Tastings > Chef Spotlight
Bunet all'Astigiana with Alberto Vanoli

Photo by Lauren Thomas

Bunet all'Astigiana

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 Cups Milk
3/4 Cup Cream
4 Eggs
3/4 Cup Sugar
1/3 Cup Cocoa
1 Cup Amaretti Cookies, crushed
2 Tbsp. Rum (optional)
1/2 Vanilla Bean or 1/2 Tsp. of Vanilla Extract
Zest of half of a Lemon
1/2 Cup Sugar for Caramel

METHOD
1. Heat the oven to 350 F. Take a container for a bain marie* and fill halfway with hot water. Place the container in the oven. (The container needs to be large enough to hold 8 molds.)

2. For the caramel: Cook 1/2 cup of sugar with a few tablespoons of water until golden brown in a saucepan. (Once the sugar starts to get brown it will cook fast-be careful to not burn it.) Pour immediately on the bottom of each mold, enough to cover the bottom.

3. Crumble Amaretti cookies between your hand into a bowl and add the rum.

4. In a separate bowl, mix 3/4 cup of sugar with eggs, then add cocoa and mix well until everything is well incorporated.

5. In a saucepan, bring milk slowly to a boil with vanilla and lemon zest. Remove from heat immediately.

6. Add the milk mixture to the egg mixture, a little at a time to avoid the heat from the milk to scrambling the eggs.

7. Mix well and strain the milk-egg mixture, using a fine mesh strainer, into the Amaretti cookie bowl.

8. Fill the molds with the mixture and bake in the bain marie for about 50 minutes, if they start to get color on top, cover with a sheet of foil. After baking, take out of bain marie and let cool.

9. To serve, run a knife around the outside of the custard to loosen from the mold, and flip the mold upside down on a plate. Optional is to add a few drops of Amaretto liquor and fresh whipped cream right before serving.

*Bain marie is the French term for water bath. It consists of placing a container (pan, bowl, dish, etc.) of food in a large, shallow pan of warm water, surrounding the food with gentle heat. A bain marie can be used either on a rangetop or in an oven. This technique is designed to cook delicate dishes such as custards, sauces, and savory mousses without curdling them.

In October 2001, Amy and Albert Vanoli opened Ristorante Locust Tree in a Dutch Colonial house originally built by the Elting family in 1759. Located at the New Paltz Golf Course, the site has been operated as a restaurant since the early 1970s. Italian-born Alberto Vanoli moved to the US in 1994 and has worked in restaurants across Italy and the US, including the Ritz-Carlton in Philadelphia, where Chef Vanoli worked as chef de cuisine. (Albert met Amy, who runs the front of the house at Ristorante Locust Tree, in Manhattan.)

While Ristorante Locust Tree is an "Italian restaurant," Chef Vanoli stresses the difference between his cuisine and typical American-Italian restaurant fare. He admits that his dishes "might be a little different than people are used to in America. If you're in Italy, you'd see a totally different cuisine."

The dishes most Americans think of as quintessentially Italian-spaghetti and meatballs, etc.-were brought to the US in the late 19th century by Italian immigrants, primarily from southern Italy. (Chef Vanoli is from Bergamo, a town in the north of Italy, 30 miles north of Milan.) Vanoli's cuisine-for example: Milanese risotto with saffron, lamb in brodetto (lamb in broth), seared swordfish with fava beans, pancetta and shavings of pecorino cheese-is regionally based, and focuses on contemporary, authentic Italian cuisine.

Bunet all'Astigiana is a classic dessert from the town of Asti in the Piedmont region of Italy. It serves eight.

Ristorante Locust Tree
215 Huguenot Street
New Paltz, NY (845) 255-7888
Dinner: Tuesday-Saturday, 5:30-10:30PM
Sunday 5-10PM Closed Monday