Last Night's Regional Dinner: Trentino

This relatively young Italian region bears the culinary influences of neighbouring Germany, with potatoes, apples, cabbages and smoked meats as essential as tomatoes, olives and pastas are in the rest of Italy.

Polenta— the great peasant staple— is a Trentino favourite, as is speck, a wood smoked country bacon flavoured with herbs and spices.

The Menu

Antipasti

Speck & Chifel

Polenta & Mushrooms

Crostino w/ River Trout & Artichoke

[Matching Wine: Ferrari NV Brut Spamante]

Primi

Rye Tortelli Spinach Ricotta & Caraway

[Matching Wine: Alois Nageder Pinot Grigio ‘08]

Secondo

Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder

w/ Potato & Horseradish

[Matching Wine: Foradori Teroldego ‘05]

Dolci

Apple Fritelle

Goats Cheese & Fig Jam

Last Night's Regional Dinner: Sardinia

The geographic isolation of Sardinia from the Italian mainland is what gives the cuisine of the region its distinctive flavour.

Freshness and simplicity are the guiding characteristics of the region, highlighting the natural flavours of the produce yielded by the land and surrounding seas.

Whilst seafood plays a large part in the regional cuisine, there is also a strong emphasis upon lamb, a rich resource of the mountainous inland.

The Menu

Antipasti

Pane carasan

Arichoke, potato, bottarga

Stuffed calamari

Salami

[Matching Wine: Contini Vernaccia '87]

Primi

Malloreddus tomato broad beans & dried ricotta

[Matching Wine: Argiolas Vermentino '07]

Secondo

Slow roast lamb shoulder

Grilled pork neck

Fennel, watercress, chicory & rocket

[Matching Wine: Capochera Assaje Carignano '06/ Pala Cannonau '07]

Dolci

Almond fig cake with honey lemon & ricotta

[Matching Wine: Santadi Latinia '05]

Last Night's Regional Dinner: Apuglia

Apuglian cuisine is based on olive oil, one of the great products of the region, which produces up to two-thirds of all the olive oil in Italy.

The region is also a major producer of durum wheat, with baking and hand made pasta being the basis of the local cuisine.

The plains of Apuglia yield an abundance of vegetables and legumes, which feature in the sauces of the region.

Garlic and onion, zucchini and broccoli, chickpeas and fava beans are commonly used, as well as seafood from the Adriatic.

Quality and variety of produce are the values of the region, harking back to the ancient philosophy of Epicureanism.

The Menu

Antipasti

Taralli olives

Fava bean & chicory

Kingfish tomato & lemon

[Matching Wine: Bianco Lunga '07]

Primi

Ciceri e tria

[Matching Wine: Salice Salentino '04]

Secondo

Chargrilled lamb

Potatoes & Broad beans

Zucchini chilli

[Matching Wine: Rossa Canosa '07 / Puer Apuliae '04]

Dolci

Almond milk orange

[Matching Wine: Pian di Tufara]