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Piedmontese Cuisine

Gnocchi with Fontina CHEESE
Ingredients:
1 lb. baking potatoes
8 oz. Fontina, thinly sliced
4 oz. flour
4 oz. butter
salt

Preparation:
Make the gnocchi as in basic recipe. In this case, no egg is required in the dough. Also, this gnocchi should be prepared right before use.
Cook gnocchi, and strain. Place alternate layers of gnocchi and Fontina in a buttered baking dish, making sure you have at least 3 layers.
The top layer should be of cheese. Dot with butter and bake for 5 mins. Let it rest 5 more mins. and serve.

Tagliolini with White Truffle
Ingredients:
1 lb. green and white tagliolini
1 pinch nutmeg
4 oz. butter
1 oz. white truffle
2 tbs. grated Parmigiano
salt
white pepper

Preparation:
Melt the butter; add Parmigiano, nutmeg, salt, and pepper to taste. Cook pasta in boiling water: it will only take 2-3 mins. Strain and pour over the sauce. Toss quickly and very thinly slice the white truffle over the pasta. Use a truffle slicer.

Fonduta
Ingredients:
8 oz. Fontina
2 cups milk
salt
4 egg yolks
8 oz. butter
white truffle (optional)

Preparation:
Cut Fontina in small cubes, drop it in a double boiler and add half of the milk. When the cheese starts melting, add a pinch of salt and stir constantly.
In the meantime, warm the rest of the milk in another saucepan. Add the beaten egg yolks, the butter and stir.

When the mixtures of Fontina and milk are creamy enough, combine them together. Stir constantly to obtain a creamy thick mixture.
Fonduta can be used either by itself or as a dressing for fresh pasta, such as tagliolini, tortelli or rice.

Rice with Sage and Parmigiano
Ingredients:
1 lb. extra-long grain rice
4 oz. butter
2 sage leaves
1 sprig rosemary
1 clove garlic
4 tbs. Parmigiano
salt
pepper

Preparation:
Bring 4 qts. salted water to a boil. Add the rice, and cook uncovered, stirring every now and then. Brown the butter in a large frying pan with sage and garlic.
Remove the garlic when brown, and the sage leaves as well. Drain the rice while still al dente and pour in a serving bowl. Add some hazelnut butter, and grated Parmigiano.
Toss well, place the sprig of rosemary in the center and serve.

Braised Beef with Barolo
Ingredients:
2 lbs. top round beef
2 carrots
2 onions
a few celery stalks
2 cloves garlic
2 tbs. oil
1 bottle Barolo
spices
flour for dusting
salt
pepper

Preparation:
Salt, pepper and marinate the meat with the vegetables, aromatic herbs spices and wine for 12-24 hours at a cool temperature, but not in the refrigerator.
Drain the meat. Heat the oil in a large pan. Dust the meat with flour and brown the meat on all sides over a high flame. Add the marinade.

Cover and cook gently in the oven at 375lF for 3-4 hours. Remove the brasato from its cooking juice, set aside and keep warm.
Sieve finely the cooking juices with the vegetables.

Adjust seasoning. Reduce a bit, slice the brasato, arrange in a pre-heated platter and serve with potato gnocchi, soft polenta, or mashed potatoes.

Chicken Liver and Sweetbread Sauce
Ingredients:
7 oz. chicken combs
3 oz. veal sweetbreads
1/2 cup Marsala
3 oz. chicken livers
1 oz. mushrooms
1 oz. lean veal
2 oz. butter
salt and pepper

Preparation:
Simmer the combs and sweetbreads into a pot with cold water for a few minutes.
Strain and cool under cold running water. Peel the combs and chop the sweetbreads. Chop the combs, chicken livers and veal and brown in butter with the mushrooms.

Add the sweetbreads and cook on low heat for 20 mins. adding some water or broth if necessary. Add salt, pepper to taste, pour the Marsala and let reduce a few minutes.

Anchovy and Garlic Dip (BagnaCauda)
Ingredients:
4 cloves garlic, crushed
l 1/2 oz. butter, melted
4 oz. salted anchovies
pepper
1 cup olive oil

Preparation:
Sauté the crushed garlic and chopped anchovy fillets in the oil. Stir constantly until the anchovies disintegrate.

Add butter and mix. Add pepper to taste. This sauce is served in a pot, for everyone to dip the vegetables in, or in individual terracotta bowls.
The garlic's flavor becomes somewhat milder if you leave the cloves to soak in milk for a few hours or add a small amount of cream at the last minute. “Bagna cauda” must be placed on warmers, as it must simmer constantly.

It is usually served with cardoons, fennel, peppers, celery and carrots, much like Pinzimonio.

Almond Cookies
Ingredients:
1 cup sweet almonds
1 cup bitter almonds
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups sugar
5 egg whites

Preparation:
Blanch and toast the almonds. Peel and chop them very finely or crush them in a mortar with 1/2 cup sugar.
Add the vanilla, beat egg whites till stiffened, then fold in the almonds. Spoon the batter into a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip. Pipe 2 l/2-in. wide rounds about 1 1/2 apart on a buttered baking sheet and flatten them a bit.

Sift the confectioner's sugar over the tops and let stand at room temperature 1-2 hours. Pre-heat the oven to 350lF and bake for about 20 mins.
Remove from oven and cool.

Buon appetito!

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