Words Kylie Saglia
Planning on adding a European getaway to your bingo card for next year? Then we’d recommend putting Piemonte in Northern Italy on your list. We’re possibly biased after spending four weeks there earlier this year. But this region has such a rich history of food and wine that anyone passionate about either should spend time here truly enjoying it.
It had been four years since Simone and I had been back to Italy (when you run a cafe/restaurant and have three children, time can really get away on you). But we were able to step away from The Trading Post to take Noah, 6, Alba, 4 and Sebastian, 2, back to Simone’s hometown for a wholesome family getaway.
Simone’s family live near the city of Alba, the home of the famous white truffle and Nebbiolo wine. It’s a two-hour drive from Malpensa Airport in Milan and 45 minutes from Turin.
The town of Alba is everything you picture it to be: cobblestone streets built by the Romans, tightly knit buildings with wooden shutters, decorative balustrades, and bougainvillea creeping around corners.
While I’d love to say that after 10 years together, I was fluent in Italian, it isn’t quite the case. I can do meet-and-greet pleasantries and hold a conversation around food and drink quite well, but anything about economy and politics (especially Italian politics) I’ll happily leave to Simone. In saying all that, one of my favourite sayings I have learned is la bella figura, and as soon as I heard it, I thought it was the most accurate way to describe life in Italy.
Directly translated, it means ‘the beautiful figure’, and while that’s beautiful in and of itself, the deeper meaning behind the line is about the art of making a positive and elegant first impression, and this was the embodiment of our recent trip back.
Everything is slower and more intentional here. There wasn’t an online grocery order or Uber Eats delivery in sight.
A typical day for us would include picking up freshly baked bread from a panetteria. Our favourite was one called SOV. The chef, Luca, was an old colleague of Simone’s from when he worked in the Michelin-starred restaurant by Davide Palluda, All’Enoteca. Luca has gone out on his own, sourcing premium flours and grains to create his artisan breads.
There were lines out the door of his bakery, yet as soon as we entered the staff would offer the kids a complimentary slice of focaccia. Even though they were busy, you never felt rushed. The kind gesture of offering bread to the kids gave us more time to browse the cabinets for the perfect loaf.
Another regular stop would be at the local macelleria to purchase meat for the week. Here the walls are draped with salumi. The refrigerated cabinets are filled with a diverse range of meats, from typical lamb, beef and chicken to guinea fowl, rabbit and quail. Everything is displayed whole, so you select the meats and cuts you like, and they prepare them in front of you. The selection of ready-to-cook dishes like lasagna, cannelloni and other baked pasta dishes was incredible, and we happily rotated through them over the course of the holiday. They also offered some inspiration for some new dishes on this summer’s menu at The Trading Post – another perk of travel.
Visiting the formaggeria was arguably one of my most enjoyable stops. The cabinets were filled with wheels and wheels of cheese from cow, goat or sheep’s milk. One of my favourites was a Gorgonzola Dolce; it was the smoothest, gooiest cheese I’ve tasted. Other close favourites included Camoscio d’Oro, Bettelmatt, Bitto, Blu di Mucca, La Rocchetta. The dry shelves in the formagerie were also filled with truffle-infused oils, uniquely packaged dried pasta and other artisan produce, immaculately presented, and all from local growers.
The kids became very accustomed to a daily pastry, not only for the taste but because pasticcerias look more like an art display of fresh pastries. It wasn’t just the details on the pastries that were exquisite; it was also how they packaged your baked goods for you. There are no pre-made boxes or paper bags; every pastry order was packaged individually to-go with a gold card, a cardboard bridge to prevent toppings from coming off, wrapped in branded wrapping paper, and tied with a ribbon and card. The kids would rest their chins on the bench and watch as the shop assistant artfully packaged their treats.
Between Alba and the surrounding towns, there was always a local market to explore. These markets filled the streets with fashion, jewellery, footwear, kitchenware and home goods. The fruit and vegetable stands were spectacular, overflowing with seasonal produce straight from the growers. And it was here we could revel in the local produce and varieties we don’t see in New Zealand – radicchio trevigiano, radicchio di chioggia, zucchine trombette, nespole, insalata pan di zucchero, cicoria catalana (puntarelle).
Every place was intentional by design, focusing on one thing and doing it impeccably. There’s a lot to be learned by slowing down the shopping and dining experiences and taking the time to appreciate age-old artisan techniques.
There are dozens of other experiences we wish to share with you, like blind tasting 20 Barbaresco wines at Campamac restaurant or visiting the wonderland of the Baladin brewery, so ask us about them when you come to visit.
We’ve come back incredibly inspired, and we’re looking forward to sharing these with you.
The Trading Post
1 Hall Road, Paengaroa
Piadina
A dish the family loved and Simmone has been re-creating at home is one they saw popping up in many Italian butcher shops. The Piadina, touted as an Italian Taco, is super easy to make and a real crowd pleaser.
Use a flour tortilla or your favourite flat bread
One wrap
130 gr mince beef seasoned with salt and pepper
3 slices of cheese
rocket leaves or cos lettuce
Spread the mince over the warp place the cheese slice and salad of your liking
Crack a bit of pepper and salt.
Fold in half to create half-moon then cut in half again.
Pan sear both side until golden brown then bake in pre heated oven 200c for 5 min.
Serve and indulge!
Hankering for a Taste of Italy?
Taste of Tours offers tours to the North of Italy, not far from Simone’s hometown and the heart of Italian cuisine with our Taste of Emilia Romagna tour.
You can also enjoy a Taste of Sicily or a Taste of Puglia.
Find out more here
