Tag: ritual

Christmas in Milan and the “snack” ritual in grand hotels – Italian cuisine reinvented by Gordon Ramsay

If you spend Christmas in Milan, give yourself a gift: go for a “snack” in the grand hotels of the city. It is an opportunity to enter these places of great elegance and beauty, to sit at the tables of their bars and restaurants and have a taste of their sublime cuisine. A ritual that is always very pleasant but during the holidays it is decidedly more particular.

Christmas in Milan in the grand hotels

The atmosphere is dreamlike, with decorations that have a different theme every year. The Four Seasonswhich during the holidays is undoubtedly among the places with the most sumptuous decorations in the whole city, this year for example has thought of a “Unwrapped” Christmas: for the occasion the artistic director Vincenzo Dascanio he transformed his halls into a riot of packages, bows, colored paper. The Park Hyatt, however, with the touch of Anna Flower, staged a glittering nostalgia operation with trees, lights and decorations which wink at those unforgettable holidays of the 80s, pleasantly exaggerated and very cheerful which, after a long period of restrictions, we all want and need to experience.

The Christmas “snack” in the grand hotels of Milan

Seeing all this up close is an emotion, and getting into the festive mood by sitting down for a break is a treat, also because for some years now around Christmas the grand hotels in Milan organize afternoon appointments which have become a ritual. At the Mandarin Oriental, another example, this Christmas there is an afternoon tea created in collaboration with The Rosebery – the legendary bar of the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, mecca for the most refined London afternoons – and combines English cults such as scones with the creations of the pastry chef of his two-starred restaurant, Marco Pinna. But in every place it is an experience, with tables laden with desserts so beautiful that you almost feel sorry to eat them, and savory delights that are no different. All accompanied by cups of steaming tea and chocolate or – if you prefer – bubbles and new drinks whose ingredients wink at the Christmas tradition.

Grand hotel in Milan: where to go at Christmas

Enjoying all this without having to worry about the clock, as you can only do during the holidays (perhaps), makes you feel like you’re on holiday. And what’s more, it’s also a more accessible occasion (at least, compared to a lunch or dinner) to try specialties of great chefs and pastry chefs among the most appreciated in the Milanese panoramaand (and not only). The prices, all things considered, are possible, especially if you decide to give yourself a gift. Last but not least, if you have children, these afternoon appointments are one of those rare occasions in which you can take them with you to a refined place without too many worries: they will love to taste and they will also have fun because there are often events dedicated to them. In short, do it. Here is our selection with what’s new this Christmas:

Sipping 5 o'clock tea. The ancient British ritual from the 19th century to today. – Italian Cuisine

"I'll wait for you at home for a tea", a classic invitation to the afternoon which makes us think of a meeting between friends, a delightful meeting place in which to exchange a chat. But this custom that we have inherited over time and changed according to our beliefs, is born two centuries ago by the will of the seventh Duchess of Bedford, in England. The British in fact, at that time, used to consume only two meals a day, lunch and dinner. But the Duchess, impatient, due to the numerous attacks of hunger, asked a waiter to serve her you accompanied by sweets just before 17. This experience was so appreciated by the Duchess Anna, who decided to repeat it every day. So it was that she began, shortly thereafter, to invite friends and acquaintances to join her.

But unfounded those of you who have never identified with an elegant one lady of the nineteenth century, who wearing white satin gloves sips skillfully, with the little finger up, a cup of tea? Like the loyal English customers of Library Lounge of the Marriott County Hall of London overlooking Westminster Bridge. Where with its beige armchairs and the pretty round tables covered with pink placemats, it seems to travel a journey through time, when the tea rooms, in the early twentieth century, Were occupied by distinguished gentlemen and bourgeois women, used to exchange the latest gossip between a sip of hot and aromatic drink and a fragrant pastry.

THE RULES OF ATERNOON TEA
It is called the 5 o'clock tea but in reality in all the places, especially the English ones, it is served between 15.30 and 17.00, to always maintain a certain detachment from the two main meals. Black, more classic, green, preferred by health lovers, flavored, spicy or fruity, the range is very rich, but the classic ones, like Earl Gray or Darjeelings they never set. But never be seen with the one in the bag, it would be practically an offense … the classic tea, the original one, is that bulk. Also wanting to always respect the Anglo-Saxon tradition, you can taste it with the milk which must be poured strictly before tea. A little contrary to what happens with coffee. But do you know why? It is thought that the custom arose from the need not to stain and crack the porcelain, pouring the cold milk first.

Afternoon Tea, by now, from an informal meeting it has transformed into a social event that has been taken up a bit all over the world. But the focus remains a London where you can treat yourself to a nice gift taking tea in the most elegant and exclusive places of the English capital. And it is precisely upon entering that you should pay attention to kit. Very important element that enriches the magical atmosphere. Cups, saucers, teaspoons, strainers and above all the pot-bellied teapots under the lid, with the spout ready to let down its amber or jade liquid … A sciccheria! This refined service comes to light and is admired by all diners. But let's not forget that in this tradition there are two types of Afternoon Tea: the "Low Tea ", which is accompanied by typical sweets and canapés and "Hight Tea", which is instead consumed alongside a real meal, which the British replace dinner.

Cotechino and lentils: all the secrets of a ritual dish – Italian Cuisine

Lentils are one of the oldest foods while cotechino was born during the siege of Mirandola in the 16th century. History, meaning, secrets and recipes of a must for New Year's Eve: a wish for a 2021 full of hope

This year, for everyone, the rite will be celebrated at home: cotechino (or zampone) with lentils as a first course of the new year. It is a greedy ritual, which combines the abundance of a very Italian salami – as far as possible from the light concept (semel in year licet insanire, we agree, given that it is the dinner par excellence) – the imposing meaning of first legume grown in history. There are testimonies of harvests carried out five thousand years ago, not to mention the social aspect, including the religious one: it is easy to think of the episode of the lentil dish between Esau and Jacob, one of the most cited in the Old Testament.

Castelluccio, the IGP lentils

The permanent presence of lentils after midnight on December 31st is due to the Romans that beyond the pleasure of taste, considered the legume as an investment for the months to come and gave it a full pouch – the leather bag to keep tied to the belt – on the last day of the year. The hope is that they would turn into sound coins, but badly they ended up in the pot. And for the less well-off, a real wealth remained, given the high nutritional value. Italy abounds in excellent lentils, starting from the two PGIs that touch Castelluccio of Norcia (on the border between Marche and Umbria) and the Apulian Altamura: the important thing is that before cooking them over low heat – they must be soft, but not undone – should be soaked in the night between 30 and 31.

Pico's (culinary) genius

As for the beloved cooked salami, it will not boast the spirituality of the legume, but it has medieval and noble origins, due (apparently) to the genius of Pico della Mirandola, in 1511: he advised the Mirandolesi, besieged by papal troops, to slaughter the few pigs left in the stables by putting the meat inside the legs and rind of the poor pigs, with lots of spices. Twist: the product was very good, perhaps fatter than those we will eat on New Year's Day but they were under siege and had other problems … Cotechino is zampone – so different in appearance – they still have the same filling: lean and fat pork, coarsely minced, combined with the animal's rind, very finely chopped. All flavored with pepper, nutmeg, cloves, depending on the secret hand of the butcher, also some artisan producers add cinnamon and even wine.

Cotechino and zampone

But then the difference? It is the casing: the pig's leg, strictly the front one, for the zampone; the natural or artificial casing for cotechino. The first is a little more consistent in terms of calories, because the rind of the leg releases fat during cooking, but the second also doesn't mess with calories. The content varies from norcino to norcino, but the skilfully spiced dough tends to include 60% of fresh lean meats (shoulder, leg, neck and shank pulp), 20% tender rind and 20% throat, bacon and bacon.

A Bottura passion

Where is it at the top? It cannot be said that far from Modena they are of poor quality, but the history and the only Italian IGP – for both – make the city of Ghirlandina and Massimo Bottura (who is crazy about it, he says so serenely) the Italian capital. Last question: better fresh or pre-cooked? It depends on the time available. In the first case, cotechino or zampone should be pricked, wrapped in a cloth or in aluminum foil, placed in a pot with cold water and left to boil for at least a couple of hours. In the second, however, 20/30 minutes in boiling water are enough. With the same producer, there is no match: the first wins …