rose colored glasses

producers and their products--Pastificio Fabbri

During our trip to Tuscany, we visited Pastificio Fabbri, a four-generation artisan dry pasta producer in Chianti. The company opened in 1893 and is one of eight remaining artisan dry pasta businesses in Italy in this, the era of Barilla. Visiting their small factory and speaking with the dedicated Giovanni Fabbri was a treat. What makes artisan pasta special is how it is cut with bronze dies, leaving the surface of the pasta with a rougher texture (all the better for binding with a delish ragu). 

                                                                        the pasta dries between two and four days

                                                                                                            the drying closets

                                                                                                    the pasta cutting machine

producers and their products-cascina roera

Friends Claudio Rosso and Piero Nebiolo (what perfect names!) joined forces in 2002 and opened Cascina Roera Winery in the stunning hilly Costigliole d'Asti, a small village in the heart of the Barbera D'Asti appellation in the Piedmont region of Italy's northwestern corner. 

I had the great pleasure of visiting them a few weeks ago with some friends. As we toured the vines I was struck by the true steepness of the Piedmont landscape; at certain moments, I had to hold on to the vines to keep my balance. We then toured the production facilities where I, with great glee, saw grapes being pressed for the first time in my life. A fantastic tasting in the cellar followed the tour; we ran through their chardonnay blend and several barberas, all very impressive and showing off their nuanced differences of age and oak.

Cascina Roera practices natural and biodynamic winemaking, both methods show great reverence for their soil and grapes. This careful work shines in their wonderfully structured wines. Keep your eye out for them in natural and biodynamic wine shops across the U.S.  

 

 

 

producers and their products-chocolatier burie

Inspired by my recent intoxicatingly wonderful trip to the biennial Terra Madre (Mother Earth) and  Salone Del Gusto (Salon of Taste) in Torino, Italy, I'm starting a weekly photo column here at Rose Colored Glasses entitled Producers and Their Products.

Salone Del Gusto is a 3 pavilion expanse of booth after booth of small producers from all over the world proudly sharing their carefully made products. These craft brewers, goat farmers, cheesemakers, vanilla harvesters, olive oil producers, winemakers, mustard makers, charcutiers, coffee growers, etc etc etc together build the foundation of a diverse and vibrant food system and economy. With the promotion of their products, they fight to maintain the diversity of our increasingly McDonaldized landscape and to protect their own livelihoods. I was so inspired how the Salone Del Gusto experience allowed these producers to reach new markets and to share their stories with consumers and other producers from across the globe.

I've had the great honor of visiting many producers like the ones featured at Salone Del Gusto this year, each one exuding their passion for their craft as they tour us around their facilities and proudly share with us tastes of their products. I've blogged about phyllo in Crete and bbq in South Carolina; today, it's the gorgeous chocolate of Chocolatier Burie in Antwerp, Belgium. 

                           

sights from the Alba Truffle Festival

Pretty much every day these days I feel like Julia Roberts in the Thanksgiving scene from Eat Pray Love* when she says "I'm the luckiest girl in the world."

*(For the record, I love this scene but for me it's darling Julia saying "I'm the luckiest girl in the world" that I love, not Elizabeth Gilbert, because Elizabeth Gilbert is annoying). 

I've crossed off some serious life bucket list items this year, including

 see the pyramids | go on a trip in Italy with Helen and Caroline (my 2 high school best friends) | live in Italy | work at a vineyard 

 and go to the Alba Truffle festival

This past weekend I journeyed up to Piedmonte for the truffle festival, proving once again that I am the luckiest girl in the world. 

                                                    we ate (and ate) a dinner for the books here

                                                                        I loved their tablescaping.

                 We ordered the parmesean cream, poached egg and white truffle to share.                  The server arrived at the table with a cake plate (complete with glass top)                  housing the foraged gems, lifted one out of the assortment, shoved it under                 our noses for approval and gracefully shaved it over the plump egg.  

                                                                            .

                                                          The next morning we arrived at the truffle market.

 

There was so much beautiful cheese. 

 

And so many people selling their treasured truffles. 

                                                  Including this adorable man who had truffles on his hat. 

   And there was lots of fresh 'plin', the regional pasta of Piedmonte. Plin means pinch!