First, we washed our hands while Simone pointed out various objects and ingredients in the kitchen. He showed us how the 3 cooks work together, elbowing each other when needed to gain passage. We giggled and nodded. Today’s menu, Simone announced, will be Crostini with liver pâté, Pasta and bean soup, Lemon Chicken, and a second chicken, diced and sautéed with garlic and spinach. This is starting sound really delicious—and, of course, Tiramisu, for dessert.
We started with the Tiramisu. Emerson separated eggs (maybe for the first time in his life, but demonstrated a natural talent). Rosemary took the task of whipping the egg whites. Simone told us that when the whites are sufficiently whipped they will cling to an inverted bowl. He slowly tipped the bowl and the meringue stayed put. It looked a bit like a magic trick. We were beginning to get the idea that everything Simone did was for a very specific reason. I blended the whipped whites into the yolks and we added the mascarpone. Finally we dipped Pavensini cookies into cooled black coffee and layered the cookies with the creamy pudding mixture. Then it was off to the fridge.
Now, I’m not going to go into every detail of the preparation of each course, but I will tell you that we cooked until 2 pm. It was as much a chemistry lesson as lunch preparation. Finally, we went back into the dining room and began eating our creations.
The crostini were the best I’ve ever eaten. Simone insists on keeping the pâté warm over a burner. He supplied us each with a spoon and we dipped into the savory treat, spreading it sparingly over toasted bread triangles. The next spoonfuls were a little more full. The third round was blatantly heaping, but we didn’t hesitate. Crunch, crunch. Munch, munch. Quite tasty and satisfying. And of course, there was soup.
The soup is a classic dish. Fresh egg pasta is made and left to dry for a short while before adding it to simmering beans. The soup was perfect for a fall day. Quite tasty and satisfying. Oh, did I mention the wine? As you might imagine, as we ate, we enjoyed wine selected specifically for each course. After the soup I was ready for a nap. But no! We still had the main dish—or as Italians say, il secondo piatto, the second plate. Supposedly, the secondo is the best of all, but I would never say that any course was better than another.
As we finished our soup, Simone‘s wife Ale had prepared our plates. A line of spices divided the plate into two sections: one for the lemon chicken and the other side for the pollo al inzimino, chicken with vegetables (spinach). The lemon chicken was delicious, as was everything else. Troppo cibo, too much food! Although we were more than satisfied, the meal was not over.
Just as we were about to lumber our way to the car, Ale appeared again, with their 3 bassotti, dachshunds. We were in heaven! After a few snuggles with Biancaneve (snow white), and Bartolo, we called it a day. And dinner . . . well, dinner was out of the question—maybe even lunch the next day. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, “Ah, Italia!”
November 7, 2011
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Lunch at Vinandro: If you’re up for it, we’ll make the reservation for one more and you can just go with us. There’s always time for an Italian moment, so grab your sunglasses and let’s go!
Quality time is undeniably great for relationships. We've discovered that quantity of time can provide that quality. Perhaps it takes Time to Partner.
Uncommon promise 