Wednesday, May 17, 2023

Giro 2023 Stage 11: Camaiore to Tortona

Where are we? Heading from Tuscany to Piedmont

Camaiore: Visit Tuscany tells me that located in a wide valley at the foot of the Apuan Alps, Camaiore is a city with historic foundations and owes its origins to the Romans; after establishing Lucca, they set up outposts on the slopes of Monte Prana. Among these was Camaiore, whose name comes from the ancient toponym Campus Major, the large plain that linked Lucca to the port in Luni. 
Later, this territory came under the dominion of the Lombards, followed by the feudal lords in Lucca, who re-established the town’s original blueprint. They began to transform it into the elegant medieval town that we can still admire today. During the Renaissance, control of Camaiore was passed to the Sforza, with little change until 1799, when the city fell into the hands of Napoleon’s troops who plundered many of its artworks.
Since the post-second world war period, Camaiore has become increasingly well-known. This is primarily thanks to Lido, a gorgeous and elegant seaside resort overlooking the wide beach of Versilia, which - since the beginning of the twentieth century - has attracted significant figures such as Gabriele D'Annunzio, Eleonora Duse and Vittorio Emanuele III with its beauty.
Regional Specialities: Camaiore is also a land of flavours, perhaps the most authentic and identifying of all Versilia’s cities: throughout the territory, food-and-wine reigns, offering experiential activities that represent part of its most important distinctive features.
A salty pie to try is undoubtedly the Scarpaccia. A particular name, almost funny, referring to the fact that, once cooked, the final product takes the appearance of an old shoe sole. Reference, however, not suitable for the taste: very tasty dish, it is based on courgettes and courgette flowers, whose scents are clear, not covered by a simple mixture of onion, water, flour, salt, pepper and oil. It’s perfect as an appetizer or as a picnic snack and it remains delicious even when cold, earning the label of Queen of Camaiore’s street food.
Also the historic Torta di Pepe, or “Torta co’ pizzi”, is absolutely characteristic: a pastry made with water, flour, eggs and salt is placed on a round baking tin and then filled with a mixture made with rice, chard, parsley, pecorino cheese, eggs, salt and pepper. It is necessary that the dough protrudes from the baking tin by (at least) two fingers, so as to be able to create the so-called “pizzi”: small “pyramids” of dough folded on itself that surround the entire cake. After having completed it with a sprinkling of pecorino cheese and having cooked it in a very hot oven for about 3-4 hours, it will be a true explosion of flavor in the mouth.
But the real characteristic dish of Camaiore are certainly the Tordelli. It is of course the most typical meal of Versilia, which was consumed by farmers’ families in peasant houses only on special occasions. That preparation is rooted in the territory, handed down from generation to generation, which over time has undergone various variations while maintaining unchanged the veracity of the taste. A minced of beef and pork, together with bread softened in broth, parmesan and pecorino chees, nutmeg, parsley and the inevitable “peporino” (i.e. thyme), create a filling of the traditional “tordelli” of fresh pasta. They must be seasoned with a good meat sauce and finished with a sprinkling of cheese directly on the plate. An unforgettable flavor. The true flavor of Camaiore served at the table.

Tortona: The Giro tells me that The foundation of the Roman colony Dertona dates back to the period when the Romans declared war on Celtic-Liguria between 123 B.C and 118 B.C.. Between 40 and 30 B.C. this area was again colonized by the Romans and was named Iulia Augusta Dertona.
Tortona is an Italian town in the Province of Alessandria, Piemonte, with 26,543 inhabitants, located on the right bank of the Scrivia stream between the plain and the hilly offshoots of the Ligurian Apennines, a few km away from the border with Lombardy.
When you arrive in Tortona, the first two images that well symbolize Tortona and its history are the bell tower of the Sanctuary of the Madonna della Guardia on which stands the golden statue of the Virgin and the ruins of the castle tower that stands out on Colle Vittorio. In the 1801 Napoleon ordered the destruction of many fortresses in Piedmont. The same fate befell the fortress of Tortona; the last bulwarks were destroyed in 1805, with the exception of the Bell Tower, which became the symbol of the town.

Regional Specialties: Among the most exclusive products of the area we mention the S. Pastore ancient wheat bread, the “Nobile del Giarolo” salami, the “Montebore” cheese in the shape of a wedding cake, the Tortona strawberry, the Volpedo peaches, the Garbagna cherry, and among the typical Tortonese dishes the “Anlot” or “Agnolotti” are served with the sauce that was used to make the filling; they can also be eaten in a clear soup or broth. However, the true anlot-lovers prefer to eat them “drowned” in Barbera wine.
“Pasta all’Ajà”, a typical dish exclusive to the Tortonese area and consists of a sauce made by grinding walnut kernels in a mortar with butter and a lot of garlic which is then poured over the homemade tagliatelle. Before pouring the sauce over the pasta you must add a few tablespoons of the water used to boil the pasta Homemade tagliatelle, seasoned with a sauce obtained by pounding walnuts, garlic and butter in a mortar. In the autumn seasons, to enrich the dishes on the table, there is no shortage of mushrooms and black and white truffles.
“Baci di Dama” are a product of the pastry-making art of the Tortona area. These biscuits are characterised by a fragrance and delicacy that is unique. The original recipe, originating only in Tortona, requires the use of almonds, an ingredient hard to find and more expensive than hazelnuts. This is one of the factors that distinguishes the production of these Baci; this is also a sign of the refined quality desired by the pastry cooks of Tortona.


The stage: Podium Cafe described this stage as "Another hilly day with a decent chance of a sprint."
8 non-starters  on the day, as Covid has been spreading throughout the teams.
Breakway? Check. Six riders this time.

But also a bad crash in the bunch, with Thomas and Roglic involved and Tao Geoghegan Hart taken away in ambulance.

Forty four kilometers to go and there was a one minute gap to the six leaders.
Word came that Sivakov, who has been in the earlier crash, was still riding, but was struggling behind the main bunch. As a potential helper for Thomas later in the race, his status was important.
Up front, the break was down to two, Stojnic and Rex. Their gap was under a minute with 35 kilometers to go.
Finally, it would be Rex solo at the front. 17 kilometers to go and he had only 23 seconds.
One almost felt like he reached a point where he almost wanted to be caught.  Indeed, he would be. A small crash led to a split group and a smaller group contesting the bunch sprint. Photo finish! Cavendish fans with some hope, but he would be third.


The wine: Monsecco 2012 Colline Novaresi Nebbiolo from Dig
From 2017
From the importer:  There is almost a religious reverence in the Alto Piemonte for Monte Rosa, the mountain that hovers over the region, the grand eminence that protects and nurtures the region. It is visible from all points whether one is in Gattinara or Sizzano or Ghemme, an eternally white-topped mountain whose melting snows form the Sesia river that splits Gattinara from Ghemme. The soils of these hills are marked by the mineral salts and the glacial moraine from millennia of geological movement. Further, sitting in the foothills of this part of the Alps and neighboring the great lakes of Orta and Maggiore, the vines are exposed to large variations in temperature, warm days married to cool nights: an ideal ambience for the noble Nebbiolo and the other local varieties, all of which benefit from the long growing season to reach proper ripeness while maintaining a lively acidity.

The food: Tordelli, from Visit Tuscany
Ingredients
1 kg of flour
10 eggs
1/2 kg of lean ground beef
1 chicken breast
2 pork steaks
2 ounces of mortadella
50 grams of parmesan
4 slices of dry bread
parsley and garlic
oil, salt and a little milk

The pasta
First, the pasta must be prepared. Mix 1 kg of flour with 5 whole eggs and 3 egg yolks, working the dough with warm water, a little oil and a few pinches of salt until it becomes soft. Let the dough rest for about an hour.

The stuffing
Cook half a pound of lean ground beef, one large chicken breast, and two pork steaks. Then chop the meat into very small pieces, add 2 ounces of mortadella, 2 eggs, 50 grams of ground parmesan, parsley and a minced clove of garlic. Combine 4 slices of bread left to soften in milk and mix the filling well.
Roll out the dough into long but not too wide strips, then place some balls of the filling in the center of the strips of dough and close them well. Cut them with a metal mold to create crescent shapes, these are the tordelli. Then let them rest for at least a day on a tray covered with flour, before cooking them in salted water for a few minutes. When they float, they are ready to be drained. They should be seasoned with plenty of ragù and parmesan!
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