By Craig Cola / washingtonpost.com Italian Journal Hosted by Kim O'Donnel washingtonpost.com Staff Thursday, March 30, 2000 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: From Costigliole d'Asti March 16 - Italian Journal March 20 - What's Cooking March 23 - Italian Journal March 27 - What's Cooking March 30 - Italian Journal April 3 - What's Cooking 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.

Kim O'Donnel: Buon giorno a tutti! It's a beautiful spring day in Costigliole d'Asti, and I've been all over the province of Asti today, with the tourism folks here, checking out local food and drink. It was a serious pigout fest. Yesterday, was in the Ligurian region to visit Agnesi pasta factory, in the city of Imperia --they are a producer of dried pasta making its way to the States in July or August of this year, so the folks at Barilla and DeCecco are going to have to make room on American supermarket shelves. Also visited Isnardi olive oil production facility, where there are more kinds of extra virgin olive oil than you can imagine. You could have one for every day of the week if you wanted. I am eager to hear what's on your mind. my days are soon ending, and they have been fuller than full, so ask away. I've been to taste torrone (hazelnut nougat) at Barbero in Asti, had lunch at La Braja in Montemagno (absolutely exquisite) and tried the grappa at Pietro Mazzetti just down the road. So, let's get to your questions. Andiamo!

Annapolis, MD: Hi

This may be a tough question to answer. A friend of mine is going to Italy in two weeks with his wife and two teenage children. They're going to Rome and then to a small seaside village.

Do you have any suggestions for an Italian dish to order in a restaurant that they may not see here in the U.S.?

Here's why I'm asking: it strikes me that here in the U.S., with the exception of a few outstanding restaurants, we see an "Americanized" version of Italian cooking. And so when we think of "Italian" cooking, we think of the "Americanized" spectrum of choices.

So, I'm curious if you think there's a 'knockout dish' that's commmonly seen on menus in Italy and rarely seen here in the U.S. that my friend's family should try during their trip.

Thanks for any advice you can provide!

Kim O'Donnel: Hi there,
It's like apples and oranges. The Italian food in the States is not even close to what you find here. First of all, the pasta course comes first, and the portions are generally much smaller than what you're used to. And not everything is glopped down with cheese. You can tell your friends not to worry about Americanized versions, as they will soon see how much different (and better) the food is. Tell them to experiment and learn from this opportunity. Tell them to take advantage of the fresh fruit, which is going to be in my dreams in a few weeks. Do as the Romans do. Mangia and live for the moment. Don 't even try to compare. It's not worth the energy.

Washington, DC: Bon giorno Kim -

I always enjoy your chats, especially these ones, since I am collecting your tips for a trip to Florence mid-April. We'll be staying in a rented apartment, with some day trips off to the country and hopefully Cinque Terre. I know you're in a different region, but do you have any food pilgrimages to recommend that are fairly accessible from Florence? I plan to gorge myself on ricciarelli - do you have thoughts on seasonal delights I should look for as well?

Grazie!

Kim O'Donnel: I was in Cinque Terre two weeks ago, and spent the night in Monterosso. It is definitely worth the trip for a night or two, and come April, the weather will be even better, milder than what we've been experiencing. We stayed at a little place called Hotel Souvenir, which is owned by a guy named Recino -- if you go there, send regards from "la giornalista di Washingtonpost.com." He will understand. His place is not fancy but clean and just fine. Make sure you eat foccacia, pesto and acciughe (anchovies). One of the local pasta cuts there is trepine, very short cut which is delicious. Sciacchetra is a limited production dessert wine that you may want to check out, and you will notice all the lemon trees, which are glorious and exude a wonderful perfume. Enjoy yourself and check in with me in the next few weeks, as I settle back stateside and may have more tidbits for you.

Arlington, VA: What's this Spring's fashion color? Are animal prints big there like they are in the U.S.? Are Italians fat from all their good food?

Kim O'Donnel: Glad you asked. You can't go anywhere without seeing lavender. It's in all the store windows, in the flea markets, and it's been worn like the new black. You know, purple shoes, purple pants, purple top, purple leather jacket, purple eyeshadow. Gack. It is truly awful. I love purple but the lavender is not for me. Looking forward to seeing this trend pass. Haven't seen too much in the way of animal prints. But lots of patent leather, lots of nylon skirts and trousers, you know the camping material?

Copenhagen: Kim, I am sorry your reign in Italy is coming to an end as I have looked forward eagerly to your scintillating & informative breezy answers to informed & probing questions. Mine today, altho I say it's informed or probing, is: a Danish friend of mine contends that grappa is used by Italians only on certain occasions at certain times of the day & only with certain dishes. Can you help clear up this confusion. What is the best time to your taste?

Kim O'Donnel: Good evening Copenhagen. I have just returned from a family owned grappa distillery, called Pietro Mazzetti. They have zillions of types, using several kinds of grapes (including the local Rusché grape), grappa with herbs, fruits, etc. It's pretty much consumed as a digestiv, after a big meal, and I have to say it does the job well. I wouldn't say it only goes with certain dishes, but works beautifully as an end to your meal. I like the grappa fresca versus the aged stuff, which is too ripe for me in the nose...

VA: Kim, are there tourist spots or centers near Costigliole? How far is it from a major city? I would like to take a two week trip to Italy during the late summer. Would that be a good time to go?

Kim O'Donnel: Costigliole is a bit of a one-horse town --as I have mentioned in the last few weeks, it's a lot like "Northern Exposure"'s Cicely. Population: 6,000 or so. One gas station. No hotel. You get the picture. The closest bigger city is Asti, about 15 kilometers north of here, a city with a population of about 72,000. Costigliole is definitely worth a look since it's chockful of vineyards and local characters. You could stay in Asti and tool around. There's a ton of stuff to do, from restaurants (There are a few hundred in the province) to wineries, local chocolate producers, shopping, and if you want more info, let me know. I'll put you in touch with the local tourism folks in Asti, who are very helpful and intersted in boosting tourism from the States. Everyone here considers fall the best time, since you have wine harvest, peak of truffle season, lots of interesting local dishes, a big food festival in Asti the third week of September, etc. Don't go in August. Everyone goes away for vacation. Hold off until September.

Royal Oak, MI: Kim,

Oh so jealous of your many adventures!

Can you please spell out for those of us who are not so apt what goes into a vinagarette? Perhaps you've had some wonderful salads-vinagarettes in Italy? What type of vinegar works best? Reccommend any brands specifically? How about ingredients for a salad that go well with vinagarette, like fruit? Thanks a lot!

Enjoy!

Kim O'Donnel: Hi there,
Vinaigrette here is quite simple, but it's all about the quality of the ingredients that you use. This is probably the most important thing that I will take away with me from this adventure. The woman from Isnardi Ardoino tells me that their oil is available at Safeway markets in the states. And from what I understand, they have a web site. If you want, I can get it for you. As for vinegars, they love their traditional balsamic vinegars ...I think the simpler t he ingredients the better for salad. You can just do some of your favorite greens, with thinly sliced fennel or red onions shaved, segments of tangerine, whatever you love. They like to drizzle balsamico on strawberries for example.

Milan : Hi Kim - What other countries are your classmates from? Are they studying to be professionals or are they there for personal satisfaction?

Kim O'Donnel: Salve (for non-Italians, this means "hi") Milan: the group is a real potpourri of creatures. We've got a couple from Brazil, a woman from Korea, a man from Japan, three messhuganas from Venezuela, someone from Canada, someone from Italy, and the rest from all over the States. Then there is a group that is entirely Japanese, and a smaller group that is entirely Korean. Our group as well as the Japanese group will be here longer than my stay. They are here at the school for 5 more weeks, then they move onto to do their "stage" in a restaurant in Italy, working for 4 months. eVeryone here is very intent on using their experience to open a business or further their culinary careers, for sure.

Phoenix: Like everyone, I am soooo jealous! But, please, tell us about the bread! Is it to die for? Is there one bakery or a communal oven? Does the bread have salt in it and is it baked to a dark crunchy crust? I always remember the deep golden Tuscan saltless breads from my trips to Italy. Curious, do Italians dip bread in olive oil which, as you know, is still the big trend in the States?

Kim O'Donnel: You know what? I don't love the bread. The ciabatta is good, the grissini (breadsticks) are local specialties, but I haven't fallen in love with the bread yet. Now, if you move further south and go to Liguria and try the foccacia, well, that's another story. I could live off of that stuff. Yes, the bread is salted, but no, it's not really dark. Generally more like white loaves. I liked the darker rye that I had in the Valle d'Aosta region (near Switzerland and France) and this weekend I'll be there to experience more of the local dishes and should have more to report come Monday. And no, I haven't seen any olive oil dipping with bread. Olive oil goes on meat, pasta, into soups, on salads.

Washington D.C.: Hi-
I was wondering what your language background is -- do you speak Italian and if so how well? I am traveling to Italy this May and neither my husband nor I speak Italian but we do know French and Spanish. Everyone always says that it is fine in Europe -- people will understand but I am afraid that people there will either find me rude for not learning their language or just not understand me. What do you think -- how easy is it to get along without the knowledge of the Italian language? Thanks!

Kim O'Donnel: Okay. I learned Italian in college and never really had an opportunity to use it much afterwards. I speak French well and know some Spanish, but I have this tendency to confuse my Spanish with my Italian. Naturally, since I'm using Italian every day, it's improving and I'm getting more comfortable (especially after a few glasses of wine), but I've got a long way to go. I was told this afternoon that I speak well, but I think not. I understand more than I can speak at this point. It helps to know basic expressions, like good morning, afternoon, evening, hello, pleased to meet you, where is the bathroom, a coffee please, etc. The Italians seem to be more forgiving than the Parisians when it comes to not knowing their language, but I would recommend maybe buying a CD'ROM and practicing at home for a few weeks before going. The language is so beautiful and they are so expressive. And I've noticed that if you try to speak, they love you for it. Because you are taking an interest and you are working to communicate in their lingua.

Timonium, MD: Kim,
Glad that you are enjoying Italy. I was in Tuscany in September and the countryside was great and the people even better ! You seem to enjoy grappa. I've tried it a few times in a great NY restaurant, Trattoria Dell'Arte, and some of the flavors are as tasty as painter remover, not that I drink that often. Any idea as to the perceived difference ?
Thanks,
Sam

Kim O'Donnel: Hi Sam,
I would agree that most of what we're getting in the States is akin to turpentine and the like, and believe me, I was wary to try the stuff upon my arrival here. But, now I've had a chance to sample several different kinds, and one that I really like is from the Moscato d'Asti grape.It's fairly floral, easy on the nose and on the throat. I'm not as keen on the aged grappas, which smell to me like rotting bananas and I can't get past that, even to sip. There are grappas made from Barbera grapes, Rusche, and this area is well know for its grappa bounty. To me, the difference is in being here. The grapes are harvested just down the road. They haven't been shipped a zillion miles and distilled in another land, etc. I guess you'll just have to get your butt over here and see what the noise is all about.

Memphis, TN: Love your chats as a long time reader. Please give us the low down on the olive oil factory and the different types of oil. Any thought on how you pick them up in the US. thanks

Kim O'Donnel: Hi Memphis, glad to have you online with us today. The Isnardi family got into the business of olive oil because they sold the stuff as medicine in a pharmacy. They've been around since 1908. They used to market it to pregnant women and as a replacement for cod liver or castor oil as a curative. I bought an oil made with only the pulp of the olive, without the pits, and the woman there tells me its result is a more delicate oil that I will only want to use just before serving food, in limited amounts. As I mentioned earlier in the hour, I will get their website and email for Monday, so check in with me. I would definitely check out their goods.

C-ville, VA: BonGiorno Kim! I posted a question last week about a recipe or guidelines for making "fritelles" and wonder if you were able to come up with anything?

Kim O'Donnel: I haven't yet gotten an answer my dear but I have it on my list before leaving. so hang in there and as soon as I have the info, I'll let you know. Thanks for checking in.

Arlington, VA: What's the current music trend over there?

Kim O'Donnel: Pop. On one radio station, I heard a sound by D'Angelo followed by an Italian pop song. I'm not hearing a lot of jazz, but I'm also in a fairly remote area. Lots of 70s tunes on another radio station. Paolo Conte, a famous lawyer'turned singer from Asti, is popular in other parts of Europe but not so much here. Lots of MTV videos in cafes you see in Asti. Don't have much more than this...

Copenhagen:: Do you find that Italians use more salt in their cooking than is the case of Americans in the States?

Kim O'Donnel: Earlier in my stay, I said no. Now, I say absolutely yes. I had a hilarious moment last Saturday when I was on risotto duty for lunch. Chef Sergio Zanetti asked me to taste for salt, and I kept salting but feeling less and less confident in my tastebuds, and so at some point stopped salting, thinking yes, I had done salt justice but NOOOOOOO, there wasn't enough salt for the Italians. Some of my colleagues said salt was fine, others said not enough. But this kind of situation has happened more than once in the last few weeks, and now I wonder when I return to the States if I will find the food bland.

Alex., VA: About the bread, there have been a series of articles about the decline in quality of French and Italian breads because of more mass production. This was confirmed anecdotally by an Italian friend of mine (who is a professional gourmet chef) who lives 4 mos. per year in Italy, 8 in Virginia, who says the breads at Firehook in Alexandria (and DC) are better than any she has had (anywhere) in Italy. she says it is because firehook uses a woodfired oven and the "Oldways" techniques that Firehook bakers use to make the bread. I don't know about any of that, but it sure is the best darn bread I know of -besides stuff I bake, hee hee-.

Kim O'Donnel: I wish I had had more time to explore this phenomenon (One more reason to come back). I used to work at Firehook and would agree that their bread is top notch...even the bread we made here at the school didn't really speak to me. But as I said earlier, I enjoyed the bread I had in Liguria.

Arlington, VA: Now that you have been in Italy for a while, what has been your favorite places to go and foods to eat?

Kim O'Donnel: I would love to keep going back to Liguria. I love being near the sea, and I love the idea of having access to fish all the time. The climate there is much more Mediterranean and so you have wonderful produce (not to mention olive groves galore)...I would like to explore Tuscany and tool around...and I would like an opportunity to eat less meat than is typical here in Piedmont...but as far as favorite places go, the one place that I will miss terribly is the local enoteca, Caffe Roma, otherwise known among several students as "the office." Gino and his wife Anna have such a comfortable place it has become a bit of a second home. _Go for a coffee midday, go for a wine later in the evening. I'll miss that kind of community.

Barbados: Hi Kim:
I am rivetted to the computer.....everyone calling and screaming at me, all waiting by Dennis' Fruit Stand....and me here! cannot stop being with you! I've been all over Europe but only passed through Venice on a train, so Italy basically is "foreign" to me although I have always wanted to visit and I always befriended Italians and Italian restaurants especially in England and Germany. Now more than ever I want to visit so bad! You are so lucky! What I want from you is a typical menu for a lunch, say in a really local family-owned type restaurant.

Kim O'Donnel: Hello Miss Barbados, glad to see you online with us this evening. Typical lunch always begins with a pasta or rice dish (and sometimes an antipasti of salumi, stuff like that)...main courses here are generally meat-based, and I-ve had wonderful piedmontese beef, wonderful veal stews, rabbit roasted, goat, etc. It's fairly heavy food, but as you know, the portions are smaller here. Stick to your ribs kind of food. Sometimes you'll get polenta instead of potatoes, and then of course, there are the local cheeses, including Bra, Gorgonzola, Castelmagno, Robbiolo, etc. Then you might have fruit or dessert, depending on the day, a coffee maybe, a grappa maybe. It's pretty wonderful, but I am ready for a diet, my dear.

Bethesda, MD: Ciao, Bella! I want to make pizza this weekend, and would like to top it with
watercress. I tried this before and it's yummy, but the cress tends to get a little
dry and crispy during the 15 min baking time. Any suggestions for keeping it supple?

Kim O'Donnel: Ciao, darling. Top the watercress after you've baked, right after pulling out of the oven and spritz with some olive oil. You will see the difference pronto. Enjoy!

Arlington, VA: Will you be bringing your coworkers -even in the newsroom- some great food?

Kim O'Donnel: Sigh. I wonder who this is. Trying to stock the old carry on with goodies, so hold tight, whoever you are. And methinks I must prepare some risotto upon my return. What say you?

wash dc: i am going to be in europe on business in late september for a very intense two weeks.nothing but meetings and late nights, no sights, just work, work, work. i did this last year and after it was all done hopped on a plane back to the states and was very depressed I had not seen anything. This year I am hoping on some serious r and r in italy, take a train from london to italy, but where is the best place to chill out for 4 or 5 days. I would like to see some sights but mostly be far away from the maddening crowd. Where would you recommend. I will buy my ticket based on your response. thanks

Kim O'Donnel: Cinque Terre for sure (Liguria coast)...also Piedmont will be lovely at this time of the year. YOu can take a train to Asti (maybe you will have to connect in Torino) and as far as Liguria is concerned, connections in Genova. Now, Valle d'Aosta is also lovely if you like Alps and mountain life. You'll get a taste of the melding of Swiss, french and Italian cultures. But please, before you do anything maybe it's time for some meditation and a massage before booking a ticket, no?

Manassas, VA: Hi Kim,
I just got a new Italian cookbook and it has a recipe for a white bean salad that can be eaten by itself or to top crostini. It calls for dried cannellini beans, but I can only find lima, navy, and great northern beans. Will one of these work ok?

Kim O'Donnel: Yes. No problem. Make sure you season well, and top off with some of your favorite olive oil. Enjoy my dear.

Curious VA,: Hey Kim,
Have you found amore in Italy? Are the men gorgeous?

Kim O'Donnel: My mother keeps asking me if I've met any goat cheese farmers, and the answer is a big fat NOOOOO! Much better that way, I've been able to focus and really enjoy this country and not through the hazy eyes of loveydoveness. Know what I'm sayin? Depends on where you go, as far the gorgeous factor is concerned. And flirting is always a good thing, and perfectly harmless.

Washington, D.C.: I've found two recipes for Fonduta sauce, made with Fontina cheese. One had flour the other did not. Which is correct? What proportions of flour to cheese to egg yolks?
I hope you can help.

Kim O'Donnel: Hmmm. I have a recipe for this, but not with me. Please remind me on Monday, and I'll make sure to bring recipe with me to help you through this one.

Kim O'Donnel: It's time to go. I am having dinner tonight at Risorante Guido, renowned throughout Italy (and abroad). Been looking forward to this adventure. And then off for the weekend to Valle D'Aosta to do some snowshoeing! Back to you on Monday, the third, at noon EST. Be there or a be a stewed tomato. Ciao!