Nova Bréscia: Brescians in Brazil

NOVA BRÉSCIA VISTA DE CIMA

IMAGEMAEREARS


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Nova Bréscia - "New Brescia" in Latin, founded 1964

Not surprisingly, wherever they go, everything rises up around them. The hard work, the intelligence, the creativity; a culture-bearing people. This is a rural area, the kind of place where there always is talk of the lack of opportunities, but they're the kind of people who just make things happen. The first settlers arrived in 1902, but it became official in 1964.


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Rio Grande do Sul - "Great Southern River"

Nova Bréscia is located in the Rio Grande do Sul state in Brazil, which is the southernmost state. Often people from Brescia, and other people from the Padan plane, immigrated in order to find affordable farm land. I once read that some Brescians in the early twentieth century had migrated to a then sparsely populated Turkey, probably for the same region. There are approximately 10,000 Brescians in Brazil.


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Festival Do Chrrasqueiro

Is the actual origin of the churrasquiero from the traditional Brescian spit? That's what this piece seems to suggest, although I don't know. A lot of people arrive for the festival; not every person in these videos is Bresican. The whole general region there is mainly Portuguese, Italian, German, and African. Most of the faces seem to clearly be Brescian. Outside of the semi-tropical vegetation, the town looks much like a town in rural Brescia. Such a different landscape from the Northwoods environment where my family settled, although it's similarly rural.

FestivalDoChurrasqueiro.com.br

'Lo Spiedo Bresciano: The Brescian Spit'

Os Churrasqueiros de Nova Bréscia

Encontro dos Churrasqueiros de Nova Bréscia


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Nova Bréscia

[Translated by Bing Microsoft Translator. It's not an exact match, with Portuguese, Italian, and English translating back and forth a little too much in a few places.]

Nova Brescia is a municipality in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul,colonized by Italian immigrants. It is located at a latitude of 29º12'52" south and at a longitude of 52º01'39" west, being at an altitude of 313 meters. Its population was 3,184 according to the 2010 IBGE census.

It has an area of 102.183 km².

New Brescia is known as the capital of lies, holding every two years the Festival da Mentira ("Festival of Lies"),where the person who tells the biggest lie wins, but who manages to leave viewers in doubt about its veracity. It is also known for being the capital of the churrasqueiros.


History

Municipality created on December 28, 1964, according to State Law Number 4,903. On April 11, 1965, the first mayor, João Arlindo Deves, was graduated, having as deputy Alfredo Silvestre Macagnan. The first chamber of aldermen was composed of João Sbardelotto, Benjamin Giongo, Guido Dalpian, Alcides Armando Laste, Isidoro Berti, Alcides Zambiasi, Maximiliano Salami and Arlindo Simonetti.

"Noi italiani lavoratori,/ Allegri andiamo in Brasile./ E voialtri d'Italia signori,/ Lavoratelo il vostro badile./ Se volete mangiare." We Italian workers/ Let's go happy for Brazil./ And you nobles from Italy,/ Get your shovel/ If you want to eat.

This was the spirit, this was the chant of the Italian immigrants on their ships. They were fleeing Italy like a prison. There was so much abundance of manpower in Europe that more than 10 million Italians immigrated to the New World between the 1810s and 1930s. In Brazil, from 1875 to 1935, 1.5 million entered, of which 100,000 came to Rio Grande do Sul, with the most diverse qualifications.

The immigration of the Italians is linked to the process of unification of Italy and the victory of capitalism over the "small kingdoms and their agrarian structure", deeply affecting the families who lived on the land. From Brescia, located in the Region of Lombardy, many Italians arrived in Rio Grande do Sul, giving birth to the city of New Brescia.

Exactly in 1895, the Italian families of De Maman, Mezacasa, Casaril and Daroit, coming from the municipalities of Bento Gonçalves, Antonio Prado and Veranópolis, climbed steep paths and settled in the locality of Arroio das Pedras, where today is the town of Linha Tigrinho Alto, an initial landmark of the colonization of the municipality of New Brescia, with its current 33 communities.

The city of New Brescia began around 1902, when the first settlers, the Italians born Santo Titton and João Dalnora, plus the Brazilians Felisberto de Freitas and João Machado, arrived there.

In these places there were only woods and pickets. It wasn't easy for the young community of settlers to settle down. These pioneers came bringing their families and their changes upon horses. They suffered a lot to build their wooden houses, for the planks were sawn by hand. There were no bricks or building materials. To buy groceries not produced on site, it was necessary to go on horseback, along a road full of curves and steep slopes, to Arroio Grande, now Enchanted.

In 1906, more settlers arrived, among them Antonio Dall'Oglio, Batista Recco, João Magagnin and others who added to those who were already on site, in order to explore the land through agriculture. The main crops were wheat, corn and beans. The commercialization of the products was carried out in the neighboring cities, transported on mules that formed long fias on the paths through which only one animal passed at a time. Later, when the roads were widened and flattened, carts pulled by oxen or horses began to be used. Only in 1914 was opened the current road that connects New Brescia to Encantado; before, the route was made by the Tigrinho Line.

The first church in New Brescia was built of basalt stone, but had to be demolished a few years after its construction in the early 1930s. The current mother church, also built of stone, had its foundation stone laid in 1936 and was inaugurated in 1952.

In 1924 came the first doctor, Dr. José Lorenzin; in the same year the first pharmacy appeared. Until then, when necessary, patients who could not keep on top of a horse were loaded on padiolas until Encantado or Arroio do Meio. In 1938 the São João Batista Charity Hospital was founded, which operates to this day.

The years passed and the city grew. In 1964 came emancipation: New Bréscia ceased to be a district of the municipality of Arroio do Meio and gained its autonomy.

Shortly before a new story had begun: the saga of the churrasqueiros.

New Brescia is now nationally known as the land of the best churrasqueiros in Brazil. Countless are the houses specialized in barbecue scattered throughout Brazil; and there are countless in other countries, especially in the United States.

In the 1960s, the municipality had around 11,000 inhabitants. Today there are just over 3,000, due to the exodus of many residents, but mainly due to the emancipation of several districts, which constituted autonomous municipalities.

Currently it is estimated that more than 10,000 Brescians spread throughout Brazil and the world in various activities. They stand out mainly in the branch of steakhouses and restaurants, which followed the example of Albino Ongaratto, from Linha Alegre, who decided to drop the hoe, the fight against mountainous terrain, unpredictable bites in the winter months and the indomable force of prodigious nature, thus initiating a massive rural exodus, which we can call as the saga of churrasqueiros.

Currently the municipality of New Brescia stands out for its quality of life. According to recent data, the HDI (UN Human Development Index) the municipality of New Brescia is in 1st place in the Taquari Valley and among the first in the state.


Monument to the churrasqueiro

New Brescia is also known for offering the world the best churrasqueiros in Brazil. The fame of Brescians is very great, even paying homage to the churrasqueiro in the city center.

On the monument there is a sign, which reads:

To you churrasqueiro who represent so well the Brescians community in every corner of the country, our gratitude and gratitude.


Economy

The service sector is the main economic activity of the municipality, corresponding to 52.4% of GDP. In second place, there is the agricultural sector, with 37.4% of GDP, with special emphasis on poultry farming, with New Brescia being the municipality with the highest production of birds in the state, with about 40 million birds per year. In recent years, the industrial sector has also developed, representing about 1% of GDP, with companies in the textile, furniture, timber, metal-mechanical and food sectors.


Culture

Sovereigns

The new court of sovereigns of the municipality was elected on April 29, 2017, in a ball held at the Municipal Sports Gymnasium, as a program of the festivities in commemoration of the 52nd anniversary of the city. Nine beautiful girls took the catwalk, but only three were crowned. The queen elected is Camila Laste and princesses Dainar Amaral and Jaine de Oliveira Simonetti.





Nova Brescia, Terra dos Churrasqueiros

Jatir Delazeri

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Swiss Louis Italian & Seafood Restaurant (San Francisco)

Swiss Louis Italian and Seafood Restaurant

Swiss Louis Italian and Seafood Restaurant

A tradition in San Francisco since 1936, our waterfront dining rooms, provides a magnificent view of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz and the always entertaining Sea Lions. We offer a casual dining experience that includes delicious Traditional Italian fare and fresh seafood at reasonable prices.

Swiss Louis Italian and Seafood Restaurant
Pier 39 Suite #204 San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 421-2913
http://swisslouis.com/

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It's been a good while since I visited Swiss Louis', so I can't really review it now. I can say--at least--that parking is excellent, as you can just park in the Fisherman's Wharf parking garage and just take the walking-bridge over and you're right there.

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Recipe from Valtellina - "Pizzoccheri alla Valtellinese"

Pizzoccheri alla Valtellinese

Ferdzy - Seasonal Ontario Food - December 31, 2014

Here it is; the Italian recipe using homemade buckwheat noodles that I mentioned earlier. All the recipes I found were very consistent, but being me I  have made some changes. The main one was to add some carrots. I thought they would fit in well with the flavour profile and add some much-needed colour. I didn't put toasted bread crumbs on top, but our assessment of the dish was that although it was very tasty, the texture was just a tad soft and stodgy, and crisp bread crumbs would add just enough of a different texture. They are not absolutely necessary, however.

The original cheese to use is Valtellina Casera, which you will not find around here. Friulano should make an excellent substitute. All the recipes I saw cooked the garlic with the sage then removed and discarded it, which seems a bit precious to me for what is basically peasant chow. Not to mention that I have put much effort into growing and storing that garlic, and I'm eating it, damn it. I have also streamlined the process a bit; mixing everything together rather than layering it in bowls. Friulano melts pretty quickly, so don't mix it for more than a minute or so, but I do think that mixing it in the pot will give you better melting than just layering the ingredients.

Swiss chard is often used in this dish, but cabbage, kale, or spinach will work just as well, meaning this dish could be made pretty much all year long using whichever green was most seasonal, although I don't really see it as a middle-of-the summer kind of thing. On the other hand, given the last couple of cool, rainy summers; maybe.

2 servings, or 4 servings
20 minutes prep time, assuming the noodles are made

Advance Preparation:
1/2 recipe buckwheat noodles, cut into short pieces
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 cup coarse, fairly dry bread crumbs

Make the noodles according to the recipe, at least 2 hours before preparing the rest of the dish, and let them sit out on the counter to get a bit dry.

Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat, and toast the crumbs in it until they are lightly browned and quite crisp. Turn them out onto a plate to cool, and set them aside until needed.

Finish the Dish:
1 medium potato (1 cup when diced)
1 medium carrot (1 cup when diced)
1 medium onion
4 cups chopped green or Savoy cabbage, Swiss chard, kale, or spinach
3 or 4 cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
100 grams (4 ounces) diced Friulano cheese
30 grams (1 ounce) finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon rubbed dry sage
OR 3 or 4 fresh sage leaves
salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

Put a large pot of salted water on to boil.

Wash and trim the potato (or peel it if you do that kind of thing), and cut it into 1/2" dice. Peel and trim the carrot, and cut it into slightly smaller dice. Peel and chop the onion. Wash, trim and chop the cabbage or other greens fairly coarsely. Peel and mince the garlic.

When the water comes to a boil, add the carrots and potatoes, and boil them for 8 minutes. Add the buckwheat noodles, and continue cooking for another 5 to 7 minutes, until the noodles are tender.

About 5 minutes after the carrots and potatoes have been started, heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. If using fresh sage, fry them briefly in the butter, then remove them - you can save them as a garnish if you like. Add the onion, and cook for 2 or 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the cabbage, and mix in well, stirring regularly to keep it cooking down evenly. After 3 or 4 minutes of cooking the cabbage, add the garlic, and the dry sage if that is what you are using. Mix well, and let cook for a few more minutes while the noodles cook. Use this time to dice and grate the cheeses. Mix the grated Parmesan with the prepared bread crumbs.

When the noodles are ready, drain them and return them to the pot over medium-low heat. Quickly mix in the diced Friulano cheese and the vegetables from the skillet. Stir for just a minute, until you see signs the cheese is melting. Turn it at once into a serving dish, or divide it amongst individual dishes, and sprinkle with the Parmesan and bread crumbs. Serve at once.

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Notions amid the approaching Full Snow Moon II

Incredible promo photo from the 2009 movie 'Agora'

The film 'Agora' was about the life of the brilliant Greek mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher Hypatia in 4th century BCE Roman-Egypt. Click here and blow up this wonderful computer generated image to its full extent and notice the realistic detail. It's something of a time machine, showing what 4th century Alexandria may have really looked like. Included is the legendary Lighthouse of Alexandria, which from all accounts, functioned just like any modern lighthouse. The great mystery being how the light and power was generated, since it was destroyed by earthquakes many centuries later. Actually the lighthouse was constructed after the time of Hypatia. Murdered by a Christian mob for heresy, Hypatia belongs right up there with Boudicca, Joan of Arc, or Queen Isabella as one of the greatest women in history.


Cucina Aurora - A neopagan enterprise

I always read where neopagans, right up to the present, are always poor. Well, perhaps that is changing a bit. With the Irminfolk in New York state minting their own currency, the Asatru Folk Assembly in northern California having recently purchased great building and property, and with a few business upstarts like the New Hampshire-based Cucina Aurora, true socio-economic communities may take some type of form. Presumably a person may go out of their way or pay a little more to patronize or support something they feel connected to.

Dawn Hunt ("the kitchen witch") is the owner, an Italian-American, and a great cook. I first heard of her when she was a guest on a podcast by Raven Grimassi and his wife, and it was a great interview. I don't know if she practices Stregheria or not, but she is a neopagan witch and active in that community.

Cucina Aurora website

Cucina Aurora YouTube



Introducing Cucina Aurora and Dawn the Kitchen Witch!

Cucina Aurora

A Kitchen Witch is any one who has ever said a prayer over a meal. She is any one who has ever thought of the smiling faces on her guests when they taste the dinner she has made. He is any one who has ever put love into a surprise dinner that he made for his sweetheart. The Kitchen Witch puts intention in the foods that she or he eats and shares with others. Meet Dawn Hunt "The Kitchen witch" of Cucina Aurora.

Having a long standing love for cooking, a passion for good food and joy for gathering friends around the dinner table, Dawn started Cucina Aurora in 2008. Her purpose is to bring families and friends together around simple, naturally delicious and good for you foods. Cucina Aurora’s products are centered on home, family and the nurturing of those things. Check out her products, recipes & cooking demos at cucinaaurora.com.


Stephen Hawking Claims Black Holes Are Gateway To Another Universe

According to a new theory from astrophysicist Stephen Hawking, humans can escape from the irresistible pull of a black hole by traversing the event horizon into another universe entirely. "The existence of alternative histories with black holes suggests this might be possible,” Hawking said at a Stockholm event.

"The hole would need to be large and if it was rotating it might have a passage to another universe. But you couldn’t come back to our universe. So although I’m keen on space flight, I’m not going to try that." Humans might also appear as a ghost image or an extraterrestrial hologram hovering on the edge of the super-dense abyss, Hawking said. The theoretical information might be preserved like a frame grab of their passage into another dimension or parallel universe.

"If you feel you are in a black hole, don’t give up," Hawking said. "There’s a way out."

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As I've said many times, the "Theism vs. Atheism" Hegelian dialectic blinders will soon be on its way out. Even a hardcore lifelong Atheist like Stephen Hawking is talking Metaphysical science. Far from being put out to pasture, Christians and Atheists will be jumping aboard and saying "I was with ya all along!"

DiscoverTheForest.org

Wikipedia is also a good source, with lists and webpages for nearby national, state, and county parks. There are also other areas that you can make note of, which may be be "forests" or even official parks, but contain smaller groves of trees and wooded trails which are just like forests.

A moment in time, a man in his element

Glen Campbell and the late Jerry Reed performing 'Southern Nights', and doing it just as good or better than a studio recording. This was probably from around 1990. Campbell is from Arkansas, and lived there his entire life I think. From his shirt, I'm guessing that this was in Arkansas somewhere, in perhaps late summer, along a lake, in a small setting, during a warm late afternoon. This would be one to go full screen. His perfect moment in time...

Jerry Reed and Glen Campbell - Southern Nights

santickles

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"Lombardy chicken" recipe

With the recent Olive Garden commercial featuring its "Lombardy Chicken," here is a recipe. 

Posted by BodyNomics facebook page:

This is the Chicken Lombardy I baked last night. Here's the original recipe. This recipe is now YOUR recipe. Make any type of changes you like. Remember, YOU are the one that has to eat it. You can omit butter and use the oil you prefer. You can also use low-fat or fat-free cheeses. You can remove the wine and use low-sodium organic broth.

Let us know how it turned out 



Ingredients:
8 oz package(s) sliced fresh mushrooms
2 tablespoon(s) butter melted
6 skinned and boned chicken breasts
1/2 cup(s) all-purpose flour
1/3 cup(s) butter
3/4 cup(s) marsala
1/2 cup(s) chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
1/8 teaspoon(s) pepper
1/2 cup(s) shredded mozarella cheese
1/2 cup(s) parmesan cheese
2 green onions chopped

Preparation:
Cook mushrooms in 2 tablespoons butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, 3 to 5 minutes or just until tender. Remove from heat; set aside.

Cut each chicken breast in half lengthwise. Place chicken between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; flatten to 1/8 inch thickness, using a meat mallet or rolling pin.

Dredge chicken pieces in flour. Cook chicken in batches, in 1 to 2 tablespoons butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until golden. Place chicken in a lightly greased 13 x 9 inch baking dish, overlapping edges. Repeat procedure with remaining chicken and butter. Reserving pan drippings in skillet. Sprinkle mushrooms evenly over chicken.

Add wine and broth to skillet. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in salt and pepper. Pour sauce over chicken. Combine cheeses and green onions; sprinkle over chicken.

Bake uncovered, at 450 degrees for 12 to 14 minutes until cheese melts.

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The Cudighi sandwich... Lombard-Yooper culture in Upper Michigan: Part 2

Cudighi (Wikipedia):

A Cudighi is a spicy Italian sausage that can be bought in links or can be served as a sandwich on a long, hard roll, often with mozzarella cheese and tomato sauce. Cudighi came from Italy to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It can be served many ways in many Italian dishes. The sandwich was originally served with raw onions and mustard on a roll.[1] The sandwich is known as an Italian sausage sub throughout most of the United States. However, it is known as Cudighi in the Upper Peninsula county of Marquette, where it can be found at almost all the local pizza and pasty shops.

The word "Cudighi" is now unknown in Italy, although it seems to be derived from Cotechino, an old Lombard word for a fresh sausage made from pork, fatback, and pork rind.[2] According to Hormel Foods, Cudighi originated in Northern Italy.[3] The recipe for what is known as "Cudighi" is likely highly specific to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The taste of Cudighi depends much on the amount of clove and cinnamon present in the mix.

Cudighi sandwich remains staple in the Yooper diet 

Rebecca Himmelstein - UpperMichiganSource.com - October 31, 2014

ISHPEMING -- The cudighi has become a staple in the Yooper diet. The construction is simple. Homemade Italian sausage is flattened into a patty and grilled. It is commonly served with melted mozzarella cheese and pizza sauce, but every restaurant has their unique version.

“The basic cudighi has marinara sauce and cheese on French bread and then we have the works, which has mushrooms, green peppers, onions, marinara sauce and the cheese” said Robert Caron, co-owner of Vangos restaurant in Marquette. “Then you have to have that with some waffle fries.”

Vangos has been serving cudighi for 50 years.

“We grind the meat fresh daily and make each batch every day, so it is as fresh as can be and we use the best possible ingredients to make the best cudighi sandwich” said Caron.”

Ralph’s Italian Deli in Ishpeming has sold their secret family recipe since the 1960s.

“The more popular ways are with pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese and onions” said Dominic Gervasi, co-owner of Ralph’s Italian Deli. “A lot of people like ketchup, mustard, onions and mozzarella cheese combination. Also we serve fresh, homemade buns. We make the bread every day. The bun is very important, that has always been 50-percent of it.”

Italian immigrants started making them in Ishpeming and the sandwich’s popularity grew from there across the Upper Peninsula.

“It is a tradition” said Caron. “It is something that you grow up with. It is just a great sandwich and just a little taste of home.”

“The biggest evolvement I have seen is just the number of people and businesses that have gotten into making them and selling them, because it is just like pizza, almost any restaurant makes a pizza now anywhere you go” said Gervasi.

Both restaurants agree that what makes their cudighi sandwiches so good is fresh, high quality ingredients and consistency.

“It is always the same” said Caron. “It is always the same, just a great sandwich.”

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The Cudighi sandwich... Lombard-Yooper culture in Upper Michigan: Part 1

The Cudighi Sandwich

From the TV6 & FOX UP YouTube channel

http://www.uppermichiganssource.com/


The Lombard "Cudighi sandwich" ("COO-dih-gee") is to Upper Michigan, what I suppose the Sicilian "Muffuletta sandwich" is to southern Louisiana. In the Lombard language, "cudighi" means "cotechino" in Italian. Cudighi is also known as "Yooper sausage," and I like the idea of it as both "Lombard-American" and also just as "Yooper culture" in general. In the Val Camonica, cudighi is usually spelled as either codèghiì or cudighì in the Camuian dialect. The town of Ishpeming, in the video below, is nearby the city of Marquette in Upper Michigan.


Cotechino (Wikipedia):

The cotechino is an Italian charcuterie product, similar to salami, but requiring cooking; usually it is boiled at low heat for about four hours. Its name comes from cotica (rind), but it may take different names in the different production areas. According to tradition, it is served with lentils on New Year's Eve, because lentils—due to their shape—are 'credited' to bring money for the coming year.

It is prepared by filling the natural casing with rind, pork meat (usually of secondary choice), and fat mixed with salt and spices; in industrial production, nitrites and nitrates are added as preservatives.


Varieties of cotechino

The cotechino Modena is an Indicazione Geografica Protetta-IGP product, meaning its recipe and production are preserved under the Italian law.


Four Italian regions have so far declared cotechino a traditional food:

Lombardy: cotechino (Cremona, Bergamo, Mantua, Pavia)

Molise: cotechino

Trentino: pork cotechino

Veneto: recognises seven different products: coeghin nostran of Padua; coessin co la lengua of Vicenza, coessin of Vicenza, coessin of Val Leogra, coessin in onto of Vicenza, coessin co lo sgrugno, cotechino di puledro

Irpinia: cotechino pezzente





Cudighi tradition continues in Ishpeming
 
From the ABC 10 UP YouTube channel
 
While the origins of the cudighi can be traced back to Northern Italy, the sandwich itself has taken on a life of its own in Marquette County.

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Paul J. Baroni Company of Calumet, Michigan

Calumet, Michigan

Calumet, Michigan is a village in the northwest part of Upper Michigan, which has a very long history of people generally of Lombardo-Venetian descent. The Paul J. Baroni Company has long been a distributor of Italian food products. The old Italian-American Federation of the Upper Peninsula was based in Calumet I believe. We can look into the history of that an another time.


A tradition on the move

Calumet’s Baroni Company to be taken over by Vollwerth’s of Hancock

KURT HAUGLIE - Mining Gazette.com - 8-22-08

CALUMET - Having a business owned by the same family for 73 years is quite a tradition, but some traditions have to come to an end. Although the products of the Paul J. Baroni Company will still be made, the company will no longer be owned by the Baroni family.

Nancy Baroni, who has been running the company, which makes sauces, various pastas and frozen pizzas, for two-and-a-half years, said although family members hadn't been giving serious thought to getting out of the business, when the opportunity came up last November they took it.

"It just kind of came up in conversation," she said.

That conversation was with Jim Schaaf, general manager of Vollwerth & Company of Hancock, Baroni said.

Because she's the only family member involved with production of their products, and because the next generation of Baronis have other career interests, Baroni said it seemed like the proper moment to think about moving on.

"The time was right," she said.

Currently, Baroni said besides herself there are one full-time and one part-time employee making the Baroni products. She does much of the local delivery of the products herself.

Baroni said Vollwerth's distributes its products, as well as Baroni products, to most of the Upper Peninsula and to parts of Northern Wisconsin, which is one of the factors that helped the family make the decision about selling to the sausage manufacturer.

"They're just a competent, long-standing company," she said.

Baroni said after Vollwerth's takes over production at their plant at the beginning of 2009, she'll be around for a time as production manager.

"I'm going to stay on as long as they need me," she said. "We have to keep the Baroni name going."

To assure that, Baroni said company containers and labels will continue to be used after the switch to Vollwerth's, as will the company product recipes.

"Nothing's really going to change," she said. "Your still going to have the same great products."

The full-time employee, Jared Liimatta, will continue making Baroni products when the production is moved to the Vollwerth Hancock plant.

Schaaf said after Baroni suggested Vollwerth & Company take over Baroni's it was decided that was a good idea because of the Baroni tradition.

"They've been a business for a long time," he said.

Vollwerth is a family-owned business, also, Schaaf said, and because Baroni's makes quality products, Vollwerth officials are interested in keeping the line going.

"They have a lot of loyal customers," he said. "We're not going to make any changes."

Production of the Baroni items will continue in Calumet until the kitchen at the Vollwerth Hancock Street plant can be expanded to accommodate the Baroni canning equipment, Schaaf said. A new storage facility will be constructed behind the plant.

On Sept. 1, Vollwerth will take over production at the Baroni plant on Sixth Street in Calumet, Schaaf said.

Schaaf said after the take over of Baroni, Vollwerth's will still make most of their products, including the sauces, ravioli, chili and frozen lasagna and ravioli entrees. The company doesn't have the floor space to continue the Baroni frozen pizzas now, but they may add them in the future.

Schaaf said it was decided not to purchase the Baroni manufacturing plant and continue production there.

"It was most practical to have it in one building," he said.

Baroni said the Baroni building will either be sold or rented out.

It is sad the tradition of Baroni family ownership of the company is coming to an end, but Baroni said it's time.

"It's going to be hard," she said. "I think it's a good move."

Kurt Hauglie can be reached at khauglie@mininggazette.com

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Dümènica potpourri: Part 2

Tirano in Valtellina with distinctive south Alpine architecture

I like to occasionally use Google Maps.. more than Google Earth. Google Earth has too many whistles and bells for me. Awhile back, I was “getting on the ground” with Google Maps at the Brescian Comune of Paisco Loveno in Val Camonica. Actually, it is located in a smaller side valley called the Paisco Valley. Although I had done this numerous times before, I decided to follow the road heading east, passing this group of villages which are up on the hillside to the right. Much to my surprise, I found the road immediately heading into heavy woods, with a river (a tributary to the River Oi to the west) on the lower left side and a mountain on the right side. Above the river on the left was what appeared to be a larger mountain. This “Google drive” reminded me of many areas through the mountains of northern California, and was very rugged and beautiful. After about five or six miles of winding though mountain passes, the narrow valley road opened up and I could see the stunningly beautiful little town of Schilpario in Bergamo. The town was so beautiful, as was the stunning 360 degree view of all the mountains.

I tried the same thing with the small city of Tirano, which is north of Val Camonica on the eastern end of the Valtellina. In some ways it looked like many towns in California, maybe Sonoma County. It was in a wide valley, sunny, open, I could see a girl riding her bike. The mountains were more in the distance. I then tried a road just south of the city, through villages, and it was beautiful, woods and heavy brush, but not as steep as Val Paisco. The houses were wonderful, all with thick exterior wooden shutters. I almost don’t want to use the over-the-top adjective phrase “everything was perfect”… except that everything was perfect! The Alps of eastern Lombardy… Heaven on Earth.

There have been many cable tv programs about legends of “monsters” (‘Monster Quest’, ‘Monsters and Mysteries in America’, etc.). I think anyone who has done any hiking can tell a few stories, myself included, of hearing some strange sounds from the wood and brush. I have heard some strange ominous low growls on occasion. I don’t think they were “monsters,” but it had to be something. The only thing I could compare it to is a wild pig, but not quite as squealy-sounding.

At the base of Mount Fuji in Japan is an infamous area known as Aokigahara, or “Suicide Forest.” This area is the scene of many suicides, year after year. Due to certain factors, there is little wind, it’s unusually quiet, and there seems to be no wildlife there. In Japanese mythology, the forest is associated with demons. There is a lot online about this, including one popular documentary on YouTube called Suicide Forest in Japan. It’s very eery.

I have covered Upper Michigan on this blog, partly because there is a sizable number of people of Lombardian descent there, and because my family is from there. "Yoopers" usually see themselves as a separate state, or identify more with Wisconsin. There is a regional culture, including a distinct dialect, music, and cuisine. It's really not unlike, for example, Cajun culture; except it's Northwoods instead of Swamps. I know, not every Cajun lives in the swamps; and not every Yooper lives in the woods. On a separate note, the Northwoods is filled with folklore, and that's another item that I want to learn more about, as there are numerous books on the subject. It's more than just old stories, as many people claim to have experienced things there. Getting back to Yooper culture, the following is from Wikipedia regarding "Yooper cuisine."

The Upper Peninsula has a distinctive local cuisine. The pasty (pronounced "pass-tee"), a kind of meat turnover originally brought to the region by Cornish miners, is popular among locals and tourists alike. Pasty varieties include chicken, venison, pork, hamburger, and pizza. Many restaurants serve potato sausage and cudighi, a spicy Italian meat. Finnish immigrants contributed nisu, a cardamom-flavored sweet bread; pannukakku, a variant on the pancake with a custard flavor; viili (sometimes spelled "fellia"), a stretchy, fermented Finnish milk; and korppu, hard slices of toasted cinnamon bread, traditionally dipped in coffee. Some Finnish foods such as juustoa (squeaky cheese, essentially a cheese curd, like Leipäjuusto) and sauna makkara (a ring-bologna sausage) have become so ubiquitous in Upper Peninsula cuisine that they are now commonly found in most grocery stores and supermarkets. Maple syrup is a highly prized local delicacy. Fresh Great Lakes fish, such as the lake trout, whitefish, and (in the spring) smelt are widely eaten. There is minimal concern about contamination of fish from Lake Superior waters^. Smoked fish is also popular. Thimbleberry jam and chokecherry jelly is a treat.

Lake Michigan

The following is the opening text from an article entitled 'Lake Michigan Triangle: Paranormal activity on the Great Lakes'..... "Besides the Bermuda Triangle, few areas in the world have a reputation for the bizarre like the Lake Michigan Triangle. Although it is relatively unknown on a global scale, especially compared to Bermuda, it has as storied a history of the unexplained as any place on earth." There is a lot online about this, including many video documentaries. One is from the 70's mystery program 'In Search Of', which was a forerunner of so many programs today. In Search of the Great Lakes Triangle - Part 1 (part 2 and 3 will show up on the right). 'In Search of' was great, and it still stands up just as well today.

I haven't been to the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema yet, but it sounds like an interesting idea. I'm actually not a big movie fan, but there are new and old movies shown there, and it sounds like a very comfortable place to visit. They're springing up all over. I first saw the ads on the Independent Film Channel. On one hand I don't like the idea that every movie theater needs to be some large "megaplex," but on the other hand, some of them are quite comfortable. In other words, you may get there a bit early and have some coffee, sit in a comfortable couch-chair, etc.

To go way off topic for a moment, the example of the 'In Search of' program being an inspiration for so much of what we see on cable tv today reminded me of another old program. Probably few remember a late-night variety program called 'Thicke of the Night' from the 80s. That program, as much as a highly-touted flop as it ended up being, actually is very much like so many comedy/variety programs on cable tv today. It was so different. Alan Thicke was the host, and Arsenio Hall the co-host. I'm not even that crazy about those two, but they were really funny on that show in my opinion. Thicke would often ask strange questions to put the guest on the spot, and Hall would often even harass guests from the other side. Most guests seemed to enjoy it, while one (Wally George) stormed off the set. The times that the late Frank Zappa was a guest, in particular, provided for some strange and funny dialog. There were a lot of strange, cheesy skits; and dry sexual innuendos without overdoing it. Some of the old footage is on YouTube... and yes... a few people even have some fond memories of the show. As to whether anyone could say that it was a forerunner of those similar programs today, I don't know. I think it was part of that evolution.

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Caffè Como: "Russian Hill's new hotspot"

I believe that this is probably standard Italian cuisine, but since it bears the name of the Lombardian province of Como--and it's in San Francisco--it deserves a mention on that alone. They're even on facebook.

From the San Francisco Chronicle ad:

Caffè Como's Eatery

Caffè Como's staff and fare are top notch. Recently remodled, the space is immaculate and cozy, prefect for a casual meal or an intimate conversation.

Come in and experience Russian Hill's new hotspot, Caffè Como.

Breakfast M-F 7-10AM

Dinner M-Sun 5-10PM

Brunch Sat-Sun 7-3PM

2550 Van Ness Ave (@ Filbert Street)

(415) 529-2615

http://www.caffe-como.com/

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Osteria Stellina: "Point Reyes Italian" food

This month, the San Francisco Chronicle released it's annual 'Top 100 Bay Area Restaurants'. Included on the list, for the third year in a row, was Osteria Stellina in Point Reyes Station, Marin County; which is described as "Point Reyes Italian" under it's cuisine (in the hard copy version). As you may know, perhaps from earlier entries here, that many of the towns founders and founding families were of Cisalpine or Ticinese origin. Of course, they continue to be a part of West Marin County, especially its dairy farming industry. That name is so cool; reminds me of "Ostara."

Osteria Stellina

11285 Hwy. 1 ( at B Street)
Point Reyes Station
Tel. (415) 663-9988      
Map | www.osteriastellina.com

Christian Caiazzo gathers most of his ingredients from Marin County and calls his creations Point Reyes Italian. Even though the restaurant is still in the 415 area code, Point Reyes Station feels as if it could be on the Irish coast, and the downtown could easily be the set for a spaghetti Western. The food, while homey, is sophisticated; his Beans and Greens alone is well worth a special trip. The interior of this corner storefront is modest, but the care that goes into the restaurant is evident in the fresh flower arrangements and pristine produce displayed around the dining room.

Specialties: Oyster pizza; Tomales Bay mussels with house-made sausage; Beans and Greens; beef stew; braised goat with creamy herbed polenta; grilled cheese at lunch; any dessert.

Hours

Lunch 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. daily; dinner 5-9 p.m. nightly.

Cuisines

• Italian

 

Features

• Beer and wine
• Credit Cards: Accepted
• Parking: Easy
• Lunch
• Seating (57)
• Reservations: Accepted

Overall

Price

Noise

Food

Service

Ambience

Date	Status	Details
04/03/2011	Revisited	Top 100 Restaurants 2011  -- Michael Bauer
04/04/2010	Revisited	Top 100 Restaurants 2010  -- Michael Bauer
05/10/2009	Reviewed	Osteria Stellina bursting with local goodness

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Chalet Ticino in Foster City

From the Chalet Ticino website:

Chalet Ticino - Swiss-Italian Restaurant

Established in the 1500's, Canton Ticino is located on the southeast border of Switzerland. Ticino brings the Mediterranean to the mountains and represents an enduring marriage between the competence of Switzerland and the culture of Italy. Italy manifests itself in Ticino's charm, architecture, and cuisine. Canton Ticino is part of the renowned 'Swiss Riviera'.

At Chalet Ticino we offer traditional and also innovated recipes inspired from the Italian, French and German regions of Switzerland. The blending of these influences is what gives the unique flavors found in Canton Ticino.

It is our mission to offer you delicious food, warm and friendly service and charming European ambiance. We are committed to having you, our guest, feel genuinely welcomed while you enjoy a rewarding dining experience. We look forward to getting to know you, and hope you enjoy our food and our company as well.

Owners: Nina and Alexander de Toth

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I just wanted to add an interesting trivia fact. The word "canton" is from the Lombard dialect, and means region, territory, state, province, etc., and was adopted by the Swiss nation in reference to their distinct provinces.

Lo Spiedo Bresciano: The Brescian Spit

Lo Spiedo Bresciano: The Brescian Spit

Or, Roast Game Birds

By Kyle Phillips [Licensed to About.com]

"We're hunters," came the reply when I asked about the origins of Lo Spiedo Bresciano, one of the city of Brescia's signature dishes. "But we do things differently than you do in Tuscany:" -- my accent places me -- "We set up blinds, don't use dogs, and shoot at uccelli dal becco fino," in other words fine beaked, i.e. small birds, including thrushes, meadowlarks, finches, and so on.

[Above: Making a Spiedo Bresciano: The meats have been roasting for about 4 hours. Note tray for coals to the front of roaster.]

Before you blanch at the idea of eating a songbird, some context: Lo spiedo bresciano goes back centuries, and is a holiday dish of those who were too poor to be able to afford other meats, and were also not allowed, by the ruling nobility, to hunt anything larger. Considering that one would be fined if one were caught shooting anything that walked or bounded over the land, if not worse -- the Visconti, who ruled Brescia from 1300 to 1430, had poachers mutilated -- hunters bent on providing a meal for their families naturally went after what the nobility didn't care about: Small birds.

As did farmers, both because some small birds eat the crops in the fields, and because barnyard animals that could provide commodities such as eggs, or be sold to raise cash, were much too valuable to be eaten.

Hence the classic Spiedo Bresciano.

Like any old dish, however, it has evolved with time.

*On the one hand, people aren't quite so poor as they once were, and can afford to add other meats to the spit, for example pork spare ribs, quail, and rabbit.

*And on the other, mores have changed, and it is now illegal to catch what was once allowed. Therefore, to enjoy the traditional Speido Bresciano you have to go out and catch the birds yourself, have a friend who hunts, or have access to commercially raised small game birds. Or you can adapt the recipe as many modern Bresciani do, cooking quail, rabbit, pork, chicken, and so on in the traditional way.

Historically there are three major variations on the Spiedo Bresciano:

*In the Valtrompia and the Bassa Bresciana, the flatlands extending from Brescia out into the Pianura Padana people used song birds and pieces of pork loin, figuring three birds and a couple of slices of loin per person. The birds are plucked, their eyes are removed, and they are gutted. Then they are spitted, arranging them so their heads all face the same same way, and putting the smallest birds at the ends of the spit where the heat is lower, with a slice of pork loin rolled up around a strip of lard and a sage leaf between each pair of birds. The spit is basted with melted butter.

*Around Rezzato, in the lower Gardesana (towards the Pianura Padana), they also add pieces of rabbit to the spit, and in other surrounding towns they go further, using pork spare ribs cut about 2 1/2 inches (6 cm) long, song-bird-sized pieces of chicken, and finger-thick slices of potato.

*In the alto Garda (towards the mountains) and the Valle Sabbia the Spiedo is richer; in addition to the song birds they use chicken, rabbit, duck, pork liver wrapped in lace fat, rolled up slices of pork shoulder butt (what is coppa if it's cured), which is tenderer than pork loin, and spare ribs.

Regardless of which kind of Spiedo Bresciano you choose to make, figure about three birds, and an equivalent volume of other meats, say a piece of pork loin, a spare rib, and a chicken drumstick per person, cutting the other meats to the size of the birds to insure everything cooks at the same rate (if you are omitting the songbirds, double the amounts of other meats, or add other things, for example quale and pigeon).

When you have assembled and cut your meats, spit them in repeating order: Bresciani using everything usually start with a slice of potato, followed by a rolled up piece of pork, a sage leaf, a songbird (spitted side-to-side), sage, potato, a piece of rabbit, sage, potato, a songbird, sage, potato, a piece of chicken, sage, potato, a spare rib, sage, and so on, until all is spitted. When spitting the meats, make certain the birds are all arranged facing the same way.

Lo Spiedo Bresciano is done over the coals, and there is really no other way to do it. An oven simply wouldn't give the same results.

Restaurants and people who cook for large groups of friends use a rotisserie of the kind shown here: a long metal box capable of holding several spits, which are turned by an electric motor. The coals go into a tray that runs along the front of the box, while the bottom of the rotisserie acts as a dripping pan, catching what drips from the spits above.

Such specialization is not necessary, however: All you need is one or more long spits you can set in front of the coals, and a clockwork or electrically operated spit turner to turn the spits so the meat cooks evenly.

And now, to cook! First, the fire:

Though you won't be cooking over high heat, you'll be cooking for a long time, so make certain you have an ample supply of non-resinous hardwood (Bresciani use olive wood) or good quality charcoal. I wouldn't use briquettes, because they can contain all sorts of things, including sawdust. Start the fire, and when it has produced some coals, you're ready to begin.

Put the spit in your hearth over a dripping pan, arranging the spit so the heads of the birds hang down. Spread the coals you have in front of -- not directly under -- the spit so they provide an even, not too intense heat over the length of the spit. Don't start the spit turner immediately, but rather wait until the heat from the coals stiffens the necks of the birds. While this is happening, melt a cup of unsalted butter and season it with several fresh sage leaves.

When the necks of the birds have stiffened, add a few more coals to increase the heat some (but not too much; the heat should never be really intense, or the birds will dry out), start the spit turner, baste the birds with the melted butter and sage, and lightly salt them. Continue cooking, adding coals as necessary to maintain a moderate, even heat, for 4-5 hours, basting every hour or so, using both the butter, and, as they accumulate, the drippings from the dripping pan. When there's about an hour left to go check seasoning. And when it's done, remove the pieces of meat to a platter, and keep them warm. Also, gather the drippings and flavorful bits from the drippings pan, combine them with whatever butter is left in the basting pot, and put them in a warmed bowl.

And thus we have the meat: What to serve with it?

Polenta; set a pot of water to boil about an hour before the birds will be ready, and make a nice batch of not too firm polenta. You may also want to make a tossed green salad seasoned with olive oil, salt, and good white wine vinegar. And, of course, you should procure wine: A Terre di Franciacorta Rosso DOC would be quite nice, as would a Garda Bresciano Rosso DOC, or, if you wanted to go a little further afield, a Valpolicella Superiore.

The actual serving is simple: Each person gets a couple birds and other kinds of meat (here, rabbit and spareribs), and some polenta, flavored by pressing into the polenta with the back of a spoon and filling the resulting well with seasoned drippings.

Festive food fit for king!

Lo Spiedo Bresciano: The Brescian Spit