What does an Italian Source-ress conjure up for Halloween?
I am a Sourceress—in every sense of the word. To the modern consumer, the word "sourcing" conjures up images of supply chains, shipping logistics and e-commerce dashboards. But for me that's just a part of it. Because if you peel back the layers of time and step into the old stone kitchens in the hills of Umbria or the valleys of Lombardy and Tuscany, you realize that sourcing is actually the oldest form of magic. For how else can I explain the wonderful finds that fill the shelves at CosituttiMarketPlace.
After years of traveling in Italy with my Italian family and friends visiting with artisan producers and generational families I've discovered the true curators of Italy's culinary landscape. The custodians of ancient practices from casalinga (household) kitchens. They are the generational families and artisan producers who have inherited the culture and traditions that make a single ingredient taste like magic. Families who knew which hillside grew the best basil, which moon phase was ideal for pressing olives and which spring carried the purest water for making pasta. And if you step a little closer to the stove you'll find that these artisan producers look back to a time when understanding the secrets of the land and preserving that intent held profound significance.
As a modern Sourceress, my mission follows the exact same ancient blueprint. When I travel through Italy - to find a true single-estate extra virgin olive oil, a small-batch pasta made from pure water from the Italian Dolomites or a seasoning that captures the profumo of the forests and meadows of Chianti - I am not just looking for a product. I am connecting with a strong sense of a place and ingredients that were intentionally grown, harvested, and crafted by generational hands.
Here are a few of the fruits of my labor for a seasonal autumn menu when every day feels a little more like Halloween.
Baked Ricotta Dip with Black Summer Truffle Honey
Gastronomic alchemy. Infusing the deep, woodland aroma of wild truffles into the floral sweetness of honey, creates a flavor profile that feels ancient, secretive, and borderline supernatural.
Tuscan Porchetta
One of the choicest and most storied dishes in Italy using a ritual-like preparation, spit-roasted with a deeply rooted history that has made this Fall favorite a living legend dish for nearly two thousand years. A home version using a loin or boneless pork shoulder. It naturally contains the ideal balance of fat and marbling and eliminates the rolling and tying of a whole belly around the loin which is traditionally done. By using Dario Cecchini's signature Profumo del Chianti Herbal Salt Blend you get the exact aromatic flavor profile of a Tuscan porchetta with minimal effort.
The Sourceress Pour
Pour a glass of Mazzei Chianti Classico Riserva alongside this roast. On a recent trip to Chianti we stayed at Castello di Fonterutoli, visited the cellars and tasted the wines from Mazzei. A true expression of this extrordinary place where there is a special kind of magic in the ancient soils of Tuscany and the vines found across the hills of Chianti.
A Tuscan Sangiovese joins a blend of local grapes to darken the color and make the wines from this region the perfect compliment to the aromatic rosemary and lavender notes of the Profumo crusted pork roast.
A Unicorn Garden
Inspired by the medieval Unicorn Tapestries The Met Cloisters at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Unicorn Garden Jam makes its return to our Fall-Winter Collection with a hint of unicorn magic to bring a mythical warmth and festive elegance to the holiday table. Tart pomegranate, fresh strawberry and rose water paired with a cheese course just beforea dessert panettone,
Milanese Magic
Sourcing a mini panettone with the flavor and aroma of a full-sized Milanese panettone is a trick that turns into one of the biggest treats in our Fall-Winter Collection. Chiostro di Saronno’s Assorted Mini Panettone Tower brings the same authentic Milanese Italian Christmas cakes sized for single-serving.
A Sourceress Guide that follows the seasonal flavors of autumn
Heritage Pork Loin: Source a high-quality, center-cut boneless pork loin. Ideally, look for a loin with a layer of fat along the top cap to continuously baste the meat while it roasts.
Castello di Fonterutoli Chianti Classico: A classic Sangiovese regional wine that enhances the flavor of the pork.
Baked Ricotta Dip with Black Summer Truffle Honey: A balance of earthiness and sweetness. There should be a warning on the label of this honey that says "Extraordinarily Addictive".
Dario Cecchini Profumo del Chianti Herbal Salt Blend: It provides the proper ratio of wild herbs and Tuscan sea salt needed to replicate an authentic Tuscan porchetta. Widely popular! If its out of stock just send us a message to be put on a waiting list and we'll be sure to let you know when it is back on our shelves.
Capezzana Extra Virgin Olive OIl: A robust, peppery Tuscan olive oil to bind the dry blend into a thick, uniform paste that grips the meat.
Brins Unicorn Garden Jam: Choose your favorite sharp, salty cheese (we're thinking Pecorino) and a Cypress Grove Midnight Moon or a Gorgonzola Dolce. Add fresh blackberries or fresh split purple figs and small bowl of the ruby-red Unicorn Garden Jam. Serve with a neutral flavored cracker or plain crostini and garnish with fresh rosemary.
Chiostro di Saronno’s Assorted Mini Panettone Tower: Five assorted mini panettone in a gift box tower brings the tradition of one of Italian's most iconic holiday confections to your table in a most convenient way.
Look for our Fall - Winter Collection in the next post of Market Notes.
.
Comments