Theresa Perenich

An Italian Cooking Festival

by Theresa Perenich

Puffs of soft, fluffy clouds caressed my mouth. The tiramisu flowed down my throat like liquid silk. My friends stared as I licked my lips. Reluctantly, I offered a sliver to Ann, Dan and Phil. Immediately, they ordered their own. I knew I should have started lunch with dessert. We were in the mountain village of Villa Santa Maria in Abruzzo, Italy on the last day of the three day Festival of the Cooks (Sagra dei Cuochi). Each October hundreds of world famous cooks descend upon the cooking institute, Instituto Professionale Alberghiero di Stato, Marchitelli to create culinary masterpieces that compete for prestigious awards.

The Abruzzo region in central Italy stretches from the Apennine Mountains to the Adriatic Sea. Rare Apennine wolves and the endangered Marisican brown bear inhabit ancient forests that have been designated as national nature reserves. The region is blanketed with vast national parks. Indeed, over one-third of the territory is environmentally protected.

Abruzzo is a province that still clings to age-old traditions and superstitions. The culture of the land is reflected in its distinctive cuisine – hearty, earthy dishes infused with aromatic herbs and spices.

Saffron and hot peppers are used liberally. Roasted and grilled meats, particularly lamb and boar are found on menus throughout the mountain towns. The seaside villages along the Adriatic Sea feature a spicy seafood stew, brodetto. The region is known for its maccheroni alla chitarra, square spaghetti that is made on a wooden box strung with steel or plastic wires like a guitar and served with a meat ragú.

From our agriturismo (working vineyard and farm), La Capezzangna, near Pescara on the Adriatic Coast, we sampled the foods of Abruzzo and explored its villages and countryside.

According to an ancient chronicle, Villa Santa Maria originated in 828 with the construction of the Sanctuary of the Madonna in Basilico. In the 14th century, the town was burned down because it rebelled against its feudal lords. It was later rebuilt and was ruled by the Caracciolo princes.

With less than 1500 inhabitants, Villa Santa Maria sits in the arms of a craggy rock formation, La Penna. The village extends into the shallow floodplain of the River Sangro that empties into the Adriatic Sea, 30 miles away.

Rugged, vertical cliffs forced the town’s early residents to build their stone houses and domed medieval church into and around the jagged obstacles. Houses jut out of the cliffs at odd angles into narrow, steep, passageways.

On Via Roma, the rocky, main street of Villa Santa Maria, booths displaying Abruzzo’s regional products – necklaces of salami, rounds of cheeses, aged prosciutto and herb infused sausages – lined the street. Aromas of garlic, fish, and spices drifted towards us from tents with tables that sagged under huge caldrons of food.

Chefs in tall white hats dished out garlicky fish soup, rosemary scented pastas, and spicy stews to the crowd waiting in lines. “Manga, manga (eat),” they yelled. The customers laughed, joked with the chefs and took their plates overflowing with food to tables and benches nearby.

A statue of San Francesco Caracciolo, the patron saint of Villa Santa Maria and protector of Italian cooks stands near the Church of San Nicola in Villa Santa Maria.

According to one legend, in the 16th century, wishing to escape the summer’s heat, Francesco Caracciolo, a cook from Naples, settled in Villa Santa Maria. He brought with him a love of cooking and a custom of the Neopolitan nobility – a cooking competition that has continued here for four centuries.

Another story claims that the culinary tradition of Villa Santa Maria started in 1560 when Lord Ferrante Caracciolo organized the first cooking school in his castle. He learned the secrets of good cuisine during his travels to Florence and taught these to the youths of the area. By the 1800s, cooks from Villa Santa Maria worked for royal families throughout Europe and now are found in restaurants worldwide.

It was late afternoon and throngs of people vied for vantage points along Villa Roma from which to watch the grand finale, the parade of the chefs. We were wedged in between families with children perched on their shoulders and teenagers in tight jeans.

Chefs and their assistants emerged from the culinary institute clutching pallets holding their creations. Promenading slowly down the street, they carried tray and platters filled with appetizers shaped into roses, tulips, plants and trees.

The crowd cheered as a reproduction of St. Peter’s Basilica in white cream, its dome lighted by candles, passed by. Applause followed a white and dark chocolate replica of the Coliseum.

Food was sculpted into medieval castles, ponds with swans and villages with bell towers. Peppers, tomatoes, cheeses and eggs were fashioned into birds, frogs and ducks. An ocean scene replete with carved lobsters, clams, squid, and fish floated by.

A section of Via Roma had been transformed into a massive outdoor buffet almost a half a mile long. Music filled the air as the chefs made their way to the buffet tables assembled under a white canopy. Gently placing their masterpieces on the tables, the cooks bowed to the applause of the crowd.

Lines of people, waiting to taste the chefs’ creations, formed at the entrance to the buffet. The cooks and their assistants stood behind the tables, knives and forks in hand; ready to serve pieces of their masterpieces to the guests.

As St. Peter’s Basilica was being carved into slices, my friends and I decided to leave. We wanted to remember the culinary works of art in their entire splendor.

On our way out of Villa Santa Maria, Ann, said, “I don’t know how any of those desserts could top the tiramisu we had earlier.” “Let’s come back next October and see,” I said. “Only if we stop and get some tiramisu first,” my friends responded.

About the author:

This week Traveling Tales welcomes freelance travel writer Theresa Perenich who makes her home in Athens, Georgia, USA.

About the photos:
1: The village of Villa Santa Maria.
2: Culinary masters on parade.
3: A pastry model of the Vittorio Immanuel monument in Rome.

Escape into California Wine Country

Story and photos by Theresa Perenich

“Are you really cruising the wine country in California?” asked one of our Georgia friends. “Yes,” said my partner Phil. “We’re going on a three day Culture of the Vine cruise with Cruise West. The ship embarks from Redwood City, California, sails across San Francisco Bay and docks a few miles up the Napa River the next morning. We’ll use the ship as our base, touring various Napa and Sonoma Valley wineries for two days.”

Knowing only that Redwood City was in California, I checked the map and found it was 25 miles south of San Francisco. On our ship, The Spirit of Yorktown, we worked our way north to San Francisco Bay where the Golden Gate Bridge was our backdrop. After a safety meeting, we and 100 other wine loving passengers drank sparkling wine and ate appetizers as we left Redwood City.

Later that evening, our on board wine expert, Allan Bree, discussed “di-mystifying wine”, vineyard practices and winemaking techniques in Napa and Sonoma. The Roman classical poet Ovid said, “Time, motion and wine cause sleep.” Content with wine, dinner, and companionship, we strolled to our cabin anticipating the next day’s visit to the Napa Valley wineries. We slept well. By early the next morning, we had reached the Napa River and were greeted in the lounge with freshly baked cranberry scones and fruit. We were ready to visit Alpha Omega and Merryvale Wineries in the Napa Valley.

Settled in 1836, Napa Valley includes the towns of Calistoga, St. Helena, Rutherford, Oakville, Yountville and the city of Napa. The first commercial winery was established in St. Helena by Charles Krug in 1861. Inglenook launched its winery near Rutherford in 1879 and won a gold medal in the 1889 Paris World’s Fair. At the start of the 20th century, there were over 140 wineries in Napa Valley while now there are over 700.

The winemakers at Alpha Omega Winery source their grapes from vineyards in the Napa Valley. Its founders, Robin Baggett and Eric Sklar, envisioned a winery that would evoke the hospitality of the farming community. The winemaking team includes Jean Hoefliger, a Swiss-born winemaker and Michael Rolland, a renowned wine consultant who produces his own wines in Bordeaux. At the winery, south of St. Helena, we sampled Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Cabernet. Trying not to stagger, we re-boarded our bus for the next stop – lunch at the Napa Valley Campus of the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) located at Greystone Cellars.

Built in 1888, Greystone is the largest stone winery in the world with 22 inch exterior walls of tufa (rough, thick, rock-like calcium carbonate deposit) stone. Christian Brothers made wine there from 1950 until 1989. The CIA has occupied Greystone Cellars since 1995.

Our lunch on the CIA’s Herb Terrace began with butternut squash soup, followed by grilled flank steak and ended with an apple tart piled with ice cream. Phil and I were ready for a nap, but another tasting was waiting for us at Merryvale, the first winery built in Napa following the repeal of prohibition in 1933. Merryvale, a family owned winery, produces 10,000 cases of wine annually. Its goal is to craft elegant, complex wines that reflect the fruit of Napa Valley’s vineyards, emphasizing quality over quantity. After tasting Merryvale’s Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay we strolled to the Cask Room where century-old 2000 gallon casks lined the stone walls, imparting a romantic setting to the room. Back on the Spirit of Yorktown, Allan’s evening program was devoted to “Reading Wine Labels.” We learned the “hows” of wine and the manner in which soil, climate, and grape variety give wines a distinctive personality. We were primed for the next day’s adventure in the Sonoma Valley.

A clear, sunny morning ideal for visiting the birthplace of the California wine industry, the Sonoma Valley greeted us. Called The Valley of the Moon by indigenous tribes who settled there, the 17 mile long valley nestles between the Sonoma Mountains on the west and the Mayacam Mountains on the east. On a tractor-pulled tram we toured the 85 acre Benziger Winery. Thirty of its 85 acres are devoted to gardens, riparian areas, wetlands, and wildlife sanctuaries.

The wine quality at Benziger is defined by its Farming for Flavors™ program challenging growers to use sound environmental techniques to cultivate grapes. Their organic method avoids using synthetic chemicals while the Biodynamic™ program incorporates the environment in and around the vineyard using crop rotation, natural composts and tillage for healthy soil. In Benziger’s tasting room, we sampled Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and Merlot wines returning to the ship for lunch. Our afternoon schedule included sampling sparkling wines at the Domaine Carneros Winery. Established in the late 1980’s by Claude Taittinger, the 195 acre winery uses only Carneros grapes, most of which come from their vineyard. Sitting on a hilltop overlooking the vineyards is the Domaine Carneros chateau, built in 1988 by the French Champagne house Taittinger. With its outdoor stairway, marble floors, light wood paneling, crystal chandelier and portrait of Madame Pompadour, the chateau reminds us of the elegance of an earlier time. In high spirits, we went back to the ship for a social hour followed by the Captain’s Dinner. After a gourmet meal featuring chicken Wellington, shrimp, and Napa and Sonoma wines, we returned to the lounge for port and a dessert extravaganza. Our adventures in Napa and Sonoma had come to an end. While we slept, our ship made its way back south across San Francisco Bay. The next morning we disembarked The Spirit of Yorktown in Redwood City, filled with memories of good wines, good food and good times.

Photos:

1. Merryvale Winery – Napa
2. Sparkling Wines at Caerneros
3. Sonoma-Benziger Winery
4. Napa-AlphaOmega

Tastes of Sicily

by Theresa Perenich

What a surprise! A heavy box arrives in the mail. I thought I ordered a book on the history of sea salt but when I opened the box, it was sea salt from Trapani, Sicily. In September 2010, Phil and I visited Sicily using Palermo and Taormina to explore the surrounding areas, including Trapani.

Roman mosaics, Greek temples and archaeological sites dot the island of Sicily whose history can be traced back over 2000 years, dominated by Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Norman and Spanish. The sun drenched island is filled with fragrant citrus groves, stark granite mountains and magnificent ruins. Sicily’s shores are washed by the Ionian, Mediterranean, and Tyrrhenian Seas.

The Grand Hotel Wagner, named for the composer Richard Wagner who once lived on the street is in the heart of Palermo. Built at the beginning of the 20th century in neo-classical style, Phil and I stayed there while we were in Palermo. Nearby was the Teatro Massimo (Opera House) opened in 1897 with elegant Corinthian columns gracing its entrance. Also within walking distance was the baroque Quarto Canti (Four Corners) Square that has the Piazza Pretoria Fountain. Sandra, our guide told us that when the fountain was unveiled in 1575, the people of Palermo were outraged because thirty naked or near naked figures adorn it and. in time, the fountain became known as the Fountain of Shame.

Monreale is a hilltop town five miles from Palermo, renowned for its Norman cathedral. Built in 1174, the cathedral’s gold detailed mosaics depict scenes from the Old and New Testaments, including Noah’s ark and the life of Christ. The gleaming mosaics, completed in the 12th and 13th centuries, completely cover the cathedral’s interior.

In the evening, Phil and I went to dinner at Taverno Siciliano in Palermo where I chose a Sicilian specialty, Pasta alla Norma. Named for a 19th century opera composed by a Sicilian, Vincenzo Bellini, eggplant portions were combined with a robust, herb infused tomato sauce served with spaghetti. Phil enjoyed his calamari (squid) and a fresh tomato salad. The smooth red Sicilian wine, Nero d’Avola, complemented our dinner and as we walked back to our hotel we were accompanied by warm sea breezes.

On our way to Marsala, located on the western tip of Sicily, we went by the salt pans of Trapani, home of our surprise box of salt. In the middle ages, windmills irrigated and drained the salt lagoons. By the 19th century, an international trade in Sicilian sea salt had developed as the salt’s reputation grew. The salt works continue to produce the salt known for its delicate flavor that is high in iodine and magnesium and low in sodium chloride.

Marsala’s name originated from the Arab “Marsa Allah”, port of Allah. Our guide told us the history of Marsala wine. In the late 1700’s, John Woodhouse, an Englishman, was sailing to Sicily’s southern shore when a violent storm forced the ship to take shelter in Marsala’s port. The crew went into town to dine and at the restaurant Woodhouse was given a sample of Marsala wine. He was so impressed with the wine that he bought vineyards there and started his own company. In 1833, Vincenzo Florio, a Sicilian, began exporting Marsala throughout the world.

We chose Cucina Papoff for dinner on our last evening in Palermo. Named for its Bulgarian founder, the restaurant is housed in an 18th century building with high stone walls and graceful arches, offering Sicilian dishes of stuffed rice balls and rabbit in wine. We were less adventuresome, choosing caponata, an olive based Sicilian specialty of eggplant, capers and celery tossed with tomatoes. The food was flavorsome and our usual bottle of Nero d’Avola wine appeared at the table.

Situated on a bluff above the Ionian Sea is Taormina, known as the “Jewel of Italy”. Visible in the distance is Mount Etna, Europe’s largest active volcano. Phil and I stayed at the Grand Hotel Timeo for four nights, enjoying the view from our balcony of the third century Greek Amphitheater (Teatro Greco-Romano) and Mount Etna looming in the distance.

Syracuse, located in the southeastern corner of Sicily, was our next stop. Jutting out on the Ionian Sea, Syracuse was the birthplace of the mathematician and engineer Archimedes. For 2700 years, the city was a major power in the Mediterranean world and for a time it rivaled Athens, Greece as the most important city of the Greek world.

In Syracuse we walked to the largest theater in the ancient world, the Greek Theater (Teatro Greco) and to the Ear of Dionysus, an artificial limestone cave recognized for its perfect acoustics. Shaped like a human ear, legend says that Dionysius I of Syracuse used the cave as a prison for political dissidents to eavesdrop on their plans. From Syracuse, we went to Noto.

One of the finest Baroque towns in Italy is Noto, known for its bold, opulent houses, piazzas and churches. In 1693, an earthquake reduced the town to rubble. Restoration began in the late 1800’s and in 1996 Noto was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO. At Noto’s elaborate main square (Piazza Municipio), Phil and I stopped at the Caffe Sicilia for a granita. The flavorful, semi-frozen ice made with sugar, water and flavoring is based on the Arab art of sweetening fruit juices with ice from Mount Etna. Phil had a smooth pistachio and I chose a lemon granita. Refreshed, we returned to Taormina for dinner.

On our last evening in Sicily, we went to La Buca Restaurant for dinner, sitting at the outdoor terrace, with the sea and mountains in the background. Warm sea breezes accompanied our dinner of risotto with seafood and our usual bottle of Nero d’Avola wine.

Back home we use the salt from Trapani regularly to enhance our food and remind us of our Sicilian trip. The wine connoisseur, Andre Simon, said, “Wine makes every meal an occasion, every table more elegant, every day more civilized”. We enjoy the Nero d’Avola wine at home with dinner and friends often recalling Simon’s words.

Photos taken by T. Perenich