The cooking of Lombardia is primarily the cooking of Milan, the region's capital. Milan is industrious, and has always prospered throughout its history, so Milanese cooking tends to be robust and substantial. It also happens to be one of the most elegant styles of cooking you will find in all of Italy. Cream and butter are used to finish off dishes, truffles are readily available, soft creamy cheeses are used instead of drier grating cheeses and there seems to be a de-emphasis on tomatoes.

While Milan has such a cosmopolitan atmosphere, it still has the strong influences of an agricultural region. The Po River Valley runs right through Milan, both corn and arborio rice are grown here. In addition, you have the proximity of the Swiss Alps, which supplies excellent beef and game. These are just some of the ingredients that make up the classic dishes of Lombardia.

Lombardia is well known for many cheeses, the most famous being gorgonzola, a creamy blue cheese made from cow's milk. Polenta Taragna (dome-shaped polenta, with sausage, and four cheeses) and Riso al Salto (crispy saffron cake) each feature this flavorful cheese. The riso in Riso al Salto, as well as in Risotto Vecchia Milano (with saffron and topped with sauteed mixed mushrooms) is arborio rice, and grows abundantly in the Po River Valley. It is the preferred rice for the compact style of risotto popular in Lombardia, Piemonte and Emila-Romagna. Polenta, made from cornmeal, is another staple of the Lombardian kitchen, in fact, it has practically reached a cult status, with festivals honoring it in many of the northern regions.

Perhaps the most recognized classic dishes from Lombardia are Osso Buco con Polenta (veal shank and soft polenta) and Costoletta alla Milanese (veal chop). The vegetables served with the osso buco are cut very fine and even, not rustic like in Emilia-Romagna. For the costoletta, a large veal chop is pounded very thin before it is lightly breaded and sauteed. It is a very elegant presentation.

Finish your meal with Bavarese all'Amaretto (amaretto cream and sponge cake), which features the almond-flavored liqueur, originating in the town of Saronno, just north of Milan.

IL FORNAIO had its beginnings in Milan and has eleven stores in the city. Start by visiting one of the most beautiful, on Corso di Porta Romana. Be sure to buy a ciabatta, the slipper-shaped loaf created in Lombardia.

EAT: Ristorante la Regione (Milan). This restaurant specializes in food from the region. The tortelli (pasta filled with taleggio cheese, asparagus and chicken) is worth the visit. Via Elvezia 4. Tel. 039.387.205.

VISIT and eat: Peck (Milan). Founded in 1892 by a Czechoslovak named Franz Peck, Peck is one of the word's most elegant delicatessens and specialty shops. Be sure to visit its Casa del Formaggio (House of Cheese) where hundreds of cheeses from Italy and around the world are offered. There are five shops plus a restaurant all within one block. The restaurant is at Via Victor Hugo 4.

SEE: Galleria Vittorio Emanuele (Milan). The world's oldest shopping mall (built in1878), its four-story arcade is full of boutiques, offices, bars and restaurants. You'll find the Galleria to the north of the Piazza del Duomo, another must-see.

Giorgio Albanese, Chef-Partner of Il Fornaio in Sacramento, created this menu of Lombardia by turning to memories of summer visits to his grandmother's house as a child. Struck at a young age with the desire to cook (mostly so he could make as many sweets as he wanted to eat), Giorgio went to cooking school at age thirteen and worked in restaurants throughout Italy before coming to the well known hotel in Umbria, Le Tre Vasalle. It was there that he met Maurizio Mazzon, Executive Chef of Il Fornaio during Il Fornaio's annual Chef's tour.

When he moved to Sacramento to live with his American wife, it was only natural he would call his new friend to see if had a position available. He began as a sous chef at Il Fornaio in Sacramento and within the year was in charge of the kitchen. The pleasures of cooking for him are quite simple. "When I see the plates come back to the kitchen empty, I am completely happy." And since he also trained as a pastry chef he can see his childhood dream come true each day he goes to work.

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Festa Regionale, Calendar 1998

Each month, our restaurants feature
the bread, food and wine of a different region of Italy.

Coming March 2 - 15
The food and wine of Puglia