An Etruscan in the kitchen
A while ago, a friend told me about a very good cook specializing in lunches and dinners at home. The description of the person had intrigued me a lot: an imposing Livornese DOC (quality label usually used for wine) of Etruscan origins, which he holds up and emphasizes with pride, capable and very serious about food.
Fate or luck, who knows, after a while an acquaintance of mine, owner of an elegant structure for tourists, had decided to offer a group of foreigners a cooking class with dinner. Who could be more suitable than this cook with over a decade of experience who, as I learned later, nowadays cooks only for pleasure?
Luckily for everyone, I dare say, he accepted the invitation to show his skills and punctually at 4 p.m. on the chosen day he showed up with the necessities The “necessities”, for a Tuscan, (let alone for a refined Etruscan who originates from a country known for an ancient and rich cuisine) means fresh ingredients, chosen with particular care and wisdom according to tradition. The success of a dish, in fact, depends to a large part on this. And on the other hand, instead, from a scrupulous execution of the recipe, following the experience of the ancestors. Woe be to those who modify it!
What was the program? A classic, that is to say homemade pasta topped with meat sauce.
The sauce needs to be cooked for at least an hour and a half. Therefore, we started at once with its preparation which I thought to know. What I was not clear about is that the ingredients for the sauté, a fundamental basis for many dishes of the Tuscan culinary tradition, do not want to be blended in a mixer again and again and again. On the contrary, carrots and celery need to maintain a certain bite, while the onion, during cooking, must dissolve completely, if it can be described as such.
Then it was the turn of the tagliatelle. I’m not particularly keen on pasta but a couple of times I wanted to try to make it anyway, alas, with little success. Now, though, at least it is clear to me why, on one side, the correct choice of different types of flour is fundamental. On the other the dough, to become elastic and smooth, needs to be worked at least ten minutes and not just two or three, as I had done.
The dinner, no one had any doubts, was a complete success. The participants got up from the table sated and satisfied. Everyone had fun and learned something new from this exceptional Tuscan, deeply Etruscan cook. Let’s hope he decides to continue cooking and passing on his very personal recipes in the future. I’m curious to taste the dishes he’ll bring out of his magician’s hat, or rather a chef’s hat… in the kitchen.
Fabio is ready to share the recipes and is available for advice or consultation as well as for bookings: fabiobargagna@gmail.com
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