Virtually untravelled by Toscana-happy Americans, Le Marche is an excellent culinary example of cross pollination. The inherent richness of northern neighboring Emilia Romagna is made evident through rich pasta dishes like Vincigrassi, a kind of lasagne made with chicken liver ragù and black truffles; and another dish called Passatelli, bread crumb, egg and cheese dowels served in rich chicken broth with lots of grated cheese on top. The relatively spare cucina of western neighboring Umbria is more obvious in dishes like Potacchio, a spicy stew of rabbit or lamb (or even monkfish), or the simple charcoal-grilled meats that appear on every trattoria menu. The more south central bent is also evident in products like the simple soft salami made in Fabriano, the excellent dried pasta made by the Latini family in Osimo, or the farro produced by Fattoria di Montesecco. Read the rest of this entry »