Torino, Italia
It is a little cooler today, or so at least it seems. There are clouds in the sky but they don’t look particularly threatening. Whether this contributed to another good night’s sleep or now is unknown, the fact remains it was another good night's sleep.
The only hard and fast plan for today is the Shabbat dinner tonight at 7. Taylor, Rachel and Leander return from Milano sometime this morning. Mai & Cathy should arrive about 1. Everyone should be in place by tonight.
Nonna wanted V to have a new jacket or overcoat. Pietro recommended a few places near by. V came over about 10:30 and we walked to the first shop. There was a sign on the door stating they were closed today until 1:30. SO we headed in the direction of the second recommendation. On the way we spotting a men’s clothing store that looked to have some very stylish yet traditional clothing.
V almost immediately found a jacket he liked. However, sizing appeared to be an issue. All V had on was a t-shirt. We asked for a dress shirt so we could better size the jacket. It was a good idea because with the dress shirt and the t-shirt the jacket needed to be one size up. With the jacket chosen, there was an overcoat to consider. There was a very nice black over coat that went well with the jacket. We inquired about a dress shirt and accompanying tie. Both were found and a complete outfit was assembled. The pants are blue jeans, or a pair of dress slacks he already has.
The name of the store is RAO. It is on Via Andrea Doria number 8. Just off of the main shopping street Via Giuseppe Luigi Lagrange.
Once the purchase was complete we headed back to V’s hotel to meet up with Rochelle, IV, Grace and Oliver. Oliver was unhappy because he didn’t have any clean clothes. So there was a little bit of a row. In the end we all walked to the laundromat and helped IV get Oliver’s things into a washer, buy the soap and get the washer started.
Rochelle, Grace, IV, Nonna and I were joined by George. V went back up to his room to get his AirPods he bought the other day that turned out to be the wrong ones. Then we headed to the Apple Store to return them and get the right ones. George, V and Grace disappeared somewhere along the way, later we would find out they stopped at the chocolate store on the way to the Apple Store.
We met them use outside the Apple Store and headed upstairs to correct the AirPod problem. Grace and I looked at the AirPod Max for her, but she decided it would be better to purchase them in Kansas City. Somehow they seems more expensive here than in Kansas City. With the AirPod issue fixed we went shopping. We are now in the middle of Via Giuseppe Luigi Lagrange. We were looking for a Furla store, but it turns out the nearest actual Furla Store is in Milano, 60 plus miles away.
So we went into Rinacente, think Macy’s, a really big Macy’s. Rochelle and Mary went in one direction and I went with Grace in another. Grace found the Golden Goose shoe display. This is another “brand” that the older generation will not understand. Much like the ripped jeans of the past. Except these are very expensive shoes that are meant to look scuffed up and dirty. Our parents would never have understood. Yes, she got a pair.
After the shopping we went to Eataly for lunch. I have never been very impressed with Eataly. Yes a wonderful store and everything Italian you could probably want. The idea of having restaurants all over the store is certainly unique. Two things has been consistent in the visits to Eataly, be it Milano, Firenze or Torino, the food has been mediocre and the service abominable. If I were to make a comparison on the food it would be McDonalds. Consistent, tasteless and definitely manufactured to appeal to the middle of the road. There are so many small independent restaurants here that you should try. It is often said that it is Italy, there is no “bad” food. In my experience that is correct, unless you go to McDonalds.
After lunch we came back and took a rest. Tonight Suzie Goldman is hosting a Shabbat dinner at George’s favorite vegetarian restaurant, Antonio Chiodi Latini, Via Bentola 20/B. The dinner is set to begin at 7 PM. It was only a 17 minute walk according to Google Maps, so we decided just to hoof it. About two thirds of the way there we ran into Taylor, Rachel and Leander, also on their way to dinner. So we finished the last little bit together.
As per usual, 6:58 we were at the front of the restaurant. On time. Suzie and her friend were already there. No one else mind you. It wasn’t until closer to 7:30 that everyone finally arrived. There are three, or in some cases four, blessings at a Shabbat dinner. Lighting of the candles, blessing the wine and blessing the challah. These are referred to Kiddush.
Kindling the Shabbat candles takes place at sundown, so this part of the ceremony took place prior to our arriving. Sunset have occurred at 5 PM. The lighting of candles ushers in Shabbat. The practice is a rabbinic institution dating back to around 500 C.E., when the Talmud was codified, and over the centuries the practice became the tradition. Customarily, it was women who lit the Shabbat candles, but anyone may light them.
It is Jewish custom to light at least two candles, representing the two passages in the Torah which commanded us to keep Shabbat. The first occurs in Exodus 20:8, which states: “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy,” and the second in Deuteronomy 5:12: “Observe the Sabbath day to keep it holy.”
According to customary observance, one would not light a fire once Shabbat has begun. Thus, the candles are lit before saying the blessing because the blessing is what marks the beginning of Shabbat. However, since a blessing always precedes an act, some people wave their hands in front of themselves three times before covering their eyes and reciting the blessing, ensuring they don’t see the burning candles until after the blessing has been completed. Although the custom of waving our hands is not drawn from any known text, it has been passed down for many generations. One teaching suggests it intentionally helps the energy of Shabbat enter the body and welcomes the light of Shabbat that will accompany everyone throughout the evening and into the next day.
Next is the blessing of wine. One of the Ten Commandments is “Remember (zachor) the Sabbath day to sanctify it.” This commandment is understood to mean that you must declare Shabbat to be holy. The sages pointed out that the word “zachor” is often associated with wine, and thus the mitzvah of sanctifying Shabbat is done with wine, in a blessing called Kiddush.
Another reason for using wine (or grape juice) is to lend a celebratory feeling to the Shabbat meal that follows, distinguishing it as a special, festive occasion, different than other meals during the week.
The brachah (blessing) over the wine ends with the Hebrew words “...borei p'ri hagafen,” which refers to the “fruit of the vine.” Traditionally, the wine should be made from grapes. Children or those who do not drink wine may recite the Kiddush over grape juice. So no one in the Falk household.
The last blessing of the Challah. Challah refers to the special twisted loaf of bread eaten on Shabbat and other special occasions. These loaves can be purchased in bakeries and groceries stores, but some people choose to make their own. Serra made tonight’s challah.
As detailed in the Book of Numbers, “The first portion of your kneading, you shall separate as a dough offering (challah)... In all your generations, give the first of your kneading as an elevated gift to God” (Numbers 15:20-21). When preparing challah, therefore, it is a mitzvah or tradition to take out a piece of the dough – before braiding or baking the challah – that gets burned in the oven. (It is from this mitzvah that the word for challah originates.)
Performing the mitzvah of taking out a piece of dough, sometimes referred to as “taking” challah, is a common time to ask for blessings, especially for healing for those who are ill. In ancient times, this small piece of dough was given to the priests – the Kohanim as a reminder that the material things we have in this world are not just for us. By setting something aside for others, we stay humble and are able to give, even as we bake, create, and do things for ourselves.
It is traditional for two whole challot (plural of challah) to be used on Shabbat, representing the double portion of manna that fell in the desert – as detailed in Exodus 16:22-32 – so that no Israelites would have to gather food on Shabbat.
Reciting a blessing over the challah offers another chance to fulfill the mitzvah mentioned in two places in the Torah – in Exodus 20:8 and in Deuteronomy 5:12 – that commands us to keep (remember and observe) Shabbat. It is customary to say a blessing of thanks before eating any food, especially on Shabbat, when we are thankful to have made it through another week and to have special foods to eat.
Before it is served, the challah is covered, often with a special, decorative cloth. If a knife is to be used to cut the challah, it too is covered. These traditions remind us of the importance of both dignity and peace. It is true, as some may have heard, that we cover the challot so they have dignity, like the beautiful candlesticks and sweet wine, and don’t sit uncovered like a plain loaf of bread. Because Shabbat is a time of peace, we cover the knife, too, if one is being used, so we aren’t looking at what can be used as a weapon just as we begin Shabbat. (Lots of people just tear their challot, though, so a knife isn’t needed at all!)
Once you have welcomed Shabbat – with blessings over candles, wine, challah, and the young people around your table – take time to relax and enjoy dinner in a way you may not be able to do during the rest of the week. Shabbat shalom and b’tayavon (bon appetit)!
Now it is time for the dinner to begin. Tonight’s dinner has nine, count them, nine courses. The first was cavolfiore di Moncalieri nella sua salsa. Moncalieri cauliflower roasted and served in pureed cauliflower sauce. Absolutely excellent.
The second dish was rossa Francese. This one is a bit difficult to explain. Use finely cut turnip slices to serve as the pasta for making tortelli. Fill the tortelli the puréed potatoes seasoned with a little salt and pepper. Using the turnip tops and filled tortelli create a harmonious composition on the plate. This is then covered in a cold emulsion of hemp oil and tamari, and sorrel leaves. Very pretty.
Carpaccio di Pastinaca. Now we have to return to Harry’s Bar in Venice. Why? Giuseppe Cipriani, the Bar’s historical owner, invented and named the dish in reference to the Venetian painter, because the color of the dish reminded him if his paintings. That was 1950, the year of the great Carpaccio exhibition in Venice.
This has absolutely nothing to do with Harry’s Bar. Carpaccio at Harry’s Bar is the thinnest possible slices of raw beef garnished with Harry’s own secret sauce. However, pastinaca translates into parsnip. Somehow thy substituted parsnip for the beef. Now it was very pretty and tasted good, but it wasn’t carpaccio from Harry’s.
Carfciofi Agli Agruni was the fourth dish. The literal translation was artichokes with citrus fruit. Artichokes are a favorite. This was like a salad made up of the most tender leaves, and the heart was puréed to make a bed for the leaves. Again very nice, good flavor and great presentation.
The fifth dish was Topinambur alla Cenere. The literal translation was suncokes with its ashes. A topinambur is the root of a Jerusalem artichoke. It is a species of sunflower native to North America. It ic cultivated widely across the temperate zone for it root or tuber. It is used as a root vegetable much like the parsnip or potato. Much more flavor the either of those.
Ravioli E Roveja. Ok, we all know ravioli. These sort-of looked like ravioli but were shaped more like your thumb than a square, traditional, or circle. However, it is doubtful you know of the Roveja. Roveja is a variety of pea. It is also know as the field pea or robiglio. It has been known since Neolithic times, was imported into Europe from the Middle East. Until recently it had fallen out of production. Currently the Roveja is now found in Central Italy. Farmers wanted to diversity and rediscover old traditions have begun growing it again. It is green like the english pea but turns purple when dried. Tasted a lot like the english pea. Looked a lot like the English pea. This dish wasn’t a pretty as some of the others but was probably my favorite.
Sedano Rapa Arrosto was the seventh Dish. Sedano is Celeriac.It is another root vegetable, this time of the celery family. The shape more closely resembles a turnip, although it is rounder, knotty, with wrinkled skin and its pulp is white. It is also a little sweeter than the turnip. Celeriac has great nutrition qualities, is low in calories, and rich in mineral salts such as iron, magnesium and potassium. Great presentation, good flavor and probably would have eaten it all but there have been six dishes before this and there are two more to come.
The next to the last dish was called Coast to Coast. Not sure why, the chef probably explained but there is no recollection of what he said. It looked like a cannoli. A tube filled with a white cream. In this case the tube wasn’t deep fried, or maybe it was, pasta. The tube was constructed from a spinach leaf. It may have been fried. It was firm like a cannoli shell. No idea of what it was stuffed with, but it was good.
Now we get to the final dish. Finocchio E Cardamomo con Composta di Arancio E Zafferano. This translates to Fennel and Cardamom with Orange and Saffron Compote. This is usually found made into a tea. It is considered a digestivo. Something to help you digest the earlier dishes. Really excellent.
There were four different wines. The of which was a Franciacorta Solo Uva Dosaggio Zero which was part of the tasting at Largo Como. A nice sparkling wine to start of dinner and the celebration. The second was Sauvignon Del Molise by Az. Vitilvinicola Barbera. Nice but we aren’t really white wine drinkers.
The third wine was from the Piedmonte area. A. S. Occhetti’s Nebbiolo Riserva. This is also the grape of the Valtellina region. So there so family and historical interest.That interest almost solely historical. People seem to enjoy wines made from the Nebbiolo grape, and some of them are quite drinkable. Serra and Pietro bought a vineyard last year which is planted in Nebbiolo, so probably shouldn’t say too much. I did help with the wine harvest with Mattia’s grandfather. His grapes were Nebbiolo. He made a great table wine. Tonight’s wasn’t enjoyed as much as it should have been.
The last wine as an Alta Langa by Vite Colte. This is a sparkling wine from the Piemonte region. The Alta references the fact the wine yards as 500 meters (1,640 feet) above sea level. While this may not seem like high altitude, the average altitude in Italy is only 532 meters. Again, that seems low, until you realize that it is an average that includes places like Monte Bianco in Courmayer which stands at 4,748 meters (nearly 16,000 feet).
After dinner it was a walk back to the Airbnb. This time Grace and Harry V walked us most of the way back. Once we got within a couple blocks we let them go. Walking the last few blocks would have been going out of their way. Not that they didn’t do so a little anyway. Thank you.
Then it was off to bed. Buonanotte Ciao Enrico.
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