Continuing this week with our five-session series of classes exploring dishes from the northwest of Italy, we touched on the cuisine of Val d’Aosta, a little known region measuring a mere 30 by 40 miles, basically in the mountains. The cuisine is hearty as befits the setting. Rye and buckwheat flour dominate the local starch scene, and pastas made from one or the other are the most common. Butter is the fat of choice. Meals tend to be served what we might think of as American style – everything at once rather than in courses – and one pot meals are not uncommon. We whipped up a traditional local beef stew, a baked rye pasta dish layered with potatoes, cabbage, cheese and breadcrumbs and drizzled with garlic butter and cracked pepper, and finished off with a strawberry dish (traditionally they’d use the small forest strawberries, but we don’t have them here, and I was surprised to find that there were even strawberries in the market yesterday!) with the berries lightly caramelized in a balsamic and peppercorn glaze (not an old dish, but a modern twist on a classic from the area). Perfect for the cold days that are upon us!

There is still space available in the remaining three classes in the series – what are you doing for the next three Tuesday’s lunches?