Tag: save

the fontina that will save the environment – Italian Cuisine

This is not just cheese. It is a philosophy of life, a millenary tradition, love for one's territory and the desire to protect pastures at all costs.

Fontina from the Valle d'Aosta mountains is linked to well-established places and practices, but there is a Fontina that is located a little higher than usual.

Estrema d'Alpeggio Fontina PDO is defined as "the highest dairy product of excellence in Europe": it is the result of a study initiated in 2016 byARPAV (Association of Alpine Pasture Owners), supervised byInstitut Agricole Régional of the Aosta Valley and born thanks to the funds of Gal Valle d'Aosta. The territories involved are those between 2000 and 2700 meters, called "tsa", and the disciplinary provides more stringent rules than the classic Fontina DOP.

What is the added value?

We discovered it by visiting the pasture of Ollomont, Conca di By of Aurelio Cretier.

The particularity ofExtreme Fontina DOP is that the cows are fed only with pasture grass. A special feature for several reasons. When making Fontina at these altitudes, you cannot rely on vegetation all year round, it is important to follow the cycle of the seasons. That grass is only there at that precise moment and it is essential that the shepherd also has the ability to divide it over the course of the three months, guiding the animals, which return to the earth all the value of a nourishment exclusively based on grass and water, without any kind of supplement. Become a virtuous circle. All this gives the final product softness, creaminess it's a'herbaceous aroma single. And the beauty is that each mountain pasture has its own characteristics depending on the vegetation or exposure.

How does the mountain pasture take place?

It is not only the altitudes that are extreme: there is also the work of all the people involved, from dairyman to the handyman. Their effort is another value to underline.

The pasture begins in late June and lasts until mid-September. Traditionally there are no precise dates, but account is taken of the celebrations of the saints: in the Aosta Valley it starts in San Bernardo and ends in San Michele. About 100 days wake up at 3 in the morning: grazing, milking, cleaning, milk processing, all twice a day, and then the care of the fontina cheese, to be cleaned every day with a solution of water and salt.

And finally, after the hard summer spent on the mountain pastures, we celebrate. On the day of San Michele, on 29 September, a deeply felt traditional event is held: the désarpa, during which the cows return to the valley together with the farmers, thanked and celebrated by all the people along the streets in celebration.

Daniela Fornaciarini, owner of the mountain pasture, perfectly explained to us what all this means. She, who learned to walk right here, at the age of 15 had already decided that her destiny would be to keep and carry on this legacy. Journalist and radio and television producer, Daniela has had different experiences, but then she went back to where her heart was. Because it is necessary to take the responsibility of living these places to safeguard their biodiversity and to ensure the continuity of ancient traditions, leading them towards the future.

Pastures of the producers currently involved

Petitjacque Donato (owner and tenant) – Alpe Plan Vauon – Bionaz (AO);
Cretier Aurelio (conductor) – Alpe By di Farinet – Ollomont (AO) – pasture owned by Daniela Fornaciarini;
Planaz Dino (conductor) – Alpe Cort – Chamois (AO) – pasture owned by the Municipality of Chamois;
Ducols Eliseo and Denis (owner and tenant) – Alpe Pra d’Arc – Saint Rhémy en Bosses (AO).

South Africa's street surfers who recycle and save the ocean – Italian Cuisine

Thousands of kids, speeding through the streets of South Africa, collect and recycle tons of plastic waste, protecting the ocean. The documentary "Street Surfers" tells their incredible story

In South Africa only 10% of all waste generated is recycled while tons of garbage end up in the ocean, contributing to marine pollution and the global environmental impact. A few months ago the local environmental activists of The Litterboom Project, a project created to shed light on the seriousness of the problem and to convince the government to take action, shot and distributed a film made in the port city of Durban. In this video we see an alarming scenario, that is hundreds of plastic and garbage bottles that float in the waves and that cover a large part of the coasts. Although the resolution of this problem still seems far away, there are involuntary heroes who make a difference every day, or the so-called street surfers.

Ride the wave of change

Thousands of people in South Africa wake up at 3am every day they travel up to 50 kilometers, wandering the streets of the cities aboard a trolley with wheels, and rummaging through the rubbish they collect plastic and other materials to be recycled. rebaptized street surfer, as they dart with elegance and at high speed on the asphalt and in the traffic, there are over 100 thousand young people who, with their daily efforts, contribute up to 90% of the country's recycling. Yet these champions of the noble environmental mission are children who struggle to survive and who live in conditions of extreme poverty, without electricity, running water and sanitation. Recycling is their only source of income. Risking their lives every day, they do their best for a cleaner ocean and a paltry gain, or around 300 rand (15 euros) per 1000 kilograms of recyclable materials collected. Society snubs them and car drivers often try to impose themselves dangerously on the road, but this does not prevent these guys from finding energy every day to go on, without ever ceasing to smile.

"Street Surfers", the documentary by environmental surfer Frank Solomon

He told us about this incredible reality Frank Solomon, professional surfer and environmental activist of Cape Town. After learning about the work of these "surfers" he decided to make a documentary on their history, called Street Surfers. In particular Solomon decided to focus on the story of two of them, Thabo Mouti and Mokete Mokete. In the video we witness, in fact, the day spent together, first around the streets of Johannesburg aboard the trolleys, then in the collection center where the bottles and collected waste are sorted by them and finally in their humble home. Despite the stories about the daily difficulties to face, these friendly and welcoming kids they transmit energy, willpower, warmth and positivity and show the importance that family and a sense of community have for them.
To thank Thabo and Mokete for the welcome and for what they are doing for our planet, Frank Solomon takes them to see the ocean for the first time, and to ride that sea that every day help to make it cleaner. The documentary ends with an emotional gaze, lost in the waves of the sea, and a positive message: "In the world we are billions of people and if each of us, every single day, even collects just a plastic waste, we could live in a completely different world .

For some months now, the South African surfer has also launched a campaign, still active, on BackaBuddy for raise funds to be donated to Thabo and Mokete, in order to provide them with food, clothes and other basic necessities.

Photo: street-surfers africa oceans pollution_thesouthafrican.jpg
Photo: street surfer africa_documentary Frank Solomon.png

Venice is on its knees, we save Venice – Italian Cuisine

From the creamed cod mixed with the magnums provided by the Bisol family. Solidarity initiatives

Damages for "hundreds of millions" of euros. The record tide devastated Venice: on November 12, high water flooded the downtown stores, bars and restaurants, and flooded historic places like the crypt of the Basilica of San Marco, while the short circuits caused fire in houses, monuments, clubs and shops. And now it will be time to rebuild, try to start again after the last dramatic hours. Many families on the islands are suffering serious difficulties, and the younger ones help the elderly who often live alone in houses on the ground floor. But Venice now needs everyone's help.

The Bisols magnums

The Bisol family, owner of the starred restaurant Venissa and the adjacent vineyard (which was completely submerged: only in spring will we know how many plants will survive), to support the community, has decided to make available to collectors and wine lovers six magnums of old vintages of the Venissa wine, which had been kept aside for the family cellar. These are precious bottles that start at a value of 990 euros for the most recent year, that of 2014, reaching almost 5 thousand euros for the 2010 vintage. The proceeds will be totally donated to the families affected.

The solidary codfish

Another charity initiative was launched by Florentine chef Paolo Gori, patron of the historic and award-winning Trattoria da Burde. "I don't know how much damage there will be then, in our imagination they are rich merchants and great gentlemen, but in need no one has to feel," he explained on his social media. «There is art, crafts and work under water. And also a person. Have you ever been under a wave? Keeping in mind how big it is? I don't know how to restore, I don't know why the Moses is not yet in operation, but I can cook ". Thus Gori, who still remembers the flood that struck Florence in 1966, began to serve in his restaurant, as an appetizer, creamed cod, one of the typical products of the Venetian gastronomic tradition: it will be composed of an emulsion of mounted cod, served on roasted bread seasoned with a little olive oil, it will cost 5 euros. "What I collect from this dish will be given to those in need. Gori invited colleagues to join the initiative: word of mouth on social media is working, and many Tuscan chefs and Florentine Chefs Association have decided to follow his example. A bit like it had been done for Amatrice bent by the earthquake and for Genoa after the tragedy of the collapse of the Morandi bridge.

A dedicated current account

The venues of Venice are built to cope with the phenomenon of high water, "but here we are in front of an event of epochal importance, which destroyed everything, from furnishings to the equipment of bars, restaurants, and all other types of exercises, as well as that the rest of the city ", explains Lino Stoppani, president of Fipe, the Italian Federation of Public Exercises, which together with AEPE, the Association of Bars and Restaurants in Venice, wants to concretely support the over a thousand public businesses in the city. A will be opened Bank account to raise funds to help restart activities. Furthermore "we will undertake to collect all the claims for damages and will accompany the entrepreneurs throughout the bureaucratic process to obtain the contributions to get back on their feet".

A new newsstand for Mutti

The high water also destroyed a historic Venetian newsstand, that of Walter Mutti, in Fondamenta delle Zattere. But on Gofundme a solidarity race was immediately launched which has already collected over 26 thousand euros in 48 hours: they will be used to rebuild the kiosk.

From essential goods to car passages

Meanwhile, through the Facebook group Concrete Aid to the Venetians, hot meals, accommodation, passageways, basic necessities, sheets, blankets, coats are offered from all over Italy.