COOKING with character Culinary highway to Italy

It has been a while since my article on the Italian Regional Cuisines was published and lot of updates has occurred to be reported to my beloved readers. Recently, I have gained access to the travel videos of Rick Steves in Europe (35 Gigabytes, .avi, .mkv and .vob formats) and these have enriched my understanding of the two leading cuisines of Europe: Italian and French cuisines.

In one episode, on Italy’s Great Hill Towns, Rick Steves was visiting Cortona (Florence), the local guide said that “but all over Italy, it is like this; divided by every hill, by every valley, there is another culture and so we have many Italys”. This has given me a much better understanding of what Italian cuisine is all about; that it is the sum of all its parts, its regional cuisines.

The best way to be acquainted with Italian cuisine is to travel to Italy and your favorite food columnist was fortunate enough to tour Italy, excuse me, as a tourist and not, as many Filipinos in Italy, as an OFW. Hopefully, you go beyond the panini (sandwiches), insalate (salads) and pizza. Travel is expensive and if you are not rich, you better have rich friends or your credit card will be hopelessly in credit for a long time.

Alternate route to Italian food is to have Italian friends and again, medyo swerte ta, because we have friends like the Italian couple, Glauco and Joan Muzzi, proprietors of Il Ducato Trading, Inc. (Pelaez Bldg. A.S. Fortuna St., Bakilid, Mandaue City, phone +6332-3453368 and fax +6332-3460710), importers and wholesalers of Italian delicatessens to restaurants and hotels in Cebu and the Visayas region. When I find the urge for some affettati misti (assortment of cold cuts), formaggio (cheese), liquors and wines, it is a bee-line to this establishment.

Last March 12, Glauco and Joan opened the Antica Osteria Inc. (STC Bldg., Paseo Saturnino, Ma. Luisa Rd., Banilad, phone 4161355) to cater to the retail market. Cocktails were served and we sampled Italian dishes like Erbazzone (pie with spinach, Parmesan, egg and onions), Salame Milano, Breadsticks with Parma Ham, Parmigiano Reggiano 24 months old and Carciofata, a pie with artichokes and bacon.

Glauco Muzzi hails from Parma and its cuisine is grouped under the La Cucina Dell’Emilia Romagna. This region is the source of many ingredients including Parmigiano Reggiano, Prosciutto di Parma, Bologna (also known as Mortadella di Bologna), Lambrusco, Culatello (pig’s rump muscle) and “they are known to be masters at making fresh pasta”. All these wonderful Italian goodies are now available at Antica Osteria.

In another food tasting hosted by the Muzzi couple, select members of the media were invited to taste dishes made with these fresh pastas like the Caramelle al Prosciutto (my favorite), Tortellini al Tartufo Nero and Gramigna con Ragdu di Salciccia (Pasta with Sausage Sauce).

More dishes were served like the Vitelleo Tonnato (veal in tuna sauce with capers, anchovies, parsley, olive oil, boiled egg yolks) and a personal favorite of my friend Glauco, Patate in Tecia (potatoes with bacon and onions) because his loving mother prepared it for the family.

Dessert was Strudel di Melle and throughout the dinner, wines were served including an after-dinner drink, the Christ Birnenbrand Acquavite di Pere (William Christ pear brandy) quiet mild, ahem, at 80 percent proof.