Italy Archives - Ciao Chow Linda

Gnocchi in Pecorino Sauce with Guanciale

July 20, 2018

For those of you receiving these posts by email, I’m sorry about the funky formatting of the last entry. Due to computer problems, I had to create the post on my iPad, and obviously, I found out there are limitations to that platform. Hopefully this post, written on my new computer (yea!) has come through without any problems in viewing. To read my last post about pecorino di Pienza cheese, go to the actual site, https://ciaochowlinda.com.

Continuing on the pecorino theme, if you’re looking for heaven on a plate, have I got a recipe for you. These light as a cloud potato dumplings, served with guanciale and arugula in a creamy pecorino cheese sauce, were so divine, I was wishing I ordered a full portion for myself, instead of splitting it with my husband.

We ate these gnocchi as our primo piatto on a recent trip to Sardinia, at the restaurant in our hotel, La Villa Del Re. After having tried a couple of other restaurants off site, we concluded that the hotel’s restaurant was unparalleled in its excellent cuisine. The chef here, Marco Granato, has a magic touch. Everything about this small hotel (adults only) along the Tyrrhenian Sea defines it as a special place, and one we can’t wait to go back to.

The food, the hospitality and the service are exceptional here and the views are stunning too. All the meals we enjoyed at this dreamy hotel along Sardinia’s Costa Del Rei were delicious and beautifully presented –

From breakfast with a view of the infinity swimming pool and the sea:

To the cakes and scones at the daily tea time:

To the toothsome homemade pastas:

To the main courses:

And desserts:

To the drinks and munchies by the sea.

The view from the private beach was pretty special too – with a sea that looked like it was painted by a watercolorist.

I’m still wondering if it was all just a dream. If so, don’t wake me up!

Just in case you can’t get to La Villa Del Re anytime soon, here’s that heavenly gnocchi recipe for you, courtesy of Marco Granato, La Villa Del Re’s talented chef.

More recipes and fun adventures from Sardinia to follow in future posts.

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Gnocchi in Pecorino Sauce with Guanciale

Author: Chef Marco Granato of La Villa Del Re

Serves: serves 10

Ingredients

For the Gnocchi:
1000 grams (2.2 pounds) boiled potatoes
500 grams (about 3½ cups) flour
50 grams fecola (about ⅓ cup potato starch)
3 eggs
salt
For the Pecorino Sauce:
350 grams (about 1¾ cup) milk
200 grams (about 1 cup) mild pecorino cheese
20 grams (1½ T.) flour
20 grams ( 1½ T. )butter
salt, pepper to taste
For the Condiments:
400 grams (small handful) arugula
½ of a leek
150 grams (about ⅓ pound) guanciale
15 grams (1 T. ) extra virgin olive oil
a few sprigs of fresh thyme
salt, pepper to taste

Instructions

To make the gnocchi:
Boil the potatoes in water with the lemon peel for 20 minutes.
They should be cooked on the outside, but will finish cooking in the oven, which will also dry out some of the water.
After boiling, drain the potatoes and put them on a baking sheet and cook in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
After cooking, pass the hot potatoes through a potato ricer or a sieve and spread them out on a cookie sheet.
Mix the riced potatoes with the flour, the fecola, the eggs and a bit of salt. Form the mixture into ropes, then cut each rope into small pieces to make the gnocchi.
To Make the Pecorino Cream Sauce:
Cut the cheese into small pieces, then put the butter and half the cheese into a pan over low heat until melted. Add the flour, making a roux, then add the milk, stirring constantly. Add the rest of the cheese and stir, letting the cheese melt, while adding salt and pepper to taste. If the sauce is too thick, add a bit more milk until reaching the desired consistency.
To Finish:
Cut the leek into small pieces.
Cut the guanciale into small pieces
Cook the leek in some olive oil at low heat for about 10 minutes. If it starts to turn dark, add some hot water or vegetable broth.
Add the guanciale until it's slightly crunchy, then add the thyme, salt and pepper.
Boil the gnocchi in salted water, then in a separate pan with the sauce, gently stir the gnocchi in the pecorino sauce. Add the cooked guanciale and the arugula and serve on warm plates.

Pizzoccheri in Bellagio

October 2, 2015

Bellagio is just one of the many beautiful towns along Italy’s Lake Como, but it’s the biggest and the one that most tourists come to by boat from other destinations along the lake. Although the crowds can be overwhelming, there’s good reason that it’s so popular. With narrow streets that are really stone staircases, lined with shops on either side, it’s ridiculously picturesque.

There are plenty of shops selling inexpensive trinkets but lots more selling high quality leather goods, jewelry and luxury clothing, including scarves and ties made of silk. This part of Italy was known for decades for its silk trade, a sector that still continues, but to a much lesser degree than in the past.

If shopping is not your thing, you can relax for a drink at one of the cafes by the waterfront or on the terrace of the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni, where you can sip a prosecco and enjoy the view of the mountains, the swanky hotel and the hotel’s inviting swimming pool. Thanks Rhonda Callaway, for the great photo of the drink.

While you’re there, take a peek inside the hotel too, to get a gander at old world-style elegance.

You’re bound to get hungry while you’re in Bellagio, and there are many good choices. One of my favorites is Bilacus restaurant. The name means “two lakes” in Latin, since Lake Como splits into two legs at Bellagio. Get a table on the outside patio if you can, where flowers are abundant. Everything is delicious, but I’m partial to the fish caught in the lake, including trout, or choose lavarello, a delicate white fish I’ve never eaten anywhere else.

Another specialty of this region of Lombardy is pizzoccheri – flat noodles made using buckwheat flour. I had never eaten them before, and was eager to try them when I saw them on the menu of “La Punta,” a restaurant at the farthest promontory of Bellagio. They were served in the traditional way, with boiled potatoes and cabbage, bathed in a sauce using the local Valtellina cheeses. – oh, so delicious, but not exactly diet food.

Work off some of the calories another day by walking to Pescallo, a charming small fishing village nearby. Stay for lunch, and you’ll eat fish fresh off the boat. Avoid Monday though, when the restaurants are closed.

If you’ve still got energy, continue walking until you get to the hamlet of St. Giovanni, where you’ll see examples of a boat called a Lucia, a traditional boat used in the 18th century along the lake region. The curved wooden frames held fabric that allowed for protection against rain and inclement weather. The boats are named for one of the main characters in Alessandro Manzoni’s book “I Promessi Sposi,” (The Betrothed), partially set in the region. It’s the most widely read book in Italy, and required reading for school students. It’s not only a love story betweem Lucia and Renzo, but about a struggle for power, foreign domination, religion, plague, famine and more – topics that are as relevant today as in the 1800s, when the book was written.

Head back to Bellagio as twilight descends though, so you can pull up a chair, enjoy a digestivo and a spectacular sunset after a well-spent day.

If you’d like to try your hand at making pizzoccheri, here’s a website that shows you how:

http://www.deliciousdays.com/archives/2007/02/16/pizzoccheri-della-valtellina-embracing-comfort-food/

A Writing Retreat on Lake Como

February 6, 2015

Have you ever wanted to write down that memory of your mom making jam from backyard berries, or the time you went deep sea fishing with dad? Maybe it’s not a food memory, but a travel adventure, or a life-changing event that you’ve been thinking about getting down on paper. Now, how about doing just that in beautiful Varenna, Italy this fall, with expert guidance from a talented writing coach and author (Kathryn Abajian) and afternoon excursions by none other than me, Ciao Chow Linda?

Sound tempting? Then come join us this September 20-26 in Varenna, a picturesque town on Lake Como, surrounded by the foothills of the Alps.

Its narrow streets will beckon you to meander and explore. Maybe you’ll get inspiration from its picturesque charm and come up with ideas you hadn’t thought of before.

You can stroll down to the water and enjoy a drink or a meal at one of many restaurants and cafés overlooking the lake, while waiting for the muse to strike.

We’ll be staying right in town, at the Villa Monastero, a noteworthy attraction in its own right, that dates back to before the 12th century when it was founded as a nunnery. It later fell into private hands and today is the setting for international scientific conferences — and this year, our conference — “Italy, In Other Words.”

Some of the rooms are open to public viewing, and visitors walk among the spectacular botanic gardens that you will have all to yourself after hours.

As a participant in our writing workshop, you’ll feel like lady or lord of the manor, overlooking the lake and mountains in the distance.

Inspiration is bound to strike you in this unforgettable setting.

The writing and instruction workshop is held for five mornings, and also includes two personal consultations, all conducted by Kathryn, a retired college professor. She has given writing workshops in California and in Abruzzo, Italy, and is also the author of a book entitled “First Sight of the Desert.”

Bedroom furnishings vary, from modern to rooms furnished with antiques. Those who sign up first will be offered priority. Most rooms have a view of the lake.

Afternoons are free for writing or exploring. For those interested, I’ll take you to a few places of interest, including the ruins of this 12th century castle nearby.

The area is known for its taleggio and gorgonzola cheese, so we’ll most likely take a short trip to visit someplace where it’s made, or aged (and sample some, of course.)

You might want to join me for a boat trip across the lake to Bellagio, a scenic village oozing with charm, and a great place for some shopping.

You’ll find lots of restaurants tucked into the little streets and staircases in the town.

For those interested in watercolor or cooking lessons, they’re optional, but can be arranged too.

We can’t talk about Italy without mentioning its food, and the food in Varenna is top notch. Here are a few samples from my visit last year – eggplant parmigiana:

Fresh trout from the lake:

And torta della nonna (recipe here on Ciao Chow Linda)

Want more information? Go to www.Italyinotherwords.com or contact Kathryn at kabajian@gmail.com for more details. Hope to see you in September.