Piedmont is the new Tuscany.

Those of you who read my previous post, know that we are big fans of the chambres d’hote/B&B. We particularly enjoy them when they offer evening meals.
There is always an element of surprise – you’re never sure what you’ll get, whether you’ll be eating alone, with the hosts and/or other guests. Often the vegetables will come from their garden, and they will serve typical local food.
The meal will definitely be larger than what we are used to at home, and if we do it every night, we’ll be larger too.
Our first night in Italy was spent in a small village near Bergamo. We ate with the hosts, their English-speaking son (all artists) and a Dutch couple.
The first course arrived: spatzle made from spinach with potatoes and pork. A smallish bowl, but very tasty.
The second course was six different cheeses, radicchio and artichokes marinated in oil, salad from the garden, and bread. Followed by biscotti and dessert wine.
All delicious, but seemingly round the wrong way. We were a bit confused, so it felt a bit too light. (Considering how much food we’ve eaten this trip, that is a good thing).
The next night we ate at the local bar, which our hosts recommended.
My first course was a pasta made from pizza dough, boiled and served with sage and butter, and Steven’s was gnocchi with pork sausage and asparagus. Both very rich.
Second course was a round cheese (similar to camembert) and vegetables, all cooked on the grill, the cheese oozing over the vegetables. This is the way they do things in Lombardia. The second course is either cheese or cold cuts. No hot meat dishes.
On to Piedmont and another B&B, with dinner.
First, some sage leaves dipped in batter and deep fried. Crispy and salty, and I’m going to try cooking that at home!
Then, Fontina cheese from the nearby alps, served with our hostess Raffaela’s jam/chutney made from the last of the summer fruits (grapes, peaches, apricots), cooked for 36 hours with no sugar added. Tart and rich and spicy.
Next was tagliatelli with fresh tomatoes, parsley and garlic.
I was expecting dessert. But no.
Pork in orange sauce, accompanied by spinach salad with sheep’s cheese, pine nuts and lemon dressing.
Okay, Raffaella, I’m pretty well done.
We had almost finished the Grignolino wine when dessert arrived: fresh raspberries (the sweetest I’ve ever had) and home-made lemon sorbet.
And then a glass of Genepy, an Alpine liqueur to wash it all down.
We finished our wine standing in the garden, looking at the lights of the surrounding hill towns and the shadowy, snowy alps in the distance.

Dear Doroty

When the price of food in Poland is so ridiculously cheap by Australian standards, why wouldn't you suggest to the Beautiful Husband a restaurant recommended by no less than the Michelin guide?
After a fabulous review in "In Your Pocket", I chose Wesele in the main square of Krakow. We were presented with food menus, but no wine list. We ordered our food and asked for wine. The food and the wine arrived at the same time. Now, when my plate of goose lands, I want to tuck in straight away, not sit there like a goose waiting politely while the waiter goes through the slow process of uncorking and getting the Beautiful Husband to ensure the wine is not corked (as if he'd know anything about corked wine). By the time the food has arrived, I expect to have at least one glass of wine down my gullet! We ordered two sides, beetroot and steamed vegetables. Beetroot was yummy, vegetables were...fresh from the freezer!!!!! Excuse me, Mr Michelin, I have a quibble with your selection criteria.
And therein ends the meal. No suggestion from the waiter that we may have liked dessert. In fact, not even a glance in our direction. We sat and finished our bottle of wine and felt somewhat disappointed.
Next night, I suggest another restaurant mentioned in "In Your Pocket". The review is pretty good, although the line "slightly more ambience than a milk bar" could cause some people to look elsewhere. That would be a mistake.
The waitress (maybe the owner?) spoke perfect English even though the place was packed with locals, and helped us with our selections. I ordered pork stew ($3.47, I kid you not), buckwheat ($1.21) and beer. Beautiful Husband had chicken breast with mushrooms ($4.16) salad, french fries and two glasses of wine. Total bill $18.75. But that's not the point. The service was excellent, the meats tender, the salad fresh and tasty, the buckwheat, well, it was buckwheaty. We were happy. We'd eat there every night if we lived here.