Delicious Italy

Kosher olive oil

The daily press cuttings arriving in our email box from Qualivita in Siena recently highlighted a niche for extra virign olive oil targeted at a very particular market.

For 7 years now the Tenuta del Levante in Andria, province of Bari, has been exporting to Jewish clients in the US and UK.

The production phase follows a discipline approved by the chief Rabbi of Milan, Labi Cesarini, and is based on attention to cleanliness and the presence of no chemical substances throughout the pressing, filtration and bottling.

The Tenuta does not only produce this olive oil, but two thirds of its output is Terra di Bari DOP and organic olive oil, with a history dating back to 1902.

The Scottish make better pizza

Scots-Italian restaurant owner Domenico Crolla will this week represent the UK as the world’s top pizza chefs and experts in Italian cuisine battle it out in Las Vegas at the "International Pizza Expo" from March 20th - 22nd 2007.

Domenico, 40, who owns Glasgow’s Italmania and Bella Napoli restaurants, will take the 10,000 mile round trip to America’s flashiest city to compete in two different categories at the Expo, an event that has been running for over twenty years.

Creative chef Domenico first hit headlines worldwide in November 2006, when he cooked up an idea for a gold and caviar-topped "Pizza Royale 007".

As the only British representative in the competitions, Domenico faces fifty other contestants from locations as far-flung as New Zealand, Italy, and Australia as he enters both the "International Pizza Challenge" and "Italian Chef Wars".

The first competition calls for him to cook a pizza that is "gourmet, exotic and out there", and the second demands that he put together a three-course meal in just 90 minutes, using 40 selected ingredients, and five "secret" items.

Foodie Domenico plans to blow judges away by using a combination of his elaborate Italian flair combined with quality Scottish foods, including langoustines, Aberdeen Angus beef and single malt whisky.

Domenico said: "I don’t want to give too much away at this stage, but let’s just say that I think my Italian heritage combined with top quality Scottish ingredients will give me an edge in these competitions. The judges won’t be able to resist the taste sensations that I have put together and I’ve even created a new pasta and a glitzy new drink for the occasion which I call the ‘Vegas Bellini’, guaranteed to put a sparkle into any menu."

Judges include E. Jay Myers, the co-founder of Goodfella’s Brick Oven Pizza, who will examine the contestants’ work for taste, creativity, visual presentation and chef’s culinary skills.

Winners of the competitions take home a cheque for $2000 and are automatically invited to return to the 2008 Expo to defend their title.

http://www.pizzaexpo.com/

Pizza Olympics

The first Pizza Olympics or 'Le Olimpiadi della Pizza' are taking place in Salsomaggiore Terme from the 26-29 March 2007.

The event has been organised in response to the ever increasing world dominance of the American pizza restaurant chains such as Pizza Hut, Domino's Pizza and Papa John.

What started as the annual World Pizza Championships in 1990 has now gots its own Olympics.

Read more and get the link here

Native Italian Wine book

The next best thing to tasting native Italian wines is to read about them and, by chance, the first Guide to Autoctonous Italian Vines is present at the Prowein wine trade fair in Düsseldorf from 18th to 20th March.

The book is published in Italy by Touring Club Editore and Vinibuoni d’Italia will be highlighting twenty six wineries selected for the 2007’s issue of the guide in Germany.

The Guide lists 1,000 wineries introducing over 3,500 wines that have been sampled and classified by the authors and twenty regional tasting commissions coordinated by specialised journalists and sommeliers.

These wines are all crafted from Italian indigenous vines, i.e. varieties that have been growing in Italy for more than three hundred years and represent the best of the “made in Italy” wines.

A good native wine is judged on fragrance, pleasantness, balance and elegance.

The wines must have low wooden quality and reveal on the palate and nose the variety of the territory in which the grapes were grown.

These are quality wines that are expression of the Italian oenological culture and history.

A Week in Truffle Country

This is a short account of our experiences on a journey to Piemonte, specifically the land due east of the regional capital Turin.

That's Asti and Alba. 

First thing you should know is that the famous white truffles of Alba may actually come from the province of Asti.

Truffles need very special and precise conditions to grow and the countryside around Alba is now almost all dedicated to vines and grape production.

Saying that you cannot miss a visit to Alba as the business of truffles, as well as the Associazione per Il Centro Nazionale Studi Tartufo' are based here.

The famous month long white truffle festival in Alba runs in October and is an international event.

Alba itself is dominated by the huge Ferrero factory. That's Tic-Tacs, Kinder and Ferrero Rocher chocolates to you and me.

more soon ...

Pecorino by satellite

Expect to find a whole raft of tourism satellite navigating systems on the market very soon.

We know of three, 2 of which we can reveal immediately.

The first is Qualigeo, 'the first integrated system for the development of the agricultural and food products of certified quality and of all the related activities'

Translated, this means a portable GPS navigation systems whose software will help you locate Italy's DOP, IGP and STG products, the firms who produce them and the territory of reference.

The second is Metafacile, another GPS tool which guides the tourist through the production zone of Franciacorta wine and associated sites and sights.

You have to be tempted to try them out, but both are surely just prototypes for much more sophisticated tourism gadgets over the next few years.

Or maybe a scribbled note on your well thumbed route map is still the best way to travel.   

The Sweet Life in London via Abruzzo

Abruzzo Cibus Culinary Tours is the only full time cooking school in the Abruzzo region of Italy and founder Massimo Criscio has chosen the La Dolce Vita Fair, taking place at Olimpia, London, 8-11 March 2007, to launch his 3 day, 7 day and Pro programmes to a UK audience.

The cooking experiences take place in the family's exclusive Palazzo Tour d'Eau in Carunchio, province of Chieti, which also offers a private base and six rooms for a longer holiday in Abruzzo.

Your guides in the kitchen are the talented and experienced chefs Cheryle Molino and Dino Paganelli who will teach you the secrets of Abruzzo mountain cuisine, homemade ‘guitar’ pasta and exquisite ‘parrozzo’ dessert.

Unlike many culinary classes and food holidays in Italy, Abruzzo Cibus has built a special, modern demonstration kitchen. Nevertheless, all the delicious recipes can be easily made back home.

Say’s Massimo: 'In 2004, while working for a big company in corporate America, I decided to head back to my roots on the shores of the Adriatic Sea. As I have always loved entertaining guests and sharing my passion of good food and wine with friends and family, I decided to take the dream a step further. We have created a warm, welcoming, family atmosphere where guests can really feel at ease and have a real Italian experience far from the hassles of commercial tourism’.

Meet Massimo at La Dolce Vita at the official stand of the Regione Abruzzo (the homeland of Aldo Zilli) and add you name for a forthcoming educational tour by Abruzzo Cibus Culinary Tours.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Read about Abruzzo Cibus Culinary Tours