Last Night's Regional Dinner: Friuli

The rustic cuisine of Friuli reflects the earth and its products, as well as the historical melting pot of its people, with a mixture of Mediterranean and Slavic influences.

The seasons dictate the ingredients of regional dishes, particularly in the mountains, with the forests providing herbs, mushrooms, fruit and game.

Standouts include the local Prosciutto di San Daniele, a sweet cured ham that is hung to absorb the fresh mountain air.

Polenta is also a major produce of the region, which is known for its vast cornfields.

The fishing ports and lagoons of the region provide a variety of seafood and fish from the Adriatic Sea.

Montasio cheese is one of the region’s oldest exports, with the traditional recipe dating back to the year 1200 when it was first made by Benedictine monks.

Also emblematic of the region are chestnuts, a favourite after dinner treat that is enjoyed roasted or boiled.

Friuli produces some of the Italian greatest wine varieties, including vino del Collio, Picolit, Verduzzo di Rocca Bernarda, Tocai, Merlot, Sauvignon and Pinot.

Menu w/ Flight of Matching Wines

Antipasti

Prosciutto di San Daniele

Stuffed Calamari

[Matching Wine: Primosic Pinot Grigio ‘07]

Primo

Bortolli Bean Barley & Speck Soup

[Matching Wine: Bastianich Bianco ’06]

Secondo

Braised Venison w/ Polenta Green Beans & Radicchio

[Matching Wine: Garendon Rosso ’05]

Dolci

Potiza di Gorizia w/ house-made Mascarpone

Montasio & Chestnut Honey

From Market to Table: Blood Oranges

Monday morning @ the Growers' Market

Lemon Tart w/ Mascarpone & Blood Orange

Profiteroles w/ Mascarpone & Blood Orange

[recipe to come!]

Italian Women Can Be Tough...

An elderly Italian man lay dying in his bed. Whilst suffering the agonies of impending death, he suddenly smelled the aroma of his favorite ravioli wafting up the stairs.



Gathering his remaining strength, he lifted himself from the bed and, gripping the railing with both hands, crawled down stairs. 


When he reached the bottom of the stairs, he leaned against the doorframe and gazed into the kitchen. Were if not for death's agony, he would have thought himself already in heaven— for there, spread out upon waxed paper on the kitchen table were hundreds of his favorite ravioli.

Was it heaven? Or was it one final act of love from his wife of sixty years, seeing to it that he left this world a happy man?

The old man threw himself towards the table, landing on his knees in a crumpled posture. 
His parched lips parted, the wondrous taste of the ravioli already in his mouth. 



With a trembling hand, he reached up to the edge of the table, when suddenly he was smacked with a wooden spoon by his wife. 
"Va fanculo!" she said. "Questi sono per il funerale." (Translation: F*** off – these are for the funeral!)

Last Night's Regional Dinner: Abruzzo

Abruzzo is a land of shepherds; mountainous and sparsely populated, the region is endowed with a rich landscape of peaks, rivers, lakes and forests.

Known for its strong flavours and tradition of hospitality, Abruzzo boasts specialties from both the mountains and the sea, which transform simple ingredients into dishes that make a lasting impression.

Hot chilli pepper, saffron and olive oil are the flavours of choice, with various lamb dishes dominating the cuisine of the mountains.

Specialties of the region also feature varieties of fish and shellfish provided by the Adriatic Sea as well as the many inland lakes and streams.

The red wine variety Montepulciano d’Abruzzo is one of the region's most well known exports, being the most exported of all Italian DOC wines.

Menu w/ Flight of Matching Wines

Antipasti

Prosciutto

Cacciatore Chilli

Sardines Scapece

Cuttlefish Farro

Drunken Cauliflower

[Matching Wine: Roxan Trebbiano]

Primi

Spaghetti Chitarra Amatriciana

[Matching Wine: Zaccagnini Rosato]

Secondi

Braised Lamb w/ Artichokes Fennel & Olive

[Matching Wine: Chronicon Montepulciano]

Dolci

Ricotta Saffron Honey

Zeppole & Nuts

Last Night's Regional Dinner: Campania

Campania one of the most culturally rich regions of Italy, having been a centre for rulers throughout ancient and medieval times. The simplicity of the local cuisine, however, has remained intact, withstanding the influence of foreign powers upon its essential flavours.

Naples, the region’s capital, is at the foot of Mount Vesuvius and enjoys the fresh, flavoursome produce yielded by the fertile volcanic soils of surrounding farmlands. Mozzarella is a specialty of Campania, particularly that made from buffalo milk, and pizza and pasta are staples.

The Menu

Antipasti

Burrata with Roasted Chilli, Roasted Peppers,

Marinated Anchovies & Roasted Cauliflower

Stuffed Zucchini Flowers

Primi

Seafood Stew with Flathead, Mussels,

Braised Cuttlefish & Cherry Tomatoes

Secondo

Smoked Eggplant and Ricotta Ravioli with Tomato and Olive

Dolci

Hazelnut Torrone

Blood Oranges with Limoncello

Last Night's Regional Dinner: Emilia Romagna

Emilia Romagna is often referred to as Italy’s gourmet capital. It is located in central Italy and is made up of mountainous Romagna and the fertile plains of Emilia, and is one of the most prosperous areas of the country.

Historically peopled by noble families whose courts hosted great poets and painters, Emilia Romagna boasts a great variety of produce is home to many of the most celebrated ingredients of Italian cuisine.

Parmasan cheese and pasta are some of the region’s specialties, along with bolognaise sauce, salumi and mortadella.

The menu

Antipasto

Parmigiano Reggiano

Piadina with coppa, rocket and stracchino

Primo

Stracciatella in brodo (below)

Secondo

Slow Roasted Beef with Truffle Butter and Lentils

Dolce

Chocolate and Hazelnut Semifreddo with Mascarpone

Strawberries in Balsamic

Staff Profile: Giorgio, Head Sommelier & Wine Buyer

Giorgio is one of Vini’s most popular staff and has been dazzling patrons with his eccentric wit and extensive knowledge of Italian wines for the past six months.

What do you love most about working at Vini?

The atmosphere—you can talk with people with complete freedom, and people appreciate that. In a lot of busy restaurants, sometimes there isn’t time to talk to people, but at Vini there is a lot of interaction.

Did you train as a sommelier in Italy?

Yes. I worked in the business since I was nineteen. Officially, I became a sommelier five years ago. I got all the certificates- it’s a three level course- so now I’m qualified as a professional sommelier.

What region of Italy do you hail from?

Piedmont, in the north-west, just on the border with France.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

I got a degree in Agriculture & Forestry, and I worked a little bit in the Agriculture business before dedicating myself to this job.

What made you come to Australia?

I was in Australia some years ago as a tourist and I really enjoyed it, so I thought it would be good to come here and work for awhile, and it was my last chance because of my age.

What do you love about living and working in Australia?

I love Sydney because I can spend a lot of time outside, in summertime, going to the beach in your break… I like the people, and the weather is nice even in winter.

What do you do on your days off?

I generally go for a nice breakfast, last time I went to Fratelli Paradiso in Potts Point and I often go to Single Origin in Surry Hills.

Where did you get that haircut?

I just go to a simple barber; I usually go to one in Glebe because I used to live nearby. I’m not investing much money in clothes and haircuts, I prefer to spend $200 on a good bottle of wine!

What is your favourite wine on the menu?

Ah this, it’s not easy, because of the fact that I’m working a lot on wine matching. So, it depends what you are eating… The Barolo Gomba is a beautiful wine, it’s a red from Piedmont, kind of big but very elegant.

What makes Australian and Italian women different?

Australian girls are more easygoing, you can talk to a girl with much more freedom here. Even the most beautiful girl in Australia, if you start a conversation with her in a pub, she just answers your questions and has a conversation with you. A beautiful woman in Italy, if you start talking to her she just says ‘who are you, why are you talking to me?’

Rhubarb, Walnut & Mascarpone Tart

Ingredients

For the base:

570 g plain flour

100 g caster sugar

340 g unsalted butter

260 g mascarpone

50 ml cold water

30 ml white vinegar

For the filling:

500 g mascarpone

3 egg yolks

100 g caster sugar

zest of 1 orange

1 bn rhubarb

To make the base:

1. Combine water and vinegar.
2. Pulse flour and sugar; add mascarpone and pulse again; add butter and pulse until small flecks of butter remain.
3. Add water mix, give a quick pulse, then bring together by hand on the bench.
4. Wrap in plastic wrap and allow to rest for at least two hours.
5. Roll dough to 2 mm thickness, rest again for an hour, then blind bake until cooked through (about 20 minutes.)

While the dough is resting, prepare the rhubarb:

1. Pre-heat oven to 150 degrees Celcius
2. Chop the rhubarb into 1 cm lengths
3. Toss the rhubarb in a bowl containing 300g caster sugar, then spread over a baking tray.
4. Cook in the oven for about 10 minutes (until softened, but not mushy)
5. Allow to cool in cooking juices.

Now for the filling:

1. Whisk together egg yolks and sugar.
2. Add orange zest, then stir in mascarpone with a wooden spoon, until the mixture is thick and smooth.
3. Place the filling in the base and leave in the fridge to firm.

To serve, drain the rhubarb and spread it over the tart, then sprinkle with roasted crushed walnuts.

Last Night's Regional Dinner: Liguria

Since Vini opened in November of '05, we’ve tried to focus on the most essential feature of good Italian cooking: its seasonality. All year round, in town markets across Italy, the stalls are laden with locally grown produce fresh from the fields, forests and sometimes roadsides.

Even in the big cities of Rome and Milan, the markets are still the measure of what is being grown locally at any given time. It is this fresh, seasonal produce that is being cooked in the good trattorie and ristorante.

Across the entire length and breadth of this country, a season can last almost a whole year long, so we’re trying to source more and more produce from New South Wales growers and, ideally, the Sydney basin.

When we started doing regional Italian dinners last August, we wanted to maintain the focus on the seasonality of Sydney markets and base our menus around what we found there.

Every Tuesday night, we look to a different region and get a little insight into how the history of the area shaped the culture and foods of its people.

This week, we went to Liguria, the last stop before France as you head up the north-west Italian coast. The land pulling up from the sea is almost sheer yet cultivated, mostly with grapes and olives.

Seafood remains central to a cuisine which shares much with the south of France and benefited from the foreign influences of trade through Genoa, historically an important port. The land provided olive oil, artichokes, basil, fennel, prickly pears and rabbits, with pine and walnuts in abundance.

Below is the menu for Tuesday 30 June 2009:

Liguria

Antipasti

Foccaccia

Marinated olives

Swordfish carpaccio

Primi

Braised rabbit, olive and rosemary with fresh pappardelle

Secondi

Chargrilled tuna w/ potatoes, lemon and green beans

Dolci

Rhubarb orange mascarpone and walnut tart

(recipe to come!)