grow in hot-houses ripen luxuriantly in the open air.
The eels of Pesciera have been celebrated ever since
the days of the Caesars ; and in the Lake of Como
are trout some of which weigh as much as 20 lbs.
The Agoni , a very delicate little fish peculiar to the
Lombard lakes, are more delicate of flavour when they
come from the Lake of Como than when they are
caught elsewhere. I have been well fed at the old
convent turned into an hotel, the Hotel du Parc at
Lugano, and for the Grande Bretagne at Bellagio and
the Hotel Excelsior at Varese I have nothing but
praise ; but I have never found in the towns of the
lake districts those comfortable, well-kept restaurants,
with a purely Italian cuisine, which abound in the big
cities of the country.
Turin
You will be fed well enough at your hotel whether
you are at the Grand, or Kraft’s, or the Trombetta ;
but if you want to test the cookery of the town I
should suggest a visit to the Ristorante del Cambio,
which is in the Piazza Carignano, where stands a
marble statue of a philosopher, and which has a couple
of palaces as close neighbours ; or to the Lagrange and
Nazionale, both of which are in the Via Lagrange.
Della Meridiana, °r best of all> PerhaPs> go to the Ris-
Via Santa torante della Meridiana, which is in the
Theresa Via ganta Theresa. The proprietor,
who is a mine of knowledge on all subjects regarding
Turin, will serve at request not only the dishes of
Lombardy, which he cooks admirably, but all the
southern dishes as well. The Barolo Vecchio of the
house, generally only brought to your notice when
you have established yourself as a regular patron, is
well worth asking for on the earliest opportunity.
The prices of the Meridiana are quite moderate.
Italy 237
If you, wherever you happen to dine, wish to com-
mence with hors d* oeuvre, try the Pepperoni , which are
large yellow or red chillies preserved in pressed grapes
and served with oil and vinegar, salt and pepper. The
Grissini , the little thin sticks of bread which are made
in Turin and are famous for their digestible quality, will
be by your plate. Next I should suggest the Busecca ,
though it is rather satisfying, being a thick soup of
tripe and vegetables ; and then must come a great
delicacy, the trout from the Mont Cenis Lake. For
a meat course, if the boiled beef of the place, always
excellent, is too serious an undertaking, or if the
Frittura Mista is too light, let me recommend the
Rognone Trifolato , veal kidney stewed in butter with
tomatoes and other good things, including a little
Marsala wine. The white Piedmontese truffles served
as a salad, or with a hot sauce, must on no account
be overlooked ; nor the Cardons , the white thistle,
served with the same sauce ; nor, indeed, the Zucchini
Ripieni , which are stuffed pumpkins ; and some Fon-
duta , the cheese of the country, melted in butter and
eggs and sprinkled with white truffles, will form a
fitting end to your repast unless you feel inclined
for the biscuits of Novara, or Gianduiotti , which are
chocolates or nougat from Alba or Cremona, where
they make violins as well as sweets. You should
drink the wine of the country, Barbera or Barolo,
Nebiolo or Freisa; and I expect, if you really perse-
vere through half the dishes I have indicated, that
you will be glad of a glass of Moscato with the fruit.
Take your coffee at the Cafe Romano if you long for
“ local colour.”
Page 129
Presented as published in 1903. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
grow in hot-houses ripen luxuriantly in the open air. The eels of Pesciera have been celebrated ever since the days of the Caesars ; and in the Lake of Como are trout some of which weigh as much as 20 lbs. The Agoni , a very delicate little fish peculiar to the Lombard lakes, are more delicate of flavour when they come from the Lake of Como than when they are caught elsewhere. I have been well fed at the old convent turned into an hotel, the Hotel du Parc at Lugano, and for the Grande Bretagne at Bellagio and the Hotel Excelsior at Varese I have nothing but praise ; but I have never found in the towns of the lake districts those comfortable, well-kept restaurants, with a purely Italian cuisine, which abound in the big cities of the country.
Turin
You will be fed well enough at your hotel whether you are at the Grand, or Kraft’s, or the Trombetta ; but if you want to test the cookery of the town I should suggest a visit to the Ristorante del Cambio, which is in the Piazza Carignano, where stands a marble statue of a philosopher, and which has a couple of palaces as close neighbours ; or to the Lagrange and Nazionale, both of which are in the Via Lagrange.
Della Meridiana, °r best of all> PerhaPs> go to the Ris- Via Santa torante della Meridiana, which is in the
Theresa Via ganta Theresa. The proprietor,
who is a mine of knowledge on all subjects regarding Turin, will serve at request not only the dishes of Lombardy, which he cooks admirably, but all the southern dishes as well. The Barolo Vecchio of the house, generally only brought to your notice when you have established yourself as a regular patron, is well worth asking for on the earliest opportunity. The prices of the Meridiana are quite moderate.
Italy 237
If you, wherever you happen to dine, wish to commence with hors d* oeuvre, try the Pepperoni , which are large yellow or red chillies preserved in pressed grapes and served with oil and vinegar, salt and pepper. The Grissini , the little thin sticks of bread which are made in Turin and are famous for their digestible quality, will be by your plate. Next I should suggest the Busecca , though it is rather satisfying, being a thick soup of tripe and vegetables ; and then must come a great delicacy, the trout from the Mont Cenis Lake. For a meat course, if the boiled beef of the place, always excellent, is too serious an undertaking, or if the Frittura Mista is too light, let me recommend the Rognone Trifolato , veal kidney stewed in butter with tomatoes and other good things, including a little Marsala wine. The white Piedmontese truffles served as a salad, or with a hot sauce, must on no account be overlooked ; nor the Cardons , the white thistle, served with the same sauce ; nor, indeed, the Zucchini Ripieni , which are stuffed pumpkins ; and some Fonduta , the cheese of the country, melted in butter and eggs and sprinkled with white truffles, will form a fitting end to your repast unless you feel inclined for the biscuits of Novara, or Gianduiotti , which are chocolates or nougat from Alba or Cremona, where they make violins as well as sweets. You should drink the wine of the country, Barbera or Barolo, Nebiolo or Freisa; and I expect, if you really persevere through half the dishes I have indicated, that you will be glad of a glass of Moscato with the fruit. Take your coffee at the Cafe Romano if you long for “ local colour.”