THE CHASE SCENE
Richard Kelly and his guests experienced a ride to the Fior d’Italia straight out of the movie Speed.
Richard, wife Karen and friend Charlotte Saleebey had their bellman flag down a cab from the Marriott on Columbus Avenue. It was obvious at once that the man from the Asian subcontinent spoke very little English. But this language wasn’t the greatest problem. Here’s how Richard tells it:
He started off in the opposite direction to the Fior so I advised him of this observation. He pulled over in the right lane and stopped in an intersection. I handed him a card for the Fior that I had picked up last year. He phoned someone and conducted a conversation in his native East Indian language. All without any response to us. He then accelerated as he made a strong right turn and drove directly over a rather high curb with all the pedestrians scattering as we felt the sudden impact and loud scraping of the underbody over the curb.
As we cleared the curb we were in a position perpendicular to oncoming traffic in the intersecting street. A suburban vehicle barely passed us as he rocketed across the street and simultaneously made a severe left turn just barely missing a street sign. With indifference to the traffic light, he drove through the intersection and turned left, completing a reversal of the direction we came from.
We required how long he had been driving in the response was “a week”. We concluded he meant that was how long he’d had a California state driver’s license. We arrived at the Fior much in need of strong drink. He had neglected to activate the meter so the ride cost $4.
Despite all that high drama, the Kelly’s still relaxed enough to appreciate their dinner at the Fior. In fact they asked for the recipe for bagna cauda. (Maybe they wanted the recipe so they don’t have to hazard another life-threatening trip to the restaurant?) Of course we supplied it.
Here it is for you. It can also be found on page 113 of “The Fabulous Fior: over 100 Years in an Italian Kitchen” which can be bought at the restaurant or online at www.fior.com.
BAGNA CAUDA WITH ROASTED PEPPERS
Bagna cauda (hot bath) is a typical Piemontese appetizer. It is a dip, served in the middle of the table in a fondue pot over a sterno. Traditionally, the Piemontese dip vegetables into it, usually cardoon, which is not generally available in United States.
3 tablespoons olive oil (Do not use virgin oil. It contains remnants of the vegetable matter and it will burn.)
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
3-4 anchovy fillets, or one half ounce, finely chopped
½ cup heavy cream
2 roasted red bell peppers cut into 1-inch wide strips
2 roasted green bell peppers cut into 1-inch wide strips
2 roasted yellow bell peppers cut into 1-inch wide strips
Heat oil and sauté garlic till just light brown. Add anchovies, stir with wooden spoon. Add cream and let simmer. Load the heat and let simmer until reduced by one-third. Remove from fire and serve immediately in a small warmed bowl.
Halve the bell peppers. Roast or burn over fire on stove.
Let cool. Peel. Dip into the bagna cauda.
Other vegetables that can be used to dip in the bagna cauda are broccoli, carrot sticks or scallions. Also try cauliflower, snow peas, celery or any other raw vegetable. Dip with a fork or chopsticks. Serves 4.
