Tag: frontier

Agricucina: the new frontier on country tables – Italian Cuisine

The entrance to the Blue Hill at Stone Barns, near New York

Dan Barber, the first great chef to create a "farm table"

The traditional Bacon & Eggs according to Dan Barber

The small room of the San Brite, a new Michelin star in Cortina

Riccardo Gaspari engaged in daily foraging

The char marinated with San Brite lentils

The main room of the Il Casaletto farmhouse in Viterbo

Marco Ceccobelli, chef and owner of Il Casaletto

Pumpkin flan: a classic in Il Casaletto's menu

The room of Il Colmetto in Rodengo Saiano (BS)

The reinterpretation of Il Colmetto's hen in saor

The Wooden Spoon in Orta San Giulio (NO)

A plate of Dahlias & Beans, in Manerba sul Garda (BS)

Pan-fried chicken: a dish from Cerro di Montepetra in Sogliano al Rubicone (FC)

L'Aia del Tufo is located in Sorano (GR)

Tuscan cuisine at Podere Santissima Annunziata in San Vincenzo (Li)

The room of La Collina di Roseto in Benevento

Tagliolini with sauce from Casa Marmida in Guspini (VS)

A suggestive place: Masseria Storica Pilapalucci in Toritto (BA)

Orange salad with dates and dried figs: a typical dessert of Case Perrotta in Sant’Alfio (CT)

Italy is full of farmhouses (real and fake). But we begin to see an interesting evolution, linked to the kitchen: if before the products of the farm, crops or livestock in the perimeter ended up in simple dishes of pure tradition, today they become the protagonists of more imaginative, technical, sometimes even creative menus. Those who demand mixed grill, bulk wine and checkered tablecloth should not be frightened: (r) they exist and (r) they will exist for life, they are part of the culinary history of our country. But for those who want to go further, here is agriculture – a neologism perhaps not brilliant but always quoted by those who practice it – offers increasingly interesting ideas, from South Tyrol to Sicily. Because if the environment is more refined and there are not dozens of seats, the vegetables, meats, dairy products and breads of the company that hosts the restaurant still arrive on the table. In large percentages, regularly higher than what the individual regional regulations provide, because chefs and patrons who blindly believe in their own agricucina do not look for shortcuts on products and hate cunning.

The Blue Hill at Stone Barns model

The absolute number of the trend is US: Dan Barber, 51, settled in 2004 on a beautiful farm – which belonged to the Rockefellers – in Pocantico Hills, 30 miles north of New York. Slowly he made it there The finest “farm table” in the United States, reaching a double Michelin star. At Blue Hill at Stone Barns – which is also a research center for food and agriculture – there is only one tasting menu, but it is not the same for all tables. It happens because everything comes from there (or from associated companies) and nothing is standardized as very little of what is harvested or slaughtered can satisfy every guest. Barber, very socially conscious, has a branch in Manhattan anyway – Blue Hill, also starred. In Italy, the cover man has become the 35 years old Riccardo Gaspari from Cortina: his San Brite – a refurbished farm with class – in December incredibly won the Michelin Star. He was a teenager when he started helping his parents at the El Brite de Larieto farmhouse. "When I read or hear colleagues discussing farms and livestock, I realize that they have never struggled an hour in that habitat. It is not mandatory to do this, mind you, but living them conditions: many first open the place and then take pictures in the greenhouse. Here it works the other way around .

Gaspari, new Michelin star

The turning point at 22, with the arrival in Cortina of a collaborator, the Bolognese Ludovica Rubbini, now a wife and a precious partner in everything, including the management of the Piccolo Brite dairy. Gaspari, for love, became the cook of the restaurant inside the farm where traditional dishes are still served today, lightened. Then in 2016, after a dinner at the Osteria Francescana, the meeting with Massimo Bottura who immediately realizes the potential of the young man from Belluno and offers him a first internship, followed by others. It is the spark to open the San Brite: Riccardo amazes everyone with brilliant proposals such as the already famous ones Spaghetti Monograno Felicetti creamed with mountain pine oil (the photo at the opening of the service), the char with marinated lentils, the apparently simple grilled duck breast. "They are not exercises in style, there is research on the product, study of history and lots of tests. 70% of the raw material is ours, the other 30% I buy from people in the area, whom I have known for a lifetime. To reach the Michelin star I did not distort myself, on the contrary I pushed more on the concept , underlines Gaspari.

The past and experience

It is evident that the phenomenon passes through the hands of young cooks, often with passages in high-level kitchens. They have an edge over those who prepare – with passion, mind you – the usual dishes, on the original recipe. An example above all: at Cascina Guzzafame, the “farm restaurant” Ada & Augusto had at the helm Takeshi Iwai (formerly a pupil of Alajmo, Cuttaia and Genovese) who masterfully used the internal agricultural production for dishes where tradition was totally rewritten. In fact, after the experience in Gaggiano ended, the Japanese chef contributed in just six months to the Michelin star of Aalto Part of Iyo, in Milan, a pure trend. "To review the past correctly, it takes a thought: my vision changed in the stage at the Piccolo Diavolo by Piergiorgio Parini", explains the 38-year-old from Brescia. Riccardo Scalvinoni, historical family of bakers and chefs from Il Colmetto, farmhouse with kitchen in Rodengo Saiano. «After experiences in clubs of all kinds, I decided to do“ agricultural creativity ”. I change paper every ten days based on what we have in the pantry . The dishes pleasantly surprise: potato pie and seasoned apples, linguine with goat garum, dried and grated goat liver (umami's masterpiece), asado with chamomile sauce. "The public? First fearful, now most faithful .

Quality first

If the North, as always, launches the trend, the Center and the South are aligning themselves: in our gallery, there is a selection of the best places. In Viterbo there is Il Casaletto, a farm that Gambero Rosso has awarded – never happened – with the Three Prawns and the Three Spicchi: the highest award respectively for trattorias and pizzerias. Merit of Marco Ceccobelli who with his brother Stefano took up the baton from his father and ten years ago decided to change gear in catering. “Driven by passion, I started doing more research and touring all the places in the area and beyond, learning a lot from my colleagues,” says Marco, the chef. "At that point we decided to review the environment, the service and the cuisine. It is not about destroying tradition, so much so that I like to talk about our restaurant as an "agri-restaurant", but to make it lighter and better presented. Because if you have quality products, yours or well purchased, it is a shame not to use them well: a top porchetta on a stone-ground flour pizza is worth a starred dish, even if it is served in a farmhouse .

Carnia: small frontier world … culinary – Italian Cuisine

A corner of Italy, among the most contaminated from a culinary point of view: an incredible advantage for those who love dishes that look to the North, but not only. Among Cjarsons, Frico and Toc 'n braide here is our selection of places without fail

Let's tell the truth. There Carnia is one of the least Italian areas of Italy: beautiful and green, nestled in the Carnic Alps, north of Udine. Even for the Friulians it is a world apart, the Carnians speak another language than those of the plains, influenced by the neighboring Austria and Slovenia, as well as by the nearby Veneto. It is Central Europe, even more than South Tyrol because Slovenian, Hungarian, Bohemian and Jewish influences are linked to the clear Habsburg influences thanks to the fact that Trieste – the old port of the empire and the Adriatic threshold – is not so far away. And, as always, this being a frontier place is a great advantage for the kitchen. It is no coincidence that the Carnia hosts three Chioccioline, the highest recognition that Slow Food assigns to the places that best defend the tradition and local products. In the specific case: the rare Sauris ham, the mountain cheeses, the apples, the honey, the berries …

A thousand and one Cjarsons

The poetry of Carnic cuisine is represented from the sweet and savory combination of the Cjarsons (but also Cjalsons and Cjalzons according to the areas) which in Friulian language means calzoni. They are a widespread preparation in the plains, but this is where they find their essence: they can be of different shapes (round, half-moon, felucca, boat) and the sizes may vary. It's all wonderfully subjective, each family adopts the one they prefer or even creates their own. But what changes a lot – and creates infinite variations – is the filling (pistùm or pastùm) which is sometimes sweet and sometimes salty. In reality this is due to history and is closely related to the life of the cramârs. Until the 1900s, these brave men armed with crassigne (a sort of wooden backpack divided into small drawers in which they kept the goods) crossed the Alps on foot to sell in the Germanic countries the precious merchandise that they managed to grab in Venice or Trieste. Once back home – after months away – it was a big party. And what eventually remained on the bottom of the crassigne drawers, ended up in the filling of the Cjarsons that the women prepared to celebrate.

A filling of the most varied

They could be spices, sultanas and dried fruit (plums, figs), but also biscuits and cocoa, candied fruit, herbs (mint and lemon balm) and the filling obviously changed every time from year to year from house to house. On the contrary, the salty version is rich in smoked ricotta, boiled potatoes, roasted onion and herbs. Tradition has it that in Carnia they were prepared for Christmas Eve as a lean dish, on the plain, however, it was Easter tradition. Each recipe, each version, takes its name from the countries or valleys of reference, but there is no Carnic family that does not have a codified recipe, handed down from generation to generation and preserved as a precious heirloom to be transmitted to descendants.

Cheese (good) reigns

Carnia is also one of the lands of Frico, little or not known outside Friuli. It seems that the first recipe, from the 15th century, is attributed to the famous master Martino, cook of the Patriarch of Aquileia. Born as a sweet dish, to which sugar or cinnamon was added, today the Frico has become salty, of which there are many variations. However, they can be traced back to two main types: the soft one, a sort of cheese omelette with potatoes and onion, and the crunchy one which is prepared with grated cheese left to set on a high flame. The traditional triptych is completed by the Toc ’in braide (literally dipping in the farm) usually proposed as an appetizer. It is made with a very soft polenta where a sauce (toc) consisting of a fondue of milk and cheese is placed in the center: it is seasoned with corn flour browned in butter. Poor cuisine in execution, very caloric and absolutely delicious: long live Carnia (free or Italian whatever it is) and the ten places in our selection where you will find yourself very well.

Sot la Napa – Prato Carnico

A well-kept place, inside a 17th century house, where mother and daughter do not derogate from traditional cuisine: smoked trout, duck blecs (it's an egg pasta), frico with polenta. The raw materials come from the family organic farm, many wines are natural.

Riglarhaus – Sauris

The wooden and stone chalet that houses the family-run restaurant is very beautiful, with a regular counter and hearth. In high season, when you can enjoy the terrace, in addition to the very classic carnici, there are other specialties such as mues, made with cream cheese and corn flour

Green Frasca – Lauco

A lot of wood, a lot of hospitality in the Gressani family restaurant. Local products are enhanced, but you can also have fun with some clever 'contaminated' recipes, see the interpretation of radicchio and beef fillet with breadcrumbs and almond sauce. Large cellar.

From Alvise – Sutrio

The expression of the Carnic school, with pleasant tweaks in a contemporary key that earned him the Slow Food Chiocciolina. From the Cjarsons to the rack of lamb, everything is taken care of. Apple strudel and tiramisu in Tolmezzo's sweet closing recipe. Five rooms available for a stop.

Aplis – Ovaro

It is a bit like the club house of the tourist center which includes a hotel and residences, surrounded by the greenery of a wildlife park. The cuisine respects tradition (tasting the toc 'n braide is mandatory), but it broadens the horizon especially in meat dishes. Good wines from the region.

Gold Star – Verzegnis

A certainty for fans, historic Slow Food Chiocciolina that follows the route of seasonality. Beyond that its herb Cjarsons are cult of Carnia, there are less popular dishes such as the salad of marinated twigs, the venison, the panna cotta with pollen.

Borgo Pascolle – Cavazzo Carnico

The patrons were teachers: the taste for research remained (the raw materials are all local and largely organic) and the pleasure of telling the good dishes that come to the table. Tradition is safe, but some new ideas peep out like the char tempura with turmeric.

La Fuèo – Rigolato

In the heart of the Carnic Alps, a rural setting well renovated by the patron chef with outdoor tables. From the cured meats and cheeses to the small dessert menu, through the soups and meats in salmì, here we make rigorous cuisine that pays homage to the past and the territory.

To Peace – Sauris

Restaurant-inn with a unique history (let you tell it), managed for over a century by the Scheneider family: the surname also makes sense in the kitchen, because the dishes are partly Carnic and partly German, always in the name of goodies. The selection of grappas is formidable.

Bellavista – Ravascletto

It is the restaurant of a hotel where the terrace with a splendid view makes the dining experience even more pleasant. The kitchen makes good use of local products, even the least discounted ones, for dishes such as blueberry and porcini tortelli or tagliatelle with yellow and mauve cream.

The honey produced by Rolls-Royce is the new frontier of luxury – Italian Cuisine

The British car brand says its 2020 honey production is booming. But being able to taste it may not be that simple

Can a can of honey to turn into a real luxury product? Apparently yes, if it is produced by an international giant of the caliber of Rolls-Royce. That's right: the famous British car brand has made it known that despite the far from simple period for the four-wheeler sector, with a stop to production due to the global pandemic, its beekeeping activities are booming. Stressing that the results for this strange 2020 could be well above expectations.

A Rolls-Royce honey

«Not just cars, seems to have become in all respects an official mantra for Rolls-Royce, which in 2017 decided to start its Goodwood Apiary, so named in honor of the brand's famous headquarters, the Goodwood Plant. Located in Goodwood, West Sussex, just to stay on topic. The Rolls-Royce bees have a private estate at their disposal 42 acres, to which are added an additional 8 acres covered with only specimens of sedum, a succulent plant with flowers particularly sought after for a honey of the highest quality. The most adventurous, however, can go beyond the boundaries of the farm, freely ranging between the more than 12 thousand acres of nature that characterize the Goodwood area. For the rest, once the nectar has been taken, these lucky bees can go to deposit it inside specials design hives specially made for them. That no, contrary to what one might expect, they do not contemplate the characteristic statuette of the Spirit of Ecstasy of the Rolls-Royce house, but only a personalized plate in chromed steel. Sin.

Taking care of bees to take care of the environment

It does not seem, however, that the investment of the Goodwood Apiary was made to diversify the automotive brand's business portfolio. In fact Rolls-Royce wanted to limit itself to only 6 hives, thus giving rise to one extremely niche production of their honey. In any case, the project supports Bee Lines, the special charity initiative that aims to stop the decline of bees in the territories of South-East England. Because yes, as we all should know, taking care of bees means taking care of the environment. Beyond the virtuous green aspect, however, a curiosity could arise spontaneously: how much and where do you buy Rolls-Royce honey? And this is where a little disappointment could come. The honey in question, in fact, is not for sale, but is part of a series of gifts that the brand provides for its most loyal customers. To taste the fruit of the work of the bees of Goodwood, in short, it may be necessary to first acquire a car from – going to span – at least 300 thousand euros. Certainly a compromise to evaluate, for truly luxury breakfasts and snacks.