Emilia-Romagna
Summer 2023
Italy’s Bread Basket
Italy’s food culture is built on the bounty produced in Emilia-Romagna. From Mortadella to Parma Ham, Parmigiano-Reggiano to Balsamico, in this region, the food is as delicious as it is beautiful. This season’s subscription box features our favorite items from this area; tortellini, ragu, Lambrusco, and more.
Buon appetito!
This Season’s Vino
LambrusCa Riserva
The perfect summer wine
Our Tavola + Vino members received a bottle of this divine Lini 910 Lambrusco Labrusca Riserva, a product of the Lini family’s decades of experimentation. It is made using only the very best grapes from estate vineyards. The result is a glass of Lambrusco with rich flavors that are vibrant and balanced.
This wine pairs perfectly with classic Emilian cuisine such as salumi, stuffed pastas, pastas with meat sauces, and aged Parmigiano Reggiano, as well as freshly shucked or roasted oysters, creative hamburgers, and prime rib-eye steak.
Focused on innovation while rooted in tradition – Lini continues to introduce new innovations and methods while maintaining its true heritage. Family owned for four generations – the winery is now run by the 3rd and 4th generations of the Lini family.
Zucchini and Mint + Giardineria
In the land of meats and cheeses, salumi boards reign supreme. Pickled and cured vegetables are often added to balance out the presentation. This season, we chose two of our favorites; Zucchine e Menta and Giardineria. Packed in an attractive glass jar adorned with a beautiful, ceramic serving dish. These aromatic vegetables are a perfect accompaniment to a salumi board, tossed in with pasta, or salad topper.
Tenuta San’Ilario is based on Abruzzo. Owned by Laila Colanecco and her husband Roberto, and located along the beautiful Adriatic Coast in the town of Pineto. They have dedicated themselves to producing prize-winning olive oils. Their production is done with care for small markets throughout Europe.
Lambrusco Wine Jelly
Casa Forcello creates incredible jams and mostardas by sourcing locally harvested fruit, slicing and candying them in their juices, and then adding drops of a very concentrated, spicy mustard extract. This wine jelly skips the spict and focuses on everything we love about Emilia-Romagna’s Lambrusco – flavors of cherry, blackberry, and violet. Often paired with cheese (Grana Padano, aged Manchego, or Parmigiano Reggiano), this jelly also works well with charcuterie (prosciutto), or as a sauce in a chicken salad.
We also connect with the founder, Paola Calciolari, who we were fortunate enough to meet in Parma during the CIBUS food show. Paola began her career as a pharmacist but her true passion was food. She took a gamble, leaving her secure job in order to produce typical condiments from Mantova, often employing her grandmother’s recipes. And we’re glad she did!
Leonardi’s SABA
Leonardi holds a special place in our heart. We visited their breathtaking acetaia during our first trip to Italian food shows when Dalla Fonte was just an idea. There are over 300 producers of balsamic vinegar in Modena, but the Leonardi family is truly special. They have been creating balsamic vinegar since 1871 and are one of the few producers to own the land where the grapes grow.
Leonardi’s SABA starts with Trebbiano and Lambrusco grapes that are cooked for 36 hours in open copper vats until it reduces by two-thirds, concentrating the grape must to a sweet syrup. The cooked grape must is transferred to wooden casks and aged for four years. The result? A luscious, pourable condiment with rich notes of sun-ripened grapes, deep caramel-like flavor and a sparkle of acidity in the finish.
Toss with fresh berries and spoon over vanilla gelato for a quick yet elegant dessert. Drizzle over slices of seared duck breast, grilled quail or pan-roasted pork chops. And of course, pair with cheeses of all kinds, from Parmigiano-Reggiano to Taleggio and Gorgonzola Dolcelatte.
Allemandi Tortellini
Although the birthplace of tortellini is disputed between both Bologna and Modena, there is no denying that tortellini is synonymous with the Emilia-Romagna region. This dry stuffed egg pasta from Allemandi was created in partnership with an Emilia-Romagna-based pastificio Maurizio Allemandi. These are shelf-stable dried tortellini made with fragrant egg pasta dough, and a typical touch of nutmeg. Try served with either this season’s Ragu Bolognese sauce or in the classic broth.
Maurizio Allemandi, grew up visiting his grandmother’s trattoria – Vascello d’Oro – where he learned that quality raw materials and the passion for quality food are the basis of Italian regional cuisine. After traveling the world as a chef Maurizio decided to return home and raise a family in the beautiful region where he grew up. In 2005 he founded the Allemandi Pastificio. Using only local cage free eggs, durum wheat flour, and the same artisan techniques that he absorbed from his nonna, Maurizio has dedicated himself to making restaurant quality pastas for home cooks.
Ragu Bolognese
Amerigo’s Ragu Bolognese is one of their star products. The recipe is famous around the world and an essential part of any Italian home. This Bolognese follows the traditional recipe passed on for generations, combining pork and beef and then slow-cooked for hours. Its unique flavor will transport you to a traditional kitchen in Emilia-Romagna.
You will only find the highest-quality, carefully chosen ingredients in our ready-to-use ragù and pasta sauces. Just open a jar and enjoy the rich aroma of pasta sauce, just like Nonna would make. As well as the quality of their ingredients and ease of use, our range of pasta sauces are sure to impress you with their delicious flavours.
Amarena Cherries
For over a century, Bologna’s Amarena cherries, have been preserved in a thick syrup, jarred, and sold across Italy. From your most popular ice cream flavors to specialty drinks and cocktails, to cakes and cheesecakes, these cherries can be used just about anywhere. This season’sbox feature two iconic brands: Fabbri and Toschi.
In 1905, Gennaro Fabbri took over an old grocery store with a wine cellar in Porto-maggiore, province of Ferrara and transformed that little shop into a producer and distributor of liqueurs. A dedication to tradition and innovation has allowed the company to continually grow and adapt to changing markets to bring quality products to bartenders, pastry chefs, and food professionals worldwide.
Amaretti Cookies
Since 1718, the lazzaroni family has crafted amaretti cookies in Saronno, Italy according to their family’s traditional recipe. Lazzaroni’s legendary cookies, or amaretti di saronno, are made from a mixture of sugar, apricot kernels, and egg whites. The results of lazzaroni’s traditional process are crisp, airy cookies with a distinctive bittersweet flavor that make them perfect with espresso, dessert wine, or aperitifs.
According to the legend, Amaretti were first baked by a young couple to honour the cardinal of Milano. By slowly baking a blend of sugar, apricot kernels and egg whites we make the round crunchy bitter/sweet almond biscuits called Amaretti. Decorated with sparkling white sugar and wrapped in colourful papers, these little treats are the perfect snack.
Summer 2023
MIke's Playlist
Music for warm sunshine and cold Lambrusco
According to Mike, the only way to prepare a meal or sip a glass of wine is with music playing in the background. So each season he curates a collection of his favorite songs for enjoying your Tavola and Tavola + Vino specialties.