlic and oil slightly.
The taste of all olive oil varies greatly depending on its origin. Tuscany is famously one of the best regions in all the world. Oil from this region has a distinctive and strong taste, which is even more pronounced when the oil is new. The strong tastes of Olio Nuovo all mellow and soften with time. After about three months the oil is no longer “Olio Nuovo.”

I have not read this in any other book, but I always put the toast back on the heat very briefly. Here I have to emphasize that this needs to be very quick. I like for the heat to just activate the aroma of the garlic and shift it from a purely fresh and vegetal taste to a taste that hints of having been cooked.

A long long time ago, in a town that little resembles the town that it once was then; I took my wife-to-be on our first date. At that time there were only a few pretty good restaurants in the area and only a couple of very good ones. Our first date was to be a very cute little family owned and run Italian place.

This was when I discovered that one of the foods that was near and dear to my heart (and stomach) had never experienced by my future betrothed NOR was she feeling any deep need or care to try them.

Well that answer just didn’t work for me… she HAD to at least TRY them.

So I ordered.
And she tried.
And then I had to apologize.

You see, as much credit as the little Italian place got for having roasted peppers on the menu, they were not what I had talked them up to be. Without going into specifics, let’s just say that I was nervous that I would never get another chance to introduce Courtney-hail-from-the-meat-and-potatos-midwest-by-way-of British-ancestry to the sensuous and comforting foods of the Italian peninsula…not to mention another date.

The date must have gone well enough because later that summer I had the opportunity to make roasted peppers for her myself.  I still recall meticulously picking out those peppers from a North Market farmer’s stall…slicing and roasting them to perfection…drizzling the plate with the perfect amount of Italian olive oil.

I am happy to report that I was victorious!! Courtney fell head-over-heels in love with those peppers while simultaneously falling in love with me! (Okay, maybe I am ahead of myself there…)

Over the years, this became a signature dish for us as a couple. We served them at summer parties large and small.  Sometimes we would have the peppers as an appetizer, sometimes as an accompaniment to a risotto al’asaparagi or summery lemon pasta- but always with the best olive oil we could find.

To make the peppers do the following:

Get good ripe red peppers.  If you want to add a few yellow peppers for color that would be nice too. (Green peppers simply do not exist for me. They are unripe red peppers. They are not really food yet, so leave them alone.)

Place the peppers on a rack in an oven set to at least 475 degrees. Alternatively you can place them under the broiler on a rack about 8” from the top.  Either way you will want a pan under the peppers to catch any liquid that drips out. The peppers can be done in an outdoor grill too, with good effect.  I say “in” a grill as opposed to on the grill because if you use an outdoor grill you should put them on a rack that is raised, or placed away from the direct heat.

Cooking is not so much by time as by appearance. The skins should be largely darkened- even blackened. This does not mean that there is no red or yellow fruit showing, but these babies need to be cooked.

Turn the peppers a few times to make sure that they are cooked/charred on all sides.  The peppers should be puffed up in the oven but you should find that as soon as you lift them out they will collapse easily. You can test this while they are in the over by poking them gently.  We want them soft but firm enough that they are going to hold together.

When they look right remove them from the oven and put them directly into a large paper bag. Close the bag tightly. This is going to steam them just a bit, and you should find that due to this the skins will come off easily.

When they are cooled enough that you can handle them easily remove the skins with you hands. Most of the skin should, and needs to, come off but I have never made a fuss if a little bit of the skin sticks. This is your call.

Now cut a little circle around the stem at the top and scoop out the seeds. At this point I usually slice the peppers into about three equal sized parts. You can vary this depending on their use. Long thin slices make a pretty ingredient in a salad, or meat dish. For serving roast peppers as an antipasto I like three equal parts.