Tag: Stefano

Quintessenza Restaurant in Trani by Stefano Di Gennaro, JRE – Italian Cuisine

Very attached to his land, after the Molfetta hotel management some experience in hotel restaurants he returned to Trani. Here in 2011 with the three brothers (pastry chef, head nurse and sommelier) he opened the Quintessence restaurant, awarded with the Michelin star in 2017 and this year classified Best of the best (best restaurant in Italy) from Tripadvisor. The name evokes the mysterious fifth element, the ether or rather the vibrant "atmosphere" which according to the chef is a very important strength for a restaurant. In fact, to make the experience of a meal in a relaxed, intimate and almost family environment even more evocative and enjoyable, Stefano has just moved to the center of Trani, in an enchanting seventeenth-century building.

The spa of haute cuisine
A place of all-round well-being, almost a haute cuisine spa, which required an accurate and very delicate restoration. Because, explains Stefano, “you cannot ruin what the ancient inhabitants left us. Just as it is not good to waste (perhaps due to the chef's excess of protagonism) the work of talented farmers, breeders and fishermen who offer excellent ingredients ". His cuisine, in fact, is focused on the simple processing of products that are born a few kilometers from him. As the son of farmers, Stefano knows about raw materials and with his father he is thinking of cultivating one new olive variety to expand the range of oils that embellish his dishes. Like herb rice, salted lemon and sea urchin; buttons stuffed with oyster, leeks and potatoes; marinated amberjack with tomato and beetroot or beef steak with green beans and potato. And finally, the "farmer's breakfast": extra virgin olive oil biscuit, ricotta ice cream and fruit sauce. All in the name of genuine lightness.

Opportunities for confrontation
For Stefano (36 years old) to be a member of Jre is very important. Not only for the occasions of meeting and "culinary" updating, but also for the comparison with other chef-patrons. In Jrein fact, the chefs are not only capable of creating balanced and delicious dishes, but also able to make ends meet. Because they are the owners themselves. Their strength lies in doing very well with the resources available, chosen to perfection.

The restaurant
Inaugurated last June, the new restaurant is a temple of peace and ancient beauty: all tuff, skylights, gilt sheets and rooms on several levels, which look like the rooms of a house, connected with food boxes. Open kitchen, overlooking the Swabian Castle and eleven people in the dining room and kitchen for only 42 seats, in a magical atmosphere made of art, culture and unforgettable dishes (quintessenzaristorante.it).

November 2021
by Silvia Bombelli, photos by Michele Tabozzi

Talento, Stefano Bollani and Food For Soul: great Berlucchi party – Italian Cuisine

Friday 22 October is a great day for the newly awarded winery Cantina dell’Anno 2022: here's how to participate

Friday 22 October is another important date to mark on the calendar for the Guido Berlucchi, a recently proclaimed pioneer company of Franciacorta Gambero Rosso winery of the year 2022. A day of celebrations for the 60th anniversary of the birth of the first bottle of Franciacorta, wanted and created by Franco Ziliani in 1961, founding father of an entire wine area, with ben two extraordinary events. The first of a visionary cultural nature: in the historic headquarters of Palazzo Lana in Borgonato (BS), the 3rd Edition of Academia Berlucchi 2021 with the theme "Talent, nourishment for the Future". The second, an extraordinary one benefit concert by Stefano Bollani at the Teatro Grande in Brescia open to the public, which will contribute to the support of the ONLUS "Food for Soul”By Lara Gilmore and Massimo Bottura. Congratulations!

Academia Berlucchi 2021

The 3rd edition of Academia Berlucchi on October 22 will have as its theme the "Talent, nourishment for the future"Which will participate – in an open reflection on the Future, New Generations and Sustainable Development – leading names including the architect and urban planner Stefano Boeri, the botanist, essayist and popularizer Prof. Stefano Mancuso, the theologian and philosopher Prof. Vito Mancuso, Irina Mella Burlacu, founder and owner of Vita International, Lara Gilmore, founder, together with her husband Massimo Bottura, of the ONLUS Food for Soul e Barbara Nappini, new president of Slow Food Italy. To lead the guests into dialogue with each other will be John Antwerp, Deputy Director and author of RAI 1, always sensitive to socio-environmental issues e Caroline Corbetta, curator of contemporary art and founder of @ilcrepaccio, collective of art and founding members of the Board of Academia Berlucchi.

Stefano Bollani in concert

To underline Guido Berlucchi's indissoluble relationship with his territory, the day of 22 October will close with an extraordinary benefit concert by the multifaceted artist Sefano Bollani at the Teatro Grande in Brescia – open to public. The evening will contribute to the support of the ONLUS Food for Soul, a cultural project created to give light and voice to the unexpressed potential of people, places and food. The most talented and eclectic Italian composer will entertain the audience with his cultured improvisations and his acrobatic monologues in music. As stated in the official presentation, Plan only is "a tribute to the art of improvisation. When Stefano Bollani takes the stage for his one man show, anything can happen. There is no lineup, no room program to cling to to follow the succession of songs. The viewer is drawn into a different adventure every evening, a breathtaking journey through musical horizons that are only apparently distant. One can thus pass from his compositions to Carosone, from jazz to Brazilian rhythms, with sudden forays into pop or the Italian repertoire of the 1940s. In this real flow of musical consciousness, laughter and emotion mix ".

Tickets for the concert on 22 October (with admission from 8.00 pm, for the necessary health checks) can be purchased on the www.vivaticket.com platform and at the Teatro Grande Box Office (tel. 030 2979333; ticket office@teatrogrande.it. Hours: Tue-Fri 13.30-19.00, Sat 15.30-19.00).

Prices:

– PLATEA and STAGES I-II-III order € 55.00

– THE GALLERY and IV-tier STAGES € 30.00

– II GALLERY € 20.00

The "green" ravioli by Stefano Baiocco – Italian Cuisine

The executive chef of Villa Feltrinelli in Gargnano is one of the masters of vegetable cuisine. His recipe enhances wild herbs, vegetables and leaves to create a palette of flavors and aromas

Stefano Baiocco – executive chef of the beautiful Villa Feltrinelli – he is the right man in the right place, and even at the right time considering that in the continuous development of vegetable cuisine, the chef from the Marche region (now adopted by Gargnano, a town on the Brescia side of Lake Garda) is a master . His Green is one of the best tasting on the topic in Italy, because – strong of the his garden, calling it a vegetable garden makes you smile – it creates color palettes, full of nuances and scents. The experiences for the world – until a few years ago, Baiocco used the closing months of the hotel to study in important kitchens – were grafted on a natural talent and refinement to create a very personal style, which is seen (and can be heard) from appetizers to small pastries. Considering also the unique location and the perfect service, it is not surprising that the Grand Hotel restaurant has Two Michelin Stars and also at the top of the other Italian and international culinary guides.

A (certain) freedom in the ingredients

Living in the middle of spring and knowing his art on vegetables well, we could only ask Stefano a vegetarian dish. And here are the Green ravioli. We'll tell you right away, don't be frightened by the apparent complexity of the recipe. There are no vacuums, nor complicated finishes, just as normal cookware, a blender and maybe a mixer are enough. If anything, the problem may be that of shopping … "There are those who are lucky enough to have a vegetable garden or a garden and this represents an advantage", explains Baiocco. «Then I emphasize that I have chosen seasonal ingredients: in addition to the taste they give a chromatic effect to the preparation. But other types of herbs, vegetables and leaves can also be used according to taste and availability. The fundamental elements remain such and they are also found in supermarkets . More than the but no – we repeat it – it takes some time for the dish, which should not be missing until May 4th. «It seems a very difficult preparation, in reality the only mistake to avoid is not having patience and not following one step at a time. With the right amount of concentration, delicious ravioli will come , concludes the chef.

Ingredients for 4 people

For the chlorophyll paste
Knead vigorously (or with the planetary mixer) 400 g of flour 200 W, 200 g of semolina, 6 yolks, 3 whole eggs, 10 g of salt, 90 g of spinach puree, although the ideal would be the same amount of parsley chlorophyll. Cover the pasta with plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.

For the stuffing
Blanch for one minute in water 300 g of mixed herbs (including wild radicchietti, chard, borage, chicory, cabbage, mizuna, dandelions), let them cool and chop them. Brown 100 g of boiled potatoes in extra virgin olive oil, garlic, rosemary and chilli pepper and then add the wild herbs and flavor for a few minutes. Chop everything finely and leave to dry on a cloth in the refrigerator.

For the basil cream
mixed with an immersion blender 270 g extra virgin olive oil, 230 g bleached basil, 75 g toasted pine nuts, 30 g parmesan.

For cooked vegetables
Green asparagus, plate of courgettes, chard, yellow chard, spinach, friggitello, green tomato, beetroot leaf. Cook the friggitello, the tomato and the asparagus on the grill and the rest of the vegetables in water for a few seconds.

For the raw leaves
Wild spinach, fennel, St. Peter's herb, spinach frutice, lettuce, pimpinella and sedum. Just clean them thoroughly.

For the chard sauce
Blanch 200 g of chard leaves (only the green part) in water, cool them in water and ice. Blend them with mineral water and add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

For the broccoli cream
Blend 200 g of broccoli cooked in a mixer with salt, pepper and a few drops of anchovy sauce, alternatively add two salted anchovy fillets.

For the pea puree
Stew a shallot in oil, add 200 g of fresh green peas and let them cook quickly by adding a little water. Blend everything by adding the chopped leaves of a mint sprig. If you want a very smooth puree, pass it through a sieve.

Final preparation

Roll out the pasta and pack the ravioli with the field herb filling. Cook them in salted water and glaze them in a pan with butter, parmesan and basil cream. Serve, add the previously heated creams and purees and finish by decorating with the cooked vegetables and raw leaves.