MARKET DAY

It’s rainy here in Chianti today, at times it poured, the storm gave a substantial amount of water to the thirsty Tuscan countryside.

Yesterday, we went to the market in San Giovanni Valdarno, a town west of Montevarchi on the Arno River (Valdarno – Valley of the Arno). We’d visited the town on Thursday and were very impressed with its wide main streets, beautiful piazzas, and profusion of shops. [Not to mention the moving Marian shrine in the Basilica and the perfect little gem of a museum]

Piazza Cavour - San Giovanni Valdarno

Market day in Italy is not like the farmer’s markets we have in the U.S., they are much more substantial and provide shopping resources for the townsfolk that enable them fill their larders and closets for at least the entire week. The market in GVD is major league; it fills a large piazza, a parking area, and stalls span the length of several blocks on both sides of the piazza. When we arrived, we hurried past the produce vendors and headed straight for a café on the Piazza Cavour to have a cappuccino and a cornetto to get us started on our day. Refreshed, we began browsing the myriad of stalls lining the streets. There were dozens of stalls selling women’s clothing, shoes, purses, and intimate things, as well as numerous opportunities to purchase fashionable men’s clothing.

A very interesting phenomena in Italy is that both men and women wear t-shirts which are designed with wording in U.S. English. Things like “Cutie Pie” and “Hawaiian Surf Club,” and a multiplicity of other texts can be seen, and I’m wondering if these people have any clue as to what they’re wearing really says.

Porchetta Wagon and Slicing the Roast Pig

Anyway, we made it through the clothing stalls, unscathed, but when we got to the fabric area Vicki found some lace to used for window hangings and also purchased two purple shower curtains for uncertain use. [They are gorgeous, iridescent fuchsia and they will be used in a fabulous way!--V.]Then we rounded a corner off the piazza and found food heaven.

Cutting Parmigiano Reggiano

There were stalls and wagons selling the luscious porchetta, a wide variety of cheeses with a focus on pecorino, parmesan, and mozzarella—prosciutto, salami, salted cod and a whole stand selling tripe. We did some serious damage there, including fixings for a porchetta sandwiches that would be eaten later that day.

We finally made our way back to the produce stalls, which sell a huge variety of fruits and vegetables, all fresh, and almost all from Italy. This time of the year there are only cool weather vegetables available in Tuscany—we’ve seen many family gardens that are just getting started and most have only lettuce and other similar greens.

Produce Stall

For this reason, most of the produce in the markets comes from southern Italy and Sicily, not exactly local, but all the same, fresh and organic. Just looking at the fruits and vegetables at the stalls one can see that they aren’t the perfect, highly washed items like we see at Whole Foods. Potatoes look like they were just dug, apples have that “just off the tree” look, and there are little strawberries that look just picked. We stocked up on cherries, luscious melons, apples, pears, and oranges and headed back to the car carrying heavy sacks.

Porchetta Sandwich with
Melon and Cherries

SANSEPULCRO

On Wednesday, we drove to Sansepulcro to view some frescoes painted be Piero Della Francesca (1416-1492). He was born in this town and the town is devoted to his memory. At the Museo Civico we wanted to see the Resurrection, an indescribably beautiful fresco that Aldous Huxley called the best painting in the world.

Sansepulcro is a sprawling town, home to the Buitoni pasta factory now sadly owned by Nestle, but has a medieval centro with narrow streets and many nice shops. Vicki had found a review of a restaurant called Taverna Tuscany so we stopped there for lunch. It is a typical Italian trattoria with three tables outside on the street and more seating within. There were no printed menus, just a board outside listing what was being offered that day. We both started with Panzanella, the wonderful Tuscan salad made with bread, tomatoes, onions, cucumber and an olive oil and vinegar dressing.

Panzanella

It was marvelous and will be even better in the summer when the very ripe and delicious local tomatoes are available. For the primo, Vicki had Salsiccia con Fagioli, Tuscan beans with sausages, and Bob had Pappardelle pasta with ragu. Both of these dishes were divine, and we marveled how good this simple food can be.

Fagioli con Salsiccia

The beans in Vicki’s dish were canellini were cooked just right and a perfect match for the two little grilled sausages, which were extremely flavorful.

Pappardella con Ragu

My wide flat pappardelle noodles were rolled thinner than those we see in the U.S. and they were napped in an excellent ragu. Once again, another great Italian meal.

We were the only foreigners in the restaurant and it was interesting watching the Italians enjoy their lunch. The gentleman and two ladies at the table across from us started with pasta that was brought to the table in a large bowl, then served into smaller ones. After that came a huge steak, a bistecca fiorentina, which must have been two inches thick. The gentleman was given a mean looking knife and he proceeded to cut the meat into smaller portions for the group. It looked like it was cooked perfectly, seared on the outside and rare within, the traditional way this dish is prepared on the grill.

Bistecca a la Fiorentina

When Vicki returned from the restroom she told me to check out the kitchen in the back, which I did, and saw a small waist-high fireplace with a wood fire and a grate to grill meat. The chef was at work and next to him was a huge haunch of Chianina beef from which the bistecca is cut. Our lunch was 39 euro, which included a 4 euro coperta (cover charge).

After lunch, we walked over to the city museum to see the Pieros and as happened last time, we were alone in the large room with the fresco of the Resurrection at the end. Just us and one of the greatest pieces of renaissance art. It was, of course, just as stunning as when we first saw it in 2002.

"The Resurrection" by Piero Della Francesco

The Museo Civico is a very nice little museum in a town that is very proud of its native son, Piero Della Francesca. Its other famous native is Luca di Pacioli 1446-1517), a Franciscan monk who is famous as a mathematician and called the “Father of Accounting. There is a lovely statue of him near the Museo Civico.

Luca di Pacioli

Sansepulcro is part of what is called the Piero Della Francisca Trail, which begins with his stunning series frescos Legend of the True Cross in the Church of San Francesco in Arezzo, goes to Monterchi, where the museum holds the Madonna del Parto—the Pregnant Madonna—and ends in Urbino where the Palazzo Ducale has his famous painting, The Flagellation (of Christ). Though not on the PDF Trail, there is also another famous work of Piero, the Polyptych of Sant' Antonio"in the Palazzo dei Priori in nearby Perugia, which we saw during our stay in Umbria in 2006.

Madonna del Parto

Yesterday, Vicki and I decided to backtrack a bit from Sansepulcro and we visited the charming little hill town of Monterchi to see the Madonna del Parto. Completed in six days by PDF in 1460, the fresco was originally done in a church in Monterchi, but after the building was damaged by an earthquake in the late eighteenth century, it was detached and is now housed in the Museo della Madonna del Parto Monterchi, where it is the only work on display.

Museo della Madonna del Parto Monterchi

PODERE LA ROTA

After our drive from Rome with a stop along the way in Orvieto, we were so excited as we drove down the road to Podere La Rota. Everything looked much the same, though very green and lush now. Ally and Bob, hosts extraordinaire, were there to meet us, as was their wonderful Maremma sheep dog, Livia. We soon collapsed into chairs on the terrace with the best view in Italy and enjoyed the two wonderful platters of food in the fridge, which was our dinner that evening, prosciutto, cheese, rocket, tomatoes, and pickled olives and cipollini. We were truly back in Paradise!

The Chianti hills from the terrace at
Podere La Rota

Our welcome platters of cheeses,
meats, and antipasti

ITALY - 2009

Italia Redux!

Many hours after leaving San Francisco, we finally got our first view of our beloved country when the Isle of Corsica appeared below us and soon we were flying above the coast, before turning inland for the descent to the Fiumicino. After an interminable wait for our luggage, we boarded the train that takes you to the Roma Termini, the city’s main train station. It was a hot, steamy Italian day, and our railcar was like an oven---I worried that Vicki was going to pass out. After an overpriced cab ride, we arrived at our little B&B in the Campo Marzio district, near the river. We barely fit into the tiny lift with our two bags, but we were soon greeted by our charming hostess, and shown to our small but comfortable room, which Vicki had found on the internet for 100 euro a night, a real bargain for Rome, with its high-priced hotels.

A lack of sleep on the flight meant a little nap before we ventured out, excitedly heading for our favorite bar on the Via dell’Orso, the street we stayed on last October. We were soon happily planted at a small table next to a heavenly smelling star jasmine, enjoying a Negroni, our favorite Italian cocktail.


Drinks and snacks at Papa's Bar, Roma

From there we walked over to view the always interesting scene at the Piazza Navona, where tourists gather at the Bernini fountains and wander through many displays of artwork offered for sale. We continued our walk towards the Campo d’Fiore, by way of the lovely Via Giulia, where one can peek through the gates at the beautiful gardens of the Villa Farnese. The campo was the usual evening mob scene and as we entered, we saw a new restaurant, a mozzarella bar

A tasting of mozzarella and Tuscan salami

called Obika, which offered “tastings” of different buffalo mozzarellas paired with various other accompaniments such as meats and vegetables. We chose an excellent full flavored cheese along with the Tuscan salami to go with our cocktails. We had a lovely couple of hours there and chatted with an interesting Italian couple, Elisabetta and Matteo, who enjoyed speaking English with us.

On our way back to the hotel we found ourselves hungry again so we stopped at a little restaurant called Ristorante Clemente on the Piazza Maddalena where we each had a nice bowl of pasta. After we had a gelato from San Crispino, banana and strawberry. Everyone else out walking was eating gelato too.

On our only full day in Rome we didn’t rise too early, but by nine we were headed back to the Campo d’Fiore where the market was already in full swing.


Ahh. A cappucino at Campo de Fiori

We sat in Vicki’s favorite bar/café and had a couple of cappuccinos before exploring the market. For anyone interested in food, or Italian culture for that matter, this market has marvelous displays of fish, meat, and the freshest of vegetables, much of it local, and almost all of it from Italy. There are also booths selling the usual t-shirts, hats, belts and other apparel, and at the west end, a huge offering of freshly cut flowers and plants.

Produce at the Campo de Fiori market

We left the campo and walked across the Tiber river to the Villa Farnesina, built by Antonio Chigi in the early sixteenth-century, now a museum and part of the Italian National Academy of Sciences. The villa is seldom visited by tourists despite having incredible frescoes painted by Rafaello and his studio. As long as we were over the river in Trastevere, we decided to go to our favorite pizza bakery. Located on a narrow little street, Al Forno is a pretty nondescript place that sells lots of freshly baked loaves of bread. We go there, however, for the pizza al taglio —pizza-by-the-piece. There are usually four or five sheets of pizza sitting behind a glass display counter; the toppings vary from day to day. You tell them what you want and how much and they cut you a slice and place it on a paper plate. A can of soda and you’re all set to take it away or sit on a stool at a narrow counter that runs all along the side of the restaurant. Today, we had tonno and carciofi—tuna and artichoke, and a margherita with the traditional cheese and pomodoro sauce.

Pizza at Forno Renella

After our pizza we walked back to our room for a nap and a break from the heat. Early evening found us back at a table at the little bar on the Via del’Orso. We planned to have cocktails and then go find a trattoria we’d read about in the NY Times, but we got pretty settled in, watching the world walk by, from tourists to locals, and even a religious procession. We spent a long time talking to Jakob and Petra, a charming couple from Holland who were visiting Rome for a few days. It was very enlightening to learn that wooden shoes are now longer part of Dutch apparel and modern engineering has supplanted the need for a finger in the dike.

Italy - Volpaia

On our recent trip to Italy, Vicki and I visited a delightful little village called Volpaia in the hills high above Radda in Chianti. The hills and valleys along the narrow winding road were filled with vineyards in autumn color. We parked near the outdoor restaurant La Bottega di Valpaia and asked for a table. We were told that the only table available was a small one near the entrance so we took that even though there were many empty tables toward the back overlooking the valley. We asked about those tables and were told they were reserved. We found ourselves seated next to two very loud German men and knew this would not be a pleasant lunch so we got up and removed ourselves.

We walked up to the village and found a very pleasant place to eat, Osteria di Valpaia,with quiet terrace seating—this was more like it! I had a dish of sautéed chicken breast with mushrooms and olives in a lovely wine-based sauce.

Vicki had an excellent plate of ravioli and we also had a two contorno, wonderful vegetables—zucchini, red onions, carrots— that were lightly grilled to retain some of their crispness, and I couldn't resist a bowl of delicious sautéed potatoes.

After lunch we walked around the village, which has a winery right in the middle of what looks like residences. There was a lovely view of the from the northern wall and a got a great photograph of a house surrounded by trees in a myriad of fall colors.

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Cock-A-Doodle Cafe

Last weekend we were in the East Bay for the Cal-Stanford game in Berkeley. On Sunday we were joined by our good friends Dan and Sandy, for breakfast at the Cock-A-Doodle Cafe. Although we've stayed in downtown Oakland many times, we weren't aware of this cute little diner at Seventh and Washington Streets until I found a short review of it in Oakland Magazine.

The sun was streaming through the windows of the narrow dining room as we were promptly seated and brought big mugs of excellent coffee. Vicki and I had arrived a little early so I read the sports page and didn't pickup the menu until she said, “This is an amazing menu.” And it does have very innovative breakfast offerings such as omelets, scrambles, pancakes, french toast, all with a variety of interesting combinations and most with a Latin American emphasis. I chose the Oaxacan slow-roasted pork omelet with tomatillo salsa, mozzarella, green onions and avocado. When it came to the table it looked like a compact egg burrito, but it tasted divine. The eggs were cooked perfectly, firm, but creamy and light, and the pork melted in my mouth. This combination of ingredients made it one of the best omelets I've ever eaten—honestly! It came with excellent fried potatoes, brown on the outside and creamy within.

Vicki had the lemon ricotta pancakes with applewood-smoked bacon. They were light and fluffy with outstanding flavor, a real winner. Sandy also had pancakes and Dan chose the Chicken Apple Scramble, eggs with shiitake mushrooms, mozzarella, spinach, grilled onions, and red bell pepper basil aioli. It was served in a crepe and looked yummy.

So we've found a new favorite breakfast place right in good ol' Oakland, my home town. I know we'll be back and we'd better get there early on the weekend because by the time we left, the place was jammed and people were waiting. Aside from the inside dining room there is also a garden patio. The Cock-A-Doodle Cafe also serves lunch and their menu features an array of interesting salads, sandwiches, burgers, and shrimp tacos. Evenings, Thursday-Saturday, tapas and beverages are served from 5-10 p.m.



Cock-A-Doodle Cafe. 710 Washington Street, Downtown Oakland. (510) 465-5400.

Sahn Maru

This weekend Vicki and I went down to the Big Game, Cal vs. Stanford. On the way down we made our favorite mid-point stop at the Flour Garden Bakery in Auburn, CA where we bought sandwiches and cookies to eat at the game. I got a marvelous black forest ham on foccacia and Vicki, chicken salad—a good alternative to game food.

After a satisfying game that saw Cal win, 36-16, we checked in at our hotel, Marriott Courtyard, at the Oakland airport. We had a nice big room with two queen beds—Vicki thought it looked like it was brand new, though according to Travelocity it was built in 2001. We were tired and for dinner were eyeing Yoshino, a Japanese restaurant across the street from the hotel; no driving. We rallied, however, and got back in the car for a fifteen-minute drive to Sahn Maru restaurant on Telegraph Avenue in Oakland.

SAHN MARU

Located in north Oakland's Temescal area in the Korean district, Sahn Maru is one of the outstanding Korean restaurants in this area. We entered a well lit room that was about a quarter full of diners and were immediately greeted and let to our table. The atmosphere was large and open, the walls on one side decorated with beautiful Korean artwork. The tables are very unique, the tops consisting of a single piece wood, cross cut from a large pine log.

We started with Duk Bok Gi, a sauteed rice cake served with a sauce of soy and scallions—delicious! We'd been led to Sahn Maru by a short review in Oakland Magazine, which touted its Black Goat Stew, Heuk Yum So Tang, so I ordered that for my main course. It came in a bowl with sesame leaves and a mustard and bean paste broth, and a sesame, mustard, and chili dipping sauce. The meat was excellent, tender and flavorful, really great with the sauce. Vicki chose braised pork with sweet potatoes and dates and it was also outstanding. It takes a little getting used to picking the pork off the bones, but the flavor of the pork with the sweet potatoes was excellent.

Black Goat Stew

As always, our meal came with banchan, those little side dishes. Here's what we had:

Kimchi, sweetened yams, marinated bean sprouts, sauteed spinach, anchovies, pickled radishes, broccoli, tofu.

By the time we left, about eight, the place was pretty full. It was generally a young crowd and most of the diners were asian, with a sprinkling of anglos. Everyone was enjoying themselves.

Sahn Maru has exceptional food and a great atmosphere, it's a great part of the East Bay restaurant scene.

Sahn Maru. 4315 Telegraph Ave. Oakland, CA 94701. (510)653-3366.