Trade Route Meals & Idea Sharing

We did discover that this area of Italy was in the middle of the trade route between the south coast of Genova in the bite of Italy close to France and through to Switzerland so traditions were borne. This region traded its rice for oil, anchovy and tinned tuna. They then developed a few traditional  dishes for the region my favourite was Vitello Tonnao. This is thin slices of cold cooked veal and in the middle there is a mayonnaise of tuna, capers, olive oil and lemon juice. Tastes SO much better than it sounds and looks.

Over the coming days I try it at a few places and all were different but the best was at the Osteria in Bra with our luncheon we had with the head of the slow food movement but that's another story.

Another of the trade route recipes is Bagnacauda this is a style of fondue. Bring some olive oil to temperature and add some garlic and lots of anchovies keep oil hot on the table and serve with mixed raw vegetables, carrot, cauliflower, capsicum ect. Sandy had this as a sauce on pasta a few days earlier and it was very tasty. Again sounds different but with the fresh olive oil it was yum 

 While chatting in the kitchen we got lots of little ideas from the girls along with some tasters. We both loved  a cabbage pickle which they had as a side to antipasto of pork fillet which had been marinated with herbs and chocolate,  cooked in a stem oven and served cold, cut on a meat slicer so it is paper thin, it had such a beautiful balance of flavour.

Hmmmm this was different so how do we do that......well that one is a secret and we will be revealed on a plate at The Retreat so book a table!!! 

They also told us about a salad using peaches and ricotta on white balsamic dressed lettuce leaves. We also tasted little spinach tarts with a zucchini sauce...very green...I loved them Sand's is not one for spinach so I got 2 helpings

Me being me with my interrogation style discovered the retirement age to access a pension in Italy is now 73 for women and 75 for men. This had been changed due to the economic climate and too many people in the 1990's were let to accessing their supers-funds early and spending their money from as young a 45. The country is now so broke and people with real need for the pension are having to now wait so long.