Friuli in Cucina: La Cultura del Cibo, Le Ricette was another of the first Friulian cookbooks I bought. The author, Adriano Del Fabro, opens with the declaration that, among all the Friulian idioms and proverbs, the one that best summarizes the region’s concept of food is, “The best condiment is the appetite.”
The introductory chapters cover much of the usual material found in many regional cookbooks: history, culinary influences, typical foods, etc. But what I found most intriguing were the pages devoted to gastronomic proverbs. First is an entire spread of sayings about bread, such as “Every bread has its crust” (ostensibly a variation of “Every rose has its thorn”) and “With bread and mug there is nothing bad.” (Many of these proverbs, including the latter, rhyme when written in either Italian or Furlan and therefore evoke a bit more charm.) Other food-related sayings are centered around polenta, (for example, “Love is neither polenta nor cabbage broth”) and wine (“Wine, ladies and chestnuts are to be enjoyed in their seasons”).
In addition to being a food writer, Del Fabro is clearly an expert on wine. Following chapters on the history of Friulian wines and the region’s wine zones is another entitled “The magnificent 23,” describing FVG’s 23 varietals, which include Malvasia Istriana, Picolit, Ribolla Gialla, and Tocai Friulano.
It is only at this point in the cookbook that the recipes actually begin, with over 130 dishes organized logically into five chapters: antipasti e fuori pasto, primi piatti, secondi piatti, contorni, and dolci, frutta, liquori. Germano Pontoni (author of such cookbooks as La Zucca Si Sposa… and Sapori d’Acqua) is given credit for developing some of the recipes, as well as for his suggestions on wine pairing. Only a select few dishes in this book feature a color photo, and nearly half of these were prepared and photographed at Trattoria Alla Vedova in Udine.
Since I’ve had this book from practically the beginning of my research into Friulian cuisine, it played an especially significant role in my recipe development process. Take risotto, for example. Of the seemingly infinite possibilities—and Friuli in Cucina contains nine distinct versions—one of the ones I created for Flavors of Friuli was directly inspired by this book’s risotto con gli asparagi, prepared with white asparagus and prosciutto di San Daniele. I also used its recipes for paparòt, baccalà, and toç de purcìt as a starting point for my own versions, making only minor changes to the ingredients. Interestingly, I noticed that Del Fabro’s cjalcions contain very similar, though not quite identical, ingredients to the cjalsòns prepared by Carnian-born chef Ugo Durigon (which I recreated for my book, calling them cjalsòns di Treppo Carnico after Durigon’s home town).
The back matter includes several historical menus, though no recipes are provided here (only the names of dishes). The first set stems from an annual initiative called “A Tavola con gli Antichi Romani,” in which wine regions throughout northern and central Italy celebrate dishes once prepared by the ancient Romans. Featured are menus from four Aquileia restaurants that participated in 1997. The next pair of menus were offered by restaurants in Fagagna in 1990 to celebrate the 100-year anniversary of the town’s donkey races; they highlight ancient Friulian dishes.
There is also an interesting section taken from the preserved household documents of a wealthy Gorizia countess in the 18th century. These records list in detail both lunch and dinner menus for each day of the week. With separate menus documented for the nobility, servants, and officers, we can see not only the variety of traditional Friulian dishes eaten in those days, but also the difference in diet between classes.
Lastly, we find a section called “Sagre, Mostre, Fiere e Feste Popolari dei Prodotti Tipici Regionali,” a list of food festivals and events sorted by province. This one was no surprise to me, since Del Fabro has co-authored a book by a similar name, Feste, Sagre, Fiere, Mercati in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, which I will be reviewing later this year. I didn’t realize it at the time of purchase, but another book in my collection, Le Ricette della Tradizione Friulana, is actually the second edition of Friuli in Cucina, only with a different title and photos… I’ll also be reviewing this one at a later date.
