• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

By Root 228 0

Ed was teaching a wine appreciation class in San Diego, and he hauled out a couple of northern Italian wines and juxtaposed them with a couple of the more familiar California wines. To my unschooled palate, the difference was amazing. The Italian wines were crisp and acidic and lower in alcohol than their American counterparts. I didn’t like them very much. I wanted the heavier mouthfeel and slight sweetness to which I was accustomed. Then Ed explained that the Italian wines are made to go with food, rather than to be sipped or drunk on their own, as American wines are. The idea that wine and food might be made with the intention of consuming them in tandem was novel to me.

Italian wines, like those of any wine-producing region, have grown up alongside the foods of the region. Every little corner of this country produces wine, often from its own unique grape varieties, of which Italy has more than one thousand! (Dizzying thought to those of us brought up in the Cabernet-Chardonnay frame of reference.) To study them is to study the history of the people who have made and planted them.

In general, people seem to be most enthusiastic about the wines of northern Italy, and in particular those of Tuscany, Piedmont, and the northeastern regions of Friuli, Alto Adige, and Veneto. It is the wines from these regions that you are most likely to find in the United States, so you could begin your exploration and experimentation here. But I cannot resist saying that the best way to get a handle on Italian wines and their intimate relationship with Italian foods would be to pack your suitcase.

CRACKED WHEAT BERRIES WITH HONEY AND RICOTTA

Serves 3 to 4

Although most Americans are familiar with ground wheat hot breakfast cereals such as Wheatena, few of us would consider cracking whole wheat berries at home for breakfast. They are, however, aromatic and delicious, and eaten much like oatmeal (either whole or cracked) in some rural areas of Italy. This recipe works well in the 3-quart slow cooker that I use for risotto and polenta. Just put it on to cook at night before you go to bed and awaken to a delicious breakfast. Be sure to purchase “triple-cleaned” wheat from your health foods store or use a commercially prepared seven-grain cereal if you don’t want to go to the trouble of cracking your own wheat.

1 cup hard wheat berries

4 cups water

½ teaspoon salt

1½ cups fresh ricotta cheese

Honey

Ground cinnamon, for garnish

Cocoa powder or shaved semisweet chocolate, for garnish

Pulse the wheat berries briefly in your blender or food processor, just enough to crack them into pieces. Do not powder them.

Place the cracked wheat, water, and salt in the slow cooker insert. Cover and cook on low overnight, about 8 hours.

In the morning, dish up servings of cracked wheat, then top each with a scoop of ricotta cheese. Drizzle generously with honey, and then sprinkle with ground cinnamon and a dusting of cocoa powder.

SUGGESTED BEVERAGE: You could conceivably kick-start your day Italian style with some grappa in your coffee, but I’m thinking a nice espresso or cappuccino after breakfast would do the trick—and make focusing on the drive to work a whole lot safer.

RISOTTO WITH LENTILS

Serves 4

Over many centuries, every country in the world has developed ways to obtain much-needed protein by combining the simplest of ingredients. In Italy, the combination of lentils and rice has found just as happy a home as it has in India. The trimmings may be a little different, but this simple dish can make a meal in itself when served with a salad, or as an accompaniment to grilled vegetables or stuffed artichokes.

½ cup dried lentils

¾ cup Arborio rice

4 cups water

1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

½ yellow onion, chopped

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 tablespoon good, fruity olive oil

½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Thoroughly rinse the lentils and rice, being sure to remove any small stones or dirt. Place them in the slow cooker insert