First time in Trentino and some exceptionally good sourdough.

Heatwave. Not just in Italy, across Europe. Even in Poland they are baking. And speaking of baking; I’m sure the temperaure helps, but the bread I’ve been making lately has been particularly good. I use the same recipe and method from Food Language, leave the loaf in the fridge overnight and bake it in the morning, before even turning on the coffee machine. The one last week looked great, tasted divine, also the day after, toasted, with mandarine marmalade.

This morning I was up at 6.30, went out to water everything, enjoyed an hour or so of a nice, fresh Tuscan air free of flies and mosquitoes at this hour, then proceeded to bake the loaf I had started yesterday. This one had some toasted sunflower seeds. With stracciatella, tomatoes, sea salt and a drizzle of olive oil it is just perfect.

Last week we’ve popped out for a little break to check out Lake Garda. We got to see a bit of Emilia Romagna, Lombardia, Trentino and even Veneto. I wanted to taste some of that German-Italian food in Trentino and I did. Followed Makล‚owicz’s footsteps to Cantina Agraria in Riva del Garda, tried trentigrana- excellent cheese.

Tried carne salada, one of the nicest meals I had in quite a disappointing food scene in Limone sul Garda; disappointing especially service wise, I appreciate the fact it was very hot, but the staff everywhere did absolute minimum. Nobody told them about upselling, we often fancied a dessert after the meal, but as nobody bothered properly clearing the table, let alone offering some dessert, so we often paid and left. In Limone, their lemon sorbet was fantastic, served in frozen lemons, expensive, at 6,50 euro a pop, but delicious.

On Sunday we drove to beautiful Malcesine and took the funivia to Monte Baldo, where we’ve had a surprisingly delicious lunch (mine were ribs, polenta and funghi), the service was impeccable, for a change.

Enjoyable, Trentino, loved coming back home though. ๐Ÿ™‚

Summery citrus cake with apricots.

An exceptionally well turned out cake, which I’ve made yesterday. Hot days are upon us, so baking in the kitchen is quite nice and cool in comparison with 33 degrees outside. ๐Ÿ™‚

I used one of my favourite lemon pound cake recipes for this, only lemon juice got replaced with yuzu, which I still have a small bottle of. 110 g of soft butter got creamed with 160 g of sugar and vanilla sugar, plus zest of the whole lemon. To this, one by one, 2 whole eggs. 2 tbsps of olive oil. 30 ml of yuzu juice. 185g of plain flour, plus 1 tsp of baking powder and a pinch of salt. 120 ml of milk. All gently combined, not overmixed, into the lined tray. Quartered apricots and a handful of blueberries on top. Baked in 160 degrees for about 45 minutes. Once baked, glazed with yuzu glaze. Half of it went to Casa Del Debbio and was very enthustastically received. ๐Ÿ™‚

Pierogi con cinghiale.

Poland meets Italia on the plate. Last Sunday we had Festa di Polpo again, in the same delightful company of LauDe and the neighbours. Nadia brought some delicious, tender chunks of wild boar, simply cooked, I made 3 contorni to go with it, but we had some of that meat left, so yesterday I decided to stuff it into pierogi. I cooked down some onions, carrots and zucchini first, a handful of porcini too, before adding the boar, then blitzed it altogether, but not into a baby food consistency, a bit more roughly. Made a solid portion of pierogi, a portion of which I had taken over to Nadia and Cri’s to taste. The message that came later that evening confirmed that there is enthusiasm for Polish cuisine in Torcigliano. Pierogi were enjoyed at Casa Del Debbio. Shame I can’t offer them any of the ruskie ones, as Nadia has lactose intolerance.