Fiera del Dolce Tipico

Fiera del Dolce Tipico (fair of the typical sweet) started in Trieste yesterday and continues to Sunday evening. We had a look-see this evening, there are so many sweet treats we didn't know where to start...or where to finish! We're off to Aquileia tomorrow to play among very old stuff, then I think we'll be back at the fiera for dinner supplies...I count strudel di mele as a dinner option.

All Triestini get yourselves down to Piazza Sant'Antonio (the piazza at the end of the canal) presto!

Lard!

How things have changed...this morning I had to double back in the supermarket because I had forgotten to get some pancetta. For those not in the know, pancetta is cured pork belly, this site may help to explain http://www.pancetta.org/.

Pancetta is mostly lard (lard, lard, lard, lard) with a bit of meat, some salt and sometimes some other tasty peppers or spices. Coming from a country currently paranoid with the consumption of saturated fat I always have a little giggle when buying pancetta...but it is tasty. We're using it to make a little roasted chicken dish. Using very thin slices of pancetta, the recipe is thus: put some pancetta on the bottom of the dish, put the chicken fillets on top, put some more pancetta on top of the chicken, making sure all the chicken is covered so the lardy goodness will protect the (skinless) chicken from burning. Surround with parboiled tatties, then bung it in the oven. Serve with veggies. Yummy!

Once more all together now: "lard". Oh, and since coming to Italy and including such things in our diet, Marito has lost over 20 kilos, go home cooking!

Festa della Zucca

On Sunday we walked about 5 km south of Cervignano to the small village San Martino for the Festa della Zucca (festival of the pumpkin). The Italians do love a good food festival and I find the festivals are handy for knowing what veggies are in season (bring on pumpkin soup). As well as generally celebrating pumpkins, there was a re-enacted wedding with people dressed up as noble folk, plebs (I particularly liked one fellow who looked like Baldrick from Blackadder), knights and other sword wielding characters. There were a bunch of stalls selling something for everyone - wooden weapons, all things pagan, religious items, herbs and spices...

The pumpkin sculpting entries were a highlight, our favourites generally being the pirate based ones. There were a number of cigarette smoking pumpkins...did I mention these were made by children? Hmmm.

Anyho, to food, we started off our eating experience for the day with chocolate coated fruit skewers, this was followed by pumpkin gnocchi with butter and sage, polenta and cheese frico. Oh, and roasted chestnuts. Yummy!

Strassoldo

Yesterday we went to Strassoldo, a small village about 5 km north of Cervignano di Friuli. We walked from Cervignano train station, most of the way along a very good bike path which is part of the 175 km Alpe Adria bike route. Strassoldo has two old castles which are only open to the public twice a year. The castles were packed full of artistic folk selling their wares, a lot of it a bit fussy for my tastes, more suited to nonni I think. We had a bit of a disappointing lunch but the day was saved when we later discovered frittelle di mele. These are basically apple circles that are covered in batter, deep fried and then coated in icing sugar, brilliantly tasty and warming on a cold day.

FSM nella casa!

With the arrival of cooler weather in Trieste I was inspired to finish off my Flying Spaghetti Monster gloves so I can work on my computer without my hand freezing. Of course, the only possible option for dinner last night was spaghetti! Now, I can go forth and do science with his noodliness close at hand...

Cavalli e Profumo di Mosto

Before and after...

We passed a lovely Saturday at the Cavalli e Profumo di Mosto festival last weekend. The festival was in Medeazza, a tiny little village a sneeze away from the border with Slovenia. Since we couldn't get our hands on a pair of horses to join the horse excursions we went on a walking excursion instead. The walk rambled though the forest into Slovenia and back passing through wine-making regions. We visited a small church in Slovenia which was apparently made from a small ship, which seemed odd considering it was made of stone. On return to Medeazza we enjoyed a delightful pranzo at an ozmizza, watched over by the resident piggies.

Il Capo Matto

Looks like Berlusconi is in for some troubling times. When he became Prime Minister he changed the law so that he couldn't be prosecuted for criminal acts. Unfortunately for him, the Italian Constitutional Court doesn't agree...the law really doesn't conform to the vibe of the constitution (go The Castle). So now the bribery, tax fraud and false accounting cases against him can go ahead.

SMH