It seemed as though a grey blanket covered the land. On days when it appeared dry you’d walk out and find a fine mist clung to your clothes. Low grey clouds, damp air and mist – am I painting a pretty picture?

But still it was beautiful. Clouds were rolling through the hills begging you to sit and be still for a while. And on one of these damp days we went to Villa Celiera. Why? For lunch of course!

In the space of a fairly short trip we were delighted to receive a bucket load of invitations to lunch and dinner. Now I’m very fond of good food and with each invitation I realised that I was going to have to be a lot less indulgent when I returned to Ireland. But while I was in Abruzzo there was no chance I was going to say no to the opportunity of having a great meal.

One of these invitations brought us to Villa Celiera (PE) on the edge of the Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park - a small town of less than 1,000 people.

As you can see it was another cloudy and misty day. Visibility across the mountains wasn’t great but there was something peaceful about watching the peaks appear and disappear. The town stands at 714 metres so I expect the views are spectacular on clear days.

We were eating in Trattoria Nonno Liborio on Via Sant’Egidio, right beside the church of Sant’Egidio. The restaurant specialises in maccheroni alla molinara perhaps better known as mugnaia, a long thick form of pasta.

We had a drink at the bar while we waited for our table. Actually waiting for our table was just an excuse as how could we not have an aperitivi standing by such a cosy bar.

The meal we had was simply wonderful. It started with bread and oil, followed by local cheeses and some stunning prosciutto, after that we had the pasta. Each mouthful tasted better than the last. The cheese was slightly sharp and zinging with flavour, the prosciutto was heavenly. I lapped it up!

I think I got carried away by the antipasti as after the pasta which followed, I was defeated. There was no chance I’d be able to eat a meat dish or a dessert. A coffee was all I could manage.

Everything tasted fantastic but if I’d taken another mouthful I would have burst.

I’d really recommend a trip to Trattoria Nonno Liborio. I’m not sure which day they are closed. We were there on a Monday which I think is the usual rest day for many restaurants. Maybe it would be best to phone them first, you can get them at 085 846155.

Lunch was a slow affair, which I prefer, giving plenty of time for us to talk. The only drawback to this was our host had an appointment and we didn’t have time to explore the town and its surroundings and walk off the meal a little.

There’ll be another occasion I’m sure.

Post from: About Abruzzo

Food and Fog in Villa Celiera

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I usually write about Abruzzo, an Italian region I love and try to visit as often as possible. When I write about Abruzzo I try to make it personal. Sure I include facts and a bit of history, but knowing you can find a lot of facts and figures elsewhere on the internet I try to include how Abruzzo makes me feel and why I love it so much.

But I’m not from Abruzzo.

I’m from Dublin, Ireland.

And putting it as bluntly as I can I love Dublin and all Ireland has to offer.

I actually think there is much in common between the Italian and Irish psyche. But the two countries are very different. I’m lucky I think to have the opportunity to spend time in both places.

So where am I going with this?

Well today instead of writing about Abruzzo and describing some new adventure I’ve had that visitors to the region might like to try; I’m writing about a bar/cafe in Dublin that visitors from Italy and especially Abruzzo might like to seek out.

The bar is The Bernard Shaw and you can find it at 11 – 12 South Richmond Street, Portobello, Dublin 2. It describes itself as a bar, a cafe and a creative space. A music venue that hosts graffiti battles – how cool is that?!

For a little while now they’ve been doing something that I think is very special.

They sell arrosticini! Those little lamb skewers have made their way from Abruzzo to Dublin.

I’m a complete convert to arrosticini and having them while exploring Campo Imperatore recently was a real treat.

So having heard that you could get arrosticini at The Bernard Shaw I felt compelled to check it out.

Being back on South Richmond Street brought me to within 5 minutes walk of where I grew up. Entering the pub I was greeted with a “Ciao, buongiorno, how are you?!” – things have certainly changed since I went to school nearby.

I quickly looked around and discovering there was a beer garden I headed straight for the graffiti covered open space.

The sun was shining, the sky was blue and the rich aroma of food being prepared was tantalising.

I hadn’t long to wait for my arrosticini and I was dying to find out how they’d compare to those I eagerly scoff in Italy.

They definitely tasted a bit more Irish than Italian – Irish lamb and mutton just tastes different to its Italian counterpart. They were also cooked on gas fired Rosticcio as opposed to a coal brazier so that also influenced the taste.

But they were gorgeous, full of flavour, succulent and tender.

I had mine served with some bread with oil and garlic – trying to keep it simple and thus savouring the lamb skewers.

After eating I went back inside and had a coffee at the bar. I still favour an americano and I was served one of the best I’ve ever tasted in Dublin by Leo who is from Rome. Curious about the Abruzzo connection Leo explained that Daria (who was busy preparing the food for the very satisfied lunchtime rush) is from Avezzano and Pescara.

There’s a significant Italian community in Dublin and I got the feeling that they were all there in numbers. If ever there’s a good sign that surely is.

I came across this article in Italian Un pezzo di Abruzzo a Dublino: arrosticini al Bernard Shaw on the Irlaniani – Italians in Ireland website. Word has definitely gotten out.

Daria and Leo’s venture, known as Coffee To Get Her, are on Facebook so you can keep track.

Will I be back?

Definitely – maybe next week.

Did I enjoy the experience?

I loved it, especially being able to eat outside – weather dependent of course.

Highlights?

It was all good but chatting in Italian with Leo was fun.

And the food?

Definitely the best arrosticini I’ve had in Ireland, probably the best coffee I’ve had in Dublin.

Value for money?

5 arrosticini for €5 or 5 arrosticini, bread and salad for €7.50 – I thought it was well worth it.

Post from: About Abruzzo

Arrosticini at The Bernard Shaw, Dublin!

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Have you ever tasted them?

Do you know what they are?

They are lamb skewers cooked on a spit and they taste and smell divine.

Now here’s the weird thing – apart from a casual reference in two other posts I’ve never mentioned them before. Here’s the really weird thing – initially I didn’t really like them!

Well I’m a convert now. Such a convert that if I get a whiff of arrosticini being cooked anywhere nearby I start feeling hungry and want to have some.

But I didn’t always feel this way. If I was in a restaurant and I wanted to eat a meat secondo I tended to go for agnello alla brace or cotoleta alla Milanese – arrosticini never got a look in.

But things have changed over this last year. I’ve started to look forward to this typical Abruzzo dish and I make sure I have room for them – not always an easy task!

Arrosticini look like lamb kebabs with the lamb meat separated by small chunks of lamb fat. The fat might put you off but it’s necessary to keep the meat tender and moist, add flavour and enhance that irresistible smell. Usually most of the fat has melted away when they are ready to eat but they certainly won’t be fat-free. Don’t let that stop you, eat them anyway. Grab the skewer in your hands and tear or slide the meat off with your teeth. Don’t let them go cold.

Bread soaked in olive oil and a glass of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo can turn this very rustic traditional dish into something exquisite. One of the best articles I’ve read on the dish is the Arrosticini! post on the Aglio, Olio and Peperoncino blog. There you can read more details about the arrosticini tradition, how they’re prepared and how you can make them yourself.

Earlier I mentioned arrosticini and the word restaurant in one sentence. Most of the arrosticini I’ve eaten have been in local restaurants in or near Loreto Aprutino. But the most arrosticini I’ve ever eaten in one sitting, and possibly the best, was on a neighbour’s plot, not too far outside the town, where P and I had been invited to a traditional family gathering. Pacing myself was crucial. Just when I thought nothing more to eat could possibly arrive, along came another course. But the arrosticini were so succulent it was impossible not to get stuck in.

The most picturesque place I’ve ever had them was at Rifugio San Francesco, Campo Imperatore.

The photographs only tell part of the story.

Feeling a little tired and beginning to get a little peckish we arrived at the restaurant having entered the Campo from the Rigopiano side. We decided to stop for a coffee and something small (perhaps a salad) to keep us going.

Once we sat down we started taking in the surroundings, we noticed the plates of food going by and then we were hit by the enticing smell of arrosticini – we were hooked. As the sun fought an ultimately losing battle with the rain clouds we decided to have lunch.

Campo Imperatore is one of my favourite places in the world and as I munched arrosticini, ate some bread and oil and had a little Montepulciano d’Abruzzo – I felt as though I was in paradise.

Just simply delightful.

Post from: About Abruzzo

Arrosticini and Abruzzo – Inseparable!

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It was that mixed feeling of delight to be so close to our ultimate destination, having a moment to relax and gather ourselves after a bus journey from Fiumicino, but knowing we still had the best part of an hour to travel before we arrived in Loreto Aprutino.

Waiting time is tricky. At least it’s tricky for me. If it’s too long I sometimes feel the time is hanging heavy, if it’s too short there’s no time to truly regroup before the next stage.

If you consider that the our journey starts by leaving our house around 05:00, getting a plane at 07:00, arriving in Rome at 11:00-ish, taking a bus to Pescara at 13:00, arriving in Pescara around 16:30-ish, taking another bus at around 17:30 – it all adds up and can be a bit draining.

It’s absolutely worth it though.

Sometimes we’ve hired a car and avoided Pescara but no matter how we get there or no matter how thrilled I am to be back in Abruzzo I usually do feel a little worn out.

This time we made a little discovery.  It had the effect of helping us to forget the fact that we weren’t quite there yet, and actually relax and enjoy the moment.

La Belle Epoque, about 5 minutes walk from the train/bus station at Corso Vittorio Emanuele Ii, 398 (leave the station and walk left in the direction of Montesilvano) turned out to be the perfect pit stop for this slightly weary traveller.

On entering we were immediately made welcome and after we settled and ordered two glasses of prosecco we sat back, relaxed and just chilled. Its closeness to the train and bus station, its restful decor, the damn fine prosecco and tasty snacks, all helped ensure we were in good spirits for the last leg of our journey.

Sitting there, chilling, I realised that I hadn’t written much about the city of Pescara. Abruzzo has so much to offer outside of the main cities that I tend not to be in them that much.

Pescara’s modern feel is almost the opposite of everything I think of when I’m describing Abruzzo.

To be honest I often use it as a hub to get somewhere else.

But on this trip we decided to give a little time to Pescara and for at least a day be a tourist there.

But that’s for another post.

Post from: About Abruzzo

A Perfect Pit-Stop for Prosecco in Pescara

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Years ago, when I worked in Germany, I tasted schnitzel and wurst in their many forms and although it’s years since I had a jaeger schnitzel (pork with creamy mushroom sauce) or a zigeuner schnitzel (pork with a paprika sauce) I feel I’ll be transported back to Bavaria if I ever taste them again.

But I think Italy is different, or at least my perception of Italy is different. I don’t think about a national dish, I think about regional dishes. Once again it may not be what’s considered typical of the region, but its taste, its smell and the very thought of it transports me back to where I first tasted it.

I’ll always associate spaghetti alle vongole (spaghetti with clams) with our honeymoon in Liguria, pappardelle al cinghiale (pasta with wild boar sauce) with Tuscany and anything with ceci (chickpeas) with Abruzzo.

Each of these regions have many other standout dishes so I’m not trying to say that these are what they’re famous for, I’m just saying that whenever I see these foods offered on a menu I automatically remember when I was there.

From a culinary point of view I think Italy is very different to most countries I’ve visited. In the same way as there are political and geographical borders I think there are culinary borders. What I mean is that as you travel from one region to the other, as you admire the changing landscape, recognise the changing customs, you’ll also see that the food eaten in homes and on offer in restaurants also changes.

Despite the fact that Navelli (AQ) is one of the most significant sources of saffron I don’t think I’ve ever seen risotto on a restaurant menu in Abruzzo. Maybe I haven’t gone to the right restaurants but I tend to associate risotto with the northern regions of Italy.

Where am I going with this?

On New Year’s Eve we were meeting the family Parlione for lunch at a restaurant in Silvi Alta (TE) called Locanda del Frate. It’s a lovely restaurant and as it’s a locanda (guesthouse) it also has rooms where you can stay. The owner said he has regulars that come each year from Italy and many other European countries who base themselves in Silvi Alta while spending their days by the sea at Silvi Marina or Pineto just a few kilometres away.

On their brochure they say

On an attractive natural terrace overlooking the sea 3km from the beach, but also close to the mountains for those who enjoy relaxing excursions, in Silvi’s town square, we find the “Locanda del Frate”.

My first choice from their menu was pappardelle al sugo di papera (pasta with duck sauce), another dish I associate with Abruzzo, but I was out of luck as they were all out of duck. The owner said the pappardelle al cinghiale was excellent so I went for that instead.

He was right. It was excellent. The pappardelle was perfectly cooked and the sauce was rich but not too heavy. It worked perfectly with a Montepulciano d’Abruzzo (what else? ) from Colle Moro of Guastameroli di Frisa (CH).

But I was surprised to see pappardelle al cinghiale (pasta with wild boar sauce) on the menu. In general I like to eat typical food of the region and the province of Teramo is certainly a great place to go to sample many wonderful choices, but when I saw pasta with wild boar sauce I immediately started thinking about Tuscany and in particular Siena with its medieval cityscape and its palio (horse race). In 2006 I spent 10 days there doing a crash course in Italian as I also discovered the beauty of Florence, San Gimignano and Montalcino.

And here’s a photo to prove it!

These days there are more foods that remind me of Abruzzo than any other region of Italy. Not really surprising as I’ve spent so much more time in Abruzzo than anywhere else. But the pappardelle al cinghiale made me curious. Is it common enough in Abruzzo? Have I been mistaken thinking it was a dish from Tuscany?

That afternoon I actually had a plan to eat lightly for lunch as we were invited to a friend’s house for a celebratory dinner to ring in the New Year later on. I was warned to arrive hungry as we were going to have a series of very special courses.

But my plan evaporated.

The combination of beautiful surroundings, great conversation with a very welcoming family and the food on offer meant that I just got sucked in and enjoyed the experience. It was lovely to meet Max, Rita, Ernesto, Nanda, Manuela and Alessio and enjoy good food, a little wine and excellent conversation. Alessio stole the show by treating us to some Abruzzese folk songs during and after the meal.

At one point I looked around the table and noticed that everyone was talking or laughing, enjoying their lunch, looking relaxed even though it was the first time some of us met.

I think that’s one of the things I really like about my experiences of meeting new people in Abruzzo, often all it takes is a little conversation, a coffee or a plate of pasta and you can have the foundation of a great friendship.

For dessert I had a truly stunning and extremely light tiramisu made with orange flower instead of the usual coffee.

The walk around Silvi afterwards was nice and relaxing. Everyone seemed comfortable moving between little groupings, from conversation to conversation, from family members to ex-strangers and back again.

Many thanks Max and Rita for organising it.

Post from: About Abruzzo

I’m in Silvi (TE), So How Come I’m Thinking About Siena?

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On many occasions we’ve been honoured to be invited to Sunday lunch with some of our friends in Abruzzo. The food is always fantastic. The first time I tasted fried zucchini flowers I was blown away. Often the courses just keep on coming.  Escaping without feeling your jeans are going to burst is a feat in itself. I always try to remember that it’s a marathon and not a sprint.

A few weeks ago we had a chance to have Abruzzese friends around to our house for Sunday lunch. We had to decide what to prepare and how we were going to cook it. Now I’m not a great cook; I can follow a recipe, create a mess and (usually) escape the kitchen without doing too much damage. P is far more creative. For her recipes are guidelines that are followed as a last resort. There’s always a twist that can make the ordinary extraordinary!

We decided to use ingredients that would be typical of both Abruzzo and Ireland and combine them in a way that certainly wasn’t typical Italian and was only borderline Irish. We had pumpkin soup (they’re in season), followed by slow roasted and slightly spiced lamb (lamb’s always in season, isn’t it?) and finished it all off with tiramisu (never out of season) and coffee.

Before we ate we had a glass of prosecco, and with the lamb we had a damn fine red wine from the Tralcetto range by Zaccagnini.

As we sat down to eat we were in the company of friends from Atri (TE), Silvi (TE) and Loreto Aprutino (PE). Along with these Abruzzese there was also V from Puglia.

During the meal we talked of many things, some trivial and some more serious. With Berlusconi and Rubygate fresh in the news it’s no surprise that we discussed the Italian prime minister’s latest scandal. Considering we were fairly unanimous in our opinions we probably fall into that “communist conspiracy” that Berlusconi claims so often plagues him.

But the meal was unusual. We weren’t in Abruzzo, we weren’t even in Italy, we were in Dublin.

Over the last few months we’ve struck up a friendship with four Italians who live and work in Dublin. They’ve been living here for a few years and through a kind of convoluted route we got to know each other.

This is how it happened. (I’ll understand if you get lost.)

Earlier this year a friend from Loreto Aprutino told us that a friend of his, from his school days, has a son who works in Dublin. I got the son’s phone number and called him when I was back in Dublin. We agreed to meet up with him and his wife. He brought along other friends from Atri and Puglia, who also work in Dublin. We hit it off and although Abruzzo was the catalyst that got us together, it wasn’t the only thing we talked about.

Since that first meeting we’d all been back a few times to Abruzzo and that Sunday in our house was the first chance we could all get together again.

Imagine the scene. Eating pumpkin soup, slow roast lamb and tiramisu, drinking prosecco, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo and Italian coffee, in the company of friends from Abruzzo – I felt transported back to Italy.

Did I mention we had Valentini Olive Oil from Loreto Aprutino on the table also? It got a strong comment of approval from one of our guests.

It was a great afternoon and I loved every minute of it. There was plenty of chat about places we’d visited, places we should visit, differences between living in Ireland and Italy, schools, and the unfortunate similarities (we were back talking about politics again).

Although we were miles away, for a few hours it felt like we were back in Abruzzo. A nice treat to keep us going until we make our next trip.

Now while I’m (kind of) on the subject of food here are two books that you might be interested in:

1. Food and Memories of Abruzzo: Italy’s Pastoral Land by Teresa Callen
2. Breaking Bread in L’Aquila by Maria Filice

I have Food and Memories of Abruzzo: Italy’s Pastoral Land by Teresa Callen and have enjoyed dipping into it over the last couple of years.

Breaking Bread in L’Aquila by Maria Filice is on my wishlist and having read great things about it in Breaking Bread in L’Aquila – Abruzzo’s Zingy New Cookbook (Life In Abruzzo) and the Best Crostini Recipe Ever… (Bleeding Espresso) posts, I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy.

Post from: About Abruzzo

Home and Away – A Slightly Unusual Lunch with Friends from Abruzzo

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For only €5 you get a chance to take part in

• A visit to an olive farm
• A guided visit to an olive mill
• A visit to the historical centre of Loreto Aprutino and the Olive Oil Museum
• A visit to the Oil Art and History Museum
• Oil tasting
• Tasting of traditional food and oil

Groups are limited to 18 persons and the tour takes 3 hours leaving at various times during the morning and afternoon. All of this for only €5!

Full details are on this poster that you can click to enlarge.

I advise that you book by phoning 085 8291589 as this has proven to be a popular tour in the past.

Last year, I highlighted the tour in a post Oil In Three Parts, and included some pictures of what you can see inside the Museo dell’Olio Loreto Aprutino.

That encouraged Janet of Janet’s Abruzzo Edublog to go on the tour and write this wonderful post, Lovely Abruzzo Olive Oil, describing the day.

If you need any encouragement to phone and book your place then Janet’s account should do it.

Post from: About Abruzzo

A Must for Oil Lovers in Abruzzo – Frantoi Aperti 13/14 November Loreto Aprutino (PE)

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Atri is blessed with the magnificent Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta containing the frescoes of Andrea de Litio, the panoramic views of the Adriatic and the surrounding countryside and the calanchi. Add to that plenty of places to stop and have un cafè or un gelato, the market every Monday and a perfect location that puts the sea and the mountains in easy reach – Atri is well worth repeat visits.

We were back again in August and we were treated to a particularly special visit. P and I were being shown around Atri by friend of ours who lives in Dublin but is originally from Atri. M was back visiting his family and friends and very kindly took time to meet us and show us around.

I’ve visited and written about Atri before. When we have friends or family with us who are new to Abruzzo, visiting Atri is always high up on the list of things to do. But this time we were on our own, being shown around by an expert who was able to share with us his local knowledge.

If there was one unfortunate element to our visit it was that the day was overcast and visibility wasn’t that good. That meant that the stunning views you can often get from Atri would have to wait for another day.

But that didn’t stop us from seeing the calanchi. These are erosion furrows that are typical of the area. Here comes a bit of geology – they are caused by a combination of rainfall, the softness of the clay and the odd landslide. I took a picture of a house on a ridge outside Atri with the characteristic calanchi falling away below. It looked a bit precarious to me.

M told us about the ancient names of the town (Adria, Atria, Hadria, or Hatria) and the close connection between these ancient names and the Adriatic. Although it’s very possible that the Adriatic got its name from Atri there is a debate. The town Adria, in Veneto also claims this distinction. But I bet the honour should go to Atri.

As we wandered around the town visiting the 14^th century Acquaviva Palace, the 12^th century Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta with its many frescoes, M told us about some of the specialities of Atri.

Pan Ducale comes from a recipe dating back to 1352 based on eggs, sugar, flour and almonds. It has a few variations and my sweet tooth gets drawn to the Pan Ducale Prestige as it is filled with chocolate cream and a cocktail of liquors.

The other foodie product from Atri is liquorice. Now I’m not really a fan of liquorice but I really liked what I tasted in Atri. Perhaps I’ve only ever tasted a poor imitation before. I also tried a liquor based on liquorice and I really liked it. I came across a reference to the calanchi also being called Concio della Liquirizia referring to them as being a source of the liquorice plant.

Moving back into history we discovered that the family of Emperor Hadrian (Publius Aelius Hadrianus AD 76 – 138) came from Atri. This is the Emperor who ordered that a wall be built in Northern England back in AD 122 to protect Roman territory from its unruly neighbours.

M had one more surprise for us. We were invited to his parent’s home in Atri for lunch. This was a real treat. I always feel it’s an honour to be invited into anyone’s home for a meal and I was thrilled at the prospect of tasting traditional foods from the Teramo province.

We met M’s, mother, father and brother and had a wonderful lunch. A mixture of Italian and English was spoken at the table as we enjoyed several dishes based on local produce. Everything was fantastic but I think the highlight was a type of vegetarian lasagne that I think was called either a timballo or timpano, but I may have got that wrong.

Getting to know the M’s family was a wonderful experience. As we chatted we discovered that apart from being an excellent cook, his mother is a teacher, who in her spare time is also an artist who paints and has published a book of poetry. That’s impressive.

About a week later two friends of ours from Switzerland were visiting Atri and I tagged along. As we explored the town I was able to impress them with all the information I had picked up the previous week. Grazie M.

Just to show you how good those views from Atri can be, here you can see some photos I took on a relatively clear day in June 2009.

Post from: About Abruzzo

I Just Can’t Stay Away from Atri

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When the invitation came to go to lunch on a trabocco I was like an excited child. Not only would I get to look at one up close, I’d also get a chance to see one in action.

This was a special gathering of family and friends and numbers were limited to less than thirty. Thirty may seem like a large number but Italian families easily extend and I think the hardest task is actually to keep the numbers down. The fact that P and I received an invitation was both a surprise and an honour that had to be embraced.

We were told there was going to be plenty of opportunity for swimming before lunch so we should arrive early and work up an appetite. I’m not the best swimmer in the world but I was happy to get there in plenty of time to have a chance to look around and soak up the atmosphere.

The trabocco was in good shape and the owner and staff were busy preparing the food for our lunch when we got there. They don’t normally open for lunch, dinner is their main offering, but the owner and one of our party are good friends and a favour was done.

So here I was, relaxing on a trabocco on a beautiful August day, being cooled by sea breezes and eagerly awaiting lunch as my appetite grew and grew.

The inevitable happened. Lunch was delayed an hour as many of the party could not bring themselves leave the water. I can’t blame them.  It was warm and looked absolutely beautiful as it glistened in the glorious sunlight.

When lunch finally arrived it started with plates of mussels and plenty of bread. For those that wanted more there was no problem as they were available in bucket loads! They were absolutely gorgeous so I went for seconds. Next was a plate of seafood pasta and once again there was more available for those that wanted it. Then we were served a selection of fried fish. I think there was seabass and large anchovies and a host of other fish I didn’t recognise. All of this with plenty of chilled white wine to help us wash it down.

The lunch lasted three hours at least. Desserts, coffee and digestives followed just in case any of us had any room left. I loved every minute of it and as I waddled off the trabocco I was thinking that I’ve just had a most wonderful experience.

Between the courses everybody was getting up, walking around and chatting. I think we were a bit of a novelty among the Abruzzese and so we had many opportunities for conversation.  Although a few of our hosts could speak English (and speak it very well) they allowed us to speak in our faltering Italian and helped us if we made any really bad mistakes.

I admit I was very tired when I got back to base. The food, the wine and the sun, along with the concentration required to keep up a conversation in Italian, all combined to ensure I slept well that night.

There were many great aspects to the day. My desire to spend time on a trabocco was satisfied, the food was fantastic and the location was spectacular. But I think the real highlight was the welcoming generosity of the people we shared the afternoon with. We met new friends and enjoyed the company friends we already knew.

All this on the oddest shaped non-moving, fishing vessel I’ve ever seen.

Post from: About Abruzzo

Lunch on a Trabocco near San Vito Chietino (CH), Abruzzo

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Last month, my neighbours in Abruzzo told me that they were planning to make passata in the next few days. They weren’t exactly sure which day as it depended on the tomato delivery from a local farmer.

Not having land to grow their own tomatoes, buying them and making enough passata for the family, about 100 bottles they decided, was far better than buying it in the shops.

I’d noticed a lot more large steel basins and oversized buckets appearing outside the houses and cantine in the town that week. It was passata making time for sure.

The day arrived and there was a scheduling clash. It was also the day we’d planned to go to visit Le Grotte di Frasassi in Le Marche with some friends. But I was still on antibiotics and wasn’t feeling up to a 2.5 hour car journey to see the caves. So P and the group set off around 8 am and I stayed put, happy to gently nurse myself back to tip-top form.

These caves are supposed to be magnificent and later that day P described them to me and I really regretted not being able to go. But it’s an ill wind that doesn’t blow any good at all and my staying behind allowed me to see the passata making in full flow.

Around 10am I called to our neighbour’s cantina and took a few photos of the process. I’d never seen passata being made before and I think they thought I was a bit odd as I walked around their cantina taking close-ups of pomodori. After all how exciting can a tomato be?

I found the process fascinating. No state of the art machinery in view. Just buckets, basins, pots, funnels, a mincer and a lot of tomatoes.

So what is passata? Well there are various definitions and descriptions out there but based on the approach I witnessed it is skinned, seedless, unflavoured, uncooked tomato juice. After separating the skins and seeds from the juice using the mincer (well it looked like a mincer to me) what flowed into the bucket was a thick, pulpy tomato juice.

Considering the amount of tomatoes that are available in Abruzzo it makes a lot of sense for families to use them to make enough red sauce to last the off season.

Geologists talk about strata and the different layers of rock that make up the earth’s structure. Considering the amount of tomatoes in Abruzzo I suspect you wouldn’t have to dig far to reach a tomato stratum.

As they were making the passata two things surprised me:

• No extra ingredients were added.
• They didn’t cook the passata before bottling.

I asked about seasoning and I was told that any flavours or seasoning will be added at the time of cooking as trying to guess now what was needed in the future was crazy.

They did say that they prefer to “cook” the passata after bottling. They fill the bottles with the juice up to the beginning of the neck and once the bottles have been capped they place them in a drum of boiling water for 30 minutes I think. I’m sure the boiling time is important so don’t take my word for the 30 minutes as I may have misremembered it.

They did say it could be made by simmering the sauce first and then bottling it but that’s not the way they like to do it.

I’m not sure what time they started but I think it was before 8am. By 2pm they had all the capping done and had already started boiling batches of bottles.

A few days later I was having coffee with another neighbour and he described how he had to clean the ceiling and walls of his kitchen after a bottle of passata he opened exploded like a well shaken bottle of champagne.

It was good passata though.

Post from: About Abruzzo

Passata: Nothing Added but Tomatoes

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