Tag: discover

Discover Italy: the villages to visit at least once – Italian Cuisine

The meeting between the English words stay and vacation gives life to a new word, staycation, which tells the Italians' summer very well this year: yes on holidays, we all need it, but without moving too much, taking advantage of as much as possible our natural, landscape and historical heritage. Because Italy, there is no need to remember it, has a lot to give us.

The solutions are therefore just around the corner: between kilometers of coasts, mountains, countryside, cities of art, today we choose to virtually visit the small villages, perched, sometimes forgotten, little gems out of time, perfect for a trip or a slightly longer vacation.

The villages of Italy

They are more than 300, characterized by a natural and architectural heritage certified by the Fine Arts: less than 6000 people, treasures of art, history and gastronomic traditions. Loved by TV, you all know the Il Borgo dei Borghi program that every note draws up this ranking, promoted by associations (the Association of the Most Beautiful Villages of Italy and Authentic Villages of Italy, just to name two of the most famous) that with great passion help in the preservation of these goods, a festival is also dedicated to the villages National festival of the most beautiful villages in Italy, to Fico Eataly World in the period of November. The theme park dedicated to agri-food and gastronomy of Bologna devote three days to discover some of the most beautiful places in Italy, less known but absolutely worth visiting.

Villages to visit by train

Thanks to an agreement between Trenitalia and the most beautiful villages in Italy, you can visit the villages by train: the goal is to enhance this great heritage and make difficult to reach places accessible. For the moment these are 25:

Here is the list of places to reach with regional Trenitalia which has activated more than 580 connections per day:

Valle d'AostaBard;
Piedmont: Mombaldone – Orta San Giulio – Vogogna;
Liguria: Moneglia – Finalborgo – Laigueglia – Borgio Verezzi – Campo Ligure – Vernazza;
Trentino A.A.: Chiusa – Egna – Vipiteno;
VenetoMontagnana;
Friuli Venezia GiuliaVenzone;
Emilia RomagnaBrisighella;
TuscanyBuonconvento;
MarcheGrottammare;
Umbria: Castiglione Del Lago – Spello – Passignano Sul Trasimeno;
AbruzzoTagliacozzo;
Campania: Vietri Sul Mare;
Calabria: Chianalea;
SicilyCefalu.

The most beautiful villages in Italy: the 2020 ranking

So from Valle d'Aosta to Abruzzo, from Sicily to Trentino, here in our gallery the villages that could become the destination of our post Covid-19 staycation: a proximity holiday, to rediscover our wonderful territory, scenographic, folkloric, spectacular and tasty. Because let's not forget that every village hides – not too much – the wonderful Italian gastronomic culture.

The Gin Way, the subscription to discover the best Italian gins at home – Italian Cuisine

The best niche Italian gins arrive at home, together with everything you need to prepare the perfect home aperitif. Here is the project of three friends from Brescia dedicated to high quality spirits

There are many passions that the Italians have rediscovered during the quarantine weeks. There are those who remembered the satisfaction of homemade bread, those who dedicated themselves to perfecting new recipes in a gourmet key, those who practically obtained a sort of doctorate in sourdough and similar. And who, instead, preferred to devote himself to the world of cocktails, learning to appreciate, for example, all the quality that can be found in a gin niche.

It is precisely thinking of these new fans of high quality spirits, therefore, that a team of three friends from Brescia, made up of Alessio Maccione, Cesare Zavattaro and Sabrina Sinigaglia, thought of giving life to the project The Gin Way. Subtitle: the new way to drink gin. Yes, new, because it starts from that idea of "all-inclusive kit delivered to your home for a sort of home do-it-yourself" that was so fashionable in the lockdown phase. Those who decide to subscribe to The Gin Way can in fact receive at home – throughout Italy, on a monthly, bimonthly or quarterly basis – a box, containing a tricolor premium gin. But also tonics, garnish, snacks and various decorations to prepare a perfect one appetizer.

"The concept of Home Bar", Said Alessio Maccione, one of the three founders," which leads to making one's own small collection of bottles and then bringing out a particular one, or an unknown one, with friends at dinner at one's home, is a trend that is taking more and more power. In Europe and also in Italy. We are convinced it can be a nice game changer: both for customers looking for news and for producers, for whom it can be difficult to get noticed, know and above all taste .

In Italy, in fact, there are over 500 gin labels, most of which are not particularly well-known outside their production area. An example? Ginpiero, London Dry developed by Gianpiero Giuliano and produced in the Enrico Toro distillery of Tocco da Casauria, in the province of Pescara. A sincere gin, with an interesting spiciness, protagonist – together with a very special sanitizing gel with the scent of juniper berries – of one of the latest editions of the box signed by The Gin Way.

Spaghetti with yogurt, a first course to discover – Italian Cuisine

Here's how to use yogurt also in the preparation of a pasta based: the advice of chef Fabrizio Albini and the special recipe of spaghetti with cod, chili pepper and yogurt

When we think of yogurt we can think of breakfasts and snacks, from the most delicious with honey, chocolate chips and cereals to the healthiest with the addition of red and related fruits. Or, alternatively, various and any sweets, which can range from soft plum cake up to all the possible range of semifreddo. Hardly, however, the word yogurt could make us think of a first course, especially if based on pasta. Here, however, that to put an end to this prejudice comes a curious signed recipe Fabrizio Albini, chef of the white on Lake Oggiono, in the province of Lecco: Matt wheat spaghetti with cod, chili pepper and yogurt.

Creamy or powdered yogurt?

"In this dish I needed an ingredient that could balance the flavor and fatness of the cod with a good dose of acidity: yogurt, in this sense, is perfect", explains the chef. At this point, however, there are two possible alternatives: use low-fat yogurt like this, as from a jar, while being careful to calibrate the proportions well with the rest of the ingredients in order not to exceed the creaminess (and don't turn our pasta into a kind of strange breakfast dish); or opt for the yogurt powder, available mostly online or from specialized dealers, which allows you to insist more on acidity without affecting the consistencies of the dish.

The other combinations of yogurt

«In our mind, yogurt is automatically pigeonholed in the" breakfast "or" snack "category, but the truth is that it is a full-blown dairy product, just like cheeses or different types of cream. This is why it is much more versatile than you might think ", explains Albini, who in his winter menu usually offers a yogurt-based entree, dried sardines is cauliflower. «The mix of flavor, crunchiness and creaminess, in this case, is really interesting. Here then it can be really worth overcoming the fears dictated by custom and start experimenting with all the possibilities of a good yogurt in the kitchen. Maybe starting right from the tasty first recipe that we find below.

Matt wheat spaghetti, cod, chili pepper and yogurt
by chef Fabrizio Albini

Recipe for 4 people

For the cod
100 g of wet cod (better fatty parts)
50 g cod skin
40 g shallot
1 coffee spoon of delicate fresh red pepper
150 g extra virgin olive oil from Garda

Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a small saucepan with the chopped shallot and the chilli pepper, trying to keep the temperature at around 80 ° C. Prepare the cod and skin cut into small pieces in a steel bowl and slowly add wire as for a mayonnaise, the oil at 80 ° C continuing to mix until cool.

For spaghetti
320 g spaghetti Matt Monograno Felicetti
20 g of honey
30 g extra virgin olive oil from Garda

Cook the spaghetti, drain and mix them cold with honey and extra virgin olive oil.

Plating
20 chive stalks
10 g of low-fat yogurt powder or 50 g of low-fat yogurt
Green lemon peel

With the help of tongs and a ladle, place the spaghetti in the center of the dishes, cover as much as possible with the cod cream, sprinkle with the yogurt powder or add a few drops of yogurt. Complete with finely chopped chives and a grated green lemon peel. To be combined with a fragrant and structured white, such as Lugana Doc Demesse Vecchie from the Olivini family.