Now that's street food! Flan di Bettelmatt con leggera Mostarda di Pere e salsa di mirtilli di montagna speziata.

A few evenings ago there was a wonderful event in Verbania. Serate Enogastronomiche in Piazza, Evenings of Food and Wine in the Piazza. For two consecutive evenings, over twenty restaurants and food vendors participated together in this event, each preparing one signature dish to be sold at a special, low price, and offered with accompanying wines. Diners purchased a pass of sorts, which also gave them a wine glass with a fabric pouch to carry it in around their necks. They were then free to choose their menu by strolling from location to location in Verbania, enjoying small portions of different dishes as they went.

What a great way to really get a taste of foods from the region. Some of the dishes leaned towards traditional Piemontese cooking, such as the Agnolotti Piemontese con Salsa d'Arrosto. Agnolotti pasta are typically associated with Piemonte, and filled with meat. These were served in the traditional manner, dressed in a simple roasted meat sauce.

Other dishes focused more on locally made products, such as Risotto al Mirtillo Nero del Mottarone, Risotto, made with blueberries from Mt. Mottarone.


And some characterized the more modern dishes created today by well-know Piemontese chefs, such as the Flan di Bettelmatt con leggera Mostarda di Pere e salsa di mirtilli di montagna Speziata, a Flan of Bettelmatt cheese, with a light pear mustard and a spicy sauce of mountain blueberries. That's the one in the photo at the top of this post.

I'll tell you a few more of the dishes that were available. Even if you don't know exactly what they are, they sound wonderful:

Prosciutto Vigezzino con Parmigiano Reggiano 28 mese
Filetto di Trota in Agro di Vedure
Gnocchetti di patata alla fonduta di fontana della Valle d'Aosta
Ravioli Caserecci al ragout di selvaggina

People often write and ask what are the traditional Piemontese dishes, or, what dishes they should try here. I think a menu like this exemplifies what's cooking in Piemonte today. A bit of old, a bit of new, a lot of local ingredients, combined to make inventive and delicious dishes. Be adventurous yourself when here and try things that sound like these; I'm sure you won't regret, or forget, the meals anytime soon.