2014 Tour de France Route

Well, this should lead to some interesting wine choices. . .
Time to start on my annual spreadsheet.  


Six mountain stages with five summit finishes, 15.4km  of the cobblestones that are the hallmark of Paris-Roubaix, plus only a single time trial.

The Stages:
July 5: Stage 1 Leeds to Harrogate, 191km
July 6: Stage 2 York to Sheffield, 198km
July 7: Stage 3 Cambridge to London, 159km
July 8: Stage 4 Le Touquet-Paris-Plage to Lille, 164km
July 9: Stage 5 Ypres to Arenberg Porte du Hainault, 156km
July 10: Stage 6 Arras to Reims, 194km
July 11: Stage 7 Epernay to Nancy, 233km
July 12: Stage 8 Tomblaine to Gerardmer, 161km
July 13: Stage 9 Gerardmer to Mulhouse, 166km
July 14: Stage 10 Mulhouse to La Planche des Belles Filles, 161km
July 15: Rest day
July 16: Stage 11 Besancon to Oyonnax, 186km
July 17: Stage 12 Bourg-en-Bresse to Saint-Etienne, 183km
July 18: Stage 13 Saint-Etienne to Chamrousse, 200km
July 19: Stage 14 Grenoble to Risoul, 177km
July 20: Stage 15 Tallard to Nimes, 222km
July 21: Rest day
July 22: Stage 16 Carcassonne to Bagneres-de-Luchon, 237km
July 23: Stage 17 Saint-Gaudens to Saint-Lary-Soulan, 125km
July 24: Stage 18 Pau to Hautacam, 145km
July 25: Stage 19 Mauborguet Pays du Val d’Adour to Bergerac, 208km
July 26: Stage 20 Bergerac to Perigueux, 54km individual time trial
July 27: Stage 21 Evry to Paris Champs-Elysees, 136km

Making Ciccioli

When a Facebook friend asked a few weeks back if anyone would like to try making the Ciccioli recipe in the new Fatted Calf Cookbook, "In the Charcuterie," I signed up right away. Ciccioli is best described as a spicy, spreadable Italian pork terrine, and the ingredients are very simple: pork shoulder, lots of lard, garlic and herbs and spices. Since there were seven of us working on the project that meant starting with seven pounds of pork and a rather startling 24 cups of lard.
Note: walking around with that much lard in your bag may make you feel like you are in a liposuction commercial.

The recipe can be found here and we followed it pretty closely, though we added thyme and rosemary to one batch and marash pepper to both, rather than chile flakes. The recipe allows for a lot of down time, so although it is a many hour project, the active work time is minimal. We snacked, drank wine, chatted and shelled beans and peas. We ended up with approximately 1 pound of ciccioli each, with lots of leftover lard for future projects. Maybe time to fry some chicken?

A look at the project:

The pork, seasoned over night and cut into cubes

Lots and lots of lard

Pot #1

Pot #2

Testing the meat, several hours later

The meat, after cooking for 3 hours

Lard, with gelee at the very bottom

Ready for shredding

Shredded, with marash

Shredded with thyme and rosemary

2014 Giro Route

 

http://www.gazzetta.it/Giroditalia/2014/it/percorso-tappe/index.shtml

And here we go again! Or, really, there they will go in May. After weeks of leaks and guesses, the official 2014 Giro route has been announced. An interesting one for my Wines of The Giro as we kick off in Belfast. Whisky/whiskey? Beer? We'll see.

I'm still sorting through and making my spreadsheet and will update with more details asap, including a map. The organizers made a video, if you'd like to see more right away.

May 9, stage 1: Belfast - Belfast, team time trial, 21.7km
May 10, stage 2: Belfast - Belfast, 218km
May 11, stage 3: Armagh - Dublin, 187km
May 12: Rest day and transfer
May 13, stage 4: Giovinazzo - Bari, 121km
May 14, stage 5: Taranto - Viggiano, 200km
May 15, stage 6: Sassano - Montecassino, 247km
May 16, stage 7: Frosinone - Foligno, 214km
May 17, stage 8: Foligno - Montecopiolo, 174km
May 18, stage 9: Lugo - Sestola, 174km
May 19: Rest day
May 20, stage 10: Modena - Salsomaggiore, 184km
May 21, stage 11: Collecchio - Savona, 249km
May 22, stage 12: Barbaresco - Barolo, individual time trial, 46.4km
May 23, stage 13: Fossano - Rivarolo Canavese, 158km
May 24, stage 14: Agliè - Oropa, 162km
May 25, stage 15: Valdengo - Montecampione, 217km
May 26: Rest day
May 27, stage 16: Ponte di Legno - Val Martello/Martelltal, 139km
May 28, stage 17: Sarnonico - Vittorio Veneto, 204km
May 29, stage 18: Belluno - Rif. Panarotta (Valsugana), 171km
May 30, stage 19: Bassano del Grappa – Cima Grappa (Crespano del Grappa) individual time trial, 26.8km
May 31, stage 20: Maniago - Monte Zoncolan, 167km.
June 1, stage 21: Gemona – Trieste, 169km.