By Craig Cola / washingtonpost.com Italian Journal Hosted by Kim O'Donnel washingtonpost.com Staff Thursday, March 23, 2000 Calling all foodies! For the next three weeks, Kim O'Donnel is cooking and logging on, LIVE from Italy. For the next three weeks, What's Cooking host 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. To read the most recent responses, please select "Get New Responses" or select "Automatically Update Page."

Kim O'Donnel: Good evening (or rather, I should say buona sera) from Costigliole d'Asti in the Piedmont region of Italy. It's six in the evening here, and it looks like we might get rain. The locals are praying, even doing a little rain dance since there has been no rain in this region for at least three months. The land is parched and they're getting worried. It's been a busy week here, from a day in the Valle d'Aosta region to cooking with several kinds of animal fats (a big deal here) to more indepth study of how to taste wine, which involves many steps before you even get to put it in your mouth.
One program note: Since we want to maximize the cyberexperience of my being in Italy, I'll take only questions related to Italian life and culture. Food questions are certainly welcome, but if you've got a regular What's Cooking kind of question, please hold it til I return to the States. Thanks for understanding. So ask away, I've been to the fontina cheese cooperative, a castle dating back to Roman times, had a fabulous look at Mont Blanc, which borders Italy with France and Switzerland, and on and on...andiamo!

Copenhagen, Denmark: Kim, my favorite pizza parlor here was telling me just yesterday that it is a blatant lie, his words, that Marco Polo brought back PASTA from China. His contention is that the Ilanians invented both opera & pasta. Can you shed some light on this pasta war?

Kim O'Donnel: Top of the evening to you Copenhagen. Yes, your pizza parlor friend is onto something. Apparently, pasta in the form of macaroni dates back to Ancient Rome, and that Marco Polo did not have much to do with the introduction of the noodle to our beloved Italians. We have fresh pasta class several times next week, and so I'll be able to shed even more light on this mystery sometime after Monday. Stay tuned.

Arl, VA: Ciao Kim!
The word that comes to mind most frequently when I read your discussions...is jealous! I love Italy and I would love to participate in a similar gastronomic adventure.

So, my question: I am thinking about going to the Venice area for a very extended stay this fall. One of my goals is to take cooking lessons or go to a cooking school while there. I am not a food professional - the requirement of your institute. Do you have any suggestions for me in Venice?
Grazia mil!

Kim O'Donnel: Ciao to you too, Arlington. Off the top of my head, I don't have ideas, but I suggest you look at Faith Willinger's "Eating in Italy" which lists several kinds of cooking courses (many of which are short and geared for the non-professional), plus check out the Web. I've noticed several kinds in both Venice and Florence. Good luck and let me know what you find out.

Takoma Park, MD: Kim --

First time writer who looks forward to your chats every week.

Mio marito and I will be sharing a house in Tuscany (Pian di Sco to be exact) with 8 others the last week in May. The house has a kitchen and will be supplied with some of the basics. But, what are some of the local and seasonal goodies that we absolutely must incorporate into our meals? We're there for such a short time that we don't want to miss a thing.

Thanks a bunch!

Kim O'Donnel: Going in May, you are going to be able to enjoy lots of fruits and vegetables, including asparagus, strawberries, zucchini, lots of fresh greens for salad, lots of herbs...if you're on the coast, you'll be able to enjoy fish

get yourself a good olive oil, and you'll have no probably getting one locally. someone in the school is coming up to my desk to add on to this answer, so stay tuned momentarily for more tidbits.

chevy chase, md: ciao, Kim!

So, what can you do with Fontina? Eat as is, or use in recipes? I buy the Danish sort (inferior, I'm sure) to grate on pizza with caramelized onions. A great combo. But what else might I do?

Kim O'Donnel: Well, you know, fonduta (fondue) is famous...I had a risotto in Aosta that was flavored with fontina, cinnamon and rye bread cubes, that was strange and wonderful. And yes, of course, a nice hunk with a bottle of Muller Thurgau (a lovely kind of spicy white wine made from this region)on some chunky whole wheat bread and you're in business...pizza is wonderful idea...

Kim O'Donnel: To continue what you could get in Tuscany in May, according to my trusty helpers here at the school: check out the fresh garlic and fennel, which grows wild and in many ways is more like an herb than veg.
As for wine, Chianti Classico, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Brunello di Montalcino, Carmignano --all red and DOCG wines, says Gianni Lercara, wine expert here at the school. That should get you started...

Washington, DC: What have you noticed about the food you're eating there? Is it traditional Italian or is there more fusion and outside influence? Is the current season reflected in the cooking or are the dishes year round? When I was there, I ate at some restaurants which belonged to a group dedicated to "slow cooking" in opposition to fast food - have you seen many of these restaurants there?

Kim O'Donnel: So far, I haven't had a lot of fusion, although I'm seeing chefs update old classics. For example a well known chef from a restaurant near Milan did an update on lasagna. He did individual lasagnas, with a pea cream and foie gras terrine, served with a sauce of fresh peas and pancetta, I think. It was really interesting and so delicate. As for the slow food movement, it got its start here in Piedmont, and my pal Gino who owns enoteca Caffe Roma is a member. I haven't talked to many people about it yet, but within the next few days will be discussing this very topic with a few chefs. I will be eating at very well known restaurant Guido, here in Costigliole next week and so will have more to report about what chefs are doing, vis a vis classics versus trends.

Warrenton, VA: Kim, I am so jealous of your trip there. Italian food and wine is my all time favorite.

How do Italians stay relatively slender compared to Americans?

Kim O'Donnel: There are plenty of Italians with considerable stomachs but I'd say for the most part you are correct. If I had to say immediately what my theory is -- they don't snack like Americans do, nor do they rely on preprocessed fast food either. Meals are events, and you sit down and eat slowly and you forget about the rest of the world, and then you return to work. There are still plenty of people who close their businesses in the middle of the day just to have lunch. Lunch also seems to be the big meal, so dinner in the evening is generally lighter fare and you don't go to bed with a very full stomach and no place to use those calories. Portions are also smaller. Fruit is served for dessert, not always but definitely more often than you see in the States. A couple of thoughts to start with...

Copenhagen, Denmark:: I have never been to Italy, but my impression from personal contact is that the Italians are among the friendliest people in Europe & know how to enjoy life to the fullest. To cut a long story short, are you having a good time? And what's your favorite time of the day there?

Kim O'Donnel: I'm having a wonderful time. My days are very full, though. I'm up before seven, either to take a run and then have breakfast before class, and then we're at school til after 6. I would like a few quiet moments to myself but I've decided that can happen when I get on the airplane. There's so much to absorb, all of it new for me. My favorite time of day is very early morning. When I run through the hills passing local vineyards, it is heaven. The sun is just peeking through, saying hello, and it's glorious. No cars,just me, the vines, the sun and the hills. How could you go wrong?

Boston : Ciao! Quick question: I invested in a couple of great knives. What's the best way to keep them sharp?

Fab chats. Love 'em all. Thanks.

Kim O'Donnel: Have you purchased both a steel and a stone? Steel doesn't sharpen knife, just keeps edge straight. It's like giving knife a little touch up . But the stone actually sharpens blade, and you'll need that every once in a while. Taking good care of your knives also ensures keeping them sharp and nice. Wash them, dry them, store them properly. Treat them like little jewels.

chevy chase, md: So, what animal fats are you learning about cooking with? I assume this goes beyond butter to lard and the like? Do you like the results?

Kim O'Donnel: Chef Baldi whipped out at least five different types of fatback (plus lard) for us to see yesterday morning. Yes, it goes way beyond butter, and yes, lard is used frequently. I tried a fatback seasoned with pepper, which was wonderful. They season a lot of their fatbacks with herbs and spices...which may sound strange, but imparts a most unusual flavor. We made two pasta dishes with fatback, and I was laughing at the idea that we were cooking fat in fat (olive oil) but the end result was delicious and didn't taste heavy. ONly a small amount is necessary as well. The question is, will I buy lard when I get back to the States. Don't know yet. But it's somethng worth considering.

Manassas, VA: Hi Kim,
Like everyone else, I'm jealous! What a wonderful experience you must be having.
My question - I'm hosting an antipasti party in a couple weeks. I'd like to serve a variety of different things. So far I'm planning on crostini with several different toppings, some different kinds of olives, nice wine of coures. Do they have parties like this in Italy? What else could I serve?
The party is on a Friday after work, so I'm hoping to do a lot of the prep the night before. Any ideas?

Kim O'Donnel: Antipasti are quite popular here, and often you'll be served something when you go to an enoteca for a glass of wine. They'll serve slices of bread topped with gorgonzola, or other local cheeses such as robbiolo, goat cheese (you could use anything as you know), salumi slices, little slices of frittata on bread, egg salad, white beans, tomatoes with herbs...actually, I'm going to post a recipe that we did here, just below. Check it out. A great dish for a party.

Clifton, VA: Suggestions for a quick pasta and seafood recipe for Lenten Fridays? Thanks

Dave

Kim O'Donnel: we had a nice pasta dish last night, made with olive oil, red onions, red bell peppers, and herbs of your choice.. it was really simple but tasty. you could do broccoli rabe and garlic...with garbanzos and chile peppers...you could do cauliflower and lemons and herbs..there are so many ways to do it....

Kim O'Donnel: Here's that recipe I was talking about earlier: fried cheese with balsamic vinegar. delicious!

Grana pastellato al Balsamico
Serves 10
From the Emilia-romagna region, works well as an apertivo (with cocktails before dinner)

Ingredients:
About 16 oz Grana Padano or another hard cheese, such as Pecorino or Parmaggiano-Reggiano
About 8 oz flour
Your favorite dry white wine
About 4 eggs
Black pepper
Salt
Fresh nutmeg
Olive oil for frying
Your favorite balsamic vinegar

Heat olive oil in a fairly deep round pot.
Chop cheese into bite-sized pieces and set aside.
Beat the eggs with salt and peper and add the flour gradually with a few splashes of wine. Grate some nutmeg to taste. It should be a creamy and fairly dense batter.
Dip the cheese into the batter and when oil is hot (but not boiling), immerse in the oil. Cook til golden brown. Serve immediately with splash of traditional balsamic vinegar. Should be eaten warm.

Charlottesville, VA: Hi Kim! I've just started reading your chats, and have gotten hooked.

There's been some discussion about pizza dough on these chats. My question is, how can I make the dough so that it doesn't become too thick when it rises? The last pizza I made was about 90% dough and 10% topping - I called it "peculiar pizza."

Thanks, and enjoy Italy -I'm jealous!-.

Kim O'Donnel: What do you mean by too thick when it rises? You want your dough to double when it rises. Do you mean to roll out successfully? Talk to me, Charlottesville. And after tomorrow, when I have pizza class, I'll be armed with even more information.

Mt. Vernon VA: I have a pizza dough question-myth. Isn't pizza dough regular bread dough? I usually make my own pizza and before I had a bread machine I would use frozen generic bread dough. Now that I have a machine I sometimes pizzazz the dough buy adding different seasonings-flours. Why do a lot of people seem to have problems-phobias with pizza dough? Making bread is a lot harder because you do not have the toppings to hide under.

Kim O'Donnel: Well, dough as I've said many times in the past, requires Zen energy. You must be ready for the dough or the dough will run your life. And you must be nice to the dough or it will take over the kitchen. It's harder to screw up pizza dough or bread dough than it is to screw up pie dough (which is not forgiving at all)...but I think most people are phobic of dough because they don't know how to approach it. Making dough can be very theurapeutic if you've got a respectful, mindful attitude, or it can be frustrating and hellish. But it sounds like you're on a happy trail. And after all, isn't that what cooking is all about? Love and good karma? I walked into a restaurant the other day, in Aosta, called Hostellerie de la Pomme Couronnee, and I fell in love with it, because I felt very positive energy there. I didn't eat there, but I think I'm going back because of the love I felt in the dining room. May sound crazy or even corny, but I think that's where the best food is --in people's hearts.

Weird Pizza in Charlottesville: Well, it doubled (at least! ) after it rose. But when I rolled it out, it was still thick. Should I have made each crust from a smaller piece of dough for a thinner crust?

Kim O'Donnel: You need to punch at least once before rolling, but nothing major. Start rolling out from the center. Keep rotating your dough. Have a thin veil of flour on your surface so that when you rotate it doesn't stick. Rotating after each time you press out helps a lot with texture. And go gently. Sometimes you don't even need the force of a pin. You can use the heat of your hands.

washingtonpost.com: What's the most interesting dish you had so far in Italy (preferably one without mayo).

Kim O'Donnel: Some of the highlights include: the risotto made with nettles, the wonderfully rich polenta at Hotel Europe in Aosta the other day, served with beef that had been cooked in local red wine, as well as the wonderfully strange risotto I mentioned earlier, that was made with fontina, cinnamon and rye bread cubes...I've had roasted rabbit wrapped in some kind of fat back, which surprised me ( I was making a face before eating)...

boston: Pasta! Do you eat-cook with-serve fresh or dried pasta there? Is the dried pasta similar in quality and consistency of say, a good imported brand we can get here? -name one....- Do you advocate one or the other, in general, in particular dishes? Thanks.

Kim O'Donnel: They do both. In restaurants, a lot of fresh, made and rolled every day. I've had wonderful fresh angolotti (ravioli) stuffed with mushrooms and beef...all fresh, and then they use plenty of dried pasta...the lasagna dish I mentioned earlier was made with fresh pasta, and of course this chef's recipe includes 22 eggs per kilo of flour!!! I think using both is good, for different reasons, and of course, depending on time, occasion, etc.

wash, dc: wouldn't the best food be in people's stomachs? not hearts? haha

Kim O'Donnel: Of course. But if all we did was eat just to keep biological mechanisms operating, we wouldn't really enjoy the metaphysical qualities of good food. We wouldn't learn about other people's communities and cultures. We wouldn't experience heaven on earth.

Georgia: My husband and I are not alcohol or coffee drinkers, but we are hoping to land a trip to Italy within the next couple of years. Can you tell me some wonderful things that we should try that don't have these ingredients.

Just so you know - I'm jealous.

Thanks!

Kim O'Donnel: Oranciata, fizzy orange soda...wonderful mineral water...for starters...

Another Charlottesvillian...: Hey Kim! From 1979 - 1981 we lived in Brindisi Italy and used to frequent a restaurant called the Boomerang Pizzeria that had something called a "Fritelle". I have never come across them since. I recall that they were sort of like a calzone but deep fat fried and boy oh boy they were tasty. Are you familiar with them? If so, could you pass on the "official" recipe? Thanks so much!

Kim O'Donnel: No haven't had them, but will see if I can find out about a recipe to pass on...check in with me on Monday, okay?

Kim O'Donnel: It's time to go, unfortunately. Please join me on Monday, the 27th, but at 11 am EST, due to daylight savings time here in Italy. (time difference will then be 7 hours, but only for one week as you guys do it the following week)...I'll have pizza to report, as well as fresh pasta, more wine, maybe some grappa tidbits and who knows what else. By the way, the vernal equinox greeted us here with an orange moon -- la luna aranciata (I hope I'm using the right word for moon)...ciao!

washingtonpost.com: Join us Monday, March 27th for Kim's What's Cooking? LIVE from Italy.