Sunday, November 4, 2007

& the rest...


Mention the food of Bologna to folks in the South and expect a similar reply, "pesante/ heavy!". The food in Bologna not only favors Butter over Olive Oil and a deep love of all things Meat, but also how the cuisine boldy distinguishes its typical plates by their layered flavors and depth of character; a vastly different motif than the fresh ripeness that commenced my trip.

Below are typical dishes of Bologna. Get into it.

Stinco di Maile / Pork Shank


Passata di Porcini con Polpettini- A thick soup of fresh Porcini mushrooms, finished with cream. Small Mortadella enhanced meatballs additionally thicken the sauce and are mimicked by equal sized fried dough balls which rest atop (a gourmet addition).

Bolita Mista - A selection of boiled meats including Suasage, Beef Tongue, Game hen, sliced "bianco / white" Sausage, Boiled Rabbit and Brisket. Served alongside three distinct sauces (a cnadied hot fruit sauce, stewed onion and tomatoes in the style of Pepperonata and a salsa verde / fresh green sauce).


A famous (ie. Michelin starred) Antipasti di Casa consisting of Roast Beef, Pork covered in Tuna enhanced Mayonnaise (and Capers), Prosciutto and lastly its famous center piece; Mortadella Mousse with gelatinized Balsamic. A plate of overly French influenced, old $, stuffy, but tasty Bolognese delicacies.

Tagliatelle Bolognese- Bologna's most famous dish of ground meat stewed indefinitely with fresh Tomato Paste, Olive Oil and a touch of cream. A rich dish with little sauce, not easily twirled, but easily digestible.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Bolognese is a favorite of mine - So have you picked up new techniques for this dish? cause I'm ready to learn to cook the real thing!!

Job said...

I love the food of Bologna, and have eaten very well there - a particulary fine hand-made tortellini if I remember rightly. But Bollito Misto? - surely the food the gods would eat if their cooks only had the time. Not bolognese, a piemontese speciality from the pig-rich, cow-lands of Monferrato. Beautiful.