Italy Journal
Thursday, February 14,
2013
VALENTINE DINNER AT
THE UNIVERSITY
Peter and I were very excited to get the announcement that
Archangelo and his dad Peppino Tinari were the visiting chefs at the University
Academic Table this week. Then, we got more enthused when we received information
about a public dinner on Valentine’s
(San Valentino) Day, with Archangelo as the chef. We knew it would be
great, but he far exceeded our expectations.
The dining hall was beautifully decorated with tablecloths,
and each couple had their own intimate table. There were 3 wine glasses and a
water glass sparkling at each person’s seat, since the wines HAD to change to
correctly pair with the ingredients being served at each moment of the 6
courses. Each course was presented with a small portion, but we definitely knew
that we had eaten a feast by the time we finished. A waiter came by our table
as each course was served and announced what was being served and a little
about how it was prepared. The wait staff were all students, who did
magnificent jobs of scurrying around to make sure that everyone was served
well.
A small welcome dish of cheese and barley soup was first,
and it set the stage for the high quality of dishes that were to come. Peter
asked the waiter for a take-home jar of that soup! He was only half-way
kidding. We would have happily taken some home, though. Next, small cheese
balls were breaded, cooked and covered with delicious tomato sauce. These were
unusual to us and very tasty. Pasta with ragu and a poached egg to the side
were also a little different combination, as we are used to with Archangelo’s
menus, but also quite yummy. The main
course was lamb with thyme and sheep fonduta (a type of soft and wonderful cheese).
It was possibly my favorite dish, but it was hard to compare the different delicacies. They were all excellent. We thought the tiny
scoop of gelato with a little balsamic vinegar over it was the perfect light
dessert…until we were brought the real dessert and realized that the gelato was
for “cleansing the palate.” The real dessert was called semifreddo, and it was partially
congealed , but it was served in two planks that were beautifully
displayed. Each vanilla plank was
infused with small chocolate chunks, and they were placed on a bed of chocolate
syrup to look a little like building blocks. Powdered strips of cacao and dried
peas (yes, peas!) completed the dish in such a very appealing way in looks as
well as tastes. Did I say I liked the lamb best? Oh, no, this dessert must have
been my favorite. At least, Peter kept telling me it was not polite to lick my
plate at a formal meal. J
Archangelo, thank you for a delightfully perfect Valentine’s
Day Dinner!
Colleen
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