I can't believe that tomorrow is already Wednesday, which means it is the start to my weekend! This week has kept me pretty busy with lots of things to do! Yesterday I had my Mediterranean Diet class where we got to prepare and cook our first dish! The first recipe on the list for the semester was Paella a la Valenciana. Once arriving to class I put on my apron and was ready to go! Before actually beginning to cook we learned the history behind the recipe. Paella is not your typical italian dish, but instead comes from the region of Spain. Along with the recipe we served risotto with is italian rice. The production of risotto happens in the Padana Valley, which is between Lombarida and Emilia Romagna region. There are three different varieties of risotto which include Arborio, Carnaroli, and Vialone Nano. They are good to use to make risotto because of their good shape and texture. There was a lot of prepping that goes into this particular recipe. The first thing we started with was making the fish stock. We filled up a pot with water and then placed the fish remains, a pinch of sea salt, chopped onion, and bay leaves. Next we covered the pot and allowed it to come to a simmer and finally a full boil. One of the objectives for yesterdays recipe was how to clean and prep the fish that we were using. The fish that we used for the recipe was bought from the fresh fish market. The recipe called for squid, clams, mussels, shrimp, and the remains of fish that we used to make our own fish stock. We cleaned the mussels by removing the algae and scrubbing them with a metal sponge. The clams we let soak in a bowl of water with a dash of sea salt. We let them soak for approximately 20 minutes. In order to clean the shrimp we had to remove the legs and cut a small slit in order to remove the intestine. The squid was the most difficult of the fish to clean. We had to remove the insides, eyes, the ink pouch, the tentacles, and the skin. This was an extensive process and got rather messy especially when removing the ink pouch. Along with the fish we also cleaned fresh chicken breasts and cut off the excess fat. We also had to chop one large green pepper, one large onion, and garlic. We sauteed the pepper, onion, and garlic all together in one pan. Other spices such as crushed saffron, bay leaves, thyme, basil, paprika and peas were also required for the recipe. Once the cleaning of the meat and prepping of other ingredients was done we were ready to cook! We sauteed the mussels and clams in a butter, lemon, garlic sauce. The chicken was sauteed with olive oil and a pinch of paprika. Once the chicken was fully cooked we cooked the shrimp in the same exact pot so it would soak up the excess flavor from the chicken. Once the fish stock came to a boil we removed the fish parts leaving just the broth. The squid and risotto cooked in the same pot we made the fish stock in. Once the meats were all done cooking they were also placed into the pot with fish stock. Last we added the peas and let the pot simmer for 30 minutes. So many aromas began to fill the room as my stomach began to rumble! As we waited for the paella to finish cooking we set the table and cleaned all the cutting boards, utensils, and pans that were used to prep our meal! 30 minutes was up and it was finally time to try the finished product! As we placed the paella on the table you could see the steam rise and the flavors that filled the room made your mouth water. Then it was time to take the first bite! IT WAS DELICIOUS! The spices blended together to create a flavorful dish. I am not a big fish eater, but the fish was so fresh that it did not have a fishy taste. My favorite out of all the fish that was included in the recipe I would have to say were the mussels. Can't wait till next week to cook again!
Paella
This morning I played charades in my Italian class. After Italian class I had my Tuscany and It's Wines class. Today we focused on one of the Tuscan regions most famous wines Chianti. Chianti wines are part of a denomination, which means there are strict rules and regulations that go into making them. Chianti wine production is regulated by a consortium. A consortium is an association that establish precise regulations for the production of Chianti wines. A consortium main duties are to protect the quality wines by making sure they are strict in their production and the category of wine that is being produced. The consortium must perform a Erga Omnes, meaning an inspection of the entire chain of production to ensure that the producer is in compliance with the respective production regulations for the relevant denomination at hand. Chianti wines are mainly made with dark bunches of Sangiovese grapes, which gives the wine its unmistakeable character. Chianti wines are usually a bright ruby red color or garnet when they are aged longer. They have a medium-high acidity level. We had the opportunity to sample one of the Sangiovese grapes today in class. Grapes that are used to make wine are much different from tables grapes that you would buy from a supermarket. While sampling the Sangiovese grapes we were able to analyze the different parts of the grape including the skin, the pulp, and the tannins. Chianti wines are named depending upon several factors. Some of these factors include sub zones within the Tuscan region including Arezzo, Florence, Pisa, Pistotia, Prato, and Siena. Chianti Classico is the most typical area of the appellation. Classico means original. Chianti Classico's trademark is a black rooster on the label. Chianti Classico cannot be consumed until the first of October of the following year after the harvest. Chianti Superior contains a high % of alcohol by volume. Chianti Riserva have a longer aging process leading to the wine having an orange tint to it. The Chianti Riserva can only be released after at least 24 months of again and at least 3 months of bottle fining. Chianti wine producers choose to age their wines in small French oak barrels known as barriques. They help to increase the evolutionary process and creates more aromas within the wine. We sampled one of each of the three types of Chianti wines in class. We used the 4S's and others steps in order to complete the wine tasting process. Chianti wines are symbolic of Italian quality.
Every Tuesday at the school restaurant Ganzo, they have afternoon tea. Mia, Megan, and I decided to go and try it out! We were seated at a table out on the terrace and were presented with menus that had varieties of tea to choose from. Along with the tea you had the option of choose a savory snack or a dessert snack to accompany your tea. I decided to try the milky oolong tea accompanied by a dessert snack. The milky oolong tea is cultivated and produced almost entirely by hand in the province of Fujian in China. It is a very sweet tea from its perfume to its creamy taste. The dessert snack include mini scones filled with creme and jam and schiacciata con l'uva (flat bread with sangiovese grapes). The tea was really good. We each got our own quaint ceramic tea pot and tea cup to enjoy our own tea! It was nice to sit outside to enjoy the warmth of the sunshine and to be around good company!
Tea Options
Scones & Schiacciata con L'uva
It's Tea Time!
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