Historic Designs of Armani at the Triennale of Milan until April 1, 2007

Milan, Gran Milan, is hosting a show for those who own, or want to own, an Armani creation. The Triennale in Milan opens its doors to the public from February 20 through April 1, 2007 with the historic creations of Giorgio Armani. Fashion recognized as art. The Armani show at the Triennale is an opportunity to know and understand the designer and his passion. The show boasts over 600 outfits and designs. Each exhibit is supported by audiovisual presentations explaining the moment in time, the tools of the trade and the historic perspective of each representation. Interestingly, the designs are coordinated with all of the accessories. This is a unique opportunity to view the world of fashion through the eyes of one of the masters.

The show is an interesting mix of fashion design and history. The theatrical producer and visual artist, Robert Wilson, designed the environment. Walking through the Armani creations scenes of famous films, important political moments, and people who have influenced our lives flash before our eyes. Armani has always been the definition of elegance. Each design evidences the progression of time.

Continuing through the scenic forest environment the viewer is taken into a world of dreams. The bridal exposition, with its luxurious hand embroidered fabrics, intricate laces, and gem studded dresses invokes images of princes and princesses exchanging vows in romantic castles, with horse drawn carriages and national celebrations. They are still life images of fairytales.

Evenings with the American Gigolo or a night with James Bond spring to life as the evening gowns take center stage. Opulent black silks and satins, with lace shawls and diamond studded hairnets take us into the period of the “Bella Vita” in via Veneto. Grace Kelly, Marilyn Monroe and the Prince of Monaco enjoying a glass of Prosecco while a cool Roman sea breeze flows caresses their cheeks remind of majestic times past and hope for the future.

While Woman’s fashion is dominant, Men’s fashion has not been forgotten. An entire hall is dedicated to the traditional Armani man. Black silk shirts, soft jackets and the dark slacks adorn the exhibition. Their progression over time evidences the subtle changes of the man’s role in today’s world as the designs change, ever so slightly, from year to year.

Perhaps this exhibit is an example of how our world is changing. Fashion representing recent anthropology. The changing role of men and women as seen through what they wear. In this case, “l’abito fa l’uomo”, you can judge a book by its cover. This is not the destination for the traditional museum visitor but it is an interesting way to see who we are and where we have come from.

Tags: Women's Fashion Italian Designers Lazio href="http://technorati.com/tag/Fashion" rel="tag">Fashion Travel Italy

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Temporarily off line

I have not forgotten my much loved blog. I just completed a move and will be back on line with tomorrow!

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Beef Filet with Mushrooms - Filetto di Manzo ai Funghi

This recipe is said to be originally from Novara in the area around Lago Maggiore. This is a pre-Alpine region northwest of Milan known for the lake, magnificent views and mushrooms. Raffaella and I are of simple people. Our passions reflect who we are. Mushrooms are part of those things we are passionate about. It is not enough to have mushrooms on the plate. They need to be nurtured and their flavor exalted and served with something equally as flavorful. A beautiful Beef Filet and the port sauce meet the requirements. I was looking for something special for Valentine’s Day and thinking about this dish it reminded me of our relationship. Individually strong, but when together, the balance kicks in, the resulting union is exponentially magnifies the individual characteristics.

The flavors are simple but decisive. The quality of the ingredients is paramount. The method of preparation will significantly change the resulting balance. Many of the local recipes will prepare the mushrooms first and then in the last minutes cook the filet separately. I think the end result is like a couple of two passionate people who are not passionate about each other. You can feel their passion, they fascinate and please but they are two separate entities. The matriarchs of Varese taught me a different way to prepare this dish and that is the recipe I am presenting here.

Our wine for this dinner: Produttori del Barbaresco Pora' Reserve.

Our side dish: Patate Arrosto con Rosmarino.

Ingredients:

1 lb (450 g) Beef or Veal Filet (cut into two or four pieces)
1 lb (450 g) Mushrooms (the original uses fresh porcini – I used Shitake)
2 tbsp chopped Italian Parsley
½ stick (50 g) unsalted sweet cream Butter
¼ cup Port or Dry Marsala
1 cup Dry White Wine
Salt and Pepper

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.

Brush the mushrooms with a kitchen brush to remove any remaining dirt. Slice the mushrooms about ½ inch thick and set aside. Chop the parsley tops and set aside.

Melt the butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add fresh cracked pepper and a sprinkle of salt to the butter. Sear the filet for two minutes on each side (this is rare). Remove the filets to a baking pan and place in the oven to keep warm. Since most people cook the meat directly from the refrigerator this will also assure that the internal temperature is not cold.

Pour the port into the skillet and quickly deglaze the skillet. Add the mushrooms and chopped parsley. Reduce the heat to medium low. Stir for about two minutes, coating the mushrooms with the base sauce. Add the glass of white wine and salt and pepper to taste. Reduce the sauce about ¾, this will take about five minutes. Return the filet to the reduced mushrooms sauce for 1 minute and serve.

To serve: Place the filet in the center of the plate. With a ladle, place the mushrooms and sauce ½ on the meat and ½ on the plate.

Tags: Gourmet Foods Beef Mushrooms Main Dishes Italian Recipes Food and Wine Travel Italy

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Roasted Potatoes with Rosemary – Patate Arrosto con Rosmarino

When cooking for a family or a large number of people the idea is to have several dishes that are easy to prepare and can be prepared in advance. Oven roasted potatoes are a favorite for homemakers across Italy. Local recipes will be a little different. In southern Italy the potatoes should be blanched before roasting while in northern Italy they will be cut and roasted immediately. Either way, family and guests alike always appreciate roasted potatoes. I have also found that I must double the quantity when making roasted potatoes otherwise someone will go away not satisfied.

The preparation is extremely simple and most of the work can be done several hours in advance. Another great thing about roasted potatoes is that they can be kept warm without becoming mush even if they are ready too early or dinner happens later than anticipated. Roasted potatoes are great with both meat and fish, rounding out just about any meal. I would stay away from the roasted potatoes when the dish has pasta or rice as a base ingredient otherwise they will go with just about anything. You can also experiment with other vegetables with the potatoes. Southern Italians will usually like to add cubed bell peppers, eggplant, zucchini, and/or olives.

For a Sunday family lunch or a dinner party that will have your guests thinking you went to culinary school, prepare these potatoes.

Ingredients for 4:

8 Medium sized white pulp potatoes (I use Idaho Russets)
¼ Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 twigs of fresh Rosemary
1 large or 2 medium cloves of Garlic
Salt
Pepper

At least 3 hours before cooking pour the olive oil into a bowl. Add the garlic, rosemary, about ¼ teaspoon salt and six or seven grinds of pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature.

At least ½ before roasting, and this can be up to 3 hours earlier, peel the potatoes and cut into slightly larger than bite-sized cubes. I use about 1 inch cubes. Place the cubes in a colander and rinse several times. Pour the potatoes into a bowl and cover with cold water.

Preheat the oven to 375.

Drain the potatoes and pat dry with a kitchen towel (you should not use softeners on kitchen towels). On a baking pan spread the oil evenly. Distribute the potatoes in the pan. Leave the garlic whole and place in the pan. Turn the potatoes over to coat in the oil. Strip the needles from the rosemary and distribute evenly over the potatoes. Salt and pepper again.

Set the oven time to 50 minutes and place the potatoes in the oven. After 25 minutes remove the pan and turn over the potatoes. Cook the remaining 25 minutes. Keep warm until serving. When serving remove the garlic.

Tags: Gourmet Foods Potatoes Side Dish Italian Recipes Food and Wine Travel Italy

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Prosecco Crede Brut Bisol 2005

So many great Prosecco wines and so few days in the week, this is the dilemma. From the Prosecco Brut of the corporate entity of Aneri we passed to a exclusive product of the Bisol family winery, Prosecco Crede Brut Bisol 2005. It is hard to expose greater contrast in two wineries. The Bisol family has been in the Prosecco regions since the XVI century growing the Prosecco grapes. In the late 1800s they began producing their own wines and have recently taken their family’s passion to a new level adding an Agriturismo with wine tasting, grape growing and wine making courses.

This is a Prosecco and a vacation experience. Think about shedding the traditional tourist clothes, dawning your jeans and gloves, shears in hand you learn to grow and pick grapes. How about a two week vacation making wine or a week of wine tasting where you will not hear about ratings or flavors and bouquets in an aesthetic context, instead combined with visits to the kitchen to pair flavors and structure. This Prosecco is great just thinking about how it is made and the possibility to participate in next year’s production. I have said enough about the vacation, how about the wine.

Prosecco Crede Brut Bisol 2005 is a single vineyard Prosecco, 85% Prosecco, 10% Pinot Bianco; 5% Verdiso. The vineyard is located on the steep hills of the "Poderi Bisol". The wine's name, Crede, comes from the clay soils known as "crede". Initially it has that slightly bitter taste that we love in a Prosecco but the finish sweetens out a bit. The bubbles are more intrusive than the Montesel but still a bit on the light side for our preference. Additionally, as we continued into the bottle it seemed to lose that characteristic flavor we associate with Prosecco. The alcohol content is good at 11.5% but the flowers and honey take away the dryness in the finish.

Wine Spectator always rates this wine well. This year is an 89 so the wine should do well with most American tastes. Still it is not exactly what we are looking for in complete Prosecco. Do not mistake me, this Prosecco will be great with most delicate Risotto recipes and the persistent foam makes this great for festive occasions. The Bisol family knows their stuff but I believe the true value in this Prosecco is the opportunity to vacation in the Agriturismo and to learn about the passion of wine.

Grape: 85% Prosecco, 10% Pinot Bianco, 5% Verdisio.

Color: Brilliant straw yellow with a foam consisting of a myriad of minute and persistent bubbles.
Bouquet: Scents of wildflowers that are appropriately Intense and fresh and an emerging and agreeable note of fruitiness.

Taste: As in the bouquet, there are fruity hints of apples and pears and their harmony is completed by a rich and refined structure.

Alcohol Content: 11.5 %

Serving Temperature: 9 c.

Decanting: None.

Pouring: Pour slowly with a 15-20 degree inclination.

Glass: Flute.

Aging: Up to 2 years.

Tags: Prosecco White Wine Italian Wine Sparkling Wine Veneto Bisol Sommelier Food and Wine Travel Italy

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Prosecco Brut Aneri

Our quest for a new Prosecco continues. Dinner is Pork Chops with Pure’. Pork is one of the milder meats and the sauce is flavored with a hint of lemon. Traditionally we would choose a white wine like an Arneis or a Ribolla Gialla but we are discovering Prosecco. We are not just looking for an Aperitivo, but the perfect accompaniment for before, during and after dinner. Today’s choice is Prosecco Brut Aneri. Unfortunately no vintage is evident on the bottle. I always wonder why producers omit certain information on the bottle. Skeptically I think of all the reasons why the Aneri winery would not indicate the vintage and nothing I can think of leads me to believe that this will be a quality product.

I think quality comes from generations of experience and a profound understanding of the grape and the methodology of production. Aneri is one of those producers who producers numerous types of wines from different regions including Tuscany and Alto Adige. The usual way this happens is through acquisition of smaller wineries and while they attempt to maintain the culture of the artisan production somehow I think the corporate culture makes its way into the wine.

It should be remembered that our preference of taste in Prosecco is different than most Americans. We know Prosecco with a slightly bitter taste, good volume of bubbles, extra dry and not at all sweet. Of the Prosecco we have tried, Aneri came the closest to this profile. It is a fragrant, light and persistent sparkling wine with straw yellow color. It has an elegant, floral bouquet of acacia and wild flowers.

It was pretty good as an Aperitivo not great, but pretty good. With the pork and lemon sauce the Prosecco did much better. It did not make it to the after dinner phase so, I guess, that indicates that it was an overall success. Generally I do not think we have found our best choice Prosecco but Prosecco Brut Aneri will do well in most occasions where fish or white meats are protagonist. Perhaps I am influenced by the lack of information about how and when the wine was produced, perhaps I am missing the air of Friuli, either way Prosecco Brut Aneri is good but not great.

Tags: Prosecco White Wine Italian Wine Sparkling Wine Veneto Aneri Sommelier Food and Wine Travel Italy

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Montesel Prosecco – Vigna del Paradiso 2005 Extra Dry

Montesel Prosecco Vigna del Paradiso 2005 is an interesting Prosecco. The Montesel Family has been producing wine for generations and they are proud of their family culture and their land. The Prosecco they produce is acclaimed as a top shelf Prosecco, year after year. Prosecco is an heirloom vine. Current legislation permits the use of up to 15% of Pinot Bianco or Pinot Grigio in the production of Prosecco but tradition and passion requires that the bubbly wine be made exclusively from the Prosecco grapes.

The grapes, which grow in large bunches, are round or slightly oval, yellow with a thin skin that releases a rich perfume during the late grape harvest. The timing of the grape harvest followed by a carefully monitored vinification, do the rest. During the preparation of Prosecco the most important rule is to respect what nature has given and keep any technical intervention to an absolute minimum. The grapes are pressed gently to obtain the best must and then left to rest for 10-12 hours at a controlled temperature. It is then decanted, yeasts are added, and its left to ferment at 18-20 ° C. The result is a richly scented wine, which after a few months of natural re-fermentation becomes a beautiful wine that overwhelms the palate with a velvety softness and a lively effervescence. It is straw-colored with a fruity scent of peach, apple, pear and a hint of citrus fruits which tend toward a floral fragrance; rich and fresh sensation.

Montesel Prosecco is a spumante. This is not to be confused with Asti spumante that is sweet. Spumante indicates that Montesel has the highest concentration of natural carbonation. There are also Prosecco wines that are frizzante. This definition indicates a lower carbonation due to a shorter re-fermentation period. Most Prosecco will cause a little burp after every sip but the Montesel did not have this effect.

Montesel Vigna del Paradiso 2005 is interesting. It is a good solution to keep in the cellar. Prosecco’s principle characteristic slightly bitter flavor is not as evident in Vigna del Paradiso. This wine is more neutral with just a hint of floral sweetness. I would not choose this for before dinner Aperitivi, but it would be marvelous with crostini and fresh cheeses. It will also do well during dinner with fish and white sauces.

All in all it is not my favorite Prosecco but I would keep a couple of bottles as an alternative for guests.

Grape: 100% Prosecco.

Color: Hay yellow.

Bouquet: peach, apple, pear and a hint of citrus fruits that tend toward a floral fragrance.

Taste: Hints of sprite apples, pears, and slightly acidic. The finish is mild, with just a hint of sweet.

Alcohol Content: Minimum 11.5 %

Serving Temperature: 6-8 c.

Decanting: None.

Pouring: Pour slowly with a 15-20 degree inclination.

Glass: Flute.

Aging: Up to 2 years.


Tags: Prosecco White Wine Italian Wine Veneto Montesel Sommelier Sparkling Wine Food and Wine Travel Italy

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Italian Women’s Pret a Porter Fashion Spring-Summer 2007 – Mila Schon

A woman’s beauty is dangerously powerful in its own right. When combined with fashion designs that accentuate the femininity the men of the world might as well give up without attempting a fight. In the words of a SCI FI character, “Resistance is futile!” Milan Schon’s 2007 Spring Summer fashions should be on the list of Weapons of Mass Destruction. The Mila Schon woman is mysterious and fascinating. She is feminine and powerful. She is more a goddess than a queen.


The softer side is not forgotten. Colors are precious metals and pastels. Fabrics are soft and veils play the game of silhouette, “see, can’t see.” The Mila Schon woman is the urban legend. She is a mix of confidence, beauty, femininity, aggression and playful submission.


The business wear is seductively professional, sporting structured, clean lines and slick fabrics. I can see the Mila Schon business designs appropriate for any office environment. They maintain their feminine touch, elongating the body, with just a hint of austerity.










Mila Schon Spring Summer 2007 designs then progress into a truly deadly combination that becomes Femme Fatal. The designs have curves in just the right places, folds, luxurious colors and fabrics, and a clearly visible décolleté. It is probably a good thing that not many women will wear this to the office here in the US. While I am positive that office attendance would increase, productivity would most likely be down.










The line is not limited to the office or a night on the town. The cocktail dresses are equally lethal. The fabrics are chiffon and silks. Soft folds and ruffles dominate the look. The curved and rising hemlines are just what guys like me needed to walk around with our tongues on the floor. Just thinking about enjoying a glass Prosecco at the sidewalk café while my Raffaella walks toward the table in one of these is enough to make my head spin.












Tags: Pret a Porter Spring Summer 2007 Milan Women's Fashion Italian Fasion Mila Schon Italian Designers Travel Italy

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