QUALITALY

DEC. JAN. 2018

new restaurant is called Aperto.

With which Italian colleague would

you like to work?

There are many Italian chefs with

whom I would like to work with but,

in particular, I would like to find

myself working alongside Gerardo

Novi! For me he is an idol, at his age

he is still doing the season in Costa

Smeralda. I would also like to work

with the team of the Association of

Basilicata Chefs, it’s a great team and

I am proud to be a member!

Ravioli stuffed with Caciocavallo

In my region of origin (but I think

the concept is valid for all of Italy)

there is a saying: “When a stranger

arrives around here, he cries twice!”

The first because he discovers a very

different reality, a timeless country

and, consequently, a little difficult

to live at first; the second time he

cries because, after then becoming

accustomed to the traditions and

beauties of the place, he does not

want to leave.

To complete the bounty of the

gastronomic products, Caciocavallo

is a prime example, a cheese also

shared with Puglia and Calabria.

Precisely because of its originality

and its unique taste, I decided to

serve it at my dinner, The Beauty

of Basilicata, at the James Beard

Foundation in New York.

Caciocavallo is obtained from the

milk of the Podolica cows, an almost

extinct breed which, in fact, still

lives on the Apennine mountains

of Calabria-Basilicata and in some

parts of Puglia and Molise: they are

particular cows, strong and gentle

at the same time, wild (they can

live outdoors) and friendly to man.

All features that make this cheese

an absolute delight. The name

Caciocavallo comes from the maturing

that takes place “on horseback”

suspended between two poles.

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BOX

INGREDIENTS FOR 6 PEOPLE:

For the pasta

250 g flour (plus an addition for

working)

56 g butter at room temperature

2 eggs

½ teaspoon salt

For the filling

125 g of grated seasoned Caciocavallo

80 g ricotta cheese

1 egg

For mixing

100 g of grated seasoned Caciocavallo

100 g butter

3 tablespoons of chopped fresh sage

Mix the ingredients for the dough until

it becomes elastic; work it for about 10

minutes, wrap it in cling film and let it

rest for half an hour.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, prepare the

filling by adding the Caciocavallo,

ricotta and egg and mix it all very

slowly and gently.

At this point, roll out the dough with

a rolling pin (or with the machine to

pull the crust): it must be thin. On

half put the stuffing with a spoon or

a pastry bag; close with the other half

and with the wheel cutter trim the

edges. Alternatively, you can also use

a round mould. Seal the edges well.

Boil in salt water for a few minutes

and drain al dente. In a large frying

pan, melt the butter and sage on a low

heat, finally add the Caciocavallo and

stir well. Sauté the ravioli in the pan

and serve hot.

Recommended Wines:

Dry Riesling

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AT PAGE 26

Cooking is not a game

How important is the training of

young people? Are the use and

diffusion of territorial products, the

traditions and the origins of catering

fundamental?

However, the direction taken by

the new fine cuisine is always

highlighted.

Because you can’t live with starred

chefs and TV stars alone

By Riccardo Sada

New techniques and new horizons

overlook the market, in the sector,

putting different generations in the

spotlight. The doors of the Marchitelli

Hotel Institute of Villa Santas Maria

(CH) opened for Qualitaly to see

closely the professionalism and

skill of teachers and pupils, and to

understand the paths that the new

students can undertake with modern

means.

For over 5 years, more than 750

students learn and apply theory

and practice, culture and craft

successively spread throughout the

world as a single belief. The teachers

Sergio Giulio and Franco Di Genni

are however in agreement: there is

still a lot to do.

“There are too many chefs and too

few cooks, which is why it is very

important what can be created

from an institution like that of Villa

Santa Maria. If you do not know the

history and the past - continue the

professors - you can not foresee the

future and build solid foundations.

Five centuries ago thanks to the

Neapolitan family of Caracciolo, who

based everything on game meat, a

tradition handed down for such a

long time thanks to a continuous

passage of witness; the pupils

today start from here and arrive

throughout the rest of the world. The

kitchen evolves over time, always

starting from its roots; here in the

Institute we simply give continuity

and development to this flow. We

assist culture by following the

ministerial programme. Regarding

chefs or cooks, let’s just say that

restaurants need to find willing

people. We ask the new members,

now, why has no one chosen the

hotel trade. Nouvelle cuisine has

turned everything upside down.

However, today’s foundations are a

cornerstone: they are nutrition and

experience. Trends must be taken

with the due caution: micro-climatic

cuisine, for example, is interesting

to follow and interpret. We must pay

attention to the chemistry and the

organoleptic changes of the food:

cooking is not a game “.

The word then passes to pupils Luca

da Fermo and Emilio D’Emilio, from

an open day in which hundreds of

classmates have been involved.

MAGAZINE