THE HOUSE OF SAVOY AND THE ‘FOOD OF THE GODS’
See page 4
Turin was not only the first capital of united Italy, but also the capital of the “Food of the Gods”: it was indeed the first city where ‘chocomania’ developed among the aristocracy and clergy. ‘Hot chocolate’
became fashionable at the Savoy court in the mid-17th century, and by the mid-18th century, Turin, where the first historic cafés arose, was the European capital of this new delicacy.
BREAD AS PROTAGONIST IN THE NOVELS OF GIOVANNI VERGA
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A hundred years after the death of the Sicilian writer Giovanni Verga, Lunigiana Academician Giuseppe Benelli offers images of his protagonists’ frugal meals.
The humblest peasant cuisine is dominated by the simplicity of black bread, defined in dialect as pan e curtiddu (‘bread and knife’), as it was cut into small pieces to make it last as long as possible.
SICILIAN CUISINE AS AN ENCLAVE OF ARAB/MAGHREBI COOKING
See page 8 Sicily offers dishes typical of the Mediterranean world which are strongly infused with Arab and Levantine flavours.
Arab dominion brought numerous ‘new’
foods to Sicily. Among the many foods that one can enjoy in Sicily, Ragusa Academician Tullio Sammito discusses a few of the best-known preparations with recipes or ingredients imported to the island by the Arabs.
NEAPOLITAN PASTIERA See page 10 It is a glorious little world unto itself, with traditions and history that render it unique. It is a dessert laden with symbolism associated with Easter, whose preparation eventually engulfed the whole calendar.
Treviso Academician Giancarlo Saran
tells the tale of Neapolitan pastiera as the lifelong passion of Stanislao Porzio, one of its greatest connoisseurs, who recently wrote a monograph about it published by Guido Tommasi publishers.
FILETTO BACIATO: ‘KISSED FILLET’
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The cured meat known as filetto baciato (‘kissed fillet’) hailing from Ponzone, in the province of Alessandria, has an illustrious pedigree as documented by local 18th-century registers. Its production method requires a pork fillet (or sirloin) marinated in brine for a week, then enrobed by a paste of ground meat seasoned with red wine and garlic, and then placed in casings and tied by hand. It should be compact when sliced, with its two layers adhering perfectly, as if joined in a kiss.
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DRAM See page 14
Nocino, an intensely aromatic liqueur, is made from unripe walnuts gathered for the feast of St John the Baptist on 24 June. It may have ancient Roman origins, according to sources recounting the tribal custom of gathering on midsummer night and sharing a dark, acrid alcoholic walnut-based concoction as a protective potion.
‘EXOTIC’ CUISINE?
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‘Exotic’ fruits increasingly appear on menus by celebrated multi-starred chefs and their less famous colleagues. It has recently been calculated that over 1000 hectares in southern Italy are dedicated to exotic fruit cultivation, especially in volcanic terrain (particularly Etna). Heat and the consequent
fertility facilitate the work of growers, who tenaciously and ably apply themselves to what they unhesitatingly define as their
‘delightful mission’.
PGI BIVONA PEACHES See page 17
The particularly sweet, fragrant Bivona peach received PGI status in 2014 under the denomination ‘Pescabivona’. Its production area is within the municipalities of Bivona (Agrigento) and nearby towns whose clay-rich soil is ideal for cultivating this prized variety, infusing it with a perfect balance of nutritional components, with low calories and abundant vitamins and minerals.
RONCHÌ PICHI See page 18
History of a distinctive aromatised wine rooted in times past, whose flavour recalls a splendid passito (raisin wine). Created in Livorno in 1934, it gladdens our tables once more thanks to an entrepreneur from Lastra a Signa. Today it is also the protagonist of several cocktails.
FORAGING IN THE VALNERINA TERNANA
See page 20
Foraging, the ancient practice of gathering wild edibles, is undergoing a modern resurgence thanks to increasing interest in sustainable and natural foods. Harvesting wild herbs to use in food was traditionally considered women’s work, as was the care of the vegetable garden which yielded, among other things, misticanza: a typical salad of endive, brighteyes, rocket, lettuce and frisée, dressed with salt, pepper, vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil.
STOCCO ALLA GHIOTTA:
‘GLUTTON’S STOCKFISH’
See page 22
Dried cod, or stockfish, is fished and dried according to unique ancient methods on
MIDSUMMER DUMPLING FEAST See page 24
A tradition typical of Reggio Emilia but also nearby territories is the tortellata di San Giovanni: St John’s tortelli dinner.
Taking advantage of the first warm evenings, people eat their fill of green tortelli dumplings, also known as tortelli d’erba (herb dumplings), with the excuse of prendere la guazza (‘taking the dew’), traditionally considered invigorating and salutary. Reggio Emilia Academician Eugenio Menozzi also provides tips on preparing the area’s traditional tortelli.
LUGANEGA DA RISO:
‘RICE SAUSAGE’ FROM TREVISO See page 26
Luganega is a type of uncured sausage; in Treviso there is a more delicate variety ‘for rice’ (da riso), made from fresh and finely ground pork jowl and belly seasoned with dosa, a mixture of several spices. The ingredients for dosa, kept secret by its producers (a butcher shop and a grocer’s shop), remained a mystery after those shops closed. The fortuitous rediscovery of a document pertaining to its preparation has finally brought it back to light.
CHOOSE CHEESE WISELY See page 28
Roberto Rubino, President of ANFOSC (Italy’s National Cheesemakers’ Association),
overlooking nutritional value.
THE FIG: A FALSE FRUIT WITH ANCIENT ROOTS
See page 30
The fig is a false fruit, a syconium. The soft, fleshy, edible structure is in reality an enlarged stem; the true fruits are those tiny grains constituting its juicy pulp. Figs can be useful against respiratory problems;
fresh figs, and even better, dry figs are an excellent potassium source.
THE CALL OF THE PIZZA IN SINGAPORE
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It is difficult to resist the call of the pizza;
luckily, Singapore boasts an ample selection of pizza restaurants, yet one cannot count on finding ‘the flavours of home’. Elena Simmen, Academician for Singapore-Malaysia-Indonesia, interviews Davide Tanda: an Italian pizzaiuolo (pizza master) in Singapore, whose secret is to ‘comprehend’
and ‘listen to’ the rising of the dough at its own pace.
THE GREEN PAPER AND THE WHITE PAPER
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Andrea Vitale, Honorary Academician for Milano Navigli, summarises the principles contained in two important documents issued by the European Commission.
The Green Paper on European Food Law, adopted in 1997, set out all the general principles of European food law, representing a crucial new step in current food legislation. The White Paper on Food Safety of 12 January 2000 formalised the need to enforce the Green Paper’s principles, guaranteeing the effectiveness of the ‘farm to table’ concept by establishing blueprints for European food policy.
as they appear to many eyes as merely
‘sheets of paper’ listing foods on offer. We should be well aware, however, especially bearing in mind the recent rulings by the Supreme Court of Cassation, that the menu is a bona fide contract between the restaurateur and the client.
FARMED OCTOPUS See page 37
Octopus, with its tender but firm flesh and subtle flavour, is one of the best-loved molluscs at the table, found in all Italian regional cuisines from the Veneto, with its polpo alla veneziana, to Campania with its famous polpo alla Luciana. The possibility of farming octopus has been investigated for years. However, unlike many other marine animals, octopus presents many hindrances to farming: it only eats live food and requires a controlled environment.
24 JUNE: THE NATIVITY OF ST JOHN THE BAPTIST
See page 38 This prophet and martyr was born in Jerusalem six months before Christ. Over 60 Italian cities honour him as their patron saint. Many regional dishes are associated with his feast day throughout the peninsula, including the snails which play a starring role in Liguria and Latium, while salt cod and fried peppers are eaten in Molise.
Translator: Antonia Fraser Fujinaga Summarized: Federica Guerciotti