''tuscany to piemonte'' con i duci di dicembre....

Here is a montage put together for our dukes of december trip 2009.

we departed from

Rome

headed into tuscany to

Montecarlo

taking a train north arriving in

Mantova

another train to piemonte for culinary adventures in

Alba &

Barolo

and then to do snowboarding in

Pratonevoso

leaving for a stop in

Asti

back to

Montecarlo

and finally

Rome...

home sweet Rome....

''tuscany to piemonte'' with the dukes of december 2009 from croosadabilia on Vimeo.

the dukes of december: a brief explanation 
in 2009 when my good friend antonio massimiano stayed with me
in rome while i was living there.  i quit my job in december to travel...
we had been planning for a while, and were super stoked...
we then traveled as the dukes of december...

nico contenta

antonio massimiano aka
il stupratore, e mangiacozza
after this trip it was decided it was only necessary to make this an annual duke outing...
join us in 2010...

 on the set for ''na cica de caffè.  florence, december 2009

for the link of ''na cica de caffè'' short film, CLICK HERE

enoclub, alba

Upon arriving into Alba,  we were taken out to dinner by a local to one of his prefered places the enoclub. A stacked wine list, and menu consisting of simple traditional piemontese dishes, as well as some modern takes from the kitchen.  A very clean, contemporary, and stylish restaurant, right in the center of Alba in the Piazza Savona, 4.  We sampled a few dishes like the steak tar tar, with black truffle shaving, a beauty of a cheese platter shown below, and drank a la spinetta barbera d'alba gallina 2006. 

ENOCLUB 

Piazza Savona, 4, 12051 Alba, Italy

cucina mantovana!

   2nd stop, on our dukes of december trip. Anto and I charged it to mantova, lombardia from montecarlo in tuscany today, for a brief culinary excursion, before heading to Alba.  We checked into the hostel, then jetted up to see the palazzo tè.  After we cruised into a bar for a light apperitivo.  we tasted some ciccioli mantovani, which are little unctuous fried bits of pork goodness. They paired right gorgeously with a slightly chilled glass of local lambrusco mantovano. We had a reservation at trattoria due cavallini, for the famous tortelli di zucca, which in the mantova style, is always made with mostarda mantovana (pictured above) in the filling.  Then, a secondo of stracotto di cavallo con polenta (a sort of horse stew over polenta, pictured below). Whenever i see horse on a menu, I jump right at it. Afterwards we spotted a pasticceria right by the palazzo ducale. We indulged in some blazing local pastries like la sbrisolina and torta di tagliatelle. The last mission was to grab a jar of precious mostarda di mantova to go, usually pear or apple in a spicy mustard syrup but also comes in every fuckin' variety imaginable!  the dukes signing off...

pinche lampredotto!

On a brisk december morning on the 8th me and Anto rolled into florence, stoping a few hours before cruising to Montecarlo.  This was the first stop on our trip from Rome going north. Whenever making our way into Firenze there is always the necessary stop at the lampredottaio, for a panino con lampredotto.  This is a local type of tripe, but it comes from the fourth and final stomach of the cow, the abomasum.  Other tripes come from the first three chambers.  I fiortentini have had this specialty for years, dating back to the 1400's when it was a poor and working class food.  You can smother this beautiful sandwich with a salsa verde, and salsa piccante.  There are some fine enotecas and specialty food stores to discover near the san lorenzo daily market.

 

After a cruise through the center we stopped at a favorite place of mine, vineria casa del vino hidden behind the market close to the mercato centrale building. For me it is an ideal place to chill out with some local vino and food.  It is quite a simple place.  Basically sandwiches, and a wide variety of crostini, and a nice selection of wine by the glass/bottle, or take away.  There isn't heaps of space to sit, but is is nice and cozy. Below is a staple of the tuscan diet, crostini di fegato, which we had this time, with a text book chianti colli fiorentini from fattoria poggio romita.  A perfect fruit packed well balanced wine that goes grand with this type of simple tuscan cuisine, only 2 euro a glass, and 7 a bottle.  Another not to miss enoteca is Zanobini (Fratelli Gino E Silvano S.N.C.) on Via Sant'Antonino, 47.