Menu of the Month
Trattoria da Felice
This comes from Trattoria da Felice, a smart, simple room on the Via Saluzzo near to the central train station in Turin. It is our new favouritest restaurant. They describe their food as "Cucina Casalinga", which translates as "domestic cooking", or "housewife's cooking", and that is just what it is.
They don't play any music. There are two waitresses who dress simply, rarely smile, and who tell you where to sit. It is full of folk (usually men) eating on their own.
The food is exquisite: beautifully balanced pasta dishes such as chittara all'abruzzese, where tender pieces of lamb enlightened with red chilli flakes and tomatoes wrap around the most toothsome pasta (which, interestingly, is cooked a little bit more than al dente) or a thunderous dish of puréed fava beans served with turnip tops. This latter dish shows the true Piedmontese cuisine: earthy and gutsy and simple, but beautifully accomplished and utterly individualistic. Bruschetta is superb, lardo is superb, pasta with beans is earthy, and the nobility of the place is enchanting. If you want to see the Italian art of cooking and eating at its most gracious, da Felice is for you.
Trattoria da Felice, Via Saluzzo, 5 Torino tel: (011) 650 54 30
!!Competition!!
Win a packet of handmade pasta shaped in the @ sign!
We have been able to find a translation for everything except "Robespierre" which we think might be a cut of beef, or "Aramatelle al profumo di bosco". Our dictionary translates "profumo di bosco" as scent of wood, so we're quite baffled about this one. If any reader can translate either or both of these for us, we will send them a packet of Piedmontese pasta shaped in the appropriate @ symbol. Email your answer to: Sally McKenna
Trattoria Da Felice Menu
Friday 27th October
ANTIPASTI - Hors d'oeuvre
| Pesce spada affumicato con rucola | Smoked swordfish with rocket |
| Insalata di polpo con rucola | Salad of Octopus with rocket |
| Salmone affumicato con crostini | Smoked salmon with toasted bread |
| Albese con Castlemagno | an antipasti using the local cheese Castlemagno |
| Insalata di funghi con parmigiano | Salad with mushrooms and Parmesan |
| Bresaola olio & limone | Dry salt beef with olive oil and lemon juice |
| Lardo con crostini | cured bacon fat with toasted bread |
| Prosciutto Toscano tagliato a mano | Tuscan cured ham, cut by hand |
PRIMO PIATTI - first course (usually pasta)
| Spaghetti con vongole | Spaghetti with clams |
| Chitarra all abruzzese | long, square, pasta ribbons with lamb and chilli |
| Bavette allo scampo | ribbon pasta with prawns |
| Tagliolini con zucchini & gamberi | strips of pasta with courgette and lobster |
| Maltagiati con fagioli | tubes (known here as Penne) with mushrooms |
| Gnocchetti sardi con carciofi | potato dumplings with artichoke |
| Pappardelle con lepre | flat pasta with hare |
| Aramatelle al profumo di bosco | no translation available |
SECONDO PIATTI second course (a light meat-based course)
| Agnellino al forno | oven-baked lamb |
| Lepre al civet con polenta | hare with liver sauce and polenta |
| Scaloppini con funghi porcini | Veal escalopes with porcini mushrooms |
| Bistecchine d'agnello al ferri | grilled lamb steak |
| Petto di pollo al ferri | grilled breast of chicken |
| Robespierre per 2 | no translation available |
| Castellana al prosciutto | cured ham |
PESCE - fish
| Branzino o orato al ferri | grilled sea bass |
| Sogliola al ferri alla mugnaia | grilled sole |
| Orata al forno con patate e funghi | oven-baked gilt head bream with potato and mushrooms |
CONTORNI - vegetables
| Patata fritte | chips |
| Spinaci all Olio | spinach with olive oil |
| Peperoni arrostiti | roasted peppers |
| Insalata mista | mixed salad |
FORMAGGI - cheese
| Fontina o gorgonzola | Gorgonzola |
| Parmigiano | Parmesan |
| Mozzarella | Mozzarella |
| Pecorino o toma | Pecorino |
FRUTTA - fruit
| Macedonia di frutta fresca | fresh fruit salad |
| Lampori al limone | raspberries with lemon juice |
| Fragole a limone | strawberries with lemon juice |
DOLCI - desserts
| Affogato al caffe | coffee dessert |
| Dolci della casa | chocolate loaf "of the restaurant" |
| Sorbetto al limone | lemon sorbet |
| Cocco | coconut dessert |
| Cantucci con vin santo | almond biscuits with sweet wine |
email John and Sally | read other articles in this issue
text © John & Sally McKenna
illustrations ©
Ken Buggy
