Italian Food & Culture: Pairing Food & Wine

Marco cooking for us on test day

This food and wine class I took was the most beneficial class I have ever taken. I learned more in these four and half weeks of class than I have learned in all my years of schooling. Our teacher, Marco, had such a passion for his class that made the world of a difference. Each class, we would spend the first hour learning about the recipes and the history of each along with the wine that would be paired with it and why. The next hour of class was dedicated to cooking four courses. We were split into groups and shared the kitchen accordingly. The last half hour of the class was meant for eating the food, analyzing the wine, and discussing the pairing amongst each other. We always were behind schedule and often the courses weren't able to be served in the proper order, but they still all tasted amazing and we were able to have seconds each and every time. Thanks to the timing of this class and amount of food we ate, I didn't have to eat much beforehand, which saved a little money. The best food I had in Italy was always in my class, because we got to try so many authentic Italian dishes, and we knew exactly what was going in them. The thing that makes Italian cuisine so marvelous is simplicity. Only a few things are in each dish, so the individual flavors jump out at you, making for a memory in your mouth.

Mercato Centrale

Aside from our cooking days in class, we went on a few field trips as well. The first Florence city gourmet visit on was probably my favorite. We went to Mercato Centrale, the main food market in Florence where locals go daily. My roommate and I had already shopped in the market multiple times, but were always unsure which place to get fruit and veggies from, which meat and cheese shop was best, where to get the best bread, and so on. Pasta Fresca was one thing I'll miss the most about the market. They would cut fresh pasta for you in whatever shape/size you wanted, and had spinach gnocchi, ravioli, linguini, and much more. It was so great Marco took us to the market because he pointed out the not so good, average, and best places to get all different types of food. We started at one of the best cheese and prosciutto places in the market, where they arranged a tasting for us of five different cheeses and three types of prosciuttos. We tasted Picolino Toscano, four months aged; Pitto, from the Lombardi region and Milan, three to six months aged, and Parmesiano Reggiano, 24 months aged, topped with aged balsamic. We also tried brie cheese, which was more that six months aged as well as Tosco Mano, a blue cheese. As for the meats, we had prosciutto cotto, prosciutto toscano crudo, and soprasatta. We were explained the differences of them all, the right order to taste them in, and how to order them when we come on our own with a student discount. We also went to a pastry shop in the market where we got to try sciachatta, which is bread that is pressed flat. The most humorous part of the visit was when we went to the coffee bar in the market and the guy gave us a glass of grappa for everyone to pass around and taste. Well the first guy in our class to try it just downed the whole glass himself, not knowing what it was really. Everyone was astonished and waiting for him to fall over or throw it up, but luckily neither of the two occurred.

Gelato Master

The next gourmet visit we had on the same day was to Il Re Gelato, a special sicilian pastry and gelato shop, that instantly became my favorite. We first tried cannolis and fried sweet rice balls while we learned what the different flavors of gelato were that they offered and heard about a creation they made in a container with seven different layers of gelato and fillings. Next we got to go in their gelato kitchen and hear from the head chef how they make their gelato and a new thing they are trying by making it with an olive oil base. He called himself crazy for doing it but it really is a genius idea and tasted so smooth. He topped it with breadcrumbs, parsley, croutons, and a chili pepper, making it into an after dinner gelato, incorporating food flavors rather than sweet and fruit flavors. He has a dream of opening a restaurant in New York City based solely on gelato for every course. It is such a genius idea and would be so successful in New York. 

Alessi Wine Cellar

The next visit we went on was to the wine cellar called Alessi where we learned about the proper position wine should be stored so that it keeps contact with the cork. We also walked around the cellar which was divided by regions, learning about the specialty of many of them. We then had a tasting of three different wines with bruschetta, including a Chianti from the hills of Siena, Vernaccia di San Gimignano, and a Moscadello amber dessert wine. It was awesome to see an actual wine cellar in Italy, wine country.

Our next visit that day was to Grom. We watched the making of gelato and learned the history of the company and how it started. I definitely have to say Il Re Gelato is my favorite because it is a small, individual shop, making it much more authentic. While Grom tasted excellent, the fact that it is a chain changed my opinion of it.

Wine tasting in San Donato

Our last and biggest fieldtrip was a visit to Fattoria San Donato, a wine and olive oil producer at a vineyard near San Gimignano, about an hour and half south of Firenze. We heard from the guy giving us a tour about how the vineyard has been passed down in his family for many generations with wines being named after most of his family members. I thought this was a really neat idea. We enjoyed a Vernaccia and Chianti produced there, and paired them with a variety of foods including bread with their olive oil and salt, prosciutto, salami, brie, saffron paste, and a separate bruscetta. I made sure, as always, not to let any of the food or wine go to waste before leaving the room. I bought a bottle of their Chianti and olive oil to bring home to remember this visit, but ended up giving the wine to Carly's aunt and uncle in Tuscany, who let us stay with them at the end of our trip. 

Making spinach ravioli from scratch

Previously I had thought I knew a lot about wines since I got tested on them at the restaurant I worked at (their region of origin and describing characteristics to customers). The bit of knowledge I had helped me understand everything else I learned in this class, but in the scheme of things, I knew barely anything about wine. Upon leaving to come to Italy, I told my restaurant if they let me go and come back next school year I promise I will be much more knowledgeable about wine and food to enhance my skills as a server. This class has exceeded my expectations so much and has been such a wonderful experience that I will take with me for the rest of my life. I am so blessed to be able to take Food and Wine in Italy and learn from a wonderful Italian cook with such a passion for what he teaches.

Last day of class :( Never been so sad

Ciao,
Chef Tarra