Our European foodie checklist

Having waited so long since our last trip to Europe, we had a long list of foods that we were eager to taste once again. And I’m happy to report that we’ve eaten pretty much everything on our list:

Cappuccino (lots and lots of cappuccinos!) = ✅
Pizza (quite a bit of pizza) = ✅
Swiss cheese* = ✅
Gelato = ✅
Pizzoccheri = ✅
Tiramisu = ✅
Gnocchi di zucca = ✅
Pasta con pesto = ✅
Risotto = ✅
Torta di mele (apple); also cioccolato (chocolate), nocci (nuts), della nonna (Grandmother), etc) = ✅

It almost looked like we weren’t going to fit in fondue or raclette, but tonight we had a family dinner featuring both, so… = ✅

I do believe that the only local treat that we haven’t yet had is polenta. Oh well, I think we’ll survive.

* Meaning about fifteen different types of cheese produced in Switzerland, but NOT Emmenthaler (the one with holes), which most of Swiss folks I know don’t even like!

Making pizzoccheri

For today’s adventure we joined Fulvio in making pizzoccheri for lunch. It was great fun and turned out delicious.

The pasta is made from 80% buckwheat flour and 20% wheat flour
In America we’re used to measuring cups; in Europe they weigh ingredients instead
Fulvio adding water to the flour
First the pasta gets a good stir
Then it gets worked by hand
Ramesha begins the process of rolling out the dough
Fulvio rolls it out even thinner and also flips it over
Dividing the rolled out dough into sections, then cutting it into strips
This is what you end up with
Next step was cutting up potatoes…
…and coste (or bietola)…
…which we know as Swiss chard
Meanwhile Ramesha was grating cheese
Lots and lots of cheese!
First the potatoes are added to boiling water, then the Swiss chard
Next comes the pasta
Time to melt some butter, to which is added garlic
The view from the kitchen while all this was going on
Akuna hung out in the kitchen with us, hoping someone would drop some food on the floor
The cheese and butter are mixed in with the (drained) potatoes, chard, and pasta (definitely NOT a low-calorie dish)
Ramesha dishes it up; boy oh boy was it good!