Tag: return

Plastic stop: return to bulk – Italian Cuisine

We are really overwhelmed by a sea of plastic. And food packaging is literally invading the world. The first zero-packaging supermarket was born 5 years ago in Berlin: at the moment, unfortunately, it has not yet become the forefather of an army of shops that have banned plastic & c. Rather, disposable plastic reigns – while the plastic she was born to be a tool for the realization of long lasting products. The small portion sizes are getting smaller, the bulky packaging and the layers in which the food is wrapped increase. Top of the horror: 33 cl of water, or a third of a liter, or four sips of water, imprisoned in endless plastic bottles. It is also true, however, that the practice of offering bulk products is increasingly widespread. Even in large retailers. And thanks to consumers who appreciate its value,

At the same time, plastic-not plastic – biodegradable and even from renewable sources is now a reality. But it is certainly not the plastic currently used by the food industry – and by distribution chains. So for now it will not save the world.

Moreover only 9% of the plastic at the end of its use it was recycled, while 12% incinerated and 79% accumulated in landfills or dispersed in the environment, with serious damage for ecosystems. And the demand is constantly growing. The European Union has started a job to get todisposable removal; the problem is that rather than giving ‘recommendations’ to individual states. In short, the EU cannot lay down the law. The business yes, instead: the plastic market for 2020 is estimated at around 654.38 billion dollars and, by 2050, the share of hydrocarbons dedicated to plastics will reach 14%, compared to 6% in 2014. They are impressive numbers. But in the world they are forming unexpected awareness.

Even in our country, that is behaving well: Italy is one of the most advanced as for the fight againstdisposable and the recovery of plastics much better than the continental average, coming to 45% of recycling). And now it's time for the return to bulk, a practice that was the norm at the time of our grandparents. Pasta, rice, flour, beans, but also coffee, candy and detergents and more. Not only in ethnic shops, grocery stores, markets, direct producers or organic points – all to be re-evaluated, moreover. Even some supermarkets offers loose products, to be awarded.

Packaging is obviously not free for consumers, who actually pay them at a high price, included in the cost of the final product. Buying the bulk you save a lot. The consumer uses containers he already has (or sometimes data on loan from the point of sale) is choose freely among the products not overloaded by the price of the "packaging". Not only: choose freely the quantity of product to take home. Which is a great advantage, given that the counterpart of the single-dose in the large-scale retail trade are large packages and given that the purpose in large-scale distribution is to push the consumer to buy more than necessary, often one returns home with more than one's own needs. And maybe you end up throwing something away …

This smart way to shop it also has other advantages: you buy more directly from the manufacturer; the amount of waste in your own home is reduced, saving space and encouraging practicality (once you have organized yourself initially, it's really simple, and sometimes have less choice than the 2000 packs of different brands that basically offer the same product, it's just an advantage).

In supermarkets and standard stores, on the other hand, now even fruits and vegetables they are more and more often laid down like corpses (and in fact lose their vitality) on plastic coffins and wrapped in shrouds of the same material. Tip: at the supermarket, put the adhesive label directly on vegetables and / or multiple labels in a bag. Then notify the cashier and share the reason for your action! On the other hand, for fruits and vegetables it is still generally easier to find bulk wine. just choose the right retailer, and maybe take your own resistant shopping bags with you.

Even the wine it is increasingly loose: we are not talking about bag-in-boxes, but wine bars that sell it in cans or bottles that you bring from home, often have table wines that are more than decent and cheap.

From the North to the South, there are more and more points of sale who sell at least part of the bulk products. Do not underestimate the markets and the grocery stores or the ethnic shops that still have the old-fashioned FIBCs, with cereals, spices & c. And then in various places in the Bel Paese they are already born zero-packaging shops: from Mamma Natura to the DiVino Corner in Milan; Verdesfuso in Como and Verde Sfuso in Genoa; Mille Bolle in Mantova (detergents); Sacco Matto in Turin; Effe Corta in Milan, Padua, Capannori and Prato (where it is also outside the boxes); Ettogrammo in Verona; Verde Serre in Reggio Emilia; Bio-packed in Pisa; Pesonetto in Pesaro; Soaping in Rome, ProSud in Naples; All in bulk in Altamura; La Bottega del Pulito in Potenza; Enough in Spezzano della Sila; Light shop in Palermo. And it's just some, really. Explore your area and ask in bulk & on tap about your trusted stores!

Carola Traverso Saibante
June 2019

DISCOVER THE COOKING COURSES OF SALT & PEPE

The return of the sgroppino – Italian Cuisine – Italian Cuisine

Don't call it sorbet, the half-meal sgroppino is very eighties, but Carlo Cracco brings it back in vogue with an oriental version. Here's how to do it – and ideas to give it a chef's twist

Don't call it sorbet, sgroppino is another thing. It arrives in a champagne flute, to clean the mouth between the fish and meat courses, and is alcoholic. The base is in fact a lemon sorbet (therefore a recipe based on water, lemon and sugar) but with the addition of milk and an alcohol (now vodka is used) and prosecco. In Veneto they call it sgropìn, from here sgroppino, and although it is very 80s in reality actually has ancient roots, and traces of it can be found already at the banquets of the 16th century – when the ice was a real luxury. Typically Italian is the use of serving as an intermezzo, because as a dessert it also exists in France, and is called Coupé Colonel – and apart from the fact that it is served in balls, it is always sorbet and vodka.

How it's done (it's very easy)

To prepare the classic version at home, place 100g of lemon sorbet, 20ml of prosecco (a glass), 50ml of vodka (one shot) and 50ml of whole milk in a blender. You can also use lemon ice cream and don't add milk. Whisk everything and serve immediately.

The chef version

Carlo Cracco, a Milanese by adoption as a native of Veneto, has dusted off the sgroppino bringing it back into fashion from the stage of the chef Identità Golose congress. The theme of the 2019 edition was "Building new memories" and so Cracco worked on the memory of the sgroppino to make it a goumet version. "It has become an oriental sgroppino. We made the traditional sorbet with water, lemon juice and sugar. Instead of processing it with prosecco, we added chopped shiso leaves, sake and yuzu juice that smells ". A recipe that is sweetened with acacia honey, with which the glass is brushed, and with an edge of caper powder, to give a touch of salt that helps salivation. Because even gourmet, sgroppino serves to digest, or so we like to think (the scientific foundation of the thing is non-existent).

The extra idea
The idea of Cracco is to give an additional aroma to that of lemon, why not copy it? Here are other alternative and super easy versions

– add a couple of basil leaves in the blender and decorate with basil

– replace the lemon sorbet with the lime sorbet and add a couple of mint leaves in the blender, for a mojito version

– replace prosecco with Japanese sake

– replace the lemon sorbet with the mandarin sorbet and grind pink pepper on the glass

– replace vodka with limoncello

– use champagne!

Carlo Cracco on the stage of Identità Golose 2019

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They return the best McDonald's burgers ever – Italian Cuisine

The perfect balance between everything that compose them is the secret of success McDonald's sandwiches. It is what most differentiates them from others "Hamburger"(Called the American) in circulation," often exaggerated ". Word of Joe Bastianich that for the second consecutive year has signed the line "My Selection"Of the well-known fast food chain, which he defined as the best ever.

For him, the son of Italian immigrants in New York and American by birth it was natural to combine the two culinary cultures in this project. From Queens where he grew up with the smell of Mc Donald's under his home Rome, where is the November 26th, in the first restaurant in the chain in Italy, opened in 1986, presented us with the new selection that bears his name.

From its origins Bastianich has taken the goodness, the genuineness and the simplicity of the Italian ingredients and made them marry with the typical taste ofamerican burger who knows well.

"I chose recipes in which we meet typically American tastes with the great quality of the Italian raw materials"He said Bastianich, a tribute to the "two most beautiful countries in the world".

The result can be tasted starting from January 1st with three sandwiches of the My Selection line which will be available in all 570 restaurants of McDonald's in Italy. It is the second stage of a success story. The first edition of My Selection indeed, it exceeded expectations with more than 10 million products sold. "Making the best of last year was a real challenge, but I'm sure we've hit the target once again," he said Bastianich.

And all this always through the promotion of the Made in Italy, the enhancement of the PDO products (of protected origin) e IGP (of protected geographical indication) and collaboration with local consortia. For My Selection McDonald's in fact, he bought over 100 tons of Smoked Scamorza produced with pure Italian milk, almost 80 tons of Fontina DOP and as many of Speck of the South Tyrolean Train, 27 tons of Tropea Red Onion PGI and almost 8 tons of Balsamic vinegar of Modena PGI.

The first sandwich is not new, but the best seller of last year, is called My Selection BBQ and consists of 180 grams of beef, seasoned with red Tropea onions, balsamic vinegar of Modena, crispy bacon and delicate mustard.

The second is My Selection Smocky, 180 grams of beef seasoned with crispy bacon, smoked scamorza cheese with 100% Italian milk, mustard sauce.

The third is the My Selection Chicken, based on chicken meat, bacon, fontina, porcini mushroom sauce.

Together with them the tasty ones will be launched nuggets, croquettes stuffed with Asiago cheese and Trentino speck.