Pizza Margherita Variations and More at Ribalta

One of the first restaurants we went to this month for Pizza was Ribalta. In fact we went twice. This post is about both visits and we sat indoors both times.

Starters

Eggplant Parmesan — A classic version

Panzerotti — Neapolitan potato croquettes, crisp on the outside and filled with melting mozzarella and bits of prosciutto

The panzerotti are irresistible

THE PIZZA — We had three variations on Pizza Margherita

Pizza Pala — Light and airy crust with tomato, basil and mozzarella, baked in a slab.

Pizza Margarita — Regular Neapolitan style pie

Pizza Margherita with prosciutto and arugula

Monte di Grazie Rosso 2011 The wine is made from 90% Tintore di Tramonti from very old ungrafted vines and 10% Piedirosso. The Tintore di Tramonti grows almost exclusively in the Monte Lattari Valley. The grape is harvested at the end of September, which makes it an early ripener for this area. This indigenous red grape variety belongs to the Tienturier family. Tienturier means dyed or stained in French. The flesh and the juice of these grapes are red in color. The anthocyanin pigments accumulate in the grape berry itself. The free run juice is therefore red.
This is a complex wine with earthly aromas, red fruit and a slight hint of black pepper and spice with good acidity that makes it a very good food wine. It was the perfect combination wth the food.

Pizza: Tradition and Innovation

All through last winter and spring we rarely ventured out of the house.  The one food we missed the most was Neapolitan-style pizza fresh from a smoking hot oven with a crisp and blistered crust while the center remains soft.  So when our friend Ernie suggested we come to his home for pizza made in a Roccbox pizza oven, we were happy to oblige.

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The Roccbox oven is very small and portable and bakes one pizza at a time. It uses propane gas and reaches a temperature of 900 degrees, so hot that the pizzas can cook in just a minute or two.  Ernie’s son Jason and his wife Deborah were the pizzaioli that day and their pies were excellent.

Last Sunday, Jason invited us to his house for an afternoon of pizza and wine.  With fond memories of the summer’s pizza party in mind, we accepted.  He uses the same type of pizza oven.

We started with Roses de Jeanne Champagne–100% Pinot Noir from the 1.5-hectare lieu-dit of Val Vilaine. The production is very limited. Cedric Bouchard. This is a single-vineyard, single varietal, and single-vintage, zero dosage Champagne, organic farming, low yields and harvesting at the right moment. Only free run juice is used and fermentation is in stainless steel with indigenous yeast. There is no filtering, fining or cold stabilization. The wines are bottled with no dosage under less pressure. This is full-bodied Champagne with hints of fruit, spice, lively acidity a touch of pear, a note of dried flowers and a long and lingering finish.

Deborah made the pizza dough according to her special recipe

Bramaterra 1979 made from 70% Nebbiolo, 20% Croatina and 10% Vespolina. Tenuta Agricola Sella. The production area is in Northern Piedmont. The vines are 48 years old, the exposure is Southwest, the vineyard is at 300 to 350 meters the training system is guyot and the soil is volcanic in origin and reddish brown in color. Harvest takes place between September 22 and October 12. After the grapes are crushed, fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks with pumping over and delestage. There is 30 days maceration for the Nebbiolo and 16 for the Croatina. The wine is aged in 10 hl Slavonian oak casks for 28 months. There were hints of faded roses, leather, blackberries and a hint of spice.

Foccacia — We started with a white pizza sprinkled with sliced garlic and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.  It was delicious plain, and possibly even better with thin slices of mortadella or prosciutto on top.

Pizza Margarita — The classic pie and just perfect

Pizza with Pistacchios — After a couple of traditional pizzas, we moved on to some innovative ones, including this one topped with chopped pistachios, shallots and herbs.

Pizza with pastrami, sauteed shallots and cheese.  It reminded me of an Alsatian Tarte Flambe’.  Some guests added a dab of mustard, but I liked it without.

Chateaneuf-du-Pape 1995 Domaine Du Pegau made from 80% Grenache, 6% Syrah, 4% Mourvèdre and 10% other varieties. The soil is mostly covered with pebbles, clay and limestone mixture tends to iron and sand. There is a manual harvest with no destemming. Natural yeast causes spontaneous fermentation which takes place in concrete tanks. maceration is for 12 days in 50hl old oak casks for 2 years. This is a big complex wine with black ripe fruit,  hints of cherries and plums, black pepper, leather and a touch of meat. It was the wine of the afternoon and will last for many more years.

Pizza with salmon.  Lightly smoked salmon topped this pie, one of our favorites of the day.

Pizza with sausage and mozzarella — always a crowd pleaser.

Pizza Margarita with bufala mozzarella.  Instead of cow’s milk mozzarella, this Margarita was made with bufala cheese.

Barolo Riserva 1964 Giacomo Borgogno and Figli 100% Nebbiolo. The grapes come from three different cru vineyards: Cannubi, Liste and Fossati. The winery is located in the center of the town of Barolo. The wine is aged at least five years in large oak barrels. This is a wine produced with traditional and natural wine making methods. Long fermentation and pumping over by hand takes place. Today the Farinetti family that also owns Eataly owns the winery. I have always had very good luck with older vintages of Borgogno. This is a classic traditional Barolo with hints of red fruit, tar, tobacco, violets, cedar and a touch of balsam.

Banana Cream Pie by Deborah.  For dessert, we moved on to another type of pie altogether, an all-American Banana Cream Pie with a graham cracker crust and fresh whipped cream topping.

The pie did not cooperate when cut, so we ate it from bowls with a spoon.  Is deconstructed Banana Cream Pie going to be the next big thing?  I highly recommend it!

SLA Thai-Something Complete Different

A few weeks ago, our friend Ernie took Michele and I to SLA, a Thai restaurant near his home in Montclair, New Jersey. Ernie often speaks about this restaurant as one of his favorites and told us that it was very special because the owner and founder, Meiji Pattamasinghchai was taught to cook by a Thai food expert, her own mother who is a well known restaurateur in northern Thailand. In fact, the King of Thailand visits her restaurant whenever he is in the North of the country.

Today, Meiji’s brother Yanin and husband Paul, who are both trained chefs work together in the kitchen and devise their menu and daily special dishes. They pride themselves on sourcing the finest and freshest ingredients in the market every day.

SLA, which stands for Simple,Love, Authentic first opened in a nearby location about 6 years ago,

We started with some appetizers.

Gai Tod–Thai chicken wings with sweet chili sauce. The wings were irresistible coated in a sweet and spicy sauce.

Kanom jeeb–Thai steamed chicken and shrimp dumplings served with soy sauce

Gui Chai–Asian chive pancakes served with soy vinaigrette

Next, we moved on to some main courses.

One Nam Thok Pla Tod–Crispy fried whole fish (or fillet) with issan dressing, bell pepper, herbs, diced scallion, lemongrass and roasted rice powder

Duck with Green Noodles

Pad See Ew-Flat noodles with chicken, black sweet sauce, and Asian broccoli

Ernie suggested we drink the Falanghina from Donnachiara. He always has a case or two on hand. It was the perfect combination with the food.

Beneventano Falanghina IGT Donnachiara made from 100% Falanghina The vineyard is the Torre Cuso, the best location for Falanghina. The soil is volcanic, chalky clay, the vines are 16 years old, the training system is guyot and there are 2,500 vines per hectare. The grapes are not destemmed or crushed before pressing. Cold fermentation is in stainless steel and there is extended maceration. This is a crisp white wine with citrus fruit aromas and flavors, nice acidity and good minerality.

Dessert was beautiful, and something I had never tried before.

Home made Purple Sweet Potato Ice Cream, topped with coconut sauce and fruits. Not only was it good to look at, it was also delicious.

The Return of Our Pizza Group to Keste

 

It has been over one year since our pizza group has gotten together. Ed Mc Carthy sent out emails to see who was interested in going out again. He reminded everyone that our theme would be the same — Champagne and Italian red wine with the pizza. Five of us gathered at Keste Wall Street.

Roberto Caporuscio, now the sole owner of Keste Wall Street, was expecting us and made a number of special appetizers to welcome us before we had the pizza.  He told us that he had been working on some new dishes during the long months on lockdown.  

We began with Meatballs.  Roberto told us this was his mother’s recipe and they were very good, firm textured and meaty.  

 

Panzerotto, a large fried pocket of dough filled with mozzarella and tomato.

 

At first I thought this was an arancini or rice ball, but Roberto told us it was a large burrata cheese, rolled in a batter and deep fried.  When we cut it open, small balls of mozzarella in cream tumbled out.  

 

A small timbale of lasagna came next.

Roberto’s Roman style pizza was crispy and light.

Champagne J. Lassalle Brut Premier Cru 2008 made from 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir The average age of the vines is 50 years and the soil is clay and limestone. Grapes are crushed in a traditional wooden press. The must rests for 12 to 24 hours to allow the juice to settle. Alcoholic fermentation lasts for 8 to 10 days. Malolactic fermentation takes place to soften the acidity. The blend of grapes changes every year. Secondary fermentation is in bottle for 6 to 8 weeks. Bottles are riddled in pupîtres and adjusted a quarter turn at a time for 6 weeks. The wine is aged 10 to 11 years on the lees. It is only made in great years, current vintages are 2007 and 2008. Disgorgement: December 2017 and the dosage is 8g/l. This is an elegant silky, concentrated complex wine with subtle citrus fruit and a long finish and very pleasing after taste. It was drinking very nicely.

Pizza Margherita — a classic and my favorite.

 

The Padrino — Pizza with spicy  soppressata, tomatoes and smoked cheese.

Pizza Montanara — the dough for this pizza is fried first, the toppings are added and then it is baked.  The result is a light and crispy pie.

Krug Rose NV it is a blend of 22 wines from 7 different years, the youngest is from 2012 and the oldest from 2006. Made from 40% Pinot Noir, 32% Meunier and 28% Chardonnay. The wine was completed with 11% traditional macerated Pinot Noir of the year from a special plot in Aÿ to add color and structure. Reserve wines made up 71% of the final blend. It is aged for 7 years. Ed Mc Carthy, the author of “Wine for Dummies” and “Champagne for Dummies” said this is one of his two favorite Rose Champagnes. There is elegant fruit, a note of spice, hints of fig, orange peel and a touch of gingerbread. I have to agree with Ed this is very impressive Rosé Champagne.

 

La Pastiera, a traditional Springtime dessert from Napoli.  This is a ricotta cheesecake made with wheat berries and orange peel. 

 

Pistachio Gelato — rich and nutty.

Caprese Chocolate cake and ice cream.

There were problems with the red wine but it did not really matter. We were all very happy to be out at Keste drinking Champagne at eating the Pizza made by Roberto

 

Tradition and Innovation at Villa Matilde

Riccardo Gabriele, head of the Italian PR agency PR Comunicare il Vino, represents some of the best wineries in Italy. Stefania Tacconi of his PR agency asked me to participate in a virtual master class with Salvatore Avallone owner of Villa Matilde Avallone winery in Campania.  I first visited this winery about 20 years ago and met Salvatore and his sister Maria-Ida Avallone. They are the children of Francesco Paolo Avallone who founded the estate in the early 1960’s.  I have always enjoyed their wines and I visited again about five years ago with Campania Stories.

Via Zoom, Salvatore explained that his father had a passion for the ancient grapes of Campania and especially the legendary vinum Falernum the wine described by Pliny the Elder (d. August 79 AD) and other ancient Roman writers. He wanted to find a way to make this ancient wine again. After years of research he was able to locate a handful of vines that survived phylloxera in Monte Massico.  He planted them and this became Villa Matilde.

Salvatore said Villa Matilde now has four properties, two within the Falerno del Massico DOC appellation (province of Caserta), and two in the Benevento and Avellino provinces. They have reached their goal of zero greenhouse gas emissions on all properties.

The Wines

Fiano Di Avellino Tenute d’Altavilla DOCG made from 100% Fiano Di Avellino from vineyards at the Tenute d’Altavilla estate in Campania. The vines were planted 1968-1965. Soil composition is tuffaceous and marly clay. There are 2,500-3,000 vines per hectare. Training system is guyot and the vineyard is at 500-600 meters. Harvest is in the middle of October. Grapes are soft pressed and fermentation is in stainless steel at a controlled temperature with selected yeast. The maceration technique is cryomaceration. The wine is aged in stainless steel for 4 months before it is bottled. This is a well-balanced wine with hints of citrus fruit, apricots, peaches and almonds.

Falerno Del Massico Bianco Vigna Caracci DOP made from a single vineyard of Falanghina, the Falerno clone (Farreno biotype), first planted in 1968. Vineyard location is San Catrese, Sessa Aurunca, in Campania. Volcanic soil with good levels of potassium and phosphorus. There are 4,500-4,800 plants per hectare guyot trained. The vines are 26-52 years old and at 150 meters. Harvest takes place in late September. Maceration technique is Cryomaceration. Fermentation is for 20 days in stainless steel with selected yeasts. 70% of the wine is aged in stainless steel and 30% in clay amphora for about 12 months. The wine is in bottle for 8 months before release. The wine has hints of pineapple, banana, pear, with a touch of vanilla and a note of almonds. 

Falerno Del Massico Rosso DOP 2016 80% Aglianico and 20% Piedirosso from vineyards on the slopes of the Roccamonfina volcano in the province of Caserta, Campania. There is volcanic soil with excellent levels of phosphorus, potassium and microelements. The vineyard is at 140 meters and the training system is guyot. There are 5,000 to 7,000 plants per hectare with various exposures. The wines are 15 to 52 years old. The Aglianico is harvested in late October and the Piedirosso in the middle of October. Fermentation is in stainless steel with selected yeasts for 20 to 25 days. After de-stemming and pressing, the must remains on the skins for 20 to 25 days. The wine is aged for 12 months, one half in Allier oak barriques (one third new) and one half in large Slavonian oak casks. The wine remains in bottle for 12 months before release. This is a fruity and complex wine with hints of cherry, raspberries, plums, spice and a touch of violets.

Taurasi Tenute d’Altavilla DOCG 2016 made from 100% Aglianico. Tenuta d’Altavilla is 25 hectares in the province of Avellino in the DOCG zones of Irpinia. There is tuffaceous soil with a high percentage of clay on steep slopes. The training system is guyot and the elevation is 500 to 600 meters. There are 3,000 vines per hectare and the vines were planted in various years from 1968 to 1985. Harvest is in late October. Fermentation is in stainless steel for 20 days with select yeast. Pumpovers and delestage take place. Maceration is for 20 days. The wines are aged in barriques and tonneaux (500L) for 18 months and in bottle for 12 months before release. This is a complex, well balanced wine with hints of blackberries, licorice, leather, a touch of cedar and a note of violets.

Francesco Paolo’s work is still carried on at Villa Matilde.  Today, 20 original clones of Falanghina, Aglianico and Piedrosso are trademarked as Villa Matilde.

Savatore said there are a series of indigenous rootstocks for which they are carrying out a study with WRT (Wine Research Team) of which they are a founding member, and the University of Milan. This type of rootstock is being studied and developed, as they are drought-resistant, a problem made increasingly topical in the light of global warming. In order to anticipate and prevent possible hydration problems of the vine and the grapes, the rootstocks are grafted with Villa Matilde’s varieties and biotypes of Falanghina and Aglianico to then evaluate the best response to their type of soil and climate.

Celebrating Easter

We invited two friends over for Easter lunch. All of us had received both vaccines weeks ago, so we felt we were within the guidelines.

Meursault-Perrieres 2010 Premier Cru Jean Latour Labille &Fils made from 100% Chardonnay from a .175-hectare parcel planted in 1964. Fermentation and aging are in barrels, 50% new for 12 months then 4 months of additional aging in tank. This is a complex wine with hints of citrus fruit, melon, pear, a touch of honey and a note of brioche. I visited the winery in 2019 and  really enjoyed all their wines.

We had a few little Appetizers to go with the wine.  Some Castelvetrano olives, a mushroom pate from Michele’s book, 1,000 Italian Recipes, and a salame.

Irpinia Aglianico 2016 “Memini” Az. Ag. Guastaferro made from 100% Aglianico. This wine bursts with sweet ripe fruit flavors of cherry, raspberry, strawberry and pomegranate. It has a wonderful fruit filled finish and a very long aftertaste. It was a very interesting Aglianico and I have never tasted one like this before. Daniele Cernilli (aka Doctor Wine) in his book The Essential Guide to Italian Wine 2020 states:  “In 2002 Raffaele Guastaferro inherited 10 hectares from his grandfather with over 100 year old vines trained using the old starseto (pergola Avellinese) method…creating a very interesting style for the wines that were also based on tradition.”

Pasta Amatrciana, my favorite with bucatini.

On the plate, messy but so good.

Montepulciano D’ Abruzzo 1985 Emidio Pepe100% Montepulciano D’Abruzzo. The winery is organic and Bio-Dynamic. They belong to the Triple “A” Agriculture Artisans Artists. Both the tendone method and the cordon spur method are used for training the vines. In vintages when the weather is very hot the tendone method is better because the leaves form a canopy to protect the grapes from the sun.  When the weather is not too hot, the cordon spur is better because it allows more sun and air to reach the grapes. One hectare of tendone has 900 vines and produces 90 quintals of grapes.  That means that each vine produces from 6 to 9 kilos of grapes. In one hectare of cordon spur trained grapes, there are 3,300 vines and each vine produces 5 to 6 kilos of grapes. The grapes are crushed by hand and the juice placed in glass-lined cement tanks of 20/25 liters. Only natural yeasts are used, there is no filtration or fining. The wine is transferred to the bottle by hand and the corks are placed in the bottles by hand. This is a very impressive wine with deep red fruit aromas and flavors with hints of cherry, spice and leather.

Fried lamb chops, also from Michele’s book.  The chops are coated with eggs, Parmigiano Reggiano and plain dry breadcrumbs.  Here she used panko, which fries up nice and crunchy.  Sorry for the photo, but we all grabbed some chops and started to eat before I could get a better shot!

Dante’s Cheesecake is Michele’s version of a ricotta cheesecake that we used to enjoy at a favorite Greenwich Village Cafe.

Welcoming Spring

Spring has arrived in New York so we decided to have a few friends over for dinner to celebrate.

 

Champagne Andre Clouet “Cuvèe “1911” Grand Cru Brut NV made from100% Pinot Noir – 50% from 2002, 25% from 1995 and 25% from 1997. The estate vineyards surround the village of Bouzy where the soil is chalk and clay. The farming method is conventional. Fermentation is in stainless steel and natural barrels. Malolactic fermentation takes place. The wine is aged for 6 years on the lees. This is a complex Champagne with citrus aromas and flavors, a touch of peach and a note of brioche.

 

With the Champagne, we had smoked trout mousse on toasts.  

 

Barbera d’Asti 2007 Tenuta Cisa Asinari Del Marchese Di Gresy made from 100% Barbera. The vineyard is located in Cassine at 230 to 240 meters and the soil is clay. The farm is practicing organic and the vines are 17 years old. The training system is guyot. Alcoholic fermentation takes place followed by malolactic fermentation. The skins macerate for 8 to 10 days with regular pumping over. Farina fissile and micro filtration takes place during bottling. The wine is aged in second and third passage barriques and in Slavonian oak casks for 5 to 6 months. The wine is aged in bottle for 6 months before release. It has hints of cherry, blackberries, a touch of licorice and a note of spice with good acidity.

 

Homemade Ricotta and Basil Gnocchi in tomato sauce from Michele’s book, The Italian Vegetable Cookbook.

 

Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG 2004 “Beradenga”Felsina made from 100% Sangiovese located in Castelnuovo Berardenga with mostly southern exposure between 320 and 420 meters (the soil here is rock quartz and calcareous alberese mixed with alluvial pebbles. The vineyards are on different slopes. There are about 5,400 vines per hectare. The training system is bilateral cordon and simple guyot with a maximum of 5 to 8 buds per vine. Harvest is staged due to different altitudes of the vineyards, the first three weeks of October. The clusters are de-stemmed and pressed and the must is fermented in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks. Programmed punch downs and daily pumpovers take place. In March/April the wine goes into medium sized Slavonian oak barrels and French barriques of second and third passage. After 12/16 months of aging the final blend is assembled. The wine remains is glass for 2 to 6 months. The wine has notes of red and black berries with a touch of spice and mineral tones. It was drinking very nicely.

 

Potato Gatto’, a recipe from Michele’s book, 1,000 Italian Recipes

It had been some time since Michele had made this and we all couldn’t stop eating it.  It’s a classic Neapolitan recipe from her family and it’s made with potatoes mashed with Parmigiano Reggiano, mozzarella, and salami.  

Leg of Lamb  roasted with garlic, rosemary and anchovy was our main course.  

 

In the dish

 

Barolo Riserva 1967 Giacomo Borgogno and Figli 100% Nebbiolo. The grapes come from three different cru vineyards: Cannubi, Liste and Fossati. The winery is located in the center of the town of Barolo. The wine is aged at least five years in large oak barrels. This is a wine produced with traditional and natural wine making methods. Long fermentation and pumping over by hand takes place. Today the Farinetti family that also owns Eataly owns the winery. I have always had very good luck with older vintages of Borgogno. This is a classic traditional Barolo with hints of red fruit, tar, tobacco, violets, cedar and a touch of balsam.

 

A few Italian cheeses to finish the wine.  

For dessert, a friend brought a very good version of Pastiera, aka Pizza Gran, a Neapolitan style cheesecake cooked with grain and flavored with orange and cinnamon from his local pastry shop.

On the plate

Norma — Return to Sicily in New York

All we can do right now is dream about going to Italy, however, we can still go to restaurants in NYC where the food makes you feel as if you are there.

One of these restaurants is Norma Gastronomia Siciliana for real Sicilian food. It was a nice day so we sat in the backyard garden. With the overhead heater on  to chase away any lingering chill, it was very comfortable.

Panelle – Fried chickpea fritters with aglio olio sauce

Caponata – Sweet and sour eggplant, celery, green olives, capers, onions and tomatoes served with crostini

Foccacia — The warm focaccia is irresistible with Caponata.

Timballo di melanzane alla parmigiana – Eggplant parmigiana timbale with mozzarella ane Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, basil and tomato sauce

Arancine “Ragu” — Fried saffron rice balls stuffed with Bolognese meat sauce, green peas served over tomato sauce.

Pasta alla Norma- Paccheri from Gragnano with fresh tomato and garlic sauce, basil, eggplant, pecorino and ricotta salata cheese.

Pasta con Sarde in Timballo – Spaghetti alla chitarra “Setaro”, fresh Portuguese sardines, wild fennel, pine nuts, and saffron baked in mold.  There is an unbaked version of pasta con sarde on the menu as well.  Both are excellent.

Porchetta Sandwich — Roasted porchetta, arugula, provolone cheese, spicy mayo

Pizza alla Norma — Pizza topped with eggplant, tomato sauce, mozzarella and ricotta salata

Barbera d’ Asti “Vigna Noce” 1999 Antica Azienda Agricola Trinchero.  Made from 100% Barbera.  The winery belongs to the Triple “A” Agriculture Artisans Artists, an association of wine producers from around the world that believes in Organic and Bio-Dynamic production, terroir and as little interference as possible by the wine maker. Only natural yeast is used, there is no acidification of the wine, clarification and filtration does not take place. Chemical treatments are not used in the vineyards; copper and sulfur are used but only when it is really necessary. The wine is aged for 7 years in large chestnut barrels. This is a traditional, classic Barbera that will last for at least another 10 years. I was very impressed with this wine.

We shared two desserts.

Pistachio Tartufo  — Pistachio gelato filled with caramel and rolled in Sicilian pistachios.

Cannoli — These miniature cannoli are filled to order so the crust remains crisp.  The filling is ricotta and chocolate chips and the ends are sprinkled with more Sicilian pistachios.