CONTENTS Editorial 9 Contributors 11 The colours of flavour 12 Gianduja wears red 16 The Gelato of tomorrow 18 Cheesecake with cranberries 22 From the past to the future 26 Sardinian pastry arts 32 Between sweet and savoury 40 Catalan egg 46 The king of Rome 50 Maritozzi from Amalfi 54 Impossible comparison 56 Cube of parmesan peas 62 Pastry collection 64 In partnership with 94 Year 12 - No. 34 MAY 2023
EDITORIAL Two sides of the same coin... The global situation is extremely complex from many points of view. Persistent scenes of war, increasing risks of new conflicts, steeply growing living costs, the constantly rising cost of money. All elements that are frustrating and that condition international markets. And yet... And yet, Made-in-Italy products continue to grow, with a boom in tourism, in some cases greater than pre-covid levels. Italy is the European country with the greatest indicators of GDP trend growth, much more than France and Germany. Exports are reaching record numbers. How do you explain growth and circulation of people, goods, and thus of money, even with the crisis currently happening? I believe it is a reaction after two years of a pandemic that brings millions of consumers from all over the world to rebel against restriction and limitations of free movement. Everyone free, everyone outside, everyone moving about. Therefore, “maybe I can wait to buy a new pair of shoes”, but I will not give up going out for dinner, nor weekend fun, nor gelato, nor traveling. A bit incredulous and moderately optimistic, here we are with our new issue of SweetMood-PuntoItaly, as always filled with ideas and recipes, new developments and interesting facts. We wish you all a great summer and we hope to see you, as usual, at the international tradeshows, or online at www.puntoitaly.org. Keep up the good work, Franco Cesare Puglisi 9
CONTRIBUTORS SWEETMOOD-puntoITALY Milan - Tribunal Registration no. 444 of 03-08-2011 Three-monthly magazine - € 1.00 Year 12 - No. 34 - May 2023 Publishing Director Franco Cesare Puglisi Editor Manuela Rossi Editorial Staff Anna Fraschini Monica Viani Production Manager Gora Di Benedetto Public Relations Manager Davide Pini Advertising Manager Paolo Barretta Advertising Patrizia Dal Mas Translations Laura Duca Patrick Hopkins Graphic Layout Illustrations ONiDEA adv - Milan, Italy Editrade - Headoffice Via Lomellina 37 - Milan, Italy Tel. +39 02 70004960 email: info@editradesrl.it www.puntoitaly.org Printing Aziende Grafiche Printing Peschiera Borromeo, Italy All rights reserved. The partial or complete reproduction of texts, illustrations and photos by any means is forbidden. Texts and illustrative material, even if unpublished, is not returned to sender. Texts and photos sent in by readers can be freely published and utilized by puntoItaly. Halit Gajda Pastry chef Sara Preceruti Master chef Pierpaolo Magni Pastry chef Riccardo Magni Pastry chef Sal De Riso Pastry chef Monica Viani Reporter Federica Serva Reporter 11
12 FROM THE COVER
THE COLOURS OF FLAVOUR Sara Preceruti offers a cuisine and pastry style that is very free and does not make any references. She follows only one North Star: flavour. Her style is inspired by having fun and by modernity, with a non-minimalist but well-balanced base. Born in 1983, Sara Preceruti – originally from Castello d’Agogna, a small town near Pavia, Italy – earned her first Michelin star at just 28 years old. It shines at Pellio Intelvi’s Locanda del Notaio located in the hills of Como’s hinterland. In December 2019, she makes her dreams come true by opening Acquada restaurant in Milan, where the historic Tano Passami l’Olio was located. Acquada, in Lombard dialect, means a “rain shower”, referring to the rain showers that surprise and overwhelm, but sometimes give life to a splendid rainbow. The restaurant’s sign is the best description of Sara’s cuisine, that is, surprising, bold and able to reveal all the “colours” of flavour. Sara’s cuisine In her restaurant, Sara Preceruti creates an irreverent cuisine, often bordering on provocative, by playing with colours, textures and temBy Monica Viani 13
peratures. She offers dishes that know how to defend their own identity by opening up to the world, as demonstrated by the choice to use international ingredients. She is a chef that is free from every school of thought. To her, techniques are important, not styles. Her only objective is to reach divinization of flavour. There are no limits in reaching this goal, so much so to defy any rule and to look everywhere for the essential ingredients. Her dishes are rich with ingredients, but they are never excessive. She loves to contrast flavours, textures, shapes and colours. She likes to generate amazement, to create the unexpected, to make sure that the ingredients reveal their most playful and creative side, while maintaining a balance that is not to be taken for granted. A dessert that isn’t sweet She started her career as a chef making pastries. She has always enjoyed creating desserts. She considers it fun and true exercise, as it requires precision accompanied with the perfect knowledge of techniques. Pastry arts have an important role in the foodservice industry; desserts are the last dish served and, if it is not good, it could ruin the memories of a dinner. Being at the end of a journey, it should not be too sweet nor too rich. The secret is to maintain a balance with the previous courses while keeping it light and delicious. Among her desserts, you will always find “Gianduja wears red”, a signature dish, where the notes of peppers and chocolate blend perfectly. It expresses the style of the chef’s cuisine to perfection, as she loves desserts that are not sweet, and she does not disdain the use of vegetables in traditional pastries. 14
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A dessert that isn’t sweet and where vegetables replace fruit. A provoking game of chance that highlights the contrast of the ingredients’ flavours and textures while it amazes by achieving a truly surprising balance. GIANDUJA WEARS RED By Sara Preceruti 16 RECIPES
Ingredients for 4 people COMPOSITION • gelato • bell peppers GELATO • pasteurized goat milk 1 l • granulated sugar 300 g • gelato thickener 20 g Blend milk, granulated sugar and thickener, then pour mixture into the very chilled bowl of thegelatomachine. Start the machine and let it run until the gelato is ready, when the machine will stop automatically. BELL PEPPERS • baby bell peppers 12 • cream 400 g • powdered sugar 100 g • gianduja chocolate 100 g Roast the baby bell peppers in a red-hot non-stick pan. Transfer them to a preheated oven at 180°C for about 5 minutes. Then transfer the peppers into a plastic bag. Close the bag and let the peppers cool, so that the skin will peel off easily. Peel them and remove the internal seeds. Whip the chilled cream with powdered sugar; chop the gianduja chocolate and delicately add it to the whipped cream. Transfer the mixture into a pastry bag and stuff each baby pepper. ASSEMBLY • butter biscuits 4 Roughly break up the biscuits to obtain a crumble crust. Plate by spreading the crumble onto a plate. For each portion, position three filled peppers and separate them with two scoops or quenelles of gelato. 17
THE GELATO OF TOMORROW images by Brambilla-Serrani 18 EVENTS
All sights were set on change at Identità Milano 2023 which also involved gelato and pastry chefs. Gelato and Sweets did not miss the meeting with Identità Milano 2023 at MiCo. The international fine dining congress concentrated on changes happening in the foodservice world and in society at large. The theme was “Ladies and gentlemen, the revolution is served”, and protagonists fromvarious settings of out-ofhome hospitality were invited to voice their experiences. This voice was also international thanks to the return of prestigious foreign speakers. Having grown within its format, Identità di Gelato has conquered its own space where the evolution of this “cold dessert” can be narrated, going from the display case to the restaurant menu through the “audacious” experiments of gelato chefs, pastry chefs, chefs de cuisine. Chefs and more Eighteen years ago, during the first edition in 2005, there was Ferran Adrià. This year, his brother Albert Adrià presented along with a line-up of exceptional chefs such as Alex Atala, Andoni Luis Aduriz, Leonor and Laura Espinosa, Paco Morales. Together with them, there were many stars of Italian cuisine and beyond. Next to chefs of the likes of Massimo Bottura, Carlo Cracco and Luca Sacchi, Antonia Klugmann, Moreno Cedroni and Luca Abbadir, Niko Romito, personalities of Italian culture also participated. 19
Stefano Guizzetti - The roots of gelato Going deep To find “The roots of gelato” is what Stefano Guizzetti of Ciacco Lab in Parma and Milan did. Following his journey into olfactive memories, another stop on his exploration was revealed. Kickstarting his search was the memory of playing outside and the scent of the soil. Working with various soil samples, the gelato chef obtained a water liquor to create an unusual gelato, which was placed on a sponge cake made with black chickpea flour. It was accompanied by a grilled pear and peated whisky jam and topped with a ball of cotton candy. This composition of earthy aromas is to be paired with a fermented black tea. Tasting and research The keys words of the talk by Paolo Brunelli from the eponymous Gelato and Chocolate shop in Senigallia (Ancona) translated into Slowcool with three raspberry sorbets. The challenge was to find a solution for a gelato tasting flight, like when tasting wine, which overcomes the problem of service temperature (around -12°C). The answer was Slowcool, a refrigerated support designed by Riccardo Diotallevi with three bowls and lids for serving flavours at an optimal temperature. As a demonstration of a tasting journey, three raspberry sorbets were offered each differing in amounts of sugars and fruit. Paolo Brunelli - Slowcool with three raspberry sorbets 20 EVENTS
Paolo Griffa - The freeze in the mountain garden Directly from nature Paolo Griffa, chef at Caffè Nazionale (Aosta), was inspired by nature’s fruits for his dish “The freeze in the mountain garden”. Starting by observing the effects of winter freezes on farming, fundamental for the texture and properties of vegetables, he created a composition made with deer tartar, beets, Brussel sprouts, a purple cabbage and mustard sauce, and a defrosted kohlrabi, that is, a kakigori made with icy kohlrabi. The Japanese dessert, kakigori, provided an effect that made it seem like tasting flakes of snow. It was as if to say that gelato isn’t only the churned type. 21
The classic macaron encloses a soft filling made with artisanal cranberry cheesecake-flavoured gelato. CHEESECAKE WITH CRANBERRIES by Pierpaolo and Riccardo Magni (excerpt from the book Reverse Fusion) 22 RECIPES
COMPOSITION • Macaron base • Cheesecake gelato • Cranberry coulis • White chocolate crunchy glaze MACARON BASE • powdered sugar 500 g • white almond powder 500 g • pasteurized egg whites 175 g • sugar 500 g • water 125 g • pasteurized egg whites 190 g • powdered egg white 3 g • pink natural coloring Combine the first part of the egg white with the powdered sugar and almond powder (tant pour tant, TPT). Make a syrup with the water and sugar, heat to 117°C, and pour on the fluffy egg white to make an Italian meringue. Beat until 50°C. Take the meringue and carefully add the TPT. Mix thoroughly. Add the egg white powder and pink natural coloring. Stir vigorously to form the “macaronage”. Form macarons with the pastry bag, medium nozzle, on a silicone mat. Allow to dry for 30 minutes and bake at 170°C for 11-12 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on racks. 23
CHEESECAKE GELATO • fresh whole milk 500 g • nonfat dry milk 56 g • sweetened condensed skim milk 100 g • cream 35% fat 38 g • white cheese 124 g • pasteurized egg yolks 25 g • sugar 66 g • inverted sugar 26 g • glucose syrup 42 DE 59 g • neutral milk stabilizer 5 g According to best practice. Chill in blast freezer and store at -18°C. • fresh whole milk 500 g • sweetened condensed skim milk 100 g • cream 35% fat 38 g • white cheese 125 g • pasteurized egg yolks 25 g • sugar 52 g • inverted sugar 26 g • glucose syrup 42 DE 59 g • milk base 100 75 g CRANBERRY COULIS • cranberry pulp 350 g • glucose syrup 38 DE 135 g • sugar 150 g • lemon juice 20 g • xanthan 3 g Mix the xanthan into the sugar, add the fruit pulp, and the glucose. Heat to 82°C and cool. Used to variegate the gelato after freezing. 24 RECIPES
WHITE CHOCOLATE CRUNCHY GLAZE • Edelweiss white chocolate 36% 500 g • cocoa butter 40 g • anhydrous butter 35 g Combine melted chocolate, cocoa butter, and anhydrous butter. Mix thoroughly and use at 40°C. ASSEMBLY AND DECORATION After baking, place macarons in the blast freezer and fill with cheesecake gelato with cranberries. Chill in blast freezer. Glaze with white chocolate and complete with red currants and gold confetti. 25
The rediscovery of traditional recipes aligns with the search for healthy and sustainable foods. FROM THE PAST TO THE FUTURE Brad West on Unsplash 26 TRENDS
As with every year, everyone tries to analyse the direction of food consumption and they try to predict the food trends of 2023. This year, it is not a simple task because in addition to keeping in mind consolidated tendencies, such as being attentive to the healthiness and sustainability of food, one must also consider the difficulties in sourcing raw materials along with rising prices. Nonetheless, it is possible to try and foresee the future consumption trends. Regarding ingredients, a greater use of dates is foreseen, especially as natural sweeteners in sweets and syrup preparations. A few trends from last year seem to strengthen, such as the success of gin offered in various ways, either straight or in a cocktail, as well as the greater demand for alternatives flours, judged healthier than 00 27
be plant based). Veganism is unstoppable, which also explains the success of pasta, a plant-based food. How and where The tyranny of tasting menus will probably disappear from restaurants. Customers prefer to choose what they eat, especially because the number of people who suffer from food intolerances or prefer not to eat certain dishes is growing. Albert Adrià bears witness to this as he has eliminated it from his new restaurant Enigma in Barcelona. The number of establishments that are halfway between a restaurant and a wine bar will increase. The number of dishes will diminish, so much so that one will not recognize wheat flour. After having earned the Traditional Specialty Guaranteed denomination, the queen of Italian products remains the pizza. The path of Prosecco also seems unstoppable. A truly international trend is the success of vegetarian and vegan diets. If data from various research are analysed, one realizes that the world is becoming “meat free”; groups, apps, restaurants are emerging, even a “vegetarian” Tinder, Grazer (the meatless matchmaker). In the past two years, the number of vegan diets has grown 27 percent, a change that is reflected with the success of plant-based proteins which will reach a global value of 350 billion dollars in the next twenty years (when it is expected that 60 percent of meat will Kaja Reichardt on Unsplash 28 TRENDS
the classic separation of courses. Like the unexpected closure of Noma and its transformation into a kitchen laboratory, highend restaurants will transform more and more into research centres. Experimentation of top chefs will influence the cuisine at mid-range restaurants, but also those with more accessible prices. The success of delivery is confirmed with a growth of seventy percent more than that of pre-Covid times. Greater attention will be given to researching sustainable packaging and different food experiences will be proposed, aimed at intercepting food & wine tourism that is growing strongly. Food and wine challenges The colour that will dominate 2023 is Viva Magenta and you will see it also in the kitchen. Foods with this colour are healthy and they have many natural beneficial properties. Foods that have reddish tones contain lycopene, a substance that acts as an antioxidant. They also contain anthocyanins, which are a type of flavonoid connected to regulating blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Therefore, consumption of beets, red plums, radishes, onions and red grapes will become the protagonists of many diets. Sustainability will give an advantage to food produced in vertical gardens, as hydroponic crops or through ultra-urban and regenerative farming. Investments in research will occur to create floating greenhouses and underwater gardens. The success of the “free from” cuisines - lactose free, gluten free, egg free (even if recently they have been revaluated, especially if eaten Anna Pelzer on Unsplash 29
for breakfast) - has arrived. Another trend is the primordial kitchen with a comeback of grilling. A look to the past is confirmed in the pastry world as well, with sweets from our childhood making a comeback, bringing with it the rediscovery of the recipe books our grandmothers used. Remaining in the realm of the sweet arts, the use of refined sugar will diminish, substituted by syrupy fruit reductions made from pomegranate, dates, coconut or the Asian monk fruit. We will keep hearing more and more about erythritol, a sugar alcohol naturally occurring in fruit and fermented foods. Non-alcoholic drinks “No low” (a contraction of “no and low alcohol”) drinks are non-alcoholic wines or liquors. During the entire year, the alcohol-free market is in full growth. The tendency to consume non-alcoholic drinks is taking hold in a country where wine is culture: France. It all started with “January without alcohol”; the intention was to convince those who drank too much to detox by choosing non-alcoholic drinks. In the homeland of drinking well, the production and sales of alcohol-free wines are growing faster than in any other country. AccordDiliara Garifullina on Unsplash Azerbaijan stockers on Freepik Bon Vivant on Unsplash 30 TRENDS
The menu of tomorrow Unilever Food Solutions, global leader in professional foodservice, published its first Future Menu Trends Report 2023, developed in collaboration with over 1600 chefs from over twenty-five countries. The eight main trends identified for the menu of the future are: Modern Comfort Food, Irresistible Vegetables, Wild & Pure, Flavour Contrasts, Feel-Good Food, The New Sharing, Mindful Proteins, and LowWaste Menus. ing to a study by Businesscoot market specialists, in 2021, the market of non-alcoholic versions of alcoholic drinks in France has grown 13 percent, and a 10 percent growth per year until 2025 is foreseen. On a global level, the growth was 32,7 percent in 2020. Then, well-known French producers have started making non-alcoholic wines along with their big classics. The same phenomenon is occurring with liquor producers, especially with makers of rum and gin. The beverage world In the world of mixology, the word sustainability will continue to prevail, and alternatives for ingredients that have a heavy effect on the environment will continue to be sought after. The other big trend in cocktails will be the decrease in alcohol. The watchword will be fermentation: teas, kombucha, mead and everything that can bring a bit of a “homemade” feeling. The most requested cocktails will be the Moscow Mule and the Espresso Martini, but nostalgia will cause forgotten cocktails to be brought back into style. They will be served in transparent glasses that will make the contents easily visible, and we will witness the appearance of foams as well as sugar or salt rimmed glasses. In addition to gin, whisky and other lesser-known Mexican liquors will be requested. In the world of wine, the success of rosé wines will continue, as they have also grown in quality. Seeking confirmation Seaweed is nothing new. It has often been heralded as the new product to bring to the table. To date, it has not yet met expectations, but 2023 seems to be the year of its success. In addition to cleaning the seas, it requires few resources to be grown and it is considered a true super-food, as it is rich in vitamins and minerals. It lends itself to multiple uses, for example as an ingredient for sushi, soups, chips or spaghetti. Just like there has been talk of fake meat for years, the market does not yet seem ready to offer it on restaurant menus. atlascompany on Freepik image by Freepik 31
SARDINIAN PASTRY ARTS 32 TRADITION
The Italian island most loved in the world for its sea and beaches boasts pastry arts that are a blend of different influences and are rich with ingredients, traditions and modern creativity. Sardinian pastry arts have ancient origins, and they are the result of influences and exchanges between different Me- diterranean civilizations that occurred over time. It is impossible to determine which was the first dessert. It was probably created by embellishing a piece of bread or focaccia to celebrate a special occasion. According to some mythological stories, the Greek hero Aristaeus taught domestication of bees along with cheese- and wine- making in many Mediterranean countries, including Sardinia: all ingredients that can be found in common Sardinian sweets. The traditional desserts are certainly characterized by aMiddle Eastern flair, considering the use of honey, dates, nuts, sapa, cheeses and sultana raisins. Typical ingredients As the scholar Alessandra Guigoni illustrates, from the very beginning, the variety of Sardinian sweets took advantage of the richness and biodiversity of the island whilemaking both simple and complex desserts. CheesPhotos by Giorgio Bertuzzi and Roberto Rossi 33
es and honey came mostly from the hinterland’s mountain slopes, whereas aromatic herbs and fruits came from the coasts. Honey is heavily used following medieval tradition, that is, to accentuate the combination of sweet and savoury. Such pairings still occur today with “seadas” or with “papaibiancu” which recalls the medieval blancmange. In the fourteenth century, desserts were recognized throughout Europe and were able to influence pastry arts in many countries. This is demonstrated by one of the oldest written recipes, the “ranciata”, a preparation made with caramelized citrus. This dessert continues to be produced only in this area. One peculiarity of this island’s pastry arts is the lack of creams and the sparing use of spices and cocoa. The star ingredients were honey (or sugar), eggs instead of yeast, sheep ricotta and almonds. In many cases, sapa was used, especially with autumn and winter desserts. 34 TRADITION
Citrus also plays an important role, farmed and crossbred amongst themselves; the juice, zest and peel were used. Sardinians were so skilled that they were able to make appetizing even fruits that were inedible when raw; this is the case for “sa pompia”, a type of citrus that today has been rediscovered in the pastry arts and in mixology. Decorations tend to continuously reference wedding cakes, even though with a rustic appearance; plant- and bird-shaped forms symbolize rebirth, the cycle of life, good luck, and nature’s fertility. The salvaged fruit “Sa pompia” is a fruit plant with an uncertain history. It is probably a cross between citron and grapefruit, but others believe it is a type of citron or a cross between citron and lemon. Due to the lack of documents, it is impossible to establish if it is a Sardinian plant or if it was imported from other countries. Legend has it that it comes from the period of Alexander the Great’s disastrous expedition to Asia. Today, it is cultivated in Siniscola, a Slow Food Presidium; it is used in the pastry arts to make desserts, as well as to produce liquors and cocktails. Harvesting the fruit is done by hand around mid-November until January. Being that it is very tart, to make it edible, the rind was cooked in wine or honey before it was eaten. Flavours from our memory It is difficult to codify Sardinian recipes. The same ingredients and techniques correspond to an endless collection of names, shapes, flavours and uses, each depending on the different areas on the island. It isn’t easy to find recipe books. Each family has its own recipe, passed on from generation to generation. One common trait of Sardinian’s sweet arts is its connection with farmer’s and shepherd’s traditions. There were sweets made to be eaten nearly every day, as well as those only for special occasions, simple in their image by Maddalena Goddi 35
dough but with elaborate forms and decorations. The most well-known and appreciated ones can be identified with a religious holiday. “Pabassinos” and “tilicas” are associated with All Saints’ and All Souls’ Day. “Càbude” recalls Christmas, tied to an ancient ritual which dictates that the father breaks it on the head of the smallest child in the house then distributes it to the entire family. Numerous sweets were sold by hawkers on feast days, country holidays and food festivals. Themost well-known are “carapigna” and torrone, considered the street foods that Sardinians identify by. The origins of the carapigna, the ancestor of sorbets and granita, are Spanish. It was made with almond milk and cinnamon and was paired with small biscuits. It was considered a luxury product consumed by nobles in the 1700s, but with the arrival of machines to make ice and gelato, it fell into disgrace. Torrone, a product of the Sardinian mountainsides, is rich with walnuts, honey and almonds. Its origins are medieval, legacy of the Arabic domination, and it was made by spice vendors and torrone makers, then sold on the streets. True artisanal torrone made on the island can be found at country festivals. 36 TRADITION
New pastry arts Traditional Sardinian pastry is so rich that it risks living off of stereotypes; “seadas”, “tiricche”, “pardulas” fill the collective imagination and often dissuade the search for new proposals that go beyond the desserts that are a result of Phoenician, Roman, Genovese, Spanish and Piedmont dominations. However, in the past few years, Sardinia has been standing out by bringing to life new restorative businesses and projects for an innovative cuisine. They are capable of giving value to local products and culinary traditions without giving up on searching for original offers. These new offers change their form, use modern techniques and modernize the past. The challenge is to maintain the flavours of the past, that are decisive and original, while embracing modern times. The sea, the aromas of the Mediterranean brush and the strong flavours of the hinterland should remain on the plate, but so should the creativity of the chef de cuisine and the pastry chef: a creativity that has endless ingredients at its disposal, such as saffron from Sarule, cheeses from Oschiri or the typical ladyfingers from Fonni. In Sardinia, it feels like innovation is flowing, and it is waiting to be discovered. The role of women Some testimonies from Piedmont reveal that at the end of the eighteenth century, in the noble households of Sardinia, the cooks were women. It is probable that their recipes were influenced by stories from passing cooks or from dames who often collected recipes from nuns. There was a strong French and English influence on the desserts present on noble tables, which can be seen with the frequent use of candied citrus, coffee and sorbets. 37
A collection of typical specialities from this marvellous island, made with local products. TUMBADA Ingredients for 10 people • milk 1 l • sugar 10 tablespoons • espresso 1 demitasse cup • rum 1 demitasse cup • eggs 4 • lemon juice 1 • water 2 tablespoons In a saucepan prepare the caramel by melting six spoons of sugar with two spoons of water, stirring until dense. Pour this mixture into ten single-serving moulds. Beat the eggs with the remaining sugar, then add the lemon juice, rum, coffee at room temperature. Mix. Heat the milk then slowly drizzle it into the egg mixture. Mix well using a whisk then divide the mixture into the moulds without filling them all the way to the edge. Bake at 180°C for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool, then place in the refrigerator for at least two hours before serving. The dessert can be decorated with candied orange peel. Recipes BETWEEN SWEET AND SAVOURY Tumbada is a creamy dessert, a kind of pudding that probably has Spanish origins. Its flavour is original thanks to the presence of coffee and amaretti cookies that makes it a mixture of sweet and bitter. By Margherita Massini Il Nuraghe del Lago Coghinas farmhouse, Oschiri (Sassari) 38 TRADITION
Tiricche, or in Sardinian dialect “sas Triccas”, are a typical dessert from the north of the island, but the recipe can change based on the area. They can be made with honey, Abbamele or with sapa, a characteristic Sardinian cooked must. The ingredients thatmust be present are either almonds or hazelnuts and a thin pastry dough called violada or violata. It is a dessert that is prepared especially during Eastertime. By Lella Fenu - Sapori di Oschiri, Oschiri (Sassari) COMPOSITION • pastry dough • filling PASTRY DOUGH • 00 flour 1000 g • lard 250 g • water 250 g • sugar 1 tablespoon • salt to taste Melt the lard in a double boiler, then add flour, a pinch of salt, sugar and warm water. Knead together. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic, then let rest for about 30 minutes. FILLING • honey 250 g • apricot jam or orange marmalade 250 g • abbattu (Sardinian abbamele) 250 g • hazelnut pieces 100 g • breadcrumbs as needed Combine honey and abbamele in a small pot with a little bit of water. Cook on low heat and stir until a smooth mixture is obtained. Add the marmalade and hazelnut pieces. To give some structure to the mixture, add some breadcrumbs. TIRICCHE - “SAS TRICCAS” ASSEMBLY Roll out the dough until it is really thin and cut it with a fluted pastry wheel into many strips that are 15-cm long and 6-cmwide. Work the filling into a thin breadstick shape and place it in the middle of the dough without adding too much, to prevent it from overflowing. Fold the dough around the filling and give it the desired shape. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 160°C for about 15- 20 minutes. The dough should remain white and should not turn golden brown. 39
PANADAS COMPOSITION • violada dough • filling VIOLADA DOUGH • durum wheat flour 1 kg • lard 200 g • water 370 g Add flour, lard, and warm salted water to the mixer and knead. Add just enough water to obtain a smooth and firm dough. After having kneaded for about twenty minutes, let the dough rest for about one hour. Then roll it out to a 3 mm thickness on a floured surface. Panadas have ancient origins. The name comes from the Latin word panem and it refers to foods wrapped up in bread, already known in Roman times and in Medieval Italy. Some other sources date them back to Nuragic times. Thanks to their long preservation times, they were definitely a meal for shepherds and fishermen. The oldest ones were made with eel or lamb. Today there are also vegetarian versions made with a filling of zucchini, eggplant, bell peppers, onions, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper or as a sweet version. By Lella Fenu - Sapori di Oschiri, Oschiri (Sassari) 40 TRADITION
FILLING • meat (pork or chicken) 1 kg • oil to taste • parsley to taste • pepper to taste • garlic to taste Cut the meat with a knife and season with oil, garlic, parsley and pepper. ASSEMBLY Roll out the dough with a rolling pin until a very thin dough is obtained. Make a few disks with a round cookie cutter. The bottom disk needs to have a larger diameter than the disk that will be used to close the panada. Add some of the seasoned meat to the disk. Top with the smaller disk. Wet the borders and seal them, pinching the borders to seal well. The sealing should recall embroidery. Bake at 180°C for 25 minutes. They can be served hot or warm. 41
DULCARMIDDA PANETTONE COMPOSITION • panettone dough • armidda glaze FIRST DOUGH • flour for panettone 800 g • sugar 250 g • butter 200 g • egg yolks 100 g • water 400 g • ready-to-use natural yeast 1:1,5 250 g • powdered malt 10 g Place the sugar, water, readyto-use natural yeast and butter into a double arm mixer. Add flour and malt, then knead until gluten starts forming. When the dough is ready, add the yolks. Keep kneading until the dough is smooth and elastic. This should not last more than 20-25 minutes. Remove from mixer and place in a container to let proof at 26-28°C for twelve hours, until the dough’s volume has tripled. The next morning, after having ensured that the rising process has correctly occurred, pour the tripled-in-size dough into the mixer for the second dough. SECOND DOUGH • flour for panettone 200 g • sugar 200 g • acacia honey 50 g • butter 400 g • salt 13 g • egg yolks 200 g • armidda 15 g • water to dissolve armidda 120 g • mandarin orange flavour paste 100 g • vanilla bean 1 • water (to regulate the consistency) 100 g Add flour to the tripled-in-size dough. Start the mixer and knead until smooth, to strengthen the dough. This should last 1015 minutes. When the dough is ready, stop the mixer and add sugar, honey and one third of the yolks. Start the mixer again and knead until the dough is once again elastic. Stop the mixer, add salt and the rest of the yolks. Once the correct elasticity is obtained, add butter that has been mixed with the flavourings (vanilla and mandarin orange flavour paste). Turn on the mixer and knead. An example of culinary influences. Lombardy meets Sardinia. Armidda is wild thyme in the Sardinian language. It has a strong flavour and is used mainly for seasoning roasts and sauces. Pastry chef Gian Piero Loddo has succeeded in creating an original dessert. By Gian Piero Loddo - La Dolce Vita pastry shop, Ghilarza (Oristano) If needed, add water to regulate the consistency. Stop the mixer and check that the consistency is correct. The dough must be made in a double arm mixer with at least 60 beats per minute, and the kneading shouldn’t last more than 30-40 minutes. Now, let the finished dough proof at 28°C for 30 minutes. Prepare the loaves and round them on a flat surface. Let them rest 20-30 minutes. As soon as the outside dries, round them again. Place them in the desired moulds. Let proof at 28°C until the dough has tripled in size. The proofing process in a mould can last between five and seven hours, depending on the strength of the dough and the preparation technique of the starter yeast. 42 TRADITION
ARMIDDA GLAZE • armidda 10 g • white chocolate 500 g • cocoa butter 150 g Melt chocolate and cocoa butter, then add armidda at 30°C. Use the glaze immediately. • raw almonds • large granella sugar decoration Before placing the panettone in the oven, glaze it and decorate it with raw almonds and granella. Baking: for pieces that weigh 750 gr, 45 minutes at 180°C; for pieces that weigh 1000 grams, 53 minutes at 180°C (up to 96- 97°C at the centre of the product). Variation: it is possible to fill the panettone with an armidda-flavoured spreadable cream. DECORATION AND BAKING INSTRUCTIONS 43
Sardinia takes its spin on the dessert that represents Italy abroad. It showcases the ingredients of the island’s culinary culture. By Giada Ammannato - Marlin Restaurant, Santa Teresa Gallura (Sassari) • fresh sheep ricotta 800 g • powdered sugar 120 g • lemon zest 1 • shotglass of dark mirto liquor 1 • white mirto liquor 230 ml • water 80 ml • Sardinian ladyfingers 16 • candied citrus (or dates) blended or processed by a Pacojet to taste • bitter cocoa powder to taste • milk optional Push ricotta through a sieve. Add blended candied citrus peels, dark mirto liquor, powdered sugar and lemon zest to the cheese. If the mixture is too thick, add some milk. Soak the ladyfingers in the white mirto liquor that has been diluted with water. In a pan or in single-portion containers, alternate the ricotta mixture with the soaked ladyfingers. Place in the refrigerator for five hours before serving. Decorate with cocoa powder to serve. TIRAMISU WITH MIRTO 44 TRADITION
The story of Malidea Vermouth Pocos Locos Vermouth was bornwith the intention to create a Sardinian Vermouth, or a Hippocratic wine that has a strong connection with its territory. Cannonau was chosen as the local indigenous grape since it is a wine with great depth and with unexpressed potential. 22 botanicals that were hand-gathered and processed were then added. The biggest gamble was to unbalance the Vermouth with Pompìa, an ancient and rare citrus. The final result has character with Mediterranean and citrus notes. It has a strong wine flavour and the presence of tannins. TILICAS COCKTAIL • Malildea Pocos Locos Vermouth 30 ml • Macchia Mediterranea Bitter Rosso 30 ml • Saba (Cooked Must) 15 ml • Malidea Pompia-flavoured Sardinian Bitter 4 drops It incorporates the flavour and aroma of the traditional Tilicas, sweets from central and northern Sardinia. By Gianmatteo Mariano - Faya, temple of Mixology Art, Porto San Paolo (Sassari) 45
The pastry chef of The Manzoni restaurant in Milan, Halit Gajda, presents the recipe of an original fake egg with a sweet filling made with Crema Catalana, paired with a passion fruit cream. CATALAN EGG By Halit Gajda 46 RECIPES
COMPOSITION (for four people) • crema catalana (for egg) • glaze for egg • Italian meringue • passion fruit cream • passion fruit caramel • kataifi dough CREMA CATALANA • 35% fat content cream 125 g • milk 125 g • egg yolks 45 g • sugar 35 g • vanilla bean 1/2 Heat cream, milk, sugar and vanilla bean until mixture reaches 84°C. In small amounts, slowly pour the mixture onto egg yolks. Then place in an oven (no steam) set at 87°C for about 90 minutes. Let cream rest in refrigerator overnight. Then blend cream and fill egg shaped moulds. Freeze. GLAZE FOR EGG • cocoa butter 150 g • white chocolate 250 g • pink food colouring as needed Melt cocoa butter, add white chocolate and heat mixture to 70°C. Glaze frozen eggs with the food colouring then leave in refrigerator for two hours. 47
ITALIAN MERINGUE • egg whites 100 g • sugar 50 g • water 50 g • sugar 150 g Whip egg whites with sugar. In a separate pot, cook sugar with water until it reaches 121°C. Pour caramelized sugar on egg whites and keep whipping until the mixture is lukewarm. PASSION FRUIT CREAM • passion fruit 150 g • meringue 90 g • gelatine 6 g • whipped 35% fat content cream 150 g Heat passion fruit pulp until it reaches 40°C then add gelatine that has been rehydrated in very cold water. Add the meringue, then lastly the whipped cream. PASSION FRUIT CARAMEL • sugar 100 g • passion fruit 50 g Caramelize sugar a little at a time then add passion fruit puree and cook until the desired consistency has been reached. PLATING PROCEDURE Create a base by decorating the plate with the passion fruit cream. Place a nest made of kataifi dough that was previously heated in a 180°C oven for 10 minutes in the centre. Place egg on the nest. Finish by adding caramel. 48 RECIPES
Design, philosophy and lots of flavour At a stone’s throw from the La Scala theatre and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele in Milan, The Manzoni is the restaurant desired and designed by the famous English designer Tom Dixon. Shiny steel, blocks of granite, marble, volcanic rock tiles, cement plaster, brass, waterfalls of chandeliers allow you to travel into a world of design and into the richness of materials that have always been hallmarks of Dixon’s style. The cuisine proposed by chef Giuseppe Daniele, the sous chef Gabriele Fiorino and the pastry chef Halit Gajda is a true project that invites you to take a journey into Italian food and wine culture. This choice is suggested by a menu that consists of a “philosophical” title and subtitles. 49
THE KING OF ROME Image courtesy of Matì - Gourmet Maritozzi Pleasures (Milan) 50 TRADITION
The maritozzo pastry, elected the eighth king of Rome, is now well known even outside of Italian borders. Its fame is so much that it has earned a National Day celebrated on September 16th. The maritozzo pastry, originating in Rome offered in both pastry shops and at cafés, has already conquered Italian palates, and now it is gaining popularity abroad. This popularity has even made its way to Japan; in the Land of the Rising Sun, a maritozzo-craze is spreading. Not only can it be found in the display cases of pastry shops and as an item on restaurant menus, but it is also present on store shelves, including the konbini, the always-open mini-markets. It is a soft and simple pastry, especially perfect for breakfast or for a snack. It was originally filled with honey, raisins and pine nuts, but today, to make it less sweet, it is traditionally filled with whipped cream. Between past and present In the past, it was a poor man’s dessert, made with a dough of eggs, flour, oil and salt, to which honey, raisins and pine nuts were added. In the ancient Roman times, it was often eaten by farmers and shepherds to gain energy. During Medieval times, this sandwich, prepared during Lent, would transform into a darker coloured dessert. This is how it obtained its name “Quaresimale” (from Quaresima, the Italian word for Lent) which will later transform into the Roman expression “er santo maritozzo”, coined by the Roman poet Gioacchino Belli in 1833 in the “La Quaresima” sonnet. Its sweetness made it a good luck gift for brides-to-be; on the first Friday of March, enamoured women that were soon to marry would receive 51
How to make it perfect There are just a few ingredients, which makes the quality of the raw materials and the skill of the artisan fundamentally important. Sugars and fats must be perfectly blended to obtain a smooth dough. It must not be made too quickly, as the dough needs to rest for at least twelve hours in the refrigerator. It must appear silky, elastic and smooth. It is advisable to brush the dough with a water and sugar solution to make the pastry more suitable for storage. The cream should be whipped in a way so that it isn’t overly sweet. a maritozzo topped with a sugar decoration shaped as two hearts with an arrow shot through them. For those who could afford it, they would hide a precious gift inside, often a gold ring. It is because of this use that the name maritozzo is derived, which refers in a playful way to the Italian word for husband, “marito”. As often happens in the pastry world, there are many different versions. In and around Rome, it is filled with whipped cream, whereas in Ciociaria (South of Rome) it is consumed as is, with no filling. There are also different recipes from Italian regions other than Lazio. In the Marche region, it looks like a small baguette with raisins and is served with chestnuts and mulled wine. The Sicilian and Puglia versions are braid-shaped and covered with sugar. Today, you can find gluten-free and vegan versions. Some pastry chefs fill it with chocolate, pistachio cream, Chantilly cream, strawberries and whipped cream, ricotta or gelato. There is no shortage of savoury versions, filled with stracciatella, cherry tomatoes, salami and cheese, but also with vegetables. Its success has made it a gourmet product. Some chefs make them with anchovies and butter, meatballs, ricotta with pesto and tomatoes, prosciutto crudo and stracciatella, octopus and potato, porchetta and robiola cheese, salted cod and vegetables, salmon and arugula, white ragu with butternut squash and mortadella, with eggplant parmesan or Amatriciana sauce. 52 TRADITION
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The sweet version of maritozzo by the Amalfi Coast pastry chef Sal De Riso. With whipped cream and pastry cream, they are an excellent option for breakfast. MARITOZZI FROM AMALFI By Sal De Riso - President of Accademia Maestri Pasticceri Italiani (The Academy of Master Italian Pastry Chefs) 54 RECIPES
COMPOSITION • dough • pastry cream • whipped cream DOUGH • water 250 g • cake yeast 50 g • acacia honey 35 g • sugar 120 g • 00 flour (w 280) 1000 g • whole eggs 300 g • egg yolks 120 g • butter 220 g • salt 16 g • lemon zest 1/4 • vanilla bean 1/3 • egg for brushing In stand mixer equipped with paddle attachment, knead water at 30°C with the yeast, honey, sugar, lemon zest, vanilla seeds, whole eggs and flour. Knead until a smooth mixture is obtained. Add half of the yolks together with the salt, then softened butter, then lastly the rest of the yolks. Knead until a silky dough is obtained. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 120 minutes, pushing the dough down twice. Form 40 g balls of dough and cover with cellophane. Let rise at 28°C until they have doubled in volume. Shape the dough balls, giving them a slightly oval shape then place the maritozzo pastries on a baking sheet and let rise at 28°C. Brush twice with eggs and bake at 200°C for 7 minutes. Immediately cool in blast chiller to maintain the flavour and moisture. PASTRY CREAM • milk 350 g • cream 150 g • egg yolks 180 g • sugar 150 g • corn starch 35 g • vanilla bean from the Bourbon Islands 1 • salt 2 g • lemon peel 3 Boil milk and cream with vanilla bean and the peel of 3 lemons. Mix egg yolks with sugar, starch and salt. Add the boiling-hot milk and cream. Cook the cream and let cool quickly. WHIPPED CREAM •36%fatcontentcream 1000g • vanilla-flavoured sugar 90 g Whip the creamwith the sugar. ASSEMBLY Once the maritozzo is frozen, cut in half and fill with a first layer of pastry cream, then with whipped cream. Dust with powdered sugar. 55
Parmigiano Reggiano is the most prized and most imitated cheese in the world. But no imitation can match the original. IMPOSSIBLE COMPARISON 56 FOCUS
Among Italian exports there is often abuse or inappropriate use of the Made in Italy brand. This includes Parmigiano Reggiano, one of the most used ingredients in Italian recipes. The PDO Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium estimates that the false parmesan business outside of the European Union - ranging from parmesao in Brasil to reggianito in Argentina as well as parmesan common on all continents - is 2 billion euros for about 200 thousand tons of product, a good fifteen times the volume of the amount of PDO Parmigiano Reggiano that is exported. Only imitation Americans like Parmigiano so much that numerous companies try to copy it. And so, “Parmesan” was born. It has a name that vaguely recalls the cheese produced in Italy, but it has nothing to be shared with the original. Flavours, colours, traditions, quality of raw ingredients, and aging times are so different that imitating it is impossible. Parmigiano Reggiano is the result of an ancient cheese-making culture that those who copy it do not have. One of the most evident differences is with the flavour; with the original, the cheese acquires different variations based on the number of months that it is aged. Young Parmigiano Reggiano is sweeter, but as it ages it gains a salty note, while never losing a pleasant spicy hint. Plus, it is impossible to replicate a flavour that depends on the different grazing pastures and on the care with which the dairy workers produce a cheese with a glorious 57
past. Each shaving of Parmigiano Reggiano is a story, a vigilantly guarded tradition passed on from generation to generation. Limited territory Parmigiano Reggiano is a PDO, Protected Designation of Origin, safeguarded by a consortium that fights Italian Sounding fakes. They do so by promoting the culture of the product, informing foreign consumers of the reasons why it is worth to have the authentic cheese on their tables as it stands out thanks to its quality and the entirely traceable production chain. It can be produced in an area that includes the provinces of Reggio Emilia, Modena, Parma, Bologna to the left of the Reno River and Mantova to the right of the Po River. Precisely to defend the cheese from imitations, it has strict production guidelines. Codified procedures The dairy cows that will produce it are only allowed to eat locally grown forage. To make it, 58 FOCUS
cow’s milk, salt and rennet can be used following a codified procedure. Skim milk that was gathered the evening before is used. It is obtained by letting the fat content naturally emerge, which will later be used to produce butter. This is then added to the whole milk gathered in the morning. The milk mixture is poured into the traditional upturned bell-shaped copper vats. To this, veal rennet and a whey starter (natural milk cultures obtained from the spontaneous acidification of the residual whey from the previous day) are added. After the coagulation starts, the curd is broken down into small granules by the cheesemaker. Then, there is a slow cooking process to reach 55°C. The granules sink to the bottom of the vat, forming a compact mass. The mixture is extracted and divided in half, wrapped in linen cloths and placed into a mould which will give it its typical shape. After a few days, its baptism will occur which makes each wheel unique. It will be marked with a branding iron with an identification number. The wheels are then submerged into a brine to be salted via os59
Differences with Grana Padano Another Italian delicacy is definitely Grana Padano, which however differs from Parmigiano Reggiano. Here are the five main differences. • Production areas The production area of Parmigiano Reggiano is smaller. It includes the provinces of Reggio Emilia, Modena, Parma and Bologna to the left of the Reno River and Mantova to the right of the Po River. Grana Padano can be produced in dairy farms in thirty-three provinces located in the Lombardy, Piedmont, Veneto, Emilia Romagna and Trentino Alto Adige regions (in Trentino Alto Adige, it is limited to the province Trento and to some municipalities in the province of Bolzano). • Production For Parmigiano Reggiano the forage for the dairy cows can only be straw and grass (alfalfa and wild fields), without the use of silage or fermented feeds. For Grana Padano silage can be used. • Aging process For Parmigiano Reggiano, the minimum aging period is 12 months and can go beyond 30 months. Consumption is on average around 24 months. For Grana Padano, the cheese is branded at 9 months and average consumption is at 15 months. • Starter In the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese factories, a natural starter whey is used exclusively as the bacterial starter to strengthen the microbiological process. For Grana Padano, within the limit of 12 times a year, lactic acid bacteria can be used if isolated in a laboratory originating from a natural starter whey from cheese factories. • Quality control For Parmigiano Reggiano, the selection by the Consortium during the quality inspection after 12 months of aging is performed on all the wheels, whereas for Grana Padano, the selection at 9 months occurs only on a portion of the wheels. mosis, then they are left to age. The aging process, on long wooden tables, can last 12, 24, 30 or 36 months, going all the way up to 40 months. To ensure that everything progresses correctly, at the end of the first year, by tapping with a hammer, the cheesemaker checks the resting process of the cheese. It is a process known as quality inspection and if the test is passed, then there is a second branding. 60 FOCUS
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