This morning I finished up the Bolognese sauce with Chef Pete. I skimmed off the fat that had come to the top once the sauce was cold, then we added another carton of Pomi. Pomi is an Italian brand of tomato product. It comes in a puree and as crushed tomatoes. Not sure if it comes in any other form. The best product to use if you can't get fresh tomatoes. We did MEP for making limoncello-15 lemons, 3 bottles of vodka and 1 quart of simple syrup (I was SO excited to hear this-I've always wanted to make limoncello). Then did MEP for our salad today-frissee, endive, lemons and truffle oil. We had a photographer at school all day today, taking pictures to use for a new website for the school. She took so many shots, it was amazing! We'll have to wait and see what shots they use on the new website!
After that all of us worked with Chef Dale to roll out the spinach pasta we made yesterday. It turned out perfect and the little green bits you could see when the pasta was rolled out was impressive. You could definitely tell it was not machine made pasta. Once the pasta was rolled out in long sheets, it was cooked in hot water. We set up stations on the center island and used the pasta to make lasagna for today's lunch. This is NOT your typical lasagna! Our MEP was pasta, bolognese sauce, balsamella (bechamel sauce with cheese in it, which is technically a Mornay sauce, but since we are studying Italy, we made it the Italian way, lol), and grated grana padamo cheese. First a light layer of bolognese sauce went down, then the sheets of cooked spinach pasta. On top of the pasta we ladled bolognese sauce alternating with balsamella for a striped look, a little sprinkle of grana padamo then another layer of pasta. (It makes a nicer presentation.) We were trying for seven layers total. We did it! Then we set them aside to bake.
After that, Chef Pete lectured on Italy, recapping some of the geography and then launching into Italian courses. First is the antipasto course which literally means "before the meal". There is antipasto misto (mixed hors d'oeuvre), an affettato, which is primarily meat or an antipasto di pesce which is fish. Chef Pete calls these "little poo-poos" before the meal. (Don't know where THAT comes from, lol.) Antipasti are often served at home.
The next course is Minestra or soup course. Strictly speaking, minestra is the first course. In this soup the various elements-whether cubes of vegetables, grains of rice, or shapes of pasta-are quite separate and distinct, and are distinguishable from the stock in which they cook. This is what differentiates it from a zuppa, which is more of a thick mixture that is served with toast or fried bread.
Next comes the Primo or Primo Piatto, the first course of a meal. Traditionally speaking, i primi consist of all the different types of minestre, both asciutte and in brodo, gnocchi, pasta, timballi, lasagna, etc. In other words, a starch course. The three starch pillars of Italian cooking are risotto, pasta and polenta. These three starchs, served as a first course are cooked in a simple manner and very simply dressed (no spaghettie and meatballs here!).
The Secondo or secondo piatto (piatto means course) is the second course of a meal. It usually consists of a dish of meat or fish and is often, but by no means always, accompanied by a vegetable or followed by a salad. At dinner, usually the lighter meal, the secondo may be an omelet or a vegetable dish.
Next is Contorno which is the vegetable that is served on the same plate as the meat, poultry or fish. It is very rare that more than one vegetable is served as a contorno, more than two never are. Pasta or salad are never referred to as contorni, nor is rice.
Verdure is the vegetable or salad course. For centuries, vegetables have been on of the glories of the Italian cuisine. They have not been, nor are they now, regarded only as an accompaniment to meat. Vegetables come into their own when they are served as a main course.
Next comes Formaggio, which is the cheese course. At table, cheese is eaten before fruit and puddings. It is not usually served at formal dinners, but is always one of the courses at a luncheon party. Cheese is eaten with but never with butter. In the country, parmigiano and pecorino are often eaten with pears. Cheeses cleanse the palate, are a nice break before sweets and aids in digestion.
Next is Dolcetti, which consists of small cakes, although not chocolates. Petits fours, stuffed figs, and jam or fruit tartlets are all dolcetti.
Last but not least is Dolci or sweets. This does not include dolcetti. This word covers the whole gamut of sweet preparations, although strictly speaking doce is the course served at the end of a meal. When dolci is part of a dessert, it always follows cheese and precedes fruit. Sweets are not served as part of a meal every day but are reserved for speical occasions or public feasts.
Lastly, the coffee or espresso is served as it aids in digestion. A nice leisurely dining experience!
Chef Pete feels the Europeans have dining down to a tee. They start slowly with light course, move slowly upward to the heavier courses then bring you gently down again, giving your body time to digest your food. In America, he says, you sit down to a single large meal-you eat, go home, go to bed, then wonder why you have heartburn and can't sleep at night. Pretty interesting thought!
We reviewed Balsalmic vinegar-tru balsalmic vinegar comes from city of Modena in Emilia Romagna. It is made from the trebbiano grape must, cooked until it reduced down, is them put into barrels and aged for at least 12 years.
Parmesan cheese is a hard, cooked and pressed cow's milk cheese that also comes from Emilia Romagna. It is regulated by the government and aged for 3-4 years. Because Parmesan cheese is more expensive, the school uses grana podamo as it is very similar in taste to Parmesan cheese. Grana podamo is made all over northern Italy.
We reviewed ragu. A ragu is a sauce of chopped meats and sauteed vegetables cooked in a liquid. The liquid can be stock, wine, water, tomato, milk or cream or a combination of several of these. What a ragu is NOT, is a tomato sauce with meat. It is a meat sauce sometimes flavored with tomato. In Emilia Romagna and much of northern Italy, the meat is chopped into the sauce, while in sourthern Italy chunks of meat are cooked into a ragu and served separately from it.
Next review was pasta and the difference between fresh pasta and dried pasta. Fresh pasta is made with eggs, dried pasta is made with durum wheat and water, is usually machine cut and can last indefinitely when stored in a cool, dry place.
We got our tests back today from last week. I got a 97! Woo-who! Not bad! We have another test tomorrow.
Lunch was antipasti, lasagna and tiramisu for dessert. Everything was wonderful! As usual! Even the photographer was impressed! We had a formal setting today, sitting at one large table rather than at the "board" (or counter) where we usually sit. It's a lot of work to set up (GardeMo does this too) but fun. Only one more day of serving for us GardeMo folks, then we pass it on to the next group!
After school was done, I went to leave but my scooter wouldn't start-very sad! I called the dealer and they sent someone out to check it out. They picked up the bike and are going to check it out. I should get it back tomorrow. Good thing Kim, one of my classmates was still there, she gave me a ride home. What a nice lady!
Well, I'm gonna go study for my test tomorrow and finish my laundry. Buona Sera! Good Evening!
