The blog of San Lorenzo

In Piedmont dialect, “tùma” (toma) is a generic word for cheese, as it represents one of the most common varieties in the mountains and valleys of the region.
San Lorenzo’s tuma is made from sheep’s milk, goat’s milk, cream, salt and rennet. It is made at very low temperatures, by adding liquid rennet to the milk straight from the animal. After the curd sets, it is placed in the moulds and left to age at room temperature, during the summer, in the paja (the local word for “paglia” - straw).
This special aging process gives the toma a hint of straw and hazelnut, and a wrinkled white rind which conceals a soft, creamy and fragrant cheese.
Even today, San Lorenzo’s tuma dla paja is produced according to traditional methods, and has unearthed a rare cheese that is all too often neglected.

The Territory: the Langhe, Piedmont
Famous for its fine wines, Barolo and Barbaresco to name two of the most famous, and its cheeses, the Langhe is a hilly region divided into three main areas:
- Upper Langa, including all the land above 600 m, used for grazing sheep and cultivating chestnut trees;
- Middle Langa, at an altitude of between 500-600 m, famous for its fruit production but especially the PGI Piedmont Hazelnut;
- the Lower Langa, which includes the valleys and lands stretching towards the Tanaro, known for its intensive cultivation of “DOC” wines (appelation controlée) including Barolo, Barbaresco, Barbera, and Dolcetto…
Dating back as far as the Romans, who built the first roads along the high mountain peaks, even today “andar per Langa” (walking through the Langa) is synonymous with the special feature of this region, whose roads run the length of the hills rather than crossing them.
Isolated for centuries and left unspoilt by tourism, the local food and wine has led to a rediscovery of this region, as well as its protection and development.
As you explore its twisting mountain roads, you will discover a huge number of castles, ranging from modest buildings to palatial noblemen’s residences, converted into council offices or still inhabited by the descendents of noble families.
Each year, many of them are open to the public during the spring: for more information.

[This product is not available for the English market as it needs to be delivered in 24 hours and that’s not sure outside the Italian borders]

A fresh, rare product, not so much because of the special ingredients, but because of how it is made. You rarely find marinated anchovies formed of two fillets joined together, but San Lorenzo anchovies are still perfectly intact: all that’s been removed is the central bone and the head.
The fresh anchovies are decapitated, split open and de-scaled. They are then arranged in layers, drizzled with vinegar and olive oil (which we recommend draining before eating) and left to marinate for at least six hours before being placed in their packaging and vacuum-sealed. This helps the anchovies keep their fleshiness and they preserve a slight hint of vinegar which gives just the right note of acidity.
Liguria: the region A region sheltered by mountains yet facing the Mediterranean, its identity is split between the rugged mountain area with its tiny villages, still unchanged after centuries, and the urban, touristy, jet-setting strip of coastline.
This dichotomy can also be seen in traditional Ligurian cuisine, characterised by fresh produce but also preserves. The hills planted with olive trees, basil, and flowers, are a feature of the descent towards the rocky coastline. Basil and olives are the principal products of a land which is forgiving of having been exploited down to the last vertical centimetre. Basil for the famous pesto and olives for the equally famous extra-virgin olive oil (PDO) from the Ligurian Riviera.

Buy it now!

Pancetta is a pork-based salami common throughout Italy. Although its flavour (and the part of the pig used) varies widely from town to town, there are basically two production techniques.
There is pancetta tesa (“bacon”) made by overlapping the fatty and lean parts of the pig and pressing them, and rolled pancetta, in which after all the various parts have been put together, they are rolled up, stuffed in gut and left to season.
The San Lorenzo filleted pancetta* is a prime product, as it is very lean, formed of skinless pancetta rolled around a core of lean meat and cured for at least 90 days. It is lightly salted and seasoned, giving this product a unique flavour which will enhance all your dishes.

The territory: the Parma Apennines
Inhabited since Roman times, the area which extends towards the south and the Apennines has always been a busy thoroughfair for passengers and merchandise, as it has always been one of the main routes through the Padana plains.
An area famed for its outstanding produce, notably Parmigiano Reggiano, it is also famous for its creamy butter and pig farms, which leads to a plentiful supply of typical charcuterie such as salame felino, culatello, and prosciutto.
Also famous are anolini, small ravioli filled with breadcrumbs, Parmesan, eggs and reduced meat sauce.

[* Not available in UK due to Customs restrictions]

Red Pesto is a speciality from Liguria, although there are many versions in traditional Italian cuisine that also go by the name of red pesto - from the spicier varieties from Southern Italy, to more aromatic ones like the Ligurian pesto. San Lorenzo has chosen a Ligurian red pesto, typical of a region divided between coastline and mountains. Basil from the Riviera blends with the sun-baked flavour of dried tomatoes, a handful of aromatic herbs lashings of delicious extra-virgin olive oil and just a tiny hint of chilli pepper.

Liguria: the region A region sheltered by mountains yet facing the Mediterranean, its identity is split between the rugged mountain area with its tiny villages, still unchanged after centuries, and the urban, touristy, jet-setting strip of coastline.
This dichotomy can also be seen in traditional Ligurian cuisine, characterised by fresh produce but also preserves. The hills planted with olive trees, basil, and flowers, are a feature of the descent towards the rocky coastline. Basil and olives are the principal products of a land which is forgiving of having been exploited down to the last vertical centimetre. Basil for the famous pesto and olives for the equally famous extra-virgin olive oil (PDO) from the Ligurian Riviera.

Each year, Genoa, in Italy, hosts the World Championship of Pesto Making! In 2008, the event will be held on 19 April at the Palazzo Ducale!

I like it because…

Have you tried Pesto Rosso San Lorenzo? What do you think? Write to us and let us know!

Buy it now!

Lesson 3: know and love pizza (and alike), an introduction for beginners

Simple, you say! Not so simple!!!

History
Pizza was an ITALIAN invention. And that’s a proven fact, dating back to Etruscan times (without tomatoes of course!), but it became what we know now after we began to import tomatoes from the New World. The most ordered pizza all over Italy is Pizza Margherita: pizza dough with tomato sauce, buffalo mozzarella, basil and few drops of olive oil. It was invented in Naples, in the first years of the nineteenth century, but it was named Margherita only towards the end of the nineteenth century, in honour of Margherita di Savoia, Queen of Italy.

The ingredients and how to
- Base: a good pizza dough, best home made, it’s best with 500 g flour, 12 g fresh yeast, enough water to make the dough (300 ml aprox), salt. If you want a fluffier version, add a mashed boiled potato to the dough mix. Let it raise for at least 1 hour, better 2.

- Toppings: basically anything, there are (almost) no rules, but if you are going to cook pizza for an Italian mind that mozzarella is the only cheese accepted (except if you cook a 4 cheeses pizza, in which mozzarella has to be one of the 4 cheeses) and that pineapple, eggs, sauerkrauts, hemmental, any kind of fruits, meat (that has not been previously cured in some way) are not an option! Remember always to leave a 1 centimetre border free of anything. As it is an Italian dish remember the basic philosophy: less is more, so do not overload your pizza with too many toppings.

- Cooking: best way to cook it in your home oven is to use a spotted rounded non-stick baking pan, so the heat is uniformly distributed. Oven temperature must be maximum.

Different types of pizza

Pizza can be declentioned in many many ways, practicly at least one for each Italian region and many for each southern Italy region. But the basic types of pizza are:

Pizza bianca: pizza without tomatoes of any sort, with basically white topping, as mozzarella, cream and other white cheeses.

Focaccia: double the amount of pizza dough than normal pizza, olive oil and only one other ingredient, as olives, lard or fresh herbs (like rosemary, thyme) and flaked salt.

Calzone: a closed pizza, with no topic on the outside, but only in the inside. It can be declined in many many ways, and it can avoid to follow the basic pizza rules, as, sometimes, mozzarella is substituted by ricotta.

Panzerotto: basically a deep-fried calzone, typical from Puglia.

It may look out of season, as we ate mainly during Christmas time, but is there a season for something good?

Among the wonderful array of Italian torroni, this nougat from Alba is remarkable for its special softness, delicate crumbliness and full flavour. This is thanks to the ingredients which have been used for generations: Piedmont hazelnuts, clear comb honey, white cane sugar and a dash of vanilla. Slow, extended cooking gives this product a remarkable flavour and a special kind of crumbliness.

At least in the States, where Prosecco is finally considered for what it is: a very good wine! Neglected for many year as simple ingredients for cocktails, Prosecco is now considered a wine of its own.

And we are proud to offer you a great Prosecco, Prosecco di Valdobbiadene d.o.c. Extra Dry, and an even greater wine (which cannot be considered Prosecco, but more an Italian Champagne), Franciacorta D.O.C.G. Brut - Millesimato 2004, both perfect all the way through your dinner!

Lesson 2: know our preserves

In Italy we love savoury preserves: olives, artichokes, peppers, mushroom, tuna, anchovies, sauces for pasta… We have a wide range of preserved food that we add to our meal almost daily.

Best preserves are made with genuine, healthy, ripe ingredients, treated and preserved only with natural agents, like vinegar an/or oil and nothing artificial added, like the San Lorenzo preserves!

When do we eat them? Often as appetizers, paired with cured meat or fresh buffalo mozzarella, but we can have them even as side dishes, heated over a low fire or straight from the jar.
Imagine a hot summer afternoon, cicadas all around, a little fresh air only under the trees where your dining table is… What’s best then is eating something fresh, that can go from a nice salad with some olives, some cured meat with a side dish of preserved onions, sun-dried tomatoes, chilli peppers filled with anchovies and capers, and maybe roasted peppers or porcini? And why not some preserved fish? And this will make a complete meal, varied and perfectly tasty! A perfect Italian meal…

Then at night, when it’s fresher, put some water to boil, add pasta (now that you know what to do with it) and once cooked, dress it with one of our sauces. Then, again, a perfect Italian meal!

And now you are on the right trail to eat like an Italian, for the rest of your life!

I have to admit it! I cannot conceal it anymore! I’m among the organizers of tonight Girl Geek Dinner Italia in Milan (sold out since weeks!)
In the last 3 months we were sneaking out and meet on Thursday night, secretly, changing place every week, to avoid stalkers and curious! Like a secret sect!
As you know, we delighted few Girl Geek Dinners in the Uk with our Italian wine, and we would love to do the same all over Europe!
Tonight we’ll greet people with a glass of Prosecco di Valdobbiadene!

Are you among the attendees tonight? Twit what you think and fell about it!
Are you an organizers of Girl Geek Dinners around Uk, Ireland and Continental Europe? Write me (sara [dot] maternini [at] gamil [dot] com): we would love to get involved and please you with some Italian wine!

Only peppers and salt, that’s all you need to prepare this authentic delicacy. The important thing is to pick the peppers when fully ripe, and select them carefully.

Cut by hand and roasted on a griddle over charcoal, they are then hand-peeled and jarred in their own liquid.