Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Joyce Goldstein is a nationally known chef, author, teacher, and Mediterranean cooking expert. Her numerous cookbooks include, most recently, Italian Slow and Savory (0-8118-4238-X) and Solo Suppers (0-8118-3620-7). She lives in San Francisco.

Angela Wyant is a Sacramento-based photographer whose work has appeared in a variety of publications, including Food & Wine , and Travel & Leisure magazines.

Evan Goldstein is a Master Sommelier. He makes his home in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Auszug. © Genehmigter Nachdruck. Alle Rechte vorbehalten.

Enoteca

Chronicle Books

Chapter One

EVAN GOLDSTEIN'S
INTRODUCTION TO THE WINE NOTES

It goes by many names: the Italian enoteca, theFrench bar à vin, or the relatively recent innovation,the American wine bar. As has beennoted, the roots of this institution are Italian,and the classic enoteca, with its resoundingfocus on wine, is the paradigm. What makes itso special is its foundation in regionalism.A bistecca alla fiorentina served with a young,juicy Chianti, and a sublime fonduta orrisotto accompanied by a famed Barbera orNebbiolo from Piedmont, are illustrativemodels of regional wine and food pairing.

    Regionalism is revealed in how the land,environment, and soils favor certain grapes;what vegetables and grains thrive there; andwhether the "meat" of the region is grazingcattle or sheep, mountain goats, or flocksof ducks. There is truth to the adage thatwine and food grow up together. But whatare you to do when the local match isn'tavailable to you? It's safe and easy to "gonative," but in reality, it may be impractical.Do sardines in saor truly taste better with aSoave from the Veneto than with any otherwine? Will lasagne alla bolognese only workwith a Sangiovese di Romagna? The answeris, of course, no. We can take comfort inknowing that wines will mimic one anotherglobally, and that the characteristics of awine, while lacking the identical flavor profile,can be found thousands of miles apart.

    What is explored in the subsequent pagesare both worlds. The salient food and wineissues of each dish will be identified, followedby two wine selections: Italian winesand alternative wines. The first will be thelocal Italian choices, wines that may be fromwithin the same region as the dish, resultingin a traditional Italian pairing of wine andfood. These selections will take into accountthe availability factors encountered in theUnited States. The second category will suggestsimilar alternative wines that will pairwell with the food when the regional Italianchoice is unavailable.

    As with all matters of food and wine,however, you should go with your heartand your taste, not with your intellect. Don'toverthink the matches, and if you have otherwines that you prefer or with which youwould like to experiment, do so. Wine andfood pairing is supposed to be fun, to be anadventure. Your happiness at the table is whatcounts, and whether you find that happinessin a bottle of Italian wine, in an Americanwine, or even a French wine, it is the samehappiness. Buon appetito!

Piccoli piatti fritti

FRITTERS AND FRITTATAS

Arancine di riso allo zafferano SAFFRON RICE CROQUETTES

Crocchette di patate POTATO CROQUETTES

Frittata di primavera con asparagi, aglio verde, ed erbe
SPRINGTIME OMELET WITH ASPARAGUS, GREEN GARLIC,AND HERBS

Frittata con alle erbe di campagna e menta
OMELET WITH WILD GREENS AND MINT

Olive all'ascolana MEAT-STUFFED DEEP-FRIED OLIVES

Fiori di zucchini fritti FRIED ZUCCHINI BLOSSOMS

Ribollita refritto BEAN-AND-BREAD SOUP "PANCAKE

Piccoli piatti fritti

FRITTERS AND FRITTATAS

IN A CONVENTIONAL ITALIAN COOKBOOK, the recipes in thischapter would be among the antipasti, small dishes served at thestart of a meal. In a wine bar, however, you don't adhere to aformal meal structure. The entire repast might be an assortmentof small plates, little tastes to accompany selected glasses of wine:a handful of fried olives, a rice croquette, or a slice of frittata,perhaps paired with a small salad or some bread or grissini.

Frittatas are a classic wine bar offering.Although prepared in a manner similar to thatof the popular Spanish omelet knownas a tortilla, the Italian frittata is a lighter affair.A frittata con alle erbe di campagna e menta,flavored with an assortment of fresh herbs, is apale jade omelet, a celebration of greens andeggs. The frittata di primavera con asparagi, whilea specialty of Friuli and the Veneto, may beserved anywhere in Italy when springtimeasparagus madness strikes. Other omelets aremade with zucchini and zucchini blossoms,or artichokes and mint. They have beencooked ahead of time and hold well at roomtemperature. Order a slice and and it is placedon a plate, sometimes appearing solo andsometimes with a little salad or some vegetablessott'olio, marinated in olive oil and herbs.

    Ribollita refritto demonstrates the incredibleversatility of the Italian kitchen. Ribollitamakes its debut at the table as a vegetable andbean soup, not unlike a minestrone. On thesecond day, bread is added and the dishemerges again, reboiled, as a hearty bread-thickenedsoup. In its final, and probably best,menu appearance, a ladle of the very thickleftover soup is quickly sautéed and served asa bread-soup "pancake," but not before it isanointed with a drizzle of the very best oliveoil. While most soups are too liquid to showoff wine well, ribollita is a perfect hearty dishto accompany a glass of the local Chianti.

    Frying food to order seems like it wouldbe a risky proposition for the enoteca kitchen.But, with a simple deep-fryer on the premises,fritters and croquettes are a breeze. Thesesavory items have been assembled ahead oftime and need only a few minutes in bubblinghot oil, before they are popped onto a smallplate with an accompanying lemon wedge ora sprinkle of coarse salt. Such tidbits as oliveall'ascolana, the famous meat-stuffed deep-friedolives from the Marches; arancine di riso,Sicilian rice croquettes; or crocchette di patate,the potato croquettes that are popular nearlyeverywhere, are instant hits with enoteca customers.So, too, is the seasonal treat of fiori dizucchini fritti, fried zucchini blossoms withdiverse fillings. Savvy drinkers know that asparkling wine pairs naturally with all of thesefried specialties.

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Arancine di riso allo zafferano

SAFFRON RICE CROQUETTES

Italians are loyal to their local dining and drinking establishments. The space now occupied by Milan's Le Cantine Isola, situated in a working-class neighborhood, has housedan enoteca for more than a century. Manager Saria Tagliaferri sent me a few lovely recipes and the story of the enoteca. In 1961, Giacomo Isola and his wife, Milly, took over the winebar and gave it their name. They were madly in love with each other and with wine, Tagliaferri wrote, and they made the shop their life. In 1993, after many years of working alone, they hired Giovanni Sarais to help run the place. Today, Giovanni is the owner and Luca, his son, is the sommelier and works the counter along with his mother, Tina. There are no tables, but Luca pampers his clients at the counter with tidbits such as potato croquettes (page 25),meatballs (page 123), and these rice croquettes. Arancine di riso are also a favorite of...