Murrell Mushrooms

A wild edible mushroom whose cone-shape cap has a honeycombed appearance. The cap ranges from two to four inches tall and the mushrooms stem is hollow. The different varieties of morels vary in color from light yellow to dark brown. The darker the mushroom's color is, the stronger its flavor becomes. They have a nut-like taste with a crisp, chewy texture that makes it a good choice for light cream sauces, pastas and egg dishes.

It is one of the first mushrooms to appear in the spring, even before all the snow has disappeared. They should never been eaten raw because this may cause acute gastrointestinal illness. Morels are sold fresh, which are available seasonally, and dried, which are available throughout the year. They are also known as sponge mushrooms and yellow morel mushrooms.

http://www.recipetips.com/kitchen-tips/t--822/all-about-mushrooms.asp

I have never seen fresh ones in Toronto, but I saw the dried ones in supermarket Metro. They are expensive even in Europe. But it is very tasty and worth the effort.

Blood Sausage

Black pudding or blood pudding is an English term for sausage made by cooking blood with filler until it is thick enough to congeal when cooled. It is also called blood sausage.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_pudding

I did not know that blood sausage is an international food. The link shows that it has been widely used in Asia, Europe and Americans.

I do know about the "blood tofu" in Mainland China. When I was young, my mother used to collect chicken blood after killing it. After the cooked blood cool down it becomes solid like tofu. Then she put them in the soup to add flavor. I never liked it even it is good for health (that is what they say). It has a strong blood taste and I hate it.

To my surprise, when I tried blood sausage in Lyon and Florence, I loved it! What a great idea to make blood sausage with nuts. Meat, fat or fillers gave lots flavors to the sausage so it does not taste like blood. Although it does have a strong taste, at least it is not pure blood like the "blood tofu" in China.

Nameko Mushroom Pizza

(Scientific Name: Pholiota nameko) A brown capped mushroom with a white stem that grows in groups of clusters of numerous stems and caps closely aligned. Very popular in Asia where it originated, this mushroom is now cultivated throughout the world.

http://www.recipetips.com/glossary-term/t--33539/nameko-mushroom.asp

It is often used in Japanese home cooking. Interestingly I found a Nameko pizza with Mozzarella in Naples. I bought a slice off a street pizza place, very cheap. I love those slippery shiny yellow mushrooms!

Hot Chocolate in Naples

Having a hot chocolate in a cold winter day is absolutely a delight. But I shouldn’t have had it right before lunch. It was at noon, in downtown Naples. I was hungry and waiting for the restaurant open (it was already pass 12pm). But things are different in Italy so I have to wait. There is a hot chocolate place open next to the restaurant so I ordered a small cup of hot coconut chocolate. To my surprise, it is very heavy almost could be a meal. The hot chocolate is very creamy and dense. To be fair, it is heavenly yummy!

http://www.eraclea.it/scelta.asp

Stuffed Desserts?

More desserts pic from Naples.
I have never seen stuffed peanut and walnut (maybe with cream or cheese?)

Deep-frying Zucchini Flowers (fiori di zucca)

Everyone knows zucchini as a vegetable. Botanically, however, the zucchini is an immature fruit, being the swollen ovary of the female zucchini flower. Zucchini is Italian in origin.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zucchini

My first time trying fried zucchini flowers is in Montreal food festival. For 4 dollars they sell 2 pieces with nothing stuffed inside of the flowers. I told my friend in Rome and he laughed at me. Such a rip off!

Luckily he is good cook and he prepared me the best fried zucchini flower I have ever had. It is quite easy. He put mozzarella and anchovy fillet inside of each flower and then coat with egg batter. When served hot, outside is crispy and inside melt in your month. Mozzarella and anchovy are the perfect combination. As for zucchini flower itself I am not sure what exactly is the taste, but it gave some texture. Anyway it is exotic for me. I want to eat more flowers!

Sicilian dinner in Rome

I was so lucky to be brought to a nice Sicilian restaurant in Rome. It was my first time had Sicilian cuisine. That dinner made me decided to visit Sicily for my next trip (see my previous posts).

For the starter we had a variety sample of eggplant salads: with orange, olive, or roasted eggplants with almonds. It was amazing they can find so many ways of cooking eggplants and they are very tasty. It was my first time to see orange with peels in a salad. The orange peels refresh the roasted eggplants. I only hope there are not much pesticides on the peel.

For main course my friend had broccoli pasta with bread crumble- Sicilian style. He said that was an exceptional pasta dish. I had a plate of mix-grilled seafood and it was amazing: fresh ingredients, perfectly grilled. That is all you need for a seafood dish.

10-euro piece of Pine Nut Tart

I hate to be a tourist and paying an expensive tourist price. But that was my last day in Rome and we were tired of walking. We went in a very popular bar-restaurant to have a drink. They do have a price menu for the drinks but there is no price for those desserts behind the glass. I ordered a piece of pine nut tart. I thought it was something special because I never had it before. But my Italian friend said it was very expensive (10 euro). Oh, well, everyone who travels in Italy should know that you pay a lot more if you go to tourist place to eat.

Italian Chestnut

When the chestnut in season (late fall and winter), you will see 2 kinds in Toronto market: Chinese chestnut and Italian chestnut.

Even in China, I loved roasted Chinese chestnut so much I normally buy Italian chestnut in Toronto. They are bigger rounder and sweeter. I simply cut cross open on each chestnut and roast them in the oven (375 C) for about 30 minutes. It is a wonderful snack for me anytime.

Unfortunately, I do not have gas stove in Toronto (that is real stove should be). Otherwise I can do like my Roman friend does: roast chestnut on a special pan with many holes at the button directly on gas stove. It blacked parts of the chestnut and gave an amazing nutty roasted flavor. That is very close to those roasted chestnut old-school method sold on the street in China and Europe. No doubt that is my favorite way.

I did not know there is difference between chestnut and marron until I found this article:
“In 1996, the marrons of the Mugello and the Romagna Tuscana were awarded the Protected Geographic Indication, Italy's prestigious IPG . This indicates that they are something very special, and are only grown in a geographic area special for its history, customs, environment, landscape, culture and economy. Additionally, the Mugello DOP marrons are grown completely organically, without the use of chemical fertilizers or pesticides. But these special fruits are the marrons, and not the chestnuts. What makes them different, and why are they accorded such unique and valuable designations?

To begin with, any fruit of the chestnut tree is a chestnut, but only certain fruits are known as marrons. All marrons must look alike: they must be of the same size and shape, have the same glossy striped shell, and a rectangular, and not oval, hilium. The hilium is the delicate filament that holds a chestnut to its shell: a regular chestnut has an oval shaped hilium, but the hilium of the marron is always rectangular in shape. And, while the chestnut husk can contain up to seven fruits, the marron husk always contains only three. The marron is very easy to peel, and its compact white flesh is particularly sweet. Even though the chestnut and the marron come from the chestnut tree, only fruit that meets these exacting standards can be called a marron.”

http://www.florencevillas.com/newsletter/nl_19.htm#mugello

Calzone al tartufo – Mozzarella, truffle

A calzone is an Italian turnover made from pizza dough and stuffed with cheese (usually mozzarella cheese and Ricotta, but some varieties contain Parmesan, Provolone, or a locally substituted cheese), ham or salami, vegetables, or a variety of other stuffing.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calzone

I ordered one calzone with truffle. Or that is what they say it contains truffle. However I really doubt real truffle is used with the price less than 15 euro. It does have some truffle taste and it was very yummy. But my friend told me the food industry developed a chemical taste like truffle to fool the brain. Since I do not the chef, I am always suspicious.

Guanciale – Pig cheek (very fat pork)

“Guanciale (Italian pronunciation: [ɡwanˈtʃaːle]) is unsmoked Italian bacon prepared with pig's jowl or cheeks.
Pork cheek is rubbed with salt, ground black pepper or red pepper and cured for three weeks. Its flavor is stronger than other pork products, such as pancetta, and its texture is more delicate.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guanciale

I read that guanciale has more flavor than pancetta. You don't really eat raw guanciale - it is a highly savory piece of white pig fat better used for cooking. You melt it down in a saucepan and use the fat to fry further ingredients that will become infused with this amazing taste.

Ragù Sauce with Pasta

A friend Davide in Bologna prepared a special dinner for my last night. Starting with salami, cheese and a drink: Spritz - a wine-based cocktail commonly served as an aperitif in northern Italy. Davide add a dash of liqueur into white wine and some ice and orange. This time the drink is lighter so I liked it a lot. Very refreshing with the cheese.

Then the main course is pasta with home-made Ragù sauce.

Ragù is an Italian term for a meat-based sauce, which is traditionally served with pasta. A ragù is usually made by adding meat to a soffritto (a partially-fried mixture of chopped onions, celery, carrots, seasonings, etc.), adding tomatoes and other flavourings, and then simmering for a long time.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rag%C3%B9

It is special because he stole the Ragù sauce from his mom’s fridge. Ragù sauce takes hours to cook – like his father says, it takes 3 hours. So for a quick version, Davide just got the whole pot of sauce from his mother. I am so honored to taste homemade Ragù sauce in Bologna. Although his mother is not originally from Bologna, the sauce is not exactly the traditional Bolognese sauce. But I am not in Italian food protection association neither. All I know is the sauce taste great with pasta!

Colored Pastas

Colored pastas sure are pretty. You can easily find them in tourist shops or Pasta Specialty stores in Italy. I was told that more common ones include tomato, spinach powder and black squid ink for red and green pasta.

Stuffed Squid & Raw Egg Pasta – southern Italian cooking

I love home cooking and I was so excited when Giuseppe shows me a southern Italian cooking- stuffed squid. I helped to clean up the squid body while he made the mixture: finely chopped squid tentacles, canned fennel flower, bread crumble, walnut, fresh parsley, pepper and salt. He stuffed the mixture into the squid body then cooked it till tender. The raw egg and tuna pasta is a great combination with the seafood. I never thought about raw egg as pasta sauce. It moistures pasta and give it a rich egg flavor.

This is not the same as my friend cooked but worth a try: Braised Stuffed Squid:

http://www.jsonline.com/features/food/41326922.html

Osso Bucco (braised veal shanks) in Milan

Osso Bucco is a traditional Milan dish - braised veal shanks. The shank is cut across the bone into slices about one cm thick, browned, and braised in white wine and aromatics. It is usually sprinkled with gremolata, a mix of parsley, garlic and lemon peel, and served with risotto alla milanese, a risotto enhanced with saffron threads. The saffron threads gave risotto a tint of yellow. Both veal and risotto are perfectly cooked, melting in the mouth. The restaurant is very cozy and charming with wood panel menus. With dessert and one glass of red wine, the dinner cost about 30 Euros. This is my best memory of Milan restaurant.

Raw Shrimp

I had raw fish for millions of times but not raw shrimp. In Milan a fish aperitivo place I got a chance to try it. When you enter the place, at the left side, there are fresh fishes presented like in fish market. At the center, prepared fish dishes are displace behind the glasses. You choose the fish dish you want then go for pay the bill, which also includes a glass of wine. People stand around and lean against counters to enjoy their meal. It is not really a sit-down restaurant.

I ordered a plate of mixed raw fishes and shrimp on a bed of salads. The shrimps almost translucent and did not have any strong flavor. Not very impressive either. For one plate of fish and one glass of white wine, I paid about 15 Euros. The plate is small portion. For a big eater like me, it is a very light dinner.

Seafood Pizza

What a brilliant idea! I have never thought about its existence before I saw it for the first time in a pizza restaurant near Metro Wagner in Milan. For 12 Euros, pizza with tomato sauce is freshly baked in the traditionally pizza oven. After they top on pre-cooked seafood mix.

The only think I regret is that I did not eat it immediately. However it was not bad. The only comments will be: some pre-cooked seafood is little dry. It is not an amazing pizza. But for sure it is interesting for me to try for the first time.

Mexico food in Italy?

Milan proclaims the “Capital of Aperitivo in Italy. It is true all my friends love to go to Aperitivo (pay for 8 euro for a drink and all-you-can-eat food.). It is definitely a cheap way to hang out with friends. But sometimes food quality is not very high. It really depends which place you go.

A friend suggests going to a Mexico aperitivo to change a sight (we just went to aperitivo the other day). I thought it is not a bad idea to have Mexico food. Although I know it will not be too authentic.

When we got there, it was already past 8pm. Most aperitivo finishes around 9pm. So we rushed to get our last plates. The interesting thing is: except the beans and dips, everything else is Italian food. As I was looking around the Mexico deco in the restaurant, did chef get confused with the menu? Or maybe in Italy, it does not matter “American Brunch” or “ Mexico restaurant”, people still want their Italian food around because they are so proud of Italian cuisine?

The bar does make very fancy drinks with exotic fruit decoration. My Piña colada is creamy and rich of coco flavor.

American Brunch in Milan

I do not know why did I accept the invitation to have American Brunch at Saturday in Milan. I am in Italy with Italian friends. Why have American Brunch?

Luckily, it is not what I thought. Yes, it is called American Brunch: for 18 euro you can order eggs with muffins. But besides that, there are long table of Italian food and orange juice (All you can eat). Saturday around 1 or 2pm, the restaurant is packed with people. There is also a DJ playing cheesy club music. That place will turn into a bar club at night. But DJ during the lunchtime is totally not necessary.

I ordered 2 poached eggs and one muffin. That is the American Brunch! It comes with a tiniest dark muffin I ever had: only 5 or 6 cm round. The yolks are impressively orange-red. They must feed the chicken very good quality grains.

Actually this American plate comes very later, after I had a giant plate of Italian all-you-can-eat goodies: mozzarella, stuffed red pepper, squid salad, etc. Depends on what you choose, some food quality is not bad.

After those two plates of high protein diet, I have no more space for desserts. Yup, 4 or 5 kinds of all-you-can-eat dessert over there. But it is ok; I don’t want to kill myself with a heart attack. “Food taste better when you are only 70% full.” that is my grandma always says.

Italian appetizers

A friend Simone prepared typical Italian appetizers for me: tomato, buffalo mozzarella, prosciutto (Italian ham that is usually sliced thin and served uncooked) and anchovies (small, common salt-water fish).

“Anchovies are abundant in the Mediterranean, and are regularly caught on the coasts of Sicily, Italy, France, and Spain. They are also found on the coast of northern Africa. When preserved by being gutted and salted in brine, matured, and then packed in oil or salt, they acquire a characteristic strong flavor. In Roman times, they were the bases for the fermented fish sauce called garum that was a staple of cuisine and an item of long-distance commerce produced in industrial quantities, and were also consumed raw as an aphrodisiac. Today they are used in small quantities to flavor many dishes.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anchovy

I love Buffalo mozzarella a lot even since I first tried it in Rome.

“Buffalo mozzarella (Italian: mozzarella di bufala) is a mozzarella cheese made from the milk of the domestic water buffalo rather than from cow's milk. ”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mozzarella_di_Bufala_Campana

To accompany the appetizers, my friend also made me a drink with liquor, blood orange and ice cubes. But to be honest, I am not much an alcohol drink. It tastes too bitter for me.

Beef with arugula – a Roman dish

I am so lucky to meet Alberto (grown up in Rome) in Milan, and even better he cooked a roman dish for me: Straccetti con la rughetta ("tattered" strips of beef with arugula). Lean sirloin is cut into thin strips and browned quickly in a skillet, and a mess of arugula is tossed in at the last minute, just to wilt it.

I was very surprised to discover the technique of wilting arugula. I always put them in salad and never thought about other way of cooking it. The dish is simply amazing combination between strong beef flavor and rich, peppery arugula. It is very simple to cook as well:

http://www.recipelink.com/mf/3/10883

“The term arugula (variations of Italian dialects) is used by the Italian diaspora in Australia and North America and from there picked up as a loan word to a varying degree in American and Australian English, particularly in culinary usage.

It is rich in vitamin C and potassium. It has been grown in the Mediterranean area since Roman times, and is considered an aphrodisiac.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arugula

That is just one dish. We also had ravioli with zucchini and 2 year-old Parmesan cheese (Parmigiano-Reggiano in Italian). It is my first time to try a 2 year-old true Parmigiano from Parma where they produce it. The traditional marking with the inscription in full “Parmigiano - Reggiano” is impressed along the side of the whole cheese and enables the identification even on small pieces. The flavor is rich, nutty and a slightly gritty texture. I would through away all my cloth to empty the luggage and bring back home some true Parmigiano. A dinner like that makes all worries go away! Of course we had red wine too!

“Parmigiano-Reggiano is a hard, fat granular cheese, cooked but not pressed, named after the producing areas of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, Bologna, in Emilia-Romagna, and Mantova, in Lombardy, Italy.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parmigiano-Reggiano

The link also explains how the real Parmesan is made- quite amazing process.

Dinner in Padova

I was invited to have dinner with friends in Padova. He cooked pasta with olive in tomato sauce. Normally I do not like salty olives, but enjoyed olives in the tomato sauce. It gave the dish extra bites. A simple dish but very tasty! Of course, after the first pasta dish, we had salads, cheese, salami and chocolate. It was my first time to try the spicy salami: very very very spicy! But very tasty!

The diner take hours to finish and we enjoyed meal with wines and laugher – that is a real family dinner! I love Italian food culture, especially the hours-long dinner, just like in China.

Italian Radicchio

“Radicchio is a leaf chicory (Cichorium intybus, Asteraceae), sometimes known as Italian chicory. It is grown as a leaf vegetable which usually has white-veined red leaves. It has a bitter and spicy taste, which mellows when it is grilled or roasted.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radicchio

I had it all the time in salad and do not really like the bitter taste. It was interesting to see the Italian radicchio in Venice Market. They look like a flower rather than the round melon ones we have in Canada. They also have medicinal properties: a blood purifier and an aid for insomniacs.

“In the same way that the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese-makers of Parma, Italy, have sought to protect the name "Parmesan" to signify only cheeses made in their region under the supervision of a regulating body, so too have the radicchio farmers of the Veneto sought to protect the names of some radicchio varieties, including Tardivo(see pic).”

“…the modern radicchio with its rich wine-red white-ribbed leaves was developed in the 1860s by Francesco Van Den Borre, a Belgian agronomist who applied the techniques used to whiten Belgian endive to the plants grown around Treviso…”

http://italianfood.about.com/library/rec/blr0094.htm

That site also has some cool links to radicchio recipes.

Take the receipt!

I always like to bring some snacks on train so I will not be hungry. My favorite kinds are those butter-enriched biscuits (filling and tasty). I found some in a small bakery near Turin train station. I also saw thin bread that had a weird shape. I am not sure what it suppose look like? A person?
To my surprise, after my purchase, the vendor insists that I take the receipt with me. She told me without the receipt police can give me trouble. This was the first time hearing about it! They say it is the way to make sure stores pay tax. But why do I have to carry it outside the store? I normally hate to carry unless extra papers in the purse. Later a friend told me that even after one coffee, I should take the receipt as well.

Memory Lost

It is rare to see English in non-tourist areas in Italy. The ones I saw did not really make senses like the one in picture: Memory Lost! I hope not those cows.

Sunflower????

I saw them in the market. The sign says: sunflower. But they do not look like sunflower to me. Or Italian sunflower is different?
Very interested to know what is it and how you eat it?

Market in Turin

Every market is different for me and I always enjoy visiting them while traveling. My friend told me that they deliver fishes from Sicily to Turin by airplane; therefore, you can get freshest fish in Turin. The fish market is fully of people at weekend. It was quite an amazing place to visit.
Out of the fish market, there are other parts sell fruits, vegetables, flowers, etc. The market is huge and it seems ever end. I was so delighted when I saw they are selling cherry blossoms. It was the beginning of March. It was still very chill but the cherry blossoms represent spring for me. While spring in Toronto does not come till May, I felt really lucky to see them in March.

Fried Duck – specialty in Turin???

Unfortunately with all tasty deserts, I did not have a chance to have an equally amazing food. It was Sunday and most places are closed in the district we were. After walking around in circles, we finally found a restaurant for lunch. It was 2pm and it was packed with people. So I thought the food should be good.

I asked my Italian friend: what is the traditional dish on this menu?
He suggested me: fried duck.

I have never heard fried duck is Italian specialty. But oh well, I have to try it once. The half of fried duck came with roasted potato. The duck is the driest meat I have ever had. I really regret of ordering the dish. That cannot be their specialty or Italian like dry meat?

My friend ordered Ravioli, which is pretty good. Now I know, for restaurant, I have to go with right people. Rushing into a restaurant just because it was open, that will be a biggest mistake!

Exquisite desserts in Turin

As the city is full of charms, the café is full of exquisite mini desserts. The art and varieties reminds of the dessert in Paris. I guess the French left their pastry influence through the history. But they are not cheap: 1 euro for each tiny piece (the small ones on the white plate). Yet it totally worth it! They melt in your mouth with perfect texture.

Nutella

Nutella is the brand name of a hazelnut-based sweet spread registered by the Italian company Ferrero at the end of 1963.

“At the time, there was very little chocolate because cocoa was in short supply due to World War II rationing. So Mr. Ferrero used hazelnuts, which are plentiful in the Piedmont region of Italy (northwest), to extend the chocolate supply.”

http://www.nutellausa.com/history.htm

“Nutella conquered the world soon after it was invented in Piedmont, the northwestern Italian region of which Turin is the capital, and went onto the market in 1964. But the combination of hazelnut and chocolate predated Nutella by a couple of centuries, and, like much brilliant inspiration, was born of necessity.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/15/dining/15turin.html

The first time I saw Nutella was in Lyon. A friend has a giant container of Nutella on her kitchen table. That explains how much she loves it. I was reluctantly to try because I do not have sweet tooth. Finally my last day in Milan, a friend Alice convinced me to try it before leaving Italy. She spread a thin layer on a toasted piece of bread. I have to say: it is really good! Nutty flavor with the crispy bread! Now I understand why people are crazy about it.

Peyrano -The pioneers of chocolate in TURIN

They say Turin’s chocolate is the best in Italy and it has a long history:

“By the late 18th century (about 150 years after Cortes had introduced chocolate to Spain in 1528) Turin was an international chocolate capital, thanks to trade relations between the ruling House of Savoy and the Spanish court. Turin's chocolate producers exported 750 pounds a day to Austria, Switzerland, Germany and France, according to Sandro Doglio's "Il Dizionario di Gastronomia del Piemonte" ("The Dictionary of Piedmont Gastronomy," Daumerie, 1995). Swiss chocolate-makers came to Turin to learn their trade.”

Peyrano-Pfatish and Gobino, the two most famous chocolatiers in town. Peyrano and Gobino chocolates are available online (at peyrano.com and Gobino from the New York-based www.gustiamo.com).

“… the one that says Turin to the rest of Italy — is the foil-wrapped mini-ingot called giandujotto. Biting into one isn't like eating any other kind of chocolate. The flavor of roasted hazelnuts comes through every bite, with the fruity high notes of fine Central American chocolate in the city's best. The depth of the hazelnuts balances the fruit of the chocolate, and anchors an experience that with the vinification of chocolate has become all too ethereal.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/15/dining/15turin.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1

I only visited one chocolatier: Peyrano. It has an amazing store full of exquisite delicacies, and of course hand-made unique chocolate objects, such us comb, perfume bottle and chocolate necklace. Speaking of food art, this is surely a place to wander.

Hand-made chocolate in Market

In the same Genova weekend market, I am surprised to see some well-made artistic chocolate. Normally you would think only fancy chocolate store sell them, not in a market. I know, they are make from moulds, but it is nice to had varieties. It also shows that people generally appreciated artistic work, not only in big cities. It is great for artists keeping pushing new ideas and designs.

Of course in the market, the price is relative cheap as well. I bought the small square dark chocolate with different flavors and they are simply amazing! As for the other artistic ones, I think they are more for the eyes to enjoy. I doubt there are different fills for each piece.

Socca in Nice

“Socca is a specialty of southeastern French cuisine, particularly in and around the city of Nice. After being formed into a flat cake and baked in an oven, often on a cast iron pan more than a meter in diameter, the socca is seasoned generously with black pepper and eaten while hot with the fingers. Socca is considered by some to be a chickpea crepe, as the preparation and consistency of the batter is similar. Many brasseries in Nice, especially in the old section (Vieux Nice) near the waterfront, sell a filling portion of socca for €2-3.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socca

Although I had Socca monthly before I tried Farinata, I still remember the taste. They are quite similar. The only difference is where I bought the socca: in a open-air market in Vieux Nice from a over colorful make-up Spanish lady. My friend said she make the best socca there. But eve in bought socca from her, she did not like to be in the pictures.

Farinata in Genova

“Farinata (which literally means floured) is a thin, crisp, pizza-like pancake from Liguria, Italy which its variations are eaten in many different Mediterranean countries and beyond. It is similar to the socca from Nice, France.

It is made by stirring chickpea flour into a mixture of water and olive oil to form a loose batter, and baking it in the oven. Farinata may be seasoned with fresh rosemary, pepper and sea salt. Traditionally farinata is cut into irregularly shaped triangular slices, and enjoyed (with no toppings) on small plates with optional black pepper, or stuffed into small focaccia. It is usually sold in pizzerias.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fain%C3%A1

I ordered one with slices of onion on top. It was very thin and quite tasty when eating hot and fresh. It does remind me of Socca in Nice.

Funky cheese in Genova

At weekend I went to Genova, one hour by train from Milan, a city close to the seashore. I was wandering around the weekend open-air market in the center and saw many amazing funky cheeses. Like other Asian tourists, I can’t help to take tons of pictures of those “alien food”. Of course, the Italians were laughing at me. They were joking about 5 euro for each picture. They are so kind and let me take all pictures without buying anything. Not like those low-mannered Chinese just yell at me: no pics!