Tag: travel

Classic Lobster Bisque – Finally!

I usually don’t have a good answer for why I’ve not gotten
around to filming certain iconic dishes like risotto, beef Wellington, and puff
pastry; but when it comes to lobster bisque, I do have a great excuse.

I won’t bore you with the details of how the tradition
started (translation: I don’t remember), but for as long as I can remember,
I’ve always made lobster bisque on Christmas Eve, to celebrate my sister-in-law
Jennifer’s birthday.

And since the few days leading up to Christmas are always so
busy and hectic with shopping, cooking, and travel, I’ve just never felt like
I’ve had the time to set up the camera to properly film the procedure. Well,
this year I decided to give it a go, and despite all the aforementioned
challenges, I was very happy with how this came out.

One word of warning: this recipe requires live lobsters,
brandy, and heavy cream. If you can’t get, or don’t want to use those
ingredients, then you’ll have to make something else. Sorry, but this recipe is
too sacred for substitutions.

Speaking of live lobsters, I know many are skeptical that
these “bugs” can actually feel pain, but to play it safe, I recommend putting
them in the freezer for 20 or 30 minutes to knock them out cold before their
ultimate demise.

I only showed the cracking and the picking of the lobster meat
very briefly, as this video was already too long for my tastes, but below I’ll
link an additional tutorial that show this in more detail. Yes, this soup takes
a little bit of work and expense, but I think you’ll agree with me (and
Jennifer) that all the effort is well worth it. Enjoy!

Makes about 1 1/2 quarts:
2 live lobsters (about 1 1/2 pounds each)
1 onion, chopped
2 rib celery, chopped
3 quarts cold water (this will reduce by about half during
the entire cooking process)
3 cloves garlic
4 springs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1 cup crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 tsp paprika
1/3 cup white long grain rice
2 tbsp cheap brandy (inexpensive brandy tends to be a little
sweeter, and works well here)
1/2 cup heavy cream, or more if you like it creamier
salt and cayenne to taste
1 tbsp chopped tarragon to garnish

Bonus Lobster Meat Recovery Video:
This video shows the picking of the lobster meat in much
more detail than I did. Since they are boiling the lobster, you can just skip
to the part where he is liberating all the meat. For more general lobster info,
you can also check out this page on Allrecipes.

Gennaro Esposito and the other starred menus to taste in flight – Italian cuisine reinvented by Gordon Ramsay

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And that’s just the latest news: for ITA Airways Business Class has cooked some of the greatest chefs in our country. An idea that started in 2022, with the declared intent of bringing Italian haute cuisine on the flight, inaugurated by the menu of Enrico Bartolini, the Italian chef with the most stars. Then came Giancarlo Morellia Michelin star at Pomiroeu in Seregno who has thought of other wonderful dishes (“Ratatouille”, “Beef in oil” and, finally, the dessert “Milk and mint”). And again, among others, for ITA Airways they cooked Ernesto and Alfonso Iaccarino of Don Alfonso 1890a boutique hotel and famous restaurant (two Michelin stars before the recent renovation) in Sant’Agata tra i due Golfi (Massa Lubrense, Naples) who presented their sustainable and respectful cuisine with four other creations: “Lobster salad with citrus fruits, yogurt and pink pepper”, “Strascinati from the Sorrento Peninsula, with light tomato ragù”, “Rediscovering rock fish in crazy water”, “Traditional lemon delight”.

Ernesto and Alfonso Iaccarino at Restaurant Don Alfonso 1890 in Sant’Agata sui due GolfiStefano Scatà

Michelin Stars in Flight: A French Idea

The idea of bringing starred cuisine on board was the French, and the national airline AirFrance. In 2019, it entrusted the creation of the new business and first class menus to starred chefs Régis Marcon, Emmanuel Renaut, Guy Martin and Andrée Rosierand since then it has periodically relied on new chefs (among the latest Dominique Crenn).

The new examples

Since then it has been a crescendo, and now the list of companies that offer haute cuisine on board is very extensivealso because the chefs – together with the carriers – have developed new techniques and trained the cabin crew so that the dishes maintain their aromas and flavors even in flight. All this – for those who can afford business class, that is – has contributed to making the gastronomic experience central, giving it back its shine after years in which we were used to eating very cold bread and frozen butter while traveling, along with overcooked vegetables and steamed chicken.

And it’s nice to know that Italians are the main protagonists of this new wave and have a new way to let the world taste their dishes. Another example is The Company, the first company (also French) with only business seats, which has started the “Chefs&Co” program by entrusting Italian chefs with the menus, or some dishes, to be offered to passengers flying on its direct flights from Milan to New York. For now, Lorenzo Cogo, Felix Lo Basso, Chiara Pavan, Isabella Potì and Floriano Pellegrino have cooked for La Compagnie, and who knows what other surprises the next trip will have in store for us.

What is Riviera Restaurant like, the new fine dining on Garda – Italian cuisine reinvented by Gordon Ramsay

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The place is an old house, once a servants’ annex of an aristocratic residence, made contemporary by a careful conservative restoration. You can see, and feel, the touch of Antonella Frogwhich has made Riviera a welcoming and elegant restaurant with refined handcrafted pieces and a collection of works of art linked to the themes and symbols of the vase, of memory and of the plot: an eclectic mix of ancient Greek and Roman sculpture, literature, photography, fiber art and wood art by some of the most appreciated contemporary artists. And there is his gentle touch outside too, in a garden of wild herbs and edible flowers enclosed by ancient sixteenth-century walls. This is where the crystal patio overlooks, another room of the Riviera, with marble tables that reflect the colors of the natural paradise that surrounds it.

What to do at Riviera (other than the restaurant)

The restaurant is a starting point, because Riviera has three souls, given that it combines a restaurant with a panoramic terrace and a beach clubexperience within the experience also from a gastronomic point of view. The Terrace It is the most exclusive corner with sunbeds and cabanas around an infinity pool embellished with touches of Antonio Marras, stylist and creative with whom the Rana family has shared projects and friendship for years. The armchairs, sofas, poufs are the result of his talent, with fabrics, weaves and knitwear in shades of burgundy, cream and blue that pair with the ceramic design tables handmade by him in Cutrofiano, province of Lecce. A magical place, the Terrace comes alive at sunset with a fine-dining aperitif with creative tapas such as “Beechwood smoked trout with dill butter and rye bread” and “Cod croquettes with lemon emulsion” to pair with the bar’s mixology creations or glasses of wine and Champagne.

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Gordon Ramsay Recipes