Teunta Arceno Chianti Classico 2017. 2017 was a one-of-a-kind vintage. An incredibly hot August brought the grapes close to ripeness. Then, as it happens in Toscana, the rain came in quickly and in one day the season changed from summer to fall. September cooled off allowing the Sangiovese to fully ripen, slowly and perfectly. The weather conditions brought low yields with deep concentration. It is a powerful Chianti Classico with big, bright fruit and high acidity. The aromas display ripe berries, roses and vanilla bean with undertones of cypress and white pepper. On the palate, there is a soft entry while the finish shows tart citrus character with hints of black licorice and clove.
Leave the gun, take the cannoli! Many Italian-Americans grow up thinking the specialties prepared by their grandmothers are authentically Italian. Though certainly rooted in recipes from the “old country,” many were changed as immigrants adapted to their new home in America and to the ingredients they could find. Much of mainstream America was introduced to this immigrant culture through movies like “The Godfather.” This week’s menu highlights some of the most beloved dishes made famous by the movie.
Italian restaurants can charm and soothe, even without their dining rooms by Tom Sietsema, May 22, 2020 "...Everything I’ve eaten from her menu of late underscores the restaurant’s status as a Washington classic. The pork-and-beef meatballs burst with fresh herbs, which the owner calls her most-used ingredients. The grooves of the squid ink cavatelli, set off with pearly shrimp, catch delicious crumbles of fennel-laced sausage. Her minestrone, so thick with vegetables and beans you could eat it with a fork, salutes the season. Cheesecake — tiramisu’s rival for my affection here — rises high from its fine walnut crust. Diners can capture even more of the restaurant’s magic by joining the I Ricchi Food Club. You can sign up...
Piemonte, Risotto & Napoleon.
In their regional cuisines, Italians understand and celebrate their homegrown specialties, much of which are rooted in long traditions. Piemonte is rich in ingredients ranging from the Alps, to the rice paddies of its plains, to the manicured vineyards on the rolling hills of Le Langhe. Our menu this week showcases all of these, embellished with local folklore and historic battle stories.
Kicking off Festival Season in the Italian Riviera
Italy's best kept food secret is the "sagra", a festival organized to show off the typical enogastronomic products of a particular area. During the second week of May the "Sagra del Pesce" is held in Camogli, a stunning seaside village south of Genova on the Ligurian coast, also known as the Italian Riviera. This week we pay homage to the coastal ingredients and spirit of this beautiful region and perhaps remember some of our own summer getaways and beachside picnics.
