Tag: great

Surprise: Italy is full of great restaurants … green – Italian Cuisine

Hats off to Italian places where vegetarian or vegan cuisine is only (or even). As many as 31 have entered the most important specialized guide in the world, the "We're Smart Green". And six deserved the highest rating of five radishes

We had always had the certainty that the greater attention paid to vegetables by almost all Italian chefs not only met with increasing approval from the public, but had raised the general level of Italian cuisine. Now the applause also comes from guide We’re Smart Green which rewards restaurants where the creative use of seasonal vegetables prevails, the percentage of fruit and vegetable dishes on the menu, the minimization of waste and, in general, a strong focus on eco-sustainability. The idea came from the Belgian chef Frank Fol, former owner of the starred restaurant Sire Pynnock and now "green consultant": he reviews the places around the world recommended for their approach to garden products. The 2020 edition, recently presented online, has 1000 of them scattered across different continents, but for the first time Italy is making a good leap forward. There are 31 places who conquered five to one radish.

You are at the top

There is a fact that is particularly pleasing. In the list there are historical or very trendy names of our cuisine, but also lesser known places, in the province or managed by enthusiasts who are not part of the circuit. Our gallery is dedicated to them. At the top there are obviously Piazza Duomo in Alba led by Enrico Crippa (green award in the last edition); Arnolfo from Colle Val d’Elsa with Gaetano Found in directing; Joia (which in 2018 had won the Best Veggie Restaurant Award) by Pietro Leemann in Milan; Lume by Luigi Taglienti always under the Madonnina; the new steak La Madernassa in Guarene with the young Michelangelo Mammoliti to lead the kitchen, and the Montali Country House in Tavernelle di Panicale, in the province of Perugia.

Tuscany protagonist

Here are the other winners. With four radishes: Il Margutta (Rome), S. Hubertus (San Cassiano, Bz), Krèsios (Telese Terme, Bn), La Montecchia (Selvazzano Dentro, Pd), Villa Feltrinelli (Gargnano, Bs). With three radishes: Avignonesi Le Capezzine (Valiano di Montepulciano, Si), Le Calandre (Sarmeola di Rubano, Pd), Exki Italy (it's a chain), I Portici (Bologna), Accursio (Modica, Rg). With two radishes: Osteria Le Logge (Siena), Osteria Perillà (Rocca d'Orcia, Si), Restaurant Sadler (Milan), Taverna Vesuviana (Nola, Na), Villa Crespi (Orta San Giulio, No), Chi Burdlaz (Rimini), Dagorini ( San Piero in Bagno, Fc), Il Nazionale (Vernante, Cn), Il Povero Diavolo (Poggio Torriana, Rn), Il Vegetariano (Florence), Magnolia (Cesenatico, Rn). With a radish: La Grotta (Montepulciano, Si), Osteria La Porta (Monticchiello di Pienza, Si), Mandarin Oriental silk (Milan), Al Fornello da Ricci (Ceglie, BR).

The best dishes

Among the prizes awarded by the guide, even those for single dishes, which form an ideal international menu, from appetizer to dessert according to Frank Fol. Here they are: Radish salad, peas, fresh herbs and flowers. Benoit & Bernard Dewitte – Zingem, Belgium; Stuffed lettuce braised with fennel, mango, lemon, oregano and croutons from L’Oustau de Baumanière, Les Baux de Provence, France; Mushroom tartlets with fresh Bon Bon thyme – Brussels, Belgium; "Kalette" sprouts with olive oil and fresh black truffle by Xavier Pellicer – Barcelona, Spain; Belgian endive “Tarte tatin” with Graanmarkt mustard leaves – Antwerp, Belgium; 3 x kohlrabi by Enrico Crippa, Piazza Duomo; Potatoes, sea lavender and Bord’eau butter – Amsterdam, Netherlands; Grilled cardone, grapes, lemon and basil from the Château de Bourglinster, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg; Cucumber, avocado, lemon, crumble and Zilte flowers – Antwerp, Belgium. Also note the three best 'green' restaurants on the planet, according to the guide: the French Culina Hortus by Thomas Bouanich and Maxime Rémond in Lyon, Vanilla Black of the spouses Andrew Dargue and Donna Conroy in Holborn, London.

A great desire for a restaurant (as soon as possible) in the wishes of the Italians – Italian Cuisine

Dining in a club: a normal thing until two months ago, has become a dream for many today. 43%, according to the Lockdown Nonisma Observatory, dream of returning. Only the desire to see loved ones has a higher percentage

Agree, delivery and soon take away (i.e. the very Italian takeaway, which was once the strong point of gastronomy) are now part of the Italian custom at the time of COVID-19. But (perhaps for this very reason), the desire to restaurant she remains very strong among those who have been stuck in the house for two months and probably can no longer cook twice a day – following a chef on Instagram or not – traditional recipes. Confirmation comes fromLockdown Observatory of Nonisma who is continuously monitoring opinions and trends to understand the transformations taking place: how deep they will be and how much they will remain structurally even in the post-coronavirus. The first fact that catches the eye concerns the wishes of the Italians: although the majority is aware that the recovery will be gradual, the strongest desire is to embrace loved ones: 49% of the interviewees said. But it follows, among other things not long distance, the desire to a dinner out, important for 43%, while in third place there is a travel (desire expressed by 33%) which in 70% of cases will have a destination for relaxation and recreation in Italy.

The boom in flour and yeast

The Nonisma Observatory also took a look at the food shopping cart, highlighting that the lockdown had a decisive impact on the preferences of Italians. Growing the purchases of products and ingredients: 40% of respondents said they gave more space to flours and yeasts, admitting however, in 36% of cases, that it will reduce the purchase of this type of products at the end of the quarantine. Same growing trend for the supply of long-life foods: 31% have stocked up, but 24% will return to old habits. Boom (predictable) for multiple packs: 64% bought them in the pre-quarantine, today the trend has settled at 79%, a figure which, according to the forecasts of the same consumers, is destined to remain valid also in the recovery. Finally, among the factors that guide the choice of products to put in the cart is theattention to provenance: 22% of consumers said they chose the made in Italy and the short supply chains.

Online and growing stores

The ability to purchase foods that guarantee well-being and one is also striking in the data healthy lifestylea trend that in the quarantine period reached 49%. It is also true that only 20% of Italians base their choice on product sustainability, while 12% choose on the basis of a sustainable packaging. Important the performance of the biological which catalyzed the attention of 30% of non-user customers. With the lockdown the methods of purchase have also changed: the percentage of those who made the online shopping it has increased by 10% as has the percentage of those who choose i neighborhood shops, which went from 40% to 54%. The change of pace is determined by the fear of moving and creating gatherings, but the decline recorded by the consumer base of hypermarkets (from 67% to 48%) seems destined to diminish during the recovery.

The great classics of Italian cuisine – Italian Cuisine

Tagliatelle with meat sauce, tortellini, bucatini all'amatriciana, cannelloni, tiramisu, cannoli, babà and much more. Are you ready to cook the great classics with us?

It's not just those recipes that never tire us. The great classics are first of all those dishes that have a symbolic value: they bind to memory, mark the holidays, enrich the special occasion. They don't have to be difficult to perform: what characterizes them is popularity, the love with which generation after generation are handed down and love yourself.

Great classics, space for tradition

The most famous dishes of our gastronomy that have resisted time and fashions are a source of inspiration for variations on the theme, research and exercises in style. But they have a big advantage: they are always good in the original version, traditional. And they never tire us. Performing them following the traditional recipe is satisfactory, but also important for practicing. The great classics, in fact, are those recipes that every experienced cook must know how to perform and from which he can then start to propose imaginative and contemporary variations.

Bucatini amatriciana, the traditional recipe.

The kings on the menu

A whole menu based on great classics could be challenging, but we are sure that proposing one of these dishes will ensure a great success at lunches and dinners. The great classics indeed they are endowed with character and typicality and they can be a good starting point for building a themed menu. We can be inspired by the region of origin of the dish, but also one of the basic ingredients that you have purchased to prepare it!

In a country like Italy, where the gastronomic wealth is endless and varied, it is not easy to make a selection. Here are the classics that we have chosen and cooked for you, aware that they cannot be exhaustive.