The Easter Meal

The Easter meal:

Easter, the holiest day of the year in Christendom, is celebrated with bounty and tradition.

The bounty:

To start, in the living room, we served salami, prosciutto, cheeses, Taralli and pizza rustica.
Pizza Rustica is a pie stuffed with hard boiled eggs, ricotta, and provolone and mozzarella cheeses with cubed Italian cold cuts.
Taralli are unleavened dough shaped in a circle then boiled and baked.  
To accompany the appetizers we served San Giuseppe Brut Prosecco Superiore 2009 vintage.
We then moved into the dining room where we enjoyed Orecchietti (pasta in the shape of little ears) with tomato sauce made with lamb shank.
The meat course was roasted leg of lamb over charcoal. The leg was bone in with slivers of garlic and rosemary imbedded in the meat marinated with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and a dusting of oregano.
The side dishes were roasted potatoes, green salad, Lampascioni and asparagus.
Lampascioni are bitter, wild, flowering bulbs, from, Puglia, Italy.
We served San Giuseppe Ripasso with the pasta and meat courses.
For desert, we served the traditional Pizza di Grano and Cassata cake.
Pizza di Grano is a pie with a filling of eggs and sprouted wheat.
Cassata is a Sicilian white cake that is filled with ricotta cream, covered with pistachio marzipan then covered with fondant and candied fruits.
We served San Giuseppe Moscato with desert.
Tradition: How do you say Happy Easter in Italian? Answer: Buona Pasqua, literally translated, Good Passover. Now look at the menu. Taralli, unleavened bread, roasted lamb, Lampascioni, bitter herb.
On the Christian side, the eggs and the sprouted wheat symbolize the resurrection that is Easter.

Ah! Tradition
Ah! San Giuseppe
Buona Pasqua

Happy St. Joseph’s Day

St. Joseph’s Day is March 19th. St. Joseph’s Day has special meaning for us since Joseph translates into San Giuseppe in Italian! It’s the day when we give thanks to St. Joseph for his role in the life of Christ and preventing a famine in Sicily during the middle Ages. Red is worn in his honor. Throughout Italy, a banquet is laid out on the altar after mass with donated foods. Fava beans are considered lucky because the beans thrived during the drought when other crops failed. Breadcrumbs are served on some dishes to represent sawdust since St. Joseph was a carpenter. Then there is the traditional ending: deep-fried zeppoles filled with sweet cheese, whipped cream or vanilla pudding. The cheers of Viva la tavola di San Giuseppe begin the feasting. What better way to enhance these culinary delights then a bottle of San Giuseppe wine.

San Giuseppe Pinot Grigio is now D.O.C. Venezia.

San Giuseppe Pinot Grigio is now D.O.C. Venezia.

By law, D.O.C. (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) is the highest classification for Pinot Grigio wines.

Starting with the 2010 vintage, San Giuseppe Pinot Grigio was upgraded to this highest classification. Hence, San Giuseppe is in the same classification as Felluga, Jermann and Santa Margherita.

Difference is regional style.

 San Giuseppe 100% Pinot Grigio is estate bottled from the Venezia D.O.C. region; known for its big round taste and bouquet.  

Jermann and Felluga Pinot Grigio are from the Friuli D.O.C. region, known for its mineral taste.

Santa Margherita markets two Pinot Grigio wines. One is from the Alto Adige D.O.C. region, known for its light flavors and aromas. The other is from the Valdadige D.O.C. region, a bit west and south, known for its medium body and flavors.

Of course there are other D.O.C. classified brands of Pinot Grigio from these same regions having the same relative characteristics.

Other differences:

Estate bottling:  meaning grapes were vinified and bottled where they were grown.

Percentage of Pinot Grigio grapes:  the law permits up to 15% other grape varieties in wines labeled Pinot Grigio.

Price: The lower classification of Pinot Grigio is I.G.T., Indicazione Geografica Tipica. These wines are not regionally or characteristically defined because they are sourced from a wide area and the laws of production are not as strict.

Report on my visit to VIN Italy, the largest international show for Italian wines in the world.

Italy is the largest producer of wines in the world, and VIN Italy is its largest exposition. Held in the story book, “Romeo and Juliet”, city of Verona every April, this year show was the largest ever and impossible to cover in its entirety.

The weather was unusually warm, hot in fact, with temperatures in the high eighties and low nineties. Getting there is always a chore, as there are no nonstop flights. This year was particularly taxing, as we missed our connection from Rome and did not arrive in Verona until eighteen hours after we left New York!

The next day we arrived at the fair having pre registered and with tickets in hand only to wait in line to pass through the turnstile. The crowds were enormous!

Our first appointment was very successful. We selected a new Chardonnay for the “LILY’ label. The wine is soft, rich, full bodied and high in alcohol. Not like any Italian Chardonnays I ever tasted. If I did not know, I would declare it Californian.

While at that producers stand, I noticed an attractive sparkling Rose. I tasted and loved it. What a great companion to our Prosecco this will make. Look for San Giuseppe sparkling, extra dry, Rose’ soon.

On the subject of new wines, a new San Giuseppe white and red will be arriving in a few weeks. The white is San Giuseppe Sauvignon Blanc. Here again, if you taste it blind, you’ll never guess it is Italian. It drinks totally French. Surprising, but remember that French varieties have been cultivated in Northeast Italy for hundreds of years. The San Giuseppe Sauvignon comes from the Friuli, the best region for the grape.

The red is my own creation, named “Chicco d’ Uva”, translation, a single berry from a cluster of grapes. The name is descriptive of its taste, an easy description, but not easy to make. For this wine I went to the region around the lake of Garda. Only here was I able to find the juicy character found in Southern Italy and California and the acidity necessary to balance and keep the wine interesting. The blend is secret. The wine maker is from Australia. Wait until you taste it!

Back to the fair, next we visited San Giuseppe Amarone, Ripasso and Valpolicella Classico Superiore producer who invited us to the winery for dinner that evening. There, we also toured the aging room. After the tour, dinner was served. The food was fabulous!

Funny story, I discovered that the caterer is a cousin I did not know. Small world!

Next day, we visited the San Giuseppe Prosecco Superiore producer.  All is well here. Then our Chianti producer, ditto and finished up exploring with no new finds. Later, we had dinner with the San Giuseppe Pinot Grigio producer at Calanova, my favorite fish restaurant in Verona. Oysters and baked Rambo, delicious!

The last day was rather light; we visited some old friends and the San Giuseppe Moscato producer. Moscato is hot! Everyone wants it and supply will become a problem. Hold on to your wallet!

The evening was a treat with a dinner of Bollito at restaurant Castelvecchio, the best Bollito in Verona. For those who don’t know, Bollito is mixed meats, boiled and served with various sauces. My favorite sauce is the Mustardo di’ Fruta, theirs is cooked apple and pear in mustard, but any combination of fruits can be found.

The next day we returned tired, but fulfilled.

The Easter Meal

Easter, the holiest day of the year in Christendom, is celebrated with bounty and tradition.

The bounty:

To start, in the living room, we served salami, prosciutto, cheeses, Taralli and pizza rustica.

Pizza Rustica is a pie stuffed with hard boiled eggs, ricotta, provolone and mozzarella cheeses with cubed Italian cold cuts.

Taralli are unleavened dough shaped in a circle then boiled and baked.

To accompany the appetizers we served San Giuseppe Brut Prosecco Superiore 2009 vintage.

We then moved into the dining room where we enjoyed Orecchietti (pasta in the shape of little ears) with tomato sauce made with lamb shank.

The meat course was roasted leg of lamb over charcoal. The leg was bone in with slivers of garlic and rosemary imbedded in the meat marinated with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and a dusting of oregano.

The side dishes were roasted potatoes, green salad, Lampascioni and asparagus.

Lampascioni are bitter, wild, flowering bulbs from, Puglia, Italy.

We served San Giuseppe Ripasso with the pasta and meat courses.

For dessert, we served the traditional Pizza di Grano and Cassata cake.

Pizza di Grano is a pie with a filling of eggs and sprouted wheat.

Cassata is a Sicilian white cake that is filled with ricotta cream, covered with pistachio marzipan then covered with fondant and candied fruits.

We served San Giuseppe Moscato with dessert.

Tradition:

How do you say Happy Easter in Italian? Answer: Buona Pasqua, literally translated, Good Passover. Now look at the menu. Taralli, unleavened bread, roasted lamb, Lampascioni, bitter herb.

On the Christian side, the eggs and the sprouted wheat symbolize the resurrection that is Easter.

Ah! Tradition
Ah! San Giuseppe
Buona Pasqua

Sauvignon Blanc

Though commonly associated with the Loire in France, the Sauvignon Blanc grape has been cultivated in Italy’s Northeast for hundreds of years. In fact Italy has been producing Sauvignon Blanc long before California, New Zealand and other “New World” vineyards.

As with all wines, older vines and experience is important. Hence, Italy has an advantage.

Realizing this advantage, I’ve been searching for Italy’s best Sauvignon Blanc and found it in the D.O.C. Grave di Friuli area of Northeast Italy.

While the grape is widely cultivated in all the Veneto, it is only here, in Grave di Friuli, that Sauvignons’ true character finds expression. Crisp, rich, layers of flavor, complexity and aroma. Compare to the best Sancerre from France.

San Giuseppe Moscato

The newest addition to the San Giuseppe range of premium Italian wines, Moscato, blends the best of Italian agriculture and enology.

San Giuseppe Moscato grapes are grown in the sunny Puglia region of Southern Italy. When fully ripe, these sweet grapes are picked and quickly trucked overnight to the Piedmont region of Northern Italy.

San Giuseppe then gently presses the grapes near the town of Asti and ferments in temperature-controlled stainless steel. Fermentation is arrested at 8 to 9 percent alcohol thus retaining the fruity natural flavor of the Moscato grape.

Sounds easy, but only the Piedmontese have the knowledge and experience to balance all the elements of the Moscato grape and turn it into this delicious wine.

Traditionally, Moscato is served with the fruit and desert course. However, its recent popularity is due to enjoying it for the sake of enjoying it.

So enjoy!

The Feast of San Giuseppe

March 19^th is the feast of San Giuseppe (Saint Joseph’s day)

For Italians, San Giuseppe is their Patron Saint. That means a feast of special foods and wine.

Italy is a land of regional cooking, so every area, even every small town, has their own styles of food to celebrate Saint Joseph’s day. However, Sicilians have taken the front position in honoring San Giuseppe with Pasta con Sarde and Zeppole di San Giuseppe.

Pasta con Sarde is Spaghetti with a sauce made with sardines, wild spring fennel, pine nuts, raisins, tomatoes, onion and garlic. The recipe is widely available or you could simply buy a can imported from Sicily as I do. It is very good! Just boil the pasta of your choice, heat the sauce, mix and enjoy.

This dish calls for a glass or two or three of San Giuseppe Chianti. That way you cover both North and South of Italy and have everything “San Giuseppe”, wine and food.

Now, for desert, Zeppole di San Giuseppe. These are fried doughnuts filled with ether cream custard or ricotta cream.  Find a good Italian bakery for these and heighten the pleasure with a bottle of San Giuseppe Moscato.

San Giuseppe Moscato is a lush, half dry white wine with low alcohol that is the perfect desert wine.

So, for every Italian, half Italian, part Italian or if you just like things Italian, “Look for the Lily (the flower of St. Joseph) on the Label” and say, Ah! San Giuseppe.

Bouna Festa San Giuseppe!

San Giuseppe’s Brunello di Montalcino

Ever since I was a kid, Saturday night was steak night. Back then, when I was poor, but didn’t know it, steak was a treat. Now many, many, too many, years later, I still make steak every Saturday night.

I like prime rib cut two inches thick. I leave it out a few hours to come to room temperature. About an hour before I grill it, I salt it with course sea salt. Salting before seasons the meat through while salting after makes a salty steak.

About a half hour before grilling, I start the grill. I want a very hot grill. While waiting for the grill, I prepare the sides, corn in summer, baked potato in winter, seasonal greens sautéed in olive oil, garlic and red pepper, sautéed mushrooms and salad dressed with extra virgin olive oil and my own home made vinegar.

I throw the steak on the hot grill, salt side up, close the lid and leave it for about four to five minutes, open the lid, flip it and close it again. After all these years, the steak tells me when it is how I like it. I remove it and let it rest at least ten minutes before slicing it. If I want it Tuscan style, I’ll pour some extra virgin olive oil and throw a few sprigs of fresh rosemary over it while it rests under aluminum foil.

Because no Italian is poor with what goes in the mouth, I will have opened a bottle of San Giuseppe Brunello di Montalcino when I salted the steak. Letting this wine “breath” is a good thing. In fact, decanting it is even better.

Brunello (brownish skin) is the local name for their strain of Sangiovese grape. Montalcino is the name of the village around Brunello grape grows. Hence, Brunello di Montalcino is Brunello grapes from Montalcino, made into a very special wine.

San Giuseppe Brunello is not from one of the corporate, newcomer vineyards developed by Americans, Milanese and Florentines. Those new vineyards were planted on land the locals didn’t think worthy.

San Giuseppe Brunello di Montalcino is an example of why this wine became famous in the first place. Our vineyards existed before the “invasion” and are in a prime location (same zone as Biondi-Santi) facing the sunny south. For Sangiovese grapes to produce great wine it must have every advantage and San Giuseppe Brunello does.

San Giuseppe Brunello is from a local family’s vineyard of thirty three acres, aged in oak and bottled on the same property. (Estate Bottled)

Now, the steak is sliced, the sides plated, the wine poured, I take my place and ah! I’m a kid again!

San Giuseppe Pinot Noir

Last Thursday evening, four of us went to The Pine Island Grill, a lovely restaurant on Long Island Sound in Bayville. The weather was perfect so we took a table on the outside deck. There was a soft breeze and a view of the sunset. If we were young again, it would be very romantic. At our age, however, the lobster special was our only motive. A two pound plus lobster dinner (salad, lobster, steamers, mussels, corn on the cob, potato, tea or coffee and desert) for $34.95!!!

The meal was delicious plus we walked out with a very large “doggy bag.” There was no way each of us could consume all that food!

The next night, I took the leftovers from the fridge. We ordered our lobsters steamed so I sautéed some garlic and red pepper. Opened two small cans of imported Italian cherry tomatoes and threw them in with some fresh basil, added the lobster, clams and mussels and turned it into Lobster Fra Diavolo with linguini.

As we were now eating red sauce, I opened a bottle of San Giuseppe, Pinot Noir.

While many wine drinkers don’t know that Pinot Noir is grown in North Italy, It should be no surprise, because Veneto is famous for Pinot Grigio, also a member of the PINOT family of grapes. In other words, were Pinot Grigio grows, Pinot Noir, Blanc and Chardonnay also grows. These Pinot grape varieties have been grown in Veneto for hundreds of years.

San Giuseppe is 100% Pinot Noir. That means that no other grape varieties were, as is permitted by law, added. Some brands will add Syrah or even Cabernet to “boost up” the flavor and color of low quality Pinot Noir. San Giuseppe uses top quality juice that reflects the true character of the grape. Also, San Giuseppe is estate bottled. That means that the people that grew the grapes also made and bottled the wine.

The style of is Burgundian without the high price and oak. The result is fresher and slightly fruitier, but still very Pinot Noir. A Pinot Noir that was a great companion to our spicy lobster in red sauce with linguini.