Dinner in a Cave

All good barbecues should face the Adriatic Sea...

The scene is quite beautiful: A mid-summer evening, a romantic stroll down some thirty-seven hundred steps (this could be an exaggeration) as the sun lowers its head and the Adriatic sea gently laps into the concrete shore that awaits at the foot of those never-ending stairs.

Saturday last we were invited to Susanna and Stefano’s annual ‘Dinner in the Cave’. This is no ordinary cave either, and for the Australians amongst the readership, it’s more like a boat shed but it’s been carved out of a smaller previously existing cave-like space to become big enough to house a boat, fishing gear, swimming accessories and various other things needed during the summer. The “cave” has been in the family for decades and over the years improvements have been made so that it also contains a kitchen running along one wall complete with two gas-ring burners, an oven, a double porcelain sink with hot and cold running water and the obligatory kitchen cupboards that have curtains instead of doors. The old days saw people walking back up the once-then steep track (now a monsterous set of stairs) to take care of ablusions but now there is also a tiny but servicable bathroom. One completely tiled space with a toilet and vanity one end and a shower head the other. Like a walk-in cubboard but place a toilet and shower in there instead, and your mind should be able to picture this. Oh and there is a light as well so you don’t have to be completely in a cupboard. This also has a curtain rather than a door.

Usually these dinners are full of surprises and the guest list could be quite different from the year before, or not. The menu, however, is usually the same and the real reason I am usually so keen to go. Usually Stefano and an accomplice go diving for mussels off the rocks close to “la grotta” (cave, in Italian) the afternoon of the dinner. Collecting mussels ‘for personal use’ is acceptable up to a certain amount, as there are supposedly strict rules to control over-fishing the Adriatic. Our dinner of ten goes within this limit I’m told, so we’re ethically ok…

Like all modern fairy tales, this year’s ‘Dinner in a Cave’ has a twist. Imagine my surprise (or dismay) when arriving at the foot of the stairs I detect the indistinguishable aroma of heavily garlic-laced sausages. Quickly rearranging my face, I move to greet my hosts and dive into the cave/boatshed/kitchen to see what I can do to help (but really to see what else is on the menu. You saw through that, right?). I’m handed a green-handled sharper-than-sharp knife and too rather menacing looking salami to cut up and arrange on white plastic plates. One salami looks like it’s just come from hell, it looks so hot, and I discover that it’s definitely “piccante” (spicy) but not too hot.

Roberto, in the meantime, has made the same adjustment to his face but instead stays around the barbecue as there is something magnetic that attracts men to these contraptions. He chats for a moment to one of the hosts and another guest outside on the concreted deck, while I make myself busy cutting without slicing my fingers. Roberto can’t resist a kitchen and food prep for too long so he wanders in to take a look into a large deep pan slowly sizzling away. What he sees makes him happy and tells one of the hosts that the “soffritto” looks promising and asks about the first course. She tells him what’s in it and says to wait until he’s tasted it before making any other statements. My nose confuses me because I can’t pick up the usual perfume of carrot, celery and onion frying away but something else.

Rob and Stefano, getting down in the Cave Kitchen

Soon most of the crowd have arrived, save three people and Susanna declares it’s time to teach these people who can’t be on time a lesson. We chat briefly about “Italian time” and I partially agree except in our house I’m usually the one who is running late. Roberto loves being on time, whereas I’m more casual when it comes to a leisure-time event. This evening he’s managed to get me out the door to arrive before 8.00pm, as requested. We start eating and the host instructs someone to continuously call the other three missing guests until we have an answer. One of them has been called away to another town a few hours south of where we are and the other two were supposed to arrive on time to tell us. Nevertheless, the first course (following that spicy salami) proves to be too good to just have one plate.

Susanna tells us that she could smell it cooking a few ‘caves’ down earlier this summer and she ran to find out what was in it. This is it, and if you think it has too many ingredients, hold that thought and make this anyway – it’s fantastic, full of flavor and 100% vegetarian!

Ingredients:

1. sundried tomatoes, chopped – whole garlic cloves, quarterd – oregano (dried or fresh) – capers, rinsed – black olives – pine nuts – extra virgin olive oil
2. fresh cherry tomatoes, quartered – Mature Pecorino chees (grated) – basil leaves (fresh, ripped) – flat leaf parsely (fresh, ripped)
3. Pasta (penne or something to hold the sauce

Method:

Drizzle olive oil in a hot pan and toss in all ingredients in 1, then turn down the heat and let the flavors cook in. Bring a pot of water to the boil, add rock salt (or any salt, adds flavor to the pasta), as water is boiling throw in the pasta and cook to ‘al dente’. Strain the pasta and reserve some of the cooking water, keep hot. Throw pasta into the simmering mixture and turn off the heat (of Pan 1). Mix through. Add all prepared parts from 2, toss to combine and release the basil and parsley aroma. Bring the pan or dish to the table and serve immediately. Keep a lid on it while guests are eating as they will want more!

After this fantastic pasta (Rob went back 3 times, I had it twice), came the grigliata mista (simply: mixed grill). Grilled pork steaks, costellete (ribs), garlic-laced sausages, a huge dish of caponata (eggplant, garlic and tomatoes chopped and cooked down in the oven) and the obligatory backed tomatoes, stuffed with breadcrumbs (and yes, more garlic).

Both meals were accompanied with some tasty Pecorino – a white wine that seems to be flavor of the day at our house recently and a Rosso Conero – our local red wine, grown in the Conero region here in Le Marche.

And the missing guests? One of them arrived after I had got stuck into my second bowl of THE pasta and rob was on his third but we had been a little controlled because there was still some left in the large lidded pot.

Sure, no fish on this particular evening but sometimes the unexpected is pleasantly surprising. The next ‘Dinner in a Cave’ invite might come our way and if it does, I will do my best to accept without expectation.

After Dinner, the bbq and "Le Grotte"

You say Pomodoro… I say Sauce!

Every season has something different to offer. Different weather, customs, traditions maybe and of course, FOOD! My darling and I love getting into the seasonal food side of life over here in Italia and especially love having a store of some of the essential Passata Pomodoro throughout the winter months. This blog is dedicated to the tomato and especially how to get it from a lovely plump ripe fruit to pure unadulterated tomatoey goodness in a glass bottle or jar – without anything added. Interested? Read on and see if you’re tempted.

The first thing you need to do is start either collecting glass jars with good undented lids, or buy bottling jars specific for bottling and preserving fruits. You did know that tomato was a fruit, didn’t you? This is my nephew “Rezza’s” information that he likes to tell people in a Scottish accent, right up close to their faces. I digress. Back to the tomato.

The second thing you need to do is pick or buy as many tomatoes as you would like to have for the season(s) to come sitting on your shelf ready to be made into all sorts of thigns. As a rule of thumb, about 1kg of tomatoes – we buy Roma or Egg but you can do this with almost any tomato – usually yields a bit less than 1 litre of tomato passata. There are two of us in our family and we usually make around 40 to 50 kilos (just under 50 litres) of tomato passata and it lasts us about 12 months. We buy our tomatoes from a farm nearby in season, around August usually – we’re in Italy so your summer time is the time to get busy.

The tomatoes relax a while before their next adventure...

Thirdly, your tomatoes will need to ‘rest’ before the bottling process. Lay a cloth on either a large table or the ground (either in a garage, a cellar or even a spare room) and place the tomatoes in a single layer on the cloth. Leave them for about two to three days. Their skins should relax and become a little thinner and the tomatoes should ripen a little more.

Now use these three days to get your equipment (and processing team) ready. You’ll need at least one burner (a stove top is best but a camp stove would do), two large pots to par-boil the tomatoes, two strainers, two large baking trays (to keep the tomatoes once partially cooked, ready for mincing), some stirring spoons, a slotted spoon, some pairing knives or serrated knives, a sink to dispose of boiling water, some sterilised jars or bottles (and lids), loads of newspaper (I’ll tell you about that later) and a team of aproned-up willing tomato enthusiasts. We usually do it in a team of two to four people – but extra assistants to make the kitchen team a drink is always a good thing.

On day three, collect the tomatoes and give them a good wash and get rid of any mud or dirt. Now using a small pairing knife, cut out the top core of the tomato, but don’t cut out the good flesh, just the green hard bit. Then slice the tomato through the middle to form two halves and check for any black spots and cut them out too, being careful not to lose good red flesh.

In a pan of boiling water, about 10cms deep, place cut tomatoes in batches and let them simmer or just below boil until skins are really soft. Strain this batch, leave to cool in a baking pan and do another until all tomatoes are par-boiled.

Rob minces, the skins going to the left, juice to the right. Two dishes needed!

Meanwhile the team on the “mincing machine” duty will start putting the cooled tomatoes through their paces! Make sure the mincer is fastened to a tabletop so that when you start mincing, it doesn’t move. And I don’t mean when you start walking funny and speaking with an affected lisp!

You can see here that there are two dishes or containers, one on the left catches the tomato skins. The other on the right catches the tomato pulp or passata. After one passing, there is still loads of juice in the skins, and you’ll need to pass them about three or four  times before you’ve extracted all they have to offer. This is important and gives more body to your sauce!

So you have someone cutting and preparing the tomatoes, someone par-boiling, someone mincing, someone shouting “COCKTAILS” (give that person a job or they will be very annoying), and someone filling the pre-sterilised jars. The more tomatoes, the more people… get it?

Sterilising is best done with a dishwasher, being careful NOT TO TOUCH THE INSIDES OF THE JARS OR LIDS when you remove them from the machine. If you don’t have a dishwasher or her name is Nicky, boil jars in a deep pot of water then dry in a low oven (and I don’t mean one that is close to the floor – no! – on about 100 degrees smarty pants!).

When the expert jar-filler is doing their job, they will need to leave the tomatoes unlidded until they’ve cooled a little. If the passata is already cool going in the jars, screw lids on tight straight away. Jars should be filled leaving about 2cms from the top if they are jars. If you’re using bottles, leave about 3cms at the top. This leaves space for expansion during cooking time and prevents exploding tomato all over the place.

Placing a teatowel or cloth on the bottom protects from breakage

Place tightly sealed jar on the newspaper and roll, baby roll!

Now for the preserving part. Take a large pot and place a teatowel or clean cloth on the bottom of the pot. This cushions the jars as they boil. Next is where the newspaper comes in. Take a piece of newspaper and roll and wrap each jar in at least two pieces of broadsheet and place into a big pot. The jars should be jam-packed UPSIDE DOWN in a single layer into the pot with extra newspaper filling the spaces. This is to ensure the jars don’t bump each other and break during the cooking and preserving stage. By putting jars upside down, the passata touching the lid cuts out any air remaining in the jar and preserves the sauce until you choose to open it.

And roll and wrap!

It's a wrap!

Now pour water over the packed-in newspaper-wrapped jars until the water is about 5-10cms above the jars. Place a lid and something heavy on top of the lid and bring to the boil. The pot should boil for approximately 30 minutes. Once the time is up, take the pot off the heat, remove the lid and let it (or them, if you need several smaller pots) cool overnight.

Make sure you reward the team for their efforts with a big barbie or some kind of rustic cookup to fit in with the days’ theme. Given that this method was taught to us by the lovely Alberta Cantori of Osimo, Ancona (Le Marche) in Italy, I suggest a few big jugs of crodino and white martini with orange slices poured into glasses with loads of crushed ice.

The next day, carefully take out each jar and peel off the soggy newspaper, dry off your newborn success stories and store in a cool dry area. Well store some of them, test some also by making either or both of these sauces:

Simple Tomato Sauce (for four people):

1 jar of tomato passata (your new homemade version, 500mls say)
1 red onion, chopped finely
1 garlic clove, chopped finely (more if you really like being stinky!)
Extra virgin olive oil (a generous lug)
Parmigiano or Matured Pecorino cheese, grated (to add before serving or place on the table)

Other ingredient: PASTA (1/2 kg for 4 people, increase depending on number of guests), any kind you like!

Bang in the good oil, chopped onion and garlic and sautè until translucent (or the aroma is released), remove pot from heat and pour in tomato passata (careful, if the pot is still too hot it will spit at you – pour slowly and keep your face shielded!). Put back on the heat and let sauce simmer until it reduces and becomes thicker.

Meanwhile, boil a generous pot of water adding salt when water comes to the boil and throw in pasta. I prefer tortiglioni or something like a penne as it catches the sauce. Cook as directed on the pack, strain water once cooked then throw cooked pasta into the pot with the sauce. Add a handful of grated parmigiano or matured pecorino at this stage OR put it on the table and let the non-cheesy people have a choice.

Typical Sicilian Red Pesto (serves four):

I was first given this recipe by a Russian woman living in Osimo – Miranda (thanks Miranda!). This has become a dish that I’ve wowed lots of people with and it’s so simple, you won’t know why you didn’t think of it before. I’ve only bumped into it in a restaurant once, and it was in Favignana – one of the Egadi Islands off the coast of Sicily. There I learnt that the recipe is actually Sicilian. Get outta here!

2 generous handfuls of fresh basil leaves (don’t even think about using dried, it won’t work!)
12 Almonds, chopped
1 generous handful of matured pecorino cheese (must be a “tart” tasting cheese with pecorino sweetness)
250mls tomato passata
2 cloves of garlic
A generous glug of extra virgin olive oil
Salt / Pepper

Put everything, EXCEPT TOMATO PASSATA, into a food processor and grind flavors together. Add tomato passata and watch sauce turn a kind of brown color. Take the lid off and taste. A pinch or two of salt might be needed, but maybe not, depending on the cheese. This can sit in the fridge, in an airtight jar for up to 24 hours (not more, the garlic becomes to pungent and spoils the rest of the flavors). I prefer to make it in the morning if I’m having guests for lunch that day. If you’re about to cook the pasta, first put half the sauce in a room-temperature or even warmed serving bowl and set aside, waiting for the cooked pasta.

Now cook your pasta, following timing on the pack. I prefer, again, a short tube pasta that catches the sauce. Strain water from the cooked pasta, keeping some of the strained liquid to add back to the serving dish. Tip hot pasta over room-temperature sauce (this is not a sauce to cook, good for summer days and evenings), then the rest of the sauce and a few tablespoons of the cooking liquid. Toss and ensure that it’s a little liquid because it gets absorbed as the flavors come together waiting on the table. Place a lid on the dish and take to the table. After a few minutes the flavours should be infused through the pasta. Serve with a chilled red or a gutsy dry red. It can take either.

We’d love your comments! Here at “Hotel Polverini da Osimo” we love hearing how our news is received and especially how recipes turn out. Let us know – subscribe to our blog today!

Ciao, a presto!

Nicky and Roberto.

Hotel Polverini da Osimo is on the move!

It’s been a long while since our last update, but firstly, welcome back and thanks for joining us. Hotel Polverini da Osimo, for those who don’t know, is our affectionate name for our home because we have loads of friends and friends of friends come to visit and stay and it kinda feels like we have a hotel sometimes.

We’ve been at our current site in Osimo since early 2005 and now recognise it’s time to move. There are only two of us (or as some of my students say “we are two”) and yet our two bedroom apartment just feels like it’s closing in. We’ve had loads of guests come and stay for periods of 1 night to 2 weeks and found that we just need a bit more room. We also don’t have a balcony although we’re so close to the centre of town, we can enjoy being out and stay around home but it’s not the same as having your own “outdoor space”. That’s why we’ve started looking at buying our own place over here in beautiful central Italy.

This is where today’s adventure will take you. A brief look at the property market and how to hunt for houses over here. For those of you who have already played this game here in Italy, we’d love to hear how you survived it. For those who live in another country, you might find this interesting.

We started our search about two years ago but it was only a surface search. We weren’t really in a position to buy back then, but we thought we’d have a look at what was out there. That was 2009. A few of the properties we saw then are STILL on the market. You could say that the property market here isn’t living life in the fast lane. It’s also true that some people seem to do the “Vendesì” (for sale) thing for fun, just to see what bites they might get.

A recent report on one of the “telegiornali” (news programs) over here said that people generally look at over 40 homes before they find “the one”. We’re not sure where we are in the count, but we’ve had a certain start-stop approach to our hunt.

It’s a bit like when you first get to Europe and you see some beautiful churches (the “abc” of Europe as us Australians call it – another bloody church). We go “like a bull at a gate” (thanks dad for imprinting that expression on my mind) and then get almost drunk with viewings, so much that we can’t see straight anymore. When it becomes a chore, we give it a break, and come back for another go a few weeks later. Some real estate agents have been great but during the two-year period have either lost patientce with us or thought we just liked looking in people’s homes. Others just can’t get their heads around why we want two bedrooms and a study or three bedrooms even though we don’t have kids. “ma perchè? non avete figli!”

There is a definite process to looking for a home to buy and in every culture it will probably have a certain twist. Here we’ve found the old-fashioned method of walking the streets, looking in the area we’re interested in, has some merit. Sometimes, just sometimes, there is a “Vendesì” sign on the house with a telephone number. This may signify that there is no real estate agent involved, but not always. Usually if an agent is involved they don’t want ANY signs on the house because they might get gazumped (is that spellling correct?) by someone wandering in off the street. The ‘for sale’ sign is quite interesting as well. It looks like this:

THE eye-catching detail of a "For Sale" board here in central Italy

I’ve taken this from a site www.immobiliare.it. There are more informative pics on this site, if you’d like to have a peak.

We have a “list” of what we “must have” and what would be “nice to have” and have found three places so far that almost ticked every box of those must have’s. Three “close, but no cigar” in two years, quite an inspiring score, no? No! We march on though, and pick up our interest, dust off our loss of faith in finding “the one” and with hopeful eyes, start again.

I’m usually the “finder”. I scour the local newspapers, real estate rag “solo case” (only homes) and the various Italian real estate websites and either give my husband the phone numbers to call or send an email with his details. I prefer they talk to him first because my level of Italian is still (ashamedly, although I am studying Italian now) quite basic. If someone speaks with cut off words (a common practice in our town) or like a freight train is ripping through a station, I just don’t understand anything and then feel like I can’t even “Dai, parla piu pianooooooo!” (translation: ” oh come on, speak slower!”).

What we’ve learnt so far is that whatever we’re looking at, we need to add approximately 10% on to the buying price to cover taxes, real estate agent commission and legal fees. The sale price is usually the price without  the commission and that can be anywhere up to 4% of the disclosed sale price. Then if you’re buying a new home, there is an extra 4% IVA (like a GST or VAT) for first home buyers or 8% for a second home. We’ve been more interested in looking at older (or as they say here “usati – used”) homes as they have bigger bedrooms and usually reasonably-sized kitchens and spacious living areas (or loungerooms as we call them in Australia). The might have some extremely “beautiful” (she said sarcastically) tiles on the floor or some wonderfully artistic expression on stained-glass sliding doors but these things are minor and can be dealt with easily.

Hopefully in the next few blogs you will see some properties that may become the future “Hotel Polverini da Osimo” and you can cast your votes! The extra bonus of a “cantina” (a workshed or cellar) so we can make our own tomato sauce and other bottled fruits is on our list as a nice to have – next time your over this way maybe think about booking in for a “saucy-session” and get to know the joys of tomato sauce making first hand. Even better, the home-made pasta that goes with it for lunch washed down with a lovely Rosso Conero (our local full-bodied red).

Thanks for visiting!

What do you want in 2010?

What do you want for next year, 2010? No, what do you REALLY want… not just a shopping list. Really think about what goes on inside your head. I’ve been doing this kind of “ritual” thing every year since about, oh 1998 maybe? It was given to me by my pal Hayley Caspers – thanks Hayles! – which was given to her by her friend… hmmm must check the names so I can thank all who have had something to do with this ritual.

Since I met my darling Roberto, I’ve introduced him to this “thing” and he’s been doing “it” since our first New Year’s Eve spent physically together (oh that is another story, not for this blog, but it’s coming!), which was 2004. Each time I find myself at a New Year’s Eve kinda celebration, I introduce the people around me to this “thing” and invite them to do it if they want, they usually LOVE it!

So are you curious? If you are, read on! If this isn’t for you, thanks for reading so far and have a great New Year…

Back to the original part of this blog, talking about what we want, ties into this New Year’s Eve ritual. I’ve modified it so it’s more “me” and you can too – that’s the beauty of this thing. It doesn’t have a set way of working, it just works, so here goes. The theory is, what we have in our heads becomes real in front of us. Since starting this ritual, I’ve noticed that the lag time between what I have in my head and what is real is getting quicker – so we may need to consider our thoughts a little more. Here it is, “the slightly revised new year’s eve THING”:

1. PRIOR TO midnight on 31st December:
Write a list of all the things/ideas/beliefs/even people (not from this world, but from your life as this is your sphere of control) you are ready, willing and able to let go of or be free of and write a list of them (for example: sadness, money struggle, fear).

At the top of the page, write:
“I (insert your full name) release the items below from my life for the highest good of all:”

Then write your list (long or short, it’s up to you!).

Under the list, write:
“I thank all of the above for being in my life to date and thank you for leaving me NOW. I thank you for being part of my past. I now release the past with love. And so it is.”

2. AT MIDNIGHT
BURN your list and as you do so, see or visualise all these things leaving your life. As we see it, it is… Wish them well (whatever they are).

3. AFTER MIDNIGHT and until 4th January
Write a “I am grateful for…” list. The first line of this list is:
“I (insert your full name) this 2010 am extremely grateful for:

Write all the things you want, desire and/or need. Write as if they are already here – as we see it, so it is! This list is written in the POSITIVE. The idea is that the universe, mother earth, Shirley, whatever you want to call her, has a sense of humour. For example, a friend of mine wants to write about having better relationships at work than last year (this sounds negative as he is still talking about the past and something he doesn’t want). He has thought about it and he is going to write “I am extremely grateful for the collaborative, friendly and helpful relationships I have at work”. The idea is, whatever it is you want/desire/need, write about it positively as if it is already here.

At the foot of this list, write:

“For the highest good of all. And so it is.”

KEEP THIS LIST SOMEWHERE SAFE!

4. AFTER 4th January
Put this list somewhere safe. You might like to look at it in about six month’s time – but give yourself a little time to point your feet in the direction you want to go. Six months is kind of an interesting time to see how your goals or ideas have changed and also how you’ve changed.

Oh and one last thing, if you catch yourself saying “oh I want that but it’s too much to ask and it’s just unrealistic…” that is EXACTLY the kind of thing you write!

I’ll be with my husband and a mix of other nationalities tomorrow night and hopefully they’ll get into the “New Year’s Eve THING” too. It’s not essential to do in a group, it’s more fun though!

Buon Anno a tutti!

Nic & Roberto

Inside the Snow Bubble!

It’s all going on here today kids. It’s Sunday 20th December and the snow flakes have been falling since about 8.00am. Now we’re covered in white and it’s almost time to go out and make a snowman.

It’s been a strange lead-up to winter but it’s finally here and quite beautiful I must say. We haven’t blogged for a while as I’ve been extremely busy teaching English, preparing students for exams (that make or break their career – well for about 80% of them!) and rob’s been busy getting to the end of the year, playing the occasional trick on some uni students and co-workers as well as doing tai chi regularly!

I’ve also been doing an Italian course (provided for through EU funding – thank you very much Mr EU funding!) which has inspired me to work on being able to write in Italian as well. The course was fantastic in that it’s also inspired me to get more into teaching and find different ways of presenting and activating language so the students have a practical experience with it. Every experience offers something, right? Well, in this case, the course offered me some different people to get to know, a chance to view myself as a learner, an opportunity to learn more about the place I’m living in and more importantly, to prod myself into doing more and putting in more. The Italians have this great site (well I loved it!) to be able to practice different parts of Italian, having studied a little. If you’re interested, go to http://www.initalia.rai.it. There is a video “documentary” kind of story where a mixed foreign family goes to different cities in Italy to see where they’d like to live. It’s kinda cute and some of the activities are a little strange (even our teachers said so!) but it’s basically a good site and great for studying by yourself, or with a friend! I’ve been studying with one of my pals over here and hopefully in 2010 we’ll be studying Italian in preparation for an exam. I love being a student again!

Rob, on the other hand, is being challenged to teach me and answer my questions. Sometimes he finds it difficult to explain something which he probably takes for granted. That’s life though, isn’t it? We take some things for granted that they are like “this” until someone questions us and we have to think.

On the cooking front, Christmas day in the Polverini-Harrick household has been planned to be a bit of a cross-cultural lunch. Our friend Mandy is coming for Christmas day lunch (and a few days either side!) so we’re planning:

- light vegetable broth
- home made pasta with ragu
- “stracotto” (slow-cooked beef marinated in red wine)
- tortino cioccolato (mini self-saucing chocolate puddings)
- boiled christmas cake (Australian style!)

Pictures of the chef at work will follow shortly after the day!

In the meantime, buon natale a tutti!

Nicky & Roberto
xx

Far from the maddening crowd!

Roberto out in the wild

Hey kids, this weekend took us far from our little town of Osimo in Le Marche to the quiet rolling snow-covered hills of Castelluccio di Norcia in Umbria.

Our friend Mandy (surname cannot be released as she is undercover here at the moment!) is with us so we decided to show her a place where we like to go and relax, walk a little, eat a lot and sleep like lumberjacks (minus the tiresome cutting of wood scenario of course!).

We took off not too early on Saturday morning and stopped at a town called “Visso” for lunch. The owner was hilarious. He insisted serving Mandy and I one more mouthful of food. Mandy got attacked first and I thought it was hilarious. Then he came back, kinda jaws like, when I least expected it, and made ME eat one more mouthful of my chickpea soup. I was so full and I felt like one more and I was going to burst – but he was a persistant little bugger so I gave in. Strangely, this guy didn’t try the same caper with Roberto. Waaaaaaaaaaaaaa. He’d also just done the same trick with a 3 year old -  and she was watching us like a hawk to see if older people had to have “one more mouthful”. It was worth it, as after we’d made a new friend. Her name was Aurora – and she was as cute as a button – although her parents said she wasn’t always! I think I’ve met another Nicky in the making!

Castelluccio di Norcia

Although it wasn’t all fun and games, as you’ll see from some of the photos on my facebook page (if you dare to travel to facebook land). We HAD to eat pizza in Offagna, go to brunch with a gal from school, catch a train to Bologna and have lunch at the cutest of cute “taverna’s”. Also there was a spot of cooking going on where I had to wear my new apron, given to me by my lovely Anna (nicknamed “Anno”), her husband Gabrielle (alias “Gabriella” because I have trouble with my male and female endings to names), and her two gorgeous kids Kati and Tommy.

On the Menu last week for Easter Monday: Rigatoni con pomodori, melanzane è basilico – al forno (alias Pasta al forno or Pasta baked in the oven)

You’ll need some canned tomatoes (1 can for 4 people) or a generous bottle of tomato sugo. It would be perfect if you know someone who’s got an Italian nonna connection for that bottled-at-home variety – but keep it plain then you can dress the dish any way you want. Dice ONE firm eggplant (melanzane – crazy apple in Italian!) and stir fry in a frying pan in enough extra virgin olive oil, until just browned. Throw in one clove of garlic, halved to release extra flavour but still possible to pull it out before serving. Sometimes it’s better to use the flavour of the garlic without the full-on bad-breath inducing sensation that can happen! Add the canned tomatoes and some vegetable or chicken stock (home-made if possible, otherwise the stock tends to make things too salty). Simmer the sauce until the liquid has boiled down and become thick. Cook your pasta (use Rigatoni or another short pasta with some “grip” until al dente or just a little under as the pasta will be cooked twice. Mix the pasta and the sauce through well. Add some torn pieces of mozzarella (di buffala if you can find it, it’s snow-white and salty and just that extra bit of mmmph you need in a pasta dish!) and mix well. Place in a dish to bake in the oven and shave or grate parmigiano over the top until it’s completely covered. Bake for about 20 minutes and serve with fresh basil leaves ripped and scattered over with a drizzle of good quality extra virgin olive oil. Red wine appreciates being served with this dish as well! Bon apetito!

The Cheffette hard at work!

Well that’s it for us for this week. We’ve just got home from being away and some vegetables are calling me from the fridge. It’s time to whip up a minestrone soup before sitting down to a good dose of dvd-watching!

Screening this week is “Underbelly” – fresh from Australia. We’ve just got up to the part where there’s a guy we know who’s acting is FANTASTIC. We’re so happy for him for landing the part and congratulations to the casting crew who chose him! Go Damien (alias Benji)!

Hello world!

Hey it’s great to see you here! This is our first blog and it’s also “change over day” here at Hotel Polverini da Osimo. It’s usually a busy day but it’s also relaxed. Visitors have just left, cleaning sheets, drinking a little left-over wine and a make-shift lunch to see us through the rest of the day. The next lot of visitors aren’t due until tomorrow, so we’re taking it easy.

On the Menu today: Penne with Tuna, Olives and finely chopped Rucola

Take a small red onion and some fresh rucola – chop finely. With either green or black olives, remove the pip and slice roughly. Toss these three ingredients into a serving bowl. Add one tin of drained tuna (whatever brand turns you on!) to the serving bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Mix well.

Put water on the stove to boil and add a teaspoon of rock salt once it’s come to the boil. TO BOILING WATER add the pasta (I prefer Penne with this type of “sauce”).Cook according to instructions on the packet or just a little under so it’s “al dente”. Strain pasta and throw into the mixing bowl and toss. Serve immediately with a good bitey cheese such as Pecorino di Fossa or any matured cheese to grate over the top – each person should do their own I feel, too much or too little cheese can kill a good pasta. I don’t usually use any cheese with fish but Tuna can take a little if you want. For extra special dishes, finely grate some lemon rind over the mixing bowl and let the heat pull the flavor of the lemon rind through the dish before serving. Bon apetit!

Who’s been through our fine establishment this March/April 2009? Well let’s see, Belinda came via “Firenze” from Australia, staying for a brief but extremely pleasant time. During her “long weekend” with us we managed to show her a little of our lovely area including Sirolo and Numana (hilltop towns with a beautiful beach and the latter with marina afoot!); a quaint little town called Serrapetrona (growers and producers of the same-named wine – yum!), the home of the Italian poet Giacomo Leopardi – Recanati – including it’s infamous tiny but beautiful theatre; Loreto (the namesake of a sports team at my old school in Melbourne, Australia) and the home of the infamous “Black Madonna” and Mary and Joseph’s house; and last but not least, Osimo – the beautiful town where we live – and claim the name “Hotel Polverini da Osimo”.

We’ve just hosted Tegan, who travelled all the way from Leeds (including an overnight in London to make sure she didn’t miss her Ryanair flight!) and before that Australia. Tegan was privvy to Loreto, Sirolo and Numana as stated above and also Offagna, Civitanova Marche, Ancona town centre, Osimo et al… but to be fair she was here for FOUR full days as opposed to Belinda’s two full days. More days, more sights, better value kids!

On the eve of Easter Bunny Sunday, we’ll bid you “buona notte” for now. Hope to see you at our next blog, which will probably feature some photos of Easter Monday at a friend’s house in the countryside. A small gathering of 17 people. Buona Pasqua – Auguri a tutti!

Robertino & Nicky (tanti baci)