Friuli Food and Wine

Book excerpt: An eye-opening exploration of a unique region of Italy that bridges the Alps and the Adriatic Sea, featuring 80 recipes and wine pairings from a master sommelier and James Beard Award-winning chef. “An exhilarating journey, no passport required.”—Thomas Keller, chef/proprietor, The French Laundry Bordered by Austria, Slovenia, and the Adriatic Sea, the northeastern Italian region of Friuli Venezia Giulia is an area of immense cultural blending, geographical diversity, and idyllic beauty. This tiny sliver of land is home to one of the most refined food and wine cultures in the world and yet remains off the grid. The unique cuisine of Friuli is what inspires the menu at Frasca, a James Beard Award-winning restaurant in Boulder, Colorado, helmed by master sommelier Bobby Stuckey and chef Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson. Meaning “branch” or “bough,” the word frasca refers to the Friulian tradition of hanging a branch outside the family farm as a sign that new wine was available for sale. Friuli Food and Wine celebrates this practice and the wine and cuisine of the Friulian region through eighty recipes and wine pairings. Dishes such as Wild Mushroom and Montasio Fonduta, Chicken Marcundela with Cherry Mostarda and Potato Puree, Squash Gnocchi with Smoked Ricotta Sauce, and Whole Branzino in a Salt Crust are organized by Land, Sea, and Mountains, while profiles of local winemakers and wines, including Tocai, Ribolla Gialla, Malvasia Istriana, and Verduzzo, open up new pairing possibilities. Showcasing the best Friulian wines you can buy outside of Italy as well as restaurant and winery recommendations, this beautifully photographed cookbook, wine guide, and travelogue brings the delicious secrets of this untouched part of Italy into your home kitchen.