Carnivale in Italia
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September 2006
The Awaiting Table Newsletter
Be Bad. Be Very Bad.
February 18th-24th, 2007
It’s often said that on Saint Patrick’s day, that everyone is Irish. And here in Italy it's not too different, because for carnivale, everyone is Italian and catholic. And even if you’ve been passing your Fridays all year devouring huge tracts of beef carpaccio while cavorting with unshaved sailors and Heavy Metal musicians, this is still the time of year to indulge yourself for all that you’ve gone without.

On February 18th, 2007, we’re offering a week in the South of Italy to celebrate carnivale like you can only here in Italy. We’ve selected a menu of massive, massive feasts, replete with fattened fish, giant bowls of hand-made pasta and entire roasted goats, sheep and pigs, rendered mouth-wateringly tender over slow and steady flames of olive wood and local herbs. We’ve also already purchased and cellared 10 cases of Torrmoresca’s Torcicoda, perhaps one of the nicest wines that money can buy. And after dinner each night, we’ve arranged private concerts in the castle’s great hall featuring the local, infectious and indigenous music.

We’ve also solicited the services of a local artesian, famous for her high-quality papier-mâché: she is already at work, creating a series of one-of-a-kind, masque di carnivale, which you’ll given to wear (and of course keep) for our elegant and outrageous costume party, thrown by the school for the rest of the community, Tuesday night (‘Fat Tuesday’ or Marti Gras in French, Martedi Grasso in Italian). If you’ve ever wanted to attend one of those elegant European costume parties, and in a castle, this is that opportunity. We’ve hired the band until four, pre-ordered the special release vintage prosecco and will be taking the next morning off. Perhaps afternoon too.

But like everything we do, the week will revolve around the food of our part of Italy, featuring our normal winter menu, as well as some interesting additions.

* You’ll learn to expertly roast entire animals. We’ll talk with livestock producers, butchers and a local friend who owns a famous rotisserie. We’ll discuss roasting techniques, marinades and types of fire fuel, preparing you to all but endorse your own line of grills.

*We’ll also work a lot with baccalà, the salt cod from Scandinavia that, despite Italy’s fecund and copious coast line, was the most consumed fish in Italy for over 900 years. We’ll learn why, as well as learn how to rehydrate, prepare and cook this most beloved of Italian dishes. If you’ve never understood what all the fuss was about, this is the week you will.

*For legal reasons we should also point out that this is NOT the week where we’ll be teaching how to distil small quantities of grappa (small enough not to ruffle the feathers of your local-brand of law enforcement), how NOT to do it yourself at home, how to flavour them, barrel-age them and know what to look for when NOT buying your next bottle.

So pack your favourite costume, burn cream, brand of aspirin and old rusty chastity belt. This only comes once a year.

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