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Travel | Wine | Italian Food
Camogli - Focaccia with anchovies - Photo (c)
winyang
blog
There is a saying that he who eats
pesto never
leaves Genoa, the stronghold of this delicious sauce, rich with the flavors
of fresh basil, olive oil, garlic, pine nuts, and cheese. Traditionally,
the ingredients are put in a mortar and pounded with a pestle until a smooth
sauce emerges. Pesto is popular throughout the world, but small-leafed Ligurian basil, grown in herb gardens buffeted by sea breezes, is arguably
the best in the world.
True Ligurian focaccia is not
the pizza-like bread we enjoy here in America. As Liguria’s salty air and
humidity makes it difficult to bake good bread and keep it from spoiling
quickly, the Ligurians devised a bread that can be eaten hot out of the
oven. This unleavened, thin, flat bread is usually topped with olive oil and
salt, and in some areas, sage, cheese or onions.
Did the Ligurians bring pasta to Italy, as they still
claim today? Whether it’s true or not, they have created several delightful
types that are local specialties. Pansotti are a
triangle-shaped ravioli-style pasta, stuffed with a mixture of vegetables
(such as swiss chard, borage, and endive) and ricotta cheese, and are often
served with salsa di noci, a walnut sauce. Trenette,
made from whole wheat flour, come in long, flat strips, either fresh or
dried, and like trofie, a spiral-shaped gnocchi,
are served with a sauce made from boiled beans, potatoes, and pesto.
 The
Cinque Terre seas are an unequalled habitat for many species of fish.
Fishing is done by lampare (night trawling with lamps), along the sea
beds near Monterosso,
Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore. The smell of anchovies is
quite unique and the variety of shiny silvery greys is unmistakable. The
women set up their stalls in the squares and sell the fish, surrounded by
lively chatter, the catch prize being a mormora, an orata or
one of the types of ink fish (itiani and calamari).
The market
often boasts baskets of prawns, caught or fished off the Ligurian coast.
Throughout the years local restaurants have become famous for their fish and
specialties, but traditional recipes have never been forgotten and are
always part of the menu. Mussels (le cozze) are always on the menu
too: alla marinara - boiled and dressed with a few drops of lemon
juice and a sprig of parsley - or stuffed with tuna fish, cheese, mortadella,
egg and marjoram. The latter takes lot of patience because each uncooked
mussel has to be opened individually.
Gastronomy in the Cinque Terre, Riviera and Vara Valley
Acciughe di Monterosso
Gastronomy in"Golfo dei Poeti"
and Magra Valley
Focaccia genovese classica
Savova and province foods
(c) 1997-2008 E. Massetti
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