Doriano - Friday Night

From the cool waters of the pool at Parco Country House Sandy and I drive 20 minutes in our sexy little fiat to catch up with 

my Italian brother Doriano.

It has been 7 years since we last saw each other so as you could imagine long hugs all round.

Doriano and his mate Benedicto are cooking a traditional dish of polenta with a snail Ragu from this the La Marche district.

This is normally winter fair but as we were in town Doriano wanted Sandy and I to experience the cooking and eating of this simple, but very local traditional dish.

The 2 of them are cooking for 20 ish blokes at 

a little Osteria further up yet another hill from Piobbico,

at Saint Angelo in Vada as part of 

a mens community group.

How lucky was I to be involved with the 2 boys as one of the polenta stirrers, it took about 2 hours to cook while stirring all the time.

 Paino Paino (Slowly Slowly)

Traditionally this is done in a much bigger pot with 2 or 3 men with long sticks outside over an open fire. Tonight as they are serving a smaller group of men it was cooked in the kitchen 

of Ostreia Del Corso.

Starting with a big pot of cold water is secret number one.

Then slowly adding little hand fulls of polenta so as to not make any lumps.

Both Italian pasta and polenta are a very time intensive process but that just allows Italians loads of time to talk.

Doriano said that traditionally polenta is mens business, 

where as pasta is more for the women.

A little bit of salt is added after about 1 & 1/2 hour into the process and by this time it is becoming very hard to stir.

No need for a gym workout today!

Pretty on a plate it is not … just honest, hearty fair

and super tasty.

The whole night was just so surreal and I had a smile that I couldn't wipe off my face. 

Here we are in a little hill top village with a room of none english speaking Italians but I felt so connected and that a common language was not really that important. 

We were so accepted and with loads of hand talking! 

we talked, drank and laughed all night.

 

Come 8pm no cars are not allowed in the streets of the old town, this lets the locals have places to meet and areas for the children to play.

It was a night with many a pinch yourself moments !