Nov-Dec-2015_Pg 11_no bleed

the Holiday Entertaining issue

breads and cappelletti.The seafood and fresh fruits and vegetables were gorgeous. We also visited Modena where we tried the acetaia del balsamico, a full-bodied aged vinegar that’s much stronger than your typical balsamic.The Modenesi use a technique that dates back to the Middle Ages to make it. We sell several varieties — you’ll love it on salads and meats. My father’s family is from Sardinia, which is famous for its Pecorino Romano, a hard, salty cheese made out of sheep’s milk. Reggio nell’Emilia is famous for its rich, nutty Parmigiano-Reggiano, which is made out of unpasteurized cow’s milk. At O Caseificio Stocchi Andrea we walked among the giant wheels of Parmesan — you can’t imagine the smell. We couldn’t wait to sample! And I can’t wait for you, too — we brought them back for our cheese departments. If you’ve been, you know Italy is a feast for your nose as much as your eyes, mouth and ears. We arrived at Antico Pastificio Morelli, a family-run pasta factory that has been crafting pasta since 1860, just as they started on their famous truffle pasta. There was a musky, nutty smell inside and out.That’s what real truffles smell like. In Tuscany we toured the region’s historic vineyards and olive orchards. We had a private tour of a 150-year- old Italian family winery, Cleto Chiarli, with one of its owners,Mauro Chiarli, a fourth generation wine maker. Cleto Chiarli was the first winery to popularized the sparkling Lambrusco wines — try them with our Gulf oysters, shrimp, crabmeat and fish; they’re fantastic with seafood. We also spent a weekend in the hilltop town of Montalcino, which overlooks the vineyards of sangiovese grapes used to make one of Italy’s best-known wines, Brunello di Montalcino.We sell Banfi’s Brunello di Montalcinos in our stores; they’re ideally paired with roasted meats. Finally, we went to Florence, where we took a master class with one of leading experts in olive oil (we’re expanding our selection). We were also treated to a behind-the-scenes tour of one of Italy’s most famous bakeries, followed by lunch at the Ricchi family restaurant and dessert at a gelateria. It was the perfect ending to a perfect buying trip.

Ciao Down: A Food Tour of Italy by Donald Rouse

W e just returned from a research trip to Italy that included stays in Bologna,Tuscany, Reggio nell’Emilia and Parma, four of the most famous food regions in the world. We like knowing where our food comes from and how it is made. We make at least two major food-buying trips each year. Last year, we went to Rome for Roman artichokes, “00” flour, oil-cured olives, balsamic creams and white truffle oils. On this year’s trip to Italy, we were looking for Parma ham, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, pasta, garlic, wine, olive oils and vinegars.

Pork, especially cured pork, is very popular in central Italy, just as it is here on the Gulf Coast. In Parma we picked out hams made from specially fed North Central Italian pigs. In Langhirano we learned how to cure prosciutto. In Bologna, we watched them make mortadella, one of the meats we use on our muffalettas. One of my favorite parts of any research trip is a visit to the local markets. In Reggio nell’Emilia, we took a chef-led excursion through the farmer’s market. The stalls are draped with braided strands of garlic (look for them now in our stores), and we stopped and sampled fabulous cheeses, cured meats,

[LEFT] Donald Rouse [RIGHT]TimAcosta,Mauro Chiarli,Donald Rouse and Steve Galtier at Cleto Chiarli​Winery,Tuscany.

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MY ROUSES EVERYDAY NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2015