Parma

We spent five days in Parma, retracing some of my old steps and doing what we could to boost the economy: consuming ample Parmigiani fare and combing markets and shops for Christmas presents and bits of finery.  It was good to have a chance to refresh my memories – the kindness and courtesy of the people (an Italian Victoria?), the pastel buildings with their fine metal detailing, the microscopic lifts in the old marble-staired buildings – if you’re lucky enough to find one, the gleam of cobblestones after rain, the sulfuric stench of the water, the roar and bellow of Italian teenagers at lunchtime, and of course the wonder of the food. It’s no place for vegetarians, and would be challenging for the gluten or dairy intolerant, but omnivore heaven. Lots of dogs around too, in and out of shops and all over the market.

This was my second stay at the comfortable and perfectly situated b&b La Pilotta which gave us an excellent view and handy access to the Christmas market, just setting up a day or so after our arrival. We also stumbled upon a market in Oltretorrente, the other side of the river, and had a good perusal, warmed by a little cioccolate calda.

Commerce not being our only mission here, we stopped in at Parma’s duomo, where our entrance coincided with some music from the organist, practicing for an evening concert which featured five choirs, a small orchestra and some popular soloists. The centrepiece was l’oratorio die Kindheit Jesu by Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach – which left the impressive 50 member choir standing around for far too long. And I’m afraid only affirmed in our minds the superior skills of JS Bach. Still. It was Christmas and it was music and the heavily accented rendition of Go Tell It On the Mountain will linger on as a cherished memory. The duomo’s nativity scene was charmingly random and featured, if I am not mistaken, a watermelon seller among the gathered figures.

Moving out the doors of the duomo and across the piazza, the Battistero awed me now as it did on my last visit some years ago.

Finally, on our final drizzly morning in Parma, I managed a warm reunion with one of my former classmates, Amy, who with her husband Corrado have just hit the Michelin guide for their fusion osteria in Suzzera, Mange Bere Uomo Donna. One to check out next time!

Alas, and all too soon, yesterday afternoon I stepped out of Parma’s crisp winter sunshine to join the Ryanair throng being herded into smaller and smaller spaces in the Giuseppe Verdi International Airport. After a couple of hours spent in Ryanair’s inflexible plastic seats, being pummelled with offers of overpriced newspapers and snacks and lottery tickets to win more Ryanair flights, we landed in the damp and balmy midwinter London darkness. Where in my 2+ hour train+tube journey back across town I had plenty of time to reflect upon the leisurely 10 minute taxi ride to the airport in Parma, and to meditate on my last 24 hours there, which included visits to two of my favourite restaurants in all the world.

For lunch, I went to La Croce di Malta, where there is always something imaginative to be found in the vegetable starters. This time it was a sformato di zucca – a juicy and seasonal pumpkin and potato cake, larded with mushrooms and mozzarella, and sprinkled prettily with Parmigiano-Reggiano. One bliss was followed by another: polpo (octopus) with potato mashed with celery and a pleasingly crisp and bitter little side salad freckled with salt.

In the evening, I made a happy return to Ristorante Mosaiko where Davide di Dio still works his magic in a cozy corner of Oltretorrente, and whose 30 or so seats are seemingly filled by boisterous diners night after night. The twist here is the chef’s integration of his Naples roots with his training in the kitchens of Australia and Japan, so he’s very strong on seafood, and it’s the only place in Parma where you can find sushi – sometimes grilled – and wasabi in and among the Italian dishes. And he does make a mean dessert.

Here we have insalata di polpo e patate alle olive con involtino di gamberi croccante e wasabi mayo (octopus salad with olives and potatoes with a crunchy prawn roll and wasabi mayo), followed by Branzino in carrozza alle olive con patate, carciofi e salsa al marsala (sea ​​bass with potatoes, olives, artichokes and Marsala sauce): in carrozza is something usually done with mozzarella, a kind of grilled cheese sandwich, but here it was so very much not that, and had a bit of ginger and sesame seasoning, and a bit of zucca (pumpkin) for sweetness and colour.

I might have been tempted by the carpione (salmo carpio) but luckily did not know enough about it to order it, and now I read that this species that had been introduced to Lake Garda is critically endangered. Italy (like anywhere?) is not the home of sustainable seafood and I suppose all I can do in my next life is always remember to take a dictionary and a seafood list with me. Anyway the dessert was not endangered although perhaps my waistline was as I ploughed through the Delizioso pralinato, as I think it was described: a chunk of chocolate surmounted by a kind of airy coffee custard and zabaione (or might it have been white chocolate?) fluff, topped with chewy praline nuggets and a drizzle of warm chocolate.

If I had a few more stomachs I would have had the Petto d’oca arrosto al miele limone (goose in lemon honey) and the Tartare di branzino e salmone affumicato in casa con mousse allo zenzero e parmigiano e granita di mela verde (tartare of house smoked sea bass and salmon with ginger and parmigiano-reggiano and green apple granita) and not least the Astice scottato al pepe verde con riso basmati e lattuga all’arancia (seared lobster in green pepper sauce with basmati rice and lettuce-orange salad). All I can do is hope not to have to wait another four years before I return.

Managed to squeeze in a little visit to Parma, to see how the place has changed in the four years since my last stop here, and check out the Christmas madness.

For madness it was when I arrived on the last Sunday before the visit of Babbo Natale. It seemed much more commercialized than it had been just five years ago. Shopping frenzy. Christmas market. Everyone out on via Farini.

I’ve been stomping the old grounds to see what’s new. As we might expect, much is the same, some things different. Sorelle Picchi where I had supper last night has gone much more upmarket, and there is less grump in the proprietorship: the tris di tortelli remains on the menu, and was good, but not as good as the semifreddo allo zabaione and the lovely glass of Passito di Pantelleria to finish.

As I’d always meant to go there, I had earlier lunched at Apriti Sesamo, Parma’s lone organic vegetarian restaurant where vegans, coeliacs and macrobioticians have been finding solace for a decade and a half. It’s tucked away behind the train station – currently undergoing a major facelift – and is small and friendly. The food is not pretty – vegan food leaves me feeling there must be something one can do to jazz up a plate of whole grains – but it’s tasty and filling and the place has a loyal following. The menu offers three courses which are served on a single plate. Mine was sformato di riso integrale (rice and whole grain cake, or square), radici al forno (roasted root vegetables) and torta di seitan (savoury gluten pie).

After lunch I went for a walk in the Giardino Ducale which was much as I remembered it, and strolled along the Torrente Parma looking for nutria, and spotted a gang of them huddling for warmth.