Picture yourself seated at the Table of Culinary Trends. Odds are that you're dining in a Tuscan trattoria, twirling tagliatelle.
The trattoria (what used to be called "bistro") has taken front and center stage as of late in this country. Originally, a trattoria was an eatery where simple, unpretentious food made up the menu in small family restaurants found throughout Italy. Dishes like spaghetti, scampi and risotto would show up in infinite varieties, depending on the region you visited.In the '50s, Italian food meant one thing . . . spaghetti and meatballs . . . probably Franco American. Today, with the global community shrinking, we're dis-cov-er-ing the wonders of regional Italian specialities.
And there's lotsa more than just pasta. By the way, Uncle Luigi implores: When referring to pasta and such, it is not EYE-talian, but it-alian, as in pit. (Fifty lashes with a balsamic-vinegar-soaked noodle for the "EYES.")
There are five regions in central Italy, said to constitute the very heart of Italian food. Each is unique and carries on centuries of traditional cuisine. They are:
Tuscany - the most famous - an ancient mellow and harmonious landscape characterized by a graceful way of life. Known for the best bread, purest extra virgin olive oil and fine wines.
Latium - With Rome as its nerve center, this region tends toward a more classical but commonsense approach to life and food.
Umbria - A land of green rolling hills and plains with produce of great quality, including wonderful olives and black truffles.
The Marches - A small, mainly agricultural Adriatic region, whose specialties include fried olives.
Emilia-Romagna - Distinguished by the rich, buttery, creamy food associated with its fertile farmlands. Parmesan, prosciutto and tortellini are superior in this region.
In these areas, authentic trattoria cooking is said to be as rich, diverse and pleasurable as any cuisine in the world.
In a trendy upsurge, Tuscany seems to be the destination drawing foodies and tourists in droves.
Hot on the trail of the Tuscan trend, award-winning cookbook author Patricia Wells traveled "down stone alleywaysthrough Siena, through the doors of bustling vineyard eateries in Tuscany, into the back rooms of loud, lively trattorias in Rome . . . searching the land for flavors and recipes."
In her recent book, "Trattoria," she praises Italian cooks, calling them masters at roasting, frying, composing dishes of pasta, rice, meats and poultry. But she has a special love for Tuscany.
"In the Tuscan countryside
I haveT been brought to my knees by the subtleties of a dish no less noble than spaghetti in tomato sauce," she writes.
Tuscan cuisine has been praised throughout the ages by gourmets for its consistent excellence.
Artist and author Leslie Forbes has collected and illustrated classic recipes from Tuscany, a place she refers to as "the heart of Italy."
Her memories are flavored by Tuscan tastes . . . . "In palace and farmhouse, in the hills and on the seashore, it was practically impossible to find a meal that was lacking in grace or was in some way defective. The secret lay in the harmony and restraint, the divina proportione that governed the ingredients in the same way as they governed Florentine sculpture or architecture."
In a few words, Tuscan cooking is light, lean, tasty and healthy, without heavy cream sauces and gravies.
Foods bearing rustic Tuscan roots that remain current today are prosciutto, artichokes, zucchini, baby lamb chops, roast loin of pork, fish stew or a simple plate of white beans or bread soup.
The poet Percy Bysshe Shelley lived for years in Tuscany and wrote some of his best poems in Pisa in the 1800s. He described the region as "paradise of exiles."
Leslie Forbes writes, "During the summer season, tourists fill the Piazza Shelley, standing mournfully in front of the poet's monument. It records that in 1822 Shelley's drowned body was washed up on Viareggio's beach, a fact that doesn't deter these same mournful tourists from dining well in one of Viareggio's excellent fish restaurants."
The mystique and simplicity of robust Italian fare has had a major impact on the Salt Lake City dining community.
A couple of decades ago, John Williams, one of Salt Lake City's Gastronomy restaurant magnates, brought Neopolitan cuisine to Utah, changing the dining scene here forever.
His pilgrimage to Italy for inspiration and authentic menus facilitated the opening of Baci the ever-ambiant Trattoria.
Several return expeditions have been made to secure original decor and culinary enhancement. Baci remains a showplace of incredible edibles - an upscale trattoria that is as visually flavorful as the food.
And our tastes continue to gravitate toward garlic . . . . Just count the growing number of Italian restaurants popping up around the city. Several truly excellent trattorias include Il Giardino, Fresco, Pomodoro & Primo.
Perhaps riding the wave of culinary innuendo, Jazz giant Mark Eaton has named his new restaurant - Tuscany.
Tuscan life now differs from the system of land tenancy known as the mezzadria, a feudal form of sharecropping.
The mezzadria had its demise in the '60s, and people moved from the country to cities, changing the face of farming forever. Today, hundreds of the once-abandoned cottages have been restored to be rented out to tourists.
This "farmhouse tourism" or agriturismo allows culinary tourists to experience life and foods in the Tuscan countryside.
How grand it would be to take one of those little Tuscan getaways? It sounds so romantic . . . so real. So non-Ragu . . . .
In the event that you can't get away just now, (your week to carpool?) settle in to your own "Little Italy" and try a few traditional Tuscan dishes shared by Baci Chef Mike Crosland.
We thinka you like.
*****
Recipes
VEAL SCALLOPINE WITH PARMESAN AND TOMATOES
For the Sauce:
2 ripe medium tomatoes, diced
2 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh basil
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the Scallopine:
4 slices white bread
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Flour for dredging
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 scallopines of veal (about 3 ounces each)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Basil leaves for garnish
To prepare the sauce:
In a bowl, combine tomatoes, minced fresh basil, olive oil, white wine vinegar, garlic clove, salt and ground black pepper. Set aside.
To make the scallopine:
In a food processor, combine the bread and the thyme to make a fine crumb. Add the cheese and pulse to mix evenly. Place the flavored bread crumbs on a piece of waxed paper or a large flat plate. Place the flour on a piece of waxed paper or a large flat plate for dredging the scallopine. Mix the egg in a rimmed plate or broad bowl with water and a pinch of salt and pepper. Dredge the scallopine in the flour and shake off the excess. Then dip the scallopine in the egg and let any excess drip off. Then coat the scallopine in the flavored bread crumbs. Repeat with all of the veal. Heat a large skillet and add enough of the oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Saute the scallopine over medium-high heat until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Do this in batches, if necessary, and replenish the oil as needed. Place the cooked scallopine on a warm platter. When all the scallopine are done, add the tomato sauce to the pan and cook over high heat for 1 minute, until heated through. Spoon the sauce over the scallopine, garnish with basil leaves, and serve immediately. Serves 4.
- Each serving contains 531 calories, 29g fat, 676mg sodium, 203mg cholesterol, 49% of calories from fat.
- From "Burt Wolf's Menu Cookbook"
TUSCAN TOMATO BREAD SOUP
8 large red Roma tomatoes, cored
2 tablespoons chopped fresh garlic
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 bunch leeks
3/4 cup fresh basil, finely sliced
2 cups day-old bread cut in 1/2-inch cubes (hard crusty rolls preferable)
4 cups water
In medium sauce pan, heat oil. Add finely sliced leeks, white parts only. Cut tomatoes lengthwise into eighths. Cook on medium heat for 5 minutes, or until tomatoes are tender. Add garlic. Let simmer 1 or 2 minutes. Add water. Let simmer for 15 minutes. Add fresh basil. Add bread cubes. Salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and serve. Serves 4.
- Each serving contains 401 calories, 28g fat, 964mg sodium, 0mg cholesterol, 64 percent of calories from fat.
- From Chef Mike Crosland, Baci Trattoria
GRILLED TROUT
2 bay leaves
2 sage leaves
2 boned whole trout
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 lemon
Prepare a fire on charcoal grill. Place 1 bay leaf, and 1 sage leaf in cavity of each trout. Brush trout with 3 tablespoons olive oil. Arrange fish on grill. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook each side for 2 or 3 minutes. Place on serving dish and squeeze fresh lemon over fish. Sprinkle with remaining olive oil and serve. Serves 2.
- Each serving contains 749 calories, 51g fat, 88mg soduium, 190mg cholesterol, 63 percent of calories from fat.
- From Chef Mike Crosland, Baci Trattoria
BRAISED SPRING LAMB WITH STEWED TOMATOES AND THYME
1 rack of spring lamb
2 sprigs fresh thyme (about 1 tablespoon)
3 large Roma tomatoes cut into 1/4
6 black Greek olives, pitted
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup Chianti or red cooking wine (or grape juice)
4 cloves garlic
Im a medium-size glass oven baking dish, place lamb meat side down. Add remaining ingredients over lamb. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake for 20 to 25 minutes at 325 degrees F. Remove lamb. Cut in half for each plate and ladle sauce on top. Serve with roasted potatoes. Serves 2.
- Each serving contains 481 calories, 33g fat, 194mg sodium, 82mg cholesterol, 61 percent of calories from fat.
- From Chef Mike Crosland, Baci Trattoria
ROASTED DICED POTATOES
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 pounds baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch dice
3 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Meanwhile, in a roasting pan, on stove top, warm olive oil over moderate heat. Add potatoes, garlic and rosemary and stir to coat all with the olive oil. Transfer to pan and roast potatoes in oven, stirring frequently until golden brown, about 40 minutes. Remove potatoes and transfer to a paper towel to drain. Serves 4.
- Each serving contains 732 calories, 54g fat, 19mg sodium, 0mg cholesterol, 65 percent of calories from fat.
- From Chef Mike Crosland, Baci Trattoria
TORTA DI MELE (APPLE TORTE)
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups unsifted cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
2/3 cup low-fat milk
3 pounds Golden Delicious apples
1 tablespoon melted butter
Confectioner's sugar for dusting
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil a 10-inch springform pan or coat it with nonstick cooking spray. Dust with a little flour, shaking out excess. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat eggs with a wire whisk; mix in 1/4 cup of the sugar. Beat well. Whisk in flour, baking powder and lemon zest. Slowly whisk in milk. Let rest for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, peel, core and quarter the apples, then cut into thin slices. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Pile in the apple slices, pressing down to make them all fit. Drizzle the top with butter and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Bake for about 45 minutes, until firm to the touch. If the torte is browning too much on top, cover loosely with foil. Let cool in the pan on a rack for 5 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pan and release the sides. Place the torte on a platter, rearranging any bits of apple that have gone astray. Dust with confectioner's sugar before serving, if desired. Serve warm. Serves 12.
- Each serving contains 175 calories, 2g fat, 35mg sodium, 4mg cholesterol, 9% calories from fat.
- From "Eating Well" Magazine