DISCOVERING MONFERRATO, LANGHE AND ROERO
You will discover magical landscapes, breathtaking views, lands rich in history, art, legends and… good taste at the table! There are many specialties that you can taste in the various restaurants in the area such as tajarin with butter; raw Albese meat, veal with tuna sauce; the bagna cauda; the Piedmontese mixed fry made of sweet and savory ingredients, the AstI cutlet, the fried lamb, the finanziera
We are in an extraordinary territory, generous with exceptional raw materials such as meats, great wines, delicious hazelnuts that have also won over the great Chef Enrico Crippa, who has signed a hazelnut cream with cocoa, the soft Torta di Alba, for Relanghe. and hazelnut oil, with which he likes to finish his dish “cardoon and thistle”, the right combination of two elements of regional cuisine.
Many excellences, such as fine Langhe salami, many of family production or from small local companies, salami in delicious variations to Barolo and Pelaverga wines. the rolled pancetta, the lard scented with aromatic herbs and juniper and the sausage, which can be eaten cooked or raw. Among the dairy products, the celebrated Castelmagno, the Robiola di Roccaverano, a great goat cheese, the Murazzano with its unmistakable scent and the trifulin, which tradition says is pleasantly “contaminated” by the pungent aroma of the truffle that grows in the surroundings.
Did we say truffle?
Absolutely yes! and until December 5th Alba hosts the International Truffle Fair, the true king of these lands and an irresistible condiment for buttered tajarin, raw meat, baked egg or even risotto. The truffle is a “thief” mushroom that steals the life of others to enhance its beauty and charm.
2021 was not a generous year of truffles … therefore very rare, difficult to find and certainly not cheap, just think that a “scratch” on your favorite dish is around 60 Euros!
The Madernassa pear
We find it in the small hamlet of Vezza d’Alba, at the gates of the Roero. It is ideal to be cooked and served in a thousand preparations, such as those produced by the historic Azienda Mariangela Prunotto, which serves it with wines, including Moscato and Dolcetto and in the delicious Cognà Albese recipe, with Dolcetto grape must. , quince, hazelnuts and walnuts, excellent to taste with cheeses and boiled meats as well as on polenta.
Ready for our trip? Let’s start from Alba, jewel of the Langhe. We leave the splendid Piazza, dominated by the imposing Duomo, to venture into the underground Alba tours, where we will discover the Roman and medieval roots of the city.
To be seen in Alba
La Cattedrale di San Lorenzo
La Chiesa della Maddalena
Il Palazzo Comunale
Torre Bonino, Torre Astesiano e Torre Sineo
La Chiesa di San Domenico
Casa Fenoglio
We leave Alba and reach Asti.
Worth seeing in Asti
La Cattedrale
La Cripta Museo Sant’Anastasio
Torre Troyana o Torre dell’Orologio
Palazzo Ottolenghi,
Palazzo Alfieri
Palazzo Mazzetti, hosts the splendid exhibition I Macchiaioli, the adventure of modern art.
Over eighty paintings signed by illustrious names, such as by Giovanni Fattori, Silvestro Lega, Telemaco Signorini, Giovanni Boldini, protagonists of the artistic movement that revolutionized the history of subsequent Italian painting.
Santa Claus is coming!
Markets, gifts, goodies and a starred panettone …
In Asti more than 120 houses offer the best handicrafts, gift ideas, handmade objects and decorations and food and wine excellences from all over Italy.You will find local cured meats, signature cheeses and jams to best accompany them.
Celebrate a Royal Christmas in Govone where, in the sumptuous Royal Castle, the summer residence of Prince Carlo Felice and his court, “Christmas in the House of Savoy” is celebrated with re-enactments of the dishes and traditions of the feasts of the time. Do not miss the participation of Santa and Mother Christmas, accompanied by Elves and friends in the lively musical “Santa’s House”, a sung and recited itinerary that involves the whole family .. .
… e il panettone?
Under the starry sky (Michelin) of Monferrato, it could only be a gourmet delicacy: the brand new creation of Chef Massimiliano Musso, whom I met in his starred restaurant Ca’ Vittoria (Tigliole)
How was your panettone born?
It all started in 2012, with an internship with the great Maestro Mauro Morandin, where I learned the art of making a panettone.I started offering it only to the restaurant’s customers and I continued doing this for 10 years, without thinking of a large-scale distribution.
When did the “marketing” spark?
When I realized that it would be an excellent idea to produce it also for a wider clientele, while maintaining the rigorous leavening process and respecting the quality of the ingredients: mother yeast, milk chocolate and the very fragrant round apricot of Costigliole d’Asti,one of the tastiest that can be found in the summer market.
The name?
I wanted to create a panettone that would promote the area, starting with the name and I called it the Alfiere.
Enrico Crippa with his 3 Michelin Stars Piazza Duomo (Alba) leads a battalion of stars, confirming that these territories are true gourmet paradises Two Stars: L’Antica Corona Reale “(Cervere) and La Madernassa (Guarene), from where Michelangelo Mammoliti is preparing to pack his bags, towards his new restaurant inside the Boscareto Resort in Serralunga d’Alba” Also in Alba we find Larossa “by Andrea Larossa and” Locanda del Pilone “Chef Federico Gallo, while Monforte d’Alba boasts two restaurants: Borgo Sant’Anna with chef Pasquale Laera and FRE with Yannick Alléno.
Roero also defends itself very well:
All’Enoteca “(Piobesi d’Alba) with Davide Palluda, 21.9 (Tenuta Carretta, Piobesi) with Flavio Costa and, leading lady among the chefs, Elide Mollo Cordero, at the helm of ‘Il Centro ( Priocca) Special mention for La Morra, a town of only 2700 residents that boasts 3 starred restaurants: Osteria Arborina “by chef Enrico Marmo, Palas Cerequio with Damiano Nigro and Massimo Camia by chef Camia. .
I have adopted the motto: “Ask the Locals”, ask the locals, in fact no one knows better how to suggest precious addresses and delicious dishes. So I contacted Chiara Roggero, a tireless guide, a profound connoisseur of the area and… an excellent fork.
Trattoria del Peso (Belvedere) Local historian in a small village at about 650 m above sea level. Here it seems that time has stopped The Turnip Heads (Asti) Young, easy-going, creative, starting with the unusual Piedmontese sushi with polenta, mushrooms, raw Fassona meat and seaweed. the “Piedmontese sushi” of Teste di Rapa Trattoria Salvetti (Paroldo) Bagna cauda, plin, poor traditional dishes. Trattoria Mollo (Torresina) Where it is rumored that the best Piedmontese fried in the area is served The Podestà (Asti) Thistle with anchovies, plins in chicken broth and a spectacular zabaglione
Il Consorzio Barbera d’Asti e Vini del Monferrato, is the unitary heart of a Unesco World Heritage area, represents the reference point of a wine industry that expresses, with its products, the history and value of a region unique in the world . 
The black grape varieties typical of Piedmont, Barbera, Dolcetto, Nebbiolo, Freisa are splendidly represented, while, always remaining in the Monferrato significant is the. Consorzio dell’Asti e Moscato d’Asti which protects the production of Moscato d’Asti, the main resource of the territory.
The real lord of the table is Barbaresco We have landed in the wonderful world of Tenuta San Mauro (Castagnole delle Lanze) ancient family history and passion. From mother Clara, Mauro took the pleasure of wine with the defense of authenticity at all costs; from father Ettore, he took the love for the land, for ancient agriculture, its traditions, its values. Tradition and challenge is the family motto.
The Tenuta boasts excellent wines, including Alta Langa, a balanced, creamy and intense white with hints of dried fruit and ideal for fish dishes, white meats and medium-aged cheeses, Barbera d’Asti ruby red color, enveloping taste with hints of wild berries. Perfect with elaborate red and white meats, game and full-bodied first courses, a delicious Rosé that Chef Bongiovanni has unusual paired with a sensational Fassona tartare, rigorously cut by hand.
Tenuta San Mauro offers rich tastings: more than two hours to experience the Barbaresco Experience with 3 ranges of the fabulous red or the Selection Experience, with a mix of rosé, chardonnnay, barbere, barbaresco and with a great fnale of Moscato d’Asti. All accompanied by local cheeses and cold cuts, bread and small pastries. Cost per person Euro 25 -35. Reservations online
I “Sentieri Gastronomici” is a project dedicated to food and wine tourism aimed at enhancing small local agricultural businesses. A series of tours, experiences and packages are offered to the public, inextricably linked to local food and wine, but also to the beauty and history of the area. At the helm of the project we find Chef Diego Bongiovanni, a television face known for his appearances at Prova del Cuoco .
Diego’s mission is to enhance the regional territory and local products for an authentic and traditional cuisine. How could I not “steal” a recipe?
PUMPKIN RISOTTO WITH CHESTNUTS AND CALSTELMAGNO DOP CREAM
Ingrediants
400 grams of carnaroli rice 100 gr of Parmesan 50 gr of butter 1 Mantuan type pumpkin 150 gr of Castelmagno DOP 150 ml of milk 150 grams of boiled chestnuts with bay leaves 2 liters of water 1 stalk of celery 1 red onion 1 carrot 1 apple 2 cloves of garlic 400 gr of scaramella or muscle 30 gr of extra virgin olive oil salt Herbs
Preparation
In a saucepan, put all the broth ingredients with the oil and brown everything well until the vegetables and meat are golden. Add the cold water and cook the broth for about 2 hours over low heat. Meanwhile, bake the pumpkin in the oven wrapped in aluminum foil for about 1 hour, then peel it and clean it from the inside. Blend it very finely and keep it available. Dry toast the rice in a saucepan, then add the broth a little at a time and cook the rice over high heat, stirring constantly. After about 5 minutes from cooking, add the pumpkin cream and continue cooking. When cooked, remove from the heat and mix it with butter and Parmesan and put it on plates. Melt the Castelmagno with the milk until it is creamy in a saucepan, then with a spoon put some drops of sauce on the risotto, crumble the chestnuts directly on the plate and serve on the table.
INFO
Ente Turismo Langhe Monferrato Roero
Email
info@visitlmr.it (Area Langhe Roero)
info1@visitlmr.it (Area Monferrato)
Tel. +39 0173 35833 (Informazioni Turistiche Langhe Roero)
Tel. +39 0141 530357 (Informazioni Turistiche Monferrato Astigiano)
