Ancora Pasta + Solo Bistro = Delicious!

Last Thursday's Ancora Pasta night at Solo Bistro went off without a hitch, at least from Ancora Pasta's (and its dining diva's) point of view. The pasta was perfect - Mrs. AP knew it would be (but you know how Mr. AP is...). But more importantly than that, it was cooked, paired, and presented perfectly, as well.

Chef Tyne did an amazing job with the brown butter, wilted arugula (I never would have thought of that and it was delicious!), and shaved pecorino romano for the chestnut ravioli. The second course was equally as yummy.

My dad was thoroughly fooled by the amount of pappardelle with pork ragù served. I agree: the bowl seemed bottomless (though we all polished the plate off, of course)! The ragù coated and stuck to the pappardelle so every bite contained smooth pasta and meaty deliciousness.

And, finally, the last course - the crostata di mele (apple tart) with homemade vanilla ice cream - was phenomenal. The crust of the crostata was super flaky, sweet, and crunchy; and the apples had been sweetened to perfection. I'll be the first to admit that I'm not really a fruit-pie person, so this dessert really took me by surprise. Kudos to Shyanne for that! The ice cream - which I'd had in its cinnamon and caramel incarnations a couple of days prior - was awesome, as well: creamy and very flavorful. All our plates were (virtually) licked clean!

I was really blown away by how everything came out. Now, I know, I'm a little biased, but don't you agree with me?

AP's First Restaurant Showcase

Knowing the right people pays. We may not want to admit that to ourselves or to people that, frankly, know more of the "right" people than we do. But tomorrow is a perfect example of how striking up a conversation or a friendship or a debate with one person can lead to something special.

In September, Mr. Ancora Pasta started a new job in one of the Greater Portland area's most well-known inn restaurants. At the same time, that restaurant was introducing a new sous chef, with whom Mr. Ancora Pasta found he had a great connection. They challenged each other, taught each other new techniques, and generally had a common vision for their new place of employ.

Recently, Mr. AP's new-found friend has returned to his former employer, Solo Bistro, in a new capacity: Executive Chef. In doing so he can mold an already fabulous and well-renowned restaurant's menu to fit his style. He has passion for what he does and can now truly demonstrate that passion, and his ability, in a new setting.

So how does this benefit us, the Ancora Pasta family? Well, Solo's executive chef knows well how Mr. Ancora Pasta's passion matches his own when it comes to producing a responsible, quality product and he has asked us to partake in his new vision for Solo Bistro. As part of that process, Ancora Pasta will be teaming up with Solo Bistro to create culinary tours of different regions of Italy. Each Thursday night a new region of Italy will be explored during a three-course prix fixe menu. Each course will be carefully designed to reflect the ingredients and culinary history of that region; the wines will also fit that same bill. It's a very exciting new stage in Ancora Pasta's life!

Check out this week's menu, which focuses on the cuisine of our beloved Florence. And, if you're not busy, come check us out tomorrow evening!

il menú típico fiorentine

Primo
tortelli alle castagne e miele (chestnut ravioli with honey - the chestnut honey is from Italy; we brought it back last year after we visited Florence and forgot we had it)
Secondo
pappardelle sul maiale (pappardelle with a pork ragù)
Dolce
crostata di mele (apple tart)

Information:
Tortelli alle castagne e miele - One cannot walk down a street in Florence in the autumn or winter without seeing a vendor roasting chestnuts on a corner. The surrounding towns of Florence (specifically Ortignano Raggiolo) are responsible for producing the majority of castagne found throughout Italy and shipped here to the States. The Florentines are so passionate, they can even tell you which small town in Tuscany had the best tasting castagne, farina di castagna (chestnut flour), or miele di castagna (chestnut honey) that year! This year, my friend said it was Lunigiana.

Pappardelle sul maiale - Every city, town, neighborhood, or even street throughout Italy has its own idiosyncratic pasta shape. In Florence, the pasta of choice is clearly pappardelle. With the Tuscan region having the most abundant hunting game in Italy (most famously the cinghiale/wild boar or coniglio/rabbit), a hearty, wide strip of pasta was the best way to capture the large chunks of meat with each bite. Solo Bistro's sauce will feature pork from Squire Tarbox Farm on Westport Island.

Crostata di mele - All of the pasticciere found in Florence are filled with different forms of "pies" such as a crostata, torta, or barchetta, each being filled or covered with a seasonal fruit and/or jam, and enveloped by a sweet, crisp crust. A day in Florence is not complete without one (Mr. AP's streak is at 25 and counting!). Solo's executive chef's talented pastry-goddess wife is to thank for this delicacy!

Chianti Classico - The Tuscan region is of course synonymous with Chianti's regional wine. A Chianti Classico is strictly regulated and must be made from at least 80% sangiovese grapes found within the "old Chianti" wine region. The sangiovese grape is very sensitive to its terrain and more so than most other grapes, really gives a true sense of the soils it's grown in (calcareous soils give it the wild berry flavor; sandstone gives the flowery bouquet). Solo's owner has selected a Chianti produced by the Ricasoli family, with whom he spent some time long ago sailing along the coast of Greece (now that's a connection we'd love to have!).

Happy eating, Ancora Pasta (and Solo Bistro) fans!

Thanksgiving, Ancora Pasta Style

We all know that Thanksgiving is the American food holiday. This year, because of Mr. Ancora Pasta's "real" job as a cook in the Maine Dining Room at the Harraseeket Inn in Freeport, ME, whose Thanksgiving buffet is enjoyed by over 800 people, the Ancora Pasta family is celebrating the holiday bit by bit over a whirlwind four-day period filled with food and family. Undoubtedly unsurprising to those who know us, this year's Thanksgiving meals feature Ancora Pasta's ravioli. Mr. Ancora Pasta was inspired by the traditional, seasonal flavors of Thanksgiving and created five different ravioli to be sold at the Bath Winter Farmers' Market. (Luckily Mrs. Ancora Pasta got to taste test each one...it's important to keep your better half happy, as I'm sure you already know.)

The first, and most common (though by no means common), was his Ravioli di Due Zucche: roasted delicata (from Goranson Farm, also at the BWFM) and kuri squashes with mascarpone cheese. This was the first, and only, ravioli we offered at our first farmers' market and it went like hot cakes! We sampled it out with a little EVOO, s&p, and some freshly grated nutmeg. Even at room temperature they were to die for!

At the second farmers' market we introduced our second ravioli, a dried Maine cranberry- and goat cheese-filled delicacy: Ravioli con Mirtilli Rossi e Formaggio di Capra. We got our cranberries from Sparrow Farm, who is at the BWFM, too. This is a little sweeter than your typical ravioli and will be an awesome addition to our Thanksgiving-Sunday supper tomorrow! (My dad, Ancora Pasta's own walking advertisement, is overjoyed that he was finally able to lay his hands on some of these ravioli as I previously sold the packages he'd reserved right out from under his nose!)

Mr. Ancora Pasta's favorite ravioli, the one he waxes most poetic about, is the Ravioli ai Funghi - Mushroom Ravioli. These are made with oyster mushrooms and locally foraged black trumpet mushrooms from Oyster Creek Mushroom Company (from my hometown of Damariscotta!). Mr. AP paired the mushrooms with a gorgonzola dolce, a softer, sweeter version of the strongly flavored blue cheese we commonly see here in the U.S. These ravioli are earthy and delicate and absolutely amazing.

The ravioli I provided for my Thanksgiving-day meal with my family was the Ravioli di Due Stagione (Two-Season Ravioli), named for its use of seasonal ingredients: maple syrup (spring) and acorn squash (fall), both from Goranson Farm. The maple syrup was a congratulations gift from my dad upon our highly successful first farmers' market, and the acorn squash was given to us in a trade between farmers' market vendors. (This act of trading among vendors is a nice little tradition at the farmers' market and certainly helps our goal of using as many products from the farmers' market as possible.)

And, last, but not least, the Ravioli alle Castagne. These chestnut ravioli were served today at our more "Italian" Thanksgiving brunch with Mr. Ancora Pasta's family. Chestnuts are one of those special treats common in his family's winter gatherings and there was no way we could overlook the perfect combination of nutty flavor and soft bite these nuts provided. Today we served them with a salsa alle noci, a light walnut and Tuscan cheese sauce. They were gobbled (ha!) up in minutes!

We anticipate many more types of ravioli and other stuffed pastas at upcoming farmers' markets. Christmas will feature new fillings such as a savory pear and pecorino cheese and a chocolate peppermint (dessert, anyone?). What would YOU like to see on our Christmas list?