Was I giving up on the idea of growing some of my own ingredients so I could follow the ExtraVirgin recipes? No. But something just didn’t feel right about buying these seeds from American seed companies. I was going for authentic, and this didn’t seem like it. Then I remembered Franchi Sementi.  It is Italy’s oldest family-owned seed company. Being short the cost of a flight to Italy to buy the seeds myself, I thought that perhaps I’d have to give up the dream, yet again, because they don’t have a U.S. operation. After telling a friend that I wanted to grow seeds from an Italian seed-seller for this adventure into Italian cuisine she reminded me that Franchi Sementi’s U.S. distributor is Seeds from Italty.

If, like me, you’re trying to grow some of the ingredients you use to cook, check out these seeds. I love the big, bold seed packages they use and the selection is pretty nice. You can grow some of the herbs, vegetables, fruits, grains and pulses and even flowers you use in your cooking.

I also wanted to choose two Italian counterparts. After all, this is The Tuscan Gun’s site. So I asked Gabriele for a few suggestions. I settled on one Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi, and one President, Sandro Pertini. “But why are you talking about these people?” Excellent question! On President’s Day, I thought it would be fun to imagine what beer these Presidents would drink and serve in the Rose Garden. We already know President Obama is a big beer guy and homebrewer. I’m actually working on him right now to send me a few bottles of his White House Honey Ale. I’ll keep you updated!

George Washington, Father of His Country, distillery owner, chopper of cherry trees. Hmmm. Sounds like a guy that would appreciate a barrel-aged cherry beer fit for a king (though king was a title he fought to avoid. Don’t forget, the reason he was so popular is that they just defeated the King of England under his leadership). I found the perfect beer: The Lost Abbey Cuvee de Tomme, a dark ale aged with sour cherries in Bourbon and French Oak wine barrels before blending. Besides the cherries, I thought the French angle fit the theme well, too, as Napoleon had France in mourning for 10 days when George died. Tart cherry flavors, sour, tannic. The sweeter balance from rich raisin and prune flavors makes for a spectacular beer worthy of our first President!

Abraham Lincoln. Honest Abe, Emancipation Proclamation! Freedom and Amendment President. What beer? I’m pretty sure 21st Amendment Brew Free! Or Die IPA would flow in the Oval Office. You know, since Abe would now have the documents in his top hat digitized, he’d be using that space for a can cooler. And cans it is. This 21st Amendment brew is spicy with pine, bitter and hoppy, just the way Abe would have liked it. Provocative and memorable! Honestly, though, I bet Honest Abe would appreciate that fact that I’m coming clean and admitting I’m not really a fan of this beer. You know, being honest!

Now for my history lesson, a bit from my comfort zone. Until very recently, Silvio Berlusconi was the Prime Minister of Italy. If you were unaware, this dude is ultra-rich, with an estimated worth in the $5 to $10 billion dollar range. He owns top Italian media outlets; he owns soccer team AC Milan. Some have said he’s corrupt for hiring lawyers to defend him that also work for the Italian Parliament. Some have also said he’s a ladies’ man. Based on all of this data, I am positive that Silvio sees a bit of the Most Interesting Man in the World in himself. Silvio is definitely a Dos Equis kind of guy, drinking and serving. He’s drinking the Image that this beer brand offers. Dos Equis is not a bad beer despite its mass production; however, there are many better options. Drink it before Bud and before Miller and whenever you go to Mexico (where you don’t drink the water, unless it’s bottled).

Finally, when Sandro Petrini died in 1990, it was deemed a national tragedy. From all accounts, Sandro was a loved politician, fair in the way he governed, heroic. Based on this documented heroism, I am positive that Sandro would be serving some Jose Marti American Porter. Like Sandro, Jose Marti was a hero, fighting until he died in combat. In addition to his heroism, Sandro was a pipe smoker, and the amount of smoke in Jose Marti Porter is substantial. This beer is an absolute ringer for man and beer.

Be sure to let me know what beer you think your favorite President would serve in a sit-down with you. And don’t forget to expand your answer to include why you believe that. Happy President’s Day!

From that day on, I had a closer look at the truthful messages left on the streets, walls, banisters and in  places where young people usually meet, or where the writer supposes his urgent message will be seen by the object of his secret admiration. It opened up a whole new world and placed me right in the middle of “I love you’s”, “Be mine’s”, “I want to kiss you’s”, “You are my angels” and more. I found myself in a dimension I had not been before. From my younger days I was used  to tender words too,  but written on  paper forwarded in an extremely confidential and private way. I must say that it was practical, the love letters could be simply kept in a book or a diary, always ready to be read again and again and again. But obviously, not quite so spectacular!

Lovers have always found a way to declare themselves and we know that the ancient Egyptians, Greek and Romans were fairly acquainted with nails, chisels or pieces of carbon, reliable implements to carve or “scratch” = graffire (that’s where the word graffito comes from) loving words on stone walls and streets. Some Roman gentlemen used to count the number of the ladies he had conquered by writing their names over the bed…

Things have changed, we are inhabitants of a global world of the twenty-first century and have other tools, like for instance photography, to express what we want to say. However, love is still love, and tender feelings are still tender feelings waiting to be put – at least in Italy – into words, in order to find a public  place where everybody can see and read them. For all those who want to share with others what is hidden in their heart and have got neither a camera or a chisel at hand, this app is absolutely perfect. It is partly the result of revisiting a tradition, old like the world, and partly a contemporary  way for sharing love, passion, longing, need…  perhaps every now and then a little hate, too.  Are you ready to dive into this emotional whirlwind?

DOWNLOAD HERE!

Each and every family that I know has a few recipes that are executed “on demand” whenever it might feel appropriate: if somebody is sick, if the kids are driving you nuts, if grandma is coming for a Sunday dinner. We are no different!

However there are a few food items that no matter how much my kids implore me to cook, I will never have in my pantry. Mac ‘N’ Cheese is the perfect example of how I try to please my daughters without giving in to their requests, and assemble a dish of pasta seasoned with orange cheese powder.

This recipe is the Italian traditional “Pasta ai Quattro Formaggi”, literally translated “Pasta with Four Cheeses”. It is extremely easy and a real crowd pleaser, ideal as a comfort food dinner but also a great item for kids and adult parties as well. Enjoy!

You see, the gift of flowers was delivered as Goose Island Fleur, a Belgian-style ale with a beautiful fruity and floral bouquet. The orange and apple fruity flavors blend with a magnificent tartness that will put a memorable stamp on your date. Way better than real flowers, too!

You will really outdo yourself when you offer your next gift. The gift of chocolate was presented as Southern Tier Choklat, an imperial stout that is perfectly named. Chocolaty chocolate. Rich chocolate flavors are accented with hints of vanilla and coffee in this luscious, creamy masterpiece. A high alcohol content keeps a very sweet beer in balance while warming your body and heart!

Finally, now that you’re on a roll, you will offer one final surprise. The gift of jewelry in the form of Jolly Pumpkin Oro de Calabaza, a golden ale like your sweetie has probably never tasted. Sour apple and lemony citrus, quite refreshing all around. Acidic with some wine-like qualities and best of all… I’m willing to bet the flavors will make her pucker up, perfect for you to take the hint and move in!

In reality though people, I hope that you live this fantasy. My wife got teeth-whitening gel for Valentine’s Day this year, early. Romantic, right? Let me know how it turns out for you by leaving a comment below.

In fact The Flaming Mandarin seems to be a relatively new recipe, somewhat of a secret-of-the-trade for the above mentioned establishment. We tried to scout the web for its recipe, we tried to convince the bartenders at the counter to reveal its secrets, we downloaded on our phones all the possible applications for mixologists that are currently available… no luck.

Then finally our friend Jason “Broke The Code”, and this past Christmas surprised us all with a fantastic evening during which he proudly shared with us the results of his incessant experimenting. None of us really know how many bottles of Absolute Mandarin Jason had to drink empty during the past few months to accomplish this incredible task, but one thing is certain: we do now have a great recipe!

The Flaming Mandarin is dry, smooth, flavorful and loaded with happiness. Enjoy Responsibly!

So, it should come as no surprise that while I always request an office meeting with Michael White (you can read a little about our project on my site’s book page) for the privacy and productivity it affords us, I secretly prefer working in one of his restaurants. Which is good, because Michael has three of them in Manhattan alone, and likes to be in them as often as possible.  When we meet at one of them, almost always between lunch and dinner service, the sessions are like that box of chocolates that so obsessed Forrest Gump: I never know what I’m going to get—Managers come and go seeking answers and approvals; Michael’s aide-de-camp and head of media relations for Altamarea Group, Olivia Young, is often at the next table working on an Apple store’s worth of mobile devices and laptops; and then there’s Michael’s cellphone, and mine. We always get our work done, but don’t necessarily take the most direct path from A to B.

Case in point: Tuesday’s working session. I arrived at Marea around 2pm to find Michael wrapping up an impromptu visit with his pal, photographer Nick Solares. I’d heard a lot about Nick, but never met him, so it was great to make his army-jacketed, British-accented acquaintance. And he was such a friendly guy that I felt no compunction about hitting him up for a photo of me and Michael working, which he was only too happy to stick around and shoot. (That’s his shot up at the top of this post; you can see more of Nick’s work at his site.)

And so, we cleared our table, I busted out my laptop, and with Nick circling us and clicking away like a war correspondent, we got ready to pick up our interview where we’d left off the other day…

But just then, out of the kitchen came chef de cuisine Jared Gadbaw, who set down before us a wide, shiny bowl of wet, red-tinged risotto and a Tupperware container full of plastic spoons. This only means one thing, no matter what restaurant you’re in: the chef de cuisine, or in some cases a sous chef or executive sous, is about to have the executive chef taste a new dish, or a rejiggered old one, or maybe samples of meat or fish from possible new purveyors that have been cooked up for evaluation.

In this case, the dish was a yet-unnamed risotto Jared and Michael had previously discussed, made with the telltale ingredients of pasta putanesca, which features tomatoes, anchovies, capers, and olives. (It’s not news that the name translates to “whore’s pasta.” There are a number of explanations for this. My favorite is that it’s such a simple pasta that it can be prepared by a hooker in those few precious minutes allotted to her between johns.)  The risotto—a relatively wet one in the style of the Padovan dish risi e bisi—featured tomatoes and capers. In place of anchovies it had tuna belly, but the anchovy was present in another form: the risotto’s addictive, almost umami-like quality was provided by a drizzle of Colatura anchovy syrup, a clarified liquid that hails from Cetara on the Salerno side of the Amalfi coast. (Michael compares its effect to that of Asian fish sauce.)

Michael tucked into the risotto and his approval was almost instantaneous. He had just one question:

“Did you include the peperoncino (pepper)?” he asked.

Jared had. They discussed how the olives were to be added later via a sprinkling of dehydrated black olive crumble (Michael loves a bit of crunch on many dishes), and that was that. I had a taste for myself (delicious, naturally), and then Jared split for the kitchen.

It wasn’t until then that Michael explained to me that the pepper was red jalapeño that is cut, de-seeded, and rubbed on the bottom of the bowl before the risotto is plated, resulting in a faint, impossible-to-name effect, more sweet than hot. He picked up the trick in Italy, where it’s not uncommon to rub, say, a mixing bowl with a cut garlic clove before tossing a mushroom salad in it, ensuring a not-too-strong garlic presence in the finished dish.  (Somewhere in here, Nick got his shot and took off, leaving Michael and me to our work.)

Moments like this are why we haven’t been able to generate a final, locked-down recipe list for the book, even though we deliver the manuscript later this year. As Michael and his team are constantly generating new dishes, we’re always wanting to add more; Michael told me early on that he wanted to keep things loose, to allow for the unexpected. As a result, we’re going to end up with more recipes than we can fit into the book and pare them down, the way film editors take a three-hour cut of a movie and trim it to two. Hey, we can always use the rest in the sequel.

Now here’s thing: My intention for this post going into this session was to write about what Michael and I have been discussing this week, namely his formative first days cooking at San Domenico restaurant in Imola, Italy. It’s great stuff, and we delved deeper into it Tuesday afternoon: He remembers the details of his inaugural days overseas, in January 1993, indelibly, like the way the roar of Vespas in the night gently rattled the picture frames in his hotel room on his first night, or the cappuccino and brioche he had for breakfast the next morning, or what he calls the “ten-epiphany-a-day” period he enjoyed for a few weeks. And that’s not to mention all the nuggets about the boarding rooms over the restaurant or the first thing he cooked at San Domenico (venison), or his observations regarding the similarities and differences between French and Italian kitchens.

I wanted to write about all that, but it’ll have to wait for another day because right now, I find the risotto and our discussion about it more compelling. That’s how things go when you write a book, or a blog, at a restaurant. Not only was there the risotto tasting and interview, but we also made a sudden trip downstairs to the pasta-making area so Michael could show me a few things pertaining to that portion of our interview.

Oh, and did I mention that Chris Tucker showed up, two friends in tow, seeking a table at which to enjoy a late lunch? He didn’t have a reservation; it was a spontaneous impulse. Michael stepped away from our meeting to welcome him, and not just because Tucker’s a celebrity. It was more personal than that: If there’s one thing this chef can relate to, it’s spontaneity.

B/W Photography by Nick Solares

The NFL’s biggest day falls a little short by comparison.

Don’t get me wrong. Americans seem to mean business with their sport-related food. Papa John’s, Pizza Hut and Dominos alone estimate 4.4 million pies will be ordered on Super Bowl Sunday when the Giants take on the Patriots. And we’ll drink enough beer to make 350-pound men hurling themselves at each other for 30 seconds at a time between 8 minutes of commercials seem interesting (111 million gallons, if you were wondering).

Some seem to be content with setting out a spread laden with emulsified processed meats colorized with oleoresin of paprika. Stack this on top of Ritz cracker with some Cheese Whiz and you have the Americanized grotesque of the classic pre-match feast common across all of Italy. Swap out the local red wine for flat light beer and the misery is complete.

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

Take a page from the Italians’ playbook. The substance might be the same — meat and cheese — but the devil, as they say, is in the details. You know, of course, to start with quality salumi. But you may need a primer in prep. Who me? you are asking. Yes, you. On a recent trip to the meat case I came across offerings from Creminelli Fine Meats in some high tech packaging. The wrappers all had those funny QR codes on them that you can scan with your smartphone.

So, yes, after cutting the casing off (a simple and light slice down the length once the end has been lopped off and the casing should easily peel away) you may be tempted to chop the salami into discs. But, as Cristiano demonstrates, in Parma the preferred method is to hold the knife at an angle and make diagonal slices across the bias.

And why? Well, good question. “It’s done because it’s a tradition,” says Cristiano, one observed in the areas around Parma and in Piedmont where he is from.

“It makes it look like you’re getting more,” Justin Soelberg, head chef at Communal in Provo, Utah offered. Cristiano conceded, “It could be that it makes the slices larger.”

I also put the question to someone who knows her way around a knife, a sushi chef, who posited the reasons behind the diagonal slice had to be aesthetic.

Whichever way you slice the salami, and whether you are watching men kick a ball or kick each other, you are going to need something to quench your thirst. Cristiano says he really likes his Casalingo Salami with a blonde beer.

If you want to pair your slicing method with the region your wine comes from (and really, who wouldn’t) try something like a Valpolicella Classico, a red wine blend of three indigenous grapes (Corvina and Rondinella and Molinara) from a DOC in northeastern Italy. It’s not a heavy wine, and has a hint of smoky, meaty character that pairs well with dried meats. Wines with the Classico designation from this region are widely available, but if you can’t get your hands on a bottle any medium-bodied dry red wine will have you craving the fat and earthy flavors in the sausage.

The downside is, the bottle probably won’t fit in your beer guzzler helmet.

I remember really well, I bought myself a Gelato! It was a hot August in Isola d’Elba, a wonderful island that my family and I visited somewhat regularly during summer vacations. Every year my brother and I used to bring to the beach a few boxes containing all the comic books we collected during winter, and sell them in the late afternoon when families were taking their pre-dinner stroll on the main avenue. No real profit there, more of a recycling program if you wish, and an opportunity for us to spend our own money the way we wanted, which usually was limited to video games matches at the local arcade, and obviously Gelato!

30 years have passed, and Gelato is still one of my favorite treats, but until now I never challenged myself to make my very own. Here in Los Angeles I still have not found an establishment that serves the real deal I grew up with; don’t get me wrong, you can find delicious Ice Cream, but it is not the same thing… and it does not evoke memories. I had to intervene and learn a few recipes, at least so I would feel empowered: “Now if I want Gelato I just have to make it myself!”, and this is good enough for me, problem solved.

This first Gelato recipe I am presenting has a twist to it, an extra ingredient that makes it even more special: Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Yes, it is an unusual choice but trust me, if you can source a good Olive Oil, this dessert will make you pause! I made it for my grandmother when I visited Florence last summer, and she asked me if she could take the leftovers home… instead of saving it for my daughters: “You can make it anytime for them!”.

Mozzarella, that fantastically moist cheese with the delicate, creamy flavor has become a staple in many kitchens outside Italy, and you’ll find it on store shelves and in dishes throughout its country of origin. The best mozzarella in Italy is mozzarella di bufala, or mozzarella made from the milk of water buffalo, and the best mozzarella di bufala is made in Campania. This mozzarella even carries the DOP (Denominazione di Origine Protetta) designation, meaning any cheese with the name “mozzarella di bufala campana” is 100% made from the milk of water buffalo raised in specific areas of Lazio and Campania. The word “mozzarella” even comes from a word in the Neapolitan dialect.

Mozzarella di bufala is more expensive than other types of mozzarella, which are made with cow’s milk rather than water buffalo milk, and you’ll usually see a supplemental price added if you want mozzarella di bufala on a pizza in an Italian pizzeria. Fior di latte mozzarella is made with cow’s milk, and is widely used in restaurants and by home cooks all over Italy, so it’s certainly not a hugely inferior product. Connoisseurs think fior di latte lacks the flavor of mozzarella di bufala.

Mozzarella is a fresh cheese, packaged in liquid and not meant to be stored long-term. There are drier forms of mozzarella (more popular in the U.S. than in Italy) which can live in the fridge for a few weeks, but the fresher cheese packaged in liquid tends to be of higher quality with more subtle flavors.

Cheese-making has, like so much else in the food industry, become much less hands-on than it used to be, but the best mozzarella still requires some hands-on attention. Mozzarella is made by kneading cheese curds, much as you would knead bread dough, until it’s smooth and shiny. Pieces of the smooth cheese are then pulled off and formed into individual balls of mozzarella.

But rather than reading about how to make mozzarella, why not watch Gabriele, Debi, & the girls make some?

>> Gabriele’s recipe for mozzarella is on Under the Tuscan Gun, as is a recipe for recipe for mozzarella in carrozza. His recipe for Heirloom Tomato Caprese Salad is on the Cooking Channel website.

Visitor’s Information: What to Know if You Want to Go
As mentioned, you’ll find mozzarella (and even mozzarella di bufala) in shops all over Italy, as well as in restaurant dishes everywhere. To get to the source of the best-quality cheese, however, you’ll need to go to Campania.

Naples’ Capodichino Airport is the biggest airport in the region, and the city of Naples is well worth several days on an Italy itinerary. The city is home to one of the finest archaeological museums in the country (if not the world), which houses most of the goodies found at the nearby excavated ancient cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum, it’s an excellent base for making day trips to see Pompeii and Herculaneum as well as Sorrento and Mt. Vesuvius, and any foodie can happily saunter from one pizzeria to another in order to sample some of the best pizza on the planet.

Outside Naples, visitors to Campania can take in the singular beauty of the Amalfi Coast and islands like Capri and Ischia; be awed by history at Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Paestum; and see Italy’s Versailles at Caserta. In addition the famous Neapolitan pizza, other Campania dishes that use mozzarella include gnocchi alla sorrentina (potato dumplings in a tomato sauce studded with small pieces of mozzarella), insalata caprese (sliced fresh tomato and mozzarella with basil leaves, olive oil, and salt), and arancini (deep-fried balls of risotto with mozzarella tucked into the center before frying). Even in Neapolitan pizzerias you’ll find that mozzarella di bufala costs extra, but in Naples it’s absolutely worth it – especially when the pizza is often under €5 to start with.

Naples doesn’t have the best reputation, and it’s not for everyone. This isn’t a city that lays out a red carpet for visitors – you need to work at loving Naples. The rewards are there, however, for anyone willing to put in the effort. Naples has the perks of a big and bustling city without the tourist crowds of Rome or even the nearby Amalfi Coast towns, and at lower prices. This is a place where you can experience that “real Italy” everyone’s always looking for – and you don’t even need to get into the hinterlands to do so.

And really, any city that gave birth to pizza has got to be alright.

>> Read up on things you should know about Naples before you plan your own Campania adventure.

photos by: paPisc, Fooding Around, Sami Keinanen, Jeff Kubina