THE "CABIETTES" OF ROCHEMOLLES

The "Cabiettes" of Rochemolles are a traditional recipe of Valle di Susa. Rochemolles is a fraction of Bardonecchia in the mountains near Turin.
One of the recipes from the Piedmont mountain flavor and hearty. The "cabiettes" are small nettle gnocchi served with cheese and onions, the characteristics of the tradition of this dish is that the potatoes are mixed raw, then cooked together with dumplings, a characteristic that unites the "Calhetas" of nearby Chisone .

INGREDIENTS FOR 4 \ 6 PEOPLE
- Potatoes 1 kg
- Rye flour 250g
- Nettles 200 g
- No onions 4
- Breadcrumbs 90 gr
- Butter 80g
- Toma Piemontese 80 gr
- No 2 eggs
- Salt

METHOD

Wash very well the nettles and chop very finely. Then peel the potatoes dry wash and grate into a bowl. Finely chop the Toma Piemontese and add it to the winds and chop the potatoes to add a whole egg and a yolk, rye flour and a pinch of salt.

Knead until mixture is bound and solid let it rest in the fridge for at least an hour. Return while the dough rests, prepare the sauce. Clean the onions and cut into Julien fry them in a pan with 40g of butter over low heat and add salt and cook for about 15 minutes.

Make dumplings with the mixture of nettles take big shots as a fair fist roll them to make sticks and chop obtaining of dumplings rather small. Distribute the dumplings on a wooden board covered in flour to keep them from sticking.

Lead to demolition a pot with salted water throw "cabiettes" not just come to the surface drain them with a slotted spoon and place in a buttered baking dish dressing dumplings with a piece of fried onions.

Continue alternating layers in this way "cabiettes" sauce of onions, then sprinkle with the breadcrumbs and the remaining butter flakes.
Bake for 30 minutes at 180 ° C and serve hot

To accompany the "cabiettes" I can recommend you a mountain wine as Ramìe of the nearby Val Chisone.

THE GIANDUIOTTI

The gianduiotti or giandujotti are typical chocolates of Turin.

The origin of the name of this chocolate is an example of historic marketing. It was 1865 when a famous chocolate factory in Turin using the typical Carnival mask of Turin, Gianduja to present his new chocolate.

The composition of this typical product of Piedmont has its own history, it seems that during the Napoleonic invasion of Piedmont, there was a cocoa shortage. Unfortunately, chocolate was  highly sought in Turin and Piedmont in general. It was thought to replace a portion of chocolate with hazelnuts from Piedmont.

It was thus created a unique flavor, with a strong identity of Piedmont, which can be found today even in the most famous spreadable cream Gianduia, but also in the famous Chocolate cake Gianduiotta. The common base of  these recipes there is always the characteristic combination between chocolate and hazelnuts also the source of gianduitto.

The shape of gianduiotto is traditionally triangular and was the first chocolate to be packed individually.

Even Andy Warhol had the opportunity to sing the praises of giandujotti, fabulous typical products of Piedmont.

Today you can taste the famous Turin gianduiotti without leaving your home, thanks to the internet you can taste the delicious pralines on site Dolcepiemonte following this link: gianduiotti the site will take care of sending these and other delicious typical products of Piedmont.

THE MOLE ANTONELLIANA AND THE CINEMA MUSEUM OF TURIN

The Mole Antonelliana is one of the landmarks of the city of Turin. Built by the architect Alessandro Antonelli is also the city's most loved monument by Turin people.

The Mole Antonelliana is located in the center of Turin, is 167.5 meters high. Characterized by a unique profile for a few years the Mole in Turin was the highest monument in Europe. The massive square base supports a lower dome uniquely shaped, characterized by elongated time with convex masonry walls standing. Above the dome is placed a spire. The forms are a mediation between neoclassical and neo-Gothic.




The history of the Mole Antonelliana from the first Constitution granted by Charles Albert, the "Statuto Albertino" that granted the freedom to worship is not Catholic. The Jewish community purchased the land to build a temple in 1863 began construction of the Mole. The initial idea was for a building with a height of 47 meters but Antonelli presented a project for a structure of 113 meters. Doubts about the feasibility of the project, the higher costs and construction times did abandon the project to the Jewish community.

Construction of the Mole Antonelliana (source Wikipedia)


The structure of the Mole Antonelliana was gradually increased over the years until it reached its present height of 167.5 meters in 1904, despite the death in 1888 of its designer.

Antonelli wanted to participate in the building even during his last days, an elevator operated by a pulley hoisted the nearly ninety architect at the top of the dome to allow him to personally check the status of jobs. But the first real lift opened to the public was built in 1964 although the current panoramic lift, made in glass that "flies" through the dome is active only since 2000. The panoramic lift salt for 85 meters at a speed of 5 km / h and above, up to the "temple" on top of the dome where you can enjoy a breathtaking view of the city of Turin and its surroundings.

Since 1996 the Mole Antonelliana is the seat of the National Museum of Cinema in Turin. An engaging museum that traces the history of film art from its origins with magic lanterns to the special effects of ET or Star Wars. Going through the techniques and figures entering the film making up the posters of the most famous films.

The National Museum of Cinema in Turin is the brainchild of the historic and scholar of cinema Maria Adriana Prolo in 1941 but only in 2000 the seat was moved steadily in the beautiful scenery of the Mole Antonelliana.

To really discover Piedmont one must visit this symbol of Turin, the Mole Antonelliana and be enchanted by the magic of cinema that fill with magic. The Mole is the center of Turin, which wander the streets of the city and then find other monuments like Palazzo Carignano, Via Po, Piazza Castello, etc ...
Walking can also discover the gastronomic specialties of Turin as the chocolates "gianduiotti", vitello tonnato, chocolate cake Gianduiotta, marsala wine Sabayon, etc ... Have a great journey in Turin.

THE PLIN (FILLED PASTA)

The PLIN are a typical product of Piedmont cuisine, particularly the Cuneo area and the western Piedmont.




In Piedmontese dialect the plin is the pinch, as this term is derived the name of this egg pasta filled with roasted meats, the plin is the pinch that is given to the pasta.

The Plin are cooked in boiling water and fried with butter and sage sauce or gravy.

But to fully appreciate the taste, tradition has it that you may taste on a napkin with no seasoning. During the event the Gustadom Asti you can taste the plin served in this way.

THE RECIPE OF PLIN

INGREDIENTS FOR 6 PEOPLE
For the pasta of the plin

500 g wheat flour
5 eggs
extra virgin olive oil
salt

For the filling of plin

300 grams veal roast
300g roast pork (thigh)
200 gr rabbit meat
300 grams of spinach
3 eggs
200 grams of Parmesan cheese
1 carrot
1 celery
1 onion
1 clove garlic
1 glass of dry white wine
broth
extra virgin olive oil
butter
rosemary
salt
pepper

PREPARATION
Sauté celery, carrots and onions, add the meat cut into small pieces, garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper.
Pour over the white wine and let evaporate. Cook the meat by covering with a lid adding broth if needed. Once cooked and cooled, chop finely, add the spinach and squeezed, Parmesan.
Mix well with eggs, salt and pepper and set aside.
Prepare the dough with flour and eggs, finely pull and prepare the strips. Place the stuffing balls the size of a hazelnut. Fold the dough to cover the filling, trim it with the wheel cutter and seal the spaces between the fillings of plin with the classic pinch. Separate finally agnolotti with Wheel.
Cook in boiling salted water for 3 to 4 minutes and serve with the sauce you want.

PEACH WITH AMARETTI AND COCOA

After the summer break, here I am with new recipes and curiosity of traditional Piedmontese cuisine.

The peaches with amaretti and cocoa are not to be confused with the "persi pien" in piedmontese dialect or the stuffed peaches. I am a very tasty summer dessert.

Their flavor takes me back to summers spent in the countryside with my grandparents. My grandmother was preparing peaches with amaretti and chocolate with peaches of the vineyard, smaller and less sweet than the others, but with this recipe peaches reborn with an extraordinary taste.

The peaches with amaretti and chocolate is also a way to use the overripe fruit that would otherwise be destined to rot.



INGREDIENTS FOR 4 PERSONS

PEACHES 1 KG
SUGAR 150 GR
AMARETTI 80 GR
COCOA POWDER 100 GR

PROCEDURE:
Clean and peel the peaches, cut into pieces and put them in a pot.

Bring to the boil and cook for 2 \ 3 minutes, in the meantime, break the macaroons, add the peaches along with the cocoa and cook for about 5 minutes.

Allow to cool.

If you do not have peaches or you don't want to prepare, you can find peaches with amaretti and cocoa on the site Dolcepiemonte following this link: - Pesche all'amaretto - and recive them directly to your home.

ANCHOVIES WITH PARSLEY

Anchovies are one of the ingredients of the typical Piedmontese cuisine, strange to say for a region far from the sea. But the reason is linked to the historic smuggling of salt that arrived in Piedmont ( the kingdom of Savoy) from France through the Alps. During those times the anchovies were cheaper and were then used to hide the salt crossing of borders.

From this tradition originate importants recipes of Piedmontese cuisine like the mythical bagna cauda or anchovies with parsil as one of the starters more typical of our tradition.

Anchovies with parsil is a simple recipe but with intense taste like bagna cauda.


INGREDIENTS FOR 8 PEOPLE

200 grams of salted anchovies
1 bunch of parsley
1 chilli pepper
1 clove of garlic
1 tablespoon of vinegar
1 cup of olive oil
Breadcrumbs

PROCEDURE

Switch the anchovies under running water opening them along the belly and carefully removing the bone.


Let them drain well.

Clean the garlic and chop finely with a knife. Finely chop the parsley and even combine everything with olive oil.

Put the bread crumbs in a bowl and pour over the vinegar, when it is well soaked add the parsley and garlic. The crumb is used to obtain a creamy mixture and tied. Add the crushed red pepper.

Arrange the anchovies in a container with high sides and cover each layer well with the green sauce.

To best enjoy this typical Piedmont cuisine appetizer recommend anchovies in green let stand for at least twenty-four hours in this way will absorb the flavor of the sauce.

Serve on a slice of toast.

You can accompany anchovies in green with a wine typical of the Piedmont mountains as the Ramìe.

Come to visit Piedmont and try all our taste and food.

A TASTY NEW FROM ITALY

I am writing this post a little bit special for us, this time it is not a recipe but a good news that I hope will please you.

Our blog http://visitpiedmont.blogspot.it/ is now online since 2009 and in recent years, thanks to your contribution has reached hundreds of thousands of visitors.

Given the great success we decided to bring the best products typical of the Piedmont tradition of craftsmanship directly to your home. From today through our website www.dolcepiemonte.com you can get the best products typical of Piedmont in the UK, France, Belgium and Germany.

We used the technology of the internet to give the opportunity to those who live outside the Piedmont to find the best products typical of Piedmont, and who is in Piedmont to find the unique flavors of our region. To do this we created the site www.dolcepiemonte.com.

We will select the best producers of Piedmont's regional food specialties from time to time we will find in the area. We will choose the artisan producers who devote all their passion for packaging quality local products.

On our side we have a great love for the Piedmont and we think that food is an important part of the local culture. Thanks to the internet it is now possible to receive the best of traditional local products in their own home without moving from the comfort of home, so come visit us on www.dolcepiemonte.com in the English version http://www.dolcepiemonte.com/en and in french vershion: http://www.dolcepiemonte.com/fr.

Have a nice trip!

Chocolate cupcakes with Moscato sabayon

The chocolate cupcakes with Moscato sabayon are a great recipe for a dinner by candlelight.

An idea to combine our Moscato sabayon in a recipe of haute cuisine that will surprise your guests .



Ingredients for 2 people:

- Dark chocolate 80 g
- Brown sugar 60 grams
- 40 g caster sugar
- 40 g almond praline
- Chocolate biscuits 100g
- N 1 whole egg
- Moscato zabaione Dolcepiemonte one jar
- 50 g butter

PROCEDURE
Heat 40g of butter in focus with light brown sugar to dissolve .
Combine the coarsely grated chocolate and let melt , stirring regularly.

Remove the mixture from the heat, add the almonds , coarsely chopped praline previously , the cookie crumbs and the egg . Stir to mix thoroughly all ingredients.

Grease 2 baking individual molds , fill them with the chocolate mixture and press it down well and leveling . Put it in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.

Heat the Moscato zabaione Dolcepiemonte in a bain marie and distribute it in large bowls or platters , settling over the chocolate cupcakes just out of the fridge . Dust with cocoa and serve.

A PORTRAIT OF PIEDMONT

We post a beautiful article about Piedmont appeared on the on-line version of newspaper Washington Post written By David Stewart White, Published: March 14

The article talks about place, cheese and traditional food from the town of Fossano.

Fossano medioeval tower

Fossano, Italy, is the perfect hub for exploring the lush Piedmont region


“Why is there a mime directing traffic?” asked my wife, looking up from the map on her iPad.

Traffic had snaked to a standstill in the warren of minuscule streets that make up Fossano’s medieval town center. The mime blew his imaginary whistle and stepped in front of our Fiat. Suddenly, we were part of the show.

Our arrival in Fossano coincided with Mirabilia, an international circus and performing arts festival. There’s hardly a street wider than an alleyway in the old center of Fossano. Add crowds, clowns and street performers, and you have a recipe for festive chaos. Navigating to our midtown hotel was like driving through a streetside Cirque du Soleil performance.

Chaos is not the norm in Fossano. Ancient and atmospheric, this town in the heart of Italy’s Piedmont region spends most of the year in slumber. “It deserves to be better known,” said hometown entrepreneur Enrico Castellano. That’s true, but Fossano’s relative anonymity might be the biggest draw for connoisseur travelers exploring this region of slow food and stellar wines.

Piedmont is a far cry from the tourist stops of Rome, Venice or Tuscany. Despite its location just

a few miles from the Langhe wine region, the city of Fossano remains unknown to many travelers to Piedmont. But it rewards by being one of the least touristy larger towns in the area. We used it as an authentic, comfortable and quiet base. (Quiet except for the lively street festival.)

Our home was Castellano’s Palazzo Righini. Castellano is a former management consultant who traded in his suit-and-tie life in the big city and returned to Fossano looking for a retirement “hobby.” Which turned out to be converting an ancient monastery into Fossano’s top restaurant and sole luxury boutique hotel. Castellano threw out an old joke that works well in either English or Italian: “How do you become a millionaire in the hotel business? Start out as a billionaire.”

Palazzo Righini’s renaissance as a modern luxury hotel is an unlikely story. The monastery and adjoining church catered to 16th-century pilgrims traveling from France to Rome. It was later converted into a noble’s mansion, and then occupied by French troops during Napoleon’s Italian invasion. Church and mansion were in sorry shape when Castellano purchased the property in 2000. Transform the site into a high-end hotel? “Madness!” said his wife. Madness perhaps, but the result is a thoughtfully designed, beautiful hotel run by a pleasant and capable staff.

Fossano is the perfect hub for a visit to Piedmont. Fifteen miles north, and you’re in Bra, the home of the slow food movement. Head east to wine heaven: Barolo, Barbera and Barbaresco. An hour south and you’re at the Alpine border with France. And just to the west is a most remarkable example of Gothic artwork, on the road to a city of music.

So cheesy

Piedmont — Piemonte in Italian — translates literally as “foot of the mountains,” and on a clear day, a nearly 360-degree view of the Alps is always lurking. Driving rural roads, you make a simple change in direction or the clouds part, and suddenly the mountains appear.

On our first post-mime day in Fossano, we drove south, eventually ascending several thousand feet of winding Alpine roadway to the minute mountain village of Valcasotto, just 10 miles from the French border. This cheese hamlet is owned and operated by Beppino Occelli, one of Europe’s premier cheesemakers.

As we arrived in a drizzling mountain mist, the hillside village seemed nearly deserted. A middle-aged couple working in the village shop knew as little English as we did Italian, but they were expecting us — the Americans here for the cheese tour. A telephone call was made, and in walked Umberto Milano, a bilingual 20-something marketing representative who took us on a cheese-tasting odyssey through the Beppino Occelli product line. “We have the best butter in Europe!” Umberto proclaimed. And he could be right, but our senses were on dairy overload after tasting a half-dozen deliciously rich cheeses served with sides of history and cheesemaking science.

Just when we were ready to swear off cheese forever, it was time to try some pasta — served, of course, in a creamy cheese sauce. Finally, with our arteries reeling, Umberto walked us through the village’s cheese production rooms and dark, cavernous cheese nurseries. Each wheel of cheese is carefully tended by a small staff of affineurs (cheesologists) who assess, turn and test the product until it’s perfectly aged.

The ideal post-cheese activity might be mountain hiking or biking, both of which are popular in the Valle Pesio region surrounding Valcasotto. We marveled at the mountain bikers struggling up the steep slopes as we pointed our Fiat downhill for the hour-long drive back to Fossano.

Vino, vino

Our antidote to cheese? Wine! On our next day trip, we drove 40 minutes east to reach some of the world’s best wine-producing areas. We parked our car in Alba and turned ourselves over to Silvia Aprato, manager of Tasting Tours and our guide for a day-long wine tour in the Langhe.

The Langhe is a hill-strewn terrain straddling Cuneo and Asti provinces. Those fertile hills are alive with some of the most valuable vines in Italy, producing arguably the country’s premier wines. We came expecting to sample quality wine, which we found in select abundance. Our bonus was meeting and interviewing a new generation of winemakers, the children and grandchildren of grape growers who have taken the reins at multi-generational wineries.

“Our grandparents grew grapes, but they did not make wine. Now we do both,” explained Luisa Rocca as she poured us tastes of deep red Barbaresco Rabajà from her family’s estate. Her brother, Francesco, hesitantly practiced his English with us, preparing for a marketing trip to the United States. We glimpsed the promising future of winemaking in the region through the eyes of these millennial winemakers.

Our private wine-tasting tour was a sublimely relaxed experience. We conversed with wine producers who opened and let us savor select wines while they shared regional history and occasional local gossip. In Piedmont, many winery visits are by appointment — fine vineyards have locked gates and intercoms. No crowded winery parking lots here filled with buses and limousines emptying partygoers competing to see just how much “free” wine can be consumed via one-ounce pours. And exit through the gift shop.

Private wine tours are not the only way to experience the region. There are also enotecas and winery cooperatives in nearly every Langhe hill town where anyone can sample local wines. Midweek crowds were sparse in June, but at times, free-roaming oenophiles and tourists overrun some of Piedmont’s picturesque hill towns. The hill town of Barolo is so popular that visitors even line up to shoehorn into a minuscule corkscrew museum that also doubles as a wine store and gift shop.

Bra, just 15 miles northeast of Fossano, is the acknowledged birthplace of the slow food movement. But slow food permeates much of Piedmont, and it isn’t hard to find a stellar meal almost anywhere in the region. This is a land of fresh ingredients and gently prepared food. In even the most modest bar or restaurant, order a late afternoon aperitivo and you get a bonus — a plate of olives, fresh or marinated baby vegetables, perhaps a bit of meat or fish pâté.

We found a piece of gastronomic heaven on the windswept terrace of Trattoria Cascina Schiavenza in the village of Serralunga d’Alba. Tajarin pasta with butter and sage? Yes! A bottle of the local red Dolcetto d’Alba? Of course. Add a 50-mile view of rolling vineyards and red-brick-fortified hill towns? Perfect. Throw in great breadsticks, olives and a bit of arugula salad? It can’t get much better. Top off the meal with panna cotta? Mmmmm. An espresso? Absolutely!

On the town

After three days of driving to experience Piedmont’s cheese, wine and slow food, we decided to leave the rental Fiat in the hotel garage and spend a day exploring our home base.

About 25,000 Piedmontese call Fossano home. Many live in the new (lower) town, but most visitors head for the old (upper) town. Parts of medieval-era Fossano are a maze of narrow one-way streets. Stone arcades line the Via Roma, old Fossano’s main thoroughfare. The ancient archways contrast with the modern designer goods displayed in the shop windows below. It’s hardly a surprise to find trendy boutiques in Fossano. Milan, Italy’s fashion capital, is only 120 miles away.

“Sometimes Fossano doesn’t get tourism,” lamented Enrico Castellano. And it’s true; the city’s prime historic site, the Castle of Acaja, is open only Sunday afternoons. There’s not much to entice tourists inside even if it were more accessible. But the castle’s distinctive silhouette high atop the city walls serves as a dramatic backdrop for another of Fossano’s festivals, the annual Palio dei Borghi. The traditional horse race through the old streets and around the castle might seem ancient but dates back to only 1961. (By contrast, Siena’s more famous Palio traces its “modern” history to 1656.)

The Palio coincides with a goose-jousting tournament, which can be traced to medieval times. In goose jousting, unfortunate caged birds had their heads chopped off by galloping swordsmen (the modern version employs artificial geese). Parades, flag throwing, tug-of-war and no small amount of drinking make this summertime event one of the liveliest in Fossano.

Fossano’s youth complain that the city is often “dead.” And at times the dead do reign in Fossano. The annual Feast of Saint Juvenal is held each spring, with a parade through the historic old town. Details are sketchy on Fossano’s patron saint: He may have been born in Africa, he may have been a martyr, his relics may lie in Fossano (or the bones may belong to another similarly named saint).

Music and moonlight

Before leaving, we had time for one last field trip, lured by a hidden gem just a few miles northwest. Inside Castello della Manta lies one of the most remarkable medieval art masterpieces in northern Italy.

Touring Castello della Manta is like opening a plainly wrapped box and finding a fine jewel inside. In the heart of this onetime castle, visitors discover rare secular Gothic frescoes adorning the baronial hall. An anonymous 15th-century artist covered the walls of the hall with nearly life-size, full-figure portraits of the Nine Worthies — historic heroes such as King David, Alexander the Great and King Arthur. Every male depicted has a “worthy” female counterpart immortalized in these breathtaking frescoes. On the opposite wall, dozens of characters visit the fountain of youth in a highly detailed fresco portraying this age-old dream. The castle church is also decorated with remarkable religious frescoes from the same time period.

Castello della Manta is just three miles south of Saluzzo, another historic Piedmont hill town and once a separate principality. We arrived late on the afternoon of June 21. In Saluzzo, summer solstice means Festa della Musica, with marching bands, choirs, guitar orchestras, rock bands and stray solo street musicians on every corner. We listened, strolled and listened again, until darkness finally fell on the longest day of the year.

Back in our Fossano base, the moon broke through the clouds to bathe the tiled rooftops of the town in a milky glow. Our view from the top floor of the Palazzo Righini hotel was one to wrap up and take home, if only moonlight views could be purchased as souvenirs or transported like carefully packed bottles of Italian wine.
White is the author of the travel guidebooks “Let’s Take the Kids to London,” “Travels Beyond Downton Abbey” and “Portugal—A Tale of Small Cities.”

You can read the full article at this link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/travel/fossano-italy-is-the-perfect-hub-for-exploring-the-lush-piedmont-region/2014/03/13/0d156b96-a0bf-11e3-b8d8-94577ff66b28_story.html

You can find the original taste food from Piendmont on www.dolcepiemonte.com and get the typical Piedmontese products throughout Europe.

ROAST MEAT WITH LANGHE HAZELNUTS

The recipe of the roast veal with hazelnuts from the Langhe is a typical dish of the surroundings of Alba but it is prepared in the whole Piedmont . The combination of the taste of hazelnuts fits perfectly with the flavor of the meat.

INGREDIENTS

800 grams of veal
100 grams of Gentile delle Langhe hazelnuts IGP
50 grams of butter
pint of milk
half an onion
2 or 3 tablespoons Marsala
salt
80 gr Flour
water

PREPARATION

Clean and cut the onion into small cubes . In a large pot , brown the onion in the butter , then put the nut of veal and let it brown the meat well .
Wet conil Marsala wine until completely evaporated. Season with salt and add the milk and chopped hazelnuts from Piedmont previously .
Cook for at least 120 minutes.
 Remove the nut of veal and set aside.

Bring the sauce to a boil , in part to prepare a roux with flour and water, mix well , adding water until you have a smooth batter , then pour in the sauce to boil and cook for a few minutes.

Cut the meat into slices and serve with roasted hazelnuts of the Langhe coated with the sauce and garnish with a few whole hazelnuts .

On this blog visitpiedmont.blogspot.com we try to spread the traditional recipes in the belief that this will spread the culinary culture that is true culture . Come back often and visit us to discover ever new recipes and historical trivia about the Piedmontese cuisine.