Top 5 Things to Eat in Piedmont
Posted on September 21st, 2009 by Vanessa
Piedmont is becoming my “third home” in some ways- my husband’s family is from Cuneo, a land of culinary beauties in my opinion! Since neither in Tuscany nor in Romagna beef is central to the diet, I am always captured by the brasati, the famous braised meats of Southern Piedmont cooked for hours with the prized red wines of the area- Barolo on top of them all! So, here’s my personal top 5 for Piedmont- what are your favorites?
- Brasato al Barolo- possibly the one dish that toys with my imagination- and my taste buds!- the most. With an abundance of beef and barolo wine, it is only natural that someone put two and two together! Luscious, tender, and overall delicious this hearty beef dish is particularly appropriate for Fall trips to Piedmont. Thinking about it, is there any other season to go and visit Piedmont? remember, Fall is also season for…
- TRUFFLES! Do I need say more? You can’t go to Piedmont without gorging on white truffles, and there is no other time to eat truffles than Fall. Hence, you must visit Piedmont in the Fall. Easy, isn’t it?
- Bagna Caoda, or bagna cauda, is a typical sauce made of garlic slowly cooked in milk, olive oil and butter with the addition of anchovies. Served boiling hot is a dish similar to a fondue pot, it is a sauce to put over raw vegetables like cauliflowers, carrots, sunchokes and bell peppers… and it is delicious! Yet another cold weather dish…
- Bollito Misto alla Piemontese- literally it means “boiled meats”, and it traditionally includes a wide range of beef cuts including tongue, oxtail and brisket, as well as chicken and pork meat. Each cut is boiled individually, since each has a different time in the pot, and then they are served with a variety of sauces, among which the most famous is bagnetto verde- a parsley, garlic and olive oil sauce that marries wonderfully with the boiled meats. There is a restaurant in Carru’ dedicated to boiled meats, as well as the preservation of the breed of Piedmont cattle typical of the area that provides for such fatty and delicious meats!
- Agnolotti al Plin- yet another variation of the ever-present ravioli all over Italy, these delicacies are stuffed with three types of meat (veal, pork and rabbit originally) and then closed with a pinch (a plin) and served with a very simple sauce, like butter and sage or the roast juices of arrosto. They are not to be missed!
Filed under: Traditional Foods, italy
When I get to meet Saint Peter and he asks me about the best meals of my life, I’ll tell him about lunch at Castel Grinsane Cavour that included Insalata di Carne Cruda (Vitello), and Tagliarini ai Tartufi Bianchi.
Another of my favorite meals in Piemonte was in a little spot in Canale where they served a wonderful Lepre in Salmi. I would probably mention that one to Saint Peter too.
I love Piemontese food!!!
Skip Lombardi
That’s pretty funny Skip… I know, carne all’albese (a carpaccio dressed with olive oil, lemon, salt, pepper and plenty of Parmigiano chunks and white truffle) is among the world’s best dishes… yum!
I like the name “al plin”. There is an article in the current issue of Gastronomica that talks about La Finanziera, a dish from Piedmont: it’s very interesting.
oh wow do these photos make me hungry! Nice
I recognize that del plin…
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