Last Weeks in Italia!

So........ my culinary stage in Italy is starting to come to a close.  This week I start to work in the Pizzeria, and 2 saturdays from now I am done!  It has gone by so fast, and has been an incredible experience.  I can't thank the chef enough for what he has taught me, and where he has taken me!

I also asked the chef if it was ok for me to take pictures of the restaurant.  Of course he said yes, so I will explain them to you now.  This picture is a special award given to the chef about being one of the top restaurants in Italia.  This plate is in the entrance way to the restaurant.

This picture here is of the original wheels that used to make flour.  This building used to be a flour mill, and the chef has preserved most of the original things.  the wheels are over 500 years old, and in Italian these are called Molin's (hence the name of the restaurant.

This is a picture of the original machine that used to grind the rice (also 500 years old!!!)

This week was pretty laid back with both the restaurants closed.  The Chef put on a cooking school for 5 days for some people in the Val Di Fiemme.  Ale and I prepared the food for each of the nights.  It was a lot of fun for me to teach people how to make different things (even if I don't speak the best Italian......they still understood me!!!)

These are some pictures from today (yes today May 8th) of my hike up the mountain behind Cavalese.  The Northern region of Italia is a beautiful place, and everyone should come here (at least once!!).

Formaggi!!!!!!

Today has been awesome so far!  This morning I slept in (which was very nice if I might add) and I went with my sous chef to see the production of goat cheese!  We took a chance that they were open because today is Labor Day for Italy.

This is a local place (so the production is limited since it is small) and they make all different kinds of cheese from the goats milk.  When we arrived, they took us to the barn where they house the goats for production.  All of the goats where white as could be, and had super long beards under their chin!  Also, all of the goats were extremely calm and very happy.  To me, that is a distinct factor in production of milk.  Like California says (kind of), happy goats make the best milk. 

After the barn, we went to the room with the big machine that takes the milk from the goats.  They get the goats in the line up by scattering corn on the path, which gets them to move into the space.  Once they are in, I’m sure you can figure out the rest!

We then made our way into the other building where they actually make the cheese!  When we  walked in we heard music playing but didn’t see anyone.  We said, “Hello, Hello” and finally we heard a big burly response.  We walked into the back to find (this bear of a man) the guy making the cheese.  When we arrived he was making the ricotta cheese from the leftover milk (which is amazing if I might add).   He talked to us and explained some things about the cheese.  One interesting fact, the goat milk does not need an acid to make ricotta.  All you have to do is heat it to 90 degrees Celsius and it will start to curd (I think this is only with their goat milk because it is unpasteurized). 

The next 2 pictures are the fresh cheese (made today) and will be aged for 15 days. The picture following is the fresh Ricotta cheese (INCREDIBLE!!!!!)  It truly doesn't get much better than this!

When we finished watching him make the cheese, he took us to the other room so we could then taste all the cheeses……….AMAZING!  We tasted 3 different kinds of cheese.  Two of the cheeses were soft, and the other was a little bit firmer.  The cheese on the right was the softest cheese, and had the texture of brie.  The cheese in the middle is a soft cheese that has been aged for 15 days to take out some of the moisture.  Finally the cheese on the right (my favorite) is a cheese that has been aged for 4 months.  All of these cheeses where amazing but my favorite is the last.  

Again, I have had another amazing day in Cavalese!

Trento Book Release

This past Thursday, the whole staff went to Trento with the Chef.  He is in a new

book about Chef’s from the mountains and how they are modernizing cuisine.  About three weeks ago we had a food photographer come to the restaurant to take pictures of Chef’s signature dishes.  These pictures were put in the new book.

There were two other chefs at the event that where showcased.  these are some pictures of their dishes...

Thursday was, for me, the official start of the spring up here in the mountains.  It was 27 degrees Celsius (which is 80 Fahrenheit) down in the valley.  All the apple trees have blossoms, and the grape vines are starting to grow.  It was a spectacular day to be outside!

The event was for 50 people, mostly journalists from the Trentino Alto-Adige region.  Chef made his signature Lamb dish with Lichen, Jerusalem Artichoke, and Crosne (this is like a baby turnip).

  There were camera’s all over the kitchen so that the journalists could watch the chef prepare the dish.  Once the chef finished his preparation, we then all helped to make exact replicas of the dish for the journalists.  It was a great event to be a part of, and another amazing experience in Italy!

Trento Wine Festival

This past Saturday I went to Trento with the chef.  We went for another wine festival to make the food for the event.  We met up with two other chefs from the valley to help them for the day (chef made his dish on Sunday).  Chef Stefano made a Zuppa di Faggioli (which was incredible) with Carne Salata wrapped with Spaghettoni.  It was a beautiful dish, and the flavors were great!  We served about 120 people in about 10 minutes.  We were flying!

And of course, being at a wine festival, the chef and I went to taste some wines!  This was a festival for ONLY the sustainable wineries in Trentino Alto-Adige.  Most of the wines were amazing!  Chef introduced me to the vintner who makes his favorite wine, and let me tell you, the wine is incredible!  The lady gave me a bottle of the wine as we were leaving for free!  I told her I would pay but she insisted I take it for free.

At the event there was also some different styles of cheese, and salumi.  The salami’s where very good, and as was the Speck, but my favorite Speck is still the chef’s! 

It was another great day in Northern Italy!

The Banquet

This past Friday we served about 90 people hors d’ouvres, and a beautiful 4 course meal.  We prepared all week for the event, doing a few things each day.  We made 5 different types of hors d’ouvres, which were served when the people arrived.  We made a Caprese Panini with cherry tomatoes and the mozz in between the two slices, along with Carne Salata.  Carne Salata is marinated beef that can be served raw or cooked.  We served it raw with a goat cheese cream on the inside (like a roulade).

This was an event for A.N.F.F.A.S., which is the facility we cook dinner for every night.  A.N.F.F.A.S. is local place that helps people with learning disabilities.  I didn’t know the whole time what this place was until we set up the banquet.  They had pictures of everyone on the walls, and it made me appreciate what we have been doing every night (we make them dinner every night around 6:30, and the chef delivers the food). 

After the banquet and the service, the chef and the rest of us received a round of applause for the food that we had prepared.  Little did they know that at 7:30 (right before the first course was supposed to go out) we lost all power in the kitchen!  We had to scramble to keep the food hot for service!  Luckily chef’s brother’s hotel was right across the street so we could use their kitchen.  At one point I had to run in the rain, across the street to heat up the sauce for the main course (CRAZY!!!). 

It was a great event, and I’m so glad I was able to be apart of it!

Night Out!

Night Out!

Let me start out by saying I really don’t know what I was thinking because I decided to drink everything possible (Red Wine, Prosecco, Champagne, Beer, and Jager!!).

So last Saturday night was the first time I have gone out since I have been here.  I have been working a lot and haven’t had the desire to go party.  Last Saturday I promised some of my co-workers that I would go with them to a “Discotec” (what we would call a club).  So after work that night, I showered up and went downstairs to the Wine Bar for a drink.  Everyone met here after work and then we went off to the club.

At the Club, we had our own private section, and bottle after bottle after bottle of Prosecco!  They played house and dance music, (so I was in Heaven) and I think everyone in the Valley was there!

So as I’m sure you can tell by now, we were drinking, dancing, and letting loose!  By the end of the night, I should have went home with my friend Mattia, but I decided to stay with the other guys.  Little did I realize it was 3 in the morning!  So we partied on till about 4 when the club closed, and from their, I honestly don’t remember how I got lost.  I was with my friends one minute, and the next I was in another town.  I think I walked anywhere between 3-5 kilometers away from Cavalese (and yes the bar was only about a 2 minute walk from where I am staying…….IDIOT). 

So as I’m walking, and wondering where the hell I am, I finally see a car!  So I wave my hands in the air and yell BASTA! BASTA! (which means stop).  So as the car stops I say, “Io sono Americano.  Io vado Cavalese.  Aiuto!” (I am American, I go to Cavalese, HELP!).  The driver then says to me, “We speak English,  and we are on our way to Roma and will take you back to Cavalese”.  I was so thrilled to hear that (after walking for about an hour).  When I arrived back at the hotel, I CRASHED!  It was 5:15 am when I arrived back in my room.

So the next morning I was supposed to start work at 9am……………That didn’t happen!  I had forgotten to set my alarm when I arrived home so I didn’t wake up in time.  I woke up to one of the cooks absolutely slamming his fist into the door yelling, “Marco, Marco”.  I woke up, put on my clothes, and ran downstairs to the kitchen.  It was one of the LONGEST days of my LIFE!  I did not feel good ALL day until about 9:30 in the night.  Luckily the chef wasn’t angry with me.  I apologized, and assured him it would NOT happen again, and he said to me sometimes we all just need to let loose.

I hope you all get some good laughs out of this because I know everyone here sure did!

Ciao!!

Pizza!

PIZZA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This week was awesome!  It was a little slower with the Michelin Restaurant being closed so we had some time to “Play” with food………..YES!!!  If you haven’t been following my posts, a few weeks ago I ate the BEST PIZZA EVER!  We were at a wine festival called “Vinitaly” and were able to taste this amazing pizza.  The pizziolo told us that they let the dough proof for one week!  I thought this was crazy!  One week of levitation for pizza dough, but let me tell you this pizza was INCREDIBLE!!  So with the flour that Ale and I picked up from “Molino Grassi” we experimented with different pizza dough’s.

The first day we made 3 different pizza dough’s.  One from normal Farina 00, another from Manitoba, and the last from a mixed flour that was rustic made from buckwheat and Farro.  The for a week of levitation is to decrease the amount of Yeast.  With a smaller amount of Yeast, you must allow more time for proper levitation…..(btw I love working with bread so this week was so much fun).   Each day after our tastings of pizza (yes I said pizza tasting) we would make a different dough either by mixing the flours, or adding water or flour to the recipe.  After 5 days of experimenting, the chef found the perfect mix for the new pizza dough for the pizzeria.

It doesn’t get much better than that!

Parma

What a Day!!

Today was our day off after a CRAZY Easter week!  I was looking forward to sleeping in, but instead the sous chef asked me if I wanted to go to his home for the day and of course I said yes (how could I pass up a chance to travel!).  Ale lives in Cremona (which is a beautiful city) in the lombardia Region of Italy.  I thought we were just going to go see his family for the day, but I had no IDEA what I had in store!

We left Cavalese around 8:30 to make our way out of the mountains.  Our first stop was a bakery in Trento.  Ale has been meaning to get to this bakery because he met one of the head bakers at a food conference not to long ago.  When we arrived, I stepped out of the car, and all you could smell was fresh bread (INCREDIBLE!!!).  I thought that we were just going to go and by some bread for Ale, but that was not the case (and this is pretty much how the whole day went!).  Ale started to talk to one of the people that worked there, and before I knew it I was in the actual bakery.  They took us in the back to show us their specialty bread that they only bake on Saturday.  They make this bread with the crushed grapes from which are used to make wine.  It gives the bread a distinct flavor (not sweet) and adds a little texture to the bread (and the aroma is amazing!).

After leaving the bake shop, we made our way down to Parma (which if you look on a map where Cavalese is and Parma, you will see).  In Parma, we had to pick up some flour for the Chef because he wants to experiment with different flour for Pizza dough ( and that will be my next post J).  The flour mill is called Molino Grassi, and they produce some of the best flour in Italy for breads and pizza.  We only needed 30 kilo’s of flour, and we got 3 different kinds, but some how it took us a freaking hour to get flour (I know……nice rhyme). 

So when we finally left the flour mill, I thought that we were headed first to see all the Culatello.  I was way off.  I know Ale told me that he wanted to show me where they bag all of the coffee near his home, but he didn’t tell me that we were going to Massimo’s shop (Massimo is the man who supplies the coffee for El Molin and it is incredible! Check it out on line: search Lady Café Italia)!  I was able to see the entire process of which he goes through to make the perfect coffee.  He also told me the ratio to make a perfect coffee (10g coffee/60g water AMERICANO…..8g coffee/25g water ESPRESSO).  Massimo also makes this stuff he calls a coffee dough (its really more like a paste).  He has taken an old paint mixer and converted it for his needs to make this paste.  He mixes ground coffee and oil and keeps it heated at a specific temperature for a couple of hours so the emulsion is correct and holds.  He then sells it to gelato stores, and he also mixes it with sugar and cocoa powder (words can not describe how good it is).  It was amazing to see the passion this man has for coffee, and I hope to one day buy his product in the U.S. for my restaurant.

The next stop on our “Tour” was to see the Culatello.  Culo in Italian means “butt” so the meat comes from that area of the pig.  Culatello is also known as “The King of the Salumi”, and let me tell you……..It sure is!  If you think Proscuitto is good, you need to get your hands on some of this stuff.  I know for a fact that my Uncle John would go crazy over this stuff!  Enough about the Culatello (cause I could go on and on about this stuff for days), I want to tell you about the place where they make it.  Culatello is protected, just like Parmesan cheese, and Proscuitto de Parma.  It can only be made in Zibello, and there are certain dietary restrictions for the pigs as well as specific procedures to follow after the pigs have been slaughtered.  Sorry, random fact.  The castle is incredible.  Its not very big but it has been renovated on the inside and is stunning.  They have a huge garden in the entranceway, and peacocks that roam the terrace.  Down in the Cantina is where all of the Culetello is stored.  It is basically a LARGE basement, with only one window facing north.  Inside, they keep the leftover crushed grapes from wine making.  They say it adds in the flavor of the Culatello, and helps with the formation of the mold.  Also down in the Cantina they have the Parmesan Cheese.  The wheels are HUGE!  One interesting fact I learned is that they make different kinds of Parmesan Cheese from different cows.  Each of the cows is feed similar diets, but the cheese comes out very different!

After leaving the Castle, we headed to Ale’s house to meet his family.  He kept saying to me, “ Oh my family is crazy, I hope its ok for you”.  I told him that Everyone’s family is a little crazy, and if their not, its not normal!  His family is not crazy at all!  They were wonderful and showed me such hospitality.  They made me Polenta Pasticatta which is polenta with cheese and ragu (INCREDIBLE).  After dinner (around 9:30) we left to meet Ale’s friends at a bar.  I am glad we got to spend some time with his friends because I don’t think he has seen them in a while.  After having a few drinks at the bar we headed home, arriving in Cavalese at 2:30 in the morning!  It was a long day but I think we did all that we possibly could in one day! All I have to say is………I LOVE ITALY! 

Easter Week

Again I apologize for not being able to post, but I have had zero time!  Hope all is well with everyone!

Easter Week!!!!!!!!!!!!AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Ok, first I will start off by saying Happy Easter to everyone, and I hope you all had lots and lots of chocolate!!

This week was CRAZY! We were so busy there wasn’t any time to think!  From Wednesday to Monday I worked 75 hours!  Lets just say by Monday night I was almost a Zombie.  It was an amazing week though.  For the last two weeks I have been fully controlling the main course station.  I have been cooking all of the proteins, and maintaining the prep for my station.  That being said, I had to do so much prep work this week to be sure that I was prepared for the Easter weekend.  We worked every day from 9-4pm, then from 5:30pm till 12.  It was pretty intense!

This week ended up being a turning point for me.  We were so busy that there wasn’t any time to think.  This ended up being a great thing for me.  It was just GO, GO, GO the whole time.  I was on time with all of my plates, and I didn’t miss a beat!  The Chef said to me that I did a great job staying organized and in control during all the Chaos. 

This ended up being a great week for me amidst all of the craziness!  Again, happy late Easter to all! 

Vinitaly Day 3

VinItaly DAY 3

Today I am definitely feeling the wear and tear from this event.  I am exhausted from driving 4 hours a day and working another 6-8.  Today is exciting because the whole kitchen from “El Molin” gets to go today!  The Chef is presenting two dishes today, and wants everyone on board to make service nice and smooth.  When we arrived, we started to make the Beet Spheres for the first dish.  We put 3 on each plate and had to make enough for at least 85 people (considering that yesterday we served at least 120).  It took about 2 hours to make all of the Spheres, but since we had that finished, for service all we had to do was plate.  With the Beet Spheres we served a Gorgonzola Cream, with Juniper flavored Stroitzel (which is a savory pastry similar to a biscuit).  This dish is Buonissimo!  The only thing different that I would do is to make a pastry with walnuts instead of the Juniper, for me it is a little strong.

The second dish we did today was Chefs take on Fish & Chips.  We served poached black cod with Shrimp Bisque Cream, a risotto and a Potato chip, and Shrimp Tagliolini that is smoked with Juniper and Rosemary.  On the top of the dish we put tiny little spheres of frozen lime juice that we made with liquid nitrogen.  For me it wasn’t my favorite dish but it was still very good. 

After we finished service, Chef let us all go around Vinitaly to taste different wines from the different regions.  We started out in tasting some amazing wines from Toscana.  We had a couple white wines from the region that I thought were incredible!  Afterwards we headed to the Amalfi Coast area and had some more white wines that were so well rounded  and very nice on the palate (and for me I don’t normally drink too much white wine).  After tasting the southern wines of Italy, we went over to meet Chef and his friend to have some pizza.  Let me tell you, this was the BEST pizza I have ever tasted (no joke)!  The dough was absolutely incredible!  We talked with the pizziolo and he said that they let the dough rise for ONE WEEK! The dough is incredibly soft on the inside, and the outside has the perfect crunch to it!  The pizza had Chef’s Speck, potatoes, Mozz, and a coffee paste.  It sounds a little weird but it was AWESOME!.  The other pizza we had was almost the same, but it had a Buratta instead of the Mozz.

After the best pizza EVER, we headed over to the Pimonte region to try some Barolo’s.  The sous chefs friend has his own vineyard so he took us there first.  They have some amazing wines!  The Cantina is called Vajra, and it is a small family run vineyard that specializes in Barolo’s and one very interesting Reisling (which typically is not found in the Barolo area).  After our tasting, the family gave me a bottle of wine to take home (which I was not expecting, but I am very excited to drink) to my family.

We headed home after another long day of work, but I had some amazing wine yet again, and I am having the experience of a lifetime!

April 3rd

April 3^rd, 2012

I have to say, staging in Italy is amazing!  I love hearing the church bells ring every hour, from Cavalese and the surrounding towns.  Today again is my day off, but I woke up early today to make the bread for tomorrow. I made the five different kinds of bread, and then did some laundry.  After I started the laundry I decided to go for a run.  It is so beautiful today, so I ran as far up the hill as I could, and then I hiked.  I was up in the woods for about an hour today running and hiking.  I found all sorts of things like the different pines (and they all have different scents), the Lichene (which is what the Chef uses in a lot of his dishes), and wild Licorice.  It was so nice and peaceful to be in the mountains, the sun shining, and just enjoying the nature around me. 

I am heading to Bolzano this afternoon with the Sous Chef because he needs some coffee, and I just want to go back again!  It is such a beautiful city (and I want my Sacher Torte) set in the Valley.  We left for Bolzano around 2 in the afternoon, and we couldn’t have picked a better day to go!  It was sunny and warm, and the drive is beautiful.  Its crazy to think that just a week ago I was making this drive to go to Verona, and none of the apple trees had blossoms.  Now, every single tree was covered in flowers!  It was a beautiful site to see. 

When we arrived in Bolzano, Ale took me to a great place where they make fresh bread all day long!  There were two ladies working (and they own the place) that are German and make unbelievable bread!  WE then kept walking through the markets and small, narrow streets until we arrived at a small Delicatessen.  They made all kinds of sausages from deer, pork, and beef, and they also made Speck and Prosciutto (still to me, the Chef’s Speck is the best around).  We bought some sausage that they call “Common Wurst” which is very similar to a smoked Anduilie sausage from Louisiana (don’t know if that is spelled right!).  Afterwards, we stopped at a nice little bar down one of the side streets, where you can sit outside, and relax.  We ordered a “Hugo” (pronounced ugo) which is Prosecco, with a syrup from a flower similar to Jasmine, and mint……DELICIOUS!  After our relaxing drink, we decided to head to “Bozner Bier”, which is a local brewery that makes all of their beer in house (I talked about this a few weeks ago).  Ale and I decided to each get a Growler, which is about 4 liters of beer!  On our way back to the car we finally stopped at the “Sacher Torte” store so I could finally try one.  I have to say, and I’m being honest, the one we made in school tasted much better.  Chef Woolley’s Recipe is the Bomb!  Also They make it with an Apricot Jam here, and we made ours with Raspberry (Sooooo much better).

On our way back to Cavalese, we went a different way.  Ale wanted to show me a Monastery up in the mountains (and we both haven’t been able to go to church on Sunday’s during Lent because of work).  This place was beautiful, and that is an understatement!  It is on the top of a mountain with the beautiful view of the Dolomites in the background (Check “Facebook” for pics).  After the mass, we drove back home through the astonishing mountain views to have dinner.

I ate with Ale and his girlfriend Pearla at their home in Tesero.  They have a beautiful 2 bedroom place!  I couldn’t help but laugh at dinner because it was the most American meal you could think off!  We picked up some Wurstel sausages (which are like American hotdogs, but 10 times better!) from the Delicatessen.  They also made French Fries, and of course we had the “Bozner Bier” to drink!  I said to them, “the only think I need now is my Rockies hat and a seat at Coors Field!”.   It was really good, and nice to spend some time with great people on my day off.  After dinner we had a few of Ale’s homemade liqueurs like Lemoncello (AMAZING) and a Mandarin one that was good too! 

Overall I had another amazing day, and I am loving each and every day I get to spend in this beautiful country.

VinItaly Day 2

Today just the chef and I went to the event.  Last night I fell asleep around 9 at night because I was so exhausted from the time change.  We left this morning around 7:30 because today we were not making the dishes, Chef Paulo (the other Michelin Chef) is for the event.  It is so beautiful in the mornings to drive through the mountains, and into the valley to go to Verona.  To see all the Castles and Monuments makes me think of how long the land has been inhabited here.

As we arrive, we don’t have anything to unload today. We just walked in and helped Chef Paulo get ready.  We finished setting up around 11:30 today and had about an hour to kill before service started.  So what do we do……. Of course we go drink Champagne!  Good Champagne is REALLY GOOD!! It is refreshing and cleansing to the pallet (to me).  So as we walk around the event in our chefs jackets, everyone says hello, and has us come in for the wine tastings.  It is pretty cool because my Chef gets us into the best places, AND we drink their BEST wine! I have a good understanding now about the different wines from the different regions in Italy. 

Today was the busiest day of the event.  We got absolutely slammed!  And the worst part was that it was about 200 degrees in the kitchen area!  We had an oven running, Emersion Circulator, 2 dish washing machines, and an induction burner with boiling water on it……….HOT!! To say the least, I sure learned today how to make a damn good Salumi plate!  I think I made Salumi platers today for at least 160 people, AND I helped with the plating of the two other dishes for 100! It was a crazy day, but again, once we finished, we quenched our thirst………With Champagne!! Ahhhhhh! Soo good!

Another day of amazing food and Wine!

VinItaly DAY 1

Vinitaly DAY 1

Today was the first day of the event Vinitaly.  It is the largest wine event in the world, and I am lucky enough to attend.  The event is in the city of Verona, so we had to leave around 6:30 AM to arrive on time.  We had to bring all the kitchen equipment that we needed, as well as all of the food so the chef and I arrived in the kitchen around 6 to get organized.  The Drive down to Verona is incredible!  The valley is stunning with beautiful mountains and castles symbolizing the history of this amazing country.  In the Valley of Trento there has to be at least 6 castles, and another 3 or 4 monuments that you can see from the highway.  So as we arrive and start to unload the car I am realizing how huge this place is.  Think of the New York Convention Center (HUGE), and multiply that by 4 or 5! 

Each Region of Italy (20) has its own BUILDING! There are so many wineries their that it would take at least 3 weeks to taste all of the wine!  There is also a designated areas for the different wines from around the world, including Napa and Sonoma County!

So we get all set up in our tiny little kitchen space, and then the chef takes us around to go taste some wines.  The first day we went to taste champagne!  It wasn’t until I arrived in Italy that I tasted truly amazing Champagne!  We sat down, had a Champagne tasting with some little hor d’ouerves, then returned to our kitchen.  It was really exciting because we were treated like VIP because of the Chef.  We would get right in, get a table, and receive the best service.  After our little tasting, we went back to the kitchen to complete our service.

Today we did service for 80 people.  We served a pancetta and Lamb tourine, with  lamb demi, potato cream, and a bread crisp.  The other dish was a Raviolo stuffed with pork, potato and herb ream sauce, apples and fried leeks.  Both were amazing and very beautiful.  Once we completed service, we all had another glass of Champagne in the kitchen, and then we headed home. 

It was a very fun day but extremely exhausting!  We had the time change the night before, and I didn’t get off work till midnight!  Get ready for Vinitaly DAY 2!!

March 24th

Sorry I haven't been able to post for a week.  I was working the biggest wine event in the world this week....VinItaly!  It was incredible and will post about each day over the next four days.  Today's post is about my chef, and how he has come into this profession.  I love all the support and keep posting!

March 24^th

Today I got my answers back from the questions that I had for the chef.  I had written questions for him about 3 days ago, then I translated them into Italian so he could read them.  I asked him questions like; where did he find his love for food and cooking, who has he worked for, and who was has inspired him the most.  I had no idea that I was working for a chef who had completed a stage at El Bouli, as well as Alan Ducasse! He wrote to me about what he learned from them the most as a chef; discipline, organization, and the most important respect.  He operates his kitchen in the same manor. 

For me I have taken on a new outlook towards the kitchen.  I think about those three things all the time.  I work extremely clean and organized, I respect everyone in the kitchen, and I make sure to get a good nights sleep so I can be sharp and focused for work.  It is very important to me to be prepared properly each day for the service so I can succeed.  If I don’t have my prep completed and organized, it makes it difficult to cook for a Michelin Restaurant and a world class Wine Bar.

When I received my answers from chef, I think this response was the funniest.  Chef told me that on the day he was born, his mother was working in the kitchen stirring the Polenta, when she had to go to the hospital.  I guess he was made for the kitchen! He also told me about the times he when he was young and with his family.  He said that he remembers being in the kitchen with his grandmother and watching her make pasta.  The only measuring tool was her hand!  One scoop of flour and two egg yolks, it comes out perfect every time!  He still uses the recipe today!

When chef was young he actually didn’t want to be a cook, he went to school for wood crafting.   He was working a job in the kitchen and going to school when one of the main cooks got fired.  He was then asked to join the staff full time and started his career as a Chef.

He has an amazing understanding of his surroundings and is an incredible chef.  He is so unique in many ways, and his cooking style speaks of the Valley.  I am learning so many amazing things from him that I know I will keep for the rest of my life.

Ciao!

March 24th

I will post on monday!! it is about to rain here and I don't have a jacket!!!!!!!ahhhhhh!

Tomorrow Vinitaly in Verona!  CHECK IT OUT!

Friday the 23rd of March

Hello readers!

Almost three weeks in Italy!  Pretty amazing!  And for Chef Corey, My food pics will be coming this week (jk Chef)!  I can't really take any pictures of the food that we serve during service but I will ask the chef this evening if I can have some of the photos of plates for this menu.  I think this tuesday I will be going towards Milan to another town like Bolzano with my sous chef so he can show me around the valley.

In the kitchen this week, we are getting ready for an event called Vinitaly (Check it out online!!!).  It is an event for all of Italy to showcase food and wine!  We are cooking in Verona for 4 days (quattro gorni), a different course each day, and wine tasting after!  We are doing some pretty intricate dishes (I will take pictures of the dishes at the show).  It is a ton of work to get ready for, but I am learning a lot while we do it.

I just want to say to all my readers, THANK YOU for all of your love and support!  It makes me smile to know that you are all supporting me along the way!  I will post again tomorrow, but for now I need to go for my run!

Ciao

Week 2

To all my readers,

I apologize for not posting sooner, but we had a crazy week!  here is my post for last week, and hopefully this won't happen again.  Once again I apologize for not posting, but please continue to read.  I have tons of exciting things to share!

Gratzia


WEEK2

Today was my day off.  It was amazing to sleep in and enjoy the day.  I went to the grocery store, got some laundry detergent (which took me about 7 minutes to pick out one cause I didn’t know which ones were fabric softener or detergent), did my laundry and went for yet another beautiful run in the mountains.  Last night I went to my favorite local Pizzeria and got yet again another wonderful pizza.  I got the La S.P.A.  which has Pomodoro (tomato), Buratta (Warm Mozz with Basil and EVOO), and Speck Crudo (Raw just cured and smoked and hung for 12 months).  UNBELIEVABLE!!! 

Wednesday was back to work.  I am now really starting to enjoy myself.  I feel situated and comfortable.  I now understand most of the calls that chef makes in Italian.  That means that I know what I need to make.  I now am cooking all the items on my station for the wine bar, and I get everything set up for the main course.  I am learning lots of new tricks in the kitchen.  I have been learning how to make different gels out of different binding agents…..Very interesting stuff!  I also learned how to do a salt bake today.  You take 500 grams of very course ground salt, and two egg whites whipped to full volume and fold the egg whites into the salt like a mousse.  We do the salt bake for the wild mountain goat dish.  It is the loin of Camoscio as they call it, seared, then chilled, wrapped in Speck, and covered with the salt mixture.  It is very important to wrap meat in either fat or something else to protect it from the harshness of the salt.  Fish is ok if you bake it whole because the skin will protect it.

I have not gotten a chance to post in over a week and I apologize to all of my peps.  We have been incredibly busy due to the fact that on Thursday, two of the cooks were fired.  I don’t know what happened, or what was said, but the chef took everyone upstairs except me.  Six people went upstairs, and only four returned to the kitchen.  I guess they have been a problem for the entire season and this was the last straw.  The two cooks that he happened to let go were the Primi cook ( which is pastas and first course) and the dolci cook (which is desserts).  This made it very difficult for the rest of us.  They cooked a large part of the menu, and now we all had to take on the responsibility of their portion of the menu.  This is why I haven’t been able to post in the last week!  Typically we have off in the afternoons from roughly 2:30-5:15, and with the two cooks fired we worked almost straight through the day from 9am-4pm, an 1 hour break  then 5:15 till 11:30.  LONG WEEK.  This happened to work in my favor though because I have been learning the other parts of the menu.  We are all helping each other with each portion of the menu so it is critical that we work together as a team.

Saturday was an extremely long day but very exciting.  We were super busy but we got through service without a glitch!  Chef was so happy with service that he brought us all down a beer after we finished cleaning.  It was nice to see that he appreciates all the work that we put in for him.  Also on Saturday, we started prepping for the Vinitaly event that is going on in Verona next week.  I had the chance to fully de-bone 2 goats.  It took me a little while, but Im so glad that JWU has the meat cutting class, or els I probably would have looked like a fool trying to work.  Even though it took me a little bit of time, the chef was very impressed with my meat cutting ability. 

Tuesday March 20^th I got the chance to go to Bolzano, which is about an hour away from Cavalese, but absolutely beautiful!  It was nice to get a different look at the area in which I am living.  Bolzano is not very far from Cavalese, but it is in the Alto-Adige region.  This is a region considered the Suditerol  because it used to be German territory.  There are some fabulous wines that come out of the region here, both reds and whites, but they are most known for their whites.  Also by Bolzano and in Alto-Adige, they grow tons and tons of apples.  It is like driving through Napa Valley except they are apple orchards instead of grapes! 

The town is incredibly beautiful; very narrow streets where the homes and buildings are all connected, with boutique shops and an incredible market.  They have all kinds of different cheeses that are made locally with flavors of which I have never had before!  They also make different kinds of bread in this region.  In Alto-Adige, they are known for their flat bread which is very crunchy, and made with a very course cut flour (farina in Italian).  Also in Bolzano they have the “Original Sacher Torte” shop.  In school we made the Sacher Torte in Advanced Baking, and I have to say it was one of my favorite cakes that we made!  I actually made it in class and I almost got nauseous because of the way it looked when you mix it with your hands (it is chocolate with little bits of nuts…..I think you know what im getting at!).  Bolzano, and the hotel in Austria are the only places where you can get these cakes!  We were told that it was a German cake in school, but its true origin is in Austria!  I guess its not entirely incorrect because Austria was once part of Germany.  Anyways, if you are ever in the North of Italy (which I advise everyone to go at least once) you MUST go to Bolzano!  My pictures will be on “Facebook” and I will post again tomorrow!

Ciao!

First Weekend

I had a very busy weekend!  I finished my first full week in Italy!  It has been tough being away from home, not being able to talk to everyone, but it has been such an experience so far!  For the record, right now its 4:45pm on Tuesday the 13^th and I am sitting outside my room on my balcony in a t-shirt!  I have the most gorgeous view of the mountains and not a care in the world.

Back to my weekend.  I would say that I am officially the sous chefs second hand man.  I help him with everything now.  Since I have an understanding of the kitchen, and the things that need to be done, I help make everything.  He is teaching me new things every day, and he appreciates my help.  Now that I have an understanding of the menu Items, I can help make the dishes.  I know am doing the majority of the dishes for the Secondi portion of the menu which is the main course.  Ale, the sous chef, watches me to make sure I am doing everything perfectly.  At first it was a little nerve racking, but I’m used to it now. 

In the kitchen, we have a Paco Jet, which is one of the best kitchen items I’ve ever seen.  It makes the smoothest Ice cream without having to add too much sugar, or no sugar at all.  Instead of the blade being on the bottom, the blade is on the top and moves downward through the container.  It then goes back to the top, but it makes a perfectly smooth product every time.

On Saturday we made all the stock for the sauces. We cut all the vegetables to a fine julienne to make the cooking time faster.  We also roast all of the bones in the pan to get the most flaver out of them.  Before we add water, we cook the vegetables with the bones until the onions have almost melted (or dissolved).  We then add the water and cook for about 4 hours.  Once the stock is ready,  we strain it, and then immediately make a remoulage with the bones and veggies, only this time we deglaze with wine.  Once the remoulage is ready, we strain it, combine the two together and reduce to concentrate the flavor even more.  When it is finished, it is absolutely wonderful!

I also learned how to make Speck this weekend!  Speck is basically a smoked prosciutto.  It has wonderful flavor, and is very classical for this region.  The Chef makes it himself, and he had me compare it to some that he bough, and his was at least 10 times better!  First you cure the pork for 21 days.  Once it is cured, you smoke the meat, then hang it in a cool humid place.  Chef hangs his Speck for 12 months! It is crazy to think about but for next years menu, the chef has already started the process!  When it is ready it is incredible.

I will say I have had an amazing week so far!  I get pasta everyday for lunch (which is my absolute favorite J), and the salumi here is out of this world!  I miss everyone back home, but this is an experience that I will never forget!