APRIL 17th, 24th and MAY 1st, 2010

(versione italiana)

Fresh, hot bread.  A rush of old memories.   Who can resist the smell of it, or the temptation to rush into the baker’s and buy a slab of hot pizza bianca?

My grandfather had a clever saying on how to remember where the sun rises and sets.  “It’s like bread”, he’d say in his thick yiddish accent. “It rises in the yeast and it sets behind the vest.”

Although small bakeries are getting harder to find in the big cities, we are fortunate to live in a part of Italy where people still make home-made bread that stays fresh for days, baked in their outdoor wooden-burning ovens.

And that’s an experience we’d like to share with you: a hands-on experience; kneading the dough, baking the pizzas and brushing off the loaves of casareccio - mixed with laughter, friendship and fine food.

With the collaboration the Mustilli family, famous for their exceptional Falanghina and Aglianico, Savour the Sannio invites you to spend a weekend in the region where, in addition to learning a few local recipes you will also taste the region’s superb wines.

My grandmother used to say, “If you can bake bread, you can make a living”. Come and learn from locals.

Calling all vegetarians! This is the perfect outing for you!

PROGRAM-Day One (Saturday)

-Arrival in Sant’Agata dei Goti and check-in at the Agriturismo Mustilli

-Welcome aperitivo in the gardens of the Mustilli home for a tasting of their latest wine: Spumante di Falanghina.

-Lunch and wine-tasting at Palazzo Rainone. Owner and enologist Leonardo Mustilli will explain the process of making wine today and guide us through a tasting of his renowned Falanghina and Aglianico.

-Visit to the 16th century wine cellars hewn into the tufa rock.

- Preparing the bread and kneading the dough.
- Cooking lesson: Pancotto.  A traditional recipe made with dried bread, vegetables and extravirgin olive oil.
-Preparation of the wood-burning oven and baking of the bread.
-Dinner with live entertainment at the Mustilli wine bar

PROGRAM-Day Two (Sunday)
-Breakfast
-Visit to the outdoor market
-Guided tour of the city.

PRICE
Adults: 175,00 euro per person with double room occupancy
Children ages 0-3: Free  (you pay only for their meals)
Children ages 3-6: Half price.

Price includes:

- double room occupancy with breakfast
-Welcome aperitivo
- Three course lunch with bottled wine
- wine-tasting
- bread-baking and cooking lessons
- Visit to the Mustilli winery and wine museum
- Dinner and live entertainment
- personal guide and interpreter
- Guided tour of S. Agata dei Goti

Click here to read about last year’s tour.

To reserve your place contact Barbara Goldfield at barbaragoldfield@savourthesannio.com or call 0823.953663 or 347.1416866

This exclusive event is limited to no more than 8 people per date.  The B&B requires two weeks advance notice so please sign up immediately to reserve your place.
We must reach a minimum of 6 people to hold this event.

DIRECTIONS BY CAR TO S. AGATA DEI GOTI FROM ROME
1. take the AI motorway south towards Naples and exit at CAIANELLO (125km from the Roma Sud tollgate).
2. take the SS 372 Telesina (first right) towards Benevento.
3. after 35 km take the exit for S. Agata dei Goti and Naples.
4. you will now be on the Fondo Valle dell’Isclero  (call us at this point.  You are about 15 minutes away)
5. Take exit for Sant’Agata dei Goti.  Follow this road to its natural end, then take a left and then a right.  This winding road will take you to the central square of Sant’Agata where we will be waiting for you.

By respecting all the speed limits the trip should take no more that 3 1/2 hours.

FROM NAPLES take the A1 Motorway north and exit at Caserta Sud.  Follow the signs for Benevento and Telese. After passing the Carolino Aqueduct, take the second exit marked Sant’Agata dei Goti. (call us at this point.  You are about 5 minutes away)  Follow this road for 5 km, then turn left, cross the bridge to central square of Sant’Agata where we will be waiting for you.

It started out as a convivial challenge. “I need to find a name for my new product.”

Our friend Berardino Lombardo, rugged maverick chef-turned-farmer-and-breeder, had done it again: by applying the old italian adage, del maiale non si butta niente (nothing of the pig goes to waste), he’d forged his latest idea into an extraordinary example of cured meat, the result of tying together the lard, bacon and loin of pork.

Accompanied by our photographer Claudio Corrivetti, we trudged deep into the chestnut forests of his 40 hectare estate, to the hut where Berardino prepares and smokes his products. There amidst the prized prosciutti, capocolli, soppressate and sausages hung something new. It was odd-looking: the entire back of the pig folded in half like a wallet, pressed together between two pieces of wood and firmly tied with string all along its length.

These, however, were no ordinary pigs, but the rare black maiale nero Casertano, an ancient indigenous breed which (it is said) Berardino single-handedly saved from extinction. (To cure this cut of meat, it is salted, seasoned, smoked for two months over a smouldering aromatic fire of pines and bay leaves and then matured for another nine months in tufa caves).

Berardino hoisted a big piece onto his shoulders and climbing up the hill to his 18th century casale said, “Now let’s see what it tastes like.”

We sat, ate, drank and talked about this wonderful new …’thing’. It was extraordinary: delicate, rich and juicy, with a spicy, round flavour. Looking at Claudio’s photos I said the word “string” out loud in English. My husband countered with the Italian “stringa”.  Claudio paused, then blurted, “I have it! Stringata!”

At that’s how the Stringata got its name!

It’s too bad the holidays are over.  In December we look forward to Christmas and anticipate visiting with extended families and eating wonderful seasonal recipes. Then it’s time to greet the new year with spumante, panettone, cotechino and lenticchie.  And finally presents and candy-coal are bought to stuff the children’s stockings for la Befana.  After this prolonged food orgy, a kind of lagging fatigue sets in; it seems there is hardly anything worth living for until Easter.  If it wasn’t for the pigs, January would be a dull, cold month indeed.

U’ puorc (as the pig is called in Campanian dialect), is the prince of the season. Now as in the past, this is a time of celebration for rural farmers and an excellent reason for the whole family to get together once again. A fat, healthy pig signifies ample food for the winter, with tasty delicacies such as prosciutto, culatello, salami and capocollo or soppressata,. The saying goes “E’ una festa per tutti tranne che per il maiale” (It’s a party for everyone but the pig).

Whereas everyone has heard of these wonderful Italian pork products, there are other, lesser known ones as well. “Del maiale non si butta niente” (nothing of the pig goes to waste), goes another old saying, and nothing could be more true of this generous, multi-purpose mammal.  There is the unusual sausage called sanguinaccio, which comes from the word sangue or blood.  After the pig is slaughtered it is hung and drained of blood.  In Campania (as in other regions of Italy) the blood is quickly collected and mixed with raisins, pepper, salt, grated cheese and hand-made tagliolini (or wheat, rice or spelt).  For the sweet version, the cheese and salt are substituted with sugar and cocoa.  It is then either fried, baked or boiled and afterwards sliced and served.  Inevitably, as more animals are bred and fed industrially, this ancient recipe is becoming harder to find.

Old-time farmers still use this as an excellent remedy for anemia, but it has a strong taste and is not for the faint-hearted!

“What is a pig with three eyes?”
“I don’t know, I give up.”
“A piiig.”

This was some of the odd banter that was encountered at the 2009 ‘This Little Piggy’ event and that made the day so enjoyable.  We had a delightful group of people who (bless their hearts) braved  traffic and terrible weather, drawn by the simple prospect of… well…pigging out.

Before lunch we went to see the Convento dei Lattani, placed high on the slopes of the Rocamonfina volcano overlooking the lush Volturno Valley.  With it’s beautifully frescoed cloisters and breathtaking view the visit was enjoyed by both young and old.

Lunch this year was a sublime expression of the local and traditional (see below).  Rachel Rennie of Whisky, Wine and Words read us Roald Dahl’s ‘Three Little Pigs’ from his Book of Revolting Rhymes. Pigs were praised in anecdotes, quotations and world records.

THE MENU

Vino (Wine)
Sabus (Aglianico, Piedirosso e Montepulciano) di Tenuta Spada

Antipasti (Hors D’oeuvres)
Stringata
Insalata di Rinforzo (’fortified’ salad)
Pizza rustica con porri e patate (Pastry pie with leek and potatoes)
Frittata con porri (leek omelette)
Verza e patate con stringata (cabbage, potatoes and stringata)
Pancotto con broccoli (cooked bread with broccoli-raab)
Pancotto con fagioli (cooked bread with beans)
Crema di fave con cicoria di campo (broad beans pureé with wild chickory)

Primi (First Course)
Polenta con sugo di salsicciata al finocchio selvatico (cornmeal with sausage, fennel and tomato sauce)
Ziti al sugo di tracchie (ziti with spare ribs and tomato sauce)

Secondi (Second Course)
Tracchie (spare ribs)
Maialino al forno (roast pig)

Contorno (Vegetable)
Insalata di scarola con finocchio, olive ed arance (endive salad with fennel, olives and oranges)

Dessert
Castagnole di Carnevale (the little balls covered in sugar which have no translation)
Biscotti ’sabbiati’ al burro con marmellata fatta in casa (butter cookies with home-made jams)
Arrotolati alle mele e pinoli (apple macaroons with pine nuts)

With the new year under way, what could be better than getting together around a roaring fire to savour and celebrate that most generous and succulent of animals…the rare but multipurpose BLACK CASERTAN PIG!  Building on the success of last year’s event, Savour the Sannio invites you to join us once again.

U’ puorc (as the pig is called in local dialect) is the prince of the season.  Now as in the past, this is a time of celebration for the rural farmers. A fat, healthy pig signifies an abundance of food for the whole winter, with tasty delicacies such as prosciutto, culatello, salami, capocollo, pancetta and lardo.  The saying goes “E’ una festa per tutti tranne che per il maiale” (It’s a party for everyone but the pig).

Only an hour and a half from Rome - an easy drive down the A1 motorway - Terre di Conca is run by eco-chef Berardino Lombardo.  the estate showcases his 18th century casale and restaurant set in 40 hectares of woods and organic farmland where he grows heirloom fruits and raises prized capons and his renowned Casertan black pigs.  Berardino Lombardo is credited with having single-handedly saved this authochtonous breed. In 1955 there were only 25 specimens alive and the breed was listed in the FAO World Watch List for Domestic Animal Diversity.  Today Berardino raises approximately 100 pigs a year that feast on the chestnuts and acorns in the rich, dense woods of his estate.  He makes fine cured meats, lardo secco (dry lard) and a product of his own invention, La Stringata, the result of tying together the lard, bacon and loin of pork.

DATE: Saturday, February 7th

TIME: 10am - 5pm

PRICE: Adults €50,00 euro - Children 5-12: €25,00 euro - Toddlers: FREE

PROGRAM:

10 am - Arrival at Terre di Conca and visit to the nearby Convento dei Lattani

11.30 am - Meet the chef and watch, over a glass of wine, as he prepares the traditional pork dishes at his grand vintage stove.  Tour of the estate.  Children can visit the nursery and try to catch any piglets that have run astray!

1.30 pm - Lunch - A fantastic array of antipasti, pasta, pork dishes and desserts accompanied by excellent Aglianico and Palagrello.  Throughout the meal we will read a few words in praise of pigs! (Feel free to bring a contribution or even write your own)

3.00 pm - Relax in the company of Neapolitan singer Peppe Zona or view Antonietta’s astounding collection of antique embroidery and lace in front of her majestic fireplace

5.00 pm - Arrivederci

Comments from last year:

“We had a wonderful Saturday… It was like a mini holiday far from the business of Rome.  The food was amazing, the setting spectacular and the company delightful.”

“We enjoyed the day so much…We were trying to decide on our way home what our favourite dish was and we all agreed, it was everything.  For all of us it was a memorable day.”

“We had such a nice time on Saturday.  So thoughtful of you to order the lovely weather to go with the food.”

Faith Willinger: “Berardino’s organic farm supplies the restaurant with poultry, rabbit, port, salumi and a garden of heirloom vegetables and fruits.  The menu is pure tradition, with local just-made mozzarella, sheep’s milk ricotta and polenta sauced laced with sausage, for starters…The bread is outstanding, baked in their wood-burning oven…”

Luciano Pignataro: “This is one of those rare places that should be kept jealously secret…and only for those who appreciate the state of euphoria that comes when every pleasurable sensation has been fulfilled; such is that offered by Berardino Lombardo, anthropological chef-turned-farmer -and-breeder, who with his wife antonietta, has created a breathtaking restaurant, situated amidst the ancient groves on the slopes of the extinct volcano of Roccamonfina”

MAXIMUM 30 PEOPLE

For more information or to reserve your place contact

Barbara Goldfield barbaragoldfield@savourthesannio.com (tel. 0823-953663 or 347-1416866) or

Rachel Rennie rachel@whiskywineandwords.com (tel. 06-5741377 or 380-4323611)

DIRECTIONS BY CAR TO TERRE DI CONCA FROM ROME

1. Take the A1 Highway south (towards Naples)

2. Exit at San Vittore

3. Follow the signs for Mignano Montelungo (after 2km circa you will reach a large intersection with a stoplight where you will turn right.  This is the Casilina)

4. Follow the Casilina for 8.5 km and

5. Take a right turn into Mignano Montelungo.  Cross the railroad, go through Mignano and follow the signs for Conca della Campania (or Conca), for another 8.5 kms.

The gate for Terre di Conca is on the left directly after passing the sign indication for the Parco Regionale di Roccamonfina, but before reaching Frazione Piantoli.

DIRECTIONS BY CAR TO TERRE DI CONCA FROM NAPLES

1. Take the AI Mortorway north.

2. Exit at Caianello

3. Follow signs for the Casilina (SS6), Cassino and ultimately for Mignano Montelungo (app. 18km)

ATTENTION FOR THOSE WITH SATELLITE NAVIGATORS.  Once on the Casilina your sat nav will tell you to exit at ‘Conca’ before reaching Mignano Montelungo.  This is the quickest way to Terre di Conca and will save you about 15 minutes, but will take you over tiny farm roads.  If you’re feeling adventerous, follow these directions.  Otherwise continue as follows:

4. Take a right turn into Mignano Montelungo.  Cross the railroad, go through Mignano and follow the signs for Conca della Campania (or Conca), for another 8.5 kms.

The gate for Terre di Conca is on the left directly after passing the sign indication for the Parco Regionale di Roccamonfina, but before reaching Frazione Piantoli.

[Show as slideshow]