Qualitaly_110

APR. MAY. 2019 XIV We are in the midst of a generational transition. Walter Bolzonella , Head Barman of the Bar Gabbiano, located within the Belmond Hotel Cipriani in Venice, commented on the benefits that a venue could derive from enhancing food/beverage matching. “I think it’s necessary to bet on this new market and be ready and prepared for this possibility. Food pairing isn’t an impossible thing, it’s certainly stimulating. The customers of our restaurant Oro (one Michelin star) would probably like this combination because we offer dishes with refined ingredients, tastes, aromas and scents that cocktails could even enhance.” We enter a world of pure experimentation where even for the reinterpretation of a classic cocktail the bartender must think about the dish. “There’s no doubt that it could also happen that the cocktail is much better combined with a specific dish, but this could also apply to the dish itself. The foods that I would match most with a cocktail could be trendy Oriental dishes, I would see raw fish dishes, oysters and truffles, smoked or marinated fish, artichokes or fennel dishes where it is more difficult to match the wine. Charles Pascu , the Park Hyatt Mallorca , explains that in recent years Spain has been distinguished by the avant- garde in gastronomy and mixology: “The Spanish customer is very open to experimentation. Here food pairing is no longer niche: in the last three years it is a fashion that has become a high-quality demand for the attentive client. There are restaurants that offer pairings with excellent results. In my last work experience I created a Catalan cream-based cocktail because of the very frequent request for such a dessert with a fresh citric twist to make it more summery.” It is important to disseminate among bartenders the appropriate way to achieve food pairing, underlines Luca Di Francia at the Westin Excelsior Rome . “As an Aibes trainer, as well as a bartender, I had the opportunity to explore this subject, doing some seminars in different regions of Italy. Doing so I understood that in food pairing you should not neglect anything, even the decoration of a dish can be important for the right pairing. The starting point is the aromatic analysis of the ingredient to be used. The barman must give an alternative without compromise. How? “Cocktails with a moderate consistency of alcohol. The tiki drinks, for example, that can be interesting in combination with some of the dishes. It is important that the ingredients used in the cocktail are capable of prolonging and increasing the power of the taste of the food. We’re talking about harmonization, contrast and exaltation. Today, customers need good communicators to be able to pass on their experiences through the preparation of a drink or a dish”. Danilo Bellucci and Michele Carlo , the organizers of the Order of Merit , have been interested in food pairing a long time, when they simply called it... combination. “The goal has always been to serve with drinks something original, appetizing and adequate to give the customer a satisfaction and a reason to talk more about the place” - they say - “It is much more than attention to detail. And it is not a question of alcohol content, you can make drinks with even lower alcohol content than wine. We are talking about rooted culture as well as habit. Many of the classic aperitifs, and even those with good acidity, go very well with fish or shellfish dishes. PROPOSE IDEAS THAT STIMULATE THE CUSTOMER Before you even begin the approach with the food, an alternative way is to listen to the needs of the customer and propose ideas. “Subsequently, the stimulus, accompanied by the innovation given by the food, travels by word of mouth, which is always an excellent vehicle for promotion, and added value in terms of customer satisfaction. What is important to understand, however, is how much the consumer is willing to spend”, comment Di Carlo and Bellucci. Not a difficult challenge but a matching of flavours, says Carmine Ferraro , head of Da Caio Bar (The George Hotel Design) in Hamburg. “It is our duty to constantly educate our clients towards the satisfaction of a taste for quality and uniqueness.” The food pairing must be worthy of the establishment that it represents. “The detail is linked to the need and knowledge. All of which should belong to the history and culture of good drinking, with attention to the techniques, the harmony and balance of the flavours and the service. Essential is the use of herbs and spices as a base from which to start. The key word is the art of travel through the invaluable assistance of the habits of the peoples.” In the collaboration between chefs and bartenders resides the chemistry to match any food to the cocktails. The thought of Giovanni Grasso , executive chef at Médousa Bistro & Suites of Taormina: “the idea was born from the desire to unite knowledge, so you can mix and bring out a third art, which gives life to the food/drink combination. The main advantage is to satisfy the clients, making them live a taste- sensory experience.” Any ingredient can be used in food, giving hints and new tastes to various dishes, summarizes Christian Sciglio , bar manager of the Médousa Bistro & Suites and Morgana in Taormina. The two of them say: “We don’t like to find the same aromas and herbs in a cocktail paired with a dish and vice versa, we like to contrast the flavours so that the two complement each other giving an explosion of taste.” AT PAGE 48 FOCUS ON Food Pairing in the ‘Network’ The tendency to match food and drink is the key to enhancing ingredients and to increase the tasting experience. And the web meets us halfway... By Riccardo Sada Food pairing is now soaring, especially in Anglo-Saxon MAGAZINE