Cavours own Caterina Bruno's Watercolors at Tutto Mele

Last Saturday we made our way over to Cavour for the 2011 inaugural day of "Tutto Mele",
 in spite of the rain that threatened to ruin the day and force streams and rivers to flow out their banks wreaking all kinds of havoc. Instead, it was just mildly annoying that the steady rain put quite the damper on the event, so that some of the vendors didn't even open their booths while others struggled to maintain a happy face. Not an easy life working seasonal fairs or the open air markets. We had stopped on our way to do our weekly shop at the Pinerolo market and what is usually the biggest selection of vendors, was but a mere ghost of the normally thrumming Saturday market. The market border still had a fair amount of food and produce vendors as the show must go on as produce doesn't last well till next market day, but the entire inner market of clothes, nick knacks and sundry had stayed away due to the torrential  pounding of rain we were receiving. I don't blame them at all.

One of my favorite local varieties

I must say that I was surprised at how many people did turn up to "Tutto Mele" in spite of the weather, but it was a rather meager offering if you are trying to sell some food or products that you have lugged from far away and are now standing outside trying to stay warm and dry. Fat chance!
There was one group that seemed to be unfazed by the weather, and that was the racers in the Apple Run. I kept noticing all these sporty, hardy types strolling around in bike shorts, sporting tanned and appropriately bulging legs like it was mid September. Following along with the tanned legs,  I found myself at the starting line where all manner of warm up activities were taking place in the steady down pour. I must say more power to them as there were literally a couple hundred runners ready to do a mini marathon.

Soggy Apple runners

My marathon consisted of wandering around the town taking in the sights and trying to stay dry. There was the outdoor vendors selling salami and cheeses, ravioli featuring apple filling, vendors with the new olive oil and pesto, cases of Sicilian oranges and stacks of Sardinian pecorino rounds, and Caresu flatbread. Local vendors with polenta, and snails; indoor vendors with artisan beer, chocolate and all manner of hot tubs, kitchen remodelling options, ski clothes and lo and behold, a Tupperware dealer. They were frantically setting up as I stopped by to see all the new colors that Tupperware is currently offering and all the gizmos and new stuff that can be tempting when one is feeling flush with money. I  ended up with a catalogue to peruse and contemplate of what I can't live without. I must say I am a Tupperware fan having grown up with it and still have some of my mom's from the 60's. It does work well and certainly will most likely outlive me.

Caterina Bruno and some of her watercolors

Anyway, my favorite part of the festival for the past few years is my friend Caterina Bruno's watercolor exposition. We met in 2005 while we were both having our hair cut by a local favorite hairdresser, Nicola,  just before the Olympics came to us. Fabrizio and Caterina chatted it up and before you know it Caterina and Renato were at our house a few days later sharing with us her watercolors and getting to know one another. We feature some of her watercolors here at the B&B and it has been delightful to watch her style evolve over the past few years. Tutto Mele is a great opportunity to catch up with her, enjoy her latest flight of creativity and  imagination while staying warm and dry. A few years back she was in a couple of small deconsecrated churches and although lovely settings they were chilly, where as now Caterina's work is displayed in the town hall. A much better setting to really show off her work. This years work featured what she mentioned as her flying houses inspired by some children's stories.  I mentioned that they reminded me of the Pugliese "Trulli" houses as well as African type huts.

Flying houses

Caterina found that interesting and then pointed me to her calendars that she is selling for Domus-Onlus, an organization that raises money to support vulnerable women and children, both in Italy and Africa. Her exhibit in Cavour is located next to the ladies who are selling hand made dolls to raise money for Unicef. Caterina and another artist paint the faces on these dolls that come with certificates and names. I was given Claudia last year, who is a Waldensen girl in traditional costume. Her lovely face was painted by Caterina. They still have some dolls on offer if you get on over there. The calendars are priced at €5 and are a steal, as you not only have her colorful and whimsical paintings to enjoy each month of the year, you can frame the small prints afterwards to enjoy even longer and help others while doing so. There is still time today and tomorrow to get over to Cavour and pick one up or maybe even one of her original watercolors. If you miss that one Caterina will be in Torino from the 13 November through the 14 December, 2011 showing and selling her artwork and calendars as well. She will be located on Via Po 45, at the Chiostro della Parrocchia della SS. Anunziata. Torino is always a nice day out and Caterina will be happy to meet you. In the meantime you might want to stop at Cavour and pick up a few fritelle di Mele, or apple fritters, as they are always delicious fresh out of the fryer and no mess to clean up at home.

Catarina's 2012 calender and Waldensen hand made doll

Torta di Mele, Italy's favorite Apple Cake

This time of the year when the mountains are decked out with the autumnal color change of the trees, we are in the thick of apple season. I imagine that most of you in the northern hemisphere are as well.   Not a bad time of the year at all. The colors on our hills are really going all out now that the larch have kicked in for the upping of the yellow ante.

I've been making a wide variety of apple delights with our apple abundance and thought I must share an apple recipe as I haven't posted any type of recipe in awhile.  This weekend nearby the commune of Cavour kicks off it's 10 day apple festival. Piedmont has 52 varieties according to our friend Dario of Frutto Permesso, (the permitted fruit), the organic growers not so far from us that produce some delicious pear and apple juices.  To get into the spirit I thought I would share one of Italy's favorite recipes, Torta di Mela. This much loved cake has a number of vatiations as I have seen and tasted over the years. I grew up in apple country in southern Illinois and we had our fair share of apple festivals, apple cakes and of course the al time favorite apple pie. My mother use to made a simple apple snacking cake that was similar to the more simple versions of this Italian apple cake. Today, I'm sharing a slighty more sophisticated version, but it does come together quite easily enough, especially if you don't bother with the decorative sweep of the thinly sliced apples. It will taste just great and look more rustic.

Torta di Mele

8-10 servings -- 26cm/10" cake round

or 22 cm/9" cake round is the same servings

Ingredients:

2 large eggs, room temperature for more volume

150g (5 oz / 3/4c) sugar, I like brown grezzo sugar

185g (6.5 oz / 1 7/8c) flour, sifted with

1 tsp baking powder

120ml (4fl oz / 1/2c) milk

zest of 1/2 lemon

50g (3.5T) butter, use for greasing your pan and cut the rest up into small pieces to sprinkle over the top of the cake before baking 

23g (3T) bread crumbs, plain and stale, not too fine

1kg (2.2lb)** apples, peeled and thinly sliced, medium to sweet apples for a soft, sweet cake*

24g (2T) coarse brown  or white sugar, for sprinkling on top. 

**Update: I find that I have been making this cake in a 22 cm/ 9" pan with 500g / 5 cups or 1.1 pound apples and it seems to bake through more evenly. I like a slightly tart apple, rennet and grigia di toriani. 

Macintosh, pink lady, Braeburn, Jonathons  in the US, to name just a few. 

Cooks notes: I found this online about fuji apples 

"Three medium-sized Fuji apples weigh approximately one pound.

One pound of apples, cored and sliced, measures about 4 1/2 cups."

Recent version - the 22cm size with 500g/ 5 cups apple 

Method:

Preheat your oven to 180*C (350*F) and prepare you cake pan.

Prepare your pan. I use a spring form pan as I find it helpful for easy removal. You might consider lining your cake pan with parchment paper if using a regular round cake tin, to ensure your cake removes easily. I your spring form pan ring doesn't fit tight around the bottom pan, you might line it with paper.

Lightly butter your 26 cm (10 inch) pan with some of the measured butter. Cut up the remainder into small pieces and set aside.

Dust your tin with your bread crumbs and tip any excess amount out for use at some other time. 

Set aside.

Usually I peel, quarter and thinly slice my apples at this point. I try to keep the quarters intact as I thinly slice them on the cutting board, to make it easy to fan the slices out decoratively.

Beat your eggs with a mixer until frothy and light colored. 

Gradually begin to add the sugar to the eggs.

Add half of you milk to the egg and sugar mix.

Then I hand whisk in the flour, zest and baking powder.

Add the rest of the milk, handling as little as possible, yet fully incorporating the dry ingredients. 

Your mixture will be fairly runny.

Pour your batter into the pan.

Arrange your thin apple slices  around the perimeter of the pan, filling the center in as needed.

Sprinkle the coarse 2T sugar on top of the apples and dot the butter around the top.

Becasue my oven runs hot, I cover my cake with aluminum foil for the first 20- 25 minutes to keep the apple from getting too brown.

I uncover and finish baking the cake until the cake is set and golden brown, about 55 minutes, depending on your oven. 

Cool completely before removing from your pan. The spring form does allow you to be able to remove it while it is slight warm. 

I dust with a bit of confectioner sugar for a finishing touch, but not always.  

Serve at room temperature and enjoy, enjoy, enjoy.

Trust me, it won't last long. 

Tortelloni alle Mele

We had a gazillion other things to do, but we went back to Tutto Mele anyway, lured by the fascination with tortelloni with apple inside. We were in luck as they had a fresh made supply of plump tortelloni. I'm glad we made the effort as they were were fabulously delicious.
The small family pastificio (pasta only shop)in nearby Barge, a small farming community just outside the mouth of our valley and hugging the feet of the mountains, created and produced these fabulously plump tortelloni. Most of us are familiar with the smallish tortellini that are readily found in the US. Here it's not unusual to find these larger fresh fat boys, that are always delish. The pasta for the 50/50 blend of apple and ricotta was a sturdy semolina egg dough with beets added to give it a wow factor. The young woman behind the counter, the daughter of the shop owners and creators of these unusual creations, suggested that a light touch with an accompanying sauce should be used to strike the right balance so as not to cover the delicate flavor. The local favorite of butter with sage or walnut was one suggestion or a light Gorgonzola sauce struck me as the right contrast. So we settled on the festival special of 11 tortelloni for 6 euros and mixed up the purchase with 4 apple, 4 truffle and ricotta and 3 chestnut and ricotta.

As usual, when you simmer colored pasta, it loses it vibrant, inviting color, making it a little difficult to get a gorgeous photo with a layer of Gorgonzola oozing over, but in spite of the challenges of the final finished product, I can say that they were outstanding. The suggested 10 minutes to cook them was a perfect amount of time and the sauce was just right. I would say that when I give this idea a go, I think I will increase the amount of apple. My preference would be a slightly more pronounced apple presence and maybe even an apple inspired sauce to boot.

Apple Tortelloni with Gorgonzola sauce

Then there were the ones with then truffle mixed in with the ricotta.

They were superb!
Toss the cooked pasta directly into your pan with the melted butter and fresh slivered sage, that has been gently sauteed till fragrant and gently mix. Plate and garnish with freshly shaved or grated parmigiana, topped off with a drop or two of truffle oil. It was divine.

Hum? I wonder what I should toss the chestnut ones in tonight?
Any suggestions from any of you?

29th edition of "Tutto Mele"

While we we're on the subject of apples here are a few photos of the 29th edition of this November's Tutto Mele. It opened last Saturday in Cavour, to the pomp and fanfare of the round up of the usual local dignitaries and politicians. It was a gorgeous day, much warmer than last year as we reminisced with others who had been there as well.

It is a fabulous display of all the many varieties of local Pinerolese fruit growers hard word, each vying for recognition, more fans and points of sale. Every year there are always so many different things to see and sample. The offerings vary widely from year to year aside from the massive amount of apples and quite a few kiwi to boot. Piedmont is the main producer of kiwi in all of Italy and they are coming in strong now. You can usually always count on finding kiwi and apples for the whole of the winter in the Pinerolo market, like steadfast friends. Right now they are crisp, fresh and quite a bargain.

This year they are featuring quite a few other interesting features, like Tutto Gusto, Tutto Eco, Tutto Sposi, or all things flavor, ecological and wedding. Interesting combinations if you ask me. I must admit that as we made our way through the serpentine displays of Sicilian desserts, cheeses, cookies, olive oil, Torinese chocolates, fur coats, hot tubs and got to the bridal fashion section, I thought perhaps we were lost, but of course, when we popped out at the heavy equipment of diggers, tractors, and other big machines that I had no idea what exactly they did, then I knew that we must still be in Cavour.

Now were were we with those apples?

Ok, so these aren't apples either, but what a great display of gigantic turnips and how about that giant squash at the bottom of the photo.

Then we found the tortelloni filled with apple and the pasta made with apple as well. There was a bit of a crowd around this stand and I forgot to go back later to make a purchase to try this unusual offering. Might just have to make our way back over before the end of the weekend. Luckily the festival goes for 10 days, so there's still time to get back over before it ends on the 16 of November.

Especially as I didn't get to try the "Mele in Camicia,"
apples in jackets or apple dumplings as we called them.

And on one last bittersweet note.
A fond farwell to our "Stagista" friend, Rachel, who is back home in Colorado after her 6 month stint working in the kitchen at Maison Verte Hotel
in Frossasco, Italy.
It was certainly our pleasure to have met you and enjoyed a few outings and laughs together.
We wish you all the best in your journey as a chef, as you explore the multi faceted world of cuisine.
Buona fortuna!
We look forward to meeting up again.

If you're looking to check out Tutto Mele here's a google map.

View Larger Map

"Tutto Mele" Everthing Apple

Continuing on with the apple theme, this past week has been the 28th edition of Cavour's Tutto Mele (all about apples). This charming village pulls out all the stops to show case the local produce which is the main source of income in this part of our province. This festival is one of it's main claims to fame as the home of the Count of Cavour, Camillo Benso, who was instrumental in pushing forward the unification of Italy into a united Kingdom and later a sovereign country. It's geography features a huge hump of a hill that dramatically juts out of the plains at the foot of our mountains and yet it isn't part of the Cottian or Maritine alps, it's a separate entity and an interesting physical landmark.

    Fabrizio spent last Saturday, representing our B&B association, ScopriPiemonte, in our Turin Province booth, promoting our B&B's. this Saturday, we just had a stroll around for the day enjoying all the food and drink that was on offer. I like this festival because it reminds me of the apple festivals from where I grew up in southern Illinois. Autumn was always about apples, small town parades and carnival rides that tested your nerve and stomach's ability to keep festival food where it should be, in your stomach.

Tutto Mele is a lot like the festivals of my younger days, perhaps just a tad more sophisticated. Instead of corn dogs and caramel apples, we have creamy polenta with sausages or Toma cheese and fresh roasted chestnuts all washed down with the tastiest apple cider. Apple cider where I grew up meant unfiltered fresh pressed apple juice and you could taste all the different varieties blended together. Here the cider is delicious but has a has a bit of a kick, that was not really appreciated in my world growing up in the thick of the tea toteling bible belt.

In addition to seemingly endless varieties of apples, there were plenty of pears and kiwi to burden ourselves as we wandered around through out the village sampling all sorts of tasty offerings.Italy is now the number one producer of Kiwi in the world and naturally all of the provinces are fighting to say they are the most prolific and produce the finest.We came away with several bags of apples, pears and kiwi for under 10 euro. Quite the deal. These varieties are all ones that store well, so we have a nice supply for awhile.
Cafferel our local chocolate factory in Torre Pellice, passed out complimentary(chocolate hazelnut).

 

We sampled polenta, pasta meliga (rich cornmeal) cookies, grissini, roasted chestnuts, cider, organic apple juice and cider from our friends at
Frutta Permesso along with several varieties of olive oil from all over Italy. Fratelli Carli were one of the sponsors this year and offered a very interesting olive oil tasting with complimentary plates and blue glass for doing our own tasting at home. It was a very interesting lecture, if a bit hard to keep up with the technical and rapid Italian. We enjoyed seeing our dear friend,
Caterina Bruno's latest series on a pilgrimage she did in Spain. She's a home grown talent that's realizing her dream to paint and paint and paint. Her watercolors were shown in a small chapel that has been turned into a Sacred Art Museum. It was a lovely setting and added to the diversity of the festival. Cavour's many bakeries graced their windows with tantalizing apple pastries to entice and satisfy your taste for apples, if you didn't find enough to fill you up throughout the day. It's a pleasant day out and worth the effort if you find your way here next year for all things apple, Tutto Mele!