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Olives on the branch at sunset in Menfi, Italy
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Finest Foods (104)We first travel to Modena, Italy, to uncover the secrets of balsamic vinegar production. Then, in Sorrento, we learn everything we've ever wanted to know about the perfect lemon. Our last stop is France, where we explore two highly desired ingredients from the Brittany coast: blue lobsters of the fishing hamlet of Perros-Guirec, and Fleur de Sel—considered the caviar of salt.
Balsamic Vinegar Of Modena Facts:
- The "acetaia" is the prized heirloom cellar lined with barrels and crocks that hold the dense, dark vinegar that's been aged for generations.
- The are two types of balsamic vinegar—traditional ("tradizionale") and commercial ("non-tradizionale"). Traditional balsamic vinegar is made in the hills near Modena, Italy. It is regulated, has no added flavorings or preservatives and is a product of controlled name and origin (like champagne). The production of commercial (industrial) balsamic vinegar is not regulated; the vinegar contains additives and colorings and is commonly found in supermarkets at a much lower price.
- The word balsamic is derived from the term basamico, which refers to the balmy odors of the local vinegar.
- Traditional balsamic vinegar is considered a condiment.
Contact Information:
Acetaia del Cristo (Balsamic Vinegar)
Contact: Erika Barbieri
Via Badia,
41 Fraz. San Lorenzo
41030 San Prospero
Modena, Italy
011-39-0-59-330383
www.acetaiadelcristo.it
Vinegar Story
Resources:
The Balsamic Vinegar Cookbook
by Meesha Halm, Noel Barnhurst (Photographer), Kathryn Kleinman (Photographer)
Consorzio Produttori di Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena
011-39-59-208298
A fascinating tour of balsamic vinegar factories.
www.balsamico.it
Vinegar Connoisseurs International
A club devoted to all things vinegar.
www.vinegarman.com
Brittany Blue Lobster Facts:
- Lobsters grow by molting (shedding their shells); they typically molt 20-25 times in five years. A five-pound lobster takes up to 20 years to grow.
- Lobsters must be cooked live or killed immediately prior to cooking to prevent alkaline from making the meat bitter.
- You can tell how long a lobster has been in its shell based on the hardness of its carapace (the shell-like material over the head and thorax).
- At one time, lobsters were used as fertilizer and bait; in fact, they were considered food for the poor. Fishermen considered them to be pests, because they would get tangled in their nets.
Contact Information:
Perros-Guirec (fishing hamlet in France)
www.perros-guirec.com
Lobster Importer/distributor:
Browne Trading Company, Inc.
Merrill's Wharf
260 Commercial Street
Portland, Maine 04101
800-944-7848 (mail order)
207-766-2402
www.brownetrading.com
Ecole Ritz-Escoffier (the Ritz Cooking School)
Jean-Philippe Zahm, Director
Hotel Ritz
15 Place Vendome
75041 Paris, Cedex 01
011-33-1-43-16-30-50
www.ritz.com
Resources:
BRITTANY
by Philippe Barbour
Totally Lobster (Totally Seafood Series)
by Helene Siegel, Karen Gillingham
Office of Tourism for Perros-Guirec
02-96-23-21-15
www.perros-guirec.com
Fleur De Sel Facts:
- Salt has more than 14,000 known uses.
- Fleur de Sel (flower of salt) is the premier condiment salt, (much like Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale, the finest extra-virgin olive oil). It's the crème de la crème of sea salts and can cost up to $56 per pound.
- Fleur de Sel is used only for "finishing," while regular sea salt is used for cooking.
- Sea salt is popular among the health-conscious because it contains none of the as anti-caking chemicals and additives typically used in table salt.
- Ancient Romans were sometimes paid in salt; this practice was the source for our common expression "worth their salt." Also, the Latin word for salt, sal, is the root of the English word "salary."
- Sea salt harvesting is limited to about three months of the year.
Contact Information:
Aquasel
10 rue des Marouettes
85 330 Noirmoutier-en-l'île, France
011-02-51-39-08-30
www.aquasel.fr
Fleur de Sel Restaurant
Cyril Renaud, owner/chef
5 East 20th Street
New York, New York 10003-1103
212-460-9100
www.fleurdeselrestaurant.com
Resources:
Salt: A World History
by Mark Kurlansky
Salt Museums of Guérande
www.foodmuseum.com/fhcGuerande.html
Gourmet Sleuth
Information on culinary salt.
www.gourmetsleuth.com
Sorrento Lemon Facts:
- You can eat the sweet skin of the Sorrento lemon straight from the fresh fruit.
- Lemonade was invented in Paris in 1630, following a sudden drop in the price of sugar imported from the French West Indies.
- Lemons were once considered a special treat, reserved for the wealthy.
- To get the most juice out of a lemon, let it reach room temperature, then soften it by rolling it with ample pressure between your palm and a hard surface.
- To prevent drying of porous citrus fruit skins, commercially grown lemons, oranges, and grapefruits are lightly waxed after being cleaned. Bathing lemons in freshly boiled water will remove the wax and also increase juice yield.
- 80% of lemons in the US are grown in California. California produces more than half the world's lemon supply.
Contact Information:
Villa Massa (producers of limoncello, a lemon liqueur)
Piano di Sorrento
Via Mortora S. Liborio 126
Naples, Italy
011-3981-7506112
customerservice@villamassa.com
www.villamassa.com
Resources:
Oranges & Lemons : Recipes from the Mediterranean
by Sarah Woodward
Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast
by Bonechi Editorial Staff
Sorrento Tourism Board
www.sorrentotourism.com
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