How To Have A Slow All-Day Italian Feast in Fast-Paced America (The Recipes, Wine & Timetable)

Many of you have asked about our annual Memorial Day Italian Feast. Here is how you can utilize any holiday or special occasion to have an all-day celebration of your own.

It is definitely counter-cultural. It may seem un-American.

But spending an entire day eating and drinking with friends is one of the most spiritual things you can do in life.

I would be bold enough to say it is just as important as a traditional church service.

It is sacramental.

Here is an outline of our second annual Italian Memorial Day feast.

Who: Dear friends

What: An all-day Italian Feast

Where: Kalein@Round Cove

When: Memorial Day

Why: To spend uninterrupted time together eating and drinking.

The morning started for me very early in the morning in a rocking chair on the deck overlooking a majestic bluff on the 2,000 acres of Kalein@Round Cove soaking in this extraordinary sunrise.

You can view the menu HERE: Memorial Day Round Cove 2011

Course I

Bruschetta di Pomodori — 4 fresh large beefsteak tomatoes, 1 shallot, 1 clove garlic, olive oil, fresh chopped basil, kosher salt. Mix together, let rest for a few hours. Chargrill baguette slices and serve together. Recipe from my friend Billy Ray Hearn.

II

Base Sardine — Sardines from the grocery store fileted, basted during grilling with 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 2 peeled and halved garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons of olive oil and  grilled over high heat. Recipe from the Essential Pasta Cookbook.

III

Insalata Mista — Salad fresh from the Round Cove garden (the only ingredient not from the garden was goat cheese.)

 

IV

il primo (First Main Course)

Gamberi in Salsa Verde e Risotto — Shrimp in Green Sauce — Chop together 1/2 cup Italian parsley, 1/4 cup onion, 2 tablespoons capers, 2 anchovy fillets, whisk in 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon zest, salt to taste. Boil shrimp for two minutes (no more!) until they turn bright pink, place shrimp on sliced tomatoes arranged crossways on the plate, drizzle with sauce. (This seemed to be the favorite dish of the day for many.) Recipe from the Savoring Italy cookbook.

V

il secondo

Amatriciana con pancetta e Red Chili Peppers — Red Sauce with Pancetta and Red Chili Peppers — Put 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, 1 tablespoon butter, and 1 medium finely chopped onion in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until the onion becomes a pale gold, then add 1/4 inch slice of pancetta cut into strips 1/2 inch wide and one inch long, cut up and add 1 1/2 cups canned Italian plum tomatoes, a chopped hot red chili pepper, salt to taste, and simmer in an uncovered pan for 25 minutes. Toss 1 lb bucatini pasta with the sauce, then add 3 tablespoons freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese and 2 tablespoons freshly grated romano cheese and toss again. Serve immediately. Recipe from Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking.

VI

Vari Formaggi — Various cheeses — We set up a beautifully decorated table in the garden and enjoyed lavender infused, manchego, drunken goat, and other favorite cheeses.

 

 

VII

Dolci Vari — Various desserts — We set up another decorated table under an arbor with a rustic table and benches and enjoyed a Royers Cafe Macadamia Nut Pie, and Mascarpone Cheesecake with almond crust. Click HERE for recipe.

 

 

Bere

Pre Dinner Bere — Pre-Dinner Drink — Sangria Flora — For our first three courses, we enjoyed a St. Germaine Sangria. Click HERE for recipe.

Diversa Vini Bianca e Rosso e Chianti — Various White and Red Italian Wines — At course 4, we opened various Pinot Grigios, and for course 5, we opened bottles of the award-winning 2006 Monte Antico Super Tuscan Red. For the cheeses, we enjoyed various Muscat wines and for the desserts, more various red wines.

Timetable for the day:

9am – Prepare Sangria Flora and Bruschetta.

10:am – Prep for first 3 courses.

11:00 am – Course 1

12:30 pm – Course 2

2:00 pm – Course 3

2:30 pm – Prep for next 4 courses.

3:30 – Course 4

5:00 – Course 5

6:30 – Course 6

8:00 – Course 7

Question: Have You Ever Taken An Entire Day To eat Slow and Enjoy Friends? Why?

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