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With takeout like this, who needs a kitchen?

By: Marion Warhaft

17/04/2009 1:00 AM | Comments: 2

Fabrizio Rossi dishes up a plate of De Luca's new hot takeout options, which include northern Italian-style lasagna and artichoke alla romana.

PHIL HOSSACK / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Enlarge Image

Fabrizio Rossi dishes up a plate of De Luca's new hot takeout options, which include northern Italian-style lasagna and artichoke alla romana.

Contrary to what some may think, artichokes aren't born in jars or cans -- the kind that are shoved willy-nilly into salads, dips and pastas, to which they add little except the acidity of vinegar. They actually grow on stalks and are quite pretty in their natural state (they've even had a hairdo named after them) but if I ever wanted a fresh artichoke I always had to cook it myself. Until last week, that is, when they turned up as part of De Luca's brand new meals-to-go service.

For this new offering Fabrizio Rossi has been imported from Rome, and, appropriately, his artichokes were done in a typical Roman fashion, to wit, alla romana. They were smaller than globe artichokes, slightly bigger than the babies, with part of the meaty stem still attached, the tough outer leaves pared away, the centre de-choked, stuffed with fresh mint and a touch of anchovy, and simmered in olive oil. And they were lovely.

Dining Out

De Luca's
950 Portage Avenue
774-7617

De Luca's coolers have always been a source for prepared pizzas and pastas, but this new service is altogether different, set up at a little steam station near the butchers, and offering freshly cooked dishes from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Thursday, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday. The menu changes daily, and it's a good idea to call ahead to find out what's on that day. If you're lucky you'll also find the luscious lasagna, an ethereal northern version with not a trace of tomato, made with fresh, silken pasta layered with a mixture of pork, veal and mushrooms, and a light bechamel sauce (since it's baked it travels, and reheats, well).

There's a selection of meat dishes as well. The splendid house-made chicken sausages, for instance, big fat ones sprinkled with caramelized shallots and relatively lean -- surprisingly so, given the depth of flavour -- with enough spicy cajun seasoning to bite back. If they aren't available on the day of your visit you can buy some from the butcher to prepare at home, as well as at least eight other kinds of sausages worth trying.

With that motherlode of ingredients at hand, the quality isn't surprising.

Fine, pale veal is one of De Luca's stocks in trade, and it turned up in two different forms on my visits: once as a roulade, rolled around ham, mozzarella, spinach and endive; another time as slices from the loin, cooked sous vide in an airtight plastic bag, and finished in a reduction of red wine with juniper berries. There was also a lusty and slightly mustardy lamb stew, and braised little ribs of pork enlivened by touches of rosemary.

Most items cost from $1.49 to $2.99 per 100 grams and, obviously, how much you spend will depend on how hungry you are. My meat selections cost between $7 and $8, and in some cases yielded two light servings. Three artichokes, garnished with roasted potatoes, came to $7.47 and a small portion of the lasagna was $5. Some future possible meats might be braised pork, veal, lamb or goat; chicken stewed with eggplant and tomatoes, or topped by prosciutto and peas.

To go with the main courses there are side dishes, which will also vary from day to day. Small strips of eggplant or zucchini stuffed with minced veal and pecorino, for instance. Or mushrooms, topped by sauteed rapini. Or the cake-shaped gateau of mashed potatoes mixed with bits of ham and mozzarella.

Or a rice-stuffed baked tomato. Or the peperonata mixture of peppers, zucchini, eggplant and tomatoes. Or a gratin of potatoes with zucchini, peppers and eggplant.

But dinner from De Luca's isn't confined to just main courses. You can compose an impressive antipasto with cured meats from the butcher shop -- several different kinds of prosciutto, including the Spanish serrano ham, which has been dry cured for at least a year -- as well as a great peppery capicolla that has also been aged for more than a year (from $2.39 to $6.69 per 100 grams).

There are approximately 25 different kinds of olives, as well as a slightly nippy chopped green olive spread that makes a great base on a bruschetta, and an impressive selection of cheeses.

To round out your meal you couldn't do better than a visit to the attached bakery. There are predictably good Italian breads (I'm partial to the substantial calabrese, and the olive-studded rolls), and pastries that can only be described in superlatives. There are, of course, cannoli -- miraculously crunchy and filled with sweetened ricotta -- and sfogliatelle, flaky layers of puff pastry filled with a really eggy custard. For chocolate lovers, there are baci, which are similar to truffles, but much more solid; caramel tarts on a cookie-like crust, layered with soft caramel and glazed thickly with chocolate; and, possibly the most glorious among a bevy of glories, the ne plus ultra of florentines, studded with toasted nuts and chewy candied fruits.

Maybe Fabrizio's artichokes will inspire others to scrap their jars and cans and try the fresh ones -- more work, I know, but worth it. And I can only hope that, when the weather turns hot, another great Italian classic (another personal favourite, also never found locally) will turn up -- vitello tonnato, i.e. cold sliced veal in a tuna mayonnaise.

For a wine to complement your dinner, stroll next door to De Luca's wine shop, and you won't have to pay the restaurant mark-up.

marion.warhaft@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition April 17, 2009 D3

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Short attention span? It's a review. Why would you even bother to leave a comment due to your inability to read the whole thing?

I lost interest in the first 5 lines... What was the main point of this article please?

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