Qualitaly_108

DEC. JAN. 2019 XIV diners is of a cuisine that does not experiment with extreme recipes, irrespective of the appeal, but that reaches the heart of the guest making him recognize every type of food he will taste. How do you work regarding supplies? Having already fixed events, it becomes easier to order the exact quantity of foodstuffs, which we do weekly. How do you choose suppliers? What is the advantage of having an interlocutor like CIC? We have local suppliers that we choose for value and personal knowledge and especially for the recipes that we want to create. Having a partner like CIC means being able to count on products of various types (from tomatoes to legumes and cold cuts) for which we have a strong guarantee of quality. ______________________________ BOX THE RECIPE Pastry bundle stuffed with ricotta cheese, salmon and cherry tomato on shrimp ragu The crepes are made with flour eggs and saffron. The filling, with cow’s milk ricotta cheese from Clar di Rieti, diced cherry tomatoes and smoked salmon. The ragu instead with chopped shrimp and fresh tomato blended with parsley and lemon peel. The garnish, with parsley blended with Carboncella olive oil. Plating process Put the shrimp sauce first, then the pastry bundle and finally the blended parsley and oil. Result: sauce-bread accompaniment and crispiness. ______________________________ AT PAGE 56 IN THE PANTRY Italy’s liquid gold From north to south of the Peninsula, the production of extra virgin olive oil brings with it history, tradition and quality. A mosaic of small and large producers that make oil a precious gift for both the table and health, an excellence that often has to fight against climatic adversities By Maddalena Baldini Recognized as one of the most precious products of Made in Italy, extra virgin olive oil represents an all-round source of wealth, able to guarantee quality, connection with the land, health and last – but certainly not least – a history, first of all linked to its origin and source. The Doxa Data from summer 2018 speaks clearly: 53% of the people surveyed want Italian extra virgin olive oil because, the certainty of having a finished product, born from olives grown and harvested in the country stands for quality. To these numbers there is another important one: 85% of consumers use extra virgin olive oil because, according to another 36% of those interested, it is the best one to use, not only in the kitchen at home but also in restaurants where, for most cases, taste and health properties are recognized in preparations and dishes. From the supermarket buyer to the restaurateur who selects and chooses which extra virgin olive oil to “trust”, the origin, source and processing of the olives remain the basic parameters of preference. These are followed by the quality/price ratio (increasing compared to previous decades), that is, there is greater awareness of how important it is to have an oil “made well” and the willingness to pay a bit more for it. CERTIFIED ELEGANCE OF THE LIGURIAN RIVIERA “The strength of our ‘Italian gold’ is also given by the common will of olive growers, millers and bottlers who work with the aim of an excellent final product, inspected and traced along the entire supply chain – says Carlo Siffredi, president of the Consortium for the Protection of Extra Virgin Olive Oil PDO Riviera Ligure – In addition to sweetness, elegance and versatility, safety in inspections of our oil, we also add sample checks in points of sale, actions that give further assurances.” Liguria is both a “small and large” ecological system of olive cultivation, supported by the variety of cultivars: in addition to the famous Taggiasca, there are Arnasca, Colombaia, Liccione, Merlina, Negrea, just to name a few, all types able to enrich the rich aromatic PDO range. How do you rank the Extra Virgin of the Ligurian Riviera in the market and in the restaurant channel? “We export all over the world – continues the President – always respecting our quantities. We are also supporting catering, starting from the basics with courses aimed at young chefs and local staff. Knowing how to choose quality is essential for successful and lasting catering.” A TASTE FROM THE HEEL OF ITALY Another area of excellence, suitable for millennia for the cultivation of olive trees and the production of oil, often at the forefront of the media due to environmental and political problems is Puglia. The president of the association Buonaterra Movimento Turismo dell’Olio, Donato Taurino, active in the Salento area, is the spokesperson. “We had difficulties with the climate this year (2018), between periods of long drought alternating with wet periods, which caused fungal problems to plants. Here in Puglia, farmers have a special strength, driven by optimism and passion, also in the oil production sector.” Determination and perseverance regardless of climatic difficulties, the infamous xylella and the TAP gas pipeline, all aimed at the production of an extra virgin olive oil that can always maintain at a high level the market and the fame of Puglia as leading region of this “liquid gold”. “Often, our strong point is the short supply chain, namely cultivation, harvesting, milling and selling, all within a few kilometres or even in the same companies – continues Taurino – This system that turns into a quality control guarantee, which is popular not only with the individual MAGAZINE