Egg, a saketeca full of ferment – Italian Cuisine

Uovo, the newest member in Turin, is already making headlines. What is it? A saketeca … to begin with

On the 14th day of opening we went to visit Cristina Vancini of Uovo, the first Saketeka in Turin, which contains small and large gastronomic treasures.
A tiny, long and narrow room, where before there was a pasta factory (hence the name) that offers about 40 labels of sake and then Kombucha, natural wines and an original and tasty menu, which winks at the Orient.

Egg proposes Raw kitchen

Yes, Egg proposes Raw kitchen (made on site) and dishes prepared by Cucina.TO (gastronomic laboratory, Maestri del Gusto di Torino) which since 2018 is part of the Arcobaleno Social Cooperative.
The competence and the skill of the North African boys who work in the cooperative are able to make the chicken legs, the pork chops, a mix of well-dosed spices and aromas soft and juicy, which glues the customer to the dish from the first to the last bite .
All the meats proposed in the menu are marinated with rice vinegar, Mirin and sake, cooked and delivered every two days, to have a fresh product proposal.
By choice, Cristina and her associates have decided to rely on professionals in the sector, people with great skills, each in their own field, from fermented products to cooking and desserts. The part of the desserts and small pastries features the pastry chef of Gocce di Cioccolato (another Master of Taste of Turin, Ivano Baiunco). Selection of a good part of the products by Giada Talpo.
Cristina Vancini became Sake sommelier in 2019 (she will be in Japan in 2020 for a master's degree, in a special Sakagura).

How does it work

From Uovo you can drink and eat something, unlike other places in Italy where sake is usually served in restaurants. Here you can come just to drink a glass, if you don't want to eat, a new proposal, dedicated to this ancient fermented Japanese beverage.
Egg has decided to put sake on the same level as wine with a unique proposal of its kind.
Not only sake, but also wine, preferably natural, and other fermented products: the brilliant idea of eliminating tonic water from the cocktail list and using, even for the most classic ones like Gin Tonic or Vodka Tonic, kombucha.

Egg is astonishment

Astonishment for Sake, fermented and kombucha: two different companies selected, both producers pasteurize their own kombucha: Carlo Nessler, with his CibOfficina in Viterbo, and Fervere, a craft kombucha laboratory in Bari.
Nesler's kombucha is perfect for the preparation of Gin Tonic, with a rosemary base that gives the right aromatic note, combined with a Japanese Gin that smells of yuzu and citrus notes. Flavor instead of white tea, rose tea, red fruits for an explosion of taste and aromas of fruits.
Amazement also comes with the fermented vegetables of Carlo Nesler, perfect for Carnaroli rice and venere rice Domburi.
Proposals for drinks and original and not discounted dishes. Alessandro Verri di Taglio's bread, for breakfast, lunch or dinner (for breakfast his pandolce is also a delight accompanied by Savoy butter and homemade jams).

Local food

Conscious choice of 100% local food even if the recipes are (almost) all Japanese in the Vizi e Sfizi board.
He has already conquered all the Fassona marinated with sake, combined with a few pieces of fermented lemon, completely different from the concept of lemon squeezed on meat, which often completely spoils the flavor, while the fermented lemon opens the palate (and stomach) to tasting.

"On the Sake, there is great curiosity, the people who come here try to find out more and more," Cristina tells us. «The location is important, the market is welcoming: it's wonderful to live. Japan was missing here, but we are Italians. There is a passage, there are many people who come out of curiosity and to find out what we do. The neighborhood is happy to have us here, we have been very well received by everyone .
A completely different vision compared to other places in Turin, other districts of the city, which they often reject instead of approaching.

Food and culture

Transmitting knowledge, not just administering something. A place that is food, but also meeting and culture.
At Uovo there is a great desire to create events with professionals, chefs and people who have beautiful stories to tell and a territory to taste. This is one of the most interesting news just arrived in Turin, to be followed closely because it will be talked about.

Information on Egg

Egg is open from breakfast to after dinner, for a quick lunch, for a dinner organized last, for a business meeting, admiring the frenzy of the market that is just a stone's throw away. With a sake glass it feels like being in an Izakaya in Tokyo.

Egg, a project by Cristina Vancini, Giorgia Boursier and Fabrizio Barale
Piazza della Repubblica, 16A
Open Tuesday to Saturday from 10 to 02 at night
Second Sunday of the month from 10 am to 10 pm with Dj Set
Telephone 011 1964 5594

the Palmento Costanzo in Passopisciaro – Italian Cuisine

Centenarian plants that give generous and intense wines, full expression of the energy of the Volcano.

At the foot of Etna in a place with surreal traits, small trees curved on themselves with the almost frayed trunk that seems to stand for a miracle, suck from the earth a rich sap that has grown bunches of Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio for over a hundred years . I'm prefillossera screws, recovered about ten years ago by Mimmo and Valeria Costanzo, husband and wife, who as often happens have put aside their old life and invented another one as winegrowers, giving shape to Palmento Costanzo, a place, before a wine, that oozes passion from every pore. "I often come here at night. Even if I'm in Catania: I take the car and sleep here, in the middle of the vineyard. I don't know if it is the presence of the volcano or the energy that this place gives off, but I come here and I'm fine, "explains Mimmo with his eyes that reveal the enthusiasm of a child.

The Palmento, how the grapes were vinified in the nineteenth century

Mimmo and Valeria bought this land ten years ago in Contrada Santo Spirito, in the hamlet of Passopisciaro, on the northern slope of Etna. Here they found the ancient millstone and with a very minute conservative restoration they brought it back to its original splendor. The grapes once came directly to the millstone from the two windows overlooking Etna and inside this building from the exposed bricks began the winemaking. Today it has returned to being a wine production area thanks to the integration with the modern technologies. Every detail has been designed to get the best from the grapes grown in the vineyards. The millstone is spread over several levels: in the highest part there is the slope, the area where the grapes are pressed and fermented. Next to it are the steel tanks, as well as an "orange" cistern, which develops vertically, divided into segments to allow separate fermentations with different temperatures. On the ground floor, the barrel cellar has been maintained with magnificent egg-shaped specimens, made of French oak, which exploit convective motions to promote natural bâtonnage. Even the modern wine cellar was built second the principles of bioarchitecture: thanks to the openings made at the top, in correspondence of the terrace overlooking the vineyards next to the millstone, the winery is lit by five cones that convey light inside, limiting the need for electricity for lighting only at the most dark of the day.

The vines, arranged as before

Nicola Centonze he is the one who takes care of these precious plants and draws elegant and generous wines. The vines, scattered over ten hectares of land furrowed by long black skies, are organically grown and are arranged with quinconce, to form a pentagon. Thus oriented the plants receive the light of the sun more hours a day, they are in greater number per hectare and they engage a sort of competition between them in the search of depth for the roots, to find the water. Once they reach the deepest layer of moisture they can remain healthy for the rest of their lives.

The wines of Palmento Costanzo

Making wine on Etna means second the volcano rhythms, align with his breath and draw life from his slopes. The wines produced on the lava soil have a organoleptic kit quite special. And capturing the authentic essence of this territory was immediately the desire of Mimmo and Valeria. Their wines, made with Catarratto, Carricante, Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio, they are the powerful and strong expression of this place and are divided into two lines, Mofete and Di Sei, in addition to the Cru Contrada Santo Spirito and the finest wine Prefillossera.
All the wines produced are an expression of the Denomination of Controlled Origin Etna and with organic certification. Mofete, the classic line, includes a red, made with 80% of Nerello Mascalese and 20% of Nerello Cappuccio, with an intense ruby red color and aromas of fresh wild herbs, roses and volcanic ash. Mofete Bianco is produced with 70% of Carricante and 30% of Catarratto and on the nose it releases aromas of yellow citrus fruit pulp, with mineral and balsamic references. In the mouth it is full, fresh and penetrating. The Rosato, produced with the first Nerello Mascalese grapes harvested in the last ten days of September, is a very pleasant wine, suitable as an aperitif or for the whole meal, with a long and lively freshness. The line "Six" represents the idea of Etna, a concept in constant evolution and characterization. It is the authentic expression of the brown volcanic earth and takes its name from the scientific classification of Etna in the world map of active volcanoes: of Sei. A paciarotto white and citrus and an intense and aromatic red are part of it, both made with the grapes of the vines that reach a century of life. The cru Contrada Santo Spirito it is made with a Nerello Mascalese (90%) and Nerello Cappuccio (10%) and is a very balanced wine, which is aged for 24 months in Ovum barrels and then in the bottle for another 12 months. Prefillossera, the top wine of the cellar, is made for 90% of Nerello Mascalese grapes and for the remaining 10% of Nerello Cappuccio. Has a intense aroma of red fruit, with balsamic nuances. In the mouth it is enveloping, with a soft tannin and a long and slightly savory finish. A wine to pair with important red meat dishes, but also perfect for a moment of solitary meditation.

Credits: Benedetto Tarantino

The new life of the Camparino in the Gallery – Italian Cuisine

The iconic venue of the Milan Gallery, the bar of all those in Milan-Milan, is renewed. With new cocktails, new furnishings, a new chef (Davide Oldani). And new prices

The Milanese of Milan-Milan all have one thing in common: the Camparino in the Galleria. The Sunday coffee after mass in the Duomo, refreshments for the graduation, the wedding party, the cocktail after work … all the Milanese who grew up in Milan after the war have at least one memory linked to Camparino. When Milan was smaller, it was at the center of everything, then for years it was a bit forgotten. But now the Gallery has been reborn, once again being the good saloon of the Milanese, and therefore the Camparino has also redone the look. November 14, 2019 reopens the doors, here's the news.

Because Camparino is a symbol of Milan

Campari is not from Milan. It was born in 1860 in Novara when Gaspare Campari invents a new drink with a bitter taste (with a secret recipe until today). But Novara is close to him and in 1867 he moved to Milan, right in the futuristic Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II just completed. Here opens the Caffè Campari, home, shop and production – one of the first, so much so that his son Davide Campari becomes the first citizen to come to light in the Gallery. Business is booming, bitters are on trend throughout Italy and in 1904 the first production plant is opened in Sesto San Giovanni. In 1915 Davide Campari inaugurates the Camparino, the "little brother" of the Caffè Campari, equipped with an innovative system that guaranteed a continuous flow of sparkling water directly from the cellars, thus offering its numerous customers a Campari and soda that is always perfect and refrigerated. Campari Seltz is born, the signature cocktail of the restaurant, which is sipped among the wonderful furnishings and liberty mosaics made by famous Italian artists and artisans, such as the painter Angelo d’Andrea, author of the iconic mosaic symbol of the Bar di Passo, which can still be admired today. The Camparino soon became ainstitution for the Milanese: not only because here the aperitif was transformed into a ritual, but also because it was a meeting place for intellectuals and celebrities who, between one Campari and another, met to discuss politics and culture. Arrigo Boito, Tommaso Marinetti and other exponents of the Scapigliatura movement were frequent visitors to the restaurant. After the Second World War and the devastation that affected the Gallery, the Camparino was taken over by Guglielmo Miani, an Apulian tailor who arrived in Milan in 1922, and his family, who remained at the helm until 2018. Then, the restyling .

The new rooms, above and below

Restyling sounds better than renovation, but this is what happened last year. The Bar di Passo, on the ground floor, has remained unchanged thanks to the Fine Arts that protect the counter and mosaics. Everything is cleaner, brighter, elegantly timeless and you still feel at home. But when you go up or down the stairs, everything changes. The rooms on the first floor, used only for private events to date, have been completely revolutionized and now have the name of Sala Spiritello, curated by Studio Lissoni Associati and dominated by a large bar counter. The furnishings eliminated were not original, they were only fané, "in style", but originating in the eighties. Downstairs, instead of warehouses, there is a new one private room with large bar counter, only for private events and named after Gaspare Campari.

From croissants to Campari to cocktails

We start at breakfast, with the croissant La Lina: red croissant, shaded with Campari and made only with mother yeast. Then we continue for lunch, aperitif and dinner, both down in the outdoor area and overlooking the windows of the first floor. The drink list is signed by Tommaso Cecca, renowned bartender who interpreted Campari both with innovative drinks and leaving the historical classics like Shakerato and Campari Seltz on paper, which, together with Milan-Turin, Negroni, Negroni Sbagliato, Americano and Boulevardier, make up the classic drink card (€ 15), served with surprise chips, peanuts and olives. Among the twist on classic, the Beer Negroni by Tommaso Cecca. More elaborate cocktails and slightly higher prices upstairs, where the signature inspired by the Campari history and works of art reach € 20, the norm now in Milan in the large bars.

Davide Oldani and his "baked bread"

In the kitchen, they called Davide Oldani, who from Milan for the first time challenges Milan-Milan with a restaurant of his own. Only two of his signature entering piazza Duomo, the risotto Saffron and rice, the one cooked in salted water and decorated with a spiral of saffron, and the Campari and panettone risotto. For the rest, the card is dedicated to a new "project", called Pan'cot. The chef has created a donut of very light bread, made with whole wheat flour and leavened with sourdough, and used as a ring to enclose the bread. "A white sheet that can be combined with meat, fish, fruit and vegetables, opening up the transversality of Italian cuisine, salty and sweet", all served in the dish designed by the chef himself for the occasion and eaten with a spoon-fork has now become a trademark. They range from the idea of risotto with saffron, cacio e pepe, bruscit of veal or "club Sandwich" in a round version (around € 18 per dish). Two tasting menus for € 65, Milan and Gallery, both consisting of two Pan’cot and a Pan’cot dessert and two drinks. For the other dishes the recommended combination is always indicated, such as the Milanese saffron, Pan’cot with a saffron mixture (€ 18), a new signature that the Camparino dedicates to the city to combine with the classic Campari Seltz.

The old-new Milan

It is difficult to still breathe the charm of old Milan, it is very easy to feel the energy of the new one that was born after Expo2015. From Milanese of Milan-Milan I regret the dusty charm of the old Camparino, where Guglielmo drank "la medicina" (alcoholic of course) and at the bar he made himself a drink for a few euros. But it is only the sign of the times: I am getting old while Milan is a young city by definition and after having gentrificated the Navigli, Isola and Porta Venezia, now finally gentrifying Piazza Duomo.

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