The Big One… French v Italian Fashion, by Lucy O’Donnell

 

If we think about European fashion, obviously the Italians and the French stand out: Armani, Chanel, Dior,  Dolce & Gabbana, Fendi, Ferragamo, Gucci,  Hermes,  Louis Vuitton, Prada, Valentino, Yves Saint Laurent and so on. They are the best in the world, with their detail to design, craftsmanship, textiles, leathers and style. It is this last detail that I would like to explore. The diversity of each country’s style seen through key fashion elements; the cultural significance and what the word ‘Style’ means to each person. Let’s start with Italy. When we think of Italian fashion, handbags, shoes, leather and the words bold and elegant come to mind. The Italians would give their soul for the latest IN bag, coat or pair of shoes. One can have a good heart and soul, but that’s worth nothing if you don’t have an impeccable sense of style, the right hairstyle and make a fantastic fashion statement. Roman and Milanese women for example strut the streets of their cities with utter self- confidence and elegance;  just watching them  make their way through the Galleria or crowded Via dei Condotti, walking into Prada  or Valentino and carefully eyeing every item in the store, you realise they have almost as much pleasure as actually buying something in the store! The Italiane always and I mean ALWAYS, match. Everything they wear goes with everything. The shoes, the belt, the bag go together perfectly. Their make- up and hair style also tie in. They never mismatch colours and have something that distinguishes one designer from another.  

Having briefly outlined the epitome of the Italian persona when it comes to fashion, let’s look at a couple of Italian fashion houses, which is where it all started. 

 

Gucci: First opened in Florence in 1921 by Guccio Gucci (Poor man, what parents would do that?), and today has a revenue of 4.2 Billion.                    
Artistic Directors Tom Ford, and currently Frida Giannini have flourished under Gucci, modelling its style to what it is today. Gucci, famous for its double ‘G’s’ and green and red stripes, is a Must in an Italian’s wardrobe-starting with the ‘Jackie O’ bag. The fashion house, is known for its craftsmanship in leather so the shoes and bags make me (Italian raised) salivate whenever I see one!

 

 

Then there is Valentino: Valentino Garavani started designing in Paris under Jacques Fath, afterwards he moved on to Balenciaga, Jean Desses and Guy Laroche. He moved back to Rome in 1959 and opened his first store on Via dei Condotti, which has been there ever since. By the mid 1960’s he was considered the Italian fashion Maestro, won the Neiman Marcus Fashion Award (The fashion equivalent of the Oscars) and had A list clients such as Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn and Jacqueline Onassis.

Valentino went on to open stores world- wide and continued designing his famous ‘red dresses’. He retired in January 2008, leaving the role of creative director divided between Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli but not before showing his entire collections at the ‘Museo dell’Ara Pacis’ in Rome in 2007. The exhibition brought fashionistas from all over the world (myself included)! It was amazing - every beautiful item he had ever created was in the one building! And once again, as a properly trained Italianised woman, I found myself gasping in awe at the beauty and intricacy! The Italian way of life revolves around style, elegance and fashion. On weekend afternoons, after lunch and a ‘siesta’, flocks of people head toward the centre of the city to walk the streets and absorb the life and vibrancy it has to offer. Whether it be friends, families and their children, couples or singles, everyone is out and about. You can’t ignore the thousands out window shopping, It is entertaining to watch women walking out of stores with dozens of bags and various maxed out credit cards, raving about their new Prada, or how this Fendi bag will go with the Bulgari necklace they bought last week! Personally I love it, even if I do only spend thousands in my head- it’s just the way I grew up!

 

France…Paris…Yves Saint Laurent… Hermes (and Birkin bags).…Louis Vuitton….Les Champs Elysees.. Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré….. Rue Saint-Honoré.….Chanel …more Birkin bags!! The more I think about it, the more I yearn for Paris and realise I am thousands of kilometres away.                                              When it comes to fashion, the French think they are superior, even more than the Italians do. They just put this with that, whether it be a pair of Louboutins with jeans and a Bulgari necklace and off they go. They have an innate sense of style which is quite different to the Italians. While I was living there, I found myself on numerous occasions being gobsmacked by snooty Parisian women walking into Hermes, and then walking back out with not one, not two, but THREE birkin bags, and at 20k each (and a waiting list of months), who could keep up? (The Birkin bag is handmade in leather by Hermès and named after actress and singer Jane Birkin. The bag is a symbol of wealth due to its high price and elusiveness to the public. Its prices range from $9,000 to $150,000 (being the red croc one). Costs escalate according to the materials. The bags are distributed to Hermès boutiques on unpredictable schedules and in limited quantities, creating scarcity and exclusivity. 

 

 

They could easily then go straight into Adidas and buy a pair of joggers, which obviously they would wear with the Birkin. (And as a true Italian, the words- ‘What on earth ???’ come to mind) but they would pull it off and look smashing. Their sense of style is so different to the Italian…perhaps, generally a little more reserved, not as bold but, it works well for them! From A to Z they will have it all, even if they can’t eat for the rest of their (stick thin but healthy) lives.  Moving on, (sense tone of envy), let’s consider the French classic fashion house, Chanel, from early days to modern times (even in Italian eyes the top French houses are considered places of worship). 

 

The absolute classic – Chanel  –  Gabrielle  ‘Coco’ Chanel changed the world view  of modern fashion for women. She began in 1909, opening a shop on the ground floor of Etienne Balsan’s apartment in Paris. His home was a meeting place for the hunting elite of France and the gentlemen would bring their fashionable mistresses along, giving Chanel an opportunity to sell decorated hats. During this time she had a good friendship with Arthur Capel, a member of the hunting society. He saw a business woman in CoCo, and helped her buy the legendary location of 31 Rue Cambon in Paris in 1910.

 

In 1921, her first perfume, Chanel No. 5, was created by Earnest Beaux after her lucky number 5. The two piece suit was designed in the 1920’s, and relaunched in the early 50’s, becoming less rudimentary and being adorned with long strings of black and white pearls; borderline feminine, thus competing with the ‘new look’ of Christian Dior. Coco died in 1971, leaving the artistic direction to Yvonne Dudel, Jean Cazaubon and Philippe Guibourge. Karl Lagerfeld, today considered the fashion ‘padrino’ took over as chief designer in 1983 after finishing off with house Chloe.  



  

His arrival at Chanel was drastic. He changed the older lines to shorter cuts and eye capturing designs.Today, Lagerfeld still leads the empire, creating the most amazing fashion shows in the Grand Palais of Paris (another reason why the French think they are the top). Every season he creates byzantine palaces, alien landscapes, plane flights and ‘under the sea’ themes. 

 

So whether you like the bold, elegant Italian styles or the smart, svelte lines of the French, rest assured, they have the fashion game sewn up and choosing an item from any of these designer labels is selecting a little work of art!

 

                            

 

                                                       



                                                                               



                                                    

The Chianti Region of Tuscany

Chianti is a region of about three hundred square kilometres, nestled between the towns of Siena and Florence. Entirely hilly, it varies in aspect from the severe and harsh to the sweet and soft, covered in neat rows of vines, green forests or stony meadowland with olive groves and sparse oak trees. The light is quite astounding - no view ever seems to be the same from one hour to the next and on clear days you can see forever: on misty days the light  filters colours and objects as though through a silken veil, and you seem to be living in a Renaissance landscape.

Interspersed in this landscape are castles: some still occupied by the noble families whose ancestors built them in the feudal middle- ages; others - ruined, perhaps in battle centuries ago, and abandoned - still dominate their hilltops with proud arrogance.

 

There are numerous hill towns and hamlets, villas and farmhouses, guarded by sentinel cypresses, by people who may make their living tending the vineyards, or have already made more than a living and have retired to beautiful old houses.                 

Chianti is a major Italian wine-growing region and is also known throughout the world for exceptional food. For anyone wanting an authentic Italian holiday, surrounded by the splendid Tuscan countryside it is a must.                              

 

The main towns are: Anchiano, Castelfiorentino, Certaldo, Cetona , Chianciano Terme, Fiesole, Gambassi Terme, Greve in Chianti, Molin del Piano, Montalcino, Montepulciano, Panzano in Chianti, Pienza, Terme, San Casciano dei Bagni, San Gimignano, Sarteano, Siena and Vinci. 
                                                                         
Many wines are produced in the region, with its wonderful combination of climate, soil and four special grapes: The Sangiovese and Canaiolo (black) and the Malvasia and Trebbiano (white). These grapes give Chianti wines their notable dry, full-bodied character with a bouquet like violets. There are so many good wines, it is worth trying some to discover your favourite. Call in at farms and estates and ask to taste the wine; the owners will be happy to let you and, if you buy, the price will almost certainly be less than you would pay in the shops. 

 

Protected by the Fine Arts Commission, Chianti is unspoilt and will remain so, but it has such an active agricultural and viticultural life that there is no danger of its sinking into a museum-like tourist attraction. 

A truly unending source of culture, history, scenery, architecture, tourist attractions, gastronomy and wines, the Sienese part of the territory contains the ancient towns of this land: Radda, Gaiole and Castellina (the old Chianti League), as well as Castelnuovo Berardenga . In fact, here lie the defence lines of the Republics of Siena and Florence, which have scowled at each other over hill and dale, through woods and vineyards for centuries!  

 

 

 

Sushi - Delicious, Fresh and Healthy

 

 

 



 

Sushi is classic Japanese cuisine and can easily be prepared at home.   

    

Japanese culture shows a deep respect for nature. Products of the earth and the sea must be prepared preserving their natural forms and flavours and of course using the freshest of ingredients. Other elements of a Japanese meal are consistent and traditionally restrained in quantity, high in quality and elegant in presentation. There are more sushi bars in Japan than any other type of restaurant and they have spread to become enormously popular all over the world. 

 

Although Sushi is considered a typical Japanese dish, it actuall originated i  south-east Asia, gradually making its way to China around the 2nd century AD and then to Japan by the 7th century.

 

It was used as a way of preserving fish. By packing cooked rice around the fish, the rice fermented and produced lactic acid which preserved the fish. From the fifteenth century sushi started to develop into the dishes we know today, Rice vinegar is now added to the rice to create the tart flavour of the fermented rice and of course. From the northern islands to the southern islands, many different varieties of Sushi were developed, but the constant factors are the easy access to seafood and rice which has been grown all over the islands since early times.             

 

                                                                                   

There are 5 main types of Sushi: Nigiri-Zushi (squeezed), Maki-Zushi (rolled), Chirashi-Zushi (scattered), Oshi-Zushi (pressed) and Maze-zushi (mixed).  The basic equipment needed to make good sushi includes: a wooden bowl and spatula, a bamboo mat, a wooden chopping board, a good set of sharp knives, a rice cooker and a pair of large tweezers for removing fish bones. The last consideration is ingredients and  depending on the type of Sushi you wish to make, the essentials are as follows: Su (rice vinegar), Wasabi (Japanese Horseradish), Shoyu (soy sauce),  Gari (pickled ginger), Nori (seaweed), Shitaki (mushrooms), Kombu (dried kelp), Dashi (stock), Mirin (sweet rice wine), Sake (rice wine), Shiso (perilla leaf), Oboro (fish flakes) and mayonnaise.

 

 

 

Recipe 1.   Nigiri -Zushi

INGREDIENTS

500 grams fresh raw tuna, salmon, tai, etc.

2 cups sushi rice

2 tblspns rice vinegar

2 tblspns caster sugar

1 1/2 tspns salt

1 tspn wasabi

soy sauce

gari (ginger)

                                                                                                                                                                           

METHOD

In a medium saucepan, bring 375ml (1 1/2 cups) water to a boil. Add rice and stir. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes until water is absorbed. In a small bowl, mix the rice vinegar, sugar and salt. Blend the mixture into the rice.            

Take a spoonful of sushi and cup it in   the palm of one hand. With two fingers of the other hand, squeeze into an oblong shape, approx. 2 cm x 4 cm.                                     

It is easier to complete all the nigiri and place them on a serving plate, then place the wasabi and raw fish later. Sushi chefs make each piece as they go, as it is actually more efficient; each piece needs only to be handled once. The method you choose is completely up to you.                                                                                         

Slicing the pieces of raw fish is perhaps the hardest part of making nigiri. Ideally, a sashimi knife is the best, but any slender, sharp long bladed knife will do. Place the fish on the cutting board, and slice diagonally, to end up with the largest pieces possible. It is best to start slicing at the top end of the blade (near the handle) and making the cut to the tip, in one smooth motion. Don’t worry if it’s not possible to do this; it takes years to perfect the technique!                                                                          

To assemble the Nigiri, place the rice in the palm of one hand, placing a small dollop of wasabi on the rice. Then, cover with a piece of fish, and squeeze.

 

Recipe 2.  Maki-zushi

INGREDIENTS

1 cup uncooked short-grain rice

2 tblspns rice vinegar

2 tblspns caster sugar

1 1/2 tspns salt

4 sheets nori seaweed sheets

1/2 cucumber, peeled, cut into small strips

2 tblspns pickled ginger

1 avocado, peeled, cut into small strips

250 grams smoked salmon slices, flaked crab meat or tuna 

 

METHOD                                                  

In a medium saucepan, bring 375ml (1 1/2 cups) water to a boil. Add rice and stir. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes until water is absorbed. In a small bowl, mix the rice vinegar, sugar and salt. Blend the mixture into the rice.      

Preheat oven to 150 C. On a medium baking tray, heat nori in the preheated oven 1 to 2 minutes, until warm.                                                                                                        

Centre one sheet of nori on a bamboo sushi mat. Wet your hands, spread a thin layer of rice on the sheet of nori, and press into a thin layer. Arrange 1/4 of the cucumber, ginger, avocado and seafood of your choice in a line down the centre of the rice. Lift the end of the mat, and gently roll it over the ingredients, pressing gently. Roll it forward to make a complete roll. Repeat with remaining ingredients.                        

Cut each roll into 4 to 6 slices using a wet, sharp knife. Serve immediately.



 

Wines of Central Italy by Riccardo margheri

Riccardo has kindly written an article for us on some of the wines in central Italy. He has a strong background in wine, being qualified as a sommelier and wine taster with the Italian Association of Sommeliers (A.I.S.) and Italian Federation of Sommeliers, Hoteliers & Restaurateurs (F.I.S. A.R.). The 2 associations recognised by the Italian Government. 
He contributes to “Guida Vini d’Italia” (Italian Wines Guide) and to “Guida Vini Buoni d’Italia” (Italian Good Wines Guide) of “Touring Club Italiano”. 
He also has wide experience as a qualified teacher for F.I.S.A.R., O.N.A.V. Taster courses, and for Slow Food Master of Food, Wine I Level courses and is a selector of wines for the export market. 
                                              
He is a well-known wine tourism guide (in English) for tours in the following wine production areas: Piedmont: Langhe (Barolo and Barbaresco); Costa                          Etrusca (Bolgheri and Val di Cornia), Montalcino, Montepulciano, Chianti Classico, Colli Fiorentini, Colline Pisane, Montecarlo and Colline Lucchesi;   Riccardo is also the author of many journalistic articles on the world of wine published in agricultural magazines and websites.                                                                      

Italy is definitely the country with the widest variety of local, autochthone grapes in the world. More than France, Spain, even more than a country such as Greece with such complicated geology. Every region has its own specialities -  reds and whites despite being able to enjoy some very good wines made with the so called “international” grapes (mainly Cabernet Sauvignon, Cab Franc, Merlot, Syrah), named in such a way because, more or less, everywhere you plant them you can obtain something reasonable.  Italian grapes are much more demanding, but can be incredibly rewarding.                                                                                                   

There are geographical and historical reasons for this variety. Geographical because Italy is  very extended -  in latitude wholly within the ideal climate zone for wine production, but conditions i.e. in Piedmont (North West) are very different from Sicily (extreme South) with all the possible variations in the range, underlined by the mountainous countryside: so different types  have developed and flourished in different areas. Historical reasons are important too because one needs  to remember that Italy became a united country in 1861: what are now regions, were once different countries, with customs, borders, duties and difficulties in communication (the Apennines are the backbone of the whole peninsula). Of course commercial and general economic and cultural links have always existed, due to the common language, but every area or province has developed its own gastronomic traditions: it is the same for the cheeses, for olive oil, and for the wine and the vine varieties as well.                                                                                                              

Tuscany is the realm of the Sangiovese. This red grape is difficult to cultivate, incredibly sensitive to the place where it is planted and to the course of the vintage, it is acidic, harsh when young, but it can give some of the most impressive, deep, complex and elegant nectars you will have the opportunity to enjoy in your life, with an incredible potential for aging. Wild cherries, plums, violet, pepper, roses, iris, dried mushroom, a fragrant vegetable character and an earthy hint that cannot be confused, caressing tannins, mineral depth. Sangiovese is all this and much more. Yes, I do love it.                       

Historically, it has been the nucleus of the wines produced in the Chianti region (the geographical name of the hilly zone between Florence and Siena, where the main wine produced is named Chianti Classico) after its surroundings. The huge amount of stuff produced in the area enhanced the wealth of the big landowners, renting the land to small direct farmers, who paid simply by giving back the half of the crop (the “mezzadria” system, where in Italian “mezzo” means “half”). So the more you produced the better, and the vineyard overloaded with bunches of the sturdy character of a Sangiovese not perfectly ripe was smoothed through the blend with “softer” grapes like Canaiolo, Malvasia Nera or even the white Trebbiano Toscano (that actually was added to produce a lighter wine, and not to get drunk quaffing a whole flask with sunny summer lunches…).                                                 

Starting in the late ‘70s, the careful work of producers addicted to quality established the international value of this grape. Some of the first and brightest examples of straight (100%) Sangiovese wines are listed amongst the most famous “Super-tuscan” (top notch labels produced outside the rules of the Denominations of Origin - DOC and DOCG). In Montalcino, the worldwide famous Brunello must be 100% Sangiovese, and the local clone named S. Grosso (big one), selected by the Biondi Santi winery at the end of the 19^th century, expresses through its body of firm but velvety tannins the wonderful character of the clay slopes of the hill where the city lies: the fresher climate of the northern side defines austere but more fragrant wines, while the warmth of the southern side gives riper products, full body and more straightforward on the fruit. Chianti is no longer the paradise of the jug wines, and there are plenty of labels that are enjoyable 6-7 years after the vintage (nothing better with a bistecca –steak -  alla fiorentina and with Tuscan cuisine in general). The Prugnolo Gentile of Montepulciano is an intermediate clone between the Montalcino and the Chianti examples, and has made the city of “Twilight” famous (the movie was filmed there!!) since the 18^th century (read the funny poem of Francesco Redi “Bacco in Toscana” – need to translate? – if you can find it). In the south of the region, the emerging Morellino di Scansano shows a declination of the Sangiovese more immediately fruity and enjoyable early.                               

Don’t forget that Tuscany also produces white wines (the smooth Vermentino on the coast and in San Gimignano the historical Vernaccia, the  quality of which has improved impressively in recent years.                                                            
Moving to Umbria -  “the green heart of Italy”- the region is actually more famous for olive oil (milder than the tasty Tuscan one), but shines between the reds with the Sagrantino di Montefalco: this fascinating grape has got plenty of everything, tannins, colour, acidity, flavours. It’s like a bronco that the winemakers try to tame. Not actually surprising for a grape that had always been used only to make sweet wines from dried bunches, before the Arnaldo Caprai estate discovered it could make a great red. The latest releases interestingly tend to go over the usual big, bold, mouth-filling style, showing an astonishing and unexpected elegance.           

For the whites, the crisp refreshing acidity of the Grechetto can match the spicy and flowery flavours in colder vintages or the much riper yellow fruits (peaches, apricots) in warmer ones. In Orvieto, the world famous white has renewed its fame that is almost 2.000 years old: the traditional blend of Trebbiano, Malvasia, Bellone, Verdello and other grapes shows its best in some labels that are mineral and tasty, and in the sweet versions affected by the Botrytis Cinerea, the “noble rot” that has made the Sauternes great. Local curiosities are the “Amabile” wines, half sweet: they are reminiscent of Roman Times, when the juice freshly pressed was stored in big tanks dug into the pumice rock surmounted by the city. The decrease in temperature during autumn stopped alcoholic fermentation before all the sugar had been transformed by the yeast, and the wine was consumed early with this residual sweetness.                                                                                                                                      

On the Adriatic side of the Italian peninsula, we find early drinking Sangiovese on the hills close to Pesaro, the city of Rossini (the opera composer was a passionate consumer of these wines), becoming more ambitious in the South of the region, in blend with the powerful Montepulciano grape. Please note: the Montepulciano has got nothing to do with the Tuscan city. Legend says that the name was given by some Tuscan merchants that visiting Marche and Abruzzo because of their trades and tasting the local wines exclaimed: “Very nice! Looks like the wines of Montepulciano!”, and so the name remained... Such a grape has always been harvested in huge quantities and sold in bulk to Northern producers to add body and colour to some that are too thin  - Valpolicella, or even Chianti... Only lately (another conquest of the “Renaissance” of the Italian wine in the last 20 years) it has gained consideration and produced remarkable reds of strength and breeding, but mainly further south, in Abruzzo.                                                                            

In Marche another red rarity is the Lacrima, only cultivated in the surroundings of the tiny village of Morro d'Alba (again: nothing in common with the Piedmont city of truffles!), immediately enjoyable even by new wine lovers because of its drinkability (almost no tannins here) and its incredible flavours of blueberries and violets (choose the warmer vintages!). The real glory of the region is white, and is Verdicchio, both in the Castelli di Jesi and the Matelica versions: delicate flavours of white flowers and aromatic herbs without excluding a riper fruitiness, sustained by an acidity that is never overwhelming, it is consistent, ages well, and mostly gives unbeatable value (even the 4-5€/btl supermarket stuff is usually enjoyable).                                                                

One last observation: these astonishing varieties fascinate the wine lover because all these wines are the expression of unrepeatable features (geology, climate, the so called terroir) of the places where they are produced, the evidence of thousands of identities, hidden treasures to discover and to learn to evaluate. Of course not necessarily everyone will love all of these wines, but just a little attention to detail will reveal, different hints, tones, tasting personalities.  

As I love to say to my unlucky pupils when teaching the sommeliers courses, the qualities of the real wine lover are:                                                                                      

First: humility, every time we are in front of a glass of wine there's something to learn;                                                                                                                                     

Second: curiosity, there's a world of fine wines outside, waiting to be discovered, “learnt”, appreciated, enjoyed;                                                                           

Third: the ability to sneak into wine tastings without having been invited, and one day I will teach you how.........                                                                            
                                
                                Cheers, Riccardo