Slopes near Inner Arosa – (photo courtesy Trip Advisor) – not doing justice to any photos from her book
furry friend discovered yesterday
Truth is, I just saw a commercial which featured the word “tomorrow” in it. I immediately got to thinking about the power of the concept of tomorrow in our psyches and in our world. Tomorrow is the ultimate word of hope, as in “there is always tomorrow” – another day to try again to do something, to get it right, to begin again, to attempt a step toward a goal, to achieve a goal, to right a wrong, to extend a hand, to do a deed, to make something. Of course, tomorrow is also the ultimate word of procrastination – we say to ourselves, I don’t have to do this or that today – I’ll just do it tomorrow – and in our lives we put off for today something which can ultimately be achieved today – something which will take us one step further toward what we say we truly want and on which we will not act due to fear, laziness, uncertainty of direction or tact, the enormity of a task or confrontation, or, on many fronts, just the ability to, yes, dilly-dally. Or, more interestingly, (I hate using that word) we actually prefer to hang onto the idea of something incredibly pleasurable rather than to actually experience it and have it be, sadly over, as when it is over it is, ugh, done and the idea of it can no longer be held in the special imaginary image and feeling of what we’ve created in our minds – like how you feel when you have just finished a great book. It is amazing the mental games we can play with ourselves all around this word and idea of tomorrow – some grown of innocence and some sewn of the seeds of pathology. The range of possibility remains large and filled with potential and yet at the very same time, filled with delay, denial and procrastination. Well, let’s not get too serious here. It is just a thought, after all.
I found myself thinking about this right after I saw the commercial – how much we induct the word tomorrow in our plans around, yes, food – at least I do. Tomorrow I will eat better, tomorrow I will bake a particular cake, tomorrow I will plan out my bakery, tomorrow I will read a book about Italian Food culture, tomorrow I will can the rest of the summer peaches, tomorrow I will plan out a Harvest Dinner Menu, tomorrow I will make my Mom’s Pot Roast, tomorrow I will finally pick all the remaining tomatoes and basil – and on and on……….
In an unlikely fashion, it also ignited this – tomorrow I will finish reading my current favorite book – Winter in the Alps by Manuela Darling-Gansser. Perhaps it was the siting of the little creature shown above that got me thinking about tomorrows in the longer sense – when I will no longer be able to sit in the sun outside and warm myself up happily for hours on these most glorious of Autumn days.
This is the story of Manuela’s lifetime of family winters in a very special place in Switzerland called Inner Arosa- a story which has actually done something I didn’t think actually possible – it made me want to live somewhere cold in the Winter when I thought I was indeed a confirmed “get me out of here” person around all things cold, dark and long and “dead”……. Take a look at this book. It is in a word, enchanting. Of course, it takes place in Europe – just a skip and jump (0ver mountain passes) away from Italy and that was, of course, the power to lure me in. I have read two of her other books and I count Manuela as one of the lucky people – those who get to live in the most alluringly treasured of places are are keen enough to recognize what they have and big enough to share it with the world in the most remarkable of ways. Anything that gets me dreaming of spending more than a couple of days anywhere Wintery, has got the power. Yes, I confess that I have very near the top of my bucket list a trip to Austria and Germany for the Christmas markets, and Vienna and Salzburg have been calling my name for a long time – but this has been the clincher. That her recipes are amazingly comforting and cozy and can create the very essence of warmth, security and happy satiation – especially around the remarkable cheeses sourcing from this area, is key. I love the ultimate simplicity of her dishes, many of which are lovingly bathed in luscious cheeses that can only come from here. I don’t want to spoil it for those of you who will actually read this book. To say that this is a story of great fun, adventure and love is, well, an understatement.
Of course, I have great support for travel to this area from my son, Ryan – the king of finding the most gorgeous of resorts the world over. He’s always bugging me to look at places he’s found or heard about from his friends. My usual retort? Why don’t you spend as much time studying what you are supposed to rather than spending hours being a “mental traveler” (what favourite movie is that line from?) on a constant basis? Truth is, Ryan is especially keen in finding great places to go to and stay as evidenced in our recent trips to Positano and Taormina, and even though some of his travel goals don’t always mesh with mine, a visit to the areas around St. Moritz (need I say more?) in the dead of Winter have in fact been added to my list, and mostly due to him. But, I digress.
As you know, I have begun my little journey of educating myself on a list of topics I once preferred to snooze through (and honestly, dream of football captains) in the actual time I was supposed to be paying attention – this one namely, European History. I am constantly taken in now, by the stories of the nomadian and/or crusading of tribes and cultures around this relatively small continent and the establishment of the world as we “know” it today. Of course, it is still changing as we speak but I am trying to get a clearer understanding of these places I was supposed to “remember” back in the 1960s and 70s and didn’t really care about. The evolution of food culture has become one of my obsessions – especially as it was driven by or haphazardly sewn in the power of the ancient trade routes.
Well, that’s enough rambling on and about for today. Let’s just say that I have thought, “Tomorrow, I will begin making one of the dishes in this book and continue on until I’m done – all the while imagining myself in the settings described herein.”
I’ll just leave you with this simplest of gem-like recipes and you can judge for yourself. Of course recipes such as these have been often mimicked, massaged, tossed and turned and evolved, ad infinitum – as you can do with your vegetable selection, but, I encourage you, as you make this, to imagine yourself (or actually try to be) sourced with the richest and noblest of creams, cheeses and butters and the local-est and the very best of vegetables and, if you can, in this location in the icy cold of Winter.
Note: I would be extremely tempted to add some freshly grated nutmeg to this recipe
VERDURE al FORNO DELLA MAMMA – courtesy of Manuela Darling-Gansser
2 medium leeks, white, tender parts only, halved lengthwise, rinsed well under running water
1/2 small Savoy cabbage, sliced
1/2 small cauliflower, broken into small florets
4 stems broccolini
1 small sweet potato, thinly sliced
300ml (10 fl oz) cream
sea salt (7 oz) freshly grated Parmigiano
70g (2 1/2 0z) unsalted butter
Preheat oven to 400F. Butter a large ovenproof dish (about 12×16″). Lay the vegetables in rows next to each other. Pour over the cream and sprinkle with salt, pepper and Parmigiano. Break the butter into little pieces and dot it over the vegetables. Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Serves 4
Of course you can alter the cheese selection – switching out for Gruyére, Italian Fontina, Comte or whatever pleases you. In fact, many of the cheeses called for in this book are rarely if at all available in this Country. Some are basically unheard of. And, we won’t go into the differences in diet of the cows in Switzerland vs the US – that would just be too tough to imagine – and even detrimental to the enjoyment of these recipes. It goes without saying that the appreciation of these cheeses from or in their homeland will trump, a thousand times over, the use of any domestic varieties. If however, you happen to be lucky enough to source the real things, do so and count yourself as very fortunate.
Add some herbs and the nutmeg – but I am loving the image of this just “as is” for now and I am sure I will be making this often as the weather turns colder. Enjoy! (note – Gluten-free)
Well, it IS still actually September, and a glorious one at that. Back to reality now – at least for awhile………..