Semplice: Real Italian Food : Ingredients and Recipes by Dino Joannides

Those of you that are kind enough to visit my blog will have noticed that over the last couple of years I have not posted as much as I used to.

On the rare occasions that I did post the subject matter tended to be about Italian Food or ingredients.

The main reason for the above is that I have been working on a book about Italian Food and I am pleased to tell you that it will be published on October 2nd by Random House.

Semplice: Real Italian Food : Ingredients and Recipes  is now available for pre order from all the usual online ,  and bricks and mortar book shops.

For those in the UK you can pre order here , in North America here in other parts of the world it should also be available online and in good book shops.

I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I have enjoyed writing it !

#vongole video 8 : why no cheese ?

In this 8th and final video Francesco Mazzei Chef Patron of the award winning L'Anima in London explains why cheese is not required in this dish.

Pasta has become popular all over the world as has Parmegiano Reggiaono however it is often added to dishes that do not require the addition of any cheese or this particular cheese. Even in Italy other cheeses form the essential ingredients of a specific pasta dish be it Sicilian Ricotta , Mozzarella or one of the many regional Pecorinos. Also many dishes do not need cheese because it's just one ingredient too many and it unbalances the dish by masking or clashing with the main ingredients.

Sorelle Picchi , Parma

Sorelle Picchi is a legendary Salumeria and Restaurant in Parma . The 2nd generation Picchi sisters sold out to a big local producer of Prosciutto (Cotto and Crudo)Parmacotto. I'm glad to report that this institution so favoured by the likes of Dario Fo and gastronomes from all over, Parma , Italy and the World is still superb.



The procurement of the finest Prosciutto di Parma , Culatello di Zibello , Salami di Felino and local Coppa is if anything improved . I suspect the new owners also own many of the suppliers like Antica Salumeria Rosi.



The wine list is now a bit longer and broader and I was very happy to find the superb Pinot Nero from Alto Adige made by Martin Hofstätter . At 15 euros this is a veritable bargain and great match for the remarkable Salumi and Tortelli.



I have eaten here 3 times on this trip and have enjoyed some of the best Culatello and Proscuiutto di Parma I have ever tasted and I have never had better Tortelli alle Erbette.



Also sampled superb Fetuccini con culatello e porcini, Cappeletti en brodo and con sugo di carne whilst the best main was without doubt a melt in your mouth Guanciale de Vitello ( Veal cheek stew).



The only desert I managed on my 3 visits was a beautifully balanced semifredo di zabiaone con salsa di cioccolato caldo .



By my third visit I was actually worried that I would be able to squeeze through the little gap between the wall and the wooden counter on which rests the cash register and enter the back room, a vision of white tablecloths, packed with wooden chairs and busy waitresses serving a myriad of simple staple Parmigiani dishes.



What impressed me about Sorelle Picchi was the cross section of local people who ate in this restaurant at both lunch and dinner. There were doctors ,lawyers , shopkeepers , professional footballers,employees from Parmalat , secretaries , students and farm workers from the province of Parma. This is not unusual in good restaurants in Italy but certainly not common in the UK.



Parma like Bologna and most of Emilia Romagna produces wonderful food and it is really difficult to eat badly. I have always found the cuisine of this region along with large portions of the south (especially Calabria , Campagnia,Basilicata and Sicily)to be head and shoulders above the rest of Italy.



For those who have not visited this part of Italy and tend to focus on Rome , Florence , Venice and maybe Verona too try and find time to discover not only great food the beautiful cities and countryside around Parma , Modena and Bologna !




Sorelle Piccchi
Tratoria.Salumeria
Via Farini 27
43100 Parma
Tel 051 233528

Lunch @home May 25th 2009

I picked up some hand carried 36 month old Parmigiano form Azienda Brugnoli in Vischetto (Makers of the World Champion Parmabio in 2006), Black Pig Salami and Culatello di Zibello this morning from a friend who returned from Parma last night.

Antipasti sorted and I used the Parmigiano on my primo of Steamed Evesham Asparagus , Tomatoes from Provence sprinkeld with Gold Label Balsamic vinegar and Seggiano 2008 harvest Virgin Olive Oil

Main course is my Italo/Greek fusion dish - a kind of "Giouvetsi" but dare I say better - using Jack O'Shea's Yorkshire Shoulder of Spring Lamb , Orchiette from Pulgia tossed in meat jus and San Marzano Tomato based sauce.

Cheese course - well when you have "King" as good as the Parmabio 36 month , one cheese is enough - matched the 1996 Barolo very well.

Desert - Mrs Gastro was in overdive today and she made an Apple and Blackberry Pie as well as a Victoria Sponge for the little Gastro bambinos. Both served with Jersey Double Cream as we are all watching our weight.

Wines

Terra Serena Prosecco - Gift
Corderro di Montezemolo Barolo Vigna Enrico V1 1996 - Last Drop Wines Ltd
Diamante d’Almerita 2005 from Tasca d’Almerita - Last Drop Wines Ltd.