Piombaia Montalcino Poderi Sanguineto Abbazia di Sant'Antimo

Abbazia di Sant'Antimo

Our weekend in Tuscany was principally a wine tasting trip and 2 of the main cellars we visited were Piombaia (which was also where we stayed and dined in) in Montalcino and Poderi Sanguineto in Montepulciano. We also drove to the Abbey of Saint Antimo - where they still have beautiful daily sevices in gregorian given by Augustinian monks. There was a service going on just as we arrived and it sounded really beautiful - not that I could understand anything. There was alot of singing like in those gregorian chants CDs that were the rage a decade ago.

The abbey

We were very well-received in both wine cellars, with free tasting sessions, generous snacks and interesting stories about their wines. In Piombaia where we stayed, we learnt that its wine-maker is a 28 year-old young man who took over the business at the age of 16, who's passionate about what he's doing and who is making really good wines at affordable prices. We also ate very well there, it's a nice family-run agriturismo.

Agriturismo Piombaia Montalcino

At Poderi Sanguineto, it is basically a female-run vinery, from the weather-beaten Dora to the robust Patrizia. I do not drink alot, but I love visiting vineyards and tasting wine because you get to admire the way they work, the way they love their grapes and transmit some of their passion in wine-making to you. Somehow it gives you a more intimate relationship with the wine you're drinking, enhancing the entire tasting experience.

The "Ferrari" of wine barrels

Poderi Sanguineto

I am glad that we will be leaving Italy on these notes. Memories like these are precious and will make us remember Europe fondly as we begin our new lives in Asia. As you know, I am more fortunate than most because I straddle both continents comfortably - hence the title of my blog East meets West. I do not know if I'll be able to blog as much when we start living in China, but I certainly hope to continue being able to record some of my experiences for myself and those who know me (or who will get to know me).

Piombaia-Rossi Cantini

Montalcino (Siena)

Tel : +39 057 784 7197

Sanguineto

Montepulciano

Tel : 057 876 7782

Dinner for 14

Smoked Salmon Sandwiches

When we were living in Andalusia, we often wondered why we were rarely invited to our Spanish friends' homes for a meal. Over time we would understand that that was because they rarely dined indoors with friends, preferring to grab a bite in a tapas bar when there was company.

In Germany, our German friends rarely invited too. Especially not to dinner since most Germans in the south like to have a cold meal in the evening. I was told that an Italian colleague of Hub's was once invited to dine in a German home in Reutlingen and was really excited about it. At 6pm, she was called to the table where they had some cream cheese with berry coulis - a nice afternoon snack thought she. But when nothing else looked like coming after 8pm, she finally realised that what she had before was actually dinner.

We didn't fare better in Modena. Whether at home or in a restaurant they like to eat pasta. And most Italian women work nowadays, so not many know or have the time to cook. Every time we did a pot luck, our Italian friends would either ask their mothers/aunts to cook or buy something from a shop.

But you will tell me that I seem to be going around alot eating in other ladies' homes. Which I did. But they were mostly our fellow expat friends and the most inclined to entertain at home were often French or Asian.

I did a dinner for 14 last Saturday at home. With 2 German families who have become rather close friends over the years. I told MB that I will miss her alot when I leave and I meant it. My heart is starting to feel heavy even though I am looking forward to the change.

The expat community in Modena is particular. With only one international school and a few companies hiring expats, you will know almost everyone with a child who's of school-going age here. "Are you from Tetra Pak or Ferrari?" is often the first question that we would ask a new arrival. And since most women in the community do not work, you'll be seeing quite a bit of each other (the ones you have affinity with) in the week and often also on weekends. After a while, you may even go on holidays together.

What I like about the expat community is that most people are well-off without being ostentatious about it. And we come from everywhere and are usually open to new faces, always happy to welcome someone new to the fold. You may get sick of eating pasta after a while, or not having exciting places to shop in; but you will enjoy the friendships that you will make here.

The empty bottles the day after

Hub spent quite a bit of time checking out the wines in his cellar for the meal. To make his job easier, I promised to cook a French dinner (click on some of the dishes for the recipes) :

Smoked Salmon Sandwiches

Bruschetta

Fried Ham and Cheese Won Tons

Baked Sausage Rolls

Dom Pérignon Champagne Vintage 2000

Foie Gras & Porcini Raviolis with Aged Balsamic Vinegar

Barton & Guestier Sauternes 2006

Boeuf Bourguignon on Fresh Tagliatelle

Paolo Conterno Barolo "Ginestra" Magnum 2003

Camembert "La Rustique"

Pane di Genzano

L de La Louvière Pessac-Léognan 2000

Tarte Tatin

Brownies

Ice Cream

Choice of Digestives from Hub's private collection

Just like it is wonderful sharing good bottles of wine with those who love the grape, it is motivating to cook a good meal for those who appreciate good food. I found lots of pleasure preparing dinner for this group of friends, as much as I've enjoyed sharing the meal and the conversation with them at the dining table.

Porcini season is almost over, am having more and more difficulty finding the mushrooms fresh. That I will miss too when we leave Modena.

Degusta La Morra and Osteria Veglio

A selection of the wines in the Cantina Comunale de la Morra

From the town of La Morra in the Cuneo, you'll be able to see a sea of vines many of them nebbiolo grapes destined for the making of Barolo wines also known as "the King of wines and the wine of Kings".

View from the Osteria

Our group

Tajarin al ragu

Tajarin ai funghi porcini

Tagliata di vitello fassone

Crema Catalan

We were there on our last day in the Piedmont, starting out with lunch in the Osteria Veglio - a small restaurant run by Chef Franco Gioelli just outside the old town of La Morra, with a splendid view of the Barolo vines around. The cuisine is traditional Piedmontese with a modern touch, accompanied by a rather interesting wine list. The men had 2 bottles of very good Barbera d'Alba 2006 from Cantina Cavallotto. The food was very good if a little small portion-wise and quite expensive. The place was also not very child-friendly (like most Italian restaurants - no matter how much they were supposed to like children) and clearly had no idea as to how to feed them or help us keep them happy.

The highlight of the visit however was the afternoon spent in the heart of town tasting and buying wine. September 5 was Degusta La Morra Day. From 14 to 19h 2 streets in the village were opened to the wine-loving public, giving it a chance to meet more than 40 wine producers from the area, to discuss and taste their wines : Barolo, Barbera d'Alba and d'Asti, Barbaresco, Dolcetto d'Alba, Langhe Nebbiolo, Barolo Chinato...

All the wines in the area can be purchased in the cooperative

You smell before you taste

You pay 5 euros for a wine glass and a pouch and you are set to drink as much as you want/can in the street. We were going to drive home just after so of course we didn't abuse. I tasted only the expensive Barolo wines that I like very much, finding some of them quite similar to the Burgundy wines. Then we went to the Cantina Comunale de la Morra and bought a dozen or so bottles of the good stuff, loaded the car and left. A few cantinas that we would recommend include Renato Ratti, Erbaluna (Organic wines), Oddero and Cordero di Montezemolo. If you have the money, go for Renato Ratti's Barolo Rocche and eventually Conca. The former, even quite young (e.g. 2006), already tasted very lovely. It can only taste better forgotten in the cellar for another decade if not more.

View from the park in La Morra

Osteria Veglio

Frazione Annunziata, 9
La Morra (CN)
Tel : 0173 509341

Spicy Thai Salad

Spicy Thai Salad

We have decided to throw a dinner yesterday evening even though Hub is currently buried under alot of work as were the 2 guys we've invited to the meal (one of them works directly for him). That's because we are now in the middle of the Summer and most wives have left or will be going away with the children leaving the husbands behind. Last evening was the only day we could find to have whole families together for a meal at our place.

It was a French evening. Or you must be able to speak French even if you were German or Singaporean. He doesn't like it when I have my Chinese-speaking meals, but he loves it when we hold Francophone parties. And since he was motivated to dine and wine with his friends/colleagues, he was in a great mood in spite of the pressure at work. This morning he spent 2 hours on the phone dealing with work though, thank God he wasn't suffering from a hangover.

LT and his gorgeous baby girl!

I've kept the menu simple because he wanted to serve good wines with each course. To give you an idea, we had a bottle of Dom Pérignon and a 2000 bottle of L de la Louvière (Pessac-Leognan) among other bottles last night. I couldn't bury their tongues in rich curries and other spices as such.

We therefore started with Sardine and Egg Puffs and Feuilleté de Chèvre Chaude. Pop the champagne.

Followed by a Spicy Thai Salad. Which honestly was fresh and delicious and such a great idea.

Without knowing it, we somehow had a more or less Thai meal. There was a Thai Pineapple Fried Rice served with Grilled Gambas and Thai Green Curry coming up next.

In an evening like this the cheese platter was essentiel. There were Camembert, Gongonzola and Pecorino cheeses. A bunch of fresh grapes. And wine, of course.

Dessert was Mascarpone with Puff Pastry, Raspberries and Grilled Almonds. And fresh fruit for those who desired it.

The company, needless to say, was lovely. MIL was in her element and I heard her giggling away as I drifted in and out of the kitchen. Probably because she finally could understand the conversation. Hub wanted LT (his right-hand man) and EB (CB's Hub) to meet over a meal which was why we organised this dinner. He was sure that they would hit it off. And it was a bonus that the wives were such wonderful ladies. I do not always enjoy the company of the wives of some of his colleagues, but I like LT's German partner very much and CB you all know of course I adore.

Spicy Thai Salad (for 7 as a starter) :

The dressing :

2 Tbsp Palm Sugar

1 piece fresh Ginger (julienned)

2 Garlic cloves (minced)

1 Thai chilli (sliced)

1 stalk Lemongrass (sliced into 3 and bashed)

1 Kaffir Lime leaf (shredded)

50ml hot Water

4 Tbsp Fish sauce

1 Tbsp light Soy Sauce

3 Tbsp Chinese Rice Vinegar

Juice of 2 large Limes

1 Tsp Plum sauce

2 Tsp toasted Sesame oil

The salad :

1 small packet of dried Mung bean vermicelli (soaked in hot chicken stock and drained)

2 Tbsp light Soy sauce

2 Tsp toasted Sesame Oil

2 Shallots (finely sliced)

2 Cucumbers (peeled, deseeded, julienned)

2 Carrots (peeled, julienned)

3 large Champignons de Paris (finely sliced)

Half a Red Pepper (finely sliced)

Half a Fennel (finely sliced)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Fresh Mint leaves (shredded)

Fresh Basil leaves (shredded)

Fresh Coriander leaves (shredded)

Toasted Sesame seeds (optional)

It's a very easy salad, but you spend the hell of alot of time mixing (and tasting) the ingredients for the dressing (all measurements are as usual estimated) to get it the way you like it. And all that before you chill the sauce (which will taste slightly different once the sauces and herbs marry) and chop the vegetables - which would require more time and effort. But the result was well worth it.

Mix all the ingredients for the dressing together in a tupperware and chill it for a few hours. You have to get the balance of sweet, salty, acidic and hot right.

Soak the mung bean vermicelli in hot stock or water, drain and toss it with the soy sauce and sesame oil. Keep in another tupperware and chill in the fridge for a few hours.

Keep the vegetables in the fridge till 30 minutes before you need to serve your salad. Take them out and start to chop, julienne, slice etc. You basically choose to use whatever (crunchy) vegetables you like that can be eaten raw. You may also add green apples.

I got Hub to prepare the salad at this stage and he did a really good job. You need a large serving plate for this. Layer the vegetables, mung bean vermicelli and the fresh herbs on the plate - like making lasagna. And 10 minutes before serving, pour the chilled dressing over the salad, return the whole plate if possible to the fridge and let the salad maserate a little in the dressing before serving it. But not too long or they may turn soggy.

I often serve cooked prawns (grilled, boiled or pan-fried) or sliced grilled beef with the salad, but we like it very much as it is as well.

Mont de Milieu, Chablis 1er Cru, Thierry Laffay

Chablis 1er Cru, Mont de Milieu, Thierry Laffay

The Father and Son golf team returned home half-dead after their 18 holes. Apparently since the 9th hole the Teenager was KO and in spite of his endless hours of watching Tiger Woods play on YouTube and bragging about his moves whether you wanted to listen or not, he could barely hit straight and lost at least 15 (very expensive) balls this afternoon. Needless to say, they didn't sign up for tomorrow's competition as planned, they need to go back to the driving range and keep working on their swings...

I hope I sounded suitably sympathetic. Actually I am horrified. I'll never get the hang of this sport. And I now have double membership - at the golf and at the gym - and I do not even know where to start, how to divide myself between the 2. I am not doing any holes at the moment, since my balls tend to fall at my feet - if they moved in the 1st place.

Vongole on Pasta Nera

I was glad to be able to occupy myself by preparing dinner. This evening I grilled a few Scampis and made Garlic and White Wine Venus Clams on Squid Ink Pasta. But the highlight of the meal was a bottle of precious Chablis 1er Cru Mont de Milieu that Hub bought on one of our long-ago trips to Thierry Laffay's in Bourgogne.

Grilled Scampis

Good white wine is hard to come by in Italy, forget good Chablis. And Laffay's wines hold a special place in Hub's heart as his late father used to buy wine from said vineyard. The Old Man and his pal Toto used to drive to Burgundy and come back with crates of bottles in the boot. And in between they would have participated in wine-tasting walks where they got to walk around with a glass in the hand and taste wine all over; or they would have brought along their own picnic of baguette, cheese and charcuterie and gone round to the different cellars so as not to taste wine on an empty stomach. :-)

I miss the FIL, funny enough. He was a great cook, a bon vivant and such a perfectionist. I missed those walks in the forest that we used to make to pick mushrooms. Actually, I was the only one who cried non-stop at his funeral. And I do not even really know the guy. One thing I do know though is that the children would have enjoyed spending time with their paternal grandfather and it is a pity that they couldn't.

The wine was excellent. Hub said that he's going to call up the guy and see if he could have a few crates delivered to Italy. But the wine cellar is already full, I have no idea where he's going to keep any new bottles.

Hub's Birthday Lunch

Hub's Birthday Cake

The birthday is really tomorrow, but you need a Sunday to celebrate it. Not even a Saturday since they all want to play golf. We had a small affair this year and invited only 2 families making us 6 adults and 7 children - manageable if the weather is good.

Our lovely guests

It was touch and go where the weather was concerned since it had rained the whole of Friday and Saturday. But I was optimistic that the weather would be fine come Sunday noon and my faith had been rewarded. Lovely afternoon today.

I made a simple lunch :

For the adults :

Mini-Quiches

Bacon-red onion-cheese-tomato-basil-egg

Champagne Dom Pérignon

Foie Gras Raviolis in a light Broth

Freshly-wrapped

In its broth

Château Pipeau Saint-Émilion Grand Cru 2000

Cumin and Coriander Beef Curry

Tandoori Prawns

In its marinade

Freshly baked

Jeera Rice

Amarone della Valpolicella

Cheese Platter

Home-made Bread

Strawberry Cake

Vanilla sugar

Mascarpone, vanilla bean, rum and whipped cream filling

Un peu de masonry (Hub's contribution)

Fraisier léger (I need the right moulds)

Champagne Moët et Chandon

For the children :

Sausages

Raw Vegetable Platter

Roast Free-range Chicken

Garlic-butter-herbs

Out of the oven

Fusilli with Butter

Chocolate Swissroll (made by GA - forgot to take a picture)

I did the bulk of the cooking today, though I half-cooked the curry, made the sponge for the cake and kneaded the bread yesterday. I haven't bought Hub a present since I buy him stuff all through the year whenever I come across something that he would need or like and at the moment he has everything he needs (except a diet that works and maybe more free time). But he loves spending time eating, chatting (and especially drinking) with friends so I figured that it would be best to throw him a Birthday lunch.

Time flies, he turns 44 tomorrow. Sometimes it feels funny knowing that you've met someone when he was in his early 30s and in the blink of an eye he's now in his mid-40s. Without quite realising it, we've walked quite a bit of the way together. It is not easy living with anyone least of all someone of the opposite sex and we've had (and still have) our ups and downs. But as I've known then, he's a steady, intelligent and good guy with whom I can spend and construct my life and I've not been wrong.

Many a lesser man would have entered a few years ago into mid-life crisis, but Hub's optimistic outlook and progressive nature see him taking many things in his stride, enjoying what each stage in life has to offer. I hope that things would continue as such, as I already have a teenager in crisis and am not sure that I'll be able to handle a grown man in crisis too.

Hub blowing his candles with Baby Boy

I wish him the best of health, much happiness, a successful and fulfilling career, good luck in his coming golf exams and lots of love from all those who love him anyway.

Happy 44th, my beloved Hub!