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How to: Build the Perfect Antipasti Platter

Antipasti is a must for Italians. Simple to pull together, it gives the palate an array of flavors to choose from before the main meal. Often, what goes on an antipasti platter takes a matter of minutes to prepare, which can bide you some time if the main course is a bit more labor intensive than anticipated.

How to: Antipasti

Three tips to start:

The base, of course, is a beautiful platter on which to arrange your sampling of pre-meal foods. Here at Via Umbria, we suggest five different types of decorative serving pieces to begin your meal with a “wow” factor.

Unless you’re planning a party with lots of guests, keep the antipasto simple so you don’t crowd out the main meal.

The fragrance and appearance of the food that you serve is important, so blending flavors, aromas and colors will make for the most interesting antipasto platters. Having a beautiful and colorful ceramic base certainly can’t hurt either!

 

FISH TRAYS 

Deruta Fish Tray
Ricco Deruta Fish Tray

Our long fish trays are one of our favorite platters because they are very narrow, fitting perfectly down the center of your table for maximum access!

Italian Cheese

Antipasti, Salumi, Olio Novello

We fill our tray with:

 

SMALLER PLATTERS 

Marinated Artichokes
Margherita Square Tray

Our circular cake plates, and square platters are well suited for bruschetta and artichokes, as they are smaller and easy to pass. We always have fresh bread, paired with easy spreads on the table as well.

Cutting Bread

We fill our smaller platters with:

 

Toasted bread and Olio Novello makes a surprisingly tasty antipasto
Toasted bread and Olio Novello makes a surprisingly tasty antipasto

Bruschetta Italian Artichokes

DECORATIVE BOWLS 

Beautifully painted ceramic bowls are perfect for containing a loose salad. We love like something created with beans or farro, which add a bit of texture and protein to your spread.

We fill our bowl with:

Umbrian Lentil Salad

CONDIMENT BOWL

While we put our cheese on the fish tray or square platter, our condiment bowls, are filled with complementary jams nearby. And who could forget the obligatory olives!

We fill our continent bowls with:

  • Nuts, usually pistachios
  • Apricot jam, to pair with Tallegio cheese
  • Many different types of olives

Truffle Honey

SUSHI TRAY 

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One catchall platter that always impresses is the sushi tray. The waves in this tray add a unique touch to the spread on your table.

We fill our sushi tray with:

Oh so many marinated vegetables

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Use this guide as a launching off point, but don’t forget to get creative with what is in season around you! Throwing on some fresh vegetables is an easy way to complement the preserved antipasti straight from Italy, which we stock.

The next time you need to create and antipasti platter in a hurry, think Via Umbria! Shop our ceramics and antipasti today!

 

Ci Vediamo!

—Via Umbria

Antipasti is a must for Italians. Simple to pull together, it gives the palate an array of flavors to choose from before ...

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15 minute recipe: tagliatelle with mushrooms and sausage

tagliatelle with sausage and mushrooms

Pasta is the perfect weeknight dish.

This week, we selected Marco Giacosa’s “Straw Hay” Pasta, to dish up, partly because of its charming name. And indeed, the pasta does look like hay…delicious hay.

Ricco Deruta Pasta Bowl

This tagliatelle is delicate, with a silky smooth texture and slight undertones of spinach that blend seamlessly into most sauces you could pair it with. This week, we chose to add sausage and mushroom slices from the farmer’s market. It only took us about 15 minutes to prepare, and enjoyed with the Plani Arche Montefalco Rosso, it was a successful weekday dinner!

Deruta Ceramic Pasta Bowl
Girasole Medium Serving Bowl

Process:

•·      Heat pot of salted water to boil

•·      Cut sausages into thin circular pieces and slice mushrooms

•·      Place sausages in pan on medium-high heat and cook until browned

•·      Remove sausage and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil into pan, add mushrooms and cook until browned

•·      Once water is boiling, add Marco Giacosa’s “Straw Hay” Pasta, and cook for about 6 minutes (or until tender). Because of the high quality of the pasta, it will cook significantly faster than most grocery store brands, so keep your eye on the pot!

•·      Strain pasta and mix in with tomato sauce or just high quality olive oil, as you prefer

•·      Top with warm sausages and mushrooms, pour yourself a glass of Montefalco Rosso, and enjoy!

Gather all your materials over at Emporio, and then toss on the apron to make this delicious weeknight meal, from our table to yours.

–Via Umbria

___

 

For more recipes from Via Umbria and friends, visit our Pinterest page. 

 

Pasta is the perfect weeknight dish. This week, we selected Marco Giacosa’s “Straw Hay” Pasta, to dish up, partly because of its charming name. And indeed, ...

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How To: Chef Simone Builds the Perfect Pizza

You know what makes everyone happy? PIZZA NIGHT.

The last time Simone hit the states we were lucky enough to have him make pizza for us. It was quite the experience.

Simone makes his own pizza dough, but if you feel like going the easy route you can always purchase from Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s. What really makes the difference is using imported 00 flour, specifically for pizza and pasta, when you roll your dough out. The light as air flour that lines the corners of your Neapolitan pizza? It’s 00.

After the dough has been perfectly flattened, Simone’s hands dip into the toppings, with input from the eaters, of course. Here are a few of Simone’s toppings:

organic tomato sauce 

broccoli rabe

mushrooms

tomatoes

parmigiano

zucchini

brussels sprouts

red peppers

red onions

cured meats

ground beef

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With all these options, there were a few standouts from the night. Simone gamely played along as we argued over who got to generate the ideas for the next pizza. Here are some we loved:

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The Kelsey

Zucchini, olive oil, sea salt, rosemary, parmesan

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Sprouting Pizza

Olive oil, brussels sprouts, mushrooms, shredded mozzarella

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Rossa Rossa Rossa

Marinara sauce, red peppers, pepperoni, mozzarella

 

Each of Simone’s pizzas only took about five minutes in a wood burning pizza oven, but if you’re working with an oven, pop yours in for 7-12 minutes on 450 degrees.

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Of course, we pair our pizza with Birra Perugia Classic IPA.

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Wish you could get in on the fun? You can!  Simone is returning in the spring for four nights of merriment. Here are your options:

 

Thursday, May 28th at 7:00 PM – Umbrian Food and Wine Tasting

On Thursday, there will be a wine tasting at the home of Sue Cimbricz, in Bethesda. The evening will feature the wines of Giampaolo Tabarrini, as presented by Bill Menard from Via Umbria. Simone will be preparing tasting pairs for the wonderful wine. You can get your tickets for $50, here. For any questions, and for payment over the phone, contact Suzy Menard at 202.333.3904 or suzy@viaumbria.com.

 

Saturday, May 30th 5:00 PM – PBS Dream of Italy series premiere

Via Umbria is rolling out the red carpet in our Galleria in Georgetown to celebrate the premiere of the travel series Dream of Italy on PBS. Join host Kathy McCabe and Via Umbria owners Suzy and Bill Menard at the store on Saturday, May 30th at 5 p.m.

Chef Simone will conduct a cooking demonstration of traditional Umbrian delicacies and of course there will be plenty to taste. To attend the Dream of Italy party, free of charge, RSVP to Elsa at elsa@viaumbria.com.

 

Private Dinners for 10 guests, Friday May 29 and Sunday, May 31

Simone is available to cook a private dinner in your home for you and up to ten guests. Friday, May 29 and Sunday May 31, you can host up to 10 guests for $1,250. Contact Suzy Menard at suzy@viaumbria.com for more details about this exciting opportunity.

 

Seated Dinner with Simone, Monday, June 1st at 7:00PM

You can book a seat at the Menard’s on June 1st where Simone will be working his magic for $125 a plate. This four course dinner, paired with his favorite Montefalco wines, is sure to he a hit. Tickets are available on Eventbrite.

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You know what makes everyone happy? PIZZA NIGHT. The last time Simone hit the states we were lucky enough to have him make ...

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Bill’s Bucatini with Rabbit and Spring Vegetables

photo 3

 

Here at Via Umbria, we really live and breathe our products, as we believe in the producers and farmers that make them. This means that our everyday choices are guided by the integrity of the products we sell; we really are rooted and knowledgeable about what we are selling and use and eat those products every day.

Last week, our very own Bill Menard whipped up some bucatini with rabbit, and sautéed spring peas, fava beans, and artichokes with mint. Made wearing the top line of chefware from Italy (quite stylish if we do say so ourselves) and plated on a Geribi handpainted ceramic, this meal is a seasonal Umbrian classic that he made with pride.

The Bucantini with rabbit recipe you can find the The Geometry of Pasta, but for the rest you’ll have to consult our Pinterest.

Buon appetito!

–Via Umbria

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  Here at Via Umbria, we really live and breathe our products, as we believe in the producers and farmers that make them. ...

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Recipe: Fennel Meatballs from Vickie Reh

Last week this time, we were sitting down to a four course meal to celebrate Liu Pambufetti of Scacciadiavoli Vineyards. As the heat of the day sifted off, we enjoyed typical Umbrian fare under the stars.

While the mood outside was lively, the feeling of relaxation and perfect conversation prevailed at the dinner table. But, as usual, in the kitchen it was a different story! The timing of the lamb was especially imperative, but with the assistance of our friend, chef, and sommelier Vickie Reh, we were able to pull off the dinner without a hitch.

After the last drops of the passito were had, and the guests wandered home, content and with full bellies, we sat down around the fire pit.

Vickie reminisced about sitting outside in the summer to celebrate Suzy’s birthday, which she also helped cook for. We were able to track down the recipe for the classic fennel meatballs she made for the occasion, which we are sharing with you here!

IMG_8259IMG_8302 The third course: lamb, roasted potatoes and asparagus, paired with Scacciadiavoli Sagrantino 2006. IMG_8366The women who helped plan and execute the event!

Do these photos make you drool? We have plenty of opportunities for you to experience the food and wine of Umbria. Check out our upcoming events to find something for every price point.

Ci Vediamo!

 

— Via Umbria

Last week this time, we were sitting down to a four course meal to celebrate Liu Pambufetti of Scacciadiavoli Vineyards. As the ...

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Simone’s Bucatini with Fava Beans and Cherry Tomatoes

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Our dear friend and chef Simone gave us his recipe for the perfect spring pasta, which we paired with the Montefalco Rosso from Scacciadiavoli last Thursday night. We needed a simple yet impressive dish to serve for a party of 30, and this pasta was perfetto. Fava beans are in season, both in Umbria and the US, and serve as the protein for this vegetarian dish, which can easily be altered to be vegan and/or gluten-free for guests with dietary restrictions. Ready in under 30 minutes and packed with the vibrant flavors of spring, it was a huge hit.

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Ingredients:

1 package all-natural Bucatini
1 bunch green onions
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 cup fava beans peeled
aged pecorino cheese
olive oil

 

Toss cherry tomatoes with olive oil and salt and put on a foil lined baking sheet.  Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes until tomatoes are soft and lightly browned.  Peel fava beans (both layers) and steam just until soft and still bright green. Remove from heat immediately.

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Boil pasta until al dente and drain.  Mix pasta and tomatoes in a large pasta bowl adding olive oil as necessary.  Toss in fava beans and green onions.  Season with salt and pepper to taste (you can add a pinch of chili pepper if you like).  Top with grated pecorino and serve!

 

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Our dear friend and chef Simone will be returning to Washington DC for a few days at the end of May.

 

He has two evenings still available for private dinners in your home Friday, May 29 or Sunday May 31, where you can host up to 10 guests for $1,250. Or, you can book a seat at the table at the Menard’s where Simone will be working his magic for $125 a plate.

 

Contact Suzy at suzy@viaumbria.com or 202.957-3811 to book or for more details.

Our dear friend and chef Simone gave us his recipe for the perfect spring pasta, which we paired with the Montefalco Rosso from Scacciadiavoli last ...

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Recipe – Lara’s Red Pesto Chicken

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Wanting to try something different from the standard pasta + sauce combination, I decided to put Seggiano’s Red Pesto sauce to a more creative use. I had previously tried the all-natural sauce on the Mancino’s whole wheat Orecchiette and loved its flavorful combination of basil, tomato, and creamy nut base, so I decided to use it to add a burst of flavor to some chicken thighs.

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I like to keep my recipes simple ( and mostly paleo and gluten-free for my boyfriend), and this quick dish only required a few steps:

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees
  • Lightly oil, salt, and pepper raw chicken pieces. Add a coat of Seggiano’s Red Pesto sauce to soak in while in oven
  • Place seasoned chicken on baking pan and leave in oven for 30 minutes (15 minutes on each side)
  • Heat Seggiano’s Red Pesto sauce on a stovetop for about 5 minutes on medium-high heat
  • Remove chicken from the oven, and glaze a second coat of Seggiano’s Red Pesto sauce while it cools

The chicken can pair nicely with many things, and I prepared it alongside a kale salad with raisins, tomatoes, and almonds as well as roasted portabella mushroom slices.

 

Simple and delicious, buon appetito !

 

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Lara enjoys simple, quality, home-cooked meals. Although she does not consider herself to be a cook, she knows to appreciate all kinds of cuisine and has tasted unbelievable dishes from her travels around the world. Fairly new to the DC area after living in France and Tunisia, Lara is discovering all that the city has to offer, including the specialty foods at Via Umbria!

 

Wanting to try something different from the standard pasta + sauce combination, I decided to put Seggiano's Red Pesto sauce to a more creative ...

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Chef Simone’s Spinach Risotto

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I recently had a dinner party, and reached out to our favorite Chef Simone for a quality risotto recipe. Risotto is wonderful for serving a crowd because of its long simmer time. After you throw the first ingredients in, it just takes a small stir every few minutes while you prep the other courses and make drinks. When my guest arrived 20 minutes late, it was no issue, as I just turned the rice to low and let it simmer for a little while why we waited.

This simple recipe was a huge hit, perfect for a cozy winter night in with some friends and a bottle of wine.

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INGREDIENTS:

one large shallot

one cup white wine

vegetable or chicken stock

butter

1/2 cup parmigiano cheese

two cups Gli Airioni rice

zest of one lemon

three cups spinach

 

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INSTRUCTIONS:

In a large saucepan, cook the diced shallot in two tablespoons butter over medium-low heat, stirring until softened, for about 5 minutes.

Add the rice and stirring constantly add the white wine, until it is absorbed.

Continue adding stock, stirring constantly and letting each batch be absorbed before adding the rest.

Reduce the heat to moderate, if necessary, to keep the risotto at a simmer.

Continue adding the stock in the same manner until the rice is tender and creamy looking but still al dente, about 20 minutes.

Reduce the heat to low, add the parmigiano. Mix well. Add the spinach and the lemon zeste and continue mixing. Serve with some more parmesan on top!

 

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I recently had a dinner party, and reached out to our favorite Chef Simone for a quality risotto recipe. Risotto is wonderful ...

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Simone’s Orecchiette with Broccoli

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Chef Simone has done it again! His tasty Orecchiette with Broccoli recipe was a big hit at Via Umbria this past Wednesday.

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Curious customers of all ages were able to watch the cooking process and enjoy the delicious end result!

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In case you missed out, here is the recipe so that you can try it at home!

Orecchiette with Broccoli

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups of broccoli
  • Anchovies filet
  • 2-4 cloves of Garlic
  • Chili pepper
  • ¼ cup of olive 0il
  • Salt

 

Instructions:

  • Boil broccoli in salt water for 3 minutes
  • Sauté garlic, chili pepper, and anchovies filet in olive oil
  • Add broccoli and cook for 10 minutes
  • Using water, boil orecchiette for 10 minutes
  • Drain and serve with a sprinkle of parmigiano

 Buon appetito!

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— Via Umbria

Chef Simone has done it again! His tasty Orecchiette with Broccoli recipe was a big hit at Via Umbria this past Wednesday. Curious ...

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Simone’s Tortelloni with Butternut Squash and Sage

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We were lucky enough to have Simone in the store with us on Wednesday, to teach us how to make delightful fresh pasta with butternut squash filling. See our previous tutorial on how to make the fresh pasta here.

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INGREDIENTS

• 1 egg per person • Extravirgin olive oil

• 100g 00 flour

INSTRUCTIONS

• Weigh the flour and place on a wooden board in a pile

making a well in the middle.

• Break the egg into the well and stir into the flour slowly

using a fork.

• Add a drizzle of extravirgin olive oil.

• Mix the dough into a ball.

• Knead the dough using the ball of your hand until it is

smooth, soft (not sticky) and springy.

• Wrap in plastic wrap and let sit for 15-30 minutes

before rolling.

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FILLING  FOR TORTELLONI

INGREDIENTS

Butter

Sage

Parmigiano

Nutmeg

White pepper

One whole butternut squash

INSTRUCTIONS

Peel the squash and cut into cubes.  Sauté in oil until lightly roasted.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add water, lower heat and cover.  Cook until very soft.

Purée squash with 1 egg yolk and grated parmigiano. Season with nutmeg to taste.

Once tortelloni is made, garnish with sage and serve!

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For the real treat, join Simone on his home turf for a cooking tour with Via Umbria. Cucinapalooza will be happening April 18 – 24, 2015.

Or for an experience close-to-home, join Simone next week on Wednesday as he makes oricchiette with broccolini, from 5-6 at Via Umbria. See you next week!

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— Via Umbria

We were lucky enough to have Simone in the store with us on Wednesday, to teach us how to make delightful fresh ...

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I Came, I Sausaged, I Conquored

Sausage 007

Laws are like sausages.  It is best not to see them being made.
— Otto von Bismarck

With all due respect to the Iron Chancellor we couldn’t disagree more.  Maybe he’s correct with respect to law making, but certainly not with respect to sausage making.  It is better to make them yourself.

It is January, the beginning of the New Year, when thoughts turn to resolutions, diets and exercise.  It is also the time of year, for the past five years, that we welcome back chef Simone Proietti-Pesci for his annual US visit.  Yesterday marked the beginning of his return, a three week tour and tour de force that begins in the Napa Valley of California and will take him (and us) to Washington, DC, New York, South Florida, Boston and the Cayman Islands.  We’ll chronicle Chef Simone’s daily activities here on Dolce Vita for those of you who cannot get together with him in person.

Sausage 009
Our first activity, just hours after connecting with Simone at SFO (he having flown from Rome, we having taking the shorter trip from Washington) was to set up camp at our friend Pete’s in Napa Valley where Simone (and his able assistant Austin) will prepare an Umbrian dinner party this evening.  With nothing formal on the day’s schedule (other than dinner at Bouchon) Pete suggested that we organize a sausage fest, relying on our expert Umbrian sausage maker to help make Umbrian sausage and Pete’s family recipe from his Sicilian aunt.

 

Pete had prepared in advance, laying on provisions, including ground pork (for the Umbrian variety) and ground pork and veal (for the Sicilian).  He also trotted out his new toy, a LEM sausage packer that looks like a cross between Pinocchio and the Tin Woodsman.  This gadget would make Chancellor Bismarck particularly happy, packing the sausage filling seamlessly and without mess into the casings that are loaded onto the spindle.  Having watched Julietta, our local butcher in Cannara hand pack sausages at a cooking class earlier in the year, we even more appreciated the crank it and forget approach afforded by the LEM.

Much weighing of ingredients and calculations of salt percentages were made by Pete and Simone and the ingredients mixed and massaged by hand.  Help was enlisted from Pete’s parents and the rest of our assembled group and then magically, from a mass of ground meat and simple spices emerged from the LEM not Neil Armstrong, but an unending array of dirigible shaped delicousness.

Sausage 002
Houston, we’ve got a sausage.
Close your eyes, Bismarck!
Close your eyes, Bismarck!
While many of the links will be consumed at Simone’s Saturday Umbrian open house in San Francisco, we did sample enough, including a generous portion added to a pizza Pete threw together, to attest that home made sausage beats store-bought any day of the week.

Including (if not especially) Wednesday, the day we started Simone’s three week US adventure.

Ci vediamo!
Bill and Suzy

Behind the Scenes of Sausage-Making Read more

Laws are like sausages.  It is best not to see them being made. -- Otto von Bismarck With all due respect to the Iron ...