Tag: pastry

Nicola Di Lena: Knight for his commitment to ethical pastry making – Italian cuisine reinvented by Gordon Ramsay

Nicola Di Lena: Knight for his commitment to ethical pastry making


Nicola di Lena didn’t expect all this media attention. Yet his choice to leave a certain (and prestigious) job for an uncertain activity, certainly more demanding, at least on a human level, made him appear on all the front pages of national newspapers. Originally from Ginosa, in the Taranto area, but born in Switzerland, Nicola Di Lena, born in 1981, until a year ago was the mainstay of the sweet area of ​​the Seta** restaurant, inside the five-star luxury Mandarin Oriental Milan hotel, next door to chef Antonio Guida. Then his choice, after 8 years, to return to his native Puglia, to open his own business with his wife Alessia Semeraro, always at his side. And now, on March 20th, he will be at the Quirinale – with 29 other Italian excellences – to receive the recognition of Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic. The reason? The its social and ethical commitment in favor of the excluded, which has marked his professional path in the last year in San Vito dei Normanni, in the province of Brindisi, thanks to “Comma”one therapeutic pastry which, from December 2022, will be welcomed into the laboratory people with disabilities And women who have suffered violence.

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The genesis of the ethical pastry shop project

«I certainly didn’t expect all this in just one year of activity, he tells us excitedly on the phone. «My wife and I had decided to return to Puglia, the “ethical” pastry shop project came later, that is, after meeting Vito Valente, president of the social cooperative “Includi”, which deals with the work integration of people with disabilities. The. was already present in the area XFood restaurantof the non-profit organization Something different, which since 2014 within the ExFadda urban laboratory, allows young people with disabilities to work between the dining room and kitchen, led by chef Giovanni Ingletti. «Hence Valente’s proposal to think about the format of a pastry shop. “The name Commahas the subtitle “a story that continues”, because not only does it follow up on the restaurant format, but it could also include other stories like this, in Puglia and who knows where else”, explains Di Lena with enthusiasm. At the beginning the proposal only envisaged a workshop for children with problems, “I thought that, instead, a cake shop with retail sales would give greater visibility to the initiative”. And so it was.

The “special” collaborators

Di Lena immediately accepted the project, not only to share moments of lightness and joy, but to teach a trade and introduce these fragile subjects to the world of work thanks to a serious training course. «Five guys currently work with us, Mimmo And Francesca they are the veterans, but two other figures from the Brindisi hotel school will arrive shortly, both minors, who will be accompanied by a tutor”. Precious help from the kids, who immediately became passionate about the project. «They go crazy to make biscuits, biscuits, lady’s kisses, tartlets with mousse creams, not even having time to finish the job before they are already breathing down their necks wondering what else they can do. When the kids are in the laboratory, deliberately visible to the public, thanks to the large windows, «they are very happy and we are equally happy, or rather, I will say more, when they are not there, we miss them because they have so much to teach. They are, special period, without the comma!”.



The desserts of Sanremo 2024? Two flowers to eat. The recipes – Italian cuisine reinvented by Gordon Ramsay

La Cucina Italiana


The confectionery masterpiece of master pastry chef Riccardo Bellaera is a combination of elegance and flavour. The chocolate mousse, embellished with the vibrant raspberry flavour, delicately envelops the palate, offering an exquisite fusion of sweetness and intensity. At the heart of this culinary creation, a layer of raspberry and lime gelée. Inside, the almond financier adds a crunchy and aromatic element, giving texture.

Ingredients for raspberry gelée

  • 250g raspberry puree
  • 50g sugar
  • 36g gelatin mass
  • 2g lemon juice
  • 1g lime zest

Method

Heat a part of the puree with the sugar and gelatine, add the remaining puree, the lemon juice and the grated lime peel. Pour into the pomponette mold and blast chill.

Almond sablé ingredients

  • 400g butter
  • 150g ground almonds
  • 500g flour
  • 175g icing sugar
  • 50g egg whites
  • 2g salt
  • 1 vanilla pod

Method

Sand the butter with the flour, ground almonds and vanilla. In another container mix the egg whites, sugar and salt. Combine the two compounds and knead until a homogeneous dough forms. Place in the fridge for a couple of hours before using. Roll out between two sheets of baking paper to a thickness of 2mm. Freeze and cut with a daisy-shaped pastry cutter. Cook at 180 for 15 min.

Soft vanilla heart ingredients

  • 130g almond flour
  • 20g corn starch
  • 150g sugar
  • 2g baking
  • 3 vanilla pods
  • 130g cream 35
  • 95g eggs
  • 40g egg yolks

Method

Sift the powders, add cream, eggs and egg yolks, pour into the pomponette mold and cook at 180 for 10 minutes with the valve open.

Raspberry inspired light mousse ingredients

  • 250g raspberry puree
  • 28g gelatin mass
  • 320g UHT 35% cream
  • 205g raspberry chocolate

Method

Heat the raspberry puree to 55 degrees and add the gelatine mass.
Gradually pour the hot puree over the melted raspberry topping.
Mix as soon as possible to make the emulsion homogeneous. Bring the mixture to 35-40°C, pour on the semi cream
mounted.

Raspberry gel ingredients

  • 200g raspberry puree
  • 20g sugar
  • 20g lemon juice
  • 12g crystal corn

Method

Mix sugar and crystal corn, add to the raspberry puree and emulsify.

Composition

After pouring the raspberry mousse, insert the raspberry gelee and then the heart
soft vanilla, chill, spray with red velvet spray and star dust ruby. Using a spoon, decorate the dish with the raspberry gel.

Who is Riccardo Bellaera

Riccardo Bellaera was born in Modica and at the age of 14 he began his journey in the confectionery world, working at one of the oldest and most famous pastry shops in his town, “Pasticceria Bonomo”, where he acquired the knowledge of almond processing and numerous sweets typical Sicilian.

In the various years spent in his homeland he collaborated with various laboratories to improve his knowledge of the art of confectionery, receiving valuable help and advice from the Master of Italian Pastry Making Iginio Massari.

Continuing to cultivate this passion, he also specialized in the processing of pulled and blown sugar in Switzerland, with Maestro Otmar Fassbind. Driven by the curiosity to learn about new cultures and new places, in 2001 he began working as Head Pastry Chef on board Princess Cruises cruise ships.

Pistachio quilt savory puff pastry – Italian cuisine reinvented by Gordon Ramsay

Sfoglia salata trapunta al pistacchio


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