By Craig Cola / washingtonpost.com What's Cooking Goes to Italy Hosted by Kim O'Donnel washingtonpost.com Staff Monday, March 27, 2000 Calling all foodies! For the next three weeks, Kim O'Donnel is cooking and logging on, LIVE from Italy. Enrolled at the Italian Culinary Institute for Foreigners in Costigliole d'Asti, Kim will share her far-flung adventures, both in and out of the classroom, until April 4. This is your chance to explore Italy's Piedmont region, from the artisans in the countryside to the big-city caffe culture in Milan and Turin. Check out these upcoming dates from Italy: March 16 - Italian Journal from Costigliole d'Asti March 20 - What's Cooking from Costigliole d'Asti March 23 - Italian Journal March 27 - What's Cooking March 30 - Italian Journal April 3 - What's Cooking April 6 - Copenhagen Journal In addition to the Italian Journal segments (March 16, 23, 30), Kim will host What's Cooking, her popular cooking discussion held on Mondays (March 20, 27; April 3, Noon EST). A graduate of Peter Kump's New York Cooking School, Kim spends much of her free time in front of a stove or with her nose in a cookbook. If you can't make the live event, you can always send Kim O'Donnel an e-mail or drop in on the What's Cooking message board. Plus, check out Kim's pre-Italy video interview. Below is today's transcript.

washingtonpost.com: Welcome to What's Cooking? LIVE from Italy with Kim O'Donnel. Many of you are wondering why this week we are having our shows at 11 a.m. EST. Well, it's daylight savings time in Italy so, this week Kim's shows will be at 11 a.m. EST and next week return to the regular Noon EST time.

Kim O'Donnel: Good Monday to you from Costigliole d'Asti, where there's rain for the first time in at least three months. It's been fairly gray for the last day or so, but the locals are happy to see the land get a good drink. As has been the case for the last two weeks, the days have been very full and busy. Since last time, we've learned pizza dough, visited the cooperative for Grana Padano cheese (a hard, aged cow's milk cheese that is similar to parmaggiano-reggiano although the producers wouldn't like me to say that), went to neighboring Asti, where a group of us had a magical meal of traditional Piedmontese dishes...started the beginning of three lessons on fresh pasta...so I'm eager to hear what's on your mind, what you want to know...Shoot.

McLean, VA: Kim, if you are not gaining weight what is the point? I know Americans are considered piggy but we do love to eat! I would get soooo fat on that trip you are on!

How do you resist?!?

Kim O'Donnel: I agree with you wholeheartedly. If I don't take advantage of all there is to offer, I'd be a fool. The opportunity to try the sausages and the cheeses and the salamis and the sweets, the pastas, the wine...yes you're right. I am sure I've put on a few poundage points but I'm not too worried. I'm exercising as time permits and trying to keep sugar intake to a minimum. And hey, this is life. You go up, you go down.

MD: Do you feel spring in the air in Italy, too? Soon, I would like to surprise my husband (assuming it doesn't rain) with a picnic in the park. Any ideas for easy-travel, keeps-well, springtime-feel, food? I've never tried this before.....

Kim O'Donnel: Spring is definitely on its way here. The wisteria are peeking through the buds, the various cherry trees, daffodils, etc, and the land is beginning to look very colorful (in spite of the drought). A picnic is a swell idea, and I do hope you have a picnic basket (my mother insisted on giving me one she found at a flea market, although I haven't used it yet) to make your experience complete. Well, you'll need some good bread, some of your favorite cheese (gorgonzola is on my mind these days --I wonder why?!) and gorgonzola goes so well with pears or apples...how about a navy bean/white bean salad with olive oil, garlic, rosemary, (make sure those beans are salted well) and you could scoop it up with some that bread, plus olives...gee, the choices are endless...even a frittata would be fun to take along...and don't forget the vino!

Arlington, VA: Kim, I have a crazy question.
Do Italians eat pancakes? And how many sausage dishes are there?!

Kim O'Donnel: Giancarlo Pocchitino, director of the school, tells me that the first time he discovered pancakes was when he worked in Bermuda, so I guess the answer to your question is a big fat No.
Sausage dishes not per se, but sausages just to eat, as part of an antipasto or to eat by themselves, like we saw at the market yesterday in costigliole.

VA: Hey is it true that there are different parts of the day that Italians get expresso standing up -and on the go- and sitting down? What are the coffee shops like?

Kim O'Donnel: Here's my little primer on coffee: as you know, Italians drink espresso, not American-style coffee like we find at Starbucks, etc. In the morning, people tend to have a cappuccino (also known as a "capuccio")...but of course, espresso is taken all day long. A macchiato is an espresso "stained" with a touch of steamed milk, and my new favorite is a marocchino, more than a macchiato but not quite a cappuccino, somewhere in the middle. And then there's the caffe corretto (literally translated as a corrected coffee), which is an espresso topped off with a grappa or some other kind of drinky drink. Mamma mia.
Coffee bars are wonderful things here...they often function as gelaterias as well, or wine bars, and they're even really good in roadside stops (like those we find on the turnpike)...it's terribly civilized and it's one of the big things I will miss about being here.

falls church, va: hi kim,
the classes you're taking so great... i'm a little jealous. My question is about risotto what is it really? Do you have an easy recipe to make it?

Thanks
Jen

Kim O'Donnel: Funny you should ask about risotto...I was on risotto duty this past Saturday, taking directives from Chef Sergio Zanetti. We started out making our own stock, from beef bones, mirepoix (celery, carrot, onion), herbs and chopped tomatoes...we made a risotto with Barbaresco wine...topped with a garnish of sauteed yellow peppers. It's not hard, but it's high maintenance...Max was my risotto partner...while I did all the chopping of the stock foundation and then chopped an onion so finely it looked like baby food...Max was on fatback duty...He pounded fatback til it was the consistency of shaving cream --it took him close to an hour to get to that consistency. It was then mixed with very finely chopped parsley, to work as a flavoring agent for the risotto. The onions too were added, but only after the rice had been toasted, then coated with wine, then the broth is added GRADUALLY: And constant stirring. The big contending factor at the end of the entire experience: the salt. Chef thought I didn't salt it well enough. The Italians like their salt. I tasted many times, consulted Max who gave thumbs up, but Chef said it needed more. Oh well. Still it tasted good.

wash, dc: Hey Kim

Hope you are having a lovely time in Italia...
Went to this restaurant this weekend and had ricotta ravioli with jus of crushed gamebird. well the gamebird was great, very tender and juicy I am just wondering what kind of bird is it?

thanks

Kim O'Donnel: It could have been quail...or guinea hen...or duck...pheasant...it's hard to know just from reading your post...

Mltv.,NJ: Kim - You were talking about trying different oils. Are you aware that the Williams-Sonoma stores in the USA have trying oils and vinegar stations - complete with small paper cups, cubes of bread and numerous bottles of 0ils and vinegars ready to try? Keep us posted on your tasting trials.

Kim O'Donnel: Didn't know that, very interesting. I am planning to bring back a few different oils and do some tasting when life is a bit calmer. Right now, the energy is manic and so I haven't had a chance to continue with la degustazione...but of course, keep you posted.

Germantown, MD: Ciao Kim!

You told me to hang on to my pasta ? until you had your classes, so I'm ready -

I'd like to make homemade pasta from whole wheat dough. Can I use all whole wheat? Do I have to use a combination? What do you recommend?

Thanks a bunch!

Kim O'Donnel: What kind of pasta do you want to make, as in what kind of shape? We learned today that the shape, kind of pasta you want to make determines the kind of flour you use...and it takes some reconfiguration from Italian to American versions because of the differences in flour...sometimes you use only hard wheat, sometimes half and half, etc. Whole wheat flour is not something I would recommend...I think you are better with semolina and white flours...but give me an indication of what kind of pasta you want to prepare.

Milan: Hi Kim - Have you had bollito misto yet? I know that "mixed boiled meat" sounds pretty yucky but it's absolutely fabulous and a great Piedmontese dish

Kim O'Donnel: Ciao Milan,
Unfortunately I haven't had bollito misto as yet...please tell me where I should get some of this!

New York, NY: Traveling to Southern Italy and wanting to find restaurants and markets that the Italians enjoy (not tourists). What's the best way to get this information before traveling and after arriving?

Kim O'Donnel: Have you looked on the Web? There's a ton of information available...plus, I'm recommending yet again Faith Willinger's "Eating in Italy" --oh shoot, you just said Southern Italy, the book is for Northern Italy...I will ask around here at the school...come online with me this Thursday and I will see what I can do for you...where exactly are you going, by the way? (so we can narrow it down)

Spring Valley, DC: How does your Italian cooking school experience compare with your American experience?

Kim O'Donnel: This course is mainly for people who have been through some kind of culinary training, so they are not teaching you how to cook here (how to hold a knife, how to do mise en place, how to blanch, etc)... All the classes are in Italian, with our wonderful interpreter (Rosanna Conobbio)...but the language barrier and the translation factor is definitely something to consider depending on your language ability, etc. We are learning a lot about product, resource and how to use them. Classes just on olive oil, for example, vinegar, fresh pasta, animal fats, rice, etc...and then there's a huge emphasis on wine, which is technical and difficult and wonderful. There has not been a lot of hands on training, not as much as in cooking school in the states, but the rest of the group will have more of those opportunities as the weeks move on, and then they work in restaurants throughout Italy.

DC: Kim, what did you learn about making the best pizza dough?

Kim O'Donnel: Well, the dough we learned how to make yields a very thin crust. No special ingredients, just salt, yeast, flour and water. No oil, no sugar, no beer, no frou frou additives. I like thin crust but don't love it. But I will say it came out nice. We made a typical Margarita pizza -- tomatoes, mozzarella (but not the real kind) and chopped basil at the end. We rounded pizzas into 180 gram portions and let them double in size in a floured container. Rolling out was very simple. A lot of work with your hands before you even consider the rolling pin. Rotation, flour, ease of mind, as I've said here before.
Oh, and one very important tip: don't top your pizza until just before you put into oven, or it will be very soggy. We saw a few eager beavers have their dough get thrown out.-

Mltv.,NJ: Kim - Is there a way to buy Italian oils on the net?

Kim O'Donnel: This is a great question and one that I want to explore when I get back to the States. By the way, it looks like I may have even more info about olive oil in the coming weeks, as I am going to be a judge in an olive oil recipe competition in New York...so I will check on the kinds of olive oils available in the States and to get them to your doorstep.

VA: Re: the weight gain question.
I thought Italian women were generally thin? How are they skinny with all the pasta and delicious food they eat?

have you gone shopping yet?

Kim O'Donnel: Yes, most people here are thin. There are exceptions of course, but generally, thinner than what we see in the States. Gianni, the wine expert here, constantly refers to himself as "Texas size" but I told him today, no you are more like New Jersey. If he thinks he's fat, I'd love to know what he'd say about the Americans at the nearby mall. And yes, I've done a tad bit of shopping in Asti, and yes, I made a few purchases, and yes, I'm trying to contain myself. There's still a week left, though. Help me, help me...

Alexandria Steve: What exactly is parmaggiano reggiano ? Is it a specific brand or a type of parmaggiano ? I have often heard the phrase as if it is the "king" of cheese but I was never certain of its meaning.

Thanks, love the chat !

Kim O'Donnel: It's a type of cheese, period. Not a specific brand. It's the name of the cheese:parmigiano-reggiano. Made from fresh cow's milk. Aged for I don't know how long. Comes from the emilia-romagna region and has been produced for something like 700 years. like many other cheeses in Italy, it's got to be tested, approved and stamped to be considered and sold as the real thing.

Milan: A restaurant. Bollito misto is not something you can make unless you have about 6 kids. It takes several hunks of beef, brisket, veal hocks, a chicken, a cotechino (don't know what that is in English) and lots of veg. all stewed together. The waiter staggers out with a huge platter, fantastic aroma. Try small country restaurants.

Kim O'Donnel: Thanks for the info! I can only imagine the size of the platters! I love the imagery.

Spring Valley, DC:
What has been the most challenging dish you have had to prepare while on your trip (aside from the risotto)?

Kim O'Donnel: You'll probably laugh, but one of the hardest things to do was to make a very easy dish: carbonara. It's hard to cook when someone is telling you how to prepare in another language, and you're trying to keep your wits about you, a smile on your face, your heart in the right place and then boom, you practically scramble your eggs when stirring into the hot pasta and your lardons are nearly burned! And then you present to the chef and he tells you that there is not enough salt in the dish. Lord have mercy. The life of a cook.

Copenhagen, Denmark:: What a wonderful show you're having today, Kim. What about salads? Are the Italians into anything exotic in salads?

Kim O'Donnel: Hello Copenhagen. Just the other day, we had spring flowers in our salad, and it was so refreshing and beautiful to look at just before taking bites. I had a nice white bean salad the other day at a small bar --the beans were really big and fleshy, but if you don't like meat, you would not be interested. They were flavored with tripe. I would look for spring flowers to exoticize your salad, then.

wdc: What's a fatback? Explain please.

Kim O'Donnel: Maybe you know it as lard. Except lard doesn't have any of the meat. We're talking serious fat, my friend.

DC: Following up on the pizza: can you be more specific about proportions of flour and water and yeast? How many rises and was it at a cool temperature? Also, have you tasted buffalo mozzarella yet -- and how would you describe it?

Kim O'Donnel: Okay, here it goes but for now it's in metrics, so bear with me for a few days:
for 2 kilograms of flour, mix 20 grams of yeast, 1 liter of lukewarm water. Then add 50 grams of salt(preferably coarse or sea salt).
One rise only. AT about 75 degrees farenheit.
and no, I haven't had buffalo mozzarella here as yet. we'll see.

Falls Church, VA: Kim:
When I was in Italy 4 years ago, I remember having a slice of pizza that was divine. It had sliced potatoes and a basil "sauce" that wasn't quite pesto. I have tried to duplicate this taste sensation, but with no success. I cannot seem to get the potatoes right (do you have a kind to recommend) and I think I will wait till my fresh basil blooms to try the "sauce" again.
Any help with my culinary mystery would be so much appreciated. Every time I log on to read these sessions, I can taste my potato pizza all over again!

Kim O'Donnel: The potatoes need to be nice and thin. You should probably steam them to get them nice and tender ( and of course, salt the water you use to steam)...a basil sauce that's not quite pesto...I'll have to ask around.

Germantown, MD: Hi Kim -

Pasta girl here.

I'm open about the type - I'm trying to reduce the white flour in my diet.

I'd like to try gnocchi, ravioli-agnolotti, and perhaps a linguine.

Thanks!

Kim O'Donnel: Give me this week to follow up on this one, as I'll have two more pasta classes and much more info by next Monday. And thanks for your patience. I want to help you, so please remind me next Monday!

Warrenton, VA: Do you have a husband or boyfriend? If not, I officially volunteer for your next sojourn. I am not bad looking by the way and share a deep interest in food and wine. Please rsvp if you are available.

Kim O'Donnel: Oh behave. I travel solo. No extra baggage for me. But thanks for the offer. On that note, I have to run. If you have a chance, I'll be online again on Thursday at 11 am EST. By then, I'll have visited a famous wine producer in Alba, a pasta producer and an olive oil producer. Hope to have much more to report. For now, ciao and mangia, mangia. Life is definitely too short to say no. Bye!