Join Cathy Whims, Montinore Estate and Portland’s Notable Chefs
for a Day of Porcine Delights.
PORTLAND, Ore. (January 7, 2012) – In the mountain towns of Northern Italy, winter brings more than frost on the hillsides and a fire in the hearth. Two weeks after the first full moon of the new year, farmers and friends come together for the Maialata. An age-old Italian celebration of the pig – “maiale” is Italian for pork – the feast is steeped in peasant traditions in accordance with folklore and biodynamic practices. All day the community would work together to butcher and prepare the local pigs, all night they would feast on the bounty of their labor.In honor of this tradition Nostrana Chef and Owner Cathy Whims is partnering with Montinore Estate, whose owner Rudy Marchesi is as dedicated to biodynamic wine production as he is to reverence for peasant food, to bring the Italian festival of the pig to Oregon. Friends and pork aficionados Jason French (Ned Ludd), Fred Carlo (Salumeria di Carlo) and John Taboada (Luce, Navarre), will come together at Montinore Estate on February 10th to create an experience normally reserved for farmers, butchers, and Italian villagers.
“I discovered the Maialata while travelling in Friuli, Northeastern Italy,” says Whims. “It was such a beautiful tradition, bringing together friends and family with many hands to make light work. Here in Oregon, we have such an affinity for pork, and access to well-raised animals such as those from Laughing Stock Farm, and it felt like a tradition we should share.”
Winter months afford the natural refrigeration necessary to process an entire 500 pound animal into sausages, salumi, prosciutti, steaks, ribs, behemoth roasts, and ragus. Cathy, Rudy and friends invite diners to participate in the entire process: stuffing sausage and making ravioli alongside some of Portland’s best chefs while enjoying hand-crafted cheese, charcuterie, and wine. Participants will then gather in the wine cellar to indulge in a six-course feast – the product of the days lessons and labors – accompanied by Montinore’s wines.
When: Sunday, February 10th. Guests are invited to participate in butchery, sausage and pasta making, and cooking beginning at noon. Dinner at dusk. Where: Montinore Estate, 3663 Southwest Dilley Road, Forest Grove, OR 97116. Who: Cathy Whims, Rudy Marchesi, Jason French, John Taboada, Fred Carlo and you. Only 60 seats available. Cost: $95. Includes hands-on learning in butchering, sausage making, pasta making, charcuterie, and all things pork. How: For a place at the feast, contact Montinore Estate at (503) 359-5012 or visit the facebook page here.
Montinore Estate: Montinore Estate is a family owned and operated winery in the northern Willamette Valley that produces Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Müller Thurgau. All 230 acres of grapes are farmed using the strict methods of Biodynamic farming. Montinore is located at 3663 Southwest Dilley Road, Forest Grove, OR. For more information, call (503) 359-5012 or go to montinore.com.
Nostrana: Nostrana – literally ‘ours’ in Italian – serves classic Northern Italian cuisine built on simple preparations, fresh, local ingredients, and the traditional method of cooking with fire. Nostrana was founded in 2005 by Executive Chef and Owner Cathy Whims and in 2006, Nostrana was named Oregon’s Restaurant of the Year by The Oregonian. Cathy Whims is a four-time James Beard “Best Chef: Pacific Northwest” finalist and winner of the coveted 2011 “Leccio d’Oro Osteria Prize” instituted by the Brunello Consortium of Montalcino. Nostrana is located at 1401 SE Morrison, Portland OR 97214. For more information, please call 503.234.2427 or visit www.nostrana.com.