Is it sauce or is it gravy?

I'm from New Jersey.

For us, it's gravy.

But let's learn from a master right here in Tuscany.

Today on Christina Cooks: the Macroterranean Way.

Underwriting for Christina Cooks is provided by: Suzanne's Specialties, offering a full line of alternative vegan and organic sweeteners and toppings.

Suzanne Specialties: sweetness, the way Mother Nature intended.

And by Jonathan█s Spoons.

Individually handcrafted from cherry wood, each designed with your hand, and purpose, in mind.

Additional funding provided by Hi, I'm Christina Pirello and this is Christina Cooks, where each week we take fresh seasonal ingredients and whip them into amazing dishes.

Will they all be plant-based?

Yeah!

Will they all be delicious?

Si, si, si!

And you lucky people have caught me on my way to the airport.

I'm headed off to Italy to learn to make an authentic pomodoro, or as it█s known in our house, Sunday gravy, with Adele Tamburini in Tuscany.

Let's go.

(Italian music plays) I'm here in the small town of Gambassi Terme in the region of Tuscany, with beautiful vineyards at my back.

We're here to meet Emanuela Tamburini and her family and talk about what it's like to be a small business, run by a woman, in the world of wine.

And most importantly, to cook Sunday gravy with her mom Adele.

Let's go meet Emanuela.

(Italian music plays) Ciao, Emanuela, ciao!

Good morning, ciao!

How are you?

I█m fine.

How are you?

It█s so nice to see you!

I█m well.

So nice to see you.

It's a pleasure.

I'm excited to make Sunday gravy with your mom.

Let's go.

Let█s go!

Let's go.

(Italian music continues) Adele!

Ciao!

(speaking Italian) We're cooking together.

We're cooking together.

(speaking Italian) (speaking Italian) Tomato gravy?

(speaking Italian) So she█s putting their olive oil into a pan that we're going to make the gravy in.

Olio biological.

It's a lovely organic oil... (speaking Italian) from thee trees here.

(speaking Italian) So we're using red onions.

Così?

Si, si si.

Like this.

So... Uno o due?

One or two?

Due, due, due... Due?

(speaking Italian) Because they're sweeter?

(speaking Italian) (speaking Italian) So these onions are local to a town called Certaldo.

(speaking Italian) They're very sweet and loaded with minerals.

Si!

Okay.

So they go into the olive oil.

And next... wow.

And you can hear that the olive oil didn't sizzle.

You don't hear a sizzle because the olive oil, we're trying to preserve the flavor.

So the onions go in and now the heat will go a little bit higher.

(speaking Italian) We give the onions a little stir (speaking Italian) So we're adding a little bit of leek to the gravy because it's going to add a nice flavor and some sweetness.

(speaking Italian) Like this?

Si.

So we're just cutting rings and then she's making the rings smaller, More?

Più?

(speaking Italian) Okay, so now we have some leek, which is very different than the way my Nonna used to do gravy, But I'm learning from everybody that's making gravy.

(speaking Italian) So she's adding carrot because that's going to give us a sweetness and also like a density of creaminess almost to the gravy, a thickness.

Okay.

(speaking Italian) Here.

So now this is like my nonna, (speaking Italian) In order to get flavor from the tomatoes we're going to take canned... wait wait wait.

(speaking Italian) Okay.

So what she's saying is that it's fall.

And so tomatoes are great in July and August, as we know.

But now they look great, but they don't have any sweet flavor.

So we're going to use canned tomatoes and they're going to go in here, (speaking Italian) (speaking Italian) (speaking Italian) So what she's doing is putting the tomatoes through a sieve.

This is very old fashioned style.

This is the way my nonna used to make the gravy in our house.

Wow.

Que perfuma already!

Beautiful.

And she's putting it through so that every single bit of the peeled tomatoes go through.

No waste, no waste.

(speaking Italian) So there's nine in the family... (speaking Italian) And she cooks this way every day for the family.

(speaking Italian) (speaking Italian) Every day, nine people for dinner.

In my house, Growing up, we never knew how many people were coming.

My grandmother was the youngest of 17, so we had uncles, aunts, cousins, everybody running through the house, always different people for dinner, (speaking Italian) (speaking Italian) So we put in what looks like...

So we put a lot of what looks like a lot of garlic in the gravy, but it's whole.

So we used it this way.

So the flavor will be more mild and when we puree the gravy all together, it'll be sweet and perfect.

(speaking Italian) Ah, si!

(speaking Italian) So now we're adding celery.

But not just celery.

We're adding We're adding the heart of the celery, which is this part (speaking Italian) Okay.

So just the sweetest, most tender part of the celery (speaking Italian) So we're just cutting this into small pieces.

And this is also going to give the gravy a lovely flavor.

Everything that we're doing, everything Adele is doing is building flavor, creating what we call depth, the flavor in the gravy.

So it's not just tomatoes, it's tomatoes and carrots and celery and all those things that give a gravy its mystical flavor that we all love.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

(speaking Italian) Now we add the perfume of basil (speaking Italian) (speaking Italian) So we're going to tear the basil from the stem.

Remember, as I've said probably 100 times already, never cut basil.

You use just your hands to tear it so that you don't get a metallic aftertaste.

You get a lovely perfume of the basil.

It doesn't have to be perfect.

It's torn.

It's going to cook.

So that's going to go into our gravy.

Okay.

Okay, So now we're going to add a little bit of salt and a tiny bit of sugar to add some sweetness and take sort of the acidity off the gravy.

Salt.

(speaking Italian) Tiny bit of sugar.

It's going to give a little more sweetness, as I said, to the tomatoes.

Okay.

so we're going to cook it for at least an hour to an hour and a half until the carrots are very, very soft.

Okay.

So that the, the tomatoes, everything comes together and then it's all going to go through the sieve once again to create a smooth gravy.

She█s going to get the table ready for pasta.

(speaking Italian) So I'll be back.

I'll be back later.

Okay.

Okay!

Ciao, ciao, ciao!

Where are we now?

This is a very special...

The aroma is beautiful in this room.

Here we are in the vinsantaia.

Vinsantaia is a really special place because this is where we produce Vinsanto del Chianti Okay.

Vinsanto del Chianti is the most traditional kind of wine of Tuscany.

It█s the wine of the hospitality is the wine that my grandfather and my grand grandfather used to serve to the guests that they receive in the house.

Wow!

It█s made in a very particular way.

It's not just a sweet wine.

Not just.

No - no, it█s not.

Yes.

It█s not.

This is a wine that come from the dry grapes of Trebbiano and Malvasia.

(speaking Italian) like raisins.

Yes, it█s raisin grapes.

Okay.

So this wine's made from dried grapes, so that's what gives it its sweetness.

Absolutely.

And it's all natural sugar.

So we absolutely we don't add any sugar here.

And it's made after many, many years of waiting.

So how long does it sit in the barrels once you make it?

At minimum of seven years.

But it will be even more.

The vinsanto that we can enjoy now it's from 2012, so it's ten years old.

So once it goes into these barrels, you sort of have to forget about it until it's time.

Absolutely.

When it comes out, you see it has this beautiful color, but the actual wine is like very clear and crystal clear golden color.

And that's from the from the grape, the color of the grape.

Absolutely, all the color comes from the grapes.

So this color comes from the grapes that are dry and they're raisin grapes.

So after that the grapes lost the water, we concentrate all the flavor.

And so we have these orange gold color.

And one last question.

Are these the same grapes that you use to make regular wine or are they special grapes?

Just for vinsanto?

It█s the traditional grapes of vinsanto that are Trebbiano and Malvasia, so traditional Tuscan grapes that are not international grapes inside of this kind of product.

And, actually, this is the same grapes that we used for the white wine as well.

But the process is completely different.

Well, I say we go get some cantucci now.

Absolutely.

Okay, let's go.

I wanted to talk to you about a couple of things.

We've been friends for a few years now.

Right?

(laughter) And I always admire the way you came into the business.

So could you tell me the story of that a little bit?

Well, when I when I was 18, this was not really my plan to join the wine family business.

Okay.

But after many meetings with my father, we decided together to run together this family business and to start with a new life in this wine business.

Okay.

Because before then, 2002, for my father, this was like a hobby.

So it was the family heritage, but it was.... Not really a business.

Now it's really business, but it is still in progress because in a winery, in a wine business, you need a lot of time to build a real business.

So when you came in in 2002, first of all, a woman in the wine business is quite rare, sadly.

But brava!

And then the second thing is how, what, what like what different steps did you take to take it from your father's hobby to a small business to now bigger?

First of all, I decided to have the good knowledge about the winemaking, so I took the degree in wine production at Pisa University, so I knew what the we are going to do.

You knew what to do.

And now I'm a professional winemaker and so I take care about the wine production.

But when you run the family business, it's not like You take care of just the part of the business.

You need to take care about everything.

So the family is still all involved?

Absolutely.

Yes.

And everyone works together, eats together, lives on the property together.

And I understand in the last couple of years you've had some big changes in your life, yes?

Yes, for sure.

For sure.

Yes.

Okay.

Can we meet one of those changes?

Michele, come here.

He was one of the big change that we had in the farm.

This is Michele Emanuela█s husband.

Hi!

Hello.

Nice to see you again.

And so you joined the family troupe?

Yeah.

Here.

And you came from the wine business as well?

Nice.

Very nice.

And you love it here in Tuscany, I█m sure.

We are very lucky because we are in the middle of the Chianti, we are very close to Centro Milano, we are very close to Florence and Siena.

Many people came here, It's very lucky for this place.

And it's a beautiful - it's one of the most beautiful places that I've ever been in my life.

So cheers to you both.

Salute.

Salute, salute.

And now one sip.

It's time to head back to the kitchen to finish the Sunday gravy so we can eat.

Finally, Finally.

Okay.

Adele... (speaking Italian) This is a salad with the colors of Italy.

So Adele, let█s see.

Now we have to purée... (speaking Italian) (speaking Italian) So it's cooked for over an hour and you can see how soft and creamy it's gotten.

Hello.

Here we are.

Here we are.

The boss is with me.

The boss is here.

Ciao.

Ciao, ciao.

Ciao, ciao.

Okay, Emanuela, tell us who this lovely gentleman is.

He is my father.

And he's the boss.

The boss is the ironic way in which we used to call him.

Yes, I speak Italian, but don█t speak English.

That was English!

I am the boss, so... Grazie!

He said he's very happy to have us all here.

Many other things... help me!

He says he's very happy to have us all here (speaking Italian) He says also that you arrive and you bring the sun.

We brought the sun.

Yeah.

The vegetables are all local that will be enjoying... and that we will enjoy the vegetables and much more.

will enjoy the olive oil that we use for the vegetable as well and just enjoy it.

And he welcomed us to his lovely home and farm (speaking Italian) Look how beautiful and creamy it got with all the vegetables and the tomatoes and the carrots and the.... (speaking Italian) Okay, we're going to cook the pasta and now we're going to serve lunch.

So it's back to work.

Ciao!

Ciao.

Okay, ciao.

(Italian music continues) Tutto la familia Grazia!

Thank you for having me.

Thank you for cooking with me, Adele.

Grazie!

(speaking Italian) (speaking Italian) The next time... ciao!

Ciao, ciao, ciao!

Ciao, ciao, ciao.

(Italian music concludes) I love my friends at Tamburini.

I love cooking with them.

I love talking about wine and being a small business and sustainable and all the things that they do.

Right.

It's amazing.

So when I was a kid, every now and then, my nonna would have us whip up a pot of polenta.

And by whip up, I mean she would make us stand there for an hour, taking turns as kids stirring the polenta because it had to be creamy and rich and wonderful.

And she used to cook it in water with a little salt.

And at the end she'd stir in what she called a thread of olive oil.

And then she would make a Sunday gravy to go over it.

A really quick one.

So we're going to take our polenta now that it's finished and we're going to pop it into a bowl.

My nonna served it in a bowl, almost like a porridge.

She didn't serve.

She didn't put it on a platter and let it set up and then pan fry it.

She served it like this.

She would be so happy to see how it fell in what she called curtains.

Okay, so the polenta█s ready.

So now we're going to take some extra virgin olive oil.

We're going to take a nice clove of huge Aglione big garlic, which is nice and sweet.

We're going to peel it and put it right into the oil.

This looks big.

And you're thinking, my goodness, that's going to be some garlic flavor.

But it's actually amazingly sweet because the cloves are so big.

It gives you a lovely mild garlic flavor.

Now, you can also just put the whole clove in and then take it out.

But I kind of really want that sort of extra bit of garlic-ness because what I'm making to go over our polenta is puttanesca and puttanesca often has anchovies, but not in my kitchen.

But what it does have are capers, just a handful of capers from the caper berry bush and some green olives.

You can chop them, leave them whole.

It doesn't matter.

This sauce is called puttanesca because the legend ██ there are so many legends in Italian eating ██ The legend is that it was made by ladies of the night in between clients to keep their energy high.

Who knows?

Now we add some tomato purée and give it a stir.

This is really fast.

Really, really fast.

We're going to add a tiny bit of salt, but just a tiny bit because I have olives and capers in here, so just a tiny bit.

And since it's spicy and its mythological origins, we will add some pepperoncini for a little spice and we're going to cook this stirring for just a few seconds.

It's really that fast.

What you want to get rid of is the raw flavor that might be in your tomato purée or make sure your garlic is not too raw.

So it's really just maybe 90 seconds to two minutes of stirring constantly.

Your polenta is ready and then you take this rich, beautiful sauce that smells amazing and it goes right over your polenta, just like that.

Just like that.

Garnish it with a little parsley right on the top and you have the most amazing polenta you'll ever taste.

So whether you call it sauce or whether you call it gravy, what are you waiting for?

Let's get back to the cutting board, and I'll see you next time on Christina Cooks, in Tuscany, The Macroterranean Way.

Underwriting for Christina Cooks is provided by Suzanne's Specialties, offering a full line of alternative vegan and organic sweeteners and toppings.

Suzanne's Specialties: Sweetness, the way Mother Nature intended.

And by Jonathan█s Spoons individually handcrafted And by Jonathan█s Spoons individually handcrafted from cherry wood, each designed with your hand and purpose in mind.

Additional funding provided by: Additional funding provided by: You can find today's recipes and learn more You can find today's recipes and learn more by visiting our website at ChristinaCooks.com, and by following @ChristinaCooks and by following @ChristinaCooks on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

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