All in a Day's Work

To everyone who reads this blog, it may look like all we do is eat.  And we do eat a lot, and often, and memorable things.  But we spend an equal amount of time in our small classroom, sitting through six hours of lectures a day.  So when the two - eating and learning - join forces, it's a definite treat.

Monday morning found us all boarding the 9.49 train to Alba.  Our destination?  Piazza Duomo, a two-starred Michelin restaurant in the main church square.  We started downstairs in the more casual wine bar, La Piola, for espresso, perfect little biscotti and an introduction to chef Enrico Crippa's philosophies and suggestions regarding creating and running a successful restaurant.  Enrico Crippa is an exceptionally well-trained chef with the backing of a wealthy family, and he's been able to see his vision executed beautifully.  Having trained for a time with Ferran Adria in El Bulli and worked in Japan, he fuses local and Asian influences with elements of molecular gastronomy.

  

After touring the kitchens, we moved upstairs to Piazza Duomo. 

A definite highlight was donning gloves and aprons and recreating our own salads in the kitchen based on Crippa's insalate 21-31-41, the numbers referring to the number of ingredients.  Paired with a simple riesling from Alto Adige, it was a beautiful experience and one not typically found in most Italian dining experiences.  Salad, while sometimes available as a contorno or side dish, isn't generally memorable.

The basin for the salad was filled with dashi and orange rind to be drunk afterwards

The second course was fascinating.  The aroma of smoke and bacon came off the specially designed glass cup.  It was a rich and creamy potato puree . . . with a smoked quail's egg nestled in the bottom.  We were instructed to eat carefully from the top down so as not to break the yolk.  The combination of aromas, textures and unexpected flavours was a winning one.

Two tasting courses were all we had for lunch before we headed out to catch the 15.03 train back to Bra, and it only served to whet the appetite.  But the 140 euro tasting menu is going to have to wait for another chapter in my life.  One where I'm actually making money instead of trying not to spend it gratuitously.