oh fog! oh fog! oh fog, thanks to you! the fog and humidity really makes the difference in all this. the humidity that comes from the apennines, that protects from south is cool but not too cool. hot summer, cold winter, and creates the perfect microclimate in emilia-romagna. even the region s beloved fresh pasta is explained by this humid climate which means soft wheat can grow here, a very different breed from the heat-loving, dry durum wheat of the south. if you don t believe in god you believe in tortellini in modena, you know? you understand? it s like a religion! and nobody s tortellini are as good as your grandmother s. it s true. massimo grew up in modena and is obsessive about the local foods that shaped his childhood. if you check my blood, there s balsamic vinegar. in the summer, the vinegar is alive. right. and in the winter it goes to
what do you have? i have some products. .and his wife, lara gilmore, who runs their incredible restaurant. many different ingredients come out of what you have available in your backyard. right. to discover the secrets of why this area is famously known as food valley. the po river is the longest in italy, and its fertile flood plain has made this region an agricultural powerhouse. the extraordinary food valley lies between the po river in the north and the apennine mountains to the south. that s modena. it s hazy today. oh, that s modena. that s modena down in the valley, and we have the apennines behind us. so, when you look at a place like parma, the reason those hams are aged so well and have a particular flavor is because a crosswind blows all the way down into the valley. the valley then heads out to the adriatic sea and creates this kind of microclimate. massimo: it s about the fog.
child. mamma mia. e una bomba. e una bomba, it s a bomb! i ve never had ricotta like that. no, never. this is jesus. put that in my car. thank you so much! no problem. massimo is whisking me back to the country home and art hotel of the botturas on the outskirts of modena, casa maria luigia, named after his mother. because of the pandemic, his team led by canadian chef, jessica, have gotten used to cooking outside. massimo: the ricotta we had this morning is going in there. stanley: a pizza oven? massimo: a wood-burning pizza oven. and we have aggressive cooking to give it this crunchiness on top. with ingredients this good, simplicity is key. local wood is piled high in the