Cheese every which way

Calling all cheese lovers!
If you have a special place in your heart for all things creamy, sharp, pungent, smelly, gooey, crumbly, unusual and downright intriguingly tasty; then the Slow Food Festival of Cheese, held in Bra, Italy every other year, is for you!
We enjoyed the extravaganza of cheesey offerings this festa had to offer. If you could wade through the mob to get to the samples, there was plenty to keep you wondering just how there be so many variations on such a simple list of ingredients, milk, cow, sheep or goat, a curdling ingredient or two, some flavoring from the vast array that nature has to offer and only seems to be limited by one's imagination or sheer necessity. The depth and breadth of the types of cheeses makes me proud to live in a country and region in particular that takes it's food so seriously. It is certainly a celebration of diversity.
It was a great day out and we made a sweep down to the Barolo wine region to see a bit more around, and add a few richly flavored Piemonte wines to compliment all of the wonderful cheeses after our outing. Nothing like the Barbera, Nebbiolo and Barbarescos wines to help balance and digest all those rich cheeses. Piedmont has so much to offer.

One other highlight of the day was getting to meet Rowena of the always interesting blog,
Rubber Slippers in Italy, her charming husband and the adorable and very photogenic Maddie. Rowena even was wearing the famous Hawaiian style slippers of the blog. It was all too brief trying to meet and play tour guide to my family in a very crowded festival. Perhaps we'll meet up again sometime when we're on our own.

So mark your calender for 2009 for a not to be missed edition of "Bra Cheese Festival'!

Club Papillon hosts "Golosaria" at the Stupinigi

Or........how to make a glutton of yourself yet again!

On a warm and slightly hazy grey type Sunday afternoon, what better way to enjoy your day than a food festival Italian style. Yesterday we made our way to the Stupinigi Hunting Palace heading in from the mountains to just outside of Torino. We were off to see and sample yet more of Piemonte's delicacies as well as see our friend Enrico, be recognized again by the "Paniere" designation, guaranteeing that his families very wonderful Bernard Mountain Elixirs, Genepy and Barathier are the superior products that they are and a typical product of the Provincia of Torino. Our B&B Bella "Baita" (beautiful mountain house/cabin) is located in the mountains of our good sized "county" if you will, looking across the valley to Val Germansca where the Bernard family have been making their tasty products for over 100 hundred years supporting their family and the mountain culture that surrounds these highly alcoholic mountian flower and herbal infusions. All the locals swear by the restorative powers of these drinks, good for absolutely everything that ails you, as well as a good ole welcome drink or after dinner digestivo that this part of the world is so very fond of.
There was a great turnout for this event and it has continued on today showcasing so many wonderful gustatory treats. Hand made pastas, salamis, cheeses, cookies, spreads of of everysort, grissini breadsticks and my personal favorite, a very long crispy flatbread named, "lingue di Suocera" or mother in laws tongue. We enjoyed a bit of Christmas shopping that we know will be appreciated.









"Club di Papillon"(or club of the Bow Ties) who hosted this event, is an organization dedicated to the preservation, education, promotion and support of typical Italian cuisine. The guiding energy behind and out front of this organization is the highly regarded journalist, author, TV food critic and "bon vivant" Paolo Massobrio, Mr. Bowtie himself. He opened the event with a splash of celebrity with the grandson of the Ferrari car designer, Pininfarina and a bevy of dignitaries helping to cut the opening ribbon. (so that's who was driving the beautiful Ferrari parked out front!) The drinking and eating had already been well underway but now continued on to a new level of frenzy. Later, sated with oh so tasty samples of just about everything and washed down with delicious Barbera and Dolcetto wines, some of the darlings of Piedmont varieties, and groaning under the many purchases, we made our way home. Too tired to have a tour around the hunting lodge, although there was a steady stream gathering every hour to see how the royal "Savoy"family lived way out here in the country all those years ago. From the looks of all the old businesses just around the lodge, I don't think they wanted for any of their "golosso" (greedy) urges to go unsatisfied. Apparently 5,000 visitors yesterday didn't either! The gluttony continues on today till 6 pm.. Not to be missed.