5 Courses of Italian Elegance

Chandeliers made of Murano glass spread throughout the rooms with thousands of tiny crystals and various accented hues of pink. Tables filled with fresh hors d’oeuvres that immediately filled one’s nose with such a pungent aroma causing taste buds to water. Fried red peppers combined sweet and savory into a flawless combination. Moist quiche filled with vegetables that were cooked to perfection, brought stimulation to the nose and mouth. Freshly cut speck and chicory from the Trentino region. Each hor d’oeuvre sat so graciously on the table with so much to take in: the sight, the smells and most importantly, the taste.

           

            The atmosphere at Rino Fior was everlasting, making one feel at peace, so elegant and appreciated. This environment dates back 80 years, inspired by local traditions and run by second and third generations of the originators, Dad Rino and Mum Maria. Rino Fior is known for its originality of local cuisines, blending quality seasonal products together to form the perfect blend of tastes into every dish; this was impeccably shown when the main dishes were served. Rino Fior has been given awards for gastronomy, performance, sport and culture.

            Risotto, now a popular dish world wide, was first discovered in Italy in the 14^th century. Rice was first introduced in Italy and because of the humid weather became the ideal place to grow short-grain rice. During this time, Milan was known for its slow-cooking principles. When Milan combined its slow-cooking principles to the local short-grain rice and starchy grain mixed with stock, the product was a thick creamy Risotto. Since then, Risotto has been a popular Italian dish enriched with great flavor. Risotto was the first dish to be served for dinner at Rino Fior. The Risotto was made with spinach, beans, peas, and butter. The mixture of these ingredients formed a dish intensified with sharp variations of greens. It was a beautiful dish that tasted even more delectable than it looked. It was apparent that the dish was made with fresh ingredients seeing as not one pea was mushy. They were, however, perfectly shaped and each bite exploded with juicy tastiness. Each dish demonstrated how important fresh and seasonal ingredients were to making the dish so exceptional.

The mixing of local Treviso cheese, fresh pears, and walnuts stuffed into bow pasta formed a dish of pure excellence. The ingredients paired together in the second course dish produced a flavor so succulent that each bite would leave one wanting more. Individually these ingredients are delicious, but when combined they produced a flavor that could not be forgotten. The texture of this dish added to its quality through the softness of the cheese, slight hardening of the noodle, and crunch of the walnut. Many do not realize the importance of texture when cooking a dish but to many; it is even more important than taste. When speaking to a local Italian about this dish I learned that it is not a typical Italian meal. This shows the amount of determination Rino Fior takes into discovering unique and satisfying dishes.

Seasonal fresh vegetables and guinea fowl was the next course to arrive. Once this dish was served, eyes were opening in awe of how delicious it appeared. Bright orange carrots, green zucchini, dark eggplant, potatoes lightly garnished with green spices, and the large guinea fowl wrapped in speck and drizzled with a creamy sauce. Each vegetable steamed to excellence, the carrots filled with the sweet taste they have when raw. The mild, somewhat bland, taste of the eggplant allowed for the other entries to have a richer taste. Guinea fowl is a typical main Italian dish and is filled with great flavor. Although the guinea fowl seemed a bit dry, it tasted delicious when covered in the savory sauce and wrapped with speck. Speck is the most treasured food product of Südtirol, a northern province in Italy. The process of producing speck is careful and long. After three weeks of dry curing, the ham is smoked at a low temperature using low-resin wood. By doing this, the meat keeps its sweet flavor while developing a mild smoky one as well. When cooking guinea fowl wrapped in speck, the intense flavors of the speck soak deep into the meat, making it more delightful than ever. Just the right amount of spices and sauces were added to this course to produce a flavorsome taste but to still incorporate the original flavors of each individual dish. 

The last course served was one to remember; meringue fruit pie. Meringue was invented in a town in Switzerland, but improved to perfection by an Italian chef in the 18^th century. Italian meringue is made differently than French and Swiss meringue, resulting in a much softer yet stable product. This helps for the meringue to retain its puffy structure so it will not deflate as quickly. Because of this, meringue can be crumbled on top of pies and numerous other Italian desserts. The final dessert at Rino Fior had fresh blueberries and raspberries incorporated into the center of the meringue pie. These two fruits together appeared so bright and colorful against the crème colored pie, making for a beautiful end to the meal. After taking the first bite, texture was the first thing noticed. The crispiness of the sprinkled meringue on top mixed with the hard meringue bottom and slightly frozen center was magnificent. Each hard bite of meringue against the smooth crème filled the mouth with excitement with every bite. The raspberries were so red and juicy as they were also the perfect combination of sweet and sour. The sourness excited the taste buds and the sweetness calmed them with pleasure. Each blueberry was ripe and filled with an abundance of flavor. The taste of fruit brought forth the sense of summer; a warm sunny day eating freshly picked fruit that exploded with juiciness. The meringue melted into a sugary liquid the moment it hit the tongue, only causing the taste buds to pulsate more. The temperature of this dish was very significant in recognizing its richness. When combining the coolness of the center to the rest of the pie, it intensified the rich tart flavor that was chilled.

Each delectable bite, invigorating smell, and incredible view would be embedded into one’s mind forever.

1) Fraccaro, Alessandro, and Giulio Favotto. "Rino Fior | Ristorante." Rino Fior | Ristorante. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Feb. 2014.

2) Frauenfelder, Mark. "The History and Science of Meringue, from a New Book by Linda K. Jackson and Jennifer Evans Gardner." Boing Boing The History and Science of Meringue from a New Book by Linda K Jackson and Jennifer EvansGardner Comments. N.p., 4 Sept. 2012. Web. 04 Feb. 2014.

 3)Tristan. "The History of Risotto | The Essential Ingredient." The Essential Ingredient. Essential, 27 Aug. 2012. Web. 04 Feb. 2014.