Italian Dinner

Enio Pieraccini and Fabio Nutini both members of the Slow Food Movement of Garfagnana (pronounced gar-fah-knee-ana) and accredited sommeliers, flew in from Italy to specially prepare the evening's treats. Their visit was also documented in two Italian newspapers, Il Tirreno and Il Corriere di Lucca.

Garfagnana rests in a a mountainous area nestled between the Apuan Alps and Apennine Range in North West Tuscany near the spectacular walled city of Lucca. Barga, self styled 'most Scottish town in Italy' and regarded as one of Italy's most attractive towns is on the areas fringes.

Enormous, ancient chestnut forests, lush green alpine meadows and countless hilltop villages scatter this unique, untouched landscape. Hearty food, rustic traditions and mealtimes where no one watches the clock are commonplace in this part of the world.

As for Slow Food, many of you may have heard of it. For those of you that have not, please let me elaborate. Slow Food opposes the standardisation of taste, defends the need for consumer information and protects cultural identities and gastronomic traditions. View of Barga

In Garfagnana and the Barga area, the cuisine is traditional and simple, using the freshest local ingredients with methods and recipes that have changed very little over time.

The dishes were so different to the traditional Italian Dinner, that even many Italians would not have recognised what was on the menu.

For those of you who were there, we hope you all enjoyed it and we're happy to have had the occasion to bring a little taste of the Garfagnana to Wemyss Bay.

Garfaganana Dinner Saturday 28^th May 2005

Antipasti (Starters)

A selection of the following:

Crostini di lardo (Traditional Toastlettes topped with Cured Lard. The Lard is commonly kept in stone vats rubbed in garlic and rosemary)

Crostini di fegatini (Traditional Toastlettes topped with chicken liver pâté, the garfagnino foie gras)

Prosciutto della Garfagnana (Naturally reared Ham from the Garfagnana Region, cured for 18 months)

Salamino al fungo porcino (Fresh hand made Pork Salame fused with Locally Picked Wild Porcini Mushrooms)

Salamino al tartufo (Fresh hand made Pork Salame fused with Locally Picked Wild Truffles)

Salamino di cinghiale (Fresh hand made Wild Boar Salame)

Biroldo Garfagnino (Savoury Local Black Pudding, Commonly eating within 8-15 days of being made, Biroldo is slow cooked for 7 hours from a recipe that has changed very little since Roman times. Incidentally, ‘Biroldo‘ is also an insult in Italian!)

Mondiola (A very lean, aromatic Salame made from the neck of the pig, seasoned with salt and aromatic herbs over a period of 45 days. Also referred to the garfagnino mortadella)

Salsiccia (Rolled, seasoned fresh Italian Sausage, commonly eaten raw)

Primo piatti (Middle Courses)

Minestrone di farro (Farmed locally, farro is an ancient robust type of wheat, which has been grown in the area for over 2000 years)

and

Risotto al funghi (Traditional rice dish topped with a creamy hand picked Scottish mushroom sauce)

Secondo piatti (Main Courses)

Spezzatino di vitella con polenta di granturco "otto file" (Italian Style Stew with Veal, simmered in a tomato and Chianti sauce, served with local polenta, a thick cornmeal paste)

and

Tagliata con Insalata di Rucola e Olio d’Oliva Lucchese (Not to be confused with Tagliatelle! Thin strips of succulent seasoned beef, served with Rocket Salad and Lucca Olive Oil.)

Formaggio (cheese)

Pecorino Garfagnino stagionato con miele (One of the worlds oldest known cheeses, aged at least 12 months.)

Dolci (Dessert)

Castagnaccio con ricotta cheese (Popular Tuscan Chestnut flour cake served with local Ricotta. Technically, ricotta is not a cheese at all, but a cheese by-product, ricotta, means cooked again. Ricotta has a rich but mild, slightly sweet flavour.)

and

Gelato Vaniglia con Rum Nardini (Full Dairy Ice cream with local Nardini liqueur (no relation))

Caffe

(Perfect way to round off a meal)

These dishes are still eaten in the households of the Garfagnana today

For future events or themed nights, please call 01475 521 733 or check out www.seaviewcafe.co.uk to avoid disappointment.